End of year: 2014 - a review of where my health is and where it's going.

Sorry its a big one:
It's been a interesting drive to get here since making the decision to get healthier 8/9/2012. I've seen my diet change, shed 150+ lbs and had a number of health issues diagnosed and treatments began.

So where are things.
I've learned that my current health insurance after the new company bought my division from Sony doesn't cover weight loss and stick it to you over medical equipment and supplies. A giant disappointment to say the least. It took me years to get ready for the surgery, and when finally feeling mentally, habits adjusted, ready for it, what a let down.
I really have been inactive and I'm starting to feel the creep of weight back into the 470's and 480's.
My back has not been good, attributing to the increased inactivity. I can't exercise due to my back pain, i can't get rid of my back pain without exercise.Catch 22.
The stress of the summer, fretting of over coming months still leaves me with some anxiety that I notice affects my food intake. Financially stressed, CC's are maxed, I know it will take a few months post Christmas to settle things down, but it doesn't alleviate the stress. Even after clearing 2 major loans at the cost of a large chunk of my 401k (another stress, robbed peter to pay paul kind of thing)

So cheese, damn you cheese. At some point I found a sale on a sausage with cheese a few months ago, and I found it wedged it's way back in my life. Not directly, but indirectly by continued purchase of the jalapeno cheddar sausages. I've come to the conclusion that cheese does have the addiction like qualities, something my families genetics is highly subject to. Because with the stress I've been having, chowing into a pack of these has felt good. It alleviates something, I feel good despite having broken the paleo boundaries and the worst I find myself wanting them over other foods. I tell myself its ok to step into a "primal diet" at times, but at this point, it's become a habit and I'm stopping it. I've come close to buying them 3 times, and felt my self trying to excuse and allow the purchase each time. The feel good high as that opiates in my gut is a strong call when stressed.

For more info on the opioid like effect cheese has:
http://yumuniverse.com/addiction-to-cheese-is-real-thanks-to-casomorphins/
What are opiate addictions:
http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/opiates-narcotics-recovery.htm

I watched my mom devour cheese as a kid, my brother and I heckling her over it, and I can only think back to that with this info and sort of understand her cheese consumption better and in turn mine.

As for next year, I've set $2.5k aside into my medical account, once these holidays subside, I plan to direct energies at some plan to help with 2015 seeing me break 400. My doctor is behind me, and if I can keep my non weight loss related bills low, that should leave me $1-1.5k to get something done. Worst case, I withdraw the remaining 15k of my 401k and fund it that way. If I can align my health and do away with these bills, excess cost of clothes, and other costs weight causes I think the loss of savings will be the groundwork to a better future.

I'm also going to try to adjust my diet further into more varied paleo choices and better portion control.
The portion control I think is where I see this weight coming back from so that needs to get back in check.
Step one to portion control is getting back into the habit of documenting it and builds an accountability factor  you cannot ignore/forget.

I have been watching the health tracker gizmos, not a one has looked good. Everyone one I look at turns out to be a big disappointment in regards to health monitoring things that are important to me: primarily sleep and in part, blood oxygen tracking. I want something that can alarm if blood oxygen falls into danger area due to sleep apnea. I want something that can track rem/brainwaves and despite promises in tech features from devices from over 4 years ago, that has not seen reality. I think because the big boys with market share are focused on these junk movement based ones and calling that sleep tracking. 8(

I have been diagnosed with leaky veins in my legs, which accounts for the swelling that's developed over the last few years. My dad has the same and it was never treated and it hurts him, so once it showed up I raised concern with my doctor, the skin doc she sent me too seemed very unconcerned about it, however upping and going to a vein specialist, the MRI'ed me and found the condition. Treatment is going to be via compression wraps on my legs, and then evaluate how I respond to that before pursuing other options.

I'm also looking for someplace I can consistently go for exercise. Preferably with coaching like the original program I did had. I'm thinking of checking out a couple weight loss offerings from places @ exit 13. Saw a couple posts for a weight loss program at several gyms there. I'm also looking at the aquatics center in Cumming. Part of my end of year vacation will be looking into this stuff, with plans to make a final decision by end of January. My biggest hurdle is showers, i cannot just go get sweaty walking/running the trails and come back to my desk. There would be a miasma of stink within the hour of doing something like that.

Gout for the most part remains under control. Understanding I think is key to having kept it at bay for so long. I believe I have felt early signs, and every time, make a conscious action to rehydrate and urinate the second I feel the urge over holding it. I've not had a debilitating flare in over a year now, while I think I have had minor flare starts, I have caught them before they escalated..

I tried an experiment with Melatonin - and I think I'm going to try to get that as a daily intake, 3 days so far, and the refreshment when I awake was something I haven't had in a long time.

Back pain -it is still a major part of my pain and limitations to daily activities. I've started trying write down the types and there are number of different pains that happen to my back and in different areas.

James's Salty Christmas Nuts

I know the clusters and the sugar of the dark chocolate kind of are contrary, but it is the holidays and this is my indulgence. The pear flavored dark chocolate was a surprise, never tried that before and it was really good, slight hint of pear in the background while enjoying the dominant dark chocolate flavor.
Also this weeks nuts came pretty cheap, Walgreen's gave me a jingle dollar coupon for $20 off $30 purchase.

This weeks bag of nuts:
4x bags Deluxe Mixed Nuts (cashews, almonds, pecans, Brazil & macadamia nuts lightly salted) 10oz ea @ $3/bag for 40oz for $12
1x bag Delish blueberry nut blend ( dried blueberries, walnuts, pecans, almonds) 7 oz @ $6
1x bag Delish blueberry pomegranate trail mix crunch clusters @ 3.5oz $3
1x Delish Pear & almond dark chocolate bar 3.5 oz $2
1x jar Delish sea salt & turbinado sugar dark chocolate almonds @11.5 oz $8

Totals: 65.5oz for $30 bucks - $20 coupon = 65 oz for $10 bucks





As a bonus, I found 1lb jars of pumpkin for $0.69 ea and 4oz cans of glabber girl baking powder for $0.29 ea - given 8oz cans go for $6.50 on amazon atm, I think grabbing those up was a steal.

Sept 30th - summer round up

Not much exercise activity these days.

I attended Dragon Con 2014.
Parked @ 1st Marta on 400 and then lugged a body duffle, 2 backpacks and wheeled cooler to the hyatt.
Walking around DCon was ok, not sure how I did it Sunday night, but I managed to survive the start of the evening rock concerts and survive until 6 am when the rave ended on my feet... back was hurting but I was focused on being in the moment. I think I had a grimace of pain as I stood amongst the dancers but in my mind I was living up the experience.Yay for DUEXIS.


I find myself eating more than I should but still eating paleo with concerns for my gout.
Funny I have loaded my diet up with tons of bacon - no flares... I am of the mindset, dehydration is a key factor to gout. I also continue to drink monsters en mass. I believe the diuretic nature of the caffeine helps keep my body flushing out the bad. So while the ph of the energy drink is bad, I think the foricing out of liquids is more beneficial and preventing the building ups as I've been almost a year or more (I can't remember - yay!) since my last can't walk please kill me flare.

I have an letter to my health insurance asking what they will cover as my doctor will fully support all items to get this weight off, just need to know what they cover and how to move forward.

I think I'm at a point in life/maturity I can explore stomach surgery which is an item my doc is pushing.I certainly wasn't ready for that in my 20's.

Weight remains the same - my crap scale continues to be all over from 430-480 however my doc got a good new digital that reports 470.

I have also met a lady and we are exploring romantic nights on the shores of lake Lanier. So even more reason to keep the healthy ways I've vested my time into going.

5x pants er shorts

So the original reason I started this adventure is that 5 weeks in a row, I blew out a pair of pants, @ $45 / pair for decent quality pants in my size, that was a lot of damn money since the pants where not salvageable.  So I started this adventure @ size 7xelastic waist pant bursting point. First time in a year and half I went clothes shopping.
7x non stretchy cargo pants - very loose on waist, but at stress points that usually rip, loose so got those
The 6x elastic waist pants I normally buy fit, but I could tell there would be some stress on seems, and they had no 7x in stock so no dice there.
5x shorts - freaking omg! i fit in a pair of 5x shorts comfortably without out noticible stress burst points, their pretty stretchy but this is the first 5x pant/short since I don't know when... I want to say 10+ years.
Some 5x shirts,  I've dipped into 5x shirts a few times so no big news here, went with some stretch shirts as I'm not confident 5x dress shirt with buttons won't blow out buttons when I bend over etc.

sub 450lbs weight in unlocked!

I'll take that - scale read 441.6 and sets a new record lowest reported by my scale, when I started a year and half ago, the scale read ERR as I exceeded its 580 max readout. I take such good news with a grain of salt given the scale is accurate to +/- 5% and 5% of 440 is 22 so could still be 450+ but still nice to finally see numbers like that come from it!
I've also been having problems sleeping recently, and just got 4 hours after a 37 hour wake period. I've also noticed alot of digestive tract disturbances for the last week, and sulfer burps periodically.

Diet has been skin on chicken thighs ( I notice if i have the skin more than twice in a short period my face breaks out horribly) pork chops yams steak almonds cashews energy drinks cherries and cherry juice.
Still taking duexis, phentermine, uloric and a daily multi vitamin.

After the snowpocolypse v2 last week, I went almost a week without wearing shoes, and the swelling in my right leg seemed to be next to nothing, come yesterday wearing shoes again, its right back up to over an 3/4 inch bulge. Concerned but doc didn't seem to be so just keep compression it with an ace bandage, but after a few hours it starts to hurt at the edge where it transitions from swelling to compressed...

Still noticing on meals consisting of yams or cherries with almond milk and I have large serving there of if I'm laying on the couch finishing off a movie I ate dinner watching, I still am passing out almost uncontrollably. I need to order some new test strips for my glucose meter, I could swear i had a jar of them but when looked in the medicine cabinet, no strips 8(

I should probably get a current well water report, I have a concern tickling the back of mind to get that done, last test reported acidic and high copper which if it's shifted at all might explain the stomach disturbance that has been rather constant recently.

2014 Start

So here it is Feb 2 2014 and I haven't really done much seems to be a pattern and routine has set in.

Jay, when I see him, talks about walking but only in warmer weather - idea is great but schedules conflicts and fair weather walking buddies isn't what I really need, need all weather, no excuses. I also cant do it before during work without access to a shower, fat people have too many folds that if sweat sits in a fold, it's going to cause a stink.
Doc has prescribed therapy to work on my back pain and said she would write out any notes needed for getting insurance to cover a gym member ship and trainer to loose weight and I also took a reference to consult again on bariatric surgery. I think at this point in life, i have matured and changed my lifestyle where the thought of the lifestyle changes for the surgery wont make me so nauseous, the first time I interviewed for it, I nearly threw up in the car on the drive home, but then I was 20 (+/- 2 2 years) and not ready to lock my life down like that. I think I should find time this month to pursue those two.

Scale still reading in  470's happy about that.

Food wise -
Had chicken thighs with skin on for 3-4 days in a row last week, found my skin breaking out with welty zits all over and general greasier feeling all over - I was using a different seasoning salt from the deep of my pantry trying to use it up, likely have 2-3 more uses before its gone and not to be replaced. Next batches just going to give Tardis the skin. I'm not keen on body being like this but want to see if minus skin it makes a difference or if I need to deskin chicken before cooking.

Other than that it's been
coconut milk and almond milk
frozen cherries and blueberries
dried fruit / nut medlies as paleo as possible, but most dried fruit gets sugar and other junk added
Jerky - Jack Links and oberto regular
Steaks - lots of steaks - been grabbing the $4 off manager specials at kroger for $8 bucks on a nystrip
Lots of Monster low cal - bad I know but I think the diuretic nature of the concoction forces more uric acid out than it generates.
Cherry juice  16oz / day if possible
Johnsonville Chicken sausage - apple and cajun their not 100% paleo but they were on massive sale so have a freezer full and trying to eat them in small batches not daily consumption.
yams


I have growing concern, when I eat dinner or bowl of cherries/almond milk, I usually lay on the couch watching a movie while i do it, within 30 minutes I'm falling asleep and waking up maybe 30 mins to a hour later. I seem to recall my dad doing the same when we watched movies as a kid. My concern is that I know it's body chemistry but do not have it pinpointed to the exact cause thought I wondering if the almond milks I usually drink or have with the berries is a cause and likely falls back to portion control.

On a plus side I just champions through a weekend of Magic the gathering tournaments starting Friday evening ending Sunday night - and placed in the top in all of them and my back isn't killing today from sitting in a folding chair for the weekend too, woot woot.

A gout flares notes

Personal experience has me thinking that my body finds something in the monster that helps kick the gout or at least maintain balance. It's when I don't drink them that I get flares. Perhaps the diuretic nature of loads of caffeine keeps my body pushing the uric acid out of my system so I avoid unhealthy build up, once I stop drinking them over the weekend, the actual effects of the bad in monster now sit and manifest? Maybe something else in it does it? Or maybe I've just not been hitting the red line - though I would think I have been at the levels I consume.

It's now Wednesday, the flare I woke to Monday,  by midday was manifesting in my hand. Since that morning, I have:

• maintained hydration: drank over 64oz water/day
• taken duexis (prescription ibuprofen) 3/day
• taken cholcrys 1/ day, 
• 32oz cherry juice/day, 
• 14oz steak Monday
• 16oz of pork chops Tuesday
• 10oz mixed raw almonds, pistachio, dried cherries/day
• 12 x 8oz servings of sugar free monster Monday, 
• 10x Tuesday, and 
• 4000mg vitamin C/day, 
• drank 1/4 gallon unsweetened almond milk/day

By Tuesday evening, the flare in the foot was a barely registering as bruise level pain, and the hand never manifested into a full flare (beyond bad bruise feeling) and right now neither locations are giving me pain. I'm a programmer and enjoy the effects of being highly caffeinated during 10+ hour days.  Now over the prior week my meat intake was mostly turkey, cooked in a crock pot, I took that broth and mixed into mashed sweet potatoes over the weekend which was my primary meal over the weekend. I dunno, I'm no expert here and still experimenting and finding the red lines for specific foods.
Bare in mind I weigh over 450lbs, my caffeine tolerance is likely higher than an average weight Joe. I assume caffeine works like alcohol, 10 shots would would put average Joe of 200lbs at 0.16 blood alcohol vs 600lb Joe would not be legally drunk yet, but close.


Side note: Given the whole biggest loser programs over, I'm thinking of retiring this blog and reincarnating it as something else more in tune with my plans for the future.