I am currently just having a pleasant night off from work and thought hell. I might as well post on my blog. I found some amazing videos and resources that I didn't realize what they were. First off this website:
I had Goodbyecrutches tweet me and asked me to post my advice on their sight. I haven't thought about it for months and just saw the tweet again and I am so glad I did. I have read some really great advice on this website before but didn't realize how it worked. Check it out it's great for lower body injuries. I'm on there find me!
Second here are some videos I've found by looking at this site!
I've been struggling for many months on how to bring this up. Bear with me as this has been something I've wanted to do for a while and am now finding the strength to get started.
If you have come here because you are looking for advice on recovering from surgery then you have come to the right place. I have documented 3 years worth of information on Calcaneal Osteotomy and various other things on this blog and now on my Youtube Channel TheFootGal. However, as some of you may know I am only 23 years old at this time. I have so much of my life ahead of me and would like to make a change.
It's been about 6 months if not longer that I've spent wringing my hands about how to make this change. I am very proud of my work here on my blog and I am still extremely passionate on helping people when it comes to recovery. As agonizing as this journey has been it made me into a stronger and better version of myself. I fully believe if we take the hardships inward and use them to strengthen ourselves we can become more humble and honest. I have seen some sides of having a physical disability that I still can not shake nor do I want to. The hard moments are the ones that make you think. They are the moments that change history.
I'd like to help the world see the pain and loneliness that a surgery or injury can bring into someones life. Help people understand how to better help others who may be going through the struggle that is recovery. I've met a handful of people going through recovery and I've noticed they also have some of the same struggles I had. The one that sticks with me the most is the struggle to talk about the pain. Somehow I was able to blog about my experience. I don't think this is that easy for people. I saw the need and I grabbed on full force. I would really want to continue doing that. At this moment in time I still have one (that I know of) surgery to undergo. My journey has not yet come to an end. I do have restored faith that there is an end for me. This was something I had been uncertain about for nearly 2 years. I can finally breathe just a little bit better.
This new found hope has given me the strength that I couldn't find in the last 6 months. I hope if you have been following my story you will continue to do so and I hope if you have just stumbled upon my site that you will see everything I have to offer and not only see a "bank of information" as I sometimes feel I'm treated.
Now if you've gotten this far into the post (thank you) then you will want to know what this "change" is. Well as this blog and this journey have shaped me I would like to continue my online identity on this blog. I have so much more I want to offer the world but none of this would be possible if I hadn't started this blog. I want to start posting comics, art work, knitting, and more personal opinions that don't revolve around a foot surgery. I want to grab my professional identity on here and use it for my continual journey through life. I have mentioned before that I may change the URL to this blog and this was ultimately why. I don't want to be just known for something I couldn't control in my life. I have a future and I'd like to move forward with that.
So from here on out be prepared to experience more of who I am.
As one can imagine time has gotten away from me. When you don't have a job or anything that really "forces" you out of your home then you kind of start drifting. It makes me wonder about who invented time. My idea is that someone kept putting this off like.. eating, sleeping, tending to the crops and realized that maybe marking time would be a good idea. Anyhow, I have no real physical things marking my time. Everything I do is by choice (which is fantastic) but it can become challenging.
Like I talked about in my post My 2 Week Vacation is Over, I was starting to feel isolated. This isn't new to me. Not at all. It's like.. being a 5 year old kid with no school, choirs, and well.. all your friends have school, and choirs. So you are left to your own means of entertainment if you will. I posted a video-log on what I have been filling in my time with. If you would like to see that video just go to my channel at www.youtube.com/user/TheFootGal. Don't forget to subscribe so that you can see any video that I do not post here! Same with following my blog. These things help you stay connected to my new material.
This got me thinking and I figured I should probably also update more on how I am actually doing. That is what this space is for. This lovely lovely canvas I call my blog. I went to the beach yesterday to think through my own emotions. What I'm going through, how I'm handling it, how I continue to push on and do my "thaaaang." Lets just say I sat at the beach, put my headphones in.... and cried.
For almost an hour. I went home feeling refreshed and much more connected with myself. However, I did end up creating this video once I got home (Yes I'm sunburnt, YOLO).
Since this is foot related I wanted to make sure you all got to see it and give you a update on... well.. Me. Mainly I just want to give some advice on how to fill in the void that comes when you get disconnected from the life you.. "once had" or "will have again" depending on the situation. Mine just happens to be the "once had" and now I have to find what's NEXT. Which is exciting.
It's like going off to college right out of high school. So much is unknown to you. You have no idea what you are about to jump into. So many emotions come to mind when I think of high school ending and college beginning. All those emotions I seem to feel now. Excitement, anticipation, nervous, anxious, scared, sad and ready.
If you "land on your feet" so to say and find yourself in a situation where you feel you have either been denying yourself of your true potential or you wish to move on to the next thing. Well I can say I get that. For me I have been focusing on a few things to keep myself motivated.
Getting out by myself.
I've been making sure that I go to the mall here once a week if not more. This has gotten a series of reactions from people most of which have been 'what? I'd go with you I'm sorry you are there alone.' to this I say. Yes, it would be nice to have company but on a different day when I'm not going for just "me." A lot comes with school, jobs and anything that you go out and set a majority of time in. One of those things is Independence. We all have and we all need it. This is my little way of saying "Kristy YOU GO GIRL." To my surprise it has been helping more then anything! The beach day was one of those however, Clayton did have to come with me so I had a ride.
Staying away from social Media AKA Facebook
If you are family reading this then you know that I have deleted Facebook more then once since foot surgery. I even went so far as to deleting friends and ONLY having family. When you are at a cross roads in life and maybe have a LITTLE too much time on your hands. I highly suggest if not deleting then making some hard ground rules for yourself so that you don't get caught up in everyone else's business and their so called "Facebook achievements." you are not those people. You will never be those people. If it bothers you then just walk away. So I have been working on this.
Achieving something
No brainer right? We all like to do something we can be proud of. I talk about a lot of these things in my Video Log update. I have a list of beanies I have been working on and I plan to knit every single one! I'm 4 1/2 down! Should be starting 5 today if all goes well. I have been posting video logs and now I will updated my blog. To me these are accomplishments.
So if you may be going through a hard time where you are experiencing intense emotions that maybe.. seem too much to handle. I hope you remember my post and remember to keep your chin up. Keep throwing those punches and when all else fails you can always email me and I'll tell you to keep throwing the punches. I screamed into a pillow the other day and let me tell you.. WOW. so much a relief.
Also a video about Google glass and more inspiration! (Google glass is my latest obsession)
Hello viewers & welcome any new arrivals to my blog!
I hope you all enjoy the new look! I spent a whole day learning some tricks in photoshop (which I've never used) and trying new layout formats just to make it more appealing! I also changed the top title to "TheFootGal" instead of "undergoing a Calcaneal Osteotomy." Mostly because I am no longer JUST undergoing a calcaneal osteotomy so it doesn't quite fit for my new posts. Also because my blog is changing as I change and I want to welcome all walks of life! SO, HELLO! Welcome, I hope you do enjoy!
Today I wanted to talk about weight loss. It's something that I believe every human being wants at one point or another in their life and when they realize that desire they feel like they will not reach it or that they will have to put a ton of extra work into it. Well, I'm here to tell you it can be easier than that. I don't mean "diets" the "simple answer" no. It will be hard to LEARN how to eat healthy. But once you've learned it your body will know the difference and it will start being hard to go back to the "bad foods" you used to eat. Let's start off by showing you a before and after picture. I apologize I put the after picture on the wrong side! But you get the general idea! Also these are only three days apart when it comes to months so one is from Sep 9th 2012 and the new one was taken Sep 11th 2013! which I thought was fun!
Sep. 11th 2013 Sep. 9 2012
Sep. 11th 2013 Sep. 9 2012
Wowowowow. It even shocks me honestly! Because when you lose weight the healthy way then it's a much slower process and you don't lose weight so dramatically. However, because of that it is much easier to maintain the body you create! Yes, I do say create. This body, I made. I took the time to study and learn what my body needs and how my body needs it. Which even with all the websites and all the people telling you they lost weight from counting calories. We are all different people and we all have different bodies that crave and desire different things! For example.. I hate avocados. Hate them. I don't care if they are good for me I will not pick that up and eat it. I wont. I would sooner eat a whole bag of chips then pick up one avocado. Another example is when I first started counting calories I tried to fill in my "hunger" periods or "snack" periods with bowls and bowls of carrots. ughh. Don't do that to yourself.
This world has MANY different plants and foods to choose from. Choose something you like and stick with it! Or choose 100 things you like and stick with that! Don't force yourself to eat what someone, sometime once said. Trust me, it won't work. You'll quit. I almost did. Then I just said "F*** carrots" I don't think I've had more then 5 carrots in the last 6 months.. well I actually enjoy carrot juice but not just bowls of carrots!
I say use this calorie counter because it gives you a different number then most magazines/blogs/websites/trainers will give you! As a woman they general tell you 1200 a day. This website told me 1534 a day and that was with 0 working out! Also that was just "fat loss" and not "extreme fat loss." I never went lower then 1534 either! Look at my progress! So do this website and I suggest you start at the higher number even if you want to go down! Because no matter what you will need to adjust to the change.
Realize what fuels you.
Find the combination you like. What I mean by this is.. for example I enjoy breakfast. LOVE IT. I could probably eat some type of breakfast food for every meal if I could. However, I dislike lunch.. and enjoy a BIG dinner! So I had to adjust what I ate at each meal to fit the calories now I eat around 500 for breakfast and 200-300 for lunch and then I have plenty of calories for a snack and a goood dinner!
One of my favorite breakfast!
Pear Cinnamon Oatmeal
Also along with this CUT OUT SODA and high fructose corn syrup. Trust me. By doing those two things you stop craving ANYTHING that shares those qualities. Real sugar is a lot harder to get addicted to!
Don't weigh yourself
This one is my biggest suggestion. I didn't way myself. Infact I've only been weighed twice this year. Once at my annual OBGYN visit and second when I went in for surgery! I weighed 135 pounds then!! wooooo. I was like "please don't die you are finally healthy!" It helps to SEE your body changing because you may put on muscle and that weighs more then fat.
Drink Water
If you don't know why this is good for you then.. you are in denial! Water has been here for all animals and plants and the earth in general to FUEL us. Without water we are nothing. So drink it. Feed it to your body! Soon enough it will become easy!
Enjoy the ride
I didn't do it any other way. I realized portion sizes once I started cutting the calories back and now my body gets hungry and full when it should. Once I got surgery I realized all crazy benefits. A few are I am so much lighter. so lifting myself up on my arms and caring my body on crutches has become so much easier! Then not to mention how flexible I'm becoming. I can move around a lot easier and it helps my body feel good through out the day! I have ENERGY. Past surgeries I would be so worn out day after day after day. I can say I've hardly been worn out! Not after the first week! It's been a breeze.
Another thing. Once I started taking the pounds off my feet didn't hurt quite as bad! I have talked to multiple people at this point that have told me they have had some serious health problems with their feet or their knees that losing weight has made go away completely! Think of the wear and tear just carrying those pounds around on your body. I'm here to tell you that it makes a HUGE difference. I've experienced both sides.
All these are on my pinterest!
Healthy ThanksGiving!
As always I'm here cheering you on if you need it! I have all my information on the right side of this blog now. Email, Instagram, Google plus, and you can always comment and I'll reply!
Until next time,
TheFootGal
P.S. Here is some of my Pinterest Boards that I put some of the information I used. However, a lot of it I didn't but it could still be helpful to look through. Feel free to follow me :) I still add to them!
