What's Your Most Recent NSV

My dragon ate me.

In 2019, I was set to reach my goal. I was in peak performance. Excited, happy, and feeling so good. Both mentally and physically. What I didn't know is nothing in life is certain. I didn't know that you could slay the dragon, claim to have won the game, only to have the end surprise you with a nasty curveball.

Cue 2020 and an illness that left me barely able to walk for two months without getting out of breath (not covid; this happened right as covid was hitting the news and it was ruled out as a possiblity). I had had to go home in December of 2019 as my step-father (more of a father as he raised me) had gone rapidly down hill due to a mysterious neurological issue (turned out to be MMN). April of 2020, hope had sprung anew! My father had had two promising treatments, things were looking up. I was recovered from my strange asthma-flu-thing... when the unthinkable happened.

My father passed away suddenly from a double pulmonary embolism. About a year after, my mother passed away suddenly from a heart attack after having a sodium imbalance after getting a pacemaker for afib.

I gained. I stopped moving. All the exercises I did during Covid at lunch while working from home, I had done on the phone with my mother after my father's death. Suddenly, exercise itself was tainted. I didn't want to eat, then I ate like a trash panda, but my calories came from an increasing amount of fancy coffees. I'm not a foodie, but I don't kid myself. I love a good frap.

Shortly after getting home from dealing with my mom, I found a new love, a new exercise that would help me wake up. Mountain biking.

All of 2022, really, was spent in a dream. Yes, there were good days, but most of it I felt like I had lost everything. My parents, my childhood home, my health. I didn't *feel* as good. My clothes didn't fit anymore.

Why is this story an NSV? Because victories don't come from slaying the dragonpants and conquering the next size down. Victories come in living, and having the energy to live, in taking every moment and cherishing it. I miss my mother and father like no one's business, but... I'm waking up.

This is an NSV because I didn't give up. I didn't let my health completely fly away. I've come back to re-conquer all the clothes in my closet and once more slay the dragonpants that are meant to be mine. I've come back to regain the health I lost (not just size, but actual health).

The point isn't that you fail or that you did fail, the point is you get back up and try again. Live, love, laugh, and face challenges head on.

I've got more weight to lose and this year, I'm going to hit my goal. I'm going to slay all the obstacles in my way and take control once more.

Oh, and bonus? Now, I can send it down the mountain on my bike! The girl before 2020 and 2021 is lost, for I am different. But the girl in 2019 couldn't ride a mountain bike like I can. The girl in 2019 isn't facing down her fears like I am. I am different, but I hope to make my story a good story, even if my life will never be the same.

Long-winded, but. This I say: go out there, and be more awesome, world! If you don't, no one else will!

My NSV is quite a simple one really.
I have major leg and hip issues which stop most cardio workouts. Then in September last year I "discovered" outdoor swimming again and haven't looked back. Low impact on the joints and a good all over workout.
I now swim between 3000 and 6000 metres a month regardless of temperatures and, mentally, have never felt better!

I was in a good enough mental space yesterday that I could take some new measurements. I’ve was off the wagon for almost 6 months last year due to major life circumstances but didn’t attach any attention to the fact that I am indeed bigger now than at the last entry. Working on keeping a healthy detachment between my mind and my weight.

I’m out of the frumpy, unsexy underwear and can wear bras and panties that make me feel good.

AwesomeSquirrel wrote: »

Faced a set back today and had a very teary meltdown as a result but at least I did not eat about it.

Thank you! I needed to see this today. I also had a very teary meltdown today and I would normally turn to an alcoholic drink or two, but I'm trying to cut way back on alcohol. I told myself that maybe I could switch it to ice cream since that seemed like a better choice than wine.

But your post reminds me that replacing one bad habit with another is not going to help make anything better. I think I'll go walk a couple laps before my healthy dinner and call it a night.

crb426 wrote: »

Thank you! I needed to see this today. I also had a very teary meltdown today and I would normally turn to an alcoholic drink or two, but I'm trying to cut way back on alcohol. I told myself that maybe I could switch it to ice cream since that seemed like a better choice than wine.

But your post reminds me that replacing one bad habit with another is not going to help make anything better. I think I'll go walk a couple laps before my healthy dinner and call it a night.

Walking can be really helpful. I ended up going for 3 longer walks in the end. One right after the incident with a podcast, then met a friend for lunch and we went for a walk also and then after telling my partner in the evening and getting worked up again we went for a walk together. Hang in there!

I wore jeans while working from home today. Apparently they are no longer a necessary evil reserved for leaving the house. Pyjama bottoms begone from my workday!

This isn't a NSV but I thought I would like to share this.

Opened a cough drop early this AM. The wrapper has some inspirational sayings and I think they apply to us.
-Conquer today
-Let's hear your battle cry
-Push on
-Be resilient
-Don't give up on you
-Impress yourself today.
All of these on a little cough drop wrapper!!!!

No seat belt extender needed!!! 90lb down

Equinox is "one month" away (31 days). Where I live in the northern hemisphere, that means soon there will be more daylight than darkness.

I usually have challenges with the darkest months - mid November through mid February. This has been the easiest year for me in recent memory at a minimum, and maybe longer. It is in part because I eliminated a huge stress from my life when I retired from a workplace that had gone from really awesome a couple decades ago to really awful and toxic the last few years. It is also in part to me being able to get outside a lot more now that I am not chained to a desk ten hours a day four days a week. I tried to get out for little walks and all, but not like I can do now.

The first thing was necessary to have the second thing, and they work together. I am optimistic that future winters will continue to be easier and happier.

I will celebrate tomorrow by going into the forest since it's our last day with a really nice weather forecast for at least a week. I still get out when it's cold and wet, but sure is nice when the vegetation is dry and the sun even peeks out from time to time and it's well above freezing.

I got just north of 100k steps last week. That is my best week in over two years, given that I had hip replacement just 11 weeks ago, I am stoked about that.

At the end of Oct 2022, my blood sugar level (hba1c) hit 66, T2 diabetes. This was after not listening to the Dr's warnings for a couple years that I was prediabetic. He finally said this is it, you're diabetic, time to go to the diabetes clinic.

While waiting for my appointment with the clinic, I've worked hard, cut out all added sugar and bad carbs and dropped 30 pounds. Last week I went back to Dr for bloods as I've not yet got my clinic appointment.

Hba1c at 42! I'm back into the prediabetic range and he said if I can keep it up, he reckons in 3 months my levels will be normal. BP was also at 117/80, lowest its been in 13 years and again, reckons we can adjust BP meds in the next few months.

Side note: I allowed myself a sweet cake as a treat..it was pretty gross (too sweet and junky tasting) and I threw it away after 2 bites

I pulled my size medium North Face jacket down from the top shelf of my closet and it fits! I tried it on a year ago and I could barely stuff my arms in it and it wasn't even close to being able to zip it.

I had seriously considered donating it because I didn't think I would ever get back down to a medium.

It looks amazing and fits perfectly. I'm so glad I didn't toss it! Now I can donate the XL sweatshirt from Costco instead!