emt4jesus
20 Week Update
Sep 05, 2007
Well, hunting season has arrived and I'm ready to test out my lighter frame. I started trying on hunting clothes and I now have plenty of attire to choose from. I have ten years of clothes that were too small that fit very comfortably now. Everything from camo tee shirts to coveralls. I'll try my waders on tonight as I get ready for opening day of teal season on Saturday. My worry with the waders is that they may be too big as I bought them on sale last years because of their large size. Good problem to have though.
The weight is holding steady at 338 but my time at the gym has been very good. I'm without a trainer now due to money issues so I now have to be self motivated. I really enjoy the weight lifting but the cardio workouts are still not my favorite. Loading my MP3 player with hard driving Christian music has been a great help. I load songs that we are singing as choir specials along with up tempo songs from
I'm still fighting the insurance company over medical bills. I went back and forth with the gas passer. I kept getting a bill from them saying I owed them $1200. The insurance company sent me a statement saying they had paid the agreed upon amount for the surgery and I only had to match the $450 for my 50% responsibility. I finally got an explanation in that the anesthesiologist does not participate in
Spiritually, I feel that my faith is being tested and that God is once again working in my life by revealing my weaknesses. I have on more than one occasion thought about reducing my tithe to help with my finances. It would be an easy solution and definitely ease some of the burden. But God has always been faithful in the good times and the bad. As I read through Psalm and Proverbs, I find nothing to support reducing my tithe. In fact, the opposite is true. I need to put more faith in my God who has always provided. God is teaching me to be a better steward of His resource whether it is money, material items or time. God keeps reminding me to be patient through His Word in Psalm 37: "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently on Him..." That verse has been etched in my mind over the past few months. As medical bills piled up, and the transmission failed in the car, and tires had to be replaced on the truck and badly needed home repairs started popping up, God has whispered through His Word to have faith and wait.
19 Week Update
Aug 29, 2007
Week nineteen has been the hardest yet as my old habits have tried to creep back into my life. My appetite has run rampant as the stress factors in my life have increased. With the beginning of a new Awana club year and employment concerns, I find myself wanting to snack on any and everything. I have gained and lost the same four pounds ten times the past three weeks. My workouts have dwindled to just twice a week and my meal log has not been kept up-to-date. Even worse, my quiet time has suffered as I have chosen to work on "worthy tasks" rather than spend time with God. To say the least, it has been a frustrating few weeks.
On Friday, I picked up my "Minute Meditation For Men" devotional and God reminded me that I needed to be "proactive" in sharpening the saw of my life. Sometimes we get so busy sawing away at life's wood pile that we forget the saw needs to be constantly sharpened to accomplish the tasks at hand. Sharpening the saw means renewing ourselves in four different aspects of life:
Physical - exercise, nutrition, stress management
Mental - reading, thinking, planning, writing
Social/Environment - service, empathy, security
Spiritual - spiritual reading, study, and meditation
Psalms 37:7a says "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him: do not fret because of him who prospers in his way."
So starting this past Monday, after a weekend of self evaluation, I have purposed to slow down and begin sharpening some of the aspects of my life that have become dull. I have rededicated myself to my quiet time and prayer. As always when I seem to get in a spiritual rut, I am reading through Psalm and Proverbs for encouragement and guidance. I've also revamped my workout time to two weight training days and two cardio days each week. I've enlisted my wife to keep me motivated and faithful in filling out my food log each day. Lastly, I've put a priority on some time for myself. My biggest stress relief activity begins this Saturday with the start of the hunting season. Sunday, I spent an hour at the skeet range which was a great stress relief. I also found that with the weight loss, I'm picking up the target and moving with the target a lot better than years past.
As for my weight loss, I'm focusing back on the basics. Drinking more water, cutting down on caffeine, watching my carbs and calorie intake. Basically, with God's guidance, I'm going to focus on my well being and allow God to take care of the other "stuff" in my life.
17 Week Update
Aug 15, 2007
My weight loss is at 75 pounds which is pretty good seeing that I have only been in the gym 4 times in the past two weeks. I have struggled with joint pain in my knees and ankles especially the day after my cardio workouts. My glucose levels are slowly coming down as the weight comes off. My energy level is off the charts for me as I have been able to do so much more during Awana meetings compared to last year. I've been able to visit each of the three clubs at least once a night. I also have not used the church elevator in almost 60 days. Using the stairs was very exhausting to begin with but now it is second nature.
In all, I'm feeling better and if you listen to others, looking better. People tell me my color looks better and I'm walking with a bounce in my step. The ultimate compliment was given to me last Sunday night when an old member who had not been at church in over a year stated he did not know who I was at first when he saw me in the choir. Praise God, life is good!
15 Week Updat
Jul 31, 2007
Week 14 Update
Jul 24, 2007
I took body measurements this week and the most significant change is in my chest with an eight inch loss. I've also lost four inches in my hips and waist. There is a definate difference in how my clothing fits. I've gone from a size 5/6 XL shirt to a 3/4 XL shirt. I'm gone from a 66 inch waist pants to a 58 inch waist. Clothing that used to be tight now hangs off of me and probably needs to be discarded.
I also took stock of my medications and the change is significant:
Humalog Insulin - 90 units a day to 5-10 units
Byetta - 20 units a day discontinued
Actos Tab - 25 mg a day - discontinued
Nuerotin 300 mg a day - discontinued
Lipitor Tab 40 mg a day - discontinued
Mobic Tab 7.5 mg a day - discontinued
Lasix 40 mg a day - discontinued
Zanaflex 4 mg a day - as needed - once or twice a week
Lortab 10 - 1 to 3 a night - as needed - once a week
It's made a significant difference in my life not having to take so many medicines. I feel stronger and have more energy since coming off the medicines. Coming of the pain meds has been a challange in that I initially had trouble sleeping and was a little restless but that seems to have passed now.
The other significant change in my life, so far, has been my activity level. I did not post last week because I was at kid's camp. It was a coming out for me at camp this year. I have been a kids camp counselor at camp for the past eight years. Usually my participation was limited to teaching devotionals and taking the kid;s fishing. This year was much different. I swam this year for the first time for over two hours each day. I did a clinic for the kid's in archery and shot close to 80 arrows in two hours which is more than I've ever shot in any one years time. I shot basketball for about a half hour in the gym, played ping pong with the kids, and fished. I walked everywhere and did most of the activities. After three days I was wiped out but it was a great feeling of accomplishment to be able to actually participate in camp activities.
I saw my dietitian yesterday and the appointment went well. My BMI has gone from 57 at the time of the surgery to 47.2. Just like my family doctor, the dietitian wants to see my carb intake reduced but overall, the diet is where it should be. We added iron to my daily vitamin and mineral regiment. I see him again in three months and I have set my goal weight as 300 for that appointment. I believe it will be a tough challange but it's a reachable goal to shoot for.
So at 14 weeks post surgery, I am happy with how far I've come. It has not been easy but it has been worth it. I still have challanges ahead of me, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I never imagined myself weighing less than 350 pounds ever again. Now I'm confidant that being under 300 pounds will become a reality. God has surely blessed me beyond my expectations. I give God all the glory and honor for the changes in my life to this point. In the end it is my desire to have a closer relation with Jesus Christ and to serve Him to the utmost of my ability that drives me to continue the changes in my life. My physical and emotional life have changed forever through the power and grace of Jesus Christ. My prayer now is that God will grow me spiritually in ways I never thought possible. I pray that as my physical life grows stronger through this life change process, my spiritual life will also grow stronger. I want to be a prayer warrior and I strive to be more like Jesus. In the past, the physical limitations were a crutch to not change spiritually. God has taken away that crutch and shown me that I have always had the ability to walk closer with Him. There are no more excuses to be had and no more perceived obsticles to overcome. I will either choose to seek a deeper, more intimate relationship with the Father or end up with a life change that will have little meaning and satisfaction.
Week 12 Update
Jul 10, 2007
So I put everything in His hands and will wait on His plan. I will work harder at my diet and exercise and let God take care of the rest.
Eleven Week (& one day) update
Jul 05, 2007
60 pounds gone forever. It's been a great week. I worked out in the yard all day yesterday, putting up lattice and building a gate for underneath the deck. It's been years since I've been able to do that much work, outside in the heat. Sonya did most of the work down low but I did all the cutting and initial hanging. I was sore this morning but it felt good!!
I have three pounds to loose efore July 16th to meet my next weight loss goal. I can't wait to go to kids camp this year. It's going to be great.
WOW Moments
Jul 02, 2007
Then later in the morning, the boys in my Sunday School class wanted to go outside and play a game. This is usually not a problem since my co-teacher usually steps in and runs the game but he broke his leg moving a freezer on Friday. So I grabbed a soccor ball and took the boys out to play dodge ball. I started as the thrower and the next thing I know, I'm playing the game with them, dodging balls, throwing balls, and having a blast. I have not been physically able to do that in 20 years.
Later in the day, after walking three miles on the treadmill (another first), Sonya and I headed to the church for a community wide Freedom Celebration. We had to man an inflatable bungie run for an hour. Last year, we manned one of the games for 1/2 an hour and I was totally worn out. This year we did an hour and I had a blast. Being the starter, I would cheer on each teen as they tried tp run as fast and hard as possible while attached to a bungie cord. It was great.
I never thought I'd feel this good and do so much in such a short amount of time. To God be all the glory and honor.
Ten Week Update
Jun 26, 2007
My total weight loss since making the decision to have the surgery is 119 pounds. It sometime doesn't seem like a big accomplishment because you live with it everyday. It's been a gradual transformation for me but for people who don't see me everyday, it is a remarkable change. It's also been a hard transformation. Having the surgery is not a cure all for obesity. The surgery is but a tool and how you use the tool is going to determine how well you will do. I've gone from a totally sedentary life to working out at the gym four times a week. I struggle to stay motivated everyday. It would be easy to skip a day or binge on something I'm not supposed to have. I pray all the time that God will give me strength to go one more day. I thank God for sending me good caring friends who encourage me all the time. I have yet to attend a support group meeting but I have a church family that has served that purpose far better.
I think my greatest motivation has been the examples both positive and negitive that God has placed in my path. There are two individuals who attend my church who have had great success with the RNY surgery. One has changed so much that it is hard to remember how they looked or acted before their surgery. They are more active, more out-going, and more fun! God is using her in ways that would have been impossible for her to do before the surgery. The other person's life has changed so drastically that he now is more physically fit than when he was a teen. He has gone from couch potato to a weekend softball warrior.
God also has provided the negative influences. There is another person at church who has gone through the surgery and has not done well. This person had several major complications from their surgery. There was a lot of pain and infection. There was drastic weight loss but no dedication to the plan and now the weight is coming back.
Weight loss is not always the measure of success of RNY surgery. I believe that if you are not anchored in the Word of God, the weight loss can become an avenue for Satan to destroy a family. The weight loss gives you a boost to your confidence and your self esteem. If you allow pride to creep into your life, confidence and self-esteem become a path to adultry and abandonment. I have seen this happen to childhood sweethearts who were pillars of the community and church.
As I look back and reflect on what has happened to me over the past two years, I find that the physical change, even though uplifting and remarkable, is not the most important result of the RNY surgery. So far I believe that the change in my spiritual life has been more important. Now, more than anytime in my life, I feel closer to God. It has been very hard to allow God to guide me through this journey and there have been several times that I lost faith. But God has provided through every valley both financially and spiritually. When I've been weak, He has been my strength. When all seemed lost, He lead me down the right path. His Word has sustained me through pain and disappointment. He has taught me patience and humility through this process. He has provided me with friends that have encouraged me and cared for me. He provided me with a wife who has stood by me through all of the good and bad. Without God in my life, I know that I would not be where I am today. I am, by no means, where I need to be both physically and especially spiritually. I am however worlds away from where I was two years ago.
To God be all the honor and glory.
Nine Week Update
Jun 20, 2007
It's not all sunshine and roses however. I've gotten sick every night for the past four nights. Each time it's while I'm trying to eat dinner. I get a full feeling and then pain and nausea. It lasts for about an hour and nothing has been able to relieve the symptoms. I even went back to simple meals and still got sick. My wife thinks I'm still eating to fast so I'll start being more concious of slowing down.
I'm still fighting with the insurance company to get bills paid. God is still working in the area of my finances. Every time I get a bill because the insurance hasn't paid, the next day or two, the insurance comes through. It looks like I'm going to owe about $1200 over and above the $8000 I've already paid. If that's the worst of it then we'll be ok.
I'm looking forward to my next goal of being down to 350 pounds by July 16th. I'm taking off once again to go to Kid's camp this year. It's going to be a blast. We are going some place new this year in Marshall County with access to Guntersville lake, cabins and a swimming pool. It will be great not to have stay in the main cabin this year because I can't physically move around. I plan to hike, fish and swim much more than I've done in the past. God is truely blessing me through this surgery.
