I know you've been there.....
You've scheduled your workout time,
You got your backside out of bed, brushed your teeth and your workout gear on.
You are headed out the door, or plugging the exercise DVD in,
but you just do NOT want to exercise today.
Ugh! What to do?
Hey! It happens to all of us.
Here's what I tell myself "I will just get through the warmup. If at that point I still don't feel like exercising, I can quit with no guilt."
And you know what happens, don't you?
Yep.
I stay and finish the workout.
Every time.
By then my blood is flowing and I'm in a better place. And, heck! I might as well, since I've come this far.
And often these wind up being some of my best workouts, full of energy and strength.
Some days it's harder to get going, but that doesn't mean that you are doomed to a rotten workout or a downer day. Give yourself the opportunity to try, first!
Monday, February 9, 2015
Monday, February 2, 2015
Bariatric Surgery: Not For Cheaters!
You know how people say that getting bariatric surgery is cheating in the weight loss game? I disagree.
I have a very good friend who underwent bariatric (gastric bypass) surgery several years ago. And let me tell ya: It's no walk in the park!
Since she was going to stay with me for several days post surgery, she had me read up on the surgery and it's risks. Holy healing, Batman! This stuff was serious! And scary! The risks involved were downright frightening, the lifestyle changes seemed to be truly daunting, and the healing process was going to be difficult and painful, to put it mildly.
Furthermore, she couldn't just go trippin' in fur surgery as soon as she made the choice. No sirree- She had to actually lose weight and follow strict dietary guidelines (the same ones she would be following after the surgery) for many months before her surgeon would qualify her for gastric bypass.
This, of course, naturally leads to the question,- Why go through the surgery at all? Why not just follow those procedures until the weight is lost?
I asked this same question of my personal trainer at the time. He seemed very sympathetic of those who chose bariatric surgery as a weight loss tool. His answer was "Because they just eat and eat and eat and never get full". At that point a light bulb went on in my head and I got it: At morbidly obese weights the stomach is distended and the feeling of fullness never happens.
If you are going to stay at a healthy weight, it's very helpful to have some physical type of signal that it's time to stop eating.
I admire people who can go from morbidly obese or even super morbidly obese (which she was) to normal weight without surgery. But I also support those who elect to have it, since I have seen first hand the sacrifice and self discipline that losing and keeping the weight off with bariatric surgery requires.
I had a front row seat to her healing process and I can tell you, it was terrible. I felt so bad for her. Moving was hard. She dreaded it. Eating was worse. I actually had to talk her into it a few times.
As she healed, she developed complications that set her back and worried us all. It was touch and go there for a while
She'd already lost quite a bit of weight on her own, but after the surgery weight seemed to just fall off. She got smaller and smaller, to the point where I had a hard time finding her in a crowd. It used to be easy- Since she was short I just looked for the widest space in the mayhem. Now, I had to hunt her down like a bloodhound.
To her credit, she also went to the gym regularly. She lifted weights and did cardio. She wasn't just smaller; she was fit.
This all then, of course, made yet another problem: Huge amounts of loose skin.
And so a year after the gastric bypass, when her doctor was convinced that she was set in her new lifestyle, he performed a body lift (removing the skin around her middle). And again, she stayed with me for the first few days out of the hospital. I think the healing from that was even worse than from the gastric bypass. There were little plastic bags hanging off of her for drainage, and with an incision literally clear around her middle she had no comfortable way to sit or lay down. But thanks to taking proper care of herself, she healed quickly. Now she is glad she went through the whole process.
She still works to keep her health in check. She did it right, and so many people do not. If you are considering bariatric surgery and know you won't be committed to a true and permanent lifestyle change, I'd advise against it. But for my friend, she was ready to do whatever was necessary to save her own life and ensure her future grandchildren have a grandma. If that's you, do your research and then make your decision.
And for those of us who have lost weight by more traditional means (or not lost weight at all), we need to not make assumptions and instead be supportive. Everyone has their own path to wellness. This may not be yours, but it could be lifesaving for someone else.
I have a very good friend who underwent bariatric (gastric bypass) surgery several years ago. And let me tell ya: It's no walk in the park!
Since she was going to stay with me for several days post surgery, she had me read up on the surgery and it's risks. Holy healing, Batman! This stuff was serious! And scary! The risks involved were downright frightening, the lifestyle changes seemed to be truly daunting, and the healing process was going to be difficult and painful, to put it mildly.
Furthermore, she couldn't just go trippin' in fur surgery as soon as she made the choice. No sirree- She had to actually lose weight and follow strict dietary guidelines (the same ones she would be following after the surgery) for many months before her surgeon would qualify her for gastric bypass.
This, of course, naturally leads to the question,- Why go through the surgery at all? Why not just follow those procedures until the weight is lost?
I asked this same question of my personal trainer at the time. He seemed very sympathetic of those who chose bariatric surgery as a weight loss tool. His answer was "Because they just eat and eat and eat and never get full". At that point a light bulb went on in my head and I got it: At morbidly obese weights the stomach is distended and the feeling of fullness never happens.
If you are going to stay at a healthy weight, it's very helpful to have some physical type of signal that it's time to stop eating.
I admire people who can go from morbidly obese or even super morbidly obese (which she was) to normal weight without surgery. But I also support those who elect to have it, since I have seen first hand the sacrifice and self discipline that losing and keeping the weight off with bariatric surgery requires.
I had a front row seat to her healing process and I can tell you, it was terrible. I felt so bad for her. Moving was hard. She dreaded it. Eating was worse. I actually had to talk her into it a few times.
As she healed, she developed complications that set her back and worried us all. It was touch and go there for a while
She'd already lost quite a bit of weight on her own, but after the surgery weight seemed to just fall off. She got smaller and smaller, to the point where I had a hard time finding her in a crowd. It used to be easy- Since she was short I just looked for the widest space in the mayhem. Now, I had to hunt her down like a bloodhound.
To her credit, she also went to the gym regularly. She lifted weights and did cardio. She wasn't just smaller; she was fit.
This all then, of course, made yet another problem: Huge amounts of loose skin.
And so a year after the gastric bypass, when her doctor was convinced that she was set in her new lifestyle, he performed a body lift (removing the skin around her middle). And again, she stayed with me for the first few days out of the hospital. I think the healing from that was even worse than from the gastric bypass. There were little plastic bags hanging off of her for drainage, and with an incision literally clear around her middle she had no comfortable way to sit or lay down. But thanks to taking proper care of herself, she healed quickly. Now she is glad she went through the whole process.
She still works to keep her health in check. She did it right, and so many people do not. If you are considering bariatric surgery and know you won't be committed to a true and permanent lifestyle change, I'd advise against it. But for my friend, she was ready to do whatever was necessary to save her own life and ensure her future grandchildren have a grandma. If that's you, do your research and then make your decision.
And for those of us who have lost weight by more traditional means (or not lost weight at all), we need to not make assumptions and instead be supportive. Everyone has their own path to wellness. This may not be yours, but it could be lifesaving for someone else.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Pillows and Purses
So I've griped on here (and just about everywhere else) about my bum shoulder. I fell many years ago on the ice and severely injured it. Then I further did it in by bench pressing with too much weight and no spotter. Enter torn rotator cuff and months of rehab. It got a lot better, but THEN I had a distance trainer (read: not with me personally) who urged me to do a rear delt flye with heavy weight while carb depleted. That did it. Like a dummy, I listened to him instead of my own niggling thought that it was a mistake. This was my fault, not his.
Needless to say, that shoulder has not been the same since. I've been in and out injury (often to the point of being bed-ridden) ever since then.
This past year I found a trainer (in-person, thank you very much!) who has very slowly and gradually helped my shoulder recover. He's been a blessing. But I'd still feel that familiar tweak frequently and know it was time to ease off on the weights a bit.
Then, one day he said something to me that clicked: "Nancy, don't wear that heavy purse on the same shoulder all the time." A light bulb went off in my head...... Hey! Maybe a clutch purse would do me some good!
Easy, right? Not so much: I am picky about purses, and, because I have a bunch of crap I truly use and need to carry with me, I need a fairly big one. This started the months-long hunt for a roomy clutch. It was not easy, but one day I happened across one that would work. (And in my favorite color, burgundy, to boot!)
My shoulder started recovering even more rapidly. Hallelujah!
And then, another blessed thing happened: I got a new pillow.
After the rear delt flye debacle, I'd frequently and suddenly wake up from a sound sleep with aching, throbbing pain deep in my shoulder. I'd wait for either the pain to dissipate (sometimes it took hours, or pain meds, or both), or to pass out again from the pain.
I'd had a suspicion for a long time that my regular pillow wasn't helping anything. The reason I didn't buy an ergonomically correct one? They stunk. I mean, they literally smelled really bad. It was chemicals. I didn't think sleeping on chemicals was a good thing, but that was actually secondary because I was already sleeping bad enough: Adding stink into the equation wasn't going to help anything.
After much searching I FINALLY found one with good, non-stinky reviews on Amazon. I put it on my wish list and my husband gave it to me this last Christmas. I've been sleeping like an injury-free baby ever since. Here is a link, in case you're curious (or convinced!).
The packaging advised to let it air out for 24 hours, which I did. There is no stink. And great comfort. And sleep. Blessed, solid, deep sleep. Not once since then have I woke up in the middle of the night with my shoulder throbbing.
I'd urge every woman I know to switch to a clutch purse (or a backpack, if that's your style), and every person to invest in a good-quality pillow designed for your sleep style. Good heavens, can these things save you a lot of physical grief!
So exercise and rehab for injury prevention and healing? YES! I am a believer! But sometimes complete healing comes with small, common sense tweaks to your every day life.
Needless to say, that shoulder has not been the same since. I've been in and out injury (often to the point of being bed-ridden) ever since then.
This past year I found a trainer (in-person, thank you very much!) who has very slowly and gradually helped my shoulder recover. He's been a blessing. But I'd still feel that familiar tweak frequently and know it was time to ease off on the weights a bit.
Then, one day he said something to me that clicked: "Nancy, don't wear that heavy purse on the same shoulder all the time." A light bulb went off in my head...... Hey! Maybe a clutch purse would do me some good!
Easy, right? Not so much: I am picky about purses, and, because I have a bunch of crap I truly use and need to carry with me, I need a fairly big one. This started the months-long hunt for a roomy clutch. It was not easy, but one day I happened across one that would work. (And in my favorite color, burgundy, to boot!)
My shoulder started recovering even more rapidly. Hallelujah!
And then, another blessed thing happened: I got a new pillow.
After the rear delt flye debacle, I'd frequently and suddenly wake up from a sound sleep with aching, throbbing pain deep in my shoulder. I'd wait for either the pain to dissipate (sometimes it took hours, or pain meds, or both), or to pass out again from the pain.
I'd had a suspicion for a long time that my regular pillow wasn't helping anything. The reason I didn't buy an ergonomically correct one? They stunk. I mean, they literally smelled really bad. It was chemicals. I didn't think sleeping on chemicals was a good thing, but that was actually secondary because I was already sleeping bad enough: Adding stink into the equation wasn't going to help anything.
After much searching I FINALLY found one with good, non-stinky reviews on Amazon. I put it on my wish list and my husband gave it to me this last Christmas. I've been sleeping like an injury-free baby ever since. Here is a link, in case you're curious (or convinced!).
The packaging advised to let it air out for 24 hours, which I did. There is no stink. And great comfort. And sleep. Blessed, solid, deep sleep. Not once since then have I woke up in the middle of the night with my shoulder throbbing.
I'd urge every woman I know to switch to a clutch purse (or a backpack, if that's your style), and every person to invest in a good-quality pillow designed for your sleep style. Good heavens, can these things save you a lot of physical grief!
So exercise and rehab for injury prevention and healing? YES! I am a believer! But sometimes complete healing comes with small, common sense tweaks to your every day life.
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