Help!  I've fallen and I can't get up (yet)!

It was eight days ago I messed up my left knee while out cavorting with the dogs one morning.  I don't even know what or when it happened...but that night I could scarcely walk, and the situation hasn't markedly improved over the past week.

So I'm bummed.  The knee is what has set me back twice in the past two years now, and it's getting old.  No, it's not arthritis.  No, it's not a meniscus tear.  I've had all that checked out with MRIs and the works.  It's mostly likely a minuscule piece of SOMETHING floating around in there, and every so often it floats to the wrong spot and wreaks havoc.  A very good young physical therapist at VA gave me an innovative exercise that eliminated the pain for a long while.  I mean, the knee was perfect.  And then...last Monday the injury...and here we go again.

When your knee hurts, you wince with every step and walk funny.  That makes your hips, back and feet hurt.  Your legs hurt.  Your shoulders hurt because you're tensing with anticipatory pain as you move. Pretty soon you're walking--or shuffling--like a 90-year-old person, right?  Of course you all know this.  Anyone over the age of 40 knows what it's like.  And of course it seems to get worse with age.

But should we really accept these aches and pains as part of aging?  I think not!  There's too much we can do these days to help ourselves eliminate, minimize, or at least manage pain.  I could spend a fortune on essential oils, supplements, turmeric, Epsom salts and whatever...and those may help me as much as my Excedrin.  What I really want to do, however, is get to the root cause of the growing pain, and fix it at the source.  So I'm exploring options. 

To start with, I'm considering dietary changes. I hate the very thought of having to FORCE myself to stick to any regimen (that really goes against my concepts in Bucket List Weight Loss, which stresses "intuitive eating").  But something in my life is causing excessive connective tissue inflammation, and I'm suspecting food sensitivities.  So I'm cutting out--or certainly cutting back on--sugar for a while.  Maybe 3 weeks.  Just long enough that I can see if there's any difference.  It's scary, because sugar is out there everywhere.   But my motivation is no longer just about looking good or seeing the scale drop.  Now it's about my future ability to move, to play, to train my dogs, ride my horses, and live the life that's normal for me.

What's your motivation to lose weight or improve your health?  Don't say it's a high school reunion or your daughter's upcoming wedding or a vacation to Hawaii.  Make your picture much bigger.  Make it your bucket list item....something that will satisfy you and help you stay fit to live the rest of your life the way you choose.  It's your body, your life, and your choice.  Choose to stay where you are and get worse....or choose to make yourself better and happier.

So I've been away from the scale for a couple days--yes, I've fallen, and I can't get up yet.  But I will.  When I can step onto the Wii without wincing, and stand up straight and tall for my balance test, I will do so again.  Until then, just getting to that point is my new goal.  In the meantime....goodbye, sugar plums!