It Just Keeps Getting Better and Better!

Where do I start?   First of all, I have GOT to start blogging more often...I will be so thankful years from now when I can look back at this point of my journey.  Every day I am feeling better - stronger, more optimistic, healthier, happier...life is just getting better and better!

I am now nearly 6 months into this journey and I'm down about 50 lbs.  I am able to do things I wasn't able to do, simple things that most people take for granted, with no effort at all.   I am walking daily, routinely getting at least 7,500 steps a day and often over 10,000.   I have also started swinging kettlebells again...and my passion for my bells is coming back stronger than ever before!

My friend and mentor, Tracy Reifkind, just came up for a weekend, and we went to Vancouver, BC.

Even though I was barely recovered from bronchitis and an awful reoccurrence of decades-long dormant asthma, we had such a wonderful time.  We stayed with my friends Christina and Marshall, and packed just as much into two days as we possibly could.

We did a lot of walking and some hiking, and visited Lyn Canyon Suspension bridge, which was simply AMAZING!

Vancouver is so beautiful; I envy those who are fortunate enough to live up there.  All the metropolitan excitement of an international city, surrounded by the beauty and majesty of ocean and mountains and forests and canyons.

I can't wait to go back again.  It's definitely not going to be another 25 years, which was the last time I was there!

We also spent an afternoon in Point Roberts, where Marshall and Christina moor their boat, along with their friends Don and Erin.

Unfortunately it was too windy to go out on the water, but we still had a wonderful afternoon sitting on the boat, enjoying healthy munchies, wine, and great conversation.

I think Tracy has made some new friends - I love it when I can share people I adore with other people I adore and they all enjoy each other!

 Tracy did a workout of her own the next morning on the deck...Christina was out on her run and it was a brilliantly gorgeous day.

I, unfortunately, was nursing a hangover from the wine I had over-imbibed in the day before, but I enjoyed watching her and taking photos.   She is so motivating to me, and watching her with the bells is like watching an artist in motion.  The bell seems to be a part of her, and the movement is so natural and graceful that it is almost like a dance that should be set to music.

Tracy wrote a great blog about the "Vancouver Swing Sandwich" she designed that morning, be sure to check it out as she'll be posting videos as well!

Before we headed out, Tracy trained with Christina, to teach her the Swing, I left a kettlebell with her to use as she discovers the joy and beauty of it, but I'm pretty sure...we have another Kettlebell-liever!

It feels so very good to feel that passion again.   To get the validation from Tracy that I still have the form AND that I have the knowledge and the ability to share it with others only makes me feel even stronger and more determined to do the thing that I've only imagined doing.  

I am going to start training others in the kettlebell swing, sharing with others the power and strength that can be found in this little iron ball with a handle.  

My dream is to share it with other middle-aged women - women who perhaps feel the way that I felt just 6 months ago:  I was hurting all over, I was well over 100 lbs over-weight, I was having mobility issues and joint issues and it seemed that every part of my body was aching from the time I woke up to the time I went to bed.  I felt hopeless and I knew that I didn't want to live the rest of my life feeling like that, whether that was 5 years or 25 years.  And the way I was going, I knew that I was living on borrowed time, that every day I went without a heart attack or a stroke I had dodged a bullet.  My blood lipids were off the charts and I was literally moments from being diagnosed as diabetic.  

I'm never going back there again.  Never.

Reason, Season, or Lifetime

Someone who I thought was a dear friend has just cut me from her life with no explanation.  I'm still reeling...beyond hurt, and trying to understand.   I have to respect her decision, and in spite of the heartache I feel, I still believe that she is one of the kindest and most generous persons I've ever met, and I will always wish her and her family nothing but good things.  

I found this poem...and it helps.  A little.  Makes me feel very blessed that I have so many friendships that are LIFETIME, and yes, blessed that I have had the friends that I've needed for the REASONS and the SEASONS in my life.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,

it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty;

to provide you with guidance and support;

to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend, and they are.

They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,

this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met,
our desire fulfilled; their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,

because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.

They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.

They may teach you something you have never done.

They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.

Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;

things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,

and put what you have learned to use 
in all other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

-unknown

Procrastination - Story of my Life!

Wow, this is my FIRST blog post of 2015!  I have really been slacking on the blogging.  I keep meaning to, but never manage to actually get it done.  Like nearly everything else in my life, I just put it off and put it off...I'll do it later.  I'll do it tomorrow.  I'll do it next weekend.    Maybe that's why I work so much better when I'm under a deadline...hmmmmm.  I am REALLY going to try to be more regular with my blogging in 2015.  We'll see how that goes.

I am going to pick up my kettlebells again.  I am going to start swinging regularly.  I will start out very slowly so I don't mess up my back again.  But...I haven't actually done it yet.  I am PROCRASTINATING!   I'm not sure why...is it just because that's what I do?  Or am I really afraid of hurting myself?   It's been so very, very nice to not have the chronic back pain...but the only way that I can ensure that continues is by getting stronger in the core!

I went to the doc for my check-in on Dec 30...drumroll....as of Dec 30 I was down 33 POUNDS!   I lost inches too, can't remember exactly how much, but even more importantly is how much better I'm feeling physically.   The constant aches and pain in my joints and my back...gone.  Sugar is a known inflammatory, and having not had anything with added sugar (including processed crap!) in over two months has made such a difference that I can hardly believe it.  I just have to remember always how miserable I was feeling.  I don't ever want to feel like that again.  EVER.

I'm down two sizes in my jeans...and will soon be down two sizes in the tops as well.  I'm giving away the clothes as they get too big to wear because I do NOT ever want to wear them again.  I'm NOT keeping them around "just in case".   My goal is to only have clothes that fit.  To be able to wear everything I own.   Who knows, I may only need one dresser and one closet if that's the case! LOL

So now my mission is to get active again.  To start moving regularly and get more core strengthened and my cardio built up.   I have my kettlebells, a bosu, a medicine ball and an exercise bike...so right now it's just my laziness holding me back.  I need to just do it.  Get up earlier and get it done before my brain fully wakes up and my lazy kicks in!  HA.  I was really hoping my ass-kicking friend Nancy was going to be moving back to town in January and we'd start hitting the gym at o-dark-thirty every morning again, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen in the immediate future, so I'm going to have to just kick my own ass for awhile.

So, as I'm starting slow, I'm setting a very conservative goal for this next week:

• THREE KETTLEBELL WORKOUTS
• FOUR EXERCISE BIKE RIDES (10 min minimum)

I'll be sure to blog by the end of the week - whether I achieve my goal or not!

On another note, I have been fighting with my crown since November 16 when the temporary was put on.  It was pretty miserable for awhile, due to the ill-fit, but it definitely made it easy to get through the holidays without giving into the constant temptations everywhere.

I was going to have a root canal done on Jan 7 - I was waiting until a new benefit year kicked in, but I canceled the appointment because it is feeling so much better.  The pain is gone, the sensitivity is lessening more every day.   YAY!   Like my (NEW) dentist said, it was traumatized by the ill-fitting temporary, and then the permanent also needed some sanding down, as well as the cement that was left under it removed and it would take awhile to recover.   It's going to be a very, very long time before I let a drill anywhere near my mouth again, that is for SURE.   The most ridiculous thing is, NEITHER the tooth with the brand new crown, and the tooth on the other side with the brand-new onlay were bothering me before this.   I am talking to the office manager about some kind of adjustment on my account.  I don't think that after all the misery I've had to endure  through the holidays of all times, that I should be charged full-price for these, because even with the insurance, I'm still on the hook for over $1500!   We'll see what they end up saying.

Until next time...

It's the little things...

I'm just a couple days away from 6 full weeks of my new lifestyle.   I have not had any processed foods, nothing with added sugar, and have been controlling my carbs very tightly.  No potatoes, no pasta, no bread, really no fruit, though I could fit fruit in if I really wanted it.  Just not really wanting it and nothing decent is really in season.

I am feeling a big difference...the constant aches and pains are gone, and I think I'm sleeping better too.

I'm down about 25 lbs, but I'm still at a size where it takes a LOT before the loss is really noticeable.

The most exciting difference, however, is something that probably wouldn't seem like a big deal at all to someone who has never experienced it.  Last Sunday I was getting dressed, and I lifted up my foot to put my sock and shoe on.  I lifted up my foot.  I put on my sock and my shoe while standing on one foot.   This isn't a balance issue, I've always had pretty good balance.  This is so much more significant than that.  It used to physically HURT to lift my foot up, even a few inches, let alone lift it high enough to put a sock on.  I haven't been able to do that simple act for almost three years. 

When I realized what I was doing I had to sit down on my bed and process it for a few seconds.  This is even better than the pants or the ring that's too big to wear.  I can lift my foot up, and even put a sock on it, without pain!

I need to start moving with intention now.  Exercising on purpose.   I've been so inactive that it's going to be really hard to get back into it, but if I truly want to change my life and become truly healthy then I have to get over myself and just start DOING it.  I told Dr. Z when I saw her 5 days ago that I am going to shoot for 10 minutes a day every day...she said to set my goal for 3 or 4 times a week to start.   And I haven't done it yet!   I'm about ready to pick up my kettlebells again.  Just a few swings.    Baby steps!

I also got a cap on my tooth that doesn't fit and it is making me SO miserable.  It hurts to eat, and is hyper-sensitive to cold and heat, which I guess isn't all bad, but it sucks when you're eating a high-protein diet!   Hoping to get it fixed tomorrow.  THIS is why I wait until it's absolutely necessary before I get any dental work done, because it sure as heck wasn't bothering BEFORE.  But they convinced me that "it will be problematic in the future" and that I needed to get it done.   #$@*&#^

Check-In with Dr. Z Postponed for 12 Days

I was looking forward to going to see Dr. Z tomorrow for my first check-in since starting with her, but sadly, her father passed away and she is out of town.  So I won't be seeing her until December 2.

Once upon a time, knowing that my accountability had been delayed by so long would have sent me to the Phad-Thai Express, or the Sushi Temple for a good old-fashioned gorge session, but I've learned so much about how my body responds to those types of foods, and the thought of doing that seriously hasn't even crossed my mind.  Non-scale victory!  

However....I did get on the scale this morning to see what it looked like.  I feel like I'm losing weight...my pants are getting baggy...my mobility is improving...I'm not hurting and aching all over like I was.  Even at physical therapy today, sitting up after Brad was done torturing me was easy.  Noticeably easier than the last time I was there.  Things are changing in my body and improving and my health is getting better.

So about that scale....I was down about 15 lbs!   I am so twisted though, and since I am trying to be brutally honest with myself in this blog I have to admit that I felt a pang of disappointment for not having that "Biggest Loser" loss of at least 25 lbs (in three weeks).   Rationally, I know that 15 lbs is MORE than what is considered a healthy loss, and that it's mostly water, and that I'll never see a loss that like this again and that I'm here for the long-haul.   But I still had that pang of disappointment.   Sick.

I'm not getting on the scale again until I'm in Dr. Z's office.  I'm instead going to just focus on how I'm feeling.  And right now, I'm feeling better just about every day.

My Poor Mouth!

This is what I was looking at most of the morning.   I'm sure glad my dentist has a sense of humor.  LOL!   I was getting an upper molar on EACH side getting prepared for a crown.  I took some anti-anxiety meds to help me cope, plus I got plenty of nitrous and novocaine, but the afterwards is almost as bad as a hangover.

My head hurts, from my upper jaws all the way up to the top of my head. Even my face and eyeballs hurt.   I can NOT eat, at all, unless it's mush, and all I want to do is go home and crawl into bed.

Today is Ken's birthday, so I suggested he stop by his favorite pizza joint and pick up his all time favorite pizza...I'm certainly not going to be tempted by it.   All I've had so far today is maybe 1/2 of a protein drink and 3 eggs smooshed up like egg salad.  Ken said he's going to make me some soup...what a sweetheart he is.   I wonder if I'm going to be able to eat my normal paleo-type diet at all with these temporary crowns.  I don't get my permanent ones until December 3rd.   Over 2 weeks.  Ugh.

I wonder what Lemon Caper Chicken taste like after it's been in the blender?

Halfway Through Week Three

Today is day 18 - I've survived 17 full days with no sugar or processed foods and controlling my carb intake very carefully.   I'm having a little trouble staying in the calorie range that doc wanted me in...I'm consistently lower, but I'm still working on it.  I'm having no trouble staying within my goal carb range, except yesterday I was a little over, and that was because I had chili (homemade and healthy) for dinner - AND a glass of skim milk.  Next time one or the other, not both.

I'm also taking the medication Dr. Z gave to help my body use the insulin that it's over-producing, and a couple other medications that will hopefully help to correct the other hormone/chemistry imbalances and in turn help control the hunger/satiety triggers.   I'm still getting used to all the changes...still a little gurgly sometimes or feel a little bit spacey but I think things are starting to level out and I'm starting to adapt to all the changes.

Yesterday I bought some probiotic capsules and fiber gummy chews (sugar free), as well as some vitamins.   I go back to see the doc on Friday and I'll talk to her then about ways to keep my fiber intake in the healthy range...I know that's important.  The flax meal muffins I make are ok, but unless I can figure out a way to make them taste a little better, there is no way I can eat one every day.

My birthday was a couple days ago.  My boss was so thoughtful...instead of a fancy cupcake she gave me some beautiful fresh strawberries cut up and arranged with a candle, and my team gave me a lovely scarf and a sign that is just PERFECT!

 I received so many Happy Birthdays on Facebook, and came home to flowers and balloons from a friend in Colorado, then a couple hours a later a lovely present was delivered - from another friend in Colorado (the first friend's mom - they are both the sweetest and kindest women ever and I'm so blessed to have them as friends).

All in all, it was a really good day.  I felt really loved.   But I didn't go out to celebrate, even though the Junior League had their monthly social on that night and it would have been fun to have been toasted.  LOL.  I'm not going out tonight either, although I was originally planning on going out with about 20 other ladies, to dinner, then to a comedy show.  I just don't feel super-social this time of year and more importantly, I just don't want to put myself at risk of blowing it after working so hard to get my health back on track these last 18 days.