Saturday, September 22, 2007

Am I in that Bad of Shape?

I have joined the AARP fitness center of Springfield. In order for me to qualify for bariatric (lap band) surgery, I have had to undergo a special, physical-monitored diet. This is the same program that the elderly heart patients undergo. Yesterday was my first appointment and the place was full of seniors walking treadmills and pulling laps. I had to be there at the crack of God. I’m used to getting up early, but I’m not used to being somewhere at 6:30 a.m. It was rough.

I met with an exercise specialist and a dietician – a skinny little thing with a cutesy voice and bubbly personality. After an hour she managed to teach me all I needed to know about nutrition, which basically works out to starving.

I started the “lifestyle change” today with two cups of healthy cereal, ½ cup of milk and a light yogurt. I don’t know that the cereal is healthy exactly, but it is better than Frutty Pebbles. I figure any movement in the right direction is good progress, even if it is not perfect.

My wife made a meatloaf for lunch and I had a larger portion that I was supposed to. I am only allowed 6 -8 ounces of meat a day. For the love of Pete, I do not see how any human can live on only 6 ounces of meat per day, but I’ll give it a whirl. I also had carrot sticks and some celery (with peanut butter, of course). It has been an hour and I’m hungry again, but I suppose I should just get used to that. They tell me that I should not be hungry, but I’m not sure how they expect me not to be.

I think I prefer to exercise on the treadmill at home than to go to the blue hair health club. I mean crap. Am I seriously in as poor as health as the 85-year-old dude who just had a heart attack? I can’t bear it. I popped out my 30 minutes at home today and feel better. Somehow going up there feels to close to a nursing home to me.

1 comment:

The Lorax said...

Good luck, Jack. I promise to e-support you on your posts.

Keep the routine. It gets easier, but if you fall out of the routine, it becomes very hard to get back on the horse.

Currently... I'm off the horse. In fact, I slapped it's rump and sent it running.

And I don't feel good about it at all.