Day Two

I am sitting here on my couch, leg propped up, looking out of my window at the joggers flying by.  It is sort of depressing.  I never loved running, but I do miss it, yet even if my knee feels 100% better after this, it would be foolish to put that kind of stress on a surgery that probably has a shelf life.

Rather than dwelling on what I can't do, I will instead be attempt to be proud of myself for the fact that I am sitting downstairs instead of up in bed.  I am down to one crutch, which means I can carry my own cup of coffee over to the couch.  Yesterday I went to music class with the girls, and the day before I managed to go to school pick up.  These are HUGE milestones, considering I was told that this surgery is incredibly difficult to recover from.  Each thing I am able to do means I am one step closer to being able to take care of my girls again.

So no, I will never be out there jogging on a Saturday morning, but by the time my daughter starts sports camp in July, I bet I am able to walk to the park with her, and that is pretty amazing too.

Day 1

While the temptation was strong to start this project on Monday, I think that leaves me a weekend of making bad decisions on purpose, so today is go day.  I will do weigh-ins every Friday, and include some pictures so I can track if my body is changing even if the scale is not.

Because the point of this is to change my lifestyle, not just my weight, I would like to document the positive decisions I make during the day, both physical and nutritionally.  So you don't have to stare at my food log, I am going to keep that on a separate page.  It is there is you want to read it, but just skip it if you don't.  

So, without further ado, today begins with a weigh in and a few photos.

Please excuse the mess in the background.  Cleaning up isn't exactly high on the list of priorities at the mo.

Hello, I guess?

Yet another mom blog.  But wait, don't go.  Seven years ago, while working as a firefighter, I completely destroyed my knee.  Since then I have had four surgeries, two children, and a whole lot of food-as-medication.  On the day of my injury, my weight was somewhere around 160 pounds, but on the day of my most recent surgery, my weight was up around 190.

I am now three weeks post op, and though I am still on crutches, I feel mentally strong enough to put down the pizza and start working towards getting control of my life and my health.  Since surgery, I have lost a bit of weight (183) but that is pretty much just muscle atrophy as I am really not allowed to do much.  My goal is to hit 150 by September, and while it is a big leap, I think it is doable.

For now, I am a bit stuck eating whatever my husband can manage to toss on the table in between working two jobs, cleaning the house, and caring for the kids, but once I am able to cook again, my plan is to loosely follow the Forks over Knives guide to eating.  This is basically a vegan diet, which is going to be a serious overhaul for my pasta and cheese loving, fruit and vegetable hating self.  Why so drastic?  I am overweight, I have high cholesterol, and I want to set a good example for my girls.  I want them to see a mom with a healthy attitude towards food-as-fuel.  I don't have a history of success with diet modification, so this time I am trying lifestyle and mindset modification.

I also want them to see a mom who exercises for pleasure, not for some kind of punishment.  I am going to experiment with different forms of exercise until I find something that makes me feel happy.

I would be honored and thrilled if you followed me on this journey and occasionally sent some words of encouragement my way.  In return, I promise to be completely honest about this journey, warts and all.