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.