There is Hope

I was surfing through Facebook and came across one of those 'check this out' posts that are all too common. This one was a BMI calculator. I thought to myself; self, I bet your BMI is a whole lot better than it was a year ago. It was with great optimism I decided to play along. 

Height: 5' 8.25"

Weight: 194.2 

Magic box calculation: BMI 29.3 

29.3! Seriously? 29.3 puts me at the top of the OVERWEIGHT scale. I lose 113 pounds and I'm still fat!

According to the BMI scale of life, I have to loose another 29.2 pounds to reach the top of the normal category. Oh well, no one has ever accused me of being normal; top of category or otherwise. 

Fortunately for my sanity and emotional well being, my waist to height ratios is smack dab in the normal range. That's right, if you look hard enough you can find a statistic that well tell you what you want to hear.   

What's my point in all this? If you can climb stairs, run, jump and enjoy life to the fullest, you probably don't have a weight problem. I suspect, however, if you do have a weight problem you know it without having a simple BMI calculation tell you.  

If you struggle with weight issues, I understand. I've walked in your shoes and I've sat at your table. I know the frustration and I feel your pain. I know the isolation you feel and I'm here to tell you there is hope. If you want to know more, one on one, contact me through this site. 

In case you missed it: there is hope!  

Very Good Indeed

I mixed it up a little this afternoon; I rode my bike. 

A funny thing happened when I pulled my bike out of storage a couple of weeks ago: it didn't fit. I've ridden it twice  since pulling it down and I just couldn't get comfortable in the saddle. I thought it had something to do with the pouring rain I got caught it in, but I got the same result a few days later. Determined to mix-up my workouts, this afternoon I got out some tools and started tweaking. A few moments latter I was ready to hit the street. 

Success! I can't explain how or why weight loss affected the fit of my bike, but it did. I lowered the saddle slightly and moved it all the way forward and it worked. I don't know why, my arms and legs are the same length they always were, but I'm not going to argue with success.

I spent thirty-eight minutes on the road and could have gone farther. I pulled up short to insure my backside would be ready to ride another day. Expedience tells me too much too soon leads to a serious case of 'saddle sore'; bad idea for a guy who makes his living sitting in a chair all day.

Of all the good that's come my way this year, and there's a lot of good, being active is the best. I feel twenty years younger. I can run. I can ride. I can live. 

It's all good, very good indeed!

Slow and Steady, Leaking Steam.

It's been nine days since my last post, which is inexcusable. The reasons are many, varied and for the most part, legitimate. The bottom line is, we've been very busy. Another major factor; I am less focused on weight loss and more focused on life. The new has become normal. It's been eleven months today, and I can hardly remember my former life. Once in a while a photograph comes across my path and I am confronted with my former reality. However, my goal isn't to dwell on the past, but to 'live large' going forward. 

This afternoon I ran 5.25 miles - my favorite loop; out Colby and along the water on Marine View Drive. Coming up 25th on the final stretch is where I pulled my calf muscle a couple of weeks ago. Today I was like a locomotive coming up the hill; slow and steady, leaking steam. As I sit here and type, my muscles are letting me know I went for a run; not pain, just enough to make me feel good about getting out and being active. 

If I haven't said it lately, my life, as I currently know it, is due to weight loss surgery. I struggled for years to regain the activity lost to obesity. I battled daily to reconcile the person I was with the person I wanted to be. It's a hard life when you're not comfortable in your own skin. I know this all too well. Thanks to a skilled surgeon and a supportive wife, my life is new and exciting again. It's not a dream. It's my new reality. 

If you struggle with weight issues. If you're tried everything and feel hopeless, I know your pain. My path is not for everyone, but if you're interested in learning more about weight loss surgery (specifically the vertical sleeve procedure), contact me. 

A Very Good Day

I ran this morning; first time since my injury two weeks ago. All the moving parts moved in the right direction at the right time; most significant, without pain. Life is good. 

My self imposed exercise exile didn't hurt my weight loss efforts. I'm down a pound. Right now my weight loss has slowed to about two pounds a month. I'm pleased with any sustained effort that moves me away from obesity, towards fitness and ultimately, to health and happiness. 

My life has changed so much, sometimes I feel like I'm living in a dream. It isn't so much about the pounds anymore, it's all about living life; life without limits. 

I'm living life. I'm living large!

It's a good day. It's a very good day!

A Special Kind Of Smart

Sometimes I feel like I’m living in an alternative universe. Losing a bunch of weight has that effect. So does a wife who works-out regularly. I had weight loss surgery. Michelle has a personal trainer. It’s been almost a year for both of us and the results are amazing. I've lost 112 pounds of unwanted fat. Michelle is a lean and toned workout machine.  

It’s a little like a Far Side cartoon. Me sitting on the couch; Michelle walking up and saying, “Feel my muscle.”  

That’s not to say I don’t work-out. I’m just not much for the drill sergeant routine. I’m more or a slow-twitch endurance kind of guy, which works for and against me. Sometimes I don’t know when to quit. I've been known to do stupid things like keep running, even after I know I've pulled a muscle. Most people would immediately stop and phone home. Most people would, but not me. That takes a special kind of smart that I just don’t have.

It’s been two weeks and my leg feels good. Unfortunately, my back doesn't. Just when I thought it was safe to go back outside and play, my back is giving me fits. My back has been much better since losing weight, but there’s an exception to every rule. I know I need a few more days of rest and inactivity for a full recovery. Knowing and doing are two completely different concepts. 

Like I said, that takes a special kind if smart.         

Lightning Strikes

Tonight is another one of those rare moments in life; good food, good music, excellent company.

I guess lightning strikes twice. 

The truth is, you don't have to count on random chance when you marry well!

I am truly a lucky guy!