The post about a good healing day, a ton of bananas and why it's important to document maintenance...

• Meanwhile, yesterday on Instagram...
• Good morning friends. I feel like I've been hit by a mac truck. My arms are so sore today. And I'm stiff all over. Maybe I over did things yesterday. I need to just keep it simple today. My Friday goals are as follows:

• Clean my incisions even though I'm afraid to take the dressings off right now.
• Dress in nothing more elaborate than yoga pants and a t-shirt.
• Use my arms minimally.
• Drink tons of water, eat all the protein and pineapple.
• Stay in today with the exception of short trips to the dollar store and Walmart for provisions for Julien's birthday celebration with friends tomorrow.
• Come to grips with the fact that I need to be more patient and let myself heal properly.

• I hate feeling knocked down but that's how I feel right now. And I've only myself to blame so I will be smarter about recovery. I was gonna run today but that's definitely off the table right now. Although Dr Patterson said I could get more active, I know I need a couple more days of minimal movement to get myself ready for real life next week. So that's what I'm gonna do. Happy Friday y'all:-)

• Today was a good healing day. It was the first day that my arms did not leak. Nothing. Dry arms. And even though I was scared to take my dressings off this morning, when I finally did, my incisions looked good. For not doing much of anything today I sure am beat. It's not 8pm and I'll be going to sleep shortly. 
• Tomorrow promises to be a busy day. I'm running, or walking or biking in the morning (weather permitting). I've gotta do something. Then it's Julien's birthday celebration with his friends. A week early. We're going to Wacky Wings which is attached to a Playdium (giant arcade). It's in Brantford but I'll be coming back to Hamilton for his cake and presents then I'm heading back out to Brantford to hang with my sister. I haven't seen her for weeks and I miss her tons. 
• I enjoyed #winetime this evening, was pumped that I got a ton of old bananas to freeze for smoothies for next to nothing and I almost stayed within my macros. Not really about the macros. I've always wanted to say that though and truth be told I don't really care. Today I had a rough spell in the afternoon, but everything happens for a reason and I believe that sometimes you just have to leave certain situations and let stuff go. Life is too short to dwell on shit. Tomorrow is a new day and it's time to embrace life. I'm healing after all...

• Meanwhile, yesterday on Facebook...
• I post my blog to 4 different Facebook pages. My personal page, My Poonapalooza page, and the 2 group pages for Dr. Poon's Metabolic Diet. I've been posting my blog to Dr. Poon's pages since I began my blog which brings us back to right around the time I started his diet in the fall of 2011. Wow! I've been blogging for 4 years? My blog has changed over the course of the last 4 years. It went from weight loss, to maintenance. And I've dealt with a lot of struggles during that time. Especially with body acceptance and self esteem.
• I got the above comment yesterday in response to a blog I posted a couple days ago. I'm not offended by the comment, although I find it somewhat judgmental. But I do think it's important to address why I can never stop thinking about my diet and fitness. Bottom line is, I don't want to regain any of the weight I've lost. And I like the challenge of making new fitness goals for myself. Because truth be told, 4 years ago I couldn't walk up one flight of stairs without getting severely winded and being in pain. The fact I can run for hours, or do any of the stuff my trainer has me doing in the gym is just amazing to me. Living a life where I was completely sedentary to being active all the time is something I never want to give up now that I know what the exercise high feels like. It's 100x better than any shit I did in high school.
• Every show on TV has to do with the weight loss aspect of "healthy lifestyle". Losing weight is hard for sure, but the real struggle for most continues to be maintenance. That is why there is such a high regain rate. Nobody ever focuses on maintenance and the all consuming aspect that goes along with it. Sometimes I wonder if I should still be posting my blog to Dr. Poon's site, but I haven't been told otherwise, so I just assume that people still get something from it. And although I no longer follow his diet, I still follow a high protein, low carb lifestyle and live by many of the rules that he taught me. I believe his diet gave me my life back.
• This is my response to that comment:

Thanks for your comment. But the reality of my situation and anyone who is on maintenance and wants maintenance to work is that I always have to be mindful of my diet and exercise. And exercise is my meditation and how I relax. I'm sorry that you don't enjoy my blog anymore and I hope you find motivation else where. I post my blogs because honestly, maintenance is a lot of work and one of the reasons so many people regain weight after weight loss is because they continue to struggle with the diet / exercise formula they need to permanently adopt and they struggle with body acceptance issues. My self esteem is still a work in progress. I've every right to feel as good about myself and my appearance as I want. I've worked hard to look like I do right now. I didn't get this way by relaxing. I assure you I am as sound mind as I can be considering the journey my body and my confidence has been through throughout my lifetime. I appreciate your concern but find your comment judgmental. I wish you the best of luck on your own journey. Take care.