Healthy me = Better me

Just over two years ago before I started the treatment for HS I was going to gym and had even started going to Pilates with my friend Heidi.  I was really enjoying it and except when the HS would flare up thought I would really get into it. Then I was diagnosed and started the treatment.

The dr warned me that I would have some muscle and joint pain but he couldn’t tell me how severe it would be.  I could carry on with normal activities unless it became too uncomfortable for me, which he thought it would to some degree.  Not even a week later that muscle and joint pain he spoke about appeared.  In a big way.  I stopped going to gym.

Obviously I started picking up weight.  I had extra to begin with but not moving didn’t help matters.  The medication made my whole body hurt.  When I got into the car it felt like my hips were being pulled apart by a torture machine.  Walking caused pain with every step I took.  Sometimes just lifting my arms to brush my hair was so painful.  All I wanted to do was sleep or lie down or sit.

As the weight piled on slowly I just got more angry with myself.  By the time I went in for surgery last year I couldn’t even face the scale.  When I went for the pre-op stuff I made them take my weight because I refused to look at the scale and I didn’t want to know.  For the second surgery I did the same.  When the bill came in the post for the second op I was reading through it and accidently saw my weight.  I was so embarrassed.

So now the weight has piled on and I hate it.  I had to do something.  Even worse was the way I was feeling.  Even if I didn’t lose all the weight I just want to feel better.  I wanted to be healthy.

About a month ago I told Willie that I wanted to make a change in my diet.  I told him that he didn’t have to change anything and I didn’t want to restrict him because of my choice.  He does after all not have extra weight.  I don’t think our meals were that bad.  My problem was snacking. I am a sucker for chips.  Even worse, I had to snack in bed.  When I went to bed at night with my iPad and watched shows I had to have something to snack on.  When I went grocery shopping I would buy so many snacks. Our snack cupboard was heavenly.  There was always something great in there.  Anything you could think of.  So I would go to bed and take a big packet of chips.  Before I knew it the packet was empty.  Such a pig!!

So when I decided to make the change I knew the snacking had to change.  I also knew that if I just stopped cold turkey that I would only stick to it for a week or so and then I would fold.   Then I had to work on our meals.  They were not bad but they weren’t the best.  I don’t eat salad (more the tomato and onion that I don’t eat) and Willie doesn’t eat veggies.  That’s do-able.  I love veggies so I would make veggies for myself and salad for Willie.  Since buying the Air Fryer our food had become much healthier.  So I would still prepare the usual meat / protein and just add the salad / veggies.  I didn’t want to get so bad that I couldn’t enjoy a nice meal if we were going out.  I just wanted to be healthier.

When I went grocery shopping in August I did not buy one single packet of chips.  No chocolate.  The only snacks I bought were dried fruit, rice crackers and popcorn.   I am really proud of myself.  I don’t feel like I am missing out on anything.  I won’t lie, I so sometimes get cravings for chips and then it is all I can think of.  I have ‘cheated’ but for the most part I have tried to make healthier choices.

I can’t say if I have lost weight but I am starting to feel loads better.  I feel like I have more energy.  I am starting to see what I can do and what I can achieve.  I have visions of a much thinner me.  I hope!!

On a similar note:  This winter has been bad flu wise.  It feels like I have been sick the whole time.  At one point while I was sick someone had recommended a humidifier.  I never thought it was needed in Durban but when I asked the pharmacist he said that with me being asthmatic he would really recommend it.  I couldn’t tell if it was making a huge difference but we used it every night.  2 nights ago I didn’t put it back properly after refilling.  I didn’t notice as it did come on initially but obviously went off once the water at the bottom ran out.  I woke up the next morning with my chest feeling a little tighter than normal.  I thought I might have just been getting sick again but once I noticed the humidifier I knew exactly why.  It wasn’t bad but I could feel it.  The humidifier is definitely making a difference.  😀

So let’s hope it works and that soon I will be shaking off the weight that is the bane of my existence and an ugly reminder!!