28 Days to Health - Day 4

Today is day number 4 and I’m feeling really good! That first day was rough but I’m getting into a routine. Every other day I have been doing cardio and on the off days I have been doing strength training. In addition, I have also been doing at least 5 minutes of stretching every day. I keep thinking that if I wasn’t working out I’d have even more time to do the laundry and clean the house. I know that’s not a healthy perspective and what got me to this point in my life in the first place. I’m determined to put my health above the state of the house.

Hours of Sleep: 7 hrs 30 min

Awoke at 5:30 am to nurse the baby and went straight to the hospital to see some newborn babies.

Glasses of water: So far about 6 (It really takes a conscious effort to keep drinking. Remember though that you need this to stay hydrated and because I’m still producing a lot of breast milk then I need to be extra conscientious about how much I take in.)

Exercise: Light Stretching. Today is my day off. It’s a chance to get caught up on the other chores and rest from my other workouts.

Nutrition: Day one’s food diary is an example of what I want to be sticking to. I need lots of fresh fruit/vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy and lean meats with only occasional sweets. Today however I splurged on pasta. It was quick and easy and I needed to get the kids lunch fast. Not that it’s a bad choice but I overdid it and was soooo tired. That’s the first time in days that that’s happened and reminds me to be more aware of what I’m eating. Given that I’m still breastfeeding and exercising, I need to add an extra 500 calories to my diet. There have been a lot of studies looking at the composition of human milk and the effect exercise has on it. Most studies agree that moderate exercise does not increase the levels of lactic acid in the milk and therefore is not passed on to the nursing child. What is probably more important is that the mother eats good food and enough of it. The body will continue to make milk but it may do it at the mother’s expense. If a mother does not sufficiently increase her intake, then the additional stressors of exercise can make her more fatigued and possibly anemic. It’s why I still take my prenatal vitamins and now that I am exercising and breastfeeding I concentrate even more on good food and enough of it so that I can maintain my energy levels!


Sheila Cason, M.D., F.A.A.P.

28 Days to Health - Day 1

8:17 pm Whew… I’m so pooped! My first day went fairly well but I’m exhausted now after a very long day in the clinic seeing patients. It’s a good thing I worked out this morning because I would have no energy to work out right now! I’m embarrassed to say that I’m hurting already. I’ve already thought about quitting…Is that bad to say so early in the month?

Here’s how the day went…

• Awoke at 5:00 am to nurse the baby and just stayed up
• Hrs of Sleep: 7 hrs 10 min
• Glasses of water: 8 (My Goal is 10)
• Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs 2 pieces of whole grain toast lightly buttered with whole fruit jam.
• AM Snack: Post run: 1 slice of bread with soy nut butter spread
• Midmorning: Banana
• Lunch: Turkey breast, provolone, and avocado sandwich
• PM Snack: Apple, ½ avocado
• Dinner: Pasta with broccoli.
• Exercise: Today the morning worked for me: I did 5 minutes of stretching in the morning and I ran for 20 minutes! Yeah!!

Sheila Cason, M.D., F.A.A.P.

28 Days to Health

Day Zero- 5:30 am

My kids have wrecked my body! My health has definitely deteriorated since I’ve had children. I thought the time constraints of medical school and residency were a challenge. Nothing compares to motherhood. As a doctor I know that regular cardiovascular exercise and eating a low fat high fiber diet is good for me. I spend nearly every day encouraging my patients to take care of themselves. But I can honestly say I haven’t worked out consistently in years. I’m proof that being thin doesn’t mean you’re healthy. Breastfeeding has kept my weight in check although I’m terribly out of shape. I wheeze when I run around the block, the only arm curls I do is when I’m picking up my baby and lately my evening habit has been a sleeve of Oreo cookies.

As mothers we need to take care of ourselves as well. So in the spirit of National Heart Month, February will be my month to incorporate exercise and healthy eating into my life. I’ll be tracking my progress and writing about my new lifestyle. Even as I write this I’m trying to talk myself out of it! I tell myself it’s a big commitment and that I’m too busy to workout much less write about it. But I know deep down that it’s an excuse. If I’m going to get healthy it’s going to be because I just do it. I have to find a schedule that’s works for me despite the crazy busy days. Tomorrow is day number one and I still need to get ready. I will be mapping out my schedule and going to the grocery store to load up on healthy foods.

I’m on my way… I’ll let you know how it goes!

Sheila Cason, M.D., F.A.A.P.