Monday, October 25, 2010

How to Lose Weight - The SCI Way

I'm going to make this short and sweet –

School has been kicking my arse and I haven't had a moment to relax since…… I was sick. Even then, I couldn't really relax.


For two weeks, earlier this month, I was incredibly sick! It was not pretty, so I'm going to spare y'all the details. Let's just say my digestive system was revolting against me.


So, because I was sick for two weeks, I missed a lot of school. I have never (involuntarily) missed that much time from school, except when I got hurt, but that's a different bag of potatoes. Anyway, I'm finally caught up, for the most part. I'm afraid I'm going to fail my ensuing Media Planning exam because I wasn't in class to get the gist of my prof's lectures.


I was supposed to schedule workouts for October but because I got sick that was out of the question. I feel really bad because I haven't done any of my Roll 2 Walk stuff since August, so I'm afraid that all the progress I had made is going to be all for naught. We'll see what happens in December.


But the really good news is that after three-plus years of being a quad, I've lost about 30 pounds and two inches of my seated hip width, which I'm really proud of. It's awesome but it also puts a damper on things like clothes… now that I'm skinnier my jeans, even the smaller sized jeans, don't fit right in zipper/crotch area. It's a serious problem because the zipper rolls up and every now and then presses or rubs against the supra-pubic catheter in my bladder. I don't know what to do. Is there anyone (quad or para) in the Internet/blogosphere/world that has had this happen? I need a solution, ASAP. I'm not kidding when I say it kind of looks like I have a tiny penis. I don't have those parts… fortunately. The upside to the weight loss is that I can be justified for a new power chair! No more Darth Vader chair, I'm getting a slick, stylish and smaller one that I won't be embarrassed to be seen in. Especially since I'm going to be driving soon and I'll be stuck with using a power chair.


If there are any quads (or even paras) out there that thinks it's impossible to lose weight – it isn't! You have to watch what you eat – meaning listen to your body:
  • If you're full, stop eating.
  • If you're not hungry, don't eat.
  • Eat food that's good for you - McDonald's or Sonic and junk food don't count.
  • Dump the soft drinks - water is your best friend even if you don't like water (which is a crap excuse to not drink water - suck it up and drink it!)
  • You also have to exercise! Even if you're a higher level quad than I am, you need to exercise – anything that gets your heart pumping counts.
  • If you're a quad and your level is the same as mine, get your doctor or physical therapist (if you're not doing PT - DO IT!!) to justify getting you a manual chair – it is worth every penny and your body will thank you for it in the long run!
I'm serious. This is exactly what I've been doing for the past two and a half years and it works! Now, DO IT!