Well, this should prove interesting...

Yesterday, I got the usual bulletin that the State Insurance sends out to all employees who subscribe to their insurance. It turns out that our insurance will change in January, and that we'll have to choose another insurance during open enrollment this year. :-( So, I'm -really- hoping that I can get my surgery approved before the end of the year. I'm going to work my tail end off to make sure that I do everything I need to do to ensure that it happens. Thankfully, my appointment is next month, which still leaves 7 months until the end of the year. I -hope- that some of the nurse practitioner-led nutrition classes will count towards my six months, which it might only if the requirement isn't six -consecutive- months, which I fear it may be. Of course, IDK if my insurance requires six months of medically supervised diet or not. I expect I will find that out on 05/13. Gosh, this is cutting it close, but... Since Divine hands have seemed to be guiding the process thus far, I can only hope that it continues to get me thru and approved and sleeved by the end of the year. Prayers are gratefully accepted towards that end.

In the news of the AWESOME, I found out yesterday that I got accepted into my graduate program. So life is, once again, full of equal parts awesome and WTF? :-)

ETA: I did some trolling on the interwebs to see if I could find the current policy regarding WLS requirements. The one I found was from 10/2009, so I expect that's the current one unless there's a new one coming out soon. Anyway, it says they require 6 months, but it does NOT say six consecutive months, nor does it say what sort of time frame I had to have done this in. So, I'm hoping all is well. Keep praying, though. There's no such thing as too many prayers.

Where do I go from here....

I may lose some readers over this, but that's OK.

After nearly 20 years of diet after diet after diet and having limited, temporary success, I've decided to look into bariatric surgery. I've been researching it for about three years now, but have only just broached the subject with my Internist. After a lot of tears and a lot of talking, he says that he's in favor of it because I've tried to lose weight with less drastic means and have had the aforementioned limited, temporary success and have so many co-morbidities as to not be funny. So, he recommended a couple of bariatric centers in the area and told me which of them he's had better reports about from his patients. After much research and meditation, I picked The Foothills Weight Loss Center in Maryville, TN. On Saturday, I attended the mandatory informational lecture and have scheduled my appointment to meet with the surgeon for my initial consultation. I've already contacted my insurance company and they have told me that, so long as the surgery is pre-approved and so long as I use an in-network provider (which the surgeon I've picked is), my coverage is 100%.

The major problem I see right now is that we only have 1 vehicle between us and DH's schedule is so erratic that trying to schedule appointments around it may prove interesting. Unfortunately, trying to buy a car AND save up for the program fees at the same time is nigh impossible. I am praying that a way will be shown to do both because us having a 2nd car is becoming less of a want and more of a need, which sucks because I hate to drive. I feel Divine hands assisting with my progress towards surgery, so maybe They will assist in us finding an affordable, reliable, economical vehicle that is mechanically sound. As long as the bad looks don't affect the structure of the vehicle, I don't even particularly care what it looks like.

Anyway... so the majority of my posts will become talking about my path to surgery and my life thereafter. I hope you stick around, but understand if you feel the need to quit reading. Unsupportive comments will be summarily deleted.

*le sigh*

The warm! no cold! no warm! weather has triggered a flare. That sucketh much because I -really- want to be out exercising. I managed to get in a 30 minute walk yesterday because walking in the cold is easier on me than simply standing in the cold and I had the option of standing and waiting on the bus or walking and being home in the same amount of time. So I chose to walk.

I've decided that my One-derland (i.e. getting under 200#) present to myself is skating lessons. I've not taken lessons since 1994 so I'll probably have to start back over. That's OK. I'm older and my center of gravity is likely different (even when I get back to my skating weight), so starting over is a good idea. I know that, in my mid-30s, I'm not likely to progress much beyond single jumps and I may never own an axel, but that's OK. So long as I'm still enjoying it and am still pushing myself, that's really all I need to get out of it. I do need to look into what having fibromyalgia might do to affect my skating, seeing as it's done on ice, and, therefore is cold.

Since I've put on a LOT of weight since I was last skating, my feet are a bit wider than they were. I don't know if losing the weight will help, but right now, my skates are quite tight. I'm thinking about going ahead and getting some new, not top-of-the-line (read less expensive) skates at first. Then I can decide, as I've lost weight, whether my old skates are useable by me or if I should save my pennies and get new, sturdier skates for when I pass out of Delta (I skate ISI, not USFS) and into Freestyle.

Though my lessons will wait until I'm under 200#, I'm planning to start attending a public session a couple times/month (maybe even 1X/week, budget permitting). At my current weight, an hour of ice skating can burn up nearly 1000 kCal. I'm not sure I can handle an hour at first, but I'll work up to that. :-) Because skating relies so much upon muscle memory, I want to get my new skates before I start skating, even at public sessions. Rentals are good, but having to re-accustom myself to a new pair of skates every time won't help my feet remember what they are supposed to be doing, especially if I get the nerve up to go into the center and see what I remember from my lessons.

My goal is to reach One-derland by the end of the year. That means losing about 10#/month, which is realistic, but will be difficult. I can do it. I just need to quit thinking about it and do it.

Cholesterol and other ickies

Went to the doc on 12/29/2009 for my "please re-fill my meds" visit. It'll be nice when I'm down to "I'm feeling great, let's keep me that way" visits and not needing medication. When I was there, he checked a bunch of things, mostly blood glucose (it was close to normal), potassium to see if I could stay on the Lasix (it was fine, so I'm set) and cholesterol.

Yeah, about that... My LDL is the worst it has ever been. I'm not sure if it's because I've been eating gluten again or what. My total cholesterol is high, my triglycerides are high... just about the only number associated with cholesterol that's OK is my HDL, so I'll take that tarnished silver lining, thanks. So, at the ripe old age of 36, I'm on a statin. It is my understanding that once you are on a statin, there's pretty much no turning back, which sucks. I suppose it's possible for me to get off of it when I'm at my goal weight as long as I'm exercising like a crazy person. I dunno. So I'm now taking my meds as prescribed, I'm walking - even for 15 minutes, I'm trying to clean up my diet and will get better with that once we get to payday and I can restock the pantry... I have to be prepared for the fact that I may not be able to get my cholesterol to perfectly normal levels without medication, even at my thinnest and otherwise healthiest. My daddy had high cholesterol until the day he died and he was of normal weight. One of my co-workers has high cholesterol and she's a size 8. Proof that it's not all about what you eat or what you weigh, J. got his checked the same time and his numbers are GREAT - without medication. He eats worse food than I do because he's stuck at the mall most of the day. I really have no idea what a good goal for me to set for my 6-week recheck. I'm shooting for having lost at least 10 pounds, but I don't know what to even expect from my blood work. Is 10 points off my total too much? I dunno. Right now, I think it's "whatever I can get, so long as the numbers that need to go down go down and the HDL stays the same or goes up". It would be lovely if I could end up with J.'s numbers when it's all said and done, and it would be great if that were without medication, but I'm not sure that's realistic. I guess we'll see.

A couple of bouts with food poisoning has me eating a LOT less meat, so that's helping. I just need to start cutting back on my processed carbs and my sodium. I need to find a fitness swimming suit so I can start working out in the pool because I'm at a weight where my feet and hips aren't going to be very welcoming of walking of any duration. I could try the recumbent bike. I'd like to do water aerobics if I can find a suit and a class that fits my schedule. Once I get some weight off, I can go back to walking, because I do want to participate in the Race for the Cure again this year. I was unable to last year because I was so out of shape. :-(

I hope everyone is having a great 2010 so far! Let's make it our best year ever!

Up & at 'em!

I've been a bit lackadaisical regarding hitting WW back full-steam. I'm not sure why. I guess I'm sort of afraid that I will get going well and then have us hit some sort of financial burp where we can only afford to eat ramen noodles or something. Yeah, I know... get over it already. Still, I've been making the effort to record what I'm eating, including the Points value, so that I can have some idea of where I am. If I can get a bit more in the way of fiber and protein so I'll be full longer, I might actually be OK. I also had DH get me some LF popcorn at the supermarket to use as my snack. It's low in Points and pretty filling. Mostly, I think I just need to get back in touch with my body and only eat when I'm actually -hungry-. A lot of my snacking lately has been out of boredom. I -am- craving sweets a lot, so I expect that TOM is stalking me. Being on the new pill makes predicting when it's coming a bit difficult. I've been keeping track of the 1st day because my doctors' offices always want to know. In addition, I've been counting the days between 1st days, and it has been varying widely. So, I dunno. I know that, if I'm able to get some of the weight back off, my doc will switch me back to the combo pill rather than keeping me on the mini-pill, so that's an incentive right there. My yearly visit comes in April, so I'm hoping to be down about 40# by then, if not a bit more. But I'll really need to work the program if I have any hopes of being that successful. I may need to adjust my WI day so that I'm not so lax on the weekends. I dunno. I'll ponder that. I'm thinking of arbitrarily setting it to Wednesdays again. I seemed to have a LOT better luck when I did that. I also need to be better about recording my food on the weekends. I don't know why I'm not as good then, but I'm not. Since I'm an online subscriber, I'm thinking of getting an iPod Touch. There's a free WW app for iPod/iPhone that let's you do WW Online via your iPod (if you are near WiFi). I've been wanting an iPod for several years, and this seems like as good a reason as any. :-) I'd pondered a Blackberry but it's an extra data fee per month on my cell bill. Yes, that makes the access a bit more reliable, but...

Anyway, I actually walked about 20 minutes yesterday rather than waiting on the bus. If I'm going to walk regularly, I need to make sure I'm not stuffing my satchel quite so full so that it's heavy, but I did OK. My hip wasn't what I could even optimistically call "happy", but it'll get happier as I continue to walk. DH & I are working on clearing all the clutter out of the living room so I'll have room to do Yoga. I'm also considering taking the Yoga class they offer at the Y. I'll just have to find out when it is. I am also thinking that walking in the pool would be a good idea for a while. That way I can walk longer than my hip would allow me to on solid ground. Plus, the water's warm, so it would feel good on my joints.

So, there I am. I just need to quit half-a$$ing this and get 'er done. :-) I'm determined to be one of those people who says that they are in better shape in their late 30's and early 40's than they were in their teens and 20's. Darn it.

Ponders for the day

I was writing in my pen-and-paper journal this morning and had an apostrophe. I started pondering the correlation between weight issues, clutter issues and financial issues. I've not fully thought it out, but I know it's there, and I think the crux issue is the clutter issue. However, I also believe that they are an unholy trinity wherein you cannot successfully fix one of the problems without also fixing the others. I say that clutter is the root issue because it usually comes from having too much stuff, so it's a symptom of disorganization and excess. The same tools you use to fix one problem - especially the food/financial dyad - will certainly help the others. For example, if you keep a food log, which all of the "experts" recommend, you tend not to overeat. If you keep a spending log (not just a transaction register, but what you spend $ on), you tend to spend less. I'm positive that this isn't new information and that there is a book out there, I just haven't found it yet.

I need to meditate about this some more and think about what tools I can use to fight all three issues like a broad spectrum antibiotic for issues. I need to tackle all three if I have any hope of being successful in reaching my goal weight, having a clean house, and having my financial house in order.

And if there isn't already a book out there, then maybe I need to write one. :-)

ETA: Of course Peter Walsh has written such a book. How could I ever doubt him? :-) Enough Already. I have it checked out from our library and will see if it helps me collect my thoughts on the subject.

Telephone Tag

Why is it that I can get extraordinarily awesome care while I'm physically present at my Internist's office and then get such crappy customer service, for lack of a better term, via phone. When you call to get a referral or a prescription re-filled, it takes a bolt of lightning, Deus ex Machina and three acts of Congress to get them to return your phone call. I guess I need to complain more than I already have.

Today's complaint brought to you by the fact that I'm still swelling in my lower legs and I've not heard about the Lasix I asked about, nor have they refilled my normal diuretic and I have only until Friday left. I forgot I only had the one refill left, so it's partially my fault. In my defense, I've been dealing with things that make people a bit spacey. I'm also feeling a bit off. I can't really describe it beyond that. I hope that it's due to the antibiotic working against the infection rather than just killing off my intestinal flora and making me miserable. It'll do that anyway, but that's OK if it kills the infection, too.

At least there is Glee tonight. :-)

ETA: Just got a call from my doctor's office. If I'd known all I needed to do was rant, I'd have done it two days ago. ;-)

There and back again

So, okay, I'm not a hobbit, but I do feel like I've been there and back again. When last we met, I had just seen my Internist about the digestive issues. All of the tests he ordered came back within normal parameters so he referred me to a Gastroenterologist. The GI did a super-whammy Celiac test which shows that I do not have, nor am I ever likely to develop (it's a genetic marker test), Celiac Disease. That's a relief. The GI had a tentative diagnosis of IBS with possible lactose intolerance. I could've told him about the lactose intolerance. :-) However, IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion so he had to run all kinds of tests. It is at this point that I wear my knees out thanking every holy being for the fact that I have insurance. So, I had an abdominal CT which only showed a slightly fatty liver. I'm told that the fatty liver should resolve itself as I continue to lose weight and bring my cholesterol under control. I also had an abdominal ultrasound which showed nothing more than the CT did. After that, I got to have an upper endoscopy, which showed a teensy hiatal hernia which the doc says is not only too small to need to treat, but also too small to be causing any of the symptoms. Then came the fun of a colonoscopy which got a "looks great, see you when you are 50". So, basically, all that testing only to be told that it probably is IBS. One good thing that has come from it is that I was told that I have a gluten allergy and not a gluten intolerance, which means I can have things with gluten as long as I keep track of how I'm feeling. But the GI told me that he doesn't have a problem with me being gluten-free because he's of the opinion that people in the US eat entirely too much gluten anyway.

Basically, at the end of testing, I was no closer to really knowing what was wrong than I was when I started. Thankfully, the nausea has subsided enough that I can keep a bit more food down, though it's still present on most days and my appetite is still low. All of this is by early October.

Fast forward to last week. In the continued efforts to take better care of myself, I actually went to the clinic only 4 days into UTI symptoms. Ordinarily, I let it go until I feel like I want to die and -then- I go. So, I went ahead to the clinic on Friday. By the end of the day on Friday, my back was hurting on the left side, which let me know that I'd made the right decision to go ahead to the clinic. When I got there, the Nurse Practitioner had me do a urine sample which tested positive for WBC and blood - neither is good. She also had a blood draw to check a CBC and electrolyte panel. All she got back Friday was my WBC count. The reference range in the clinic lab goes up to 10.9 and my white blood cell count was 10.8. Yikes. That told her that I'd probably had the infection for a long time and that it was now in my kidneys. So, I got a shot of Rocephin on Friday, then again on Saturday. I'm also on a 10-day run of Levaquin. She also looked at the swelling in my lower legs and prescribed 3 days worth of Lasix. Since Friday, I'm down nearly 7# so I guess I was retaining a bit of fluid. I have a call into my doctor hoping that he'll give me another few days of Lasix because my legs, while much improved, are still swelling a bit. And, as soon as I'm feeling a bit better, I'll go have us explore the why behind the swelling. It may just be due to the kidney infection.

We are all now wondering if the infection is what was causing all of the "digestive" issues, which explains why none of the digestive disorder diagnostics (say that 10X fast) showed anything that explains the symptoms. I'm still run down and not feeling 100%, but it's AMAZING how much better I feel than I was Friday.

The moral of this story is that the next time I'm feeling run down and my appetite goes South and I'm nauseated, I want them to check me for a possible infection first.

As soon as DH gets paid, we're getting me back on WW. Right now, I'm writing everything down, though I'm not counting Points. I figure that's a good first step. I've also poked my head out on the WWMSG list for support. I'm hoping that those two combined efforts can get me back on track - and keep me there. *crosses fingers*

Pooky tummy, the saga continues.

Still not feeling well. Thankfully, I'm able to keep more down. Unfortunately, it's in the form of carbs, most of which contain gluten. So... Either the gluten is getting me, or something else is, because I hurt all over. I'm using my cane for the first time in quite a while, which is saying something. Normally, I'm too stubborn to admit (even to myself) that I need a cane. So... I'm pondering an Epsom salt bath to see if I can draw off any possible toxins. Not really feeling up to exercise, even though I'm sure it would probably help. Should probably get back to counting my points, though I expect that would be depressing in its own right.

Mostly status quo. I keep telling J. to shoot me and put me out of his misery. He keeps saying that he'd be more miserable without me, or some such. :-) What're you going to do?

So, I'm keeping on keeping on. I'm trusting the 'Verse to help see me through to the other side of this with the lesson intact.

Pooky Tummy, part... Wait, what part am I on?

I'm still dealing with digestive issues. I'm eating a little more, but not much, and the nausea isn't quite so bad. I've not actually had to vomit thru all of this, which is good, but I've had a couple of extremely close calls while riding home on the bus. Not the best time to feel like you are going to throw up, let me tell you.

I finally broke down and went to see my Internist on Monday. He doesn't think that the pain I'm having in the upper part of my abdominal area has anything to do with my digestive system. He was doing the poking and prodding thing and said that one of my ribs didn't feel like it was where it was supposed to be and that all the coughing I've done over the last year may have caused the attachment point to "twist". If that's the case, a PT can get it back where it needs to be.

With regards to my tummy, he ordered a bunch of tests. Right now, he had had blood drawn so he can re-test me for Celiac. Thankfully I'd given in and had been eating things with gluten in them because otherwise the test would show negative even if its not. He's also testing liver enzymes and everything that can be tested with a CBC and a CMP. I also had to give a stool sample (ewww) so he can test for Giardiasis and any other parasitic or bacterial infection. If all the tests he's ordered come back normal, he's going to refer me to a Gastroenterologist and we'll go from there.

On top of all -that-, I've got an infection in my right index finger from a torn cuticle. I get hangnails and torn cuticles often, but I usually wash them with soap and water, douse 'em with peroxide and slap a bandage on 'em and that treats them so I don't get any sort of infection. Not this time. I guess whatever I'm dealing with has made it more difficult for me to fight infection. Since I had to turn in my stool sample yesterday anyway, I went to the clinic. The doc said that I was good to come in when I did because it didn't look like I needed to have it opened up. I'm on an antibiotic for 10 days and am supposed to soak my hand in epsom salts a couple of times a day. If I'm not seeing marked improvement by tonight, I'm supposed to go back to the clinic in the AM and he'll see about opening it up.

Still pretty fatigued, but I'm going to shoot for easy exercise next week. I can't keep sitting around doing nothing.

The suckage continues

I've realized something the past couple of weeks. It's finally gotten through my head that I need to be on a gluten-free diet, no matter what. You wanna know how I know? I'll tell you. :-) When I have a pooky tummy, as I've had the past couple of weeks, I used to have a few stand-bys that would get me through. Two of them are chockablock with gluten: chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sammiches. Have I had either of those in the last two weeks? Nopey. I did have chicken and rice soup after the husband carefully read the label. It didn't say "gluten free", but there wasn't anything on the label that looked like it might be hiding gluten. Plus, I didn't react to it like it did, so... I need to find a recipe, or make one, for chicken and wild rice soup - assuming, of course, that wild rice is GF. :-) I was excited to find the Bob's Red Mill GF texturized vegetable protein (TVP), so I could get lucky again. Hey, it could happen.

I'm hoping that my stomach/GI tract starts cooperating soon so that I can eat a bit more at a time. Right now, I'm eating enough to take my meds and keep my blood sugar from plummeting, but not much more than that. For those who know me, this will tell you how bad it was: DH made GF spaghetti for us on Wednesday. I -love- spaghetti and it was something I had a taste for, so... Well, DH ended up finishing my portion. *sigh*

I really don't know if the issues with my stomach are due to my GI tract healing from all the gluten - which I wouldn't think would be an issue since I'm not Celiac but, rather, Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitive (NCGS). Maybe it is. Dunno. Will have to do some more research on that. Don't know if the issues are Fibro-related. The GI tract runs on muscles, after all. I don't know if Fibro affects those sorts of muscle or not, but I have to be open to that possibility.

I'm hoping that I'll be able to eat enough soon that I'll be able to get back to the gym. I feel like a slug right now. I wonder if I'd be okay with slow walking on the treadmill? I suppose I could try it and just keep in touch with how I'm feeling and whatnot. I was a little shaky yesterday, so I dunno. I'll get through the weekend and see how I'm doing. I'll test out my ability to be active by cleaning house. :-)

It's been an interesting few weeks

Not quite a month ago, I finally came to the realization that I could try to convince myself that I can eat gluten all I want to, but the truth is: I can't. Not even a little bit. So, I'm back being cleanly gluten-free. Thanks be to all that is decent and holy for Earthfare. When I go there, the only thing I have to make sure isn't in the ingredients is gluten. They already check for HFCS and artificial sweeteners, which are the two major things I'm trying to avoid in addition to gluten. I don't know if what I'm dealing with right now is my intestines healing or if there's something new and different that I'm having to cope with, or what. But for the last two weeks, I've been dealing with a re-run of the digestive issues I was dealing with in 2005, down to the same time of year. Hmmm. At least this time, my body is allowing some weight to go instead of holding on to all my fat reserves. I'm sure I'll hit the point of diminishing returns where my body goes "whoa, Nellie! Enough of that!" and shuts down the banishing of weight. I'll enjoy the weight loss while I've got it, because that's about the only good thing about whatever's going on.

You know, I just realized that I had a gastrointestinal thing the first year I was at UT, and that happened in August. Could it simply be coincidence, or is there something I eat or drink at this time of year that I don't otherwise? I shall have to ponder that. It was 10 years between the bout at UT and the bout in 2005. Now it's only 4 years later. Thankfully, at least at this point, I'm not vomiting. I hate vomiting. Probably why I was never bulimic. I'm nauseated as all get out, but I'm keeping what little I'm eating down. Not so much with the other end. Sorry, I know: TMI, but anyway.

I'm trying to stay hydrated as best I can and eating a little as I can. I'm having days where I have 10+ WW points left, which isn't good, and WW Online admonished me for losing 6+ pounds last week. Can't help it. It's not like I'm doing it on purpose. *sigh*

Thanks, SYTYCD!

Some readers know that I am an avid fan of Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance". I danced when I was younger, along with cheerleading and color guard. I absolutely LOVE dance and seeing dancers grow within their art. The show is perfect for that. The thing is, when I watch SYTYCD, I miss dancing so much, but I know that my knees would be shot after the second class if I went back to it weighing over 250#. So, I decided Wednesday evening, while I was watching the show, that this would be the -last- year I'm this heavy. I -will- get back to dancing, even if it's just a class taken at a community college. I have no dreams or aspirations of ever performing (though that might be kind of cool), and the only possible way in which I have -ever- thought I would be affiliated with dance professionally is as a teacher. I just want to get back to it for the love of the art form. Taking all of that into consideration, I thought about how I would accomplish this. I'm all about plans. :-) First off, I've -got- to add flexibility training back into my routine. Limber muscles don't get injured as quickly and loose hamstrings help prevent back pain. So, stretching: check. Next, I need to up the intensity of my cardio workouts to get the maximum amount of caloric burn that I can get, while still keeping it mostly low-impact. I will also continue to lift weights for strength, muscular endurance, and for the fact that muscle burns more kCal, even at rest, than fat does. So, fat burning: check. The third leg of the tripod is sticking to WW like glue. I need to really focus on eating filling foods and stay away from processed/refined/HFCS-laden crap and stay as close to "real" food as I can get. That means cooking more, but that's OK. I'll deal. :-) With upping the intensity of my workouts, I'll earn more APs, and I'll need to make sure I'm eating some of them. I'm not sure why, but the more I exercise, the less hungry I am. :-/ So we'll have to see how it goes. So, sticking to WW: check.

Proving that I'm putting it into practice is the fact that I came into work (I work late on Thursdays, but have to be here early because of bus schedule), had some brekkie, and read for a while. Then I decided that I'm not going to banish any weight by sitting on my tushie reading Harry Potter, so I went out to the fitness trail around the pond and walked. For 55 minutes. I did approximately 2.25 miles in that 55 minutes. Next week, I want to go out earlier and see if I can get a full 3 miles in, and how long it will take me, as that's within spitting distance of a 5K. When I get my 5K time to under an hour, I will start adding distance because I eventually want to do a half-marathon and there is an 8K (5 miles) in November that I'd like to do, but only if I can get my time to around 1:20 or so.

I'm working on a shopping list for next week which will have less processed/pre-packaged/refined stuff on it, and more actual food. Watch out world!

Um, yeah...

I didn't have the best weekend. As I said in my last post, I'd been battling headaches all week. When I went home Thursday, I started getting auras (lights in the edges of my field of vision). Knowing that was an indication that a migraine would soon follow if I didn't head it off at the pass, I popped 3 Motrin and drank some caffeine. Woke up Friday with a headache, but it wasn't a migraine, so I figured I was in the clear. Not so much. Woke up Saturday with the worst migraine I've had in several years. Yeah. Complete with pulsating head, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, etc. The whole ball of wax, as it were. Even had to have DH call some friends with whom I'd had plans to cancel for me. Sheesh! I took more painkillers and went back to bed. Sunday, I awoke sans migraine, thanks be to all that is decent and holy, but was completely wiped. Because I was still wiped yesterday, no gym visit for me. Instead, I put new sheets on the bed and watched the pilot episode of "Ghost Whisperer". Not the most productive evening, but...

Tonight, I'm going home, and I'm cleaning house. It's driving me crazy. I know, I know. Who would notice? Still. I'm going to whack away at as much as I can this week and use that as my exercise. Hopefully, I'll have it back under control so that I can go to the gym -and- clean. Time to dust off my "control journal", huh? I wonder what Zone we are in? Hmmm. I just figure that a clean house would be more conducive to the other healthy changes I'm trying to make in my life. Let's see, shall we?

Craptacular Week

I don't really know when to expect TOM with the new pills. I am sort of suspecting it anytime now because I'm craving crappy food and my face is broken out. *le sigh* So, I'm writing off the week. I'm re-committing tomorrow, as my new week starts then. I've not made it to the gym at all this week and have been battling headaches, too. So...

I've got my plan in place for next week and will get back on track. I expect to not be happy with my WI in the AM, but at least I know why it'll be bad. :-/

Back in the gym next week, fewer carbs, keeping within my Points. I can do this. :-)

Woot! *happy Woofie dance*

I did my weight circuit Friday. By the end of it, I realized that a task I did at work that day strained a muscle in my back. So, no weights for me on Monday. :-( I did, however, do 60 minutes on my pedaler. Tuesday, another migraine. I've decided that it may be my new birth control causing the headaches, as it's progestin-only. Hopefully, it's something I'll get used to. If the headaches have eased off considerably by the time I finish the 3 months of pills I've got, I'll call my OB/Gyn and see what she thinks. Needless to say, no exercise for me on Tuesday. Yesterday, I did my weight circuit, wherein I upped the weight on all of my exercises (tho I needed to reduce the # of reps on my leg extension, as my knee gets cranky if I don't ease into it). Afterward, I decided that I would try walking home from the gym, which is about 2 miles. I may need to go to Map My Walk and see what it is, perzactly. It took me 55 minutes. But, seeing as it was 81 degrees and I was lugging my book bag, I'll graciously accept the near-hour and move on. :-) I'm a bit stiff and sore today, but that tells me that I have my exercise level about right for now. Any more, I'd be hurting, which is not the same as being sore. YKWIM?

Today, all I've managed to do is wrestle with the microfiche reader/printers to vacuum their insides. But that counts as exercise, right? :-) I have a walk on deck for this afternoon. Hopefully it won't be -as- warm as yesterday, but I feel that it prolly will be. That's OK. I have my water bottle and my hat with me. It's all good.

Oh, and did I mention that I banished 1.2# last week? :-)

Full of Win!

Despite the storm front induced headache that plagued me most of the day, I still managed to get in an abbreviated walk in the AM (15 min instead of 20). Thankfully, my head eased off in time for me to go to the gym. I did my weight circuit and then did 35 minutes on the recumbent bike. For some reason, my left foot started to swell and hurt as I was pedaling. If it continues, I'll go see the doc about it. I've got a short walk (15-20 min) planned for this morning (in just a few, in fact) and then a longer walk planned for this evening, weather permitting. I'll continue my weight circuit as is tomorrow, but I will need to up the weight on most of the exercises next week.

A strong, fit, healthy Woofie coming soon!

Full of Win

Made it to the gym yesterday (for the first time since AUGUST!!!). I was able to lift at the level I left. So, my muscles seem to be in decent shape. It's just my lungs that are pooky. I figure that, if I build up to it, the breathing issues won't be, well, an issue. ;-)

So, yesterday: 20 minute walk around the pond, weights, 35 minutes on the treadmill @ the gym.

Plan for today: 20-30 minute walk this afternoon

Plan for the rest of the week: 20 min walk in the AM and weights on W/F. I'll do extra time on the treadmill depending on time. 20-30 minute walk in the afternoon/evening on Thurs. Saturday will depend on whether I go out of town or not. Sunday is my OFF day.

That sked will remain in effect until summer classes start. Then I'll switch my Thursday walk to the AM before I report to work. I'll make Thursday my distance day eventually, but I'm still working up to it. :-)

Woot!

So, okay... I was admonished by WW Online for "losing too fast", but I did banish 5.8# this week, which got me under 270#. If I keep losing that much every week, I'll worry. But every once and a while, one has a woosh that enables one to lose a bunch of weight all at once when one hasn't lost at all for a while. The only real changes I made this past week were to get at least 20 minutes of exercise every day and to cut back on my carbonated beverages. I guess that I was doing something right. :-)

As I posted last week, I'm set to get back in the gym today. I've not been in an uber long time, so I'll have to make sure I don't over-do it. But I think that it's still an good thing. :-) As much as I bitch and moan about cardio, I -love- to lift weights. I just need to get back into the habit of doing so.

DH and I are talking about doing a week at Sandals for my 40th birthday (about 6 years) and I really want to have a bikini body by then, even if I -choose- to wear a one piece. :-) Truthfully, I want to have a bikini body before then, but... I want to be fit, healthy and strong. And believe me, when I am, I intend to show off all my hard work. :-D Darn it.

These shoes were made for walking...

...and that's just what they'll do...

I've managed to walk for at least 20 minutes everyday this week except Monday, when I was felled by the mighty migraine. Today's constitutional was 35 minutes. Woot! That means that I've earned 7 Activity Points this week. I'm okay with that. I'm going to start back to the gym next week so I can lift weights. Muscle may weigh more than fat, but it takes up less room and is metabolically active tissue. Fat's just, well, fat. :-) I'm hoping getting APs will turn the tide and help me banish these 4# once and for all, so I can go on to banish the other 100+. :-)

Have a good day, everyone!