Kicking back!

Well I feel GREAT!!!

No really, I do... the dizziness and fatigue of yesterday is a thing of, well, yesterday. I woke up this morning feeling awesome, no aches, no pains just awake and rearing to go. It makes me wonder about before you know. I used to wake up achy, not really rested, I just wrote it all off as being overweight and out of shape and of course, the ol' catch all of being older. Now though, I have to wonder, how much of it was blood pressure related?

117/78 this morning by the way.... YAY!

I am just hoping and praying that this keeps up and please god I will be allowed to do more than just walk within two weeks. I am SOOOOOOOO ready for the gym, SOOOOOO ready to spend a week or more in absolute agony while my body adjusts to doing things it hasn't been doing in a long long time. SOOOOOOOOOOO ready to see the flab turn back to muscle and just feel good about myself.

Speaking of that. I have been thinking a little lately about body image and our perception of ourselves in our own skin. You often hear that women are bombarded by skinny women everywhere they turn, and that it helps reinforce what for many is an unrealistic body type. That's so true, and I am not for one moment trying to lessen that impact. I have also often heard that men aren't effected by this. Well, this man surely is. I have heard it said that men don't care, that they can let it all hang out so to speak and it's really matters not a lick to them. Well, to this man, it surely does. I mean, great if you have that kind of spirit that allows you to not care. Perhaps that is the truly noble way to be, perhaps to be otherwise is a weakness? So be it, truth told, I would be mortified to go swimming at a public pool, I would actually wear a t-shirt all the time if I were on a vacation to the south, I don't even really like my wife seeing me totally nekkid, and that's just wrong. However, when we watch TV we see trim and fit men everywhere, you don't see any Gillette commercials where a guy is stood in front of the mirror with his chest hair all matted from the shower and his beer belly hanging out over the top of his towel, you don't see any beer commercials where the guy is wheezing and huffing his way out of the beer store to squeeze behind the wheel of his 1996 Hyundai... nope, more often then not, its a guy with perfect teeth, hair, pecs and a 6 pack. That's the way it is, and that's the way it will stay, cause hey, selling the image works!

So, rather than try and change the psyche, I will change to body. I will never be the guy in the Gillette commercial, but I will be as comfortable as that guy.

Been talking to a few people over the past weeks. Many of them like me are morbidly obese like me... for the matter of clarification, here's a reference to what makes you morbidly obese...

* Underweight = <18.5
* Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
* Overweight = 25-29.9
* Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
* Any BMI > 40 is severe obesity
* A BMI of 40.0–49.9 is morbid obesity
* A BMI of >50 is super obese

... my BMI currently is 41.7, which makes me morbidly obese. There are a ton of BMI calculators out there, give it whirl, you might be surprised. Oh, before I continue on my current train of thought, here's a little aside. For those of you out there right now, and you know you are doing it, that are looking at this and saying something like, well, I'm bigged boned, they don't take that into account, yada yada...well... they do.... thats why there is a 10 point range, and with the exception of...

* highly muscular adults;
* adults who have a very lean body build;
* young adults who have not reached full growth; and
* adults over 65 years of age.

... it's a perfectly reliable and accurate tool, so get over it, if it says you are morbidly obese then you are morbidly obese, get off your fat ass, stop justifying and making excuses and do something about it rather than fret about the number. Anyhoo... back to our regular programming.

Anyway, I have been asked, what does it take to lose the weight. The answer folks is surprisingly simple. Eat less calories than you burn in a run of a day. Wow, earth shattering huh?? Seriously though, that's it, that's all there is to it. Now, there are extremes and degrees to how you do this. For me it's meant cutting out all takeout, it's meant not frying anything, it's meant portion control and it's meant eating stuff that is a near to its natural state as it can be. In other words, no frozen dinners, no canned foods, nothing pre-packaged or processed in anyway when and where possible. It's also meant drinking about 4-5 liters of water a day and walking everyday. For someone else it could just mean cutting out deserts, or drinking less alcohol. Really everyone is different and what works for one might or might not work for another.

The thing is. If you are like me, and are morbidly obese, then just cutting back a little may not cut it. I will go so far as to say, in my opinion, minor tweeks are a cop-out and the tendancy to slide or slip is far far worse if you are not ready to make a 100% commitment. If you are continuing to drink something, or eat something, even in smaller quanities when you KNOW it's going to put weight on you, or isn't the best choice for the goals you have set, if you are doing that based on some thought that you like it too much to give it up entirly, then you are weak and you aren't ready to make the changes you really need to to become healthy and correct your weight. This isn't a kinda sorta thing, it's deadly serious, and it may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but your weight will kill you, it will kill you as surely as a bullet to the brain, just not as fast. You will get diabetes, you will get high blood pressure, you will develope back problems, you will develop mobility issues, you will be prone to infection... you will DIE, the food you are eating will kill you. This is NOT melodrama, this is NOT being too serious. If your health, your life and your happiness isn't more meaningful to you then a bottle of beer or a cheeseburger, then please, have at it, but if you want to live a full life where you aren't concerned about the possibility of not being able to fit into a seat, or if you can climb that hill to enjoy the view, or if this is the day that the clothes you have been wearing no longer fits, then change, change everything that got you here and change it now. It can be done and if you want it, NEED it, then you can do it 100%.

Rant over... back to work...lol....

Meds kicking my ass

Well, the new BP meds are taking a toll. I am sooooooo lethargic and sleepy. I have had some dizzy spells as well. It's to be expected, the side effects pretty much read as I have been having them, without the nausea thanks be to god.

BP was actually low this morning, 111/84. I am guessing that my body needs to reach some sort of equilibrium over the next few days.

Haven't walked in the last two days, just too damn dizzy and lethargic to do it, likely not that safe to be on the road like this.

Well, that's about it for now....

Foiled again.....

Just back from the Doc's....

Well, another medication on top of my current one. The BP has greatly improved, but he was still a little concerned about my diastolic number. Its peaked a couple of times over 110 in the past week and we really need to get that number down as well. he was very happy with my systolic pressure, it's pretty much right where we need it to be. So, it a ACE inhibitor for me for the next month at least. End result? No gym... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... getting very very frustrated about that actually, I'm not going to lie. Oh well, again folks, keep your fingers crossed for the next visit in 2 weeks. He said that if everything is in line then, well, he wouldn't commit, but he said it would be very likely. I need to get in there...

Sorry no Monday Mass Day yesterday, the day came and went without me even thinking of it..lol... I am down to 289 on the Docs scales though. More like 291 on my scales. I am sure that the Doc's is more accurate, but since my scales are the ones I started on, they are the ones I will continue to use as my guide.

So here's the current tally...

August 25th Start weight ??? - we figure anywhere from 310-320
Sept 8th - 301 lbs
Sept 15th - 297 lbs
Sept 22nd - 296 lbs
Sept 30th - 291 lbs - change of -5 lbs, 90 to goal

Total loss - 310-320 - 291 = 19-29 lbs

Not bad, not bad at all...

Here's a record of my Blood Pressure following the D-day reading of 210/111

Sept 24th -
10:20 am - 120/94
3:05 pm - 119/100
9:45 pm - 128/101

Sept 25th -
9:40 am - 130/102
11:18 pm - 128/84

Sept 26th -
9:30 am - 127/84
2:30 pm - 132/91
9:30 pm - 122/89

Sept 27th
10:00 am - 126/86
3:30 pm - 132/90
1:30 am - 129/101

Sept 28th
10:00 am 132/100
4:00 pm 129/97
11:00 pm - 135/101

Sept 29th
9:30 am - 123/91
11:45 pm - 126/94

As you can see, it is dropping and leveling out. Though there are some flucuations in there. It's interesting to me to note that my BP seems to be higher on the weekends. lol... Gabe .... that's all I am saying is Gabe...

Sorry for the ABSOLUTE lack of pictures, there is NO excuse. I will endeavor to get some posted very very soon.

That's about it for now, back to the grind with me!

In the news today lol

A quickie to update yesterdays BP readings...

10:30 am Sept 24th - 120/94
3:05 pm Sept 24th - 119/100
9:45 pm Sept 24th - 128/101

Much better, though I do have a high diastolic number....

Progress.... progress is good!

Good news...

Took my BP this morning and surprise surprise, it was a much healthier 120/94. Looks like the pills are going to do the job, at least, the early optimistic prognosis is that!

I need to have the BP under control for 2 weeks before I am allowed in the gym. So lets hope that I can do that!

The deal

OK...

Went to the Doc's this morning as I mentioned. Was feeling pretty good about it. Was feeling even better when I walked into his office and looked at me with raised eyebrows and said " Hey you are really losing weight huh?".

We chatted about that and how that was going for a while, and then the time came for the BP check.

210/111

Let me say that again

210/111

First reaction was fear. A kind of deep in the stomach primal fear. I think I tapped into something ancient in my psyche. I imagine that this is what our barely erect fore-fathers felt when they were faced with a true fight or flight scenario. That feeling quickly turned to bewilderment. I mean, I was doing it wasn't I? I was losing the weight, getting the exercise, sticking to the low fat low sodium diet, drinking my water? All the things I was supposed to do to correct the BP. I mean I certainly didn't expect to go from elevated to normal in the space of a month, but goddammit I certainly expected to be moving in that direction, NOT the other way. The doc was equally not impressed, though I think he wasn't as bewildered as I was.

So, where from there? Well, meds, I am on 25 mgs once daily of NOVO-HYDRAZIDE. I won't go into all the possible side affects here, google it if you are interested. However, I did have to leave work early today because I was starting to feel a little disjointed. I'm not tooooo bad right now, obviously, I mean I am typing and making sense, well, as much as I eve have anyway. I do have a long drive home though, so I figured I wouldn't take any risks at all and not be able to drive later.

No gym, sadly, that really hurts more than I thought it would. I'm ready for it, I am actually burning for it, but it's just not a risk I can take. Can you imagine doing a squat or a leg press with a BP of 210/111?? Mt. Etna mean anything to any of you?

No strenuous activity for a while, just walking at a moderate pace. It's not much, but it will have to do the job for now.

I also now have a home BP monitor. I have to take my BP thrice daily and in a week I go back to the docs and we review the numbers. If it isn't down, then there will be yet another medication on top of the current one, the same applies in 2 weeks.

SO, I know I have been asked several times what caused this. The short answer is the ugly one, I am a fat lethargic 38 year old who wasn't taking care of business the way it should have been attended to. I commit ed a crime against my body and my family and I have been sentenced to this. There are some genetics in play, but the long and short of it is that it is 100% my fault. Not going to whine or bemoan it, I AM going to fix it.

As of today there will be another addition to my daily blogs, my BP readings. I take my last one at bedtime, so I will post a short blog each night with the 3 BP readings from that day. This is another tool of accountability, but it will also hopefully show a dropping number and serve as a warning, and a kick in the ass, to the large percentage of the male middle ago population out there who like me, are fat, lethargic and marching blissfully towards a very early grave.

Wake up folks, wake up before you don't wake up anymore....

Monday Mass Day 3

Quickie, on my way to work, be back later with pics to post.

Modest weight loss for this week, well, that's what the scales said anyway. Down about a pound, maybe a pound and a half.

SOoooo...

August 25th Start weight ??? - we figure anywhere from 310-320
Sept 8th - 301 lbs
Sept 15th - 297 lbs
Sept 22nd - 296 lbs - change of -1 lbs, 95 to goal

Sunday stuff

Not much to blog about today, but figured I would make an appearance.

Yesterday was kind of a blahish type day. No, I shouldn't say that, it was a great day actually. Dee had a bridal shower and myself and the two wee fellas spent the afternoon cruising around. It was a blahish type day from a meal persepctive. As I mentioned, Dee had this bridal shower. She ended up bringing home a bunch of leftover sandwichs and cookies and cake. I stayed away from the cookies and cake, but did end up eating around 2 sandwichs. For whatever reason, I thought I would end up well over my caloric intake.... complete opposite actually... which ticks me off even more.

Oh well...

Hey guess what? Tuesday I go to the Doc, and will either be ok with the BP or not, and on meds, either way, this is the week I should be able to start at the gym...

YAY!!!

Other blogs and more bric-brac

You know, I love blogging, One of the things I like about blogging is interacting with the people who not only read MY blog, but actively going out there and finding other blogs that are on the same topic as mine. One thing that has really saddened me, as well as reminding me of my own lapse, it the number of blogs that just end. Usually these blogs have one last entry that talks about slipping, or going off plan, with promises made to get back on track, and then nothing. Some of them have ended a month or so ago, some a year or more. It makes me wonder where these people are now, what their story is, if they are continuing their own personal journeys or if the wheels just fell off all together. I even wrote a couple of them, asking those very questions and sadly, no responses.

If you are one of those people, if by chance you followed the e-mail link back to this blog. I want you to know that all is not lost, you can start up again, a lapse can be just that, a lapse and you CAN get it back on course. If you want, I can help, and you can help me. Obesity and food addiction are serious illnesses, and it can make the effort to overcome them easier if you have a large support group there to prop you up.

Now, in my travels through the WWW looking for weight loss blogs I stumbled upon a blog that frankly made me very very angry, a little sad, a little disgusted, a little perplexed and a bunch of other emotions all at once. I don't have the link to the blog, but I can find it again, if you want it let me know. I don't want to post the link here because I don't want to be a source of more visitors for this blog. The blog is basically just pictures. Pictures of people, mostly women, suffering from Anorexia. Now, the pictures themselves are powerful, in a punch in the stomach kinda way, and really, everyone should look at pictures like these. They serve as a strong visual reminding us of the horrible wasting this terrible affliction can inflect on a body. I want to make one thing absolutely clear. I am NOT disgusted or angry or anything other than sympathetic towards the people who have this affliction. I have a person in my life who suffered from anorexia. They are on the mend thank you very much for asking and I couldn't be prouder of them. No, my chagrin is targeted squarely on the shoulders of the people out there who ENCOURAGE people with this disease to loss ever MORE weight.

Honestly, comments on the pictures of these wasted bodies, bones protruding, skin tight, just haunted looking women, comments saying beautiful, or sexy or amazing and even more stunning, comments saying that they would be perfect with just a little more weight gone, another 5 lbs and they would be perfect, another 10 lbs and they would be a goddess. You ignorant, thoughtless, enabling, PRICKS.... it's like opening a bar tab for an alcoholic and then driving them to the bar, come on people, get a friggin' clue!! Unreal... just unreal...

Makes me sick...

sigh...

Shifting gears. Dee and I watched a great show last night. It was on W channel on Rogers, but is a Channel 4 creation. Channel 4 is the British channel that launched Gordon Ramsey's TV career.... its called Super Size vs. Super Skinny, the basic premise is simple, you take a morbidly obese person, and team them up with a very very skinny person and have them live the others life for a period of time. Diets, exercise, everything. It was pretty interesting and entertaining to watch. What I found most interesting, at least in the episode I watched last night, was that the skinny person had a MUCH harder time adjusting than the Super Sized person. At the end both took some valuable lessons out of the exercise, and I am happy to report that they both are living a healthier life now. Brit shows are always so much better than US shows... but that's a whole other blog for a whole other time.

On the progress front. Dee and Gabe had Mary Browns tonight for supper, for those of you who don't know, that's like KFC, only better. The smell damn near killed me. I am happy to report however that I made it through and I just grilled a couple of chicken breasts for myself. They were awesome as well, though without the yummy coating and oh so delicious grease.... lol...

Hopefully gym next week, really am chomping at the bit now.... bring it on!

The Zone

Cruise control is great ain't it... just a few weeks in and the old habits, by old I mean pre-inflation old, are just kicking in big time. Water, what was the hardest for me to get going last time, is not a problem this time, drinking TONS of it. Meals are falling into place, cravings are under control, appetite is strong but subdued, exercise is getting done. All is going amazingly well and I couldn't be happier.

Well... yes I could be happier...

I COULD be in the friggin' gym. I am chomping at the bit here to get back in there. I find myself curling my grocery bags, or doing lifts with Damian...lol... I really want to get back in there. The clank of steel, the smell or old iron and sweat, the feeling of exhaustion and euphoria at the same time. I miss it, I want it and I think, no, I know, I need it!

I am skirting around the zone now, I can see it, I drift into it, but I can't get fully in there until I get into the gym. Then I will feel like this journey is really and truly underway once again.

Hopefully Monday the Doc will give me the ok to get back in there. If he does I can promise you that I will be in there Tuesday morning and the real work will begin in earnest. I for one, can't wait!

Rewards

Lets face facts for a second shale we? Human beings, as a rule, are selfish creatures who generally want to know whats in it for them. I am no different. One would think that the reward of my improving health, smaller waist, broadening clothing options etc. etc. would be enough. Alas, I am a greedy SOB and dammit I want all that and more!!

I have stated to Dee that as a reward for losing 100 lbs I would get the sleeve tattoo that I have wanted for a long time now. Problem with that is that those things cost big money, and folks, with an oil tank that needs filling, car payments, mortgage, 2 kids yada yada, big money is not something I have.

So, the solution? Well, damned if I know...lol...

I had thought that perhaps I would pay myself 3-4 bucks a pound, but that won't garner much really, also, money pooled seems to become money needed after too long. I could insert google adsense on here and try to make a few extra bucks, but I gotta tell you, the kind of traffic I would need to generate any sort of significant revenue, well, I just ain't gonna get it you know? I hate ads on personal sites anyway, just seems intrusive and really not needed.

I guess I could contact like Miami Ink and ask them if they would foot the bill for an impressive 100 lbs weight loss...lol... but I don't think that would work either.

So, any ideas? Anything, no matter how wacky might actually be the idea that works for me!

That being said and my personal needs being addressed, ;) , a little something on rewards. They work. We all know that its a great feeling to see progress, and it's a wonderful thing to witness, BUT, it can be slow week to week, and the process can become repetitive and tedious after some time. I always like to set some reward at certain targets. It could be as simple as allowing myself a full day of doing nothing but escaping into Warcraft, it could be as extravegant as a tattoo as I mentioned above. Bottom line, it gives me something to look forward to BEYOND the weight loss rewards. It broadens the focus and expands the process so that your whole life dosn't become just another detail in the weight loss program. It's very very easy to become obsessed and lose sight of the fact that your life is still progressing, that other people in your life, while applauding your journey, aren't a passenger on the same train as you.

Focus is important, but so is perspective... and I find little rewards to be a great aid to that end.

Monday Mass Day 2 ( the lite version )

So I have made a decision of sorts, I will be weighing every Monday, BUT, I will be doing pics and measurements every SECOND Monday. The reason behind this thinking is pretty straight forward, I want to see more change between pics. The weight tracking in fine, and it's a good tool to show progress, but I want the pics to mean major steps, or major shifts. It might not be a good idea, I don't know, perhaps weekly will be better, but for now we'll leave it as every two. As with all things, this policy is subject to change and the absolute whim of me...lol...

Now, weight, as indicated earlier in the week I cheated and weighed in. My weight then, on Friday I think it was, was 297, this morning it was also right around 297. Might have been a smidge over or under, but we'll call it 297 to be a nice round easy to work with number.

So, as an added feature of Monday Mass day, I will be charting the progress here...

August 25th Start weight ??? - we figure anywhere from 310-320
Sept 8th - 301 lbs
Sept 15th - 297 lbs - change of -4lbs, 96 to goal

Baby steps baby, it's all about the baby steps.

A quick word about my goal. Yes, I know I want to lose at least 100 lbs. However, that goal weight can and will change as I start in the gym and start adding the muscle mass. When I was at my best prior to the crime against myself and the subsequent 100lb plus weight gain, I was most comfortable at about 195. We'll see what transpires...

Anyhoo... off to get ready for work and a pre-work walk around the pond....

Thanks for your support folks!

Sunday Suuuuuuuuuunday.........

What a BEAUTIFUL Sunday here in Newfoundland!

Just getting ready for another day out with the family. The best part about what I am doing this time around as opposed to the first time is the fact that I get to share it day by day with my family, and folks, that's a very special thing.

Dee has been nothing short of wonderful through this, she still has her treats, as she should but she considerately asks me if its ok to have say, a chocolate bar, with me in the van with her. lol... She's amazing, always checking the labels with me, eating the meals I need to make this work, walking with me, encouraging, complimenting, why, one would almost think she loves me or something..lol...

Gabe still has his moments of almost forcing food on me. I had a chat with him last night about why Daddy can't eat some of the stuff he is offering me, about how Daddy wants to loss weight so he can play better with him and his brother and ride bike with him next summer. I think he is understanding it, though I don't think he really cares about the belly...lol... it's his snuggle pillow after all. He's been great on the walks though, a real trooper!

We are about to leave the house and go for another walk, and it makes me feel very happy. The one unexpected side effect of this whole thing is the way it has brought our little family closer together and the great activities we are now doing as a group. Fantastic...

Switching gears... I am nervous about next Monday, I have to head to the Docs and get my BP taken again. If it remains high it's medication time for me. I am dreading that really. I have been reading a little about BP meds and the tendency they have to make you feel a little dragged out and such. Nervous... lol... gonna drive my BP up stressing about it... sigh...

Update!!!!!

Just a quickie for now, Friday and Saturdays are always a little bit of the ol' madness in the Babstock household lol.

Just finished mowing the lawn and am now doing a little around the house,well, truth be told, Dee is doing a little around the house, I am actually just doing little around the house, its funny the difference one letter can make ain't it? lol

Ok, I cheated, no, not on the food, that's been going very very well thanks for asking, I cheated on the scale. I wasn't supposed to get on it till Monday, but the wee white shining finish and it's matte black foot areas just seduced me, I couldn't resist. Now, the reason I was wanting to hold off on stepping on that seductress is simple. The quickest way to get down about progress is constantly checking the scales. Weight loss is a slow process, if you are doing it right, and daily checks usually show small progress, thus, it could create a " My god I am going NOWHERE, now where's my pizza" type response. Glad to say, I didn't get that, what I DID get was a reading 0f 297, 4 lbs, 5 days... after two weeks of non-charted progress. 4 lbs in 5 days in the third week of what should be a slowing process... yup... I can surely live with that!

On another note, I am going to order me a pair of pants on e-bay today. Size 38, I want to get back to 34's, but 38 is my first milestone target. I want to be in those by X-mas. I will be in those by x-mas. Now that means losing 15 inches from my abdomen by then... a lofty number, but one I am confident I will reach, cause I am that damn good...lol... nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... just have a feeling I can is all, and a feeling is what I am embracing as fact...

Well, outta here, going shopping with the family, and a walk around the lake... YAY walks!

Ok...

Wow, been a while since I have been able to sit down and just let my fingers do a dance here. Sorry for the couple of short posts, its been a crazy couple of days, starting with a catastrophic computer crash, leading into a catastrophic car meltdown and culminated in a new van and a new computer. lol...

But ,as I indicated yesterday, through it all I have not wavered. I haven't been moving my ass as much as I would have liked, but I haven't let my foods defenses down either, for me, that's a HUGE deal.

Weight is coming off folks, pants are a little looser, not alot, but a little... I can sorta see it in certain parts. It's not drastic, most people aren't even noticing, but it's there and that's a great feeling for me. It's exciting... and going to be a lot more exciting as we move forward.

I still haven't joined the gym :(

I'll tell you why, I am a little afraid to be in there lifting weights with my blood pressure too high. Call me silly, but it seems to me that putting stress and strain on a body who would jet blood 300 feet if I were pinpricked isn't the smartest idea. Next week I will go back to the docs and get the ol' bp taken and one of two things will happen. I have either dropped the BP on my own and it will continue, or it's still high and I go on meds for it. Either scenario sees me in the gym. I just HATE taking pills... HATE HATE HATE it. Not that I have issues with them in physical sense, it just really bugs me, call it a quirk...

New pics and weights and measurements to come on Monday...

Excited yet?

lol

Another quickie

Just another quick update today.

Work is still a pain in the ass, having problems transferring data from a curropted drive. It will be done, its just not going quickly.

Bought a mini-van today lol... yup... I've arrived.

Had a treat of sorts today, but within plan, had a oven roasted chicken breast sub from Subway, no cheese, no mayo... but BBQ sauce yes... it was gooooood.

Promise a longer post later...

Ta for now!

The morning after

Well, the morning after the pics and I am still alive. Very short update for now, been one of those days. Our car has reached the clearing at the end of the path and we are looking for a new set of wheels, then, when I got to the office our computer fried and I had to go buy, setup and swear at a new one. Still here now in fact, waiting for software updates to complete. Then I need to install a slave drive to access files from the fried computer... bah...

Through it all, eating clean, feeling good...

And thanks for the comments Shane and Shaun, it helps so much to have support!

Health Update

Well.. I had a return visit to my Doc this morning for a blood pressure check as well as review the results from the blood work I had completed a week or so ago. Bad news first, my blood pressure is still up. This is a cause for concern of course and I will admit I was more than a little disappointed to see that. I actually felt as if I might have made some progress on that front over the past two weeks and in fact when I took my BP myself at Wal-Mart a couple of days ago it had shown a significant drop. Doc informed me that BP is elevated in the morning and a crappy nights sleep might have contributed to it as well, however, if it remains high next visit in two weeks, then blood pressure meds will be likely administered.

Now, I can't say the high BP was a shock, given my weight in conjunction with my family history, it just sucks when you think positive movement is being made and you find out that in actuality, no movement has been made... on that front anyway.

On to the blood work.

I will now admit a HUGE fear of mine prior to getting the blood work results was cancer. No real sane reason for thinking anything might be wrong on that front, but the nugget of doubt was firmly placed in my mind, and like an oyster, it just grew and grew and grew.... happily, no such thing... My overall levels were perfect, iron, red blood cell count etc. etc. with one unsurprising blip. My cholesterol. Its not off the charts, not even in the HIGH risk bracket, but it is elevated. Now that being said. My blood work was taken prior to two weeks of good eating and exercise, so who knows. We have new blood work on the calendar for 3 months time. I am confident that the cholesterol will be in check at that time.

Hmm... there was supposed to be good news with the bad....lol...

Oh, I guess the fact that I am 100% on track, getting my gym membership this week, haven't felt any desire to cheat or lapse at this point is a good news item...lol...

Dee is going out today and picking up a bunch of cooking supplies. I am increasingly disgusted with the amount of sodium I am taking in, all while trying to avoid it. Sodium my friends, is everywhere and in everything, its just plain crazy. For example, I like plain water, but sometimes I like a flavoured water for a change of pace. This morning when I left the Doc's I dropped in the grocery store to pick up my lunch ( grapes, broccoli florets and a friggin Lean Cuisine sodium bomb) I bought a bottle of Aguafina Flavour Splash... guess wat? SODIUM... 170 mgs of the friggin' stuff. So, anyway, we are going to be doing a little cooking, packaging and freezing in order to get the closest to unprocessed as we can and hopefully that will help alleviate the sodium fiasco.

That's about it for now I guess, I hope you guys who are reading this like the new blog layout, I like my banner, everyday its there as a reminder of where I was, where I dropped, and what I screwed up and let slip. I will be changing out the last picture in the banner from time to time as I evolve, so it will be an interesting thing to keep your eyes on.

Hope you all have a good Monday!