You fall down and you get back up!

I have not posted here since November.  Unfortunately that was a few gained pounds ago!  I have gotten into a rut where I have been indulging too much again.  Fortunately, I have not gained the 17 pounds I had lost last Summer when I was in the hospital. As I am writing this in the evening, I will not tell you what I gained as I only weigh in the morning.

i will admit this to you all, I do like vegetables but not so much so that I could eat them endlessly.  I would rather have meat, savory foods, fried foods and starches.  Don’t forget chocolate!  I love BACON!!!!!   Who doesn’t?  I know someone who thinks I should turn vegan!  I am not interested in that!  But I don’t mind using vegetarian and vegan products or even having meatless days!

Having  said all that,  I still want to be healthy.  I know what I need to do.  But I lack discipline.  I feel good when I do get to the gym or go on a bike ride.

As a single man, I find it hard to get motivated in the kitchen or to keep it uncluttered.  I know when the food prep space is clear, it is easy to cook my own food.  Otherwise, I end up I eat out or eat convenience foods.

On the good side of things, I did see a trainer and have a exercise program to do.  So I got my work cut out for me!  So like the title of this post, I will get back up!

2015 Changes and Challenges!

When I started this blog, it was mainly to document my weight loss journey.  But I will talk about other things here too.  But it has been a long time since I have posted here!  So here I go again!

To start it out, I admit that I am a food addict.  Some people are addicted to drugs, alcohol and tobacco.  I am addicted to food!  This is not easy to overcome as we all have to eat.  You don’t need drugs, alcohol or tobacco to survive but you do need food.

God made food to give us nutrients to live.  So we would want to eat, He made it enjoyable.  But turning to food for comfort or to ease pain, frustration, loneliness, boredom, anger, sadness, etc is not what food is for.  We can enjoy it, celebrate with it but not abuse it!

So now I want to enjoy the gift of food that God gave us but worship Him and not the food!  Thank you Jesus for the blessing of food in abundance that we have here in North America!

This past few months has been interesting in my health and weight front.  On Saturday August 15th and Sunday August 16th, I attended a couple of birthday picnic type events.  At both, I had people come up to me to speak into my life about nutrition.  One spoke to me about her Paleo diet.  Her husband, who is not Paleo, spoke to me about the importance of eating small bites, eating slowly and savoring my food.  By doing that, I can enjoy the flavors of the food and let my stomach have a chance to register that it is full.  When I eat fast, I don’t let my stomach have a chance to register as being full.

Anyway, the next day, Sunday the 16th, another person spoke to me about going vegan.  He sent me a link to some videos about that.  I really need to at least watch them.  Truth be told, I am not wanting to go vegan.  I love meat, beef, bacon etc., too much to want to go this way.  BUT, could I be vegetarian for a few days each week?  Probably……I know that it would be healthy to do that.  So today, I had a non meat field roast burrito and enjoyed it!

So after having these people speak into my life, I ended up in the hospital on August 17th.  I ended up with a bowel obstruction.  I thought I had a stomach ache but it wouldn’t go away.  I went to urgent care and had a CAT scan and found out the diagnosis and was transported to Virginia Mason Hospital.  I was there 8 nights.  The obstruction was caused by scar tissue from my previous hernia surgery sticking together.

As a result, I was put on pain meds and had a tube shoved up my nose and down my throat to suck the juice out of my stomach.  I also was put on a IV and only had electrolytes for nutrition.  No water but I could eat ice chips. They told me the good news was that I may be able to avoid surgery and that it could clear itself, if I got up and walked.  They also had to see progress in the poop and fart department.  So while it was tiring, I got up and walked with my IV pole and discreet hospital gown.

Progress was slow.  I got close to having surgery and was even scheduled for it.  Thankfully, my body started to respond and I avoided surgery.

When I arrived home, I found that I had lost 17 pounds in 8 days!  I was told that the  obstruction was not caused by my being fat.  But really, in a way, it was.  You see I had a umbilical hernia in 1999.  That was a simple outpatient procedure.  If I had lost weight after that, I probably would not have had a hernia on my incision and a more major surgery in 2010.  If that had not had happened, I probably would not have had the obstruction.

So losing weight needs to happen so I can reverse my Type 2 Diabetes.  Also, I will be less likely to herniated again.  Also, while the obstruction could happen again, surgery is easier and recovery better if you are thin and not fat.  So that is some of my motivation.

In addition to the 17 pounds I had lost, I had lost 3 more.  That was through portion control and not stoking my appetite after being released from the hospital.  I don’t want to stretch out my stomach.  While I have not been on a diet, I also have been making more nutritional choices and monitoring myself in social food settings.

Have things been perfect?  No?  My lowest weight recently had been 223 and the highest 229.  I am NOT going to go up any further.  So today I am back to 226.  I am also going to get back to the gym.  When I do that, I have had more success.  The excuses need to end!

But to be positive, I will put things into perspective.  When I had my old scale, my highest weight was 245 pounds.  When I had my hernia surgery in 2010, I was trying to lose weight and had gotten down to 207, on my old scale.  I have recently bought a new, more accurate scale.  So the weight was 13 pounds higher!  But I know the new scale is accurate as I have weighed with the same clothes and shoes on the new scale and the freight scale at work.  Both say the same weight.  So that means at my VERY HIGHEST WEIGHT, I was 258 pounds!  So I am down 32 pounds from a few years ago!

But it is time to continue going downward in weight!  So I am planning on updating this blog more and begin again to be serious about my weight and health!  While I do like my Santa beard, I don’t like my Santa tummy!  So Iam going to be I mindful and commit this to God!

This what I look like with a fat tummy and no shirt on!

You can see how big I am. But with healthy eating and exercise, this should change!

Last view with no shirt on.

Milestones and Changes

It has been over a year since I have last posted here!  There have been some milestones and changes like the title says.  So the milestone has been the completion of one year of employment with the Boeing Company.  I have to say that I am so grateful to have this job and things have been going well.  I love what I do and where I work.  I have great benefits like excellent medical and

dental.  There is also the fact that I now have paid vacation, something I did not have for the 10 years at my previous job!  So I am thankful to have that and actually be able to use it on a trip to Idaho recently.  There is one more benefit that I will tell more about later!

So in terms of changes, one change that most of you are aware of is the fact that I have grown a “Mountain Man” type of beard.  I am actually kind of liking it.  I am at least keeping it through Christmas.  I know some will say that it makes me look older but I am liking it so far as I had never been able to grow one without trimming for over a year.

Anyway most of you know that I have battled with my weight for years.  I lose then I gain.  Then I repeat the cycle…..and it goes on.  So during the past year I had lost 20 pounds and had gone from 230 lbs to 210 lbs.  I also participated in a company-wide competition called “Boeing On The Move”.  Some of the weight was lost during that.  But again, I had gained 10 of the 20 pounds lost.

But earlier I mentioned about my Boeing Benefits.  One of them is that many sites have in house fitness clubs.  It used to be that you had to pay for the membership.  But now if you workout 8 times a month, they will not deduct the membership fee from your pay.  So the gym is at work and I can’t use the excuse of saying that I have to pass by home in order to get to the gym.  I also have a motivating co- worker that encourages me and helps to keep me accountable.  I have even seen a trainer and am doing more than cardio.  I am doing resistance training.  So I started this at the beginning of October and have usually made it in on most work days.  While I have had my ups and downs since I have started doing workouts, as of today , November 2nd 2013, I am now 215 lbs.  So I am on my way to losing that last 5 pounds that I gained and then lose more!

So I am hoping that with the motivation of saving money, an encouraging co-worker and wanting to feel better, that I will do it once and for all and be healthy!

i know this needs to be a lifestyle change and with the Holidays ahead, I want to enjoy them in a delicious yet balanced way!  So here you go!

Late October Update

As I write this, I am not happy with where my weight loss is going.  It is going in the wrong direction…I have gained weight.  In late August, I had a accident at work where I had fallen and injured a rib.  While I was able to take a couple of bike rides since then, I let it break my momentum and I quit going to the gym.

I also let myself get back into some bad eating habits.  So I gravitated back to eating more fatty and fried foods.  I admit that food is a great comfort to me.  I like to eat.  Also I am an emotional eater.

So as I write this today, I have gained 7 pounds.  I am 218 and my lowest was 211 pounds.  I would still like to be 200 pounds by December 22, 2012.  That day my stepmother turns 95 years old.  She has wanted me to be thinner and healthy.  While I want to lose weight for myself, I would like to bless her with knowing that I am becoming healthier.

Since I have last updated this blog, I have also had a major life change!  I have left my job of over 10 year at Carpet Liquidators to begin a new career at The Boeing Company.  I am very excited about this transition!  I am very greatful for my 10 years at Carpet Liquidators.  I had different experiences while there.  Some were pretty cool like taking long distance delivery trips to Miami, FL and Butte, MT.  I also been in a couple of TV commercials for them, inlcuding a couple with the KIRO 7 TV (CBS) clown, JP Patches.

I am looking forward to the the benefits that come with working for Boeing.  That includes great medical, dental and vision.  Admittedly, the financial benefits are great too.  But with all this change comes a new schedule and rhythm of doing things.  So I am now working 2nd shift and get to bed late.  So I am having a difficult time getting to bed shortly after getting home and getting up early enough and making time for the gym.  It is also pretty easy to sit in front of the TV and eat. 

So I am going to finish this up and say not that I HOPE to get back on track and eat right and exercise.  I AM GOING TO EAT RIGHT, EXERCISE, AND LOSE WEIGHT! 

I am going re-quote something I heard on the CBC show, “Village On A Diet”  “Either you are going to GET IT, or you are going to go back to the way you have always have done things”.  One way or another, I am going to “GET IT”!

Going Forward Slowly

Going Forward Slowly

As I write this, I have lost 5 pounds since the last entry.  To make my goal, I need to lose 3 more pounds in 11 days.  To tell you the truth, I have not been too motivated to go to the gym.  I plan on going back today.  But that is not to say that I have been devoid of exercise.

The past couple of weeks I have been doing a landscape clean up project for my company’s Tacoma store.  Some of this has been in 90 degree heat.  So I have been drinking a lot of water while doing that.  So I kind of feel that I had been exercising.

But the other thing that has been helping is just not eating as much and eating a little bit smarter.  In other words, not eating junk.  There are actually some things you can get at a fast food joint that are not too bad in terms of calories and fat.  The other day I had some chili from Wendy’s which is filling, tasty and low in fat. I also had a Grilled SW Chicken Salad at McDonald’s.  Very flavorful and again, not too bad.  So I am discovering it is about choices.  I also ate lunch yesterday at a place in Downtown Seattle called Evolution Fresh.  They specialize in smoothie and healthy foods and I had the buckwheat noodles that had lots of veggies.  You can eat it cold like a salad or have it heated up like a soup.  It is light but very yummy and not salty!

But I know I need to get the exercise back in there to really help me lose and keep the weight off!  But even if I don’t make it to 8 pounds this month, if I just keep the 5 off, I will be happy!

Long time no post!

Well, I am finally posting again on this blog!  It is only my second post and it has been way too long!  Since I last posted here, I have not been doing the things that will help me to be in better health.  First of all, I have to tell you all that I really don’t like most forms of exercise.  There are some exceptions.  I do like to take the bicycle out on some bike trails and look at the scenery.  I also love to snow ski!!  I also like some moderate walking/hiking.  But hitting the gym is not a favorite!

So when I last blogged, I was 225 lbs.  Since then I have pretty much been bouncing back and forth between 225 and 231 lbs.  I also had not been faithful in taking my diabetes drugs.  So it is a recipe for disaster.  It is a recipe for heart disease and death.  Plus, I have been experiencing stress and anxiety lately.  

So lately, I have been experiencing some skin issues.  For those who don’t know, diabetes compromises your immune system and you can get stuff that people in good health normally don’t.  So I was thinking I was having a diabetic complication.  As a result of that and the stress and anxiety, I realized that something has to change before things get worse.

By the way, I did go to the doctor and found out that the skin stuff is eczema.  So my limbs won’t fall off nor is it contagious!  But it is a bother!

So I have made a goal of exercising about 4 times a week.  During the summer, I have and will be taking my bicycle out once a week.  I also went back to 24 Hour Fitness and talking to a consultant.  While it would be nice to go to a trainer, that is out of my budget for the time being.  But I have a goal of hitting the gym 3 times a week and doing a variety of cardio and resistance training.  Plus the goal is to lose 8 pounds a month.

My short term goal is to be at 200 pounds or below by December 22nd, 2012, which is my stepmom Jewell’s 95th birthday.  The ultimate goal is to get to 165 lbs. however.

I am also seeing that how I treat my body is a act of worship to Jesus.  Most of you know that I am a Christian.  I want to take my relationship with God seriously.  But worship is not just going to church or singing worship songs.  It is how you live your life.  It is how you handle situations.  It is also involves WHO do you go to when thing get tough.  Or when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.  That is called, “HALT”.  Some go to sex, drugs, alcohol, work or other things.  I go to food.  Of course, we need to eat to live.  But do I need to eat as much as I do?  Or the kind of junk food that I do?  Or do I take my issues to Jesus?  

So I am seeing that I almost worship food like a god.  That is wrong.  Food is a tool to give us nutrition and to help us live.  Yes, God also made food enjoyable.  But it is to be used in moderation.  So I am seeing that I need to be mindful of my relationship with food.  So, while I am not going to say that I am NEVER going to have “such and such” food, I need to quit procrastinating and start to eat more moderate portions and to eat healthy.  There can and WILL be treat days.  I will still have a steak and a loaded baked potato.  But not too often.

So here is where I have been.  At my highest weight, I was 245 lbs.  Lately I bounced between 231 and 225 lbs.  When I started to get serious again the past two weeks, I was 226 lbs.  This morning, I was 221!  Praise The Lord!  

So I hope you will follow my journey as I become a healthier Marshall

Hello world!

Well, here I go with my FIRST blog post!  First a little about me!  I am a short, fat, bald 50 year old Christian guy who lives in Seattle.  I am a native to this area and feel very fortunate to live in the Pacific Northwest.   I also love traveling here in the Northwest and visit Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia.  Just a couple of months ago, I finally visited Alaska and had a blast!

What you will find in this blog are often going to be entries about health, weight loss and faith.   But don’t be surprised if I write about other stuff that is on my mind.

So here we go!

For years, I have struggled with my weight.  When I was a child, I was a little bit chunky.  I was not skinny, but had kind of a spare tire and wore clothes from the “husky” sizes in the boys department.  Then in junior high, I hit my growth spurt and wore clothes that were medium sized.  But believe it or not, I actually still saw myself as “fat”.  In that regard, I can relate to people who deal with anorexia who see themselves as “fat”.  Thankfully I never tried to starve myself.

In high school, I still was in pretty good shape.   But it wasn’t until the past couple of years when I looked at pictures from Jr and Sr High and my early 20’s, where I can truly see that I was not fat!

But as I got into my 20’s and 30’s, I started to gain weight.  First of all, I love food.  So when I got a car and job, I gained the money and transportation to be able to go out and eat.  So places like Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Time became quite familiar to me.  Also while in college, the plentiful food in the dining hall didn’t help either.

Besides eating food because I enjoyed it, I also used it as a comfort.  So if I was angry, sad, lonely, stressed, tired, I would gravitate towards food.  Some people drink, smoke or do drugs.  I do food.

So when I acheived my final height of 5′ 8″, I weighed 165 lbs.  But when I first gained a bunch of weight, I had gotten up to 212 lbs in the early 1990’s. 

I then embarked on losing a bunch of weight through “The Providence Heart Diet”.  This was a series of yearly diet booklets put out by Providence Medical
Center here in Seattle (now Swedish Medical Center).  The food was good and eventually I went down to 170 pounds in 1994.  I was 5 pounds from my goal.

But around that same time, my dad, now deceased, was having complications with his Parkinson’s Disease medication.  He was hallucinating because of taking too many meds.  He was in and out of the hospital 4 times during April of 1994.  It was very stressful for my stepmom and myself.  So I reached out to food for comfort.  So with this, I started putting on the weight again.  From there, I never really got back on the weight loss wagon.

So about a couple of years ago, I developed some skin issues that I went to the doctor for.  She then asked if I was diabetic.  I told her that I had been diagnosed as being “pre diabetic” by another doctor.  With that, she scheduled me for a blood glucose test.  When the results came back, I was diabetic.

So now, I take Metformin for the diabetes and baby asprin for my heart as I also have high triglycerides.

But that started the current path that I am on towards better health.  So in October of 2009, I was 245 lbs.  From that point, I exercised off and on and tried to watch some of what I was eating.  In December of 2010, when I had a hernia repair surgery, I weighed 207.   I was also back to a borderline diabetic status.  But after surgery, exercise was less frequent and then non existant.  I was also sloppy in when or if I took my meds.

As a result, I went back up to 230 lbs.  Thankfully, I did not gain all my weight back!  But it was a wake up call.  Also was a toe infection and another skin issue.  You see, diabetics get things like that because it makes resistance to infection go down.  So I lost the 5 pounds.  Then at the beginning of this month, I was 225 and started back at the gym and really started watching what I eat.

At this point, I started making weight loss anouncements on Facebook and started text messaging a friend.  This was done for encouragement and accountability.  So far, it was worked.  As of yesterday morning, I had lost 6 more pounds and am down to 219 lbs!

As of September 1st, I was 225 lbs.

My weight loss goal is to get to 165 about September of 2012. 

Monthly goal is 5 pounds a month.  So far for this month, I have lost 6.

Exercise goal is to exercise 3 times a week.  This initially has been doing cardio by going on the eliptical trainer.  I have also gone bicycle riding.  I hope to eventually start lifting weights.  Plus, in the winter, I want to incorporate downhill skiing, which I love, into my routine.

I am also attending a Christian 12 step group called Celebrate Recovery as a resource to challenge and encourage myself in this and other areas of life.

Also I have a motto.  I stole it from a TV show on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) called, “Village On A Diet”.  First I should tell you about the show.  It took place in Taylor, BC, which had a bunch of overweight people.  Their goal was to lose a ton of weight collectively with the help of trainers.  So on a follow-up show, one of the trainers said, to one of the contestants, who gained weight back, “You’re either going to get IT, or you’re going to go back to the way you have always done things.”.  So I now keep telling myself, that I am either going to “Get it” or do things in the same dysfunctional way!

So there you have it!  My first blog post!

I hope to at least update this once a month with my weight loss progress.

Also, I got the name Marsh Bog Blog from the fact that in the wilderness, that there are wetlands called marshes.  Of course as Marshall,  my nickname is Marsh.  Another name for a marsh is a bog.  Bog rhymes with blog.  So that is why is it called the Marsh Bog Blog!