Last fall I finally got fed up with my post-baby body and my lack of commitment to changing it. I continued to feel down about how I looked but also continued to make less than healthy choices with my eating. So, I committed to making better choices. I gave up soda. I learned how to stop myself from going into the pantry for a couple of goldfish, or a dried mango, or having two cookies with the kids after lunch. I made "friends" with more vegetables and started adding spinach and kale into my smoothies. It was also the first time ever that I had eaten eggs but limited the amount of yolks (I would make a scramble with 1 whole egg and three additional egg whites)...
I also committed to changing my workout routine. I did more cross-training and less straight running. The running that I did do, I tried to do high intensity intervals - focusing less on distance and more on effective fat burning.
and ... it worked! I got back down to my pre-baby weight (pre-baby as in pre-Karen!). I was back into clothes that I hadn't been in for several years. I still did not have quite the same shape (my middle still has quite a bit of stubborn "stuff" hanging on) but I was finally feeling comfortable in my own skin!
Showing posts with label injury. Show all posts
Showing posts with label injury. Show all posts
Friday, April 26, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Welcome spring!!
Today was a marvelous spring day. It was in the upper 50's, so cool but not cold. The wind was friendly and stayed pretty gentle all day. I got in three or four hours of outside time with my girls!! They had a ball exploring and getting reacquainted with all of their toys that have been put away for the winter.
My camera (ie my phone) was put in a jacket pocket that I took off and then promptly forgot about, so no fun pictures to show. I can share Lauren's battle wounds though. She took two headers today. One inside the house off a kitchen chair (I was right there, but still couldn't catch her in time) and the second happened in our driveway - I would say the driveway won... I'm not sure how it happened but I was there for the aftermath...
On another note - I saw the Orthopedic specialist today. Unfortunately, I'm not any closer to knowing what is up with my leg. He said that my x-rays looked good (the anomaly on my right leg is from where I had bone taken for a bone graft in my jaw several years ago - I had forgotten about it). I tested negative for any ligament or cartilage tears. His thoughts from the pain I'm having would be inflammation of the miniscus, but he also said that it shouldn't be taking this long to heal... So, the only remaining course (other than just more time off of it) is an MRI to see if I have a stress fracture. That isn't on the calendar yet because it has to be pre-approved by insurance.
My camera (ie my phone) was put in a jacket pocket that I took off and then promptly forgot about, so no fun pictures to show. I can share Lauren's battle wounds though. She took two headers today. One inside the house off a kitchen chair (I was right there, but still couldn't catch her in time) and the second happened in our driveway - I would say the driveway won... I'm not sure how it happened but I was there for the aftermath...
On another note - I saw the Orthopedic specialist today. Unfortunately, I'm not any closer to knowing what is up with my leg. He said that my x-rays looked good (the anomaly on my right leg is from where I had bone taken for a bone graft in my jaw several years ago - I had forgotten about it). I tested negative for any ligament or cartilage tears. His thoughts from the pain I'm having would be inflammation of the miniscus, but he also said that it shouldn't be taking this long to heal... So, the only remaining course (other than just more time off of it) is an MRI to see if I have a stress fracture. That isn't on the calendar yet because it has to be pre-approved by insurance.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Injury update, 15 months, and a new do!
Tonight I am discouraged. It has been four weeks since my last run. Four weeks since my last exercise induced boost of endorphins. I feel like all the effort and work of the past six months is going down the tubes.
Four visits to the Chiropractor - my body in general is starting to feel better, so I know that the adjustments they are making are helping me overall... but any effort at running, fitness videos, fast walking... same result. Pain in my right knee that radiates up into my quad and down into my calf. If I persist, this ache will stay with me (earlier this week when I ran a half mile, the ache persisted for 36 hours after that attempt!).
I am seeing an Orthopedist next week, but I'm not sure what he'll have to tell me. My chiropractor is pretty proficient at tendon and ligament injury detection. He manipulated my knee pretty thoroughly through all the checkpoints for ACL, MCL, LCL, meniscus tears and they were all negative (which is good, but still frustrating that we can't pinpoint something)...
Anyway... forgive my whine. Yes, I will take some cheese with that!
On happier notes...
My baby is 15 months old! She is an averaged height, skinny little peanut! 30.5 inches tall, 50th percentile. 20lbs .5oz - only 10th percentile! I looked back through my records of the other girls and she is right in the middle. A half a pound heavier than Karen and about a half pound lighter than Megan. I can't believe she's growing up so fast!
I finally made it in to get my hair cut. It was really needing some attention! I decided to go a little shorter this time around - shorter than I've been in a long time. The front doesn't look that much different, but it is pretty short in the back. No more ponytails for me! (Check out my shirt - this is prior to the game yesterday - go Zags!!)
Four visits to the Chiropractor - my body in general is starting to feel better, so I know that the adjustments they are making are helping me overall... but any effort at running, fitness videos, fast walking... same result. Pain in my right knee that radiates up into my quad and down into my calf. If I persist, this ache will stay with me (earlier this week when I ran a half mile, the ache persisted for 36 hours after that attempt!).
I am seeing an Orthopedist next week, but I'm not sure what he'll have to tell me. My chiropractor is pretty proficient at tendon and ligament injury detection. He manipulated my knee pretty thoroughly through all the checkpoints for ACL, MCL, LCL, meniscus tears and they were all negative (which is good, but still frustrating that we can't pinpoint something)...
Anyway... forgive my whine. Yes, I will take some cheese with that!
On happier notes...
My baby is 15 months old! She is an averaged height, skinny little peanut! 30.5 inches tall, 50th percentile. 20lbs .5oz - only 10th percentile! I looked back through my records of the other girls and she is right in the middle. A half a pound heavier than Karen and about a half pound lighter than Megan. I can't believe she's growing up so fast!
I finally made it in to get my hair cut. It was really needing some attention! I decided to go a little shorter this time around - shorter than I've been in a long time. The front doesn't look that much different, but it is pretty short in the back. No more ponytails for me! (Check out my shirt - this is prior to the game yesterday - go Zags!!)
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Sidelined!
Yep, I've been sidelined by the darn injury bug.
Last week I will admit that I probably (ok, considering I'm injured it would be obviously) overdid it. I had several new Jillian videos that I was experimenting with, but also had a hard time giving up my runs. So I had several days where I did a double workout. My legs were tired, but I felt that and adjusted accordingly. My calves and hamstrings were tight, but I adjusted for those, stretched well and made sure I warmed up well. At no point in the week was there an odd ache or pain that made me worry about an overuse injury, or any injury for that matter.
My run on Sunday was just what my soul needed. Outside, perfectly cool weather, barely a breeze, and I felt relaxed and strong. Cut to about a half mile left of my seven-miler... A twinge in my knee that hadn't been there before. It was pretty sore by the time I finished, but not unbearable. Over the next few hours though it went from sore to painful.
After talking with a couple of friends who are physical therapists, my self diagnosis is ITB pain. I've been doing stretches several times a day and have been noticing a slow improvement. Monday I was unable to walk up and down stairs on my right knee - let me tell you, it is slow going when you are taking every step with the same foot! Tuesday was marginally better, I could somewhat navigate the stairs but it was still pretty rough trying to pack kids!
So far today it is tender, I feel it when I go up and down the stairs, but it is not debilitating. I've tried a slow jog in my kitchen and the pain immediately returns. I'm left with trying to figure out how long it will take before I can hop on the treadmill again.
*sigh* Lately it always seems about the time I get into a really good pattern something happens - I get sick or injured, kids are sick... The most frustrating part about this is the suddenness of it. If there had been a building pain that I ignored that led to this point, that would be one thing. But I feel as though I went from 100% to 0% with no transition.
Well, I've been on the sideline quite a bit this last year, so I guess it's time to deal with it and move on. God uses all things, right? So I should take my extra time that would be spent working out and use it to pray or read my daily scriptures and meditation. I should take my frustration and offer it up for those that are permanently debilitated and won't ever be able to return to working out.
Last week I will admit that I probably (ok, considering I'm injured it would be obviously) overdid it. I had several new Jillian videos that I was experimenting with, but also had a hard time giving up my runs. So I had several days where I did a double workout. My legs were tired, but I felt that and adjusted accordingly. My calves and hamstrings were tight, but I adjusted for those, stretched well and made sure I warmed up well. At no point in the week was there an odd ache or pain that made me worry about an overuse injury, or any injury for that matter.
My run on Sunday was just what my soul needed. Outside, perfectly cool weather, barely a breeze, and I felt relaxed and strong. Cut to about a half mile left of my seven-miler... A twinge in my knee that hadn't been there before. It was pretty sore by the time I finished, but not unbearable. Over the next few hours though it went from sore to painful.
After talking with a couple of friends who are physical therapists, my self diagnosis is ITB pain. I've been doing stretches several times a day and have been noticing a slow improvement. Monday I was unable to walk up and down stairs on my right knee - let me tell you, it is slow going when you are taking every step with the same foot! Tuesday was marginally better, I could somewhat navigate the stairs but it was still pretty rough trying to pack kids!
So far today it is tender, I feel it when I go up and down the stairs, but it is not debilitating. I've tried a slow jog in my kitchen and the pain immediately returns. I'm left with trying to figure out how long it will take before I can hop on the treadmill again.
*sigh* Lately it always seems about the time I get into a really good pattern something happens - I get sick or injured, kids are sick... The most frustrating part about this is the suddenness of it. If there had been a building pain that I ignored that led to this point, that would be one thing. But I feel as though I went from 100% to 0% with no transition.
Well, I've been on the sideline quite a bit this last year, so I guess it's time to deal with it and move on. God uses all things, right? So I should take my extra time that would be spent working out and use it to pray or read my daily scriptures and meditation. I should take my frustration and offer it up for those that are permanently debilitated and won't ever be able to return to working out.
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