I am just heading out the door to work at LAZERfest. 25,000 screaming fans can't be wrong. :) Rain or shine, there I will be.
Like with any major event where I am likely to work 16 hours, I am taking my own food. Fans aren't allowed to take in food, but luckily I am staff. So, no fried food and beer for me. I am bagging protein bars, oatmeal squares, apple slices, baby carrots and nuts and dried fruit.
There are two advantages - 1. I will not be off my healthy eating. 2. Eating this healthy will keep my energy up, even when I feel like I am running out of steam.
I'll be honest, I am taking a pillow and blanket just in case my body cries foul. After my 'incident' earlier this week, I need not push it too far again.
Have a great day!
Yours in Health,
Kate
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Busy Saturday
I got the pleasure of spending three hours at Jordan Creek Town Center today. Not for junk food and shopping galore, but instead for the cause of making people healthier. I did a broadcast for the Mercy Weight Loss & Nutrition Center and YMCA Healthy Living Center.
We were promoting the fact that the two have merged into one building offering every weight loss and health option under one roof. People stopped by to ask questions about everything from bariatric surgery to Opti-Fast to nutrition. It was a great chance to let everyone know that there are a plethora of options when it comes to getting healthy.
I was talking to one lady who was considering bariatric surgery and looked a little embarrassed when I told her I was losing weight through eating right and exercising. I told her everyone is different. No ONE option works. In fact, even in cases where on the surface it appears the same - like Opti-Trim - everyone has there own approach. That's because everyone's issues that lead them to be obese are different. She should just be proud that she cares enough about herself to make a change and get healthy, whatever her ultimate means.
And that's the great thing, the people at Mercy WLNC and HLC want you to succeed in the healthiest way possible. They are supportive and appreciate that you are going to have bad days and good days. As time goes on you will even have great days and they will celebrate those as well. Getting healthy isn't a race, it's a journey.
It's a journey because it's for life. Your only destination is health, but as we have proven before (or at least I have) you think you have arrived and the truth is - you have only begun. If you don't maintain your path for life, you will lose the ground you have gained on your journey and have to start your travels again. And as a person who has done that, I recommend girding your loins for the long haul instead - it's actually much easier than trying to lose all the weight again, I promise.
Remember, when you are ready to make your change, there are links on the right that can help.
Yours in Health,
Kate
We were promoting the fact that the two have merged into one building offering every weight loss and health option under one roof. People stopped by to ask questions about everything from bariatric surgery to Opti-Fast to nutrition. It was a great chance to let everyone know that there are a plethora of options when it comes to getting healthy.
I was talking to one lady who was considering bariatric surgery and looked a little embarrassed when I told her I was losing weight through eating right and exercising. I told her everyone is different. No ONE option works. In fact, even in cases where on the surface it appears the same - like Opti-Trim - everyone has there own approach. That's because everyone's issues that lead them to be obese are different. She should just be proud that she cares enough about herself to make a change and get healthy, whatever her ultimate means.
And that's the great thing, the people at Mercy WLNC and HLC want you to succeed in the healthiest way possible. They are supportive and appreciate that you are going to have bad days and good days. As time goes on you will even have great days and they will celebrate those as well. Getting healthy isn't a race, it's a journey.
It's a journey because it's for life. Your only destination is health, but as we have proven before (or at least I have) you think you have arrived and the truth is - you have only begun. If you don't maintain your path for life, you will lose the ground you have gained on your journey and have to start your travels again. And as a person who has done that, I recommend girding your loins for the long haul instead - it's actually much easier than trying to lose all the weight again, I promise.
Remember, when you are ready to make your change, there are links on the right that can help.
Yours in Health,
Kate
Friday, May 14, 2010
What a Week!
I apologize for not posting since Monday, but I have had my worst week in a while.
Tuesday I was feeling better, so I worked, worked out with Gwyn, did physical therapy with Kristi and then went to the dentist. I had my teeth cleaned and then headed to the mall to return some shoes. I was just sitting down to try on a different pair when - WHAM! My heart started racing.
I tried to breathe my way through it. I tried to write it off as an asthma attack (which happens maybe one every couple of years). Then it was anxiety, I tried for deeper breaths. Finally, 10 minutes in to this I realized - there was no 'getting over' this, I needed assistance.
I asked the clerk to just return the shoes. She asked if I was o.k., I said I just wasn't feeling well and staggered from the store. I knew I was a 4 minute drive from Mercy West Lakes Hospital and in my mind it was much faster to drive there than wait for an ambulance, especially because I had no idea what was happening to me. So yes, I did something I am now advising you not to do - I drove myself to the hospital.
By the time I arrived I was ready to pass out. My breathing was shallow and my heart was going so fast, I thought it would explode. It was more hard flutters than actual beats as my hands and feet started to feel numb and I began slurring my words.
The nurse rushed me into the treatment room and soon there was a whir of activity surrounding me. Megan the RN and Dr. Smith had a brief discussion after reviewing my symptoms and tests. Dr. Smith then told me he believed it was supraventricular tachycardia. It's a heart rhythm disorder that can strike out of nowhere. It had driven my heart rate over 200 beats per minute. (Example - Average resting heart rate 80-90.)
Dr. Smith told me he was going to give me a medication that would slow my heart down, but it would feel kind of like a truck going through me. He pushed the drug into my IV and guess what? Very right. But the first dose didn't work and he had to double it for the next round. That really smarted and my left side felt like it ceased to exist. But my heart rate slowly lowered to about 100 over the next ten to fifteen minutes.
They kept me for observation for a few hours and then sent me home with instructions. They told me this was probably brought on by stress and lack of sleep. It can affect anyone from birth to 99. It can also happen with too much caffeine, but oddly, I don't drink enough for that to be the issue. :) So, instead they told me to rest and then resume my regular schedule as I felt o.k.
To say it scared the crap out of me is an understatement. I stayed home Wednesday and did my best to sleep. To be honest, it was a bit daunting to lay down and close my eyes after my heart was so out of control. Then yesterday, I slowly worked my way back in. I worked and took two naps in between. I did go to physical therapy and did a water workout as well, and here is why...
I have been down this road too many times. I just get things moving in the right direction and something stupid happens. I have, in the past, been rear ended in my car, injured my knee, had cancer scares, etc. I refuse to let this be an excuse. I refuse to stop, I have to keep going.
Dr. Smith said I could do just that. I don't have to give anything up. This could happen again or it could never happen again. If it becomes an ongoing thing, then I will have to be treated in another way. When I look back I can name small incidences of this, but they only lasted a few minutes and I wrote them off. SVT is not life-threatening, but it has to be treated. O.k., so now that I know what it was, I know how to deal with it.
Honestly, I am a little skittish. Every time I have an ache or something 'moves' oddly, I get nervous. I will work on that. But I will do it while I am working on the rest of me. So, this afternoon I am going to run the other errand I was going to on Tuesday when this all happened - getting my own pair of boxing gloves, look out heavy bag!
Yours in Health,
Kate
Tuesday I was feeling better, so I worked, worked out with Gwyn, did physical therapy with Kristi and then went to the dentist. I had my teeth cleaned and then headed to the mall to return some shoes. I was just sitting down to try on a different pair when - WHAM! My heart started racing.
I tried to breathe my way through it. I tried to write it off as an asthma attack (which happens maybe one every couple of years). Then it was anxiety, I tried for deeper breaths. Finally, 10 minutes in to this I realized - there was no 'getting over' this, I needed assistance.
I asked the clerk to just return the shoes. She asked if I was o.k., I said I just wasn't feeling well and staggered from the store. I knew I was a 4 minute drive from Mercy West Lakes Hospital and in my mind it was much faster to drive there than wait for an ambulance, especially because I had no idea what was happening to me. So yes, I did something I am now advising you not to do - I drove myself to the hospital.
By the time I arrived I was ready to pass out. My breathing was shallow and my heart was going so fast, I thought it would explode. It was more hard flutters than actual beats as my hands and feet started to feel numb and I began slurring my words.
The nurse rushed me into the treatment room and soon there was a whir of activity surrounding me. Megan the RN and Dr. Smith had a brief discussion after reviewing my symptoms and tests. Dr. Smith then told me he believed it was supraventricular tachycardia. It's a heart rhythm disorder that can strike out of nowhere. It had driven my heart rate over 200 beats per minute. (Example - Average resting heart rate 80-90.)
Dr. Smith told me he was going to give me a medication that would slow my heart down, but it would feel kind of like a truck going through me. He pushed the drug into my IV and guess what? Very right. But the first dose didn't work and he had to double it for the next round. That really smarted and my left side felt like it ceased to exist. But my heart rate slowly lowered to about 100 over the next ten to fifteen minutes.
They kept me for observation for a few hours and then sent me home with instructions. They told me this was probably brought on by stress and lack of sleep. It can affect anyone from birth to 99. It can also happen with too much caffeine, but oddly, I don't drink enough for that to be the issue. :) So, instead they told me to rest and then resume my regular schedule as I felt o.k.
To say it scared the crap out of me is an understatement. I stayed home Wednesday and did my best to sleep. To be honest, it was a bit daunting to lay down and close my eyes after my heart was so out of control. Then yesterday, I slowly worked my way back in. I worked and took two naps in between. I did go to physical therapy and did a water workout as well, and here is why...
I have been down this road too many times. I just get things moving in the right direction and something stupid happens. I have, in the past, been rear ended in my car, injured my knee, had cancer scares, etc. I refuse to let this be an excuse. I refuse to stop, I have to keep going.
Dr. Smith said I could do just that. I don't have to give anything up. This could happen again or it could never happen again. If it becomes an ongoing thing, then I will have to be treated in another way. When I look back I can name small incidences of this, but they only lasted a few minutes and I wrote them off. SVT is not life-threatening, but it has to be treated. O.k., so now that I know what it was, I know how to deal with it.
Honestly, I am a little skittish. Every time I have an ache or something 'moves' oddly, I get nervous. I will work on that. But I will do it while I am working on the rest of me. So, this afternoon I am going to run the other errand I was going to on Tuesday when this all happened - getting my own pair of boxing gloves, look out heavy bag!
Yours in Health,
Kate
Monday, May 10, 2010
I Give Up - For Today
I am filling in for Jay on news this week. So, I went to bed early last night, couldn't sleep, once I was asleep I tossed and turned and broke out in a wicked sweat. When the alarm went off I wanted to pitch it out the window, alas, it's my phone, so that would be expensive annoyance. I was tired when I got here.
Once I finished the news, I became physically exhausted. I was shaking and freezing and felt like I could be sick at any time. I kept working and finally went home at 11 to meet my new cleaning woman to be. I decided to lay down for an hour before workout and hoped it was just a sleep thing.
When I woke up I realized that I wasn't going anywhere. I called and apologized to Gwyn at the YMCA. Then I went back to sleep. 90 minutes later I forced myself out of bed and came back to work to finish KIOA.
Fifteen minutes ago I realized that my Intuitive Eating class (I called to let Nutritionist Katie to let her know) was not going to work for me tonight. I am so tired, nauseous, cold and just ick feeling that the best thing I can do for my body is go home, eat something useful and go to bed.
It's frustrating because I really want to learn from this class. I did my homework and everything. I have great hope that using it will return me to being a kid again and having a healthy relationship with food. Oh well, I will e-mail Katie later and see what I missed.
Here's to feeling non-ick by tomorrow - I have too much to do.
Yours in Health,
Kate
Once I finished the news, I became physically exhausted. I was shaking and freezing and felt like I could be sick at any time. I kept working and finally went home at 11 to meet my new cleaning woman to be. I decided to lay down for an hour before workout and hoped it was just a sleep thing.
When I woke up I realized that I wasn't going anywhere. I called and apologized to Gwyn at the YMCA. Then I went back to sleep. 90 minutes later I forced myself out of bed and came back to work to finish KIOA.
Fifteen minutes ago I realized that my Intuitive Eating class (I called to let Nutritionist Katie to let her know) was not going to work for me tonight. I am so tired, nauseous, cold and just ick feeling that the best thing I can do for my body is go home, eat something useful and go to bed.
It's frustrating because I really want to learn from this class. I did my homework and everything. I have great hope that using it will return me to being a kid again and having a healthy relationship with food. Oh well, I will e-mail Katie later and see what I missed.
Here's to feeling non-ick by tomorrow - I have too much to do.
Yours in Health,
Kate
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day!
Too all women - Happy Mother's Day! I say it this way, because though not everyone has human children, every woman has mothered someone.
For example, my non-traditional heritage:
My great-grandmother had three children, but she also helped mother her grand and great-grand children, not to mention a myriad of other family members, neighbor kids and so on.
My grandmother raised three kids, helped with grand kids and kept the neighbor kids from burning anything down. (They were likely my father's friends. :) )
My Aunt Marla has raised a myriad of animals and did her share of babysitting when I was a baby.
My mother raised three kids, neighbor kids, helped raised my nephew, has guided many wayward alcoholics and handled many people who just needed direction.
My step-mom raised a daughter, helped raise the three of us kids and continues to raise wayward souls who are non-directional - even lonely adults need mothering sometimes.
I am a pet parent, helped raise my two brothers and helped raise my nephew. And, ask anyone, I tend to mother period.
These examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to why women end up neglecting themselves. Even if we never have babies we are busy caring for the world. Everyone needs nurtured and there is something in us that must respond. While commendable, we need to remember to be there for ourselves as well.
So, Happy Mother's Day, but don't forget to mother yourself too.
Yours in Health,
Kate
For example, my non-traditional heritage:
My great-grandmother had three children, but she also helped mother her grand and great-grand children, not to mention a myriad of other family members, neighbor kids and so on.
My grandmother raised three kids, helped with grand kids and kept the neighbor kids from burning anything down. (They were likely my father's friends. :) )
My Aunt Marla has raised a myriad of animals and did her share of babysitting when I was a baby.
My mother raised three kids, neighbor kids, helped raised my nephew, has guided many wayward alcoholics and handled many people who just needed direction.
My step-mom raised a daughter, helped raise the three of us kids and continues to raise wayward souls who are non-directional - even lonely adults need mothering sometimes.
I am a pet parent, helped raise my two brothers and helped raise my nephew. And, ask anyone, I tend to mother period.
These examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to why women end up neglecting themselves. Even if we never have babies we are busy caring for the world. Everyone needs nurtured and there is something in us that must respond. While commendable, we need to remember to be there for ourselves as well.
So, Happy Mother's Day, but don't forget to mother yourself too.
Yours in Health,
Kate
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Struggling with Food
I had a grilled cheese and fries last night and popcorn with M&M's at the movies - it made me feel ill. Yes, physically, but also mentally.
I was in a hurry after a remote broadcast and so, I stopped in at Stella's. My only saving grace, once I had grease, the malt no longer sounded good. Then it was popcorn and candy at Iron Man 2.
Both choices could have been avoided, but my old habits kicked in, because I am feeling mentally crappy. I had somebody hurt me this week. It made me angry and self-destructive. Why do we do that? I didn't do anything wrong. I shouldn't be punished. But that's exactly what I was doing in my attempt to feel better via food - punishing my body.
I am looking forward to my Intuitive Eating class Monday night at the Mercy Weight Loss and Nutrition Center. I want to learn how to turn off that mindset of 'food=comfort'. I know Dietitian Katie will lead me there. I was skeptical after last week's class, but now I am ready to try anything.
Yours in Health,
Kate
I was in a hurry after a remote broadcast and so, I stopped in at Stella's. My only saving grace, once I had grease, the malt no longer sounded good. Then it was popcorn and candy at Iron Man 2.
Both choices could have been avoided, but my old habits kicked in, because I am feeling mentally crappy. I had somebody hurt me this week. It made me angry and self-destructive. Why do we do that? I didn't do anything wrong. I shouldn't be punished. But that's exactly what I was doing in my attempt to feel better via food - punishing my body.
I am looking forward to my Intuitive Eating class Monday night at the Mercy Weight Loss and Nutrition Center. I want to learn how to turn off that mindset of 'food=comfort'. I know Dietitian Katie will lead me there. I was skeptical after last week's class, but now I am ready to try anything.
Yours in Health,
Kate
Friday, May 7, 2010
Quick Friday Notes
I don't have time for a workout today - I will be making it up on Sunday. I have three personal appearances in the next 24 hours, plus two other commitments. Time is getting away from me.
I am going to lay off of artificial sweeteners for a couple of days. I had some sugar-free syrup in my coffee this morning and I can't get that icky sweet taste out of my mouth. That's like the third time this week. I think my body is telling me something.
I have to start to declutter the house. I am thinking about taking next week off from TV and use those extra couple of hours for that.
There you are, random thoughts. Hope you have a great weekend!
Yours in Health,
Kate
I am going to lay off of artificial sweeteners for a couple of days. I had some sugar-free syrup in my coffee this morning and I can't get that icky sweet taste out of my mouth. That's like the third time this week. I think my body is telling me something.
I have to start to declutter the house. I am thinking about taking next week off from TV and use those extra couple of hours for that.
There you are, random thoughts. Hope you have a great weekend!
Yours in Health,
Kate
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