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Rebuilding My Running Habit: Lessons from the Struggle

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It’s been over two years since I’ve been able to run, and now, while my Achilles heel still hurts a bit (especially in the mornings), I’ve decided to get back to running. I started last week, and let’s just say it wasn’t very fun.

The look of success after the most hellish running experience of the past 20 years.

I started last Wednesday. I ran two miles, and while it was tough, I got through it. I was sore afterwards, but nothing worse than I expected (I’ve done this “starting after a long break” thing before). I took Thursday as a recovery day, and I ran again on Friday. To say that the first half-mile was painful would be an understatement. To say the first quarter mile was nothing short of torture would be hyperbole. It was easily one of the most painful exercise experiences I’ve ever had. Yet, I couldn’t allow myself to quit. With literal tears running down my face, I continued running. I may have looked ridiculous to anyone unlucky enough to catch a glimpse of me running, but to me, I was running for my life. No matter how bad it got, nothing short of my body failing me would stop me from completing this run.

I had set a goal of two miles for these starting runs, and I was not going to stop until I reached the minimum distance. On my first run, I contemplated walking the second mile but thought against it. Living with the discomfort would last about 12 minutes. Living with the knowledge that I quit would last forever.

On this second run, I contemplated quitting after the first 1/4 mile. It was THAT bad. But again, I thought about having to live with the knowledge that I was a quitter, and I couldn’t get past that. I had to keep going. No matter how hard, no matter how painful; I was going to finish. Then, something I was hoping would happen came to pass: it got better. I was still experiencing discomfort, but it was less horrible. It was still pretty bad, but the longer I ran, the more bearable it became.

It never got easy. But it got easier.

This second run was on a Friday and I decided to give myself the weekend for recovery. Later today, I will start my third run in two years. I can already tell that my legs are ready. They no longer are sore at every movement, and I can successfully crouch without wincing in pain. I’m actually looking forward, not to the actual running, but to how I will feel afterwards. This is how I usually anticipate a run. I typically dislike the experience itself, and I can’t say I’ve ever truly enjoyed a run like some people do. I enjoy the feeling after the run; the mental clarity, the feeling of accomplishment, and the dull aching of muscles recently exercised. That’s what I am looking forward to this afternoon.

So I’m back. It was time. Oh, the pain in my Achilles heel? Greatly reduced. I’m now fairly certain that it’s been aching for exercise (literally). Now that I’m using my legs (and feet and ankles) again, they seem to be behaving properly. Who’d a thunk it.

UPDATE: So, I just completed my third run. It went a lot better than the first two. I had some slight knee pain in the first 1/4 mile, and it came back in the second to last 1/4 mile, but overall, I feel really good. I also reduced my run time by over a minute per mile which is really good. I actually felt pretty good out there. I decided that for the rest of this week, I’ll keep my runs at 2 miles but I’ll go up to 2.25 or 2.5 next week. My goal is to run 3-4 per run by summertime.

On Month Two of SGL-1

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People have been inquiring: how has it been going with SGL-1? Well, I’m into my second month, so I will report on my first month.

My dose was 5u, which is very small. However, my body responded very well to it very quickly: I felt a change almost immediately. My appetite was greatly reduced, and I started feeling full much sooner than I ever have in the past. Honestly, it was a very welcome and refreshing change!

My biggest problem when it comes to eating well is that I overeat. I know everyone loves food, but for me, it goes deeper. I absolutely love not only eating, but eating quantities of food. This brings me as much satisfaction as the flavor itself. With SGL-1, I’m finally free of that. Since I feel so completely full so quickly, I have to eat much slower to really enjoy food, and even then, if I eat slowly, I tend to feel fuller more quickly.

For a month, I stayed at 5u but the last week I felt I needed a little more of a punch. Fortunately, my prescription was increased to 20u. Immediately, I felt this increase as well. The first day after my injection (which I do on Thursday evenings), I don’t have much appetite at all and anything I eat brings me to feeling full very quickly. What happens if I go past feeling full? A weird feeling I can only describe as akin to nausea. It’s not really nausea, but it’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. But, after that first day, I can eat the following sample diet and feel COMPLETELY full after each meal:

Breakfast

1 egg, over-easy
1 slice of bacon (sugar/nitrate free)
4-5 grapes (seedless, green)

Lunch

2 barria tacos (aka street tacos)

Dinner

5 chicken wings
Half serving of sweet potato fries

As for amount of weight lost, it’s over 10 lbs so far, but what makes me happier is that I look healthier, I’m wearing shirts and pants I couldn’t wear just 2 months ago, and I’m already feeling so much healthier.

Some people don’t need SGL-1 because their appetite stops them from over-eating, but I’m not one of those people. I need all the help I can get. I used to use will power alone to keep me from eating larger portions, but for some reason, it wasn’t cutting it anymore. Do I think I’ll need SGL-1 forever? I hope not. But for now, it’s definitely helping, and I’m very happy to be on it.

Overcoming Appetite Challenges: How SGL-1 Transformed My Weight Loss Journey

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One of the biggest challenges for me is feeling full after eating. It’s become easier with Paleo, but my problem is emotional: I just love to eat large quantities. The eating of food is pleasurable to me, even if the food is mediocre. If someone were to keep putting food on the plate for me, I’d keep eating it.

Enjoying an iced spiced peach tea at my favorite coffee shop, Barbarossa Coffee Roasters in Spring, TX.

One of the biggest challenges for me is getting the right amount of food per serving. The weird part is that if I make a small serving, it will sate my appetite as much as a large plate. Finishing the meal is such a rewarding feeling for me, stemming in large part to my upbringing and being told to finish everything on my plate as a kid and being rewarded for it. This served me well as a growing child, but now as an adult, it led me to obesity and a life-long eating disorder.

Now that I’m in my 50’s, it’s strange to think that behaviors in eating I learned as a child still haunt me today. Yet here we are. In the most recent Whole30, I was able to drop around 10 lbs (YAY!), but once back on Paleo, my weight loss stalled. This called for something drastic and dramatic, and something I’ve been avoiding.

SGL-1

Semaglutide, or also known by its name-brand, Ozempic. I wasn’t thrilled about it, but after trying for over a year to get back down to a weight I wanted with no success, I realized I needed something else. Exercise and good eating weren’t enough because no matter how hard I tried, my appetite was working against me. No matter how healthy the food was or how much I tried to have reasonable servings, I would get to a point at a meal where I just couldn’t stick to a small portion because my appetite was too strong.

So, I did it. I took the plunge and went with a company that had the best reviews and price. I received the medicine and followed the instructions and surprisingly found that I immediately felt its effects. With the very first dose, I felt the slight nausea, and then the greatly increased feeling of being full after eating just a little bit of food. Then, I didn’t get as hungry as quickly, and when I did, it was a legitimate hunger. As I went to sate the appetite, I quickly hit a wall where I felt I had eaten enough.

This was revolutionary for me. I don’t remember ever feeling full so quickly. I’m on my third week now, and I’ve already lost an additional 5 lbs. With the extreme limitations on my physical activity right now, this is amazing. I’m hoping to continue with this drug for a while and dropping more weight. I’m hoping it helps to reset my eating habits, too. That’s the most important part of it for me: I need to be psychologically okay with eating small meals or with eating only half or a third of what I’m served (which has now become the new norm for me when my wife and I eat out).

Now when we go out to eat, my wife and I regularly share single dishes, and even then, we find ourselves taking home leftovers. It’s amazing to me that I can feel full so quickly. My wife and I joke that this is what it must feel like being my daughter (who eats like a bird).

So… while I don’t believe in the weight loss pills, powders, or even gastric bypass surgery (too much risk and too many people end up becoming obese by stretching their new smaller stomach back to a large/normal size), I do see the benefits of SGL-1 in reducing appetite and helping those (like me) who have a psychological need to eat more food.

I’m not a doctor, so I would never recommend this for anyone, but for me, it works. It’s been a game-changer, and it’s changed my life. Whole30 started me on this healthy journey, and Paleo has allowed me to keep my weight under control, but SGL-1 is helping me with eating the right amounts. For me, it’s a great combination that’s bringing me amazing results.

Getting a handle on my injuries

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The good news is that my Achilles heel, which has been a source of great pain for me for over a year, seems to be getting better. According to my podiatrist, it will make a complete recovery, and surgery most likely won’t be necessary!

The bad news is that I have spurs in my heels which, while they aren’t the source of my issues, are an indicator that I haven’t been stretching enough. What? I know; I didn’t know that was a thing. But apparently it is.

From my personal Instagram account.

Now, that just leaves my shoulder. That injury, I fear, will not have a good news. But, I have to wait another week for that outcome, so in the meantime, I’ve been doing a lot of stretching and after my visit to the specialist, I’ll hopefully start back up to my full fitness routine.

Injuries don’t have to stop us, but it is important for us to listen to not only our doctors, but to our bodies. We need to make sure, especially as we’re older, to not make things worse and to let our bodies recover and heal. Recovery is actually where the real growth happens.

Ten Years

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Ten years (to the day) difference in these photos.

I remember when I started my first Whole30. People were only mildly encouraging. Most told me, “You know, most people gain all the weight back and then some after doing fad diets.” I persisted despite the negativity and embraced not a fad diet, but a change in lifestyle. I knew that the key to success long-term was not the mindset of losing weight but of changing my lifestyle to get healthy. I wanted to make changes that were permanent and, most importantly, sustainable forever.

Whole30 led me to Paleo which has been my diet for eight years now. While injuries have led me to not be as active for the past 6 months, I’ve still managed to keep the weight off and to remain healthy.

The key to keeping the weight off is to embrace the lifestyle change and to have the mindset that there is no turning back. There is no being unhealthy. There is no accepting sabotage. There is only success.

I am so much better off today than I was 10 years ago. Heck, if I hadn’t made the changes, I might not even be here today. I had fatty liver disease, Type-2 diabetes, and circulation problems in my legs and feet. Even my vision was declining due to the diabetes. All these things were reversed within the first year of doing my first Whole30 just due to diet change alone.

Set your mind to it. Stop putting it off. Commit to being healthy and do the work to make it happen. Once you embrace the lifestyle, it gets easier.

Small Victories

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I did something on Friday that has been one of the most difficult things for me to do: I stopped eating a meal when I felt full instead of when all the food was gone.

Part of the problem I have with eating healthy is not that I eat the wrong things; I very rarely do. The problem I have is that I derive pleasure from not only how delicious the food is, but also in finishing my meals. This comes from my childhood, as it does from many other peoples’ where our parents admonished us if we didn’t “Clean the plate.”

Change little things where you can. Then keep doing it and change another little thing. This morning, I chose something that wasn’t my first choice, but was a much healthier choice for breakfast than what I actually initially wanted.

Never give up, don’t allow yourself to fall on that slippery slope of, “Just this once.” That “Once” turns into another and another and before you know it, you’re having to start all over again.

Eating Through a Hurricane

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This week, we experienced one of the worst storms here in a long time; Hurricane Beryl. We were very fortunate that no-one in our family was injured, and further lucky that our property sustained no damage. What we did endure, however, was three days without power in 90+ degree high temperatures. Fortunately, our power was restored yesterday, and we’re not returning back to normal.

During the powerless days, we relied on food we had in our refrigerator and freezer, and using a solar generator system from Jackery, we were able to keep our refrigerated foods safely cool. Our freezer remained closed for the majority of the power outage, and remained cool enough to keep food frozen.

As for what we ate: it was all Paleo. We ate sausage (sugar-free), fish, shrimp, scallops, vegetables, burgers (with lettuce wrapping) and chicken wings. Breakfasts were typically bacon and eggs. Everything we ate contributed to me losing an inch off my waist. I now have regained another belt hole on my belt, comfortably. This is a huge victory for me, and I’m excited.

It’s interesting that we were able to continue eating well during this emergency. It took a little more planning and effort over buying junk food at a local fast food spot, but it was well worth it.

Slow and Steady Fitness Plan: Returning to Exercise Safely

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This morning, I weighed myself and was greeted with a nice number: 201.1 lbs. This is the lowest I’ve been since I got back from my deployment. I did a minor happy dance and then went about my day washing both my cars. They both needed it, although the 4Runner needed it far more.

While washing the car and listening to music by Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo, and Billie Eilish (among others), I thought about how it’s going so far. I thought about the amount of food I eat, the amount of sleep I get, and my level of physical activity. I decided that I’m doing great on the food, I’m doing okay on the sleep, but I’m not doing any real physical activity yet. Part of that is fear of reinjury. My back has been slowly healing, and the last thing I want to do is reaggravate it. I know that back injuries take a long time to heal, but that you can set your healing process back by getting back to exercise too soon. So I’ve been reticent to jump back in.

With that said, I decided that next Monday will be the day I get back into my fitness plan. I will start off much lower than what my StrongLifts app will likely recommend only because I really want to make sure that I get back to things slowly. I will also get back to riding my bike as my Achilles heel is still too sore to run. The biking will be some great cardio, and I actually love biking. I have two mountain bikes I use on trails close to my house.

My weight was hovering between 202-204 for the past week, so it was nice that it finally dropped. I was beginning to really worry about what was going on, and I’m glad to see that the process is continuing to work as planned and as I’ve experienced in the past.

Healthy Living: Embracing the Rewards of Persistence and Self-Determination

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Nothing feels better than progress, especially when it’s hard earned. Nothing worthwhile in life comes easily unless you are just lucky, and let’s face it; most of us just aren’t. So, to attain anything truly special or amazing takes a lot of preparation and hard work.

Getting healthy is no different. Losing weight is no different. Getting fit is no different. It is the reason why people who are fit and healthy get a respect that nothing else does. It takes discipline, effort, planning, and dedication to execution unlike anything else. And also unlike anything else, it’s not something you can shortcut or buy. A fit body isn’t something you can just go to a store and buy. There’s only one way to do it: put in the work.

That’s what I remind myself every time I get an urge to eat some chocolate or to have a larger portion than I should: put in the work. Be disciplined. The payoff will be worth it.

Yesterday, I was able to put on some clothes that I haven’t worn in a few months, and they fit perfectly. It was one of those moments that reminded me why I was doing the work and why I was sticking so strictly to the plan.

It’s not easy. It’s why 40% of all Americans are considered obese. If it were easy, we wouldn’t have to spend so much time and effort trying to get to a healthier weight or to trim down. But it is 100% worth the effort. Feeling good in one’s own skin is the ultimate payoff, and everyone will know that you put in the work and you stuck with it.

I was asked recently on Reddit in a thread I posted over 7 years ago if I kept the weight off. I replied that I had, and beyond that, I got fit and was able to join the National Guard and I’m still serving today. I continue to do the work and continue to be disciplined. Sure, I had a few back-slides here and there where my weight went up more than I’d like, but ultimately, I know what has to be done and I know how to do it. I know how to get the results I want and need. But it ultimately comes down to one thing: nobody can do this for me. I can get help, but what goes into my mouth and how much I move is all determined by me. And it’s a good feeling when you see the fruits of your labor come in.

Rethinking Health Metrics: Beyond the Scale

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Too many people put all the emphasis on a single metric for success when adopting a healthier lifestyle: the scale. While a person’s weight is a good, solid, and measurable metric to track, it shouldn’t be not only the sole metric, but even the one with the most emphasis.

I learned almost 8 years ago that health is a collection of different data points that, together, paint the whole picture. Weight, my emotional health, how I feel in my skin, how my clothes fit and feel, how my joints feel; these all put together tell me how I’m doing. The funniest thing about it is that I even mentioned weight first in my little list, and that’s because it’s the easiest data point to acquire. Just step on a scale, and *BOOM* there it is. But how do I feel? How do my clothes fit? My empotional wellbeing? Those are much more subjective, but honestly, they’re more important.

Case in point: this morning, my weight was up. Unexplainebly up by more than I liked, but the crazy part is that my pants haven’t fit so well in months. As for the shirt I put on, it’s another one that was skin-tight just two and a half weeks ago. Today? It fit perfectly. Then, there’s how I feel emotionally. I’m a little tired from not getting enough sleep, but otherwise, I’m doing great. I can feel the progress, and I feel that the sugar addiction is almost all gone. There is a mental clarity that comes with being off sugar, and it makes everything feel hyper-real as compared to a few weeks ago. I love that feeling!

So, the scale may not have been my friend today, but the way my clothes fit, the lack of pain in my joints and my back, and my emotional clarity all told me that I’m well on the right path, and I need to keep going.