At The Starting Gate

So this will be my official Week One of getting back on my wagon. Yesterday was my last day at my job, and today I have no more excuses for focusing on my health and my weight.  That was the number one reason James and I decided I would stay at home.  The fun stuff- like getting my Etsy shop going again- is going to come second right now although I will be working towards that as well every day.

I can report that my blood pressure is getting down to normal finally.  I am not sure if it's the medication or the fact that I don't have the stress of the job hanging over me anymore.  It's been slowly working it's way lower and lower.  It's been in the 140's over the 100's for the past week, down from the 160's over the 120's the previous week.  This morning it was 128 over 88.  I haven't seen a number in the 120's in years.  Also curious, I've lost 8 pounds in two weeks, without even starting my exercise or any change in my eating habits.  I know it is due to the diuretic in the blood pressure medicine, but those are 8 pounds I have been clinging to for probably two years now.  Amazing that all it took was going to the doctor and getting my health issues taken care of.

Now the rest is up to me- to keep my blood pressure steady in the normal range, and to lose the rest of the weight.  I have two doctors I will be seeing regularly- my family physician who is looking after my blood pressure, and a specialist who will be monitoring my internal issues that landed me in the hospital in the first place.  My family physician has given me the typical laundry list of what to do and not to do: overhaul my diet (less processed foods, more fresh fruits and veggies and lots of water, less caffeine, less salt), exercise EVERY day for at least 45 minutes (and she said no skipping even one day), no eating out, and of course continue taking my medicine even if I start to feel better.  I am notorious for slacking off on my meds as time goes by, but obviously that isn't the wisest choice!  Certainly my immediate goal is to not end up in the ER again any time soon.

I have scoped out several places to walk outside in Newnan- we don't have the luxury of great parks here in our small town- but while we are still enjoying cool spring weather I want to be outdoors.  I do have my treadmill in the basement and I will absolutely be using that as well. This week, the forecast is for rain every day.  I am not unhappy with that, after all the new trees and plants we've put in the ground lately. So as soon as I have clear skies, I'll be outside walking, at least twice a day.  In the meantime it will have to be NCIS reruns in front of the treadmill. 

I didn't get to my Weight Watchers meeting last week the way I had planned, I was happily working out in the yard all morning instead.  But I will be there this week, standing there when the door opens.  I actually am looking forward to it very much!

SANDY

Hello Again!

Wow it has been a super long time since I was on here.  A whole year, that is crazy.  I wanted to get the blog started back up again, because I'm at a crossroads in my life.  Due to a recent hospital scare that revealed stroke level blood pressure (260/170), my husband and I made the decision that I would step away from my current job and stay at home.

My weight has pretty much stayed at a steady 220-225 for so long now, it's ridiculous.  But a life filled with spending my days behind a desk, letting fatigue be my excuse for not exercising and cooking right, has led me here.  Or rather, I've led me here.  My choices, my decisions.

On Wednesday I will go back to my old friend Weight Watchers, and step through the doors for the first meeting in a very long time.  My old leader Marci is still there.  I have one more week of working full time, then I will be devoting all my energy and efforts into my new job- losing weight and taking care of myself and learning to cook healthy for both of us.

I will be 47 this year, and I think about how quickly my fifties will be here.  My health grows worse with every passing year- more aches and pains, less energy, more chronic ailments.  Obviously I need to make drastic changes in my lifestyle NOW, because the way I'm "living" seems to only be contributing to an earlier death.

I will spend the next week or so cleaning up this blog- updating stats, going through the old blogs I used to read, and setting this up on a new template.  I am happy to be back!!  And I promise to get my other old blog rolling again as soon as I can!

SANDY  

Florida- March 2013