Sidelined

4

August 13, 2014 by 43andfatfree and RobertRoyston.net

Nothing is more fun for a professional dancer than a painful, slow-healing injury. I suppose the “Dance Gods” felt I needed to pass another test, because I had just begun thinking I was on the edge of reaching my fitness potential. Then, out of nowhere, I got sidelined with an injury: a pulled groin, and sports hernia! Ugh, not fun.

This meant anything I tried to do, and I do mean ANYTHING – sitting, standing, walking, coughing, sneezing – became extremely painful. All of it hurt. My doctor and my physical therapist told me to rest, but for someone like myself, rest is the most cruel prescription. Ask anyone who is a stress/depression/boredom-induced eater and they will agree.

All I wanted to do was sit on my couch and eat saltines slathered in butter., biding my time until dinner arrived in the form of buffalo chicken pizza.

But for the first time in my life, I found myself stuck in this familiar situation, and I didn’t cave! I stayed strong (mostly), and didn’t give in to my cravings. That being said, I did see changes in my body that upset me. My muscles started to lose some definition, and although I didn’t gain any weight on the scale, my abs that were so nearly sculpted lay rest under a small, but unyielding, layer. That layer only increased during the rest time, as did my impatience. I had been so close, and then this had to happen!

All of this combined to increase my overall stress level. My work was negatively affected due to the lack of mobility, which in turn affected my household income. More stress equals more cravings! So between the physical stress, the financial stress, and some personal stress, this last month has been a true test on my newfound lifestyle.

So how did I, or am I, getting through it? Well, you all have been a huge help! All those private e-mails you send, letting me know you read my blog or tried some of the tips I have posted, those keep me going! It helps me to think that WE can do this together. For example, one day I was really struggling and I received a message from a friend/student who had told me his LDL had dropped 18% because he started on the fiber supplement I recommended! It made me feel good to have helped someone else, despite being unable to help myself.

So I thought to myself, “Don’t do it Robert, stay strong. There are people out there taking their first steps to a healthier life and that’s much harder. You can do this!” It made me so happy that I have been sharing my journey. If I hadn’t, all of your help out there in cyberspace through emails, Facebook and texts would probably have not existed. By no means am I out of the woods yet. The recovery will take a few months and I will have to juggle the different stresses it brings, but more then ever I am ready for the fight!

Now, with love handles creeping back in and some muscle lost, I hit the gym again a week ago for a light workout, and it felt GREAT!!! I tried to avoid looking in the mirror, but doing work in the gym again was so rewarding.

From what I can see and feel, the injury cost me approximately 4-5 weeks of progress; I find myself further from my ultimate goal, and the slow workout speeds will keep me from increasing results again for a while. I still really can’t run, and I can only jump rope for five-to-ten minute, which is sub-par to what I was doing before. But, at least it’s something! Pushups have been killing me, too, as-of-late; after only 50 pushups my lower abs start to hurt, and sit-ups…well they suck. But I am doing something, anything, to break a sweat and return to my pre-injury physique.

This has been such a mountain for me to overcome, and I haven’t even reached the top yet. Somehow, though, I feel a second wind as I am climbing.

Thanks to everyone for all the e-mails and Facebook messages; they have really helped tremendously. Thanks also to my physical therapist and our three-times a week sessions, and a special thanks to to the inventor of KT Tape.

Please keep me updated on “your” progress, whoever you are out there starting your journey or struggling with your journey! I want to help the way you’ve helped me, and talking about it helps us all.

As always, Love
43&FF