The Perils of Excess Exercise

Remember how I was working out like a mad woman... and how I was loving (just about) every minute of it?  Well, all good things must come to an end.  First, I got an upper respiratory infection in the beginning of February that I just couldn't kick.  I'd start to feel a bit better only to feel like hell only a day or two later.  Then Valentine's Day came but my period didn't.  I kept working out and wound up going what I can only describe as bat shit crazy.  I became a bottomless pit of food- all food.  After making veal cordon bleu for Valentine's day, I proceeded to eat it like a sandwich for the next few days (as in, I cut a veal cutlet in half and chomped into it until it was gone).  I also ate cookies, brownies, the raw filling for key lime pie- minus the yolk- and on and on.  For about two weeks I just couldn't control myself.  My body was out of control.  I was also exhausted!  My weight was a mess, and I gained 4-5 lbs in days.  For the record, I was not pregnant.
I spoke with some of my gym girlfriends prior to my trip home, and they all implored me to go to the doctor.  I wound up going to my gyno last Tuesday and explained my situation: that I hadn't had my period since January but wasn't pregnant and that I increased my workouts significantly in January and February.  She felt that I probably stressed my body too much this year.  Because ovulation is not a necessary bodily function, your body (or my body in this situation) can decide not to ovulate if it senses more stress than it likes.  In my case, my weight loss and excess exercise could have caused this stress.  She ran some blood work, and all of the tests came back fine.  Now for the fun part.  I have to take 10 days of pills to try to jump start my period.  After I take the pills, it is anyone's guess when my period might come.  So now it is like being 14 years old all over again.
I guess the moral of the story is that moderation is key to just about everything.  I will continue to work out 6 days a week (except for when I am traveling) but will limit my workouts to no more than 2ish hours a day.  Most days I will stop at the 90 minute mark.  I will also vary my routine so that I am not always working out at such a high level.  I love the workouts, but I have actually stalled my weight loss by doing too much.  My body knew something was up and did everything it could to get me back on track.  Now I just need to rely on modern medicine to do the last little bit.  Fun times!       

Unpacking and Repacking

Hola everyone.  I have been a terrible blogger and am trying to make amends.  Here is a little update of what I have been up to:

Two weeks ago The American and I, along with our husbands, saw Z.a.c.h. B.r.a.f.f. in All-New-People.  I LOVE ZB from his days on TV and was thrilled to get to see him live.  If anyone is passing through London in the next few weeks, see this show! 

Earlier that Friday Kenny called to see if I wanted to golf at his club over the weekend.  I immediately said yes and then froze.  After doing a quick mental inventory of my closet- 3 jeans, 3 dresses, 12 cashmere sweaters, and gym clothes, I realized I had a problem.  I had neither the mandatory collared shirt nor the khaki pants, and this caused immediate anxiety.  The sizing in the UK, like the rest of Europe, does not cater to heavier members of society.  The GAP only goes up to a US 14, whereas the US stores carry up to 18 or 20.  Scary stuff.  I told Kenny that I would go shopping, and off I went.  I had trouble finding much in a 14 and asked one of the managers to help me.  We found a few pieces to try on, and they were all--  --  -- BIG.  Actually, the cropped/skinny cut size 14 was tight in my freakishly muscular calves, but other than that I swam in the 14s.  I had grabbed one pair of khakis in a 12; they fit like a glove.  I suppose vanity sizing is catching on.  Nora is no size 12.   

We did golf on Sunday, and I looked the part until I tried to hit the ball.  I don't have pictures of me on the course, but here is Kenny's club:

The following day I flew to New Jersey for the week.  Between seeing my mom and dad, catching up with friends and handling some personal matters, I felt like the Tasmanian Devil spinning from one event to the next.


Before going home, I ordered an obscene amount of clothing.  I never know what size I am and wind up ordering EVERYTHING in at least 2 sizes.  My mom's living room looked like a UPS shipping facility.  Here is the damage after I had tried on and sorted everything!

 This picture does not adequately capture the number of boxes

piled up, but it was the best I could do!

I  kept a few dresses (depending on your definition of a few), some jeans and two bathing suits.  I also bough new gym clothes because everything was getting baggy on me.  The jeans were all size 12- the dresses 14.  All hail vanity sizing!

I met a friend of mine for lunch on Saturday, and I just had to share the view with everyone in blogland...

Now I am back in London and am doing a quick unpack, along with some laundry and dry cleaning, before flying to the Maldives via Dubai on Thursday evening.  I am very much looking forward to some fun in the sun but will try to get a bit more blogging in before my departure!  

 

Scary Pictures

I've been trying to come up with an anniversary gift for Kenny, as we will be celebrating three years of marriage on March 28.  We each have difficulty coming up with gift ideas for the other.  We pretty much have what we need and buy what we want, so choosing the 'right' gift can be very stressful.  I also have the added anxiety of being uncomfortable spending the money Kenny has worked so hard for to buy him a gift (hey Honey, glad you worked all of those late nights and weekends so I could buy you this golf club that you probably don't even need). 

Now I opt for what I hope to be thoughtful gifts.  For Valentine's Day I gave him a gift certificate for a face and head shave and a ritzy men's grooming salon.  For our anniversary I have been creating photo albums on S.h.u.t.t.e.r.f.l.y.  I made a Year 1 album and a Year 2 album.  I will make Year 3 as well but will have to wait until April to do so.  We travel frequently and have such amazing pictures, yet they frequently remain hidden on the hard drive of our computer. 

The Year 1 album is pre-WLS, and Year 2 pictures end only 2 months after WLS.  Seeing some of these pictures made me cringe.  I considered NOT putting them in the album, but hey, those pictures are still of me and of our time together as husband and wife.  It is the reality of the beginning of our married life together, and they should be in the albums. 

Now let's take a peak.  And feel free to cringe as well.

Mauritius- April 2009

Lisbon, Portugal- May 2010

Elounda, Crete- August 2010

As Lap Band Gal recently commented, " I can't get over the ginormous size of my calves. Yikes.".  It is amazing to see how differently I stood when I was carrying all of that extra weight.  I so clearly leaned backwards-- I guess to keep myself from falling forwards.  I wonder how much differently I will stand when I shed some more of these excess lbs. 

I know I've come a long way, but I also know I still have further progress to make.  Come on Nora, let's do this!

March Madness

I had intended to write a wonderful post about Prague and my birthday week (I didn't intend for the celebrations to last for a week, but hey, I'm not going to say NO either), but I waited too long to do so.  Now Prague seems so distant and talking even more about my birthday a bit too silly. 

Instead, let's talk about my freaking weight.  I have had a lot of trouble maintaining Onederland.  After my low of 196.6, I am now hovering between 199.0 and 200.4.  This isn't the end of the world, but it isn't making me too happy either.  I was doing my crazy workouts (2+hours a day, 6 days a week) until Saturday.  I have been feeling a bit run down and just couldn't see myself suffering through my third spin class of the day.  So I unclipped my shoes after two classes, went to a mini-abs class instead and proceeded to come home and take a way-too-long nap on the couch (after a shower, I promise).  I am starting to regain my energy but feel that I am still dragging a bit.  Until I feel 100%, I am going to scale back on my gym routine.

My eating has been very erratic.  I was a bottomless pit for at least two weeks in February.  I was always hungry, and nothing I ate made me full.  Then on Saturday (when I was feeling run down), I had just about no appetite.  That proved to be a good thing, as my band decided to tighten up on me.  Now I am back to being loose.  VERY annoying.  I am scheduled for a fill next week and really don't know what to do.  Most of the time I feel that I could use one (0.05 maybe), but I am not sure.  I have started craving some foods that I only crave when I need a fill, so I am leaning towards visiting the wonderful Dr. K for a little liquid lovin.  I haven't had a fill since September, so it is probably time.  At the same time, Kenny and I are off to the Maldives at the end of the month and I would hate, hate, hate to be too tight.  Oh well, I have 9 days to figure it out. 

Here is my monthly comparison photo.  I might (sadly) weigh one or two pounds more than I did in the February picture.  Blah.