Bedtime and Exercise

Ever since I was a teenager, I have been a night owl.  I was not much of a morning person at all.  As my parents could easily tell you, I would have to be dragged out of bed in order to get up in the morning and go to school.  It got both better and worse in college.  I actually would get up on my own and was rarely late to class, but I definitely pushed my luck timewise.  On top of that my first semester I often stayed up late to complete some work.  It was there that I would help set my night owl habits and also discover how much I liked anime.  However, it wasn't uncommon that I would only get about 6-7 hours of sleep.

When I got out of college, I did start to get used to waking up earlier for work, but I never quite broke the habit of staying up later than I should and running on less sleep.  Maybe I would get a full nights sleep on a work night if I happened to be exhausted and crash while watching TV; otherwise it was all about sleeping in on the weekends.  Even that started to become a premium when I began attending church. 

I've gotten away with this for a long time and it has seemed to work, but it needs to change.  I know I can't just get away with not sleeping as much as I should be because it will screw up my health later on.  It also has become clear because I have been trying to lose weight, and it hasn't been happening due to a number of factors, but one of them is likely because I am not sleeping enough at night.  So something has to be done.

Sad to say it, but I have taken to having an alarm on my cell phone to tell me to go to bed, because in the past when I have tried to set a bedtime I find that either I will lose track of the time or I will notice it's getting close and I'll just ignore the clock.  So maybe a more physical reminder will help me out.  I've been doing this now for two weeks and clearly it is a time of transition.  The good thing is I find that I am starting to get sleepy around 10 PM, the bad is that sometimes I will sleep pretty hard and wake up later than my morning alarm.  However, I think it is getting better, I just have to keep at it.

So to tie in the better sleeping habits, I am also working to develop good exercise habits as well.  With going to bed earlier, I can get up earlier, and that means time to get things done in the morning before I go to work.  I've been reading that the best way to get fit and lose weight is to exercise in the morning, which is something I have not been in the habit of doing since I was about 13.  Besides the apparently health benefits, it's the one part of the day where I should always have time to exercise (unless I wake up late).  In the past when I have tried to exercise after work, it ends up falling apart within a few weeks because I'm going out after work or there's other things going on so I end up getting home late, and then I should be in bed or I just don't want to work out.

I'm starting off easy right now, doing Yoga in the mornings, eventually I will move on to doing the strength exercises in Wii Fit.  When I get myself into the habit of working out every morning, I will join the fitness center behind my apartment (I think they're open at 5:30 or 6) and take advantage of using the facilities there as well.  I know I can do it, and I know it will be good for me.  I am tired of watching the numbers on the scale go nowhere (weight and fat %) so I'm hoping they will be on a downward trend in the next few months.  Besides, it would be fun to start looking really really good. ;-)  I will give myself some credit for this, I am still within the weight range I have kept for the last 12 years. 

So besides the morning exercise, earlier bedtime and working to eat better, I have also been getting into the habit of walking after I have my lunch at work.  So far so good, and based on some measurements, I am walking about 1.2 miles every day.  That will definitely aid as I continue to move towards a healthier self.

Small Step Forward

Every so often I have talked about the things I do to try and get into some routine of exercising.  Unfortunately for various reasons, I don't stick with them.  Life tends to get in the way, with things such as events taking place after work or emergency surgery putting me off of my routines.  Of course, it is harder to pick it back up afterward.  Clearly, with the number of failures I have had, a new approach is needed.

I think one reason I do end up falling out of a routine is that I, like most people, try to do too much at once.  Plus then I get this fantasy of being able to do all of this stuff and make all of these changes in a short amount of time, and when it doesn't happen, I subconsciously say "fuck it."  I really can't say that because I should exercise.  I need to do it for health reasons, and I know if I want to continue to be my sexy self, I am going to have to make sure to put the work in.

So this time around, I'm going to start on a smaller scale.  On Tuesday nights when I have gone up to Columbia to hang with friends, it became a routine after the place closed that JG and I would start walking laps around the parking lot.  I am taking that and expanding it into something that I do as soon as I get home from work, but instead of driving up to Columbia, I walk around my neighborhood.  So far it seems to be working, I found a route that is a bit over two miles and that is not entirely flat.  I'll probably make changes and walk other places as I see fit.  

The plan is that I would like to get myself into a routine of exercising after work.  Eventually I'd like to make it a run, and go further.  Once I am sticking with this for a few months, and it turns brutally cold outside, then I can look into investing going into the gym behind my apartment.

Another line of thought is if I worked on getting myself to bed earlier in the evenings and got up early in the morning, I could hit the gym for a few minutes, come home, get cleaned up and ready, and still hit my bus.  Of course, to do that means breaking years of being a night owl, that could take some time.

I also am taking note of my diet more, and being conscious of how much I am eating.  I've debated going back to one of my more extreme measures of doing a completely raw food meal, but I may save that one for a last resort.  I did it about a year and a half ago, and while it did work well at the time, I am just not ready to invest my time in it again.  Besides, I went from the smoothies I was drinking then, to having oatmeal with honey in the morning, which is already fairly healthy, at least for me.

If I start with this, I can stick with it.

Liveblogging the Address

8:02 - Michelle Obama has walked in, I see she has sleeves on this time

8:04 - The cabinet is walking in.  NBC is chatting about how some of the Republican gang of six is still trying to find common ground.

8:10 - Talking about how name dropping could be rather powerful for this speech, and that Obama is doing this to attempt to calm the political waters.

8:11 - Obama has just been announced, everyone is clapping and cheering.  Obama is walking in with Harry Reid behind him.  NBC is talking about what they know about the speech, says obama is going to extend a hand rather than clench his fist.

8:13 - Obama makes his way slowly down the aisle, everyone is stopping him to shake his hand, he just hugged Hillary.  He just got up to the podium and handed copies of his speech to Biden and Pelosi

8:16 - Pelosi is banging the gavel to try to get everyone to quiet down.  She introduces Obama, now everyone is clapping all over again.  He's ready to get moving.  Starting out talking about how his last speech was during the recession, credit frozen, 700,000 jobs lost, things are getting better, but recovery is still months away, he's not going to stop until people are back to work, credit can thrive, but we have pulled this economy back from the brink.

8:18 - Thanking congress for his support, including taking part in difficult votes, thanking the people for being patient with them to get economy back on track.  Not here to clean up messes forever, time to move forward.  Here tonight to talk about health care.  Vows to be the last to have to talk about health care like this.  Nearly a century since Teddy Roosevelt called for health care reform, everyone since then has tried it, but it hasn't happened.  John Dingell's father introduced a bill back in 1943, and he continues to introduce that bill every year.  Failure to pass reform has brought us to the breaking point.  People are going bankrupt from health care, not poor, but middle class.   People cannot be covered due to pre-existing conditions.  Only advanced democracy to allow such hardship.  1 in 3 don't get insurance or can't get it.  Even those who have insurance have less security and stability, afraid to change jobs because they'll lose coverage.  Paying insurance but get dropped when they get sick.  One man lost his insurance during his chemo because of a previous condition, and he had to stop chemo and died.  Another woman had to cancel surgery due to her insurance canceling her policy right before, and it complicated her breast cancer.  No one should have to go through that.

8:23 - Rising costs, 1.5 times more than other countries spent on health care, yet we are not healthier.  Employees paying more for insurance or being dropped, entrepenurs having trouble starting businesses because of insurance costs like that.  People paying $1000 hidden tax every year because of ER visits by uninsured.  When HC costs keep growing fast, it puts strain on Medicare and Medicaid and soon more will be spent than taken in.  These are the facts, no one disputes them, the system must be reformed, but how?  Some support a single-payer option that puts restrictions on private insurance and guarantees health care for all by govt, others support letting private insurance continue.  Believes we should build on what works in the current system, rather than trying to build a system from scratch.

Congress has been at its best and its worst, working tirelessly to give ideas on reform.  Some ideas have been supported overwhelmingly by health care industry, which usually opposes reform.  We are closer to reform, however, there have been the partisan fights and scare tactics that piss people off and mistrust the govt.  Lots of confusion now due to bickering and people scoring political points.  Now is the time for action and to knock off the fighting, that we can deliver to the american people on health care.

3 Basic Goals - More security and stability to those with health insurance, provide health care to those who don't, and rein in the rise in health costs.  It asks for everyone, including employers and individuals to be involved with this.  

First, if you already have insurance, or medicare, or medicaid, or VA, nothing in this plan will require you to change your coverage or doctor that you currently have.  What it will do is make the insurance you have work better for you.  It will be against the law to deny insurance due to pre-existing conditions.  It will be against the law to reduce or drop coverage when you get sick.  No longer able to put an arbitrary lifetime or yearly cap on coverage.  Limit on out of pocket expenses, no one should be unable to afford to get sick.  Insurance companies required to cover routine checkups and preventive care at no extra charge, will save money and lives.  That's what americans who have insurance can expect, more security and stability.

If you don't have insurance, this plan will offer you quality, affordable choices.  Lose or change job, or create own business, you will be able to get coverage.  Create exchange marketplace for customers to find insurance.  Currently how congress, large companies, and federal employees get insurance, the rest of the people should be able to do the same.  If still can't afford it, tax credits provided to help get coverage.  Exchange will be created in 4 years.  Immediate offer to low cost coverage to those who need it and can't afford to be ill, was a good idea from John McCain.

Even if options provided, some may not want coverage or decide not to do right by their workers.  Irresponsible behavior that costs everyone else, especially when they show up in the ER or picking up the tag for their other workers.  Businesses and individuals must do their part as well.  Basic health insurance must be carried by everyone, just like if you have auto insurance.  Businesses must offer coverage, or must chip in to help with costs.  Hardship waiver available if it comes down to it, however, large business must chip in, they can't game the system.

These reforms would benefit all americans, and the economy.  There is a consensus to do it, but with all the misinformation out there, it's making people nervous.  Some people are spreading misinformation because they want no reform at all.  Some are talking about the death panels for senior citizens.  The death panels are a lie, period (none of the republicans are clapping). The reforms would not apply to illegal immigrants (someone just screamed LIES).  No federal dollars not used to fund abortions, all current conscience laws will be left alone.  One attack has been on being able to choose a public option offered by the government.  He believes that consumers benefit by having competition.  Unfortunately in 34 states, health insurance is controlled by 5 or fewer companies, in alabama, 95% of the people covered are covered by one company.  This doesnt give incentive to be good or to keep rates reasonable.  Insurance folks are encouraged to maximize profits by dropping coverage or watering it down to make more profit.  Obama not interested in putting private insurance out of business, but holding them accountable to the people instead of wall street.  One way to keep them honest is to create a not-for-profit entity in the insurance exchange market.  Only an option for those who do not have insurance, no one will be forced to it.  Less than 5% of americans would actually sign up for it.  Taxpayers will not be subsidizing it, it would have to be self-sufficient.  Wants it to be much like how public and private universities can co-exist.

Not everyone is supporting this, but no one should exaggerate the benefits of reform in order to score political points.  The public options is only a means to the end of preventing fraud and corruption in the insurance.  Democrats or Republicans should not fear this.  Proposals for co-ops, or only providing it to places that no affordable coverage there is.  Viable options, but still want to make sure americans have a choice, period.  Make sure that no bureaucrat, private or public, will stop an american from getting the insurance they need.

8:46 - How do we pay for this plan?  Obama will not sign a plan that will add a dime to the deficit, now or in the future.  More spending cuts if the savings do not materialize.  One reason why nearly trillion dollar deficit now was due to unfunded initiatives kicking in (Iraq War).  Will not make that same mistake again.  Waste and abuse must be rooted out of the system to help realize savings. Four decades ago, medicare was created so seniors after working all their lives would not have to spend all their remaining money and years to pay for health care.  Not one dime of the medicare treasury will pay for this plan.  Rooting out waste and fraud will help pay for this plan and provide better health care to seniors.  Will get seniors the benefits they were promised, and ensure medicare will continue for generations, and help pay for the gap in coverage that prevents some seniors from getting their medicines.  Don't pay attention to stories that your coverage will be cut.  Medicare will be protected by obama, the ones saying those stories are the ones who fight against medicare.

Since medicare is a big part of the system, making it more efficient brings about changes to help fix the rest of the system.  Listening to other doctors will help bring forward the best practices to help fix health care.  Insurance will benefit because they will get new customers.  More preventive care could help bring costs down.

Republicans want to reform malpractice, not a silver bullet, but should be explored.  Rein in the cost of defending medicine, and let the doctors practice medicine instead.  Directing HHS to explore this.  Fixing HC will cost 900 billion over 10 years, way less than what the Iraq war has been costing.  Most costs will be paid for by what is already being spent, but is being spent badly now.  Make it more efficient and it wil be fine.  Deficit reduced by 4 trillion over time.  Come to me with serious proposals, and I will listen to you.  I will not listen to those whose only goal is to kill reform.  I won't stand by while special interests work to keep the status quo.  I will call out those who spread misinformation.  Status quo is not the solution!  Everyone in congress knows what will happen if reform is not passed, more americans will go bankrupt, more will lose coverage when they need it most, more businesses will go out of business because of costs.  People are counting on us to pass this.

Received a letter from Ted Kennedy, after being diagnosed, to be opened on his death.  Talked about the times of his life with his family, he wanted it to be this year that health care reform is passed.  What we face is not just a material issue, but a moral issue as well, it is important to the character of our country.  One of the wonderful things about america is our self reliance, healthy skepticism of govt, and our defense of freedom.  The skepticism is throughout history as it should be.  Those of us who knew Ted Kennedy know that what drove him was people like orrin hatch, john mccain, chuck grassley, all worked together to bring health care to children and people with disabilities.  Not because of ideology, but because of a desire to help people.   Understood the fear of dealing with major illness and the large heartedness to help people.  Hard work and responsibility should be rewarded with security and fair play, sometimes govt should step in to uphold this.  1935, social security created to help those who had lost all their money due to depression, people claimed socialism, but congress stood firm and american has been better for it.  1965, a similar story with Medicare, but yet it was passed.  The people then understood that there is a danger of too much govt, but there is also a danger of too little govt.  If we lose the ability to debate and to be able to talk about the hard issues and the ability to try something hard, we lose something in ourselves.  This moment does not call for kicking the issue down the road again, it is time to act rather than fear the future.

We can still act on the hard issues, and we can meet this moment in history.  Thank you and God Bless You.

What's The Point Then?

A few weeks ago a health fair was held at my place of work and I did go down there to check it out.  One of the offerings was to get on the bone marrow registry to be a donor if someone needs it.  Now this is something that I would get behind, so I started reading the paperwork.  It was when I got down to the eligibility requirements that I got a nice slap in the face by the cold wet rag of old-school overprotective thinking.

I was cheerfully informed by the paper that because I am a male who has had sex with another male, they don't want my bone marrow, period.

I hate that implication, I really truly do.  What it makes me feel like is that they have decided to assume that because I am attracted to other men and have been in relationships with them, it must mean that I am a walking disease factory, or worse, that I must have HIV/AIDS.  Never mind that I don't engage in high risk activities, nope, I must be this dirty person who is going to just go and infect other people.

What kills me about it is that folks like me are the ones actively being discriminated against.  Perhaps the medical folks have forgotten, but straight people are just as capable of catching deadly diseases from their relations as well.  It's not right that I'm not allowed to donate blood or bone marrow despite taking every precaution, but that these organizations will gladly take the same products from a straight person even though that person could be promiscuous, or even have caught something from a partner who lied to them because they didn't take proper precautions.  Seriously, what the french toast is this?

So what does that leave me?  I can't donate blood, I can't donate bone marrow, and hell, I wouldn't be surprised if I wasn't allowed to donate my organs either if I was killed in a car wreck.  Unless of course I just lie to the screeners, but I just can't do that, it's a personal violation of my own ethics.  Just remember that folks, I'm not allowed right now to save someone elses life because according to the current rules, I'm going to end up killing them with something else.

Too bad, but I think when my drivers license comes up for renewal I'll just have to remove my permission to be an organ donor, they don't seem to want me.

Follow-Up

Went and saw the surgeon today for my follow-up, and everything looks good.  I'm healing up nicely so he removed the dressing and staples, and put in their place some paper strips and some new bandage tape so that the small staple wounds can heal.  I just need to keep it on for about 5 days and then I am good to go.  I have an appointment to see the doctor again in 3 weeks, and I'm sure it will be a good report as well.

So, apparently I was a "difficult" case, though from what I can tell, I couldn't have been as bad as some.  However, I had to be cut open more than a small laproscopic incision because my appendix was "retroflexed" and three times as long as a normal one.  Basically, not only was my appendix bigger, but it pointed upward instead of downward.  Oh well, they got it out anyway before it could burst, though I still have my suspicions that the reason it got so "hot" was because of how freaking long it took to actually get me in the operating room.

By the way, no...more...morphine...ever!  I was given that in the hospital and it made me puke my guts out, to the point where I was dry heaving most of the afternoon.  Josephine reminded me that the doc had commented that he was going to get my painkillers changed because he did witness once or twice that I was pretty sick while waiting there.

Anyway, so now I can return to normal, for the most part.  I still can't do anything too strenuous, no jogging or dancing, basically anything that would impact the belly too much right now.  I still can't lift heavy things, which kind of sucks, but I can deal with that.  Unfortunately, no roller coasters allowed...yet.  As long as I can do it later this summer, I don't care.

Josephine commented on how good it was to see that I was able to get up, and hell, I'm glad I am able to stand up again without having to grab a chair so I can pull myself up.  I should see if this made my arms any stronger.  I did find the other day according to my Wii Fit that I lost 4.5 pounds since I last measured myself the night before this all started.  Hopefully I can do enough exercise to maintain.

Emergency Surgery

It's a beautiful Friday morning, and here I sit at home watching movies while gingerly moving around so as not to make me any more sore than I already am.

So what the hell happened?

It all starts Tuesday evening.  My stomach did not feel well and I had figured I had eaten something bad or picked up a stomach bug because I had felt like this before and it passed.  I got up the next morning and went to work still feeling a little crappy but it seemed like it was getting better.  However, it did not get better, I started feeling more pain, and I got nauseous as well.  I decided to take myself down to the infirmary to be checked out.  The nurse took a look at me and poked at my belly and she noticed I had reflexive pain in the lower right side, so I was advised to go to urgent care or the ER to get checked out and see if I could have appendicitis or if it was something else.  So I made a few phone calls and got my priest to come pick me up from work since they did not want me to drive.  Then they wanted to put me in a wheelchair and be wheeled out to the front gate.  I'd be lying if I said I didn't fight with the nurse a little about this because at this point, yeah, I hurt, but I was still capable of walking and moving around.

Connie arrives, and there's a joke that I'm being dramatic, but what can I say, gotta follow the nurses orders.  She gets me over to Doctors Community Hospital and I get myself checked in.  Thanks to triage, I'm seen within ten minutes, they draw blood and take a urine sample to see if there's any white blood cells.  By this time "Grandma Josephine" has arrived to sit with me and get me taken care of.  

The test results came back and nothing was abnormal so they decided to take a CAT scan of my abdomen to see if my appendix was indeed inflamed.  So after getting some morphine and anti-nausea drugs, I drank down the contrast solution (luckily it wasn't all chalky) and then waited.  They wheeled me in and took the CAT scan then it was back to the ER to wait for the results.  Fifteen minutes later they tell me that it is indeed appendicitis and they are going to be putting me into surgery ASAP.  I would spend the rest of the afternoon waiting to go in, and boy did it suck major donkey balls.  Despite the anti-nausea meds, I ended up puking a number of times, and even when I was empty, there was plenty of dry heaving.  This continued all the way up until I was being prepped for surgery.  Believe me, I never ever want to throw up again if I can help it.

As soon as I was given the drugs to help knock me out for surgery, I was down, the next thing I remember is waking up in the recovery room.  I was told that the surgery was successful but it took more than expected.  See, earlier when I had talked to the doctor, they said they were going to do it laproscopically, meaning they would make a small incision and use a camera and tools to take my appendix out.  I'd heal up quickly and be back on my feet in time to still leave for Europe.  However, when they got in there, it turned out that my appendix was higher up than they expected, and it was "hot" meaning it was very infected.  If they had waited much longer to take it out I would have been in deep shit.  I talked to the doc and asked about whether or not I would still be able to travel.  He said that I could not travel, and that it was likely I would have to stay for another night in the hospital.

I was devastated.  I'd be lying if I said I didn't break down a bit, especially after all the work I had done to get to go to Europe and now I was not going to be allowed.

I was moved to my hospital room and i was in and out of sleep for the rest of the night.  I was generally a good patient, and even the nurses commented on that.  I think I had driven them a bit crazy because every other hour I was calling them to disconnect my IV line so I could get up to use the bathroom.  Actually it was a good thing that I was able to go and pee.  When it got to be early morning I was offered a liquid breakfast.  I would later talk to the surgeon's assistant and learn I would actually be able to go home that day.  In the late morning, Connie and Billy showed up to visit and then Josephine arrived with my clothes so I could go home.

I was brought home and helped up the stairs and got settled in for the rest of the day.  Let me tell ya though, it is not easy right now to move around.  Since they cut through one of my belly muscles to get to my appendix, it hurts to get up and move around, however, I keep on doing it because it's the only way I am going to get better at this point.  I think with a few days rest I should be back on my feet and ready to go.  Luckily because I have Netflix and a Roku box theres plenty of TV and movies I can watch so I won't be bored.  Now to just heal up.

I am extremely thankful I have my church family and they were able to take care of me during this time.  Hopefully I can think of something to do to tell them all thank you.

Damn Bugs

It seems that this week I caught whatever bug has been going around and hitting folks. Monday afternoon I started to feel a bit chilled so I laid on the couch trying to stay warm. I also ended up hitting the bathtub for some warmth as well, which helped a bit.

Tuesday I woke up and felt a bit off, but I figured I'd go to work anyway and if I felt worse, I'd head home. I managed to get through work, but boy did I feel like crap as the day went on. When I was leaving at the end of the day I felt feverish and my stomach felt like crap. I got home and immediately went to bed, which was around 7 PM. I would basically sleep until 5 AM the next morning, only being briefly interrupted twice because I woke up so hot my clothes were drenched in sweat.

Today has been mostly better, no fever, but I didn't have much of an appetite for most of the day until later on. Tonight I turned ravenous, probably in part because I skipped a meal last night.

Hopefully this is finally done and overwith because I am through with feeling like crap.

Late Thoughts on World AIDS Day

I would have written this yesterday, but I was having some writers block.  Thank goodness a change of environment (coffee shop vs house) is all I need sometimes.

Yesterday was World AIDS Day, and the only thing I did different was go and buy a cup of Starbucks so they would make their donation to Project Red.  The reason I say that is because I continually make donations throughout the year via my paycheck to various organizations, including those that are dedicated to research and prevention.

I have known about AIDS for the last 19 years, and so much has changed, at the time I was learning about it, AZT had barely been approved and the other drug cocktails that would come along either had not been discovered, or had not been approved.  While we still have a long way to go, at least AIDS != Death like it once did.  Still, it is not something I would wish on anyone.

I hope that those I know who are living with HIV/AIDS are able to have a fulfilling life, but I ultimately hope we find a cure and a vaccination as well.

No matter who you are, be safe, there is no excuse to put your health at risk.  It is unrealistic to say that you should just stop having sex, but be safe about it.  Treat every new person you meet as someone that could be infected and that means wear a condom.  Don't forget to get tested regularly.  If and when you settle down with that one person, the both of you get tested and know for sure if you are clean or not.  After that, if you decide to go without the condoms, don't screw around with anyone else but your partner, and if you do, you'd better start wearing the condoms again.  Don't jeopardize your health, period.

Good News for Me

Since today was my extra day off, I did my usual thing of catching up on errands. Last month I had some bloodwork done to check my cholesterol levels, but I had not seen the results. I dropped into my doctor's office, and the person at the front told me the reason that I had not seen the results was because everything was normal, and they only get in touch with someone if things are not normal. So I'll take that as a good sign, but of course I asked for a copy of the lab results.

For those who don't know, last year when I had my cholesterol tested, I had a high level of triglycerides, and my HDL (good) cholesterol was low. That for me is a warning sign that I could develop Hyperlipidemia Type IIb and since I would not like to die of a heart attack in 30 years or less, it meant taking steps to see if I could bring the cholesterol under control. Diet and exercise changes were the big things, because as I have said before, I do not want to go on pills.

Well it looks like the lifestyle changes are working because things are more normal

Normal Ranges:

Cholesterol: 100-200
HDL: 40-59
LDL: 0-100
Triglycerides: <150

Old Results:
Cholesterol: 137
HDL: 37
LDL: 59
Triglycerides: 207

New Results:
Cholesterol: 141
HDL: 42
LDL: 71
Triglycerides: 141

So from what I can see, I dropped my triglycerides 66 points, which is great. I have raised the HDL to where it should be, and stayed within a good range for the overall cholesterol. I am thinking the LDL is a little higher than I want it to be, but that can be fixed. I know I can improve on the lifestyle stuff, and so I'll keep on doing what I am doing, and a bit more.

Another Running Route

Fitness Log, 11/20 and 11/21

11/20: 35 mins working out to Billy Blanks Boot Camp: Basic Training. Arms were screaming but it was a well worthwhile workout.

11/21: Ran usual Greenbelt Loop, 3.31 miles in 30 minutes 25 seconds. New workout clothing worked great. Ended up feeling like my pacing was much better, did not feel like I needed to slow down during the run, kept pushing myself to run harder.

More young adults on cholesterol drugs

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Just from reading this article, the first reaction I have is to think "Shouldn't the doctors be telling them to quit eating a cheeseburger, get their fat ass off of the couch, and take a run around the block, and I don't around down to the local Krispy Kreme either" However, one who knows me could also argue that I am a hypocrite for saying that, because I may end up as one of those young people who ends up on those drugs, as much as I hate the idea.

On my father's side of the family, a condition known as Hyperlipidemia type IIb occurs in many of the members. In our case, it's a genetic condition that results in our liver producing too much cholesterol and triglycerides. If it is not controlled, most members died of a massive heart attack in their early 50's. Unfortunately since my father has it, it means I could end up having it as well. It has meant for me that now every year I get bloodwork done to check my levels to make sure I am okay. Last April I had it done and while my overall cholesterol was fine, my triglycerides were high and so was my LDL cholesterol. They weren't high by much, but it was enough for me to notice. However, instead of demanding drugs as a quick fix, I decided I was going to make lifestyle changes. As it is, this reading does not mean I have Hyperlipidemia, there are other factors that could have created the high result.

My dietary habits had become awful over the last two years. I could easily go into a page or two of what went wrong, but it's completely off the subject. When I started dating Joshua he started pushing me towards some better eating habits, which I found made things easier for me to change. Weeks later, I was on IM with Brian and he basically said that he was looking to change his diet because he knew his was not that great either, so we started giving one another feedback on things we had read and things we had tried, and it seems to have worked for the both of us. I have dropped from a 34 inch waist to about a 32-33 inch waist, so that's real progress for me. I was shocked when I realized that on a belt Joshua had given me that I had gone from the third notch to the fifth notch.

So, I am going to continue to watch my diet carefully and start to push up my exercise more, and hopefully the next time I get my bloodwork done, my levels will be more normal. Maybe I will have lucked out and dodged a bullet genetically, but that doesn't give me an excuse to become a fatass either.

Oh, and also, that article doesn't mention the downside to a lot of those cholesterol drugs, which are that they will screw with your liver and even your pancreas, putting you at risk for even worse problems (Diabetes anyone?). That is especially the reason why I do not ever want to go on these drugs, if I do have a problem and I can control it by diet, I'd rather make the effort to control it that way than to just think I can take a pill and make it "go away." I have the discipline to be able to do things the right way.

Food thoughts

I came to a realization today in regard to my previous diet and how I am trying to change things now.

One thing I was doing wrong in one sense was that I had gotten into a long time habit of making only the main course of a meal and eating that, and never pairing any side dishes with it. Since the main dish tends to be the dish that most people (myself included) make that has more of the calories, fats, and other stuff, I would end up eating more of that, and therefore create an imbalance when it came to my nutrition.

A good example would be the turkey feta burgers I created tonight, in the past I would eat only the burgers and I would eat two to three of them. So of course I get plenty of protein, but I also get a bit more fat and calories than I should be eating for just this one meal. So tonight besides the burgers I had a bowl of some steamed corn, and it turned out that I only needed to cook and eat one burger and I was full enough. So not only did I cut calories, I got more nutrition out of the meal as well.

I find that I still think about getting some fast food, but now I really think about if there is something better I could make at home. I was picking up some boxes from a friend tonight and nearby is a Wendys, well I kept thinking that maybe I would go there, but I found myself driving on past and thinking to myself that it would be better to just get something at home. Now because I am getting ready to move and I have packed all of my cooking stuff, it does provide more of a temptation to just eat bad stuff, but I am determined to stick out as much of my lifestyle changing as I can this week.