There’s been a lot of changes in my fitness routine and health in the past six months or so. I made a number of changes at the beginning of the year, which have increased my overall wellness and confidence. I’ve also had to come to terms with taking the route of surgery (something I never wanted to do) for the sake of my long-term health.
Firstly, at the beginning of 2019 I removed a lot of processed carbs and grains from my diet. I’m not going to lie, I was hesitant to make this change and doubted how it was going to impact how I felt. I was proven wrong. I’ve had nothing but good results from the change. I’m less bloated and my weight fluctuations have lessened. In place of the carbs and grains I removed (breads, pretzels crackers, etc.), I’ve been eating more vegetables and fruits which help me feel more satiated. As for processed carbs and grains I’m still eating, oatmeal, popcorn, light flatbreads, and protein bars are still staples. I’m also still eating foods like peanut butter that have added sugars.
As for flexible dieting, I’m still tracking my macros to maintain, but feel more confident in my ability to eventually transition to eating intuitively. Sometimes on the weekends, I’ll take a day or two away from tracking and surprise, surprise – it’s not the end of the world.
Another big change are my views on the fitness industry, and I’ve unfollowed and unsubscribed from a lot of fitness influencers. I found that so many weren’t bringing value to me anymore. The market has become saturated with the same information. And, in my opinion, so many of the influencers feed off of the fear of their own followers. Unfollowing and unsubscribing from these select influencers has taken off the stress of feeling the need to eat or look a certain way. I’m now in control of my body image and workouts without influence. It’s very freeing.
As for my health, I’ve been pretty blessed. I’ve been lifting for well over five years now without any major injuries. A while back, I sustained a minor knee injury and tendinitis, that resolved relatively quickly with some physical therapy. In December 2017, I noticed my left thumb and wrist were sore, but without reason. After a few weeks in a brace and a cortisone shot later, it was determined I had De Qervain’s Tendositvis.
After playing it safe, the injury recurred in summer 2018 and most recently again in December 2018. During both flare ups, I tried all non-invasive options to resolve the injury: rest, hand therapy (including in-clinic electric therapies) and exercises, reducing my sodium intake, taking anti-inflammatory vitamins and supplements, wearing a brace, cortisone shots, ibuprofen, and reducing the use of my thumb.
Despite these conservative treatments (which normally work), I threw in the towel and decided to go the route of surgery. To be honest, even when I scheduled the surgery I was against it. Having surgery means major time away from the gym, specifically weight lifting. And it’s not exactly the ideal time – I have a wedding dress to fit into this fall. So on top of the surgery, I had that to worry about it.
The positive from this decision is that it’s meant to permanently resolve the injury. It’s also a fairly reasonable recovery time with basic hand therapy, which I’ve already gone through so I know what in for. My surgery is scheduled for mid-April so I should be fully recovered just in time for Memorial Day weekend and summer.
I’ll be sure to share an update on my surgery and recovery in the coming weeks. After having some time for idea of surgery to sink in, I’m feeling more positive. I’ve even written a gym split that I can stick to with minimal weight and stress on my wrists. Who knows? Maybe this will be a good change to my gym routine and I’ll discover a new activity I love.
More to come!
