Jumper's Knee Is the Culprit

I was thinking back to when I first started this journey. And i was trying to remember what the breaking point was for me. What made me decide that it time to lose weight? I was tired of being out of control. I was tired of not being able to get around like I wanted. But I feel that way now. And I'm not able to stay motivated. One reason, my leg injury. After some research, I think that it's something I've been in denial about. It's not my hamstring. It's not a muscle cramp. It's my knee. And the pain is now radiating down my leg as well as up my leg. It's on the outside right of my leg, but the back of my knee is where the real pain is. I have all of the symptoms of "jumper's knee." At least there's a name for it.

In younger people, jumper's knee is caused by, well, jumping. In older people, it can be related to osteoarthritis. Guess which one is likely the cause of mine? Really, it's probably a little—or maybe even a lot—of both.

What to do about it? Wrap it and take an anti-inflammatory—which I can't take because I have an ulcer. If it's really bad—surgery. I think I'll start by wrapping it and taking Tylenol.

So that's one thing that's gotten in my way. Another is a plateau that I hit last year. It was a real chain jerker. I started to feel like: What's the use? But now I've gained back 10 of the pounds that I lost. I think today is a new awakening. The shock when I got on the scale this morning was a real motivation booster. I cannot go back to what I was two years ago. It would be too painful.

So how do I start? Like I did two years ago—slowly. First I'll start with the diet. Then I'll walk more—which, believe it or not, is good for osteoarthritis. I'll keep up with the strength training. At the gym, I'll do either the glider elliptical, the rowing machine, or walk on the track. I want to be healthy—not model thin. So my goal is to be healthy.