More than Just Pounds

If you read my last post in February you saw I suffered a TBI from a dog attack.  My brain didn't heal and they started me in weekly treatments and I have gained 13% improvement in 8 weeks, which is good but they expected more.  Living next door to the viscous dog and the horrible neighbors has been incredibly difficult and everyone, especially doctors, have said I need to move or I may deteriorate and die.  Well, that's easier said than done and we have tried but inflation has made it near impossible unless we go out of state or to places with no hiking.  So, I am trapped in this fight or flight and my brain and vision suffering but I am praying constantly for God to deliver us - either by getting these renters next door to move or by opening up a place for us to move to.

I'm at 170 pounds right now, which I am still proud of despite gaining because I didn't gain a ton!  I still hike several days every week and am working back into consistent weight training.  My doctor-set goal is 165 pounds, but I really want to go lower and get my body back to less body fat and more muscle, so whatever weight that puts me at to fit in my summer clothes.

I started tracking today and hope to be able to knock this excess body fat off this summer!

It's been a wild past 6 months for me!  I have had a lot of setbacks with my health and low back.  I was attacked by a dog and suffered my 4th TBI, vision damaged, teeth, etc.  I did gain a few pounds in January from stress and eating junk but I have been working to get those few pounds off the past almost 2 weeks now and will continue to do so for at least 12 full weeks before I break for maintenance.

I have started an AB routine to hopefully build up my abdominal muscles better to support my low back issues and then I've also started some PT for my low back.  I had to go almost 3 weeks without hiking due to hiking in the snow causing hypermobility in my SI joints that locked my back up and I'm still hurting despite rest.  I'm hoping it fixes itself and I think maybe it is from all the stress too.  I have never had a back flare last this long.

I started tracking with the Carbon Diet Coach app again but I don't like that it won't let me go below 90g of protein.  I only need 72g of protein and need more carbs for hiking and I like to get a good amount of health fats as well, so it shows me "not compliant" a lot, which is annoying.  However, I like everything else about the app.

My goals going forward are to build strong abdominal and glute muscles to better to support my degenerative SI joints and low back.  I also want to eventually work towards less weight on my body in hopes it will help my joints/back.