Setting myself modest goals!

I've been thinking about my personal goals and what I want to set as a schedule. In doing so, I'm concentrating on the following things:

1. Health
2. Financial/business
3. Enjoyment

Health

Many of you may already know I have major health issues: spinal disc deterioration, hip pain, type 2 diabetes, blood marrow issues, and eyesight and hearing loss. I"m 72 years old, in a wheelchair since 2014, battling pain from flybromylgia, diabetic issues with blood glucose regulation, hearing loss, weight gain, fatty liver, neuropathy, diabetic feet and leg ulcers, and blood flow issues to my legs and feet. I'm pretty much homebound; I don't drive anymore, and I rarely get out of my house. I've decided to create some modest health goals for myself.

1. Simple exercises
2. Nutritional goals
3. Blood glucose control/weight loss

Simple Exercises

I'm in a wheelchair due to several long bouts with diabetic foot and leg ulcers. I've lost muscle mass, flexibility, and balance. I can no longer straighten my back fully when standing. Sitting at my desktop is limited in what I can do without severe back and hip pain. I can currently sit for about 3 hours at a time on my good days. Then it's back to my recliner (thank God for my power recliner- it tilts back/forward, heats, and massages!). I actually sleep in this recliner because lying in my bed hurts my back, neck, and shoulders. This year, I've been working on moving my feet and legs regularly, both in and out of my recliner, to build muscle, flexibility, strength, and increase blood flow.

I've resolved to do these exercises several times a day when I feel well enough(3 times a day, in fact). 3 sets of 50 repetitions a day - twice during the daytime and at least once at night. I can always adjust if I feel bad that day.

• feet and ankle circles
• leg lifts
• open-close legs wide
• air bicycles (fortunately I can do this while reclining in my recliner)
• Arm circles; lifting and lowering arms; opening arms wide and closing again; pushing in and out with my hands; arm reaches up and down. I think I'll be adding some of these arm exercises with my lightweight handbells again.
• Standing squats while holding onto my walker, wheelchair back, or leaning on my bed. (squats, toe raises, flexing the back of the calves and thighs). I do 10 at a time for a total of 50 squats

GOAL: To increase leg strength and improve balance enough to walk with my walker again and reduce chances of falling.

Nutritional

As a diabetic, it is important to control my blood sugar(glucose). I do take medications (3 different insulins). I fight my inflammation with: several herbal teas (typically turmeric/ginger/dandelion root and green teas), supplements (Turmeric/Curcumin tablets, Ceylon cinnamon), and other supplements and vitamins (D3, Beetroot, Pomegranate, Hydro-water, sometimes magnesium, calcium, and zinc). I drink distilled or alkaline water mostly to avoid contaminants like fluoride (some studies show it can affect blood glucose).

I try to eat low-carb, keto as much as possible. I avoid breads, pasta, desserts, jellies and jams, and juices. I eat low-glycemic veggies like Brussels sprouts, green beans, and broccoli a lot, and some fruit like berries that don't spike my blood glucose. I eat eggs from free-range chickens, and beef and pork from more organic and natural farms. I avoid fast food and processed foods, and I try to get my veggies frozen or from farmers' markets. I rarely use wheat flour in cooking and choose almond flour instead. I use organic beef and chicken broth in cooking when possible. I rarely use buns or bread on my sandwiches anymore. I eat them with a knife and fork instead, using olive oil mayo, mustard, and keto ketchup. I use various spices for flavor, and I like to add chia seeds, sesame seeds, chopped almonds, and walnuts to my salads, using vinegar and olive oil for dressings.

Blood glucose control/weight loss

It's important for me to control my blood glucose. I use a Libre 3 meter and check my blood glucose several times a day.

I've found that fasting, especially intermittent fasting, helps a lot in controlling my blood glucose. In 2017, I followed a very strict intermittent fasting schedule for 2 months (including longer fasts of 1-3 days), reduced my insulin significantly, and lost about 30 pounds. Unfortunately, I couldn't sustain it and gained some of that weight back. In recent months, I'm back to eating more keto and doing intermittent fasting again. My goal is basically one meal a day: low-carb, not eating after 6 pm, fasting all night until 1-2 p.m., and eating a small snack if I have to, like cheese, a boiled egg, or some bone broth, and my main meal around 4-5 p.m. I've found a 24-hour fast workable for me if I watch my blood glucose carefully and act if it drops quickly.

Weight loss is very hard since I'm so sedentary - burning off calories is pretty impossible. So losing weight through diet is what's left. Maybe adding my handbells for more resistance might help.

GOAL: To control blood glucose, lower my A1c, lose weight, and maintain a healthy low-carb diet

Financial/Business

I'm very fortunate to have a decent pension from my long-time career with the FDA, supplemented with a little Social Security funds from my spouse. My spouse also has a decent Social Security income (because he held off until he was over 70 years old). He was a financial advisor for years and kept us out of debt and saving something toward retirement, so thanks to his wisdom, we can live fairly comfortably now. I don't have to work or run a part-time business. I do so only because I feel the need to contribute and create something worthwhile at this point. My online business is basically a hobby and a way to keep me thinking, learning, and creating. My WA membership gives me things to do when I feel good enough to do something.

I'm setting myself new goals for my 2 main blog sites and my POD online shop:

At 1 new post each week for each blog site, including marketing with facebook posts and pinterest pins.

1 new POD product, designed and published for both my Tea Shop and my BV-Outdoors shop. Including a brief blog post announcement, a Facebook announcement, Pinterest pin, and a sample ordered if I can afford it.

GOAL: To profit enough to pay for my online business hobby, WA and Kre8or memberships, and software tools I use on my computer and phone (like Photoshop, Canva, etc)

Enjoyment

I spent a career at FDA (33 years) in support positions, always with the goal of helping the staff at the research center where I worked. I developed a deep need and desire to help people solve their tech problems and give them good service. I retired early from my Computer Specialist position because of a very difficult relationship with my last supervisor (we had very different opinions on what customer support was). After retirement, I opened my own Photo Studio, loved it, but had to sell it after several years when my back gave out, and I was physically unable to do the job. I looked for various ways to work online and finally found WA. I joined in 2014 and love it. I don't regret that decision at all, even though I've had periods where I was physically unable to continue the training and building. But I always kept my membership, and I'm so glad Wealthy Affiliates now gives me a way to keep my mind active (learning and implementing new things), create new things, and even help and support others in this huge community.

I really enjoy WA and Kre8or and learning how to use the new tools.

GOALS: Personal joy and satisfaction, and a creative outlet.

NOTE: These are targets for my better weeks, and I’ll adjust them when my health needs more attention

Question

What are your own main goals for yourself, and have you thought about them and written them down?

-Shirley