Archive for the ‘Weight loss’ Category

What’s in a number?

Posted: February 11, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Goals, Physical activity, Walking, Weight loss
0

I got a number today.

No, not a phone number.

Not a cash balance.

Not a tax rate.

I got the number six.

Six… it’s one more than five. One less than seven. It’s 2+4. Or 3+3, or even 2×3. It could be the square root of 36.

For me, it represented a minor victory over the scale.

See, I lost six pounds.

Now, I realize six pounds isn’t a lot to most people. It’s a bit more than a bag of flour. Or maybe it’s about three quarts of water. For me it was finally the scale moving in the right direction. All the time I’ve spent in the gym, on the treadmill, even walking the parking lot at the office.

I know I don’t have anyone to blame but myself for the slow progress. I usually manage to shoot myself in the foot when i attempt to lose weight. It’s the whole comfort factor of food. I’m not sure why it comforts me… it’s the cause of a lot of my issues and hangups. My other curse is that I’m a grazer. If there’s food, I’ll eventually find it and start munching. Next thing you know, I’m laying in a heap wearing an empty fried chicken bucket as a hat. It’s not pretty.

I was bound and determined to lose something for today’s appointment. I hit the gym extra hard, was careful with what I ate, and it actually showed on the scale for the first time since I started this whole process. It’s hard to describe how it made me feel, knowing that I finally succeeded. The journey isn’t over… I have to lose six more in two weeks. There will be a lot of gym time, a lot of salad, and very few pretzels and snack foods. It will be tough, but it will be worth it.

There were a couple things that lit a fire under my tubby butt, but the real clincher was going to support group last Thursday and hearing what the Patient of the Month had to say. First of all, in his before picture, he was at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Points in his favor, ya know? He was selected to make an appearance at the American Idol Experience, but he bailed because he was embarrassed by his size. I totally get that. I get the having to wedge myself in a ride vehicle where it actually hurts. I get the not going somewhere because I’m so self conscious of my size. It was nice to hear someone’s story that really parallels my own. It was like it finally hit home after months that I’m not the only one who feels like that.

Wow.

So, with that, I’m going to sign off for tonight. I have to be at the gym bright and early.

Thanks for all your support.

Day 2 Redux

Posted: January 25, 2013 in Exercise, music, Physical activity, rants, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Weight loss
0

So, we’re back at Day 2. I took Wednesday off from the gym due to a creaky back and a creakier ankle. I was in a session yesterday and dragged my ass out of bed and got there this morning.

What a morning it was. Because it’s still freakin’ cold, I opted to take Supportive Partner Woman (Going to see Rick Springfield!)’s ride. XM First Wave was on the stereo and they were playing Frankie Goes to Hollywood. And no, not the one hit that everyone actually knows. No, of course not.

First Wave was playing Two Tribes, yo.

And not the harmless, generally sucky, 3 minute radio edit.

Of course not.

They opted for the 9 minute remix.

Yikes.

So, I figure I’ll switch stations… it’s gotta be better, right?

Let’s just say that all depends. Because, playing on other channels at the same time were Shalamar’s Dancing in the Sheets and the Village People’s In the Navy. At that point, I arrived at the gym and thankfully was no longer suffering from ear bleed.

Anyway… I did treadmill for a half-hour on a random hill setting. It felt pretty good. The ankle and back seemed to be behaving themselves and it kind of woke me up. Either that or the fact that it was cold enough to freeze my sweaty hair did the job for me.

So, today’s rant… WTF is up with people wearing pajamas all over the place? OK… I get if you’re walking out to the curb for the newspaper or maybe even going to the local convenience store for coffee. I expect it at Walmart. What I don’t get is going to the mall or a restaurant while wearing PJs. I don’t get wearing PJs to take a one hour train trip. The thing is, I’m usually someone who makes my fashion choices based on whatever doesn’t itch. Maybe someone can explain this phenomenon to me.

Hope you all have a good weekend!

20130125-120123.jpg

20130125-120244.jpg

20130125-120320.jpg

14!

Posted: January 15, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Cooking, diabetes, Exercise, Physical activity, Walking, Weight loss
1

OK… Day 14 is in the books. I arrived at 7 for the session with the boys and had surprisingly decent sugar. I had good sugar this morning when I woke up, so I opted for a banana and a protein shake for breakfast. I’m developing a taste for the vanilla cream shakes, which is good, since I’m going to be subsisting on these things for a few weeks. Anyway, my pre-workout sugar reading was 92, which was a little lower than I’m used to. I like to think it’s that the exercise is doing me some good. Post workout, I stuck a 70, which is at the low end of normal for me, but I wasn’t having shakes or sweats, so it’s all good.

Important thing is that I made it 14 straight days. That’s two weeks that I’ve stuck to something. I’m pretty damn pleased with myself, but I’m not giving up. Next stop? 21 days!

So, I also took time last night and made a batch of my special jambalaya (see the recipe section). I added extra protein in the form of shrimp and chicken. Also, the chicken chipotle sausage had a vein of jack cheese in it, which added to the depth of the finished product. It really reheated well, which made for a tasty lunch.

After cooking, I attacked the Christmas tree (yes, it was still up). I got the ornaments off, the lights off, and realized I still had enough time to take down the tree, put it away, and then I vacuumed the rug. It’s odd… we have an artificial tree that drops as many needles as a real tree. Go figure. Now, many of you are probably wondering why we still had a Christmas tree up. Don’t judge us.

I have an appointment with the dietician tomorrow afternoon. Hope we get some good news, and maybe we can get a surgery date. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t apprehensive. In a surprise move, I’m all over the map emotionally regarding the operation. I’m still going to do it, but I’m sure I’ll question my decision up until the time they shoot me up with Versed.

Hope you all have a great week!

11 down… a lifetime to go

Posted: January 12, 2013 in AllEars.net, Exercise, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Weight loss
0

IMG_1808Well, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it to the gym today. I had to work at 8 AM and the gym only opens at 7 on the weekends. So, I just went after work. It wasn’t as long as I would’ve liked it to be… they were closing early today due to a staff function. However, I did what I could and felt pretty good afterward.

Tomorrow will be a weight lifting day, as well as cardio. On the advice of the trainers, I only lift every other day. That gives the muscles some time to recuperate. I do the majority of my lifting at the bariatric center, because they have me doing free weights and the free weight area at the rec is a little intimidating. It’s not loaded up with the hardcore juicers like it was when we went to Gold’s Gym, but there are enough that it makes me feel like an interloper. So, on the days when I lift at the rec, I use the machines. I guess it’s not a bad thing, because they are always telling me to change it up.

So, my consecutive day streak stands at 11. Tomorrow will be 12 and yes, Supportive Partner Woman (bestest wife ever!) is planning on joining me. I hope that she will keep up with it, although the likelihood of her getting up at 4:45 AM during the week is slim to none.

In other news, the second Blu-Ray player I got my sister is actually working. The first one had a defective remote control. It just seems that these players are very persnickety. I know we have a Samsung that likes to make all sorts of noises and stop, especially if the disk has a speck of dust on it. If it’s a Redbox movie, you’re screwed.

So, I have to start thinking of what I can do to keep me busy. I keep thinking I should consider a second job… twenty hours a week or so. Enough money to fund the Disney travel habit, It would serve a twofold purpose, though. Extra money and keeping me from being bored. It’s when I’m bored that I tend to graze and grazing is not a good thing.

I realize this post is all over the place. Just have a lot of thoughts bouncing around the noggin. One last topic to cover. This is Disney Marathon weekend and I’m so proud of our friends who ran the half marathon today and/or will be running the full marathon tomorrow. You are an inspiration to me. I’m also pleased to announce that Team All Ears managed to raise almost $79,000 for Avon breast cancer charities. It’s a special group of people and I’m thrilled to know many of them. A special shoutout to team co-captains Mike Scopa and Michelle Scribner-MacLean, and to AllEars.net founder Deb Wills, without whom none of this would happen. She’s an inspiration to the team and to so many others in the community. We are proud to call her our friend.

Hope that everyone has a great Sunday!

Song of the Day: Fields of Athenry – Dropkick Murphys

Currently reading: Nano – Robin Cook

Day 9: Treadmills, Congress and Ebola.

Posted: January 10, 2013 in Exercise, Foot issues, movies, politics, rants, Walking, Weight loss
1

Greetings!

Today’s post includes things that don’t normally go together. Now Congress and graft? Yes. Congress and bullshit? Yes. Congress and Ebola? Not so much. But first, let’s get the daily stuff out of the way.

Managed day 9 today. 53:20 on the treadmill, 2.47 miles traveled, 2.78 mph. A little slower, but another 6 minutes and just shy of ¼ mile more traveled. I’m very pleased, considering it took a lot to wake up and get moving this morning. I also did it with a doozy of a headache. Tomorrow should be a little easier… it’s with the trainers, but it’s at 7 AM. I’ll get some weight training in as well.

I’m really noticing an improvement in general cardiovascular health. My stair climbing has gotten easier, and while my ankles continue to hurt, my feet seem to be holding up under the onslaught. Touch wood. I’m crediting the moisture-wicking socks. Maybe I need to consider some kind of moisture-wicking shirt, because I always come off the treadmill looking like I came in out of a tropical deluge. Things to ponder.

The Academy Award nominees have been released as well. Leading the way is Lincoln (big surprise). As much as I want to see it, I’m really intrigued by Zero Dark Thirty. This might be the first time in years that I actually want to see some nominees. Interesting stuff.

Now, on to some political news.

As many readers know, I like to spend time excoriating our political leadership here in the USA. Therefore, I was greatly amused when Public Policy Polling did a survey of just how unpopular Congress is, it was found to be less popular than cockroaches, traffic jams, lice and Nickelback, and slightly more popular than two of the biggest scourges facing humanity today: Ebola and the Kardashians. Way to go, Congress… people like you more than Ebola, a hemorrhagic fever that kills some 70% of its victims and causes bleeding from every known orifice. Your parents must be SO proud of you.

I might add that Congress polls slightly ahead of Lindsay Lohan and telemarketers. They also pulled better numbers than gonorrhea. Talk about a gold standard for excellence. Woot!

For complete poll results, visit the Public Policy Polling website.

So, there you have it for today. More to come!

20130110-132825.jpg

8 going on 9

Posted: January 9, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Disney, Goals, Physical activity, Stubby the Wonder Toe, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Weight loss
1

Made it another day… was not an easy one, but I set a record for 2013 with over 47 minutes and 2.23 miles walked. I had to back off speed a bit, due to achy ankles, but I’m still proud of myself for getting that far. My average speed was 2.84 mph. The rest will come as the weight decreases.

I worry, though… I just feel that due to Stubby I can’t walk with the grace I used to walk. Surprised no one ever made a replacement toe bone. Maybe that could be my great contribution to science. Hmmm.

I’ve  been thinking long and hard, though, and I need to set a post-surgical goal. I realize that with my toe and other issues, I’ll never be physically able to run long distances, so a marathon is out.

I’m going to set my goal to participate in the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend 5K.

There, I said it. I know it won’t be easy, especially for someone who would struggle to run the mile in high school (when I was in better shape), but I think it’s a reachable goal. Plus, I’ve gotten so much encouragement from the Disney fan community as I go through this process that I feel it’s a great way to pay it back and forward. To reward myself with a feeling of accomplishment and to pay back everyone who has supported me and encouraged me. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but they are my family as much as any blood relation. Logistics will be forthcoming, but I will keep you apprised and this will be the place to post the picture after I finish it.

twitterSo, yesterday was pretty cool, though. Not only did I find an error in a CNN.com story (yeah, not like they’re a reputable news source), I actually got to have a Twitter exchange with one of my favorite sportswriters. I just tweeted out that the CNN flunkie had gotten his name wrong (guess checking that fact would be a little too much effort) and sure enough, a reply. It was actually kind of cool. I’m not a huge Twitter fan, unlike SPW (lover of the hashtag!), but this might make me like it a little more.

At any rate, gotta go for day 9 in the morning. And I’m going to do it. Does that make me a probie gym rat?

Guess there are worse things.

Day 7

Posted: January 8, 2013 in Exercise, Walking, Weight loss
1

Well, I’d say that Tuesday morning dawns bright and early, but that would imply that the sun has risen. Maybe not so much yet.

I’m dressed and ready to head for my appointment at the gym. I’ve even had a protein shake for breakfast, I’ve packed soup and yogurt for lunch, and Supportive Partner Woman has off tonight, so looks like buffalo sirloin for dinner. Then let the tearing down of Christmas commence.

As I was leaving for work yesterday, a lady from the neighborhood who walks her two dogs every morning stopped and asked where the singing penguins were this year. Seems that one of her dogs would always have to stop and bark at them. Found that to be kind of amusing.

So, now that I’ve made it seven straight days, I’m going to go for 10. If I make 10, then 14. Incremental steps is what it’s all about. I would love to make it every day for a whole year. Not sure that’s possible… Maybe some form of exercise every day for a whole year (and by exercise, I mean doing more than just walking around the house/office) would be more realistic. Between the possibility of foul weather, being out of town, or post-surgical limitations. After all, snow shoveling is good cardio as well.

Have a great day everyone.

Feeling that blah feeling

Posted: January 6, 2013 in Exercise, friends, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, The Management, Weight loss
0

Had a great day yesterday. Got a decent workout in, went to State College, saw a cool flick (went with Skyfall), had a good dinner, and a visit to Wegman’s. I can never complain about that.

So I woke up this morning with a little bit of gastrointestinal urpiness but I know I still need to go to the gym. I know I’ll feel better if I do, but it’s very hard to summon up the energy to go when I just kind of want to sit around until it goes away. I normally would do that, but if I do, I probably won’t make it to the gym.

Helluva bind.

I guess I need to just do it (even though I prefer New Balance to Nike) and I know that when I get there and get started, I’ll wind up feeling that much better. Funny how that works out.

Ok… More in a bit.

So I made it to the gym. Decent session… Started a little slow, but had worked up to 3.5 mph by the end of my treadmill time. Wanted to do 45 minutes, but cut short after 35 minutes by an extremely chirpy young woman jawing on her cell phone. Talking (apparently) with her boyfriend. Talking about their time together last night. When I heard the phrase “you made me come alive” (I am not making this up) I figured it was time to bail. The worst part is that I had my ear pods in, volume cranked, and I could still hear her. How loudly must she have been talking?

I love being able to yammer about my gym. It’s a really place, but some of the people who go there are well, eccentric. I have not seen Gratuitously Naked Guy in a while, but I think he has a cohort… Mostly Naked Guy. This is another wrinkly old guy who actually works out, but then wanders around the locker room wearing nothing but a jockstrap. As far as I can tell he doesn’t have mostly naked conversations with complete strangers like GNG, but who knows what mischief lurks in the heart of MNG.

It has been a decent sugar day. Went to bed reading a 128 last night, woke up with a 113. I took my insulin shot, ate a banana and about half of a pretzel roll, then headed to the gym. Took another reading when I got home and stuck an 84. Figured I could do with some protein, so I beat some eggs and threw together a tasty ham and cheese omelet. That should keep things nice and stable until lunch.

Not sure what’s on the agenda for today. Do we take down the Christmas decorations or do we say “the heck with it” and do something else? Guess I’ll have to wait and hear from The Management (aka Supportive Partner Woman).

tumblr_memp653uuS1rhvr5io1_500So, yesterday, SPW (love of Hugh Jackman!) and her friend went to see Les Miserables. They were, predictably, gushing about it. It dawns on me that maybe it’s a gender thing. I mean no disrespect to either gender, and I have never seen the stage production, but it seems that women love the movie and men, well, not so much. This review was located online and is well worth the read.

Hope you all have a great day!

Song of the Day: Gimme Your Love – McAuley Schenker Group

Currently Reading: The Black Box – Michael Connelly

Quality time with the family

Posted: December 16, 2012 in Bariatric surgery, Baseball, diabetes, family, music, Supportive Partner Woman, Weight loss
1

So, since Supportive Partner Woman (Editor extraordinaire!) had to work tonight, I headed off to the hinterlands of South Jersey to join in a family Christmas tradition at my cousin Kurt’s home.

I’m not sure if I mentioned this, but Kurt is a bit of an expert on ballparks. He’s written a series of e-books called Ballpark E-Guides, in which he tells you the best way to get to the park, best way to score low-price tickets, even the best concession deals. He puts a lot of time into the books and they are meticulously researched. I know because I went to a Brewers – Nationals game with him at Nationals Park and barely saw him… he was so busy checking sight lines and chatting up ballpark employees.

Anyway, Kurt and his lovely wife and daughter opened their home to a large contingent of the family. I drove down, survived the traffic at King of Prussia and the cattle chutes on the Walt Whitman Bridge, and spent an enjoyable afternoon with my favorite branch of the family.

Far_Side ©Gary Larson

Well, it’s a family tree.

Sadly, we don’t see each other enough. Usually of late, it’s been at a funeral, and that’s gotta stop. We have so much fun… my cousins are intelligent and able to hold a conversation on multiple topics at the same time. For example, when I arrived, there was a big discussion going on regarding the best double albums ever recorded and whether or not they would be OK as a single album.

This is the kind of stuff we talk about at family gatherings. For the record, we figured that there’s no way Tommy or Quadrophenia could e trimmed, however, my cousin Doug feels that The Wall could be trimmed. There was not much agreement on that one.

They can be loud and boisterous, but better people are hard to find. A few weeks ago, when I was feeling pretty down in the dumps, my cousin sent me a lovely e-mail that brought tears to my ears, reassuring me that the family had my back. Not only that, he called my mom to make sure I was doing OK.

That’s what I love about this particular branch of the family tree. Not only do they care, they can laugh at the antics of some other branches of said tree. During our Giant Catholic Wedding Circus©, one of my cousins from Pittsburgh got exceedingly trashed and pretty much surgically attached herself to SPW’s arm, slurring all the way. This is always good for some chuckles at family gatherings.

Speaking of family, I finally told my mother that I intend to have the gastric bypass surgery. She took it a lot better than I expected. She said that she respects the fact I didn’t rush right into it and I took the time to talk to people who have had the operation with varying degrees of success. That was one of the major hurdles, because I fully expected a load of objections about the risks and all that. I told her that in my mind, the rewards outweigh the risks. Yes, it’s major abdominal surgery. Yes, it’s general anesthesia. Yes, there are risks. The chance to live a life free of the syringe makes all the risk worthwhile. It’s not going to be an easy journey, but after a year, I want to be patient of the month at support group, telling how I managed to make my decision and get off the fence and how it helped me lead a normal, non-diabetic life.

Plus, not looking like a whale in a chair is a great incentive.

Have a great rest of the weekend, folks!

Song of the Day: I Believe in Father Christmas – Greg Lake
Currently reading: A Blaze of Glory – Jeff Shaara

What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family. – Mother Teresa

I went to the gym! Twice! In two days!!!

Posted: December 10, 2012 in Exercise, Physical activity, Walking, Weight loss
1

As the title says, I did it.

I dragged my tubby ass out of bed and went to the regular gym on Saturday and Sunday. I didn’t do any lifting… rather I just did some cardio. It felt pretty good to get some work in. There were no sightings of Gratuitously Naked Guy, either, so it was pretty much a win-win.

I had really dropped off the map in regards to training outside of my twice-weekly sessions with the boys. I could offer a whole host of excuses, but truth is that I wasn’t able to do any weight-bearing aerobic activity after the last blister, and I was afraid of getting another blister before the most recent trip. I think that the Boot of Shame on vacation would just suck most profusely.

I hit the treadmill both days. I was doing a pretty constant 2.8-3.0 mph, with variable inclines between 0% and 6% incline. I walked for around 40-45 minutes. Probably not difficult to those of you who are actually in shape. but for me, that’s a pretty good start.

I plan to keep up with it. Would be nice to do seven straight days. Let’s see how it goes.

Older Entries
Newer Entries