Kat's Health Journey

The following blog post was from last week. I am planning on writing up this week's post, but I don't want to get too behind on the content, so I am posting it now. It kind of got put on the back burner with everything going on.  This week has been full of polypeptides, monosaccharides, prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In school, I had my first quiz in chemistry lab and first test in biology. Considering I knew none of the biology material before this week, I got it down pretty well. But unfortunately, when you are in a new class with a new teacher, it’s really hard to know exactly how to study. This test didn’t go my way. I passed, but by the skin of my teeth, and for my program, I need to get exemplary grades in my science classes. The good thing is that I know how to study from now on, and she drops the lowest grade. I also am completing all of the extra credit I can possibly do. The other good news is that I am finished with the microbiology part, for the most part. Because of...

Hunker down, folks. This is a long one. It is also written over multiple days. Thursday I have always known that weight-loss is a non-linear process. It is unrealistic to believe that every week, I will lose weight. On that same thought process, it is also unrealistic to believe that once I am on my dietary plan, it means that cravings will cease completely and I will not have any slip-ups. I've been silent for the past week or so. It wasn't completely on purpose, but at the same time, it's hard to write about failure. Well, let's redact that a little bit. It's not a failure, it's simply a setback. I am not being overly down on myself, but I am being realistic. I didn't do as well as I should have this week. That's OK. If I went in with the attitude of gaining weight is a failure, then this process would be over very quickly. This week, I gained ~1.5lb back. There were a lot of temptations this week, and I gave in to said temptations. My sisters were ...

This post is from last night. I ended up getting distracted and forgot to edit it. I am in a better mental state now, but still figured I would share what was running through my mind. After all, the whole point of this blog is to document my progression, regression, struggles, and successes.  This is the first week since I've started this that I haven't lost anything. I am only up .4 of a pound, but it still is frustrating. That being said, I did slip a lot this week. My schedule has changed, what with school and stuff. That's not a bad thing, but it's a change and I'm not good with change. I know, I know, I wanted this. But the added stress of classes has done some damage to my mental health. Nothing that will stop me from continuing, and I'm sure that once I get into the groove of it, I will feel better. But as of now, it's all brand spanking new, and very much overwhelming.  Along with that, I have my horse who apparently had something wrong with hi...

This post contains a lot of horse terminology. I think most of it is pretty standard, but if anyone doesn't know what I mean, just shoot me a message for clarification. I have been working on writing this post for a few days. It wasn't easy, and although a lot of emotions and opinions were flowing, the words weren't. This week has been tough. I wasn't sure how this time of year will affect me, because it is quickly approaching the one-year mark since I lost my best friend. I was lucky enough to have him for eleven years and he taught me the meaning of being selfless, responsible, and the dedication it takes to care for another living being. But in return, he also cared for me. He was my backbone, and the one constant in my life. I could always count on going to whatever farm he was at, wherever I was throughout those years, and seeing that face with the star and stripe looking back at me. Don't get me wrong, this horse usually only wanted food from me and walked...

Tuesday Oh, salad. I feel like my horse when I eat one. I went to a place for lunch where it was my only viable option. I wanted pasta and onion rings but I am currently eating a chicken Caesar salad. It is something 2 months ago I wouldn't have done. Now that I'm eating it, it's not half bad. The satisfaction of knowing I made the healthy choice outweighs the temporary satisfaction then the guilt that would set in if I had gone for something high carb.   Today , health won out over my cravings. It is a small accomplishment and a one time deal, but it gave me just a smidgen of a confidence boost.  Wednesday It was my first day of classes   today . I also am taking chemistry for the first time. I've managed to avoid it for so long but now I can't. First class was...interesting? The teacher is a middle aged man from I believe he said either Sweden or Denmark. He's very nice and really funny. I can tell we are going to get off track a lot in lecture. I'm st...

About 15 minutes ago, I broke down and licked the bottom of some birthday candles that were in a chocolate cake. I'm now feeling guilty. Is this the start of an eating disorder (it's not), or is it just me being more mindful of refined sugars? I think if I wasn't at a standstill in terms of weight loss, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. Well, maybe I would have, but wouldn't have dwelled on it. But now I'm afraid that every little slip will mean disappointment. I actually considered getting Dairy Queen   tonight . I know that's not a huge deal, but it could be just a big enough slip that will make me go overboard.  That is what it truly is: fear. Not eating disorder, but the fear that if I didn't have the willpower to stay away, then what regression will happen next?  Tonight   was my grandma's 92nd birthday and I stopped by for dinner to celebrate. I had a quarter of some potato and actually didn't feel guilty for it. Potato is one of thos...

Tonight is going to be kind of a mix between my health life and my horse life. I guess, in a way, it is one and the same. Last night, my spine was really hurting. Not only my actual spine, but all of the muscles of my back. It was at the point where I was YouTube searching how to crack my own back. (It didn't work.) I had some KT tape laying around, so I put 4 strips,  one on either side of my spine from my neck down to my SI joints. I was pleasantly surprised at how much better that made it, and it helped throughout the day. But the placement was a little shotty and there were a few ripples in it because, let me tell you, it's hard to place tape behind your back no your own shoulder blades. They started peeling off after the shower, so I have to do it again tonight. You place the Kinesiology tape by stretching out whatever part of the body you need the tape on, i.e., ankle, calf, spine, etc. so that when you're in neutral position, the tape will coil back to its original...