Welcome!
The Wednesday Wellbeing Club is for anyone who, like me, wants to make some lifestyle changes. It will run every week for fifteen weeks until Wednesday 24 November 2021.
I'm aiming to lose 6kg in that time with the intention of improved health benefits and the opportunity to reduce medication. You might have other health goals - being more active, giving up smoking, getting more sleep.
Each week, we'll check progress against the Rule of Fives I set out in the launch post. You can write your own post each week, or you can just leave a comment on each week's post about how things are going for you.
I've taken the idea from the Saturday Savers Club over on the @eddie-earner account where a group of savers come together to support each other every Saturday.
The Rule of Fives
I'm using the Rule of Fives as my framework through the time that the Wednesday Wellbeing Club is running. By the end of the fifteen weeks, I am hoping that these will become habits - things I do anyway, without thinking too much about them.
Here is my Rule of Fives for each week:
- Lose 500g.
- Enjoy 5 x 30 minute sessions of physical activity.
- Eat 5 x 80g portions of fruit and vegetables each day.
- Get 5 nights x 8 hours sleep.
- Spend 5 x 30 minute sessions of connecting or creating.
(You'll find more detail in the launch post and the back story).
Let's Check In
Here's a handy little chart to check progress week by week:
| Goal | This Week | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| Lose 6k | 0.0Kg 😱 | 2.0k |
| 5 x 30 mins activity | 😏 | ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 😏 |
| 5 portions fruit and vegetables | 😏 | ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 😏 |
| 5 nights x 8 hrs sleep | 😏 | 🙂 🙂 😏 😏 |
| 5 creative/connecting sessions | ❤️ | 🙂 🙂 🙂 ❤️ |
1. Achieve a more healthy weight
Okay, here we're seeing what happens when I hit a stress-point, usually caused by work. No weight loss this week (but no gain, so that's a good thing). Stress this week was caused by being away from home two weekends in a row, both involving long hours of driving, disrupted routines and, in one case, some emotional demands.
Although I managed to maintain healthy eating (in spite of the absence of vegetables from restaurant menus) and exercise over both weekends, I definitely had a hangover from the demands of the weekends in the days afterwards. I was very tired and struggled with eating properly (too tired to cook) and physical activity.
What I've learned is that I need to watch the load that I'm carrying. Talking it over with Mr P afterwards, we thought that staying in a hotel (rather than with friends) and taking the train rather than driving might help to reduce the load. Things to think about when I'm planning my next trips.
Things to learn 😏
2. Enjoy physical activity
Checking the @susie-saver account, there were three days when I didn't post: so three days when I wasn't up to physical activity or even keeping in control of tracking what was happening. This is the value of tracking, you can check back what was going on and review how different events or experiences affected you, so you plan differently in the future.
The past few days have seen an improvement and I'm back tracking, so not too bad. That's the main thing - to get back on track and keep going.
Keep it up! 😏
3. Eat well
Again, tracking went down the river, lost to sight. I can't remember what I ate, but I didn't feel much like cooking and preparation, so I suspect it was bread and jam a lot of the time 😂. I'm in a NO-BUY month which helped, so no takeaways, just not a great eating week.
I ate well while I was away the second weekend with heaps of vegetables with my Sunday roast - cabbage, tenderstem broccoli, swede and cauliflower cheese - as well as potatoes. I was better at portion control, too, asking for half my Sunday dinner to be boxed and eating it the next day for a late breakfast.
On the way, keep going 😏
4. Sleep more
I'm definitely out of sorts and haven't yet hit my stride with better quality sleeping. This could be the one thing that helps with everything else - stress, eating, physical exercise and, ultimately, weight loss. Good thing it's our tip for this week!
Needs attention! 😏
5. Connect and create
In spite of all the ups and downs, this was good. I've started designing a new vest top based on Dark Academia style, I visited a photographic exhibition as part of my membership package (so no additional cost) and found two more at Tate Britain that I want to visit over the coming months. On Monday, we had our first Needlework Monday Live Chat which was great fun - even sorting out all the technical challenges. I've enjoyed a YouTube video about Norwegian knitwear design. It was fascinating for so many reasons, not least how garments are mended, darned and patched over and over and then made into quilts and mattresses. And on Sunday, I attended an online discussion about Anarcho-Communism vs Big Tent Anarchism as part of this year's Anti-University programme.
On target 😍
How's your week been?
Where are you up to in your wellbeing journey? Just starting? On your way? Achieving lots or wondering how to change things? Let us know in the comments.
Showing up is where it starts - everything else follows 🙂
2. Hot Wellbeing Tip
Each week we'll explore an aspect of the Rule of Fives. In previous posts we've talked about setting goals and tracking progress, and taking care when you are making changes. This week's tip comes via @stav (extra thank-you EDS tokens in your wallet 😍). We're going to talk about:
Sleep: The Fundamental Well-being Factor?
Sleep has a bit of a bad press and I would say its effect has largely been ignored as a factor in good health. However, the impact of getting enough sleep is profound: people who regularly have less than six hours of sleep a night have a 13% higher mortality risk ie more chance of dying younger or experiencing life-debilitating conditions like arthritis, diabetes and dementia.
On the other hand, enough good quality sleep reduces the risks of obesity, diabetes, cardio vascular disease and inflammation in the body. It reduces road traffic accidents, relationship conflict and days off work. You also feel better and enjoy life more!
So here's a list of guidelines for sleep (disclaimer - they are guidelines only, everyone is different with different needs and sensitivies, so each person needs to find their own balance):
- Most people need between 7-9 hours sleep each 24 hour cycle. You can supplement 6-7 hours overnight sleep with a nap but keep these to less than hour and before 3pm.
- Regularity is important - aim to go to sleep and wake at the same time each day, including weekends and holidays.
- Prepare for sleep by winding down an hour or two before bedtime. A warm (40-42.5 degrees) bath 1-2 hours before sleep can help, as can getting ready for bed (changing your clothes, teeth cleaning etc) before you sit down to watch Netflix. Dim the lights about an hour before sleeping and aim for darkness in your bedroom (an eyemask might help).
- Cigarettes, alcohol, coffee and food can all affect the quality of your sleep. It varies from person to person but leave several hours between consuming any of these and going to bed.
- If you experience insomnia, keep to your routine and try not to nap or go to bed earlier than usual or sleep later than your usual time.
Let us know if you try any of these suggestions and how you got on. And if you have any go-to top tips for preventing and managing the challenges of making wellbeing changes, tell us in the comments.
As we say about saving in the Saturday Savers Club - start small and start today. I've chosen a Rule of Fives that set out my plan and will help me - but you might have a Rule of One or any number up to Five. The only thing you need to do is to show up, the rest will follow.
I'll be back next week with my check-in. See you then!
EDS for Comments
Each week there'll be an opportunity to win EDS tokens for comments. I like EDS income tokens, they're a great way to build an extra pay-day for yourself each week. You can see the weekly EDS report on the @eddie-earner account.
Last week, we had comments from @bearmol, @luca1777, @justclickindiva, @missaj, @neumannsalva, @mayorkeys, @bettyayers and @old-guy-photos; @akipponn and bearmol wrote posts, too! They all went into the Wheel of Names for the Wednesday Wellbeing Club.
This week's winners are @missaj and @akipponn - check your wallet!
Wednesday Wellbeing Club
Back Story
Launch and the Role of Setting Goals
Week 1 - Setting SMART Goals
Week 2 - Walking is Good, Brisk Walking is Better
Week 3 - Wellbeing and Taking Care: Prevention and Amelioration
Saturday Savers Club
I run a savings club every Saturday over on the @eddie-earner account. We're aiming to save £670 ($800) by the end of the year using the 365 day savings challenge. You can join any time of the year and set your own goals and plans (some people are saving Hive, others Bitcoin, some their local currency). We share savings tips and there's a free giveaway every week.
Wednesday Wellbeing Club
I'm hosting a Wellbeing Club on Wednesdays from 11 August until 24 November 2021 in the Natural Medicine community. It's for anyone who wants to make a lifestyle change. We have a weekly check-in and share wellbeing tips, and a weekly giveaway. Here's the back story and the launch post with more information. Everyone is welcome.
First Monday - NeedleWorkMonday Community
Every First Monday of the month, I host a Live Chat for an hour from 7pm for the Needlework Monday Community. Bring your knitting, sewing, crochet (or nothing, that's okay, too), a nice cup of something, and join us for a relaxing hour of chat. Find our more in this post
Three things newbies should do in their first week and, for most things, forever afterwards!
