Greetings to all my friends, followers, and supporters on this long Thanksgiving Weekend! I want to introduce my new website!
Three Hundred Pounds Of Joy!
No, my blog is not going anywhere, but I am not planning on making frequent posts here, transitioning over to my new website instead.
Daily updates and rantings will all be over there on the main page. In time I will add more content there and eventually it will be an entire on-line community unto itself.
Important announcements and updates will probably also be posted here.
Happy Holidays!!
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
Weight Loss Update & Spine Surgery Update: 11/18/13
It has been forever since I've had a weight loss update, and quite a few days since a surgery update. We're going to combine them into one blog entry!
Surgery - Post Op, Day 28 (4 weeks since surgery)
Recovery continues to go very well. I no longer need my walker, canes, or walking stick. I can now walk as far as I want without pain from the surgery site. This past Thursday I walked 10 miles, and while my hips, knees, feet, and middle back started to complain, my lower back did just fine.
I see no point in pushing myself to walk further and further since I've reached a point where my other body parts start complaining long before the repaired parts do!
I have backed off to walking six miles a day using the Nordic Walking Poles. This is one mile a day more than my pre-op routine and I am comfortable with it.
I'm finding it easier to sit for prolonged periods and to stand. I'm still not supposed to twist or bend or lift heavy things any time soon. I see my surgeon on December 5th, expect another surgery update then.
-------------------------------------------------------
Weight Loss Update
I weighed 202 pounds this morning. This is 4 pounds heavier than my weight the day before surgery and 10 pounds higher than my lowest 10 day average.
Do not be alarmed by this!!! :) When I learned on October 2nd that I'd be having surgery on the 21st, I intentionally started eating more food. I wanted to go into surgery with plenty of reserves. I increased my protein and fat intake and had gained several pounds by the time of surgery.
After surgery I intentionally ate as much of EVERYTHING that I wanted to. I wanted to make sure my body had an excess of nutrients to help me heal quickly. I ate plenty of protein. And I indulged in as much of the high-calorie comfort foods that I enjoy.
I didn't eat anything bad, though I did eat far too much of things I'd normally restrict severely or not eat at all. Nuts, dried fruits, tortilla chips, crackers, and chocolate chocolate chocolate. Oh, and I ate as much chocolate as I wanted.
Many of you will no doubt think I went off the deep end, fell off the wagon, JUST as I finally got it all figured out.
Nope.
It is human nature to indulge in comfort foods during times of stress and sickness. I would dare say that my eating behavior during this time of medical recovery is.... normal.
I'm up ten pounds after 45 days of eating as much of everything as I wanted. I know how much I ate, you don't, and I gotta tell you, I'm surprised it's only ten pounds!! It reinforces in my mind the fact that your body actively seeks to burn off excess carbohydrates if at all possible, rather than store them as fat.
Today marks 4 weeks and a transition back to my normal eating patterns. I am determined more than ever to resume right where I picked up and continue on until I reach my goal of having lost 300 pounds. Even at my new "bloated" weight of 202 pounds, I still only have 16 pounds to drop to reach the magical 300 pound mark.
Can I do it? Anyone want to take bets?
-Raymond Cool aka Norm
Surgery - Post Op, Day 28 (4 weeks since surgery)
Recovery continues to go very well. I no longer need my walker, canes, or walking stick. I can now walk as far as I want without pain from the surgery site. This past Thursday I walked 10 miles, and while my hips, knees, feet, and middle back started to complain, my lower back did just fine.
I see no point in pushing myself to walk further and further since I've reached a point where my other body parts start complaining long before the repaired parts do!
I have backed off to walking six miles a day using the Nordic Walking Poles. This is one mile a day more than my pre-op routine and I am comfortable with it.
I'm finding it easier to sit for prolonged periods and to stand. I'm still not supposed to twist or bend or lift heavy things any time soon. I see my surgeon on December 5th, expect another surgery update then.
-------------------------------------------------------
Weight Loss Update
I weighed 202 pounds this morning. This is 4 pounds heavier than my weight the day before surgery and 10 pounds higher than my lowest 10 day average.
Do not be alarmed by this!!! :) When I learned on October 2nd that I'd be having surgery on the 21st, I intentionally started eating more food. I wanted to go into surgery with plenty of reserves. I increased my protein and fat intake and had gained several pounds by the time of surgery.
After surgery I intentionally ate as much of EVERYTHING that I wanted to. I wanted to make sure my body had an excess of nutrients to help me heal quickly. I ate plenty of protein. And I indulged in as much of the high-calorie comfort foods that I enjoy.
I didn't eat anything bad, though I did eat far too much of things I'd normally restrict severely or not eat at all. Nuts, dried fruits, tortilla chips, crackers, and chocolate chocolate chocolate. Oh, and I ate as much chocolate as I wanted.
Many of you will no doubt think I went off the deep end, fell off the wagon, JUST as I finally got it all figured out.
Nope.
It is human nature to indulge in comfort foods during times of stress and sickness. I would dare say that my eating behavior during this time of medical recovery is.... normal.
I'm up ten pounds after 45 days of eating as much of everything as I wanted. I know how much I ate, you don't, and I gotta tell you, I'm surprised it's only ten pounds!! It reinforces in my mind the fact that your body actively seeks to burn off excess carbohydrates if at all possible, rather than store them as fat.
Today marks 4 weeks and a transition back to my normal eating patterns. I am determined more than ever to resume right where I picked up and continue on until I reach my goal of having lost 300 pounds. Even at my new "bloated" weight of 202 pounds, I still only have 16 pounds to drop to reach the magical 300 pound mark.
Can I do it? Anyone want to take bets?
-Raymond Cool aka Norm
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Post Op Update: Day 12
Here is a picture of me headed out for part of my daily walk today.
I am now pushing that walker six miles a day. I hope to be done with the walker soon but for now I'm not stable enough on my feet and simply can't risk a fall.
I am off all pain meds. This isn't to say I'm not in pain, but it's quite manageable.
My mind is clearer every day. Still a touch of fog. The other day I sent out a 10 day update email when it was only day 9, so there's still a bit of fog still needing to clear the air. :)
I have not resumed driving yet. I was planning on driving to church tomorrow but my wife put the nix nix on that idea. She'll drive me. Maybe next week. :)
All in all recovery is coming along nicely. Now I need to start healing. Or rather, fusing. Pray and send positive energy my way for a quick fusion so that I can get the green light to resume my Super Powers!
-Ray aka Norm
I am now pushing that walker six miles a day. I hope to be done with the walker soon but for now I'm not stable enough on my feet and simply can't risk a fall.
I am off all pain meds. This isn't to say I'm not in pain, but it's quite manageable.
My mind is clearer every day. Still a touch of fog. The other day I sent out a 10 day update email when it was only day 9, so there's still a bit of fog still needing to clear the air. :)
I have not resumed driving yet. I was planning on driving to church tomorrow but my wife put the nix nix on that idea. She'll drive me. Maybe next week. :)
All in all recovery is coming along nicely. Now I need to start healing. Or rather, fusing. Pray and send positive energy my way for a quick fusion so that I can get the green light to resume my Super Powers!
-Ray aka Norm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)