Oh Yeah, Eight Pounds Down

I won't say that I've broken the plateau yet. I said that last time and it wasn't true. So, I'm taking a wait and see attitude. If I lose again next week or the week after, THEN I'll say I'm back on my way again.

I'm working on getting more produce into my diet. I've been of the opinion that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. And in a way that is accurate, but I read an essay in What I Eat and it explained how when we cook or process food that we break the components down which makes it easier for us to digest the food. So this means the body has to work harder to digest a hundred calories of an apple, for instance, than it had to work to digest a hundred calories of a cookie.

I'm up to 5 to 6 servings of fruits and vegetables (aka "freggies) a day and I'm trying to make more of them raw. I had my husband pick me up some baby carrots and I dip them into a bit of light Ranch. Yummy.

Pool Therapy

It seems I might not have explained why I was after a bathing suit. Since I lost 100 pounds, I haven't had any more energy than when I was heavier which didn't seem right to me. I contacted my doctor and asked if she thought physical therapy would help me. She recommended pool therapy at the Courage Center. They have a zero-entry pool that is specifically engineered for the disabled.

I had several obstacles to overcome. The first being a bathsuit that would fit me. Through Sanctuarie I was able to order a custom-fitted bathing suit. My second obstacle was - would I be able to change clothes twice without assistance (into and out of bathing suit?) Third obstacle was - would I be able to handle the heat? The pool is 92 degrees. Whew.

Well, I went last night for my first time and it was AWESOME!!! I have a fabulous trainer and my biggest concern, the heat, wasn't an issue at all. In fact, at times I got a little chilled. Now I know why they have the pool so warm. I struggled a bit with changing but took my time and it worked out. The trainer was kind, informative, and "touchy-feely" - which fits my personality perfectly. I am so happy! I'll be going twice a week.

I got into the pool and was able to MOVE, to WALK. It was amazing and I burst into tears. The trainer gave me a big hug and we went on to do 30 minutes of gentle exercise.

Insurance will pay for twelve appointments a year so we are going to meet for six appointments then I'll do independent exercise for a few months until I need to ramp it up and then we'll meet a couple of times, etc. I'm just waiting to hear from Scheduling to set up my appointments.

I am a very happy lady today.

Here We Go Again

Back up three pounds. So, less calories, more vegetables, more exercise, and more water are in order. I'm dropping my calorie range to 2200 to 2400, will do chair exercises every day and drink two liters of water.

Also, I need to try to figure out some ways to reduce my sodium intake. It's a challenge because a) I need foods that I can reheat for lunch since I can't stand for long and b) we are on a tight budget. My usual lunches are spaghetti (tomato sauce is high in sodium), chicken and yellow rice (rice is high) or stir fry (soy sauce.) My AM snack is half a sandwich and deli meats are high in sodium. I can't substitute frozen meals because they are all high in sodium too. It's a conundrum for sure.