Giving Up Is Not an Option!
Posted on 2/23/2016 by dsjohndrow
Since I logged onto MFP in 2011, I had no idea what fitness and health challenges were in store. I came here to lose weight and look sexy. I was dreaming of flexing in the mirror.
My proposed plan was about to be delayed.
I wasn't here only a couple of months when I had congestive heart failure. I spent a week in ICU, but I didn't give up logging my calories and learning about food choices.
In spite of being sick, I did everything I could to get healthy. I had two nurses monitoring my progress along with my regular doctor, a nutritionist, a trainer, and a cardiologist. I was scared, but I kept on showing up.
I lost weight. In fact 66 pounds in one year.
I changed my diet up by dumping some not so great stuff and adding in low calorie, nutrient-dense foods. I did give some things up. I don't regret leaving soda, fast food, white potatoes, white rice, foods made with white flour, and a lot of processed junk like coldcuts, chips, dips and most sugar.
I needed a lifestyle change!
I got moving too. I ran, I lifted, I cross-trained and I ended up having knee surgery and rotator cuff repairs. I had to reevaluate my cardio. I just ran. 5Ks, 10Ks, 5-milers, 10-milers, half marathons and eventually seven full marathons. I even did 2 ultra marathons.
I ran across Massachusetts in three days and Rhode Island in one!
I have been between 197 and 205 pounds for a long, long time. I guess that is my happy weight no matter what I do.
I have also had cancer.
I have had prostate, melanoma, Basel cell carcinoma and a colon cancers. I hate cancer. Yesterday, I had stomach cancer biopsies. A couple of weeks ago they found spots on my liver and my kidney with a CT scan.
I really hate cancer.
I won't have pathology results back for a week or so. I was relieved that they didn't find a tumor. I will be scheduling a closer look at the liver once this is resolved.
I did go for a run. I am finding them difficult, but I keep going out there and doing what I can do. I have cancelled 3 marathons and just dropped out of a half for this weekend.
But I haven't given up yet.
My proposed plan was about to be delayed.
I wasn't here only a couple of months when I had congestive heart failure. I spent a week in ICU, but I didn't give up logging my calories and learning about food choices.
In spite of being sick, I did everything I could to get healthy. I had two nurses monitoring my progress along with my regular doctor, a nutritionist, a trainer, and a cardiologist. I was scared, but I kept on showing up.
I lost weight. In fact 66 pounds in one year.
I changed my diet up by dumping some not so great stuff and adding in low calorie, nutrient-dense foods. I did give some things up. I don't regret leaving soda, fast food, white potatoes, white rice, foods made with white flour, and a lot of processed junk like coldcuts, chips, dips and most sugar.
I needed a lifestyle change!
I got moving too. I ran, I lifted, I cross-trained and I ended up having knee surgery and rotator cuff repairs. I had to reevaluate my cardio. I just ran. 5Ks, 10Ks, 5-milers, 10-milers, half marathons and eventually seven full marathons. I even did 2 ultra marathons.
I ran across Massachusetts in three days and Rhode Island in one!
I have been between 197 and 205 pounds for a long, long time. I guess that is my happy weight no matter what I do.
I have also had cancer.
I have had prostate, melanoma, Basel cell carcinoma and a colon cancers. I hate cancer. Yesterday, I had stomach cancer biopsies. A couple of weeks ago they found spots on my liver and my kidney with a CT scan.
I really hate cancer.
I won't have pathology results back for a week or so. I was relieved that they didn't find a tumor. I will be scheduling a closer look at the liver once this is resolved.
I did go for a run. I am finding them difficult, but I keep going out there and doing what I can do. I have cancelled 3 marathons and just dropped out of a half for this weekend.
But I haven't given up yet.
I want you to know how much you have inspired me to continue taking steps to get healthier. I don’t aspire to become a runner…ever, [even as a skinny child, running was just an awkward thing for me] but your no-nonsense words about people’s excuses have definitely confirmed my own belief that if I can’t be honest with myself about my food and exercise choices, who am I kidding? I’ve known for years that putting what I’m eating down in writing was a good way to really see how many calories I was consuming, but until I recently found MFP, I just wasn’t disciplined enough to put every bite down in writing, let alone figure out the calorie counts of each food. MFP makes that easy and gives me a sense of power over this excess weight I have been carrying around for far too long. Since my first food diary log on January 4th of this year, I have lost 23 pounds and I’m pretty sure I have gone back and read nearly all your blog posts. Thank you for sharing the good, the bad and the ugly of what you have been going through. It DOES make a difference to see someone who has persevered no matter what crap life has thrown at him. I hope you have received as much help in writing it out as others have from reading what you have written. May God bless you with good health, the continued ability to run to your heart’s content and good friends and loved ones to share in all that you do and give you support whenever you need it!
Jody aka 1Nana2many
Survivor?? No sir, you're a FIGHTER. And we love you for it. God bless you.
It sounds like you are well on your way. It is easy for our health to decline if we give up.We have to keep up that forever attitude in order to overcome the physical decay we experience if we allow ourselves to let go. Keep at it, and live well!
I have nothing but the deepest respect for you.
Never give up!
you've probably heard of every fast supposed cure for c under the sun and pickle me grandmother I have one to.
I would not have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own peepers.
[this is not an advert for product }
a lady down the road a few years back 50yrs old,
was told by the hospital to go home and put her affairs in order as there was nothing they could do for her.
she had cancer of the lymph's spleen liver in short everywhere. Her daughter read an old book by a Canadian dr.
which stated to drink litres of juices mainly greens you know like joe cross?. And then have colonic irrigations she was having one almost every day at the start, the idea being the juices would flush the poisons into her colon and the colonics would empty it out of her system.
seen a photo of her before she started on this and she was yellow and green looked terrible .
I saw her in person once she had beaten the cancer and was a picture of health.
she went to the oncologists at the hospital and they didn't believe her and didn't want to know.
maybe this story is of benefit to you cobber, friend of mine died from c and I didn't mention this story to him. maybe would have helped maybe not? Ill never know now.
I'm 62 there is cancer In my family I drink juices every day and have a series of colonics every 6 months
and am in good health.
fight the good fight champion
and I didn't really pickle my grandmother
Dream big, take action, and don't stop until it happens...
I'm a fellow cancer hater too as it took my dad from me but it has inspired me and my sister to run for charity as much as we can to kick this thing and kick it good!
You've clearly got the resilience to get through whatever life throws at you so keep going, you're doing great AND, you are inspiring people that you've never met...people like me! xx