First update - 6/21/14

So this blog used to be known as the Road to Recovery - The Pact.  The pact portion of it was a year long endeavor where Brendan Maas was trying to make the Olympic track team while I was trying to get rid of my wheel chair.  That was in 2011. 

Since then I have moved out of the wheel chair, but am still very over weight.  So my part of the pact was only half accomplished.  I am renaming the blog and recycling it into a better conduit of information about my prognosis and status moving forward.  I hope you all enjoy, learn, provide thoughtful information, and using critical thinking can understand and help me along on this incredible journey.

Moving ahead now to 2014 I'm out of the wheel chair.  I still own it but only use it around the house when I need my hands (like if I'm getting dinner together for the family).  I use a walker (I'll post pictures of my equipment at some point in the future) and a set of crutches.  The thing with any aspect of my recovery at this point is that my balance is now established through my hands.  If my hand is resting against a wall, I have my balance and can stand there.  If I am not touching anything that's stable, my mind doesn't understand where I am in space due to the paralysis in my feet. 

As for my specific problems as they still exist, my bladder/bowel are in a state of comatose, but are functioning.  I have a small sense of urgency for both to let me know when I need to use the restroom.  I am able to travel etc now 5 years into paralysis with a bit of ease.  We recently made a trip, the 2nd in 2 years, to Longview to see family.  After getting home from Longview this year we took off to Pasadena California and explored the Los Angeles area.  So between the balance issues, not having feeling in my lower calf and all of my feet, and the comatose internal organs, I have a mountain to overcome.  Being obese on top of things isn't helping, but that I can take care of.

Today marks the beginning of a new work out plan and eating program (I won't call it a Diet because that conjures negative thoughts).   I'm currently not comfortable talking about my current weight, but I do know what it is and where I'm going from here with it.  I'm starting a modified version of Beast Body, a workout program from the BeachBody guys, the modified version is created or tailored to me from a friend that's done the program before.  I had started this about 2 weeks prior to the Texas trip, but stopped it temporarily to make the trips to TX and then CA.  It's a low to medium weight, super high rep and intensity program to help with just pure fat burning and strength training.  I'll be working out in some capacity every day off, as the program targets one body part one day and another part the next.  On days when I need rest I'll be focusing on Cardio.  I am also training to do a 5k walk next spring and my target would be to do it in 2 hours or less in the crutches if I have to use anything. 

The eating program is 35-40 grams of Carbs before noon, 0 after that.  I will be snacking on almonds and protein between meals which will be low calorie mostly protein meals.  Time to dig in on some fish I guess.  Keep in mind that I'm not giving up eating, just changing my mindset to not think of it as food but purely as fuel.  I have let my body get out of hand over the years and it's time to reel that back in.  Once I'm at a comfortable weight I can allow some things to come back into my eating habits.

I'm cutting out the following:

• Red Meat - I am allowed to have it one to two times a week at max.
• Dairy 
• Breads and Pastas unless whole grain and before noon (So pasta is still out).
• Fried foods

For the most part I'll be eating protein, like tuna and meat, enjoying salads but not crutons, bacon bits, cheese, and very minimal on the salad dressings.

I'll post twice a week to this blog, as a commitment, updating on how I feel, what I've been doing, and maybe once I feel comfortable, posting my weight loss or current weight as the journey continues.

I have an excel spreadsheet I've built that I'll be sharing with you all as well that I use to track my caloric intake on a daily/weekly basis.  It tracks how many calories your body uses in a day to keep you alive and so obviously, if you take in less calories than that you'll be naturally burning weight and using up reserves in your own body (this is called weight loss, less intake than you expend) and any additional exercise on top of that is additional weight loss.

Thank you all for reading this, leave any comments/questions you have.  You can read some of the older posts that were tied to The Pact if you're interested, I left them up so I can go through and see what I can transfer over to this part of my journey.  I'll see you all again soon, after a few workouts are in me.