Start Now. Start where you are. Start with Fear.
Start with pain. Start with hands shaking.
Start with voice trembling. Start and don’t stop.
Start where you are, with what you have.
Just….Start.
-Zig Ziglar
The Long Weight
Going into week three I have no weight to report. The county that I live in has gone back into shut down mode because the COVID-19 numbers are rising, and my doctor’s office is no longer seeing patients in the office. Since that is where I weigh in, I won’t be able to weigh again until the restrictions are lifted. We live in strange times.
But that doesn’t mean my story can’t continue. Last week I was waiting to get the COVID-19 test done. I had it done at FitzGerald Mercy Hospital’s drive through testing sight. I had no idea what to expect when I drove up. I was told there would be a line of cars waiting to be tested and just get in line and follow the crowd. I got there and there was no line. I didn’t know where to go. So I drove a slow loop around the parking lot until I got to the main entrance. I found some signage there, so I put my foot on the break and waited. Eventually, a man with gloves and gown came out and asked my name and for my ID. I fumbled for my wallet and gave him the ID. He disappeared back inside. Several minutes later a nurse came out she handed me my ID and a large cotton patch. I asked what that patch was for and she said I may need it after the test.
Now I had asked my PCP what to expect with the test. He said they take a long Q-Tip and stick in your nose. Way back. He said it didn’t hurt just felt strange. So out came the long Q-Tip only it was more like a light blue very long and thin plastic wire with a cotton ball at the end. I got a bit nervous. The nurse gently began to push the cotton side of the wire into my nose. Deeper, deeper, and WHAM, I got a shot of pain in my nose so bad that my foot came off the brake making me come close to running over the foot of the nurse. Someone should have told me to put the car in park. I put the car in park and the nurse finished the test. I asked how long for the turnaround and she told me three to five days. I went home and canceled plans because I didn’t think I should be going out while waiting for that test result. They lied.
The next day I called my doctor’s office to cancel the appointment there and I found out that results had come back, in less than 24 hours and I was negative. I am thanking God that it hasn’t gotten me yet. At least the next time I have to get tested I’ll-know-to-put-the-car-in-park.
The rest of the week went as planned. I continued with my food diary and tried to make small changes. I finally met with the dietician on Friday and now the real work begins.
The Dietician and I were on a Zoom meeting for more than an hour. A lot of that time was taken up by his getting a full medical history on me. After that, we talked about what I currently eat and then he made some very strong recommendations all of which I am implementing as I write this.
The first is pretty simple. You divide your plate into four quarters. Half of the plate is to be vegetables. A quarter of the plate is to be starch and the other quarter is to be protein. I thought I was doing pretty good at breakfast with a bowl of healthy cereal, Almond milk, a banana, and hot lemonade or Apple Cider. He was ok with that but he wants eggs a few times a week and he would like me to add vegetables to the eggs. He was also not impressed with my open-faced peanut butter sandwich, apple, and Greek yogurt for lunch. Here too he wants to see more vegetables and low sugar Greek yogurt. I opted for plain Greek yogurt that I will mix half a cup of fresh blueberries in.
Exercise then came up. I told him I was trying to get to the pool but wasn’t making it. He took me a new direction and recommended chair exercise. He said there were YouTube videos available of these routines. This morning at 6 a.m. I got up took care of the necessary morning stuff and on this very computer did a ten-minute workout that left me a little soar when finished. So I guess I’m on the right track.
Later in the morning, I went to the grocery store and for the first time came home with nothing from the bakery. That’s a very big deal.
It has been a week full of surprises and curveballs, but I took some genuine steps to help myself. With God’s grace and keeping the spirit of adventure alive in this journey, this weight is coming off. Stay well friends.