Monthly Archives: June 2017

Weight Loss Struggles 2

29 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by in Weight Loss

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It’s been nearly two weeks and ten pounds since my last post.  This low carb diet seams to be working for me.  I’m no longer hungry all the time and I’m no longer having cravings like I used to have.  This Saturday will mark one month and two weeks since I’ve started this diet.  My starting weight was 295 and today I weighed in a whopping 257 pounds.  There are still items in the frezzer that I should not eat but their voices are not as loud as once before.

One word about my last post.  I stated that I had ridden on my bike some three thousand miles in the past ten years and walked some hundred or so miles during this time.  You can say what you want but I’m damn proud of those miles.  You may do the same in a weeks time but I’m not you.  I’m me.  I’m a lot different than you and nothing you or anyone can change that.  We are who we are regarless of what sickness or disease we may have.  Each of us a has a choice to make whether or not we want to do something about it or not.  I have chosen not to use my sickness as an excuse to sit on the couch but I’m still not able to get out and ride as much as I’d like to so, I walk instead.

I will continue to keep doing what I’m doing.  If and when my breathing gets where it needs to be I’ll hop on my bike and ride like the wind.  For now I’ll walk to the track and walk my five miles before heading home.  In the mean time, if you’re reading this and need a word of encouragement, don’t give up and don’t let others dictate what you can and can’t do.  You can do it, just do it one day at a time.  You didn’t put this weight on in a weeks time so it’s going to take some time taking it off.

Good luck to you!!

Weight Loss Struggles

16 Friday Jun 2017

Posted by in Weight Loss

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Why is it so hard to diet and lose weight? The majority of people I know struggle with losing weight and I know only a few who struggle putting weight on. I can do well with my diet for a week or so and only lose about a pound or two while it only takes one day to screw it up and eat something that I’m not supposed to eat and gain two pounds at one sitting. It doesn’t make since. Why does our bodies hate us so much? I hate with a passion to lose weight that I’ve already lost before. And for some reason I know it will be there when I weigh in the mornings. It’s like it’s got a big sign that says “I’m Back!!” and then it takes me another two weeks to lose it again.

For once in my adult life I’d like to weigh what I did in high school. My metabolism was good and I could eat anything I wanted to and not have to worry about my weight. I can remember going through the lunch room line twice each day because the first lunch didn’t fill me up. The lunch room ladies always had my tray ready for me when I returned. I especially liked pizza days. I weighed a whopping 186lbs back in those days. Of course, I had band, cycling in the neighborhoods and backyard football games to help burn all those calories.

Can you imagine me weighing 186lbs today? Lol, It can be done I guess, if I set my mind to it. I really don’t see it happening though. Afterall, I’ve got to be realisitc.

For me it’s not just losing the weight, as most of you know I’ve got other health problems going on. But, for right now, my sugar is my main concern. Up until three weeks ago 300 was the norm. No matter what I ate or didn’t eat it was always way above normal. I thought my meter was busted at one point. My Dr. put me on insulin and that really didn’t help either. My metabolism had become non existent. I tried walking, riding my bicycle but the weight would not come off.

I’ve got so many support personel that it’s really funny I guess. There’s the wife and kids of course, my parents and then there’s my two cardiologists, my dietitian, my PC doctor, my pulmonologist, and my sleep study doctor all pulling for me to lose weight. Ok, even a few coworkers too, although I dont think they’ll admit to it. I had one doctor who wasn’t “pulling for me to lose weight” he TOLD me to lose weight. It was the surgon who removed my apendix. He told me because I was so LARGE that he spent most of his time in surgery locating my apendix. It’s no wonder I was so sore afterwards. I was really offended by this but do you think that it made me lose weight. Nope. Maybe for a week or two and then I was back on my all you can eat diet.

It wasn’t until my PC told me that he had done all he could do and the rest was up to me. If I wanted to see my son and my girls graduate high school I had better get my weight under control. It was then a light went off and I realized that I had better listen to him. At that point I was at the heaviest weight I had ever been in my life. This was back in 2007

Today, I’m a little over 80lbs lighter. It’s taken me ten years to lose what I have lost. Not just one diet but a multitude of diets, I’ve traveled over 3500 miles on my bike, I’ve walked hundreds of miles either on my treadmill, roads or trails and I’ve eaten and drank stuff that would make the strongest of stomachs puke all because I needed to lose weight. Losing weight is not for the faint of heart. It’s a struggle.

For those of you who read this and are of perfect health, my hats off to you for keeping your body in shape. But for those who are like me and struggle with weight loss, I stand and applaud you. I know what you are going through and I know that you would rather have that chocolate ice cream bar that’s in your freezer right now calling your name than to eat that piece of card board that’s shaped like a piece of bread.

One final note. Find a plan that works for you and stick with it. Right now I’m doing the low carb diet and it’s working. I’ve lost some weight and my sugar is better, still not perfect but getting there. I’m a long way from being where I want to be and I’m not giving up. Neither should you. You can do it. We can do it together. Thanks for reading.

Caney Creek Falls

11 Sunday Jun 2017

Posted by in Nature, Photography

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I’m a bit late posting this but I’ve just now got around to it.  This trail head in the Jasper/Double Springs area of the Bankhead National Forest.  If you’re ever in this area I would highly recomend this place.

The trail starts off down hill for about twenty yards or so.  Which is fine but you’ve got to come back up.  The trail itself is rather nice.  It’s farly wide for the most part but does narrow down to a single person for a bit before reaching the falls.

My wife and I followed this trail for about a mile and a half when we saw a young lady sitting on a log off to the side of the trail.  Surrounding her was another female and a male friend.  The lady on the log looked like she was having some heat related issues.  I offered one of my bottles but they refused any help from us.  Evedently, the hill going down to the falls was steeper than I had read.

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Going down this hill was tough on my legs but not near as tough as going up it.  Once to the falls you had to climb down to the creek to get any pictures of the falls.  There were several young people swiming and I feel sure the water was cold.  My wife didn’t venture down to the falls because she was afraid she’d fall.  The same thought had entered my mind as well but I just walked a little over a mile to get here and I wan’t going to let a little climb turn me around.

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As we guessed, the climb out of there was slow for me.  It took me a while for me to reach the flatter area because I had to stop and catch my breath several times.  Once we made it to the top of the hill it wasn’t so bad getting back to out truck.  With the exception of the last twenty yards.

For anyone with breathing issues or congestive or heart issues, I would not recommend this trail.  All others, have at it. Simeple two mile in/out trail.

 

Good News/Bad News

04 Sunday Jun 2017

Posted by in Cancer

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Bad news first.  My Leukemia is back.  Got a call from my oncologist on Friday and he told me that my numbers were back up.  I’m to increase my dosage and go see him in six weeks for more blood work.  Nothing else to do until then so there’s no since in crying over spilt milk.

Now for the good news.  I’ve started doing the low carb diet.  I’m limiting my carbs to 35 to 40 per day.  I started last Saturday and I’ve lost close to ten pounds this week.  I know most of it is water weight but hell, then pounds is ten pounds.  Another plus is that my sugar has been a lot better as well.  It dropped about 30 points this week.

I went hiking yesterday with the wife.  I won’t go into too much detail here because I want to do a review of this waterfall on another post.  It wasn’t but a two mile hike but the steep hill made it much more of an exercise event for me.  We had to stop several times comeing back for me to catch my breath.  I can’t wait until I get back in shape again.

On another note; my weight loss journey started when my weight got to 345lbs.  My ultimate goal is around 225lbs.  Until recently I thought I’d never reach that goal.  I can now see a light at the end of the tunnel.  It’s very dim mind you but it’s there. Today’s weighin was 268lbs. It won’t be long until I reach my mini goal of 265lbs.  It’s taken me five years to get down to where I’m at.  Will it take me another five years to reach my ultimate goal? I hope not.