Obstacles, Road Blocks & Disappointments

Last Tuesday was not a good day...

I don't know if I said this earlier or not, but my primary doctor and my spine & knee doctors want me, as part of my treatment, to get gastric bypass surgery. I have not always been a fan of this option, but because I have been on this weight loss journey for almost 50 years, and have tried so many things, I was seriously considering the surgery. Unfortunately I found out on Tuesday that my insurance will not pay for it. This surgery costs over $30,000 which I cannot afford.

So I kept it together and tried not letting this news derail me and keep going on with my plan of eating well, drinking water and exercising. So I went to my water aerobic class. All went well until I got home and was getting ready for bed. All of a sudden I got extreme pain between my shoulders!! (Different from the lower back pain that I previously had and just got spine injections for, two weeks ago). This new pain is in a different place!! SO FRUSTRATING. I could hardly sleep that night. I tried to go to work the next day, and would have probably pushed through as this is my normal way....but I could not raise my hands high enough to wash my hair...so I stayed home. My hubby was home with me for a while, but he had to help his brother move, so he left me home alone. I tell you the minute he left, I started to cry....Not really cry...I wailed in anguish.....so in pain, so disappointed, so frustrated. I cried and wailed until there were no more tears.

So today, I press on. The back pain is getting better. I still have pain, but I can at least move.
I will continue to work my plan and get my health back.

I will not give up.

Keep focused!!!

Water water water

I have been trying to get my water in. Most days I can only get in 24oz. I can't seem to do more than that. I mostly want to get more in because it's good for me, but also if I'm drinking water, I'm not drinking coffee. Which I love...And it has about 50 calories of creamer in it. If I can have it my way, I'd drink 5 cups per day. That is a lot of extra calories. 

I tried making myself drink a bottle of water before I have another cup of coffee...But I have not been able to do that.

I am happy to say, I found a way to get it in. The other day I was at a restaurant that served water. When I took a sip, it was delicious. I asked if they infused their water with something and she said, she just added a splash of cranberry juice. OH MY WORD. this is a game changer for me. 

I tried it yesterday and I was able to get all my water in. 

I probably took in a quarter cup of juice, maybe less. It was so satisfying!!

Keep focused!

Starting my forever health and fitness plan.....

Well hello! I'm back!

I took a peek at my last few posts. I see a few restarts....and obviously I've had some stops in my health & fitness journey. Anyway, I really don't want to look back as I'm too excited for today and what's ahead.

Just a short update...

The 2015-2018 Adrenal Fatigue is over. I'm full of energy! Just as I was feeling better, around October 2018 I was having a lot of pains in my legs, hips and back. I started physical therapy (PT) at that time. I was still able to walk 10 miles per week.  By December 2018 I was no longer able to walk that far. I was still doing PT, one ache would get healed, then I would get another. No relief! By June 2019 was unable to walk. I limped through my day, begging for a wheelchair and a handicap parking pass. Neither my hubby or the doctor thought this was a good idea. Good grief.....I was in misery!

Then late June, the physical therapist said she could no longer help me.....It was time for a specialist.

I was having trouble with my right knee, hip and back. I was diagnosed with Spinal Spondylisis, arthritis and scoliosis in my back and arthritis and a torn meniscus in my knee.

Treatment is more PT, a spinal shot and the doctor highly recommended.....weight loss!

I got  am doing 12 PT exercises per day, I got my shot and I am finally mobile and pain free!!!

Now it's time for weight loss!!

So far, I'm down 5 pounds....as if today I weigh 240 pounds.

While I have been waiting for my health to be restored. I started a new hobby. Here is my first try. I think I made 12 of these in 2017. So much fun!!

Keep focused!

Attitude....

Since I'm back at this plan to go from Fat to Fit to Fat to Fit again.....I better get this out there. I am 239 pounds...

I remember when I got started with my health and fitness journey at 274 pounds...and when I hit 239 pounds. I was delighted!!

Well I am here again and you know I have a decision to make about that number. I can either whine, complain, cry, be disgusted, unhappy or whatever, or I can decide to embrace right where I am.

I am not dead....I think that would be a great reason for all of the above emotions.

Fantastically I am way better off than that. Woo Hoo!!

So I am Re-Thinking about my attitude and Remembering that I am on my way!  I am embracing where I am right now. I appreciate that I can still move, that I have not gone beyond return. I did not gain back all the weight. I am pretty darn OK!!!

And I am delighted to be 239+ for the last time!!!

Now I get to find the fun in how I'm going get this off. I am going to enjoy the journey and love my life. Because you know......there is so much more to life than feeling sorry for myself.  I've got great positive things to do for my health and it's exciting to see new progress each day!!

I'm doing this!! Once and for all!! Are you with me?

Keep moving!!

Re-Think & Remember....

OK for me, focus is key! The past two days, I have put my health first and I'm already feeling better!!

My Hubby got me a Smart Watch which helps me to remember to stand, drink water, and move. It's fun meeting and sometimes exceeding my daily goals. On my work tablet, I write each day "Re-Think and Remember"....

"Re-Think" for me means....I have a choice every day to put my focus on either good things or bad things for my life. I can think that it's just too late for me, I'm not healthy enough, I am too tired, I just want to eat what I want, I really don't care, blah blah blah. Yeah that thinking has not helped me in the past two years.

Or I can decide that it's not too late for me. Until my body is in the box, I still can make healthy choices. I am healthy enough and will get stronger if I keep pushing toward good health.. I just need to keep going. I am tired, but.....I can choose to go to bed earlier and maybe say no to things that are stealing my energy! Hum what a concept! I really do want to eat whatever I want, but you know....I really don't feel well when I do. It's so not worth it! And I DO REALLY CARE!!! I want to be healthy as I grow old. I want to be around for my awesome Hubby, children and grandbabies. I want to run a marathon...I know, I can't let it go....I want to help others....Blah Blah Blah....Nothing but positive thinking for me!!

"Remember" for me means...I need to remember what works, remember the plan, remember that I've set goals, remember what it felt like to be fit, remember what it felt like to cross that finish line. Remember that there's more for me to do and I need to be healthy enough to do it.

So today and each day after.....I'm going to Re-Think what I'm doing and make good choices and Remember why I do what I do.

Keep moving!!

Attitude

While I was on my walk yesterday, two minutes in, my legs began to hurt. I was facing a 3 mile walk and it was waaaay to early to start with this. So I had a choice. I could complain, feel frustrated and quit, or I could pray and change my attitude.

I prayed and began praising God for the what I have and for the things I "CAN" do!! Instead of being mad that my body aches and is so painful right now, I changed my thinking and prayed life into them. I imagined all the muscles, tendons and blood vessels in my legs were healthy and strong. I saw that my hips were healed. That my heart was strong and I had iron rich blood moving through my body. Before I knew it, all the pain was gone and I was able to go 3.6 miles at my lunch break and then I took another 2 mile walk in the evening - - WITH NO PAIN!!

I decided to Re-Think this whole thing out. Instead of thinking about what I don't have or what does not work or whatever negative thing I can dredge up. I have decided to Re-Think it and imagine what I want it to be.

Yesterday, I was thinking that I was ugly. Today, I decided that I was not. Oh my word, my hair and makeup turned out. I have my favorite outfit on. And I was able to get these beautiful earrings in my ears. (They would not go in before). So I'm feeling really good!!! I'm feeling beautiful!!!

Get rid of those negative thoughts and Re-Think how you want things to go. Give it a try ~ You have nothing to lose!!

I am going to have another successful. How about you?

Keep moving!!!

New Beginning ~~~ Again!!

I don't have time to really rehash what was, but here's a snippet of what's happened so far...

Prior to 2010 I was 274 pounds, sedentary, on a bunch of meds for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, sick and very unhappy.

What got me started.....
1.) I gave myself 1 year to see if I could lose weight.
2.) Got proof that very large people can lose weight, by watching the Biggest Loser....(Since I was told by doctors that once you are fat you will always be fat and I thought that was true. Watching BL I found that it was possible  to get it off....but it's the keeping it off thing that is the hard part.)
3.) Heard that there is "NO MAGIC" - You just have to "Move More and Eat Less!!" 

So I got started. Cut out fast food and soda, yes, even diet soda, started exercising and quickly lost 50 pounds.

I was so happy and really having fun with the process until one of my so called blog "friend" said, "Oh you just wait, you will hit the wall and it won't be fun anymore". That very day, it was no longer fun because of what she said.  B*&$%!!!

Anyway, I kept it up and lost another 24 pounds in the next years and I started running. For some reason, I did not really understand that lifting weights, running and building muscle could equate to weight gain. I was looking great, but started to freak because my weight was going up instead of down.

So I did a very stupid thing. I got started on a crazy low calorie diet (not mentioning which one, but if you look back you can figure it out.)  I did that for another couple of years and in total, I had lose 94 pounds, ran 10 half marathons and bunch of 10k's and 5k's and did a sprint triathlon. All the while eating very few calories and exercising a lot!!

Two summers ago, my body crashed. All my reserves were gone and I could no longer run, my mind was all fuzzy and I got really sick!! Doctors said I did not do it right and instead of making my body healthy and fit, I just got myself a lot sicker.

IT'S BEEN OVER TWO YEARS SINCE I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RUN!!!!

The only thing that I've done is I have been able to walk at least 15 miles per week, but it's been a struggle!!

My food is off, water is off, vitamins are sporadic, my head is so not in the game.

AND YOU GUESSED IT. - - - I'VE GAINED 54 POUNDS BACK!!

Today is supposed to be my day to get back on track and then my walking buddy cancels on me.

WOO HOO!! I'm the hook today!!

REALLY?!?!?!

Girl - If not today, when????

It's almost noon, it's beautiful out, I've had my lunch and water and I'm gettin' my workout clothes on and I'm heading the door!!

Keep Moving!!!

UPDATE: Just got back - 3.6 miles (walk)  at lunch, then 2 mile walk in the evening. Great food day and got all my water in!! WOO HOO!!