Crimp in the plan...and my neck

So my efforts to start working out hard have been temporarily sidelined...over the weekend I had a "slumber party" with my niece and nephew and they wanted to sleep in the living room in sleeping bags. So I slept on the couch and during the night my niece came up and wanted to sleep on the couch with me. I pulled her up with me, where she subsequently took over the space...so once she fell asleep I got up and slept in the recliner that night. I woke up the next day and my neck was hurting, as it has done several times before. I put a couple of pain chips on either side and that alleviated the pain when I was stationary, however turning my neck I still had acute pain. I figured I had a pinched nerve. That night I tried to sleep with a rolled up towel under my neck...that usually helps...and of course leaving the pain chips on. When I was still, it was not a problem...but when I would roll over I would feel a sharp pain. Getting up was rather difficult too, as the weight of my gargantuan head and gravity, didn't quite play well together in this situation.

I went to see a chiropractor, Dr. Brett Payne, on Monday. Turns out he is a Chiropractic Neourologist as well. He put me through several tests, including a modified version of the field sobriety test, to check my motor skills, range of motion, and I'm sure several other things that I wouldn't begin to understand. He took X-Rays and didn't adjust me right then, but had me do some TENS therapy on my neck and shoulder which helped loosen the vice grip my muscles had put on me.

When I went back the next day, he went over the results with me very thoroughly and said that I have moderate to severe Central Nervous System Disorder. From what I understood, basically the discs in my neck have degenerated to the point that it is putting pressure on the nerves in my neck and spine and "choking" the communication pathways for my Central Nervous System...I imagine similar to a kink in a water hose. Which I guess is the reason when he tested my reflexes, I didn't respond to a couple of locations. Kinda scary. He performed some adjustments on me and recommended a treatment plan which includes some physical therapy.

Anyway, until I have a little better idea that any training sessions or hard core workout won't cause any further damage and that I am progressing in the reversal of the nerve interference, I'm afraid that it will have to be on hold. Of course, that's no excuse not to address my diet and get some light exercise, which is what I'm going to focus on for now.

Resistance is Futile!

So I've been back to the gym a couple of times since my last post...my body is not cooperating very well. I'm supposed to continue doing the same exercises that my trainer showed me on Tuesday, but you know, it's just not the same doing it without Chris. It's too easy to give up when the weight gets too tough. I somehow have managed to fight through, even though on the last set I did drop the weight 5 lbs on each arm just to be able to complete the set. I added in some shoulder and arm work and got on the elliptical for 45 minutes yesterday, 2 minutes keeping heartrate at 160...throttle down to 140 for another 2 minutes and back and forth as Chris instructed.

The diet thing is throwing me...it's really hard to break bad habits. I had two large kolaches for breakfast yesterday, then had fajitas and eggs mid morning. I guess the latter is not TOO bad. Though the two flour tortillas probably weren't that great. I ate a couple of snacks during the afternoon...a turkey sandwich with no cheese, and then later a slice of wholewheat bread with some peanut butter. But last night I went to The Olive Garden...I know - TERRIBLE! I just had soup and salad, but I also ate three breadsticks. Yikes!

I must have picked something up from the gym, because I started feeling a cold coming on last night, and sure enough I woke up today with a full on sore throat, chest and nasal congestion. Stupid gym germs! I'm gonna have to remember to wipe off the equipment with sanitizer BEFORE I use it and not just after.

Hope I get over this cold quickly! I can't let it hinder my progress. I'm determined not to let my body get in my way! Resistance is FUTILE!

The First Step and A Simple Test

On Tuesday, I had my first appointment with a personal trainer at 24hour Fitness. I was half looking forward to it and half dreading it because I hadn’t really done a lot of exercises or working out in several years. But I’ve had more energy lately due to the CieAura sleep and energy chips, and finally felt like trying to get myself active again. The trainer immediately tells me that he prefers to start working with his clients doing full body workouts to strengthen their core and increase their stamina and endurance. So after initially checking my measurements, body fat and discussing my goals, off we go to this step that is nearly as tall as my knee. He tells me to take these two 10 lb weights, hold them up adjacent to my head so that my arms form a 90 degree angle, and step up on my left leg, raise my right knee up to a 90 degree angle, press the weights up over my head, but don’t lock my elbows, hold it there then lower my arms, lower my knee and step back off the step. 10 times. Rest briefly, then reverse legs. I’m sorry, I quietly think to myself…I thought I signed up for the beginner’s class!!?? There is a reason one of his other clients nicknamed him “Grand Master of Torture.” Needless to say, I struggled through it – though he did compliment me on form. A couple of other tortuous exercises later and I was done. Literally and figuratively.
The next day I had the usual soreness that comes with a non-athletic, 37 year old, 215lb out of shape guy who has just been Private Benjamin’ed. But the second day was so much worse. Walking hurt. Sitting hurt. Sleeping hurt. Hurt hurt hurt. My thighs felt like they were going to explode, and part of me was kinda hoping they would. Before bed last night, I considered the fact that I was presented with a great opportunity to test the effectiveness of the pain chip. So I placed ONE PureRelief chip on the center of my right thigh before I went to bed. And of course, as I typically do, I was wearing a RestQuiet chip also. This morning, I woke up at 5:30AM and felt really good, like I’d had a good long sleep….I only got about 4.5-5 hours. I turned my body to get up out of bed and put my right leg down on the floor….hey! my thigh didn’t hurt when I put the weight on it! And then my left leg joined it….OUCH! Still hurting. Granted not as bad as the day before, obviously, but still felt a lot more tenderness in my left thigh than my right. I tried to do a squat and felt just a slight tension in the right, but a LOT more in the left. Sweet! I thought…the pain chip helps with sore muscles too! I am betting it would help me with quicker muscle recovery too, if I apply the chips right after a workout. Hrm…gonna have to give that a try next.
After slapping another pain chip on my left thigh, and a couple of energy chips on the left and right side of my chest just below the collarbone, I went off to the gym. Today just doing cardio. 55 minutes on the elliptical machine burning about 540 calories, according to what the machine told me anyway. All I know is, I was drenched in sweat by the time I was done, and felt great. In the locker room I checked my weight. Still 215…dang it. Probably shouldn’t have eaten at Rosa’s twice yesterday. Hrm...what was it I said about changing my diet? Focus Jeff! Focus!

A Kick Start

I have had bouts of insomnia frequently most of my adult life. It’s rare that I ever really get a good solid night’s sleep. I’ve tried many things, like herbal supplements, melatonin, Tylenol PM, music, reading, cutting out the caffeine, but either I’d fall asleep and restlessly toss and turn all night, sleep ok for a couple of hours and then wake up wide awake, or I’d sleep through the night but wake up so groggy and heavy the next morning I could barely make it through the day. Recently I was having a particular difficult time as I was preparing to take an training class and exam for which I wasn’t really sure I was ready. My sister had been using these “energy chips” which supposedly had been helping her (more on that later) and told me that this same company had a “sleep chip” that I should try. I had heard her mention these chips a few times before and dismissed it as some hokey voodoo scam that someone was trying to rope her into. Skepticism has served me well over the years, and I held the firm belief that she would not fail me this time either. However, desperation began to set in as I slept the equivalent of one hour the night before my first day of class and relied on Monster energy drinks just to get through the day. If there was any way I was going to get the info I needed to pass the exam, I would HAVE to get some sleep!! So in opposition to the cynic within, I tried the chiped, placing it on my left temple as suggest. The first night, I didn’t see much benefit to be honest, and was ready to roll out the “I told you so speech.” My sister reminded me that one of the key requirements to the effectiveness of the chip is hydration…and though I do drink water, I know I don’t drink nearly enough to counteract the 2-3 cups of coffee I drink everyday, not to mention the afternoon Dr. Pepper. So I stopped on the way to class that morning, and in addition to the monster, bought a 1 Liter bottle of SmartWater. I drank that bottle and a refill throughout the rest of the day. That night I tried placing the chip on my ankle, just one finger width below the inner ankle bone – another recommended position. (This is point 6 on the kidney meridian, for you Eastern medicine buffs…this spot is supposed to promote REM sleep among other things). To my surprise….I SLEPT THROUGH THE ENTIRE NIGHT. When I awoke the next morning, I felt refreshed. I couldn’t remember the last time I had slept so well! Concerned this might have been a fluke (come on, I couldn’t lose the skepticism THAT quickly, right?) I reserved judgment and continued the same practice over the next few nights, eliciting the SAME results! Now before anyone suggests that the success came less from the chip and more from the fact that I was focusing more on hydration, I have gone through spells of trying to focus on better hydration before, and it did not affect my sleep habits. That is one actual side benefit of using the chips…if for some reason I start to feel like the chip isn’t working, I think back and realize I probably did not have enough to drink that day. It’s helping me remember to drink more water!
After the success of the sleep chip, I became more interested in CieAura and started to ask more about how these chips work and what else they can help with. (Rather than go into complete detail here on how the chips work, you can go to http://superpower.cieaura.com/index.html and read more about the technology. ) Working on the same concept as acupuncture, they are small sticker-like chips which are computer programmed with holographic data that interact with the biomagnetic field surrounding the human body, causing the body to bring it’s energies into balance. When I first heard that, I thought, ‘what a bunch of mumbo jumbo…holograms? Like in Star Wars??’ But holographic data storage is actually a proven concept – http://www.bell-labs.com/org/physicalsciences/projects/hdhds/1.html. And if you question the power of the body’s biomagnetic field, try to put a glove on and activate the touch screen on an iPhone. It won’t work.
I figured, after the success of the sleep chip, why not give the others a try. I typically have low energy throughout the day…obviously, if I had not been getting enough sleep…and even after using the sleep chip, I would still get that low energy feeling later in the day, where I just felt like I wanted to take a nap. So, I tried using the energy chip, placing it on my back just below left shoulder blade. I actually misinterpreted the location that the brochure recommended, but surprisingly after about 30 minutes I felt like I had more energy. It wasn’t a sharp burst of energy, like you get from taking a Red Bull or Monster, but it also didn’t have the come down that accompany those products. It really gave me just enough of a boost to actually focus on work and not feel so run down. Chip #2 – SUCCESS!!
Ok, then it was on to the pain chip. Now I’m 37 years old, and not in the best shape. It’s not surprising that I would have a few minor aches and pains. I actually woke up on a Monday morning with pain radiating from the sciatica nerve. I’ve had this numerous times in the past…probably caused by bad posture from sitting at my computer 9-10 hours a day…or tossing and turning during all those restlesss nights of sleep. This morning though, I had a secret weapon! I placed the chip on my lower back on the left side, just below the waistband of my underwear. About 15 minutes later, the pain was GONE. I couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t just reduced, it was GONE. This clinched it…I was a believer in CieAura. I have since used it with success on my knee, where my illiotibial tendonitis flairs up on days when I exercise or stand/walk excessively.

With the newfound energy I'm feeling from the great sleep, I decided I need to try and get to be a healthier me. Now, I'm not gonna go all vegan or probably even be one of those people who eats nothing but organic foods and shops exclusively at Whole Foods or Sprouts for everything...though I do shop there!...but I do want to improve my diet and exercise. In fact, I joined 24 hour fitness recently and even signed up to work with a personal trainer. I'm hoping that this blog will help keep me accountable for my progress...if I can stick to it. I'm kind of bad about starting things and not finishing them....so if anyone actually reads this, please help me stick to my goals!!