Walking...it does a body good!

Finally...the weather has started to cooperate and act (a little) like spring here!  I've spent the last two years working out within the walls of ALIVE- I either went on the treadmill, rode the recumbent bike or trained with Ben.  The closure has made me go outside my comfort zone a bit and start doing something different...so, on Tuesday, Holly and I went for a walk in Fish Creek...and what a walk it was!  I've lived so close to Fish Creek for the past almost SEVEN years and have only ventured there to have picnics, and weenie roasts and stuff like that...


And boy did we walk...8 KM in fact!  Holly had her Nike + I-pod application running and we logged everything  from how fast we were going, to how far we had gone, to how long it took us.  I think it took us  90 mins - but am not sure if that's an accurate number.  I have never walked that far in my life and it felt awesome to have done it...I felt like I had accomplished something huge.  I have plans to go twice this week - Monday and Wednesday evening...below is a map of Fish Creek - it doesn't really show where we walked on Tuesday evening though...we started at Voiter's Flatts and walked all the way to Glenfield - and around and up the hill to Canyon Meadows Drive - then walked along there and then walked back down into the park and back up to Voiter's Flatts...


Here is a link to the map to the park - it shows more of where we walked:


http://www.tpr.alberta.ca/parks/fishcreek/PDF/fcpp%20map.pdf


I did come up against one obstacle this week...my body.  I woke up on Wednesday - I knew that I would be stiff from the walking adventure the evening before - but what I wasn't prepared for was the swelling in my hands and elbows...and it scared me.  I couldn't understand why this was happening.  I went through most of the day feeling not so great - tired, headache, and even had a slight fever.  I went to a class that evening and got through it.  I thought the workout would help make me feel better - and it did momentarily - then when I got home - the pain was incredible...I even had pain in my stomach - I hurt everywhere...I went upstairs to my bed and layed down and cried my head off.  I kept thinking over and over in my head "Why am I doing this??!"  "I don't want to do this anymore - I'm sick of my body and my limitations"  "Why can't I do as much as everyone else can?!"  "My body is giving up - I want to give up"  Then - all of a sudden I stopped crying and realized why I am doing this...I want to be happy...I want to be healthy...I want to see Maggie graduate from high school and University...I just want to be HAPPY... - I just kept saying that over and over to myself.  Once I got over my pity party I realized that I my body is going to rebel on me from time to time and I just need to learn how to deal with it.  I am strong and independent and will get through this.  I just need to believe in myself and believe in what I am capable of.  So for the rest of the week - whenever I felt  the pain in my knees or feet or anywhere else for that matter, I just told myself that I control the pain - it does not control me.


The scale has been fairly nice to me this week - I lost 1.4 lbs...which is right on track with my 1-2 pounds a week.  Considering it was that time of the month, and I did have some stress throughout the week, I am happy with it!  I had a great Easter - and had a great time with my family.  We went to a buffet and I managed to only eat one plate of food.  Before my lapband, I would eat probably two plates FULL.  I do feel that I am getting hungry more quickly again - and will need a fill again soon.  I see Dr. Church on May 19th for my second fill and am looking forward to it.  I bought a new top a couple of weeks ago - it's a 2X!  I was wearing between a 2-3XL but now am finally into a 2XL for good.  The 3XL hangs on me and looks silly...I am also wearing a size 22 in my jeans.  At this rate, I might be in my goal of size 18-20 before my 40th birthday!  I'm excited...


Hold on tight!  It's gonna be a crazy week!