(I'm really on a roll with the corny subject lines...)
So, I went to the chiropractor. After much poking and prodding and reaching and pulling and massaging, it was determined that my rotator cuff is perfectly peachy and that my discs are superbly situated. As it turns out, I have what is called Radial Nerve Entrapment. Which is a super doctor-y way to say that a nerve that runs through my whole arm is being compressed at certain points along my arm. Which is great because there is a stretch I can do that helps relieve the pain, and it means I can continue my work out program. But it's also bad because it hurts. A lot. Less now that I'm stretching the nerve, but after a busy day at work I'm definitely feeling a little sore in my elbow and fingers.
I decided to hold off on any workout until the pain was being managed, just to make sure everything is improving. On Saturday I'll start back with squats and deadlifts (nothing that actively engages the shoulder muscles) as long as the pain, numbness, and grip weakness remain at bay. (It's weird to not realize that you've lost some feeling in your arm until someone runs and test and you're astounded to find out that you occasionally weren't sure if you felt something because you actually felt it or because you knew you should feel it. Kind of like when I got glasses and suddenly I was seeing whole people I didn't know had been there!) Then, I will slowly starting adding the upper body work back into my workout the following week or so. The goal is that I should be all better by then, but if not I will better be able to pinpoint the movements that are causing the trouble.
So yay! Until then, I can always work on making sure I have a complete understanding of proper form...which is much more complicated than you would at first believe...
a simple blog for simple people
Monday, January 20, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Weight lifting is a real pain in the...
...shoulder.
Ah. Shoulders.
Something like 8 years ago I went into a chiropractor with severe shoulder pain that I learned was likely caused by playing a guitar that was too large for me and my weak rotator cuff muscles. I've had minor issues here and there with that shoulder, but it's never been too bad.
Until I started lifting weights.
What originated as general soreness has turned into terrible pain my my right shoulder and shoulder blade, and radiating down into my elbow and wrist. Which means I have to stop for now, and see a doctor to get a better idea of what is going on in my shoulder. (Thankfully, it has only been in my right shoulder.)
While I am confident that my form needs to be improved upon (something I am striving to do) since I am a n00b, my history would suggest that there may be other underlying issues that need to be addressed first. Perfect form isn't going to matter if there is something physiologically wrong in that shoulder. I mean...if my form were the only culprit, I think I'd be experiencing the pain and grinding in both shoulders and not just my right. I didn't mention the grinding did I? Yeah, it's fun. Anyway...
This is really disappointing for me. I was really enjoying my workouts. But, it's important to get this checked out, otherwise I could end up doing some real damage. My hope is that this will only be a short detour and the doctor will give me the go ahead to keep lifting weights in the near future.
Ah. Shoulders.
Something like 8 years ago I went into a chiropractor with severe shoulder pain that I learned was likely caused by playing a guitar that was too large for me and my weak rotator cuff muscles. I've had minor issues here and there with that shoulder, but it's never been too bad.
Until I started lifting weights.
What originated as general soreness has turned into terrible pain my my right shoulder and shoulder blade, and radiating down into my elbow and wrist. Which means I have to stop for now, and see a doctor to get a better idea of what is going on in my shoulder. (Thankfully, it has only been in my right shoulder.)
While I am confident that my form needs to be improved upon (something I am striving to do) since I am a n00b, my history would suggest that there may be other underlying issues that need to be addressed first. Perfect form isn't going to matter if there is something physiologically wrong in that shoulder. I mean...if my form were the only culprit, I think I'd be experiencing the pain and grinding in both shoulders and not just my right. I didn't mention the grinding did I? Yeah, it's fun. Anyway...
This is really disappointing for me. I was really enjoying my workouts. But, it's important to get this checked out, otherwise I could end up doing some real damage. My hope is that this will only be a short detour and the doctor will give me the go ahead to keep lifting weights in the near future.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
I'm gonna pump me up.
Once upon a time I was a really active kid. I rode horses, I danced, I climbed trees. I may not have been strong, but I had a body that worked and worked well.
Fast forward fifteen years to a 26-year-old wife and mother who, aside from her average-American-sedentary-life, has a chronic disease that causes muscle wasting. Put those things together and you have a tragically, pathetically, ridiculously weak person who struggles to pick up her 28lb preschooler--also someone who is sick and tired of being sick and tired and weak.
But I hated to exercise. Like, every fiber in my body hates those traditional cardio workouts like running or elliptical-ing. Like, I would rather eat an oatmeal stuffed onion dipped in dirt. But conventional wisdom says that you have to do some form of cardio exercise or you lose forever. So I tried some things. And promptly said, "never again."
That's when my husband showed me an article about a gal named Staci. This Staci was lifting weights, and not the pink 5lb dumbells that every Women's Magazine says are just perfect for me. She was lifting hundreds of pounds! And she was not like one of those lady body builders that look like they eat nails for breakfast. (I mean, to each his own but they are a little bit scary.) But, I was dubious. So for a year I continued to do nothing.
Then David found a new weight lifting program that consists of two workouts with three exercises each. It starts you at the very lightest you can go and with every workout you add 5lbs until you can add no more. Than you do some math and start over again, but this time not at the very lightest. (I'm not really sure how that part works yet, since neither of us have "stalled" yet.) And because I was finally determined to get into shape, and then gave me a starting place...I started.
I, who has never been able to do a pull up or push up or any other kind of "up," have started to lift weights, and my goal is to lift heavy.
It's been one week. Three workouts.
I started with a 10lb bar (someday I'm going to use that 45lb bar that David uses...) and have progressed with every workout. Here's a breakdown!
Workout A - Week 1
Squats. I couldn't do the squats with a 10lb bar, so I just did body weight squats. Turns out, a proper squat is really hard because DO YOU KNOW HOW FAR DOWN YOU HAVE TO GO OMG? . So I did: Body weight x 5 x 5. (You wanna learn something? You track your progress like this: weight x sets x reps. So, now you'll know what I'm talking about for the next few paragraphs!)
Bench Press. 10 x 5 x 5.
Barbell Row. 10 x 5 x 5.
And I felt amazing! I loved it! My muscles were gloriously tired and I was hella sore the next day. (I'll give you a moment to facepalm my use of the word "hella" which I think is a hilarious word. Much like "totes" and "cray cray.")
So, because I needed David to help me learnt the next workout, and he wouldn't have time for five days, I went ahead and did the same workout again a few days later.
Squats: 5 x 5 x 5 (I managed to add a weight plate to my workout so yay!)
Bench Press: 15 x 5 x 5
Barbell Row: 15 x 5 x 5
I just finished Workout B...and it's a killer! Whew. Man. But I feel great and I can feel lit-trally every muscle in my body.
Workout B - Week 2
Squats. 10 x 5 x 5. I used my little bar this time! So hurray!
Overhead Press. 10 x 5 x 5.
Deadlift. 60 x 1 x 5. With this exercise you lift considerably more than any other, but you don't lift it nearly as many times. That one is...wow.
So. I did it! I started! And I like it. A lot. It feels good.
But now I am tired. (Imagine me saying that like "Ah am tarrrrrred," because that's how I say it.)
Fast forward fifteen years to a 26-year-old wife and mother who, aside from her average-American-sedentary-life, has a chronic disease that causes muscle wasting. Put those things together and you have a tragically, pathetically, ridiculously weak person who struggles to pick up her 28lb preschooler--also someone who is sick and tired of being sick and tired and weak.
But I hated to exercise. Like, every fiber in my body hates those traditional cardio workouts like running or elliptical-ing. Like, I would rather eat an oatmeal stuffed onion dipped in dirt. But conventional wisdom says that you have to do some form of cardio exercise or you lose forever. So I tried some things. And promptly said, "never again."
That's when my husband showed me an article about a gal named Staci. This Staci was lifting weights, and not the pink 5lb dumbells that every Women's Magazine says are just perfect for me. She was lifting hundreds of pounds! And she was not like one of those lady body builders that look like they eat nails for breakfast. (I mean, to each his own but they are a little bit scary.) But, I was dubious. So for a year I continued to do nothing.
Then David found a new weight lifting program that consists of two workouts with three exercises each. It starts you at the very lightest you can go and with every workout you add 5lbs until you can add no more. Than you do some math and start over again, but this time not at the very lightest. (I'm not really sure how that part works yet, since neither of us have "stalled" yet.) And because I was finally determined to get into shape, and then gave me a starting place...I started.
I, who has never been able to do a pull up or push up or any other kind of "up," have started to lift weights, and my goal is to lift heavy.
It's been one week. Three workouts.
I started with a 10lb bar (someday I'm going to use that 45lb bar that David uses...) and have progressed with every workout. Here's a breakdown!
Workout A - Week 1
Squats. I couldn't do the squats with a 10lb bar, so I just did body weight squats. Turns out, a proper squat is really hard because DO YOU KNOW HOW FAR DOWN YOU HAVE TO GO OMG? . So I did: Body weight x 5 x 5. (You wanna learn something? You track your progress like this: weight x sets x reps. So, now you'll know what I'm talking about for the next few paragraphs!)
Bench Press. 10 x 5 x 5.
Barbell Row. 10 x 5 x 5.
And I felt amazing! I loved it! My muscles were gloriously tired and I was hella sore the next day. (I'll give you a moment to facepalm my use of the word "hella" which I think is a hilarious word. Much like "totes" and "cray cray.")
So, because I needed David to help me learnt the next workout, and he wouldn't have time for five days, I went ahead and did the same workout again a few days later.
Squats: 5 x 5 x 5 (I managed to add a weight plate to my workout so yay!)
Bench Press: 15 x 5 x 5
Barbell Row: 15 x 5 x 5
I just finished Workout B...and it's a killer! Whew. Man. But I feel great and I can feel lit-trally every muscle in my body.
Workout B - Week 2
Squats. 10 x 5 x 5. I used my little bar this time! So hurray!
Overhead Press. 10 x 5 x 5.
Deadlift. 60 x 1 x 5. With this exercise you lift considerably more than any other, but you don't lift it nearly as many times. That one is...wow.
So. I did it! I started! And I like it. A lot. It feels good.
But now I am tired. (Imagine me saying that like "Ah am tarrrrrred," because that's how I say it.)
Friday, November 22, 2013
I enjoy blogging, so why don't I do it more?
This is something I think about frequently. I enjoy blogging, I'm rarely at a loss for words...so why do my blogs continually stagnate?
- I don't have a special set of skills. It's true and it's not like it's really a big deal: I have no skill sets that would qualify me to have any kind of informative blog. I have a lot of interests, and tend more toward that old adage, "jack of all trades, master of none." So, if there were a skill I'd be tempted to share, there are already people out there doing a much better job than I could ever hope to. So I'm left with a blog about personal experiences or opinions. Annnnnddddd...
- I'm not sure I want to contribute to the noise. There are a lot of voices out there. A lot of wrong and right and somewhere-in-between voices. I'm not convinced that, despite having opinions on a grand number of things, I really want to contribute to the noise. Even if I did, I'm not sure that what I have to say is what needs (or wants) to be heard. Besides...
- I don't want to be misunderstood. This is kind of a big one for me (so of course it's the one I'm going to write the least about). It's something I'm still trying to figure out, too. Misunderstandings lead to conflict and I hate conflict. And the internet is rife with misunderstanding.
So...
I don't know if I'll ever post more often or not. Or if I'll eventually give it up altogether.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Pin of the Week
Monday, August 26, 2013
Totes lates, Cheez!
Yes. It's true.
I'm saying good-bye to dairy.
It isn't the first time in my life (and knowing me, probably not the last, either) that I've given up dairy, as my mom once believed I was allergic due to severe "growing pains" I would get as a child (more on that in a minute). I ate it without trouble in my teen years but more recently have decided I am lactose intolerant, so I either take lactaid or try to limit my intake. Until now. Because...well, things change.
Firstly, I have an autoimmune disorder and many people are beginning to believe that there is a connection between gut health, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases. So, for the sake of my Grave's Disease I have been on a journey to eliminate inflammatory foods from my diet one category at a time. I started with Gluten and, having been mostly successful for several months, am moving onto dairy.
Secondly, I recently learned about Joint Hypermobility, thanks to my super sister-in-law. You know those people who can hyper-extend their elbows and are flexible or "double" jointed? Some of those people might have Joint Hypermobility! For a lot of people with Hypermobility it's not a big deal, but for some people it can cause chronic pain, among other symptoms (and "growing pains" in children!). After a bit of research, I feel like the clouds have opened up and sun is shining in on so many things about my health that I didn't understand. And it is a connective tissue disorder, which holistic plebs believe can be affected by diet.
So, between my autoimmune disease and connective tissue disorder (two things that some people believe may actually be interconnected), I am even more inclined to eliminate inflammatory foods from my diet.
I actually don't miss dairy or gluten that much. I'm sure there will be days when I wish I could just run to Einstein's for a bagel and shmear, but I'm doing pretty okay. I know it will get more difficult as I move onto sugars and nightshades (POTATOES I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU) and...MAYBE...beef, but so far so good. Baby steps, right?
So. This is just a little update on my dietary drama, and also a bit of a ALERT about Joint Hypermobility because I've decided...what if? It's not one of those things that's very well known, but what if hearing and learning a bit about it could also help someone find answers to heavy questions about pain and health?
This has been kind of a boring post. Here are some fainting goats:
I'm saying good-bye to dairy.
It isn't the first time in my life (and knowing me, probably not the last, either) that I've given up dairy, as my mom once believed I was allergic due to severe "growing pains" I would get as a child (more on that in a minute). I ate it without trouble in my teen years but more recently have decided I am lactose intolerant, so I either take lactaid or try to limit my intake. Until now. Because...well, things change.
Firstly, I have an autoimmune disorder and many people are beginning to believe that there is a connection between gut health, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases. So, for the sake of my Grave's Disease I have been on a journey to eliminate inflammatory foods from my diet one category at a time. I started with Gluten and, having been mostly successful for several months, am moving onto dairy.
Secondly, I recently learned about Joint Hypermobility, thanks to my super sister-in-law. You know those people who can hyper-extend their elbows and are flexible or "double" jointed? Some of those people might have Joint Hypermobility! For a lot of people with Hypermobility it's not a big deal, but for some people it can cause chronic pain, among other symptoms (and "growing pains" in children!). After a bit of research, I feel like the clouds have opened up and sun is shining in on so many things about my health that I didn't understand. And it is a connective tissue disorder, which holistic plebs believe can be affected by diet.
So, between my autoimmune disease and connective tissue disorder (two things that some people believe may actually be interconnected), I am even more inclined to eliminate inflammatory foods from my diet.
I actually don't miss dairy or gluten that much. I'm sure there will be days when I wish I could just run to Einstein's for a bagel and shmear, but I'm doing pretty okay. I know it will get more difficult as I move onto sugars and nightshades (POTATOES I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU) and...MAYBE...beef, but so far so good. Baby steps, right?
So. This is just a little update on my dietary drama, and also a bit of a ALERT about Joint Hypermobility because I've decided...what if? It's not one of those things that's very well known, but what if hearing and learning a bit about it could also help someone find answers to heavy questions about pain and health?
This has been kind of a boring post. Here are some fainting goats:
Hahaha. Oh goats.
Monday, August 19, 2013
My favorite cleaner.
 |
| via QSPRN.com |
I have a favorite all-purpose cleaner. That is one of the most grown-up sentences I have ever muttered and the child in me is giving me weird looks.
The bigger problem is that it's actually true! Like it is a factual statement that reflects my actual feelings about an all-purpose cleaner. Uuuugh.
So, because recipe sharing is something grown-ups do, I'm going to share the super-simple-not-so-secret-secret-recipe.
Step One: Get yourself a spray bottle. Any bottle will do, but choose something that sprays a heckuva lot better than mine does, puh-lease!
Step Two: Fill it half way with water. Any old water will do.
Step Three: Fill the rest of the bottle with white vinegar. You can buy fancy-dancy vinegar if you want but I keep it cheap and buy the 2-for-$4 at Sam's Club. (I actually don't know how much it costs, but it's cheap.)
Step Four: Add a few drops of Dawn.
Step Five: Shake shake shake shake your
If you simply can't abide the smell of vinegar, or want to add more disinfecting power, feel free to add 10-20 drops of your go-to essential oil.
Then clean your home! I use it for everything kitchen related, from countertop cleaning to spraying down pans with stuck-on food (it is a miracle worker for this!).
Cheap. Easy. Mostly all natural. Non-toxic. I'm in love.
Do you have a favorite household cleaner, thusly causing your inner child to stick its tongue out at you, too?
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