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Silver · **Joined:** Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:50 am **Posts:** 267

OK - I have to admit that at first I was impressed that you were walking backwards but thought I would be too embarrassed to try it out in public!

fulenn · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 4:49 am

Norm wrote:

fulenn wrote:

I was reading about your wanting to build a canopy of PVC and fabric and thought you should try electrical conduit instead of PVC--it is strong and much lighter weight.

How does it compare in cost and ease of working with?

-Norm

The conduit itself is inexpensive, just check prices at Home Depot or a hardware store. If you use the basic connectors that you will find with PVC, 90 and 180 degree pieces, I find it just as easy to work with as PVC.

Fulenn

AlwaysAgnes · **Joined:** Sat Sep 03, 2011 11:45 am **Posts:** 1395

Silver wrote:

OK - I have to admit that at first I was impressed that you were walking backwards but thought I would be too embarrassed to try it out in public!

dlee · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 6:53 pm

Norm wrote:

What's up with that? I can think of only one explanation: The roads I walk on aren't perfectly level. They're sloped from both sides to facilitate water runoff. As a result when I walk one leg has to reach a tad bit further to the ground and doing this consistently over many miles has really irritated my bad hip. Walking the other direction takes the pressure off the bad hip and it's so much more pleasant to walk on!

Why, oh why did it take me 500 miles to discover this?

-Norm

Hi Norm that used to happen to me too on a steep sloped beach in the Baja.....but when you return you are using the other leg No? Or do you do a continuous loop.? If so could you not walk on the other side of the road, presumably it is sloped the other way. You probably have this all figured out just wondering? if backwards works why not! Dlee

Norm · **Joined:** Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:47 pm **Posts:** 821

dlee wrote:

Hi Norm that used to happen to me too on a steep sloped beach in the Baja.....but when you return you are using the other leg No? Or do you do a continuous loop.? If so could you not walk on the other side of the road, presumably it is sloped the other way. You probably have this all figured out just wondering? if backwards works why not!

Yes, I could simply walk on the other side of the road, but I don't like that side of the road.

-Norm

Rosey · **Joined:** Tue May 10, 2011 2:17 pm **Posts:** 1719

I didn't even think about that as a reason for your pain even though I knew I had an issue like that when I was walking one area here close to my house. Glad you figured it out.

Norm · **Joined:** Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:47 pm **Posts:** 821

Today was a nice day! I got a different seat for my bicycle and fixed the front tire which had gone flat, so I got to ride my bike around some today. The wider seat helped, though I doubt I could ride it for any length of time. Still, I rode it several miles, in 1 mile increments.
I got the bike for free from a guy on the next street over. It's really a piece of junk... it had been out in the weather and the cables need replacing. The shifters don't work and only one brake works. The spokes on the wheels are very loose and the whole back end wobbles because of it.
It will serve my needs. I do not need to go fast, so I have it in one gear. I tightened up the front spokes today when I had the tire off, and will see about tightening up those rear spokes too... but I don't see me doing a lot of other work on this bike. I'm still heavy enough to put a lot of stress on a bicycle, so I'm just happy to have an old beater to abuse!! I'll be happy if this bike lasts another 40 pounds of weight loss, at which time I'll be looking to replace it with a better one.
I am surprised how well I'm balancing on it. Even going very slow I'm not having any difficulty balancing. Starting and stopping haven't been a hassle. I'm still very large but I'm not too fat to ride a bike!! I really am a new man!! I can't wait to be under 300 pounds!

-Norm

Potatohead · **Posted:** Sun May 27, 2012 12:16 pm

Just dropping in to say I enjoy reading your journal..You are doing great...pretty soon you will be a "Star McDougaller" :nod:

Rosey · **Joined:** Tue May 10, 2011 2:17 pm **Posts:** 1719

Kris wrote:

Way to go with the amazing walking and taking on bike riding, Norm. That's something I look forward to doing in the future when my knees can handle it. For now, I workout in a pool and love it. Being out zipping about on a bike sounds really invigorating - though it's been so long I think I might be falling down more than traveling much distance. We have a great bike trail not to far from where I live and that would be a traffic-free place for me to ride and fall if that's the case.

I notice that you and I are at similar weight points as far as eating lots of nutritious fruits, veggies, beans and grains have helped with losing weight. I began at 433 and am now at 270. My weight goal is 130, but living this healthy lifestyle is my forever goal. Losing the weight is just a lovely side-effect.

Just wanted to say Bravo! and thanks for the bike-riding inspiration.

Have you tried bike riding with your knee Kris? I find if seat is in right spot for me that it is better on my knees then walking is. Might try moving seat around and see what happens.

Norm · **Joined:** Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:47 pm **Posts:** 821

Weight Loss Update: 05/30/12

I've dropped another 4.8 pounds over the past two weeks bringing my total weight loss to 177.6 pounds and my current weight to 308.4 pounds. Once again I fell short of my goal of losing 1% of my body weight per week. I am now about .9 pounds behind that goal, as measured from February 8th when I first set it.
Given the level of exercise I've been doing I'm a bit disappointed! I shouldn't be. I've known all along that the weight would come off slower and slower the lower I got.
Time for some tweaks! I will focus more on dealing with my volume eating issues and I will also focus on lowering the overall calorie density of the food I eat. I see room for improvement in both areas.

-Norm

Caroveggie · **Posted:** Thu May 31, 2012 9:51 am

Glad to hear you are biking! Good luck with the tweaking, I'm sure you'll get there.

Norm · **Joined:** Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:47 pm **Posts:** 821

I've been very busy!

A group I'm involved with had a booth at The Mother Earth News Fair this past weekend, and my wife couldn't get anyone to staff it. So I went with her to do it. We set up Friday evening then were there all day Saturday and all day Sunday and tore everything down Sunday evening.
In years past I would have NEVER committed to such a thing. Between the uncomfortable folding chairs and the hard concrete it would have been difficult for me to staff a booth for one 4 hour shift. Spending a whole day would have been torture and would have left me exhausted for 2 or 3 days after.
Now, to be honest, it was no big deal. when I got tired of sitting I stood. when I got tired of standing, I walked around. When I got tired of that I was ready for more sitting. I eagerly took every chance that came along to sneak away from our booth to go explore the rest of the fair. I had a blast!! I slept in this morning because I was tired, but that was more from not getting enough sleep over the weekend, not from all the activity.
Life is good!

-Norm

♥ Amy ♥ · **Joined:** Thu Feb 23, 2012 8:14 am **Posts:** 118

Congratulations Norm!!
The fair sounds like it was fun.

Adrienne · **Joined:** Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:26 pm **Posts:** 1107

I just checked out your recent journal entries and I see that you have lost 177 pounds! You are getting close to a 200 pound weight loss!!! Wow congratulations.

Pacificfords · **Posted:** Tue Jun 05, 2012 6:22 pm

Hi Norm,

I finally had a chance to do some reading in your journal tonight and I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you sharing your journey. It is such an inspiration to me when I see people fighting for their health and winning! You have been through so much and I really admire your determination. Looking forward to following your journey.

Debi

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