It's Time To Face the Facts

It's been about 10 months since I did a "real" post on this blog. If you are still subscribed to this blog and you're NOT subscribed to my NEW blog, this post is for you.


I encourage you to consider making the transition to my new website if


A) you're interested in health and fitness
B) you know someone that could stand to lose a few pounds
C) you could stand to lose a few pounds
C) you like finding new recipes
D) you know someone that knows someone that could stand to lose a few pounds
E) you ever discouraged about your fitness
F) you eat food regularly


If any of those, A-F, describe you, then jump on over to 1 Meal - 1 Workout and check it out. Not only do I blog over there fairly regularly, I also do a weekly podcast! I think you'll enjoy it.


I expect this will be my last post on this blog...for all your support and reading of Aaroneous Findings...I thank you!

The Tightwad Tech

Are you a teacher? Do you know a teacher? Have you ever met a teacher?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then The Tightwad Tech just might be for you. The Tightwad Tech is a podcast that is 37% humor, 86% tech savvy, 13% self-introspection, and 11% fabrication. Do the math. That 147% of podcasting goodness.

I'm exaggerating...but only slightly. the Tightwad Tech really is a podcast, part of Element Opie Productions, and it really is humorous and tech rich. Its target audience is (are?) "those in the education field who face ever-growing demands and ever-shrinking budgets". This may not apply to you directly, but you probably know someone that it does apply to. How about someone involved in the tech industry? Pass the word on to any and all of them. They might just find something in a Tightwad podcast that changes the way they teach or do business.

www.ElementOpie.com

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Okay...in the interest of full disclosure...

First, one of the hosts of the podcast is a long time friend of mine. Second, this little article might just win me a MP3 player! That being said, even if I didn't know one of the hosts, and I wasn't competing for an MP3 player, I'd STILL recommend it. Help me pass the word about this podcast that's attempting to help our teachers and those that support our teachers.

Thanks! And stop on by The Tightwad Tech and say "hi".

1 Meal / 1 Workout

Hey guys!  I've started up a new website.  I'll be doing most of my posts that are related to health and exercise, as well all the details about any upcoming events I'm planning.

Check it out!  Subscribe if you like.

Thanks!

I Love To Wash Dishes

I love to wash dishes.


Okay...that may be an exaggeration.  Maybe not an exaggeration, but at least a misstatement.


For a time, Cheryl and I hosted a "young married couples home group" for our church.  During one of our times together, we were talking about the idea of serving each other, working together, etc.  All the things you normally talk about in "young married couples home group".


One of the young husbands (as opposed to me...I was the old husband in the group) was saying that he didn't like to do dishes.  I said that I LOVED to do dishes.  That confused him...so I explained.


What I meant by this was that when my wife asks me to do the dishes, I love to do them.  I don't really love to do dishes, per se, but what I do love to do is bless my wife. 


I promise I'm not trying to sound like I'm Superhusband. Not in the least.  My love for doing dishes is at least 50% selfish. 


You've probably heard the expression that "if momma ain't happy, ain't no one happy".  It's true.  If washing a few dishes makes "momma" happy...them I'm happy to do it.  So when I say I love to do dishes, I obviously have something of an ulterior motive.


(Here comes the clever application of the previous life lesson to getting healthy...)


I'm not a "runner" like some people.  I don't run for the pure pleasure of running.  I run because it's good for me.  I run because it's good for my family for me to be healthy.  


I LOVE to run...just like I LOVE to do dishes. 

So How Does One Get REALLY Fat?

"So how does one get REALLY fat?"

This was the question posed to me by one of my close friends.  I just officially past the "100 lbs lost" mark, and we were discussing health in general.

"I mean, as you got bigger and had to buy bigger clothes didn't you realize there's a problem?"

Of course.  But it's a little more complex than that.

When you're fat you don't like to go clothes shopping. At least I didn't.  It's not an enjoyable experience to be confronted with the reality of your situation.  For me, it would usually go like this.

I would put off clothes shopping as long as possible.  As I gained weight, my clothes would do their best to accommodate me.  Shirts would get stretched out, buttons on pants would loosen...or pop off.  You get the picture.

Eventually I would be forced to shop.  Either because I literally did not have enough clothes to make it through the week, or I had a wedding or other event coming up.  When I ultimately made it to the store, I'd find out that I crept up a size...or two.  Each time, one step at a time, I progressed down that unhealthy path.  44 inch pants turned into 46s...2X shirts to 3X...

The problem is that by the time you're in the Big & Tall Store trying to buy pants, you can't just say, "Hey!  Whoa!!  Hold the phone!  I believe that I may have gained some weight.  I'm not buying any clothes today.  I'm going to go lose some weight and THEN come back and buy some clothes."  You're at the store, you need the clothes or you wouldn't be there, so you buy the clothes that fit.

Lather, rinse, repeat. It's a vicious cycle. In my case, this was perpetuated by an incorrect body image.

Most of the time when people think about weight issues and body image, they think about bulimia or anorexia.  People that see themselves as fat when they really aren't. Mine was the opposite.  It wasn't really that I was in denial, per se, but every time that I saw a picture of myself, I was surprised at how fat I was.  In my mind's eye, my body image was such that I saw myself 75-100 lbs lighter than I actually was.

So how DOES one get really fat?

Simple.  Avoid buying clothes as long as possible so that you aren't confronted with the weight you've gained in a quantifiable way.

That's what I did, and it worked for years!  By the way...I don't recommend it.

Sometimes I Feel Like a Superhero

In case you didn't know, I'm a comic book fan.  More specifically, a superhero fan.  Most superhero origin stories start with the hero discovering their powers.

If you've seen Spiderman, you might remember him trying to figure out how to shoot his web and swing from the rooftops.  Or maybe Iron Man learning to fly in his new suit.

I know this sounds like a crazy, over the top exaggeration, but sometimes that's how I feel.  I admit that I didn't get bitten by a radioactive spider and wake up the next morning with the ability to climb walls, and I'm not learning to fly a new mechanical suit.  But what I am doing is exploring all the things my "new" body can do.  Here are some examples:

1)  Walk up stairs without gasping for breath
2)  Bend over and tie my shoes
3)  Scratch my own back
4)  Run

It's funny, because I'm still discovering what I can do all the time.  On the flip side, there are still things I can't do that I have as goals.  Because I like lists, here are some things I'd like to be able to do, but can't yet:

1)  Scale a climbing wall
2)  Do a real, good form, pushup
3)  Chin-ups
4)  Run a 5K without any walking

I guess I'm still just a superhero-in-training.

Sponsors Welcome!

Hello everyone!  In case you haven't heard, I'm organizing a 5K race on April 16th at 9:00 AM. At the bottom of this post is the description I lifted right out of the Facebook event I created for it.

Along with a growing list of volunteers, the race currently has two sponsors.  Melodie from Angel Wings Photography will be doing the race photography, and all the graphic design work is being done by Stephanie Bradac of Mostaza Seed.

As you can see from the event description below, there's no official registration fee.  Instead, all money donated will go to the American Cancer Society. We are making and selling t-shirts, on which we will make our only (tiny) profit. We're running a tight ship, and have a very small budget, but there will be some expenses.

So...I was hoping there might be a business (or individual) out there that might want to help sponsor the race. This sponsorship would help defray the general expenses of the event. We'd even put your business name and/or logo on the t-shirt!

Email me if you are interested!

Thanks!

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From the Facebook event:

Those that know me know that I have been on a journey these past several months to get into shape. Many, many people have encouraged me along the way, and lots of those encouragers like to run. So, I had a crazy idea to get some of those people together and run my normal 5K route.

One crazy idea led to another, and I decided to host a full-blown race. My original thought was to just do it for fun, no fees, no time, etc. But then I started thinking...why not give people a chance to donate some money as a registration fee, and then give all the money to the American Cancer Society? For me personally, I would be donating in memory of my sister Teresa, who lost her battle with lung cancer in December of 2009.

There's NO REGISTRATION FEE, but all donations (suggested $25) will be given to the American Cancer Society.

We are planning on making t-shirts available for an additional charge. We've got a great deal on them! T-shirts are only going to be...wait for it...$10!!!

We are currently exploring ways for you to pay with a debit card...but cash and check are already accepted!! You can make checks out to the American Cancer Society.

Also - if you don't want to run, or even walk, you can still help! We need some volunteers to "work the race". Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Milestone

I did my "official" Saturday morning weigh in today, and I've hit what I consider to be a major milestone in my journey to health.

100 lbs!

Actually, 101.6 lbs to be exact.  I knew I was getting close to that mark, but I really thought it would take another week to make it.  Some of you may remember when I posted a "before and after" picture when I had lost 50 lbs.  I added a picture from today.  Sorry the lighting is so different, but I think you can get the idea!

Somebody asked me why I was so surprised all the time (in the picture).  The reality is that the first picture was a candid shot where I was acting goofy.  In the other two I was just trying to duplicate the expression so that you would have a better comparison.

A couple of other exciting things I'd like to share.  I used to wear XXXXL shirts.  That's 4 X's, in case your eyes crossed trying to count them.  Friday, I wore a XL shirt to work...and it even fit.  Also, the pants that I wore on Friday are 14" smaller than the ones I wore in June.  Wahoo!!  Thanks for everyone's continued support and encouragement.

100 lbs!!  Two-thirds of the way there!!!

TV Still Surprises Me

"Fictionalization.  Do not attempt."


That's the small text in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.  Just those four words.  You may have seen this commercial but not noticed the text.  It's on one Blockbuster's new "Why wait 28 days for new releases?" commercials.


These are the ones where Blockbuster is attempting to compete with Redbox by bringing up the fact that you have to wait four weeks to get certain movies at a Redbox.  You know the one...it's the one where the guy gets bitten by a raccoon.  The raccoon hangs on his arm as he goes to the emergency room, where he is told that he will have to wait 28 days to be seen.


That's when the words appear:


"Fictionalization.  Do not attempt."


Really?  Really?!?


There's this squirrel that lives by my storage building, and I was thinking it would be fun to let it latch on my arm...

Good thing they warned me.

Redneck Sledding

Last night, in case you haven't heard, Georgia was covered with a blanket of beautiful white snow.  At Casa de Butler, we personally got 5+ inches.  It's awesome.

Today happens to be one of my regular exercise days.  The sidewalks are ice.  The gym is my normal bad weather option, but the roads are "officially unsafe", so I didn't feel like I could really head down there either.  So...options?  It's obvious, isn't it?

I put on my cold weather gear and headed outside to run in the snow in my yard.  Because of my habit of wearing shorts year-round, you may find yourself surprised that I own "cold weather gear".   Well, I do.  Here's the breakdown of my sub-arctic wardrobe:

• ski-mask (a gift from my wife)
• knit gloves (not the best for snow, but they help a little)
• long sleeve t-shirt (I got if for doing the Gobble Jog 5k)
• sleeveless t-shirt (custom, it originally had sleeves)
• Captain America Wal-mart hoodie (only for when it is sub-0 and I am going to be outside for an extended time)
• sweat pants (hand-me-downs from my buddy Don)
• tennis shoes covered with 1 gallon Ziploc bags, held in place with duct tape

I was absolutely toasty!

I headed out in the yard and started running around the yard.  It was hard work!  The snow had a nice 1/2" crust on the top that I had to break through.  I had run while it WAS snowing, but it was the first time I had ever run IN the snow.

I was only out there a few minutes when my son joined me.  We grabbed a big Rubbermaid tub, tied a tow rope around it, and BAM!  Redneck sled.  I drug him all over the yard.  The only problem was that the bottom of the tub didn't have quite enough surface area, so unless I pulled up as well as forward, the front of the tub would break through the ice and our sled turned into an ice-breaker.  That led to him getting dumped out on any corner.  

This just confirms that winter weather is the best weather ever!

It's All Mental...or At Least Mostly

Endurance.

Persistence.

In my journey to health, for each thing that I learn about fitness, I learn two things about myself.  Recently I learned just how much running is mental.  I know, for all you runners out there, you've known this for years, but for me it was something of a revelation.

I was running the other night and I started feeling a little tired.  I really wanted to stop, but I thought to myself, "I can run down to that corner," so I did.  Then I thought, "I can make it to the end of this street."  Guess what?  I made it there, too.

The funny thing was, I really wasn't any more exhausted at the at the end of the street than when I had that first inclination to stop.  It was entirely "in my head".  I wasn't actually close to any kind of physical failure at all, it was purely mental.

When you're exercising by yourself, and there's no one there to pace yourself against or to cheer you on, the only one that chooses when to stop, is you.  Or in this case, me.

What I learned that night about myself was that while I had been fairly disciplined with my exercise routine, I hadn't really been pushing myself.  Normally when I get tired, I stop.  I wonder how many times in my life I've done that?  Just stopping because I wasn't mentally tough enough to push just a little bit more?

"So, Aaron, what's the point?"

Mostly I'm writing this to just help me digest my own thoughts.  But, if this helps someone that reads this get past a little mental "tiredness", too?   Bonus.

Post Gobble Jog Update

Well, my friends...Thanksgiving has come and gone, and with it, the Gobble Jog.  My first 5k was a blast and I really enjoyed.  What a great group of supportive people I have around me.  There were lots of my friends waiting to cheer me on at the end.

One friend really went the extra mile.  About 200 yards from the end, Becky was standing on the side cheering me on, but it didn't stop there.  As I passed her, she jumped back in the race with me and encouraged me all the way to the finish.  It was awesome.  Thanks to her, I made my goal time of < 40 minutes.

Tonight, as a reminder to myself, I framed my number, d-chip, and a picture of me and Cheryl just before the race.

My 42nd birthday is February 10th (please, no gifts).  As a present to myself, I am signing up for the Marietta 5k Mardi Gras Run, benefiting the Junior League, on February 12th.  I've changed my countdown clock from the Gobble Jog to this race, and today it is sitting at 78 days and counting!

Thanks to everyone that has encouraged me, exercised with me, and listened to me babble on about getting in shape and the Gobble Jog.   One race down, a lifetime to go!

10 Days to the Gobble Jog!

Wow!  Hard to believe A) how long it's been since I blogged, and B) how quick the Gobble Jog is approaching!    We just got back from a 9 day vacation (with a little work in the middle), and we had a fantastic time.  We stopped at 3 different state parks (two in Georgia, one in Florida), got to see some great friends, family, and went to the Magic Kingdom.  If you want to see pictures, you can go here:

Our pictures from the trip.

I did 3 miles tonight, but BOY, am I slow.  I can't run all 3 miles yet, and my walking speed is slow.  Of course, I didn't really expect to be able to run it by the Gobble Jog.  I've still got a lot of weight to lose.

That being said, I told my wife that when I broke the 75 lbs mark, I was going to shave my head!  Sorry, Mom!  (Mom prefers my hair.)

I hope to run my next 5k on or around my birthday (February 10th, if you were wondering).  By then, my goal is to run the entire thing.

It's a Matter of Perspective

Last week I had my two best workouts ever.  Tonight was initially disappointing.

As I was finishing up, (and calling myself a wimp), I realized it had actually rained today for the first time in a while, which raised the humidity a bit.  I also realized I hadn't had anything to drink since Bob bought me a Coke Zero at 3:00 o'clock. Those two factors are a recipe for a very wimpy workout.

Then I realized something else.  Before last week, the workout I had done tonight, my wimpy workout, was my "normal" workout.  And three months ago, my wimpy workout was not even within the realm of possibility.  Interesting.

In the matter of one week, my perspective had changed.  I'm demanding more from myself, and I think that's a good thing.

On the flip side, we have to be careful, because our perspective can quickly slide the other way, too.  There was a time, when, from my perspective, eating double-meat cheeseburgers, giant orders of fries, and a couple of glasses of Dr. pepper a two or three times a week was normal.

Any perspectives in your life that might need adjusting?

Set Yourself Up for Success

So...snacks.

I like snacks.

Tonight, I really wanted a snack.  I looked in the pantry for something crunchy and taste-filled.  We had a few bags of chips, some crackers, cheese.  I considered eating a few of these delicacies, but while I was trying to make my decision, I spotted something else.

Crystal Light!  A-ha!  No calories...and tasty! I looked in the fridge and found another treasure:  some kind of fresh, sweet bell pepper. With an almost zero-calorie snack combo, I was set!

So what was the secret of my successful snackage?  Preparation.

Having decent snacks/drinks in the house makes it SO much easier to make a good decision.  If I hadn't had the Crystal Light and/or the peppers, I probably would have had something not-quite-so-good for me.  In fact, I guarantee it.

Do you keep healthy snacks in your kitchen?  How about at the office?  I recommend it.  I know this isn't rocket science, but give yourself good options.  Set yourself up for success.

Family Hiking

The last two Saturdays, Cheryl, Nathanael and I have gone hiking.  It has been a blast!

Last week, we went up to Clarksville, GA and climbed to the top of Pine Mountain to the David G. Archer overlook.  It was incredibly beautiful. (See my previous post for details.)

This weekend we went to Sweetwater Creek State Park.  It was also very cool.  There's some Civil War era mill ruins right on the creek.  The "red" trail, a nice walk to the ruins, is rated "easy".  After the ruins, the trail ramps up to "difficult" as it runs parallel to the creek.  There's quite a bit of rough terrain on this part of the trail as it leads to a small waterfall.  From there we took the "blue" trail back.  Of course, Nathanael thought it would be good to run again.

We're finding it's a great way to get outside, have family time, AND exercise.  We're loving it.

I Call It the E.L.E.M. Method

Now that I've lost a fairly significant amount of weight (63.8 lbs as of my last Saturday morning weigh-in  wahoo!), people are asking me frequently, "What are you doing?"

When I tell them Eating Less and Exercising More (i.e., the E.L.E.M Method), about half of the people say, "Oh," and look a little disappointed.  I really think that should be encouraging instead of disappointing.  It means that they could do it, too!

No pills or supplements to buy.  No gym or program to join.

I'm actually saving money because I'm eating less!

Try out the E.L.E.M. Method...it works!

Hey! Want to Climb a Mountain?

One of the "philosophies" I've developed during this whole process is the one meal/one workout philosophy.  Anybody can eat healthy for one meal.  Anybody can go exercise one time.  So I just worry about the next meal and the next workout.  Put a string of these "one-at-a-times" together, and you get results.  I know that this isn't some big revelation, but it is the way I'm approaching it.

If you're waiting to get started on getting healthy "until Monday", or "after the holidays", or "next week"...don't wait.  Start right now!  Eat healthier at your next meal.  Plan a time to get more active.

Just think, if you had started making changes at the same time that I did back on July 1st, you'd be 3 months closer to your goals.  For some of you, you might have already reached your goals!

Because I'm healthier, today the family and I were able to go to Pine Mountain outside of Clarksville and hike about 1.5 miles up the side of the mountain to an incredible overlook point.  We then ran back down the mountain.  In June, I literally could NOT have done this, even if I had wanted to.  Today, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I can't wait for our next adventure!

It's Been a Bit

It's been almost two weeks since I last posted something, so I thought I'd drop a quick note.  Tonight I had a couple of personal firsts.

First, I ran entire lap.  An entire lap!  If you don't know about the "track", then this doesn't mean much to you.  The "track" is a little over 2,000 feet...a little shy of a half mile.  For you runners out there, that may not seem like much, but to me, it was a milestone!  When I first started, I could only run about 100 yards before I was exhausted.

Second, I shaved a minute per mile off of my average time.  I only went 1.8 miles instead of 3.1, but that was due to it getting dark, not giving out.

As I continue to trim down and increase my stamina, I'm looking forward to seeing those numbers get better and better.  I don't expect to be able to run the entire 5k for the Gobble Jog, but I want to run as much of it as I can.

See you on the pavement!

What's an HbA1c?

What's an HbA1c?  If you're a diabetic, or know one, you probably already know.  If you don't, I'll tell you.

Glycated hemoglobin (glycosylated hemoglobin, hemoglobin A1c, HbA1c, A1C, or Hb1c; sometimes also HbA1c) is a form of hemoglobin used primarily to identify the average plasma glucose concentration over prolonged periods of time. It is formed in a non-enzymatic pathway by hemoglobin's normal exposure to high plasma levels of glucose.

That's a mouthful.  The upshot of the above paragraph is that a person's HbA1c is a pretty good indicator of their average blood glucose levels for the past three months or so.  A1c levels between 4.0 and 5.9 are typically considered healthy.  An A1c level of 7.0 or higher (and now some are saying 6.5) is one of the key diagnostics for diabetes.

On December 10th, 2009, I had my HbA1c done for the first time.  It came back as a 6.7.   I went online and did some research and found out that 7.0 was kind of the cut-off mark for diabetes.

I thought to myself, "Wow! That's not too good.  I really need to start getting in shape."

Six months went by.  As part of my employee physical I had my A1c done again.  This time:  6.9.  That's right, it went up!

That surprised me...and yet it didn't.  I hadn't changed my lifestyle in any way.  My blood sugar levels had probably been steadily creeping up over the years.  Both my parents had at times bordered on diabetic.  They mostly controlled it by controlling their weight and watching what they ate, so I had always know that I was at risk.

This time, I really made a decision.  I declared WAR!! on sugar.  No more sweet tea, no more Dr. Pepper, no more white bread, rice, or potatoes.  I cut back on my portions.

So...here I am three months later.  Fifty pounds lighter.  Friday, I had blood drawn and some lab work done. Today I got my results.

5.3!!    Five.point.three!!

I really made a change.  All the exercise and eating healthier made a difference.  A measurable, quantifiable difference...in only 3 months.

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What healthy changes do you want to make?  You can effect those changes the same way I did.  One day at a time...one meal at a time.  String a bunch of those days together and what happens?  Your HbA1c goes from 6.9 to a 5.3.

You can do it, too!