Well, Let's Not Do That Again!

A couple weeks ago I woke up with a craving for the cakes of pan. Blueberry ones, with lot's of artificially flavored corn syrup syrup. Actually I wanted the real stuff (syrup) but one will make due. After 20 pounds of weight loss I decided an experiment was in order and that I would test what is stated in the book, Wheat Belly, about the "wheat hang-over." And, if I may paraphrase Adam Savage of Mythbusters, "Remember kids, the difference between science and screwing around is writing it down." Yes! This would be a test of my digestive system and the claims of the Wheat Belly book. The fact that I am finally "writing it down" should tell you something here.

So, off we went on a bright morning, down to the renowned International House of Pancakes for some breakfast yummies. As everyone who eats there knows., this is a place of refined culture and pleasant dining. We especially enjoyed the kids in the neighboring booth who stared, and bounced and bounced and bounced. Anyway, the important thing here is the food. Yes, pancakes! A healthy stack of four white flour filled delights designed to satisfy the heartiest of appetites. Oh well.

I was initially disappointed by the flavor of both the pancakes and the, of course the syrup, neither of which lived up to the expectations in my pre-meal brain. I guess I had, in two months of not eating bread, etc, imagined that all pancakes would taste as good as the made-from-scratch ones of my childhood, along with the fresh, real maple syrup. On the other hand, I did eat all four, hoping with each bite that the flavor would suddenly improve. Much the same way one will repeatedly open the fridge in the hope that a lasagna will appear. Alas, no.

On the other hand, the results of this little experiment were brewing and within two hours I was regretting my inquisitiveness and condemning the teaching of science in our education system. I will leave the details the readers' imaginations but suffice to say, the Wheat Belly book was spot on: Bloating, pain, irritability, etc, etc.

LESSON LEARNED!!!

Back to the grind!

Mood Changes with the Weather

Well, I woke this morning to the odd sound of a thunderstorm approaching from the southwest. I can't remember ever hearing thunder in February before, except perhaps when I was living in Texas. I had planned on doing a little writing about positive thinking, but thinking but the thunder and reading the news pulled my thoughts toward the weird weather, climate change, the chemical spill in West Virginia and the coal ash spill in North Carolina. My mood was drastically sinking and I found myself being downright angry by the time I was done browsing the headlines.

Now aside from being great for future rants, this sort of emotion is not really beneficial for someone wanting to get other things done during the day and maintain a positive outlook on things. I got out of bed, paced around the house, and concentrated on taking slow deep breaths. This helped a little but it wasn't until I decided to weigh myself that things really got working.

I had not weighed myself since February 8th, when I was 216.6 but was not expecting too much change. I have been diligent in my mostly daily exercise and have continued with my basic diet plan of no wheat products (aside from some General Tso's Chicken and one wheat flour taco shell). I have added a few more exercises into my regimen, including shoulder and arm weight training, and added a few more yoga stances and stretches.

But I was not expecting this...

Well! My mood improved immediately (although looking at my toes makes me rather self-conscious, maybe it's the camera lens). The other things on my mind will have to wait for another day as I am feeling too good about myself at the moment. Plus, I have now used up my allotted blog time and have to finish repainting this room.

Hope you all have as pleasant a day.

Excitement of Olympic Proportions

I have been listening to Pandora radio as I type or clean house for a few months now. I generally listen to a lot of movie soundtracks that naturally include a lot of music composed by John Williams (StarWars, Indiana Jones, Superman, etc.) which, as I have mentioned before, is exciting and inspiring. Incidentally, listening to the theme from Raiders of the Lost Ark, as you drive anywhere makes the trip awesome. Anyway, point being, John Williams also composed Summon the Heroes, one of the title tracks to the Olympic Games and it always comes up during the course of a day's listening. This reminder of the upcoming Games got me excited and coupled with the frequent bouts of snow made me want to run out and buy skis. Fortunately that madness would pass but I still looked forward to the Winter Games and now they are here.

I did not watch any professional sports growing up aside from the Superbowl at the Meeks' house, down the hill. I spent more time running around myself than watching sports on TV and I only played Little League for two years as I didn't really enjoy the heated rivalry that it all seemed to be about. I played soccer and basketball in high school but again, this was more to just be part of a team rather than a passionate attachment to the sports. Likewise, I have never followed a team of any of the mainstream professional sports, nor cared who won or lost. The Olympics, on the other hand, always managed to get my attention. Both summer and winter I would watch and while routing for the US, I loved the stories of all the athletes and could easily be compelled by a good one. Who didn't pull for the Jamaican bobsled team?

However, I have always had a certain fondness for the Winter Olympics that started back during the the ones at Lake Placid, NY back in 1980. I remember being awed by the luge, bobsled and the downhill. I enjoyed the artistry of the figure skating and the good old fashion excitement of the speed skating and cross country skiing races. And then there was that hockey game with the Soviets. While I didn't understand the political and nationalistic overtones, I did know an exciting game when I saw it and remember being swept up in the fervor.

This may have been partly due to growing up in NY where we had awesome winters and a great sledding path from our house down the Meeks'. When the road was snow-covered we would walk to the top of the hill and fly down the 3/4 mile slope, day or night while hoping the snowplow wouldn't show. There were days growing up that the whole neighborhood would be out on the road. We would make run after run, head in for PP&J and hot cocoa, giving our soaked gloves just enough time to heat by the wood burning stove, before heading back out for another few hours. I am not just  speaking of my childhood here, we did this three years ago (the last time I was home in Garrison and there was snow on the ground). Dad used to take us skiing a lot, as well,which I always enjoyed, despite generally going home with a good bruise on either butt cheek.

Watching the games during the last few days (and every time I watch them) I am nostalgically transported back to the games at Lake Placid. I get caught up in the excitement and cheer for the US when one of our athletes win a medal. I watch the award ceremonies and am moved by the emotion and symbolism of the National Anthem  and the raising of the flag. But, as mentioned, I do not hold out for the US alone. Jessica and I routed for the 41 year old ski jumper from Japan the other night, based on age alone. I am inspired in my weight loss and exercise by watching athletes how have been driven and inspired by those who came before them.

There is something about the Olympics that transcends professional sports. It isn't about money, although winning a gold medal pretty much guarantees one some great endorsements. It's about putting yourself out there, holding nothing back and throwing caution to the wind (which is often in your face at multiple miles an hour). It's about fair play and sportsmanship. Just this morning I was inspired, not by an athlete but by the Canadian cross country skiing coach who, after witnessing a ski break, jumped the fence and brought a new ski to one of the Russian skiers so he could finish the race. That is what sport should be. That is the embodiment of the Olympics for me.

One Month Down, Five Decades To Go

Well, it's been a month and I am doing great. I am now down 16 (point something) pounds to 216.6 and the changes are noticeable. I started the new year at a tight size 38 waistline and today, while walking through Walmart, I had to keep pulling them up for fear of walking out of them. If that doesn't make one happy, although situationally frustrated, nothing will.

Watching Headline News in the mornings, they are doing a recurring segment entitled New Year's Resolution Reboot. They have experts one can contact online for advice on fitness, diet, finances and relationship advise in an effort to pull people through the one month slump (or surrender) that occurs each February. While thinking this was both a nice service and a crafty way to keep the viewing public watching, I was even happier by the fact that I didn't need it. Well, most of it anyway.

FYI: If you want a nice sized tax return make sure you don't put in too many exemptions on your W4. Where my income increased due to  a full year of work I had a bit of a surprise. The tax return is a funny thing to look forward as we are basically letting Uncle Sam make money off of us throughout the year. Not having as much taken out of my paycheck meant I had more money through the year but there is something very satisfying about receiving that check every February. Especially if you are expecting it. Lesson learned.

My exercise repetitions continue to increase. I can now do 20 push-ups, three pull-ups and we are up to 13 of the Tibetans. For my Army friends: you are probably thinking, "20 push-ups?" Yes, but I am doing them in a four second movement (2 down and 2 up). I have not given myself an Army style PT test for fear of pulling something. As for the pull-ups, I was able to do seven of them when I left the Army. It is amazing how much easier they get when you drop extra weight.

I have made several interesting discoveries diet wise as well. Chocolate is a wonderful treat food and has no effect ( or at least not much) on my weight loss. One Cadbury  Milk Chocolate bars week is good stuff and makes things feel significantly less Spartan. I'm still enjoying my salads and and not missing pasta or bread. This still amazes me. While food shopping yesterday it didn't occur to me to get any of my old eats so I guess the attitude adjustment is still running strong.

Sitting here typing, I am consciously aware of the fact that my belly is smaller. My upper abs are flat and while I can't yet "pinch and inch" I can still "grab a slab," although it's a greatly reduced slab. My biceps have increased in size and definition as have my chest muscles and calves. Flexibility is making major advances as well. A month ago I could barely reach behind my back and interlace my fingers with my arms straight but today I can so with  ease at at a 45 degree angle to my torso. My legs are more limber and I can easily touch my toes without warming up. My split is widening daily and I can actually do some impressive kicks again (Karate type, that is).

Okay, okay, enough self promotion for one day.


Thanks, HLN, but no reboot needed here.

Adjustment to Attitude Adjustment, part One

Rereading that post this evening I was struck by something, two things actually. One was that it made me sound like I am massively depressed and unhappy with my life. Not correct. I was tying to make some personal and broad based observations at the same time and when taken together made me sound pretty low. Two, as I was reading the post out loud to my wife, she was struck by the same thing and it scared the crap out of her.

Note to self:    Have Jessica proof read posts for sanity content before pushing "publish."

I have gone back and made a few adjustments to that post, clearing up a timeline issue and correcting for overly depressing content. Being 30-40 pounds overweight is very stressful and does not cause joy. I was definitely unhappy in this regard. I didn't like to see myself without a shirt on, my knees were extra sore and it was getting hard to bend over and tie my shoes without holding my breath.

The point I was trying to make was that life can be stressful at times, there is no guarantee that we will spend every day smiling ear to ear and floating two feet off the ground. That does not mean, on the days that isn't happening, that life sucks. On the contrary, there are always things that are uplifting and bring joy. Just seeing my wife every morning and evening makes whatever I do in between worth the wait. Her smile and hug when I walk through the door is a precious gem I would trade for no amount of money.  My daughters (when I am not chasing them down to finish their homework) are a joy and full of curiosity and enthusiasm for life. Our numerous dogs and cats share unconditional love as well. And I have a job that leaves me with no doubt at the end of each day, that I made a difference in the lives of others.


Right then! Moving on!

Attitude Adjustment, part Two: Redefining My Feel-Goods

Many people don't know the difference between fed well and well fed.

                                                          

                                                                                                 Poster at Doctor's Office

The above quote was at doctors office at Cabell Huntington Hospital and it really made an impression on me when I saw it. The more I talked to people in my job as a nurse it made an even bigger impression, because it was so true. I have overheard conversations of people discussing nutrition that went a lot like this:

A:  "We were fed all kinds of crap growing up"
B:  "No you weren't! You always had a full table of food."
A:  "Yes, but none of it was good food."
B:   "That's not true. It was all good food. You never went hungry"

Like so many things that cause a ruckus in our society, this a fundamental misunderstanding with language.  Much like freedom of speech doesn't mean that others won't shout you down (using their freedom of speech) when you say something offensive.

Food is awesome and I love most of it, carrot sticks to carrot cake (hold the liver, thanks). Not only do we enjoy the flavor but it causes our brain to react in amazing ways, producing endorphins that make us feel even better. Like other drugs, these endorphin releasing foods can be beneficial, even fun in small amounts but when it becomes your daily go to feel good, they become a habit, lading to an addiction. For anyone who has ever quite smoking, you know how difficult that can be. For me, giving up wheat based foods was harder.

Let's see...pizza, spaghetti, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, mac-n-cheese, subs, dinner rolls, any bread really, fried chicken, calzones, etc., etc. Everything that had become the main staples of my diet and feel-good devices was gone. Okay, I am not making the claim that I will never eat pizza or pasta again, but it will be an occasional treat, eaten in moderation. But, I won't have any of it until I have completed my current weight loss challenge.


So, what does one do when they deprive themselves of their happiness crutches? For me, I have been replacing them with an actual foundation (body) of happiness. Finding the will power to make the change was the beginning and brought a level of tentative positivity. As the days ticked by that positivity was replaced by confidence. Progress added to confidence and ambition was kindled. And that's about where I am now. Having now lost fourteen pounds, as of this morning, and seeing the changes taking place  in my body I am able to contemplate where I want to go with this. What do I want to look like? What do I want to be able to do? I am no longer bemoaning that I can't jog but am developing new goals and benchmarks that are realistic and physically possible. I won't make any predictions or divulge any plans, its a surprise ( for all of us).

Aside from the happiness I am generating within myself from my physical advances I am replacing my old food pat-on-the backs with new healthy versions. Granted I am in the early stages of this and, like so many before me, I am still eating a rather Spartan version. I eat a lot of leafy green salads with baked chicken or other lean meat. I have my simple yogurt and banana breakfast and my fresh fruit snacks. I have yet to do the really important and sustaining step of relearning how to cook and create tasty healthy dishes with spices and natural ingredients. But, that is on the list and any suggestions are welcome.  The important thing here is that I am enjoying the food. I don't have the feeling that I am eating "rabbit food." I actually love salad, especially with a little blue cheese dressing.

Attitude has made all the difference and has been a wonderful flavor enhancer. No need for MSG, my endorphins are flowing from knowing that I am doing something good for myself. This may sound very lame but I am feeling great about feeling great (except for that stomach bug last weak, that sucked, or spewed, or something). This new outlook on food actually surprises me daily as I simply have no desire for my former food favs. I can only assume that my attitude change has taken root in my subconscious and I am totally committed to the mission. Why the hell else would I not eat a piece of tasty, yummy butter and honey coated toast? Beats me!

ARGHGHGH, TOOOAAAST

Post Script on feeling great:

Having the title themes from  Raider of the Lost Ark and Superman , by John Williams, playing as you type helps too.




 

Attitude Adjustment, part One: The Weight of Life's Ups and Downs

I eat because I'm unhappy and I'm unhappy because I eat.

                                                                                                
                                                                                                         Fat Bastard

Out of all my vices over the years, food is my favorite. Unlike some of the harder types, you don't tend to have massive hangovers or withdrawals (and I have yet to rob from my relatives in order to buy some donuts). However,  it can still be a potent and insidious sneaky son-of-a-bitch. I have watched my weight fluctuate over the last decade-plus years pretty radically. I have tried a variety of dietary changes but always fell back into the old habits of eating (or drinking) whatever I wanted to and not worrying about the consequences. This isn't such an issue when one is in the Army, running 2 miles every weekday and doing a variety of calisthenics. But being more or less sedentary is another matter.

In June of 2001 I was out of the Army and weighed about 190. Despite a small spare tire that I generated in my last few months, I was in pretty darn good shape and fit into all my clothes and uniforms. By December of that year I was in the mid 190's and over the next four years I slowly crept upwards despite working for a utility company and walking all over town reading meters. From January to May 2005, the last year of living in Texas, I put a concerted effort into loosing some weight and went from 215 down to 205. When I got to West Virgina that June, I was in pretty good shape. Unfortunately, I put that weight right back on by the end of summer and kept packing it on until April 2006 when I started working at the VA. I had hit 244, looked and and felt awful and was generally not very happy.

This huge weight gain was my own fault. I drank a lot of beer, ate a lot of food and got very little exercise aside from repairing the house my [ex]wife and I had bought in Huntington. My marriage had been slowly crumbling  during this time and while wanting to find some sort of meaningful work (I was collecting unemployment) I was going nowhere. Nursing seemed like a far off goal, as I had no idea how to pay for college and was frankly scared to death by the whole concept. I had a wonderful group of friends in WV, without whom I would have been miserable. For any of you reading this, thanks and sorry I come around so infrequently.

Working at the VA Medical Center was a very uplifting experience for me. I even lost 20 pounds! I was surrounded by other veterans and we all spoke a similar language.  We had had similar experiences and this was a very meaningful job, when it started. After the first year I was becoming rather jaded with the system and the various levels of management that seemed more into self-promotion that actually caring for our nation's veterans.

After 6 months of working at the VA my marriage came to an end. At the same time I was going through my divorce, Jessica was going through hers. We worked together and bonded quickly over our similar home issues and being unhappy. We had very similar interests and despite very different up-bringing it turned out we actually both had been keeping very similar beliefs about the world, people and a variety of other topics, best saved for another time. Since then we have both overcome and shed biases and prejudices that we had developed over our lifetimes and found something that neither of us had had in a long time. Happiness.

Our relationship/courtship was pretty fast, only seven of eight months but it was certain. Jessica had two daughters ages four and six and I was thrilled at the chance of being a dad. For the first time in years I knew exactly what I wanted and I was happy to see it going my way. We were married and moved in together in May of 2007. Since then our relationship and love has continued to grow and I'm not sure that we have ever had a significant argument or problem. Our taste is so similar that it has become a household joke when asking each other's opinion on things. I also went back to school and started a new career. Actually, I really just started a career. Before I was just doing a job.

ANYWAY, the point of all this happy mushiness is that happiness can be fleeting. Not the happiness with our marriage, but how one feels about everything else. Love and marital bliss gives one that wonderful warm glowing feeling and I can say with all honesty that that part of our lives has not faded in the least. However, the outside world (bills, work, neighbors, extended family relationships, political and religious issues, etc.) have a way of creeping in and putting the squeeze on happiness. When this happens we (humans) often seek solace in something that provides us comfort. In my case, it was once again food.

It is easy for one's life to become routine. We get up, go to work, come home, go to bed, blah blah blah. It is easy to fall into the trap of the same old, same old. It is even easier to stop somewhere and pick up dinner rather than cook something at home. Grab a slice of yummy, plop yourself on the couch for a couple hours, shower and hit the sack. Good times, if you are wanting to broaden your "horizons." Well, I was doing that again. Not only are most of the to-go foods high in crapola content but they are expensive. Spending 20 to 30 bucks a night on dinner adds up pretty fast and does not help decrease one's level of stress when its time to pay bills at the end of the month.

It's a vicious double-edged sword that you have to be very careful with and I was not. My weight over the last year was creeping up and , as you know, it was 233 when this adventure began. So, what does one do to find relief from life's stresses?  Well, I'm working on it...

The Five Tibetan Rites

The original book that these exercises comes from is entitled The Eye of Revelation, The Ancient Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation, by Peter Kelder. It was originally published in 1939 and reprinted in 1946 with greater detail. Since then it has has a few more reprints, begining in 1969 when it started to become more popular. It is written in the first person and describes the author's chance meeting with a retired British Army Colonel in NY. The Colonel proceeds to tell Kelder about his travels in India and the far east and of his interest in returning to find a fabled fountain of youth or Shangri-La somewhere in the remote regions of Tibet. The Colonel leaves the US on this quest but returns a few years later looking 30 years younger and reveals that he did indeed find the fountain of youth but that it is found within the individual rather than an actual fountain or geographical location.

The secret of youth is in fact five exercises that are performed by the monks in a monastery deep in the Himalyan Mountains. The monks are all in wonderful shape, despite advanced age and taught the Colonel their secret while he stayed with them for two years. The Colonel agrees to teach Kelder and some friends these five exercises and also goes on to describe the proper eating habits to adopt for maximum benefit. The basic idea, explains the Colonel is that we have seven "vortexes' in the body located in the forehead, back of the brain, throat, right side of the waist, reproductive organs and one in each knee. Keeping these vortexes spinning at the right speed is what helps prevent aging and maintains good health (hope I didn't have the one in my right knee removed accidentally during surgery).

As I have not done extensive research, I cannot say whether there is a whole lot of validity to the original publication date. I also kinda question the idea that there are monks living in the mountains who are 500 years old. That aside, the exercises are excellent, particularly as a way to retrain your body after a long time away from exercise.  The later additions of the book and those published by other authors have adapted the rites and made them more of a yoga style program. The vortexes have been replaced by the yoga "chakras" and some of the moves have been changed slightly as well as how you breath during their performance.

We have been doing the original program, as set down by Kelder, although we are not following the dietary restrictions. As I said, the exercises are great. Some of them are not easy at first but, as recommended, we began doing just three repetitions of each and adding two more each week. Eventually you are supposed to be able to get up to performing 21 repetitions. As no recommendation was made as to how one should breathe we have done whatever felt natural and allowed for the best stretch. Best to use a yoga mat or rug under you to protect your knees and back, as long as it doesn't start sliding out from under you. And here they are:

Rite Number One

Stand with your arms outstretched and spin in a clockwise direction. Yes, really. Don't get over-zealous when begining or you will get dizzy.

Rite Number Two

Lay on your back and raise your legs and head off the ground, keeping your legs straight. Return to the starting position, relax and repeat.

Rite Number Three

Neal with your hands at your sides. Bend over at the waist and tuck your chin to your chest. Bend backwards as you also extend your neck backwards. Return to upright and repeat.

Rite Number Four

Sit on the floor with your legs outstretched and your hands flat on the floor at your sides, chin to chest. Raise your butt of the floor while rolling forward onto your feet, creating a table-like position with your torso, head pulled toward back. Return to sitting position and repeat.

Rite Number Five

Get in position as if to do a push-up but sag at the waist and hold your head up towards the ceiling. Raise your butt towards the ceiling, pushing back with your arms onto the balls of your feet. Return to starting position and repeat.

 

 

Yes, it's that simple.

The book also discusses a Sixth Rite that involves the redirection of sexual energy but well, living for 500 years may not be worth all that.

They are doing a great job for us, particularly as it gave us an exact and simple program to follow. You start small and only make small increases each week. It is a relaxed program that takes the stress out of wondering how long, how many, etc. After two weeks we felt good enough to start adding in other exercises to our daily sessions. My back feels better and it doesn't aggravate my knees!

Hope this helps anyone who is interested.

Ripped Flabs, Part Two: Newtonian Motion

                                                    My old enemy...stairs

                                                                                Po, the Dragon Warrior


Jessica and I have similar physical histories. We both were avid runners in our younger days but physical injury took their toll and we slowly slowed to a crawl. We both had spurts of activity when we found the motivation but they never lasted long and we ended up sitting on the couch and thinking about getting started again (after the weekend, Monday perhaps). After my second right knee injury in 2004 I became wary of impact activities, especially jogging. This was a major whack to my fitness, when I was inspired enough to do anything. I tried lifting weights sporadically but again I had a difficult time seeing results as I never made changes to my other habits like eating (or pre-2007, fermented hops and barley products).

This was particularly difficult during the years of being in school full time. By the time I was done studying I couldn't have cared less if I was overweight or not and I was just happy to be able to go to sleep. I got good grades, but I earned every one and the kids complained that I was always too busy to play. Non-study time became a precious commodity and was spent with family being as still as possible. And so enters Newton's First Law of Motion:

A object at rest remains  at rest and an object in motion stays in motion,

 unless acted on by an external force.

 

 

 

 

No, my physics minded friends, this does not relate to weight loss or exercise in the realm of physics but it does wonderfully from a philosophical point of view and with a little tweaking:

 

A body at rest tends to stay at rest unless acted on by internal and external motivation.

 

(Yeah, so I'm short on motivation for art work)

 

 

I watch more people succumb to illness and poor health in my job, usually from lack of activity. I am confused by people in their fifties and sixties who retired, sat down and seem to be waiting to die. As I have mentioned previously, my parents are the perfect opposite example.

 

I, on the other hand, was becoming what I was shocked by at work. I felt tired and lazy most of the time. Walking up stairs, while not exhausting did make me very aware that I was challenging gravity. When I did get the gumption to do some push-ups I was acutely aware of it for a few days afterwards. The day I built the igloo in December I could barely move for the rest of the evening. Not the guy I knew ten years ago.The question for me was what would be the force to help accelerate my mass? I needed to start over and train my body to work again.

 

Fortunately, Jessica had already been working on this question with us both in mind and presented me with the solution: Yoga and the Five Tibetan Rites. Most people are familiar with yoga or have at least heard of it. The Five Tibetan Rites, not so much, but there is a good following on the Internet. The five "rites" or exercises are five yoga-like moves and stretches that work your body very nicely, especially for someone starting fresh. As recommend, we started out doing only three repetitions of each one and increased by two weekly.There is a whole more mystical side that goes with the rites, similar to that of yoga, including a fountain of youth aspect. While I have my reservations about my ability to  look twenty years younger, I have no doubt that any form of exercise will help one feel and look better (much like when they were younger). Of course, who knows? I may end up with a full head of hair and the six-pack abs that always alluded me in my youth.

 

We started with the Five Tibetans and have progressively added a few other yoga moves and more conventional exercises like push-ups, pull-ups and light weight training. I have been amazed at how quickly my body is recovering from my self-imposed convalescence. In just three weeks I feel great, and am seeing the results.  Flexibility is increasing, strength and definition are returning, and stamina is making amazing headway.

 

So here are the current stats:

 

 

Tibetan reps per exercise:       9

Push-ups                                 15

Pull-ups                                   1!   Whenever I walk past the bar

 

 

 

 

 

And most importantly:

 

 

 

 

 

 



Ripped Flabs, part One.: Finding Motivation and a New Way of Eating

                                     My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four.

                                     Unless there were three other people.

                                                                                       Orson Wells

Truth be told, the first post was written weeks ago but only posted on the 19th because I wanted to be sure I was actually going to get past day 3 of my weight loss plan. On day 5 my wife, Jessica, and I were at O'Charlie's ordering a salad for lunch. When I declined the rolls the waitress asked, "New Year's resolution?" to which I replied, "Yes. From 2007."

As with most of the country, witnessed by the yearly spike in gym memberships each January, I begin every new year wit the best of intentions. Heck, I begin every Monday morning with them too. I can sit with a loaf of peasant bread, freshly warmed in the oven and a stick of butter and be a happy "little" boy. Food had become my feel-good activity again and if I didn't find another I was going nowhere with the whole idea. A fundamental change in doing things was in order.

At the risk of sounding cliche, motivation and attitude are the keys. Not the usual kind where you say to yourself, “I can do it as long as I don’t think about pizza.” But rather the one that has helped me in the past, “I am thinking about pizza and I don’t want it.” I know this seems quite silly but for anyone who has ever tried giving up anything they really enjoy it is a fundamental requirement. You have to want it. You have to demand it of yourself and make it your whole attitude.

I am certainly not lacking in external motivational examples. As noted in an earlier post, I have watched friends and family make healthy life changes so I had their excellent examples to draw from. But I also had the examples of Mom and Dad to add fuel to the fire. It has been just over a year since mom was diagnosed with a "lemon-sized" tumor in he descending colon. At 76 she breezed through the surgery and, despite having the more invasive, full abdominal incision type, and was discharged on the time table of a person who had it done laproscopically. If that doesn't endorse a healthy diet and staying active I don't know what does. Dad is the same. He goes to the gym, chops wood and as far as I can tell they are more active now than when I lived with them 20 years ago. Dad had his scary medical issue back in 1990 when he had a blood clot that destroyed three feet  small intestine and landed him in the hospital for 2 months. At the time he was at about the same weight I was when I began this adventure.

And then there's this...

!!WARNING!!

 

 

 

Image may be disturbing to others

 

(It is to me)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another "truth be told"

 

This picture was taken on January 19 after two weeks and at a weight of 224

 

I love food. I used to love food and jogging/hiking. Then I loved food, jogging/hiking and beer. Then food and beer but missed jogging/hiking. Finally, I just loved food. There it is, my life in a nutshell (a nutshell sitting in the middle of a large pizza).

Jessica has lost 20 pounds over the last 4 months. I have been very impressed with her focus and determination and, along with the example set by others, I found the will to finally get into and stick with a program. I have tried many methods of weight loss over the years: Weight Watchers, Atkins (twice), Slim Fast, etc. With Weight Watchers the portion control was my down-fall. On Atkins and Slim Fast I wasn't getting enough carbs to function. After hearing a lot about the no wheat and paleo
diet plans I became interested. There was historical and biological context that made sense to me. Plus, an amazing amount of my food intake consists of bread or other wheat based foods and starchy veggies like potatoes (pizza, pasta, sandwiches of all kinds, biscuits, gravy, burgers, fries, etc.).

Believe me, it isn't easy, but I stopped all of these. I have started eating more fresh fruits and veggies. A salad has become my daily lunch (portion control be damned), and a Greek yogurt with a banana became my breakfast. Most important of all though was the attitude and motivation.  I knew this was working when I went to bakery at the hospital to get coffee and all those tasty tidbits behind the glass had no appeal at all, I simply didn't see them as food. I also ditched carbonated drinks like diet Coke. Coffee, on the other hand...

I was immediately surprised at how good I felt. I was no longer getting those post meal sugar spikes and drops. I maintained a steady energy level most of the day, aside from the 5 PM slump at work. But hey, after being on your feet and walking for the better part of 10 hours, one gets tired no matter what you eat. Here again, coffee comes to the rescue and tides me over for the last 2 hours. When home, I have found other activities than eating to occupy my time and boredom (I'm doing one now) but that will be the topic of another post.

Right! So, proper attitude in place, dietary changes made, time for the hard part. Movement!

So, Where am I?

So, where am I?                                                                               

Reflecting on the last few years of my life I have made many changes that have been of great benefit to me both physically and mentally. It all began almost six years ago when I married Jessica and became a father to two little girls. I gave up drinking and smoking, lost 20 pounds (not really enough and gained half of it back) and a year later went back to school to get my bachelor’s degree in nursing. Incidentally, starting college at the age of 37 is enough to make one take up smoking and drinking but I settled on coffee.

I had hoped to be able to get a nursing degree for years but it was both financially challenging and scared the hell out of me. The idea of school at 37 was both unappealing and daunting. However, with the support of my family I decided to pursue the possibility, especially after a few years of working at a VA hospital. The question was, how?

As I have told many people over the years, I can no longer go jogging without my knees swelling up like grapefruit and barely being able to walk for several days. This problem began in the Army while serving as a paratrooper when I tore my meniscus in my right knee. Sadly, it was not properly diagnosed until a few years later when it tore further and displaced, leaving my leg unable to straighten. I had surgery which corrected the problem (twice) but it left me unable to perform any kind of impact exercise, even walking starts to hurt after too long. BUT, because of this injury and disability rating I was granted by the VA, I qualified for vocational rehabilitation. Go figure, I had to get myself hurt in order to help heal others.

After developing a good addiction to Starbucks and espresso over four years, I graduated. I had made many new friends, although I was the same age as many of their parents and it had taken over a full semester for them to decide I was safe to talk to. By the way, if any of you out there have sons who want to go to college but are hesitant to enter the nursing profession, give him the following points:

1. It’s a great and rewarding job (although you do earn that paycheck).

2. There are always jobs available, even if they aren’t necessarily your ideal position.

3. And perhaps most importantly the girl to guy ratio in my class was about 70:5! If I was younger and single I would have…

Anyway, you get the point.

So, let’s see…addicted to coffee… yes, at the age of 41, I was starting over again with a new career, only with several years of bills, a mortgage and two young girls rapidly cruising through adolescence and thinking about all that stuff that comes with the teenage years. If not pressing the panic button I was certainly eyeing it warily and trying to maintain a smiling exterior.

I got my first job at Three Rivers Medical Center in Louisa, KY. Initially, this was not where I wanted to work. I had done my clinicals in the bigger hospitals in the area and that was where I wanted to be. Three Rivers is a small 90 bed hospital in a small town in rural KY, but it was a perfect first job. I worked on the Medical/Surgical floor and not only sharpened my basic nursing skills but shed a load of personal bias. I worked with a great group of people, not only on my floor but in the whole hospital. The benefit of a small facility is that you now everyone on a first name basis. Sadly, it was a long drive and there didn’t seem to be enough sick people to be able to work every scheduled day. Or, you got so many admissions during the day, you were barely able to keep up.

Anyway, during that year and a half, life pressed on around me. I continued to not lose 20-30 pounds, the girls continued to grow up and I stared at the pile of bills and wondered, how? I watched others make changes in their lives and really wanted to do something too, I just failed to find the motivation.

Then I woke up one day and there it was.

The Premise

A few weeks ago I came up with the idea for a blog. It is based my views of issues currently facing our country that I think are extremely poorly understood by both the general public and in many cases those that have been elected to fix them. This blog would very likely cause some peoples’ heads to nod, others’ eyes to widen and some to get downright annoyed. Because of my generally open attitude and view of the world I think I will be able address the issues I choose in an unbiased way, but have no illusions that I won’t piss off a few people.

However, since the New Year began I have decided to center myself back on a smaller and less controversial stage…me (at least temporarily). Having watched and been inspired by several old friends and family making healthy changes in their lives (Nadia, Jim, Meghan and my wife, Jessica) and watching my own mother once again beating back cancer I decided it was time to make a few changes of my own. I am overweight. 233 pounds as of January 3, and if it wasn’t for my good posture you would all be able to tell. My mother’s constant nagging in my youth is paying dividends these days. I need to do some budgeting and get things paid down (going to school fulltime and having a family isn’t cheap). I also need to feel better about myself, not only physically and financially but, mentally and, dare I say, spiritually.

 I, indeed I think we all, want to start each day with a sense of purpose and end it knowing that we accomplished something and made a difference. So, it occurred to me that if I wanted to write about the issues I see us facing as a country I should address my own before harping at or trying to inform and enlighten anyone else. This process may naturally transition into my original plan as many of the things I would like to fix in myself are also things that I think we need to address nationally.

My purpose in this project is multi-fold. One, I have found over the last few years that I enjoy it and (as my wife points out) I seem to have a certain need to inform, share information and just plain can’t seem to shut up. Two and most importantly, sharing my personal journey of change with others will make it public and obligates me to see it through. But be forewarned, I may be posting some images that will not only be disturbing to some viewers but may indeed be reposted with comments comparing me to the jolly Buddha statues in many Chinese restaurants.  

So, please hold me to it and don’t let me backslide!

Talk to you soon...