So I went to our pool and was told they had a "chemical accident" pictures someone randomly dumping jug after jug of muriatic acid in the pool and cannot say when it will open back up. I went through the county hospital system and tried that but they've closed their pool until further notice.
We have an awesome old huge Olympic sized outdoor pool near us but where I live they refuse to open pools until the end of May when school is out so right now I'm SOL but that's ok, I'll keep cycling and working out on alternate days until a pool becomes available.
I've always been a lap swimmer but I'll be the first to tell you I don't go hard. It's 20 minutes of breast stroke (last summer, I was 302 lbs and I'm 286 now).
I wouldn't do the American crawl, although I know how, because of my arm skin. It's pretty atrocious, ngl, but over the winter I discovered long sleeve rash guards so I'm gonna just have to get over myself now.
And OMG you were a competitive swimmer and I am soooo jealous. It was what I wanted to do as a kid but my parents weren't the best and they moved me out in the country away from everyone and it was just one of those dreams that had to die. I've always loved to swim though, I've done it through everything until the last summer before I started weight loss when I was too big. Honestly, that summer, being locked in a bed instead of floating down a river, stands as one of the worst three month spans of my life. Just having swimming back, and river tubing, is everything.
I was thinking about what you wrote while I was at the gym today and paid more attention to actual breathing and exertion and I think I'm starting to get it right, I was a sweaty beast but I've been going here long enough (my gym is at a rec center) that everyone is used to me and when I'm a hot sweaty mess they gonna have to just be ok with it.
I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis and they are mucking about with my dosage right now, I was taking too much. I have to do a routine colonoscopy and the gastro and anesthesia have asked me to stay on 1,200 cal until the procedure and I agreed. I have an ED (like, no shit, no one gets to the size I was normally) but I have done SO much mental work I'm sure I'll be fine besides there's nothing to binge on in the house anyway, my husband is working on himself too and foodwise it's very spare around here. If this works, it's my second day on 1,200, I'll just stay with it for awhile as long as I'm not having issues.
I want to shift this weight, I want it gone. I've tried the "patience and take your time" and I've done fair with that mentally and I would never recommend that someone as big as I was go into 1,200 cal right off the bat, I think it's a recipe for failure, but I was at 1,600 to 1,800 and it's not that much of a cut. Getting the protein right is a, well, it's a struggle. I've made friends with oysters and sardines packed in water. I had a weird childhood so they are foods that don't bother me although I know they gross a lot of people out. The best bang for the buck I've been able to find for low calories/high protein.
ANYway, sort of stepping off the cliff into the next phase of this. People around me are starting to notice the changes and I'm making friends at the gym and while I'm not used to this and it's uncomfortable because I'm neurospicy and I word vomit (even when typing) I'm learning to sort of reign it in a little. Socialization is hard when you've self-isolated for awhile, it doesn't take long for everything to feel awkward but these days everyone knows that.
I'm excited to see what this year brings me. I have plans and goals and I think that's super important because without something to drive me forward it's not really a life, it's just existing, you know?
Thank you again.
Thank you for taking all this time for me, I sincerely appreciate it.
Consistency is the key and be patient with your body - as long as you do the right thing eventually your body will come along!