Another holiday season has crept up on us quicker than usual. It still feels like just yesterday I was sitting in front of a campfire next to the lake swatting mosquitoes and swapping stories with friends and family.
Alas, that is not the case and Christmas lights on the houses, freezing cold temperatures and snow on the ground are a clear indication that Santa and his reindeer will be embarking on their annual journey very soon.
This also means another year has almost been completed and what a year it has been.
It seems only appropriate to take a moment to reflect on the year that has flown by in the blink of an eye.
I think we can all agree that 2013 has been interesting and quite a successful year for me personally. No I didn't get a big raise or change jobs although I won't lie, both of those things sound pretty good to me but in this economy, any year where I'm not standing in line waiting to be fed, out looking for a job or waiting for a government assistance cheque to arrive is a good one in my books. Sure things could always be better but they can also be a lot worse as well.
I could sit here and reminisce about all of the big news stories from 2013 but I'm sure others will delve into those things in greater detail. Certainly in Canada the big stories of the year were Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's admission of crack use and the Canadian Senate scandal. Both of those stories will continue into 2014 no doubt.
In sports I'm happy to see my Montreal Canadiens playing and competing much better this season. It has been a pleasant surprise. I wish I could have said the same for the Toronto Blue Jays who reached a level of disappointment usually only attained by the Leafs and Raptors. But as they say, there's always next year. My own golf game was equally depressing in 2013. I was tempted to call the cops to help me locate my missing golf swing but instead I just continued to struggle and work on my foul language vocabulary.
The world lost some pretty great and interesting people this year. Among those that left us were Nelson Mandela, Musician Lou Reed, Actor James Gandolfini, Canadian actor Cory Monteith, Annette Funicello, Roger Ebert, Margaret Thatcher, Jonathan Winters, David Frost and Tom Clancy just to name a few.
My own family had some issues this year with both my parents having visits to the hospital but fortunately they appear to have recovered nicely.
The rest of my family is doing well so I'm pretty blessed in that department.
By far the most enjoyable event of 2013 for me was my continued efforts to improve my health. In a little over a year I've lost 155 pounds through exercise and changes to my eating habits. Basically I'm getting off my ass a lot more and shoving food down my throat a lot less which seems to be working to this point.
I'm hitting the gym up to five times a week since joining a little over a month ago and I'm noticing a change to my appearance as my muscles which were ignored for so long start to bounce back into shape.
The best part for me is regaining my life and eliminating the aches and pains I struggled with on a daily basis. It's amazing the things that thin and healthy people take for granted that obese people struggle with every day. I'm happy to say a lot of those issues have been eliminated for me finally. Every day is a challenge but after years of failing, I now know that I have it in me to succeed.
I could go on and bore you to sleep (if I haven't already) but I wanted to make this quick. I'm going to be very busy over the next several weeks and likely won't be updating my blog again until later in January.
Most importantly I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has supported me over the last year and been so encouraging. From the people I talked to almost daily to old acquaintances I've passed in the street, every compliment and congratulation has meant a great deal and has been very much appreciated.
My hope is that all of you have a Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year. See you in 2014!
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Tuesday, December 03, 2013
Bravo Presqu'ile Park
Back in July of 2012 I wrote a letter to the local newspaper and also posted the same letter on my blog regarding changes within Presqu'ile Provincial Park and some areas that I felt needed to be addressed. As someone who has camped and visited the park every year of my entire 45 years of existence, I've witnessed a lot of changes within the park. Some of those changes I agree with and some I have taken issue with. As always, it's only my opinion but of course through conversations with other park users I've come to learn that my concerns and ideas were being shared by plenty of other paying customers.
Today I'm not going to delve into all of those concerns again. The last time I wrote about it I was happy to receive some feedback from what I can only assume were park staff or individuals close to the day to day operations of the park. I didn't necessarily agree with what they had to say but I appreciated their input and respected their ideas and thoughts. That's the great thing about this country, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I don't have a problem with someone taking a stand on the opposite side of the fence as me provided they do so with class.
What I wanted to do today was thank the person or management at Presqu'ile who finally listened to not only me but the many other campers who have made suggestions over recent years and addressed the one issue that has been a thorn in the side of so many of us.
After finishing another camping season at Thanksgiving I finally made a trip back into the park in early November and was thrilled to see that work had begun on resurfacing the main road into and across the front of the High Bluff camping area. This road had been a constant source of complaints mainly because of the dusty conditions in the summer time.
It was a common site between May and October to see campers having to close the windows on their trailers, covering their food and even walking across the road to sit in order to avoid the disgusting dust that blew into their campsites after each vehicle passed by. Sadly the dust would be less if the vehicles were traveling at the posted speed limit but that's a rare occurrence indeed. It was a health hazard for senior citizens and small children and just a dusty annoyance overall.
This past weekend I returned to the park to enjoy a peaceful walk and hoped to spot some wildlife. The deer were scarce as usual but upon completing my walk I took a drive into the camping area and was blown away by what I found. The park had finally paved the road across the front of the Bluff. It was a thing of beauty and I know the regular campers who won't return until the new season begins will be thrilled to see the road they've been begging to be fixed for so long has finally been given the attention it sorely needed.
The difference between the old road and the newly paved road is huge and on I'm sure I speak for all campers when I say "Thank You" to Ontario Parks and Presqu'ile Park Management in particular for seeing to it that this upgrade happened.
Some will argue that the newly paved surface will only cause problems with speeding vehicles but of course as any regular visitor to the park will tell you, speeding cars and trucks have been a problem on weekends along that stretch of road long before pavement was put down. I just hope the Park Wardens make a concerted effort to crack down on this problem next summer because the kids will love riding their bikes, scooters and roller blades on this smooth new surface and we'd all hate to see something tragic happen.
The entrance to the park has also been resurfaced and widened at the front gate which should help to alleviate congestion when campers stop to register at the office.
Once again, Bravo Presqu'ile! I look forward to seeing what upgrades you have in store for us next. Might I suggest a new trailer dumping station? (hint hint)
Today I'm not going to delve into all of those concerns again. The last time I wrote about it I was happy to receive some feedback from what I can only assume were park staff or individuals close to the day to day operations of the park. I didn't necessarily agree with what they had to say but I appreciated their input and respected their ideas and thoughts. That's the great thing about this country, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I don't have a problem with someone taking a stand on the opposite side of the fence as me provided they do so with class.
What I wanted to do today was thank the person or management at Presqu'ile who finally listened to not only me but the many other campers who have made suggestions over recent years and addressed the one issue that has been a thorn in the side of so many of us.
After finishing another camping season at Thanksgiving I finally made a trip back into the park in early November and was thrilled to see that work had begun on resurfacing the main road into and across the front of the High Bluff camping area. This road had been a constant source of complaints mainly because of the dusty conditions in the summer time.
 |
| High Bluff campground road. |
 |
| Entrance to High Bluff campground. |
The difference between the old road and the newly paved road is huge and on I'm sure I speak for all campers when I say "Thank You" to Ontario Parks and Presqu'ile Park Management in particular for seeing to it that this upgrade happened.
 |
| West end of High Bluff road where pavement begins. |
The entrance to the park has also been resurfaced and widened at the front gate which should help to alleviate congestion when campers stop to register at the office.
Once again, Bravo Presqu'ile! I look forward to seeing what upgrades you have in store for us next. Might I suggest a new trailer dumping station? (hint hint)
Saturday, November 23, 2013
My 2013 Christmas Wish List
I know the year's don't actually go by any faster but they sure seem that way as we get older. Such is the case this year as another holiday season looms upon us. The time of year when everyone seems more friendly and some of us tend to dream a little bigger.
This Christmas I've already received the best gifts I could have hoped for. Both of my parents are still around and in pretty good health overall. My brother, sister-in-law, nephew and niece are all doing well in the sunny south although it sure would be nice to see them more often.
For me personally the biggest gift I could have hoped for was actually having something taken away from me over the last year. That of course was my added weight and large frame. I'm still a big guy but being over 150 pounds lighter than I was a year ago is a gift that has given me back my life and freedom to be active. I think I'm probably smiling a lot more these days as well. Hopefully my continued weight loss efforts and gym membership will bring about an even svelter and happier version of myself a year from now.
But even though I've had all of these wonderful and personal gifts already, that isn't going to stop me from putting forth my annual and usually over the top Christmas Wish List. I'm a little early this year but if things don't change, this holiday season will be a busy one for me so I figured I'd better do this while I can. Sure the majority of the items on my list will not be found under the tree this year but it never hurts to give Santa Claus a little nudge. Perhaps an extra cookie and a shot of rum in his eggnog on Christmas Eve will help.
So without any further ado, lets have a little fun and see what I've jotted down on my list this year.
So there you go! Not an extensive list but certainly an expensive and delusional one for sure.
But of course, as I state every year, as long as my health and the health and happiness of my family and close friends remains, that's all I can truly hope for. That and Kate Upton.
To all of you who take the time to visit my blog regularly or to those of you who just stumbled upon it, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2014.
This Christmas I've already received the best gifts I could have hoped for. Both of my parents are still around and in pretty good health overall. My brother, sister-in-law, nephew and niece are all doing well in the sunny south although it sure would be nice to see them more often.
For me personally the biggest gift I could have hoped for was actually having something taken away from me over the last year. That of course was my added weight and large frame. I'm still a big guy but being over 150 pounds lighter than I was a year ago is a gift that has given me back my life and freedom to be active. I think I'm probably smiling a lot more these days as well. Hopefully my continued weight loss efforts and gym membership will bring about an even svelter and happier version of myself a year from now.
But even though I've had all of these wonderful and personal gifts already, that isn't going to stop me from putting forth my annual and usually over the top Christmas Wish List. I'm a little early this year but if things don't change, this holiday season will be a busy one for me so I figured I'd better do this while I can. Sure the majority of the items on my list will not be found under the tree this year but it never hurts to give Santa Claus a little nudge. Perhaps an extra cookie and a shot of rum in his eggnog on Christmas Eve will help.
So without any further ado, lets have a little fun and see what I've jotted down on my list this year.
Cost: $800
(I already got this for myself)
Cost: $130
(I ended up buying the Flex instead)
Cost: $400
Cost: $250
Cost: $400
Cost: $200
Cost: $220
Cost: $500
Cost: $2050
Cost: $8000
Cost: $10-thousand
Cost: $25 million
Rendezvous with Jennifer Lawrence or Kate Upton
Cost: My soul most likely.
Cost: $40-thousand
Cost: $260-thousand
Log Cabin Home in Canada
Cost: $2 Million
Waterfront Home in Florida
Cost: $4 Million
So there you go! Not an extensive list but certainly an expensive and delusional one for sure.
But of course, as I state every year, as long as my health and the health and happiness of my family and close friends remains, that's all I can truly hope for. That and Kate Upton.
To all of you who take the time to visit my blog regularly or to those of you who just stumbled upon it, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2014.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Thanks For Terrifying Me Bro!
As this amazing journey of mine continues and I keep working towards the healthiest me possible, I had a moment today to sit and reflect on how far I've come.
I guess I've been so focused on the fight to drop the pounds each day for the last year that I never took the time to appreciate fully what I've accomplished. Don't get me wrong, this isn't about me bragging or flaunting my healthy changes. It's about reflecting on what it has taken to reach my current status on this quest.
My frustration has been building over the last month as my weight loss has stalled. I continue to maintain my weight which is certainly a positive but with my original goal so close, the irritation of not progressing further has had me feeling a bit defeated.
Of course this is completely ridiculous thinking on my part. The fact I've lost 153 pounds so far really can't be considered anything but a success. Sure I would love to drop those last 15 pounds to reach my goal weight of 250 lbs but at this stage it might take a bit more effort and determination. In other words, I have to take my game to another level to overcome my opponent.
When I think back to a little over a year ago when I began this process, I started to ruminate on what lead me to finally start down the road to a healthier me. Not only that but why did I succeed this time after failing countless times in the past?
It all came down to one conversation I had with my brother Scott.
Visiting Scott and his family in Florida in March of 2012 I was pushing at least 420 pounds. The exact maximum weight I was carrying is up for debate. I hadn't weighed myself in almost two years and at that time I came in at 418 pounds. In all likely hood it's plausible I was weighing closer to 430 or more at this time.
I hadn't yet been officially diagnosed as diabetic but I had been taking my blood sugar readings and they had spiked in recent weeks. We all knew the truth, even me, although I was trying to deny it. Diabetes is quite common in my family so deep down I knew the odds were high I would eventually be hit with the disease as well.
Being in denial it took some eye opening, straight, no bullshit confrontation from my brother to wake me up. It just took me another six months of coming to grips with it before I finally wised up and made the effort to change.
Scott pulled no punches. It was almost like an intervention. My parents were there as well as my sister-in-law Erin. I should mention that Erin is a nurse and my brother in a Nurse Practitioner among other things. He has worked in busy hospital Emergency Rooms and currently oversees the training of Nurses, EMT's and Firefighters. To be honest, he has so many fancy letter combinations after his name I don't know what all he is. PhD is one of them. Long story short, they know what they're talking about when it comes to the medical field.
So there I am sitting there when the onslaught of concern, truth and love began. A lot of things were said but the one thing that stuck with me the most was being told I would most likely be dead within a matter of years and not decades. Being told that your feet, legs and more could be amputated as a result of the combination of obesity and diabetes has a way of grabbing one's attention.
I'm sure at the time I probably brushed it off but I knew there was genuine concern there and with good reason. Scott's intent was to scare me and he had succeeded even if he didn't know it at the time. I'm not sure he realized how much his talk hit me. It did sink in and stuck with me. It's still with me to this day and that fear of death really is quite the motivating tool. The fact that it's the truth just makes it even more powerful.
There are no certainties in life. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow but to sit by and eat myself to death and let my health deteriorate to a point that I can no longer look after myself is something I wasn't prepared to let happen.
So today, thanks to having the crap scared out of me, I'm 153 pounds lighter and the healthiest I've been in decades. I've been going to the gym five times a week for the last month. I'm now using the treadmill and even jogging intervals. I'm lifting weights and strengthening my body. I'm not trying to look like Mr. Olympia, I just want to feel more fit overall.
Being open with my emotions isn't something I'm comfortable with. Don't get me wrong, I'm a very emotional person and have been known to shed tears at weddings or watching movies but when it comes to expressing my feelings to others, I could be better at it. I'm sure my family knows I love them even though I don't say it. I would lay down my life for any of them if I had to but speaking the words in person is something I just don't do. I'll have to work on that.
But I needed to say thanks to my brother for caring enough to give it to me straight. Sure I did all the work to reach this point but without his push, my future would have been grim at best. Perhaps the next time I visit him we can talk about the progress I've made and I can thank him in person. Most likely I'll just buy him lunch instead and we can talk about something more interesting.
I guess I've been so focused on the fight to drop the pounds each day for the last year that I never took the time to appreciate fully what I've accomplished. Don't get me wrong, this isn't about me bragging or flaunting my healthy changes. It's about reflecting on what it has taken to reach my current status on this quest.
My frustration has been building over the last month as my weight loss has stalled. I continue to maintain my weight which is certainly a positive but with my original goal so close, the irritation of not progressing further has had me feeling a bit defeated.
 |
| Change Can Be A Good Thing |
When I think back to a little over a year ago when I began this process, I started to ruminate on what lead me to finally start down the road to a healthier me. Not only that but why did I succeed this time after failing countless times in the past?
It all came down to one conversation I had with my brother Scott.
Visiting Scott and his family in Florida in March of 2012 I was pushing at least 420 pounds. The exact maximum weight I was carrying is up for debate. I hadn't weighed myself in almost two years and at that time I came in at 418 pounds. In all likely hood it's plausible I was weighing closer to 430 or more at this time.
I hadn't yet been officially diagnosed as diabetic but I had been taking my blood sugar readings and they had spiked in recent weeks. We all knew the truth, even me, although I was trying to deny it. Diabetes is quite common in my family so deep down I knew the odds were high I would eventually be hit with the disease as well.
Being in denial it took some eye opening, straight, no bullshit confrontation from my brother to wake me up. It just took me another six months of coming to grips with it before I finally wised up and made the effort to change.
Scott pulled no punches. It was almost like an intervention. My parents were there as well as my sister-in-law Erin. I should mention that Erin is a nurse and my brother in a Nurse Practitioner among other things. He has worked in busy hospital Emergency Rooms and currently oversees the training of Nurses, EMT's and Firefighters. To be honest, he has so many fancy letter combinations after his name I don't know what all he is. PhD is one of them. Long story short, they know what they're talking about when it comes to the medical field.
So there I am sitting there when the onslaught of concern, truth and love began. A lot of things were said but the one thing that stuck with me the most was being told I would most likely be dead within a matter of years and not decades. Being told that your feet, legs and more could be amputated as a result of the combination of obesity and diabetes has a way of grabbing one's attention.
I'm sure at the time I probably brushed it off but I knew there was genuine concern there and with good reason. Scott's intent was to scare me and he had succeeded even if he didn't know it at the time. I'm not sure he realized how much his talk hit me. It did sink in and stuck with me. It's still with me to this day and that fear of death really is quite the motivating tool. The fact that it's the truth just makes it even more powerful.
There are no certainties in life. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow but to sit by and eat myself to death and let my health deteriorate to a point that I can no longer look after myself is something I wasn't prepared to let happen.
So today, thanks to having the crap scared out of me, I'm 153 pounds lighter and the healthiest I've been in decades. I've been going to the gym five times a week for the last month. I'm now using the treadmill and even jogging intervals. I'm lifting weights and strengthening my body. I'm not trying to look like Mr. Olympia, I just want to feel more fit overall.
Being open with my emotions isn't something I'm comfortable with. Don't get me wrong, I'm a very emotional person and have been known to shed tears at weddings or watching movies but when it comes to expressing my feelings to others, I could be better at it. I'm sure my family knows I love them even though I don't say it. I would lay down my life for any of them if I had to but speaking the words in person is something I just don't do. I'll have to work on that.
But I needed to say thanks to my brother for caring enough to give it to me straight. Sure I did all the work to reach this point but without his push, my future would have been grim at best. Perhaps the next time I visit him we can talk about the progress I've made and I can thank him in person. Most likely I'll just buy him lunch instead and we can talk about something more interesting.
Wednesday, November 06, 2013
Lifting To A Healthier Me
Its been almost two weeks since I joined the local YMCA so I could work out and keep active during the cold winter months and I have to say, so far it's going pretty good.
Not knowing what it would be like I was rather oblivious to the rules, both written and unwritten surrounding life in a gym. Don't get me wrong, it's not a big deal and very reasonable and responsible. The simple things like wiping down machines after you've used them makes total sense. And I like that fact that this place is very clean and well looked after.
I honestly don't see what the big deal is with mobile phones though. They don't like you taking photos or using your phones in the gym. Granted, I realize there are creeps out there but some people rely on their phones for work or to stay in touch with family. I can understand them not wanting photos taken in the pool area, but if I'm working out and want to take a photo of myself using a machine, where's the harm in that? But I know it's easier just to make a blanket rule to ban all mobile phone use so there's no confusion. Truth be told, I see people using their phones all the time. It doesn't bother me in the least, provided you're not snapping shots of me in the shower.
As far as the actual workouts and exercise goes, I'm pleased with my efforts so far. I've been to the gym every day except one since I joined. I usually do intervals on the treadmill for 30 minutes to start each visit. I'll walk at 6 km/h and jog at 9 km/h, alternating between each one every few minutes. I'll also increase the incline so I'm always going uphill. I try to walk 3.5 kilometres and burn around 360 calories in the 30 minutes. I usually work up quite a sweat.
I'll then move into the strength training portion of my visit. I usually alternate between arms one day and legs the next. I'll also throw in some abdominal, back and shoulder work as well. The first couple of days I felt some pain using muscles I hadn't used in some time but to be honest, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
While I don't have any official routine, I have some favourite machines I use to work the muscles I want to target. Some day in the future I may target more specific areas but I just try to get in a good general workout.
Most days so far I just keep to myself but I have chatted with a couple of friendly and fit ladies and I've also run into a few guys I haven't seen in quite some time. It would be nice to have a regular workout buddy to help push each other but I'm doing pretty well on my own so far.
I'd like to keep going at least 5 days a week and take the weekends to rest if all goes well but of course other things come up that could throw a wrench in those plans. Like my eating, I'm trying to make going to the gym part of my daily routine and plan my days around it. So far it's going well.
Not knowing what it would be like I was rather oblivious to the rules, both written and unwritten surrounding life in a gym. Don't get me wrong, it's not a big deal and very reasonable and responsible. The simple things like wiping down machines after you've used them makes total sense. And I like that fact that this place is very clean and well looked after.
I honestly don't see what the big deal is with mobile phones though. They don't like you taking photos or using your phones in the gym. Granted, I realize there are creeps out there but some people rely on their phones for work or to stay in touch with family. I can understand them not wanting photos taken in the pool area, but if I'm working out and want to take a photo of myself using a machine, where's the harm in that? But I know it's easier just to make a blanket rule to ban all mobile phone use so there's no confusion. Truth be told, I see people using their phones all the time. It doesn't bother me in the least, provided you're not snapping shots of me in the shower.
 |
| A look at my progress so far. |
I'll then move into the strength training portion of my visit. I usually alternate between arms one day and legs the next. I'll also throw in some abdominal, back and shoulder work as well. The first couple of days I felt some pain using muscles I hadn't used in some time but to be honest, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
While I don't have any official routine, I have some favourite machines I use to work the muscles I want to target. Some day in the future I may target more specific areas but I just try to get in a good general workout.
Most days so far I just keep to myself but I have chatted with a couple of friendly and fit ladies and I've also run into a few guys I haven't seen in quite some time. It would be nice to have a regular workout buddy to help push each other but I'm doing pretty well on my own so far.
I'd like to keep going at least 5 days a week and take the weekends to rest if all goes well but of course other things come up that could throw a wrench in those plans. Like my eating, I'm trying to make going to the gym part of my daily routine and plan my days around it. So far it's going well.
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