Second Week... Not Going So Well

This is just the beginning of my second week and I feel like it just isn't going so well. I am an emotional eater and knowing that I cannot workout right now (doctor said NO activity for 3 days, then light activity on the knee with a brace... which he gave to me, but won't fit because of my fat thighs... ) plus my intense PMS... well, it's just a bad combination... all I want to do is stuff my face with bad for me foods and let the tears roll.

But, instead, I am taking a page from my friend Jennifer's book and I am trying to keep my head up. I am going to drink lots of water instead of the glass of wine I want... I am going to cook a wonderfully tasty and healthy dinner and prep some lunches for the rest of the week and then get some work done. I want to be active, so I've emailed the doctor to tell him the knee brace and other options he gave aren't working (literally, the brace... one of those socky-type thingies just rolls right off my knee after about 2 steps, even with bandages holding it in place... the power of the bulge is too much for it's weak construction) and I am hoping he has some suggestions for me.

I will not let my mood get the better of me... I will not let my injury get the better of me either... I am stronger and better than all of this and I have lots of good people supporting me... YAH for that!

One Week Back...

I've been back on the wagon for 1 week or thereabouts now. I don't have a scale at home but there was one at the gym... I hopped on it, swallowed my tears and told myself "now you know... now you know for sure what you gotta do." So at the beginning of last week this is what it looked like for measurements and weight:

Ribcage: 35 1/4"
Waist: 42"
Hips: 49"

Weight: 116kg or 256lbs.

Yes... I nearly cried over the measurements and weight and then I told myself that I didn't cry getting to this state, so I have no right to cry while in it. Time to get busy and get myself HEALTHY!!!

Now, I'd like to be at the gym everyday but (and I'm not making this an excuse... it's a current reality... I also have no access to a swimming pool as an alternative) I fell a couple of weeks ago and did some damage to my knee. It was swollen for about a week and not as bendy as a knee should be. It's almost normal size now but still can't bend all the way (like no kicking my own arse) and is wobbly and sore. I finally have time to get into a doctor next week and I'll be taking care of that so I can get back into the working out. I may also contact the fitness centre near me to price out a membership for just a few months as they do have a swimming pool and then I can rehab there hopefully.

However... with that said, I did do one day in the gym and it was good. I need to get back to my morning workouts as that's the best way for me to be SURE that I'm getting in some exercise on a daily basis. I also decided to start making my own lunches for the most part and just eating more clean foods (less processed). I didn't make anything a no-no for me because I know myself and as soon as I do that... well, then I crave and eventually gorge on the no-no. Now, I haven't been to the gym to weigh myself yet, but here are my measurements for this week:

Ribcage: 34 1/2"
Waist: 41 1/2"
Hips: 48"

So with just making some changes to my diet, I am beginning to see some results!!! YAH!! This just motivates me to get moving too. I can't wait to get this knee figured out so I can get moving. I will post the weight once I've weighed myself.

Thanks for reading and encouraging!

Getting back on the pony...

They say that when you fall off a horse or pony or bike you have to get back on and keep trying. I did great with the detox before and thought I'd make some big changes to the way I treated my body but I fell off that pony pretty quickly... like as soon as any kind of stress entered my life. I was also really struggling with my self-worth etc. But this year is all about discovering and embracing my self-worth. In the beginning I really focused on that from a relationship point of view and I feel like I'm making great strides forward but with those strides forward I began to notice that if I was discovering self-worth and respect then I needed to treat my body with respect too. So... I'm climbing back up on the "diet" pony and starting to ride. I don't think I want to call it a diet pony though, I just want to make some good solid life changes. Here's what I've done for starters:

*switched regular milk (which isn't unhealthy really, but can make my tummy perform circus tricks that are unnatural) for light soy milk.
*removed sugar from my morning coffee
*removed bread (especially white breads) for the most part from my daily eating.
*added lean proteins like salmon and legumes or beans to my daily diet.
*ceased to buy processed foods ( have some still in my cupboard by way of soup mixes but I don't really like them so I'm planning to give them away)
*added nuts, fruits and dried fruits (very little of those high sugar little numbers) to my daily intake
*begun to eat more regularly
*begun to plan and cook healthy, homemade meals that are lean in fats, lacking in sugar and salt and SUPER tasty
*begun to step back into the gym and my regular activity schedule (I've been sick a lot this year with sinus infections, throat infections, incredibly hives and allergic reactions, and a ruined knee from a fall on the ice etc).

I'm not sure what will happen as a result but I'm going to try and chronicle it as a way to stay honest and on it. I'll also be uploading a very honest picture of how bad it's gotten and my measurements... so be on the lookout for that pleasureful experience! ;)

Thanks for reading and, I hope, supporting!

8K... YEA!!

So part of my quest to be healthier is to up my exercise routine and knowing myself, I respond best to coaching and deadlines. So I registered for an 8K race that is part of the Istanbul Marathon (very cool because you literally run from Asia to Europe... not everyone has done that) that is in the middle of October. And because I am competitive, there is just no way I am going to walk the whole thing. Now, this means I have to train (and should mean eating right, but doesn't at the moment), so I am trying to run as much as possible. Today I did a trial 8K where my parents live which is an incredibly hilly place. I completed it in just under 1 hour and 20 minutes... not bad considering I had to walk a lot of it!! Stay tuned for more fitness/health/eating/weightloss updates!

When Did 35 Become So Old?!

I'm 35 (36 next month) but I seriously feel 95. I've been ramping up my running in preparation for the Istanbul 8K and just to get healthy and fit. Well, I went gang busters for a few days. Three days straight of short but hilly runs that had me pushing myself and working hard. Then yesterday came around and I woke up feeling sore allover, but most notably in my hips and lower back (I have degenerative disk disease and bone spurs that are the pre-cursors to arthritis in my hips). So as I hobbled around in hopes that I could get out and run, I felt like I had aged 60 years in a night. Standing upright was a great challenge.... So today I was feeling better and decided to risk a VERY short run. It was painful but it got better as my joints warmed up and I walked more than I had hoped... so I ask you: When did 35 become so old?!?!

AH!!!! Vacation!!

Vacation is always a hard time for me to stick to a life style of healthy eating. It's especially hard for me as I am traveling and going home to my parent's house (I live in Turkey and they live in Canada) and have the chance to eat all the things I can't get in Turkey. It's hard to not want to eat all the things I shouldn't have like sugar, processed foods etc. I've been allowing myself to eat the things that I've missed but just one time and then I've been trying to step up my exercise in prep for the Istanbul Marathon 8K and to combat my food intake. One good thing is that I quickly tire of eating things outside my new norm and am keen to get back to a diet that consists of LOTS of veggies and fruits, little carbs, little sugars and almost nothing processed.

Vacation.... *sigh*

What is it about vacation that simply RUINS whatever it was that you were doing with your life plans for eating and exercising? I know I should be able to monitor and stay with my plans and I could if I tried, but something in my brain switches during vacation and just lets me sleep longer, move less and eat more. It doesn't help that as an expat I get to go home and eat things that I just can't get all year long.... Thankfully I have the Istanbul Marathon 8K to keep me focused (or should I say: get me back on track) with training and eating right. I'll start that tomorrow... no, really, I will. ;)