MY FIRST DEAD END

I was derailed by a 150 MPH hurricane named: THE STOMACH FLU

Two days and two nights of yuck. That entailed a lot of CRACKERS. A lot.

But I will be back on track tomorrow. I will. I will, I will.

MY EATING PLAN

As, I promised, I will detail my eating plan. I said easy and I said simple.

                      I am counting calories.

For the moment, I need rapid weight loss along with medical care to regain my ability to walk, but I also need to be able to eat. Stopping cold turkey is not an option.

I am taking in 1500-1900 calories per day.

I am also trying to avoid excessive sugars and carbs. My sugars and carbs will be in the form of fruits, veggies and whole grains like rice... in moderation.

Bad habits still run rampant but I am trying to curb them in.

My bad habits:

• I do not like to eat in the first few hours after getting up in the morning. According to the scientists.... a big no no!
• I don't like water and can drink a 2 liter of calorie-laden soda a day.. 
• I eat fast food. It is food and it is fast and I eat it most of the time because messing up my kitchen is not necessary which makes washing dishes a distant memory. 
• When I do cook, I often use processed, boxed and canned foods. Ugh. 
• If it is food, crunchy and in a bag... I will eat it!
• The worst of the bad habits? I am passing the above bad habits to my 16 months old grand daughter. 

CHANGE IS A MUST! Starting today, I will begin counting calories, posting my foods and any other information pertinent to my eating plan. As always, please comment with any suggestions, ideas or feedback in the comment section!

SEND IN THE CALVARY and BLESSINGS

On a particularly bad day in May 2015, while wallowing in my pain filled misery with a side of "woe is me", my sisters decided to SEND IN THE CALVARY!

I try to inject some humor but I was truly in a very low and depressed state that only the fear of never walking again, chronic pain and endless isolation can bring. I really felt that life was over for me.

I kept as much of my personal struggles hidden as possible. Most people that know me didn't even know I had fractured my back or was unable to walk. Facebook allowed me to keep a public persona and be involved with others.

But, I am BLESSED with an amazing family that includes 2 big sisters that love me and are there for me whenever they are needed.

After a pitiful cry for help was made by me to my sister, Jerri Ann, they rallied and things happened fast. My sister, Linda came in from another state to stay with me, a GoFundMe page was started for medical needs, a visit to the Dr determined therapy goals, an eating plan was created and an exercise program was begun.

Wow, let's slow down and break it down. LOL

My sister, Linda, has recently survived a ruptured intestine, emergency surgery and 27 days in the hospital. Since that time, she has lost 130 pounds. Amazing, right? So she came to be a daily support and start me on an eating plan.

After a family discussion, a GoFundMe page was created for my medical needs, I have insurance but it is not good insurance that I have learned is a common issue. At this point, the fundraiser is on-going. My medical journey has the potential to be long and expensive. It is embarrassing having others ask for money on your behalf. It is intrusive and so very hard on the little pride you have left in this kind of situation.But it is a BLESSING! My family and friends and friends of friends have given of themselves and enabled me to go to the Dr, start/continue weekly therapy and chiropractor sessions and setup nerve blocks to curb the pain while I work to rebuild my body. Surgery is out of the question at this point due to my weight. This is giving that I can never repay. They know that and they still love me and continue to bless me with their giving.

My eating plan: I will talk more of this in a future blog but it must be simple, easy and effective,. I have 200 pounds to lose. I cannot play around.

My exercise program: I cannot stand on my own and my back will not straighten for me to stand completely upright even on crutches. Mainstream exercise will not work for me. So I must strengthen my core, legs and arms... all from a chair. This should get interesting.

Now that I have my family, funding and fundamentals. Let's get started!

BREAKS, BED REST, BLUBBER & BEGINNINGS!

Point blank. I CANNOT walk. I fractured my back in January 2014. The fracture was in the sacrum which is the connecting area for the spine, the pelvic bone and the tailbone. The only thing that can be done for that type of break is BED REST. Yes, that is it. The pain was so severe that BED REST is all I could do. Actually, I guess I should think of another name because I could no longer sleep in my bed; I could only sleep in a recliner.

In addition to that break, I am 200 pounds overweight. Yes, two-hundred pounds over what I should weigh.

By mid-year, with the extreme amounts of BED REST, I could no longer walk on my own. From that point until now, I can only walk on crutches with extreme amounts of pain and effort or ride in my wheelchair. Bummer, I know. 

So, I am 23... oops the keyboard skipped... I am 43, I cannot walk on my own. I am primarily house bound with no social life and living in daily pain. I have insurance but am still unable to pay for the necessary Doctor appointments and procedures needed to bring me to a point of walking. 

So, I am 43. Unable to walk. House bound. In daily pain. And broke. 

Sounds like a bad country song. Thankfully, my dog is in good health!

Today marks the end of my eternal BED REST and the beginning of my WALK TO WELLNESS! If you want to join me on my journey, which I am sure will include a FEW DEAD ENDS, then please follow me.  It should be an interesting trip!

If you have suggestions for anything health or weight loss related, I would love for you to comment.