A food addict's travels on the road to recovery.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Change: Hard but Necessary

I've been feeling really out of sorts since I posted my weigh-in Friday morning. Now that I've thrown out my 10 lb/mo goal and said I'll just be happy with any kind of loss, as long as I can find some consistency, I don't know what to do with myself. As an all or nothing person, and someone who is goal-oriented, I'm feeling kind of like a ship without a sail. One thing that has added to this feeling is that I can't do my normal 4 mile walk/jog at the park this week and that is really messing with my mind.

When I got out of bed Friday morning my right knee started popping, and continued to pop all throughout the day and night. It's been doing it all weekend now, and my knee is really weak. This happened 2-3 months ago, when all I was doing was walking on the treadmill for exercise, and not nearly as far as I'm walking now. I guess I've just got a bad knee. It feels weak, strange, like it wants to pop out sideways. So my normal exercise is just out of the question. It's irritating the crap out of me that I'm probably out of commission for at least a week....but I really don't want to injure it any further. That would just be stupid. So I'm having to suck it up and deal with it...accept it...and that's just not my style, lol.

My day normally starts with rolling out of bed, taking my thyroid medicine, waiting a little while and then eating a small breakfast, making sure my lower back is loosened up enough to move, and then out the door to the park to do my exercise. I'm the type of person that REALLY likes to get the exercise over with in the morning. If for any reason I can't, and it has to wait til afternoon or evening, it messes with my whole day. I can't rest or clear my mind until I know I've burned those calories. I sincerely think the reason I've had so much success with the weight loss up to this point is because of the exercise.

I also think that doing it earlier helps to burn calories longer throughout the day and raise my metabolism. Dwayne and I have been talking about him buying me a used treadmill as a Christmas gift. One reason is for the winter weather, but the other is so that when I finally get to go back to work, I can wake up an hour earlier and get the exercise out of the way. That way I have killed any excuses for not doing it after work....I'm too tired, I've got to go home and take care of Scarlette, got to stop by the store, I've got to cook dinner, something just came up....you know all the reasons it doesn't get done.

So anyhoo...back to the weekend. My knee is screwed, I'm floundering a bit in my brain because of it, and I overate Friday and Saturday. I didn't binge, it wasn't that horrendous, but it was more than the 1700 calories I said I was going to try out this week. Now with me not being able to do enough cardio, I decided I better keep the calories at 1600 to try and make up for some of it.

Friday my knee was hurting too bad to do anything at all. Saturday I got up and went to the park and did a 2 mile walk. I didn't even break a sweat. That was disappointing, but I kept telling myself not to overdo it, so I made myself leave without doing another 2 miles. Today I went next door to my mom and dad's and rode on their stationary bike for 15-20 mins (I forgot to time it). Then I did some exercises here at home. Let me see if I can remember it all:

50 wall push-ups (2 sets of 25)
100 crunches (2 sets of 50)
20 leg lifts (2 sets of 10)
40 tricep (I think that's the official name for my bat wings?) exercises with a 10 lb free weight (2 sets of 20)
10 shoulder exercises with a 10 lb free weight

None of this required any sweating, so I don't feel like I did near enough. I just can't wait til I can get back to normal. I'm planning another 2 mile walk in the morning. I want to do this every other day just to try and stay in the mindframe of going to the park. And like I said, it's not enough to even make me sweat. It's funny to me to say that now. I remember when I did a post entitled, "E is for Evil...and Exercise". I did NOT want to get started...it was shortly after I started my blog and I didn't want exercise to be part of my weight loss...it was too painful. But I knew it had to be, so when I got started walking on the treadmill at my old apt complex, I could only do 15 mins at a time. I thought I was dying. I was sweating like a pig in heat and falling off the treadmill with legs that felt like Jell-o. It's amazing how things progress and improve if you just keep at it....just keep putting one foot in front of the other. I'm glad I did.

I finally got my eating back on track today. Can't say I feel any better about this whole change yet....but I'm sure I'll be okay soon. It takes me more than a couple of days to adjust to things. It will get better. I ate 1500 calories today, and I have a few food pics.

The first one is my Grandma's recipe for Beef Soup. It's one of my favorites. And I dished it up in a bowl that used to be hers. She gave it to mom to give to me a few years back when she heard how sentimental it was to me. Grandma used to serve beef soup to us in these bowls when we were little kids. It was a memory I wanted to hold onto, so she gave me one of the bowls. It's orange on top with a black bottom....kind of fitting for the upcoming season. :)




I ate 5 or 6x today like I said I was going to. It does help to keep me feeling less hungry and less frantic. One of the things I had was a 4 oz. bbq chicken breast that Dwayne grilled for us for dinner last night.




Mom invited me over for dinner tonight. She said she was making fried catfish and coleslaw and I forget what else. I decided to skip it, and had a veggie plate at home instead. Cabbage, cauliflower/broccoli, and sliced tomatoes.




The weather got pretty cold here this weekend and I noticed Scarlette was shivering when I'd take her outside. Dwayne and I went to Walmart and bought her a little sweater to help keep her warm. The sides of it hung down, and Dwayne asked me where my sewing kit was. I went and got it out of the closet for him, and he took it upon himself to hand-stitch the sides together underneath, so that her tummy would stay a little warmer. It's the little things like this that make me love him so much. :)






Yes, she's standing on my diningroom table. She doesn't listen very well, but shes still momma's baby. :)

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. If you're struggling or floundering, hang in there. Just don't give up. There IS no quitting....maybe just a little re-adjusting to figure out what's best for you. We'll all get there...and we'll do it together. :)

Quote For the Day:

"You see things; and you say "Why?" But I dream of things that never were; and I say, "Why not?" -George Bernard Shaw

15 comments:

  1. Sorry about your knee. Glad you're taking care and trying not to make it worse. Had a good time shopping with you today.
    Love you, Mom O.

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  2. We really are living parallel lives!!! You are my Southern twin... except for the liking to get up in the morning to exercise and liking cabbage bit! :) Here's to your knee and my foot healing in no time and to smart exercise choices as we deal with this bump in the road. This is for life girl!!!!!!!!!

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  3. I love your attitude towards exercise i wish I 'had' to get it done in the morning. To be honest it's squeezed in whenever all sporatic like - so are the workouts I do whatever I feel like doing walk, weights whatever. Your way seems more effective :)

    oh and way to go - skipping the fried fish for veggies, it's always so hard to eat right in 'social' situations - way to go!

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  4. oh and sorry about your knee - injuries make everything else harder - I guess now's a good time to work on upper body and your core :)

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  5. Haha, bat wings? HILARIOUS. So what kind of tricep exercises did you do? Overhead extensions? kickbacks? Skullcrushers? I need the details woman, I'm a strength trainin man!

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  6. I am so right there with you today, Tammy... not on the injury stuff, but in regards to being a ship without a sail. Sigh... But, you're right: There is no quitting. We will get there even if we have to get our exercise by blowing into the sail, right?!

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  7. Tammy, Sorry to hear about your knee. I know how much you love your walks. I really hope Santa brings you that treadmill for Christmas - I know I rely on using the Y's treadmill during the colder months. Don't let your down time get you down. Remember, lots of people lose weight without exercise, so you can do it for a week while your knee heals. Can you get one of those pull on braces for support? Make it a good week - you can do this!

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  8. I know exactly what you mean about getting totally thrown off if you can't do your exercise as expected. When that has happened to me, I obsess about it all day, just like I obsess about food sometimes!

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  9. Hi Tammy,
    Your food looks good, and Scarlette is a true fashion plate. I understand your frustration with your knee. My left knee has been screwed up for 10 days, so I only did short walks last week. It was finally feeling better, so I jogged for 30 seconds yesterday during a short walk, and it's killing me again! So take it easy as healing takes time. Rest, Ice, Compression while walking(an ace if you have it and if it helps), Elevation when your resting with under the knee support so it doesn't hyperextend. Also Ibuprofen 3x/day while it's acute will help inflammation. Do all that for a week and I bet it'll be better. I'm pulling my nurse card on you here! Hang in - you're doing great and continue to be an inspiration and voice of reason :) !

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  10. I hope that your knee starts to feel better! I would say to listen to your body and know when you should push yourself more. You are doing a great job!!!

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  11. Check these links for some other tricep exercise ideas.

    Kickbacks:
    http://alifetimeoffitness.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/tricep-kickback1.jpg

    Skullcrushers:
    http://www.oxygenmag.com/content/oxy115/training_move1.jpg

    Single DB Extensions:
    http://www.shapefit.com/triceps-exercises-standing-one-arm-dumbbell-triceps-extensions.html

    And then of course the one you are already doing. :)

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  12. Hi Tammy. Concerned about your knee - esp it feeling so weak. Have you been to the doctor? It's important to make sure it's not something that's going to get worse the more exercise you do. Better to nip it in the bud now that be out of action a longer time than necessary. I know how frustrated you must be. And it's so important to keep that routine going.

    Really hope it's feeling better soon.

    Sweet about your doggie!

    Best wishes,
    Bearfriend xx

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  13. Hi Tammy. Concerned about your knee - esp it feeling so weak. Have you been to the doctor? It's important to make sure it's not something that's going to get worse the more exercise you do. Better to nip it in the bud now that be out of action a longer time than necessary. I know how frustrated you must be. And it's so important to keep that routine going.

    Really hope it's feeling better soon.

    Sweet about your doggie!

    Best wishes,
    Bearfriend xx

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  14. Your beef stew looks sooooo goooood!! I'll have to try that one this week for dinner!
    I find that if I make a weekly goal (2 pounds loss) I can easily do this, but if I make a month goal, I tend to mess it up by the 2nd week. It's totally a mind game with myself, but the 2 pounds a week loss adds up to more lost than if I give myself a month goal. And I write out the week with the 4 days I'm going to exersice and the 2 days I'm going to do weight resistance so I stick to them better.
    Don't be too hard on yourself...your doing great!
    (Red is Scarlett's color for sure :)

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  15. I eat six times a day and I think it's what keeps me sane (or saner anyway). Hunger is my downfall. If I get hungry I panic and eat everything. Eating throughout the day helps me so much on that front.

    Oh, and I love working out in the mornings too! I always find that it's such a great way to start the day. Not only does it give me so much more energy, but I don't have to think about it again. :-)

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232 lbs. ~ Size 18/20 outfit

232 lbs.

242.0 lbs. ~ Size 22/24 outfit

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Start Weight 06-12-09

Start Weight  06-12-09
272 lbs. ~ Size 26/28 outfit