Archive for the ‘Weight loss’ Category

Wayne, Part Deux

Posted: March 5, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Foot issues, Physical activity, snow, The Beetus, Walking, Wayne, Weight loss
1

As many of you know, Evil Wayne (not to be confused with Vegan Wayne) has caused me some problems of late. Namely a giant blister that left me short a toenail and a good part of toe.

I’m pleased to report that as of 6:00 tonight, Wayne is actually looking pretty good, all things considered. Looks like the wound is scabbing over nicely. This is a good thing that I’m attributing to my much better controlled glucose levels.

It took me a lot to understand what was involved in getting the sugar under control. See, I’m a huge carb junkie. I love carbs and would scarf unbelievable amounts of pasta and bread, not to mention snack foods. That’s a big no-no if you’re battling The Beetus. I didn’t understand that at first, figuring I was OK because something didn’t have much actual sugar in it. Well, maybe not, but the 40g of carbs are an issue. It makes a huge difference. Have I eliminated carbs? No, but I’m eating a lot less of them.

It really came to my mind again today when I was told by a friend that she had been diagnosed with Type-2 (that’s the type I have). I hope that she will use me as a resource, since I’m a pretty good example of what not to do when you’re diabetic. Or, I was. I’m just so excited that the toe is getting better pretty quickly so I can get back to the gym at full speed. I’m just going to make sure that I protect the toe with a moleskin wrap. Blisters just slow me down. Plus, the surgery date is three weeks away. How’d that happen?

I’m still really excited and freaked out at the same time. I think it’s fear of the unknown that get’s me freaked out. I actually don’t mind the anesthesia… it puts me out pretty good and I usually don’t have much memory of what’s going on. This will mark my third time going under general anesthesia, so I’m getting kind of used to it. The part that’s really freaking me out is the possibility of a catheter. I’m just not thrilled with the idea of getting some tube run up through my junk. Of course, talking to some post-op patients at the clinic, not all of them had a cath done. I’m hoping I’m one of the lucky ones. I guess we’ll know in a few short weeks.

So, we’re supposed to get a boatload of snow here in the northeast. If you’re in the area, please be careful when driving and especially while shoveling.

The next post will be #200. Guess I need to come up with something awesome. Wish me luck!

 

Song of the Day: Bright Lights, Bigger City – Cee-Lo Green

The Ballad of Wayne

Posted: March 4, 2013 in cold weather, diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Physical activity, snow, Walking, Wayne, Weight loss
1

I was so going to parody the Ballad of Jed Clampett, but the only words I could think of to rhyme with blister were Twister and mister, and, well, trust me when I say that nothing good would come of that.

So, I did manage to get to the podiatrist’s office this afternoon. He took one look at Wayne, pulled out the cutters and went to work. Several giant pieces of toenail and whatnot later, I’m down to eight toenails and  a lot of angry looking toe. The good news is that there’s no sign of infection and he thinks it should dry up pretty quickly. Once it’s scabbed over, then I can get out of the Boot of Shame. Out of sensitivity to the readers, I did not take pictures.

Also in the good news department, the wonderful exercise physiologists managed to switch up my workout this morning to include non-weight-bearing cardio and a lot of weight training. So it’s not a total loss. I can do the bike, the rowing machine and the hand cycle, as well as lift weights. Woohoo! Again, I just have to be careful to protect the area. On that note, I ordered the multipack of giant rolls of moleskin. I should probably take to just applying that every time I go to the gym, even after I’m healed. The best part is that you can get it from Amazon really inexpensively and it’s delivered right to the door.

Now, my biggest worry is what’s coming in terms of the winter storm. I’m not sure how the Boot of Shame will handle inclement weather. Maybe I just need to wrap my loot in a trash bag to get through the snow?

At any rate, I think I’ll call it quits for now. Hope you all have a great night!

“March”-ing toward health

Posted: March 2, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Foot issues, Goals, Physical activity, Stubby the Wonder Toe, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Weight loss
0

Did you like that?

See what I did with the quotation marks?

Anyone?

(crickets)

Leaving the lame puns behind, it is, in fact, March. Going to start the surgical countdown. That would make today T-24 days.

24 days until my life changes forever. 24 days until I start leaving the fat armor behind.

Wow.

Today's results

Today’s results

So, all that being said, I’m really focusing on trying to keep the workout intensity levels up. Today was a good example. I managed to burn over 730 calories and cover over 3 miles. For someone who had trouble walking a mile without being out of breath and succumbing to blisters, I’ve made some progress. I almost feel like once the weight is reduced, I’ll be able to do anything. Granted, a marathon is probably out of the question, but I think that 5K is firmly within my wheelhouse. It probably won’t be pretty, and it probably won’t be fast, but I just know that the feeling of accomplishment will make up for the pain.

Pain. That’s an interesting subject. When Stubby reared his ugly head back in 2010, most of the problem was that my diabetic neuropathy prevented me from feeling what should’ve been excruciating pain. As a result, I lost part of a toe. It seems that the more my glucose has been under control, there’s actually been a return of some sensation to my feet. It’s good and bad… good in that I have a little more feedback as to how I’m doing in the blister department, and bad that I know when my feet hurt.

My primary issues with the workout time have been achy ankles and other assorted joints. My ticker feels better than it has in a long time, as does my general health. My hope is that the less weight I’m carrying on my joints, the less pain they will have to endure and the less general abuse they will take. My hope is that it will lead to less likelihood of joint replacement in the future.

In other good news, I’m wearing a shirt from the depths of my closet. It’s one of my favorite Disney polo shirts (anyone who knows me knows that I pretty much live in polo shirts (and I don’t pop the collar) so it’s nice to pull one out of the closet that doesn’t have holes or is so threadbare from constant wear. See, I set a goal for myself when I embarked on this journey to not buy any new clothes unless absolutely necessary. There are a couple of shirts with holes that Supportive Partner Woman (Pyromaniac?) has pledged to burn as soon as I no longer need them.

That does bring to mind something I need to think of. With the speed in which weight can come off post surgery, refreshing the wardrobe can be a tad expensive. Guess I will have to haunt thrift stores and secondhand shops. I’m usually not opposed to wearing loose-fitting clothes, so that’s a plus. I’d hate that some of my favorite t-shirts wouldn’t be worn. I should be able to fit in the baseball jersey collection sometime during the season. That’s a good thing… and maybe even actually close the jersey? That would be awesome.

At any rate, that’s what I have for today. I will continue to keep stuff posted as the date comes closer.

Song of the Day: Talk Dirty to Me – Poison

Currently reading: The Path of the Assassin – Brad Thor

Never, never, never quit. – Winston Churchill

Archnemesis Scale

Posted: February 26, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Cooking, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Supportive Partner Woman, Weight loss
0

Have I mentioned how much I loathe the scale?

It sits there, silently taunting me. Daring me to step on and try my luck.

“C’mon, big boy… you know you want to see how awesome you did.”

Then, without warning, the scale kicks you in the cojones. It’s like Charlie Brown and the football. Good grief.

So, as you can probably tell, I had a weigh-in today. There was good and bad news. The good news is I lost around 3 pounds. The bad news is that I thought I lost a lot more than that. I certainly feel like I did.

All that being said, things are finally progressing to the next step. I’ll need to get a pre-op physical and attend pre-op class. In the meantime, I need to keep a downward weight trend going on. I planned on that, regardless.

They told me I can expect a call from the coordinator sometime this week to get things rolling.

Shit just got real.

In other news, Supportive Partner Woman (fine cook in her own right!) collaborated on a yummy low-carb dinner last night. I made roasted buffalo sirloin and she made portobello mushroom caps stuffed with crab imperial. Topped off with some tasty veg. The nutrition facts on buffalo are crazy. One sirloin has 40 grams of protein! Coupled with low fat and plenty of taste, well, you can’t go wrong. I added a photo of the label. It’s a smidge cut off, but you can see it.

I’ll keep you posted on dates and whatnot.

Have a great day!

20130226-142005.jpg

Don’t Panic!

Posted: February 25, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Uncategorized, Weight loss
1

Those two words are familiar to anyone who’s ever read The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, a five-part trilogy by Douglas Adams.

Yes, I know…

See, I turned 42 today. According to Adams, the number 42 is very significant. It’s supposedly the answer to life, the universe and everything. Funny, I don’t feel very enlightened.

Here’s what I do know. I know that I don’t know half of what I thought I did know when I was 22.

Did I get stupid? Well, that depends on who you ask.

Did I maybe get a little wiser? I think so.

So, getting back to the title, it applies to today and tomorrow. I am panicked, mostly about the impending showdown with the Scale of Evilness. I’m afraid that I’m not going to make my target weight and I don’t have any idea of how I’m doing. They tell you not to obsess over the weight, but it would be nice to know where I stand. This being too fat for a regular home scale sucks, Imma tell you what.

So. I’d also like to take a minute to thank everyone who left me some birthday wishes on Facebook or Twitter or via text. Really made me feel special.

I promise to let you know how it goes tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed and keep good thoughts for me. Lord knows I need it.

Pizza pizza!

Posted: February 24, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, diabetes, Exercise, Foot issues, Physical activity, The Rec, Walking, Weight loss
0

OK, I admit it.

I wasn’t the poster child for a good healthy dinner last night.

For a few weeks, I’ve been craving pizza. Not one of my healthy flatbread veggie pizzas, either. Rather one with real crust. That being said, it wasn’t nearly as devastating to my diet as it could have been. You see, me of eight months ago would’ve swung by Caruso’s and picked up a medium with extra cheese and, well, devoured it. See, pizza is deadly. The medium would’ve been a huge improvement, though, because I used to eat an entire large pie by myself, especially if I was feeling sorry for myself.

Rather than risk that level of temptation, I picked up a DiGiorno pizza for one at the grocery store and got it out of my system. In the interest of evening things out, I did have a salad to go along with it, so it wasn’t a total nutritional loss. Hopefully my craving does not cause too many issues with the weigh in.

I also managed to do 60+ minutes on the treadmill. It wasn’t a lot of fun. My feet and ankles were barking like crazy, but I somehow managed to get it done. I brought workout clothes for today, but I’m not sure I will be able to accomplish much. I just keep telling myself how much better my feet will feel when there’s 160 pounds less weight being carried around.

It’s not all for naught, however. I honestly think that my general cardiovascular health is as good as it’s been in 18 years. I’m climbing steps at home without gasping for breath; I can even get up from my chair at work without having to push myself up. I’ve gained belt notches and done some closet shopping. I just hope that the scale confirms things.

Regardless of what happens on Tuesday, I’m still going to keep this up. I know it takes a time commitment, but the morning workout routine has become a habit. Much healthier than my usual habits, that’s for sure. I’m also going to continue to be smarter in my food choices. Will I still make some dietary mistakes? Yes, probably, but my hope is that the mistakes are the exception, rather than the rule.

Good things are happening.

Hope it lasts.

20130224-122821.jpg

Swing low, sweet blood sugar

Posted: February 21, 2013 in diabetes, Exercise, Physical activity, Stubby the Wonder Toe, The Beetus, Wayne, Weight loss
1

It was a low point this morning.

No, I didn’t have a food relapse or anything like that.

I stuck a 40 on the glucometer after my cardio. For anyone keeping score at home, that’s about 57% of my suggested low end. The scary thing is that I didn’t really notice it until I got off the treadmill. It was a good workout up until that point. I did about 30 minutes with an average speed of 3.1 mph. I was also wearing my new trainers. They felt pretty good and no evidence of Stubby or Wayne acting up. I’ll give them a good once-over when I get home for the night.

I decided to let off some steam last night and went to see a movie after work. One co-worker was really driving me nuts and I needed the break. I opted for A Good Day to Die Hard. I wasn’t expecting anything socially redeeming and I was not disappointed. It wasn’t the greatest entry of the Die Hard franchise but it was big, noisy and violent with lots of car chases, gunplay, and weapons-grade uranium. If I had to summarize, Blah, blah, blah, kill the bad guys and blow shit up, blah blah blah. If I had to rank all five entries in the series, it would be the first one (Alan Rickman FTW), followed by all of the others.

Another halfway decent food day yesterday. I opted for a turkey wrap for lunch… it was pretty good and not totally swamped in mayonnaise. There was even some bacon (YAY!), which I never complain about. I’m not quite sure why I like bacon as much as I do… good thing I don’t eat it as much as I would like to.

So far today, I’ve had two bananas, a protein shake, and some sugar tablets. I also had some candy to get the sugar levels up. I also had a nice chef salad for lunch that was really fresh. Plenty of veggies and also some good protein. Gotta love that it fills you up and doesn’t kill you calorically. Not sure what dinner will be, but I’m sure I’ll think of something. I was going to do some chili, but I neglected to soak the beans. Duh. All part of my senior moments.

In the good news, I’m still soda and caffeine free. Not sure how I’m managing to do it, but suffice it to say, I’d like to continue. I still feel pretty good, though, and that’s a plus. The blood sugar thing, other than the lows, is also a positive development. I like it being on the low side.

I’m just going to keep moving forward. It’s the only way to fly.

20130221-140757.jpg

My best food behavior

Posted: February 19, 2013 in Exercise, Goals, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, The Rec, Walking, Weight loss
1

It was a good day, after a bad one. Although, when you’re dealing with a family member with medical problems, that can be the norm. After Supportive Partner Woman (Worker of crazy hours!)’s mother fell and had to go to the emergency room on Sunday, we did manage to get a bit of a date night in on Monday. I won’t say much regarding the fall, just that she wasn’t hurt and we did actually meet an ER doc with a sense of humor. This guy, an osteopath, was wearing a button that said, “Trust me, I’m a doctor.”

We managed to get away from the ER for a few minutes to snag some dinner. We did our typical Sunday run to Chipotle. I had my usual burrito bowl and I’, proud to note that I only wind up eating about 1/3 of the meal. I don’t know how I used to managed to eat a whole bowl, along with a half a bag of chips AND two sodas.

After mom was released, we did head home with a detour to the grocery store. I needed to pick up distilled water for my CPAP machine. Yes, along with the diabetes and obesity, I suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. This thing has done wonders for my sleep habits, but it’s still a colossal pain in the ass, especially for travel. You have to make sure you leave enough room in your luggage for the machine, the mask, the hoses, etc. I usually leave the water tank at home, just to save space. It does require distilled water to operate the humidification, so if you want to have that, you need to bring the water with you or locate it, and since it usually only comes in a gallon, there’s transport involved or you just waste it. The point of the whole story is that we did some grocery shopping, headed home and I looked at SPW and said, “Oh, damn… we forgot the distilled water.”

Sigh… a senior moment.

Anyway, SPW wasn’t working yesterday, so we were going to consider going to a movie. You know, kind of a date night sort of thing. Timing got screwed up, so we wound up taking advantage of a free burger at Red Robin coupon that I had gotten for my birthday. I ordered my usual, a bacon cheeseburger with provolone on a ciabatta roll. I also opted for a cup of chili. I did get fries with my burger, so not the healthiest choice, but when all was said and done, I left about half the fries on the plate, as well as ¾ of the bun. Again… this is usually a place where I’d scarf the burger AND fries, then order more fries. I am making some progress.

After that, we paid a visit to the pet store, just to look at the bunnies. I know it chips away at my manly cred, but I do have a weakness for cute animals, and, well, there was one that I just wanted to take home. He (she?) had an on hold tag on the pen, though, but his little lop ears were just begging to be snorgled. There was also a dwarf bunny that reminded me of a pic I had seen on Cute Overload. I’ll post it along with this entry.

So, moving on into today, I had a really good workout. 47 minutes, averaging 3.00 mph. I did the first five minutes at 2.5, then the rest at 3.1. It was my best average speed yet. I would like to get to a point where I can do the 3.1 for an entire hour. This will make the 5K more palatable, if I can get it done in under an hour. I hope that once I’m free of the 160 pounds of excess weight, I will be able to walk faster and have that much less pain in my joints.

One of the cool features of the treadmills at the rec is that they have a USB port on them. You can attach a thumb drive and store your workouts and results. Supportive Partner Woman went to a conference last year and came home with a really cool promo flash drive that she gave to me. It’s from Dole, and it’s shaped like a banana. There’s also a keychain attached to it, so I can keep it attached to my gym bag. It works perfectly and allows me to track all my workouts at the LifeFitness website. This should make it easy to see how much progress I’ve made.

Technology win? I think so.

So, all in all, a good couple of days on the workout front. I gained a notch in my belt as well and I think I’m getting closer to the first goal shirt. I might even fit in smaller jeans soon. I’m also pleased to report that I’m now a week without soda and I’m trying to wean myself off of artificial sweeteners. This will be an interesting process to say the least. But, if I can get off of soda, I can beat anything.

Until next time…

20130219-150903.jpg

20130219-150913.jpg

Day four, or I want pizza, dammit!

Posted: February 15, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, diabetes, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, The Beetus, Walking, Weight loss
0

Day four of no caffeine.

I won’t lie… it’s been very hard. I actually dropped a coin in the vending machine yesterday, but got it back. The headaches have pretty much subsided. The worst day was Wednesday. It felt like there was a little man jackhammering away inside my skull. I’ve found that the best way to get through is to drink so much water that you wind up irrigating yourself like a personalized Tennessee Valley Authority.

I did take precautions against water intoxication. I’ve discovered the joys of PowerAde Zero. This stuff is like liquid crack. It really helps quench the thirst after a workout, and it doesn’t have any sugar or carbs. Highly recommend the orange flavor. Just a warning… it doesn’t mix well with protein powder.

Today started out on a down note. I managed to sleep through my alarm, so I didn’t make it to the gym. I brought my workout clothes, so I can go after work. I’m breaking in my new trainers that arrived the other day. So far, pretty comfy, but not suitable for gym use until broken in. I’ve made the mistake of being too eager with new sneakers… the blister on Wayne was not too much fun, nor was the time I had to spend wearing the Boot of Shame.

I’m pretty proud of myself, though… I managed to start working my way through the DVR backlog and didn’t eat any snacks whilst parked in front of the tube. I went to bed, my sugar was 83, so I had a little snack (a carb balance wheat tortilla, some shaved ham and a piece of cheese), I also succumbed and took some cough syrup, as I’ve been suffering from a nagging cold these last few days. Well, I woke up with a sugar reading of 204, all from a dose of really nasty tasting cough medicine. Sigh.

Today is a Friday, which means no meat. I have to wonder, though… why are eggs allowed, but chicken is not? What are eggs, other than unfertilized chickens? Regardless, I have some of my yummy clam chowder. I’m really pleased with how well it turned out. Supportive Partner Woman (also trying to quit caffeine!) liked it as well. Always glad when a recipe is a crowd pleaser.

Not sure what I will do for dinner. I guess we’ll see how I feel after my workout. I’m really craving pizza for whatever reason, but that would not be a smart move. It would be fine with one slice, but I’m sure there would be a whole pie in my future and that is not cool. I’d like to think I could control myself, but probably not.

Anyway, that about does it for the day. Hopefully I have a good workout tonight, and can get a couple in over the weekend.

Hope you have a great weekend, everyone!

The next six pounds

Posted: February 12, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Cooking, diabetes, Exercise, Physical activity, The Rec, Walking, Weight loss
1

Good evening!

So, today dawned with me still appreciating the afterglow of yesterday’s good news at the doctor’s office. I got myself up and went to the gym, which is how I’ve really started to like my mornings. It’s SOOOO much better than getting up and heading down to the Nerd Lair to watch TV and perhaps (read: probably) graze on stuff that’s bad for me.

222764_10200643298751451_1212397042_nI tested my blood sugar and it was a kind of high 150. Mornings are always freaky for me. I took my recommended 10 units of insulin, ate a banana and drank a protein shake (breakfast of champions, baby!), then headed to the rec. It was a little later than normal, so I had to cut things a little shorter than usual. I still managed 1.74 miles on the treadmill at an average speed of 2.78 mph. That’s faster than it’s been, for those keeping score at home. I did, however, notice something.

What’s the deal with the roid junkies who show up at the gym clad in shorts, weightlifting gloves, muscle shirts and a wool stocking cap? I mean, if you’re trying to stay warm, maybe I might suggest sweatpants? If you’re trying to be a badass, you might try a different sort of headgear. Just some friendly advice.

Literary enemy #1

Literary enemy #1

After that, the day goes downhill. I had to go to work. It’s amazing how all the good feeling you’ve built up with a decent workout can be burst in a few minutes. Today, it was the incessant chatter. And not conversation. It’s more the “I’m doing this, now I’m doing that.” It’s like listening to a James Joyce book on CD, only without the option of ejecting the disc, breaking said disc in many pieces and setting the pieces on fire. (No, I’m NOT a James Joyce fan)

Please don’t take it that I hate my job. I don’t. I know that what I do isn’t the most scintillating work on the planet, but it’s all the attendant bullshit that goes along with it. I often want to just go home and not think about it until the next day when I have to go in to work.

Anyway, before getting sidetracked, I was talking about success. I had a taste of it on the scale and I really liked the feeling. So, today I wanted to be more of the same. My packed lunch included two Mission Carb Balance wheat burrito shells filled with leftover Chipotle, a container of Greek yogurt, some pistachio nuts, a protein shake and the ever-present water bottle. I also decided to go cold turkey on caffeine, which might be where my irritability came from today. That plus a cold, and well, I’m a tad cranky. Don’t judge.

Dinner was the final remnants of the seemingly endless burrito bowl along with some grilled chicken and broccoli. All in all, not too shabby.

So, tomorrow is another day. It’s also Ash Wednesday, so I gotta think of something to give up for Lent. Could I make 40 days sans caffeine? Especially since I go to third shift in a month? Any bets?

Didn’t think so.

Older Entries
Newer Entries