Don't Eat That

Yes, I know, I have the Your Shape game courtesy of Collective Bias and I’m suppose to show you what I do and not tell you but……let’s just leave it at seeing myself on that TV is bad, seeing it in video, oh my, not for the weak hearted, let’s just leave it at that.

I will tell you that I started last Monday when I had managed, somehow to regain all the weight I had lost.  I’m blaming that on all that pineapple ice cream at Disney.

But, here we are one week down, many many more to go and I used Jenny McCarthy’s Your Shape Challenge only three days last week.  Sorry, but I am down 4 pounds, who know, I ate a dozen donuts out of anxiety after I had the car accident on Wednesday but I don’t think I actually at anything else until late Friday night.

And now?  I could be doing my little sprint of exercises from the game while my five-year-old is gone and can’t sit and laugh at me (more like roll on the floor laughing) but instead, I’m starving because this not chewing of food is really getting to me.  Right now I’ve resulted to the bucket of chocolate ice cream I found in the freezer. 

And, it’s not like I get any encouragement here, my cousin just sent me a text message to tell me all about this great new restaurant.  Of course, he can chew!

Ok, one week, 4 pounds…I’ll take it!  Let’s hope SXW doesn’t induce lots of weight gain!  Normally when I do conferences I don’t gain weight but normally there’s not so much ice cream just hanging out on every corner!

With that!  I’m done!  Brave?  Absolutely not and I’ll show you guys later but for now….just be happy, mmmkay?

I haven’t gained any weight since I checked in with you last Monday.  I haven’t eaten anything to matter either.  On Sunday of last week I had a rather large mushy meal from a Japanese restaurant (I still can’t chew) but since then, I’ve survived on Coca-Cola and 3 or 4 milkshakes.  The idea of foods that I can have, chicken noodle soup, jello, macaroni and cheese, have kind of lost their appeal right now. 

So, as I say with pride, I haven’t gained any weight….I tell you that I’m starving the freakin’ frakin’ to death.  I am so not kidding.  I”m hungry…all the time….but nothing seems to be doing the trick.

I’ve always said that I simply couldn’t make changes to my nutritional habits and that I would just have to exercise more.  And, as I was able to get more involved in the EASports and do some of the more active exercises (games really), I was expecting to see a larger weight loss.  And, I did..kind of.

I dropped down to 205 and that was two weeks ago today.  I had jaw surgery on Thursday of that week and by Monday, I had gained up to 213.  UH?  No, I wasn’t exercising at all, I was barely moving around I was in so much pain, but I was not eating anything to amount to much.  I am on a no chewing diet for 6 weeks (5 more if you are counting). 

But, again, there’s no way I’m getting moving like I had just started to on my EASports just yet.  I am in a bit of pain still and the thought of any hard landings on the floor makes me shutter.  But, I’m telling you, I’m eating nothing.

And, so, back to the title, I have always had poor nutritional habits.  I grew up on Burger King and honestly, that’s how we eat now too for the most part.  And, I couldn’t imagine changing that.  And, I had made no efforts at all to change them, I was merely exercising.  And, I was getting results. 

Of course, everyone tried to make me feel better by telling me that I had only gained the weight back because of the swelling and such.  And, as big and chipmunk as my jaws look and as much as I’d like to think it was “just swelling”, I think it was more like…..something that can’t be explained.

Either way, for the last 10 days, (really more because the 3 days before I had surgery, I had severe gastritis), I have had jello, pudding, and yogurt.  I’ve had chicken noodle soup twice but I’ve been content to eat this low-fat yogurt which is a total surprise.  Tell anyone I know and they would tell you that “Jerri Ann does not eat that kind of food”.  And, it wouldn’t be a matter of disrespect for my size, it’s just that people who know me, know that I am a very picky eater. 

Low-fat yogurt?  Never

Jello?  Once a year

Pudding?  Twice a year

Chicken Noodle Soup? Once every two years or more

But, when you have the surgery I had and you had the pain prior to the surgery and the pain afterwards, you will do exactly what you are advised by your doctor to do………..because, you certainly do not want to ruin a good thing……

And, with that, today, I weighed 208.  That’s back down five pounds…..but here’s your warning..my Grammy makes the best Fried Apple Pies in the land and I will be getting some at Thanksgiving and freezing them until I can eat….sorry, everyone has their vices.

*****Post written in multiple places, be prepared for jumping around…you might even lose weight that way….although I wouldn’t count on it.****

Ok, so I started a post on Education Uncensored and if you want to know how it all came to be about the following, you’ll need to jump over there, read down to the part where it instructs you to jump back to here and then go back there for the grand finale. 

Sound like a major pain in the butt?  Yea, it is but mostly a pain in my jaws….but we’ll get to that. At last week’s tally I had lost 16 pounds and not one soul noticed.  By the end of the week I was down a total of 20 pounds.  This post is late because yesterday when I weight, I had managed to find 4 of those and return those to my body.  Lovely! 

But now, now I”m looking at some bigger issues of how to gain weight, not lose it.  You see, here I am, torn cartilage in my jaws which has rendered me almost as helpless as my broken leg did.  I mean, you can use crutches or a walker (in my case) to get around with a broken bone and generally, you don’t have this feeling in your whole body of just general run over opossum.  And, to answer my cousin’s question, no indeed, I do not smell like road kill.

However, my jaws started to flare up about 2 or 3 months ago and of course everyone chalked it up to tension, stress, gritting and grinding my teeth.  But, I had already paid a small fortune for the diagnosis of a “grinder” and had a mouthpiece made to help with this.  So, now what? 

For 2 months or more, I’ve worn this stinking mouth piece day and night.  I take it out to eat, to brush my teeth and the appliance and to talk on the phone.  Talking in person is not so bad, people can generally make out what I’m saying.  But on the phone, I sound much like one big drug slur. 

And, still, no relief.  I saw an oral surgeon last week.  I had a test run the next day.  I saw him for results today.  And, the diagnosis?  Torn cartilage in my jaws. 

The answer?  There are several but the most obvious place to start is with cortisone shots.  Because hey, I’ve just lost almost 20 pounds, let’s go get some steroids shot up in us and see how long it takes to gain it back.

I am part of a team of EASports folks but because of my broken leg which I not even been given the all clear for major exercises, I’ve only been doing static exercises.  But, it’s amazing what static exercises and a change in diet (regardless of whether you simply decide to watch what you eat or your jaws hurt so bad that you don’t want to bother), the weight will start to dissipate. 

And the proud kicks in.  But, then, you look, 16 pounds gone and not one person has noticed.  How in the heck did that happen?  How do you lose 16 pounds, 20 now and no one notices?  According to my husband, you wear baggy clothes and pj’s all the time and no one can tell.

***************Jump back to the Education Uncensored story and then it will tell you when to come back here and finish!**************

Anyway, back to where I was going with this originally.  I have torn cartilage in my jaws.  Tomorrow, I will be sedated and this horrible steroid shots will be injected into my jaws and I, I hope to be a new woman in a week.  If not, then I get another set of these beauties.  And then, hopefully, I am back to being a chatterbox, verbally, not just with my fingers, and all is well for a period of time.

However, if no results come from these shots that are almost too painful to even think about, I will have jaw surgery.  Hey, that could render me losing some weight.  But….that’s not exactly what I had in mind either.

Now, honestly, I want and need to lose some weight.  And, if you’ve seen a photo of my face, you know that it is is swollen most of the time, here let me show you…

Notice that MY right is much worse than my left.  I have torn cartilage in both places but the right is worse.  And, the oral surgeon confirmed today that some (and of course he couldn’t know for sure) but some of that swelling could be from the torn cartilage.  I mean, duh, you get swelling in your knee’s when you tear cartilage, right?

And, normally, normally as in, in the past, when I have lost weight, my face is the first place to show the loss and the last place to show the gain.  But, this time, no loss was noticeable and possibly we know why now. 

And so the saga continues…2009…there’s just not much left for me to say other than…you suck….

For the remainder of this story, you’ll have to jump back over to Education Uncensored.  Sorry!

I’m writing this post a day earlier than normal.  I have a couple of reasons why, one being I am going to be extraordinarily busy tomorrow and I have some awesome news. 

I am currently down a total of 16 pounds.  I am still doing static exercises and if you think I’ve lost my mind and that I should just get over it already and do more exercises, you have to know that the bone graft area hasn’t healed an I’ve already fallen once when putting all of my weight on that food while stepping off my porch.  I have to have more strength in the ankle. 

The other reason that I’m writing this today…..is…I’m treating myself to a piece of apple pie.  And, when I say a piece, I honestly mean a tiny minute piece.  This little piece of pie is probably nt even 1/4 of the size I would normally eat.  But, I bought it pre-made and I”m assuming that the folks that marketed it had ever intention of me eating only one serving of it. 

So, as of October 11, 2009, I am down a rockin’ total of 16 pounds….but next week…..let’s just hope the apple pie doesn’t show up….

And, no one even noticed. Not one person has noticed. I finally asked my husband today and he said that I wear my clothes too baggy for him to notice….whatever!

As you all know I was given an opportunity back in the spring to join the EASports –30 Day Challenge but I was also wearing a cast for a broken bone through July.  My doctor has cleared me to do static exercises, strengthening physical therapy and has suggested that each time I see him that maybe in 2 weeks I can be released. 

In the meantime, I want to share the greatness that is my son’s school when it comes to physical education.  Ask me how I know?  I’ve been there, done that.  There are tons of p.e. classes all over that have been completely done away with but luckily that’s not happening here.  Many people here are upset because the children do not get a “free play” recess time but the fact is, their structured physical education classes incorporates freedom so the children can learn to socialize. 

So, for now, I sit back and do my physical therapy which I am using my EASports to do by the way and hopefully soon the whole broken leg thing will be completely healed.  In the meantime, let’s see how you work it!

As you all know, I’m over-weight.  I grew up eating whatever and whenever I wanted and was able to do so because I was active in sports and kept myself busy.  My father and I lived within five minutes of the local fast food joints and that’s what we had for dinner every night.  And breakfast?  I usually stopped at a convenience store on my way to school and got a candy bar or donut and a soda.  So, obviously, I didn’t have a very good start.

Once I was no longer participating in sports, after college and even quit playing sports recreationally, the weight started to creep on me.  Since that time, I’ve never managed to curb my desire for fast food and large sodas.  So, even now, when I choose the whopper junior instead of the whopper, I think I’ve done something amazing. 

With that, I want to tell you that I do have a degree in physical education and it is quite amazing to may people that I am not a big exercise fanatic.  But, the thing is, I was never big on individual exercise, I did what I had to do to maintain my spot on a team and that was the extent of it.

Now that I have children, I am making an honest effort to see that my children have it better than me.  At the age or 39 I was diagnosed with diabetes and at the age or 40, thyroid disease hit me.  I do not want that for my kids.  So, I fight the fight to keep the candy and cookies to a minimum and also keep them active because they want to be active.  I think seeing their parents being active would be much more beneficial than anything. 

But, as I watch state after state remove physical education from the curriculum, I start to worry how this will affect my children.  And as I do more and more volunteer work at school, the more students I see who fit the bill of being obese.

With that, I want to introduce you to a website and a person who is making strides to fight childhood obesity.  Dr. Andy Baldwin and the website www.healthride.org can provide you with lots of excellent information.  Here’s an introduction straight from the site and Dr. Baldwin himself.

Andy Baldwin’s Pennsylvania Health Ride and Kids Fitness Days 2009

"The nation’s epidemic of childhood obesity weighs heavy on the future of our youth – and on my heart personally. As committed citizens and neighbors, we can and must serve as important role models to our children and teach them the power of healthy habits. Step up and join my effort to help the kids of Pennsylvania get and stay healthy!" – Navy Lt. Commander Dr. Andy Baldwin

 

So, go to the site, check out the information provided and see what you can do to help.

Ok, as you know, I lasted indicated to you that I was down 2 or 3 pounds as I began my journey.  And, as I weighted this morning, I was tempted to cry.  I am back to that 215 mark and not happy about it.  Here’s what’s been happeing though, just for the record…

• I ran out of thyroid medication on Friday and forgot to get it filled and since my husband and I both are battling the flu, I didn’t get it today.  That alone could cause an increase in 2 pounds just because my face is severely swollen as are my hands and feet. 
• My foot still hurts quite a bit so I am still using the exercises on my EASports Active that are static.  I’m dying to try my hand at volleyball but my one session about mid-week last week left me with a really achy foot.  So, I vowed to go back to the actual physical therapy and static exercises to build strength
• I have found that habits are easily formed and not easily broken.  Basically, I have always been a midnight snacker, and luckily for me I have become addicted to carrots and Light Ranch Dressing as opposed to chocolate covered donuts. 
• I actually managed to return to drinking more soda than water last week as I was out and about at my son’s school and it was easier to just grab a soda.  And, with this little flu bug bothering us, we ran out of the kind of water we prefer (I know, we could drink the water from the faucet but it is really disgusting and chlorinated heavily). 

So, I attempt to keep doing the physical therapy on my foot doing the static exercises and return to drinking water more than soda.

That’s it in a nutshell…

Yes, I know, you are wondering how in the heck I know that right?  I mean, yes, I’ve been sitting on my ever growing backside since January and the housework has mostly just remained un-done.  Yea, is that a word?  Un-done?

Honestly, my mom tried for a while but the fact of the matter is, my husband is spoiled.  He is very spoiled and my mother was not the person who spoiled him and she wasn’t near as amused as the cleaning lady was.  The cleaning lady quit.  My mom?  She finally gave up too. 

It’s basically impossible to keep things picked up with two kids and a husband.  However, my husband has become quite the supervisor of our children’s bedrooms and toy room so I convinced him that it was time to practice what he preached. 

So, yesterday, I put my tennis shoes on and we re-arranged furniture, put the kids in separate rooms, gave away a bunch of toys and clothes and I started working on the laundry.  Did I mention that my mom gave up on that as well? 

Today, I put my tennis shoes back on and I hit the laundry, the dishes (it only took me two and one half hours) and I got busy cleaning.  My husband looked at me like I had lost my mind both times I put my shoes on to work in the house.  Basically, the rule is we take our shoes off at the front door.  But, with my healing leg/ankle, it’s nearly impossible for me to get around even in my Croc flip-flops which I love.  The four times I’ve sprained the other ankle, I wasn’t wearing tennis shoes.

And, so, finally, I collapsed in my chair about an hour ago.  And, then I remember, I had not had any food all day.  So, when I got up to search for some grub (and not the ice cream my husband brought home from the store earlier), I was aching, I could barely walk.  My bad foot hurting although I did wear my shoes, my right foot swollen from the latest ankle accident, my back aching from just purely not being used to so much hard labor (ahahaha I just called washing dishes and doing laundry hard labor – what?  It took me about 4 hours yesterday and another 4 or 5 today?)

Anyway, it is time to put those tennis shoes on and get busy with some physical therapy and then hit my EASports 30 Day Challenge come September 1st.  And, heck, why not?  I’ll be 41 just a couple of days later.  Why not ring in 41 with some exercising as opposed to the mono and broken bones, diabetes and thyroid disorder that the ripe age of 40 was so kind enough to bring to me.

So, ladies and gentleman, let’s get ready to rumble……