PiYo: Pause

No PiYo yesterday; maybe no PiYo today.

And yet, for the first time ever, I have a hurt back and I'm not freaking out. Well, okay, I'm freaking out a little bit. When the engine is sputtering, you can't help but worry any time you turn on the car.

Despite this, I know in my heart that I will get better. I have been working out six days a week for a solid five weeks; before that, I did PT exercises nearly every day for three months. Before that, I saw a chiropractor at least once a week for two months.

{via}

Said Chiropractor (Dr. Fat Ass) says that the more I work to strengthen my core (and, as he never forgets to remind me, lose weight), the shorter these lapses will be. I will always have flare-ups; that's what happens when a piece of your lumbar disc is floating around in your spinal canal.

So far this morning, my back isn't that bad; it is stiff, though. Unfortunately, I haven't yet learned to differentiate between "I'm stiff because I need to move" and "I'm stiff because I am protecting an injury" stiffness. I will see Dr. Fat Ass later this morning; I have a feeling he will say "Move - always keep moving."

But recently, I have reached a point in my relationship with Dr. Fat Ass where I am not sure he sees the whole picture anymore. He has always commented on my weight - you know that already - and no matter how many times I tell him that I'm working on it, that I am seeing progress in other areas, all he seems to be focused on are these extra pounds. I often wonder if the reason he says, "Move, move, move" has more to do with his desire for me to burn calories than to keep my back from stiffening up.

Perhaps this is just a case of projection, borne of my own insecurities about my snail's-pace weight loss. Dr. Fat Ass is, after all, a doctor, a professional. He's paid to see the whole picture, isn't he? Perhaps the reason he focuses so much on the weight is factoids like this which say that for every extra pound of weight in your torso (hello, belly fat!), an extra ten pounds of pressure is applied to your lower back.

I'm not sure. I do know that even if the scale isn't moving, I am seeing some great results with PiYo; I feel stronger, leaner, calmer, more focused, and more energized since starting it. Even if these aren't noticeable on the outside - even if I get to Dr. Fat Ass's office today and he doesn't notice my firmer glutes, firmer quads, more defined calves and triceps - I know they are there.

For now, this is how I will take comfort. This and a well-placed ice pack.

PiYo in, friends! I'll be back soon.