168.2 Back To The Future

It's warming back up out here so today I was able to go to our community center pool and do my water therapy. I wore one of my water jackets that cut the wind and help to keep my upper body warm and that really helped.

I am seeing a new physical therapist about my cock-eyed pelvis and so had to modify some of my workout. What she's found that really surprised me and kind of bothers me is how weak my left leg is. I think I have more to work on than just getting my pelvis in alignment.

I may as well confess, last night I had my first hamburger in about 3 years. It came with cheese and bacon - no, it wasn't a Whopper from Burger King - we went to Flemings (a rather high end restaurant in the area), sat at the bar and paid $6 rather than the $12 they normally charge since we were there before 7 pm. No, I didn't eat all the meat, I asked for no bacon, and I ate about 1/4 of the bread. Yes, it was good, but somehow not as great as I thought it might taste. I think my "clean, healthy living/eating" has really changed what I want to eat. But what I really liked is that my weight didn't shoot up. I hope this trend continues as I venture back into carefully eating some of the old favorites.

171.6 The Final Video aka The Last Picture Show!

Here's the video. You may have to copy and paste it into your search engine, I say with authority, not being sure that all the terminology is correct. But hopefully you will know what I am talking about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQnOat3uFew

As you will see, this video is a little long, but then so was the process of losing all of the weight. Recently Jennifer asked me why it took so long and then I reminded her that I had two surgeries in the midst of the weight loss and we did have to do a lot of mind mending, as I like to call the therapy, so that I would never want to use food to dull my emotions again.

The work that I did with Jennifer involved discovering why I had allowed myself to get so heavy, why I used food to stuff down my emotions and the reasons that I needed to do that. So it took a lot of honest grappling with my past to work toward learning who I really was under all of that fat. I still am reluctant to cry, to grieve, but I am aware that there are some changes in emotional responses that are closer to the surface now and I believe that with time I will become healthier in that regard. I'm still a work in progress, some might say a real piece of work :), but I'm excited to be in this new place now.

185.0 Focusing on Exercise

I've really been focusing on the exercise element of this program because I know it's extremely important for me to keep moving both for burning calories and for keeping my arthritis from crippling me. Doctors have discovered that the best way to treat arthritis is to move, not sit around. And, I really love it.

I love the Wii Fit Plus, I love the feeling of accomplishment when I do the elliptical, and I love my water workout. I'm not a big fan of lifting weights, but thanks to my recent physical therapy I can do 3 reps of 15 lifting 4 pound weights. I know that's not very much, but when I started, two pound weights were hard for me to do. My short term goal is to move up to 5 pound weights.

So, I think it's time to drop another pound. I'm ready.