Hey ladies. Just wanted to post a quick update. On 10/22 I ran a 12 minute mile on the treadmill. I can't begin to explain how happy and proud I was. These months of hard work were paying off. I didn't even care that the scale had moved to a crawl! I was dreaming of a 10k!

So I was sore that Friday, but felt ok on Saturday. On Sunday I woke up crying. I couldn't even get out of bed. My lower back was radiating pain right down my leg all the way to my toes. Per dr, narrowing of my disc, pressure on sciatic nerve due to inflammation and back strain. No gym (not even the elliptical!), no lifting, vacuuming or scrubbing (woo hoo!), bending, or turning. I did not even ask about sex for fear she'd say no to that too! Physical therapy 3 days a week/4 weeks. Plus, all the stretching and some strength exercised she's giving me for off days *sigh*

In all honesty, I'm friggin' pissed. I'm trying to be patient with the therapy, but not going to the gym or even being able to do some walking is starting to make me a little mental. I'm not really good at sitting around anymore (huge nsv). And I just realized I'm lashing out at poor hubby (who's been nothing but supportive). And I still have 3 weeks to go.

So I'm maintaining my weight right now. Bouncing between 218.8 and 217 which is fine by me. I'm trying my hardest not to turn to food for comfort but it's not always easy. Any words of encouragement or stories to share would be much appreciated. I'm sure a lot you guys have been through stuff like this.

I'm still here every day reading everybody's stories and trying to stay motivated. Just wanted to say thanks for being here and listening.

aw, sweetie I REALLY understand your frustration!! I have been learning how to run since APRIL and I am truly addicted to it now! I have been building up, going for more are more time or distance and dreaming of doing 5K's, 10K's, Half-Marathons... I picture myself coming across a finish line with a glorious time, my body lean and muscular and all my friends cheering me on at the sideline...

On Wednesday I ran 10K. I pushed and pushed and I did it. On Friday I had my foot operated on I knew I was going to have the operation and I knew I would have to get my head around the fact that I can not run right now but I signed up for a 10K on Dec 6th thinking "of course I'll be healed by then! besides I just ran 10K so I won't be able to talk myself out of it!" There is a good chance I won't be healed by then, a really good chance and I am pissed and bummed out about it.

But you know what? This is JUST temporary. What we are going through is just a blip on the map of our journey. It's just a little setback. DO NOT let this set back send you to emotional or comfort eating. what good will it do? what's the added value? Believe me, sister, I could *easily* comfort eat right now - I am bored and feeling depressed and I can do NOTHING, but I will NOT give in to that. I have worked TOO HARD to dump all that effort in the bin as it were. And so have you.

It's just temporary. Make a PLAN on how to stay focused and how you are going to tackle that mile the next time you are able to run. Go through your therapy and follow doctors orders. Heck, maybe next year we'll be doing a half-marathon virtually together

HANG IN THERE!!!

Well, you clearly overdid it in your excitement to become fit, and now you're paying the price. I'm sorry you've had to go through this.

When you finish with your physical therapy, you might consider doing some lower impact aerobic exercises to avoid a repeat. Running is clearly too much for your body to handle at this point.

Ask your doctor or PT next time you're in what kinds of exercises would be best for you to do once you're ready for them. Mention that your goal is to lose weight.

And try to be patient! Good luck!

Jay

That sucks I hope it heals up soon. As for comfort eating, losing weight has more to do with what you put in your mouth than the calories you pound out on the treadmill. That 12-minute mile, as great an accomplishment as it is and as wonderful as it is for your fitness and overall mental/physical/emotional health, probably burned less than a cupcake. So, don't get too discouraged about your WLE bc you can't do cardio right now--you still have the opportunity to change your body by eating healthfully, and maybe even doing some resistance training from your bed. The physical therapy is probably helping not only to heal you, but also make you stronger and more flexible. Think of it as an opportunity to learn some great stretches and learn a good Theraband routine.

Thank you so much for your responses!

PinkyPie: I'm so happy to hear of your running success but so sorry to hear about your operation And, you're right, this is temporary for both of us. I know that by next summer I won't be thinking of this when I'm running again. Me & you will definitely be back into the running swing in no time! Thanks so much. xoxo

JayEll: Thanks for the advice and support My PT has me doing a bunch of stretching exercises and we're starting to work on some strength training. I'm praying that some low impact aerobics or even just some mild walking will be in my very near future.

forestroad: Thanks for the comments. I know how important diet is not just to weight loss but to overall health so I am working hard on keeping that in control. It's definitely been a huge transition to go from being so active to just some mild stretching exercises. But it's a good lesson in patience. Thanks, again

Hang in there and try to keep a positive attitude. I'm a runner, too, but only run 2-3 times a week with rest days to be gentle on my joints. Ask your PT about swimming. And look at this time as a chance to build strength, flexibility, balance, etc - cardio is not the only piece of a well-balanced fitness program. We all face bumps on the road and challenges - this is your chance to rise to the occasion and show what you're made of!

Treat it carefully and you should heal. It is frustrating when you can't workout. But you need to let it heal or you will end up like me and be looking at back surgery soon.

blueridgegirl: Thanks so much for reminding me to stay positive. It's so easy to get depressed when you're not 100%. But you're right. I'm totally gaining a lot of balance & core strength. I really appreciated the comments.

Sheena41: Thanks for the warning. And I'm so sorry to hear that you're facing surgery One of my best friends just had back surgery and it has taken him forever to heal. I will continue to give myself the time.

I feel for you. I have had a huge stress fracture on my right foot before and it was from running. It's the best exercise, but I no longer do it because it's just too hard on my body.

My husband recently tore his calf muscle and it was severe. You know what? He lost more weight by just counting calories (which he started to do right after he realized he couldn't workout) than in all the years he was trying to lose weight! It's really more about the eating than anything else, as others have stated already. I just wanted to reassure you that this happens all the time and that you will make it through it.