The big oak (Quercus) needs to drop some dead limbs!

I took yesterday off from running and my back really hurts today. I need to see a Dr. I'm feeling really low today. I hope that passes. I feel frustrated and/or hopeless about every major facet of my life. I've found a healthy alternative to overeating and drinking and my shitty body won't let me do it. Work leaves me beat up and the only person I am friends with in real life (my wife) is slammed with work related stress and isn't feeling well herself. I've given up on today. I'm going to go home and go to bed as soon as I leave work and hope tomorrow is better.
 
That sucks, Q! I have nothing to offer other to say "Tomorrow is a new day."

One thing that has become clear to me over the years is that Life is Dynamic. It continually changes and adjusts, and it's about as easy to predict as the order in which popcorn kernels pop in a pan. When things have been great in my life, in time they became less so. When things have been awful in my life, in time those things became less awful. It will be better in time. Hang in there, my friend.
 
Hang in therer Q I know what you mean we all have ups and downs and our life,we just have to look pass it and keep moveing. I get like this all the time but eating is just putting a band aid over the problem then you will feel worse that you just ate all the wrong things.
 
Going to the doc to get the back checked out is a good idea, and maybe he can give you a good exercise plan that's a little lighter on the back but still gives you the exercise you need.

And once the physical pain is dealt with, I'm guessing the mood will be a lot better too. I know in my case I can get very grumpy and often depressed when I'm in physical pain.

Hang in there Quercus.
 
Man, I just came back from a bit of a hiatus and I am sad to hear you're feeling down. Do you have a good doctor picked out yet? I hope you can find one who's able to give you access to the support and resources you need. Make sure you're taking care of yourself, mentally and physically. Don't wait too long...it's way too easy to become comfortable with situations even when they aren't providing happiness or healthiness. Don't let that happen! You're too important for anything less than awesome.
 
Thanks so much everyone! I am happy to report that my back feels much better today. I got a very good night's sleep and today it is just sore and tender with much less pain. Nothing like yesterday. I forced myself to walk around the grocery store using a cart for support last night and I think that loosened things up.Yesterday I would have predicted having to stay in bed today.

With the decreased pain my attitude has improved. I won't be able to get an appointment for a new doctor for a few weeks, but I hope/think I found a good one. I'm still too heavy for the xray table at my current Dr and I couldn't find an appointment yesterday. It's very frustrating and embarrassing, but hopefully I can get a new doctor lined up before I need one again. It's my own fault as I should have done this a year ago.

My diet hasn't been very good for a couple days. So far so good today.

I'm thinking stationary bike or a walk tonight.

Thanks again everyone. This doesn't fix anything, but at least I can admit it. I don't have the emotional tools developed to handle stress without overeating, drinking, or exercising. I'm hoping that it was work and not running that made my back flare up again because I want to run. I'm sure lifting was the primary cause for the initial injury.

I'll take it easy for a while, but running in the heat is miserable and wonderful all at the same time. It reduces my stress more than biking or walking can do and I enjoy it. I have to face the reality that I may not be able to do it for some time or at least not with the frequency and duration that I want. My hope is that I can walk/bike until my back is completely healed and then do a single run and listen to my body. Hopefully I will have seen a doctor by then too.
 
Do you have access to a pool or a lake? During my back surgery recovery, I swam a lot and it was great on my back.

Very glad today is a brighter day, Q. :D
 
Dude!
I so remember how good I would feel after running two miles on a hot Texas evening. All that sweating really cleansed me out. I am a long way away from that right now but maybe in a few months.
 
Omega: Thanks and ME TOO!

Don: I really need to go swimming. I avoid it as a regular exercise because it makes me super hungry, but right now it would be just the ticket.

I'm a long way out too Brawny. Even when my back feels good I run with a heart rate monitor and so lots of it is walking to keep my heart rate in the aerobic zone.
 
Quercus said:
Don: I really need to go swimming. I avoid it as a regular exercise because it makes me super hungry, but right now it would be just the ticket.
Click to expand...

Feeling super hungry like that usually tells me that I've just burned a buttload of calories and my body is screaming for fuel. If I eat light and green, usually it precedes a bigger loss at the scale.
 
I'm gonna go for a swim tomorrow hopefully. Yesterday got limited to a brief slow walk as my back was in spasm by the time I got home. It feels good so far today. I had a very easy field assignment this morning that required about an hour of walking in the woods. That's much better for the back than sitting in a chair all morning.

I'm very happy that it's Friday. I have wanted to sleep more all week and I intend to do a lot of that this weekend.
 
I didn't do anything other than slow walking this weekend, but the back feels much better today. I have cleaned up my diet this weekend and that has me in a more positive mental state. My diet is shifting to mostly vegan/vegetarian diet. I will eat all of the wild game that I can get (not much) and I will eat meat when it is dictated by social circumstance (rare) or when I have very limited options while working out of town.

I had a lot of success losing weight while being vegetarian in the past (400 -> 290) and I kept that weight off until I went back to a meat eating diet. I'm trying to plan ahead to avoid having to eat meat while working out of town. I have a very small amount of wild hog and venison in the deep freeze. I think the allowance for wild game will encourage me to do more hunting which I enjoy. It will also lead to more practice with my firearms and more handloading. Having an increase in m y hobby activities will help too.

Being mostly vegetarian/vegan is no magic bullet, but it keeps us from eating out much which is a big problem area of our diet. It also obviously increases our intake of fruits and veggies. We had all prepared at home foods this weekend and that's rare for us. There are a couple of places in town with healthy vegetarian options and we will still go out.

It feels good to start controlling what I can in my life. My wife is making these changes with me and we are both feeling good about the decision. I also hope to be able to lose weight without counting the calories. If you avoid processed foods it is difficult to eat too many calories if you are sensible in the least. I haven't weighed in a while, but I intend to in the morning as a starting vegetarianish weight.
 
That all sounds awesome, Q! The walking is healthy and sensible, and my diet shifted from the start to one similar to what you're talking. I do eat meat, but in much lower quantities. Beef/Pork I eat maybe 3-4 times per month (stir fry, curries, on salads, etc), chicken I eat maybe 5-7 times per month, but again in lighter volume and usually as an accompaniment to lots of veg, fish I eat maybe 1-2X per month. I do however eat a sh*t-ton of eggs... maybe 12 - 18 per week. The rest is veg and fruit. In almost 6 months of tracking all my data, meals high in meat have preceded ALL of my poorest weight loss periods... not just because of the meat, I'm sure, but meat and the way it was served.
 
I ended up walking and doing some physical therapy exercises that I found on the internet. They seemed to help a lot.
 
Keep on with the walking! I know you want to be running but it sounds like the walking is doing good things right now with keeping the pain at bay. Make sure you continue to be patient! I'm hoping to be inspired by your vegetarian tendencies. I'm much too heavy on meat and carbs, which is silly because I genuinely enjoy many vegetables. Feel free to write about any delicious meals you and the wife create :)
 
We had a really good one this weekend. Tempeh marinated in soy sauce with a little sugar. Then sautee it with shallots, garlic, and cauliflower in coconut oil. We served that on quinoa and a bed of fresh baby spinach. This was simple and very tasty. The sweet,soy, and coconut flavors made it taste like a mix between Thai and teriyaki. Sugar was the only ingredient not good for you, but it was minimal and the overall calories and GI are still very good. Tempeh is filling and a complete protein source.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top