Well that's one I haven't heard of before...

Piriformis Syndrome - that's the newest "ouch" to add to my list.  Oh wait - sorry - it's Bilateral (I got it on both sides because if I'm going to do something I'm going to go all out).

Last week, prior to me getting sick and then Slyck getting sick, I was on my return trip up the driveway running with the wheelbarrow full of dumbbells when something up in my left hip joint just "screamed".   I could barely walk, much less run.  It didn't feel like had pulled anything, but it was painful.  Finally went to see Dr. Cliff (Slyck had only been telling me to go for about 3 weeks prior to this).  Went through a few things, but then he told me to "cross my legs like a man does."  Did the right leg and it felt kind of tight in the hip joint area, but no pain.  Went to cross the left leg and winced.  Dr. Cliff knew right then what it was.  Have two appointments with the good Dr. Cliff this week and hopefully they will help.  Also, bringing the ice packs to work to sit on.  Don't laugh - it helps!

When I met with Slyck yesterday she mentioned that  in her conversation with Dr. Cliff that he said I wasn't ready for the "Slyck treatment" just yet.  I have to admit, I was a little bothered to hear that.  I know I complain about it being difficult, but I truly feel like I have been committed to this and have been not only keeping up, but also improving.  I've worked hard for over 5 weeks and to hear someone say that I wasn't ready for the hard effort kind of bugged me.  It also made me want to prove him wrong - that I *am* ready for the Slyck treatment.  Sadly, yesterday showed me that mentally I may be ready to prove him wrong, but physically my body has other ideas.  The simple act of running is painful.  We've determine that I can jump rope (quick jumps with both feet), squat, do flutter kicks (on slightly elevated step) and stand on my tip-toes.  Any lateral movement, or forward movement other than a moderate walk is out.  Lunges are also out until Dr. Cliff clears me for them again.

I think I'm one of those people who has this warped sense of "I'm going to do it just because you said I can't."  The funny part of this is that *I* will say I can't do  something and not have the same reaction.  But - you have someone else tell me that I  can't do that very same thing I just told myself I can't do - and suddenly I'm doing whatever it takes to prove them wrong.  Hmmm - maybe I have a bit of a "control/I'm right" issue.  You think?

So for now, regular trips to the chiropractor, ice packs, and Aleve and hopefully I can get back on track with the KYAK program (so dubbed by Slyck ... Kick Your A$$ Kamp).  :)

The magic of smoothies

With this new food plan (started on Oct. 3) I can't have any grains.  That means my standby breakfast of Grapenuts and almond milk is out the door.  :(  This new food plan also requires that have some kind of veggie at every meal.  Sometimes it's hard for me to think enough out of the box to figure out how to incorporate veggies at breakfast.  Sure, if I make eggs, I can throw some diced tomatoes into an omelet (or add spinach to an omelet or egg "sammich"), but what about other days when I don't want eggs?

Thanks to Slyck (the trainer) and her suggestion of smoothies, my problem is solved.  Just like they started hiding "a full serving of veggies" into fruit juices - I'm hiding spinach in my smoothies!  So far I've made a smoothie with banana and spinach and one with blueberries and spinach... and both were very tasty.  Added bonus to the banana one is that it is a fun bright green!  I feel very Seussical (or Seussian?).  The blueberry one was just a dark dusty purple color.

Want to try one for yourself? Here is the recipe I've been following:

1/2 C (4oz) Plain Greek Yogurt (130 cals) - I like Greek Gods Traditional Plain Greek Yogurt
    OR
8 oz unsweetened almond milk (40 cals) - I like Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original
2 C fresh/raw spinach (14 cals)
1 large banana (125 cals)
1 tsp cinnamon (6 cals)
1 Tbsp coconut oil (120 cals)
2 tsp agave nectar (40 cals) - I use Madhava Agave Nectar (Amber)

OR

1/2 C (4oz) Plain Greek Yogurt (130 cals) 

    OR

8 oz unsweetened almond milk (40 cals)

2 C fresh/raw spinach (14 cals)

1 C frozen unsweetened blueberries (79 cals)

1 Tbsp coconut oil (120 cals)

2 tsp agave nectar (40 cals) 

Those are the only ones I've tried so far.  Can't taste the spinach, but it's in there.  I read on another blog where a mother called the banana option "Irish Smoothies" and told her kids that leprechauns love them. :)  I'm guessing using strawberries would taste good, but would make a rather unappetizing brown color (red + green).  

Do you have a favorite smoothie?  Want to share?  Please add your suggestions in comments - I'm looking for "easy" breakfasts for the work week since I'm usually running late. :) 

Until next time - I raise my smoothie glass in toast to you!

Co-winky-dink

Considering that my past two posts have touched on my fear of failing, I had to post this (just saw it today):

Workout brought to you by your local hardware store

Sunday started a new phase (and new "program") of my "Jill gets healthy" journey.  New food plan and a new exercise program.  Both are kickin' my tuchas!  The new food plan takes a little more thought and planning than before and with the exclusion of pretty much all grains/pasta/rice I'm not able to fall back on my go-to breakfast of Grapenuts and almond milk.  Not impossible and this is only for 2 months, so I can do this.  Just means I have to plan ahead better than I have in the past.

Yesterday I arrived for my training session and just started to laugh.  As I pull up I see a wheelbarrow and a sledgehammer sitting out.  I guess Slyck meant it when she said we were going to get dirty!  Who knew that your yardwork standards could double as exercise equipment.  A quick jog to the mailbox pushing the wheelbarrow (full of rocks and dumbells - have no idea how much that sucker weighed), a few squats and deadlift type things, and then a jog back and I quickly realized that I have a LOT further to go on getting into shape.  When it came time for the sledgehammer - well I wish that I had more "oomph" left in me to really pound out my frustration.

Once again, I had a minor breakdown in my training session.  This time it wasn't that I thought I couldn't do the exercise "right" - it was just that I was so frustrated that I couldn't do it at all.  I could visualize what I was supposed to do, I was willing my leg to do what it was supposed to do and I just wasn't able to muster the energy/power to do it right away.  It kind of bugs me that when I work out this hard my eyes seem to "sweat" so easily.  Ok - yes - I cried.  Not because I am a wimp.  Not because I want to quit.  I tend to get emotional and weepy when I am fatigued (happens when I'm exhausted, happens when highly stressed, etc).  I absolutely hate crying in front of people primarily because I think it's perceived as weakness.  I know I'm being pushed out of a comfort zone (see previous post) and I'm ok with that.  It's just when I want to do it, when I want to push myself and I'm trying and my body just doesn't cooperate that I get frustrated.  Let me tell you - a runny nose and weepy eyes do not make for a good work out.  I was finally able to do about half of what I was supposed to do - and that took all the energy/power I could muster.

I think a lot of this stems from my need to "measure up" to what I think people expect of me.  I don't want to let people down or disappoint them.  If they ask me to do something a certain way - I want to do that.  This isn't a new thing.  I've had this ever since I was a kid.  I never wanted to disappoint a teacher - so I behaved correctly, did my work, etc.  I didn't want to disappoint my parents - so I did what they asked.  I placed expectations on myself and attributed them to other people.  I learned sometime after highschool that those expectations were self-imposed.  That I was setting expectations so high, but they were my own expectations of myself.  Sometimes I was a bit unreasonable in what I expected.  Maybe this is typical of an oldest child.  And it still shows up today - like when I lose it during a training session.  It's a mental thing, but there is a physical aspect too.  I push to achieve what is expected (both by me and my trainer), but when I hit a wall (sometimes literally) I get easily frustrated.  Unfortunately, that frustration manifests in tears at times.  Of course those tears then make me mad that I'm being "a wimp" and that only feeds the frustration.

Next time, Mr. Wheelbarrow and Mr. Sledghammer, I won't be taken down so easily.