Girl on Pause

As many of you know, for Christmas 2015 Jon got me a Fitbit. This began the second part of my journey to better health. I felt in control of my weight loss the first time and in 2016 I shed 75 lbs. I stared 2017 under 200lbs a place I hadn’t been in over a decade.

During 2017 the weight loss was slow and difficult. Despite exercising 5-6 times a week, I only managed to lose 15 lbs in 7 months. This was frustrating to say the least, since I had lost the weight so quickly before. Also, based on my last lowest weight, when I was in my 20’s, I was still about 30 lbs over that weight. I expected the weight loss to slow down, but not as much as it did. It just didn’t make sense.

Then between July and September, for what seemed like no apparent reason, 10 lbs appeared on the scale. I was exercising and still maintaining a 750 calorie deficit per day, but the scale was going the wrong way! How could this be? I felt like everything I had learned, to lose weight, was now not working. I tried not to focus on it and keep doing what I knew should work. It was more important to stay on course and not throw in the towel.
What I did not know then, was there was a tumour growing inside me. I am pretty sure the 10 lbs that showed up rapidly was a result of the tumour. I am not sure if the slowed weight loss the 7 months prior was related, perhaps the tumour was screwing with my hormones?? I think it’s possible. I’m not sure I’ll really ever know.

After almost 2 years of working hard to lose weight I have to put the breaks on. One day I was hiking and doing water aerobics, the next I’m ill and having emergency surgery.  Life can change so quickly.  Now, I am almost 3 weeks post op for the removal of the tumour. Since the operation I have lost 17 lbs. I have reach a new low weight and I am now 4 lbs away from hitting my first weight goal, 100 lbs with Fitbit. Of course, I don’t recommend losing body parts as a weight loss strategy, it was a little extreme even for me. I just find the whole thing ironic.

I am still recovering and I’m not allowed to exercise, so I’m a little nervous. I have pretty much deleted the calorie deficit given that my body needs to heal. I am still eating the amount of calories I burn each day according to Fitbit or my (Base Metobolic Rate) BMR. This should maintain my weight. Just because I’m not dieting doesn’t mean I’m not eating mindfully and healthy. As my colon was involved in the surgery I have had to slowly reintroduced foods back into my diet. It has tested my patience and made me a little crazy at times. I’m not sure what I will learn from this whole process, the journey is still in progress. I will say this, your body is important and you just have the one you came into the world with. I started this journey to be healthy and to live a better life. Having lost 114 lbs over all, I can feel the difference in the way I move and get through life. I never want to go back to the old me. While the tumour has given me a pause, the fact that it was benign makes me eager to recover and go hike in new places and find new ways to enjoying staying healthy. I guess this is a reset.