FACING FAILURES, MOVING ON

 It has been so long since I've done a blog post, I wasn't sure if I remembered how to log in. Thank God my password was saved or I'd be locked out forever...

I wish I had some exciting updates to share but in all honesty the last year has been a bit of a let down from a health journey perspective.

• I saw my lowest weight in July 2021 getting just under 200 pounds
• I touched it but it didn't last
• I hovered around 205 the back half of 2021
• slowly in 2022 crept up to 210-ish
• continued up to 215-ish in the back half of 2022
• for the last few months of 2023 I have been bouncing around 216-222 

I have been stuck in a cycle of really focusing on my diet and tracking for 5-7 days. I lose 5-7 pounds, then fall off track. Then my period comes and I regain those pounds and 1-2 more. I can literally see this pattern month after month for over a year.

This graph shows my journey from when I started Virta in Feb 2021. My highest weight (that I know of) was 245 back in spring of 2019.

This graph is a snapshot of a month. I track, I lose, fall off, regain. Then the largest spike is hormonal/period related gains but the work to release is slower than the rise...

But I am determined to turn this around. I leave May 1st for a month of international travel and I want to be back to my better health. I need the stamina to endure the long days and all the walking and activities I'll be doing during that month.

How?

• I've worked with a nutritionist to set a macro balance we think will work for me
• I am using a tracking app to keep track of these macros
• I need to be honest with my tracking, the good, the bad and any ugly...
• I am going to shift into meal planning ahead, vs just tracking as I go. This is one thing I have never really done. I think having what I eat planned ahead of time may help keep me on track.
• I totally self-sabotage at night with snacking. I can down ice-cream out of the tub at a shocking rate. Hopefully planning ahead helps with this.
• And I will not buy gallons of ice-cream any more. No one in this house needs it any way.

I think the reason I didn't regain all the weight I lost is that I have always kept up some level of exercise. I was having some knee pain. I chalked it up to getting older. I saw an influencer talking about how Hokas (a gym shoe) helped her with her knee pain. I needed new shoes and even though they were 2x's what I would normally pay for shoes, I was all in.

Unfortunately, I learned a lot about gyms shoes from this mistake. While Hokas are a great shoe, they were not a great shoe for me. I recently started with hip issues. My hip will pop, or feel like something is snapping in it. I haven't seen anyone yet, but I did a little research and am trying stretches, taking it a bit easier at the gym and visited Fleet Feet. This is a local shoe store where I was able to get a good read on what is going on with my feet and stride.

They took a 3-D digital model of my feet and also some scanning as I walk. It seems my feet/ankles were angling in and I had little arch support when I walk putting more pressure on my knees and hips which could contribute to the pain/issues I have been having. I did buy a new pair of shoes and some inserts with the type of support I need to help straighten my ankles/weight distribution as I walk.

Fingers-crossed it helps. If I keep getting the hip snapping, I will seek professional help... I don't want to mess up my physical activity.

I was worried when I started school my health efforts may take a hit. As I reflect back on the last year, I can't blame pursing my MBA for my setback. I just have to fine the right balance.