Dealing w/ the Devil…

[Coulter]

Well, not really the devil â€" just Dad. My daughter is leaving for basic training this Monday (Naval Reserve). She plans to do this and begin her college career in the spring semester. Her mother and I have been telling her to do push ups and sit ups prior to leaving so she can have a little jump; however, as most kids are prone to do she just blew off that notion.

So I have made a 2 part deal with her. If she returns from basic training capable of completing 50 legitimate push ups and 50 legitimate sit ups then I will go get my certification in SCUBA. (She is already certified, but has nobody to dive with.) Like I need another money pit hobby.

The second part of the deal is if I am able to lose 35 pounds by the time she gets back (That will put me at the correct weight for my height) she has to go take kayaking lessons, that will include basic strokes, bracing and rescues. This will also (hopefully) lower my cholesterol so my quack doctor will quit nagging me.

It’s a win-win for both of us…she’ll get in better shape and learn to kayak more proficiently while I get in better health. And I’ll get in better shape and learn to dive with her. Then we can go on more trips together and do more fun things. Which will also include climbing those Adirondack Mountains more efficiently.

So tonight will be my last chicken wing and Guinness night for a while.

Steve

[FOsteology]

Tell your daughter on my behalf that I appreciate her joining the Naval Reserves and her service to our country.

Sounds like a win/win for all involved. While it may be an additional hobby that cost you some green, it'll also be another activity that will allow you and your daughter to spend time together. That my friend is "priceless"...

I feel your pain on cutting out some of life's guilty pleasures! I've had to cut back this summer in order to loose a few lbs and prepare for my upcoming trip.

[nastygunz]

Go Navy Has she picked a specialty yet?

[Frogman]

The scuba is fun, you would enjoy it!! 

Jim

[FinsnFur]

Good for her. Tell her that I too, send thanks and appreciation for her plans to serve.

35 lbs?! mannnnn I dunno about that.

[Coulter]

Will do guys...Her specialty is going to be in accounting. That makes Mom feel better since the odds of her actually being in the field are fairly slim. I'm guessing anyway, it sounds like that MOS will spend more time shuffling papers and pushing pencils than anything. But hey, somebody has to do it.

Yeah, 35 pounds is going to be brutal! I'll be spending a lot of time on my mountain bike and in my kayak for the next couple of months. I need to do this anyway...at least now I have some more incentive. That SCUBA course is going to be tough too. I'm a horrible swimmer. But again, I need to get better at that to be able to push the envelope in the kayak some more.

I'll ya posted on the progress...
Steve

[nastygunz]

That's awesome, I come from generations of Navy men and women. 2 of my nieces went in before college and they both came out as strong independent young women the whole family is proud of. Is she going to Great Lakes for boot?

[Coulter]

Yep, Great Lakes...Then down to Mississippi for her MOS training. I'm looking forward to seeing the transformation.

Steve

[Ladobe]

Good for her, good for you.   I'm another from a traditional Navy service family going back generations that served in every war up through my generation.  In my case a "conflict", Nam was not declared a war.

35 pounds is nothing, plenty easy to do with just a diet change and even only a little exercise.   The diet change made far more difference than the exercise in my case.   When I was diagnosed with diabetes last fall that's all I did to turn it around, lost that much weight in 2 months, and had the "D" in complete control in 4 without medications despite my handicaps and other medical issues that don't allow much exercise.   All it takes is the commitment to get on the bandwagon and stick to it.    After researching on line I chose to "loosly" follow what is called the plate method.   It is very easy with no number counting or weighing food at all, and it worked in spades.   The pounds fall off fast and you feel 20 years younger in no time at all.   My labs ever since came back with ALL my numbers where they are suppose to be, ALL of them, including the last one a week ago.  I only saw the diabetes doc twice, second time he said he didn't need to see me anymore.    Since then I eat pretty much what I want when I want it in reasonable proportions, but what I want changed, and is far easier to prepare than the old diet, and less expensive.   So I am not still "on" the bandwagon, but do still follow what I learned from it.  With the high heat here exercise has not been an option for months.   Even so I've still lost over 50 pounds total down to what I weighed years ago when I still worked and got constant exercise daily.   I feel great with far more energy and stamina.    You don't have to be a diabetic to benefit from the major rewards of the plate method.

I started SUBA diving in the early 70's (was part of my job as a marine biologist), and it quickly tuned into a favored recreational sport as well.   You do not need to be a strong swimmer to do SCUBA, anybody can do it, and it opens up a whole new world of discovery you will never tire of.   I dove in some of the more dangerous waters along the west coast in those days all the time... and I wouldn't call myself a real good swimmer. 

[Coulter]

I had a very brief stint in the Army. It is ironic that my daughter is joining the military. When I was in Basic at Ft. Benning, GA my wife was diagnosed with Phlebitis (blood clots) in her legs and placed on bed rest while pregnant with my daughter. She spent upwards of two months in the hospital and I was sent home and discharged so I could care for my oldest daughter that was 2-3 years old at the time. Now its kind of like the daughter that ended my military career is joining...ironic.

I will have to check out that Plate Method diet. If I can find a way to change my diet and stick to it this weight loss should be a snap. Thanks for pointing that out to me Ladobe. Also, even the dive instructors have told me that I don't need to be a strong swimmer to be SCUBA certified. I just need to pass the initial test before I can go through the training. I will have to work on that one. Marine Biologist...I had no idea! That must have been one cool job! I would have loved to do that.

Thanks again for the insight,
Steve

[Ladobe]

Steve,

A couple of links to get you in touch with the basics of the plate method - but there are lots of them out there on line.   Keep it simple and it is very easy.   Stay away from the American Diabetes Association sites though.   Most folks in the know (including my doctors and nurses) agree they are not a good source of information - make mountains out of mole hills that are not necessary.

http://forecast.diabetes.org/magazine/features/meal-planning-made-simple?page=0%2C1
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/What_Foods_To_Eat_on_a_Low_Carb_Diet.htm


I loved almost all aspects of marine biology, but especially the diving as someone who grew up in the Rockies and only saw/swam in the ocean a couple of times on vacation before the summer I spent in CA, and before going in the Navy after the end of it.     Coolest was going on board the RV Calypso with Judson Vandevere (head of sea otter research at Hopkins) when it came to Monterey during their sea otter studies and filming; reviewing the current projects in its exceptional shipboard lab and "talking shop" with Philippe Cousteau and Albert Falco.  Not so cool was while snorkeling fairly shallow water and a near 5' moray eel (Gymnothorax mordax) locked onto my wrist (grabbed the flash from my dive depth gauge) and almost held me under too long.   Not normally an aggressive species, so it was just a mistaken indentity bite, but my dive partner and I finally had to kill and cut its head off with our dive knives to resurface.   It took stripping the flesh and breaking its jaws with pliers to finally be rid of it.  The puncture wounds from its teeth (except where the wide band of the gauge covered) was all I suffered, but we also got a reminder that when exploring the nooks and crannies in rock piles in a determined trance looking for something else to be more aware of what else might live in them.   I was a volunteer emergency rescue diver for a small local fire department, and on a rescue in the wee hours one night a dive accident ended my diving forever.   Less than 1 ATM (33') was the deepest I could go after that, ending my desire to be a marine biologist anymore.  Lab work is very essential and is interesting, but diving to discover was my thing.

L.

[Coulter]

Fantastic, I really appreciate the leads to the websites. I officially begin this venture tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to it on one hand, but I know it's going to be tough to lay off the goodies  too. Time to make some sacrifices and work on my will power.

Well, my daughter is learning what the military is like already. She went to work at 12:00 today to say good bye to some friends. and came back at 12:30 in tears. Her daparture was supposed to be tomorrow, but she got a call from her CO telling her she was leaving at 15:00 today. Needless to say Mom was not happy. We all scrambled to get her necessities in order and grab a quick bite instead of the home cooked meal she was hoping for. She will do well...I can't wait to see her in uniform.

Wow, you've rubbed elbows with some pretty big names in the past. That would be awesome helping with work like that. I'll just have to work on getting certified for now (I have no doubt she'll come back doing her 50 push ups and sit ups). Maybe getting certified will lead to more adventurous exploits underwater - who knows? I don't care to tangle with a 5' moray, it would be neat to see one though.

Thanks again for the heads up on the plate method...I really appreciate it.

Steve