Getting there!

Hi everybody!   I'm starting to feel like me again.  :-)

It has been 12 days from surgery and I feel like starting to be productive again.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning to see what I will be released to do:

1. Sleep - I am still sleeping in the recliner, but I should be released to sleep in my bed tomorrow night.  This is a really big deal because my back, shoulders and neck is really sore from the recliner.  This alone will make a huge improvement in my mood.
2. Mobility - Right now I'm not allowed to raise my arms above my shoulders.  It actually hurts if I do it because the staples pull.  I'm hoping that he takes some of the staples out which will take some of that stinging away.  It would be great if he told me I could have full mobility with my arms because I REALLY want to be able to wash my hair by myself.  I just made an appointment to go get it washed at lunch.  It is starting to add up and frankly, it just gets annoying.  I did buy some dry shampoo because I figure that even if I can wash it myself, I'm not going to be eager to do it everyday for a while. 
3. Wraps - I believe that I will have to wear the arm wraps for another week.  These aren't really a problem.  I don't love them, but they aren't my biggest issue.  However, since I live alone, I can't really shower just any old time, because I can't re-wrap my arms myself.  BFF has been super great about helping me, but it will be nice when I don't have to bug her anymore.
4. Exercise - I've been able to manage my anxiety with the idea that this is only temporary and I will be able to work out again soon.  I just had NO idea how much exercise leveled my mood and kept my anxiety at bay.  It is good to know!  I'm guessing that he will release me to walk this week and then release me for Jazzercise next week.  Here's hoping!
5. Incision/Scar - the incision is obviously still healing, so it will be a while yet before I can start using the scar reducer.

Friday night BFF & I were supposed to go to the Truck races at TMS but we were both tired so we decided to just go to dinner instead.  I got a little tipsy and realized alcohol is way better than Tylenol!!  :-)  Saturday I went to my friend the massage therapist and she worked on my neck and shoulders for 30 minutes while I sat in a regular chair.  I felt SO much better after that.  Then just because she is super nice, she washed and blow dried my hair!

Saturday night we did go to the the Indy race out at the speedway and it was fun, but I was pretty miserable for the 2nd half of the race.  When we got home, BFF put Biofreeze on my back before I went home and went to bed chair.  It really helped!

Yesterday, I didn't quite make it up and at 'em for church, but I did get a lot of errands run.  By a lot, I mean 3, but that's good.  Last night, BFF, ShareBear, Lizard, Debi, PattyCake & I went to The Melting Pot for some fondue.


Lizard, me & Debi

 It was a fun time and I'm so happy and blessed to have such great friends!  Plus, fondue is yumtastic!!

And now for the dun, dun, duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun....

I got on the scale this morning for the first time since May 17th.  What happens when you go from working out 5-7 hours per week to ZERO hours per week without changing your eating habits?  You gain ten pounds.  Bleh.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure some of that is bloat and blahda blahda, but I"m done with this BS.  I can't workout, but I can control my eating now that I'm feeling human.

It feels a little strange to gain weight and then go to the LB doc and ask for an unfill which is exactly what I'm planning to do in 9 days.  I have a very sound plan, but I would like to be able to tell him that I'm on the losing track even though it might not look that way to him since there is no way I can lose that all in 9 days with no fitness component. 

So, the plan is to just eat well this week.  I've got the MFP fired up and I plan to eat as few calories as possible.  Next week, I start eating Paleo.  That gives me roughly six weeks before I go to London.  I don't know how well I will do, but I know that I absolutely want to give this a try.

Have any of you followed a Paleo plan?  If so, how has it gone?  What were your biggest challenges?  I'm not concerned with giving up bread, since I don't eat much of that anyway.  But I know it will be tougher to give up pasta, rice and potatoes.  I incorporate a lot of starch in my diet even though I know I shouldn't.  It will be tough to make that mental change. 

But the hardest part with be the sugar. I don't even think I realize how much sugar (real and artificial) I consume.  For instance, morning coffee...  I typically drink one cup with two creams and one packet of Splenda.  Since cutting down on the sugar/sweetener is one of my focuses, I want to find a change for that.  For today, I tried half of everything and that was doable.  I will keep cutting back on it and see how it goes.  Maybe I can get to like black coffee after all.  :)

Anyway, lots to think about.  Hope you all had a great weekend!

Hugs!