Day 29

Ugh.

Today, I had an appointment with a foot doctor, Dr. Nix. He was recommended to me about three weeks ago, when my foot was hurting for those few days, and it took us this long to get in. Mom and I figured we'd just go show him the inserts we bought for my shoes, explain our situation, and be done in like 30 minutes.

Well. Ninety minutes, one x-ray, and several waiting rooms later, I finally get to see Dr. Nix. And he informs me that I have flat feet.

Um, hi. I know.

But more than that, he tells me that I've torn my plantar fascia (the connective tissue running from my big toe to my heel that supports the non-existant arch of my foot) by trying to work out in Zumba and NIA on my flat feet. That's not good. It means I can no longer work out on the treadmill, or even walk as a workout, really. It means I've gotta take extreme care not to exacerbate the situation and give myself plantar fasciitis (a chronic and painful condition). It means I have to take another frickin' medication, and wear another pair of inserts on top of the ones I already have! But most of all ... it means no more flip-flops, and no more bare feet.

Now, if you know me, you know my shoe tastes are basic, especially in the summer - a pair of Reef sandals in brown, and a pair of Reef sandals in black. Simple but comfy; Reefs mean summer to me! On top of that, I love to go barefoot whenever I get the chance! Walking across the South Oval in spring, feeling the grass between my toes and around my heels ... bliss. But no more. Now that I'm diagnosed with terminal flat feet and a torn plantar fascia, I cannot go around Reef-ed or barefooted anymore, lest I should further mess up my foot.

Sigh.

Dr. Nix recommended I get a pair of Birkenstocks, since they have a little support built into them ... but, uh, Birks often carry an attached stereotype, one that big-bodied, short-haired girls like me already have to spend a lot of time dodging. I'm not going the Birk route. Not gonna play that game. I guess I may try to look into a pair of Chacos or Tevas or something ... anybody have any good suggestions?

Fortunately, the tear doesn't mean an end to the program. I mean, we'd already tailored my workouts to better accommodate my sore foot, so things like the elliptical, recumbent/upright bike, yoga, and water aerobics are still legit. But with walking and dancing nixed (literally nixed, as the doctor's name was Nix, ha ha ><,) a lot of the variety just got sapped outta my schedule. No more Pinnacle, or Big Dam Bridge, or Chenal Loop.

Other than that, today was alright ... early morning walk, sculpt class, and water aerobics, then late-night yoga (the appointment stole most of my afternoon, and we had company for dinner so I had to look presentable). The night yoga was kinda weird, because the bathroom/home yoga studio I cobbled together has a big window that looks right down onto the street. During the day, nobody can see inside, but since it was dark and I was backlit ... I'm pretty sure people could see me and my yoga poses. Felt kinda awkward.

Food was nothing new and different; we did tilapia again for dinner, which I ate more readily than usual. I also tried a wild rice dish, but the long grains were not quite my speed. I had some more cous-cous instead. Still keeping my calorie count between 1200 and 1400 a day, so that's good ... hopefully it'll mean good news this Sunday.

So I realized something odd today. While most every part of my body has either lost inches, gained tone, or both, we've got one major holdout. My butt. Apparently, it's going nowhere, at least for the time being. So then I started thinking, what if it chooses to never go anywhere? Like I reach my target weight, and my butt's still just chilling? I can't shake that mental image - it's like a Superball, cut in half and glued to a marker. Butt: get with the program! I know you're always gonna be, you know, out there, but can't we get proportionate here?

Pfft. Apparently I feel self-deprecating tonight. I'm gonna cut this one off while I'm still feeling sarcastic; no sense delving into the maudlin. Goodnight guys!