Editor’s Note: Susan McCreath has been selected to participate in the Year of You, a fitness challenge hosted by The Manteca Bulletin and CORE Athletic Performance. McCreath is keeping a weekly journal, highlighting the strides and struggles of her fitness journey. These are her thoughts and feelings shared with you.
Day 168: Plateau! Disappointment! I have been stuck around 223-225 pounds so last week I really watched my food intake, made it to the gym 4 days and walked over 4 miles on 2 of the other days. Plus, I had just finished a sweaty workout so was sure I had at least lost some water weight! I hoping for some weight loss, but it just didn’t happen. I felt like those contestants on The Biggest Loser when they step on the scale and it registers a big, fat zero! Nada! Nothing! Part of me says why bother? Why worry about every single thing that crosses my lips? Why worry about making it to a workout if I can’t even lose a flipping pound?!?! But, there is the other part of me that is able to notice that my clothes are fitting better, I’m sleeping more soundly, and I have good energy, so with that said, I must stay the course! I have given up too many other times and that is what led me to this point in my life, so I have no option but to carry on.
Day 169: After not losing any weight last week, I am determined to stay the course and eat clean. I am impressed when I look in my refrigerator as it is filled with “healthy” food. It could almost be on a commercial! I also have a huge pantry in my house that is almost bare at this point because I no longer buy things that come in boxes or packages. I’m sure Costco stock must be dropping a bit since I’m not filling my cart up every week there.
Day 170: Getting older really stinks sometimes. I got the MRI results of my knee back this morning and I could tell the minute the doctor walked in that I was not going to be too happy with the results. Basically, the two previous surgeries on my left knee have taken their toll and my years of compensating with my right knee have taken their toll as well. I’m 46 years old and had a conversation about knee replacements. At least I know that when I run and jump that the pain I was experiencing was more than just a hatred of running and jumping!!! The doctor said no more running, jumping, or impact on my knees. As I’m coming home in the car I start to cry thinking about how 46 is too young to be in this situation. I wonder if playing competitive volleyball was worth it? Is that what caused it? Or, did a significant weight gain put too much pressure on my knees and cause this? Where did it go wrong? No sooner am I pondering all of this when I start to think about how my workouts are going to have to change at Core. In my mind I’m coming up with things I will be able to do to compensate for my inability to run and jump. When I arrive that night neither Robert or Tommy are there and Jake is running the class. I quickly tell him my dilemma and he springs into action putting a workout I can do onto the board. The workout is intense and it feels good which gives me hope that I will be able to reach my fitness goals even though I am unable to run or jump.
Day 171: I’m coming to grips with the fact that my workouts are going to be changing. I am very nervous though thinking that I might need to cut back on my foods a bit more to compensate for some of my diminished activity. As Robert says you can’t out work your diet or as a friend so eloquently put it: you can’t outrun the fork. Realistically, the eating is the priority and that I have come to realize. Even though that is sometimes easier said than done.
Day 172: I was chatting with several different people today about this journey that I am on. It amazes me how so many of us are fighting the same battle and we have so many of the same thoughts and struggles. All of us want to be healthy and many of us agree that we could open up our own nutrition/exercise advice center because we all know what we are supposed to do. it’s just a matter of doing it!
Day 173: Have you ever bought 2 gallons of milk and started doing arm curls with them as you walked to your car? Have you put a Dura Flame log over your head and lunged to your vehicle? How about that 40 pound bag of dog food? Ddid you struggle to carry it to your car instead of pushing it out in a basket? Do you do squats while you blow dry your hair? Have you found yourself monster walking to the laundry room or doing pushups when you walked by the bar stool in your kitchen? Just a few of the random things I caught myself doing throughout this week :)
