Archive for the ‘Physical activity’ Category

Is it really surgery?

Posted: May 14, 2013 in Convoy, Digestive issues, Foot issues, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman
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So, there is some progress on the Toe. That. Will. Not. Heal.

My podiatrist, recognizing that the toe pretty much has no chance to get better if it keeps rubbing, decided to perform a tendonectomy. Basically, this involved numbing the toe, making a small incision in the base of the toe, then cutting the tendon that was causing the hammertoe. It was pretty quick and painless, and so far, the toe has extended to its normal length. Now, instead of rubbing on whatever footwear I’m wearing, the ulceration is on the tip of the toe and has greater opportunity to heal.

This does not mean I haven’t changed my mind about switching podiatrists. This is the only one of my medical team I’m not 100% sold on, and he was recommended by my wound care doctor, who is top notch. So, I’m going to open the search and see what happens.

The weekend was pretty good. Train Day didn’t pan out, but since I was feeling festive, I went to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. It’s a nice facility, located in Strasburg, PA, and there’s a wide selection of rolling stock to view, not to mention a display of railroad themed art, not to mention a substantial archive. I’ve been there a few other times, but this time I was able to take my time and really appreciate the engineering that went into building the locomotives. These are some incredibly massive machines, many weighing over 200,000 pounds. It’s even more impressive when you consider the technology to build them relied on manual labor.

Sunday, Supportive Partner Woman and I made the trek to visit our mothers. My mother was thrilled, as she hadn’t seen SPW since Christmas, so that really made her day. On the way, we got caught up in the Mother’s Dsy truck convoy for Make-a-Wish. That was kind of cool.

Other than that, there’s not too much going on. I can’t work out for at least a week, since the foot won’t fit in a show right now, but if all goes according to plan, I’ll get back to my six days a week soon enough. This has given me a shot of something I was rapidly losing… hope.

Hope you all have a great week.

Song of the Day: Convoy – C.W. McCall

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75

Posted: May 7, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Digestive issues, Foot issues, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Weight loss
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So, 305.1 pounds this morning. That means I’m down 75 pounds since I started the program. It’s been ups and downs, and depending on the day, I’m still not sure if I made the right decision. When I step on the scale, I feel I did, however, when I drive past a pizza joint, not so much.

I’m finally off of third shift and settling into a routine on second… my home for the next two months. It is nice to sleep at night and I’ve been having solid nights of sleep, not to mention real, actual dreams. It’s kind of nice, actually. I even see Supportive Partner Woman on a more regular basis.

In other news, I’m still dealing with the Toe. That. Will. Not Heal. It really sucks… I pretty much want nothing more than to be active and this little annoying appendage makes me be sedentary. It’s kind of ironic… I spent all those years being sedentary, and now that I kind of have to be, I just don’t want to. Does that qualify as the whole “other side of the fence” truism?

Deep thoughts for a Tuesday evening.

In other news, I managed to eat part of a wrap. Ham and cheese with a little lettuce and mayo. All on a high-fiber multi-grain wrap. It went down and stayed down. I couldn’t eat all of the wrap itself, but the innards were good and loaded with protein. I also managed to have some chicken pot pie that stayed down. Bacon, though, is another story. Of course, if I can never have bacon again, there might be fighting words, because, well, bacon is awesome!

On that note, I’m going to call it a post. To sum up… weight down, bacon not down.

I’ll catch up with you soon.

Song of the Day: Assault and Battery – Howard Jones

Sixty

Posted: April 22, 2013 in 5K, Bariatric surgery, Exercise, Foot issues, Goals, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars, Weight loss
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Well, 59.8 pounds, but I think I can round it to sixty.

That’s a pretty big chunk of weight. It also represents about 37.5% of what my weight loss goal is. When I first met with Dr. McPhee, we thought 160 pounds was doable. I’m hoping it still is, especially when I can get back to the gym on a more regular basis. It was a good session with the boys this morning, foot or no foot. I did the X-Ride, 30 minutes of 30:30’s. They are insidious, but they really get the heart pumping. You don’t burn near as many calories, but the cardio is worth it. Also spent 30 minutes lifting weights. I’m noticing the loss of muscle mass since my operation, and the forced inactivity during my recuperation.

Speaking of the toe, I made a small modification to the Boot of Shame that I hope will hasten the healing. My logic is that since the hammer toe rubs on everything, add something that lifts the toe off the surface of the boot. I took heel pads, turned them upside down and put them under the ball of my foot. It seems to give just enough clearance to keep the toe out of harm’s way. I’m nothing if not creative, ya know?

So, I’m ready to head back to work tonight. It’ll feel strange, not having been there for four weeks. I’m actually looking forward to it, though. It will be nice to have something to do. Granted, I’ll probably be ready to be off another four weeks after a couple of hours. It’s how the cookie crumbles, I suppose. It will be nice to see some of my coworkers again after all this time.

In other news, I’ve had plenty of time to think and I’m probably going to start the 5K training (when the foot is healed) with a Couch to 5K program. I realize running the entire race is probably out of the question, but I’d like to run/walk. Maybe I should say “lumber” instead of “run”? Important thing is that I still am looking forward to doing it, especially with my teammates. And Supportive Partner Woman, of course. It’s gonna be epic!

At any rate, that’s what I have for the day. Hope I have more exciting stuff after a night at the office.

Song of the Day: Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd

At last… I got to break a sweat!

Posted: April 11, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Digestive issues, Exercise, Foot issues, Physical activity, Weight loss
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I did! I did!

See, I had my follow up with the surgeon yesterday and I was cleared to move on to more real foods and also to go back to working out. So, even with the Boot of Shame, I still managed to get some decent cardio in and also lift weights for the first time in three weeks.

It. Was. Awesome.

I had an appointment with the boys this afternoon, so when they heard about the Boot, they sat me down on the X Ride and had me do 30:30’s. That’s 30 seconds flat out, 30 seconds slow, repeat 5 times, rest for three minutes and do it again. I couldn’t do my usual level (12) but did manage to do Level 10. It’s a start. After that, weights. Not lifting for weeks will certainly make you hurt a bit… and I’m paying for it. I know I’ve said it before, but once you get started with exercise and develop the habit, well, it kind of sucks when you can’t do it. I guess I will go to the Rec tomorrow and see what I can do other than the bike. I hate the bike. If it wasn’t because of the toe, I would take the chance to hop in the pool. I know that kind of all over workout with low impact will do wonders for me.

The weight… came in at 332 this afternoon. I’m anxious to see what regular workouts do for it.

Speaking of changes, I tried an egg again today. This time it stayed down. Maybe the egg white was just too much protein or something, but a regular egg, scrambled went quite well for breakfast.

The foot issue has me taking oral antibiotics. That’s all fine, except that they come in capsule form and capsules don’t work to well with Joe (the pouch). So, I have to open the capsule, sprinkle the contents in some applesauce and choke it down that way. It’s really gross and now I understand why they don’t market chewable Keflex. Just 500 mg of this stuff can turn a sweet applesauce into the taste equivalent of wallpaper glue. I don’t recommend that.

At any rate, I’m going to call it a night. Tomorrow I think I might take on the boredom that accompanies recuperation.

Talk to you soon!

Song of the Day: Cult of Personality – Living Colour

Back to it… kind of

Posted: April 8, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Cooking, Digestive issues, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Physical activity, recipes, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Wayne, Weight loss
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Greetings!

I got to go back to the fitness center today. I had to take it easy, on instructions from Ryan and Cory, but that might change after I see the doctor on Wednesday. Here’s hoping I can sweat next time I’m there.

I have another doctor appointment tomorrow morning. The second toe on my left foot (the one next to Wayne) developed a corn/blister that seems to be hanging around. I’ll probably wind up back in the Boot of Shame. So, I’ll let Dr. Miller take a look at it and see what’s what. Maybe I’m being alarmist, but I’d rather not take the chance on there being a problem. After losing the better part of one toe, you tend to be a tad overprotective.

I also am able to start puree foods today. I attempted to overreach and tried some scrambled egg white this morning. That didn’t go so well. The end result was that the egg white’s residence in my digestive tract was short-lived. Hey, I knew it had to happen and I’m glad that it did, in a way. My pureed turkey chili stayed down, though, and actually tasted pretty good. It’s not the consistency that I like from chili, but it was full of flavor and, most importantly, protein. Supportive Partner Woman (not a real lover of chili!) had a bowl of it and pronounced it to be edible, so that’s always good. I also baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies yesterday so she could take them to work and share the awesomeness with her boss. Apparently they went over well.

I think I’ll share the recipe… it’s bariatric-friendly!

Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, chopped (I only had red ones… they work, too)
6 cloves of garlic, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup yellow corn
1 lb. ground turkey
1 can of red or kidney beans (15.5 oz) (I use kidney)
1 can of diced tomatoes (I found some with chipotle peppers in the can… perfect)
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 squirts of Tabasco
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium soup pot add some olive oil and cook onions, garlic, corn and bell pepper over medium heat, about ten minutes. Separately brown the turkey meat, drain and set aside. In a food processor, blend the vegetables and return to the soup pot. Over low heat, add the beans (drained), tomatoes, turkey meat, Tabasco, cilantro, cumin and chili powder. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Salt & pepper to taste. Should serve 4-5.

It’s a nice, healthy dish that will serve up a lot of protein. 3 oz of ground turkey has 23g of protein and a cup of kidney beans comes in a 16g of protein.

If you make it, feel free to customize it. If you’re a bariatric patient, feel free to throw it in the food processor and puree it. Just remember to eat slowly and stop when you’re full.

Have a great day folks!

Letting it sink in.

Posted: April 5, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Physical activity, Walking, Weight loss
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By now if you saw last evening’s post, you know I lost a bit of weight.

This is a good thing.

It’s also not the end.

There’s a long weigh (get it?) to go, a lot of pounds to be shed and many years of poor food decisions to be atoned for. It didm’t go on overnight and it sure as hell won’t come off overnight.

So, last night was support group. Our guest speaker was a medical doctor specializing in non-surgical weight loss and he talked about vitamins. I’ve alluded that I would be on vitamin supplements for the rest of my life, now I learned more about the what and why. I’ll spare you the details, but simply put, post surgically, my body cannot get the vitamins and minerals it needs from food alone. This is primarily due to the bypass of the majority of the stomach. I’ll be short on B12, calcium, iron, D, and folic acid. It’s just how it works. When I return for my followup on Wednesday, I’ll get more information on dosages and such. There was also clam chowder that Dr. McPhee prepared. I did not have any of it, but it smelled awesome. Also met up with a guy in group who is the younger brother of a high school classmate. Small world.

I also stopped at the fitness center to see Ryan and Cory. I do get to go back there next week for some walking. No weights until I’m cleared by the docs, but it will be a nice change of scenery. Plus, I know that they’ll be able to offer some other exercises that I can do and won’t be too hard on the gut. In the meantime, back to the Rec for more walking, at least until it warms up.

That is the real downer, being cold all the time. I was never really cold… now I’m walking around with my hands up my sleeves seriously considering gloves. In the house.

Something is NOT quite right with that.

At any rate, time to get the day underway. Off to the gym for some treadmill time, then off to Mom’s. I picked up 10 pounds of apples that she’s going to turn into applesauce for me. It will be nice to have once I transition to purees next week. The store bought stuff is just too sweet and loaded with extra sugar that I don’t need. Plus, Mom makes some banging applesauce.

 

I done did it

Posted: April 4, 2013 in 5K, Bariatric surgery, Goals, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars, Weight loss
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In January 2014, I’m running my first ever 5K.

Well, perhaps “running” is a strong word.

I’m participating in my first ever 5K. If it goes well, it probably won’t be the last.

I have a checkered history with running. As a kid, I didn’t mind doing a sprint, although “sprint” was probably a strong word. I hated any kind of distance running. When we had to do the mile for gym class, I could struggle through it in 8 minutes, but I was pretty much dead for the rest of the day. My legs would turn to jelly. That was when I was younger and in far better shape due to the time I spent in marching band. Not to mention, being around half my current body weight. And had ten complete toes. So, how the hell am I going to do this?

That’s a good question.

I’m hoping that I’m mentally tougher than I was 25 years ago. I don’t know that I am, but I like to think so. I also hope that my improved gym habits will help.

Either way, well, I’m in for an experience.

Last year's 5K course map. I'm pretty sure it won't change too much.

Last year’s 5K course map. I’m pretty sure it won’t change too much.

So, a little about the race. It’s the Disney Family Fun Run 5K. It’s nothing competitive, just a run through our favorite of the Disney parks. I’m psyched of “running” through Epcot and seeing the sun rise while going through World Showcase. I’m even more psyched about doing this with some of my closest friends, not to mention the lovely and gracious Supportive Partner Woman (did I mention lovely and gracious?). Other than the feeling of satisfaction from doing this, one of the other huge motivators for doing this particular race is the chance to support our friends who will be doing the other races that weekend. There’s also a 10K, a half marathon and a full marathon. There are a couple of bundled races as well, the Goofy (the half and full marathons on consecutive days) and the Dopey, which is the 5K, 10K, half and full, in four days. These folks are all running with purpose and I’m proud to call them my teammates.

I’ve been told what to expect, but I get the feeling that it probably won’t matter until I actually experience it for myself. I’m looking forward to a tough race, but one that will be rewarding and give me a sense of accomplishment. I’m using the race to validate all that I have done thus far in regards to the gastric bypass and the hours in the gym. It will serve notice to the huge part of me that doubts I can achieve anything worthwhile. Or, to put it a little more colorfully, to bitch slap the self doubt that usually pollutes everything I try.

I’m doing this. I’m doing it for me.

Song of the Day: Porroh Man – Big Country

A Grand Day Out

Posted: April 3, 2013 in 5K, Bariatric surgery, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Food porn, Lego, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, The Beetus, Walking, Wegman's, Weight loss
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Greetings!

Sorry I never got to write yesterday. We got busy with doctors appointments and errands and whatnot. It happens.

I did manage to spend most of the day out yesterday. First off, I had a foot doctor appointment. I managed to keep Stubby in check, but Wayne’s next door neighbor is a little ulcerated. Dr. Miller unroofed it and we’re doing the Betadyne and bandaid treatment until it dries up. This was a regular appointment, so I also got the toenails trimmed and all that.

Afterward, we went to visit Supportive Partner Woman (Practiced good eating habits!)’s mother. Had a nice visit over lunch, well, Mom ate, SPW and I kind of watched and chatted. Afterward, we took the car to the Three Minute Car Wash. This is a Reading, PA institution. You drop your car at the entrance and they clean it inside and outside, and clean it well, all for around $12 without any extras. It”s in a sketchy part of town, but the quality of the cleaning is far superior to some of the other full-service car washes in the area (cough, Cloister, cough) AND it’s less expensive.

Then it was off to the Lego Store at King of Prussia. It’s like Mecca for Lego geeks. We looked around and considered the new Architecture series release, the Imperial Hotel, but opted instead for the Palace Cinema. It’s pretty cool and bears a resemblance to The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I think that’s the real reason we went with it. It was a double points period, which means more VIP points for later. It’s like free money, so you can’t turn it down.

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Some really yummy tomato soup at Wegman’s

After that, we went looking for a place for SPW to grab a bite. I had my trusty pudding and Jell-o in the car, so I was good, but she needed to forage. We swung by Gino’s, which was a big fast food joint in our youth, recently resurrected as an “upscale” burger joint. It smelled fantastic, but SPW was underwhelmed by the menu and we hit the road for Collegeville and Wegman’s (insert choir of angels singing). This is a rather new Wegman’s and it’s in a huge retail complex that features an Eastern Mountain Sports, Best Buy and a Movie Tavern location. This Wegman’s actually has a pub with a sit down menu, and a huge cafe area. SPW managed to located a few tasty items and we found an organic tomato soup that was right up my alley. It was spicy instead of salty and really sit well with the pouch, which I think we will call Joe. I also brought in my pudding cup. Shhh.

It was my first meal out since Red Robin a couple of weeks ago and while it was only soup, it really went down well. I couldn’t finish it all (no surprise) but that’s OK. I have some more of that yumminess for today.

On today’s agenda will be registering for the 5K in January.

Yup… I’m we’re really going to do it. And you’d better believe that when we get those finisher medals, we’re wearing them. Other than that, not sure what’s on the agenda. A walk, for sure.

OH… one other thing that I wanted to share. The last three days, my blood glucose has been at 88. It’s weird, but three days in a row, slightly different times, same number. I guess consistency is key.

Have a great day and get out for a walk!

 

Taking steps

Posted: March 31, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, diabetes, Exercise, family, Physical activity, The Beetus, Walking
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Happy Easter to everyone!

Hope that your day is filled with family, friends and food. I’ll settle for the first two 🙂

8549862800_7ea4c5bc75_bI’ll even throw in a cute picture of baby bunnies and a chick. Literally.

So, yesterday was a good day. Still no progress on the pressing issue, but maybe if I stop obsessing about it things might just move along. My mom and sister stopped by. They were suitably impressed by how well my incisions are healing up. They think I look healthy.

I actually even managed my recommended fluid intake yesterday. I managed to down two liters of water. That was the first time since the procedure I accomplished it. It took all day, but that’s too be expected. Small sips on a regular basis. I also attempted pudding, and that went down well, and tasted pretty good to boot. Not only that, my sugars came in at 101 (even though I’m off the meds, I need to stick once a day to make sure things are staying where they are supposed to be). The coup de grace was that I managed to sleep flat in bed and scored over 7 hours of solid zzzzz.

One other thing I accomplished was to take a walk last evening. I was bored and thought maybe I’ll walk to the end of the block. When I got there, I decided to keep on going and got in a half mile. It wasn’t very fast, but it was the most I’ve walked since the middle of last week. It felt pretty good, actually. I still need to be careful due to the reduced amount of intake, but I’m going to try to do it again. I chose to take the uphill portion first, rather than later in the walk, just to make sure I’d be OK. And yes, I tool my phone with me.

That’s always a good habit to get into. I always have my phone with me while I’m walking. Not only does it provide music, it’s a good thing for security. If you fall or are otherwise injured, you can contact someone readily, or if you see suspicious activity. It’s also useful if you go walking in natural areas and see something photo-worthy.

At any rate, I’m going to go and get started on today’s fluids. I hope that you all have a happy Easter, or if you don’t celebrate Easter, a happy Sunday. And I’ll leave you with one of my all-time favorites:

Song of the Day: Gimme Some Lovin’ – The Blues Brothers

Wow… I got nothing

Posted: March 29, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Cooking, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Foot issues, Physical activity, Weight loss
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First of all, thank you thank you THANK YOU… 221 page views yesterday. That set a new record for us here at MOASTBFFG and I’m very honored and humbled that so many took time to visit.

So, the first night at home.

As you can see by the time I’m posting this (4:15 AM), it’s pretty early in the AM. The good news is that I turned in around 9:30 and turned the light off at 10:00. That means pretty near six hours of sleep, which totally beats anything I had in the hospital. It’s not as much as I hoped, but that’s OK… it’s not like I have to go to work today or anything. I found that I couldn’t really get comfortable flat on my back, so I had to prop myself up with pillows. My back doesn’t mind it too much, which is a good thing, I guess.

The other issue I had was with hiccups. I kept getting them yesterday. It wasn’t exactly fun, but what can you do? They seem to have subsided. I have to think that maybe I was trying to drink (eat) too fast. That’s really going to be the biggest adjustment for me. I used to scarf down a meal in no time flat and that’s just not going to work anymore. My new stomach is the approximate size of a shot glass (or my thumb) and won’t stretch nearly as much as the old one did.

far_side002I do have a lot of worries, though. My biggest is whether or not I will experience “buyer’s remorse” that I took such a radical step. I’m reading on the online forums that some folks experience it. I’m sure there will be times when I regret that I went this route. I think it’s natural… it’s a major lifestyle change that I’ve made. Giving up a life that totally celebrated food and was all about the next meal was not easy. I hope that this will not change my joy of cooking, because I can’t necessarily partake. As I said to Supportive Partner Woman (Eater of a very paleo plate!), I’ll probably never be able to have jambalaya again, unless I figure out an alternative to rice. Same way with a Chipotle burrito bowl. At least with that I can opt to have more beans and veggies. But that’s far in the future.

Speaking of SPW (eater of tasty meat!), she’s considering a move to the paleo diet. Apparently, it’s based on lots of natural foods, low grains, high protein, and unprocessed stuff. Looking over it, a lot will actually apply to me when I can transition to solid foods. It’s an interesting concept… eat like the cavemen. It might actually work for me, as I’ll have to eliminate a lot of grains from my diet, but the downside is the lack of dairy. Considering that Greek yogurt pretty much became a staple for me, well, I guess we will see.

The other bad thing is that the walking in slipper sock, coupled with the extremely dry air of the hospital, did a number on my feet. Much cracking was observed, and that has me concerned. I see the foot doctor next week, though, so perhaps this will work out. In the meantime, SPW will continue to attack the feet with the ammonium lactate cream and hopefully that will cause the cracks to start to heal. I probably should’ve just sucked it up and put on sneakers to walk, but I wasn’t sure about how much I could bend. We will get the feet happy again.

At any rate, I’ll keep you updated as we break new ground in the recovery. That should be interesting.

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