FatBlogger

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!

FatBlogger Recognizes National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Since the program began in 1985, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older and breast cancer deaths have declined. 

This is exciting progress, but there are still women who do not take advantage of early detection at all and others who do not get screening mammograms and clinical breast exams at regular intervals. 

·          Women age 65 and older are less likely to get mammograms than younger women, even though breast cancer risk increases with age.

·          Hispanic women have fewer mammograms than Caucasian women and African American women.

·          Women below poverty level are less likely than women at higher incomes to have had a mammogram within the past two years.

·          Mammography use has increased for all groups except American Indians and Alaska Natives.

 “If all women age 40 and older took advantage of early detection methods – mammography plus clinical breast exam – breast cancer death rates would drop much further, up to 30 percent,” says 

“The key to mammography screening is that it be done routinely – once is not enough.” 

For more information about NBCAM, please visit www.nbcam.org.  For additional information, please call one of the following toll-free numbers: American Cancer Society,

(800) 227-2345, National Cancer Institute (NCI), (800) 4-CANCER, Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, (800) 221-2141.

 The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month program is dedicated to increasing public knowledge about the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Fifteen national public service organizations, professional associations, and government agencies comprise the Board of Sponsors, who work together to ensure that the NBCAM message is heard by thousands of women and their families.

Time to get moving again

OK, I just walked 2 miles. First time in a looooooooong time, and if felt rather good I have to say. October always seems to motivate me to get moving. Its November through the following September I have troubles with!

October always seems to get me exercising, and exercising, or at least moving around more, is always a good place to start getting healthy. 

Healthy is the key word, because that is my main goal now. Yes I need to lose weight, about 60 pounds to be exact, but that is just one part of improving my health.  Believe it or not, there are others as well. 

And even tiny steps will get you there right? Eventually?

OK, there is much to do this October, or should I say...ROCkTOBER !!! 

Much more later

I'm still here....

Just trying to get through this plague that seems to have descended on my house since the kids went back to school. Sickness after sickness...everyone sick except for me. Weird. I can only chalk it up to fish oil pills, because I sure as hell don't do anything more healthy than that right now.

More soon, when I have time and don't have to nurse 3 people back to health. 

Follow Me On Twitter

Yes, yes, now I am hip too. I signed up for the dang thing awhile ago, hardly can remember to use it. But I do see the value in actually getting it going, being able to track others progress and show mine...if when I actually make some progress that is.  

So if your into this type of shallow communication of 140 characters or less, you follow me and I will follow you, as long as your not too creepy....or needy. I need my space, and believe me, I need A LOT of space. 

Top right, if your interested. 

Or just click here. 

The Pros and Cons of Counting vs Abstinence

Counting Calories

Pros:

1. I am familiar with it.
2. Writing down what you are eating in a journal is a proven method for losing weight.
3. I can be sure that I am not eating more calories than I need.
4. If I can stick with it, I know it will work.

Cons:

1. limits the freedom to eat what I want.
2. Can be a pain on special occasions.
3. When I stop counting, I binge or over-eat.
4. I have never been able to maintain it.

Abstinence

Pros:

1. Admits that I have a problem that goes beyond food and calories
2. Is a very simple alternative to counting calories.
3. Targets the main problem area I have.
4. Does not have to be turned "on" or "off', can be used on any occasion.

Cons:

1. I have never, ever, been able to do it.
2. Seems like it might be a very hard thing to do for a lifetime.
3. There is no guarantee that I won't create another "problem area" to compensate.
4. I don't know that I can trust myself with it.

The Dilemma

Essentially there is probably only one way lose fat, and that is to cut down on your caloric expenditure. Now within that simply formula there is a whole host of paths one could take, but the bottom line remains the same..burn more than you take in.

For me, knowing what I know about me, my experience with losing and gaining weight over the decades, there are only two ways to do this really.

1. Count calories. This I have done with success at times. Though if you measure success by the fact that you KEEP doing it year after year, then no, I would be a failure at it, like so many others. 

2. Addiction strategies. Admitting you have an addiction to over eating and making one simple rule to remove the problem area. An alcoholic would have a no alcohol rule, an addictive over-eater like me might remove a certain food for life.

But for me, removing one food is not the answer, my problem area is not a single food, it is a single time frame, after dinner to bedtime...the dreaded "4th meal" if you will. What makes me obese is just 500 extra calories a day, and I get that routinely by eating after dinner, nearly every night. 

My last post I said I was going to try to eliminate it, but it proved MUCH harder than I thought. I needed something, anything, and when I took a little something, it invariably turned into a BIG something.

It is what some psychologists call AVE, or Abstinence Violation Effect. In for a penny, in for a pound kind of thing. 

So for me the dilemma comes down to trying again what I have tried so many times before, and hope that I am a little wiser and better able to carry if off, or try something new that seems like a colossal struggle, but no less what a drunk might go through giving up booze...simple, but difficult.