Here a few questions and answers to really think about

1.       Will I or you ever reach our goal?  Yes if we stick it out and never give up.


2.       Will I or you ever get off the track (have bad days and fall of the wagon)? Yes we will and we have but as long as we recognize it and get back on track we will succeed.

3.       Will I or you ever just want to give up?   Yes I have wanted too many times, but I am still at it.

4.        Do I or you really know when we will get to our goals? No not really and we also have to understand that this whole process is not about getting to the goal, that is only part of the journey the journey is never over, for as you see once we get there we have to maintain it for the rest of our lives. There is no such thing as going back to the way we were.

There is no such thing as going back to the way we were, that is what we really have to remember for the rest of our lives and if that is not what you wanted to here or believe then you will never be successful at losing the weight because as soon you reach your goal you will be back to your old ways and gaining the weight back again. That is why this is about life style changes and not about a diet.

I hope I have gotten your attention.

Doctor’s appointment

October 9, I had my doctor’s checkup for my blood pressure and weight.  I have been completely taken off all of my prescription medications and I do not have another appointment until July next year. I am now on yearly physical checkups.

I was told that I should not frat over my blood pressure as long as it does not go into the high range (140/100). I asked what my weight should be and he said that I was at my high end of good (208), and it would be great if I could get done to 196-198. This weight is by his scales and being fully clothed. So I said that I would do my best to get there by my next appointment next July. That means that I am working to 189 by my scales weighing the first thing in the morning before I get dressed.

I have finally getting my weight to turn around after coming off my meds, mostly a diuretic. You see when I first went off of the meds I gained 8 pound almost overnight. I have now lost about 4 pounds of that again. I have about 14 pounds to lose to get to my new goal. I will be doing it by logging what I eat and keeping my calorie in put down to about 2000 calories and also by walking and riding my bike as well as I am going to start doing some weight training now that fall and winter is up on us. I have gotten this far and I will get to my goal as some point.

Saturday was the Round Rock Outlaw bike ride.

 This ride is not a race but just a day for social riding around the county. The day was mostly cloudy and the wind was out of the South. I was planning on ride 50 miles. We started out staged by the distance we were riding with the 100 milers first, then next the 100K riders. Then I lift with the 50 mile group. I was in the middle of the group. The organizing of this ride was very laid back, but at the same time well organized with sag wagons and rest stops with everything that anyone should need. The route started out to the north north east with the wind to our backs for about the first 25 miles, but there were hills on the route much harder than I have managed in the past and I believe that was what zapped my legs so much. I will say this I did not walk up any of the hills, I did managed to ride up the hills, but I learned the real meaning to my granny gears. And of course with the hills to climb there where hills to coast down and I found that coasting is not always a good thing my legs would want to cramp up when I started to pedal again so I just pedaled up and down the hills. I was climbing a lot of the hills slower than I could have walked up them if I was really strong. I rode up some of them at no more that 4.5 to 6 miles an hour and there was the last hill that I climbed that I was not doing 4 miles an hour on and that is when I decided that was enough and I called my wife to pick me up. What was so sad was that I was less than 10 miles from my home. But I also had a few down hills that I saw 30 miles an hour and that took me back to my child hood days of riding my bike. I did talk to some very nice people along the way and saw lots of them that were very much faster than me and some that were about my speed. But I say very few really young riders and even fewer old riders like me. And I say bikes that looked to be built up of parts that were just laying around, and others that looked to custom made and cost as much as I would pay for a car. And I saw bike shirts and tee shirts that advertised about every business in the area as well as across the state and beyond. I even noticed one man’s shirt was advertising a bike shop from Alaska.

I really enjoyed the ride and I will do it again. And I am already planning to ride organized rides next year that are out of this area even. I guess this kind of riding is in my blood. I know that I am very much older now that when I was riding this type of rides in the past but I really plan to get stronger, and I plan to keep this up.

And to answer the question that is in some of you minds. The ride that I did that caused the 20 + years of not riding was so hard and I pushed myself so hard that I just could not make myself get back on the bike, and so I sold it. And Also in that 20 years I had to change jobs a lot to keep working and lost my first wife to a car accident and just kind of let myself go, and I am now really paying for that.

Also I got on my bike today and rode 14 miles. The ride today was painful but it was something I had to do. For you see I had to get back on the bike and go. I will be riding as much as the weather and my time lets me this winter, and I am planning to increase my weight training and walking to keep me in shape, fit, and hopefully help me improve my strength.

There are 2 days coming up I plan on riding regardless of the weather and that is my birthday and New Year’s Day. 

Saturday Morning Ride

Woke up with a headache and was trying to find reasons not to ride. But as it turned out it was a great ride. The day has been cloudy and the wind was out of the North East ,and about 65 degrees. I started out riding into the wind, and I ended up riding about 20 of the 31 miles either into the wind or with a side wind. I saw about 35 bike riders today at one time or the other. Most of my ride was without seeing any cars which is very unusually.
My bike seems to be set up very well now, I had to make adjustments to my seat height, I ended up with it about an inch and a half higher, after the ride I changed the angle of my stem, by maybe 10 degrees, and I changed the angle of my seat by maybe 2 degrees. My pedals are Okay but the clips hurt my toes and I really believe that I need to change my pedals for a city platform pedal style. I want to be able to just ride my bike with any shoes, are cloths that I may be wearing.
The ride was very tiring, I did manage to finish strong by really backing off and slowing down at about the 25 mile mark. That really helped me be able to finish. I am hoping to ride again tomorrow and I would really like to get the other pedals and ride with them. It is now about 6 hours after the ride and I am feeling much better, but tired. I really believe it has to do with a few things I did right after the ride.
First I had a G Series performance drink. Then I had Greek yogurt with fruit. Then I took a long shower. And for dinner I had 1 and a half roast beef sandwiches with pinto beans, and potato salad. I sure hope I sleep better tonight.

Life is short

I know that sometimes I seem to be down on myself and even others, but I am not really. You see I love life so I am willing to keep after myself to get better, and I am impatient so I do rush things most of the time. But slowly I am learning I just need to relax and take things as they come, for you see stress is the worst thing that any of us can do to ourselves and to others. Most of us eat because of stress, and stress keeps us from resting the way we should, and it causes our blood pressure to be crazy.  I love to walk because it is time for me to be away from my desk and forget about what is waiting for me there, and I can “smell the roses”. I love to ride my bike because it is time for me to “smell the roses”, and I love to go home and set in my easy chair and have my pets, climb in my lap and get their petting. For you see not only do I pet them but they pet me at the same time.

I love my wife and she takes care of me better than I deserve. Life is short my friends so enjoy it while you can and stop stressing over the small stuff, always make time for yourself. But also, make time for the ones you love.