Goals? What Goals?

Now that I am back in Weight Watchers, I was curious about some of my successful history.  I did some research about my journey through the WW app.  The first interesting fact I noted is that it was 2 years ago today - June 10, 2017 when I hit 205# for the last time.  Somehow that seems very symbolic to me.

The other thing I learned is that in my 2015-16 year, it took me 7 months to lose 40 pounds.  I started in September, and it was March when I hit -40.  If I could lose 40 pounds in 7 months then, why can't I lose 40 pounds in 7 months now? 

My new goal is to be down to 200 pounds by the end of 2019.  Let's set Jan 1, 2020 as my goal to see a number below 200# on the scale!

I can do this!  Go... Go... Go... Go!

:)A

Hi! My name is Amy...

...and I’m a Food-aholic.

Does that sound silly to you?  It sounds silly to me - like it is a joke that is commonly made by overweight people?  They often say it with just a hint of irony poking through.  The fact is that is isn’t a joke. It’s a very real thing, and I am coming to grips with the fact that it applies to me.

My loyal readers will remember that I joined Weight Watchers a few years back (Sept of 2015 to be exact), and lost 55 pounds over the next 2 years. At that point, I plateaued.  For the year after that, I sort of maintained, sort of with some minor gains, and then the following year, I started gaining significantly.  Ok here we go - I’m going to lay out the actual numbers.  Ready?  When I started WW, I weighed in at 260#.  My lowest weight in May of 2017 was 205#.  There are my 55 pounds.  Last week, when I weighed in at WW again, I was at 242#.  

For the last several months, I have been obsessed with eating - all the time, but especially in the evening. All day, I would say all the right things to myself about the importance of eating only healthy food, and the importance of not gaining any more. I would do ok for most of the day, especially on school days (unless there were treats available!) - healthy breakfast, healthy lunch, no snacks, but by about 4 pm, I was ready to start eating anything I could find, and even though I would eat a healthy dinner, I would keep eating all evening.  Candy - cookies - chips - crackers - those were the biggies. This bingeing was bothering me, every day, but I kept doing it, every day.  I would wake up in the morning committed to the idea of “behaving”, and by late afternoon, I was eating again.  When I went to the grocery, I would walk in thinking “I’m not going to buy any crap”, and then the bags I left with would contain apples and strawberries, and salad-fixings, and M&Ms and cookies, and chips. What’s up with that?

Exactly!  What is up with that?  That’s what I started asking myself.  As a teacher, I’ve been to enough professional development meetings to be able to recognize a red flag.  When a student consciously does something to themselves that they know isn’t good for them, that’s called self-harm.  When someone is engaged in self-harm, it’s an indicator of something big going on in their mind, and it is considered a mental illness.  Wait!  Do I have a mental illness?  Perhaps an eating disorder? 

These questions started me on a path of research and discovery.  I was curious about WHY I would be engaging in self-destructive behaviors.  Overall, I consider myself a very healthy person, mentally.  I am fairly calm and rational, and even though I tend to cry very easily (as all of my friends will tell you), I really have a very safe, stable life.  When I started reading about self-harm, I kept seeing references to trauma from child abuse, the death of close loved-ones, witnessing something horrific.  I really couldn’t think of any trauma that I had experienced. My childhood was very safe and stable and happy in a family who wanted me and cherished me.  It didn’t seem that what was going on with me was the result of any trauma. 

I went on Amazon looking for books dealing with self-harm and eating disorders, and before too long, I found a book called Letting Go of Self-Destructive Behaviors: A Workbook of Hope and Healing by Lisa Ferentz.  I was impressed by the fact that it included “overeating” with Bulimia and Anorexia as an eating disorder and as a mental health issue. As soon as the book arrived, I started reading.  One of the first things the book recommended was that if I could find a professional to work with while I was reading the book and doing the activities in it, that would enhance the whole process.  

Next, I started looking for mental health professionals in my area who specialized in eating disorders or self-harm.  I found a couple of social service agencies in my community that seemed to address these types of issues, and then I read though the lists of professionals and their focuses.  I found a few that indicated their focus on eating disorders.   I am now working with a Clinical Counselor named Deanna.  I’ve met with her once, and I came away with my head full of information and ideas that I really am still only starting to understand.  That same day I also started back at Weight Watchers.  Since then, I’ve been doing a lot of reading/researching and thinking. 

To start our conversation, Deanna asked me why I came to see her.  I explained my situation.  In addition to what I explained above, I also told her that as a child I went through periods of time when I sought out things to eat that weren’t typically considered snacks.  I remember times when I would go into the bathroom, get up on my little stool that I used when I brushed my teeth, get in the medicine cabinet and take out the toothpaste.  I would then squirt some in my mouth and eat it.  Not a lot - just a little squirt.  Another uncommon snack that I would seek out were bouillon cubes - the beef flavored ones in the little foil wrappers.  I would unwrap one and lick it until my tongue was sore.  This was when I was pre-school age, but old enough to be moving around the house without my mother watching every move (maybe 4?).

Once I was in school, I no longer sought out those snacks, but I would typically binge on cookies or chips after school while I watched TV.  As early as 3rd grade, I would grab something out of the pantry, and sit on the floor in front of the TV and watch whatever was on.  If it was a bag of chips, it wasn’t out of the question for me to eat at least half of the bag or more.  If it was cookies, I would eat quite a few  - Girl Scout cookies - in sleeves - I could easily eat at a whole sleeve in one sitting.  If there were no cookies or chips in the pantry, I would eat crackers.  My mother kept the pantry supplied with all of those goodies.  I don’t ever remember asking for anything specific.  She bought them and I ate them.  I also sometimes ate dry cereal like Captain Crunch or even Raisin Bran.  My mother also made a lot of homemade dessert-treats which I helped myself to.  Interestingly, my mother didn’t nag at me about overeating. There were a couple of times I remember her suggesting that I shouldn’t eat so much of something…. But she kept buying the food and I always had access to it.  

As a child, I matured physically very early.  I can remember in 1st, 2nd, 3rd grade, I was the tallest student in the class.  I remember that because we would line up by height to get our class pictures taken, and I was always at the tall end of the group.   I think I was as tall in 6th grade as I am now, and by the time I was in 4th, 5th and 6th, I was not only the tallest but the “biggest” student in the class. At some point I started realizing I was “THE” fat girl in the room.  In junior high, I started being more aware of my comparative size, and by high school I was very conscious of the fact that I WAS the fat girl in the room.  I only remember 1 female student in my high school who was “fatter” than I was.  We became good friends for awhile.  Of course we did a lot of snacking together.

I don’t remember how much I weighed in high school.  One summer when I was in college, I had to go to the doctor for something, and he put me on a 1000 calorie diet.  I had weighed in at 217#, and with his diet, I got down to 200# before going back to BG in the fall.  I also know that at age 22 when I was shopping for a wedding dress, no stores had my size.  I was then needing a size 18, and stores only had smaller sizes.  Sometimes they MIGHT have a 16, but even that was rare.  The message was Girls Who Are As Big As Me Don’t Get Married!  So, of course, my size 18 had to be special ordered.  

When I think back on it now, and think about the fact that I knew I was overweight, I never really tried to diet.  I remember having a sense of entitlement related to eating.  “It’s my body!  I can eat what I want to eat, and no one can stop me!”  THERE! Take THAT!

After explaining all this to Deanna, she immediately identified me as an addict.  She said that the behaviors and attitudes I described are those of someone with an addictive personality.  She went on to explain that addiction is related to 2 specific brain chemicals - Serotonin and Dopamine.  *LIGHT BULB*  Serotonin is the brain chemical that lets us know when we’ve had enough to eat. If the balance of this is off, we don’t always get any signals that we’ve had enough.  Dopamine is a “feel good” chemical.  Drugs raise this chemical and that’s why it’s called “dope”.  Many other things raise this chemical:  sex and other physical pleasures like massage, exercise, and certain things in food - mainly sugars and fats.  *Another LIGHT BULB*

I left my first session with Deanna with the understanding that I am a food addict, probably because of a chemical imbalance in my brain.  There are ways to deal with this.  Medications might be an option, as are behavioral changes.  For me, just understanding this is HUGE!  I feel this is the first GREATBIGHUGE step in making changes that will help me get healthier.

I am now back on Weight Watchers and I have another appointment with Deanna scheduled.  I have also started making some specific changes in my routines, and I’m continuing my research.  Thanks for reading and stay tuned for updates in the weeks ahead!

:)Amy

 

After explaining all this to Deanna, she immediately identified me as an addict.  She said that the behaviors and attitudes I described are those of someone with an addictive personality.  She went on to explain that addiction is related to 2 specific brain chemicals - Serotonin and Dopamine. *LIGHT BULB*  Serotonin is the brain chemical that lets us know when we’ve had enough to eat. If the balance of this is off, we don’t always get any signals that we’ve had enough.  Dopamine is a “feel good” chemical. Drugs raise this chemical and that’s why it’s called “dope”. Many other things raise this chemical: sex and other physical pleasures like massage, exercise, and certain things in food - mainly sugars and fats.  *Another LIGHT BULB*

As a child, I matured physically very early.  I can remember in 1st, 2nd, 3rd grade, I was the tallest student in the class.  I remember that because we would line up by height to get our class pictures taken, and I was always at the tall end of the group.   I think I was as tall in 6th grade as I am now, and by the time I was in 4th, 5th and 6th, I was not only the tallest but the “biggest” student in the class. At some point I started realizing I was “THE” fat girl in the room.  In junior high, I started being more aware of my comparative size, and by high school I was very conscious of the fact that I WAS the fat girl in the room. I only remember 1 female student in my high school who was “fatter” than I was.  We became good friends for awhile. Of course we did a lot of snacking together.

Puzzle Mania

Jigsaw Puzzles!  Are you familiar? I can remember doing some in my youth, but recently Hubs and I have taken them up again - BIG TIME!  In the last year and a half, we have amassed a collection that is stunning!  I am going to post photos here of some or most of them.  I think you'll see some patterns.  I apologize now for the ones that are sideways or upside down.  I swear they all came from files that were turned the right direction!  If I delete and try to find them again, it will just make my head spin!  Sorry!

Yes, there really is a piece missing from the colored pencils.  

..... and yes, this is ME, photographing the feeding of a giraffe at the Columbus Zoo! 

Did seeing all of these put you in a mood????  Our fave puzzle company is White Mountain Puzzles, and they have a great website with lots of options.  Most of ours have been 1000 pieces, but some are 550 and some are 1500.  (I think there was one 2000 Piecer.)  Clearly, we like the ones that have little sections to work on.  The ones with lots of blue sky or lots of trees.... those are too challenging for us!

Let me know what puzzles you like!

Thanks for visiting!

:)Amy

Has it really been almost a year?

Hello Friends,

It is hard for me to believe it has been so long since I posted about Tillie!  On June 12, I will be going back to my Ortho Doc for my 1 year check up! 

As I mentioned in one of my last entries, I was still looking forward to being able to pedal the stationary bike, and eventually, I did get there!  I would have to do some research into the actual date, but it was either the last week of July or the first week of August.  I had to do 5 minutes of pushing back and forth on the pedal before it finally just went around!  When it did, of course, I cried, because that's what I do!  Even after I did it once, that didn't mean I would be able to do it easily every time I got on the bike.  I still usually had to work on it for 3-4-5 min before it would go around.  Even after my Office PT ended and I started going to the rec center, I still had to do the back and forth pushing for awhile before it would go around.  I haven't even tried now since last fall, so I have no idea what it would do at this point. 

I started back to school in mid-August, and things went well.  I was able to do what I needed to do, but I started having more pain at night.  I would wake up in the night and my leg would just ache.  I tried to avoid taking pain meds and relied on Ibuprofen, which helped, but I still had this night aching thing to deal with.  I went back to PT and my therapist gave me some exercises to do at home.  I did them, and it helped a little, but the turning point came over Thanksgiving break.  All of a sudden, I was able to sleep through the night without pain waking me up.  It was like someone flipped a switch.  Based on things my Doc had told me, I presume it was a change in the level of internal swelling. 

As the weather got better in the spring, I started walking at the local parks more, and that has been easy.  The fact that I now have NO knee pain after having had it for about 14 years, is just miraculous!  I am very glad I did both knee surgeries.  My biggest advice to any of my readers who end up doing this is YOU HAVE TO EXERCISE.  A LOT!  Several times a day for months!  If you do that, your recovery will be amazing.  If you don't do it, your knees will stiffen up, and you won't have gained anything. 

As of now, I have better range of motion in my left than in my right, but it's not a lot different.  I think my right is as good as it's going to get.  It was worse going in, so it really isn't a surprise that it's not making it to the progress of my left.  That's ok - I'll take it!

Thanks for visiting!  If you have specific questions for me about my knees or anything I've written about, please let me know!

Happy Reading!

:)Amy

Tillie's 6 Week Anniversary !!!!!

Hello!
Please notice all the !!! in the title!  Week 6 has been A.Maze.Ing!

First, I had an appt with my surgeon on Monday.  He gave me an A+.  He was very impressed with my progress.  He did a couple of xrays, and read the PT reports...  Looked at my incision and how much I can bend my knee, and how well I walk.  YES!

Then, today at PT, something really new and exciting happened.  My therapist asked me if I felt up to trying steps.  HECK YES!  The building has a stairway that goes down from the main lobby to a basement level.  It is about 10 steps down to a landing, turn, then another 10 steps down.  There is a railing on each side, and the width is narrow enough that it is easy to hold on on both sides.  First, I went down - one foot per step.  Then I turned around and went back up - one foot per step.  LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!  I didn't have to support myself on the railing as I went down, and I didn't have to pull myself up with the railing either.  There was no pain or weakness as I did it!  I was so excited when I got to the top I started crying!

Being able to do steps was one of my big goals.  I have not been able to comfortably do steps for probably 10 years or more.  Luckily, I don't HAVE to do steps at home or at school, but when I did encounter them, I faced them as a huge challenge that would increase my pain.  No way could I do steps without a railing - going up was pulling myself on the railing and going down was supporting myself.  Even a curb used to be scary!

There ya go - this week's progress!  YAY!

Stay tuned!  I might have even more progress to report next week!  WE'LL SEE, won't we!

Hugs-n-stuff,
:)Amy

Tillie's 5 Week Anniversary

Hello Everyone!

Yesterday was my 5 week anniversary.  You may remember that last week's progress was a reduction in swelling.  This week's progress involves my nighttime sleeping patterns.  Last night was the 2nd night in a row that I slept comfortably in the bed all night and didn't have to get up and sleep in the chair for part of the night.  Before that, I would be ok until about 3 am, then I would have trouble finding a comfortable position with Tillie being a little achy.  So I would get up and sleep in my recliner for 2-3 hours and then get back in bed for the rest of the night. 

Also, I can sleep on either side.  Sleeping on my left side with a pillow under Tillie is the best.  Sleeping on my right is a little more challenging, and I can usually only stay in that position for 30 min or so at the most, but the fact that I can do both of those is huge!  I've also actually rolled over onto my stomach a couple of times, and that is doable for maybe 15-20 min.  Compared with how things were with Bessie, this is HUGE!

I am also now to the point where I actually forget I had surgery for a short time.  Right now, I'm looking at probably about 8 more PT sessions in the office.  I am making huge progress there.  The other day I hit 103 degrees, and I am "almost" able to pedal the bike all the way around (backwards is easier than forwards).  I'm hoping to make it to that accomplishment this week. (I will probably cry!)  I am also going to ask my PT if we can start working with the stairway in the building.  They have me step up on a 6" box in the workout room, and I still can't quite do that without holding on. 

So, that's where we are!  Thanks for keeping up with my progress!  I appreciate your support!

Talk to you again soon!

:)Amy

Tillie's 4 Week Anniversary!

Tuesday, July 10 was 4 weeks.  Today, July 12 is 1 month.  WOW!  It is amazing to me how fast my recovery progress is going.  Today, I noticed a significant improvement in swelling.  My swelling is down so much that my legs "almost" look like they are the same size.  I say "almost" because I still have a chunky section just to the inside of my incision (but I think that is mostly fat), but overall, the swelling has gone down considerably. 

One thing that is remarkable about this change is the high level of activity I've done in the last 2 days.  Yesterday, I had the most vigorous PT session I've ever had.  Then, I came home and baked a pie and did dishes, then I stood in my kitchen and talked to visitors for a LONG while, then I went out for lunch, then I walked at Inniswood park - probably 2000 steps at least, I would guess.  Today, Hubs and I walked 3600 steps at 2 parks before noon.  I was ready for some ice when I got home, but my swelling is still down even with all that activity!  That's AMAZING!

I am still on a routine of PT at the office on M/W/F and at home every other day.  I see my doc again on July 23.  I think he will be impressed!  My life feels very normal right now. I haven't used my cane at all for probably a week.  I move around my house very comfortably.  I shower, make the bed, cook and do dishes, clean, do laundry, do a few minor things in the yard - all with no problem.  I am not yet to the point where I forget I had surgery because my leg still feels different, but it seldom actually hurts.  I have been putting scar gel on my incision for several days now because all the scabs are gone.  I think that is helping too.  On the advice of my PT, I also massage my incision when I put the gel on. 

I have photos for anyone who asks.  Thanks again for your support of Tillie's adventures!

:)Amy

Tillie's 3 Week Anniversary

Hello Friends!

It is hard to believe that 3 weeks ago today, I was in the hospital, having had surgery in the morning.  Today, I am moving well on my own without a cane (unless I'm outside), and I even drove myself to the PT office!  During today's workout, I was measured at a 98-degree bend.  This is THRILLING!

Today, the PT also measured Bessie again, and she was at 108.  Our goal is to get Tillie to match up with Bessie at least!  One huge advantage of going to the PT office is the equipment they have.  I have been using the bike to SQUEEEEZE Tillie.  She can't go all the way around on the bike, yet, but I push her as hard as I can going one way, then I reverse the pedal and push her as hard as I can going the other way.  I do that for 6 min.  I really feel like this is one of the most valuable exercises they are having me do. 

They also have me lie on my back on a sliding table with a high bar at the end, and I push myself back on a slide.  I use both feet and 1 foot.  That one is helpful also, but I want them to tighten the tension a little more on that one.  Right now, it feels a little too easy.  I also sit on a stool with a weight-pull around my ankle, and I pull back on it.  Additionally, I am stepping up on a box - forward and sideways, and I am walking across the room sideways and back (strengthening my hips?).

For the most part, I feel like I am back to living my own life, just with the addition of exercise routines 2-3 times a day.  There are many times I almost forget about my knee.  I can walk around the house to do what I need to do - laundry, cooking, dishes, cleaning, etc...  I even walk outside to change the hummingbird water.  I am also sleeping well at night, except my leg feels stiff when I get up after it doesn't move for a few hours. 

I am trying to avoid taking narcotics if I can.  I have taken 1 dose before some of my PT sessions if I have a ride, but when I drive myself, I only take Ibuprofen. 

That's it for my knee update at week 3.  I continue to be amazed at how well and how quickly things are progressing. I never imagined it could be this good! 

Thanks for reading!  I'll talk to you again soonly!

:)Amy

Tillie's Progress compared to Bessie's

Hello!

I am now on Day 16 since Tillie's surgery.  I had some time this morning, so I went back through Bessie's Blog Entries to do some comparisons.  I already knew there are huge differences in the speed of my current recovery compared to 5 years ago, but until I actually made a specific list, I didn't realize how many things are different.  Here is a partial list of the big stuff:

• Bessie couldn't lift herself off the bed until day 21!  Tillie could do that when she arrived home on day 2 !  

• Bessie took 17 days to get to a 90 degree bend.  Tillie hit that on day 10. 

• Bessie was still relying on the walker on Day 14.  Tillie has been off the walker in the bedroom since Day 5 or 6 and in the house since about Day 7.  I only used the walker for the next 7 days to roll the leg pump contraption around.  

• Bessie had to wait until Day 17 before the PT told her she could walk outside!  WHAT?  Tillie was walking outside - with a CANE - on Day 11.  Bessie didn't make it outside with a cane until Day 25!  WHAT?  That is just CRAZY!

• On Day 8, Tillie rode in a car with a friend to the Doc's office, walked into the waiting area using a cane, to get a Rx renewal. On Day 20, Tillie rode with a friend to a meeting at South where she walked into the school with a cane - cafeteria and auditorium. 

The big question is: Why is Tillie's recovery happening so much faster than Bessie's?  Well, I think there are some good reasons:

1. 5 years ago, when Bessie was operated on, she was in really really bad shape, and so was Tillie.  She had been in almost constant pain for years and had actually "gone out" more than once.  I had not been able to take walks or do much healthy exercise (except water aerobics) for years.  
2. After Bessie's surgery, I was able to do much more healthy walking.  It has been a regular thing for the last couple of years to walk at the local parks.  I even took walks at school (10 min = 1000 steps!) 
3. Once Bessie was in good shape, she was able to take some of the load off of Tillie, so Tillie got a lot better herself.  She wasn't in constant pain going into surgery.  In fact, it was just the pain she's had for the last year that led me to decide to have this surgery.  
4. I spent 2 years losing weight on Weight Watchers, and at the time of Tillie's Big Day, I was down about 50 pounds from Bessie's Big Day.  
5. I was more prepared for this surgery because I had been exercising both girls by pushing down my knees on the bed at night - exercising my quads.  
6. I came out of this surgery already having 1 good leg.  Before, neither leg was good, so it was an uphill battle with neither of them helping the other.  

So, there you have it - a little comparison for your reading pleasure!

Thanks for sticking with me!  I know it isn't nearly exciting as last time!  Oh well, you'll just have to find other ways to be excited!

Talk to you soonly!

:)Amy

A Diversion - Book Report

Hello!

2018's first Summer Read has been completed:  The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve. 

I have always been a huge Shreve fan.  I've read all of her books and so far have only been disappointed by one (Stella Bain - let's not go there).  While this week's read was not the best book on the Shreve shelf, it was enjoyable. 

The basic story is about Grace.  Grace is a young mother of 2 who lives in a small town on the coast of Maine in the late '40s.  As the coastline gets ravaged by a huge wildfire, Grace saves her children while their house burns to the ground.  Meanwhile, her husband is off with other men in the town trying to stop the fire.  Most of the book is about their life after the fire. 

Parts of the plot are sort of predictable, but there is some suspense and some romance (minimal, unfortunately).  While I wouldn't label this book as "gripping", I looked forward to reading it and had no trouble finishing it. 

One thing that is somewhat unique about this book is that it is written in present tense from Grace's perspective.  I am so used to reading fiction in past tense, that this took some getting used to, but once I got used to it, it was fine.  I can see this book making a very good movie as well. 

There you go!  Happy Reading!

:)Amy