Chiropractors or Voodoo Priests?

Growing up my Dad always had back problems.  In fact, he had to have two major back surgery’s that removed 3 slipped disks from his back.  Suffice it to say that both my brother and myself have inherited some of our father’s back problems.  While I haven’t slipped any disks, I do have horrible posture and have some pretty awful back pain.

Another thing I inherited is an irrational fear of Chiropractors.  My Dad always considered them to be nothing more than charlatans or even quack voodoo priests.  I don’t know if he had ever gone to one and been messed up, or had decided not to go… but it did affect how I viewed them. 

When I got out here to North Carolina, I found that my fiancee Amber goes to a Chiropractor regularly.  I teased her with questions about where does he keep the sacrificial chickens and does he wear a mask and beat a drum?  (I’m such a brat.)  One thing that didn’t help were the posters on the wall about not vaccinating your kids.  <Gulp>  I’m sorry, what?!  I’m a bit of a believer in science and all that (see Bad Astronomy and Salon.)  So that was a bit shocking and not reassuring. 

This last week I hurt my back helping out with Shirley in the hospital.  Helping to lift and move has had me bent over in pain.  So I broke down and decided to give chiropractic a shot. 

The first visit was an exam to see what was wrong with me.  X-rays, and posture check.  Wow I have bad posture.  I’m 65 pounds heavier on my right side than my left.  My neck is also curved the wrong way because I slouch.   

I went back the next day for the adjustment.  I went in limping and bent over unable to stand up straight.  He snapped my back and cracked my neck….  And I can’t quite believe this, but I am feeling fantastic!  Who would have thought?  No drugs, no surgery.  Just a few adjustments and I can stand up pain free.  Amazing!

I will definitely continue to go back and be adjusted.  Also, now that I am aware of how bad my posture was, I am working at correcting that.  I have to say that my prejudices and preconceptions were wrong.  I’m not ready to go all natural and believe that chiropractic is the key to solving everything.  But it definitely took away my back pain.  I am very happy to have been wrong.

(Picture: zota)

Update on Crazy Life Happenings

So it has been ages since I last posted anything on the blog.  Shame on me.  But I do have a valid excuse.  My future Mother-in-law Shirley has been in the hospital.  As you may know from reading here, she has diabetes.  She developed what she thought was a really bad case of the flu.  It turned out to be cellulitis.  By the time she accepted a trip to the ER, I believe the infection had spread throughout her body and was on the verge of sepsis.  They admitted her and started hitting her with heavy doses of IV antibiotics when a new problem emerged that sent her to the ICU/CCU.

It turns out she has Chronic Untreated Sleep Apnea, and in rare cases it can cause Congestive Heart Failure.  She had right side heart failure, her lungs began to fill with fluid and her kidneys shut down.  We thought we were going to lose her right then and there.  Thankfully she pulled through.  She had some amazing Doctors and Nurses working on her both in ICU/CCU, and on the floor when she came back down. 

I tell you what… Amber and I spent many nights at the hospital.  The staff was so amazingly kind, I was truly touched.  When we weren’t there, I was sleeping on her parent’s couch to be close to the family.

Shirley has recovered enough to be discharged from the hospital and be sent to a recovery center.  They are working on physical therapy/rehab.  Building up strength in her legs, and working out fluid.  She has been in this facility for two weeks now and hopes to come home soon.  They have her doing some walking (which is amazing after what she’s been through.)  And they are working with her in a wheelchair and a walker.  I’ll keep y’all up to date with her progress.

As far as weight loss…  I’m afraid I’ve been stress eating!  Lots of eating out (no time to cook at home) and lots of sweets to deal with stress.  Some people smoke, some drink, I eat.  So I have gained a few pounds back.  Nothing too major, but nothing to be proud of either.  273.0  Ouch!  Back to working on it again.

 

(Picture: yozz!)

Weight Loss Challenge Update 8/28

Heck Yeah!  I just broke the 270 threshold that I’ve been stuck at for over a month!  It’s been crazy hectic so I haven’t been able to post, but I just wanted to put up a quick celebratory post!

268.5

Weight Loss Challenge: Week 4

 

Hey everyone!  Well, I missed last weeks update because I was running around getting ready for my trip to Michigan to see my parents.  But now I’m back and updating.  As you can see from the numbers…  I did a bit of indulging in sweets, overeating, and overlooked exercise this week while I was on vacation.  I’m surprised at how quickly the results showed up.  Very painful to see how bad this week went.  But, it’s time to start anew and refocus. 

 

	Week 1	Week 4
Height	6′3″	6′3″
Weight	278.0	280.0
Body Fat %	33.5	31.3
BMI	34.7	34.99
Waist	46 inches waist 43 inches hips	47 inches waist, 43 inches hips

 

 

 

Ok, yeah.  After seeing all of this, I’m sick and angry with myself.  I can’t believe I let myself slip like this.  Dang. 

Weight Loss Challenge: Week 2

Week 2 is here!  So it’s been a good week overall.  I’ve managed to keep up my will power and stick to my guns as far as eating better personally.  I’ve had mixed results getting started with an exercise program.  As you may have seen I’ve purchased some sandbags for Sandbag Workouts.  I must admit that I haven’t done anything with these yet, but I have been hitting the exercise bike and walking.  I also got the chance to do a little fencing this week and am very excited to make that a regular part of my week.  I’ve already begun incorporating drills and exercises for fencing into my daily routine. 

Eating out continues to be a problem.  My family really would rather eat out.  I’m grateful for the help they are giving me by you know… feeding me.  But it is looking like I am going to have to make an extensive effort to look for the healthiest menu items until I can really get to do some of the cooking at home instead of eating out.  My other challenge this week has been sweets.  I have faithfully stayed away, but my family keeps offering sweets at every opportunity.  I’ll gently remind them that I don’t eat that stuff anymore and they’ll say, “Oh yeah.  That’s so good.  We’re so proud of you.”  But then they’ll offer it up again next time.  I don’t think its sabotage, its more a fact that eating this way is so ingrained in their everyday thinking and they are trying to be polite by sharing.  This of course lets you know that my efforts to influence my family in their eating habits has unfortunately not been successful up to now.  I will definitely keep trying. 

This next week I am looking to really amp up my exercise.  I need to get active with the sandbags.  I am also making an effort to cut back (eventually cut out) diet cokes and continue to increase my water intake.

	Week 1	Week 2
Height	6′3″	6′3″
Weight	278.0	275.0
Waist	46 in./43 in. @ hips	46 in./43 in. @ hips
Body Fat %	33.5	33.5
BMI	34.7	34.37

   

Get your own graph at skinnyr

 

See the first post: Weight Loss Challenge: Week 1

 

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Sandbag Workouts

As part of my focus on weight loss and fitness, I picked up two bags of Quikrete’s 50 pound bags of sand from Lowes Home Improvement for $3.55 each today.  I had seen the article in Men’s Health Magazine’s June 2008 issue about sandbag workouts and decided to give it a try.  I’m going to double (maybe triple wrap) in contractors trash bags and carry one in a back pack and use the other for these exercises:

Fat-Burning, Total-Body Sandbag Workout – Men’s Health

Total Body Workout – Men’s Health

The Sandbag Construction Kit

Adding in a stationary bike in my apartment and my mountain bike for hitting the streets/trails and I think I’m starting to have a plan com together.  My only real concern is the fragility of the sandbags thin plastic bags.  I’d love to get a burlap sack like pictured in the Men’s Health article.

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Weight Loss Challenge: Week 1

Ok, so here I am.  Biting the bullet and putting it all out there for the world to see.  As if my self esteem wasn’t bad enough as is, I’m showing you all this picture.  Uggh!  But, it is already better than it was.  I have already cut out all sweets and unnecessary sugars (anything not coming from fruits or complex carbohydrates.) 

I’ve already lost several inches and pounds from where my max was, so this picture and starting weight/body measurements are not as bad as it actually was.  But it’s still pretty bad. 

Life has been tough as far as eating right goes lately.  My new family (fiancee and future in-laws) eat out for every single meal.  No joke.  My future father in law prefers eating out to eating at home.  Add to that they have a proclivity to load up on the sweets and my willpower flew out the window. 

I’m not only doing this for myself.  My new family has a weight and diabetes problem that is running out of control, and it is my hope that if I start making better choices while around them, that possibly they will begin to follow suit and adopt a healthier lifestyle as well. 

I am going to be posting weekly updates on my progress, subjecting myself to the embarrassment of showing pictures and weight data, and forcing you to look at the horror that is my nearly naked body.  Ha ha ha.  So come along with me as I get healthy!

Height	6′3″
Weight	278.0
Waist	46 inches/ 43 inches @ hips
Body Fat %	33.5
BMI	34.7
Biceps	15″
Legs	24″

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