Week 8 - Weigh in

First, I have to admit that walking has not happened.  I can give a lot of excuses for why, but they are all excuses.  That is going to stop now.  No more excuses, just doing the work.

Second, I also have to admit that I was a little bummed getting on the scale today.  HOWEVER, I believe that ...
1. have not walked. 
2. we went out to my favorite restaurant of all times and while I did great, the meal probably has more salt than normal and has always affected my weight slightly before.  I think that perhaps after several days of normal meals and good water intake I might be happier.
3. I am doing good on protein, but not so good on water.  The past few days I haven't made 60 ounces, its only been about 33 ounces.

So Goal one for next week
1. Walk 2 times during the week
2. 66 ounces of water - each and every day.
3. minimum of 60 grams or protein per day
4. 15 minutes of me time - focus only on me.

Today's official weight:
Weight: 256.4
BMI: 42.0
Down 30 pounds! since the day of surgery

Week 7 - Weigh in

I am 7 weeks post op and feeling fantastic.  I have been on "regular food" for two week and have had absolutely no issues *knocks on wood* with anything that I have tried.  My incisions have completely healed and I have no referred pain, no gas, etc.  I am doing very well and am very happy.

I have been blessed with an amazingly good post-surgery experience.

The next real step is to get off my ass and get a regular exercise program going.  I have made a lot of excuses, the number one being that I really want to swim and can't do that with my labrum tear.  Well, that is getting fixed on the 27th of November, so eventually I WILL be able to swim.  But I can't let that be a reason to not move.  That is an excuse and excuses are not allowed anymore.

So ... walking needs to happen.  And will happen two times before next check in.  (Starting off small here!) 

Today's official weight:
Weight: 258.2
BMI: 42.3
Down 28.2 pounds! since the day of surgery

There and Back Again - 8/16/12

It has been awhile since I have updated The Walk on the Road There and Back Again.  I have been remiss on keeping this up to date.  Rather than going back and trying to update it, lets just move on from here...

3 Miles in my walk today!

I am getting a walk in once a week, but its not good enough.  I HAVE to get it in every day by the time surgery happens.  MUST.DO.BETTER.

108/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
50 miles Wandering in the Old Forest
108/1934 There and Back Again

The Road Goes Ever On and On ...

There and Back Again - 4/19/2012

Today I got smart! the new treadmill has an input for things like iPhones or iPods and previously, I have been listening to music. While that is nice, I my mind still wanders and I get bored after 20 - 25 minutes. So today, I thought HEY! If I can plug in a iPod, I bet I can plug in an iPad and watch a movie too! So that is exactly what I did. I watch a portion of Fellowship of the Ring, and man oh man did it make a difference. I think this will really help me break the "I don't want to exercise" Blah that is always a fight to deal with AND help me go longer.

It just so happens that I was in Moria and at the Bridge of Khazad Dum, and lets face it, you can't take it easy with that kind of music and action going. I walked very fast and was tired and winded quickly. I think normally, I will be doing a slower and longer pace, but today is a quick and hard burn.

1.25 Miles!

87.5/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
50 miles Wandering in the Old Forest
87.5/1934 There and Back Again

The Road Goes Ever On and On ...

There and Back Again - 4/4/2012

On the trail again using my treadmill!

1.25 Miles!

86.25/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
50 miles Wandering in the Old Forest
86.25/1934 There and Back Again

The Road Goes Ever On and On ...

I think I am lost! Where is that trail exactly? - There and Back Again

It has been since November that I have made any kind of posting about where I am on the trail. At that time I was at mile 72.5. I am ,supposed to be walking Bilbo's path in the Hobbit, but methinks I got a bit confused and followed four wandering Hobbits into the Old Forest instead! It just so happens that mile 73 is Crickhollow! And while Bilbo and the Dwarves bypassed the Old Forest and went the quicker way around, I think I got lost wandering around the Old Forest and talking with Tom Bombadil.

According to the mileage that I have tracked, that means I would have just left Tom Bombadill and am wandering somewhere around the Old Forest, lost! I know that there are miles that I didn't track during the past five months, so I am just going to figure that Tom helped this Wandering Elf to the edge of the Forest, where I was able to find Bilbo's path again and have now made it to Bree. So for The Journey to the Lonely Mountain and Back Again, that puts me at mile marker 85.
Bree!!!

Now that I am back on track, I will be hopefully on my way to Rivendell, with no more side adventures. Though in Middle Earth you never know what might cross your road and take you off the path!

Updated There and Back Again mileage!

85/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
50 miles Wandering in the Old Forest
85/1934 There and Back Again

The Road Goes Ever On and On ...

Rebirth ... Again ...

Obviously it has been far too long since I have checked in.  I could give all sorts of excuses about how hectic things are with my mother, with personal issues, and with work; but the reality is that stuff is always happening in life that makes things hectic.  I just didn’t choose to make writing a priority. 

That time is in the past.

I have periodically checked in with mileage updates and such, but nothing more than that.  Honestly it was probably because I didn’t want to put into words that I had stopped doing just about anything with regards to becoming healthier.  I had let the events of last April side track me.  I let myself slip down that very slippery slope of self-pity and stopped working out, stopped eating right, stopped tracking, stopped just about anything.  I always said, “I can have this because my dad died”, or “because I feel sorry for this” or “because my nail broke” or whatever excuse I could come up with at the time.  And each time, I would say that I would “start a new tomorrow.” 

I haven’t lost ground, but I advanced much either during that year of sabotage and self-pity.   That is to say that I am basically the same weight as a year ago,  give or take a pound or two.  Which is good in some respect, I guess.  Because with everything going on, it is honestly amazing that I didn’t gain another 30 – 50 pounds in emotional eating. 

But really, it’s just sad that an entire year was wasted.  And it took flying on another airplane, being stuffed into a Barbie seat, and having to spend four days with my sister-in-law in Vegas, who is in control of her health and happy with her body, for me to snap out of it and realize that I am the only one that can facilitate the change. 

It is time.

I am not sure how many rebirths a Phoenix can have before they actually make it to full fledged adult hood, but apparently for me it is at least three. The nice thing about being a Phoenix, is I can always start again and remake myself if I stumble and fall.  

The Road Goes Ever On, just sometimes you stumble off the trail and get lost in the Old Forest for awhile.  Well, I have finally found my way back to the road and its time to start again!

There and back again - Pool Edition 11/9/11

Third day at the pool!

I will admit that I wasn't really up to it today and had it been just up to me, I wouldn't have gone. It was good that I had to go because of mom.

No boobie exposure today! Everything was secured and in place today!

1/2 mile in laps. Slow and steady wins the race.

72.5/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
72.5/1934 There and Back Again

The Road Goes Ever On and On ...

There and Back Again 11/8/11

It has been a few weeks, but J and I went on our walk again. We walked sans doggies, as we met after a meeting that she had to go to early in the morning. We walked for about 45 - 50 minutes and went for two miles. It felt like it was at a better pace then we did last time, though I am not positive on that.

It is probably one of the last walks we will get to do outside before we have to move inside to the mall, but it was AWESOME to be able to be outside for a little while.

72/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
72/1934 There and Back Again

The Road Goes Ever On and On ...

There and back again - Pool Edition 11/7/11

2nd day at the pool!

I will say that I am beginning to understand why I didn't go back to swimming the few times I was at the pool after my back surgery. I DEFINITELY felt the pain in my shoulder after the last swim. Part of it was probably doing too much on the first day, but part of it is that I have a labrum tear that I haven't dealt with yet. I guess I had forgotten that the tear and the bone spurs in my rotator cuff affect my swimming. I am going to try and not let it stop me, though. I am enjoying the swimming too much.

So today I worked on using a variety of strokes rather than focusing so much on the crawl stroke. I find I can do the back stroke without it causing me too much pain and a lot of kicking. It isn't quite the exercise regimen I would like, but if I work on it and don't over exert my shoulder, I should be ok.

I did have something entertaining happen at the pool today. My swimsuit fits me well pretty much everywhere, but in my chest. It was obviously made by a man, because they didn't think about the fact that a woman who is as big as I am, is going to have a rather large chest. AND for some dumb ass reason, it does not have cross straps in back for better support. I mean who creates a swim suit like that????

But I am digressing here ...

Anyway, the swimsuit is not that supportive and I really should be wearing a sports bra with the suit, but I don't currently have one that is big enough. So though I knew I needed one after Friday's session, I didn't wear one today ... AND ironically, as I am doing the breast stroke ... My right boob comes out of the swim suit! Thankfully I was at the other end of the pool from ... EVERYONE and was able to slip it back in. Needless to say, I didn't do anymore breast stroke today and WILL be better supported on Wednesday!

Mom actually went today, she was really tired and hurting after wards, so we will see if she continues. But I WILL continue, whether she is there or not.

Another .5 mile today!

70/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
70/1934 There and Back Again

The Road Goes Ever On and On ...

Back in the pool!

From 2001 - 2005, when I was on the weight journey, I lost almost all of it through swimming and weight watchers. I LOVE swimming. I mean I LOVE it, LOVE it, LOVE it! I got to the point that I was swimming for 2 plus hours a day and it was truly a way to just be and escape from everything. It helped me get through the time after the ugly split, it got me through the time in Purgatory, and all sorts of time being unemployed. It was not just exercise but a pleasure.

As I started to go to school for massage, I found that it was difficult for me to find the time to go. At the same time, pain in my shoulder started to increase and as I needed to be able to work, that meant swimming less. Eventually I had back surgery and that took me out of the pool completely and I really never returned. I mean I pretended to return, I went a couple weeks here, a couple of weeks there, but never really returned and lost the love.

Flash forward to the present ... My mother is going to be having knee surgery in January of next year and to prepare for it, she is going to PT twice a week to get stronger and the PT person wants her to go to the pool twice a week and do a movement class for seniors. So to make sure that she went, I agreed to take her and that I would swim laps during her class.

Which means ...

I WENT TO THE POOL TODAY!!!

Ahh the love is back. Man I missed the water.

I didn't think I would do much, since it was my first day back in the pool but I did 1/2 a mile! Woohooo!!!


66.5/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
66.5/1934 There and Back Again

The Road Goes Ever On and On ...

There and Back Again 8/6/11

Stop the presses! I made it to the Gym two days in one week! AND today was at 9 am on a Saturday! I think I need to be committed.

Tink and I had plans to do aquarbics, but she couldn't find her swimsuit, (class ended up being canceled anyway) so we did the treadmill for 30 minutes and covered 1.2 miles. I followed that up with a trip to Costco where I did .75 miles, for a total of 1.95 miles.

45/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
45/1934 There and Back Again

The Road Goes Ever On and On ...

There and Back Again 8/2/11

I MADE IT BACK TO THE GYM!!!

Ok so it was nearly 3 weeks ago that I said that it was time for me to get back to it on a regular basis. But I did have an incredibly good excuse in that I was very very very sick.

Being sick for three weeks did point out to me the necessity of taking care of myself. I haven't been doing that properly, since all of the family and emotional stuff happened. So, per my agreement with myself, I have gone back to the gym. It hurt. I was upset because it felt like I was leaving Dad behind. But he wouldn't want me to stop everything because of him. So I continued into the Gym and met my friend "Tink".

Tink and I did the treadmill for about 30 minutes and covered about 1.4 miles. Much slower than I would care for, but ... at least it was something and really the best speed for now. So ...

43.05/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
43.05/1934 There and Back Again

On the Road Again ... And the Road Goes Ever On and On ...

There and Back Again 7/5/11

It has been a few weeks, but we went on our walk again. I need to make this more regular. I have been resisting starting anything regular since my father died. I suppose its the last bit of me that is returning to a normal schedule and it feels totally wrong; like it somehow dishonors him. But it is time that I do just that.

Today's walk was for nearly twice as long as the last time. 4 miles total. No doggies, just lots of talking.

41.65/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
41.65/1934 There and Back Again

There and Back Again 6/21/11

My walking partner and I went to our summer trail. This one has a bit more shade for days that are hot, since I don't like a lot of sun and to get overheated when I am working out. Since I figured out that I can download an app on my IPhone that uses GPS to track my mileage, I actually have an acurate count of how much we are walking! Totally awesome!!!

2.25 Miles!

37.65/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
37.65/1934 There and Back Again

There and Back Again 6/13/11

I took Shilo out for a walk on a local trail and was able to clock 1.4 miles! It was a bit slow because of Munchikin's need to sniff and piddle on everything!

35.4/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
35.4/1934 There and Back Again

There and Back Again 6/7/11

We went on another walk down by the River, and this time we took our dogs with us. Because we had the four-leggeds and I had a brief amount of time, we only did one section that was 1.5 miles. Hopefully we can do better next time. I want to get back to the 3 - 4 miles that we used to do.

34/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
34/1934 There and Back Again

There and Back Again 3/15/11

3.15 Miles on the Road today. I have really slowed down. I haven't been to the gym in a week. That needs to change and needs to change now!

31/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
31/1934 There and Back Again

There and Back Again 3/8/11

It was a slower walk today. I think I was out of oomph and strolled more than I actually walked, but at least I did it! 3.5 miles managed.

27.85/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
27.85/1934 There and Back Again

Zuuuuuumba

Oh holy HELL! That last Zumba class had NOTHING on this Zumba class!

This one wasn't fun and was harder than hell. So hard that Cathy and I left after 30 minutes because we just couldn't take it anymore. I am very very very glad that that wasn't my first Zumba class because I probably would never have taken another one, had that been my first.

1 measly little mile.

24.35/967 Journey to Lonely Mountain
24.35/1934 There and Back Again