The doc gave me a cortisone injection and a brace to wear at night along with stretching exercises. If that doesn't work, custom orthotics will be the next thing to try. I'm supposed to limit my walking during this time too. In a nutshell - this totally sucks.

I don't know what will happen next. I may never conquer this ailment completely. There are no guarantees. It's treatable, but not cureable, and people respond differently to different kinds of treatment. I've received many suggestions from blog readers and I'd like to say thank you! I'm certainly open to suggestions and will work diligently to try and figure out what combination of treatments I need to maximize success.

In the mean time, who's up for a bike ride? I'm antsy already to get out on the Lansing River Trail, but I know that even though it's very spring-like today, cold temps are not gone - yet. So I'm going to take up spinning instead of aerobics - at least for a while. Hopefully that will burn as many calories as aerobics. I think I can still get in my mile or mile and a half walks during my lunch break without too much difficulty, so I plan to keep going with those too.

I'm working hard to be "glass half full" about this scenario. I knew I was injury prone because of other challenges I face (the alignment of my legs and hips, for one), and let's face it. Life doesn't come to a crashing end just because I may not be able to do another half-marathon. I had dreams of actually jogging or running in a half-marathon, but dreams can be adjusted to accommodate reality. How about the DALMAC? Sounds like a fun goal to me! Any takers? Or, how about the upcoming American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure in Brighton at Kensington Metropark? They offer 5 to 100 mile courses with everything in between, all raising money to conquer diabetes.

Let's RIDE!

So I'm back from my cruise of the Mexican Riviera and Central America. I had a wonderful time aboard the Carnival Dream - Carnival's newest and largest ship. I cruise mainly because I hate Michigan winters and crave heat and sunshine. The food is a big draw too, of course. It's hard to pass up 5-star dining every evening along with all the other great food options offered on the ship. I often get asked how I handle the "food issue" when I'm on a cruise, so I thought I would write a bit about that today and also update you on some other things happening in my life.

The food on the cruise is definitely a challenge. The first cruise I took after losing my weight, I actually lost 2 pounds. Click here to read more about what I did on that cruise to stay healthy.

The next cruise I took was in September of 2009. I was less successful on that cruise. I did not weigh myself, but I suspect I gained a few pounds - I could feel it in my clothing.

This most recent cruise began with relatively good intentions, but I have to admit, the dessert bar got me - more than once. However, miracle of miracles, I somehow lost a pound. I suspect the reason for that is because of increased physical activity (not sitting in a desk chair all day) AND because I left for this cruise having already gained about 30 pounds since Thanksgiving.

Basically, my "food philosophy" while cruising is to eat a healthy breakfast (I was successful every day but one), a healthy lunch (usually a salad - I was less successful here), and then whatever I want for dinner (I was completely successful here! LOL). I try to minimize in-between meal snacking and I try to keep moving either by walking, visiting the gym, or choosing "active" tours while on shore.

I felt much less successful on my recent cruise because I did eat in-between meals more often than I liked (usually the blasted frozen yogurt machine or the evil cookies and desserts that are always around) and because pre and post-cruise, I battled the donut demon.

I was also severely limited in my exercise and activity because of the ongoing problem with my heel. This ship had a wonderful wrap-around loop at Deck 5 that was perfect for walking. It also had the standard exercise track on Deck 11, but I usually walked on Deck 5 since it circled the entire ship. Two and a half times around was equivalent to one mile. I put in a mile or slightly more 3 or 4 days, did about 2 miles on another day, and pedaled an exercise bike one other day. I paid the price the rest of the day after my walks by limping and hobbling around throughout the evening. I didn't care. I WANTED TO MOVE!!

I was also limited with my on-shore activities. I did bike in Florida before leaving, but the ports of call on this trip did not include bicycle rental as most of them were pretty small and isolated. I usually look for walking tours or hiking activities, but I knew my foot wasn't up to that, so I avoided that also.

All that to say, I felt like I wasn't nearly as active as I normally would be on a cruise. In fact, I am battling a near panic about my inability to move as much as I want and need because of the limitations from my heel problem. I've decided to stop whining about it (at least in theory) and figure out what to do.

Solution A - I'm going to try a "spinning class" with a friend on Monday. I've heard they're a great workout.
Solution B - I'm seeing a podiatrist on Monday too. I pray to God he can figure out what's going on and find a solution.
Solution C - I MUST do better at monitoring what I eat. It's so easy to fall back in to old habits, especially during a vacation. I was already dealing with that before leaving, so I MUST be even more diligent now.
Solution D - I must seek out encouragement and support to help me through this latest challenge. My faith is a constant source of strength. My awesome and beautiful girlfriend continues to offer me a listening ear when the "woe is me" moments kick in. I'm also continually encouraged by those of you who send me supportive comments on here or Facebook - you don't know how much that helps me keep going.
Solution E - My exercise philosophy and preferences may need a major shake-up. I just might have to accept that I'll never walk another half-marathon, but I'm already laying the groundwork to participate in a long-distance bike race this summer.

Bottom line...WHATEVER IT TAKES. I'm not going back, I'm looking forward, even if I have to "hobble my way" to the future.

Thanks for reading!

Recently, my left heel developed a significant problem. I head to the doctor tomorrow and I hope he has some answers. I suspect plantar fasciitis, an inflammatory condition that is very common with walkers and runners. I'm trying to deal mentally with the reality that plantar fasciitis is generally not curable, it's only treatable, and even then, only to a certain extent.

My condition has come and gone for the past 2-3 months. I first noticed it in the midst of step aerobics a few months ago. I didn't think much about it at the time because I figured I had probably landed incorrectly on the stepper, and the pain would go away. It didn't, at least not completely.

Since then, I've had good days and bad days. The last few days have been the worst ever to this point. I'm limping pretty significanly, moving slowly, and now my back muscles are starting to spasm because of the alteration in my regular gait.

To say I am upset about this malady would be an understatement. I'm not just upset, I start to FREAK OUT when I'm confronted with the possibility that I may not be able to walk for exercise anymore. I gain weight faster than anyone I know when I start moving less. So, I've decided in the mean time to try and implement other forms of exercise - primarily biking. I put my bike up on a trainer stand and I'm hoping to bike a few times over the course of the next week while I'm out of the country on a cruise in warm weather climates.

It would be SO easy to throw my hands up in the air and just give up on this effort to be healthy completely. When facing a significant challenge, such as the inability to walk, its easy for discouragement to set in. However, I'm too stubborn for that crap and although I must admit I am completely ticked about this current set of circumstances...I AM NOT GOING TO LET IT DERAIL MY HEALTH!!

Life is full of challenges. Most of the time, I feel like I get more than my fair share (I suspect you probably feel that way sometimes too). Overcoming challenges makes us stronger. Yeah, I know, how nice and "Freudian" of me, but it's true. I've overcome so many challenges to get where I am currently in this endeavor toward health. I suspect I'll never be challenge-free. BUT, I will NOT give up! If I can do it, I know you can too - so don't give in when you face a challenge. Confront it, head on, and look forward to knowing how you will feel when you come out on the other side.

Interestingly, Michigan is at the top of the list for our "area" (the Midwest). The other states that are more obese are all in the South. Mississippi leads the pack. I suspect fried chicken and okra with biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast may be culprits there, but what about here?

Well, certainly we have our "weather" challenges, especially this time of year. Michigan's historical role as an industrial state may play a role also. While physically taxing, assembly-line work doesn't often involve a lot of movement that gets your heart rate up and burns calories. I suspect that a more recent phenomenon that is impacting our obesity rates is lack of movement - especially with our children. Let's face it, Playstation is a lot more popular than playground.

So what can we do to get Michigan to move? Well, there are all sorts of options, of course. First, we are bountifully blessed with a beautiful state. Michigan has some of the best parks and trails in the nation and I think sometimes we forget to take advantage of them because we just take them for granted. Kids may be bored "going for a walk" but if you tell them you're "going for a hike" and include fun activities like looking for certain animals, or mushrooms, or birds, or whatever as you walk through the woods, they'll be moving and getting exercise and enjoying it all at the same time.

What about now, though? Yes, I know, some folks just cannot handle the thought of walking in the snow. Don't misunderstand me, I am NOT a cold-weather afficianado by any means, and winter presents a unique set of challenges for me too. I try to walk outdoors every day because believe it or not, winter walking actually burns more calories because your body has to work harder to keep you warm and "warm" the air you are breathing. I also use a treadmill if it's brutally cold or dangerously icy. And...another great option...

WALK AT THE MALL (or inside any "big box" store). We are so fortunate to have the Winter Warm-Up with the Blues' Community Challenge running in our area currently. You can join hundreds of other walkers at the Lansing Mall on Saturdays from 9am to 10am, enter contests, win prizes, and log miles to help your community win a grant prize from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. If that doesn't work for you, join a Winter Warm-Up Satellite group - they are forming all over the place! Even more exciting is that you can continue walking throughout the week and log all your miles for your community's team! The more you walk, the more chances you have to win great prizes, and the more chances your community has to win the grand prize - $2,500 from Blue Cross Blue Shield for a health/fitness project in your hometown.

So, let's get moving, Lansing! Let's be a model for the rest of our state and do our part to get Michigan from the top of the obesity list to the bottom. All of us will benefit! Visit www.cphlansing.com for more information about the Winter Warm-Up program.

Lately, "sweets" (my biggest vice by far) have been getting the better of me. However, I'm more convinced that the underlying issue currently is psychologically, not physically driven. You see, I'm a food addict, and just like alcoholics, we sometimes binge.

Tonight, I binged. After a week of relatively decent eating habits, I found myself wandering the streets of Lansing on my way home from my girlfriend's looking for a QD. God tried to intervene, because the first QD I went to (corner of Harrison and Michigan), the parking lot was completely full and there was nowhere to park or even get my car in the lot. I should have taken the clue. Instead, I headed west for the next QD, located just west of 127.

At this QD, I promptly filled a bag with 4 donuts. QD donuts are my current enemy #1. Those 4 donuts (these are big, cream-filled donuts, not puny cake donuts) are probably easily 2,000+ calories. God tried to intervene again, as they were having problems with their credit card machine which meant I was stuck in line for at least 15 minutes. I still didn't get the clue.

I wolfed down those 4 donuts and headed to the QD on the corner of Lake Lansing and Larch. Yes, I still hadn't had enough to squelch whatever was driving this behavior. This time, I bought 2 more donuts (for a total of 6) and 3 butterscotch chip cookies (another vice). All told, I'm sure I consumed 4,000+ calories in the scope of about half an hour.

What the hell is wrong with me? I have no idea, but I will tell you this. This is an illness and a disease, not a lack of willpower or discipline. I'm not making excuses for my behavior. More importantly, I know it can be overcome because there's no way I could have lost 230 pounds without conquering these demons. However, it's yet another clear indicator to me that this has been and always will be a lifetime battle. Sometimes I grow weary of the fight, but I refuse to give up. I will NOT go back to living my life how I did before! Tomorrow is a new day, and God's mercies are new every morning.

Bottom line - what's done is done. I don't understand it, don't like it, and hope and pray with all my heart that it won't happen again. I am weak, but He is strong. God is my refuge and my strength - my ever present help in times of danger. Yes, I find it somewhat humorous that I'm referring to a visit to QD as "dangerous," but for me, it is - it's dangerous to my health and dangerous to my psychological well-being. Don't ever give up - face your challenges head on and determine to do better. God will help you.

I know the feeling. Recently, I've found myself expressing frustration at the seemingly endless number of challenges I find in front of me. The challenge to eat healthily, the challenge to keep exercising during the winter, the challenge to keep exercising when my heel hurts and my joints ache, the challenge of family issues, the challenge to accept that I am who God made me and be content with that, and the list goes on and on and ON...

Here's something I've learned (I think) about challenges. First, they totally suck. I mean, let's be honest - people can say "I enjoy a challenge" all they want, and yeah, certainly there are some challenges in life that are enjoyable. However, most of the significant "life challenges" we face, basically just suck.

However, I've also learned that challenges have a way of making us stronger when we perservere. I KNOW that it's possible to eat healthily and move my body during the winter because I've done it successfully in the past. Not only that, but I also know that I can confront challenges to the best of my ability and when they are conquered, I benefit by learning new life skills and growing stronger.

OK, enough psychological mumbo-jumbo for today. After all, this isn't "Dr. Jon's" blog. One final thought - NEVER GIVE UP! Hey, I'm a human being too, and a question I'm often asked is "how do you stay motivated" or "I'll bet staying healthy is really easy for you now, right?" Well - there are many things I do to stay motivated, some of which you can find on this website. As for it being "easy?" Think again. Overcoming addictions is never easy. It's a daily battle. Most of the time I succeed, but not always. Part of learning from my challenges is learning how to not let my failures derail my overall success. Guess what? You can do it too. I'm just a normal, everyday guy. If I can do it, I know you can too!

My dream is to see programs like the Winter Warm-Up taking place in every Mall in Michigan, and eventually every cold-weather state in the nation. Let's get America moving!

If you live in the Lansing area, is there a reason you aren't participating? It's free, it's fun, and if you can't make it to the Lansing Mall, there are Satellite Groups forming all over the area - including one that I'm leading on Wednesday afternoons in downtown Lansing. Care to join me? Meet at the southwest corner of Michigan Avenue and Washington Square at 12:00 noon every Wednesday.

For more information about the Winter Warm-Up with the Blues' Community Challenge (including how you can help your community win it's share of an $8,000 grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan), click here.

To read the Lansing State Journal article, click here.

Our signature event kicked off last week at the Lansing Mall. The 10-week walking program takes place every Saturday morning until March 27 from 9am to 10am. I will be present to lead "Jon's Walking Buddies" - a group focused on walking to lose weight.

If you can't make it to the Lansing Mall, guess what? Join me in downtown Lansing on Wednesdays from 12:00pm to 12:30pm for a half hour Satellite Group walk. If that doesn't fit your schedule either, then find one of the dozens of Satellite Groups forming throughout our region. Some are indoors, some are outdoors, but all have one goal in mind - GET MID-MICHIGAN MOVING!

We're especially excited this year to have the support of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan who has sponsored a contest with $8,000 being given in grants to 10 mid-Michigan communities! The grand prize winner will receive $2,500 for a project related to health or fitness in their community!

To find out more about these three events, or to sign up to participate in any or all of them, visit Community Partners in Health's website, www.cphlansing.com.

For any readers who live on the west side of the state, my good friend and fellow walking advocate Jodi Davis will be present at an event in Holland tomorrow. Here's part of the post from her blog about the event. Visit Jodi at www.walkytalk.com for great tips, inspiration and advice!

From Jodi's blog..."And if you happen to live on the western side of the state, I would like to invite all of you to a FREE family health event that will be taking place at the Holland Civic Center this Saturday, January 30th, 9 am – 12 pm.  This is an event to help you learn easy and affordable ways to eat better, exercise more, and have FUN!  At the Holland Health Fair, there will be giveaways, health food samples, fast-food “the healthy way,” raffles, fitness demonstrations, interactive martial arts demonstrations, healthy shopping tips, blood pressure screening… and for the children: the incredible / inflatable “Crazy Bounce!”

And bring your camera!  The former NFL and University of Michigan football star JAY RIEMERSMA will be there, signing autographs and speaking on the importance of fitness!  Don’t miss this opportunity of a lifetime!  I will also be there answering your questions about walking, weight loss, and good health… I hope to see you there!"

So what is food addiction like? Some of you reading this may be struggling with the proverbial "20 to 30 pounds" extra that plague a lot of Americans. While I commend you for wanting to get rid of that excess and be as healthy as possible, it's unlikely that you're a food addict. On the other hand, some of you reading this may be morbidly obese - a hundred pounds or more overweight, and you know exactly what I'm talking about.

For those of you that don't know what food addiction is like, let me enlighten you:

1. Food addicts rarely, if ever, feel "full." We will eat until we are on the brink of throwing up, wait a few minutes until that discomfort passes, and then eat again.

2. Food addicts don't know the meaning of or have a grasp of portion size. Our mentality is that we need to eat as much as possible when its available because we may not get it again for a long time.

3. Food addicts consume irrational quantities of food. One donut? Yeah right. How about a minimum of six and as many as twelve?

4. Food addicts will actually break into a sweat and experience tremors at the thought of having to avoid something they are craving.

5. Food addicts take steps to cover-up their "lapses." While we may not have the food out in view for all to see, take a look under the seat in our cars and you're likely to find a lot of empty bags. I've even done things like make sure I throw away wrappers in a "non-descript" location - like a gas station or store trash can.

6. Like most addicts, food addicts don't understand their behavior. They are fully aware at a rational level that their behavior is unhealthy and killing them, but feel powerless to stop it.

Surprised? I could keep adding to the list, but for the sake of brevity, I'll stop there. What's my point? I have encountered skinny people my entire life who could not understand my behavior and would tell me "why don't you just stop eating so much?" I've encountered others who viewed my behavior as laziness, lack of discipline, or viewed me with just plain disgust.

Honestly, most Americans, in my opinion, do not acknowledge the reality of food addiction. Yes, there are a few groups out there, but Overeaters Anonymous is not nearly as utilized as AA. The further reality is that food addiction is just as damaging, if not more damaging, to a person's health. As I mentioned earlier, food addicts face the additional challenge of not being able to "quit cold turkey" because we HAVE to eat.

The first step to healing for any addiction is to admit you have the problem. I had to acknowledge my addiction, admit my weakness, commit to making a change, and rely on others to help me when needed. I still do all of these on a daily basis. Are you addicted to food? If so, send me an email or leave a comment. I'd like to try and help you on your journey to wellness.

I try to encourage people all the time that it is possible to lose weight and become healthy without paying a fortune. Walking is free, other than the expense of good walking shoes now and then. I lost all of my weight for a grand total of maybe $300 in shoes and an Ipod.

However, I also frequently tell people that when it comes to exercise, it's best to do whatever "works for you." For some of you, that might be working out a gym. If so, I say go for it, so long as you can stay committed for the long term and you can afford it.

Recently, I've been spending some time in a gym. To those of you who know me, it's no secret that my dimensions and alignment are a tad bit...shall we say, "interesting." Basically, my posture, alignment and overall shape is a mess. The years of being overweight affected how my bones and muscles developed, not to mention the sheer stress while I was so overweight as an adult also took its toll. As a result, when I did lose weight and started developing muscles, they didn't really develop correctly because of my skewed alignment. So, I decided it was time to see if something could be done about it.

Thankfully, my girlfriend knew about Roxanne Dawson at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center. Roxanne is a certified personal trainer and massage therapist. I also refer to her as my "stretcher." I knew things were going to be interesting when she began evaluating me and I heard phrases such as "Oh my God" and "I'm not sure I've ever seen someone as tight as this." Basically, she found muscles that were either very large, but not aligned correctly, or very small and tight when they should be large. As I said...I'm a mess.

My girlfriend bought me a round of sessions with Roxanne for Christmas, and I've been seeing her weekly. Since she works at the Hannah Community Center gym, I also purchased a gym pass while I'm working with her. I've quickly learned something else about gyms - they can be intimidating.

Between rolling off the stability ball and basically looking like I have no idea what I'm doing (because I don't), I've certainly been humbled. I'm writing this particular blog for two reasons. First, if you are self-conscious about going to a gym and if that's your excuse that's holding you back from getting healthy, than take it from me - get over it. There's going to be someone else there that doesn't know what the heck they're doing either, and everyone started somewhere, so don't let that stop you.

If you're reading this, on the other hand, and happen to be a gym pro, may I suggest that you do your best to not make the newbies feel like dorks? I've endured my fair share of stares the past couple of weeks. I know I'm a curiosity, but put yourself in the other person's shoes and realize we all have to start somewhere and anything you can do to make newbies feel more comfortable would be a great act of human kindness.

Stay tuned to find out how I come out with Roxanne. We're making progress. I may never be "straight as an arrow," but I'm making progress, and that's what's important!