Sick.

Sorry I haven't posted.  I got sick.  If you don't know me very well, I have hyperthyroidism --Grave's disease.  This is where my immune system goes crazy, starts attacking my thyroid, and makes it hyper --just like a six year old boy on red 40. The only good thing about it is that I burn calories like crazy.  That also happens to be the bad thing.  My body likes to burn muscle as it's first fuel when I'm sick, so all of my strength gains kind of go down the toilet.  My body fat percentage goes up, and my muscle goes down.  I also can't sleep, have a resting heart rate of around 100 beats per minute, and I feel anxious and dizzy all of the time.

The bummer is that I've been in remission for months --almost a year.  I've had little flareups, but nothing that's made me go on meds for over a week.  I'm pretty sure it's diet.  My diet has been really clean since last year's competition, and my body has rewarded me with good health.  Then Christmas hit, and with it extra treats and extra stress, and down I go.  I'm also guilty of not taking care of it right away.  I should have gone on my anti-thyroid pills when I felt the first symptoms, but in the back of my mind I think I wanted the extra leeway with calories.  Isn't that awful?  It's like I was slitting my wrist to get lower blood pressure.  It doesn't make sense.  Now my metabolism drops because I have less muscle, AND I'm used to eating more because the Graves dialed my appetite through the roof, not to mention the possible damage to my heart.  My only excuse is when I'm sick I'm more impulsive and don't think things through as well.  It's a common symptom and I'm claiming it.

So then about two weeks ago, I got sick sick with a cold/laryngitis thing and then I've been really suffering.  I've shown up to teach my classes in street clothes to keep me from doing it with my students, and I've kept myself from doing personal workouts because I've felt like I just wasn't recovering.  I couldn't kick it. It's been so frustrating!  I've felt like a big fat disgusting slug.  Isn't that funny how quickly your personal identity can change in your mind?  Just a month ago, I was at Jeff's goal weight (Ok. little explanation here --I have a goal weight 4&1/2 pounds lower than what Jeff thinks is healthy for me --he'd be just as happy with me 10 pounds heavier or whatever, but I asked for help in reaching a goal so we bet a big screen tv against clothes shopping money that I'd get there.  He says "there" is 4.5 pounds higher than where I say) and now I'm back up 3 more pounds.  Sigh.  I know when I go from maintenance calories to deficit I lose 3 pounds in water right away, but there's some muscle loss there too, so once I start lifting again it will go up anyway.  Does that make sense? 3 down with water, 2-3 up with water back in my muscles and literal muscle fiber growth.

But, last night I slept with no coughing fits, and the thyroid thing is slowly coming back to normal, so I'm LIFTING TODAY!!! I'm so excited.  Wish me luck in getting back to normal please?

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