Ron writes:
I have not had a blog entry in quite a while because I hit the proverbial brick wall. I had to stop exercising due to severe pain in my back and subsequently had to have back surgery. This required having my L4 and L5 vertebrae fused. The surgery went well, but the recovery has been long and at times very difficult. I could not have made it through without the support of my friends and family.
The back pain and numbness I had before the surgery is gone. I still experience some soreness and stiffness in my back depending on what I am doing. The bad news is that I have significant muscle weakness in my lower body. I am doing exercises with Bud at Ultimate Fitness to increase the strength of my legs, core, and back, but right now it is difficult to walk. I have fallen four times. Fortunately, no serious injuries, just some soreness.
During the time of the surgery and recovery, I gained back 15 of the 30 pounds that I lost. Very frustrating and disappointing. Part of me just wanted to throw in the towel when I realized I had gained back the weight. However, I remembered my commitment to myself to get healthy, so I picked myself up and now am back on track. I have lost 5 of the 15 pounds I gained! Life happens and you just have to deal with it no matter how difficult it is. My target is to be back at 30 pounds lost by the end of the year and then to target losing 40 more pounds in 2016. So, stay tuned!