Update

[Guest guest]

Touching base…

I've been out of the loop for a while, mostly because I've been crazy at work

and life in general. Fortunately, I think I can now see the light at the end of

the tunnel. ;-)

I started PT last week and have been on a stronger NSAID, which seems to be

helping heaps with my back/leg/nerve issue. The physical therapist is a little

perplexed with me, though, and thinks my symptoms are stemming from my back, but

we're still not sure. Still, she has me do an elliptical bike for 10 minutes,

then I do stretching (with a yoga strap of all things! - and yes, I've gone out

and bought one for $7 at Target), then I do some work on a stability ball and

then I do additional weight exercises also with the stability ball. The goal,

as you've probably already guessed, is to strengthen my core. The thing is, the

PT keeps having to make things more challenging for me, because my core is

already very strong and she says that my flexibility is above average. But

beyond that, she told me last night that she's also helping me with posture

(which I didn't realize until she said it), which should also (hopefully) help

with the nerve issue. So far I've been feeling much better, and I'm keeping my

fingers crossed that this was just a passing thing.

But the good news is… I most likely won't have any exercise restrictions once

I'm done with PT! This is according to both the spine doc and the PT. Of

course, they both reminded me (and keep reminding me) that I don't have to keep

pushing myself so hard to get results. They've mentioned often enough that I'm

already in very good shape and that my weight is ideal, so my goal should be to

stay in shape and not necessarily work toward becoming more ripped or just

*more* anything. They just want me " to keep it up " . They also keep mentioning

that form is absolutely key, and that I should focus on my back alignment and

posture with respect to the rest of my body as I move, which is one reason why

I'm diving right back into yoga once I'm done with all of this before I venture

out with other workouts. It's a small thing that I never really paid attention

to, but now realize how critical it is. And that goes for any exercise I pursue

from here on in. Hunching, hyperextending, locking knees… whatever it is, it

can affect your spine. And over the long-term, damage can occur. Lesson

learned, definitely.

As for all this talk about logging food… I used to do it and hated it. But, it

taught me about portion control and, as a result, I've become more in tune with

how much I can eat and when. And I also try to use the 80% rule (I can't

remember which culture uses it - an Asian one, maybe?). You stop eating once

you feel 80% full. The reason you do this is because by the time your brain

gets the message that you're full, it's already too late. How interesting is

that? I also learned a neat trick from my meditation practice. A meditator I

was reading about mentioned that you should try carrying over your meditation

into your daily eating. Slow down, savor the aromas and tastes and sights, and

make each bite a full-blown experience even as it passes down your throat and

into your stomach. Just a little tidbit I thought I'd share, because I know at

times I have a tendency to rush, and that's all kinds of bad when trying to keep

an eye on eating habits. Plus, I learned to enjoy my food all the more!

But, and this is a BIG but… I'm never giving up Oreos (I allow myself 2-3 at

night, a few times a week). And I'm never giving up red wine. Nuh uh. Never

gonna happen. And no, I never have the two together. I tried it once. It

tasted really, really bad.

Okay, so excuse the long-winded message and thanks for reading if you've lasted

this long. I'm just trying play catch-up!

(off to read more posts…)

-Terri-