Archive for the ‘Weight loss’ Category

Scale blues

Posted: July 24, 2012 in Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Stress, Weight loss
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Had a visit with the dietitian today. According to the scale there I’m seven (count them seven) pounds heavier than I was last week at the regular doctors office.

I know I shouldn’t let it get to me, but it’s so nice to have a number. A nice round number allows me to put it in perspective. To say, I lost “X” pounds rather than to say, well, I’m fitting in my clothes better and my legs aren’t as swollen.

I guess I just expected more. I’ve been working hard and I’m just not seeing the results I had hoped for. I won’t lie to you… it’s incredibly frustrating. You start feeling like Sisyphus, endlessly rolling that stone uphill.

This is where it is so easy to get discouraged. I’ve been sidetracked by this before. You start second guessing what you’re doing. You even start questioning WHY you’re doing it, if you’re not going to lose weight anyway. You wonder what the point of all the sweat and pain is.

Did I want to cry when I read the scale? Yes… did I get pissy? Oh, yeah… Then I remembered what several of you told me. It’s not just about the scale. I have to take heart in the fact I’m wearing a shirt I haven’t worn in awhile, or that two of my favorite polos that I haven’t worn in over a year are just about there (they fit, but are a little short to cover the Buddha). I can take heart in that I’ve pretty much revamped my entire diet and am eating mostly healthy food. I can see that my blood sugar is falling into place nicely an I should have no problem getting my <8 on my next A1C test.

This isn’t just a battle of the bulge for me. This is a war, where the stakes are my life. I win, I can live like a normal person. If I lose, I’m well and truly frakked. So, the hell with the scale. I hate the things anyway.

My other side project

Posted: July 23, 2012 in Disney, Walking, Weight loss
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Howdy! Here’s a link to an article I did for Enjoying the Magic on the need to get in shape to properly enjoy Disney.

Check out the site, it’s got some good stuff on there. And I’m married to the editor in chief 🙂

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.

Managing expectations

Posted: July 18, 2012 in diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Weight loss
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Last Friday, I wrote about my disappointment with my results on the scale. I thought I had lost a lot more than the numbers showed. I was pretty disappointed by this, but after reading the supportive comments, I realized that weight ain’t nuthin’ but a number. So, I accepted the three-pound loss and moved on.

Today I had an appointment with Rachel Ho, CRNP, or as Supportive Partner Woman (brave little toaster!) and I refer to her, East Coast Jeanine. I really have a ton of respect for her. Her tableside manner does not brook any argument, but she’s as supportive and caring as any health care provider I’ve ever had. She told us up front that when she was working in the hospital, they called her the Dictator and the Sergeant. I can certainly respect that.

Upon our arrival, the nurse, Mike, took me back to the livestock scale to get weighed in. The scale was bouncing around for whatever reason, but settled on 360.8. On Friday, it was 365.5. So, in 5 days, I lost another five pounds. Woot! Not only that, she was very pleased with my blood glucose log for the month. In fact, she seemed pretty giddy about it. I’m due to get another hemoglobin A1C test and she thinks I’ll be in line with what they want.

Not only is the weight down and the sugars are leveling out, they always take your blood pressure and pulse. My first visit with her, my resting pulse was 82. Today, it was 68. Blood pressure is coming together nicely as well. Systolic was a little high, at 140, but diastolic was 80. Not sure how much is due to white coat syndrome, which I get  like crazy. Usually after talking with Rachel, she will take the BP again and get one that’s right in line.

Fresh cut corn chowder

I even got up early and got to Hempfield Rec this morning to get some cardio in. I did 35 minutes between the treadmill and arc trainer and worked out my legs. We don’t do a lot of lower body stuff with Ryan and Cory, so I’ve taken to working those when I’m on my own. Apparently you shouldn’t work the same muscles every day.

All in all, a good day. After it was over, SPW (STILL the bestest wife in the world) and I paid a visit to the library. Me to pick up a book, SPW (library felon!) to pay a fine. Followed that up with a visit to Isaac’s for a combo. We both ended up with the Finch sandwich (turkey, bacon and Muenster on pumpernickel) and a cup of the Fresh Cut Corn Chowder, which is made from locally grown corn and is yummy. Didn’t even mess up my blood glucose reading, as I ordered the mayo on the side and just spread a taste on the bread.

All in all, a pretty good Wednesday. Have a butt-kicking tomorrow and an appointment with Shauna (dietitian) next week.

Thank you for reading and for all the support. It is greatly appreciated!

Amazing the reasons we do what we do…

Posted: July 17, 2012 in Travel, Weight loss
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So, I was watching one of those off channels that Comcast throws in the HD section of the cable spectrum. This channel, called Destination America, apparently used to be called Planet Green and turned out to be a failure. Anyways, there was a show called Super-Duper Thrill Rides and, well, it outlined another reason I need to get healthy. These rides are intense… some probably too intense, but that’s ok.

I alluded to being humiliated several years ago when Supportive Partner Woman (smarter than me!) and I left our traditional stomping grounds at Walt Disney World and spent a few days at Universal Studios Florida and Sea World Orlando. Being much more of a coaster buff than SPW, I couldn’t wait for a crack at the biggest and baddest coasters Orlando offered at the time.

Kraken at sunset

Our first venture afield took us to Sea World where SPW (fan of penguins!) and I took part in what Sea World referred to as their Adventure Express Tour. The tour included such things as priority seating at the shows, visits to facilities out of public eye, getting to pet a penguin, lunch, and for me the best perk was line jumping for the rides.

Ah, rides. I was really excited to get on Kraken, which was the jewel of the Sea World crown. 144 foot drop, 65 mph, and floorless. Oh, yeah! So, they took us in the back way and I got into my seat and pulled down the shoulder harness. Imagine my chagrin when I couldn’t get the safety belt to clip to the shoulder harness. It took two Sea World staffers to get it to connect, with one basically standing on the harness while the other one connected the belt and harness. Thanks to the herculean effort of those two guys, I got to experience a really good coaster. I was thinner then, too, so I imagine I’d have no luck in my current state or size.

The Incredible Hulk

After the Sea World encounter, we went to Universal’s Islands of Adventure where the headline attraction is the Incredible Hulk coaster. They had specific rows set up for persons of size which were very helpful, and ironically, it was a complete walk-on for me. I was able to close the harness and latch both belts without any staff assistance.

So, for me another element of the weight loss quest is to be able to ride this type of attraction without the embarrassment of needing to be manhandled to fit. I want the only determining factor to be me looking at a ride and saying, “Oh, HELL no!” rather than my tubby butt not fitting in the space provided. I don’t want to worry that my weight will overstress the restraint system and I’ll plummet to my doom.

Yet another reason is so I can closet shop. I have a collection of most excellent T-shirts I’d love to fit in again. I’m close on some of them, but others will need a bit of work. I’d much prefer to not wear something because it was too big rather than too small.

I know they may seem a little silly, but they are valid supporting reasons. I have to continue to look at this quest not only for how it will improve my health, but also my quality of life. Being able to do stuff I haven’t done in years will really help in that department. Plus, maybe I won’t feel so old… until I get out of the coaster.

Eating better=better results

Posted: July 16, 2012 in Cooking, diabetes, Physical activity, The Beetus, Weight loss
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I’ve known for some time that you are what you eat. I always figured that was crap, since I never turned into a giant bag of snack food or a big loaf of bread.Fact is, there’s truth to it, something that I am seeing almost every day. Since I’ve started to really monitor what it is I’ve been eating, I notice that not only am I losing weight, I feel better. Better physically and far better about myself mentally.

It’s also enabled me to make some changes in my lifestyle that I probably couldn’t before. I’m now much more able to get up and go for a walk than I was just a few weeks ago. Even after totally getting arc trainer-ed to death today, I still went out for a walk. Was it an intense walk? No, but it was activity and I didn’t feel the need to sit around and eat. That’s a huge plus.

So, changing what we eat has been a huge part of the success I’ve had so far. Eating more protein and less carbs. Being mindful of the sugar content of what I do eat and its glycemic value. Being active and thinking of stuff to do to avoid raiding the fridge. Every one of these small changes is helping me toward a bigger one and a healthier lifestyle.

Fresh local corn, steamed broccoli, balsamic marinated asparagus and sautéed scallops with a side of tomato/mozzarella salad.

Now, Supportive Partner Woman (bestest wife in the whole wide world!) and I have started a bit of a Sunday tradition. She’s been working most Sundays while I’ve had off. So, I try to think of a nice, healthy dinner and prepare it so she can come home, eat something that’s not breaded, fried or otherwise prepared elsewhere, and we actually get to eat at our own table.

This past week, SPW (shopper of great skill!) came across scallop pieces at a good price. These were gorgeous, though… they might have been pieces, but they looked like real sea scallops. Since I needed to use them, I sautéed them in some olive oil, made some local sweet corn that we picked up at Root’s Market, added some steamed broccoli and as SPW is a far of asparagus, threw together a quick and dirty balsamic marinade, then sautéed the asparagus. Turned out rather tasty.

To make the marinade, I took 1/2 cup of olive oil, about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, added a touch of oregano, garlic powder and basil. Mixed them together and put the marinade in a Zip-loc bag with the asparagus spears. Put it in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes. Only change I will be making is to let it marinate longer… the flavor was good but not completely married.

The other item I threw together was a quick tomato and mozzarella salad. I seeded and diced some Roma tomatoes, then diced 8 oz. of mozzarella. Added some Italian salad dressing (I said it was quick) and finished it with some basil. After stirring it, I covered the bowl and put it back in the fridge. It makes a very easy, light and refreshing salad.

I did that whole meal in around 25-30 minutes. Can’t argue with it. It’s fun to create and to tweak recipes. The only thing I won’t change is my chocolate chip cookie recipe. I tweaked it a few years ago and hit a home run, so I do it the same, even using the same baking sheets. If anyone wants my recipe, feel free to ask.

Until next time…

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.

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