Last fall I started going to the gym in an attempt to get myself into better shape, lose some weight and find a release for my stress.
I can say that it's been a fantastic release for stress. I can see some changes in the shape of my body. Some are better than others, but I'm making progress and firming up what was once so jiggly. The weight loss has left a little to be desired. Okay, it's left a lot to be desired.
My goal was to get down 15 pounds from my start weight. I figured this was doable. 1-2 pounds and week and I could easily have this weight off within 3-4 months. Nope. Not the case at all. Since I started going to the gym regularly, I've lost 5 pounds. The most embarrassing part of that is I lost 4 of them the week in January I was so sick.
I had my thyroid checked to make sure there wasn't anything wrong with it. I've changed my eating habits and have tracked my calories. I'm drinking 64-100oz of water a day. Working out at least 3 times a week, burning on average 600 calories per workout. And no real weight loss. So I decided that instead of shooting for a weight loss goal, I was going to set a different goal.
My revised goal is to run a 5-K by Thanksgiving (I have a friend pushing for earlier in the summer, but I'm trying to avoid committing to her deadline). Anyone who knows me in real life knows how very little I've run in my life and how much I really don't like to run. At least I've never enjoyed it in the past. Working out regularly has strengthened my knees and legs and I've actually started to like running. I miss it when I haven't done it in a couple of days. Funny that I've gotten to the point.
My training is slow but I am making progress. I've been trying to follow the Couch to 5-K Running Plan, albeit loosely. There are times where I repeat a week to give myself more practice and try to get stronger. I'm somewhat stuck in between week 5 and 6. I can jog 1.5 miles without stopping but I can't get to 2 miles without needing a walk break. I think my problem is I was trying to increase my speed too quickly instead of increasing distance. So instead of trying to set land speed records I'm slowing myself down and trying to focus on further distances.
It feels good to run. It makes me feel better about my body, it calms me down and it clears my head.
But my training might need to be set aside for a while, causing me to regress back to an earlier stage that I've surpassed. That week that I lost 4 pounds...well, I had a week similar to that again 2 weeks ago. Horrible stomach pains, hot flashes, nausea and vomiting. After some not so gentle encouragement from C, Sami and the Flying Monkey, I sucked it up and went to the doctor. Testing reveals my gallbladder is the culprit and I've been referred to a surgeon. My family doctor does not want to try to treat the spasms with medication.
My hope is that if he recommends taking it out (which I hope he does) I will recover quickly and be able to lace my running shoes up within a short amount of time. The weather will be turning here shortly--I'd hate to miss seeing the trees bloom and the flowers emerge.
I can say that it's been a fantastic release for stress. I can see some changes in the shape of my body. Some are better than others, but I'm making progress and firming up what was once so jiggly. The weight loss has left a little to be desired. Okay, it's left a lot to be desired.
My goal was to get down 15 pounds from my start weight. I figured this was doable. 1-2 pounds and week and I could easily have this weight off within 3-4 months. Nope. Not the case at all. Since I started going to the gym regularly, I've lost 5 pounds. The most embarrassing part of that is I lost 4 of them the week in January I was so sick.
I had my thyroid checked to make sure there wasn't anything wrong with it. I've changed my eating habits and have tracked my calories. I'm drinking 64-100oz of water a day. Working out at least 3 times a week, burning on average 600 calories per workout. And no real weight loss. So I decided that instead of shooting for a weight loss goal, I was going to set a different goal.
My revised goal is to run a 5-K by Thanksgiving (I have a friend pushing for earlier in the summer, but I'm trying to avoid committing to her deadline). Anyone who knows me in real life knows how very little I've run in my life and how much I really don't like to run. At least I've never enjoyed it in the past. Working out regularly has strengthened my knees and legs and I've actually started to like running. I miss it when I haven't done it in a couple of days. Funny that I've gotten to the point.
My training is slow but I am making progress. I've been trying to follow the Couch to 5-K Running Plan, albeit loosely. There are times where I repeat a week to give myself more practice and try to get stronger. I'm somewhat stuck in between week 5 and 6. I can jog 1.5 miles without stopping but I can't get to 2 miles without needing a walk break. I think my problem is I was trying to increase my speed too quickly instead of increasing distance. So instead of trying to set land speed records I'm slowing myself down and trying to focus on further distances.
It feels good to run. It makes me feel better about my body, it calms me down and it clears my head.
But my training might need to be set aside for a while, causing me to regress back to an earlier stage that I've surpassed. That week that I lost 4 pounds...well, I had a week similar to that again 2 weeks ago. Horrible stomach pains, hot flashes, nausea and vomiting. After some not so gentle encouragement from C, Sami and the Flying Monkey, I sucked it up and went to the doctor. Testing reveals my gallbladder is the culprit and I've been referred to a surgeon. My family doctor does not want to try to treat the spasms with medication.
My hope is that if he recommends taking it out (which I hope he does) I will recover quickly and be able to lace my running shoes up within a short amount of time. The weather will be turning here shortly--I'd hate to miss seeing the trees bloom and the flowers emerge.
6 comments:
Good for you for setting a new goal. Fat weighs so little, and muscle weighs so much. I know you've heard it a million times over, but it really is true. Keep an eye on the scale but don't focus on it! Focus on how you feel, and how your clothes fit. I'm sure you look fabulous (as always!) And remember: it IS a marathon, not a sprint you're training for! ;)
Hoping the surgeon has some good news for you. Hoping also that your recovery (if necessary) is short.
Maybe you are gaining muscle and losing fat? I know pounds of muscle take awhile to gain, but it seems you're burning quite a few calories so you'd be losing more weight. What's up with the GB? I hope if you need surgery that all goes well! And props for running, I can't run without my knees or ankles buckling.
Sorry to hear about the gallbladder. I had that attack and had to have EMERGENCY surgery to remove it. I missed out on a trip to Switzerland because of it. I was supposed to leave the next day and the doctor said if I went then I could die. So, needless to say, I stayed in the hospital and went under the knife!
The surgery took two steps. The first one to remove the gallbladder and the second to remove any gallstones that escaped prior to removal. I was out of the hospital after a couple of days and back to work within a week. I don't remember the physical limitations they put on me, but I think it was something similar to what they say after a c-section (no heavy lifting, etc).
Glad to hear about the new fitness challenge. I'm changing mine to distance as well but I've been sick so haven't kept up (shame on me). I know you can do it!
Mmmm...we've discussed how mine went and you can always call if you need some extra help. I don't think the down time before resuming exercise is too long, a couple of weeks maybe.
I'm glad you're starting to like running. It's does the most for picking out my panties, though I'm sure small fires from thigh rubbing erupt and mini earthquakes (at present time) are felt.
Your friend doesn't expect you to commit to her goals. She's dealing with the frustration that at one time she could run without injury and feeling like death. Age and laziness (all those breaks for IVF) have taken that away from her and she's pissed. Take your own time to get to your own goals.
muscle weighs more than fat....hopefully all will go well with the gallbladder thing. You remember, Gary went through that, but we opted not to take it out until it got significantly worse. Good luck, hope you doctor is good, (make sure you talk to a gastroenterologist before a general surgeon...).
It's amazing how your body can start to crave something. I always hated just running for excercise, but after Katelyn was born and it was one of my only forms of excercise available, I found out I really liked it. It was a great stress reliever and I just felt good about my fitness level. Having a goal to run a race is a great motivator.
The gall bladder thing is not so cool. I hope that everything gets taken care of with only a little trouble and you are back to your normal self.
Post a Comment