Category: health

Feedback

Interestingly enough, I got a ton of feedback from my PrEP post. Mostly in private though. .People reached out to me by email, pvt messages, and even texts to share their thoughts. Most were supportive and a few who disagreed in varying degrees.

I was just struck how so few people were willing to go on the record, so to speak, about the decision. The general consensus I got was that it was a very personal decision and many didn’t feel it should be up for debate by others. This in itself was a bit encouraging. It means people are ignoring the stupidity over ‘shaming’ and making informed decisions about what is best for them. The flip side, in an age where a complete stranger will show you vividly detailed pictures of his anatomy before even meeting, it isn’t so easy to discuss HIV prevention. We have some work to do. If we are ever truly going to get a handle on this we have to let go of the blame and guilt so common associated with STDs in general.

One dissenter was particularly focused on the drug companies making a huge sum of money off of PrEP. I’m not one for conspiracy theories but I also understand greed. But ‘knowing’ something w/o facts or proof isn’t really knowing at all. And frankly the drug companies don’t have to push their drugs on the negative folks. They can just as easily depend on the ignorance and fear to keep the transmission rate high and sell it to you when you convert. And since they aren’t the ones behind the idea to use Truvada as PrEP, it is really hard to sell that theory.

Anyway, I was happy to hear from so many who reached out to me. Some thanked me for my insight and discussion. Some lamented an age of ‘whores’, whatever that means. Overall, the general feeling was of acceptance, not as a solution but as a possible solution. The idea is that you consider it if it would be right for you. And many of my readers seemed to approach it from that perspective as well.

Gym

The Pup and I are back in the gym after an extended reprieve. I say reprieve because only part of it was laziness. hehehe  There was a 2-3 week window there where one of us wasn’t feeling so well. Either I felt fine and he didn’t or vice-versa. While neither of us got the full-blown flu, I think we may have extended the issue a bit by sharing it back and forth. [1]Sick or not, I can’t seem to resist kissing him  Anyway, after that we’d just gotten too comfortable coming home, making dinner, and then curling up on the sofa.

And yes, some of it was pure laziness. We like spending quality time curled up on the sofa together. Be it Tivo, video-games, or movies, the sofa is quite comfy for the three of us. The desire to be in the gym hasn’t left me. I still enjoy it when I’m there but I do find the desire to stay home and cuddle is often stronger. I’m sure we are still in the bonding phase so that is to be expected. However, if I don’t want to turn into a pumpkin, a routine needs to be re-established. I wonder if this is what a lot of couples go thru when they move in together? I’m sure as hell not letting myself turn into a heifer, but I can see the allure. The Pup tends to like sweets a tiny bit more than I. This means I’ve succumbed to keeping more sweets in the apt. And of course, once the temptation is there I’m all for it. 

It’s our first week back and even sitting still today my effin’ chest is sore as hell. I am by no means fat but I feel flabby. hehe My muscles have lost a bit of that tightness that comes from a daily gym regimen. He looks hot as ever (I may be biased) but I’m sure he feels the same way.

Regardless, I ache today. OY! I can only imagine what I’m going to feel like by Saturday after all my muscles have been put the ringer.

References

References
↑1 Sick or not, I can’t seem to resist kissing him

Grown

image

Everyone has been asking about the Cooper. He is doing just fine. As you can see, he is sitting pretty and feeling good. We’ve had two years together this past November. What started out as a abandoned and unloved puppy has turned into a loved, valued, and wonderfully well adjusted bully. He is back down to a slim 62 lbs. And while learning to enjoy the life of leisure and comfort, he is still very active for a bully. Not to mention, having a toy been that is constantly being replenished. Update – I may have to start watching him with squeaky toys. He usually will chew the squeaker till it pops out and then ignore the toy. One toy recently we never found the squeaker so he may have taken to just eating it. The next one I’ll be watching….

We have noticed his hearing is a little off. He hears ok but has a lot of trouble triangulating where the sound is coming from.  While I’m hopeful, it won’t surprise me if he develops real hearing issues as he ages. I’ll still love my deaf monster as much as I possibly could if it happens. Beyond that, his skin is a constant battle to keep healthy. He is very prone to staff. Not surprising but still a frustration. Luckily, that is all so far. as he moves into adulthood more issues could pop up, but for an all-white bully, he is remarkably healthy so far.

Anything new still scares him at first but he is much less skiddish these days. He has become bored with the MUNI cable cars, skateboards, pigeons, and random recycle bins. They seem not to have the same “oh shit, hold onto the leash” fascination as they did previously. He knows the neighborhood pretty intimately now. He often times figures out where we are going just by the route we take to get there. hehehe

His life is easy but structured. He gets his meals, treats, and breaks pretty much on time consistently every day. I’ll probably be able to eliminate is mid-day pee break in this next year as he has mastered the art of holding it. The only mishap was once while I was gone, he peed on the floor for attention. Well that and every so often he’ll just randomly barf up his entire lunch. He proceeds to eat it a second time but it tends to leave a sticky stained mess on the carpet, which always needs attention.

I will admit every time he hacks or coughs I freak out a little bit. Apple guy and I discovered Spike’s cancer that way and I’ll always be scared the same will happen to Cooper. Of course, so far his hacks are always after food so once the irrational fear passes reason sets in. Just the thought of Cooper getting sick moves me to tears. I love him so very much.

202

ArmToday I weighed in at 202lbs on the scale! This marks the first time in my life that I crossed the 200lb threshold! Ok, not exactly true. I crossed it once last year but it was fat-related. lol This time, I’m at my regular fat % and still over 200lbs! To say I’m giddy would be an understatement. I’ve been working out consistently for about 17 years now. [1]Give or take a year or two. I’m doing this all from memory. lol  My previous attempts met with failure back then because I was working out for the wrong reasons. Once I decided to take care of my body for my reasons and my goals, I stuck with it. When I came to SF, it was a new chapter in my life and switching to a gym like Fitness SF [2]Formerly Gold’s that was dedicated to muscle-building also made a huge difference.

I don’t remember the exact body weight I was at back then but I do remember it was roughly around 140-150lbs. I do remember weighing in once at 155lbs when I was still living in Boulder, which was 1995. That was also about the time I started working out in earnest. In roughly 17 years I’ve put on 45-50lbs of muscle. Sure I could have been more dedicated and gained it faster but that isn’t the point. The point is if a little scrawny weakling like me can put on that much muscle and size, anyone can. Seriously, I was so bone skinny back then it was laughable. I’ve mentioned it here probably countless times but my chest was so slight it actually sank in a little. My forearms now are bigger than my biceps were when I first started working out. It’s crazy because while I don’t see that skrawny kid anymore, he still lurks in my id. Thankfully, he is being subsumed by the new me.

The above bicep shot is a rare shot of me flexing. I don’t do pics of me flexing my biceps a lot because my biceps actually bulge out as much as they bulge up. I know it’s a bit odd but it is also sort of self-defeating when taking a bicep flex shot. lolol Of course, if I try to hold the bicep in so it bulges up instead of out, it looks like I’m cheating. hehehe Anyway, I’m just so excited. When I started out, breaking the 200lb barrier seemed like such an abstract and never-attainable goal. Honestly, back then it was mostly wistful thinking. After getting serious about weight-training, I suddenly realized my wistful goal was actually very real and very attainable.

Of course, this just makes me want to work out that much harder!

References

References
↑1 Give or take a year or two. I’m doing this all from memory. lol
↑2 Formerly Gold’s

Lean

MoiHere I is looking mean and lean. lol  Ok, maybe not so mean. lol

Anyway, I’m back down to my “healthy” weight. By healthy I mean my regular range of weight ups/downs. If you look you see the little pooch right above my shorts line. Sadly, my brief stint over 200lbs was fat related. That said, I’m still bigger now muscle-wise than I ever have been in my entire life. I’m only 12 pounds away from my goal weight of 210. But, when I figure in the 15 or so pounds of fat I want to lose, I’m probably closer to 22 pounds in terms of muscle. *sigh*  So close and so far away. hehehe  And you can see from the pic I can clearly loose a little more fat. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining just pointing out where I hope to be.

Right now, I’m 198 lbs, keep in mind 15 of that is fat I wanna ditch. And speaking of, the extra cardio from swimming has helped!  With the break up, debt, Spike dying, depression, etc I really dropped off on my workouts. I still hit the gym but it was pretty static and not consistent. As of this month I’ve rededicated myself to working out. I redesigned my workout routine as well. I have a horrible habit of neglecting certain muscle groups. To avoid that, I designed my new routine so that I work out a good and bad muscle every day [1]By good and bad, I mean muscles I like working vs the ones I don’t. lol  My new routine has me in the gym 4 days a week throwing weights and 2 days for cardio.  It’s off to a good start so far. I had the best dumbbell chest workout ever last week.

Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
lbs x reps
85 x 12
85 x 12
85 x 12
80 x 8

Dumbbell Bench Press
95 x 10
95 x 10
95 x 9
90 x 8

Dumbbell Fly
50 x 10
50 x 10
55 x 10
55 x 8

Above is just my chest workout for one day. I usually do 4 sets but my pecs were totally baked after just those 3. Another twist, I switch between free weights and machines every other week. The one thing I wanna point out here is I do not focus on a set number of reps as my goal while working out. Four sets is the goal. Reps per exercise is usually a maximum of 12 reps and a minimum of 6. Once I can do a full set all the way thru to 12, it’s time to up the weight slightly. I find that progressive intensity works best for my muscle/body type. In two months, I’ll be switching to a reverse routine of supersets of the same exercises.

So far it’s working because I was so sore this week I could only do one day of cardio. Seriously, everything hurt! lol  Referring back to my goals, take 15 lbs (fat) from the 198 for a base figure of 183. My goal weight is 210 for a difference of 27 lbs. In optimal conditions for non-juicers, the best one can hope for is about 2 lbs per month of actual muscle synthesis. It may sound small but that is actually a good chunk of muscle. So in the best of conditions I could hope for 24 lbs in a year. This IMO is not a realistic goal because I have a life outside of the gym, including work and a child. Goals should be realistic in their reach so I won’t be shooting for 24 lbs. lol  However, half that would be a good goal IMO.  So my goal for 2013 is to put on at least 12 lbs of muscle.

Now I could get there faster by juicing but I can’t afford it. Done right, steroids can be beneficial. They’re called cycles for a reason. You’re supposed to go off them for at least the amount of time you’re on them. [2]My doc says you should double the time off  Sadly, most people get caught up in the quick gains and end up abusing them. Don’t even get me started on the libido issues.

As always, consistency is the key. I’m super motivated now but I know that will wane over time. I’ll try to post workout stats from time to time to have you guys help me with my motivation. I’ll throw in some pics too!

Wish me luck!

References

References
↑1 By good and bad, I mean muscles I like working vs the ones I don’t. lol
↑2 My doc says you should double the time off

Teef’es

I’ve finally decided to move forward with the teeth work I’ve been putting off for years. Structurally, they are all fine but cosmetically they need some work. lol I’ve been putting it off and putting it off and I figure it is time to bite the bullet. (pun intended)

Due to some traumatic injuries playing football in high school, I’ve had a slightly crooked grill since. Nothing major or gross but still crooked. On top of that, I want to get veneers for the front grill to make’em all nice and ‘purdy.

I’ve been putting off braces for obvious reasons ie I hate going to the dentist. lol It also happens to interfere with certain skills. [1]You laugh but I ain’t joking. I can’t go 18 months w/o. lolol  Now, thanks to modern technology and lower prices, I can go with invisilign so as not to cause problems. Once that is done I’ll work on the veneers.

The one hitch in the whole process is one of my top two front teeth. The tooth actually came completely out in the above mentioned injury. Knowing it was my permanent tooth, I promptly shoved it back in in the hopes it would grow back. As luck would have it, it did. Unfortunately, after a root canal, the tooth died inside. It is structurally sound but if I start moving it around, it may come out. I’ll see what the Orhto doc recommends but I’m prepared to move into a replacement if he deems it necessary. I can’t even whiten my teeth too far right now because of this same tooth. Being dark on the inside, if I whiten my teeth too much the lone tooth would stand out like a sore thumb. lol

Anyway, I plan on getting a referral for an Ortho doc at my yearly cleaning in a couple weeks. I’m nervous as all hell about it but it is time. I’m 42 this next year and while not an overly vain creature, I’d like to have my teeth look nice. My insurance will cover the braces but the cosmetic work will be all out of pocket. I figure I can put in some overtime to cover it.

If anyone has had veneers done, I’d appreciate your feedback!

References

References
↑1 You laugh but I ain’t joking. I can’t go 18 months w/o. lolol

Diet

One of my Google+ readers was asking me about my diet habits. First, I hate the word diet. I get so tired of people going on and on about every fad diet in the world they’re on..and not sticking to it. Often times, people who “diet” ignore the fact they didn’t gain weight overnight, so losing it ain’t gonna happen that way either.

I don’t diet. Instead, I try to maintain a sense of balance in my eating and my workouts. I fluctuate between a 32 & 33 inch waist. Luckily, I love the natural flavors of most foods. I don’t need lots of heavy sauces. Said sauces often drastically up the fat content of your meal. I also don’t count fat, carbs, protein, etc. I just try to keep the bad stuff to a minimum and the good stuff as a priority. Trans fats and HFCS are evil and should be avoided completely. [1]It doesn’t help that practically EVERYTHING has HFCS in it these days. Protein & veggies should be a priority and depending on which study you pay attention to, carbs can act as filler. When I’m on a heavy weight routine at the gym, protein is the dominant food group with green veggies as prominent sides. Carbs come in heavy after workouts when they’re most needed.

If you have the time (or are willing to make the time) you can break your meals up into 4-5 smaller meals. A meal could be a large healthy snack so it’s not like you are eating a full plate every time. Your highest fat consumption should come early in the day and taper off toward your last meal. My pre-bedtime snacks are usually scrambled or boiled eggs or protein shakes. I also love popcorn. I make it the old-school way in a pot. Instead of butter or vegetable oil, I use olive oil.

I don’t rely on my eating habits alone either. If I find I’ve been eating too much, I up my cardio at the gym. Right now, having gained a few extra pounds from when the boys were visiting, I’m working cardio in every 3rd day. I’ve dropped 10lbs in just 2 weeks. My point is you don’t have to be a food nazi to keep a waistline. If your shooting for that ripped look, unless genetics is on your side, your gonna have to be dedicated in the gym and in your eating habits.

Don’t get me wrong I don’t eat perfect. As you can tell, I don’t watch everything that goes in my mouth. As mentioned, I try for a nice balance. I have my splurges but they are intentional and keep me from feeling deprived. Small indulgences go a long way to help prevent hardcore binges IMHO. [2]I love Popeye’s and Taco Bell, always will…just not every day/week! I have never been a heavy sweets person so that part is relatively easy.

References

References
↑1 It doesn’t help that practically EVERYTHING has HFCS in it these days.
↑2 I love Popeye’s and Taco Bell, always will…just not every day/week!

Crave

I had a weird craving for some pecan pie lately. Don’t ask me why, I just did. Anyway, we happen to have the little mini’s in our vending machine at work. I made the mistake of having one. It was absolutely awful! The only thing that compared to the real thing was the sweetness. I guess I should have expected that. lol The crust was dry, the filling was overly thick, and the pecans didn’t really taste like pecans at all.

I guess the only way to get my fill is to just break down and make one. I absolutely love pecan pies. Being from the South, I guess that is a given. I don’t know what the hell possessed me to think I could get it out of a machine. lol

Now, if I can just get Whataburger to open a restaurant in SF, my life would be complete!

Medic!

I’ve had to put my EMT skills to use quite a bit lately. Over the last couple months I’ve run into situations where my help was needed. A few times a the gym and a couple times just random occurrences.

It’s a good thing since I currently can’t afford to miss a day of work to ride on the ambulance. I used to try and ride at least once a month. Right now money is tight so I gotsta work. It’s funny how you just slip into that mode, so to speak. One guy sees me all the time at the gym and we’ve exchanged ‘hellos’ a couple times. He had a near-syncope (fainting) and needed to be evaluated.

My little brother thinks I’m Marcus Welby MD now. Every time he has an issue or needs to see a doctor he calls me to confirm everything. I’ve told him several times my training is limited but it still seems to make him feel better. Sadly, he was diagnosed with kidney stones recently. He was in so much pain he was blowing up my phone every day complaining. I’m like, ‘what do you want me to do? You drink soda like crazy, you eat horribly. It is no wonder you got kidney stones.‘ He is supposed to go back this week to get treated. Hopefully, they’ll get everything. I can only imagine the pain. OY!

Better

I had originally planned to post this last week but considering things, it didn’t happen. I’m not quite back to my svelte self from about a year ago but I’m getting there. lol As much as I hate cardio, I’ve been trying to add it to my workout routine on a consistent basis. Not to mention, I’ve been hitting the gym pretty regular as well. It took me a while to recover from the last motorcycle accident. The bone healed up nicely but the rotator and surrounding soft tissues took months to completely heal up. It drove me nuts because I hated not being able to push myself during my workouts.

While I’m over the 200 lb mark, some of that being body-fat doesn’t count. lol I’d like to lean up by another 10-15lbs. I’m still hoping to put a couple inches on my chest, arms, and legs. Once I do that, I’ll have reached my life goal and just focus on maintaining.

Wish me luck!