Good morning and Happy New Year, everyone! I am really excited about this challenge and am really enjoying everyone's posts!
Rose - I hope all is okay. Please post when you get a minute to let us know how you are. I am worried about you, sweetie.
As for the introduction:
I've been around the WISH boards for about 6 years now and many of you know my story, but for those who I haven't bored with it yet, here it is again:
My name is Cam. I am 47 years old and have been married to the most wonderful man in the world for 26 years. We have a DD22 and DS17. From right after our son was born until early 2005, I suffered a potentially fatal heart condition called sustained ventricular tacchychardia caused by an electrical malfunction in my heart. Supposedly, untreated, you shouldn't survive one episode of it. For whatever reason, I had multiple occurrences a day and ultimately, many per hour and came out of each with "sparkly" vision, lightheadness, breathlessness and sometimes near blackouts. Most of the time, I couldn't make it up the stairs in our house. There were periods where the symptoms were worse and I wouldn't be able to drive or to work a full day. It was completely debilitating. A grocery shopping trip required resting before and after. Even just cooking for hours on the weekend as I enjoy was a luxury I could afford only when I was feeling particularly strong.
I had four heart "surgeries" and was cured in January 2005. The doctor who did the 3rd and 4th surgeries was a miracle worker. I had to get special permission to go to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore to see if he could help. There was no protocol for the last time he operated on my heart and he was called a "cowboy" for even doing what he did. 14 months post-surgery he told me and Howard that he'd been presenting the protocol at medical symposiums. The man remains my hero to this day.
Starting soon after the surgery, I was determined to get healthy. I'd always been "morbidly obese" with the lowest weight I can ever remember being 155 at age 10. So, I started walking to get healthy. By now, I have finished many, many half marathons and 2 full marathons (at Disney) mostly walking, but with some running intervals.
I hurt my knee very seriously in July 2009 while running incline intervals for 2 hours on a treadmill (stupid on my part) and am now moving toward full recovery after a cadaver graft of bone and cartilege in May of this year. I am hoping to be able to run again one year post-surgery in May 2011. The injury completely derailed my workout routine of 5-7x/week, and the frustration and sadness of it all derailed my weight loss efforts.
My job is very demanding but I am trying to get back into a routine of exercising at least 30 minutes every day of the week. I even joined John Bingham's 100-day challenge on Facebook to that end.
I am down 55 pounds from my highest weight at the pre-surgery physical in January 2005. My goal is to lose another 40. I would LOVE to do it by our Disney Mediterranean cruise in June, but am realistic enough to realize that I should expect to reach the goal by the end of 2011, at best. However, I am following the new WW plan and it is really effective for me. So, I'll strive toward my goal.
QOTD for Saturday, January 1: Goals for the week, month, challenge
My goals for this week -- journal every bite
My goals for this month -- 30 minutes exercise every single day.
My goal for the challenge - 25 pounds.
QOTD for Sunday, January 2:What types of exercise are you going to do or have been doing that can help others with this challenge?
Right now, I am pretty constrained on the cardio I can do, but I know I lose best with cardio. I bought the Leslie Sansone 3 miles workout and did that yesterday. It was 45 minutes, including 5 minutes warm-up and 5 minutes cool down. It was a good way for me to get back into "walking" at home. I am waiting for a bunch of other similar DVDs to arrive from
Amazon.
Once I was done that 45 minutes, I did 25 crunches on an exercise ball and 25 push-ups, also on the ball. I used to do 100 of each every day. I am going to build back up to doing that.
Okay, I have to go help un-bedeck the house. Have a great day, everyone!