Fantastic Friday

It seems like I'm slowly breaking out of my slump, which is a good thing, because it's been an amazing week.

I hit my weekly goal weight (a day after my weigh in), won TWO amazing raffles, went to two fun concerts, and today am celebrating 5 years since my husband and I moved to California from New York City. When we moved here, we didn't know anyone, and now we have a life full of friends and promise.

I've been more active this week than I have been in a long time, and it felt good. I'm still fighting off the lupusy things, and the rain isn't really helping me feel better, but I'm keeping my eye on the prize, which is the journey to a happier, healthier me. Note that I didn't say that the prize was the finished package, but rather the journey. I'm learning to savor every step along the path, and learn from everything, good and bad.

I'm also feeling super grateful on this 5 year anniversary of our move for the online community I've found and the amazing people I've met throughout the years who have started me along this wellness journey. Of course my super inspirational husband who swears he's going to start blogging tomorrow :), my BFF Cecilia, who is KILLING her own journey, my former trainers at Chain Fitness Maria, Taylor and workout buddy Dalyn, my new home at YogaWorks, my running trainers at Club26.2, my #SweatPink sisterhood, my #imagreatist family, the #girlsgonesportycrew, my favorite #curvyyoga girls, and so many more. Thank you all for keeping me inspired and knowing that I am capable of
doing more.




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No Doubt Concert and Rediscovering That Spark!

I wonder how many calories pacing around for 2 hours and then jumping/screaming/dancing for the following 3 hours burns?

Because that's what I did last night. My AMAZING husband got us tickets to the No Doubt concert at the Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles. I LOVE this band. I've never been a big concert-goer, and this is the third or fourth time I've seen them. The last time was just about 10 years ago...but I seriously had as much fun last night as I did then.










When I got home, I was sitting around, yammering about the concert to the hubs, and thinking about the fact that given my conditions/illness/current health issues were no big deal tonight. Not to say that I didn't have a single moment of pain, because I did. But I had fun jumping around, yelling, dancing, and moving around nonstop.

It got me thinking...why can't I take that enthusiasm into other areas of my life, specifically working out....

I realized that I've lost touch with the why I love yoga so much. That deep gut feeling that you get when you're on the mat and feeling so in tune with your body and in that moment nothing is lacking and you are all.

Tonight, I went back to something I loved and was good for me - music and fun for the soul - and the benefits will be long lasting.

I need to get back to my yoga studio and get on the mat, and rediscover that joy.

I feel so passionate right now about taking care of myself because I know that having another perfect moemnt tonight is not guranteed. My health may not permit me to party like I did. But I'm going to do everything in my power to delay that, to keep my body in the best shape I can so that when i do have breaks, I can take full advantage.



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Wednesday Goals Check-In

Sigh. I have a confession to make. I considered lying today. I was so disappointed to step on the scale and seeing ZERO change. AGAIN. But I promised I would be honest and accountable to my readers. So I'm not lying. I've been fighting off the Thanksgiving bulge, the weight gained around this time of the month, and the fact that I've only gotten in one WOD and just have been walking my dog.  I know that my efforts are doing something because I'm not gaining - with the meds I'm on, if I don't make an effort I gain easily - but I NEED to break this plateau. I keep saying I just need my body to calm down enough so I can settle into a routine. It just seems like that day isn't coming. I'm struggling here. I want to do more, I NEED to do more, and I am not sure how to get it in.

Folks, I need your help. Give me ideas of how to fit exercise into my day - and high intensity cardio is out due to my heart issues. Throw your best suggestions at me. Help me get out of this rut.

Highest Weight: 235
Lowest Weight: can't remember
Last week's weight: 192
Today's Weight: 192

 I'll keep saying this until it's true. Because failure is not an option.

Blank

I was super excited to start the #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month for the uninitiated) in November. I've actually had some thought I wanted to convey every single day this month and have manged to get a post out on time. This morning I woke up and was completely blank. I had no idea what I wanted to say on this blog today, and felt kind of panicky. For those who know me, I am NEVER without words. As a a matter of fact, I never shut up. I talk in my sleep.

But I couldn't think about what to write today.

Maybe it's because I feel like a bit of a fraud. I'm getting my exercise in, making smarter choices, moving in the direction that I want (both scale and metaphorically), but I just don't feel like I am nearly cool enough to be part of the crowd. I'm a Greatist Ambassador and a Sweat Pink Ambassador for FitApproach, and when I see the profiles of all my amazing cohorts, I think that my story isn't really that exciting or inspiring. I know that we all talk about finding fitness our own way, and I wanted to be an Ambassador for both of these amazing groups because they offer so many ways to find your fitness and health. And I wanted to show that even someone with a chronic illness can achieve some level of health.

But I find myself boring. How can I be inspiring when my efforts sometimes amount to a 20-minute walk with my dog and some stretching while my fantastic cohorts are logging miles, lifting weights and more?  Because of my health lately, my efforts have been focused on not gaining weight from not moving around too much and making smarter choices. I'm not looking for a pity party, but I realized that I was running out of things to talk about because my routines are simple and not really exciting.

I guess I'm in a funk today and it will pass. I'll get on with my exercise and healthy choices.  That's why #imagreatist, I #sweatpink, I'm part of the #girlsgonesportycrew and I'm sure of #mycommitment to a healthier life.  (ha! I didn't think I could fit that many hashtags in one sentence!!)

How do you get over your slumps/funk when you feel that your efforts aren't amounting to much?

So did you check out the Vitacost sale yet?

Because I did! And it's awesome! So hard to choose what to get!











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Monday Recommitment

This Thanksgiving break was a wash. I didn't eat as cleanly as I would have liked, but more cleanly than I expected. I had a ton of fresh food, lot of veggies, and I didn't overindulge in sweets. The scale will tell me on Wednesday how I'm doing. I'm holding out until then.

After making very ambitious plans to do something active every day, lupus decided that it had other plans for me. I've been dealing with chest/heart pain pretty much every day. It's not a heart attack - this is familiar territory, so I can narrow it down to three things. All of which are treated with steroids, pain medication and rest. So I did my part and took some pain medication and rested all weekend long. I mean ALL.WEEKEND.LONG. The hubs and I camped out in the living room and watched movies and TV shows until we fell asleep, having ridiculous conversations and the most exerting thing I did was laugh. A lot.

I know that November-December is a tough period of time for me lupus-wise, and every year I go through this period of transition where my body resists the colder temperatures and acts up. I know that my body is also in "crash" mode after months of running on adrenaline. But I'm not going to let that stop my goals. It may not play out the way I want, but I'm still going to do all I can to progress.

This morning I got up and decided that I need to work out every single day. For all my yoga training, my core strength sucks. Here's a big confession - i SUCK at sit-ups. And pushups. So I convinced my husband to help me out (he boxes), and help me with those things. He's super encouraging and great with helping me with my form. After my pathetic attempts, I took the dog for a 20 minute walk. It feels good to get the blood circulating again, and I'm looking forward to doing some yoga tonight. I'm going to do all I can to take care of myself so I can do a little exercise every day.

Progress is a good thing.


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Reflecting on Sunday night

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Making a Healthy Life Affordable: VitaCost Sale!!!

As I'm going along this health and wellness journey, I'm starting to patronize stores/websites that I wouldn't have before. Farmers markets, vegan and vegetarian restaurants, super hippie health food stores, healthy cooking blogs, nutrition websites and online businesses. Changing your lifestyle can be really expensive, or really simple.

Those who know me well know that I can't justify doing something for myself if it's really expensive. So as I started this journey, I had to make sure that changing my lifestyle wouldn't break my budget. I started logging what I was spending weekly, I notices that when I was more "unhealthy" I was spending more money on food (processed) and other junk I didn't need. I thought it would be more expensive, but it turns out that I've been able to find ways to make this easy.

I have become a big fan of the farmers market because I am getting great quality for a good price. I save money because the food I get at the farmers market inspires me to cook more and I'm eating out a heck of a lot less. I'm constantly finding deals when it comes to workout gear since I wear a lot of it.

However, I've been struggling to lower my costs is in the area of vitamins, supplements and other healthy products.

One great resource I found is Vitacost. I've found some of my favorite major supplements that help me manage my lupus and insomnia symptoms such as multivitamins, glucosamine, primrose oil, melatonin, and lavender oil. They have 2,000 of the top, most-trusted natural brands, diet foods and healthy living essentials-the very best nutritional supplements, whole foods and sports nutrition-at discount prices, up to 50% off. And they'll deliver them right to your door for FREE if your order totals $49 or more. Otherwise, shipping is just a small, flat-rate fee of $4.99, no matter how big the box.

Since I can't keep a good deal to myself, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to share an offer with my readers. VitaCost is starting Cyber Monday with a Cyber Sale that is taking a 15% discount off of already great prices.



The sale starts Saturday morning and ends Monday night - 15% off everything on the site.

Start Date: 11/24/2012 Time: 9:00AM EST
End Date: 11/26/2012 Time: 11:59 PM EST

I am excited to do some shopping and eventually show off my purchases. Like I do when I get swag (see yesterday's post) or when I go to the farmers market (any post that has to do with food). So let's show and tell: let me know what you get!

Being Part of a Fitness Family - I #SweatPink & #Imagreatist

In the last month or so, I've been so blessed to be part of a great online community. Between twitter, facebook, and other social media, I have found people who understand my desire to gain health through a change in lifestyle - exercise and nutrition.

In addition to meeting amazing people I've been honored to be named as an ambassador for two great causes.

My Greatist family puts out amazing information on a daily basis and I love logging on every to learn more about....just about everything. I'm proud to say #imagreatist.



My Sweat Pink family inspires me every day. Such amazing women from all walks of life doing amazing things. I love reading their updates on their journeys and love my new sisterhood. Today was a special day, because I feel officially inducted :)










It was so nice to get my tank and shoelaces, along with a handwritten note from Alyse and Jamie. I am so motivated to trade out my laces, get busy and #sweatpink.



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FOOD!

I am now back home after an amazing Thanksgiving meal at one of my BFF's house. It's pseudo-potluck, so the host made the turkey and a few sides and everyone brought something. From the A More Conscious E household we brought:

- Warm spinach/mixed greens and prosciutto salad with pecans (Thanks Whole9)
- Brussel sprouts with bacon, lime and garlic (my own recipe)
- Mashed sweet potatoes
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Apples and Pecans
- Habichuelas dulces (the husband made this)
- Beef round tip

I didn't eat as cleanly as I would have liked, but I did enjoy myself. And I limited myself to one serving of everything. No refills and no dessert.

The process of preparing for Thanksgiving began yesterday, when I started making the brussel sprouts and butternut squash:



















Today, I got up early and made the sweet potatoes and salad:






















Everything went over really well, and I'm exhausted. It could be because I ate this:




which included turkey, beef, brussel sprouts, green beans, spinach, butternut squash, applies, sweet potato, green chile grits, and mashed potatoes. And lots of water.

I'm thankful for having the ability to make such diverse foods, to share different meals and customs with my friends and enjoy a great holiday. Now I'm stuffed and ready for bed :)







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Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. While I believe that we should feel and express gratitude every day of the year, I will share my thanks today.

I am truly thankful for my amazing family who has stood beside me through a particularly rough year, my wonderful husband who has literally been with me every step of the way, my fantastic friends who have been so supportive and understanding, a good job that fulfills me and allows me to meet some great people and do great things,modern medicine that helps me get better every day, doctors who have kept me ticking, the awesome online community that I have found in my health journey and the opportunity to start anew every day.




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Wednesday Goals Check In

Last week I made a new friend on twitter (Tiffany at dance.lift.run.), and we decided that we would be accountable by having a weekly weigh-in date together. I'm excited by this prospect because I feel like someone is keeping an eye on me.

That said, I really wished I had weighed in on Monday instead. I finally broke through my plateau and dropped a pound. Of course since then, I gained it back.

On my other goals, I've been a bit stagnant this week. I've been recovering from pleurisy and my heart condition seems to be more temperamental than usual, so my activity has been almost non-existent. Taking deep breaths still hurts, so my meditation has been curbed, as I like sinking into slow, deep breathing.

I have, however, been getting tons of sleep, which is I guess what my body needs. I've also made it out to walk my dog just about every day, so I'm assuming that's prevented any gain.

I know that part of the process is taking care of my body when it needs rest and recovery, but gah, I'm itching to get out and DO SOMETHING. I just have to be patient.

Highest Weight: 235
Lowest Weight: Can't Remember
Last Week: 192
Today: 192





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Paleo and Me: My First Guest Post!

About two weeks ago, I was on Twitter and noticed that @PaleoFoodOnline posted about paleo and diabetes. It was just after I posted my progress pics - so I let them know that I had found great results in weight loss and managing my diabetes through a paleo diet. I was asked to write a guest post, and I finally submitted it yesterday.




(This is my "Really, they want MY story" face after I submitted it. I was trying to NOT fall asleep while making a paleo dinner, funny enough.)

I was thrilled to wake up and see that it had been published. Wow, my first guest post. Even more exciting is sharing my story. I'll admit, having my fat pictures online is a bit scary, but I am excited and proud of my progress and willing to share what this new lifestyle has done for me.

So check the article out when you get a moment and leave a comment here or there!


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The Daily Process of Recommitment: It's Your Choice(s)

Don't ever let anyone tell you that health and fitness is easy.  It's not. It's a daily choice to make the right decisions. You recommit to your health every time you decide what to eat, when or when not to exercise, and when you fill your cup with water or soda.  It's a constant process.

As I wrote that paragraph, I realized that I made it sound tedious, boring and painful, but to me, it's full of possibilities. It means that if you make a bad choice now, you haven't screwed up forever. Your very next choice may be a few minutes away.  You can't undo your previous choice, but you can always choose better.  To me, that's exciting.

I just submitted my first guest post (ever - squee!!) for Paleo Diet Food List about how finding a paleo diet helped me learn to manage my diabetes and lose now 44lbs. It was interesting to look back on the last year and see how many millions of choices I've made and what I've learned from them. And despite those millions of choices, I'm not perfect. I want to be the best I can, and that means continuing to learn. I didn't stop loving sweets when I went paleo. But I did start to hate diabetes, losing my vision, and feeling like complete crap.

So I do as much as I can each day. If I don't eat breakfast because my lupus meds make me sick, I'll load up on protein and veggies for lunch. If I eat really well all week and want sushi rolls, I'll have some but won't order nearly as much as I used to and enjoy the experience of eating something delicious as opposed to stuffing myself silly.  If I have a day when I simply MUST have a chocolate bar, I'll understand that I will feel lousy and bloated.  But more importantly, I won't beat myself up over it and think that I've ruined all the progress I've made. I'll know that another choices is just around the corner and my next choice will be more in line with what I need.

A Love Letter of Sorts

I told my husband on Friday that there would be a post dedicated to him this month, but I don't think that he really believed me. So, ha!

We met a little over 9 years ago online. I was thinner/weighed less, more active, overly serious, dealing with severe anxiety and depression, and pretty damn neurotic. I had absolutely no fashion sense (this is a fact), and was really in my own head a lot. Obviously we met online.

From day one, he was like a breath of fresh air. Mr. Man LIVED life fully. He claimed to have no regrets, and had funny slogans like "to nights I'll never remember and friends I'll never forget." He was the life of the party no matter where we went, was funny, sweet, sarcastic, active and challenging at times. I frequently felt like the floor disappeared beneath my feet because he was so DIFFERENT from me. But he never made me feel bad about being me. He pushed me to look at the areas of my life where I was unhappy and challenged me to change. He championed me when I was at my best, and held me at my worst. We married two and a half years later in 2006.

Married life hasn't been the easiest. A few months before our first anniversary, I was diagnosed with lupus, and our life changed overnight. I had been progressively feeling worse for a while, but now we were faced with something that would never go away, and we would never be able to predict. Because of this disease, and the many I have developed since, we have gone through things that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. He's held me as friends have passed away from the disease, stayed with me through all the ER visits, and sometimes would stay up all night wondering if I would wake the next morning. With chronic disease comes chronic depression. I get depressed and I EAT. I eat and I get more DEPRESSED.

This man has never loved me less because of it, and while I may not (okay, definitely) have appreciated the tough love at the time, the love has never stopped and his encouragement of me to try to live the healthiest life I could has never stopped. A few years ago, tired of sitting around and staring at each other in this perpetual disease funk, my husband did two things. He put aside a large chunk of cash for me to enroll in intense personal training and signed up with a boxing studio on his own. My personal training efforts were fun, amazing and challenging, but ultimately my head wasn't in the game. I still ate like crap, I was still sick, so while I got stronger, I didn't lose weight, which fueled my depression. I eventually had what I refer to as the "crab walking accident of 2010" and that ended any efforts to exercise for a few years.

My husband took to boxing like a champ (no pun intended). He found an outlet that he loves, and started on his own weight loss/health journey. He tried various diets, and I just refused to get on board. We disagreed on approaches, but whatever he was doing worked for him. And despite the fact that I was still in a funk, he continued to support me and encourage me while doing his thing.

Eventually I had my own epiphany and perfect storm of things happen - I was finally well enough to do a little bit of activity, then got addicted to feeling better, then found a way of eating that worked for me. I started trying to cook (which is very bizarre - he's the cook in the family) and decided to explore meditation and yoga. While he didn't get the more spiritual side of my practice, he maintained if it made me healthy and happy he was all for it. He strongly encouraged me to sign up for a membership at my yoga studio, and continues to be my biggest cheerleader.

Our fitness/health journey continues, and it's interesting and fun. We diverge on diet and exercise, but we find common ground in supporting each other. He tends to stick to a more keto diet, which I find to be too restrictive. I'm 80/20 paleo when I'm being really good. He does a hell of a lot more cardio and weight lifting and boxes as often as he can. I love yoga and walks with the dog. He is a die-hard softball player and manages our team. I've made it to two games because of my health. I love trying new vegetables and he doesn't like vegetables at all.

But somehow it all work. Because in so many ways, he is still that breath of fresh air, the person to challenge me, the person to hold up a mirror and keep me really accountable when I'm making excuses, the person who celebrates every single pound lost and every bit of strength gained. He is the one who knows exactly how many pills I take each morning and reminds me of the consequences when I decide to throw common sense and good habits out of the window.

I couldn't ask for a better champion and partner in this journey. Love you, O.




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Holiday Eating - Trying to Eat as Clean and Paleo as Possible (and excited about it)

Every year I start to fall off the bandwagon like most people. Tasty, fatty, sugary foods are everywhere and I just want all of it. I love food, I really do, and I'm a sugar addict. I am a little worried going into the holiday season, especially as I've been able to maintain my weight loss for several months now. Instead of wringing my hands, overindulging and beating myself up, a cycle I'm very used to, I am starting to be a bit more proactive.

This morning I woke up and said to my husband "Let's workout together today." Not sure which one of us was more surprised.




Then I started planning what kinds of food I want to prepare for the Thanksgiving potluck my bff is hosting. I started searching through recipes and found that I was most attracted to paleo recipes. My body and mind are starting to reject the notion that the only way you can enjoy the holiday meals is eating like total crap. There have been a few sites that have been particularly helpful, including PaleOmg, NomNomPaleo, and Whole9. So far I'm thinking of making:

- Roasted brussel sprouts tossed in garlic, lime and sea salt (a group fave)
- Warm spinach and prosciutto salad courtesy of the Whole 9
- Sweet potato gratin with bacon
- Garlic Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

I'm also thinking about attempting a paleo and vegan pumpkin cheesecake that my pal Dalyn (@rockindee13 on twitter) shared with me.

I'm excited that for the first time that I can ever remember holidays don't bring up feelings of shame and anxiety related to my weight, food, social gatherings, etc. I feel more in control, more empowered and more enthusiastically challenged to meet my goals while enjoying time with family and friends.


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FITNESS FRIDAY: Signed up for a 5K

Yesterday, I made a simple but bold decision. I signed up for a 5k taking place next March. Yes, four months away. My job, among many many other things, is to coordinate my organization's participation in the LA Marathon and 5k. This will be our 4th year and the first time I will actually race.

Why is that a bold move? Because I have been told by many specialists including my rheumatologist and my cardiologist NOT to run. I fall easily and I have heart problems. Also, when I trained for the full marathon in 2010, I fell and tore a ligament in my right ankle 1 month before the event and never got to run.

My first love will always be yoga because it creates a peace and stillness inside of me that I badly need. But there is a competitive part of me that wants to train, wants to challenge myself and put myself against others for fun. I'll probably never complete a marathon - not sure my heart can stand the endurance it requires - but I will be happy with a 5k medal.

So why am I doing this? Because I can. Because I am in better shape than I was when they first gave me this morning. Because I can walk the race at my own speed. Because I never got my medal, and I want that sense of accomplishment. Because i am taking a stand for friends who are too severely impacted by this disease and say that the status quo is unacceptable. And because I'm doing it for charity.

My awesome husband has agreed to do it with me and we're looking for folks to join our team.

If you're in LA, want to take part in the 5k or full LA Marathon, and want to raise funds and awareness of Lupus, a disease that has impacted my life severely and the lives of some of mu dearest friends over the last 5 years, please consider joining Team Reyes. Visit Lupus LA to sign your commitment form today and plan on your winter training.



Drop me a line to let me know that you're joining the team at AMoreConsciousE at gmail dot com, as I'm also the person in charge of the whole team so I'll know how to process your commitment form and you'll get a special Team Reyes introductory letter.

If you're not in LA and still want to support, you can join our team as a virtual member and raise funds that way, or just donate to our page. From there you'll click JOIN NOW which will take them through the process of REGISTER > JOIN A TEAM > CREATE A PAGE.

I'm going to run my race with my pink shoelaces because #imagreatist and I #sweatpink.

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Can't contain myself to one thought this Thursday!*

This week has been absolutely friggin amazing. I got to travel to DC, and for the most part I stayed healthier than I ever do when I travel. I think it's partly because I took care of myself before, took some preventative measures (flu shot, b12 shot, my Benlysta infusion, melatonin to sleep, eating well) and got in exercise and ate well where I could.

I presented on a program that I started in conjunction with some amazing partners at the American College of Rheumatology conference to an international audience, the biggest and probably most important presentation of my career. We rocked it, had a pretty full room for the last day of the conference, have been asked to publish our materials and are getting ready to submit our presentation to other conferences that might be interested in our work.




I ended up getting pleurisy but I pushed my way through and made it through the days with some effort, but I did it. I'm still taking my steroids and finally got the steroid weight burst, but I'm cool with it beacuse I know it's a temporary price to pay for getting healthier as soon as possible. It's also motivation to do what I need to do to reach my goals. This bout with pleurisy (and the hours in bed I had to spend - and oh, what a comfy hotel bed it was) gave me the time to refocus on my priorities in life and what I want and need to be as happy as possible.

On my way home, I was able to get work done, connect with friends, and realize that my new passion, my real focus is on getting fit. No more tiptoeing around the issue. I want to be fit. I believe that strong is the new skinny. I am turning into less of a tomboy and more of a girly girl. I want to look cute while I work out and make fabulous, fresh, clean foods. I want to share my story with others. I'm not leaving my full-time job because I love it and it brings me great joy, but I will likely shut down my consulting business by the end of the week. It doesn't bring me the same joy that this blogging, yoga, walking, exercise, awareness project gives me.

I came home to spend time with my husband who is my best friend, biggest supporter, and inspiration. And that solidified my priorities. I want to live a long, healthy-ish life with someone who tries his best to bring out the best in me with our sweet dog, our amazing friends, and loving families.




I am committed. And because I've been so vocal about my commitment I've been honored to be granted the title of Ambassador for two amazing movements that inspire me.




Greatist.com is the trusted health & fitness source for the young, savvy, and social. Health and fitness is hard. We want to make it easier. And, for starters, we believe you deserve better content than what’s out there now. So while our posts are short, fun, and relatable, they’re also as high-quality as it gets: every fact is cited (by a PubMed study), every sentence meticulously verified, and every article expert-approved. So, be inspired and get informed on Greatist. Then, together, we can start informing and inspiring the world to make one healthier choice per week, you know, to be greatists like us.

A Greatist Ambassador follows a simple philosophy: Everyone has a choice to be more fit, healthy, and happy. And though our goals and ambitions are often similar, each person is unique, every story different. A greatist is someone who chooses better to improve their fitness, health, and happiness. We add the hashtag #imagreatist to the posts and tweets we write to spread awareness.




Fitapproach.com focuses on being your healthy community! They're a supportive group of people, including everyone from ultra marathoners to couch potatoes, sharing our experiences with health and fitness, and who would love for you to join the conversation.

Fitapproach Ambassadors are called #SweatPink Ambassadors. Sweat Pink Ambassadors live the Fit Approach mission every day: they sweat hard, play hard, and inspire those around them to achieve their best selves. We add the hashtag #sweatpink to the posts and tweets we write to spread awareness.

#Imagreatist and I #SweatPink. Right now I feel like I rock :)

Raarr.

*I cross-posted this on my other blog because there is simply too much info to try to re-write today :)

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Location:West Hollywood,United States

Wednesday Goal Check-in and I ROCKED My Presentation!

I'm on Day 4 in DC and after yesterday's issues with coming down with pleurisy 24 hours before my big presentation I was not a happy camper. Steroids keep you up, so I kept having to take melatonin to sleep for 4 hour blocks at a time. Thankfully, I did rest enough that I was good to go for my presentation, and my group KILLED it. I am so happy and proud of our trio and how far we've come. We all face different health and professional challenges, but we got up in front of an international crowd of about 40 people and did our thing. No one walked out early (which is incredibly common) and people stayed to ask questions.

It was a great moment for me, realizing that I can really do anything. I have overcome my disease to get where I am professionally, and I didn't let it stop me do what I needed to do today. I'm gonna go with this week being a win on goals progress. I communicated more, I loved myself more, ate healthy-ish, walked a LOT and made new friends.

On the weight side, I am pretty excited. I didn't lose or gain, but that is a real testimony to the work I've put in. I should have gained at least 5lbs just due to the extra steroids, so I can't complain.

Highest weight: 235
Lowest weight: can't remember
Last week's weight: 192
Today's weight: 192

I'm feeling pretty rocking.



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Day 3: When Body and Mind Don't Agree

Day 3 of the conference has been interesting, although short. I woke up with my alarm, but felt so out if it that I went back to sleep for another hour. I made it to the convention center to catch the end of a presentation, meet with my presentation group to go over our slides for THE BIG PRESENTATION tomorrow, and get in a solid 2 hours of networking. I wasn't still feeling quite right but couldn't put my finger on it. I figured since I didn't have any concrete sense of what was wrong, I would just push through lunch, two afternoon sessions and a dinner.

Yeah, my body wasn't hearing any of that. I went to a great restaurant which was all organic, free-range, vegetarian/vegan-friendly food with a dear dear friend and a new friend, and by the time we walked back to the convention center, I knew that I was not going to get much else done. I had pain shooting across my back and chest. I decided to do some deep breathing to work through the pain and, surprisingly, it got worse.

That's when it clicked. Pain upon deep breathing, shooting pains in the chest, shoulders and back, feeling lousy - pleurisy. For your non-medical folks, pleurisy is the inflammation of the lining of the lungs which can sometimes be accompanied with fluid filling the cavity between the lungs and the lining. It sounds really worse than it is, but I have to admit it is INCREDIBLY painful and uncomfortable. It's also very distinct, so if you've had it before you know what it is. So I called my doctor in LA to tell her my thoughts and we reviewed my symptoms. She agreed that my symptoms sounded like a textbook case, and we decided to start me on a medrol dose pack (steroids) asap.

So I've been in my hotel room since 3:30 PM EST in my pjs. I've packed my bags, laid out my clothes for tomorrow, gotten out the printout of my presentation, charged my phone and am now resting.

It's hard for me to remember that part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is taking care of yourself appropriately. I hate having to slow down and stop, but I know that I need to do it. If it were a broken bone, I wouldn't try to use it, so I can't put my body through unnecessary stress out of pride or stupidity. Because I've eaten well all day, I'll have a small, healthy dinner, get rest, and try to recover as best I can. Because recovery is just as much a part of the process as exercise is.

Lupus may have won this battle, but I've got this war.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Washington D.C.,United States

Day 2 in DC: Moving around

Day 2 of this conference seems to be driving home what I already know and am starting to practice. I got up early and did 20 minutes of yoga/meditation. Then I had a delicious breakfast of eggs and smoked salmon. It was a great way to settle myself and get in the right mindset for the day.


Once I got to the convention center, it was all about getting to as many sessions and absorbing as much information as possible. The one thing about this conference - which hosts more than 16,000 participants - is that the conference centers are usually HUGE! The convention center is two buildings and you end up running back and forth all day to make it to various sessions.

My first session focused on the idea that people with rheumatic diseases NEED to exercise. While it's easy to dismiss, because moving usually hurts, exercise is associated with decreased fatigue and pain levels, as well as improved mood. It's one of the big reasons why I was so excited to bring the Walk with Ease program to my job. It went into more detail than I can cover here, but the point is to find one goal/thing you like to do and just stick with it. Studies have found that when you are starting off, trying to do 18 different exercise programs doesn't work. For me, I started with walking, and then progressed to yoga. And really, that's all I do because it's what I like and what I can handle. I do softball when I can, but that isn't too often. I love my two main activities, and I know I'm more likely to stick to it than if I was trying to learn multiple sports/activities.



After that session, I checked out what I can only call Jeopardy for Rheumatologists. I knew a few answers, but for the most part it was so scientific, it was over my head.

Then a colleague and I walked around the exhibit hall and poster hall for a good hour. I don't remember the last time I just walked around talking to someone for an hour. It was a leisurely walk, but I was moving and I was walking with weights (my briefcase). It felt good.

After a light lunch of a mixed green salad with chicken and dressing on the side, I walked to the other end of the convention center to sit on a session on depression in rheumatic diseases. The presentation showed that people with depression have recorded higher levels of pain, fatigue and anxiety. It seems like in addition to treating the symptoms with medication, exercise is one great way to take control and help manage these symptoms.


From there I went to a meeting and then decided to walk to dinner. In addition to amazing shrimp and crab, we had the most delicious spinach and asparagus. I was thrilled to get my greens in and have eaten relatively healthy for the better part of the day. After dinner, we walked down to Pennsylvania Ave and walked a bit until it got too dark and isolated to go further. Now I'm back in my hotel, full, relaxed and happy.

Thinking back to previous trips to DC, I would always get back to my room and be in pain because walking was too harsh on my joints. I would also have eaten a ton of crap and would be considering ordering room service dessert. I'm really liking this healthier life.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Maryland Ave SW,Washington D.C.,United States