Since I've dropped 10 lbs on the Weight Watchers program, I have to reduce my daily points allowance by 1 point. So right now, I get 26 points instead of 27. I figure that means it is a good time to start exercising regularly. So here's the deal:
Back in 2003, I was diagnosed with bulging discs in my back. Basically, in between each vertebrae in your back, there is this little cartilage-y disc with a sponge-y gel in it. From what I understand, just being a woman and entering your 30's causes the "shell" to become increasingly brittle and more prone to tiny fissures. Well, add on some excess weight and some strenuous labor (maybe I'll elaborate on that "labor" another day) and the cracks become more pronounced. Pressure then causes the "gel" inside the disc to push out and it touches the nerves down the spine, thus causing back pain. It can also cause pain to travel via the nerves (like how else does pain travel, right?) through one's hips and legs.
So, I have pain in my lower back, hips, and legs. I've now been on Celebrex since 2003, and this controls the majority of the pain, but in the evenings and night, it is much worse. So already, this makes some exercise difficult, because I cannot put any more stress on my back. I have become increasingly inflexible, and that adds to the problem.
To make matters worse, last summer, I started developing plantar fasciitis. This is a condition where the muscle in the arch of one's foot starts falling, resulting in arch and heel pain.
So let's just say that any exercise hurts. But I have to do it, or I'll never get this weight off.
So yesterday, I went for a 30 minute walk and took Chloe, my yorkie. My thinking is: if I have to give up a daily point on WW, if I do one point of exercise daily, I can earn 1 activity point and justify continuing to eat the same number of points. After all, if this will work in the long term, I have to come up with a way to live with it forever. And let's be honest: I'm not going to be able to stick to it if my daily points have to keep decreasing. So anyway, I did a 2 point walk yesterday.
Poor Chloe. She doesn't go for walks very often, so she really can't last too much longer than a 20 minute walk. But we pushed on yesterday to the full 30 minutes. I'm sure all 6 feet of ours were equally sore by the time we were done. I'll probably only take her every other day until she can build up the stamina to comfortably walk the full 30 minutes.
As for myself...I'll just have to deal with it.
