Supspending This Weblog

Due to a personal matter which requires my undivided attention, there will be no new posts here for the foreseeable future.

Fresh Start

Hi there, campers. I'm just about ready to jump in to this project feet first once again.

Since the last post, I've maintained my weight (though I haven't lost any more).

Something weird is going on with the blood pressure. It was 102/84 earlier this week, and 91/63 this morning, so I called the doctor and we're adjusting meds. I hope to have things stabilized by the time we head for the PME in California later this month.

Look for something new on this Blog sometime in October.


PS: I'm now officially older than dirt.

quick update

i've pretty much given up blogging progress and meals each day for the time being - very, very busy

wanted to note that i broke 220 for the first time in years last thursday though...and blood pressure was at 126 over 79 - so good progress there as well

more to come as i make time for it

10.2

quite a gap in there...

the good news is that i'm maintaining my weight now at around 220 pounds

i've been much less strict with diet over the past few weeks, but my habits have fundamentally changed

i plan to begin a fairly strict regimen of regular exercise and counting points again on monday, with an eye toward losing another 20 pounds by the end of 2007

wish me luck!

8.5 Monday

so far today: banana, yoplait, reduced-fat peanut butter sandwich - probably around 10 - 12 points total

pizza for supper - papa john's thin crust veggie - 5 points per slice

8.2

usual for breakfast

a peach, some pasta/zucchini/shrimp and a little provolone with some all bran crackers for lunch

8.1

holding at 220

banana for breakfast, pasta for lunch

ready to take a little break for the weekend, then hit it hard again monday

i will try to get some exercise, at least

7.7

banana and real coffee this morning - saved the all bran for lunch

contemplating a summer penne dish for supper

7.6

nothing unusual with either diet or activities over the past few days, but thought i ought to get back to logging it

banana and decaf with splenda so far this morning

the back is much better this week...i need to make time to walk at least...it's been terrificly hot the past couple of days, and we have storms this morning, so i may have to ride the stationary bike or something for now...i plan to get some sort of exercise over the lunch hour today

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best laid plans

yogurt and some baked corn chips for lunch...noodles, cauliflower and tabouli for supper

a little dewars afterward

7.1

dearth of posts the last couple of days because i really haven't had much to record

still in a lot of back pain, and haven't been eating much but salads and the normal breakfast stuff

i did step on the scale this afternoon and it read 220 - though i may be a bit dehydrated...if it holds though, that's 18 pounds lost in six weeks...not setting any records, but a nice, steady pace of weight loss

if i can continue to average 2 pounds or so per week, i may be under 200 by thanksgiving

i'm encouraged that i can now wear xl shirts without being uncomfortable

so far today, i've only eaten a banana...really need to have something substantial here in a bit

6.6

terrible lower back pain this morning - running at this point was a very bad idea - have to wait until i'm thinner, if even then

6 point breakfast - banana and cheerios with a full cup of milk

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1/2 cup pinto beans (2 points)
1/2 cup cottage cheese (2 points)

6.5

very sore this morning...honestly not sure if it's more lower back issues or simply sore muscles from saturday's run...i may try to climb on the recumbent bike or take a walk later to work out some of the soreness

gives me some cause to doubt whether running will ever be a good idea

5 point breakfast (full dairy)...back to routine

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from quotesblog:

"A good scare is worth more to a man than good advice." -- Edgar Watson Howe

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veggie sub on whole wheat for lunch - 6 points

feeling hungry this afternoon, but resisting temptation - maybe i'll have some carrots or something

back is a bit better

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ate too much this afternoon and evening...should have had the carrots

a slice of pizza...sun chips...some chocolate...then a morningstar farms tomato-basil burger for supper, but the damage was already done...back at it tomorrow

6.4

scrambled eggs with ham and chives, pumpkin bread and some grapes for breakfast

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feeling unwell at lunchtime...just some soda crackers with land o' lakes light spread

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thin crust veggie pizza and a nice salad for supper

6.3

ran for the first time in a long time this morning

1 mile in about 14 minutes...continued to 1.34 miles then walked the rest of the 1.59 total

max speed: 7.0 mph

moving average: 3.8 mph

time moving: 22:14

lousy for a runner, but not bad for a fat old guy the first time back out

the etrex is going to be a great training aid

also recorded the entire run...i may put it up as a podcast at some point

lots of water and then the usual 5 point breakfast (full dairy)

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ham and provolone sandwich with pasta salad for lunch

nice salad, baked fish and mashed potatoes for supper

6.2

usual breakfast, except a full cup of milk - 5 points

sandwich and pasta salad for lunch - probably 8 or 9 points (4 points for bread, 2 for cheese, 2 for pasta and one for good measure)

6.1

yesterday was independence day here in the u.s.

usual light breakfast with coffee and a slice of grammy's pound cake...ham sandwich for lunch...then grilled portabello mushrooms and onions with roasted red peppers and provolone cheese for supper

drank several bitter ales while grilling out, and regretted it later - i've really got to get serious about the calorie intake

so today is a new start after 5 weeks of tracking all this...usual breakfast...splenda in the coffee and serious point counting and daily requirements for awhile here (4 points so far today, 1 fruit and 1/2 dairy)

signed up for team sqpn on steve runner's site - i'm going to try to get into shape to start running again, and do the 5k in october if i can

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lunch: 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese, 1 slice of multi-grain bread, 1/2 cup pasta salad, 1 cup of grapes (8 points, 1 dairy, 1 fruit)

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popcorn chicken chef's salad with honey/mustard dressing for supper - probably the balance of my points

5.5 and 5.6

Monday: usual breakfast, except with cheerios...6 point ham sandwich for lunch...fluffy and a salad for supper

Today: decaf coffee with splenda and banana for breakfast...grilled chicken and veggies for lunch, plus the corn and burger that my daughter didn't finish :^)

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tried the new mexican place in town - "don sol" - very nice...subtle flavors for a change

bean burrito plate and a couple of xx ambers with lime

5.4

usual breakfast - shiskabob for supper

oh...uh...and s'mores

:^)

5.3

typical breakfast

grilled fluffy burgers late afternoon - whole wheat kaiser and pasta salad

not counting today or tomorrow, but using good sense

5.2

7 points for coffee and breakfast

6 points for subway lunch

9 point supper - mixed veggies, pasta and a grandessa chicken tomato and basil sausage

5.1

resisting the urge to get on the scale until this afternoon

bp: 141/78

pulse: 64

banana and coffee with splenda so far - bran in a bit

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veggie sub for lunch (6 points)

18 points left for the day

226 pounds this afternoon

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crappy evening...some fat-free cottage cheese, whole wheat bread and red sauce

4.7

almost 4 weeks at this so far

observations:

i think my stomach is shrinking...not really feeling hungry even when i've had relatively little to eat...i can tell it's time to eat more by the lethargy from low blood sugar than from anything else

when things are going well with other parts of my life, i don't seem to feel unsatisfied with what i'm eating, or with how much i'm eating - but when there is turmoil of some sort, i tend to think "screw it - i want some peanut butter" - so this is an area where i need to find better coping mechanisms

i haven't noticed much difference in how i percieve myself or in how my clothes fit so far - i did wear an xl tee shirt the other day for the first time in a long time (i usually wear xxl) without feeling like i had huge rolls of fat on display around the middle - but i am looking forward to being able to wear more than untucked bowling shirts

when i was younger, i had gotten up to 220 pounds (slightly less than i weigh this morning) and over the course of two years, got down to 170...it made a HUGE difference in the way i perceived myself - for the first time in my life really, i felt confident and powerful

this time around, i'm hoping only to feel fit...it seems like i've been unwell for so long...just waiting for a heart attack or something...an endless string of concerns and complaints

i need to make time for regular exercise...i'm focused so much on the diet side of this, but the walking makes a big difference - i need to remember that and do it

if there's anything with the diet that i really need to work on, it's more balance (what weight watchers calls "daily requirements") and more variety...this will probably come more easily as time goes on

feeling generally hopeful and positive

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usual breakfast this morning, except that i also ate the last couple of bites of a toaster strudel that my daughter didn't finish...probably a couple points just for that!

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carrots for lunch...then a nice salad with some cheese and leftover new york strip sliced over it for dinner - maybe 7 points total

a couple bully porters

4.6

one cup of coffee with splenda, one with sugar (boca java bananas foster float) usual breakfast (5 points total)

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cottage cheese, two slices of multi-grain with a little red sauce (7 points max)

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eggplant parmigiana and whole wheat pasta again tonight (9 points) - another glass of zinfandel (3 points)

4.4 and 4.5

sunday: banana, grapes and a baked apple french toast type thing that c.j. made...8 points total

chicken fajita salad in a shell for supper - 9 points

some ebel's bitter end ale and one martini during the afternoon (hey - it's the weekend)

monday: back to the routine...banana and boca java white chocolate raspberry reef coffee with splenda so far...bran in a bit (4 points)

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baked potato with red sauce for lunch (5 points)

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c.j. made a "lite" eggplant parmigiana for supper...very nice at 7 points

a couple small glasses of clos dubois zin

4.2 & 4.3

yesterday: banana and coffee for breakfast...ham sandwich for lunch...nice green salad and pasta with red sauce and fresh basil for supper - with some bella sera rosso

today: banana, all bran with skim and intelligentsia decaf sumatra 7 points so far

i need to get back to meticulous counting for awhile

2 eggs in red sauce with fresh basil and grated asiago (uovos en purgatorio) and a nice mixed salad for lunch - have to check on points later

new york strip, baked potato and mixed veggies for dinner - grilled out during a horrendous thunderstorm

4.1

bp good - i think 125 over 81

weight holding at 228 - none lost this week, but that doesn't surprise me considering how i've eaten...frankly, glad to just break even

today 4 point breakfast and 4 for coffee with sugar

10 point lunch - finished the italian sausage with grilled peppers

6 point supper - veggie sub

enjoying a two bros bitter end at the moment

3.7

usual breakfast

1 slice of hawaiian bbq chicken pizza and a bpa for lunch

realizing that this was a major victory, because i wanted the second slice of pizza (which i'll probably eat this evening, finishing all of the leftovers)

3.6

back in the groove today

usual 4 point breakfast

a bunch of raw veggies (carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli), a couple of breadsticks, some marinated cheese and a little spiced olive oil for lunch - probably 10 points

headed for a walk in a little bit

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recorded a second podcast episode on the walk - about habits, setbacks and the unity of spirit, mind and body

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slice of turkey breast and all bran bar for an afternoon snack

nice large salad for supper - martini for starters - one bass pale ale in the evening

3.5 - Monday

i'm going to pretend that yesterday never even happened

today sucks so far too - but i'm eating a little better

banana and coffee this morning, one slice of pizza for lunch - probably 12 points altogether so far

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very inattentive to everything today...

fresh start tomorrow

3.3

bp very good this morning 120/79

typical breakfast, but sugar in my coffee (intelligentsia berkeley's)

i think we're headed to champaign/urbana for a little family outing today

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olive garden for lunch - soup and salad, but also {burp} calamari

way over on points but i may not eat again for days

:^)

3.2

boys are here today - nice to see them

bp up a little again today - i need to correlate my bp chart with this weblog to see if there are patterns

a banana and some coffee with flavor blend this morning so far - cereal in a bit

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ham and cheese sandwich with mustard and lettuce - 7 points

17 points left for the day

ordering pizza tonight

:^)

3.1

bp: 125/73

weight: 228 (morning)

i was too anxious to wait until this afternoon to weigh - if this holds, that's 10 pounds lost so far - a good start

no ill effects from last night's benedryl - to the contrary

had a banana early this morning, then got busy, so i just got around to the all bran (at lunch time)

5 points so far for the day

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took a nice little walk (just over a mile) and recorded the first podcast episode

media file is here

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finished the rice/peppers/mushrooms/onions/beef thing along with some peas (7 or 8 points)

a couple of bully porters

2.7

nice morning - very productive with work and i got to meet my son's girlfriend for the first time - sweet kid

bp: 109/80 this morning (almost makes me wonder if it was a false reading)

5 point breakfast plus 4 points for the sugar in my coffee

resisted all the goodies at common grounds when i took the kids there though

pasta/tomatoes/basil for lunch (5 points)
1/2 cup cottage cheese (2 points)

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1/4 cup prunes (2 points) and 1/2 cup cheerios (1 point) as a snack

9 points left - made several bad choices here - have to go easy tonight

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nice walk again tonight - maybe a mile and a half

1 bully porter

finished the pasta, and ate some raw broccoli and cauliflower - barely under points

i also took a benedryl - i've had terrible sinus problems and a sore throat for days...worse overnight, but today was the worst day so far

hoping this doesn't cause me any problems with the blood pressure

getting that sedated feeling

2.6

bp a little high again the past couple of days

it's getting warmer here - 84 F already and it's not yet noon

5 point breakfast (full cup of skim with the cereal)

i'll have a subway 6-pointer of some sort and a cup of grapes (1 point) for lunch

very busy today with clips for a new project i'm working on for adam

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kindermusik tonight so a late supper

very nice though - brown rice, chuck roast and veggies (red and green peppers, onions and mushrooms) - about 6 points total

and enjoying a bully porter now

2.5

splenda in the coffee this morning (o points )

4 point breakfast other than that

leftover pasta stuff for lunch (5 points)

1/4 cup prunes (2 points)

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two mile walk with the girls after work

nice salad with a small baked potato, cheese and salsa for supper (5 points at most) and a glass of chianti

under points for the day

2.4

bp: 134/81
pulse: 56

usual breakfast with coffee (8)

headed to the beach this morning with c.j. and the little one

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beaches all closed due to low pool...freaking corps of engineers

nice picnic lunch and then leftovers tonight on the front porch...didn't count, but definitely over points

back on the program tomorrow

2.3

bp: 144/82

:~(

intelligentsia berkeley's blend (and needing it today) - 3 points for the sugar

all bran with 1/2 cup milk and a banana (4 points there)

hoping that the weekend will get better as it goes along...the weather is beautiful (sunny and dry with a high of 82 predicted), but crappiness and crappy attitudes all over the place

i guess i'll have to "be the change" and make my own psychic weather

okay, i'm smiling now

whenever i'm being negative and somebody says "you need to be more positive" i always say "okay, i'm positive it sucks"

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day is much better

nice morning in the yard with the little one...nice lunch on the porch with the girls (ham, cheese, veggie sandwich with champagne dill mustard - carrots and celery - celis belgian white)

nap time now

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nice evening and a wonderful supper

c.j. made some cream cheese/garlic/herb spread and salads

i made this

i'm past points for the day, but i like it that even when i overindulge now, it's not the kind of gluttonous binge that leaves me unable to move or sleep

:^)

2.2

nice, relaxed friday mood today

it's cooled off here...overcast...breezy...

i'm scouting shows today for a project that i'm really enjoying so far...more writing than i've done since the sirius project ended

usual 5 point breakfast (all bran/milk/banana) - brewing the decaf now

bp: 122/77!!! very happy with that

i think it's probably the reduction in sodium - i used to routinely eat crackers of various sorts several times a day - long since quit salting my food at table

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late morning snack: 1/2 cup red beans (1 point)

lunch: lean cuisine ravioli with red sauce (6 points), bread and olive oil (3 points)

so that leaves 10 points for the evening

i'm meeting my wife for a cocktail at our special place after work, so i may dip into my weekly bonus points today

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crappy evening

ended up eating a gyro from villa pizza (one of our favorite joints) - one martini after work, a short scotch and soda before bedtime (gotta remember to take water with the talisker from here on - save the soda for blended scotch)

Week 2 - Day 1

I need to find a less cumbersome naming convention for these posts.

Saw my back x-rays this morning. There's a bit of arthritis starting on a couple of discs, but no huge worries there at this point. The compression between L5 and S1 is the culprit. Proper hydration, stretching, traction, weight loss - so many things that can be done to stave off further degeneration. With any luck, I can get it to the point where I'm only crawling on my hands and knees in misery ever few years.

:^)

typical 5 point breakfast with an additional 3 points for the sugar in my HUGE mug of intellegentsia french roast decaf

bp: 141/75

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half of a 6-inch sub for lunch (3 points)

took a little mile walk (about 14 blocks) this afternoon - hot out there!

time for some veggies

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1 nectarine (1 point) - all bran bar (2 points) - some carrots

14 points left for the day

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a small martini before supper

nice meal - whole wheat noodles, low-fat apple gouda sausages and sauerkraut

Day 7

Tomorrow will mark one full week since the baseline measurements, but since this is the seventh day of my "program" I think I'll weigh on Wednesday afternoons. So far, I've made several observations.

• I need to get more variety into my diet. I like the breakfast routine so far and ought to be able to maintain it over the long haul (perhaps substituting another whole grain for the All Bran now and then, and occasionally treating myself to a muffin or something from my "bonus points" cache). Lunch is another matter. I need to plan ahead and find healthy alternatives which still include some protein, whole grains and veggies at around 4-6 points total.

• I need to be consistent with exercise. For me, this means routine. I either need to start getting up very early to walk or to climb on the recumbent bike or Nordic Track, or I need to set aside a specific time in the afternoon to do it. Otherwise, the day gets away from me. I've never been able to manage exercising in the evening.

• Generally, I do feel better already than I have in quite awhile. There have been moments when I've had the urge to snack unwisely or to have an additional portion of something when I oughtn't, but I haven't really been dissatisfied or hungry so far. In addition, I haven't suffered uncomfortable, overstuffed lethargy for the past week - and that's a welcome relief.

• I'm pretty much forgetting about the bonus points for now, and planning to be sensible, but not to count points at all on Sundays. Depending on the results I see, I may need to modify that, but in order to be healthy in the long run over the rest of my life, there has to be some balance. Right now there's much attention to minute details which are unfamiliar (and therefore somewhat unpleasant). It feels like focused imbalance. We'll see if it feels more organic as choices become "second nature."

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bp: 134/80
pulse: 60

five days in a row that systolic has been under 140 - i can't remember the last time that was the case

i hope that by this time next year, i can be off the diovan

usual breakfast this morning - banana so far, all bran to come - 5 points there and another 3 points for a large mug of joe with sugar

20 points left for the day

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lunch: 1 slice whole grain with olive oil (3 points), 1 cup red beans with 2 tablespoons salsa (2 points)

15 points left

weight: 234 pounds

4 pounds lost so far - maybe a little too quick if it holds - they say a pound or two a week is decent - but i'm happy that i'm seeing some results this early

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subway sandwich tonight (6 points) with two brothers' prairie path golden ale (very nice)

Day 6

I got my back x-rays done this morning. Looks like some narrowing between L5 and S1, but very little arthritic change (if any).

bp: 135/71
pulse:58

morning:

• 1 banana (2 points)
• 1/2 cup of all bran with 1 cup of 1% (3 points)

had my coffee with splenda this morning

going for a walk at lunch if the weather holds

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mid-day:

• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese (2 points)
• 1 slice baker's inn whole grain (2 points)

getting stuck in a rut already

gonna have some mixed raw veggies and then either take a walk or mow the yard

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snack: 1 cup cheerios (2 points) - okay, now i'm REALLY in a rut

that's okay though - at least it's not a rut of candy bars, potato chips and spoon after spoon of peanut butter

tomorrow i'll hit the scales to see if all of this is having any effect so far

17 points left for this evening...

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large salad this evening - maybe a point or two

a couple bottles of goose island nut brown ale

still under points for the day

Day 5

bp: 133/77
pulse: 55

morning:

• 1 banana (2 points)
• 1/2 cup of all bran with 1 cup of 1% (3 points)
• two cups of intelligentsia berkeley's blend w sugar (4 points) - need to trim that back tomorrow or use splenda

mid-day:

• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese (2 points)
• 1 slice baker's inn whole grain (2 points)
• 1 tsp olive oil (1 point)
• 1 cup raw carrots (0 points)

chiropractor this morning - back feels pretty good - need to keep icing, stretching, etc.

resisted the urge to grab a candy bar at the checkout of our local lumbar yard

still doing rx, 81 aspirin and glucosamine in the mornings

14 points left for the day - i don't feel hungry

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1 cup pasta with red sauce (6 points) and some grilled veggies (3 points?) for supper

1 cup cheerios as a snack before bed (2 points)

Sunday - Day 4

"day off"

bp: 122/72!!!

very weird

breakfast buffet after mass this morning - but i took it easy

grilled italian veggie sandwich for supper

nice walk with the girls tonight (22 blocks)

Day 3

Today was a little weird. I realized at about 3 PM that I hadn't had breakfast yet. I did have two cups of coffee and a banana first thing this morning, but then got busy with installing air conditioning and lost track of time.

Nice chef's salad for supper though.

Day 2

chiropractor visit this morning - some relief

learning that cereal (even all bran) without sugar isn't all that nasty, and neither is coffee with splenda (gotta save those points wherever you can)

bp 143/74 this morning

breakfast:
1 banana (2 points)
1/2 cup of all bran with 1/2 cup of 1% (2 points)
boca java tropical two-step with 2 teaspoons of non-fat creamer and 1 pack of splenda (0 points)

so compared to yesterday, a savings of 4 points for the 4 teaspoons of sugar on cereal and in coffee - at least for the time being, i think i can carry on like this without noticing too much of a change in the quality of my life

it sucks to have to measure and count everything, but maybe it will get easier once i'm used to it and don't have to do lookups or calculations

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update: 1 slice thin-crust veggie (4 points) 1 cup plain cheerios (2 points) 1 cup raw carrots (0) for lunch

18 points left for the day

5 or 6 16-oz glasses of water so far

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walked about a mile (16 blocks) while listening to dvorak

all bran snack bar (2 points)

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some celery and a scant martini before supper

very small portion of pasta, red sauce, three meatballs, steamed veggies and a tiny piece of garlic bread

1 lite beer

[sigh]

okay, i can do this again tomorrow

Baseline

238 pounds

bp: 139/80

pulse: 61

prescription, an 81 aspirin and 3 replenex this morning

breakfast: 1/2 cup all bran with 1 teaspoon of raw sugar and 1/2 cup of 1% milk, 1 small banana, 1 cup of coffee with sugar and creamer

lunch: 1 slice of thin crust cheese pizza, 1 slice of thin crust with mushrooms and black olives (not a perfect choice, but at least it wasn't 5 slices, right?)

snack: 1 oats and honey all bran snack bar

decent amount of water today - i should start counting this accurately

dinner hasn't happened yet

i'm going to try to follow, more or less, a weight watchers dietary regimen, which allows me something like 24 of their "points" each day - i've done this before, and the hardest part for me seems to be getting in all of the required fruit, vegetable and dairy servings

i'll have to do salad for supper tonight

in addition to the walk, i've done the back stretches and kegels my chiropractor suggested a couple of times today - need to get on a schedule with that

also, icing my back as i type - nagging pain left of lumbar 4 all day - stiffness when i walk - difficulty moving from sitting to standing and vice versa - difficulty reaching or lifting

otherwise, i'm generally feeling well and in a decent mood - the walk was nice and not all that difficult - i didn't push myself too hard - i enjoyed breaking an honest sweat

UPDATE: 1 miller lite before supper, then a nice salad...24 points for the day, and i found out that i'm allowed 28 - but i didn't get all of my dairy or fruit/veggie servings in

A Savage Journey

Okay, it's really not been savage so far.

Here's the short story. I'll turn 50 in about 3 months. I've neglected my health for nearly a decade and it shows, in more ways than I can probably even enumerate.

Two things have happened recently that motivate me to change my habits.

• My blood-pressure has gotten high enough that it caused a T.I.A. last Autumn. For a very frightening half-hour or so, I was unable to recognize faces -- including my own face staring blankly back at me from the bathroom mirror. There seems to be no permanent damage as a result, but my blood-pressure (though improved) has remained unacceptably high despite the maximum daily dosage of a very good medication.

• I had learned to manage periodic lower back problems over the course of a couple decades, to the point where the more debilitating episodes happened less frequently and were less severe. Over the past month, I've had three killer back attacks which brought me intense, constant pain and interfered seriously with daily activities and special plans. I simply can't live with this kind of misery every couple of weeks.

So, today (so far) I've eaten sensibly, and I just got back from a short walk (about 3/4ths of a mile in a pleasant afternoon drizzle).

I'll use this Weblog to document my personal fitness journey, my habits, my progress, my frustrations and victories - minor or major. I'm keeping this mostly for my own benefit and convenience, but I'm also intrigued by the idea of putting it all out there in public view. Perhaps this will be an additional source of motivation and support.

Onward!