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It's been awhile, a long while. I've had surgery since I posted here and post mostly on my own site where I can control pretty much anything. No knock on OH. I love this place. I wanted to start sharing my belief on goals and how you can accomplish them.

In the past I have talked about Establishing Workout Routines and today while running I wondered about goals. I’ve upped my cardio considerably in the time since I posted about My Workout because I wanted to be able to run longer and do 5k runs or more!

Honesty

I feel that this is the most important part of goal setting. We’ve all seen it, even been a part of it. “I’ll do …” for a resolution. We last a day…two? Maybe even a week or a bit more. Then we fall to the wayside. It’s too hard, I lasted longer than I thought and any other reason we can come up with to vouch for why we failed and it is a failure. People don’t like to admit failing at anything but failure should drive us towards our goals, not away.

If you want to improve yourself, quit a bad habit or adopt a new one (good habit that is) it takes some brutal honesty. Yes, you can do it but it may not be today, the next or a month from now but you can accomplish much of what you set your mind to doing.

Dedication

Dedication is secondary to honesty I feel. Perhaps that is wrong as they work very well together and are more symbiotic than they are important in comparison. It’s like love and marriage, you can’t have one without the other! Gosh I miss that show. Anyway! If you set goals that are initially far beyond your means to accomplish ever then you will have no reason to be dedicated to completing those goals. Take it seriously when you set goals, plan it out and then stick to it like a dog with a bone cause ain’t no body got time for that!

Types of Goals

There are different types of goals you can set for yourself and different means to achieve those goals. We’ll talk about achieving them in a moment. For now these are the types of goals I use;

• Micro Goals – A extremely short term goal used to quickly boost confidence and morale.
• Weekly Goals – Goals taking more effort to accomplish but still something that you don’t have to wait overly long to achieve.
• Median Goals – Goals that extend out 1-2 months at a time. They generally require more dedication and work as well as a healthy dose of honesty to stay on track.
• Long-term Goals – These goals are life goals. It may take half a year, a year or more but they require the most dedication and the most work. Accomplishing these goals should be extremely rewarding but require dedication, honesty and drive.

Micro Goals

Micro goals (not sure who coined the saying but it popped in to my head!) are things you can use to push yourself further during your long-term goals. To give an example which I do this often, while running I look at the time, distance, calories burned or whatever other statistic available. Say I have ran 12 minutes, I’ll mentally set a goal of 15. When I near 15 minutes I look at another statistic, calories for instance and try to round up to the nearest hundred. You can do distance or whatever you want but the idea is to make micro-goals and surpass them. You’ll find quickly that you can go the extra 2 minutes or burn those extra thirty calories when you begin feeling fatigued and it will give you a natural mental as well as a physical boost.

Weekly Goals

Weekly goals are just that, goals you set to track progress weekly while improving slowly in areas you feel need working on. To give an example, If someone can comfortably walk a half mile and not be winded then after the first week they bump it up to .75 miles and walk it until comfortable. If that happens within the week then great! If it does not then set your goal to keep walking it until you are comfortable to do so. You’re pushing yourself in small increments that are bigger than micro goals and will see results.

Median Goals

I like to use these goals to make things “worth it” Over time you will see or feel a drop in your enthusiasm or exuberance. This will cause you to doubt and second-guess your choices. If you set goals that you meet month over month that give you bigger results you’re going to be successful.

I say that with 100% confidence because you are feeding sides of yourself you refuse to acknowledge or didn’t know you had. Seeing bigger results visually will ease the vain part of you as well as build your confidence. Sometimes, like for me, I wonder if I am doing something right because I can’t see the difference. People see it but my mind likes to play tricks on me. I hadn’t bought any new clothes until recently. At one time I couldn’t buy clothes from places off the rack because I was just too fat. One day I just decided to go try some clothes and see what happens. I went from a 6XL to a 3XL on my shirts and had not noticed it. Talk about an ego boost! In a way I met a Median Goal I had set for myself without even knowing it. It’s given me the confidence that I need to keep going. That is priceless.

That goal can be anything you want though, it doesn’t just have to be about physical changes. It could be learning a new skill or endeavoring in and being successful in a new job or hobby.

Long-term Goals

Now we’re at the grandaddy of them all. These goals should be taking you 6 months or more to complete. Learning new languages, trips to exotic islands, dating and more. These are almost similar to life goals. Long-term goals are what brings validation to the things you have done and are doing. I have several long-term goals that may sound all over the place but I think are doable. Go back to school (I take my placement test in a few days), Buy a house (year or so from now), Get back down to my high school weight or lower preferably (275 lbs.) and get back in to wrestling, not the WWE stuff but Freestyle or Greco-Roman.

Conclusion

My articles seem to get more verbose as I write. Maybe I just like running off at the fingers or maybe I have something valuable to say. I just like to share and hope it gives someone insight. I don’t expect to meet all my goals, the wrestling one is pretty out there, but I will damn well try and you should too. Life is about living and being adventurous, precarious and also being humble and honest. We have limits and acknowledging them is admirable but there is nothing wrong with striving to be better. Start small and then look back over time at your achievements. They’ll add up and you will see those little goals you accomplished made one big difference in your life and others.

If that isn’t something to strive for then I don’t know what is.

It's been a long time. A really long time even! We switched to BCBS of NC this year and surgery was covered so I went through the process of getting everything done once again.

I have a date of Jul 31st and couldn't be more pleased!

I've kept off the extra weight while waiting and even dropped another 22 lbs. so the surgeon was pleased with that. I have to be on full liquids now and I'm down with that.

If anyone still visits here I'd like some suggestions on protein and mixing it with other things.

Still, I continue being stubborn and trying to do all of this the way I know won't work. I have been doing two protein shakes and one meal a day but I know that I will need to move to three a day no food. I haven't been approved for surgery yet. In fact I can't. UHC does not cover it on my current policy.

It's frustrating but it is what it is. I've lost 30 pounds in the last month. New Years resolution will be to lose 100 more minimum. We'll see how it goes.


I remain hopeful but reality is setting in.

It sure has and that's mostly due to work. Within the last 5 months I've had a hand in implementing a new billing system in to our company as well as inegrating a new prepay vendor. So needless to say it's been busy.

I went to see Dr. Hata (The surgeon I hope to have my RNY with) on thursday. Within the last visi with them which was 30 days ago I've lost 27 pounds. I was so stoked about that. Everything has been submitted to the insurance company so I just have to wait and fight that battle.

It's been a long road, Longer than I thought it would be.

I was a bit discouraged because a lady who was in there at the same time I was had BCBS and I thought to myself about how we just changed insurances in June. If we had BCBS stil I would already have a date!

So the plan is for me to have an RNY but if he cannot do that we can do a VSG. UHC is one of three companies that say a VSG is a viable alternative to RNY and the other availale surgeries.

I promised him I would try to lose another 50 pounds between now and surgery. As I have no date it may seem like something that I would want to take time with but I'm ready to do it now. I'll be on a liquid diet and we'll go from there.

So, I went to the education class.

Totally understand why they have it. For the informed person like me it might seem like a waste of time but it wasn't.

Insurance purposes aside, they do have to do that for a reason. It's good that they take the time to make sure people are informed. No longer is it a "Oh I think I'll have WLS today" decision.

In either case, now that it's done they will get the insuranc info and I will begin THAT fight.


Till I have more time...

Most of that is due to work. Seems that I pretty much do that. Work, sleep, work some more. Not that I am complaining mind you, if they want to pay me what they have to at time and a half I'm ok with that.

So, aside from working I've found out some informtaion regarding UHC. Both good and bad, UHC under the plan my company has chosen does not cover WLS of any kind however the company that negotiates our insurance (cause apparently our HR lady can't...) is able to arrange exceptions for the WLS.

Considering my BMI, co-morbidities, etc JBA Benefits should be able to help a brotha out!

We'll see, I've been sticking to my protein shake for breakfast and lunch then dinner and exercise. During my lunch I'm also walking a mile...around our building. People looked at me funny the first few times till they figured out what I was doing. So I don't keep track of how much I walk, just that I do it for 30 minutes and don't stop. I should get a pedometer.

That everyday plus water aerobics at home in the pool 3 times a week is giving me a good exercise level I think.

So I have a date for Frye's Education Class. It's July 13th. Hopefully by then I will have the information from UHC about me getting surgery. So wishy washy their stuff says. Some folks with Choice Plus have had the procedure, some denied.

I know companies can elect to exclude things in order to lower their premium costs. I just hope mine has not. Even so, if it were to be excluded they allow it to cover co-morbidities as well so well see. It's a roller coaster and I'm strapped in tight.

Till next time,
Scott

I guess the title sums it up huh?

Yeah, I was not happy about it but it is what it is. UHC may be good. I won't know until I get my policy number.

We'll be doing the Choice Plus and I looked around and it seems that folks have gotten mixed results. I know that my company usually gets the best insurance it can and they usually do sign the extra rider but we'll see.

It makes me wonder what else I'll have to do to prove I'm ready for this. Only thing I can do is put my head down and keep on going.

So Monday I called out of work because the date I had originally had to see the psychologist my sisters car broke down so I rescheduled and Monda was next best date.

Didn't have time to get someone to cover for me so be it. I passed her exam and am a "normal" person whatever that is. I won't even begin to rant on the general idea of normal.

Mailed my packet into Frye and soon I should get a call for the education class. Amanda's is Tuesday May 11th. Hopefully I can get in soon after. They only do 6 people per class. Not a bad thing really. One thing I really like about Frye is that they take the time to make sure people are educated. They are a center of excellence for MANY different insurers.

Speaking of insurers, Thursday I go to my companys' "all hands meeting" which is in short our fiscal year reviewed and insurance renewal/open enrollment. I hope we keep BCBS and don't switch. I've done everything that BCBS wants and while changing insurance companies may set me back I am committed to this.

I've picked up a few penpals I text with. Angelica, Sin and Blair. Nice people and easy to talk to. Still one more I need to text as they replied to me via mail.

Thanks for the support everyone I enjoy hearing from anyone so drop me a line if you happen to read.

Till next time,
Scott

I'm not sure how many people use their blogs. I suppose I use mine infrequently here. I generally only post things related to getting qualified for WLS and anything involving it.

I'm getting anxious about things, that's why I am up at 4:10am writing this. In short this is what I've come to wondering;

I go on the scale a few days ago, weight 612...a bad wow moment for me. I've been dieting the last three months and it makes me wonder what I was before. I was literally terrified to get on that scale. I didn't want to know. Then one day last week I said to myself that it was something that I needed to do. So I did it, looked at it a minute and almost broke.

I'm a stubborn person by nature, strong-willed but kind and funny in unexpected ways. Nothing would have prepared me for that. I knew when I first went to have my lymphedema treated that I was up in the 500's when they weighed me in the bed with full bandages on.

It's hard doing this when no one around me understands. My sister does, she is going through it to. My parents don't and they are the ones I want to understand. I live with them because of some really bad life and financial decisions I made when I was a younger and lighter me. I can't eat what they normally do. Yet they think I can even whn I continually tell them I can't. It's like this freaking circus right out of a horror movie.

Please, don't think they are bad people, they are't. They grew up meat and poatoes, you clean your plate. In fact that's how I was raised myself. I want to do things like water aerobics (which is where I am going this morning and signing up) and while they hear what I say and nod their head. It seems like they feign interest.

So where does the anxiety come in? Monday I go to see the psychologist and then I can go to Frye and set up a date for the education class and the surgeon. So, I'm anxious about all this. and wanting to get down to 500 before my surgery date. I'm just guessing that is what will be asked of me. That along with the NAFLD just makes me all anxious and a ball of nerves.

I'm not worried about my ability to stay on task, I'm worried about my ability to continue to keep calm despite the anger and annoyance within me because I have to repeat myself constantly.

We'll see where it goes.

As for the Lecture, that's a simple one. Has anyone read Randy Pauchs' book The Last Lecture? I did when it was first published and I just began it again after finding when I moved a few weeks ago. It's amazing, simply that.

Till next time...