Just checkin' in...no major revelation or epic running event to recap, just a "this is where I'm at in Week 4" kind of post.
So, yes, we're in Week 4! Today was Weigh in Wednesday. And I'm so pleased to say that I'm going well. On the weight loss side of things, at least.
My last post was talking about my current weight loss attempt #613899. It was at the end of
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| Walking the other day |
The awesome thing is, I am now Day 13 into it, and I am still going strong :) I've lost 6.8kg in those 13 days! It's always fast weight loss at the start, but I also know the contributor to this is me just working hard, and I am so proud.
My exercise has been almost perfect. In saying that, I've had about 5 rest days - 3 were unplanned due to injuries. I haven't skipped out on any training days with no good reason, although I wanted to some mornings! Apart from my rest days, I've stuck to my plan and scorched those calories.
My nutrition has been 99% on track, too, which I think is what's made those scales move. The 1% is because I've had maybe 4 squares of chocolate across that time, that I haven't
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| Caught on camera mid selfie...my niece feeding me her watermelon. Saboteur?? |
I've had a couple of days where I've gone over in my calories accidentally (poor pre-planning).
And tonight I just needed to eat. I hardly ate on Monday (I'll explain) and I think my body was just crying out for a big, decent, meal, with no worries about calories.
I decided to listen to my body, and went to Woolworths after work to grab what I felt like eating. It was a strange combination that you would potentially judge me on, so I won't describe it. :) It wasn't bingeing or a treat meal, and the intention wasn't to inhale calories or eat something fatty. My body just wanted to go nuts and eat a big meal, no matter what the cals. Within reason.
The funny thing is, I couldn't help myself, and even though I wasn't supposed to care, I
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| One of my dinners last week! |
That's right. A rare, allowed night off and the best I can do is exceed by a mere 100 cals. Rebel or what??
So apart from those few things, I have been totally on track with nutrition. I haven't deviated, I haven't binged, I haven't even really craved for a binge! This is so weird! My whole time in losing weight, I would usually have cracked it by now. Or allowed myself a little break. But nope, not this time. Each night I've packed my breakfast, lunch and snacks for the next day, and I've stuck to it. I've been within my calories each day, and am just doing what I have to do.
I've even been sleeping so much more! I'm a bit behind in updating my sticker chart but I will update you once I have a tally...but I would guess that the majority of nights, I've hit my sleep target! (7 hours a night). A friend encouraged me to get into bed early the first night, and I enjoyed the feeling so much that I've been repeating it pretty much every night!
Who am I?!
My water is on track too...although I need to actually count it...but I am sure I'm hitting my target.
While all of this has been great, I can't see any difference in me yet, of course. It's only been 13 days. But that'll come.
It has been an incredibly difficult 13 days though. I've had 4 medical incidents in this time. I don't understand how I can have so many issues?? 4 separate issues. Far out.
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| I made snacks from the leftovers of platters I had to make. #score! |
The first 2 incidents I'm not ready to talk about yet. But I'll talk a bit about the last 2, which merge a little.
On Saturday night I had a bit of a fretful night and got a suspected fractured or bruised rib.
Long story.
On Sunday I was in pain (and feeling a bit sorry for myself!) that I had to call a sudden rest day for myself. Rest day as in no exercise, but also an actual physical rest day. I lay in bed all day, in weird positions, trying to get comfortable with my rib/s, and watched DVD's.
On Monday I woke up and I couldn't move. Although they were still sore, it wasn't my rib/s, it was my back.
My back has a myriad of chronic issues (Osteoarthritis, Scoliosis, degenerated discs, spurs on my spine, major spine trauma....I could go on for a while). They've caused me issues since I was 16: Every few years I suddenly collapse - not faint, but my back just randomly gives way. Sometimes I can't move and I have to hold walls to get myself up. Pain is regular, and it's been getting worse.
For the past year or two, it's pretty much a daily occurrence for me, that when I wake up, I can't move. It's like my back relaxes into my bed while I'm sleeping, and I temporarily lose muscle control? Anyway, after about 5min. of being awake, I can move and get out of bed, and live a (very) active life! It's no biggie, I'm just used to it.But on Monday, 5min. came and went and I was still kind of stuck to my bed. I started suspecting this was going to be a bad back day. Little did I know....
It took me 20min. just to get out of bed. It was ridiculous. I had to very slowly slip and slide and shuffle and maneuver. I gently let myself fall off the edge of my bed, and I managed to stand up. But it was painful, and I was a little Bambi-like: uneasy on my feet.
I walked around to get ready for work. I managed to dress myself, but it took double the time. I did my hair and makeup but I was starting to get worried. I could barely stand up. When it came time to put my socks on, it didn't go so well - as in, I couldn't. I lay back in pain and finally let myself acknowledge that I couldn't drive to work.
Instead I worked from home, assuming my back would improve through the day.
It didn't. I couldn't stand or walk but I managed to crawl to the bathroom and the fridge. I was only able to eat lying down, so I sucked the juices out of watermelon, and drank yoghurt. I was too scared to eat the rest of the snacks next to me, as I can't eat too well lying down. I couldn't prop my head up and it hurt too much to sit. The pain got more intense, and by about midday, crawling was out of the question, as now I wasn't able to move an inch.
That's when I started getting worried.
I didn't know what to do. Because there's not much that can be done for back issues! So I waited.
But I soon realised though that I was in trouble. I now couldn't even crawl to use the bathroom. I was desperately trying not to drink, so that I didn't have to go to the toilet - but I needed painkillers so it was a Catch 22! But not being able to get to the toilet - or do anything, was getting a bit more serious. I was calling out in pain and not able to move, at all. There was a snack next to my knee that I wanted, and I dropped the air con remote - I couldn't reach either. I suddenly was desperate for one of those long claw toys that my brothers had when we were kids.
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| Position I was stuck in, standing on my own, and couch / drug time |
After about 4 hours of being bedridden, in every true sense of the word, I called for help. I called the at home GP service, and managed to navigate him to find me inside my apartment (I was by myself). He just told me to go to hospital, and left me alone. (!) When he said that the ambos would have to break their way inside to find me (!) I finally called a friend to help, and asked her to come over to let them in. I live in a rental!
Somehow the paramedics managed to get me into the ambulance and to hospital. ER were great and pumped me full of drugs. Every 15min. they adjusted my bed height a little, to get me more into a seated position. Finally about midnight, with the doctors help (and numbing drugs!), I was able to stand. When I was able to walk a few steps, I was allowed to go home.
I've had two exercise rest days since, and will take tomorrow as well. I'm fine now, but I'm just going to take it easy for a while. Everyone's been asking what the diagnosis was, but there really isn't any. I know what my issues are, it's just something I live with. In saying that, Monday was the absolute worst it has ever been. In the past if I haven't been able to move, it passes within 10min. to a couple of hours. But being completely incapacitated for 12 hours, in the worst pain of my life, is not normal. I believe it's because of Sunday's bed rest for my rib/s. I usually can't move temporarily in the mornings from being in bed for 5-ish hours. The other day though, I was (mostly) in bed for something like 24 hours. That's not normal for me, but it makes sense as to why my back was then affected on an even bigger scale.
While there's not much I can do, I am going to make an effort to help things a little more from now on. I'm so used to living with my condition, but Monday showed me how serious things can get.
- I've spoken to my trainer and I'm going to take things a lot easier at training. She's aware of my body and we work around it anyway, but now I'll downgrade the intensity even moreso, at least for a little while.
- I'm going to make my few and far between Osteopath appointments a regular priority/necessity.
- I've already limited my running, and I'll continue this for a while.
- I'm going to look into water running!
- And at my parents insistence, I'm going to see a back specialist.
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| Reminding myself of this while I can't exercise |
So that's me in a past 13 days nutshell!
I'll be back soon to keep you updated, of course. It's only early days on Attempt #613899, but I have a good feeling about it. 23 days till Straddie, and I intend to get to my Mini Goal #1 by then.
:)
Love,
Kate xo
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