Here's my story:
I was a dancer and cheerleader in high school. I worked out in high school and college. I maintained a 110-115 pound figure until grad school. Then I became a Perfusionist. Perfusionists run the heart-lung machines in the cardiac OR while the surgeon performs heart surgery. The cases were long. REALLY long. You can't leave the OR in the middle of a case unless there happens to be someone who can give you a break. When you're on call or working after hours, there's no one there to give you a break. You can do 10 ,12, 18 hour cases by yourself with no break for food, drink or potty. So you eat when you can. And you pick things that are quick to prepare (ie. no lines in the cafeteria), quick to eat (no salads) and will sit in your stomach hours longer than it should. On top of that call adds an additional glitch. You can't get into a work out schedule. I mean you can try, but as soon as you're on call you're working all hours of the day and night with no regular sleep schedule. You sleep and eat when you can. Call didn't last a day for me, it lasted 1-2 weeks sometimes 3 weeks at a time. So working out was hit or miss. I tried to run figuring that was something I didn't really have to schedule. I even got super high tech Nike Shox. But whenever I'd run, I'd get pains. Pains in my shins, ankles, hips, knees. Not pains because of running, but pains from biomechanical issues. It felt like things were catching or pinching or not hitting right. So of course that led to less working out.
I got a different job (doing the same thing, but better hours) and actually got into a workout routine. And then I got pregnant...
That's at about 8-9 weeks.
And the dreaded exhaustion struck. I decided naps were more important than step class. And then work got busier. And working out became a thing of the past. I tried to get out and walk because I started to swell really bad during my pregnancy. And then I developed Pregnancy Induced Hypertension and Pre-Eclampsia. I was up to 165 pounds when I went in to be induced.
That was baby's eviction day.
About 8 pounds was baby, and the other 22 pounds was fluid. I didn't recognize my hands and feet when I came home from the hospital after having my daughter. I then fell into the new baby cycle - sleep when baby sleeps. When your spouse gets the same amount of time off that you do, it's an easy cycle to get trapped in without any routine occurring in your household. It made it hard to figure out what time of day it was let alone when to go workout. Also having a c-section, I was sore! Just walking from the parking garage to the doctors office was tiring and challenging. I couldn't even think of 15 minutes on the elliptical.
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| From Pruett Family |
That's at about 8-9 weeks.
And the dreaded exhaustion struck. I decided naps were more important than step class. And then work got busier. And working out became a thing of the past. I tried to get out and walk because I started to swell really bad during my pregnancy. And then I developed Pregnancy Induced Hypertension and Pre-Eclampsia. I was up to 165 pounds when I went in to be induced.
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| From Pruett Family |
That was baby's eviction day.
About 8 pounds was baby, and the other 22 pounds was fluid. I didn't recognize my hands and feet when I came home from the hospital after having my daughter. I then fell into the new baby cycle - sleep when baby sleeps. When your spouse gets the same amount of time off that you do, it's an easy cycle to get trapped in without any routine occurring in your household. It made it hard to figure out what time of day it was let alone when to go workout. Also having a c-section, I was sore! Just walking from the parking garage to the doctors office was tiring and challenging. I couldn't even think of 15 minutes on the elliptical.
Once back at work, my hours were longer, and then I got home and dealt with baby. I was better with her about getting her out for walks because we had a nanny who made me feel guilty for never taking her out. But the walks weren't like miles, just strolls around the block. Eventually, I tried rollerblading again. I love rollerblading. But again, never got in a habit. And work began to suck the life out of me again with so many transplants while on call. You know it's bad when you're on call for a week and you do over 7 transplants in that week. My daughter turned 1 and I hated how I looked in those pictures.
Soon I discovered the prospect of a teaching job at my grad school - teaching students how to be perfusionists. By September of 2010 we were moving to Arizona. We went to Disneyland right before we moved and I looked like an elephant in the pictures. My legs were ginormous. I was always proud of my muscular legs, but there was a layer of fat on them! Not to mention my giant muffin top.
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| From Ryleigh's 1st bday |
Soon I discovered the prospect of a teaching job at my grad school - teaching students how to be perfusionists. By September of 2010 we were moving to Arizona. We went to Disneyland right before we moved and I looked like an elephant in the pictures. My legs were ginormous. I was always proud of my muscular legs, but there was a layer of fat on them! Not to mention my giant muffin top.
I had to go shopping for a new wardrobe since I was used to wearing yoga pants and scrubs and now needed professional attire. I used to wear size 2-4 in college. After my daughter I was up to size 8-10. And I was up to 148 pounds at my highest. Some might think that's a normal person's size. And I think it's an okay size. But for me at 5'1" and very muscular, it's not flattering for me to be that size. At our new apartment complex I started waking up early to work out. And I did really good at going 4-5 times a week for 45 minutes on the elliptical. Gotta start somewhere. And then I got a bad bout of bronchitis.
The bronchitis lasted a really long time. It was coupled with the flu at some point. All I know is I was sick from right after Christmas 2010 to February of 2011. I was at the doctor 3 times. Each time seeing a different doctor (which probably wasn't the best, but with the holidays it was what was available). Every time I went to the doctor my heart rate was sky high (think over 120) and my blood pressure was elevated. Each time I had to have a EKG which showed sinus tachycardia (my heart was pumping normally, just really fast). They chalked it up to white coat syndrome, which I still get. One of the doctors ordered a STAT CT scan to rule out a pulmonary embolism. I was 28 years old and they're thinking I had a blood clot stuck in my lung?! I see how my symptoms could lead someone to think that, but I knew better. That was kind of a defining moment for me, waiting for the radiologist to review the CT scan to clear me to go home. If they saw something they'd ambulance me to the ER! Thankfully it was clear and we found out later it was just chronic post nasal drip that required a special antihistamine. But from that moment on, I made 2011 about me. About getting me healthy and happy with myself again.
In October of 2010 we did the Susan B Komen Race for the Cure 5K walk. I'll admit - that walk killed me. It was 3 miles of walking and I was dying by the end. That told me how out of shape I was.
But I also discovered something that probably changed my life for the better - Vibram Five Fingers. My dad had been an early adopter of the shoes and the minimalist running stuff. Before the Komen race he'd been wearing them for about a year prior to that. I really saw how they allow ALL the muscles in his leg to work together. My husband and I were so intrigued, not long after the race we both went out and bought a pair. He got the Bikilas and I got the KSOs.
My dad and his red KSOs.
We mainly wore them as everyday shoes on the nights and weekends. We went on walks just to try out our shoes. And I started to wear mine to my morning workout sessions at the apartment workout center. I discovered I had no pains when exercising, it all felt very natural when wearing the shoes.
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| From 2010_10 October |
But I also discovered something that probably changed my life for the better - Vibram Five Fingers. My dad had been an early adopter of the shoes and the minimalist running stuff. Before the Komen race he'd been wearing them for about a year prior to that. I really saw how they allow ALL the muscles in his leg to work together. My husband and I were so intrigued, not long after the race we both went out and bought a pair. He got the Bikilas and I got the KSOs.
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| From 2010_10 October |
My dad and his red KSOs.
We mainly wore them as everyday shoes on the nights and weekends. We went on walks just to try out our shoes. And I started to wear mine to my morning workout sessions at the apartment workout center. I discovered I had no pains when exercising, it all felt very natural when wearing the shoes.
I started Jenny Craig in March of 2011 with my parents. They'd done it before the prior year with great success. I was very good about following the meal plans. I was also using the Body Media arm band. It was a great tool. And the weight melted off. Now by this time we had moved into our dream house. And life was good. I was loving teaching. Loving not being sick anymore. And loving the fact that I could see remnants of my old body starting to peek through again. But by 138 pounds or so I started to reach a plateau. I tried to rollerblade again. I love rollerblading. But I wasn't burning enough calories according to the Body Media device. So I knew I needed to start running to see results. And then I thought of my "running shoes" - the Vibrams!
I know when you start training in Vibram's you're supposed to start slow, only use them for 10% of your normal run then build up, etc. But I'd been kicking around in those shoes for months! My lower calf muscles were used to them by now, and besides when my "normal run" is not even a block, I'm pretty sure that's close to zero. So I strapped on the shoes and went running. And that's when it all started.
I'm going to cross post from a prior journal. This journal is for me and my workout/ weight loss journey, so I wanted to put all of that in one place.
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