This post comes (almost) a week into being 100% steroid free! This is the first time in over six years that I can say I have nothing flowing through my veins that wasn't naturally intended to be there, and I'm feeling amazing.
I expected that once I removed the rest of the steroid doses that my body had most recently adjusted to, I'd once again go through a transition period of emotional ups and downs, insomnia, lethargy and feeling incredibly unstable. However, fingers still crossed, I think I'm over the proverbial hump and on the plateau that will be my "normal" from here on out.
Today, I learned that it is common for people to experience/notice the worst withdrawal symptoms during one of the "steps" in a graduated removal of a medication, as opposed to when they're completely medication-free. Both ideologies make sense to me if I sit back and think about it...I had just prepared myself for another round of crazy, and wasn't expecting this as an outcome.
As a celebration of sorts for being "all-natural" per se for the first time in a VERY long time, I've once again put myself back on track to get fit. Granted, most of my adult life, I've been a really good eater - my meals are balanced and if anything are tipped more toward the fruit and veggie side - and relatively active; I mean, I haven't run a marathon (ever) or even a 5K in WAY too long, but I also haven't gained so much weight that I don't even have the motivation to get off of the couch.
Part of the struggle I have been up against for a while now is even when I did really try, even when I put in the effort of going to the gym and counting my calories, etc, I wasn't able to lose more than 5 or so pounds. No, I did not give up too quickly, I stayed at it for months. The issue was that I was taking medication prescribed to people to help them GAIN WEIGHT post surgical procedures. Yeah, I could've kept up "the hard work" and maybe it would've "paid off" but when you're actually trying and not seeing any results at all...it's pretty damned discouraging.
I've looked into quite a few fitness and clean eating blogs, and put together (a very minor version compared to some people) a plan that I'm hoping will work for me. I'm planning on starting out small, because I've tried the "just throwing myself into the gauntlet" approach before and it just DOESN'T work; and working my way up to bigger tasks. On my list of things I WILL DO THIS YEAR is participate in at least one 5K, and run it in under 30 minutes - ideally I'd like to be around 24, but we'll see where I end up...my cross country training days are years behind me and I've got a lot of ground work to cover before I'm anywhere near back to being in that shape again.
I'm at a point in my life that I wasn't sure was ever going to be possible for me to get to, and that is an absolutely surreal feeling that I'm not sure I've come close to grasping yet. Part of me feels like I'm still waiting for something to fail and prove yet again that I only attract bad luck; but the other part of me is going to ride out this incredible feeling and new found freedom that I've never EVER experienced.
Cheers!!
~Somewhere between always and forever, Chelsea Leigh
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