Self Improvement 101

[tripperfunster]

Despite being practically perfect in every way *cough* I occasionally travel down different paths of attempted self improvement.

Some are big, like quitting smoking (yay) and some are small, like making an effort to sit up straighter (less yay) but once or twice a year I try-on a new skill or habit and see if it will stick.

I gave up wheat six months ago. (for varying values of 'giving up'.) I guess "cutting way way back" on wheat would be a more apt description. I was never willing to give up chocolate cake!! :D But I haven't had any bread this whole time, or cookies, but I haven't scoured ingredients lists to see if there is hidden wheat in anything. I did have homemade waffles on Christmas morning, and occasionally indulge in lasagna at family dinners, but over all, my consumption is down around 90%.

Sadly, these last two weeks, my consumption of easter eggs is up 049380491304958%. ;) There should be a law that they can only be sold the day before easter.

My latest 'thing' is trying to sleep on my back. Seriously. I've only done it for three nights so far, and I look 5 years younger already. I USED to be a natural back sleeper, but due to massive amounts of ridiculous propoganda, I stopped while pregnant, and begrudgingly became a side-sleeper. Side sleeping is a hard habit to break! And being a back sleeper has not been easy on my back.

Other things I've attempted ove the years:
Regular flossing. Nope. Hate it. I bought a water-pik, so that's my compromise.
Walking with my feet facing more forward. (I tend to walk like a penguin, feet facing out.)
whitening my teeth. (but not ... creepy mannequin white)
Excersizing more.
Excersizing some.
Excersizing more than not at all. (ongoing goal ... obviously)


Does anyone else out there do silly things like this?

Comments

[evilmissbecky.livejournal.com]

I have a love/hate relationship with caffeine. I'll give it up completely, then find myself seduced back to the dark side. (Curse you, Cherry Coke!) Only to start the cycle anew.

I have very little willpower.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Oh God! Wheat was easy. I could never give up my tea! *clutches mug to chest*

[bugeyedmonster.livejournal.com]

Walking with my feet facing more forward. (I tend to walk like a penguin, feet facing out.)

Have you heard the theory that folks who 'walk with feet facing out' have a balance issue? Perhaps you'd have to practice this by walking somewhere with a rail and just going back and forth along the rail. (By rail, I mean a hand rail, so you can hold the rail if you need to.)

Plus, this activity would give exercise.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Interesting theory, but I don't think I have balance issues. I'm no more clumsy than the average person. I think I'm just more of a shlunk. ;) Kinda slouchy, easy going person. My entire posture could use a dramatic make over.

[helenajust.livejournal.com]

Is sleeping on your back more healthy/better for you? Why? And did you feel better for not eating wheat?

I taught myself to be able to sleep on my back and my left side, in case I hurt my right side and couldn't sleep on it!! I also taught myself to use my left hand more - I'm not truly ambidextrous, but my left hand is much more useful than it used to be.

So yes, I do try to do crazy things a bit like you!

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Sleeping on your back is supposed to be bad for the baby, as it puts pressure on some artery or nerve or something, but when you're not pregnant, it is much better for your FACE! Sleeping on your side or stomach ages your face. Give it more creases and wrinkles.

I seriously look better after just a couple of days. (I should have taken before and after pictures.)

[nic]

This is very interesting to me, thank you!

I always slept on my side or stomach. Last year, after surgery, I was forced to sleep on my back for a month. Now I cannot seem to switch back to my stomach! So to hear that I get less wrinkles as a benefit, cool!

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

What sort of surgery did you have, that made you change your sleep position? FACE LIFT? BOOB JOB? ;)

[nic]

Nothing so fun, alas! :p (Endless dental/jaw surgery... NOT FUN.)

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Oh, the wheat thing.

I find that I am way less hungry. Apparently, the way that our bodies metabolize wheat, is that they turn it into sugars, which causes our blood sugar to rocket and then dip, making us hungry all the time.

i really did find that I could eat a big meal of pasta or bread, and then be hungry an hour later.

Now i can go for hours without getting that horrible shakey/hungry feeling. Not that i don't eat lots of crap still, but over all, I make healthier choices, and hopefully I'll continue to improve.

[foxestacado.livejournal.com]

I am trying to walk down stairs with my knee pointed in the right direction (i.e. point knee so that it lines up between my first and second toe). Lately I have been having some pain in my right knee, and my mom has been having knee issues. I was alerted to knee alignment issues during yoga by various teachers, so now I'm trying to be more aware of how my knee is aligned.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Is it both knees or just one? And do you notice problems just on stairs? Or why is it then that you are focusing on it?

[foxestacado.livejournal.com]

It's just the one knee (my right). I notice problems from time to time but mostly going up or down stairs, because that's when it bothers me most. By walking on stairs, my knee bears weight and bends at a 90 degree (or so) angle. And that's when it becomes more important to make sure it's aligned correctly. I was alerted to the problem because of my yoga teachers and the slight pain in my knee, which has compelled me to make an effort to do knee-healthy things, such as not locking my knees (I'm lock kneed) and trying to point my knee in the right direction. Also, I need to be careful about doing things such as sitting on my ankles and sitting cross-legged without flexing my feet (which protects the knees) because it means I could be hyper-extending my knee to the side (knees are hinges, and shouldn't be bending anywhere but like a hinge).

[sumsumlovesyou.livejournal.com]

YES! My husband and I tried giving up all alcohol for one month. I'm not an alcoholic, we have may a beer a day tops... BUT I WORK AT A LIQUOR STORE!! I hold tastings! I have to attend tastings! It was the worst month ever. I did lose 20 lbs, so there is that.

We've also tried the following:
No Bread
No Sweets
No Facebook
No Internet
Television
No Cussing
No Going out to eat
No Gas station snacks
No Soda
No Smoking
Being Vegan/Vegetarian
Doing laundry more than once a month
Exercising
Eating salad
Saving money (in an organized fashion)
Not fighting

I don't know how you sleep on your side! It hurts my hips. I hate-hate-hate-hate-HATE it! When I was pregnant, it was a horrible punishment, and it's still the worst part of night nursing. I am a stomach sleeper. The back is okay if I absolutely have to, but I sleep deepest and fastest on my tummy. Ohhh how I love tummy sleeping.

Good job on the no bread thing. I lasted about two days. :/ You're a much better man than I!

[sumsumlovesyou.livejournal.com]

Upon reflection, my husband and I have decided we need to start drinking more water and making 'hydration' out new thing. We both are terrible at it.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Oh yes! Water!

I constantly swear to drink more water and constantly fail.

Ugh, I cannot sleep on my stomach. it hurts my neck and my boobs!

[schemingreader.livejournal.com]

I like trying different resolutions, kinds of exercise, or habits. I try not to get too upset with myself if I don't succeed with them.

I am pretty good about flossing my teeth. I used to be great about exercise, but somehow got out of the habit. At various times I've done yoga every day, gone to the gym five days a week, worked up to 100 pushups (I really did do that, as unbelievable as it is now) and so on. I've also gone off caffeine for months at a time and then decided that was silly, caffeine is helpful.

One resolution I've kept and felt good about was making the bed every morning. That really did improve my life.

One resolution I've undertaken but never been able to stick to: liking myself exactly as I am and my life exactly as it is.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

How did making your bed improve your life?

And liking yourself just the way you are? IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE? ;)

I'd like myself a lot more if there were 10 or 15lbs less of me. SEZ EVERY WOMAN, EVER.

[demicus.livejournal.com]

You damn skippy I do silly stuff like this.
Yes to using the Waterpik filled with mouthwash, & regular flossing.
Yes to teeth whitening.
Yes to cutting out peanut butter, wheat, sugar, & milk. I've much less old-lady acne since omitting said items.
Yes to cutting out red meat.
Yes to exercising more. Not by choice, I've just taken over the snow shovelling job. *smirk*

Sadly, no, I'm not a back sleeper. Wut? I could look 5 years younger? Damn.
You don't walk like a penguin, you walk like a ballerina. *nods*

Congrats on quitting smoking. *cheers*

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

You've cut out wheat, sugar, milk, peanut butter and milk. WTF do you eat?

I've heard that diary can be a real source of 'old lady' acne. ;) My friend cut out dairy and her skin improved greatly.

I can give up wheat but not CHEESE! *GRABBY HANDS*

And yeah ... ballerina .... sure ....

The smoking thing was huh. I"m not sure now. Decades? Somewhere between 16 and 20 years ago. Doesn't seem like it was even ME at this point. :D

[demicus.livejournal.com]

Paper. I eat paper products like they were goin' outta style. LOL! Let's see ... I eat all fruits, & veggies, & nuts, & chicken, & ... well, you get the idea.

Yup, I could've saved the money I spent on that Tanda "blue light therapy" gadget. Maybe it could double as a bug zapper?

Cheese? Hmm ... not my favourite. I haven't cut the had cheese in many, many moons. ;¬)

*twirls you* *falls down*

So now you only let your dog smoke. Smart thinkin'. Hope he doesn't go crazy with that lighter. LOL!

edited to include fromage joke

[sra-danvers.livejournal.com]

That's so inspiring! And that Excersizing sounds too much to me XD

[sara-the-lazy.livejournal.com]

Yay questing for self-improvement!

Boo for Easter Eggs though.

Ooh, back sleeping is good for you? I actually didn't know that for some reason.

I sometimes do stuff... idk. I'm lazy.

[clayangel.livejournal.com]

Your exercising goal sounds like me. :P I've been trying to lose weight for my health, and it always started with eating right and exercising, but it was the exercising that screwed me up and had me giving up. So this time I tried it without the exercising, thinking if I can at least start by eating right, then by the time I plateau on the weight loss, I can try adding the exercising, and if I fail again, at least I've mastered the eating right. It's been a slow process, but it's definitely working better than trying them both at once at least.