Slowly Trying to Get Back

I was out of the workout saddle for almost two months.  I'm still not able to jog or hike because of the pressure it puts on my still recovering spine, but I am able to do some weightlifting that doesn't compress my spine.  My weight is bouncing between 206 and 209, and it is a bit discouraging not being able to do the kind of aerobic exercise that I was previously doing.  But I've included a few thumbnails of myself to chronicle my physique at this point. 

I have actually lost some muscle mass over the past month as my arms went down from 17 3/4 inches to about 17 1/4.  I haven't been able to do any sit-ups because of the torque it puts on my back, but I did do 50 crunches today and I feel okay.  I also did 50 push-ups this morning.  So while I don't have the six-pack abs yet, and I'm not shedding pounds like I was initially, as the farmer in the movie "Babe" said, "That'll do pig."

Still A Loser

Since my last post I've gone from back pain to hip pain. I may have a stress fracture (self-diagnosed) of my hip. Thinking it was my back I continued to run/walk and do other things. The doctor, thinking it was a back issue, told me to do whatever I could tolerate, with the exception of lifting weights. So I was running up 10 flights of stairs at the hotel in Virginia Beach, walking a couple miles (at a fast pace) with my dog, and other stuff like that. Well, my back quit hurting but my hip has been killing me. Over the past few days, therefore, I've tried not to do much as far as walking, climbing, etc. I think it is getting better. I'm down to two ibuprophen tablets a day.

Also, since my last post I went through the commencement exercises at Regent University (Virginia Beach) and earned my Ph.D. in organizational leadership. While there I ate whatever I wanted. After all, how many times does a person earn a Ph.D.? As I said, I did go up the stairs several times at a run (racing my family who were in the elevator) to the tenth floor. We also walked a few miles along the beach. Still, when I returned home on Monday I refused to weigh myself until Wednesday. I weighed 210 lbs. I had gained 1.5 lbs.

Upon returning home to Georgia, I've gotten back on my dietary routine (oatmeal and an egg/yogurt for breakfast, soup for lunch, and a light dinner with a couple snacks in between) and I did do some light yard work but no other exercise. So this morning I weighed in at 206 lbs. This means that I’ve lost 47 pounds since I started this diet.

I'm really having a hard time forcing myself not to exercise and try to give my hip (whatever the issue is there) time to heal. I can tell that it is slowly getting better, but I'm so afraid of how much endurance I've lost over the past month and a half since all this started.

Anyhow, the diet is still working and hopefully it won't be long until I'm back on my bike and back on the mountain.

This Is My Prayer: Psalm 6:2, NKJV

2 Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak;

O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.