Happy last days of old year!

Just a brief post here to remind self and others that I have a blog on which I'm committed to being honest and accountable about my eating and exercising; a blog I started for the purpose of aiding my efforts at losing weight and finding fitness. Seems I've forgotten about the blog for the last few days, though I've been reading many of your blogs. And I haven't really forgotten mine...I've just been so distracted with Christmas, family, friends and life that I haven't been doing my usual thing of writing posts in my head as I go through my day to day activities. I actually do that a lot...I'll hear something or a thought will occur and I'll begin "writing it up" in my mind. Not so for the last 5 days.

My knee has been slow to come along. PT is going well, and at my last visit I got to warm up by doing 5 minutes on a stationary bike, at no resistance. Sounds like not much, you say??? It felt great to me because it was the first legitimate "cardio" type of activity in which I've engaged since early December just before my arthroscopy. I'm hoping for more of the same on Tuesday when I go, but know I have to follow the directions of the therapist so as not to overdo. That seems to be a tendency of mine that has already thwarted my recovery a bit. Apparently while at work my first week back, I twisted the knee a bit and actually caused a painful strain below the knee...not related to the surgery! The move likely wouldn't have caused an injury had my knee not already been compromised, but it has been a painful and pointed lesson in not doing too much too soon. At 56 I'm not quite as pliant as some of you 30- and 40-something bloggers, though I still think of my self that way. I have to take care of myself! DUH.

Anyway, the twisting or torquing or whatever I did has caused me a lot of pain in one single spot when I walk that has resulted in me limping substantially, thereby throwing off my body alignment, and causing other assorted aches and pains of minor nuisance. Soooo, a physical therapist at my work last Wednesday, (my last day until January 4th) called me on the carpet, saying that I was going to end up in traction if I didn't stop the limping, and she offered me a cane to borrow over the break that would enable me to walk normally, pain-free, and allow the newly injured tissue to heal. I've been using it and resting the leg as much as possible, while carrying on with my physical therapy exercises, and the knee is finally starting to feel better for real. I'm using this week off to truly be careful and treat it gingerly, with plenty of rest, and plenty of required movements after which I'm icing it. I know you guys must be so glazed over reading about this knee drama again, but I need to talk about it because it's "in my face" every minute. I appreciate your patience or your quiet fast forwarding on to a smarter and more successful blogger who isn't such a boob as to further injure herself because she's bullheaded.

Foodwise - not too bad. My weight was 198 Sunday morning, which is up from my 192 low pre-op and pre-holiday timing, but much less awful than it could or would be if I was pulling my usual holiday stuff (recall Thanksgiving's journey back to "Twoterville". I know I'm still retaining a bit of water, and a couple of days of stringent following of my plan will work wonders. I still have several holiday related occasions over this week where I will enjoy and not be adhering tightly to my food plan, but where I will be careful and make good choices. I haven't felt like binge-ing at all, and actually find that as I'm eating more calorie-laden food than usual, I do desire smaller amounts and am not plagued by food-thoughts as can happen at times after several days of uber-clean eating. Overall, I feel optimistic and excited about returning to a more typical routine of eating, exercise, and good orderly direction.

Having the kids home has been awesome. They are happy to be with each other, and with us. We had a wonderful Christmas with much less gift giving due to all of us needing to tighten our belts in the financial realm and the fact that all 3 kids took expensive flights to get here...which Tom and I pain for! I've gotten a few pics, but hope to get more today before Stephen has to head back to Chicago to work tomorrow. Jean will be here until Sunday when she returns to the Dominican Republic, and Mark will be heading back to college in Atlanta on the 10th. I hope to get a decent shot of the three of them together to post, ever being the proud mama.

I'm so inspired by how many of you have held fast to your food and exercise goals through the holidays. I do hope that next year I will be one of you who can write motivational posts about how the holidays don't have to derail our progress toward our goals. Actually, I've never had a more successful set of holidays in that regard than this year, even with the bum knee and loosened up eating. A key has been this blogging...just staying accountable. Also, weighing frequently (2-3x/wk) so that little gains don't become major backslides. But I'm ready to have some big progress in the weight loss arena in early 2010 for a number of reasons I'll talk about later. In the meantime - enjoy this last week of 2009, everyone. I have a feeling that 2010 is going to hold some wonderful successes and amazing stories for all. Stay tuned!