Day 22...

Monday weigh in... Weight down a little. Body fat and muscle mass shifted a tenth of a percent to the healthier range. Progress is slow but good. I've been told, and know it's true, that a slower and healthier shift is better than a sudden, fast one. Plus, any progress is better than none at all, so I'll take it.

ALSO...My scale measures bone mass. Mine has been .3% lower than what is healthy. Most people wouldn't think twice about this but, seeing as how I have shrunk an inch in the past year due to bone loss AND have a weird hole in my femur that has left many a doctor scratching their heads and telling me, "Whatever you do, don't fall because that bone will snap and then you'll have REAL problems,"  for me, bone mass is an area of concern. Today, my scale told me that my bone mass is up .1%!!! Seems like a small number, but I am freakishly excited about this.

Taking vitamin D has made such a massive difference in my life. Did you know there are receptors for vitamin D in most cells of you body, and that every system, every organ, relies on it to function properly? True story. Did you also know that the average American is deficient in this vital nutrient, and that being low in it can cause muscle weakness, unexplainable pain in your legs, back and sometimes arms as well? Did you know it can also cause depression, brain fog and a general feeling of lethargy? Yup. It can. In fact, many doctors and nutritionist are now thinking that things like fibromylgia and sometimes even depression can be easily treated by taking vitamin D every day. At one of the treatment centers where I have worked, it became standard to include checking the levels of this nutrient upon admission. Almost every time, the results came back as dangerously low. I would never have known I was in this area had my doctor not checked. I was taking calcium every day and it wasn't doing my a lick of good. Get tested people! Make sure your levels are ok. Even if you spend a ton of time outside, wearing sunblock prevents your skin from turning sunlight into a much needed thing. Weight training helps build bones mass too, but you can't build bones without that vitamin D. Yay for healthy bones! (Ok, stepping off that soap box...)

Also, last week was very educational for me. When it comes to getting fit and ditching the fat, less (as in less being eaten) is not more in the area of cutting calories. I will still be logging all that I eat, but if I go a little over I will no longer panic, especially because all that I am eating is healthy, nutritionally dense food. My goals will be reached and learning is part of this journey. Last week I unknowingly made unhealthy choices and that impacted my ability to be able to exercise as much as I wanted to. It's a balance act and learning to hold it will take practice.

Yesterday I logged what I ate but didn't worry about the number of calories so much. I still focused on health, but also let down my guard, and I'm ok with that. I really felt depleted as far as a storage of fuel for my muscles to easily and readily use. Today I'm feeling like I can re-boot my exercise routine and not pass out from lack of energy. The weather will be warm enough that I can go running out doors, I have a jump rope now, and I found a good spot to do a work out of jumping jacks, push-ups, crunches, burpees, etc etc at my apartment complex (hoping no one will actually come to use the racket ball court while I'm working out in it.)

My goal this week: attend one fitness class at my local rec center. Scary for my little introvert self, but I can do it :)