Hello, hello! It's been a moment or several since the last post. But, rest assured the time is being spent wisely :-)
The last time I posted, I discussed a scheduled MRI appointment to see if there was new activity regarding the MS. And, I am happy to report there is no new activity! Which, equates to no new flare up and no new lesions.
They did however, discover the very mild beginnings of Osteoarthritis in the lower lumbar region of my back, which likely explains the intense lower back pain I was feeling during the fever. The tingly sensations may still have been caused by inflammation in the T2 region of my spine where there are a cluster of lesions already diagnosed.
It is not at all uncommon for already impaired regions of the CNS to intensify during sickness for folks with Multiple Sclerosis. These are known as pseudo flare ups and usually pass once a person is well again. But, since I had been sick twice in one month we wanted to be sure. MS, believe it or not is the one condition where patients get to overreact. One can be in the midst of a flare up and the symptoms are so subtle, they are not even aware it's happening.
That being stated, I can honestly say I've never been so relieved to have the beginning stages of arthritis! LOL
Osteoarthritis is a pretty common condition and concurrent with the typical wear and tear that happens to all of us as we age. I'm sure there are a few here that can tell when the rain is coming, am I right? LOL
On the other hand, it also intensified my "why" and provided even greater purpose to keep up with my physical fitness routines. Part of the reason I started this journey back in 2017 is because I wanted to provide some solid support for aging joints, specifically my right hip. I watched what my mother went through during 2 joint replacements and it provided a great deal of impetus to do whatever I am able to in order to preserve the mobility I have and/or reduce the challenges that come with joint replacement in the future.
And, bet your bottom dollar strong muscles are an essential factor in the rehabilitation process.
Speaking of muscles, I feel it is time to "weigh-in" on many levels :-) I am currently 120.4 lbs. It seems on the weekends I fluctuate between 121.8 and 120.
My current measurements are exactly the same as they were before vacation and throughout the summer.
32 - Chest
26 - waist
31.5 - hips
And, for the heck of it I decided to measure my lower hip area around my glutes.
34 - low hip
Which, is exactly the same measurement it was when I weighed in at 113 lbs. last winter.
My body fat percentage still reads at 15% with the calipers, but I alway allot for the 4% error and bring it up to 18.5-19%. Which is exactly the same as it was last winter at 112-113 lbs.
Suffice it to say, given this data and the increase of roughly 7 lbs., I have finally found peace with the scale and feel comfortable in saying I have increased muscle mass by approximately 5 lbs since last April when I put myself in a mild surplus by about 5% of my maintenance calories.
It felt challenging to call it when it first started happening because the gains were gradual. I didn't just gain overnight and there likely was a small increase in fat in the beginning along with water weight due to more food consumption.
Note: The reason I'm not stating a 7 pound increase in muscle is due to the fact that increases in muscle mass always accompany an increase in intra cellular water retention and not just for muscle repair, but for simple muscle function and maintenance. More muscle requires more hydration and things can get very unpleasant if muscle does not have the appropriate hydration. Just ask any body builder whose had to "dry out" before taking the stage to showcase their gains. The muscle cramps are no joke.
So, I'm allotting at least 3 extra of those 7 lbs. I gained for water. I wish I could say seven! LOL. But, given the amount of attention I've put towards cardio this year, five pounds in about 8 months is far more realistic.
Needless to say, I have been doing a "winter shred" since I came home and putting the 2 week surplus I had during the Galapagos trip to good use. I knew this body was up a few points in body fat when I returned, but also knew before I left there was room for an increase. I left for that vacation very lean. I didn't gain a lot because the trip was genuinely set up in expedition style and we were active everyday. The chef was phenomenal and I fully let myself enjoy. But, there wasn't enough time for full blown binges and some of those meals genuinely went to fueling the days activities.
Still, those first few weeks of extra body fat were wonderful. My post workout cold showers were not so cold. My leptin levels were high so it took less time to be satiated after a meal. I didn't get hungry as quickly and didn't have that feeling like I was feeding a black hole when I ate.
Even though I was sick, I had an awesome glycogen pump. My endurance and stamina was touch and go on the bike, but strength for weights were stellar enough to make the final transition to 20 lb. dumbbells for most of my upper arm exercises.
However, the law of the universe is impermanence. And, since I've been keeping my calorie consumption to the 1750-1850 range since I've been home, it only took a few weeks for the showers to become frigid cold again and for workouts to remind me I have to keep the protein on the high end and ensure I couch some carbs before I push a pedal or entertain the notion of lifting a weight. My leptin levels are o-kay as long as I keep the protein high, but I have reached that point where this body is ruthless when it wants to be fed especially because we're still technically in a mild deficit.
The goal is to keep within this calorie range until April and slowly work my way up to a mild increase again as the spring/summer activity increases. But, we'll see how things go.
It is quite nice to have all my clothes fitting as loose as they did at 113 lbs. last winter. The spring/summer surplus was nice, but as lean as I was, there was more bloat at 2100 cals as opposed to 1750-1850.
There is of course always more to write about my current fitness goals, which have taken a shift. But, I can discuss some of that in a later post.
In the meantime, thank you all very much for your wonderful words of support in the last post. Such kind and generous hearts, I am truly thankful and wish you all a wonderful blessed week ahead and a holiday season filled with warmth, love, and joy.
Namaste :-)
