Archive for the ‘Exercise’ Category

Going to make it…

Posted: August 1, 2012 in Exercise, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Weight loss
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I woke up this morning with a nasty kink in my back. My normal reaction would be to kind of hang around and bitch about said kink until it went away.

I’m a changed (ing) man.

My response today was to try and stretch it out as much as possible and I’m headed to the gym to try and work it out. This is a big week for me… I’m going to try to make it for five straight days. I have an appointment with Ryan on Friday (8 AM… gack!), so today and tomorrow are the tough ones. I think I can do it.

Yesterday’s session had a little drama. I woke up and for once had a decent blood sugar reading. It was 139. I took my insulin, ate a bowl of cereal with skim milk, and headed right out to my appointment. The bariatric fitness center’s policy regarding diabetes is iron clad… you check your sugar when you start, you check it afterward. If it falls below 80, you’re done. Simple and clear cut. When I got there, my reading was 100. I hopped on the treadmill, did 10 minutes, then went to the elliptical and did another 10 minutes. I then moved onto the weightlifting portion. I got through the rows, chest presses and pulldowns, but on my second set of squats and shoulder presses, I couldn’t manage more than 6 reps. I can normally do 12. I noticed the shakiness and fatigue, so I took another sugar reading and stuck a 71. Not good. With the staff being so on top of things, well, Ryan sat me down and made sure I took a glucose tablet. In about 10 minutes, I was good to go.

These sugar lows are a scary thing. While 71 is nothing near my low, it’s scary enough especially when being physically active.

So today’s workout was pretty good. Got my cardio in and worked legs and some crunches. Trying to do something about my keg (note I didn’t mention a six-pack) and trying to build some core strength.

I still haven’t asked about the yoga. That’s maybe on my to-do list on Friday.

One good thing from today is that I’m wearing a t shirt I haven’t been able to wear since soon after my hospital stay. It’s a shirt from the Alzheimer’s walk that SPW and I participated in back in 2010. Its not as baggy as I prefer, but I don’t look like a sausage in it, either. Tangible results! Yay!

I’m working on something special. I don’t want to say any more right now just because the video might not work too well. Until next time!

When the real world intrudes

Posted: July 28, 2012 in Exercise, Stress, Supportive Partner Woman, Weight loss
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Haven’t been particularly into it these past couple of days. No real reason except work is getting a little stressful. Not so much the work, but the incessant chatter of certain coworkers. I’m all in favor of having a good time while working, believe you me, but I really don’t need to hear your entire life’s story from DNA up until that afternoon. I ESPECIALLY don’t need to hear it every day and at volumes that could be easily heard over a Rush concert. It’s days like these that I really wish my headphones went to 11… I just want to go and do my job and go home. Is that too much to ask?

Ok, mini rant over.

Seriously, though, I’ve kind of been feeling blah the last couple of days. I’m not quite sure why… I think it’s going back to the dietitian appointment. I know logically that it’s no big deal, but emotionally, I feel like I’ve already failed. I’ve thought long and hard about why I get these feelings at the slightest bump in the road… And I’ve never come up with an adequate answer.

That’s not me at all.

I think one thing I really need to do is just learn to relax. I remember when I was a kid seeing a poster or sign and on this sign there was a picture of an old man and it was captioned, “Sometimes I sets and thinks, and sometimes I just sets.” (sic) I remember thinking that was kind of stupid… Why would you just sit? The older I get, the more sense that makes. I never learned to just sets. Probably explains why sleeping in is never an option for me. Once I wake up, my brain is going a million miles an hour. Even when we go on vacation, I am usually up and raring to go and obsessing over time and what we planned to do. (Note – I did some research and the quote is actually from baseball legend Satchel Paige)

In other news, also adding to the stress level, Supportive Partner Woman and I recently closed on a refinance of our home. Reduced the mortgage interest some 2.5%. Or at least we THOUGHT we closed. Turns out when the gnomish little notary guy came to the house yesterday to sign the paperwork, well, he forgot one. He called, frantic, and since I was at work last night and SPW was visiting her parental units, he agreed to come back over this morning at 10:00. It’s now 11:30 and no sign of him. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, but this does not make me happy. Sigh. If I don’t hear from him by noon, I’m going to call. Hopefully nothing untoward has happened.

So, how to learn to relax? I suppose I could learn to meditate, but my sister in law gave me another option. Yoga. She found a DVD that she thinks would be useful and she swears it helps to relieve stress. I’m concerned that if I try to do some of this stuff, I’ll spot weld in whatever downward facing dog pose I’m trying. But the DVD sits there, tempting me to try. I think I will need to consult with Ryan on Tuesday and see if he thinks it’s a good idea for me to try. I need to try something because I’m getting closer to falling back into the old habits. I do not want that to happen again.

Point of the matter is, it’s just a scale. A collection of sensors and electronics that could have been having a bad day itself. Maybe the humidity level threw something off. Maybe my shoes really do weigh 7 pounds more than my other shoes. Maybe I needed to use the bathroom. I don’t know. Whatever the cause, reason, I was NOT happy and I’ll be damned if I’m going to give up. I’ve gotten this far… I’ll get farther. My usual M.O. of trying for a bit then giving up isn’t going to cut the mustard. At the same token, I’m human and nowhere near perfect. I’m going to stumble. I’ll probably stumble a lot. Just need to keep moving forward.

One day, one meal at a time.

Butt kicking and more!

Posted: July 26, 2012 in Cooking, diabetes, Exercise, regrets, Wanda, Weight loss
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It was Thursday, that means another session at the gym with Ryan and Cory. However, Cory had to have knee surgery, so it’s just Ryan trying to wrangle everyone. This can be a little trying, I am sure, but he’s doing a fine job. This, however, necessitates a change in my routine. I’ll be going Tuesday and Friday of next week instead.

It should be interesting to see what effect that has on me. It’s always hard to change routine when it gets set. This is part of my problem. I get set in my ways and it’s hard to move on. It also seems like heavier a rut I get into, well, the harder it is to escape said rut. At least I’m recognizing the problem and am going to face it head on.

I also managed to prepare a nice lunch for Supportive Partner Woman (annoyed with New Balance!) and I. Originally I wanted to grill some salmon yesterday, but after getting a late start and having to visit Dr. Doogie, we just didn’t have time. So, I had a cedar plank soaking for around 26 hours that I threw on the grill and the salmon really picked up the cedar flavor. It turned out to be very smoky and a beautiful red color that no dyed farm-raised salmon can match.

So, SPW has actually noticed changes in me. Not only that I’m smaller, but better general muscle tone and better disposition. I’m not quite as cranky as I once was. These are my biggest motivations to keep with the program and deal with any changes. When Ryan asked me if I’d be willing to come in at 8:00 next Friday morning, I hesitated, thinking that I only get out of work at midnight, but as I then told him, “I need this more than sleep.” It’s true. Having these guys to help navigate me through the process of getting healthy and atoning for many many years of dietary sins has been invaluable.

So, being about halfway through the program, I can honestly say that the weak link for me has been the dietitians. I don’t feel that I’m getting that much from those sessions. They seem to think I should be eating more calories, and yet my regular provider recommended I keep my intake around 500 calories less than what the dietitian said. I realize the one specializes in diet, but the other deals with a lot more diabetes on a daily basis. Speaking with another patient this morning, we were in agreement on this. We;d love for someone to tell us what we should eat and what we should avoid. It’s all very confusing.

I can say this… I’m sticking with the exercise program, regardless of what my surgical future is. I feel better and healthier, my sugars are better and clothes fit better.

I will try to write more tomorrow… busy day for me, have to get a haircut in the morning and have some other things to take care of before work.

P.S. I mentioned that SPW is annoyed with New Balance. This is the second pair of 623 cross trainers that she’s bought and in both pairs, the insole has slipped back toward the heel, causing a gap between the insole and the base of the show. This causes SPW’s toes to rub, causing pain and blistering. I’ve not had that problem, and I’ve worn the 623. Granted, not as hard as she has because I had to switch to a motion control sole to keep the feet in better shape.

Shifting focus…

Posted: July 25, 2012 in Disney, Exercise, Physical activity, Walking, Weight loss
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I realized this morning that while I was getting my work in, real world walking isn’t the same as an elliptical or arc trainer. Since one of my goals was to be somewhat remotely in shape for our next trip to Disney (two months from tomorrow), I decided that on my non-ass kicking days, I would concentrate on the treadmill.

Now, the distance around World Showcase Lagoon is 1.2 miles, so I should be able to walk that at a leisurely pace with no problems. That’s my starting point… I’m happy to report that I was able to do 1.4 miles on the treadmill this morning in 30 minutes, AND have my heart rate stay under 122. I had the machine set for random hills, too, to add some challenge. Yes, I’d love to get to a nice hilly 5K in an hour. I think I can do it, but not this week. Baby steps.

I don’t think that this will impact my regular training routine. It’s cardio, and cardio is good. However I get there, I want to avoid the Disney equivalent of the death march. It’s a vacation… it’s supposed to be fun, not torture.

The other big event of the day was our second dental visit of the week. Supportive Partner Woman (possessor of numbed tongue!) and I both had fillings that needed replacement. Mine was upper teeth and didn’t require nearly as much Novocaine as SPW. The sad thing is that SPW was still feeling the aftereffects of the Novocaine she got on Monday during our other dental visit. Also found out that Doogie Howser, DMD is actually 38, married with kids. I’m totally flabbergasted… but I’m betting he still gets carded at the liquor store.

At any rate, that’s all I have for today. Talk to you tomorrow after the Thursday ass-kicking.

Upcoming challenges

Posted: July 23, 2012 in Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Foot issues, Penn State, Weight loss
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Happy Monday. OK, maybe not quite happy.

As I write this, I’m waiting to see what penalties the NCAA will hand down to Penn State. As an alum, it’s been a rough couple of months and while I’m not quite ready to add my $0.02 to the piling on, I will at some point. My only comment for the moment is that I find it incredibly ironic that an organization as morally bereft as the NCAA sees fit to pass a moral judgement on anyone or anything. That’s like having Ted Bundy sitting on the Supreme Court and weighing in on the eighth amendment.

So, moving on to the meat of the day’s post, it should prove to be an interesting day.

Why?

I woke up with an incredibly stiff back and while my ankles have stopped hurting, my hips are aching like crazy and I have my Monday morning ass-kicking to contend with. Post ass-kicking, it’s time to visit Dr. Doogie the dentist to get work done on both sides of my upper teeth. I should be slurring and drooling like crazy.

It would be so easy to call in and say I’m going to cancel the days appointment. So incredibly easy. But I can’t. I’ve come this far and I can’t do that because I’ve spent a lot of years quitting when it got too hard. I tend to take the easy way out a lot… I’m always looking for ways to make life a little easier and I can get very pissy when it’s not. I guess I’m a lazy bones at heart. But lately that’s changed. Even yesterday, as much as it hurt to get moving, I did. Maybe I didn’t go for a walk or anything like that, but I did SOMETHING. I made a big batch of chili for the week and made dinner for Supportive Partner Woman (eater of zucchini). My outlook now is not as lazy but more determination to succeed and get to my goals. I’ve actually felt more like I’m giving my body parts the Knute Rockne speech.

 we’re gonna get ‘em on the run, we’re gonna go, go, go, go! — and we  aren’t going to stop until we go over that goal line! And don’t forget,  men — today is the day we’re gonna win.

For whatever reason that speech has stuck with me ever since the first time I watched Rudy;

There is a goal line ahead of me… it’s going to be a long drive, but I have the clock on my side and one helluva team. Thy are the ones who make it possible. It is kind of like a football team when you think about it. The medical staff is the coach, they show me how to do it, my family and friends are my teammates and you, the readers, are the cheerleaders and fans, offering all that support that makes it possible to succeed.

It’s first and 10, folks… and the first play is to get to the gym.

We’ll huddle up afterward.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Posted: July 20, 2012 in diabetes, Exercise, regrets, Weight loss
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It’s Friday here in Cow Country and it’s been a decent morning. I managed to get to the gym for some cardio, run a couple of errands and get gas. Supportive Partner Woman (finder of dusty, rarely (if ever) worn sneakers!) had a hair appointment and got moving early, which left me to my own devices, such as they are.

The NB 856… very supportive

I mentioned yesterday about my shoe situation. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home from work and picked up some new shoelaces, got the cross trainers laced up and decided to try them on this morning after the gym. Imagine my surprise when I realized they actually mostly fit. They are still a little tight around the toes, so I won’t be wearing them for any long walks or gym sessions just yet. Maybe after I wear them to work for a while and get them broken in.

It’s nice that the actually fit… it’s another example of a result that I’m not seeing on a scale, sort of like when you can take another notch in your belt, so buckle the car seatbelt.

That’s a story in and of itself. We have two cars… SPW’s ’08 Honda Civic and my ’99 Oldsmobile. We don’t use the Olds too much… it’s the beater car that I take to work or that we drive in the foul weather. The Olds, for whatever reason, has short seatbelts and when I was at my biggest a few months ago, well, I couldn’t get it to buckle without totally wedging it under my fat. Sometimes, I would just wedge the belt in there and that was it. I figured that I wouldn’t get pulled over f0r driving without a seatbelt. Yeah, stupid of me, I know. The belt fits now, without even having to wedge it underneath the rolls.

I’m not too proud of some of the things I’ve done as a result of my weight, or that have helped contribute to my weight. Risking my life because I didn’t want to track down a belt extender is just one of a litany of dumb moves I’ve made. I’ve eaten an entire pound of cheese in a sitting more than once. A few months ago, I bought not one, but two packages of sugar-free cookies and went all Cookie Monster on them. Not a good thing.

The changes I’ve made seem to be taking root. I’m much more able to resist the temptations than I was a few short weeks ago. The talk of cookies inspires me to share an instant classic with you:

Talk to you all tomorrow.

Thursday lament

Posted: July 19, 2012 in diabetes, Exercise, Foot issues, Stubby the Wonder Toe, The Beetus, Weight loss
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It was Thursday… that means a session with Ryan and Cory. I’m really starting to get used to the schedule. I go in, do 20 minutes of cardio, lift for a while, then finish with 10 more minutes of cardio.

Today was no different… except I tried some different programs on the treadmill, the arc trainer and the elliptical. Random hills or intervals. Just trying to break up the monotony. I noticed something, though… the more I do this, the easier it is to do 60 minutes. Today I was shocked when my time was done. It only felt like half an hour had elapsed.

I need to do something about my shoes, though. See, one of the issues with diabetes is that it does a number on the nerves in your feet. This is not just referring to neuropathy, but also pronation. This has caused my feet to flatten out and spread. Couple with poor circulation which makes the feet swell and finding a new pair of sneakers is a tough job.

Typical diabetic sneaker. Nice Velcro.

I’m a big fan of New Balance footwear… have been for ten years. They make a shoe that is wide enough to fit my foot comfortable and give some great support. After I had the issues with Stubby the Wonder Toe, the docs recommended getting diabetic friendly athletic shoes. I had looked at some of them and they were butt-ugly, no color or anything. Typical. It seems that if you aren’t the perfect size, you are out of luck when it comes to decent apparel. Same thing obviously goes for diabetes. I dug in my heels and did my research. I found that New Balance had a line of diabetic friendly footwear.

The running shoes I wound up with. Much more stylish.

Supportive Partner Woman (super supportive!) and I went to the nearest New Balance store and found that there were some much nicer options available. Options that didn’t entail Velcro closures. I found a pair that I liked and promptly found them on Amazon for 1/2 the price. After some teething problems (read: blister) I grew very accustomed to these shoes and have worn the hell out of them going on 18 months. I bought a new pair of cross trainers that didn’t fit well and that was because my circulation had been so poor that my feet were swelling so much I could barely fit in the new ones.

Lately, thanks to the gym time, my feet aren’t swelling nearly as bad, and now I need to consider placing the cross trainers back in circulation. Only problem is I have cannibalized them, taking the insoles and the laces and using them in the running shoes. I plan on picking up some new laces and changing the insoles yet again as I’ve noticed the soles of the running shoes are nearly worn through.

Did I do the right thing in refusing to get diabetic sneakers? I don’t know. I just couldn’t see myself in these ugly shoes. By making diabetic shoes that unappealing, it’s like a stigma. We don’t all have one foot in the grave. I chose to go with something with more pizzazz. I liked them. One other choice I made was to go with a sturdy pair of Merrell hiking shoes as my other go-to shoes. They keep my feet warm and dry in the winter and have plenty of support. Not the best choice for general summer wear, but what can you do?

One more note. WTF is up with Sports Authority not carrying wide-width shoes? I was told by the “helpful” sales associate that not many people have wide feet. Seriously? They do have them available on the website, but what good does that do? I won’t buy a pair of shoes without trying that brand/model to see how it fits my feet.

On that note, I’ll let you go. Got a busy weekend ahead visiting the Philadelphia Zoo with the Magic Meets crew and having a group dinner at Jack’s Firehouse.

Disappointment

Posted: July 13, 2012 in Bariatric surgery, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, music, Stress, Weight loss
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So, had a bariatric class today. Usually one of the first things you do is weigh in when you have class and with all the time I’ve been spending at the gym, I was excited to see the results. See, I’m currently too fat for our at-home scale, so I really don’t have any idea how much I weigh on a daily basis. The last time I got weighed on that scale, it was 368.

Today? 365.

I somehow expected it would be about ten pounds less. I feel so much less fatigue when I climb steps, my clothes are fitting better… and, well, I’m still pretty hefty.

Today’s session was about stress and its effect on eating habits, with a dose of night eating syndrome and a bit on binge eating disorder. Very timely. If I hadn’t been made to think about my stress reactions and the compulsion to eat, I probably would’ve gone home and gnawed the lining out of the fridge. Instead, I did something both more beneficial and less productive.

I took a nap.

Dr. Collins, the psychologist who works with the bariatric team, normally conducts this session. She was out today and her slot was filled by a Dr. Christa Coleman. Dr. Coleman talked about how adjusting to stress and developing better coping mechanisms can help aid us in our quest to be healthier. That’s something I need to learn to do. I usually internalize a lot of my stress, which really doesn’t help my metabolism and doesn’t help me in the weight loss quest. I just have a hard time letting go of things and I’m a worrier. Maybe I need to learn how to meditate or do yoga or something. Of course, if I try to bend myself into a pretzel, well, I’ll probably stay that way.

So, to make a long story shorter, I came home, had a sensible lunch and took a nap. Dinner tonight will include some pulled pork carnitas in a wheat burrito with salsa and a little cheese. Supportive Partner Woman (master of the slow cooker!) makes a mean carnitas that is reasonably healthy and loaded with protein.

View from our seats. Hall of Fame Club!

Tomorrow, SPW and I will be meeting up with our friend Fred and taking in the Roger Waters show at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia. Roger will be performing The Wall in its entirety and as Fred described it, “This is bucket list stuff, dude!” The set is supposed to be incredible, dominated by a wall measuring some 40 feet high and 500 feet long. We are supporting the local economy as well, seeing as the rigging is done by a Lititz, PA-based company called Tait Towers and the sound is by the world-famous Clair Brothers, based in Manheim, PA.

In short, there’s a chance my next post will be a review of the show. I hope I’ll be able to capture some video, although any video I might capture will not do it justice.

Have a great weekend, folks!

We’re livin in gym time…

Posted: July 11, 2012 in Cooking, Exercise, Weight loss
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So, I dragged my tubby self out of bed this morning, and after vegging for a few hours, decided to hit the gym. Collected Supportive Partner Woman (sleeper of extraordinary soundness!) and headed off to Hempfield Rec. Decided to follow the cardio routine I’ve been following and started on the treadmill.

treadmill console

What an experience. See, during the two years I didn’t go to the gym, they upgraded the treadmills. Now they have an integrated 15″ display that can be hooked up AS A TV! Not only that, the background image will display the program you are using. If you’re just walking or running, it displays a visual of a stadium track. If you’re doing a different program, it might show your course as applied to a wooded hill and so forth. If you get bored, you can play solitaire on it. No kidding. There was a button marked Games, and since it was a button, I had to push it. Sure enough, there’s solitaire! The goodness doesn’t stop there, either. There’s USB and iPod connectivity, too!

So on the way out of the gym, we noticed they was a baked sale set up in the lobby. WTF? Here are a legion of people trying to get (or stay) in shape and you’re trying to get them to buy baked goods? The prevailing theory is that they are doing it to keep the membership numbers they already have. It was hard, but we escaped the temptation of the soft pretzels and cupcakes.

All in all, an interesting experience today. I managed to bookend the gym trip with two decent meals. For breakfast, I made a 2 egg omelet (one whole egg, one egg’s worth of All Whites) that I put in a wheat tortilla, and I also made some of the dreaded turkey bacon. My only tip for that is to make sure you don’t overcook it. It was better the second time around as I didn’t cook it as long.

After the gym, I fixed a turkey and cheese sandwich with a little Olivio. Instead of regular bread, I used a whole wheat sandwich thin and I added a couple of Mt. Olive no sugar added pickles, which I was surprised to find were a zero-calorie food. Who would’ve thought?

So, that’s the report from Cow Country today. The usually visit tomorrow morning with Cory and Ryan and a group session on Friday. There should be a weigh in at that point, so I hope to have good news to share.

Monday, Monday…

Posted: July 9, 2012 in Exercise, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Weight loss
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I’m in pain. Or, as the old saying goes, “I hurt. But it’s a good hurt.” It’s that kind of welcome ache that comes along with being active.

Had a productive day at the gym. I changed my appointment time from 10:00 to 11:00. The purpose is twofold. I have a better chance of making sure that Supportive Partner Woman (pursuer of a healthier lifestyle in her own right!) is able to get to the gym. The other was that it seems to be a less crowded time slot, which gets me a little more attention from Ryan and Cory. Yes, it’s all about me, or at least it is in this case.

It’s not that bad. Really!

It’s funny, though. When I started, my vision of exercise sort of meshed up with Gary Larson’s. In two weeks, I’m already looking to spend more time at the gym on days when I don’t need to go. I find that while I ache, I feel so much better. I have more energy and while I’m not sleeping longer, I’m sleeping more soundly.

Because I’m also apparently a glutton for punishment, I even took a walk during my lunch break. I didn’t set a distance record, just got outside for some fresh (if a bit humid) air and walked around the shorter side of the retail complex. This was just bonus cardio today.

So tomorrow there’s a few things on the schedule. First, I want to hit Hempfield Rec for some cardio and some leg work. Then, after getting a shower so I’m not 100% stinky, SPW (eater of salad-y goodness!) wants to hit Root’s Market. This is a Lancaster County tradition, a large market selling pretty much everything under the sun. We like to go there for the produce and whatever else we can find. There’s usually someone selling counterfeit sports jerseys and  that sort of thing. The auctions include poultry and produce and can be rather interesting.

Not only is there a huge amount of items for sale, there’s a huge variety of food stands. These can range from French fries to subs to baked goods to seafood. My only tip would be to carry an insulated bag or two with freezer packs when going in the summer.

So, that’s going to about do it for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with a Root’s report.

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