Sunday, January 13, 2013

Learning the Hard Way


What a week…

I mentioned in my last post that my tendinitis was flaring up again and how dumb I’ve been for not listening to my body telling me to take a break. I paid for it. BIG TIME. On Tuesday, I worked out with a couple of co-workers after school. We did Level 2 of Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. If you are looking for a low impact but VERY effective workout DVD, I would highly recommend the 30 Day Shred. Jillian Michael’s isn’t the same heartless demon in her workout DVD as she is on the Biggest Loser. She is actually quite calm and encouraging. After our workout, I was going to be tough and go for a 4 mile run. I got a mile into the run before the pain in my foot was so unbearable I couldn’t put any pressure on it. Blakely had to come pick me up off the side of the road by our house. I am not one to be easily embarrassed, but that was downright humiliating. I’m no quitter, so throwing in the towel was not an easy choice. The arch of my foot was so swollen that it looked like it was filled with Jello, and the pain was unbearable. Blakely put his mean face on and told me he would fight me if I tried to run again. I agreed to go to the doctor and take a week in order for it to heal.

On Thursday, my principal let me leave for an hour to see a podiatrist. Dr. Silvers (in Anniston) came highly recommended by many of my co-workers. I had to spend the first 20 minutes filling out paperwork describing the physical activities I participate in and the intensity and specifics of my injury. The first words out of his mouth were “you might have to stop running”. I felt my blood boil because that just wasn’t an option. I told him that it was not going not going to happen until after my half in March. He x-rayed my foot and spent some time poking around before he determined it to be plantars fasciitis. Basically, the plantars band in my foot is inflamed and has small tears. I got a shot of Cortizone in my heel (worst pain of my life) and a prescription for the pain. The swelling has gone down immensely, and I can finally put pressure on it again. I’ve stuck to my word and haven’t run since Tuesday. I’ve gotten a lot done since I’ve been forced to come up and sit around until I pass out on the couch, so I guess the break has been good for me. The reality of the situation is that I’m not going to be able to run forever. I’ve got to start exploring other forms of exercise instead of running everyday. The doctor, who used to be a marathon runner, told me “if you are going to run long distance, you’re going to have to accept running in pain”. His honestly, however brutal it was to hear, was appreciated. I'm taking this as a huge lesson. I've got to start listening to my body when it's tell me it can't keep up. I could have sat out on Tuesday and rested my foot, but stubborn me had to prove myself once again. 

Now on to my next “ah-ha!” moment of the week… Regardless of the amount of weight I’ve lost or the distance I’m able to run, I have continued to see myself as being fat. My body image is all kinds of screwed up because I don’t feel like I’ve done enough. I’m constantly snacking and I always feel bloated. I stumbled upon this website http://www.eatcleandiet.com/.
Clean eating is NOT a diet. It’s a complete lifestyle change, and you know how often I preach about a lifestyle change. Basically, clean eating boils down to the food that the good lord intended us to eat and NO PROCESSED FOODS.

Here are the perks of eating clean:
1.    You eat 5-7 small meals a day. I love to eat!
2.    Eating unprocessed take away the feeling of being bloated.
3.     I can still eat sweets, pastas, and cheese! Eating clean doesn’t require me to cut out the things I love. I just have to find unprocessed choices with few ingredients.

I would be giving up fast food, cereal, and candy, but I feel like this is a change I can live with. I’m ready to take it to the next level. I’m tired of feeling lethargic and bloated 24/7, so I am going to give this “eating clean” thing for a month starting today.

To prepare my body for this change, I am detoxing. Check it out because detoxing is a great way to prepare your body for a big change. After 7 days, it’s on to clean eating! Wish me luck!

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