Life is just SWELL!

[WeightWarrior]

Well, I am pretty sure I will put on weight this week, which is disappointing but there we have it. I have stuck to my calories again, no blips and as usual, often under what I'm allowed. However, I haven't slept properly all week and the leg is showing much more swelling than last week as a result - what a pain in the neck! No plans to stop doing what I'm doing, hopefully it will even out again, I'll just keep chipping away at it - in it for the long haul!

I've talked to hubby about my anxiety about trying a walk alone in case my back goes clunk and I end up in agony trying to get back home. We are going to go together so that he can get the car and pick me up if I have a problem. I am hoping that the fear in my head is greater than the physical problems it will cause me, we shall have to see! I am having deja vu on this subject, I remember talking through this with about a year back and working out the worst case scenario etc. I don't know why I get so anxious about it, because I go through the conversations we had and as long as I take my mobile phone, I could always call a taxi as long as I stick to pavements and roads but still this problem haunts me and my mind blows it up into a huge obstacle! Anyway, now hubby is mindful of me wanting to conquer this problem, I know he will encourage me, which is a good thing.

Right, I've babbled enough now! Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

[sueper]

Hi WeightWarrior - I was just thinking as I read your message, take a phone and some cash and then I saw you had thought of that.

I had the same worries when I first started walking as I have chronic back pain and had a few difficult walks.

My hubby has walked with me a lot too so I am glad your hubby is joining you - it will do him good too

Another thing someone suggested to me was to get a bus one way and then walk home, I think that's a great idea.

Just take things steady and you will see great improvements and keep your tougher, longer walks for when your hubby or a friend can join you.

I have joined the National Trust with a friend and we do a house and longish walk together every Saturday - it's a great day out and helping us both get fit. To think I used to spend all day Saturday sat in doors watching rubbish TV - what a change!!

Are you using Mapmywalk or any other device yet? I found it a great incentive and now have a GPS watch which I love.

Keep up the good work, hopefully the scales will move a little in the right direction this week for you

[WeightWarrior in reply to sueper]

It's hard isn't it - sometimes the battle in the head can stop you even trying things! I hated having to use a walking stick, I felt vulnerable, like it advertised my physical weakness. I even had a fear of potentially being attacked because of it at one stage! I still try not to use one unless I'm desperate because I think it can make you lop sided, if that makes sense. Still, it's not as bad as being on crutches, that I found really embarrassing because you can't actually see what's wrong, it's not obvious like a leg in plaster or whatever - lol! The more I talk about this stuff the more obvious it becomes to me that the psychological factor is still an issue for me, despite having had counselling.

I will have to start very slow in a "safe" walking zone, on the flat. There is a perfect area where people walk their dogs and there are benches along there. Double edged sword that one - don't really want to see people as I'm embarrassed about my size and physical state, and yet, I want to know there are people around as I still feel vulnerable! Deary me what a mess my head gets into about these things!

Hopefully I will have a few successful walks with my hubby and gain some confidence eh?

[WeightWarrior]

Hi & thanks. The physio gave me some "safe" exercises to do, although I can't do the child pose stretch atm because the pressure on the dodgy leg and knees is too much. They are a mix of gentle stretch and strengthen exercises. I had a slipped disc which thankfully reabsorbed, but the surgeon said I'll always have a weakness there on the left side. Last night I was trying to do the "bridge" exercise, which I always found more tricky anyway, and I got pain and tingling down the back of the left leg starting from the bottom left of the spine (I can feel exactly where my weak spot is) It wasn't excruciating like the original sciatica was, but more like a hint of the pain I used to get as the sciatica subsided after the disc reabsorbed. Going to have to watch that and be a bit careful, worse luck, as I was always told if anything hurts to stop that particular exercise immediately. Hoping I'll be ok in an upright position just taking things gently though, I will just listen to my body and be sensible.

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Hi Weightwarrior,

Wishing you a very enjoyable walk when you try your first one with your hubby - it's great that he's supporting you, and hopefully you'll gain some confidence after a few successful walks. I think it's a good idea that you're grading your attempts - i.e. staring on the flat, in a 'safe' walking zone - and that you've identified the best place to start out - I know you're not keen to see people, but hopefully it will turn out to be a positive experience, and you'll be glad you did it.

Wishing you the best with it.

(I'm still chuckling about the 'dirt plan' we were talking about in Kazzerb's thread - Nsky24 mentioned it, and it was very funny. Initially I was wondering if it was some kind of 'dirty potato diet' - like one that is all organic and still dirty from the fields - but then I thought no - it's a typo....

Look forward to catching up with you at tomorrow's weigh-in.

Lowcal

[Portlandprincess]

Hi WW , so glad your hubby's cheering you on now....keep on keeping on girl!

[WeightWarrior]

We had a short, slow paced walk last night to start the ball rolling. It's a conscious thing to stop myself trying to put more "vavoom" into it and trying to speed up or whatever, as this has been my undoing in the past - if I am too enthusiastic I suffer for a week and can't do any more walking which defeats the object entirely! Anyway, had the usual left hand side weakness just making me aware it was there last night (probably a good thing really to remind me not to overdo things!) but I'm feeling ok today so far and hubby mentioned going again tonight if I am ok. Tbh it's great to have his support in this, we've had a few chats about how important it is to try to build up to some kind of walking (and my confidence) again, my fears and worries about trying to go out alone, etc. I think it will help lift my mood too, and hopefully in time, may help a little bit with weight loss. Onwards and downwards!