Since 1992, I have not really been healthy. On a business trip to Washington DC for my employer of now 18 years, I caught Hepatitis A eating in a seafood restaurant (we think) in Georgetown. Luckily it was the curable type but it left my liver partially unusable. The vaccine was not available then.

Now, the doctors keep telling me that this has nothing to do with my ails. But most of my health problems started right after the 45 days of disability and quarantine from the disease.

My weight skyrocketed. I’m tired all the time. My blood pressure is now way up. Harrumph.

No thyroid problems. Human growth hormone at normal levels. Blood sugar fine. Blood pressure normally very good. Cholesterol up.

I know that I can get all this under control. But it has been hard.

I weighed 327 lb. when I joined the US Navy in the late seventies. They lied and put me at 289, which for my height was the largest I could be and still be accepted. I really appreciate the company commanders from Texas that kept me very busy in boot camp and watched what I was eating. I lost all the way to 200 lb. by the end of 12 weeks+ of boot camp. Now I know losing that fast is not healthy, and I did gain back up to approximately 230 lb., but I felt a lot better.

I pretty much kept it that way until after 1992.

I am now 300 lb. and maintaining it. I do exercise but it does not seem to do anything for me. Being in my late 40s, it is now getting harder and harder to lose weight. It seems my metabolism was messed up by the disease and it really never recovered.

I plan on weight training soon. My last child in college will graduate college in the spring. Once I get my two children settled on their own, I can concentrate more on myself. I certainly don’t want to leave my wife a widow.

And for any of you who might be reading this and are health/exercise nuts, yes I was maintaining heart rate and so on. I consulted several trainers to be sure. I even bought an elliptical machine due to pain in my knees and I still use it regularly for 30-45 minutes at a time in the fat burning zone 3-4 times a week.

My diet is simple and practically meat free to keep the calories down. Lots of vegetables, grains, and a little meat. Little dairy however as I became lactose intolerant several years ago. Essentially I each ovo-lacto vegetarian for breakfast and lunch.

For example, this morning, I am eating two servings of steel-cut oatmeal with a little Splenda® for sweetness and a little soy milk, a banana, my regimen of vitamins and minerals my doctor wants me to use, and a glass of water. Lunch will be 1 cup of hominy (60 calories per 1/2 cup with 6 grams of fibre — yummy) cooked in a tad bit of butter and olive oil (less than 1/4 teaspoon total), an apple, a banana, a low fat-low sugar pudding cup, and water.

I drink a couple of cups of decaffeinated coffee and lots of water during the day and move around as much as I can.

Dinner will be what ever I have enough energy to scrounge up. Since my wife works also, we usually each something quick but healthy. Last night for me was a 4 inch piece of turkey kielbasa (~200 calories and low fat), left over short grain white rice (1 cup), and some left over fresh green beans (about 4 servings which is around 70 calories).

Why am I telling you this? Well, it feels good to write about it. And I guess it validates what I am doing to see it in writing in public, even if few if any people are reading it.

Please comment with your own short stories on your struggles. Let me tell you, it is soul cleansing.

By the way, I am on cholesterol lowering medication. Normally I won’t take statins or the other forms of medicine to lower cholesterol as there is a lot of research showing lowering cholesterol is not necessarily needed and the benefits (including those dang statistics) don’t outweigh the harm they do to your body. But since I have these other issues, it makes sense to do so to be sure it is not an issue. Once I get my blood pressure down to normal without medication and my weight is down, off the meds for cholesterol I go!

Also, I urge you not to use anything with aspartame in it. The evidence is growing that a large number of people react poorly to it. It may be perfectly safe for healthy people but for someone who is not healthy I question its use.

Aspartame links:

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