Update on a few things.....

I know, I know...I'm sorry! I've been SO bad about updating this...but the reason behind it isn't laziness or lack of drive; it's more so because this whole healthy-living lifestyle is now PART of my life! It's so second nature right now, I'm not even thinking about the fact that I'm doing something MAJOR and making a BIG change...it's starting to sink in (finally!)!! So, here's an update on what's been goin on...

1. "I fall down, go boom."
Wednesday morning I was feeling particularly sassy, so I donned my cute cowboy boots for the first time since last Spring. They pulled my entire outfit together, despite having a slightly higher heel than I was used to during the months of snow. Obviously, I'm up at 4am, which means it's still dark out when I walk my dog. Long story short, I turned a corner, caught my heel in a pothole that was too dark to see, and I went DOWN. I mean a full-fledged wipe out, landing with ALL my body weight on my left knee. Now I already have a pretty good case of osteoarthritis in my knees, but my left knee was my "good" knee...not anymore! As I lie motionless, in so much pain that I was convinced I'd be there till the sun came up when someone finally discovered me, one of the first thoughts that went through my mind was "Now I'm not going to be able to go to the gym today..." What? ME? I'm in severe pain, 4:30am, lying in a puddle, dog leash in one hand and a bag of dog "stuff" in the other, and I'm upset about not being able to work out????? Normally I'd say "YES! Now I don't have to go to the gym!" but not this time...further proof that this really has become a part of my life, something I never thought would happen!

So, I did have to take the day off at the gym, because my knee began to swell to three times its normal size, and it was pretty wobbly. I didn't want to risk further injuring myself to the point where I'd miss MORE than a day at the gym. Today, 3 days later, it's not quite as swollen, but it has changed to a lovely shade of navy blue with speckles of green and yellow, peppered by tiny little dots of dried blood from where my skin was shaved off by my jeans hitting the pavement. It's really pretty....The good news is, I got back to the gym on Friday, and even though it was a bit sore, it's work-out-able...I even got in another 30 minutes on Saturday....

2. "Please RSVP so we know how much PIZZA to order..."
I am a member of the marketing committee for the Animal Protective Foundation in Schenectady County, and our first big meeting was Thursday night. The email clearly stated there would be a surprise guest on the panel: pizza. Almost automatically, my brain started playing "Danger! Danger, Will Rogers! Danger!" with sounds of cruise-liner warning horns. First I'm crippled and can't go to the gym, now the temptation of 5 different kinds of pizzas in an enclosed space?!?! I went into "planning mode", and selected a Jenny Craig meal I could bring with me; crisis averted. Everyone ooh'd and aah'd as I walked in with a delicious serving of Pasta Fagioli while they stuffed their faces with greasy, sausage-lined pizza! There was a BEAUTIFUL homemade salad available too, with sprouts, field greens, strawberries, blueberries, walnuts, peas, and feta cheese...so I helped myself to a big plate! The really tempting part was the plates of jelly beans that were strategically arranged in front of each table...but I let my friend Patrick take care of those...as I watched him mindlessly pop the beans in his mouth, one after another, I kept leaning over and whispering, "Ya know, that makes like 14 jelly beans in the last 7 minutes....any idea how many calories and how much sugar are in those bad boys?" LOL! I was just giving him a hard time, but yes, it made me feel "better than him" for a minute...LOL!

3. "Water weight BE GONE!"

My next weigh-in is tomorrow (Monday), and I am definitely feeling better on the "bloated" issue I had last week. My joints are back to regular size (except my left knee, of course), my pants are fitting a bit better again, and my chest is no longer in competition with hot water bottles (women, you know what I'm talking about). So I'm anxious to see if the no-pounds-lost-Monday from last week will be banished in to another "TAKE THAT!" blog entry...Wish me luck!

Till next time,
~L