When I was a child, I remember adults would say about people, "Hmm, guess their sins finally found them out, huh?" (especially when someone got a measure of comeuppance). I can't remember if my mother or either of my grandmothers would use that phrase as a guilt trip when they were sure I was hiding something ... heck, probably all three.
But as much as I hated hearing it, there is a kernel of truth in that saying .... and in this case, the things I didn't bother to track or care about this week showed up on the scale en masse. Nothing I could do but claim them as my own. I mean really, what other choice do I have? I made good decisions (workouts, and eating good meals, mostly), but what derailed me were those little things: not tracking, indulging in the more-than-occasional treat because "it's been a rough week"....
Well, guess what? This past week was easy compared to the upcoming week's agenda. I could easily give up this week: I have more time- and energy-grabbers than you would believe: just regular work, choir practice, a special service Thursday night, a holiday party on Friday night, a 5K on Saturday, AND a concert on Sunday. But I'm not going to wallow in it ...... no, instead, I have a plan!
A) Work out at least four times this week -- this worked for me last week, even if it meant squeezing in two workouts in one day. So the plan is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday's 5K. YAY ME! Plus I will be doing a small workout later today (just cardio, but still moving!) and maybe get in one on Friday..... nothing too
B) Plan better meals -- right now, I have 7 chicken breasts cooked and ready to use this week. I have Brussels sprouts roasting in the oven and will be roasting some sweet potato chunks as well. I have some steamed green beans I can use as well. And I have a slew of various other veggies and veggie mixes in the freezer. I have apples. I have oatmeal for breakfast if the cereal runs out and frozen lean breakfasts as well. It's all good.
C) Stress eating. Oh yeah, and I'm not even talking about the holidays. The holidays? Bah. No match for regular everyday stress. But I'm not going to allow it to derail my thinking. I have a secret weapon: Hershey's Special Dark miniatures. I'm going to allow myself one per day, most likely as lunch's little dessert.
With a plan in place, I know I will be successful!
***
Now for good news this week on the medical front..... I met with the cardiologist to review the results from my holter monitor and the echocardiogram. He was concerned because the holter shows I do have a slow heart rate overall, but the echocardiogram doesn't show any structural issues with my heart.
I actually sighed, very deeply, in relief. I had really wondered what might transpire. I knew that the very worst they could tell me was "yes you have an arrythmia and you'll need a pacemaker" ... or "you have a faulty valve and will need heart surgery." Scary concepts either way, but in my mind that was the worst they could say. So I was prepared for anything. I almost wasn't prepared to hear the good news.
Then he suggested doing a Tilt Table test. Since the heart is sound, it could be a fault in the circulatory system where my system doesn't re-balance as quickly as it should. One nice thing about Dr. M (cardiologist): he's thorough and explains things very well. So he explained how the body works to keep blood pressure even throughout the body at all times ... fascinating! I then mentioned that Dr. Y (primary care) wants to get me on certain meds for the sluggish thyroid and HRT issue. Dr. M's eyes lit up and he said, "YES! YES! Tell you what, see her again and get started on these. I'll see you again in three months and if things are looking better, I won't even bother with the Tilt Table test." In another mini-science lesson, I learned that apparently, there can be a correlation between hormonal imbalance and cardiovascular issues. WHO KNEW? (Not me, that's who!).
As much as I am not a fan of HRT, for my heart health, I'll do it.
So we'll see how things go from there!
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