Since I have returned, I have been putting into place many of the pieces of my plan which I developed in classes at Duke during the last week. Sudie has been a wonderful support during my transition back to York. We both have been working hard to change habits but it was not difficult to adapt to each others new regimens. The house looks fabulous and we make the bed when we get up and are keeping things organized and put away (it's been two months now since Sudie started.)
One of the first things we did was to empty out the pantry of all the "bad" food and buy health substitutions. I have been putting on serving of my snacks (pistachio and almonds) in plastic bags so that when I want a snack, all I have to do is grab a bag. I also bought health popcorn.
We are now eating suppers and some breakfasts at the dining room table. This has been a wonderful boon to our marriage..catching up with each other over a meal. Most of the meals have been from the Duke Cookbook and Sudie has enjoyed the spicy flavor of the recipes.
I have contacted some friends about walking together and once the weather improves we will begin walking. The Rector of my church (and others) have asked me to do a presentation of what I learned while at Duke. I am on the docket for April 18 at 5PM. I have been able to put together some of the power point slides that were used for classes at Duke. I plan to make some sample food so the participants can taste some of my favorite recipes.
Fitness wise, I went back to the York Fitness Center for the last two weeks and have been averaging 90 minutes 5 days a week. I had put in my application to join the York Health Heart Institute and I finally had my intake interview and medical check-up yesterday. My weight was a few pounds higher than it was when I left Duke because I was wearing my sweat cloths when I weighed in and they weighed probably 2-3 pounds. So now I have a base mark to keep track of my weight loss over the next year. When I weighed myself this morning just before I took a shower, I was 3 pounds less than at Duke, so I am feeling good about what I am eating and the amount of exercise. Wednesdays will be my weigh-in day so I will blog each Wednesday to keep you posted on my progress.
Finally I want to thank all of you fabulous folks here in York and all my relatives too for all the kind words and support that you have shown me on my way home and since I returned. With that kind of support, I know I will be successful. When I left Duke, many people asked me if I planned to return (many do return for multiple times.) I told them that I do not plan to return as I know that with the wonderful support I have, I will conquer my weight problem. AMEN!!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
A return to reality
I'm back! I have been waiting until I could begin at the York Heart and Health Institute to pick-up where I left off. For those of you who are "from away" this organization is under the the York Hospital umbrella, and as such I am getting a discount because of my volunteering at the hospital. Previously, I have been working out at another fitness facility in town, but I have switched because there is a medical component at the YHHI.
To go back to my trip to South Carolina to visit Perry and Jan, I arrived on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday we took a 2.25 mile walk around their neighborhood. Later we went to Perry's new job site and toured the beautiful and very impressive music facilities that he is responsible for. As we watched the Superbowl that night, I was very mindful about what I snacked on and the portion size of the chili that Jan made.
The next morning I went with Jan to her health club and Nu-stepped and tread-milled for an hour. Jan took off in the afternoon for Boone, NC for some appointments. I was watching the weather station in the afternoon, and the forcast got worse and worse and it appeared that I would be driving right through a major snow storm if I left the next day, as planned. I soon decided that I needed to leave Perry's NOW and not wait 'til the next morning, so I called Perry to let him know (without success,) quickly packed up (leaving behind my new diabetes meds and foot tent!) and started on my way around 5:15PM. I called Lolly to ask her if it would be OK if I were I would be arriving after midnight, and she assured me everything would be set for me to sneek in. I called Perry again and he was just arriving at the front gate of the Golf club and we met on the road to say our goodbyes. Once I left, I called Sudie to let her know I was on my way (and left a message on our answering machine.) At some point, Sudie called me back and was a bit upset because she was planning her last "fat dinner" before I arrived back, and felt she now had to stay up late straightening the house so it would look "perfect" when I arrived home. We laugh about the fact that her first words were not," I can't wait to see you, I've missed you!" I guess that is what being married for so long and feel so comfortable with one's spouse is all about, that whatever comes out is OK and not taken personally. I kew she loved me and missed me without having to say it.
I wasn't sure what the roads would look like as I approached Washington. At one of the gas stations, I heard that many gas stations were out of gas so I stopped to top off my tank when it registered 1/2 full. I was surprised and very pleased to find all the major roads had been cleared from the previous major snow storm that had hit a few days previously. As I got close to Oakton, VA, around 2 AM, I was not feeling tired at all and entertained the idea of driving all the way to York without stopping. I did decide to drop by Lolly and Jim's to leave them a note on the kitchen table to let them know I had driven through otherwise I knew they would be very worried when they saw my bed unslept in. However, when I opened up the door to their garage which had been left unlocked for me, Lolly heard the beep of the alarm and came downstairs, God Bless her, at that time of night! She was knot pleased when she heard my plans and convinced me to get some sleep and start out the next morning as the storm was not scheduled to hit that area until late in the morning. I would have been right in the middle if that storm if I hadn't left early from Perry's!
I got up at 6:30. visited with Jim and Lolly and left around 7:30 AM. The local roads were a mess and it took me some time to get to the beltway around Washington. Once one it, I had an easy trip north. I decided to follow I-95 through Rhode Island as I wanted to visit Roger's family and the newly born Dylan Conner Blanchard! I arrived there about 4PM and spend a most wonderful time there and fot to hold my second grand-son! :-) I arrived in York around 6:15 PM and was warmly welcomed by Sudie.
I need to get some lunch before I run off to an appointment, so I will continue my venture when I get back.
To go back to my trip to South Carolina to visit Perry and Jan, I arrived on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday we took a 2.25 mile walk around their neighborhood. Later we went to Perry's new job site and toured the beautiful and very impressive music facilities that he is responsible for. As we watched the Superbowl that night, I was very mindful about what I snacked on and the portion size of the chili that Jan made.
The next morning I went with Jan to her health club and Nu-stepped and tread-milled for an hour. Jan took off in the afternoon for Boone, NC for some appointments. I was watching the weather station in the afternoon, and the forcast got worse and worse and it appeared that I would be driving right through a major snow storm if I left the next day, as planned. I soon decided that I needed to leave Perry's NOW and not wait 'til the next morning, so I called Perry to let him know (without success,) quickly packed up (leaving behind my new diabetes meds and foot tent!) and started on my way around 5:15PM. I called Lolly to ask her if it would be OK if I were I would be arriving after midnight, and she assured me everything would be set for me to sneek in. I called Perry again and he was just arriving at the front gate of the Golf club and we met on the road to say our goodbyes. Once I left, I called Sudie to let her know I was on my way (and left a message on our answering machine.) At some point, Sudie called me back and was a bit upset because she was planning her last "fat dinner" before I arrived back, and felt she now had to stay up late straightening the house so it would look "perfect" when I arrived home. We laugh about the fact that her first words were not," I can't wait to see you, I've missed you!" I guess that is what being married for so long and feel so comfortable with one's spouse is all about, that whatever comes out is OK and not taken personally. I kew she loved me and missed me without having to say it.
I wasn't sure what the roads would look like as I approached Washington. At one of the gas stations, I heard that many gas stations were out of gas so I stopped to top off my tank when it registered 1/2 full. I was surprised and very pleased to find all the major roads had been cleared from the previous major snow storm that had hit a few days previously. As I got close to Oakton, VA, around 2 AM, I was not feeling tired at all and entertained the idea of driving all the way to York without stopping. I did decide to drop by Lolly and Jim's to leave them a note on the kitchen table to let them know I had driven through otherwise I knew they would be very worried when they saw my bed unslept in. However, when I opened up the door to their garage which had been left unlocked for me, Lolly heard the beep of the alarm and came downstairs, God Bless her, at that time of night! She was knot pleased when she heard my plans and convinced me to get some sleep and start out the next morning as the storm was not scheduled to hit that area until late in the morning. I would have been right in the middle if that storm if I hadn't left early from Perry's!
I got up at 6:30. visited with Jim and Lolly and left around 7:30 AM. The local roads were a mess and it took me some time to get to the beltway around Washington. Once one it, I had an easy trip north. I decided to follow I-95 through Rhode Island as I wanted to visit Roger's family and the newly born Dylan Conner Blanchard! I arrived there about 4PM and spend a most wonderful time there and fot to hold my second grand-son! :-) I arrived in York around 6:15 PM and was warmly welcomed by Sudie.
I need to get some lunch before I run off to an appointment, so I will continue my venture when I get back.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Feb 5 - Day 26
It's been raining here all day, at times quite hard. Thank goodness the temp stayed above freezing! My plan for tomorrow is to go to breakfast, say goodbyes :-( and leave Durham around 10am which will get me to Perry's mid afternoon.
Today was my "last chance workout." Those of you who watch the biggest looser on TV will know what I mean. I spent about 4 hours in the pool and gym today hitting all the exercise machines for the last time. I also had my last aqua aerobics class. Gerold, the head of the fitness team here lead the aerobics and he really worked us out for 45 minutes. The scale in the locker said I had lost a total of 22 pounds, but I will check this before I leave.
This afternoon, I came back to my room and packed the car. I wanted to give a gift to Paula for being such a wonderful host, so I found a florist and bought her come cut flowers. Tonight was steak night at DFC. They served a strip steak with sauce, cheesy potatoes, a wonderful salad with blue cheese dressing, and for desert, a chocolate mousse made with tofu. It was delicious, and it's another dish I might well make when I get back. You never know when it might show up at your table :-)
I stopped by a grocery store on my way back from dinner, and bought some snacking food for the car as I drive. You would be proud of me as I purchased apples, almonds, and very light popcorn. I also bought some baggies to put one serving of each in IE, 25 almonds = 1 serving.
When got back, I presented the flowers to Paula and she was touched that I had thought about her. So tonight I have blogged, skyped with Sudie and portioned the snacks out. Now it's time for bed.
Roger sent me pictures of Dylan today and here they are:
Epilogue
The first thing I did when I got to DFC was weigh myself. I went into one of the examination rooms, stripped down to my skivvies and discovered my final weight is loss 24.1 pounds!!!!!! I spent the morning saying goodbye to my new fiends. It's different when you are the departee. I arrived at Perry's around 1:30 pm. Their house is well designed and very lovely. It was fun to see all the old Mixter furniture and paintings. Perry took off for a chili contest (I was asked if I wanted to go, but I declined -pre DFC I would definitely gone. While he was gone, Jan and I took a mile and a half walk around a large undeveloped piece of real estate close to their home. We saw a large flock of turkey vultures that roost near a lake nearby. Very cool!
PLEASE NOTE:
THIS BLOG COMPLETES THE RECORD OF MY STAY AT THE DUKE DIET AND FITNESS CENTER. I WILL NOT BE BLOGGING ON MY WAY BACK TO YORK. I WILL CONTINUE ONCE I ARRIVE BACK AND BLOG FOR THE NEXT YEAR, ONCE EVERY WEEK OR SO. SO DON'T GIVE UP ON ME. I MIGHT POST SOME PICTURES OF ME OVER THE YEAR SO THAT THIS RECORD WILL HAVE SOME VISUAL RECORD OF MY PROGRESS.
Today was my "last chance workout." Those of you who watch the biggest looser on TV will know what I mean. I spent about 4 hours in the pool and gym today hitting all the exercise machines for the last time. I also had my last aqua aerobics class. Gerold, the head of the fitness team here lead the aerobics and he really worked us out for 45 minutes. The scale in the locker said I had lost a total of 22 pounds, but I will check this before I leave.
This afternoon, I came back to my room and packed the car. I wanted to give a gift to Paula for being such a wonderful host, so I found a florist and bought her come cut flowers. Tonight was steak night at DFC. They served a strip steak with sauce, cheesy potatoes, a wonderful salad with blue cheese dressing, and for desert, a chocolate mousse made with tofu. It was delicious, and it's another dish I might well make when I get back. You never know when it might show up at your table :-)
I stopped by a grocery store on my way back from dinner, and bought some snacking food for the car as I drive. You would be proud of me as I purchased apples, almonds, and very light popcorn. I also bought some baggies to put one serving of each in IE, 25 almonds = 1 serving.
When got back, I presented the flowers to Paula and she was touched that I had thought about her. So tonight I have blogged, skyped with Sudie and portioned the snacks out. Now it's time for bed.
Roger sent me pictures of Dylan today and here they are:
The first thing I did when I got to DFC was weigh myself. I went into one of the examination rooms, stripped down to my skivvies and discovered my final weight is loss 24.1 pounds!!!!!! I spent the morning saying goodbye to my new fiends. It's different when you are the departee. I arrived at Perry's around 1:30 pm. Their house is well designed and very lovely. It was fun to see all the old Mixter furniture and paintings. Perry took off for a chili contest (I was asked if I wanted to go, but I declined -pre DFC I would definitely gone. While he was gone, Jan and I took a mile and a half walk around a large undeveloped piece of real estate close to their home. We saw a large flock of turkey vultures that roost near a lake nearby. Very cool!
PLEASE NOTE:
THIS BLOG COMPLETES THE RECORD OF MY STAY AT THE DUKE DIET AND FITNESS CENTER. I WILL NOT BE BLOGGING ON MY WAY BACK TO YORK. I WILL CONTINUE ONCE I ARRIVE BACK AND BLOG FOR THE NEXT YEAR, ONCE EVERY WEEK OR SO. SO DON'T GIVE UP ON ME. I MIGHT POST SOME PICTURES OF ME OVER THE YEAR SO THAT THIS RECORD WILL HAVE SOME VISUAL RECORD OF MY PROGRESS.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Feb 4 - Day 25
This has been a red letter day for me! I am blogging from the DFC's computer room. I just back upstairs from visiting my doctor here who went over the results from the blood test I took yesterday.All my metabolic numbers are within normal range. My Glucose went from 141 to 87, within the normal range. Cholesterol went from 200 down to 149, triglycerides went down 189 to 99. The most amazing change was in my HDL (good Cholesterol) rose from 30 to 41, still low but much improved. The doc said the opposite usually happens at the center. All the exercise usually drops the HDL. Finally my LDL (bad cholesterol) went from 132 to 89, withing normal range. I have lost 19.6 pounds, just short of my goal of 20 pounds.. I plan to weigh myself on Saturday morning just before I leave. I'll bet I can lose at least 1 pound by then!!
Again today I spent most of the day in the gym and pool. I went to a "Something Fishy" class where the benefit from Omega 3 fats.was discussed. The problem with ocean fish is that they often have mercury in them. I have a long list of fish and seafood that are high on Omega 3 fats, and those with mercury. The list is too long to reproduce here, but ask me when you see me!
Another storm is expected here Friday and Saturday, so I will see how the roads are when I drive down to Perry's home in Spartenberg, SC. Two days and counting!
Today I am supposed to become a grandfather for the second time! I can't wait to get back to my room to see if I have a message on my cell phone. Like an idiot, I left it in my room this morning :-( So all in all I have had a most wonderful day! All the exercise and good food has paid off in spades.
I just arrived back at my room and immediately turned on my cell phone to see if I was a grand-pa for a second time. I am,!!! Dylan Connor Blanchard was born at 8:46 am weighing in at 9 lbs. 12 oz. I called Roger on his cell phone and got through. He had his skype on, but alas, we weren't able to connect, so I didn't get the opportunity to see Dylan. Elizabeth was holding the new born. Everything is fine. I spoke to Michelle and she sounded amazingly rested and energetic, and of course happy.
What a wonderful way to finish off this momentous day! WOW! Thank you GOD!!!
I parked my car across the street as Paula said we might be getting some icey conditions tonight. I can't believe it - two week end in a row! Folks say that I should be o.k. going south on Saturday. Again some people are leaving early again to beat the storm. I was toying with the idea of possibly leaving tomorrow, but it might well mess up Perry and Jim;s plans.
Again today I spent most of the day in the gym and pool. I went to a "Something Fishy" class where the benefit from Omega 3 fats.was discussed. The problem with ocean fish is that they often have mercury in them. I have a long list of fish and seafood that are high on Omega 3 fats, and those with mercury. The list is too long to reproduce here, but ask me when you see me!
Another storm is expected here Friday and Saturday, so I will see how the roads are when I drive down to Perry's home in Spartenberg, SC. Two days and counting!
Today I am supposed to become a grandfather for the second time! I can't wait to get back to my room to see if I have a message on my cell phone. Like an idiot, I left it in my room this morning :-( So all in all I have had a most wonderful day! All the exercise and good food has paid off in spades.
I just arrived back at my room and immediately turned on my cell phone to see if I was a grand-pa for a second time. I am,!!! Dylan Connor Blanchard was born at 8:46 am weighing in at 9 lbs. 12 oz. I called Roger on his cell phone and got through. He had his skype on, but alas, we weren't able to connect, so I didn't get the opportunity to see Dylan. Elizabeth was holding the new born. Everything is fine. I spoke to Michelle and she sounded amazingly rested and energetic, and of course happy.
What a wonderful way to finish off this momentous day! WOW! Thank you GOD!!!
I parked my car across the street as Paula said we might be getting some icey conditions tonight. I can't believe it - two week end in a row! Folks say that I should be o.k. going south on Saturday. Again some people are leaving early again to beat the storm. I was toying with the idea of possibly leaving tomorrow, but it might well mess up Perry and Jim;s plans.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Feb 3 - Day 24
Well guess what??? I weighed myself today and I lost all the water weight. I am just a bit more than a pound from my goal weight loss of 20 pounds. Originally, I thought I would lose maybe 12-15 pounds, but once I began losing big time, I raised my sights. We'll see how the final three days go. I get my blood test results back tomorrow afternoon. I am very hopeful I will see improvement in all the tests.
The blogs lately have been shorter as I am spending most of my time in the pool and gym. The one class I went to today dealt with taking the DFC program home. We discussed how I was going to fit in my fitness program and nutrition program. The suggested goal for weight loss is for me to do aerobic/cardiovascular work 4-6 days a week, for 30 - 60 minutes. We were cautioned to make it enjoyable and not a chore as then folks tend to stop doing it. For strength/resistance (weights or pool walking, for instance) they suggest 2-3days a week for 20-45 minutes. Of course walking the dog, gardening, playing a recreational sport, all count in these two types of activities. These minutes are included in the total minutes for the week. The total of number of minutes/week is 200-300.and burn 300-500 calories/session. Another goal to work towards to to walk 10,000 steps/day, about 4-5 miles. I am going to buy a pedometer like the one Barb Kraus has as it shows much more info than just the number of steps.
During the nutrition part of the class, we discussed how to plan a balanced meal and how to track our nutritional intake. I will surely be counting calories to begin with, but Elizabetta said that after a while all I need to do is keep close tabs on my weight. As long as I keep losing, there is no need to count calories However, if I begin gaining weight, then it's back to calorie counting. I talked to Sudie about clearing out our pantry of all the items that are not good for us, like white grain pasta and also canned tomatoes which are usually full of sodium and to give it all to the food pantry. Then I will buy all the stuff that is good so that when it comes time to get ingredients from the pantry, we don't have to worry about the nutritional content. A big job, but Sudie has been doing big jobs since I left and I can learn from her.
The blogs lately have been shorter as I am spending most of my time in the pool and gym. The one class I went to today dealt with taking the DFC program home. We discussed how I was going to fit in my fitness program and nutrition program. The suggested goal for weight loss is for me to do aerobic/cardiovascular work 4-6 days a week, for 30 - 60 minutes. We were cautioned to make it enjoyable and not a chore as then folks tend to stop doing it. For strength/resistance (weights or pool walking, for instance) they suggest 2-3days a week for 20-45 minutes. Of course walking the dog, gardening, playing a recreational sport, all count in these two types of activities. These minutes are included in the total minutes for the week. The total of number of minutes/week is 200-300.and burn 300-500 calories/session. Another goal to work towards to to walk 10,000 steps/day, about 4-5 miles. I am going to buy a pedometer like the one Barb Kraus has as it shows much more info than just the number of steps.
During the nutrition part of the class, we discussed how to plan a balanced meal and how to track our nutritional intake. I will surely be counting calories to begin with, but Elizabetta said that after a while all I need to do is keep close tabs on my weight. As long as I keep losing, there is no need to count calories However, if I begin gaining weight, then it's back to calorie counting. I talked to Sudie about clearing out our pantry of all the items that are not good for us, like white grain pasta and also canned tomatoes which are usually full of sodium and to give it all to the food pantry. Then I will buy all the stuff that is good so that when it comes time to get ingredients from the pantry, we don't have to worry about the nutritional content. A big job, but Sudie has been doing big jobs since I left and I can learn from her.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Jan 2 - Day 23
This is a place to vent so I need to vent! I weighed myself this morning and I GAINED 2+ more pounds, a total of 5+ in the last week or so. It's not right! I have been spending a great deal of time working out daily, even Sunday for a bit. I have not cheated once on my diet and yet I gain weight. I have just made an appointment with my dietition for this afternoon to see if she can shed any light on it. I have been within my calorie intake range staying below 1500/day. I think I will begin eating 3/4 of each meal to cut back on the calories to see if that helps. I apologise for laying this on all you, but it is how I feel at the moment and I had to get it off my chest!
This morning, I nu-stepped for 30 min, water walked for 30 min and went to a strength and flexibility session for 40 minutes. Time for lunch. I'll keep you posted.
I believe all this turns out to be my fault! I have stopped taking my adema meds as all the swelling has gone from my lower body. At lunch a friend heard that and said water also collects in the belly, so that must be my problem!! I am at home now and just took the pill, so we will see!
When I got back to DFC, I was about to get on the treadmill when I remembered that there was a water volleyball game starting in 5 minutes, so I quickly changed and hustled to the pool. I have been wanting to play ever since I arrived, but every time it was scheduled, I had an appointment or class to attend. The game today was a blast. They play with a beach ball, and you can tap it as many times as you like. I had to play mostly with my left arm, and found it difficult to control my hit, but I had a great time. When we rotated after each side lost a point, I found myself at the net opposite a giant of a man both in size and height, very intimidating. Luckily he had a very gentle personality and never rammed the ball down my throat.
I went to a "Stocking you kitchen" class after the game and have a great list and some ideas about what to buy at Hannafords. I found a few more books I want to buy when I get home. After that was dinner of pork tenderloin, green beans and spinach. I ate my snack there because tonight is a fasting night in preparation for our final blood tests tomorrow morning
This morning, I nu-stepped for 30 min, water walked for 30 min and went to a strength and flexibility session for 40 minutes. Time for lunch. I'll keep you posted.
I believe all this turns out to be my fault! I have stopped taking my adema meds as all the swelling has gone from my lower body. At lunch a friend heard that and said water also collects in the belly, so that must be my problem!! I am at home now and just took the pill, so we will see!
When I got back to DFC, I was about to get on the treadmill when I remembered that there was a water volleyball game starting in 5 minutes, so I quickly changed and hustled to the pool. I have been wanting to play ever since I arrived, but every time it was scheduled, I had an appointment or class to attend. The game today was a blast. They play with a beach ball, and you can tap it as many times as you like. I had to play mostly with my left arm, and found it difficult to control my hit, but I had a great time. When we rotated after each side lost a point, I found myself at the net opposite a giant of a man both in size and height, very intimidating. Luckily he had a very gentle personality and never rammed the ball down my throat.
I went to a "Stocking you kitchen" class after the game and have a great list and some ideas about what to buy at Hannafords. I found a few more books I want to buy when I get home. After that was dinner of pork tenderloin, green beans and spinach. I ate my snack there because tonight is a fasting night in preparation for our final blood tests tomorrow morning
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