With the start of my new FaceBook page that is now dedicated to my blog and new projects I wanted to start some new blog topics from time to time. This will be one of the first blog posts I will do on working out and eating healthy. I will eventually write about some of the workouts and foods I eat. ( If this is something that you are interested in make sure you are on my new page here Pat's new FB page like the page and follow my updates.) If we really sit and think about it, why do we fight to stay alive when faced with a disease? What are the things that make us tick and keep us going day in and day out. Everyone Of us have our passions that keep us in the game. One of mine is working out. The ones who followed my story of weight loss before my diagnosis remember how dedicated I had become to working out and eating healthy. It was a two year battle that I eventually won against my former bigger self.
Of course I was derailed by cancer that decided to just put a monkey wrench into my life. It was funny hearing people tell me how I added years to my life after dropping over a hundred lbs. It was a hard pill to swallow that after all that hard work and dedication I ended up having cancer. Talk about really pissing you off. Now I have written this blog since the first day I had my chemo treatment. I have never gone into the two weeks prior when I was diagnosed. I held off telling anyone because my son was going through finals at school and I didn't want to distract him from his work. I also did not want to worry my parents until I knew exactly what stage I was and what I would be dealing with.
Having cancer did not stop me from hitting the gym. I was in the gym the day after my biopsy. I was on a restriction from lifting but I was able to get in my cardio. So I hit it every day doing one hour of cardio and stretching. It was not until they put my port in that I had to stop for a week or so until I was not in any pain from that surgery. I didn't want cancer to stop me from all the hard work I had put in. The doctors all told me that I was in amazing shape. The hard work and dedication I had brought me to this fight against cancer. Not to feel bad and to think of it as I put away all that good health into a bank account and now I had to spend a little of it. The fact that I was only one hundred and eighty five lbs as opposed to two hundred and eighty lbs would make a big difference in the way I would handle my treatments. It would aid in my recovery also.
I of course did not want to hear this. I got into the gym every other week after treatment. Got in my cardio and some lifting. Just to keep the muscle mass and just to stay active. Most of it was a mental thing. I felt great walking in that gym. I felt alive. I felt like myself. It also made me feel down that I could not do what I was able to do before. Physically I was just not able to do it. By the time September rolled around I was just beat up by the chemo and the medication I was on. I just couldn't even make it back into the gym. One day of light workout kept me on my ass for four days. At that point it was back into the hospital for my next chemo treatment. I sat on my ass from mid September until the end of November when I was finally finished with chemo and off most of my meds. I walked out of that fight at two hundred and twenty six lbs. So I gained a substantial amount of weight. I have no doubt this really got me down. Along with the news that my fight was not over and that the cancer was being stubborn. Knowing I had to go in for Proton Radiation the weight gain and all that just kept me in a depressed state.
I didn't notice it so much at first because I was still coming down from the medication and I really didn't have that much time before I started radiation. Now that it has been about six weeks since my treatments have ended I can feel my energy coming back. It was weeks before I was able to really work out. A few times there I thought I was going to end up passing out in the gym from exhaustion. At that point just doing cardio helped me stay in the gym and get my blood pumping. I have since dropped eighteen lbs. Not bad considering I been working out half ass until now. I actually just started to have the energy to really make my workouts count. This last twenty lbs will be nothing to lose. My anxiety and depression has been in check lately and that has helped me get back to a good routine in the gym. That is exactly where I need to be as a mindset.
I have been such an advocate for eating better and working out. I let myself go and get overweight and just miserable. I know what it means to be in a bad place with your weight. I know how bad it feels. It took me some time to realize not to let this cancer get in my way. I had the strength and mind set to do this three years ago and now I can do it again. Better yet I do not have a hundred lbs to lose. I am still a big believer of working hard and getting the results you want in your life in anything that you do. I have said over and over again that losing weight and working out everyday is not something I do for vanity. This is for the betterment of my life. For my health. I look back and for whatever reason I got off my ass three years ago it was to prepare me for this battle against cancer. There is no way I could have taken these treatments as well as I did. And I did get my ass kicked during chemo.
Right before I was diagnosed with cancer I was just certified to become a personal trainer. I was getting ready to start a new career as a personal trainer. I was so excited to help others who were ready to help themselves and lose weight. I had a few clients I was working with that did amazing working with the program I put together for them. After that I new my heart was in it and I loved seeing people get results. Seeing them happy that had the strength in them to kick ass. I was just about to start taking classes for nutrition. These things obviously had to take a back seat to what I was dealing with. I will never stop helping people that want help with weight loss. There is so much bad information out there. People would ask me what my secret was. There is no secret. The secret to doing what I did is doing what no one wants to do. Hell, I didn't want to do it either. I believe you have to hit your rock bottom before you will do what it takes. Most people never do it. Or it becomes to late. But everyone has it in them to do what needs to be done. You just have to get off your ass and go to the gym. You have to educate yourself on food. What you put in your mouth is very important.
Learning about GMO's. Educate yourself on where you can get fresh organic produce and meats. These are the things that will help you get healthy. Yeah we can turn around and say "well Pat you did all this yet you still got cancer" Yes you are correct. But I was not always Mr. health continuous guy. I ate my share of shit and drank soda like it was water. I haven't had soda but once or twice in over three years. Now I am not going to say I do not dip my hand in the cookie jar every now and then. I do from time to time indulge in a pizza or a burger. The point is that ninety nine percent of the time I am making it myself with fresh ingredients. If I am going to grab an Oreo out of the cookie jar I make sure they are organic. Living with a seven year old you bet your ass there are cookies in my house. The point is to make better choices in what you eat. If you are going to have a cookie make it an organic one. You would be amazed at how much better they taste anyway.
I am never forcing my views on anyone about eating or working out. If you hit rock bottom and want to lose weight I am here to help. I am no bodybuilder. Ha, by far I am not a bodybuilder. But I have found the key to what works. It just takes you to want to do it and out in the work. You need to surround yourself with people who get it. Once you do that the light bulb goes off and shit starts to happen in life. Nothing is free and handed to you. You have to work for it. Somehow that is a concept that has passed up the next generation. they all want it handed to them. To bad kid, It does not work that way. Well that was my rant on the young people lol. Well I know what you're thinking "What's the fucking point here Pat, I been reading your blog make your point" lol yeah I do get of point from time to time. My point is that now more than ever I see that working out and eating healthy really saved me. It helped me fight this battle against cancer. I had a leg up on it and I realize how much more I would have suffered if I went into this over weight and a complete mess. Now that I am getting back into shape and working on getting healthy I am really focused on the future more than ever. Sure I lost almost a year of my life being stuck in the house most of the time. The summer and fall of 2015 was just a blur to me. And that in itself is just a shit feeling. Every day is a blessing and we need to always remember that.
My fight continues not just for me but for others I want to help along the way. If cancer taught me anything it taught me that going through a life changing illness is not something that you want to do alone. Everyone needs someone who has been there or is currently in the battle to be an angel on their shoulder in times of need. I have been blessed with many angels and I love them for being there in my time of need. Take time out of your day and be someone's angel.
SMIB \m/
I didn't notice it so much at first because I was still coming down from the medication and I really didn't have that much time before I started radiation. Now that it has been about six weeks since my treatments have ended I can feel my energy coming back. It was weeks before I was able to really work out. A few times there I thought I was going to end up passing out in the gym from exhaustion. At that point just doing cardio helped me stay in the gym and get my blood pumping. I have since dropped eighteen lbs. Not bad considering I been working out half ass until now. I actually just started to have the energy to really make my workouts count. This last twenty lbs will be nothing to lose. My anxiety and depression has been in check lately and that has helped me get back to a good routine in the gym. That is exactly where I need to be as a mindset.
Right before I was diagnosed with cancer I was just certified to become a personal trainer. I was getting ready to start a new career as a personal trainer. I was so excited to help others who were ready to help themselves and lose weight. I had a few clients I was working with that did amazing working with the program I put together for them. After that I new my heart was in it and I loved seeing people get results. Seeing them happy that had the strength in them to kick ass. I was just about to start taking classes for nutrition. These things obviously had to take a back seat to what I was dealing with. I will never stop helping people that want help with weight loss. There is so much bad information out there. People would ask me what my secret was. There is no secret. The secret to doing what I did is doing what no one wants to do. Hell, I didn't want to do it either. I believe you have to hit your rock bottom before you will do what it takes. Most people never do it. Or it becomes to late. But everyone has it in them to do what needs to be done. You just have to get off your ass and go to the gym. You have to educate yourself on food. What you put in your mouth is very important.
Learning about GMO's. Educate yourself on where you can get fresh organic produce and meats. These are the things that will help you get healthy. Yeah we can turn around and say "well Pat you did all this yet you still got cancer" Yes you are correct. But I was not always Mr. health continuous guy. I ate my share of shit and drank soda like it was water. I haven't had soda but once or twice in over three years. Now I am not going to say I do not dip my hand in the cookie jar every now and then. I do from time to time indulge in a pizza or a burger. The point is that ninety nine percent of the time I am making it myself with fresh ingredients. If I am going to grab an Oreo out of the cookie jar I make sure they are organic. Living with a seven year old you bet your ass there are cookies in my house. The point is to make better choices in what you eat. If you are going to have a cookie make it an organic one. You would be amazed at how much better they taste anyway.
My fight continues not just for me but for others I want to help along the way. If cancer taught me anything it taught me that going through a life changing illness is not something that you want to do alone. Everyone needs someone who has been there or is currently in the battle to be an angel on their shoulder in times of need. I have been blessed with many angels and I love them for being there in my time of need. Take time out of your day and be someone's angel.
SMIB \m/
You're not only a survivor but a warrior. Keep on rocking!
ReplyDeleteAlways!!! I never give up :)
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