Down 5 Pounds

Hello and Happy Wednesday.

I'm a bit short on time but wanted to check in. I had a great WI today and lost another 2.6 pounds for a total of 5.2 pounds lost. I collected my 5lb star at my WW meeting today. Yahoooo! Weight can drop off pretty fast at first so now I must work on the hard part. I didn't meet my goal last week of getting under 200 pounds on my home scale. I am going to see if I can perhaps get the scale to budge again this week. That is the plan! I also need to ramp up the activity more this week. I was able to earn 14 APs last week, which is great. I struggled with feeling mentally and physically tired.

Speaking of physically tired, I am so sore from my PT appointment on Monday. It is amazing how you feel when you are working actual muscles! I am really hoping this will continue to help my back. It has already helped a lot with my hip pain. I had to get a little creative last night in trying to do one of the hip flexer moves. I don't have high enough clearance on our bed or couch to successfully let my leg hang off the edge like I do in PT. I realized last night I could use our high kitchen chairs and by putting two side by side I was less likely to fall off and kill myself. Okay, maybe slightly dramatic!

I am headed to Murphy today to help my cousin do some clean up on the ranch where we will hold our family reunion/150^th celebration in about a month. I am hoping I'll earn some APs walking and/or hauling stuff around. I plan to wear my HRM.

Okay, I gotta jet.

Physical Therapy: Round 2

Last month I made an appointment at the St. Alphonsus Spine Center for a third opinion on my back issues that started in August 2013.  While the original problem at that time I do believe was a pinched nerve, my existing back pain since then has not gone away.  There really isn’t an explanation as to why for 34 years I was pain free and now I am not.  I keep wishing there was a magic wand that would just make it all better.  But there isn’t.

The Spine Center has conditions for their patients that before they are approved for back surgery they must go through their STARS physical therapy program.  I am not in the market for back surgery and while PT is expensive, I decided I would give it another go.  I am sure the PT works…if you actually keep doing the moves they teach you.  So, I am going to make a better effort this go round.

Last Wednesday was my first PT visit to the STARS clinic in Eagle.  I wouldn’t say I was skeptical per se but I was feeling like I needed something to make me feel spending a large sum of money again on PT would be worth it.  I was a bit shocked to see that the new patient forms now includes asking if you have Ebola symptoms or have traveled anywhere that you might have been affected.  I suppose you can never be too careful.

The therapist listened to all my ramblings and told me she could tell right away there were some areas to fix.  My hips were out of alignment and that would be the first step to working to reduce my back pain.  I learned a series of stretches to open up the hips and work on getting them back in the right place.  I could tell a difference after just a few days.  While I still wake up with back pain, overall I don’t feel that uncomfortable pain in my hips.  So I am really optimistic this time.  I met with the PT again today and learned two more stretches.  I can sure feel where one of my hips is tighter than the other.  So I have more work to do. 

I don’t feel like these PT moves are anything really hard, it is just a matter of doing it every day as I need to for my overall health.  Much like diet and exercise, I need to not think of this as a chore.

 

I stopped by The Human Bean on my way home for an iced coffee and some caffeine for my treadmill workout at home.  I hate to cheat on Dutch Bros but it is really easy when the espresso takes so good.  THB makes some good coffee.

I hope your work week has started off on the right foot.  I’m moving onto my weekend.  WhoooHooo!

Happy Mother's Day

We celebrated Mother’s Day a day early by meeting at Golden Corral for breakfast early this morning.  I am so honored to know such wonderful mothers and to have them be a part of my life.  My immediate family was all in attendance so we had to take advantage of some photos. 

I am very lucky to have a kind and loving mother who is always in my corner.  Some of my friends no longer have their mother living and I am reminded everyday to hug my mother tight and enjoy as much time as I can with her.  

I hope you will be spending time with your mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and anybody else who is a mother figure in your life.  I is a true gift to have the patience to be a mother.