Blackunicorn's Journal

[Blackunicorn]

Okay, I haven't had a lot of time to read other journals, but I'm hoping that if I do this it will help me stay on track. I'm not going to be weighing myself, because I tend to get very depressed when I gain weight, and I've been down this road so many times before. For some reason, whenever I try to lose weight, I gain, no matter how much excercise I get, and no matter what I'm eating. So I'm just going to focus on making sure I get excercise and eat right, adding vegetables to my diet because I know I don't get enough. I *was* trying to start adding excercise to my schedule slowly in the hopes that it would be easier for me to find time, but that hasn't worked so today I just decided to do what it took to get some excercise in and figure out a schedule later.

Today I walked, my DH says for 30 minutes, but my pedometer says 21. The pedometer could be off, I haven't figured it out yet. It said I walked .81 miles, 2050 steps, 2.3 miles per hour (I think) and burned 46 calories. Boy that's depressing.

An interesting note--my right foot burned at the end. I have plantar fasciitis, but I've been going to physical therapy and I thought I was past the worst of it. I don't know how I'll do at WDW if I can't even do a half hour on my feet. I hope I didn't undo any of the progress I've made. I did my therapy stretches, but it didn't make it feel any better.

Yoga tomorrow. I love yoga.

 

[Blackunicorn]

I'm very sad. There was no yoga today because the instructor was sick. So I didn't get my yoga, and I've been down all day. I did get in a walk--23 minutes. No pedometer, because I wasn't planning on walking and didn't pick it up. Lots more pain in my right foot. I wonder what's going on there? I've been exceptionally good about making sure to do what the physical therapist told me to do. Physical therapy tomorrow, so I'll talk to my therapist about it.

Well, excercise two days in a row. I'm still on plan.

 

[kimwim8]

Welcome to the WISH journals! You're headed in the right direction.

And congrats on exercising 2 days in a row, even with your foot hurting. I would thing yoga would be a lot easier on your feet. Maybe you could buy a video/DVD to use at home when as a backup to the class? Especially if you love it.

Take care, and keep on journaling. We're all here trying to be healthier...so jump on in!

 

[Blackunicorn]

Well, I'm about ready to cry. The physical therapist pretty much told me that I shouldn't be walking. She said that my best bet would be a stationary bike or swimming, something that isn't weight-bearing on my feet. Which, of course, means I have to spend more money to lose weight. At the discounted rate of $4 an admission to the pool, I can spend $28 a week to go to the pool, or buy a stationary bike, or not exercise every day. I could also buy a regular bike, but I have terrible balance and fall over a lot, which I don't think would be enjoyable.

Update: Forgot to post the little exercise I did. I did 5 minutes on a recumbant bike at the therapist's, just something that they let me do so I could see if I liked it. (I'm so happy that these are nice people.) I did a tiny little bit of yoga, more to stretch sore muscles than any real exercise, but it made me feel better.

 

[kimwim8]

I'm so sorry you've hit this hurdle.

Keep your head up, keep eating right, and do what you can do for exercise. I have no idea how much a stationary bike costs, but $28/week seems steep. Is that unlimited use of the pool? Do you think you'd get your money's worth out of that?

Take care, and take it one day at a time.

 

[lindalinda]

I would search the newspaper ads for a used stationary bike. this is just about the time of year for people to start selling them. Also there are stores where I live called "Play it Again Sports" that sell used equipment pretty cheaply. You might try a rowing machine also, those are cardio and wouldnt bother your feet. Check with your health insurance coverage and see if there is any coverage that would pay for swimming. We have a few health clubs here that are run by the hospitals and have swimming pools for therapy. Dont give up, you'll find something.

 

[Blackunicorn]

My wonderful, smart DH figured this out before I did, and took me around looking for stationary bikes at goodwill. We didn't find anything yet, but it seems to be a step in the right direction. I'm frustrated that I seem to be stopping just as I was getting started, but at least there's somewhere for me to go forward again, when we find the right equipment.

It didn't occur to me to look into a monthly membership at the pool. Though, the pool is far enough away that I think I would be less likely to use it. That's why I liked walking so much--it's something you can *always* do, and it doesn't cost me anything extra. But now I feel better, and I think we'll get it figured out.

 

[NYcpa]

Welcome to journaling. I can sympathize with you on not being able to walk. I completed the WDW half in January and was planning on doing the Minnie 15K in May but my foot is currently is a surgical boot after having a cortisone shot today.

I miss the Rockies. I lived in Missoula Montana for 10 years between 1976 and 1987. I would like to go back some day and take my youngest (almost 20) and show her where she spent the first year of her life.

Don't push too fast or it will take you foot longer to heal. Hope you are able to find an exercise bike.

 

[eeyore25]

Hi there,

Welcome to journaling..you are on the right track. Sorry to hear that you hit the walking hurdle. There are plenty of other things that you can do though!

Great idea for checking Goodwill for a bike....I would never have thought of that.

Keep up the good work and welcome again!

Happy Friday!

 

[Blackunicorn]

Physical therapy again today, and my regular therapist was back. He gently suggested that I put off beginning an exercise program. (I believe that his exact words were, "Stop it.") He feels that I should wait until my foot is healed completely. It sounds sensible, but I'm working against two things: the urgency to get started so that I know I won't keep putting it off, and the fact that I've been dealing with this problem for over a year. I have *got* to at least get a little bit more fit before Disney in September, or I'll be in a wheelchair again, and that was no fun at all. (Even though it got us to the front of the lines most of the time.)

So he kindly allowed me some time on the recumbent bike--ten minutes. Unfortunately, I hadn't dressed with this in mind, so I was wearing my jeans. I was not comfortable at all, but I did it. I'll do a little bit of yoga before bed.

 

[taeja71]

Hi Dawn! Its Tae Ja your fellow cruiser! Can you do chair exercises that would take the pressure off of your foot? I'm glad you can do Yoga.I keep wanting to type Yoda. Any way. Keep your spirits up and keep on WISHing. Hey, can I be your DIS sister if you end up getting a wheelchair?

 

[Jane E.]

Welcome to the WishBoards! I know how you feel about those darn heel spurs. I had them a few years ago. I suffered with them for a couple of years because I refused to get help. That is until the pain - especially in the morning - became unbearable. Even now, I am very careful. I try never to go out walking more than 2 or 3 times a week. You were smart to go to a physical therapist. I ended up just seeing a podiatrist but he never really showed me exercises or anything to prevent them once I had gotten rid of them.

Its tough not being able to do your favorite exercises. Will your pt allow you to do pilates, free weights, or use an exercise ball in addition to the yoga you're doing now? Get feeling better & don't give up! You can find a way to work this through!

 

[Blackunicorn]

Tae Ja--LOL! Too funny! Of course you can be my DIS sister if I end up using a wheelchair. But keep in mind that I'm determined not to need it.

Jane E.--actually, I've got Plantar Fasciitis, which I don't completely understand, but it sounds to me like my high arches and the retail job I used to have combined to cause damage to the muscles in my foot, and also wore away the layer of cushioning fat in my heel until I was walking on bone. I know I've got a lot of scarring in my foot--it's bad enough that even I can feel it by running my fingers down my instep. I've had a variety of things done, including some somewhat expensive shoes and insoles and wedges to make me walk right; some massage, some ultrasound, some electro-stim, and some anti-inflammatory medicine applied to the heel. I don't know why your podiatrist wasn't more help because I wouldn't have gone to physical therapy if my podiatrist hadn't referred me. I did have x-rays which told me I didn't have heel spurs, which I hear is a very good thing.

I had my last PT yesterday, and they said that I shouldn't try to walk too far too soon. So I guess that I'm in "training". No more than ten minutes of walking at a time, to be built up slowly over time. My loving husband bought me a recumbent bike, so I can exercise without walking, too.

I haven't updated my journal because it's been crazy this week. On Tuesday, I had half a yoga class before my daughter got sick and I had to leave. The recumbent bike arrived that evening, so I did half an hour on it, but I think I had the resistance up too high--I guess I have a hard time starting "slow"--and I hurt my knee. It was too painful to do much on Wednesday, so I took the day off. My knee was still painful on Thursday, but I got frustrated again and forced myself to do ten minutes at the lowest level of resistance. My knee actually felt better after that, and Friday found me with painful twinges only when I bent my knee to a certain degree--walking was okay, but sitting down or getting up hurt. I wasn't actually home on Friday for any great length of time, but I made the mistake of going to the mall with my mother, so I was on my feet for three hours. Ugh! And now we're up to date.