I have to tell you all that herniated discs are not fun. If you know anyone that has a herniated or bulging disc, please be nice to them because they’re going through a lot. It’s made my life way more difficult than it used to be. I get a sharp, shooting pain whenever I stand, walk, or move in certain ways. I have an extremely sore butt cheek, numbness in my toes, and a calf muscle that gets so tight it feels like it’s going to explode. I haven’t been able to stand up straight for weeks and since it’s only bothering my right side, I’ve been walking with a limp too. Sometimes I’m in so much pain that I have a hard time doing simple things, like going downstairs, fixing my own food, or climbing into bed at night. It’s even started to affect my mental health. I can’t count how many days I’ve ended up crying uncontrollably and started to question if I’ll really be able to get through this.
I’m only in the beginning stages of physical therapy though, so I have hope that if I’m consistent with my exercises then I’ll start to feel much better. But there’s still a long road ahead of me. Once our state decides to open back up, I’ll be able to get a steroid shot injected directly into my disc. And if that doesn’t make my pain go away, there’s a good chance I’ll need surgery.
In the mean time, I want to continue with my weight loss journey. Having to deal with health problems these past few weeks has made me appreciate my health and understand why I need to improve it. It’s important that I try to change my habits while I’m still young so I can enjoy the rest of my life with less health problems and more energy.
I’ve only lost five lbs so far, but I’m actually surprised I’ve lost any weight at all. I tracked all my calories the first two weeks, but slowly stopped tracking after that as my back problems got worse. I’m thinking I’ve lost weight just because I don’t eat as much when I’m in pain. I’m also still not drinking caffeinated soda, which puts me at three full months without it. I’m proud of myself for sticking to Sprite and Root Beer, but I know eventually I’ll have to start cutting back on those too.
I want to take another step forward this week and start tracking my calories again. I created these printable worksheets so I can write down everything I’m eating throughout the day and add up my totals at the end. It’ll also help me keep track of my water intake and physical therapy exercises. Since I’m still having a hard time, I needed something that I could keep by my side all day and wouldn’t be too hard to put together. I designed these specifically for letter size paper so I could print them out, three-hole punch them, and put them straight into my personal folio. I’m so happy with the way they turned out and can’t wait to start using them this week!