No Belly Aching? Actually It's Back Aching...

This morning I really felt the effects of being 318 lbs. I usually sleep on my side, due to having sleep apnea. I was on my side when the alarm went off this morning, so I had to rotate my body towards the clock to turn it off. All of a sudden, pain shot through my back, immobilizing me for a few brief seconds.

When I stood up, I had to be very careful not to move in the wrong direction, otherwise the back pain would again shoot through me. Now, I've noticed that as I've reached certain weight tiers (as I'll call them), I have problems arise that I've never dealt with before.

First, when I reached 300 lbs about 6 months ago, I noticed my ankles would burn. Then, upon closer inspection, I found that they were swollen as though I were going through some sort of allergic reaction. After a few weeks, however, I got used to the swollenness and only occasionally realize I have swollen legs/ankles.

Here's the problem, I should have recognized these symptoms as indications that my weight was skyrocketing out of control, but it took my back "attack" to get more motivated to lose. Are you showing any signs of your overweight condition (other than what you see in the mirror)? Do you have trouble breathing when climbing stairs like I do? Do you look forward all day to just crashing on the couch (OK, I guess that's more of a cultural thing...but it's indicative of an overweight culture)? What are you going to do about it?

I, for one, will continue to make notes of what I eat, wear a pedometer and utilize the workout plan my co-worker made for me. If you come back to this blog, I will be going through my own weight loss program, as well as showcasing the success stories and methods that motivate me.

See you next time!