Home Community Member Stories Ron's Diet & Exercise Journal

Ron's Diet & Exercise Journal

ron@arthritisinsight.com

4/9/01

It seems like a long time since I updated this journal but no real major milestones were reached since the last update worth reporting until now.  I seemed to have reached a plateau at about 176 pounds and could not seem to get past that.  I was starting to get discouraged when I finally started to move downward again.  On Saturday, I weighed in the morning and was down to 172.5 (from 204).  If I can just stay at this weight, I will have accomplished my goal.  I have not been as zealous about my exercising as I should have been but the cellulitis and the vertigo seem to have taken enough out of me that I just did not feel like it.  I am back to doing them again now, and they really feel good.  I know that at my age, the weight may be hard to keep off, so I will have to keep after it. 

The major goal that I accomplished though is that I can now COMFORTABLY wear size 32 jeans and shorts (BTW, my idea of dressing up is putting on a pair of clean jeans,,,,,,JK).  This is a size that I do not think I have been in since I the late 70's or early 80's.  Losing all this weight has done one other thing.  Since I have not worn slacks that small in such a long time, I had absolutely nothing that even came close to fitting.  I think that 36 was the smallest waist I owned.  I am not quite certain how I will accomplish this, but I am in desperate need of an entirely new wardrobe.  I didn't think about this consequence. 

I will keep the journal updated over time and we will see how I do at keeping the weight off.

3/13/00

I am really happy today, this morning, for the first time I crossed beyond the 20 pounds lost line.  Now if I can just keep it going, I have about 10 more pounds to go before Chicago.  You all have been very encouraging. 

I have been working on trying to get rid of the belly and those pesky little 'love handles'.  So far, I have  reduced the mid section some.  I can tell because my 34 jeans are comfortable now.   I have to do this now,  I can't afford not to, Charities now have all of my 38" slacks, so I can't afford not to meet my goals. 

Should I go for a 32" or just tighten up what I have.  I would like your input.  I am 6' 1'', and now weigh 183.  To get into a 32 I would probably have to lose another 15 pounds or so.  Is that too much?

I have been riding my stationary bike a lot.  I ended up turning it around and facing the window so I could see the outside.  The geese are beginning to return to the lake (watch where you step) and the mating rituals have begun.  With this kind of entertainment, an hour on the bike goes by fast.  However, riding the bike is tough sometimes.  But for me, if I can work through the initial hip and knee pain, then I am ok and can ride for miles.  The most I have put on the bike at one time is 25 miles.  At this rate, I may be able to ride my real bike again this spring and summer.  I sure hope so.

I will keep you updated as I cross major milestones or need your support to go on.  Thanks for being here and making me be good and stick to it.  (G)

2/28/00

Well week one of the 'public' diet and weight control program has passed uneventfully. The sailing has not always been smooth and temptation has won on more than one occasion. In spite of all that, I have managed to bring the weight down to 189 this morning. I have been between 189 and 191 for several days now. I am going to blame it on the fact that muscle weighs more than fat and that I am really having some effect. Actually, I am wearing my 34-inch waist jeans today quite comfortable. This is great, but I still seem to have a case of Dunlaps Disease. Before You go scurrying off to see what that is, it is where your belly Dunlaps over your belt. This is what I want to get rid of; this and those pesky love handles on each side.

I have successfully avoided all red meats and most dairy products and prepared foods this week. I have eaten a lot of salads (which I like) with a very low calorie, low fat dressing. I have substituted fish for the red meat and am eating fresh or fast frozen vegetables. So far, I have not had a real craving for the American tradition, 'a BIG Juicy Burger or Steak with potatoes.' The one thing that I have discovered also is that I really can avoid most bad fats by either using nothing but olive oil to cook, or by using one of the indoor grills. In addition to being healthy, the grill provides an opportunity to use one utensil to cook everything. A typical meal for me this week has been grilled fish or skinless boneless chicken) with lemon and some spice (lemon pepper and Cajun are my favorites so far), along with grilled onion slices and grilled pineapple rings. Instead of ice cream for dessert, I have opted for either fresh fruit (apples and oranges) or flash frozen berries and fruits with
no sugar added. 

I hope that by keeping up and being more faithful to my exercise regimen, along with watching what I eat, I can continue to take off the weight and tone what is there.

I am still primarily using the ab doer and the stationary bike for exercise. I have so far managed to go at least five miles on the bike and several times have done 10 or more miles. My goal is to consistently be able to do 20 miles.

I won't tell you that it has been easy, especially when the kids are there and have ice cream. I also won't tell you that I have not had to work through some pain. I will tell you though that the exercise has made me feel better overall and has, to some degree, seemed to lessen the pain. Whether that is real or imaginary doesn't matter, it is working for me. 

I will be back next week with another report. Hopefully, I can keep up this pace and meet my goals by Early May. I am not suggesting that this path is the proper one for everyone, but I do believe that if we do what exercises we can, we ultimately benefit from better health and less pain.

2/20/00
I am not certain how I was talked into doing this journal but since I agreed to do it, I will do my best to give you an honest and accurate account of my experiences.  At the start of this, I weighed 204 pounds and wore a size 38 slacks.  I have been (for the most part) faithful to both the diet and the exercise.  The diet is nothing special but I have tried to eliminate as much red meat and dairy products as I could.  I have also tried to stay from anything fried and most prepared foods.  As many of you know, the southern tradition that I came from is that if it cannot be fried, it cannot be eaten.  I cooked that way for many years.  I have been lucky or genetically endowed with a propensity to have normal cholesterol counts in spite of my attempts to clog my arteries with fried foods of all sorts. I now use only olive oil for cooking and do most of the cooking on a small indoor grill.  That also allows the grease to drain away from whatever you are cooking. My second downfall is the fact that I really like good ice cream.  Well, as I said earlier, I am TRYING to cut out dairy products. I have been more successful with some than with others.

I also have been exercising almost every day.  I have three basic exercise groups that I do.  Depending on the time I have I either choose one or do them all.  First, I use an abdominal machine that I find is very gimp friendly.  Neither my knees nor shoulders can stand the strain of the “roller type” exercisers.  In addition, with cervical problems it is almost impossible to use one of the “crunch” machines.  It puts too much pressure on the cervical portion of the body.  However, I have found a machine that allows me to work on tightening up the mid-section while still supporting my back.  The machine is basically a padded stool with a covered spring in the back for resistance, and a padded roller which massages your back as you exercise.  If you are an insomniac, I know you have seen the infomercial for them.  The other types of exercise I am trying to do is use the stationary bike to build up my legs and develop some endurance (and yes it does hurt sometimes).  I am constantly riding the bike for 5 miles now and have one time done 8 miles.  Finally, I am using the therapy bands for strengthening the upper part of my body.  The bands come in different sizes and which allows the resistance to change.  The Bands can be gotten fairly cheaply at discount or sporting goods stores. I also use a stair climber a little but it is going to be a while before I do much of that.  The bottom line is that each day I try to exercise one part of my body.  (Sometimes it is tough to find a part that does not hurt to exercise.)

The bottom line so far is that this morning (February 20, 2001) I weighed 192.5 and have gone from a 38 to a 36-inch waist in slacks and a 34 in my jeans.  My goal is to lose another 10-15 pounds before we all meet in Chicago and to tone up and strengthen the muscles that I have ignored too long because I had RA, and comfortably be back in 34 inch slacks and jeans.  I have found that there are some exercises that I cannot do and some that I can.  I have chosen to concentrate on the can do elements of both the weight loss and the exercise program. 

I will periodically update this with a progress report.  Now that it is public, I have to make progress.  I believe that my goals are realistic and achievable while still maintaining a good and balanced diet (but leaving out the food groups chocolate and ice cream).  If anyone wishes to join me in this public endeavor, please do.  There is already a section on the message boards that you can use to publicly set your goal and to track your success in meeting it.  Go ahead, what do you have to loose except a few pounds and strengthen a few muscles.