Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Going the distance


I remember the lengths I would go to in order to avoid walking even short distances.  A trip to the grocery store at my heaviest was an exercise in pain with my lower back screaming after 10 minutes much less the typical 60 minute walk.  Vacations were always seemingly active going from one end of Hawaiian islands to the other and if I really thought about it, for a few years we were basically shut in's in paradise.  The island cruising was done in a car with the least amount of walking possible.  A quick 20 steps to many 'road side' attractions, making sure if we did any "hikes" they were flat and less than 1/2 mile if possible and sometimes we would even pull up somewhere, park and watch...never even getting out of the car.  Many restaurant meals were purchased to go with stacks of carry out containers (they separate sides, extra bags/cups for condiments, etc) and we would eat at the table in our rental home or condo.  At our heaviest, there were some places we just couldn't fit but didn't want to give those places up completely so carry out it was.  Our usual condo on Kauai has an outdoor table on the lanai that I couldn't even sit in until this year because the seats with arms were so narrow so we didn't even get to enjoy eating al fresco for a few years.  Most times it was sitting inside still seeing the ocean but not breathing in the ocean air, feeling the breeze and hearing the crashing waves.  I think of how inactive those vacations were compared to how active this years was with stand up paddling, kayaking and spontaneously walking a 5K and it seems like a dream I never thought would come true.

Vacations aren't the only time we are active.  Weekends are almost completely draining over the past months.  Today as I sit here with my legs sore from yet another 3 day weekend of walking around like we're training for a backpacking trek through Europe, I am amazed at how much I can walk now.  We went to this antique store with 2 stories a few weeks ago and as I got to the top of the stairs, I was amazed at the fact that I wasn't winded.  I spent quite a few years looking for an elevator or slowly taking the stairs only to have my heart beating in my chest for a good 3-4 minutes while I recovered.  Heck it was like that every time I went upstairs to go to the bathroom or head to bed each night.  It was a sad way to live and sucks that I accepted that for myself.  It seems like another life sometimes but I'm so glad I still remember those things and am thankful every day that we made the choice to lose the weight.  I may be in a snail-ish pattern right now but I will always be thankful that I can look back and see life changing steps in the right direction!

What are some life changing new triumphs from your heaviest weight to now?

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12 comments:

  1. I remember the staircase you referred to and it is funny but I didn't even think about it at the time. That just goes to show how far we have come from where we were. We have been spinning our wheels a bit lately but thank God we lost so much weight when we did because life is so much better already as a result.

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    1. Yeah I meant to say something to you at the time and but we were under the gun time wise and I forgot. Life is definitely better though I suspect I've been running you a bit ragged lately! :-)

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  2. Oh man... I can totally relate, and this brought back SO many thoughts about watching things from the sidelines. I may not be where I want to be with this whole thing, but I'm SO thankful I'm not where I was.

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    1. The sidelines are no place to be when it comes to the game of life. Sometimes things can get so frustrating but if we're significantly better off than we were, it's something to celebrate for sure!

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  3. I so know what you mean! I am not where I'd like to be yet, and the past couple months have been hard with vacation and being sick constantly, but I am so far from where I was. I'm just happy that pretty much no matter what it is now, I can do it. I don't have to sit while everyone does things. My kids don't have to hear, "I can't" when they ask me to climb on the jungle gym with them. I don't go to bed anymore worrying that I am going to die.

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  4. you have come a long way..and I bet it feels awesome...

    I was in the 11th grade when it hit me that I had to lose weight properly. Some of the "girls" had gone shopping and they didnt tell me and when I was out there too with my mom, i saw them and they tried to pretend like they didnt see me and one of them even asked me why i was there when I cudnt find my size there.thats when I realized I had to do something...

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  5. Amazing! I think it is good to remember the tough times and know that you are definitely headed in the right direction. I really enjoy your blog and it inspires me to keep going.

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  6. I've spent more time in the pool this year than the last two years. I attempted my own Triathlon. I am looking at doing another 1/2 marathon after not finishing my last one over a year and a half ago because my calf cramped up and I couldn't go the last 3 miles (just a 5k, that short of a finish). Being active is SO much different than before. Love it!! :)

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  7. I relate so much to this blog. I got to the point where I hardly went anywhere, vacations were spent in the car mostly. I watched my hubby and boys do a lot of things from my car, because it was just too exhausting to walk. I used to get up in the middle of the night and walk 5 steps into my bathroom, and when I got back into bed, my heard would be pounding and I would be out of breath for a good five minutes. I knew that was BAD, but still I did nothing for a very long time.

    I remember walking up our almost 1/10 of a mile driveway at first....and when hubby would walk with me, I was always impressed that he was not winded when we got to the top. That was my goal then....to NOT be winded after walking UP my driveway. Today, I go down the driveway and back up several times a day, to get the newspaper, to get the mail, just to walk, and very rarely get winded. Going up stairs, other than the pain in my knees, never gets my heart pounding anymore....what a joy it is to not be restricted by obesity anymore! It provides such a sense of freedom, I hope I never quit being amazed by it!

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  8. This post brings me so much happiness for you and for me - we ARE heading in the right direction! Keep at it!

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  9. Just Friday night, I surprised myself when I sprinted across a large field in the pouring rain to get the umbrella out of my car. It wasn't until after I was under the umbrella that I realized I wasn't out of breath and my heart wasn't racing. I've still got it (a week after my 55th birthday!!)

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  10. It is so good to stop and be thankful for the things that some people just take for granted! I remember taking my kids to the playground, and scouting out the bench. Booths in restaurants were absolutely terrifying, as were stairs and hills. My husband has always taken very good care of himself, I tried so hard to just keep up with him, trying not to huff and puff too loudly when we walked together while on vacations. I still have a long way to go also, but am SO glad to be where I can walk and move and just live life again! My knees are awful, damaged from being overweight for so many years, and also from having so many pregnancies, I suppose. But if I hadn't lost any weight, I probably couldn't even walk now! Thank you for sharing, I really love reading about your adventures with the Mr.!!!!

    Della

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