(A couple of affiliate codes in this post.)
I didn’t (and usually don’t) make New Year’s “resolutions,” per se. And because I’m stubborn and overworked and frequently shiny-squirreled in about a gazilion different directions at any time, it usually takes me a while to get on any given bandwagon.
Ever since Weight Watchers stopped supporting the little fitness doohicky I was using a couple of years ago (hence why I cancelled my subscription to the WW site) I’ve been using a Fitbit Flex. Love the little thing. But despite its amazeballs interface (including the ability to track food–HELLOOO–free of charge right there IN the fricking app, suck it, WW) I was sort of hit and miss about tracking my food intake. One of the things I do love about it is the ability to see my sleep patterns, since problems getting into and maintaining a deep sleep are tied into my fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (and which amplifies my pain levels).
Add to this we’ve had a REALLY wonky bathroom scale. It was, admittedly, a cheap one, digital, but you could stand on the little bastard three times in succession and it’d literally give you three different answers.
Because Hubby’s in Medicare now and there’s some sort of Silver Sneakers program he’s in, they gave him a free digital scale and it e-mails him updates and adds info to his online account. Problem is, it’s one of those that you can ONLY use it for one person because it syncs to your account, and not via bluetooth, either. It’s like the old Kindles, that kind of thing.
Yeeeeaaaah.
So, fuck it, I ordered me a new digital scale, and that little bastard is bluetooth, and syncs to my Fitbit account, and the Apple Health app, among others, and can do up to 10 people (but we only have the two of us so that’s kind of overkill), but that’s beside the point. (It was on sale for $30 less when I got it, but it looks like the price has gone up as of writing this post.)
I naow haz techie scale.
And you’d better believe I strip all the fucking way down to full nekkid and wait to weigh myself until after I poop.
#notstupid
#delayedTMIwarningsorry
Over the holidays, I put on a couple of pounds despite an ongoing battle with chronic pain nausea (I’ve been going through ginger and peppermint essential oils like it’s fricking water.) because, hello, holidays. So I’m still about 26 pounds from my final goal. (Yes, I could have embraced the suck and just lived on Gatorade and cheese sticks for the past several weeks, but that’s not really healthy. I don’t recommend the chronic pain nausea weight loss plan to anyone.)
Problem is, I don’t get a lot of exercise. I do have a balance ball chair, which helps with my back pain somewhat, but I usually can’t get out to the gym to “work out” because of my pain. No, walking around here isn’t an option because we live in a rural area, on a busy road with no sidewalks.
And I can’t do cardio or heavy, intensive workouts because it’ll crash me into a flare, or it causes me more issues with my cardiac problems or with my arthitis. With the cold snaps we’re getting right now, it’s only made my pain worse. There are days I’m barely able to walk, and if I have to go out somewhere, I’m medicating myself so I can remain vertical. (No, not opioids, I can’t take those because they make me nauseous and I’m already nauseous enough, TYVM. OTC stuff, essential oils, Flexeril, and Xanax. Doesn’t take away all the pain but it’s a combo of toning it down enough I can function and not care that I’m hurting as badly as I’m hurting.)
This means, for now, since exercise really isn’t in the cards for me, I’m focusing on the other end of things, being mindful of my caloric intake, logging everything. I also picked up an el cheapie digital food scale for measuring things like the cashews I love to snack on that we buy in bulk, things like that.
But I’m making a concerted effort to plug everything–especially water intake, because I’m bad about not drinking enough water–into my Fitbit app. And I like that it tells me calories I’ve burned versus calories taken in, giving me a running total of how many calories I have left based on my activity levels.
It’s all baby steps. Especially when juggling chronic health issues. But I also know I’m not getting any younger, and the longer I wait to try to get this extra weight off, the harder it’ll be.
What kind of steps are you taking to take care of yourself? Big or small, doesn’t matter.
- What am I reading?
- Now available: Almost Gothic (Rusty and Eliza’s story)
- Available for pre-order: Empty-Handed Heart
- Now available on all sites: Love Slave for Two: Resilience (book 5)
- Now in print.
Coming Soon | Spreadsheet of Buy Links | Series Info | Audiobooks
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Tymber’s Amazon Author Page | Lesli’s Amazon Author Page
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Hubby’s Amazon Author Page as Jon Dalton
Hubby’s Amazon Author Page as Haley Jordan
Keep taking the baby steps. I’m dancing in my seat for both of us. I also can’t walk like I used to due to a hip going bad. This winter has been murder, either cold or damp to cause arthritis flairs. Watching intake does work as I’ve lost 9.5 lbs since the beginning of December just by watching my food. Keep up the good fight.
I have not been walking like I was before the holidays but I have been watching my food intake as well as doing things like parking farther away when I go to the store. My weather app now tells me the optimum time to walk so I hope to start again this week! Like you, I agree that taking care of myself is important. With my diabetes and heart issues, it is imperative.
I agree with Pam B, ANYTHING you do no matter how small will help in the long run. Just keep going forward! I also have the no sidewalk issue and it snowed last week, so (this may sound weird, sorry!) I walk in circles around my kitchen island while reading. Yes, I’m literally going in circles, hah! (My cat even growls at me as I go by.) However it helps me to meet my walking goals and I’ve even got my Mom doing it too! What can I say, weird family doing their best to stay healthy.
I’m late to this post but wanted to add that I too call my scale ‘the little bastard’ and Perfect Portions was a miracle for me. $4.50 and a little booklet. I just put the amount of food they say I can have in those cups and viola, it really worked for me. And thanks to you for mentioning essential oils. I purchased some roll-ons and some with a diffuser. Wow! I love how the peppermint makes me feel. Positivity for me is key to staying in better shape. Finally, being a hard health time for me dad, and seeing to his needs, it’s been really difficult emotionally. As someone who went through an eating disorder years earlier, I remain conscious of not falling into that trap, and one thing I try not to do is emotionally eat.
Your stories have been a beacon through a really dark time. That’s a major positivity boost right there.
PS- carbs are the killer. Perfect Portions showed me how little we actually should get daily. Dang! That was the major change I needed, and really saw results in a healthy, well-balanced way.
Many Blessings,
Ann