Category: Health Transformation

What the Health is Going On

On By Widow BadassIn Goals & Dreams, Health Transformation6 Comments

Dear Bloggie,

I thought I should bring you up to date on what’s been happening to me since I’ve been under investigation for the 2 TIA-like (mini-stroke) episodes I have experienced thus far in 2016.

I have completed all of the scheduled testing and last week I saw the neurologist to get the news about the results of the 2 MRIs I recently was privileged to receive. No, I am not being sarcastic, Blog. How can you think that?!? Wait. Uh, OK. I have been a bit of a pill IRL about the medications the doctors have put me on, and all of the tests. I’ll own it.

But really Blog, I am also very grateful at the same time that I live in this great country where health care is deemed to be a necessity and everyone’s right and the griping is about being made to wait a bit rather than how to come up with the money for diagnosis and treatment.

So, to describe my results in one word: NEGATIVE.

Negative, negative, negative. All of my cardiac and neurological testing is blessedly, head-scratchingly negative. So what happened to me? Dunno. Will it happen again? Dunno.

Can I get on with my life now? Will my doctor release the restriction on me that I am not to perform any exercise more strenuous than a slow walk? The cardiologist wants to see me again and you bet I will be asking.

In the meantime, I have been focusing on cleaning up my diet for the past 2 weeks using a no-sugar, no grains, low carbohydrate high fat Paleo-ish approach. I’ve done this before with magnificent results but since JD passed I have been kinda loosey-goosey with my diet and here we are 3 years and 20 pounds later. A-HEM!

So, two weeks have gone by and I am only a scant 2 pounds lighter…dammit. I am a bit disappointed it isn’t more but I am not as active as I could be (see exercise restriction, above). And I am older too, meaning whatever magic menopause is wreaking/has wrought upon my metabolism since about 4 years ago could be to blame as well.

However, I feel GREAT! I really do. I am up early (like 5 am early) each day with tons of creative and mental energy to burn. I’m alert all day – no afternoon slumping – and sleep well each night.

No cravings anymore. In fact very little hunger or when it hits, it is so subtle of a nag that I can easily ignore it until I am ready to make time to eat. This I remember very well from the last time I ate this way. Nice to not feel shakey or sick or mentally drained if more than 4 hours passes between meals and my blood sugar tanks. I’ve turned myself back into a fat-burning machine, from a sugar-burner. And no “carb flu” feelings either. I guess my body remembers the good ol’ days when I took better care of it. 😉

So what if it takes me 20 weeks (or more) to lose 20 pounds, dear Blog? The time will be here regardless of whether I try to change my habits or not, and how nice will it be to arrive there and have removed that excess weight? I’d love to train again for another half-marathon (on doc’s blessing of course) and it certainly would go a lot easier with 20 less pounds to carry.

Maybe I can even stop taking some medication. I’m thinking the blood pressure meds, at least. And maybe the blood thinner too. It might take a bit longer and a couple of more blood tests to convince the doc I really don’t need a statin in my life. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Rock on,

The WB

It’s been a Mother of a Day

On By Widow BadassIn Health Transformation, Hmmm?, Uncategorized2 Comments

I hope everyone had an absolutely delightful day yesterday because I know I did!

I had been dreading Mother’s Day a little as this year marked my first motherless Mother’s Day in 56 years. But the anticipation of how I would feel was, as usual, worse than the actual way I ended up feeling.

I was determined to make it a good day and that in itself paved the way for me to have a very good…no, great day! Because I had planned ahead to make Mother’s Day my bitch.

I woke up early , raring to clean and reseal the slate tiles in my bathroom. I also did laundry and finished binge-watching the rest of Season 2 of Grace and Frankie. Goddess bless Netflix, I say. And Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin and the writers and the rest of the cast. And yam lube and Count Drinkula and Hitler’s Circumcision. And so on.

Then I went to the Village Rec Centre and signed myself up for a 10 visit pass and got ready to attend my first drop-in fitness class. Of which I ended up being the only participant. SHIT. No hiding in the back or dogging it. I was the centre of the instructor’s attention. THE. WHOLE. CLASS. And today I hurt where I didn’t even know I had muscles. It was glorious. Especially watching Instructor Ian show off all his killer fitness moves (which I am supposed to be aspiring to perform myself, one day) as I was egging him on.  Hah!

I kinda committed myself to trying out his yoga class tomorrow night too. Damn.

Anyhow, while I was wrecking myself at the Wreck Centre all hell was breaking loose back amongst the famille. Mizz  J had been trying to reach me and I wasn’t answering my cell phone since I left it at home. As this was unusual behaviour for me, she enlisted her brother, Miztah K (lives 5 minute walk away), to come over to my place to recover my certain-to-be-dead body before she could drive across town to do it herself. Before a pack of wild cats came in to eat me, I suppose.

So this was the situation I dragged my sweaty self home to, after Instructor Ian handed me my ass.

Miztah K had told his sister that I was just probably out and about since there was no dead body (or cats) to be found in my place. So I found her making herself breakfast in my kitchen and relatively calm by the time I arrived back home.

The rest of the day was nice and peaceful. I made supper for us all, including Miztah K’s delightful girlfriend, Mizz C. I also made my kids work, carrying a bunch of stuff down to the basement in preparation for next month’s renovation of 3 rooms. No free lunch at Mom’s house…hehehe.

I was the beneficiary of the most wonderful Mom’s Day gifts. Behold:

108 bead Mala necklace created by Mizz J. So pretty!!!
108 bead Mala (Tibetan rosary) necklace created by Mizz J. So meaningful and pretty!!!
Kayaking and hiking gear, colour-coordinated to go with Floyd the Pink Kayak. From Miztah K and Mizz C. So damn nice!!!
Kayaking and hiking gear – colour-coordinated to go with Floyd the Pink Kayak. From Miztah K and Mizz C. So damn nice and thoughtful!!!

After supper, it was time to sleep through make fun of bitch about watch a couple more installments yet in the never-ending James Bond film festival ongoing at Chez Badass. Roger Moore’s interminable reign had finally ended so it was Timothy Dalton’s highly forgettable turn. Next up is Pierce (Mamma Mia) Brosnan.

All I can say is I appreciate Daniel Craig more with each movie I watch in this series.

Hope you remembered your momma and/or your kids were good to you.

Rock on,

The WB

 

Z is for…

On By Widow BadassIn Health Transformation, Hmmm?4 Comments

Z

…Zen Habits.

I have been subscribing to Leo Baubata’s blog posts for years now.

Yesterday’s post on upward and downward spirals in health and productivity resonated with me more than usual.

I had noticed this tendency in myself many years ago. That I could be in a downward spiral with respect to health and emotional well-being until….little by little, tiny positive change by tiny positive change, I was spiraling my way back up again to a more positive, happier place.

This is a post that I could have written over 10 years ago (but not nearly as beautifully as Leo), except I wasn’t blogging then. (It wasn’t until 2009 that I joined the blogoverse in a real, committed way.)

Leo’s blog is all about changing your life one positive habit at a time. You don’t need to quit your job or leave your relationship or trek up a mountain and meet with a guru.

Although you may eventually do one or more of those things at some point along your journey, instead Leo asks you to make one small positive change at a time.  Then build on that with another one. And another one. Until one day you notice you are living a very different (in a good way) life from one you were living a month or 6 months or a year ago. Because this is how he became fit, lost weight, quit smoking, got out of debt etc., etc. Read his story here.

Rock on,

The WB

 

W is for…

On By Widow BadassIn Bruce Trail Adventure, Health Transformation, The Great OutdoorsLeave a comment

W

…Walking.

Sometimes the simplest things are the best, you know?

What could be more simple than walking, for those who are able-bodied enough to do so?

You don’t even need to think about how to do it. You just think about where you need to go and magically your body takes you there!

Which is why walking meditation works so well. The act of walking is so automatic for those of us blessed with working legs that our minds can be freed up for other pursuits while we are walking.

The steady rhythm of walking puts me in a mental state that allows for deep thought (0r the distinct lack thereof, if I am trying to meditate).  I often solve problems or come up with fresh plans while I am out walking.

My spirit is renewed by the sights, smells and sounds of nature. My body is energized by the deeper breathing involved in fast walking, and the upright posture that allows my lungs to inflate fully. My mind is rested by the beautiful scenery and the deliberate shutting down of inner chatter (when actively trying to meditate).

Walking can be done just about anywhere and needs no special equipment.

Walking is too often taken for granted by those of us who do it without thinking. Guilty, as charged.

Rejoice if you can walk!

Rock on and walk (mindfully) on,

The WB

Q is for…

On By Widow BadassIn Bruce Trail Adventure, Health TransformationLeave a comment

Q

…Quads (of steel!)

Quadricep muscles of steel are what I am trying to earn through all my physical activities of late. Also, hamstrings of steel, calves of steel, and – might as well put it out there:  buns of steel – would be great too.

Between hiking up and down and all around the Niagara Escarpment for my Bruce Trail hikes, and my 5K Learn-to-Run class, I should be well on my way.

Developing my lower body in this way would be a nice complement to my ever-present upper back, shoulder and neck muscles of steel. You know the ones we modern humans get from being hunched over our electronic devices AND from carrying the troubles of the world on our shoulders …the ones I pay a registered massage therapist to tenderize beat into submission work on, on a monthly basis? Yeah, those.

If only I could learn to carry stress on my butt instead of my shoulders. I’m not saying it’s a Kardashian-worthy butt. There will be no champagne glasses resting comfortably back there any time soon. But there is junk in my trunk. Definitely enough to carry some stress back there instead of in my neck and shoulders, for some respite.

In the meantime, I will continue to forge me some legs of steel.

Rock on,

The WB

H is for…

On By Widow BadassIn Bruce Trail Adventure, Health Transformation, The Great Outdoors2 Comments

H

…Hiking! And Health, and Huffing & Puffing around Niagara region again today.

Behold:

Data from Hike #5
Data from Hike #5
Yet another waterfall. Stop. You're killin' me.
Yet another waterfall. Stop. You’re killin’ me.
Beautiful.
Beautiful.
Hiking buddies. Me and Mizz J.
Hiking buddies. Me and Mizz J.
Resting those burning quads. Ouch.
Resting those burning quads. Ouch.
Well, at least someone thinks it's actually spring!
Well, at least something thinks it’s actually spring!

Another great day hiking. Is there any other kind?

I continue to work towards becoming a healthier Badass. I recently got “fired” as a patient from the Secondary Stroke Prevention Clinic. They told me to begone and trouble them no more. Well, alrighty then! Happy to oblige. Dietitian said the same thing, basically.

Continuing to take my meds, with a high degree of petulance, eye-rolling and sighing thrown in. Blood pressure is good but I want to lose a lot more weight before I kick those pills to the curb.

Next weekend I am on the schedule for an overnight sleep clinic. Should provide good fodder for the blog. Just sayin’.

Did I mention I saw an Ear-Nose-Throat doc for a bump on my lip and he said I had a deviated septum? Will  wonders (of finding new things wrong with my body) never cease.

That’s all for now, folks!

Rock on and walk on,

The WB

 

C is for…

On By Widow BadassIn Health Transformation, Hmmm?2 Comments

C

…Condense!

Way before I concluded my MBA studies, I had a plan in the back of my wee mind to shift my focus back to improving my health and fitness once school was done. Then I had a TIA two weeks before school finished so this plan became even MORE important to me.

So now it’s been about a month since school ended and I have dramatically increased my daily exercise. I make it a point to hit at least 10,000 steps on my FitBit everyday. So far I have a perfect score in that regard. Yay me! And I am hiking every weekend now too.

I am also being more careful with my food intake.  I rediscovered  the account I had years ago at My Fitness Pal. My last login was the week of JD’s cancer diagnosis. Hmmm. Isn’t hard to figure out why I stopped logging at that point. Put on 22 pounds since then. Hmmmm. Again, not too hard to figure out why as my whole world has been turned upside down a few times since then.

Yet with my increased exercise and decreased food intake, I am a bit disappointed to have lost only 4 pounds in this past month. However, people are noticing a change in me – that I look smaller and my legs are becoming more toned. (This thanks to my habit of wearing leggings and boots often this winter!)

I retook my measurements last week and I have already lost 2 inches off of my waist. How can this be with such a relatively insignificant number showing up on the scale?

The only possible answer is that I am condensing. Yes – like a dying star I am becoming a black hole, human-version. 🙂

This week I will begin a weight training class for women. And next week begins a 5K learn-to-run class. Why, after 5 half-marathons under my belt, am I signing up for a beginner running class you may ask? That is a very good question!  The answer is that I have never been coached by a physically present person as to how to run/train-to-run properly. For my first half, I benefited from virtual coaching via teleconferences but that has been it.

I think this will be fun and probably enlightening for me, and I have no problem entering this class with a beginner’s mind. I might even gain some speed!

Rock on,

The WB