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health

In which I discover that I am a vampire

Apr 15th, 2011
by gazelle.
1 comment

Today was my last regular appointment in learning how to stand up straight. Although I have not yet mastered standing up, I have become proficient enough that we moved on to other things – such as the hyperextension in my elbows and lower back. We also talked about overall health issues, etc.

Each week when I’ve been in, my yoga-therapist has taken my pulse. Or at least attempted to take my pulse. I don’t actually really have one. I always knew my pulse was pretty weak, but didn’t realize that in a lot of people, you can feel the pulse by just lightly touching the wrist. Seriously. Did you know that? Are you one of those people?

I am not. My pulse is deep and light. (Actually, last time I went to the doctor for my annual lady bits check-up, the nurse couldn’t even take my blood pressure. Because my blood has no pressure.)

So, in addition to discovering that I am a wee bit odd in the blood pumping department (like that’s the only oddness I have), I also discussed my recent ridiculous craving for red meat. About once a month, I have been seriously, ridiculously, and strongly craving red meat. A lot. And in my head, it doesn’t even necessarily have to be cooked.

I dream about rare steak, and the thought of tiger meat makes my mouth water. The YT suggested that my cravings are probably due to low iron levels at that particular time of the month and that my body just wants blood.

So – no pulse? Check. Craving for blood that cannot be assuaged with a hamburger? Check. Burns in sunlight? I’ll let you know if the sun ever comes out again.

In the meantime, you might want to avoid showing me your neck and start eating a lot of garlic.

Three Things Thursday

Mar 31st, 2011
by gazelle.
5 comments
  1. I have been eating like crap lately. Not so much that I’ve been eating bad food, but for the first time in my life, I find myself regularly forgetting to eat. It’s 10:30, and I had a soy latte for breakfast. (I hate soy lattes, by the way – I want whole milk! BUT – I am trying to be true to the non-dairy lifestyle, with the exception of last weekend, when I was a very bad dairy-eating monkey indeed.) However, I am not losing weight. I’m not gaining weight, but this suggests to me that it’s not as simple as calories in vs. calories out.
  2. I have also been exercising like crap lately. Last week – the week in which I was on vacation and had no work to do at all – I did not exercise once. I went for a run on 3/20/11, and then didn’t exercise again until 3/28/11. This is not the way to ramp up for a half marathon in 5 weeks. I did run on Monday & yoga on Tuesday, but skipped the planned Tuesday evening bike, Wednesday morning swim & Wednesday evening weights. Today is supposed to be my rest day, but I think I might have to eschew resting for some kind of activity. I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time getting back into my pre-foot injury routine. Maybe (and this JUST NOW OCCURRED TO ME) it’s because I haven’t had a regular routine for a year? It really has been a year since this whole foot thing started. And maybe it’s because I still have some foot pain & swelling? And maybe I’m just kind of an idiot & should stop reprimanding myself & making over-ambitious plans, and just try to sneak back into it gradually?
  3. I feel so beige lately. I drive a beige car & live in a beige house & kind of feel (after spending 20 minutes last night explaining to the architect how I develop budgets at work as a lead in to a dramatic work story) that my job is beige. Maybe I should just move to the suburbs & buy a station wagon & go gently into that good night.  Or, maybe, I should just spend some time eating right & exercising & getting some sun & I’ll feel all better.

 

Post Holiday Check-in

Dec 26th, 2009
by gazelle.
6 comments

I am ready for the new year! And some serious sugar detoxing. January is a month of clean eating & fitness (rebuilding my base), and I just feel that 2010 is going to be a fantastic year.

I am working on the things I want to do for myself in 2010 (sounds so much better than resolutions, doesn’t it?) and am feeling pretty good about my list. 2010 is going to be all about making a happier healthier smarter gazelle.

–

I am pretty much taking this week & most of next week off from my fitness goals. I went to the doctor on Wednesday, and although my cough isn’t anything BAD (like bronchitis, or pneumonia, or consumption), she did say (more than once) that she would suggest taking it easy cardio-wise until the cough is completely gone. So, I’ve canceled my runs for the week, and will start back slowly next week. I have plenty of time in January to rebuild my base, and it will be easier to do if I’m healthy.

The other thing I learned is that I’m apparently protein deficient, and my vitamin D levels are on the low side of normal (which is not unusual for Pacific NW residents in December). So, I need to get more protein, and am trying to figure out how I’m going to add that in – I’m thinking more eggs for breakfast, more green smoothies supplemented with protein powder, and that occasional burger (like today). I also am going to try to figure out more delicious tofu recipes.

Protein deficiency can cause anxiety, depression, and the need to eat a lot (and think about food a LOT), it can also cause muscles to heal at a slower pace (check!), kidney stones/infection (check!), hair thinning (check! fortunately I have a LOT of hair), sore & aching muscles (check! especially today – I hurt so bad from Thursday’s workout), headache (check!), cardiac issues (check!), weight gain & lean muscle loss (check!). All of those symptoms that I have are mild, as is my deficiency, but I’m pretty excited to know that with a little extra vitamin D & upping my protein intake, I will have be both physically & mentally healthier for the new year! (Protein deficiencies are pretty rare for people from the US, even vegetarians, but athletes do tend to have higher protein needs than other people, and as long as I’m conscious of getting the recommended allowance of protein, I should be able to reverse this pretty quickly.)

***

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday, whichever one you celebrate!

Possible Good News

Oct 27th, 2009
by gazelle.
4 comments

It seems that, just perhaps, some of my feeling bad was due to not exercising instead of the other way around. I had a great weights workout tonight (at my fancy pants new gym where I saw my neighbor AND my cousin).

I ran 1/2 mile tonight, as well. Without any physical discomfort. The 1/2 mile was just my cardio warm-up for the main event (weights!), but it was kinda nice. I might have to try that running thing again.

Fingers crossed that the worst is behind me.

15 Random Thoughts When Recovering from the Flu

Nov 17th, 2008
by gazelle.
22 comments
  1. I think I won’t die. (Well, eventually, I will likely die – just not anytime today. Probably.) However, I am still lacking a lot of focus, so today, I just have bullet points.
  2. Yesterday afternoon I started feeling better – able to keep the food where it belongs.
  3. I made African Chicken Peanut Soup for dinner last night, and it was amazing – I was able to eat an entire bowl of soup without once even contemplating puking. So – definite progress.
  4. My friend Kim brought me over a bunch of pumpkins (two large & two smallish), so more pumpkin butter is in the making. Also other pumpkin-y things.
  5. I really really need a chest freezer. My little freezer is always so full.
  6. I need to go out today & get some groceries and some inserts for my running shoes.
  7. I think I’m going to take today off (4th day in a row – boo) and get back into some exercise tomorrow with some light elliptical. Run on Wednesday & Friday & Sunday.
  8. There is something in my diet that is bad. I’m not sure what it is, and I think I need to start tracking my food – but every few meals, I get uncomfortably full & bloated feeling, even when I haven’t eaten much. This morning for breakfast, I had coffee with soy creamer, one slice of 12-grain bread (from the store), an egg & some cheese (the bread, egg & cheese were a delicious little sandwich). Is it the bread? the cheese? I have some issues with dairy. BUT, not usually cheese (lately). Should I give up the most delicious food ever created (cheese, in all forms) or should I cut back on my wheat? Is it the egg? I can probably give up eggs. (Bread & cheese, along with tomatoes are the most perfect foods. Everything else is just a vehicle for the enjoyment of bread & cheese.)
  9. I am lactose intolerant – although I can usually do cheese lately. However, there was a time when even cheese was bad – hence my cheese worry with this morning’s breakfast. In related news, today I won something. My first win for anything blog-related. Free ice cream.  I would’ve turned it down, but they do make frozen fruit bars with very little dairy. Also, I love ice cream, even if it hates me. And I love Blue Bunny. Also, I was pretty sure the architect would be angry if I’d turned down free ice cream.)
  10. Why did I get the flu? I just had a flu shot like three weeks ago. That was a total waste of money (okay, fine, it was a free shot, but still). [Also, I realize that influenza does not often come with vomiting, but it CAN! And I had the symptoms: fever, severe body aches & muscle pain, headache as well as general malaise. I did not get the respiratory symptoms, which probably means I didn't actually have influenza, but STILL!]
  11. I really like the phrase “general malaise.” It sounds so genteel.
  12. I really really wish I had someone to come clean my house for me. I like having a clean house – I just can’t really be bothered.
  13. I have spent all morning researching cookie recipes. I am totally going to kick the holiday bake-off’s ass. Or something.
  14. I am not going to my lady appointment today. Hair removal & the last vestiges of the flu do not go together.
  15. Week One of not being on a diet seemed to go pretty well. I paid a lot of attention to hunger & full signals, and almost acted accordingly. I was really good about not over-stuffing myself. I felt that I made good choices. I brought my lunch to work. I brought snacks. I went to yoga on Monday, ran on Tuesday, Shredded on Wednesday, Crazy Weights on Thursday. I also got sick & vomited for 24 hours. The result? I gained 2.6 lbs. Seriously. What the hell happened? How do you eat right, exercise, throw up everything for a day & still gain 2.6 pounds? I am now at my highest weight in well over a year. I am 10 pounds over my lowest weight (since high school). This is complete insanity! ACK!!!!  I’m not quite sure I understand. It’s going to be hard to stay off the scale until next Monday.  I have gained 5.6 lbs in the last 2 weeks, and I’m not quite sure why. If I’m not careful, I’m going to have to go buy new pants again (since I got rid of everything over a size 6 last year). And that is unacceptable.  No plan yet….but I’m working on it.

I almost forgot! I have now participated in a listless Monday!  WOO!

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