Happy Anniversary to Me!

I can't believe it was a year ago that I first started my juice fast after seeing "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." Yeah sure, juice fasting was less than successful for me but I see it as a starting point. A point where I realized, "Man, I'm in really bad physical shape." I'm proud to say too that even though I failed at juice fasting I didn't throw in the towel completely. Instead, I picked up that towel, started going to boot camp classes, and used that towel to wipe my sweat away.

When I started boot camp in September I couldn't even run round the block without stopping and walking but I didn't stop trying. I dragged my butt out of bed every morning Monday through Friday at 5 AM (yes, there is a 5 AM too) and kept trying and by my birthday I was able to run a mile.

I'm not going to pretend this last year was easy and I'm certainly not going to pretend that I was perfect (I ate some ice cream yesterday at work...bad, bad, bad) but what I'm proud to say is that I am healthier. I have slightly better eating habits than I did a year ago and I definitely have better fitness habits. I weigh 55-60 pounds less and I'm not stopping there.

So what did I do to celebrate my Exercise-iversary? I started a month of Crossfit. What better way to celebrate right? I have to admit I've been planning on going for months now. I would look at the schedule and think,"I'll start tomorrow" but then I would chicken out. Once August started rolling around I decided that there was no time like the one year mark to take the plunge. I was so nervous the first day. I had seen those Reebok Crossfit commercials on TV several times and I had done some research (thank you Google) and it looked really intimidating. Sure I had been working out for a year but could I handle this?

My first night  we started out with rowing and I though "YES! I've done this before". Let's say it was the easiest part of the whole night. The next exercise was chins-ups, really playing to my strengths (sense the ever so subtle sarcasm). They gave me a band to assist me like in the picture to the left. I couldn't even pull myself all the way up one time. It was pathetic but he counted my 6 lame attempts and we moved on.

For our timed WOD we had to do 30 knees to elbows (see picture to the right, I probably looked like the second guy), 30 burpees, and 50 squats. They assigned me 20, 20, and 40 since it was my first day but I probably ended up doing about 60 -70 squats since I couldn't really get my form right so I kept having to re-do. It was really tough and while it was happening I couldn't help feeling like my last year of exercising had gotten me no where. I felt so weak. Everyone was so nice and encouraging though and I left thinking, "you have to crawl before you can walk." The last year I've been learning to crawl and I took my first step at Crossfit and it was tough but I'm going to keep trying and hopefully before long I will be walking.

Today was my second day of Crossfit and it went a little better. Not my smartest idea but I decided to walk there since it is only 1.5 miles from our house. By the time I got there I was a little sweaty from the humidity. We started out jump roping to warm up and then pull ups. They gave me two bands today and I was able to pull myself all the way up 8 time.

Then they told me we were going to do handstand push-ups. Fear swept over me. This was one of those workouts I had seen during my research and frankly dreaded. I've never once in my life done a handstand and the thought of breaking my neck or head scares me. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as I expected. As a newbie they gave me a box like in the picture but I got to kneel instead of stand. I wasn't able to get my head all the way to the ground but I got close a couple times...I think.

We then worked on clean jerk (I think). Everyone was using the bar no weight to practice, they gave me a PVC pipe...good idea. After we practiced for a while they gave me a 15 pound bar to use for the WOD. We had to do 8 reps in 12 minutes. Each rep consisted of 2 clean jerks, 8 box jumps, and 10 hand release push-ups. I was also pretty afraid to do the box jumps, I kept imagining myself not making it and falling on my face. While practicing the trainer came up to me and said, "Aim for the middle and don't fear you're not going to make it. Know you are and when you do stand tall." Damn these people are motivating. And I did do it. I wasn't able to do all 8 reps in the 12 minutes but I did finish my 7th rep right as the clock was ticking up to the 12 minute mark. Everyone else was done, of course, but came to cheer me on. It was really nice and I walked home proud...and shaking slightly from fatigue.

Off again, on again

So I have been enjoying Kickboxing for the last several weeks. All I can say is Kickboxing has been kicking my butt. It has been a great workout and there have been many a day that I woke up VERY sore, but the good sore...like you worked a muscle that hasn't been used...well maybe ever. I might consider continuing on with it if it isn't too expensive but I am going to give Crossfit a try first. My last day of my 30 day trial for Kickboxing is coming up next week and then I will start up at Crossfit Barlett for 30 days.

I enjoyed the month of June so much because I finished two of my prescriptions at the end of May and went for the whole month without having to take any medication. I went in at the beginning of June for a re-check on my Thyroid level. I waited two weeks with no call back on my results so finally I called my doctor's office any the nurse said, "Oh, no one called you? Yes, you need to continue taking the Levothyroxine and the Metformin," however, I had never been given a prescription of Metformin. When I told the nurse she sounded surprised and said she would send over that prescription. Then she proceeded to really sell me on it by saying to take less for the first couple of days as it would probably give me a stomach ache. YEA!

She was not kidding either. I'm not sure if it was the Metformin but after I finished my workout this morning I had a horrible stomach cramp that lasted for 20 minutes. Not positive it was the medicine, it could have been from the sit-ups I just finished doing. I guess I will find out tomorrow if it happens again. I didn't read all of the side effects in the pamphlet in hopes that the hypochondriac in me wouldn't know therefore causing me not to have any of them.

So now I'm back to taking medication and honestly it kinds sucks. I'm not very good about remembering to take medicine and the Levothyroxine is annoying because I have to take it a half an hour before I eat my first meal. Sure, that doesn't sound that bad but I already have to get up at 4:30 AM to get to my workout so now I have to either get up even earlier or eat really fast right before I go. Oh well, it's just the way things go and it makes my brain have to work a little harder in the morning to remember what I need to do.

I will definitely post again when I start Crossfit so look out for my review of that in the coming weeks. I'll be interested to see how sore it makes me. Hopefully I will survive it.  :)

Kicking Bags and Taking Names

A while back I got a coupon for $19 for one month of unlimited Kickboxing classes. I have a tendency to get bored easily if I do the same workout for too long so I figured this would be a good way to mix things up. I went to my first class on Wednesday morning.

I arrived at the facility 10 minutes earlier so I could give them my coupon and fill out any paper work. I got in  and the filled out a short form which was pretty nice because usually when you start at a gym you feel like you're signing your life away. The instructor wrapped my hands and gave me a pair of boxing gloves. He told me to remove my shoes, which seemed a little weird at first, and go stand next to a bag.

We started out running laps around the mats. I found running barefoot actually quite enjoyable. After we ran several laps we did several jump jack type exercises and push-ups. Once we completed that we stretched and got right into the boxing. Punching and kicking the bag was actually really fun. It would probably be a great class to go to after a stressful day at work. The instructor came by once and told me to "Pace myself" which I found rather humorous. I think he figured I was a workout newbie. It was a really fun class and I'm excited to go back Friday morning.

I woke up this morning to find that almost every part of my body hurt. I was fairly surprised because I workout pretty regularly but I guess since this was a different type of work out that accounted for the soreness. I find these days I'm usually happy to wake up sore because I know I got in a good workout.

I had another visit to my doctor today for a blood work re-check. I had been taking the thyroid medicine for  30 days and I just finished it up so they wanted to come back by to see if that resolved the issue. I guess if it hasn't I'll probably have to continue taking it. I'm hoping that everything will be back to normal and I won't have to do that. I really hate taking medication (though who doesn't, right?).

*Sigh* Some days I feel like bedtime comes so quickly. Well, it's time for me to pack my bag for the morning and get to sleep. Got to get up early and hit the bags.

Whirlwind Week ... or weeks

Whew, why is it that you always feel like you need a vacation after your vacation? I had a great trip to Michigan though. I got to see my little sister get married and my other little sister's brand new baby boy. He was so tiny and precious. I also got to spend time with my dad, mom, grandparents, siblings, and nieces and nephews. I got so see a bunch of family friends I hadn't see in forever and my best friends from high school which was so great. My family is so awesome too because I came home with a whole carload of stuff; new kitchen table, end tables, lamps, my childhood dollhouse.

Upon my return from my trip Ken and I took a day trip to Nashville to see a live taping of my favorite podcast "Doug Love Movies" with Doug Benson. It was so fun! Unfortunately Nashville is 3 hours away so it was a day of 6 hours in the car which may not be that bad but I had just spent 14 hours in the car just 3 days before. At least the show was fun though and I got to meet Doug Benson.

The next day it was back to work and there was no easing back into things. I had to play catch-up quick as we had a system upgrade scheduled for the very next day. Then Friday I started my week of on call duties. It wasn't really bad but it was a busy week.

On top of playing catch-up at work I was trying to get back into my routine. My sleep schedule was totally off kilter from being on vacation and I had only worked out twice the whole time I was on vacation. I didn't eat super healthy either while I was out of town. I ate more cake and pie than should be humanly possible. Surprising though upon my return home I found that I'd lost 7 pounds putting me 2 pounds away from being under 200. Woo-Hoo!

I think the weight loss has more to do with the side effects of the thyroid medicine than anything else. The pamphlet said it could cause weight loss or gain. I assumed I'd have the weight gain but I've been pleasantly surprised. I'm sure as soon as I go off it I'll probably gain 10 pounds. I have managed to get to the gym at least 3 days a week since I've been back. It's not great but it's better than nothing and I'm slowly getting back into my routine though.

-------------------------------If your a man you may want to skip this section-----------------------------

I finished my prescription of Norethindrone upon returning home. My doctor said, "You probably won't have a period for a while after taking it." Guess again, one day it was over aunt flow came to visit. To my pleasant surprise though it was a totally normal period. It only lasted 5 days. I know a weird thing to be happy about but...

I was told to call the doctor on the first day of my period and they said they wanted me to have a Hysterosalpingogram. I had no idea what that was or even how to spell it so I couldn't even Google it. It was probably best that I didn't. They scheduled it for Wednesday. Upon arriving for my appointment I found out that this test was not cheap. $847 not cheap. This was a very unexpected surprise and not a good one. They gave me an envelope and said I could pay later luckily. Turns out the test is to check my tubes to ensure there are no blockages. They inserted a catheter and shot dye into my uterine cavity and then took x-rays. I read later that it can be a painful procedure but for me it wasn't that bad. I guess I'm just tough.

--------------------------------Okay men, you're safe to start reading again--------------------------------

Since I finished my on call week yesterday I am focused now on getting back into my routine. I'm going back to my schedule of exercising every morning before work and eating better. My doctor asked about my further weight loss goals and I told him I'd like to lose another 50 and he said he thought I would be okay just to lose another 30 so for now I've got a goal of 30 and I will re-assess when I make there.

Do you think they would let me exchange this thing?

Man, talk about kicking a girl while she's down. I got a call from my new doctor's office today to let me know that I have high thyroid levels. So I guess this is one more thing that I can add to the list of things wrong with me. I wish there was some sort of option for body exchange. This one is defective, can I have another? Maybe a robot body? That would be sweet. Okay the one pictured might be too creepy.

So they sent me a prescription for Levothyroxine. I really should quit reading the pamphlets that Walgreens provides with the medication. All those pamphlets seem to do is freak me out about what this crazy stuff is that they want me to take.

Switching topics, I was really excited because I weighed myself Monday and I lost 2 pounds. Woo-Hoo! I was starting to think I would never lose another pound with the weight loss drought I was having. I've been going to the gym at work this week. I am missing the usual faces from my gym but I've also been early for work everyday this week and I've already saved money on gas considerably. It is going to be a tough decision whether I will go back to 24 hour fitness. I've met some really great people there and they have more equipment and amenities than the work gym but the work gym is free. It's a place I'm already going to and it saves me time and money and I can even sleep a little longer in the morning. I don't know, I might have to make one of those pro and con lists cause this one is a toughie.

I am a week a way from my trip home. I am getting pretty excited to see family and friends and to see my little sister get married. It's really weird to see your younger siblings get married. It makes you feel old. Seriously, you guys gotta quit doing that. I'll probably start catching myself saying things like, "Back in my day we didn't have the Internets" or "We had to walk to school in the snow, up hill, both ways." It's really only a matter of time.

Second Opinion

I know I'm horribly behind on my blogging, as usual, so here it goes...

I've been in a bit of slump. I was down to 207 at my lowest weight. Then I went back up to 210 and I was pretty mad at myself. I told myself I was not going to let myself go back up. I'm now back down to 208 so I'm back on the right track but I have to say the first 40 pounds I lost wasn't that hard but I've really been struggling to lose every pound since then. I feel like I've just been in a bit of a funk.

I've been having a really hard time waking up early again. For a while I had no problem going to bed at 9 and getting up at 4. I'm still going to bed at the same time but for some reason I struggle to be awake by 4:30. This has cut my workouts from 1 1/2 - 2 hours every morning to 1 - 1 1/4 hours. I am feeling like I'm in a bit of a rut with my workouts. When I get back from my trip this month I'm going to start Kickboxing for a month to change things up a little. After that I'm going to do Cross-fit for a month to try that out and then figure out what I'm going to do from there. I just feel like I do better when I have someone telling me what to do when I work out. I can't really afford a personal trainer either though I got a free session recently and it was awesome.

On another topic I had a visit to the doctor this week. My lady doctor told me she thought I had PCOS but I wanted to get a second opinion. I took my test results to another doctor this week and it was very informative. He read through all of my tests and talked to me about the results. He confirmed that I do indeed have PCOS, which sucks because, if you don't know, it can come with some really crappy symptoms;

• Irregular menstrual periods
• Decreased breast size
• Deepening of the voice
• Increased body hair on the chest, abdomen, and face, as well as around the nipples
• Thinning of the hair on the head, called male-pattern baldness
• Infertility
• Dark or thick skin markings and creases around the armpits, groin, neck, and breasts
• Insulin Resistence
• Obesity

The doctor also confirmed that I do have an insulin resistance, vitamin D deficiency, and Anemia. It really put a damper on my week but I'm trying to not let it get me down too much. It's not the worse thing ever and I just need to treat it like another challenge. The doctor was very proud of my weight loss and suggested I at least try to lose another 30. So I have a new goal and I just need to put my mind to it and do my best to achieve it.

Close but no cigar

Well I'm one day away and 10 pounds away. I was really hoping to be in the under 200 club by my birthday but I've really been struggling with eating well and I gained 3 pounds back this last week. I was really disappointed in myself but I'm trying to not let it get me down. I try to keep it in my mind that last year at this time I was 50 pounds heavier. I just have to try to get back on track.

I'm on call this week for work but after it is over I think I'm going to try 30 days of crossfit. I got a coupon for Bartlett Crossfit. I'm still going to do my regular workouts on Monday and Wednesday morning but I think it might be a nice change up for me. I feel like I could use a change of pace even if it's just temporary. Hopefully I will find some good exercises and techniques that I can add to my workout repertoire.

I've been thinking more and more about the Warrior Dash. It's still a ways away but I've watched several videos online and I'm excited. I really think I have a shot at completing it. Plus if I do the one in Nashville in September it will be a great one year exerciseversary.

I've also been looking into the Tough Mudder. I don't know that I will be ready for it by October but maybe next year. It looks really crazy but also fun. The only part that makes me hesitant is the forest of electrically charged wires...YIKES! I might be tough but not that tough. I feel like it is good to have a goal. Maybe I've watched too many episodes of Ninja Warrior :)

I guess that's all I have for now. Hopefully I'll have better news by my next post.