|
Diary of a Backslider
First of all, Happy Easter to all of you who celebrate Easter! And happy springtime to all of us!
The title above says it all. I was never very diligent about NutriSystem, mixing in fairly frequent dinners out at upscale restaurants, replete with booze and dessert, yet between November 2006 and July 2007, I managed to lose (not "loose", damnit! :)) over 60 lbs. In that latter month, I had major surgery on my cervical spine, removing degenerated discs and ligaments, installing bone grafts, and fusing four vertebrae with a titanium plate and screws. (See X-Ray in my photo gallery here.) Following surgery, my activities were restricted and I was required to wear a neck brace constantly for over four months.
That's when the backsliding began in earnest. I thought that after all I had been through, I should eat whatever the hell I wanted. Meanwhile, the only form of exercise I was permitted was walking. Walking is great exercise, and one that I love, as I am a hiker; however, even doing a brisk (4 mph) three-mile walk every day did not offset the daily pig-outs. I gradually porked up.
My porkage accelerated through football season, when each weekend I would invite guys over and prepare a spread that would feed an army. If the army faltered, I was there to finish the job when the troops pulled out. The Tostitos and the wine flowed freely. I porked up some more.
After the neck brace came off, I went to physical therapy for rehab three days a week. My exercise level thus increased a bit, but I merely increased my piguous eating to compensate for it. After the PT ended, I joined the associated wellness center, so I could access the gym equipment. I had an exercise physiologist design a program for me that would emphasize weight loss, but would include strength training and cardio exercise. That was January. I'm still in the program, and have been working out for 1.5 hours per day, three days per week. I'm working hard--15 mins of stretches, 45 minutes of strength training and crunches and stuff, and 30 minutes of cardio. And you guessed it: my appetite increased yet more and more! (But I'm two times 15 reps of bench pressing 200 and leg pressing 400, which is its own source of satisfaction.)
Meanwhile, living in Florida, this is prime season for visitation by northern friends and relatives. You guessed it! More meals out at decent restaurants. Great Del Friscos ribeyes and wine and booze and good cheer. So, before the robins' departure heralded the arrival of spring, I had gained back 30 of the 60 pounds I had previously lost.
While I backslid (or is that backslud?), Nutrisystem food, particularly lunches and dinners, piled up in my pantry. I can always find uses for the breakfasts. They're handy. The snacksand desserts, of course, while inferior to REAL snacks and desserts, made their way into my voluminous gut. (Any port in a storm.) In any case, I must have about 80 dinners and a similar number of lunches stockpiled at this point! So, I'm getting psyched to work off the backlog.
For those of you who read this and immediately feel impelled to give me advice, cheerleading, or pseudo-scientific blather, that's not why I'm writing this. I'm writing it partly as a confession (to purge myself), partly as procrastination (I have work waiting), and partly to tell you all a story you can relate to, with dieters' pitfalls glaring at you from between the lines.
I hate the "Yo-yo Syndrome" but I've lived that life for all my adult life. However, it is never too late for good intentions, and never too late to start again. So, here I go...
Be well and happy "looseing",
Ben
Published Sunday, March 23, 2008 01:07 PM by CondoMax
|