FatBlogger

Now what?

So, the first day of the new year...new decade...has arrived. And along with it, for many looking to change things,  anxiety. Boat loads of it. You don't know where to start, what to do, and the urge and the desire to "blow it" on the first day looms large. 

Well, don't sweat it. You, and me, we have a whole new year ahead of us, a whole new decade. For myself, I am going to start the new year off with a few resolutions, or at least think them over for today. What is it I want to achieve this year, the next 5 or 10? These resolutions don't have to be etched into marble, goals, like your life, has got to be flexible. However, they must also be firm enough that you intend to complete them, you will have to work hard to achieve them...for nothing, and I mean nothing, of value comes easy. 

So, if you in a quandary, feeling a bit confused, put your anxiety aside and do what I am, give it some thought. Take that first positive step by looking ahead and getting down on paper what you want to achieve this year, and list a few for the decade as well. Be realistic, but list a couple that will cause you to reach, work, strive. Its good for the soul...and body. 

Anyway, thats what I am doing today. Yeah, and watching a bit of football as well.  Hopefully tomorrow I will get back to you with what I have come up with. 

Countdown to the end of a decade.....and new beginnings?

I have read that some are calling the last ten as the "decade of hell". Not sure that I agree with that based on what we are facing ahead of us in the world right now...but it would be great if the worst is behind us instead of ahead of us...for sure. 

Maybe on a personal basis we can strive to put the worst behind us, particularly those of us that have been struggling with personal demons. It's what I am going to try and do anyway, though my track record on fulfilling New Years resolutions is not great. 

But things CAN change..and change for the better. I truly believe that all one REALLY needs is resolve, a dedication to get that thing done. Maybe the plan is not great, but it evolves, you fall and get up... but you keep moving forward with relentless determination. 

The beginning of a whole new decade seems like a fresh start to me. Lets use it to our advantage, be it personal, as Americans, or simply as human beings on this planet. 

Why does my foot hurt so bad and just what the hell is Plantar fasciitis

Almost a year ago, the day after I walked the Houston Half Marathon, my foot was killing me, in particular my right heal. Now generally this is to be expected given the 13 miles and the extra 60 pounds I am carting around, but the pain lingered for days, and then weeks, and then months. At times it was one of the most painful things I ever experienced, with shooting pain that went deep into the bone of my foot.  Turns out it is called Plantar Fasciitis, and it is often a common ailment among the over-weight and the obese. 

Basically it is an injury to a thick band of fibrous tissue located on the heal of the foot, and extends up to the toes. 

It probably never would have happened to me had I not actually RAN that last mile. I couldn't help it, the crowd was cheering and I did not want to be just a fat guy walking. So I ran And as it turns out I was just a fat guy who thought he was running but in fact was doing a very poor imitation and was injuring my foot in the process. 

Getting up in the morning was a bitch, sometimes my foot was so stiff and sore that I had to drag it along like Egor before I could walk on it. I pretty much tried everything, ice, heat, rest. As I am often standing throughout the day on hard surfaces, it was not getting better. About the best thing I did was get a decent pair of shoes with good support, and wore them even in the house.  

I have read that it takes about 9 months for it to go away on average. In some cases as much as 2 years. I would say that I am about 80% healed up, no pun intended, there are times that it flares up. Since I have entered myself in the race again for another 13 miles, and it is just over 10 weeks away, AND I haven't really done any extensive training or walking yet, this injury is worrisome to me.  I'm going to need a really, really, really... good pair of running or walking shoes....or lose a lot of weight very quickly. 

WebMd

Mayo Clinic

Wikipedia

Google Health

What if you were thin?

Its an interesting concept, one that I have heard and read about in various forms over the years. The thought is that to be a thin person, one should act like a thin person. Of course, that is easier said than done for many, lucky for us that Rachel Young has figured it out. 

Rachel has lost over 80 pounds, thats right...80 pounds! All through a method she learned while growing up in Japan called "kaizen". In her words...

You see, the Japanese use the term “kaizen” to describe small steps that can be taken to achieve

large goals. I used this concept to learn the language (speaking and writing), to try and discover

new local foods, to live and love the country I was being raised in.

It's an easy to read, no nonsense approach, full of good advice, a unique approach to losing weight sensibly and for life, I enjoyed reading it. Those of you who know me well, know I do NOT recommend many diet books, but this is one that I can, whole heartedly! To read more about Rachel and her kaizen approach to weight loss, go to her website...

What If You Were Thin?

The PINK is back baby!

I'm going pink for the month of October to show my support for National Breast Cancer Awareness. And my infamous pig is pink, so.\, it all just kind of made sense. 

This was NOT an easy decision, pink is my least favorite color...except for this month. 

I got an early start today and squeezed in a 3 mile walk in the park. The weather was finally cool here and it was very pleasant. All this month I will be focusing on the exercise, getting that habit going again, doing what I can to keep it going for a life time, instead of intermittently between attempts at weight loss.  There have been more reasons than a lack of motivation for why I have been slacking, seems like everything came at us all at once. And after the half marathon last January, I was really racked up with some serious foot pain for a long, long time (more on that later). So anyway, it felt really good to get out there again, to feel a bit stiff afterward, and to get it done early in the morning too. 

While I was looking over the NBCAM website I came across an article they had on there about how diet can raise or lower a woman's risk of breast cancer. Not surprising information really, has a decent plant based diet EVER been linked to bad health? Not that I have seen so far. It is worth a read though if you need that extra motivation to make a few changes in your diet. 

Prudent diet linked to lower breast cancer risk.

Not sure what I will be doing this weekend, but I won't be posting here. Would like to visit some of you though! I'll be around and have a nice weekend!