Saturday, August 3, 2013

My situation, my goals

First, I have always been overweight, even as a baby. Yes, I am big-boned.....and it is surrounded by big weight. The weight, though, is only part of it. My health has been declining at a slow pace over the years.
I've never been what you would call active. I spent a good majority of my young years reading and watching TV or just sitting at a desk doing miscellaneous things like writing. 
That doesn't mean I wasn't active. I did a lot of walking when I was younger.....and quite a bit all the way into my 30s, too. I could walk more than 5 miles as a teenager. I lived on the edge of El Cajon and La Mesa in California and could walk great distances in both cities. In my 30s, I lived in the Sierra Nevada mountains and could walk the mountain roads all over the area of Grizzly Flats. But, when I turned about 40 years old or so, the walking became almost non-existent. I am now 53 years old and can't walk beyond 50 feet without a cane. My lower back is in horrible shape and does not support my body frame while walking. This, I believe, is the result of my weight. 
I know some of this road to poor health was lifestyle. Not just food, but living. 
When I began to drive long haul, I lived a majority of the time in the sleeper of the truck. Also, most of the time, walking consisted of getting out of the truck only for fueling, showers and pick-ups and deliveries. When I did go home, I had more things to do than exercising. 
As a long haul driver, eating healthy is really non-existent, too. Every truck stop had a fast food restaurant, very few had actual restaurants. When a driver did find one, the menu consisted of items like fried chicken steak and gravy, large burgers and fries and meatloaf with potatoes/gravy. Not exactly a healthy bill of fare.
Than, I went from living in a truck to living on a small boat. Still not a place to live for exercise; and if one ever cooked on a marine stove, the stoves really haven't been perfected for healthy cooking. Currently, our propane oven doesn't work, but when it did it took 3 times longer to cook or bake anything. Most of the time, the food never came out right. 

My current situation for cooking on the boat consists of a microwave, a slow cooker and an electric roaster oven. I also have a blender, a bread maker and a deep fryer. Only one burner works on our stove in the galley. So, one goal is to find healthy food recipes that can be used with any of these appliances.
Another goal is to find healthy snacks. I did have one doctor a few years back tell me that it would probably be best, for me, to eat 5 small meals a day rather than 3 big meals. But, I would like to find low-cal, healthy snacks to munch on while working on the computer or watching a movie. I think if I do this, it will help cut down on my smoking, too. 
Beverages are a bit problematic, too. Previously, milk and juice would cause an upset stomach, and soda pop would cause me to sleep for several hours. So, I am beverage challenged. For now, I am drinking bottled water, but it tends to give me heartburn, so I am looking for another alternative.
I need to watch my salt intake, too. Too much causes swelling in my feet and ankles.

My goals are simple to write, but more difficult to achieve. I need to lose weight. I'm not sure how much I weigh, but I know I need to lose at least 100 lbs. I need more physical energy. I am highly fatigued and probably sleep 3/4 of a 24-hr. period. It hits suddenly - this tiredness - and I must lay down immediately and fall asleep. 
I need to improve my circulatory system. I believe with increased energy, I can walk more and improve the circulation in my feet and legs.
Smoking will be the biggest challenge. I will keep it in mind, but I really can't address that issue until I address the others. It definitely would be in the forefront if I thought it was the cause of the other issues, but it's not the complete reason for the other issues. However, it is a contributing factor, so it will be addressed, also. 
My first and foremost issue is to address the fatigue that keeps me from going out and walking for exercise.
So I will begin with my food intake.

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