28 September 2012

I Think I Can, I think I Can.....

Shifting gears, I'm moving on to a new stepping stone.  For years I've said I wanted to work on strength, flexibility and stamina.  And for years I've messed around with an on-again, off-again, love-hate relationship with various gyms and trainers.
So today I'm through my trial period and I jumped into Crossfit
I'm going to take it slow, as my surgeon recommended, and see how I do for a month.  If I do not hate it, I will continue.  My goal is twice a week, augmenting my walking schedule...

Which is seriously compromised these days by a flurry of busy-ness.  I did get a good walk in on Tuesday.  But once or twice a week isn't going to cut it for me.  I miss walking religiously, but can't seem to work it back into my schedule on a regular basis.  Priorities, priorities.

I am continuing with my modified paleo.  I slid off the road while on the cruise in early August, partaking in a couple of desserts.  It is a slippery slope, my friends.  Before I knew it I was putting honey in my tea and eating handfuls of dried fruit.  Granted, it's not slices of cake, but then I had some of that too.  I was able to maintain my weight, but I stopped losing... about 20 pounds too soon.  So I'll be heading back to Whole30 territory October 1.  Sugar is a huge psychological and physical trigger for me.  I need to just say no.  And eat more bacon.

Which brings us to my physical last week with my internist, Dr. T.  She was pleased with my weight, but not so pleased when I told her how I had changed my diet.  So we did a fasting blood test.  My cholesterol is HIGHER.  But wait! Before you go and blame the bacon, know that Tamoxifen raises cholesterol measures, and I'm still 15 points below the borderline range.  Also, like I said above, I've been eating a lot of sugar, and so my triglycerides are up too.  All in all, she was ok with my numbers.  I can only assume it will improve once I get the damn sugar monkey off my back.  (And drop some more body fat.)

I am chronically dehydrated.  I have been for years.  It's a coping mechanism developed from having a bladder the size of a lentil.  So I'm working on more water in frequents small amounts.

I had an interesting experience about a week ago.  I signed up for a new session of belly dancing at my local community center.  The teacher was different from the last session I took.  (More on that later.)
The teacher had her hand on my front and back, adjusting me and she asked if I was sick.  I said no.  So she asked if I recently had an illness.  I told her I had cancer last year and she said she felt it in my body - the surgical trauma, the chemo, and the struggle my body is fighting to come back from both.  Weird.  I don't think I look sick, so I'm not sure how she figured it out.  Sure my hair is short but I prefer to think of it a 'kicky' instead of post-chemo.  Do you think I look sick?

The teacher at the community center was less professional than the teacher in the summer session I attended.  So much so that I won't go back.  Instead I found a class that Bronwen teaches once a week just down the road.  I bought my punchcard and I'm back to doing shimmy drills rather than crunches.