Stress and the Broken Computer Part 3 3/26/2010

March 26, 2010
Stress and the Broken Computer Part 3
Year Three

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13
HEALTHY AND THIN IN 2010

Since February 7, 2010 I have been trying to get the parts and technician to my home to fixed my computer. I have called the Circuit City Advantage people 9 times, been promised that parts would be shipped. I was sent parts from one tech service, Service Life, only to be asked to return them because another tech service, MPD, would be sending me parts to install. On March 10 my computer was still not working and I had no parts!!! I am absolutely so frustrated and down right mad I can’t hardly stand it! This has been the most stressful ordeal I have even encountered. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!!!

After four part replacements, four technicians and an unbelievable number of phone calls to HP and Circuit City Advantage Warranty Service my computer was diagnosed as “UNREPAIRABLE” on Friday March 19, 2010. So now I am awaiting a new computer after three months of trying to get my 16 month old computer repaired.

These stress tips have helped me a lot and believe me they hit home so I thought I would continue to share them with you.

Stress management strategy #3:
Adapt to the stressor
If you can’t change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.

Reframe problems.
Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time.

Look at the big picture.
Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.

Adjust your standards.
Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Set reasonable standards for yourself and others, and learn to be okay with “good enough.”

Focus on the positive.
When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own positive qualities and gifts. This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective.

Adjusting Your Attitude
How you think can have a profound affect on your emotional and physical well-being. Each time you think a negative thought about yourself, your body reacts as if it were in the throes of a tension-filled situation. If you see good things about yourself, you are more likely to feel good; the reverse is also true. Eliminate words such as "always," "never," "should," and "must." These are telltale marks of self-defeating thoughts.

I would love to hear from you. Email me at healthierfaith@yahoo.com. Thank you for following along on my journey. I promise 2010 will be more interesting than 2009!!!!!!!!

Stress and the Broken Computer Part 2 3/19/2010

March 19, 2010
Stress and the Broken Computer Part 2
Year Three

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13
HEALTHY AND THIN IN 2010

Before I continue with the epic saga of the broken computer!! I have wonderful news! I LOST FOUR POUNDS !!!! I have been in limbo as far as losing weight since my Dad died. Sometimes it seems like yesterday! I am back on track now and ready to get back to losing this weight. I am so thankful for Gloria sticking by me and continuing to help me through the past year. I am so thankful for all of my readers for reading and responding to my blogs with so much encouragement. Some of you I have never met but you are very special to me!! If you do not read further I will understand but putting my frustrations in writing has helped with me with the stress of this computer situation!!

So on January 21, 2010 I Federal Expressed, in a box provided by HP, my computer to them. On January 30, 2010 the computer was returned. OH JOY!! Finally I could get some work done. You see I was getting further and further behind in my church work and other tasks.

Well, I hook up all the bells and whistles and to my horror I got the very same error messages I had been getting for weeks and not only that but the front of my computer was damaged. I called HP and they wanted me to ship the computer to them a second time and I said NO!! I called the Circuit City Advantage Warranty people. My first (of many) call to them was on February 1st and I was told that the hard drive was bad and they shipped me another (received 2/4/2010). The tech from MPD, the tech service, came out on February 6, 2010 and installed the new hard drive and began the loading of the recovery discs. Once all the discs were installed and the files began to transfer he left. Not 15 minutes after he left an error message popped up on the screen. So I called the warranty service again and was told to terminate the error message and let the process continue. 26 hours later the files were still transferring. I called the warranty service again. I was told to restart the computer, I did, and a message that the “Boot Mgr is missing” came up on the screen. We tried to restart again and got the same message. I was told that the new hard drive was bad and that I needed a new mother board and memory.
Stress management strategy #2: Alter the situation
If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change things so the problem doesn’t present itself in the future. Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life.
Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build and the situation will likely remain the same.
Be willing to meet in the middle. When you ask someone to change their behavior, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you’ll have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.
Be more assertive. Don’t take a backseat in your own life. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. If you’ve got an exam to study for and your chatty roommate just got home, say up front that you only have five minutes to talk.
Manage your time better. Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you’re stretched too thin and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused. But if you plan ahead and make sure you don’t overextend yourself, you can alter the amount of stress you’re under.
I would love to hear from you. Email me at healthierfaith@yahoo.com. Thank you for following along on my journey. I promise 2010 will be more interesting than 2009!!!!!!!!

Stress and the Broken Computer Part 1 3/12/2010

March 12, 2010
Stress and the Broken Computer Part 1
Year Three

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13
HEALTHY AND THIN IN 2010


I sure hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather we had this week! When the weather gets warm don’t you think of all the outdoor activities in store for the Spring/Summer season? The picnics, traveling, lazy days sitting on the porch talking to neighbors, trips to the beach, mountains and pools!! I think eating healthy is easier in the spring/summer. We tend to look to the lighter side of the menu; Garden salads, veggies, fruits and pasta salads. I just enjoy these better in the warm weather than the cold weather.
Just a thought!!!! Our new challenge has begun and we are all at the cardio again! Burning all the calories we can. Good luck to everyone! However, we still need to be watching our calorie intake and making sure our menus are healthy and our food diaries complete!

I entitled this blog-STRESS. You have read my thoughts on stress before. However, it never ceases to amaze me how stress affects the body. I have been dealing with a computer issue since January 6, 2010. I purchased my computer in November 2008 at Circuit City before any mention was made of their closing. It is a HP Pavilion and top of the line. I also purchased a 24 month warranty. I had what I thought was a minor problem in January 2009 and took the computer into the store and the “Firedogs” (computer geeks) fixed the problem. Well, right after the first of 2010 I started receiving error messages almost continually. Then I received a pop up message that my Windows Vista might be counterfeit. I called HP and of course reached someone in India. We worked for days!! I erased my hard drive twice per HP’s instructions. I loaded the Recovery Disc at least a dozen times. I tapped, tapped, tapped F8, F9, F10, F11 until I thought I would scream. This was hours on the phone at all hours of the day and night. Finally after talking to at least 10 people in India and tapping my finger raw and loading and reloading disc, HP decided I needed to ship my computer to them for repairs. (to be continued-to long for one blog)

So I am beginning a six part blog on stress. I will share my continuing saga of the “BROKEN COMPUTER” and tips on dealing with stress. This will be a learning experience for me and I hope a help to others.

Stress management strategy #1: Avoid unnecessary stress
Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.
Learn how to say “no” – Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress.
Avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely.
Take control of your environment – If the evening news makes you anxious, turn the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online.
Avoid hot-button topics – If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion.
Pare down your to-do list – Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.
I appreciate your reading all this, if you did and I hope that it is a help to you! I know my computer problem has been stressful but I had no idea what stress could do. I went to the doctor and my blood sugars are like a roller coaster, my blood pressure is up and I have an upper respiratory infection. According to the doctor the stress has worn my system down so that I could not fight off the onset of the infection. I think I am literally sick from dealing with two months of the most incompetent people I have ever dealt with!!! I would love to hear from you. Email me at healthierfaith@yahoo.com. Thank you for following along on my journey. I promise 2010 will be more interesting than 2009!!!!!!!!

March 5, 2010 Cardio

March 5, 2010
Cardio
Year Three

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13
HEALTHY AND THIN IN 2010


Well, it has been decided that I need to pump up the intensity of my cardio. I am at an all time monster plateau and this happens every time I lose weight. I get around 300 lbs and my body says this is a good place and stop right there. It is always a up and down battle and in the past I have given up and just gained the weight back. BUT NOT THIS TIME!!!!! Gloria has decided that my cardio is not intense enough. We need to make my body let go of the weight. I think of it as sending shock waves to the plateau and making it crumple.

I also need to work on my stress level. I have never had as much stress in my life as I do right now. This is not a good testimony. I need to lay my cares at the feet of Jesus and leave them there but I have not done that lately. I need to stand firmly on Psalm 25:4-5, “Shew me they ways, O Lord: teach me they paths, Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.” Instead of leaving my “burdens” with Jesus I take them up and try to carry them upon myself all the day. Stress is not good for us, especially when it is a constant, day by day, kinda stress. So I have determined with the help of the Lord to leave my cares with Him and wait upon Him all the day.

I received these little tips this week from a friend. I thought they might be helpful to some of you. I want to thank those of you who emailed this week. I cannot express how great it is to hear from those who read my blogs.


Avoid dangerous situations. STOP driving by the doughnut shop on your way to work. When you go out to dinner, ask the waiter not to bring bread to your table. 2. Get a hobby. Start taking your dog on longer walks. Fix up your attic. By focusing on positive activities, you'll find yourself becoming more relaxed, happier, and thinner!3. Curb mindless eating. Don't eat while standing up, and don't skip meals. Brush your teeth after every meal and snack. Food never seems as appealing when you have that toothpaste taste in your mouth.

I would love to hear from you. Email me at healthierfaith@yahoo.com. Thank you for following along on my journey. I promise 2010 will be more interesting than 2009!!!!!!!!

February 26, 2010 Paying the Price

February 26, 2010
Paying the Price
Year Three
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13
HEALTHY AND THIN IN 2010
I hope everyone is enjoying the winter weather as much as I am. I love the snow. I know all the negatives-not working, can’t drive in it, kids out of school, cost to the city, etc.etc.etc. But I love it!!!!
Well, this week I battle with what to write about. It is weigh in week for one thing. I GAINED AGAIN!! I am at a loss as to what is going on. Ya’ll pray for me that I do not get discouraged!!!!. I am back on track and have made several changes. For one thing I am off coffee. I drank way too much coffee in a day. Decaf or not, the creamer and Splenda, was out of hand!!!. I am also off artificial sweeteners. I honestly believe I was becoming dependant on the stuff!! Like an addict!!!

I now use honey and only honey. I was going to try the Agave sweetener until I read about it on the internet. Anyway I am using honey and I have found some that is from Asheville. This summer I will be scanning the Farmer’s Market for some local honey. I feel good watching my sugar but I was substituting too much artificial sweetener in my daily diet to make up for the cutting back on sugar. Isn’t it awful how devious we can be? Sacrifice one bad habit and abuse the habit that takes the bad habits place. Do you do that???? I will let you know how the honey does regarding my blood sugar readings. So far so good!

My Momma always said “you play, you pay.” That is what I have realized this week. I got some upsetting and eye-opening news. I realized that I am paying the price for my indulgences. As most of you know I really wallowed in sorrow after my Daddy died and comforted myself with food, food, food!! Now I did not stop going to the gym, I continue my cardio and workouts but I did try to eat away my sorrow. (I am better now) Well I am paying for this indulgence. I recently application for insurance, something I have not done in over 40 years due to my weight and health issues. Well I applied and was approved!! I had blood work done for the insurance exam and I got the results this week. My A1C had increased from 5.8 to 6.3! UGH!!! My cholesterol increased about 40 points and my triglycerides are up. WHAT A WAKE UP CALL!! I AM NOT going back on meds!! So I am determined to get myself back in line. This goes to show you that it is not just exercise and it is not just what we eat that makes or breaks our health. Both are important and go hand in hand!

This just reinforces the fact that I have to watch every bite I put in my mouth. This must be a life change and not just a diet or a program I am on. This is my life I am messing with! There is absolutely no “just a bite” or “just a little” for me. I have to be ever vigilant. I cannot eat to keep from hurting someone’s feelings or just because it was made for me. When it comes to my health, eating and exercise I must put myself first!!!!!

I sure hope that these outpourings of my personal life are helping someone out there. I need to know that I am not the only one who experiences these highs and lows. So drop me an email to healthierfaith@yahoo.com and let me know that you have the same ups and downs or that just maybe something I say helps you through your day. Love ya, Faith