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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Tuesday July 27th 2010 - Vitamin D/ Sunshine!

I have wasted wonderful vacations by being too fat and out of shape to enjoy the full extent of the opportunities. In 2004 we went to Disney World for a week and the Disney Cruise for another 4 or 5 days. I weighed about 425 or so. I struggled to get around. While I made it to everything we wanted to see, I was uncomfortable and irritable. I was also self conscious because the extra large Grumpy shirt was tight as hell.  The cruise was fine, but my dive off of Nassau was rough.

In 2006, we went to Germany and France for two weeks. I rented a car in Germany, so it wasn't so bad getting around, but by the time we made it to Paris I was worn out and unable to walk for extended periods of time. My weight was still somewhere over 400. After that trip I ended up getting surgery on my knee because of a torn MCL. While stress was the cause, the weight was the stress. Poor knee. It still acts up, but only when I actually injure it exercising. These vacations would have been so much better for me and my family if I had been in better shape.

Now we are preparing for Yellowstone National Park. There is no way I'm going to let my health hamper my enjoyment of the trip. We will be walking and when we are not walking we will be hiking. No subways or taxi's to bail me out. Since I started working out June 2009 I have been in wonderful shape. No reservations about doing anything. Nonetheless, I want to be in extra good shape for this trip. Yesterday I went and played basketball in 98 degree blazing sun weather to get acclimated to the heat and the sunshine. Today I made it to the gym as scheduled and managed to get another 30 minutes on the outdoor basketball court. Thursday, I'm going to hike around Roxborough State Park. This weekend I'll head up to mount Evans to get a real high altitude hike in. Everyday I'm trying to stretch my limitations. Of course the secret to surviving the heat and altitude is hydration. In Colorado you need more water because of the dry air and relative altitude. When your hiking in the mountains you need even more because high altitude hikes consume water like crazy. So, along with the exercise and heat exposer, I have not gotten heat stroke because I drink so much water I could puke. The real barometer of your hydration is in your pee. Are you peeing at all? And what color is it? If your urinating several times during your hike or outing and the pee is light yellow, you should be just fine regardless of the exertion.

I guarantee you that I'm going to have a great time without any limitations. Well, maybe financial limitations, but not physical. Besides, on this trip I will only weigh 330 pounds. Still big, but much better than the 400's. And I am strong. Real strong. My circuit weight training is going great and my weights have gone way up. I'm squatting 430 pounds and I'm maxing out most of the other machines. I could seriously lift the back of a Toyota Corolla... as long as the tank is empty and no one is in the car. Maybe some helium balloons stuffed inside. Just kidding. I feel as strong as an Ox. I'm ready and I will be even more ready by August 8th.

2 comments:

  1. I hope my story helps you to continue with your weight loss everyday.

    My dad was severely obese and because of many years in law enforcement, he suffered from a bad back. Over the years, he developed a chronic lung disease, COPD, even though he never smoked. He also suffered from sleep apnea, diabetes and high blood pressure.

    My father was taken to the emergency room on Jan 31 2010 with severe back pain. He was admitted, and while there he was also treated for having difficulty breathing. Unfortunately he caught an infection while in two additional hospitals and two rehab centers and died June 6th, 2010. One of the contributing factors to his death was morbid obesity.

    I hope my story inspires you to lose the weight. My dad was only 55 years old.

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  2. Congratulations on your weight loss. Its definitely not easy to lose it.

    Sticking to a vegetarian diet along with natural food is a very good way to lose weight and maintain it. You can see more on the subject at my new blog: http://pathsofnature.blogspot.com/

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