News at Home: Overdid it a bit…
I had an amazing time on my Fitness retreat! Saturday night we took a sunset cruise, had drinks, got a little rowdy and danced our hearts out. I haven’t had a fun night like that in years! We were all incredibly tired the next day (we went to bed around 11pm, which isn’t that late!) but still showed up for our workouts and gave it our all. I will definitely do this again next year – it was such an amazing time.
So here’s where we get into how I overdid it a bit. After working out 6 times in 48 hours, you’d think I’d be taking a day off from the gym…. right? Nope! Monday one of the members from my gym who I’ve grown closer to was celebrating one year at Grit (<–the gym) and she asked me if I’d ride to celebrate with her. I couldn’t say no, we support each other so much – and I’m so glad I didn’t. I think it’s hard to convey to someone who isn’t part of this gym community, but we call it the #gritfam because we are like a family. So her ride to celebrate 1 year was AMAZING. Every bike was full and we were all there to support her and celebrate her accomplishment. I swear the energy in the room was incredible and I’m not exaggerating when I say I shed a few tears. It was powerful feeling like we were all riding our hearts out, not for ourselves but for Harmony. Anyway, it was great. And since I was there, I decided to also take Humpday, which is a butt and legs class.
Tuesday I really wanted to take this restorative yoga class, and since I was going for that anyway, I decided I might as well also take a spin class before hand.
Wednesday I used my 30 day free trial for Class Pass to try out a rowing class at a studio near me. I new I needed to do some low impact exercises and that sounded good. I planned to do that and then take a couple days off… but then I LOVED it. Such an incredible workout… and they had a 1 week free pass for newbies. So I didn’t want to waste that. So instead of taking a day off I went to a class on Thursday and Friday. Friday morning’s class was where it hit me that I had maybe overdone it a bit because while doing lunges it HURT. Not my muscles are sore hurt, but uh-oh this feels bad hurt. Thankfully I had a massage scheduled that morning as well and she spent 2.5 hours on me and now I’m feeling much better. And I canceled my Saturday workouts. Because that was when I realized that I had taken 16 classes in 10 days, without a single day to recover. Ooops. What can I say? I’m kind of addicted to exercise. I took yesterday off, but I’m back to a rowing class today 🙂
Besides working I had to work Monday and Tuesday – I had a training to attend (which I am not paid for Grr) on teaching Apple Coding at the elementary level. My principal has kind of put me in charge of setting up coding clubs next school year, since I hosted one for 3rd and 4th graders this past school year. It was informative (even though I DESPISE Apple) and I have ideas. But it’s one more thing on my plate. I pretty much stayed home and relaxed… been binge watching Jane the Virgin… the rest of the week.
On Friday I finally had my appointment with a plastic surgeon regarding removing excess skin. It went both good and bad. I’ll start with the good. Even though I still want to lose like 55-60 pounds, it seems that I don’t have much fat left on my body. The surgeon said that, with the exception of my calves and a little in my thighs, what I’m looking at is skin. Lots and lots of skin. So that’s good – I don’t have much weight to actually lose at this point. The bad? Well that much skin means lots of surgery. And he’s not available until after school starts back up, so I’m looking at December for my first of 3 surgeries. And it’s going to cost more than $17K. For the first surgery. I’m freaking out about the cost, but my husband and I talked about it at length and I’m going to do it. With the amount of skin I have, it’s really in the way of my reaching my goals. It sucks that insurance sees it as purely cosmetic, and thus won’t pay. I guess I could live like this, but I’ve done too much work to still look and feel overweight because of skin. I’m thinking I’m going to have to do some serious moonlighting over the next few years, though, to not feel suffocated by the cost. Especially since that’s just the first surgery.
Blog News
Bloggiesta started Friday and I’ve been blogging my heart out this weekend. I spent all day yesterday blogging and I’m not a good month ahead on posts. Today I’m focusing on cleaning up some of our categories – which is a long term project I have going on.
COYER’s first readathon ended Friday and I sucked at it. Bad. But today we kick of COYER SWITCH and I’m hoping to do a lot better with that.
My big goal this week is to do lots of visiting and replying to comments, since that’s still what I’m sucking most at.
#FitReaders Update
Obviously the working out has been going well 🙂 Food wise, I’m doing pretty good too. The scale hasn’t budged in the right direction all week, but I’m starting to be okay with that. I think visiting the plastic surgeon and realizing that I’m not carrying near as much fat as I thought I was is really helping with that.
So Sunday at the retreat, our final workout ended with yoga to stretch out sore muscles and also to do some meditation. When we were in Shavasana (lying on your back) at the end of the practice we just had some time to reflect on our weekend and all we had accomplished and y’all I started sobbing. I just was so overwhelmed by how great I felt.
I have worked hard for years — yes, I’ve lost 160 pounds in the past year, but I’ve lost a total of 300 pounds over the last 7 years — and I don’t think I ever really believed I’d actually get to this place. I’ve been struggling and overweight my entire life and have faced so many doctors who DIDN’T believe me when I told them I worked out and ate right. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve had my share of lazy days and crap eating – just not to the extent that I should I have ended up so overweight. So when I finally got a Dr. in 2011 who believed me and helped me fight my body, it was surreal. But it was still a struggle, because my body did not process food correctly.
Anyway I don’t think I ever believed I’d be someone who’s mind and body were actually in sync. That the athlete I’ve had inside – who wanted to be able to do things like run and jump and do burpees (which, BTW I did finally at the retreat and have done a few times since!!!) — would have the body that could do those things. So anyway, I was lying there in Shavasana, tired, sore and just so overcome with the fact that I’d just finished my 6th workout in 48 hours and yeah I was just so overwhelmed with the realization that I was THIS PERSON now that I started sobbing. I pulled it together by the end and I don’t think anyone noticed thankfully (I wasn’t ready to talk about it…) but that’s a moment I’m keeping with me every time I hit a struggle. I think it was the first time I’ve REALLY sat back and realized who I am now.
So yeah, a big weekend for me 🙂
Last Week on the Blog
- [19 Jun] Task It Tuesday! ~ Bloggiesta and Blog Ahead #Taskittues #bloggiesta
- [21 Jun] The Reading List ~ Summer June 21st – September 22nd 2018
- [21 Jun] Our Summer 2018 Mini #Bloggiesta Goals!
- [23 Jun] Ho Ho Hocus by Gina Wynn ★★★½
- [24 Jun] Sunday Post with Berls | Overdid it a bit…
- [24 Jun] Reverse Harem obsession, End of School and Blogging ~ WIR & SP
Coming Next Week From Me
Sunday
Sunday Post with Berls | Overdid it a bit…
Monday
Just a Few More In Death Books I Loved! #audioreview
Tuesday
Task it Tuesday
Oh, yeah, watch out on the exercise addiction, but as long as your being social about it. I got all caught up in myself with it once and basically shut everyone out and was exercising every spare minute of every day. It’s those endorphin rushes, I think. Ha ha. 🚴
About the skin thing. I lost a lot of weight in my early 30s and at first my skin was really saggy and I never even thought about surgery because I was back in college and my little sister was living with me, but anyway… over a two year and a little plus period of time my skin shrunk up quite a bit. I had to wear control garments (no spanx back then) for my little tummy pooch afterwards, but my butt was fine, and once I got some muscle in my upper arms they were pretty good (I always had Swedish housewife arms anyway and was used to wearing sleeves all the time). I think maybe if you wait a while you won’t need as much surgery? It’s just a thought. Spanx type garments are really light and they are amazing at firming things up. 💃
I hope you are having a wonderful week. I’m really late at getting around! 🌞
Haha yeah those endorphins are pretty great 🙂 I am really social about it though – it’s a huge part actually. Surprisingly, because I can be quite anti social lol.
So the areas I’m doing surgery on first have SO MUCH skin, I don’t think anything could firm them up but surgery. The areas that I’m leaving for later, though, might have a chance. I wouldn’t mind saving the money from additional surgery, that’s for sure!
Wow that’s quite the class load! I’ve been really curious about rowing. I have a hard time with high impact but rowing seems like such a good workout! Plus it’s a little different than the usual low impact workout. the coding club sounds so fun! The Tornado’s school has a few things like that for 4th and 5th and he’s really looking forward to being old enough to take part in that kind of thin. Hope you have a great week and are able to take it easy a bit.
Yeah, I did push it. My car is in the shop, so I’m about to see a huge decline in my classes.
Rowing is a great workout and so low impact. I recommend it for sure!
We’re hoping to have coding for all grade levels, and from the training I went to, it’s possible. Check out Tynker on the app store (apple iPad only I think), it’s geared for kids his age and he could get started right away 😁
Hope you’re week is off to a good start!
I am just so proud of you! Love you! And although it’s going to cost a lot for the surgery, it sounds like it’s mentally reassuring to know you are doing all the right things. Who knew skin could be such baggage – literally!
Haha right?! I spoke to the surgeons office today to secure a date and it looks like they’re actually going to be able to get me in at the end of the month! So yay! I mean I’m about to be beyond broke, but I’ll get rid of a ton of skin – going to do arms, breast and some thighs (thighs are going to take two rounds because of the amount of skin). I’m seriously nervous and excited.
Insurance is kind of a bummer like that. They won’t pay for my hearing aids even though my hearing loss is medically related (hole in ear drum). It sucks. But thats great that you don’t have much left to lose! I always think about things I spend money on-if its something that means this much to you, then the money will be well spent! While I hate paying my student loan bills, its the best money I ever spent so I write the check and move on!
Exactly! I mean it’s impossible not to be stressed about the amount, but after all the hard work I’ve done, it’s hard to imagine not doing this final step.
Wow, I can’t believe they won’t pay for your hearing aids! Insurance is a joke, I swear, they are almost useless.
It sounds like you accomplished lots this week Berls. Yes, insurance sucks. I love those In Death books so I am glad you are enjoying them. I want to participate more with Bloggiesta but my timing is always off. I worked a long day yesterday. Today I am working on the blog. I still want to learn more about how to control the layout of my facebook posts. And if I can even change the color of the text? Well I will get into it this week as I am off work until next Sunday. Anne – Books of My Heart
I know, timing can be rough. I wish I new an answer for you in Facebook… Maybe post the question in the bloggiesta FB group and see if anyone answers?
Good luck and have a great week 🙂
Insurance sucks that way. It really is a health issue for the skin to be remove because it weights you down and puts pressure on areas you are trying to take pressure off of. My kids insurance didn’t cover all the accessories for Julias foot so some of it we had to pay for and the meds he gave her wasn’t covered either. She might have to have surgery but I think we are going to wait until next year if that is the case. She is doing ok with the foot pads I got for her shoes.
You are doing awesome with the blogging, the kids aren’t out of school yet the first week in July we don’t have the kids so I should have time to do some blogging. I want to get at least a month ahead.
Let’s plan for a chat this week! 🙂 Have a great week, Berls! Happy Reading! ox
Insurance is awful and just makes me so angry. They want you to pay, but they will do all they can to avoid paying for what you need. I hope Julia ends up not needing surgery!!
Yes, let’s chat. I should be mostly available, if you want to just call 🙂 HUGS!
That really sucks that they see the after effects of weight lose as cosmetic and not a finish to the hard work that you put in to losing the weight. 🙁 I am so proud of you and wish I could do weight lose surgery but I could never afford it. Have a wonderful week!!!
Stormi oxox
I agree, especially since it’s not like I’m talking small amounts. Thank you Stormi, I hope something changes for you and you get to do it to. It makes all the difference having a little help.
Hugs!!!