Ælfric
New member
That was so funny. I've never seen anyone try to use an axe as a bludgeon to smash through a log before.Don't tell me chopping wood isn't a workout; I started sweating just watching
Alligatorob's Diary
- Thread starter alligatorob
- Start date
alligatorob
Respected Member
It was a good day, I ate well, exercised and feel good tonight, despite listening the the election results... I did my first home workout since the surgery today, its been 4 weeks so I think its time. Will get the doctor's ok on Thursday, but getting started felt good.
We do have a few grizzlies (brown bears) and wolves, but not many and I don't think they will ever come back in meaningful numbers, not so long as we are here. We have more black bears, but they are smaller and less predatory than the browns. We have the same problem with wild boar here, difference is they are not native to North America, invasive species.
I am sure you are right, and as I get back into exercise I will be upping the pace.
No what they are doing is a competition or feat of strength demo, not practical wood chopping, a chainsaw, or even a hand drawn saw, works a lot better to cut logs into smaller pieces. However I don't think the point of the video has much to do with practical wood chopping.
I heard that pigs spread across the Americas more quickly than other Europeans, likely playing a big role in spreading the diseases that killed so many of the native people. Can you imagine walking through the forest you've lived your entire life in and coming across a wild boar if you've never even heard of them???
I'm very glad that things are going so well. Good health to you!
Ælfric
New member
I agree that for cutting a log into shorter pieces across the grain, a saw is way more efficient (not to mention safer) than an axe. An axe is however better at splitting the wood end-to-end with the grain.
There is such a thing as a wood chopping competition where you use an axe to chop a log in half. There's a lot of skill and technique involved. You slice into the wood at an angle rather than try to cut straight through. You turn round halfway through and start from the other side (which requires you to stand on the log rather than beside it). Compared to a real wood chopper, these guys were inept, trying to use brute strength to smash the axe through the log, hence the bludgeoning comment.
Excellent news. Ease back into it, and stop if something doesn't feel right.
alligatorob
Respected Member
It was a good day, ate well, exercised and I feel good tonight. Did a 40 min workout, less than yesterday, but still good. Also I had to move a pile of firewood, that was something of a workout too. Had an ale and some Tullamore DEW tonight, rare for me, but it fit into my calories.
Tommorrow I go for my post op doctors exam, hoping to be released to the gym. However because of the virus I am not sure what I will actually do. The home workouts are not as well structured, but for now seem to be working.
Tommorrow I go for my post op doctors exam, hoping to be released to the gym. However because of the virus I am not sure what I will actually do. The home workouts are not as well structured, but for now seem to be working.
Thanks Amy, it is great to hear from you!! I have missed your posts. Hope all is well in your world, stick with us lady you are good people!
I think you are right, I have used an axe to cut logs in half, only when I did not have some kind of saw. My technique leaves something to be desired, maybe closer to bludgeoning as you say. I am not brave enough to stand on the log to do it, I value my legs and feet too much! And thanks for the advice, I do plan to ease into things. What the doctor says tomorrow will help guide me.
Thanks Petal, and the results do look better tonight, but it is going to be a long process... My greatest wish for the election was a quick and decisive decision, that did not happen... We will see what does.
alligatorob
Respected Member
Not happy this morning, I am now up to 164 lbs, 10 pounds up from my low. I have to admit to actual weight gain, too many pounds to just be water. Now I need to figure out how to stop it, my plan is to start by lowering calories to about 1,200 for at least a week, be more careful in weighing measuring and counting the calories, and restart exercising. Now I have to implement it.
Other than the weight gain yesterday was a good day, I ate well (or thought I did) and felt good. No exercise, I spent the morning at the doctor's office, then donated blood. When I donated they told me not to exercise the rest of the day, so I did not. My arm yesterday.
The doctor's post-op exam news was good, I am now released and he said I can do the same exercise as before. I also went to my shoulder doctor, it is still bothering me. He says I have a rotator cuff and bicep tendon problem, for now he said I can return to exercising but be careful not to do anything that increases the pain. He also gave me a referral to a physical therapist, and suggested that I restart exercising for a week or so and then get some guidance from the physical therapist as to what exercises I should be doing. He also gave me a tentative referral for an MRI and cortisone injection, but I will wait for those to see if I can improve with the right exercise first. It is not real bad, just mostly annoying at this point.
Now I have to see if I can muster the will power to implement all this...
Other than the weight gain yesterday was a good day, I ate well (or thought I did) and felt good. No exercise, I spent the morning at the doctor's office, then donated blood. When I donated they told me not to exercise the rest of the day, so I did not. My arm yesterday.
The doctor's post-op exam news was good, I am now released and he said I can do the same exercise as before. I also went to my shoulder doctor, it is still bothering me. He says I have a rotator cuff and bicep tendon problem, for now he said I can return to exercising but be careful not to do anything that increases the pain. He also gave me a referral to a physical therapist, and suggested that I restart exercising for a week or so and then get some guidance from the physical therapist as to what exercises I should be doing. He also gave me a tentative referral for an MRI and cortisone injection, but I will wait for those to see if I can improve with the right exercise first. It is not real bad, just mostly annoying at this point.
Now I have to see if I can muster the will power to implement all this...
I like my whiskey too, but now rarely have it. For the most part I don't miss it much. I also like Pendleton, but Tullamore DEW has always been my first choice, Every man deserves his DEW! One advantage to not drinking much is that when I do I can afford what I want, the Jim Beam is on the back shelf, and has gone completely untouched in over a year.
Thanks LaMa, and I think it was rare, not sure how appropriate however! I did enjoy it, but not so much as I thought I might, it won't be hard not to do it again for a while.
Yes you can. Have you been taking measurements in the past 4 weeks, by the way? I haven't been keeping track of your daily calories, but isn't dropping to 1200 kcal/day a bit much, especially if you're starting to exercise again at the same time? I agree that 10 pounds is more than just water weight, but going right back to ultra-low calories may be an overreaction.
Petal001
New member
I just read your food diary and it's less than 1500 calories and it looks totally healthy to me. I think I agree with LaMa and I would try exercising first for a couple of weeks and keep cals as they are because Rob it's heading into winter and you need to look after yourself. Also would you not realistically be happy now to drop about 5 or 6 lbs and maintain that as you are without trying to do a quick fix with 1200 cals . try to think what's sustainable living for you .
alligatorob
Respected Member
Yesterday was a good day, I ate well, exercised and felt good. I did cut my calories a little, but not down to 1,200, it felt ok. I got in a workout of almost an hour. This pushed me to decide to go back to the gym, they are wearing masks now, at least part of the time, and I won't do but 2 or 3 days a week there, I will either walk or workout at home other days. My weight was still up this morning, funny how even after doing this for a year and a half I still have some unrealistic expectations, somehow I thought I would see weight loss already... It will come, I don't really want to lose a lot, just get back into the 150s, at least intermittently. Off to the bird refuge this morning for my first day of volunteer work.
Thanks LaMa, and no I have not been doing measurements, I am not very good at it. I know I have added a little belly fat, not much probably nothing anyone but me could tell was there. I have decided to target about 1,400 calories for a little while, not a huge drop, before surgery I was targeting 1,650, then I dropped to 1,550 after so its another 150 calories below that. As I get back into exercising I will see how it feels, if it seems too low I will go up a bit. And once I lose a few pounds I will go up anyway, I don't want to lose much.
Thanks Petal, and yes dropping 5 or 6 pounds would be ideal, 10 would be the maximum. I think I am probably fine where I am today, the real problem is that I have been gaining weight, not so much where my weight is. And there is something psychological about gaining after working so hard to lose weight, reversing that will feel good. Thanks for your concern and you are right finding something for sustainable living is what I need. And on the winter thing I have been needing more layers of clothes than I am used to, the one down side to weight loss is the loss of all that natural insulation! A very minor problem compared to the benefits.
That sounds sensible. I definitely understand your worry. Hope you´ll have fun at the bird refuge!
alligatorob
Respected Member
Today was a good day, I ate well, got some exercise, and feel good tonight. My exercise was some walking at the refuge and then coming home and moving a bunch of furniture, lots of it up and down the stairs.
My first day at the refuge was interesting, I did swan checks. That meant checking the swans killed by hunters, doing a little survey and some measurements. All of the swans I saw were Arctic swans, but there are also Trumpeter swans, just not today. Swans are big birds, seeing the up close made me appreciate how big, this is one of the birds I checked this morning. The hunter was a young guy, it was his first swan, and he was quite proud of it. Put it in a thumbnail for those who might now want to see a big picture...
My first day at the refuge was interesting, I did swan checks. That meant checking the swans killed by hunters, doing a little survey and some measurements. All of the swans I saw were Arctic swans, but there are also Trumpeter swans, just not today. Swans are big birds, seeing the up close made me appreciate how big, this is one of the birds I checked this morning. The hunter was a young guy, it was his first swan, and he was quite proud of it. Put it in a thumbnail for those who might now want to see a big picture...
Thanks, so far so good and it does feel reasonable. Not sure it was fun so much as interesting. I have nothing against hunting, but am not a bird hunter myself, and prefer to see living wildlife. However it was interesting, I know a lot more about swan anatomy now than I did this morning.
alligatorob
Respected Member
It was a good day, I ate well, exercised and feel good. I did about an hour and a half workout, getting closer to my pre-surgery exercises, today anyway. I have decided to go back to the gym, but only for 2 or 3 days a week, when I can get my trainer's time. Otherwise I will workout at home. I am worried about the virus, but I know the gym has new mask and other rules. My first day is Tuesday, I'll see how it feels. Got up this morning to fresh snow, it melted off pretty quickly at the house, but will probably stick to the mountains much longer, maybe for the winter.
Yes, I can agree, not that I don't respect hunters but seeing the reality is kind of sad. And I agree they are fascinating birds, I did not realize how big they are.
Yes, the swans are magnificent birds! I hope the weight comes down, but just stabilizing is more important to me right now.
Thanks Petal, and the 150s would make me happy, but even staying in the low 160s with no more gain would be a win. I think I am healthy in the low 160s. But the gain doesn't feel good phytologically, reversing it would.
Yes it is interesting, and it was fun seeing the kid with his first swan. I told him it was a very impressive bird, one of the biggest I had measured. I did not tell him it was just the second, LOL. He was beaming, I think his father was looking at me a bit skeptically, but happy to see his son happy.