A Quick Update From Beyond the 30 Days!

Happy December!  (Can you believe it's December?)

I am just popping in to let you know that I have continued to do daily cryotherapy.  I am not doing it this week due to a commitment that has me unavailable - and I am missing it like crazy!!!

I can't wait to get back to doing it daily.  The non-daily routine at the moment is definitely against my will and is more subject to a work commitment, holidays, time off for the Cryo954 team and my own family travel.

As a quick update - I am still feeling great.  My weight loss is still on a positive trend, a bit slower but still moving in the right direction!

As of today - 168 lbs.  Down from the original 194.

That's a total of 26 lbs gone since I started.

I'm happy with the results.

It's more than weight loss, obviously.  I'm sleeping better.  No more chronic insomnia. My skin feels un-freaking-believable.  No kidding.  Like silk. I don't mean to get all weird, but there are moments I just stroke my own arms in pure delight.  Soft, soft, soft.

I really, really really wish I could just submerge my face in the cryosauna for a few hours each day.  Wow....!  I can not imagine.

I have heard before that cryotherapy has an effect on skin, but I can now truly attest that this is looking pretty darned true.  My skin is smooth, softer than the softest silk and feels amazing.  

As of today, I have not been able to do cryotherapy for five long days...but the benefits of cryotherapy have not subsided.  

The only cryotherapy benefit I am craving and lacking right now is the anti-inflammatory and pain relief.  My current project involves long days, on my feet and my knees are a bit swollen from 12 hours and my back is killing me...

I can't wait to get back!

Day 30: The Synopsis

Day 1

Do you see a difference between day 1 and day 30...?

Day 30

Day 30 finally came and here are my thoughts on "30 Days of Cryotherapy"...

First of all, my final weight came in at 179 lbs and my dress size is a 12.
I started at 194 lbs and a size 14.  That's a solid 15 lbs down.  During this time, I did absolutely zero exercising.  Honest.  You couldn't make me exercise if you tried...

But I will now.  I promised myself that once I got below 180, it was time for the gym and that time is here...(yes, I cursed when I saw the scale - but it was a happy curse too).  In my personal opinion, the theories about cryotherapy and weight loss as proven to me.

Beyond weight loss, I absolutely sleep better.  I have been a lifelong chronic insomniac for my entire life.  I have tried everything.  I have tried meditation, hemi-sync cd's, hypnosis, counting sheep, staring into the abyss, melatonin (nasty allergic reaction to that one!), Zzzz-quil, over-the-counter sleep aids, Ambien (my go-to) and much more... chemically induced sleeps are the only good sleep I have known for decades until now.   For 30 days, I am unable to watch even 15 minutes of tv before I have to turn it off because my eyes are closing...  My personal opinion?  Cryotherapy does help me sleep like a baby.

Chronic headaches are another of my plagues, but I haven't had one in a month.  I had forgotten all about them.  

Anxiety reduction?  Absolutely.  I've had plenty of reasons for anxiety this month.  As I write this, I am awaiting the results of a biopsy to determine whether or not I have endometrial cancer.  I've never had a biopsy before.  It wasn't fun.  I should know something anytime now, but I am in good spirits and not anxious.  Sure, I'm hoping for the best - but I think in another time and place I would be chewing my nails to the cuticle and climbing the walls.

Depression reduction?  Sure.  I've had some hard hits this month to knock me on my butt.  Good reasons to feel like crap.  While I appropriately felt the blows and reacted with sadness and frustration when they landed, I think I bounced back better than usual and tried my best not to dwell on things.  In the past I believe I might have lingered in the sadness a bit longer or let things bring me down longer.  This could be hard to judge since I did have some sad days and you can't possibly know how I normally react - so I'll assure you that I think it helped and we'll call it a draw.  Someone with more chronic depression issues would be a far better judge than I am.

Pain relief?  Anytime I felt aches or pains, cryotherapy definitely helped.  On my final day, I actually pulled some muscles in my mid-back while doing a variety of things (landscaping, a lame attempt to see if I could do a single "plank", moving a giant cooler...) and cryotherapy helped relieve the pain.  The next day I had no noticeable pain at all, aside from some minor tightness that I had to really think about to notice at all.

Other things...?  I feel like cryotherapy boosted my immune system.  It is incredible to me that I got sick mid-experiment with strep throat and didn't know it.  The antibiotics knocked it right out, but - still...!  Wow.

Overall - I feel great.  So great that I immediately signed up for my next 30 days already.

I won't bore you with them, but perhaps I will pop back in with an occasional update in the future if I notice anything amazing.  

I genuinely hope I've convinced you to give it a try - and if you are in the South Florida area, I hope you'll pop into Cryo954 and say hi to the amazing duo of Dr. Hamm and Alma.  

Let them know Christine sent you?  I don't get any perks beyond the the fact that they tolerate all sorts of craziness from me - but I like them to know I've got their backs and that I adore them both!

XOXOXO,
Christine :)

PS:

Is there a better way to celebrate ending 30 days than with champagne?

My husband and I had the honor of having dinner tonight with Pierre Emmanuel Taittinger of Taittinger Champagne and I got to break out my new red dress.  It was a great night and no sooner had we posted the pictures to our Facebook page than my phone was busy with messages from friends who were full of wonderful compliments.

Thank you, cryotherapy! ♥

Day 29: The Cool Down

Weight:  181 lbs  
Size:  12
Blood Pressure:  127/84
Feeling:    
  Pre-Cryo:    Good
  Post-Cryo:   Great!

It's going to be a busy day, a busy start to a busy week!

I woke up with a long to-do list and ready to go and get as much of it done as I could.  I knew it wouldn't all get done, but the list is going to be an ongoing project and I plan to just keep at it.  

I had a wonderful, impromptu date night last night with my husband.  We decided to go out to eat together.  I got to break out one of my new smaller size dresses - the quintessential "little black dress" - and all I can say is - the dress must have been a big hit, because I definitely had my husband's attention last night.  I'm sharing that here because I'm thanking cryotherapy for that - 13 lbs, 2 dress sizes and the boost I got wearing that dress was reward enough.  Ladies, you know...Just wait until he sees the red one!

Pre-Cryo:
I woke up earlier than I would have liked to - thanks to an obnoxiously demanding cat (who I am thrilled to have back to normal, but I really wish she'd let me sleep...) and with some tension in my shoulders.  I assume I slept wrong or something...?

I had a decent amount of energy and was in good spirits.  I dressed and headed off for a long day!

I've definitely been enjoying the weight loss side of the cryotherapy the most.  There's absolutely no scientific evidence that cryotherapy helps you lose weight or burn fat, but for me, it has definitely helped.  I find that I eat better while doing cryotherapy.  I make better choices.  It's hard to explain for a non-scientific type, like myself, but in simple terms - I feel as if I am clear-headed, not starving and able to make better choices about what I eat and when I eat instead of just eating impulsively.  

I still eat what I want.  If I really want a Big Mac from McDonald's, I'll go get one (and I have done so on occasion) - it's just far more rare and honestly I find that that much food doesn't "feel" good anymore.  

Cryotherapy (to me) feels like it 'resets' my digestive system and helps me want to eat cleaner foods.  Does that make sense?

They say cryotherapy burns a huge number (600-800) calories and increases your metabolism.  I noticed that on days where my weight stayed the same, I ate less.  When my weight dropped a bit, I was eating a bit more, small meals over the day.  That would seem to make sense with the metabolism theory.  What I'm theorizing here, going forward, is that as I continue on - I can maximize my weight loss by eating more small meals while doing cryotherapy rather than eating less.

I know I have a long way to go.  In weight loss, I'm still easily 31 lbs from my "goal weight", but I started with a huge number to lose.  

Post-Cryo:

I felt great and had a good energy boost - which I used well through my day to get a ton of work done.

I had the house to myself, as hubby was off to a "men only" philanthropy event - and I used the time well.  

Tomorrow is day 30 and the last entry!

I'll have to find a way to summarize it all.  

Day 28: Just Floating

Weight:  182 lbs  
Size:  12
Blood Pressure:  N/A
Feeling:    
  Pre-Cryo:    Good
  Post-Cryo:   N/A

It's Sunday and that means no cryotherapy today - darn.

But it's a beautiful day and I am feeling great.  Better make the most of it...!

I'll put up some Halloween decorations with my husband, watch last night's SNL, get a few errands run, submerge myself into a sensory deprivation tank...

Hmm?  Oh, yes - you read right.  Sensory deprivation tank.  Because I am, and always will be, all about trying new things!  

Hope you also have a wonderful day and I hope you get to try something new too!

Day 27: A New (Cool) Day

Weight:  182 lbs  
Size:  12
Blood Pressure:  N/A
Feeling:    
  Pre-Cryo:    Good
  Post-Cryo:   Doing Good!

It's a beautiful day in South Florida.  A cool front gave us a pretty day to celebrate the weekend and I am going to push aside the bad and try my best to focus on the good.

As much I would love a nice, relaxing day - my husband had other plans.  He invited a house full of his college alumni over to watch the Texas A&M game this afternoon which is pretty much the opposite of how I would like to spend my day, but I plan to do my best to enjoy it.

Pre-Cryo:
I feel good.  Maybe a bit quieter, more reflective.  There's some stress and I'm a bit tired.  I might have enjoyed sleeping a bit late today, but that wasn't meant to be...

My stomach hurts a little bit.  Some cramps that I think are from yesterday's biopsy procedure.  Hopefully today's cryotherapy session will settle that.

Overall, I'm in a pretty good mood.

Post-Cryo:
I still feel good - certainly more energy.  I have a lot to do in order to help host a house full of people and I will need this boost!  

Funny enough, several of the guests actually wanted to talk about the cryotherapy.  I think I spent most of the first half of the game talking about it.  One of them may be joining me next week!  We shall see!

The scale gifted me with the loss of one more pound, but the tailgating food spread today may very well put it right back on...(sigh).

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Day 26: The Most NEEDED Freeze of Them All

Weight:  183 lbs  
Size:  12
Blood Pressure:  130/87
Feeling:    
  Pre-Cryo:    Great
  Post-Cryo:   A Little Stressed, But Hanging in There...

There is no picture today, but I am sure you will understand...

I had a doctor's appointment today for a consultation, but after an examination they decided they wanted to do some serious testing and I got to hear the words no woman ever really wants to hear.  

Biopsy.

Yuck...I knew this was a possibility, but I wasn't expecting them to do it so fast. 

Or today.  

I was warned it might be unpleasant.  Some minor discomfort.  The concern is for "endometrial cancer", basically uterine cancer, so the procedure would involve a few shots of a local anesthetic in a sensitive area and the removal of some tissue samples I was told.  I tried to text my husband who was at a lunch meeting, but got no reply.  I was on my own.

Good thing I was still feeling so "strong", huh?  They asked me to return in about an hour and a half, so I took advantage of the time (and the need to quell my serious anxiety) and drove over to get in my cryotherapy during the break.  Fortunately the timing worked out and I was able to squeeze it in.  

Pre-Cryo:
Needless to say, I was a bit of a ball of nerves, trying to keep it together and hide it as best I could.  I didn't want to overreact or make more of it than it was.  What exactly do you say anyway?  Freeze me, I'm a little nervous about having tiny pieces of my uterus ripped out in an hour?

Nope.  Just put it aside and get on with it.

There was a first-time cryotherapy customer trying out the system when I arrived and I got to help talk her through it.  That's always a little fun and I like helping someone else through it.  I think that (aside from the blog) I must tell at least 3 people personally about cryotherapy each day and refer them over.  I hope they show up.

Post-Cryo:
I think it was a blur, to be honest.  

I remember it was cold, of course, but that's about it.  I remember making small talk.  I vaguely recall the Dr. telling me to enjoy the rest of my day and I think I gave him a funny look which I'm sure he couldn't have understood.  It's not like he can read my mind.  It's also probably weirdly inappropriate to reply with something like "Gee, I'd like to, but I have to go do this potentially life altering scary medical thing. But, no - you have a great day!"  So, I activated my rarely used filter and kept my mouth shut.

Seriously.  Who takes a break before a biopsy and runs to fit in a quick freeze?

Just me.  

I'm not crazy.  I knew I was tense, I knew I was stressed, scared and anxious.  I knew I was ready to completely freak out and I knew I had to go and do it alone - which was even scarier...I needed something to calm me down.  I was half-tempted to take a valium or something, except the nurse had already told me not to take anything in advance.  So...cryotherapy to the rescue.  I needed calming and this was my go to place.

And it did help. I needed it today badly.  It literally occurred to me at one point while driving that if the cryotherapy office was closed for lunch I might not go back for the biopsy at all...like I would just sort of run and hide and cry like a big chicken.  I probably would have gotten a grip...I hope I would have...but it was dicey.  I tried really hard to hide it, but I was pretty damn scared.

I left cryotherapy with enough time to make it back and summoned all the courage I had to walk in.  I admitted to them I was nervous.  Their staff was great and they kept me as comfortable as possible.  In the end, it wasn't too bad and I got through it just fine.  Nothing hurt like I thought it would, just uncomfortable.

The real hard part is the waiting - and that starts now...
I've never had to wait on anything like this before.  It's...surreal.
I'm still pretty damn scared.  

Day 25: Frozen Solid

Weight:  183 lbs  
Size:  12
Blood Pressure:  130/87
Feeling:    
  Pre-Cryo:    Not Great
  Post-Cryo:   Much Better

Let's just jump right in, shall we?

Pre-Cryo:

After a rough night and a restless sleep, my morning started pretty much as expected.  I was in auto-pilot mode.  Moving, but my heart wasn't in it.  

If you asked, and if I was honest, I would have had to admit I was feeling pretty down.  If I was really honest and looked at a recent pattern, I'd have to admit I was probably bordering on a depression.  

What a crummy way to start a day, right?  C'mon, we've all been there, haven't we?

But...it gets better.  Seriously.

I showed up for cryotherapy and it was raining, which seemed to suit my mood pretty well.  Even the thought of doing my cryotherapy wasn't really cheering me up all that much, to be honest.  I kind of just wanted to do it and move on.  

Post-Cryo:

I had intended to run errands and get some things accomplished afterwards that needed doing.  As usual, I felt energetic and focused.  I felt calm.  

But...about an hour after cryotherapy, something just sort of shifted.

No.  No errands.  No.  I was tired.  I was done with this week from hell and with the stress levels from beyond hell and nothing I needed to do was so urgent that it could not wait one more day.  I was going home and I was going to take a nap.  It was only an hour, but I did it.

And it wasn't just the nap.  More had shifted in that moment.  I got a little of my fight back.

I wasn't feeling so down anymore.  Instead, a little spark lit inside.  A little of me came back and I felt more like myself finally.  Instead of feeling beaten down by stress, I felt mad.  I felt empowered to stand up and be a bit more of the fighter that I am typically known to be. 

So, yes.  I feel better.  Whether it's from cryotherapy or what, it was a good moment to feel the better start after feeling crappy for a little while now.  It was interesting to notice the exact moment I began to feel better.  I can actually pinpoint it...I was driving and just felt it.  I began to sing along with the radio again (yes, I do that!) which I had not been doing lately.  Instead of feeling the pressure to just do things, I felt my "no" come on.

No.  I was going to do what I wanted to do right now.  What was good for me.  What felt good to me.  

It's nice to feel better.  Very nice.  
Maybe cryotherapy got me there.  
Maybe not.  
I can't prove it, but I think it helped and that's all that matters.

Part of feeling better means that I have some serious crap to deal with all around me now and I still might not know how I want to deal with it yet - but I do know that I will be dealing with it.

I'm back.

P.S.   There's a meteor shower tonight.  Go make some wishes on shooting stars in the dark...

Day 24: Can Frozen People Shatter?

Me & Alma from Cryo954

Weight:  183 lbs  
Size:  12
Blood Pressure:  135/89
Feeling:    
  Pre-Cryo:    Good
  Post-Cryo:   Good, then not good...

I'm posting late, and I wish that wasn't the case - but a very busy day made it impossible to do it earlier.

I also forgot to take a picture again - but, funny enough, I was playing with the Snapchat photo filters with Alma, the beautiful & wonderful Office Manager at Cryo954 today and it just so happens to be the only picture I actually took - so, you get that one (Hope you don't mind, Alma!)

My post will be pretty brief - I won't lie, it's been a rough day.

Pre-Cryo:
I woke up feeling great.  I was in a great mood, I felt completely recovered from my little virus and the day started with excellent news - my stepson got accepted to UCF!  Woohoo!  That means that this fall we will have two UCF Knights.  We couldn't be prouder.  He had his heart set on UCF and it was the only school he applied to as part of early admissions, so this was a wonderful start to my day.

I knew I was in for a busy day, so I prepared as best I could and was off and running!  On the downside, it was laundry day and I am pretty limited on what fits me right now, so I was dressed like a slob.  Part of my busy day included trying to grab some clothes that fit properly in between appointments and meetings.

Post-Cryo:
Left feeling wonderful and energized, just as I needed to!  My energy burst lasted me well enough through the day from hell, but my good feeling was, unfortunately, short-lived.  I sort of knew it would be...

After cryotherapy, I raced to try to find some properly fitting clothes and came away with only one more pair of jeans for lack of time between appointments.  Oh, well.  I'll try again tomorrow, I suppose.  

Today just wasn't my day.

Today was the second round of that therapy session from last week where I sit and sort of emotionally suffer while hoping that it will help someone else feel better.  It sucked just as much as last time and, while I hope it is helping the other person, it isn't helping me a whole lot.  Or at all.  It's very bizarre to participate in this therapeutic thing for someone that leaves me sad and needing to talk, and perfectly isolates me from being able to do so.  Cruel, really.

So, no - not a good day.  That was pretty much when my energy wore off and I decided my day wasn't great anymore.  I'm glad I had the cryotherapy to get me through it, because otherwise I am not sure I could have.  I walked out on my own two feet, drove home to my family without any sudden accelerations or ramming anything and didn't take to a bottle of alcohol - so, all in all - a victory.

The bummer of a late afternoon un-did all my good cryotherapy benefits.  My muscles are in knots, my shoulders feel like rocks, I'm tired and I'm feeling rotten.  The very best that I can say is that I survived it, I know I can keep going and tomorrow is another day.

I can do this.  But, I won't lie - I'm not sure I could have gotten through it this well without cryotherapy keeping me calmer than usual.  

Maybe cryotherapy is keeping my nerves just frozen enough not to let me shatter.  

I kinda hope that's true...

Tomorrow is another day.

Day 23: Pre-Midnight Rambling

Weight:  183 lbs  
Size:  12
Blood Pressure:  120/83
Feeling:    
  Pre-Cryo:    Okay
  Post-Cryo:   Great!

There is no picture today to share - I have no good excuse.  It wasn't a bad hair day, I didn't look particularly awful (or good, honestly)...the simple truth is that I was busy and I forgot.  

I'm sorry.  Do you really mind?  

I had a pretty ok night.  I felt a little under the weather, fatigued from the slight case of a virus, but I was uplifted by a wonderful development.  In the early days of this blog, I mentioned a sick pet - my cat.  

The cat, a little orange kitty named Patty, has been with me for about 6 years now.  She found us as a stray and we tried everything to locate her owners.  She lived on our patio for weeks and we called her "Patio Cat" which turned into "Patty O'Cat" and eventually became "Patty".  The funny thing is that if you waved a magic wand and made me a cat, this is the perfect incarnation of me.  Patty is a spirited cat and she and I have quite the relationship.  We are bonded in a bizarre way - we alternately are joined at the hip and annoy each other to death.  She has a definite preference for only me and lives and dies by my existence, even if only to smack a piece of food right out of my hand once in awhile.  She will bite me, scratch me, hog my pillow, wake me up 1000 times in a night, torment me in ways that only a demon straight from hell could - but she will also cuddle up close to my ear and purr a lullaby, nuzzle my cheek and cry for me endlessly if I am away from her.  She has been at "death's door" according to vet's no less than about 4-5 times now and each time she has shocked them into stunned silence by proving their degrees worthless.  On this last vet visit, I was immediately told she should probably be put down and I literally just laughed at the vet and told him he didn't know my cat and I'd wait for my regular vet who did know her history to return from her trip.  He seemed offended, but so was I.  He was willing to bet his diploma that she was in full blown kidney failure and at the end of her life.  Lucky I didn't take the bet or I'd have myself a veterinary diploma because her tests proved inconclusive, as they always do.

Patty has been diagnosed with cancer (twice), hyperthyroidism (cured), kidney failure (twice) and a host of other "terminal" illnesses over the years - but she overcomes every time.  

After weeks of her carrying on with mysterious "cat near death" isolating behavior, Patty has emerged from seclusion and resumed behaving exactly as she did before.  Right back to hogging my pillow, keeping me up all night and snuggling close to my head when I want to sleep.  I couldn't mind less.  It's awfully good to have my annoying girl back.  She's as close to my familiar as you can get (look it up) and I knew better than to count her down and out.

But, onto cryo-related things!

Pre-Cryo:

I woke feeling tired and a bit overwhelmed with a busy day ahead.  The slight virus still had me a bit down, but I felt well-equipped to get on with things.  This is not usually my style, so I'll attribute that to cryotherapy.  I knew my much needed "boost" was ahead of me.

I was happy to pop into my favorite office and see my favorite people, who were unfortunately super busy - but, they managed to spare a few minutes and a few smiles for me anyway!  I'm not sure if they will ever know how much they add to my day (well, since they read this, they probably will).  If I have somehow managed to convince you to try cryotherapy, you'll be fortunate - but if you are in the South Florida area and I have managed to convince you to try cryotherapy at my very special location at Cryo954, then you're beyond fortunate.  I'm sharing my favorite people and my favorite place with you.  They give the best to every person that walks through their door (I see it every day) and you could search the world and never find better people. Be good to them.  

Seriously.  

Very good.  
(Okay, not too good.  It's really important to me to be their favorite, but you get my drift...)


Post-Cryo:

Of course, I felt wonderful.

Strong, energized, ready to conquer the world.  

I mentioned yesterday that I was dealing with a mild illness and the benefits of feeling so good from cryotherapy had actually masked the sickness to the point of me not even knowing I will ill and that was truly the case.  Pre-cryo, I could sort of feel it in the background...a tiny, nagging, dragging feeling.  Post-cryo, I felt 100%.  The funny thing is that the antibiotics I was given are intended to work fast, per the doctor, and already the sore throat is subsided almost entirely.  I can feel a slight sense of fatigue many hours after cryotherapy to let me know that my body is still fighting it off, but the symptoms are all but gone.

It really is bizarre to me that I was sick and didn't know it.  You truly would have to know me to understand that I am the world's biggest baby about being sick.  To me, being sick is carte blanche to putting on pajamas, socks, a big blanket, demanding all my favorite foods and being waited on by my husband while I recline in bed or on the couch and whimper until I feel better (or until I am bored or lying around, which usually happens first).  I am torn between hating being sick and enjoying the downtime that comes with it - and, in this case, I completely missed the downtime.  My husband, upon hearing of my diagnosis of "strep" was gobsmacked.  He's completely ready to dote on me if I should take to bed - but I haven't been able to sit still and as long as I keep moving, he's letting me go-go-go.  Rather than dwell in a comfy bed with chick flicks and ice cream today, as was my right, I was put to work, ran errands, volunteered, went to the grocery store (not once, but twice) and was still expected to help with dishes and garbage duty...all because I can't manage to lie still and look properly ill.

Cryotherapy:  too much energy to be sick?

But, that energy is fading as midnight nears, I've babbled enough and there's an orange cat waiting to harass me...so, I bid you goodnight!

Day 22: Cooling My Heels

Weight:  183 lbs  
Size:  12
Blood Pressure:  117/79
Feeling:    
  Pre-Cryo:    Okay
  Post-Cryo:   Great!

It was a good weekend away.  I enjoyed Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios with my family very much and the UCF Homecoming game - well...ouch.  We suffered a heartbreaking loss by one point in the last one second of the game but it was a beautiful, cool autumn night under a full moon that was just made for football and while the outcome was brutal, the night was lovely.

Since I always subject you to the same picture of me in a robe in front of the cryotherapy chamber, I figured I would spice it up today and give you a t-shirt in front of the cryotherapy chamber! 

With the husband at the UCF Homecoming football game

Kidding aside, I threw in a couple of weekend pictures too.  Just to prove I have a life outside of cryotherapy.

While at Halloween Horror Nights on Friday night, I found myself a bit tired.  Despite having done cryotherapy that morning, we had also packed in a 3 1/2 hour drive and then headed off to the park where we walked for miles.  It was a warm night and I found myself wishing that they had a cryotherapy option that weary guests like me could pop into to (a) cool off and (b) get that burst off needed energy to last until the 2 am close time.

In line with the husband & kids at Halloween
Horror Nights

Without it, I soldiered on, but I was exhausted!

The weekend left me without any real healthy food options and a near desperate need for caffeine, so I ingested things I wasn't proud of.  They were deep fried, they were sugary, they were in hot dog form and at times they were barely recognizable as food.  I definitely ate, but nonetheless, the walking must have balanced it out for me because the scale was still favorable.

In a nod to my drama of the previous week, it still exists.  Nothing has changed or magically been solved.  If I think about it, I will crumble and turn into a big, slightly-less-fat crybaby, so I am not thinking about it and continuing to focus on other things... 

I hate being caught up in other people's problems.  I feel like I need to solve my own much faster...

Anyway.  Moving on.

Pre-Cryo:

I was exhausted after the weekend and the traveling for a second weekend in a row.  I slept like the dead last night and woke up still tired.  I've been battling a minor sore throat with no other symptoms for a while now and made a doctor appointment for later in the day to see about it.  

Cryotherapy was exceptionally cold today, despite it being the usual temperatures.  I'm not sure why that was.  My teeth actually were chattering.  I thought it was just me, but another person with me had the same effect.  Odd.  Humidity, maybe?  I'm not sure, but I felt it today.  In any case, it's still only 3 minutes and being cold for 3 minutes is hardly the worst thing.

As a whole - well, cryotherapy is something I need today...

I'm tired and stressed.  I'm feeling a bit like an emotional hostage in someone else's situation and isolated in not being able to talk about it.  I'm frustrated and feel a bit caged...like I'm trapped in a small box with limited options for what I can do.  All negative feelings that I need to shake.


Post-Cryo:

I really enjoy my sessions.  I'm luckier than most, probably, to have a location with an amazing staff that I just adore.  They never fail to leave me feeling like I just visited briefly with friends and lift my mood as much as the cryotherapy session does.  However brief the interaction and the session, it's a much needed uplift in otherwise hectic times.

I left with the pop of energy that I needed and better spirits to carry on with my day.  I carried out a few errands and headed off to the doctor's office.  My weight loss was commented on, I was given a prescription for my throat.  

It seems as though I may have been walking around with a minor form of strep throat for a couple of weeks without knowing it...cryotherapy has left me feeling so energized and good that I didn't feel the symptoms besides a minor sore throat that was becoming more annoying by the day.  On the bright side, I am a fanatical hand-washer and I'm never without anti-bacterial hand-sanitizer - and somehow, I am pretty sure that I haven't infected anyone else.  Apparently I'm not really contagious at this point, or at least my doctor didn't seem concerned in the least with me engaging with the world.

I suppose that's a weird "con" to cryotherapy...?  Or is it a pro?  I was actually sick at some point and didn't know it.  I'm usually very attuned to my body, so this is pretty unusual for me.  Weird.

On the emotional side, I am calm.  I believe I am clear.  Things are not the way that I would like them to be, but I am not able to change that right now.  I'm figuring it out...and I can be okay with that much.

Day 19: Ready for a Great Weekend!

Weight:  184 lbs  
Size:  12
Blood Pressure:  
Feeling:    
  Pre-Cryo:    Good
  Post-Cryo:   Great!

I didn't get to bed much earlier, thanks to an overtime hockey game (Woohoo! Victory!) and last minute things to do - but I did sleep reasonably well and woke up ready for a great weekend.

The scale showed me down another pound, which was nice and my new pants seem oddly loose, which hardly seems possible, but I will do some serious clothes shopping as soon as possible and figure out my real size...

I'm in a bit of "rush mode" as we are leaving shortly to head off to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Orlando to have some fun with our kids and then UCF's Homecoming football game tomorrow night with my daughter, a UCF student.  I'm looking forward to a great weekend and feeling pretty good all around.

Pre-Cryo:
As I mentioned, I'm feeling good.  Without a doubt, the cryotherapy and the weight loss are huge components of this.  None of my problems have solved themselves, I'm just focusing on the good things right now and enjoying those things.

After a fun weekend ahead, there is a super busy week behind it, but for a change I don't feel overwhelmed, just - fine with it all.  

Post-Cryo:
Rushing to hit the road, and feeling great.  Cryotherapy was over in the blink of an eye - it just went so fast today!  

I'll be sorry to miss it tomorrow for sure!  There is zero doubt it is making a huge difference in my life.  At my hair salon yesterday, my stylist was shocked to see me.  I guess it had been about 5-6 weeks since we last saw each other and apparently I look a little different to her.  When she asked what I had been doing, I told her without hesitation - cryotherapy.

I don't think there's much doubt I won't be stopping at the end of 30 days.  The blog may come to an end, because I'm sure you will be long bored of me by then - but - I'll be continuing on.  There's still another 34 lbs to lose and I won't be stopping!

Have a great weekend!

Day 18: Icing Calls

Weight:  185 lbs  

Size:  12
Blood Pressure:  130/80
Feeling:    
  Pre-Cryo:    Good
  Post-Cryo:   Very good!

It was another night that I wouldn't mind forgetting, as I still turn things over and over in my mind.  I was tired at bedtime, but a pre-bedtime conversation had left me alone with my thoughts and I could feel myself fighting sleep.  

Despite the fact that I was doing better, it was obvious I wasn't doing great.

Eventually I drifted off way too late and woke at the usual early morning hour.  I rose without complaint or hesitation and felt...well, I felt a bit improved.

So, we can call that progress.

I'm looking forward to a busy day, but a good day.  Cryotherapy won't be my only icing of the day.  After my daily chillfest and a long overdue hair appointment - I get to go sit ice-side (well, close enough) and watch the Florida Panthers season opener.  

It's Happy Hockey Day! 

I'm no "fair weather fan".  I'm a genuine SlapShot loving, Hanson Brothers crazed, been there since the 1995 season and the 1996 Eastern Conference championship and sat through the Panther's fledgling practices in Deerfield Beach's crappy ice rink back in the day kinda girl.  Before that, with no hockey in Florida, I was relegated to exhibition games that occasionally came to town and I can tell you my first one was the Washington Capitals vs. The New York Islanders in Miami - and I was there.  So, yes.  I'm happy to be going to Opening Night.



Pre-Cryo:

Basically, mood = slightly better.  Or at least distracted from my drama?  

I'm slightly tired from a lousy night of sleep (my own fault) but otherwise, I feel pretty good.  I'm trying to get things done and I'm trying to be positive.  I can't solve my problems - mostly because the ones that are hurting me right now aren't actually my problems.  They are other people's problems that are directly impacting me in a big way, if that makes sense.  I cannot solve them.  I can only control my own space and I'm going to try to figure out right now what that means for me and what I need to do to feel better.

So - I'm hoping cryotherapy today with give me a massive burst of much needed energy to get through the rest of the day.  It's going to be a long one and I need all the help I can get.

My cryotherapy team that was sharing the experience with me has been dropping like flies.  They're super busy and they have their own reasons for needing to sit out some sessions, but the timing sucks a bit.  I don't think I realized how much more fun it was to share it.  I'm doing it solo right now and I miss the camaraderie.  That's weirdly symbolic of a lot of things going on right now for me (because it's all about me, me, me).  I'm going to try to keep it in perspective.  People have lives.  They don't revolve around me.  Check.


Post-Cryo:
My mood continues to improve a bit.

I did have my burst of energy, but I am slightly tired.  That's on me.  I really need to sleep when my body tells me to instead of fighting it.

I didn't have to do cryo solo today, which was nice and I enjoyed the company!  It was funny timing since I had just thought about it - and I was glad to get another person back on track with me!

I'm upbeat at the moment and looking forward to a fun weekend.  After cryotherapy I headed to a hair appointment where my regular stylist immediately noticed I'd lost a bit of weight and remarked on it.  That's always going to lift my spirits.  She also convinced me to do something slightly different on the hair - a very subtle change, but it was fun and I like it.  I'm not completely sure it's noticeable yet since i haven't seen anyone since...

I'm debating on a tiny nap pre-hockey and wondering if I can squeeze it in...?

I'm feeling calm, sedate, a bit sleepy.  I'm feeling positive, solid and resolved.  My thoughts from earlier about keeping things in perspective remain.  I need to focus a bit on my side of the street right now and how I want to go about making myself feel good about things.  I'm not sure yet what that will entail, but I'm going to just "do me" for a bit and try my best not to let things affect me as deeply as they have been.  

When I reflect, I can easily see that other people have been having a large effect on how I feel lately.  My moods and spirits are very much tied to other people and that isn't good.  I'm taking that back for a bit as best I can.  I have a tendency to be an empathic person to the extreme and I read people's feelings a bit too well.  It used to make for a great party trick.  Give me a deck of tarot cards and I can pull all sorts of things out of a total stranger.  I have always had an uncanny knack for perceiving someone's feelings, moods, perceptions, thoughts, etc.  My husband actually loves this - it saves him from having to communicate things 99% of the time.  It also used to be handy in business meetings.  I would slip notes under the table to my colleagues letting them know what I was picking up on the room.  Sounds fun, but most of the time, it's really not.  Imagine being in a room and everyone is polite, but you immediately know who doesn't like you.  I do.  Imagine when you can tell the exact moment a "friend" is giving you the cold shoulder without knowing why.  I can tell.  Imagine knowing when you are being judged (harshly) or sized up or leered at by the wrong person (kinda nice when it's the right person, but otherwise...yikes...)  I do...  I had gotten much better at 'turning the empath off' but I guess somewhere I was letting stuff in again because I've been getting hammered with some ugly stuff that stings and it's been beating me up.  I wouldn't mind some nice stuff getting in...but it seems like I'm getting all the negative lately.  Yuck.  Force fields up.

Sounds silly, but it just is what it is.  For me, the important thing is finally recognizing it.  I think I've been getting pounded with it for awhile now and not seeing it for what it was.  Now that I do, I can at least move onto focusing on doing something about it next.

I'll be doing an early cryotherapy session tomorrow - but there will be no cryotherapy on Saturday again (boo!)  I will be heading out of town again for the weekend for a brief, fun getaway with my family!

Hope you get some fun in of your own!  Maybe try a little cryotherapy?
I'm off to get hockey-ready!  Go Panthers!

***Update:  Panthers Win!  Woohoo!

Day 17: Cool It, Already!

Weight:  185 lbs (I can't explain it, but I weighed myself about 37 times to be sure...)
Size:  14   12 (10 in generous jeans!) (Yes!)
Blood Pressure:  135/86
Feeling:    
  Pre-Cryo:    Okay
  Post-Cryo:   Better!  (Really)

Okay, so I didn't die.  And things still hurt a little, but they're not quite as dire.

I'd like to say that a good night's sleep put me right, but that would be a lie.  I lay in bed for hours, tossing and turning before I finally fell asleep.  There were a few tears, much thinking and finally a restless sleep.

So. Much. Drama.

I suppose the point is, we all have stress, right?  We all go through hard times, we all have our moments of getting beat up by the world around us and this was one of mine. They don't happen often, and it was just dumb luck that mine came during this experiment...or maybe it was a good thing?

People talk about cryotherapy being so good for anxiety, depression, and emotional balance (among other things) - and what better way to put it to a real test than to have me go through some (pardon my french) shit while experimenting, right?  We'll just go ahead and call that a silver lining.  You're welcome.  Anything for the cause...(sigh)

My turmoil is real.  I'd very much rather not be going through the drama, but it is what it is.  Like most humans, it's been bubbling around me for some time and it just so happened to come to a head now.  No one has a smooth and perfect road 24/7.  So, why not see how cryotherapy gets me through?

So, here's how it went...

Pre-Cryo:

I woke up tired and still feeling rotten.  If I could have hidden in my bed all day, I would have, but I'm told that grown women aren't allowed to do that anymore.  Also, my husband had college students taking down our hurricane shutters - which meant that even as I lay there, the banging, and intrusion of sunlight was happening.  I got up, made a half-hearted attempt to look human and actually tried the frozen spoon under the eyes trick to de-puff my swollen eyes (total crap, by the way).  

My small consolation prize from the universe was the mysterious disappearance of my hurricane-junk-food weight - I actually lost another pound.  I ate better yesterday - healthier.  I even made a point to eat dinner rather than skip the meal.  I had a bit of a wardrobe crisis when I noticed that nothing looked right.  I wasn't being picky, things just weren't fitting right.  I literally threw away three pairs of pants that were so awful looking on that I couldn't bear the idea of mistakenly putting them on ever again (and they weren't even good enough to donate).  Had I actually lost enough weight to buy new pants?  According to my scale, I am down 9 pounds since the beginning of this experiment (17 days).  That is without any exercise or diet attempts.  My only lifestyle changes are cryotherapy and drinking more water.  I freely admit to occasional sweet tea/soda binges and junk food days.  So imagine if I had done this and dieted?  Or even exercised?  Geeez!

I headed off to my chiropractor appointment, where I was actually grateful that they were too busy to pay much attention to me for a change, because I pretty much was still struggling a bit.  I did get an awesome compliment that I looked like I'd lost weight, so I liked that.  I've tried to lose weight (by the sheer power of wishing coupled with half-hearted attempts...) for decades without budging the scale more than 5 lbs...so, I've made real progress.  

By the time I got to cryotherapy, I was feeling a bit stronger and decided I was going to just move forward with not feeling lousy.  Everything still ached, inside and out.  Probably more inside.

Post-Cryo:
I did feel better.  I had some energy, not a ton, but enough.  I felt a bit more upbeat - not like a ray of sunshine and not like singing a happy song, but I wasn't wiping away secret tears anymore either.

I left cryotherapy and decided to add one more bit of therapy to my day:  retail therapy.  I bought some new jeans and some pretty scented candles.  

The Gods were smiling upon me.  The jeans were two sizes smaller.  

Okay, okay - first, let me say that I am fairly positive that these jeans run a bit big and they have a tiny bit of stretch to them.  But at the very least, I have definitely dropped one size, which explains my wardrobe fuss this morning.  When you find jeans that fit well and are two sizes smaller than you have worn in many, many, many years, you do the logical thing and buy three pairs in three different colors.  Which I did.  I also bought three shirts (also a full size smaller).

Retail therapy works, y'all.  Because I most definitely was starting to smile now.

I ran a few more errands and headed home.

I'm not cured.  Things aren't fixed, but they aren't really broken either.  It's just a hard patch that has to be walked to get to the next level.  I know that.  I know everything is going to turn out good.  Probably great.  I know I have to put in some work, shed a few more tears and get through the hard stuff and I know it's worth it.  It's life.  Cryotherapy won't make it go away, but it did ease some of the burden.

I could have felt much, much, much worse.  I've been through hard times before, like we all have, and my coping skills aren't superhuman, to say the least.  They actually kinda suck.  In the past, I probably would have hidden in bed for a bit.  I wouldn't be so optimistic or feel so resolved.  I might not love the process, but I know I feel stronger and I think cryotherapy has a part in that for me.

Sure, it can't be proven - but it's my experience.  You also can't prove the 9 lbs I lost was due to cryotherapy, but I know perfectly well that my scale wasn't budging for the past few months...

By the way, if you find those 9 lbs that I lost - you can keep 'em.  I'm not returning these jeans.