Another Challenge

Yesterday I started another Fitbit Workweek Challenge with my sister and for the first time in ages I reached my 10,000 step daily goal. Woo hoo! I am determined to give her a good run for the trophy this week, which will be the first time in a long time that I will have seriously tried to up my activity and win a competition.

I am even more determined because I need to up my weight loss game. So far I have lost a little over 40 pounds basically just by changing my eating habits. But as you know if you’ve been reading this blog, I have been having some health issues. I’ve been to the ER twice this summer with a gall bladder attack and refused surgery to remove it. I’ve been poked and prodded more in the past month than all the other 48 years of my life so far. I am normally healthy and if I do get ill it is usually an easy fix with some sort of home remedy or natural medicine.

I rededicated myself to my whole food plant based low fat diet following my second attack which appeared to have been brought on by some vegan fast food choices during an impromptu road trip. And I’ve been okay for just about a month now just doing that. No more attacks. But last week I had my follow up with my family doctor and things are a little more serious than I previously believed. It turns out I have a condition known as fatty liver, which develops from carrying too much weight around your middle. And that is where I carry it. I have no waist when I am carrying extra weight. And I’ve been carrying a lot extra for a really long time. Left untreated this condition could develop into something called non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, which would be quite serious and potentially devastating.

But the good news is that now I know and I can do everything in my power to change things around. The liver is an organ that is particularly regenerative. If I use it good it will grow new healthy cells. So I am even more committed to my whole food plant based no oil lifestyle and now I am also cutting out all alcohol. I want to give my liver all the time it needs. Now this doesn’t mean that I will never be able to have another glass of red wine again, I believe I will be able to drink moderately again some day. But for right now I am abstaining from all spirits. I am eating good food, whole food, fruits, veggies, beans, and grains. And I am stepping up the weight loss focus. The sooner I can get this weight off from around my middle and rediscover an actual waist, the better it will be for my liver and also my gallbladder. This is just another challenge to overcome, just another thing that I can totally fix if I put my mind to it.

My family doctor is sending me for follow up blood testing and we’re going to keep a close eye on this liver situation. I also am receiving some theta healing and I’m going to make an appointment with an osteopath. I fully believe surgery won’t be necessary and next year I will look back on this and be thankful that it happened because it will have been the last straw that forced me to lose the rest of the weight and become that healthy active person I have always wanted to become.

I got this!