What is up with my allergies this year?  I have not felt this bad in years, and I mean years.

For the past couple of weeks allergies have caused sinus drainage into my throat.  Over the past few days things have moved into my chest.  Breathing has gotten difficult to the point where my wife made me an appointment with a local doctor.

My appointment was Thursday  – The doctor said my lungs sounded good, but he gave me a z-pack and a one week supply of prednisone.  A lung function test, EKG, chest x-ray and blood work was scheduled for Friday.

Friday – I got to the doctors office around 8:30 in the morning.  First thing the nurses did was blood work.  After the nurse got the needle out the last thing I remember was the nurse calling for a bottle of water.  The next thing I remember was waking up on the floor with a dozen nurses standing around me.  I passed smooth out.

I kept telling the nurses I was sorry for scaring them.  They said it was ok that it happens all the time.

My allergies usually peak around March and into April.  I can not remember them being this bad, ever.  By the end of April and into May my allergies usually settle down and everything goes back to normal.

Maybe I am getting older?  Maybe its the early rains that are making the weeds and trees produce more pollen then normal?

Whatever it is, I hope it does not last too much longer.

Gonna score me some natural antibodies. Livelong resistance here I come.

I have been feeling bad for the past 2 days. Feel like I might have a low grade fever, not thing serious. Its not bad enough to break out the thermometer.

Grandson rapid tested positive for a flu last weekend. His kindergarten teacher is out sick this week.

Yesterday I started feeling bad, so maybe I caught the flu.

I doubt this is going to be very rough as I had the flu in the 1990s.

As long as the strains of flu are genetically similar, naturally occurring antibodies will recognize the strain and attack it.

That is one reason why swine flu killed less Americans then it did Mexicans.

In the 1970s there was a flu outbreak, some baby boomers seemed resistant to the outbreak. Its been speculated that the people who were resistant caught a similar strain of flu when they were children.

People who caught the Russian flu in the late 1970s show resistant to the new strain of swine flu.

My goal in life is to build up natural antibodies that will hopefully carry into my old age.

When I get to be 70 years old, get my flu shot, and then guess what, the scientist guessed wrong on which strand of flu was going around. Then I am left with little or not protection against the new strain of flu.

Legs, boobs and abs all in one video, what more could you want.

I admire how toned her abs are, wish mine looked like that.

After falling ill In early September 2010, I have been fighting fatigue for 2 years.

Labor day 2010 my family and I went to the camp for the weekend.  I spent some time working on the shed, mowing, had a big cookout and spent some time with the family.

Tuesday after labor day weekend I started feeling bad.  I brushed it off as getting too hot in the 100 degree heat of the previous weekend.  By the end of Tuesday I was running a low grade fever of around 99 – 100.  Nausea set in Tuesday night.

By Thursday night / Friday morning my fever was up to 101 and would not break.  A little after midnight my wife rushed me to the local emergency room here in Jasper Texas.  I was admitted to the hospital Friday, and was released, Monday.

While at the hospital I was tested for all kinds of stuff – lyme disease, rocky mountain spotted fever, hepatitis, the flu,,, and dozens of other diseases, and every test came back negative.

Before I fell ill after labor day weekend I had been working out for almost 2 months.  I was getting in shape, losing weight and feeling great.

After I fell ill I did not have the energy to do anything.

Over the past two years I fell into a depression and put on a lot of weight.  Through most of my life I have been mindful of my weight and my level of physical fitness.  After that illness, I did not have the energy to do anything.

In the past few weeks I feel some of my old energy coming back, but just a little bit.

If the lack of energy was not enough, the weight gain and lack of exercise is playing havoc with my health.  I just wish I felt like I did before I got sick in September of 2010.

As part of my lifestyle change I am going to have to change the way I eat and drink.

One of my biggest downfalls in weight gain has been cheese burgers, soft drinks and beer.

In town taking care of business or doing some shopping, its too easy to stop at a fast food place and order a cheese burger, fries and a coke.  I literally lived off cheese burgers through jr. high and high school.

When I was in high school, I would go McDonalds in Bridge City Texas.  My usual order 20 piece nugget meal, and a quarter pounder with cheese.  Or, O would order the quarter pounder meal and add a 20 piece nugget.  But either way it was the same thing.  Quarter pound cheese burger, fries, coke and 20 chicken nuggets.

Here I am at 44 years old and still eating like a teenager.  I am not 16 years old anymore, no can I eat anything I want.

Well, I can eat anything I want if I want to keep gaining weight, develop heart disease and high blood pressure.

For my health, I have to stop eating junk food.

Beer is another carrier of calories.  Each beer has anywhere from 64 – 150 calories.  It seems that the best tasting beer is also loaded with the most calories.  Drink 3 or 4 beer at 150 calories and you are talking 450 – 600 calories.

I could probably eat a cheese burger and get less calories then drinking a few beer.

My goal for the next month, starting 2 days ago, is no more alcohol, no sugar and no fatty foods.

Hunting season is just around the corner, I have to get back in shape so I can walk to the deer stand.  The cool air of winter is a welcome relief from the blistering heat of the southeast Texas summer.  During hunting season I like to walk to the deer stand to enjoy the peace and quit and to enjoy the cool air.

But I will not be able to enjoy anything if I keep packing on the pounds.

Lets just say that I dislike the word “diet”. Diet seems like a fad, rather then a real fix.

My weight is out of control. Ever since I took an office job I have been packing on the pounds. For the first 14 years after graduating high school I worked in various welding shops across southeast Texas. Being on my feet for 8 – 12 hours a day, and doing hard physical labor meant that I could eat just about anything I wanted.

I no longer work in welding shops. Nor I can I eat anything I want.

I guess I got spoiled to eating whatever I wanted and not gaining any weight.  That is just how it was until I was in my early 30s.

In my late 30s I feel that my health started to go downhill.  Weight started adding up, which was probably promoted through beer consumption.

There are two things I need to do – stop drinking and start eating healthy.

I feel better when I do not drink.  As soon as I drink something I feel my blood pressure going up, and I feel bloated the next day.

Eating healthy, I like healthy foods.  I will eat all kinds of fruit and I will eat spinach with just about anything.  And not canned spinach either, I like the fresh spinach.

Oranges give me mouth sours, even though I love oranges I can not eat them.

For the past few days I have I have swapped a breakfast sandwich for granola and a banana.  Changing my breakfast probably saved me 300 calories per day.  And the granola and  banana contain less fat then the cheese and egg.

Bedtime sank has been a kiwi and cherries.

Hunting season is just 2 and a half months away.  I need to get active so I can walk to the deer stand.

All of these problems are one of the things that people have to deal with as they grow older.  Why do we gain weight in middle age?  Why is our bodies designed to do that?  Why cant our eating match our metabolism?

The third and final thing I need to do is get active.

I used to be an active person.  When I was living in Bridge City I used to bike 6 – 9 miles and then run another 3 – 4 miles.

Lost my job, had problems finding another job, got divorced, went through a terrible divorce that lasted something like 2 and a half years.

I feel that the divorce pulled me into a long lasting depression.

My wife, her name is Kristy, had a hysterectomy last week.

There are two types of hysterectomies out there:

1 – The woman has a hysterectomy for some none medical reason.  Such as not having a monthly period to interfere with her sex life.

When I was doing some work in kingwood Texas area back in the early 2000s, some of the rich women told me they had a hysterectomy so they could provide sex to their husbands without a monthly period.  The women worried if they were on their period, their sugar daddy husband would look for sex elsewhere.  You would not want to lose your free ride now would you?  Hysterectomy, boob job, tummy tuck, and that saggy 50 year old rich women might be able to hold onto her lying cheating sorry ass husband that brings home $500+k a year.

2 – The woman needs the hysterectomy for a valid medical reason.

Kristy fit under #2.  Her left ovary was the size of a baseball, was growing, and had been causing shooting pains for well over a year.  Also, I do not make enough money to pay for a boob job or tummy tuck.  Our relationship is built off love, and not how much money I bring home.

After having 4 children Kristys bladder had been pushed out of position to the point where she some urine leakage.  Kristy could not even walk to the mail box without her bladder leaking.  The doctors were supposed to fix the leakage issue at the same time as the hysterectomy.  I asked for a free tummy tuck for Kristy, but the doctor said no.

I was resistant to the idea of Kristy having a hysterectomy.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

For the first time in a couple of months I did a workout.  To be honest, I am ashamed that I have let myself get so out of shape.  When I was in my late teens and all the way through my 20s, physical fitness was important to me.  I never was bulked up, but my weight was under control.  Now, I feel that I keep putting on the pounds and getting out of shape.

Last night

10 minute warm up on the treadmill for 10 minutes at 2.5 miles per hour
20 crunches on an exercise ball with 8 pound ball
20 presses on an exercise ball with 8 pound ball
3 minutes on the treadmill at around 2.8 mph
20 crunches on an exercise ball with 8 pound ball
20 presses on an exercise ball with 8 pound ball
3 minutes on the treadmill at around 2.8 mph
20 crunches on an exercise ball with 8 pound ball
20 presses on an exercise ball with 8 pound ball

Repeat for around 40 minutes or until 1.5 miles on the treadmill

Tonight I will probably do the treadmill, maybe some push-ups, or crunches.

Next week I will increase the time to about an hour, or 2 miles on the treadmill. Its only 3 full months until hunting season is here, and I need to get into shape to be able to walk to the deer stand, or pull the deer out of the woods.

I think I will issue a 30 day challenge to myself: 30 days of no sweets or meats – especially processed meats.

Sweets are a weakness of mine. If there is a piece of chocolate cake in front of my, chances are its going to get eaten. I also keep a container on my computer desk with M&Ms, and other chocolates in it.

Meats, especially processed meats have been shown to be bad for your health – due to the preservatives and salts used during the manufacturing process. Some studies link processed meats and colon cancer.

For breakfast: The goal is to eat a breakfast bar, banana, yogurt, fruit,,,, or some other kind of natural snack. There for awhile I was eating breakfast burritos and croissants for breakfast. Both got to the point where they tasted nasty.

To keep my protein intake up, I will probably have to add pinto beans or peanut butter to the menu. Maybe a peanut butter sandwich for dinner, or even for breakfast.

Today. May 3rd 2011 will the the first day of the challenge. For breakfast I had a breakfast bar and some yogurt. For lunch I will try to have a salad, and for dinner a peanut butter sandwich and some fruit.

Looking at pictures of myself from 3 years ago, and from 3 days ago, I am disgusted in my weight and my appearance. The only person that can do anything about it it myself.

I am also thinking of doing 100 pushups a night for 30 days. I might start that tonight as well. Last night I did 30 minutes on the treadmill. Instead of 100 pushups, I might do a 30 day challenge of 30 minutes on the treadmill everyday for 30 days. If the challenge is “too” difficult, the more likely I am to not complete my goals.

So how about this, 30 days of: no sweets, no meats, and 30 minutes on the treadmill.

Did not do my workout last night (April 12, 2011), was in a 3 hour meeting from 6pm until 9pm. Not only that, but I was sore from the previous workout.

This 30 minute workout seems to make me feel better then the 60 – 90 minute workout. I am spending less time on the treadmill, but the time is more intense, and more time on the weights.

Tonights totals:
Total workout time – about 31 minutes. I was shooting for 30 minutes, but oh well.
1.401 miles on the treadmill
2,901 steps
23:18 minutes on the treadmill
110 curls with 50 pounds
220 military presses with 8 pound weight

I am a little disappointed that I did not hit my 1.5 miles + 100 curls within 30 minutes. But what can I say? I will try harder next time.

The main reason why I did not hit the 1.5 mile goal in 30 minutes, was due to my sides hurting. After a couple of 3 minute routines at 4 mph my sides started to hurt, its either slow it down just a little bit, or get ready for some pain.

Workout went like this:
10 curls with 50 pounds
20 military presses with 8 pound ball
3 minutes on treadmill at 3 mph
10 curls
20 military presses
3 minutes on treadmill at 3.5 mph
10 curls
20 military presses
3 minutes at 4.0 mph
10 curls
20 military presses
3 minutes at 4mph – this is when my sides started to hurt.
10 curls
20 military presses
3 minutes on treadmill at 3.5 mph
Next to the last treadmill session was at 4.0 mph
Last treadmill session was at 3.5 mph

If the pain would not have started, and I was able to keep up the 4.0mph sessions then the 1.5 miles in 30 minutes goal would have been met.

Tomorrow I might do pushups, don’t know yet, not there yet.

My wife just got home from Curves, gonna go see how she is doing.

Tonight was my first workout in 3 minute intervals in a long time. For the past couple of months I had been doing 5 minutes on the treadmill, something, something, back on the treadmill for 5 minutes, something, something, back on the treadmill for 5 minutes,,,,.

Tonight I did this routine – 8 curls with 50 pounds, 3 minutes on the treadmill on 3.5 degree incline at 3.5 mph, 8 curls with 50 pounds, 20 military presses with 8 pound weight, 3 minutes on the threadmill 3.5 degree incline for 3 minutes, 8 curls with 50 pounds, 20 military presses.

The problem is, to reach my 1.5 miles in 30 minutes the treadmill had to be sped up to 4.0 – 4.6 mph a few times.

2 times in a row the treadmill was at 4.0 mph, but my sides started to hurt a little bit, so during the next treadmill it was slowed down to 3.5 and caught my breath.

Even though the target as 1.5 mile sin 30 minutes, I had to fudge it just a little bit and went around 33 minutes for my 1.5 mile goal.

Tonights totals:

88 curls with 50 pounds
220 military presses with 8 pound weight
3019 steps
1.504 miles
23:57 minutes on the treadmill
Total workout time about 33 minutes

That means I did 88 curls and 220 military presses in 10 minutes – with a break of a few seconds between sessions.

Next session I think I will shoot for 1.5 miles, 100 curls and 300 military presses within the 30 minute time period.

After 30 minutes, I feel like I had a good workout. Lets stay at this pace for the next month or so, then kick it up to 45 minutes and 2 miles – but that is a month from now, lets take one day at a time.

I think I am going to change my workout regiment up a little bit. Instead of trying to do 1 hour long workouts, I think its time for a change. Lets call it the 3 by 3000 workout.

Do as many 3 sets of anything in 30:00 minutes as you can. The combination does not matter, just change it up and work 3 major or minor muscle groups per session.

Examples:

Day 1 – 1.5 miles on the treadmill, 75 pushups and 100 overhead lifts with 25 pound weight in 30 minutes.
Day 2 – 1.5 miles on the treadmill, 75 pushups and 150 crunches with 8 pound ball in 30 minutes.
Day 3 – don’t know yet, that is going to be tomorrow.

Right off the bat I see that the number of pushups need to be increased for a 30 minute time period.

The workout is going like this, lets take day 1 for example – treadmill is 10 minutes at 3.0 mph for a warm up, 15 pushups, 20 overhead lifts, 5 minutes on the treadmill for 5 minutes at 3.5 mph, 15 pushups, 20 overhead lifts, 5 minutes on the treadmill at 3.5 mph,,,, repeat until you hit 30 minutes.

Instead of 5 minutes on the treadmill, I might shoot for 3 minute intervals.

Even though I am working out 3 and sometimes 4 days a week, I am seeing almost no results in muscle tone. My endurance is improving, but I also need to tone up. Instead of working out for an hour at a time at a good steady pace, lets change it up and push for an intense workout for 30 minutes.

I might even rotate out my workouts:
week 1 – 30 minute intense workout
week 2 – 1 hour moderate workout
week 3 – 30 minute intense workout
week 4 – 1 hour moderate workout
week 5 – 30 minute intense workout
week 6 – 1 hour moderate workout

After doing a few 2 hour workouts last week, I decided to slack up a little bit this week.  Instead of trying to do 2 hours every night, I think I will do what ever I feel like doing – but still pushing it a little bit.

Tonights movie was Minority Report, released in 2002 Minority Report stars Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton and Max von Sydow. Minority report is about 3 people that can see the future and when murders are going to be committed. Tom Cruise is framed for a murder he did not commit.  To clear his name, Tom seeks out the truth.

Wednesday weigh-in:  192 pounds.  Target weight, anything less then 170.  It looks like I gained 2 pounds since last week – which really pisses me off.

Workout totals:
8,191 steps
70:05 minutes
520 calories
4.131 miles
215 pushups
300 deltoids with 25 pound weight
Total workout time – about 95 minutes

Workout went like this:
Treadmill was set to 3.5 degree incline – 3 miles per hour for 10 minutes as a warm up
10 pushups
20 deltoids
5 minutes on treadmill at 3.5 mph
10 pushups
20 deltoids
5 minutes on treadmill at 3.5 mph
15 pushups
20 deltoids
3 minutes at 4.5 mph – 2 minutes at 3.5 mph
15 pushups
20 deltoids
5 minutes in treadmill at 3.5 mph
repeat
repeat

A couple of times I did 20 pushups and 25 deltoids.

After workout meal was a chicken sandwich, mayo, cheese, triscuits, garden vegetable philly cream cheese to dip the triscuits in, and low calorie G2 to wash everything down.

Why do I feel bad after a long workout? Even through the next day I just feel like something is not right. I can not explain in “exact” detail, but something is not right.

To change up my workout, I have been putting on a movie, and doing a mix of cardio and strength training for the length of the movie. This means the workout last anywhere from 90 – 120 minutes.

For an example, 1 of my workouts last week included:

5.5 miles on treadmill
about 170 pushups
about 500 – 550 crunches,,,,,

On average I am doing 4.5 – 5.5 miles on the treadmill 3 – 4 times a week, along with everything else.

After a workout last week I waited about an hour, then ate a meal. After eating a meal after my workout I felt much better the next day. I do not know if I am sweating out too many minerals, or something else.

The goal is to be able to do a 12 mile hiking trip in around 8 – 10 hours, carrying a backpack, and in varying terrain. We have rolling hills were I go hiking, and no trails. I figure I need some kind of training that builds strength and endurance.

For tonights workout:

7,046 steps
3.425 miles
60:28 minutes on the treadmill
175 pushups
about 120 crunches

Total workout time about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

I think I will stay at this pace for the rest of the week, get my diet stabilized, and then next week kick it back up.

After tonights workout I had a chicken sandwich with mayo, cheese on whole wheat bread, and some triscuits with vegetable garden dip. For a drink I had low calorie G2.

Feel much better tonight then I did last week.

My back was so sore last night that I was barely able to sleep, I just could not get comfortable. Due to the lack of sleep last night, I seriously thought about not doing my workout tonight. But I know that missing one night is the first step towards failure.

Tonights movie was A Knights Tale – released in 2001, the movie stars Heath Ledger, Mark Addy, Shannyn Sossamon, Alan Tudyk, Rufus Sewell, Paul Bettany, James Purefoy, Laura Fraser, and Roger Ashton-Griffiths. The sound track for A Knights Tale is probably one of the best sound tracks for a movie I have ever heard. Any movie that has music from Queen, Bachman–Turner Overdrive, David Bowie, Eric Clapton and AC/DC can not go wrong.

Wednesday weigh-in:  190 pounds.  Target weight, anything less then 170.

Workout totals:

100 minute on the treadmill. Once again, the stupid treadmill cut off at 100 minutes.
11,573 steps – per treadmill display
5.558 miles – per treadmill display
677 calories – per treadmill display
510 crunches with 8 pound ball
510 jumping jacks

The workout went like this:

Because I was so sore from last nights workout, I decided to keep the treadmill at 1 angle, and just change my pace as needed.

Treadmill angle 3.5 degree incline
10 minute warm up 3.5 degrees 2.5 – 3.0 miles per hour
30 crunches with 8 pound ball
30 jumping jacks
5 minutes on treadmill 3.5 miles per hour
30 crunches with 8 pound ball
30 jumping jacks
5 minutes on treadmill 3.3 miles per hour
30 crunches with 8 pound ball
30 jumping jacks
5 minutes on treadmill 4.5 miles per hour
30 crunches with 8 pound ball
30 jumping jacks
5 minutes on treadmill 3.3 miles per hour
30 crunches with 8 pound ball
30 jumping jacks
5 minutes on treadmill 3.5 miles per hour
30 crunches with 8 pound ball
30 jumping jacks
5 minutes on treadmill 3.5 miles per hour

90 minutes into the workout was my last set of crunches and jumping jacks.  The last 10 minutes from 90 – 100 minutes was a cool down period, where the pace on the treadmill was slowly decreased from 3.5 – 2.5 miles per hour.

For some reason I felt more thirsty then the previous nights, so I was sucking down low calorie G2 and tea with ginzing.