Alligatorob's Diary

[Err2]

So glad your shoulder is improving Rob!

 

[Llama]

Interesting that the simple physio exercises are giving you more shoulder definition. Sounds like you're doing great though!

 

[alligatorob]

It was a good day, I ate well, exercised, and feel good tonight. Exercise was limited to my PT workout at the PT place, had planned another and some Salsa but the grandkids showed up unexpectedly, a good trade off. My therapist gave me some useful suggestions for my continued weight training, made a lot of sense. I also had 2 cord of firewood delivered and spent the afternoon stacking it, that ought to count for some exercise. With my weight loss I am feeling the cold more and burning a lot more wood.

So glad your shoulder is improving Rob!

Thanks Err, so am I, just wish it would happen faster. I have had this problem (or the latest recurrence of it, I think the underlying injury dates back to my teens) since at least August, but recent progress is encouraging.

Interesting that the simple physio exercises are giving you more shoulder definition

I have been working my shoulders pretty hard for several months now, reduced weight at higher reps in the gym since August. I also push the PT exercises as hard as I can, first the isometrics and now the resistance bands I push real hard. I had added weight to the ones that involve motions, and I do more for longer than prescribed. It is beginning to show now, and maybe contributing to the improvements. My latest discussion with the physical therapist was about all this, she gave me some pretty good tips and told me most of the increased effort was good. She however told me to stop overhead presses and full depth bench presses, no matter the weight. She seems to know her stuff, so I will follow.

 

[Llama]

It's always good to be working with someone you have confidence in. Also: I'm still happy every time I see your daily calories above 1600!

 

[alligatorob]

It was a good day, ate well, exercised and I feel good tonight. Today all totaled I did over 3 hours of exercise, over 2 hours in the gym, almost an hour of PT followed by about 12 minutes of Salsa. The amazing thing to me is that I feel good, not really tired. Just last year on trip up the stairs could wear me out, I am feeling good about where I am.

Wishing all a happy New Year!

It's always good to be working with someone you have confidence in. Also: I'm still happy every time I see your daily calories above 1600!

Yes it works better if you have confidence in your physical therapist, and trainer as well, and I do in both. I have been pretty consistently between 1,600 and 1,700 for the who month of December. Which according to the myfitnesspal app says I am in calorie deficit and that I should be losing weight. I am not, not gaining either. In December my weight has been as stable as it gets. So either the app is overestimating my calorie needs, or I am underestimating calories. When I was in weight loss mode myfitnesspal did a pretty good job of forecasting my losses, but now in maintenance it is not so good. If they had been right over the last 3 months I would be down another 15 lbs or so! I guess it doesn't matter so long as my weight is stable I am happy.

 

[Err2]

With my weight loss I am feeling the cold more

Same! I always ran hot before - I used to snowboard in shorts & a t-shirt on sunny days, but now I find myself getting more and more sensitive to the cold. I've even taken to wearing gloves when the temps dip below 50. Brrrrr!

 

[Llama]

I´m still warm all the time - though no longer close to overheating. Does that mean I ought to lose more weight?

In December my weight has been as stable as it gets. So either the app is overestimating my calorie needs, or I am underestimating calories. When I was in weight loss mode myfitnesspal did a pretty good job of forecasting my losses, but now in maintenance it is not so good.

Maybe you haven´t been exercising as intensely as before surgery? You sure seem to be back up to your old exercise times though.

 

[alligatorob]

Happy New Year y'all!

It could have been a worse day, I did keep my calories low, exercised, and don't feel too bad tonight. I intentionally ate a light dinner and snack saving calories for New Year's Eve Champaign. Then the Champaign just didn't feel as good as I had expected it to, and I drank less than planned and ended up under on calories. This diet has spoiled drinking for me I guess... I got in a good 2 hours and 10 minutes at the gym this morning, but have not done my evening PT exercises or Salsa, and at this point I am a bit inebriated and tired so I don't think I will try. Oh well the world certainly could be worse, probably will steer away from Champaign next New Year...

Same! I always ran hot before - I used to snowboard in shorts & a t-shirt on sunny days, but now I find myself getting more and more sensitive to the cold. I've even taken to wearing gloves when the temps dip below 50. Brrrrr!

Same same, though its been a while since I have skied. I used to ski in a short sleeve shirt, no way could I do that and survive today. I do think I am adjusting a bit to my new body, just getting used to wearing more clothes and keeping the house warmer than I used to.

I´m still warm all the time - though no longer close to overheating. Does that mean I ought to lose more weight?

Maybe, but its probably not the best indicator, LOL! You are not so much overweight, not nearly so much as I was...

Maybe you haven´t been exercising as intensely as before surgery? You sure seem to be back up to your old exercise times though.

You are right I have not been, and I am not sure I will be going back to my earlier intensity. I appreciate the exercise and how it makes me feel, but I don't have the same sense of urgency I did then. I think its more important to find something sustainable than to push as hard as I can.

Thanks to all for your support this year, it has been good to me, and I know I could not have done it without you!

 

[Llama]

I don't have the same sense of urgency I did then. I think its more important to find something sustainable than to push as hard as I can.

Absolutely true, and as long as you know why the correlation no longer tracks is not a big deal anyway.

 

[alligatorob]

It was a good day, I ate well, got some exercise, and feel good tonight. For exercise I did my PT plus and 12 min of Salsa.

Absolutely true, and as long as you know why the correlation no longer tracks is not a big deal anyway.

Thanks LaMa, and I agree finding something I am comfortable doing long term is what matters most. Correlations can be hard to see, particularly shorter term.

 

[Emilyrose]

Happy New Year Rob. Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your champagne too much - I had a little bit here, but I prefer normal wine.

Hope 2021 sees you fit, healthy and happy.

 

[alligatorob]

I did ok today, a bit under on my calories and not a lot of exercise but some.

My shoulder is hurting again, just when I thought it was on the mend, and I have no idea why. So I went pretty light on the PT tonight, just enough to get it moving a bit.

I have decided that I am eating too much veggie and fruit, and will change it. I have done some internet research and apparently I should be eating about 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 2.5 cups of vegetables. You can eat some more but too much is not good. Yesterday I ate about 6 cups of fruit and 10 of veggies, today was a little less, partly because I began to cut back. I don't have a target yet, just less. Maybe target 3 cups of fruit and 5 of veggies a day, closer to the high end of the range I have found recommended on the the internet. Too much veggie and fruit apparently can lead to problems with micronutrient uptake and digestion. I know I have been having some of the digestion problems. Will give it a try tomorrow and see how it goes...

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your champagne too much - I had a little bit here, but I prefer normal wine.

Not sure wine would have been any better for me, guess I am just out of the drinking mode. Not a bad thing.

 

[Llama]

If your digestion suffers from eating so much roughage reducing it does seem sensible. Here's hoping your body will adapt as well as it has to all the previous changes!

 

[alligatorob]

Not a bad day, I did succeed in bringing my vegetable and fruit consumption down a bit. I had 6.5 cups of veggies and 3 of fruit. Still a lot but about half of what I have been eating. I feel fine for it, so will try to stay in this range for a while. Otherwise my food was good, stayed on calorie, and did get some exercise. It was limited to snow moving and some wood chopping. 2 or 3 hours of snow moving, but most was plowing with my tractor or atv. But I did spend about half an hour doing some real shoveling. Did not time the wood chopping, but between them I am tired tonight.

If your digestion suffers from eating so much roughage reducing it does seem sensible. Here's hoping your body will adapt as well as it has to all the previous changes!

Thanks LaMa, and yeah 15+ cups (probably about 2 kg) of veggie and fruit was getting hard on my digestion. I also read that eating that much can hurt your uptake of necessary vitamins and micro nutrients. Will see how about half that level works.

 

[Err2]

did get some exercise. It was limited to snow moving and some wood chopping

That's great exercise - how was it on your shoulder?

 

[Err2]

I have decided that I am eating too much veggie and fruit, and will change it.

8 cups of broccoli & cauliflower at one meal does seem like a lot - how about spreading that out over 2 or 3 meals instead of cutting it in half?

 

[Emilyrose]

I definitely get constipated when I overdo it on the veg. Balance in all things.

Sounds like a great day’s labour Rob, good stuff.

 

[overlandflyer]

i miss snow ... sometimes.

 

[alligatorob]

It was a good day, I ate well, exercised and feel good tonight. I have succeeded in another day of less fruit and veggies, still a lot 8 servings veggies, and 3 of fruit, but about half of where I was. I have decided to report in "servings" this is based on the package, but its more universal than cups and probably as reliable. For most things a serving is about a cup. However my digestion is still off, not so bad as to be debilitating or anything, just not so good as I am used to. Maybe 2 days isn't enough to see an effect, but I am beginning to suspect another culprit. I have been consuming more zero calorie sweeteners and flavorings, a variety of things mostly, but not all stevia based. My internet "research" suggests a possible problem there. I will try to cut back on those as well. It will be nice to return to a more normal... 2 hours and 22 minutes in the gym this morning, it felt good.

That's great exercise - how was it on your shoulder?

Shoveling is hard on my shoulder, I did as much as I could with the tractor and atv, but some places just had to shoveled. I have figured out workarounds for lots of things, correct positioning or something to avoid the pain, but not for snow shoveling yet. If the snow is going to get moved I guess I will just have to tough it out...

8 cups of broccoli & cauliflower at one meal does seem like a lot - how about spreading that out over 2 or 3 meals instead of cutting it in half?

That was just lunch, problem is that was also eating about 8 cups with dinner as well, for 15 or 16 on the day. I have approximately halved that for the last couple of days and it does not seem to have increased my food cravings or hunger level. Not so far anyway.

I definitely get constipated when I overdo it on the veg. Balance in all things.

Well, I have been swigging back and forth between constipation and the opposite... I am not enjoying either! Hope I can find the cause.

i miss snow ... sometimes.

I miss snow never! In Florida we got about the right amount, probably same as you get now! Did not know that about building a snowman, but there are other more pleasant ways I know of to burn calories.

 

[Llama]

Having too much diet soda gives me explosive diarrhea ( I'm sure you wanted to know that ) while too much veg/fiber mainly makes me painfully bloated. Best of luck with the elimination process!