Way, way behind on LJ - and, Health Update :-)

Just a PSA that I haven't reliably read LJ in weeks, and am unlikely to do so anytime soon, so if there's something that you very much want me to see, please drop me a link to it here - thanks!

I've been focused a lot on health stuff - making radical changes in how I eat, and resuming the long walks outdoors that I love (notable recent hikes include Pinnacles National Monument and a pretty country trail along Arastradero Road in Palo Alto - both with brian1789, and both involving geocaching ;-)

The eating and the walks are interconnected - remember that sciatic pain that flared over the summer, as a result of my nerves getting pinched by my spondylolisthesis (spine fracture condition)? Back then, I was having trouble walking 2 blocks. The docs basically gave me the options of meds (brain fogging), spinal injection (yeah, we saw what happened with that post-migraine), surgery (eep), or losing weight, to take the structural pressure off my spine. Guess which one won?

A physician friend had suggested to me that a higher-protein, lower-carb diet (similar to what diabetics and South Beach Diet folks follow) would be optimal for my body type. It makes sense, too, as I have diabetic family members. And, some diabetic friends have lost weight with that regimen, and have given me lots of useful pointers as I embark on this (thanks, Les and AE!)

So, I'm giving it a try. I'm not being absolutely rigid with it at this point - right now I'm in a phase of finding lower-glycemic foods to add into my diet as I phase some of the higher-carb foods out. Learning what snacks are good. My veggie jerky and Morningstar veggie patties get to stay (and my loved ones are indulging me by keeping their freezers well stocked with the latter); the rice crackers and instant potato leek soups need to go. Anything with rice, potatoes and pasta pretty much goes bye-bye, which is kind of a challenge for a vegetarian. But, I'm finding stuff.

New in the repertoire are soy crisps (yummy) and some weird sprouted sunflower seed bark that hits the spot just right. Hearts of palm turn out to be perfect, and I love 'em, so I bought some bulk cans of those recently, and I'm eating a lot of spinach salads with tofu and chickpeas and suchlike these days. A cautious amount of nuts and cheeses, too. Lots of beans. And sometimes, if I really feel like it, I'll give in and indulge in the carbs - Jay's southern cheese grits are a comfort food that I'm not planning to completely forgo ;-) And sometimes, I just Need a Glass of Orange Juice. But, those indulgences are becoming the exceptions to the rule.

So far at least I'm maintaining at my regular weight range's low point, which feels really good - we'll see if the scale noses downward any as this new eating regimen solidifies. My body feels happier - it's weird how just a few pounds difference can make me feel so radically different, but at 158-159 lbs (as opposed to my past 2 year's norm of 165) I have far less leg pain (not none, but significantly less). There are good days and bad days, but I'm no longer struggling to walk 2 blocks, and at Pinnacles we walked 2.5 miles, a bit of it uphill, and I was able to carry the backpack with the water bottles too! Jay offered to take it of course, and I told him that I'd ask him to when I needed it, but I never did :-) I took lots of rest breaks, especially on the uphill - but I made it, and could have kept going! A far cry from last summer, when I was wondering if I'd ever do much distance walking again.