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Thought for Today

12 Thursday Dec 2019

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Cat’s do the strangest things sometimes.

Happy Holiday’s everyone!!  Or, as I like to say, Merry Christmas!!

The past few days have been pretty busy and according to my calendar, it’s only going to get worse.  When I worked, I always disliked the holidays because I never had enough time to do what I wanted to do. With my job being what it was, I always had to be there.  If there was a threat of snow, I had to make sure I brought clothes with me to stay however long I was needed.  I always felt that I couldn’t spend enough time with my family.  Now that I’m retired, it seems that it still holds true.  For now anyway.  Both my girls have come home for Christmas but one is leaving tomorrow to go to Texas with her boyfriend to spend some time with them over the holidays.  When she returns home she’ll spend a couple of days here then back off to college.

This year it’s going to be different for my wife’s side of the family.  She lost her mother a few months back and her good for nothing brother and his family are trying to steal the family’s inheritance.  We’ve had one court date but that got put on hold until further notice.  I never really liked that family anyway.

A quick note about my diet.  I’m back on it.  I’ve been on it for a couple of days now.  So far, so good.  If I can just get my wife on board.  I keep telling her not to fix me stuff that I can’t eat but she continues to do it.  She fixed french-fries tonight and I just left them there.  Of course, she got offended that I wouldn’t eat the food that she had prepared.  It’s a constant battle.

I went to Wal-Mart today and I saw what most everyone sees this time of the year.  A Salvation Army Bell Ringer.  This one was different. He played the trumpet and played Christmas music. What a wonderful experience.  He was drawing in the dough.  I could listen to him all day long.  I wished that all Bell Ringers had some sort of talent.  I’m sure their donations would double.

 

The Crossroads

31 Thursday Oct 2019

Posted by in Diabetic

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Decisions, decisions.  This weather we are having doesn’t seem to know where to go.  This morning we woke to 70-degree weather, now as I’m writing this it’s close to 40 degrees and dropping.  It will be a miracle if I don’t end up sick or worse, in the hospital.

Although it rained all day, I got to spend some time with one of my daughters. The other daughter decided she wanted to go to Chicago with her boyfriend.  Their flight kept getting delayed because of the weather in Chicago.  I think their trip had a five-hour delay in getting started because of it.

I was able to take my other daughter out to lunch and we got to spend some good quality time with each other. Time flies.  She and her sister are seniors this year in college. It’s hard to believe.  It seems just like yesterday we were taking them down there. They have both grown up to be responsible adults.

Being that the weather was bad and my daughter was home, I didn’t go to the gym as planned.  My daughter will be here until Sunday and I have somewhere to be both Friday afternoon and Saturday so it may be Monday before I get to back to the gym.

I am sticking to my diet but my problem is that I still have a snacking issue.  Late at night, I get hungry and I head to the kitchen.  Now, instead of eating a bag of chips or ice cream, I’ll fix me some cheese slices with a little bit of mayo on them.  It’s not really filling but it satisfies my grazing needs. But, I feel guilty for doing it.  I shouldn’t eat that late at night.

The good thing about all this dieting is that my blood sugar has dropped somewhat. It’s still got a long way to go but at least it’s going down.

 

Week Two My Weightloss Journey

28 Monday Oct 2019

Posted by in Retirement, Weight Loss

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I gained a quarter of a pound during the week.  I fluctuated a pound or two throughout the week.  I have several issues that I’ve got to get settled.

1)  Scheduling.  I can’t seem to find a schedule that seems to work. I want to be able to work out the same time every day, eat more or less at the same time every day and do everything else that I have to do.  One thing that put a cramp in my schedule last week is that my truck stayed in the shop more than at home.  I did get a chance to walk to the shop a couple of times and I was able to get some steps in.  The shop is a little over a mile one way from my house.

2)  Willpower.  I love to eat sweets as does my wife.  There is always something in this house that calls my name late at night.  In fact, my wife made chocolate chip cookies last night.  I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t have any. In fact, most are still there, in a container sealed with a plastic lid.  I’m trying my best not to go into the kitchen.  She is a fanatic when it comes to chocolate, especially when it comes to that special time of the month.  I can and have told her not to purchase the stuff but alas, it somehow appears out of nowhere.

3)  Energy.  I have plans on getting out and going to the track or to the church and using their exercise equipment but when it’s time to go I find myself feeling tired and not wanting to go. If I do go, it’s like I have to force myself to get up and go.  Once there I’m fine. I want to go above and beyond my current skillset and I end up hurting myself.  I’ll give you an example.  Last week I went to the track to walk about 45 minutes.  I ended walking close to two hours because I wanted to push myself further and further.  I hurt for several days after that.  I just need to learn to take it easy until my body is ready.

I can do this.  I have no doubt about it.  After all, I lost close to 50 pounds the last time I stayed on this diet.  And, if I recall, I had the same trouble getting started last time.  The trouble is staying on a diet and keeping this weight off.

I have a hike planned for tomorrow and the next three days it’s supposed to rain.  I’ll try and visit the church gym one of those three days that it’s supposed to be raining.

Good News/Bad News 10/21 Update

21 Monday Oct 2019

Posted by in Weight Loss

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Good news; I lost 7.5 pounds.  Bad news; It was more.  Yes, I had lost 11.2 pounds in one week and I know 1) It was mostly water weight and 2) It was not healthy for me to lose that much in one week.  I did well all week staying on a schedule but came the weekend. When I worked, it used to be right the opposite.  I did well on the weekends but terrible during the week.

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I got involved with hauling the band trailer and at least twice I week I have to haul it to football games and competitions.  Friday night I forgot my prepared meal and I had to find something to eat.  Nothing but concession food.  So, I grabbed a hamburger and ate just the meat.  About an hour later my sugar dropped.  So, back to the concession stand again and this time I got, I’m afraid to say french fries.  That was the start of the decline.  Saturday was bad and we won’t discuss Sunday.  I tried but evidently not hard enough.  Anyway, here it is Monday and I’m back on the diet.

Seven pounds is nothing to scoff about.  Staying on a schedule is the key.  Knowing what and when I’m going to eat ahead of time helps me stay in control.  Anything that comes along that is not planned throws me off.  This past week has taught me a lesson.  I’ve got to be prepared for anything.  I can put low carb meal bars in my backpack when going on those band trips and I can store these Glucerna shakes in my cooler as well.

Weight Loss Update 10/15/2019

15 Tuesday Oct 2019

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As I figured, it’s been a little difficult hitting some of my goals.  I’ve only reached half my 10,000 step goal for the last two days.  Tomorrow I plan on changing that.  With my daughters having a birthday celebration on Sunday, we still have cake and pie laying around.  Be proud of me because I haven’t had any so that’s a huge accomplishment.  I haven’t had any carbs to amount to anything in two days.  Another big accomplishment.  Even though I’m not getting the exercise in like I want, the scales did see a smaller number this morning.

Today’s Thoughts 4/10/2018

10 Tuesday Apr 2018

Posted by in Cycling, Leukemia, Weight Loss

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It’s been seven days since I started my new medication.  At this time there hasn’t been any noticeable side effects.  I’ve had the pharmacist from the drug company call me twice to check on me.  Like I said in my last post, this is a fairly new drug so they’re just concerned about me I guess.

On April 21st, there is a city-wide competition with some of the business in town called The Birmingham Challenge.  I have signed up with my employer to ride in a 10k bike stroll.  The bike stroll is not a competition within itself but we get points as to how many cyclists we get to ride in the event.  It’s the same way with the walking event.  We do, however, have other events that are competitions, such as the tug a war, dodgeball, corn-hole, golf, home-run hitting, and a couple more events.  Last year our company came in 2nd overall.  I’ve signed up for the cycling event.  I haven’t been on my bike for nearly a year, until this evening. I know it’s not much but I rode a whole 2.4 miles.  I could’ve ridden further but both my headlight and taillight were not charged and I didn’t want to ride without them.  I really surprised myself.  I actually dreaded getting back on my bike and tackling the hill in front of my house.  I got a little winded but I made it with no problems.

I’m back on my low carb diet.  I blew it this weekend.  Those Little Debbie cakes ought to be illegal.  I’ve finally got my wife on board with me with her cooking and she’s not giving me bread or potatoes so the failure this weekend is all on me.  I just “grazed” all weekend.  I had lost seven but on Monday, I gained five.  I hate losing the same weight that I had already lost before.  Today I did great though.  We’ll see when I check the scales in the morning.

I check in again in a couple of days.  In the meantime, enjoy your week.18157141_10154580034993946_3844449760811629204_n

From last years event.

 

Today’s Thoughts 3/22/2018

22 Thursday Mar 2018

Posted by in Cancer, Leukemia, Photography, Weight Loss

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My new CML meds have not arrived as promised.  They were supposed to have arrived on Tuesday but alas, not here yet.  My oncologist called this morning to see if I had started taken them yet.  He was not happy that they had not arrived.  He said that he was going to find out where my meds are at and let me know.

I’ve attempted to start dieting again.  It’s been a tough couple of days.  I’m doing the low carb diet.  I lost 60 lbs on it last time I was on it and I’ve still got that and many more to go.  I’m trying to limit my carbs to 35 a day.  Today and yesterday I have gone way over.  Today was better than yesterday and I’m hoping that tomorrow will be even better.  I want to get down to 255 by August 15th and I’m 276 now.  I don’t think I”ll have a problem reaching it if I can gain the willpower to stick with it.  In 2009, I weighed the most I’ve ever weighed. At 346, I came to the realization that I had to do something.  Especially since my doctor told me that I wouldn’t see my kids graduate college if I didn’t do something.

The other reason I’m on the low carb diet is that of my sugar.  My body can’t handle carbs.  I can drink a cup of milk and my sugar will jump from 159 to over 250.  I did well all day today until I got home.  I checked my sugar around 5:30pm and it was 185.  I had a cup of milk, exactly 1 cup, not a glass full, and when I checked it just now, 10:35pm, it was 325.  The last time I did the low carb diet I pretty much did away with carbs altogether.  I went from a 9.6 A1c to 6.7 A1c in six months.  Now that I’ve gotten off my diet, my sugar has gone out of control.

Tomorrow is another day!!

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.

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.

365 Day Photo Challenge 335/365 “Day 30”

30 Monday Nov 2015

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Final day of my month long attempt to really hit it hard and see just how much weight I could lose in a month.  I did really well to begin with.  That’s the way it always goes isn’t it?  You do so well at the beginning but you falter and spiral downward uncontrollably.  November is really not a good month to try and diet, neither is December with all the holidays in the month.

I really just confirmed facts that I already knew. 1) I can not lose weight just by dieting alone.  2) I can not depend on the amount of walking I do at work (an average of 6 miles or more a day) to count as daily exercise. 3) If I stop exercising on a daily basis my weight will return, even when I stay on my diet.  There is something else that I’ve learned during this month.  I will not give up.  I have too much to live for right now and I have to get my weight down no matter what.

“Life Goes On!”