Doctor Heal Thyself

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Well, here I go again.  Four years after the first arthroscopic knee surgery, I've had another, more invasive surgery on the same knee...just buying time until there's nothing left and I've got to replace the joint; but until they tell me they've got a bionic part for me so I can leap the tallest buildings in a single bound, I'll do the best I can with what I've got left.  That being said, I've got six weeks of physical therapy ahead of me and some life style changes to make during those six weeks.  Since I've already been through this experience, I know where I made my mistakes over the past four years and why I've landed in the same situation again.  For starters, no pityparty!  I've the green light yesterday to get into the pool, so I'm charging up my waterproof ipod and it's into the pool with me today to begin walking and then do some upper body workout with the pull buoy between my legs.  I might only last 15 minutes, but it's a start!  Second, I've gone back online to "Lose It" - the FREE online app where you can count your daily/weekly calories and track your exercise regimes.  Excess weight is just terrible for the knees, so I will lead by example and I've got a goal of 10lbs to lose by April 1st.  Planning my meals and weighing my foods helps tremendously.  I have helped many a patient lose 50lbs or more, so I should be able to help my own fat self.  Third, I'll be receiving acupuncture from my mentor (sorry folks - you don't get to stick me), doing my physical therapy and doing what my therapist tells me to do - stay on the crutches, keep the leg up and don't go out in the snow on the crutches.  Fourth, I'll be changing my mental attitude and setting new lifestyle goals.  Unfortunately, I cannot kid myself anymore.  There will be no more jumping rope, running or kicking bags or people for fun.....what a drag....BUT, there will be swimming, spinning, some boxing, conditioning, and just maybe......some tennis down the road one of these days.  I still don't count golf as anything other than a lovely day outdoors.  So, stay tuned for more news and if you are rehabbing from your own surgery or injury, please feel free to comment or post with your own progress or questions, funny stories or observations.  There's safety in numbers.  Doctor Heal Thyself....JUST YOU WAIT AND WATCH WHAT I CAN REALLY DO!!!

Being Overweight Can Really Cost You More At the Pump

"A George Washington University study estimated that overweight individuals spend between $8 and $10 more a year on gas than those with lower BMIs. Obese people shell out an extra $21 to $23 to fill the tank. Why? Just as an SUV requires more gas to operate than a Smart car does because of its sheer size, it takes more fuel to transport heavier passengers."
Source:  MSN Online 11.30.12


Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  times are tough and the cost of all goods and services are more expensive than ever.  Do your patriotic duty today....eat less, exercise more.  In the long run, it will cost you less for food, medical bills and fuel.  The money you save today could be tomorrow's vacation money!

Fertility, Overtraining and Fat

Obesity is a buzzword in the United States everyday.  Michelle Obama has championed the anti-pediatric obesity epidemic and white sugar has become synonymous to illicit drugs.
But....NOT ENOUGH fat can lead to infertility in females.  Every woman needs a certain amount of body fat to produce hormones necessary for nerve cell regeneration and fertility (such as estrogen & FSH ).  A certain percentage of body fat tells the brain that 'the body in question' will be able to carry a fetus to maturation.  It's quite simple:  reproduction is Darwian and historically, nothing but a means to the survival of a species.  Only the strongest, healthiest women could carry a fetus to term in the past.  Now, with modern medical miracles, women who categorically would not fit into 'strong and healthy' are able to bear children.
Women who overtrain or diet to the extent that their overall BMI is below a healthy level tend to have either no menstrual cycles or poor cycles.  This is because they do not have enough fat to keep their hormonal levels optimal.  The brain sees this as an unfit body for reproduction.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Both obesity and abnormally underweight women have problems with conception.  If you are an exercise psycho who measures out every morsel before it goes into your mouth and you can't figure out why you're not getting pregnant - do yourself a favor:  don't look in the mirror; try going to a nutritionist and reliable personal trainer: together you'll formulate a plan that will work for your lifestyle and get your hormones and menses back on track.