July 21st, 2016: My 1st Trip to the Chiropractor

As the title states, today is my 1st trip to the Chiropractor. I injured my back when I was 11 years old trying to do a backflip on a trampoline...and have had back trouble ever since. I wasn't THAT heavy when I was a kid. yea, I was overweight, probably actually obese, but in comparison to how big I am now, I don't think it was THAT bad. But I had a ton of back problems as a pre-teen and teen all stemming from that incident. The doctor said I 'sprained' my back and put me in a brace and told me I would probably have back discomfort the rest of my life. Really? One little back flip can ruin you for life at the age of ELEVEN? Craziness! But he was right. I remember when I would go next door to help my grandma get ready for bed, I would be kindof half bent over her bed helping her dress and put lotion on and by the time I would be finished I was in so much pain that it was literally taking my breath away. Now that I think about it, I sure did find every way I could to be lazy because of that. What child wants to be in pain? So I would figure out ways to do things where it wouldn't hurt. Except when I went to help Grandma every night. I usually left in tears from the pain.

Eventually the pain lessened, and it was just an every now and then kind of thing. But I've noticed that the longer I work at my job where I sit the majority of the day, the more my back hurts by the end of the day. So I am hoping that getting my back all lined out and then working on the weight loss will help in a big way.

I had no idea what to expect when I went there, and it turns out that there are a few different types of Chiropractors. The one I chose doesn't do all of the twisting and pulling of a traditional Chiro, he uses this nifty little tool that just feels almost like a finger poke. After he examined me, he said he could definitely see that my back needed adjusted and my hips and neck too. I also mentioned that I have Plantar Faciitus and he said that he could help with that too! How cool! He said that most people report that after a few visits they sleep much better, so fingers crossed!!

I got the go-ahead from the doc to go on to the gym tonight. I wasn't sure if it would be ok or not. He said it should be fine but not to do any of the weight training tonight. Zumba was cancelled so I went in with the plan of doing some cardio and then heading on home. I knew it was going to be hard to get some good calories burnt because it's hard for me to keep my stamina up when it's not Zumba. So I started out in the Sauna with my cousins. LOL. That was some real hard work! Haha...but seriously, my back was feeling a little sensitive and after 20-30 minutes of baking in the sauna, my muscles were a lot more loosened up and I was ready to try to see what I could do. I started with 5 minutes walking on the track to warm up, then I did 15 minutes on the Arc Trainer in cool down mode. I was up to 20 minutes and feeling pretty exhausted. I planned to walk for 10 minutes to fill up a 30 minute workout and then head on home. After the 10 minutes, I looked down at my FitBit and I wasn't happy with how many calories I had burned and I STILL hadn't reached my 7,000 steps yet. So...I got BACK on the Arc Trainer and did 15 more minutes...LOL. It was rough. My leg muscles were feeling pretty tight afterward, so I decided to walk a few more laps. By the time I finally gave up and called it quits I had hit an hour of Cardio. And it made me feel amazing. Like really amazing! I don't know that I have ever done a full hour of Cardio straight through like that when it wasn't a class. It really shows me that I am totally capable of more than I give myself credit for! And that is a wonderful feeling. Screw limitations. Who need em'? Not this girl! I do what I want! LOL!

After work I headed to the store to grab some supplies for a project I'm working on. It's top secret until it's done, because it involves someone who reads this blog, and that's all I'm gonna say about that! Haha. I found some cool stuff for myself too though. I found Freeze Dried Apples & Peaches. I have never tried them before. The whole bag has 60-70 calories depending on which one you pick and they are super tasty! I love them because the ingredients are just the fruit! Nothing added at all. So after I tasted them and found that I like them, I went back in and bought a bunch more. I think they will be a really great thing to have with me on my trip that doesn't have to be refrigerated and it doesn't spoil. Score!

I feel like a quick change artist these days! Always changing clothes!!

I FINALLY walked in my door at nearly 8:30! Eeek! I hadn't made dinner either and I was starving. Thank God I am awesome and planned ahead for days like this! I had some Beef Steaks already cooked and in the fridge waiting for us. So I boiled some broccoli and made Jamie some mashed potatoes and then I made up some Avocado Dip and then we were ready to chow down. Now I am REALLY ready for bed, and hoping & praying for a nice restful night.

Here is the breakdown of my food choices for today:

Breakfast
2 packs of Strawberries & Cream Oatmeal & 3 slices of turkey bacon = 365 cals

Lunch
Half Turkey Sammy, Doc's Chili, Baby Carrots, & a Tomato = 405 cals

Afternoon Snack
Freeze Dried Peach Slices = 70 cals

Dinner
Chuck Steak, Broccoli, Popped Corn Chips, & Avocado Dip = 404 cals

Which puts me at 1244 cals. Low...but I'm really full and that's just what it is today. Lol

That steak was tiny! Only 3oz, but it was tasty. :)