Various Thoughts...
Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 11:22AM Hello everyone! Well, I have lots of thoughts on my mind this morning, so I couldn't come up with a title better than the one above that would adequately describe them all! LOL.
First, I want to thank the members of TOPS in Owosso for hosting me on Tuesday night. I had a great time talking about health, food and fitness. I hope all of you were inspired and will visit my website often for ongoing encouragement and support! Congrats on your two consecutive weeks of Chapter-wide weight loss! One member even dropped 8.5 pounds in one week. Great job!
Second, I'm getting ready to get out of dodge for a week or so and head to the Caribbean. I am a bonafide cruise-a-holic, so I will be visiting Key West, Grand Cayman and Jamaica for a week. Cruises are notorious for their 24-hour food, and believe me, it is WONDERFUL! However, it is possible to stay healthy while you cruise. In fact, I lost 2 pounds the last time I took a cruise. For more about that (and to view some photos), click on the Articles Tab and read the blog I wrote for one of my friends and fellow Joy Fit Club members about healthy cruising.
Finally, I would like to let everyone know about the upcoming American Diabetes Association Step Out and Walk Fundraising event taking place in Detroit on October 10. I am the Michigan Ambassador for this year's event, and will be speaking, walking and am gathering a team. I'd love to have you join me! The walk begins at 8:30am at the Detroit Zoo, so yes, it will be an early morning. It's a 2-mile loop, so you would need to be able to walk at least that far. However, you get to visit the zoo and enjoy a great time of exercise raising funds for a much-needed cause. If you've read some of my blogs in the past, you know that my diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes was the catalyst that got me to change my lifestyle and lose 230 pounds. America has a Type 2 diabetes epidemic, and it's almost entirely because of our unhealthy lifestyle choices. The ADA funds research AND public education - both essential to combatting an epidemic that is shortening the lives of our friends, parents and children. If you'd be interested in joining me, click on the Contact tab and send me an email.
It's supposed to be beautiful in Michigan this weekend too, so take the opportunity to get outdoors and take a few steps! Enjoy the great weather while it's here! I know I'll be doing as much walking and hiking as I can while visiting the various ports of call. I'll try to post some pictures when I return. Have a great week!
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Reader Comments (4)
OK...
Your weight loss has been nothing short of amazing. I was very proud of you, but you have crossed the line now. Your website has turned into self centered bragging.
What was it that crossed the line? Saying that you lost 2 pounds on a cruise is what was over the top! Who loses weight on a cruise?
Really, great job! I like to leave good natured comments (needles) for fun.
HA HA!! Yes, I know - the fine line is easily crossed! As you read in the blog, my fellow "cruisees" were not amused either! :-)
Just saw your story after watching a friend get into the Joy Fit Club today, Russ Lane. I started looking through all the members and found yours to be closest to my own and almost on the same timeframe. I saw that at one point you were at 190 and was wondering if you ever went to low? I know I did and it is not something most want to here or talk about but for those who go through it and have to face people who think it is as simple as eating more, it needs to be talked about. I was lucky because a friend of mine at the beginning of my journey warned me about it and aI thought "Yeah right I will have that problem!" Well 8 months later I did and caused myself liver issues and everything because of it. I was able to recover but it is a dangerous thing to do to one self and many will not realize they are doing it!
Anyway just wanted to say hello and my story in a nutshell is started 2007 weighing 370 by May weighed 330 then something clicked in my head and from May to Nov went from 330 to 225. But by Feb of 2008 was at 190 and I am 6'6". So now I am slowly climbing back up after hovering around 215 for a year or so, I am gaining back muscle and after walking the weight off I started running and now run about 50 miles a week. Ok enough about me. Nice to meet and read about you I can identify so much!
Hey Greg! Thanks for writing! I've never made it quite to 190. The lowest I've been is 200, and I'm hovering around 215 or so now. I've gained some muscle weight over the summer. I'm not nearly as tall as you are, and it would seem that 190 pounds on a 6'6" frame is dangerously low. According to my doctor, my ideal "range" would be 165 to 180, so I still have some wiggle room in terms of weight to lose. I'm curious about whether you had skin issues or not. I'm carrying 20-30 pounds of loose, excess skin. I'm planning to have it surgically removed after the first of the year. Then, I'll have just 10-15 pounds left to get to my ideal weight. However, I chose from the beginning to not focus on a number, but rather to focus on health. I'm inspired by your story because I still have a hard time running and deal with a lot of joint pain. My body was damaged by all the years of excess weight, and many of my joints are twisted or out of alignment. This causes difficulty with certain types of exercise - especially jogging and running. Even my walking gait is still off because my right foot turns out pretty severely. It's an ongoing battle, but I am glad to be healthy even if I do still walk strangely and have some pain issues. Keep up the excellent work, and thanks for the advice about not taking it too far.