Today's social media task for Genghis Grill Health Kwest is to write a blog about any physical and emotional changes I have felt so far during my kwest. This kwest has most certainly had its ups and downs of each for me.
My own personal kwest actually began at least a month before Health Kwest began. When I first saw the email for Health Kwest, I was actually eating at Genghis Grill for my birthday bowl in January. My birthday was January 9th, and on that day I had made the decision to join a gym. I signed up to LA Fitness that day and was determined to lose the weight that I had gained the previous year.
Backtracking a bit to explain my weight gain....Just after Christmas, I had visited my PCP for a sinus infection/strep throat, and was shocked when I weighed in at 199. Especially after recalling how the Christmas before, I had asked for gift cards to purchase new jeans, because mine were all too BIG! For my 2013 birthday, I went to the mall and bought 2 pairs of size 5 jeans!!! And less than a year later, weighing in at close to 200 lbs! Things had gotten out of control. In disbelief, I asked the nurse to check my file, to see what I had weighed my previous visit (less than a year before) and she had me at 160. I gained over 40 lbs in a year! Being that my sister had been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder the previous year also, I demanded that the clinic run complete diagnostic bloodwork on me to determine if I had a medical condition. Nothing came back irregular with my bloodwork, and my doctor said that I was perfectly healthy and just needed to work hard to get it off. My doctor and I decided together that my weight gain occurred for the following reasons: 1) I quit smoking in October 2012 and got off of the E-cigarette finally about June. 2) I began taking antidepressant medication at the same time. 3) My grandfather became very ill, staying in the hospital for 6 months. As a result, my mother and grandmother came to live with me. 4) I am highly allergic to everything environmental, and was experiencing very severe asthma symptoms over the summer. An allergist prescribed me a steroid inhaler to use twice daily - and I ballooned up.
This weight gain was devastating for me! I had always been thin and athletic my whole life, and it seems like since I gave birth to my child 4 years ago, I just can't get it under control. So like I said, on January 9th, 2014, I took control of me again. When I signed up for Health Kwest, I thought it would be cool and just be a continuation of what I was already doing, with the added bonus of potentially winning the grand prize - $10,000! I didn't really think much about it after filling out the application online, but continued my pursuit of getting healthy and losing the weight. When I received my phone calls and emails that I had been selected, it was a surreal moment for me. I never get chosen for anything! The possibility of winning the money became real to me, at that point. I had it all planned out - how I would spend my $10,000 of course. My allergist had told me that I could absolutely not live in a house with carpet, so I would spend a big chunk of the money replacing my carpet with hardwood and remodeling. The idea of being able to breathe in my house was honestly the most motivating factor for me to compete in this contest.
When the contest began, I was excited, anxious, nervous, really just a whirlwind of different emotions. I really couldn't wait to get that first bowl! After about three days of eating the same thing, I started to get really bored of the food, so I got adventurous from my normal bowl and began trying new things. Trying new sauces, starches, and veggie combinations worked for a bit, but then I decided that I wasn't approaching it in the right way. I studied the nutritional guidelines, cut out anything that contained gluten, and measured sauces and meats out to correct portions. Cutting gluten out from my diet, even the sauces that contain gluten, changed my health drastically. I was taking daily acid reflux medication, sometimes multiple times per day, and could go through a bottle of antacids in a week. I had the worst heartburn and digestive problems imaginable. Cutting out the gluten eliminated those problems immediately, and I am happy to say that I am saving tons of money on prescription GERD medication. (And I thought it was all due to my very stressful job!!!)
Although the elimination of GERD medication is HUGE, I was also able to eliminate a medication that I did not anticipate at the beginning of this contest. When I first started going to the gym, I carried my Albuterol inhaler with me as I worked out. I could not exercise for a couple of minutes without needing my rescue inhaler. And of course, I was still taking the steroid inhaler twice per day. After a couple of weeks of daily cardiovascular exercise, I did not need my Albuterol during my workout, only directly before my workout. A couple of weeks after that, I cut back my steroid inhaler to once per day. Now that I'm at the end of my kwest, I have cut out the steroid entirely, and rarely use the Albuterol. So, by doing regular cardiovascular exercise, I have improved my asthmatic symptoms significantly. I can do 30 minutes to an hour with no wheezing! I still have horrible allergies, of course, and I have to continue to take allergy meds along with my rescue inhaler, but I feel wonderful! In fact, my lung capacity has improved so much that I began playing flute again semi-professionally with a community band. I had not played my instrument since 2006, when I quit my music degree (that I spent 5 years on).
My physical stamina has improved tremendously. At first, I was unable to go for 5 minutes on the treadmill, elliptical, or any other cardio machine without stopping. Now, I can go for 30 or 45 minutes on the machines. I also began doing Zumba classes a few weeks into the kwest, and try to go to classes at least twice, sometimes three times per week. Those classes are INTENSE and last for an entire hour. I get through them with ease at this point. Another physical improvement, of course, is my weight loss and change in my physique. I have lost over 20 lbs so far, but I feel like my body looks as if I've lost more. People who haven't seen me in a while always comment on my weight loss, but I don't feel that it's actually coming out in pounds so much as it is appearance. I guess I'm just really super buff now or something. I haven't quite lost the pounds that I gained last year, but I'm not stopping after this Kwest is over. I will get back into my size 5 jeans, and I really hope to wear a 2-piece bathing suit again (High hopes, I know).
As far as emotional changes during my kwest, I have experienced joy, empathy, frustration, boredom, elation, sadness, jealousy, and anxiety, just to name a few. I am proud of where I am, but I wish I could be further. However, I know that I am losing the weight in a healthy way, and there is no amount of money in the world that I can substitute for my health. I have to be here for my little boy, and I plan to continue my healthy lifestyle to ensure that I will be here for him. I have also taught my son the importance of eating well, and that no matter how busy you are in your life, that there is always time for exercise. We used to come home from school and sit on our butts, watching TV until dinner time. I do not wish to go back to that lifestyle EVER, although I do miss cooking big meals. I am also proud that I have experienced the best support group ever for getting my life back, and I am so fortunate to know all of my fellow khantestants. We are in this together for our health, more than we are in it to win it. Although I'm sad that I won't be 2014 Health Kwest winner, this experience has been such a good one for me, and I am so happy that I was chosen to participate.
And finally, a picture of me a day before weigh in, versus today....
Lorianne
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