Back pain, Arthritis, Sugar, and Alcohol

I hear you Andy. I hurt my back this year too doing basically nothing. Bending over the wrong way to pick something up. I couldn't stand up straight for over a week. It had happened once before, but not that bad. Now I am much more careful when doing anything where I have to bend over. I try to make sure I keep the curve in my lumbar spine and bend from the legs. It turns out as we get older we have to get wiser or we won't last long. Cutting out sugar, drinking less alcohol and getting more exercise is good medicine for everyone. I wish you the best on the life changes. It is amazing how making some changes like this can have positive effects on the other aspects of our lives too.
 
Prayers coming your way Andy!!!

I like your thread title: "Back pain, arthritis, sugar and alcohol"! Sounds like AC/DC's next hit on their geriatric tour.:D

Hang in there and keep it up brother. Truth is, it definitely can get better!

I am a doctor and I often speak to people about improving their health. If I may share, maybe try this approach. I used to use this a lot with my endurance racing training as well. Try "earning" your donut or beer or whatever. This doesn't always work for everybody of course, but it is one 'mind set' approach that I use with my "more driven" patients. I ask them to try to think of "earning" their donut or beer or cigarette or whatever BEFORE they have it. In other words, you want a beer, no problem...do 1 hour of moderate to intense exercise first. You want 2...then 2 hours, etc. Trust me, if you keep the reward appropriate, within 2 weeks, something is going to give and you are not going to be having ...for example: 3 beers a day. Even if you did, with that much exercise your body is going to change and you will soon realize just one small reward makes way more sense than having multiple servings given the excessive effort required. Whether you workout more to keep your habits for now, or whether you decrease consumption because of the tough workouts required, you're off in the right direction. Then of course, over time you feel and see improvement and make more realistic long-term changes. This doesn't always work of course, but with someone like you that already looks pretty fit, and certainly you are very driven, disciplined and ambitious to have created this amazing business, ....you are likely to do well.

Good on you for stepping up and making changes for you and your family. They need you, and you are much better when you're healthy and feeling good! Many prayers and better days ahead! :thumbsup:
 
Keep it up Andy! I'm young-ish still, only 28, but have had a few minor issues the last few years from injuries when I was younger and overdoing it now. Been seeing a really awesome PT every week or so and getting the occasional massage, both of those have helped a ton! I try to work out as much as I can, but often find myself too busy or lazy. I'm switching up my routine this week... going to start doing yoga classes a couple/few times a week and get a small garage gym set up for quick workouts when I'm not feeling motivated to head to the gym.

Something that my PT told me which really made sense is to think of your body like a car. It needs regular maintenance: alignments, bodywork, cleaning, fluids, etc. Keep up the regular maintenance on your body if you want it to last.

I've never been a big drinker, but I do enjoy my sugar... having a good diet can be a challenge.
 
I do crunches and reverse situps with resistance on the Bowflex and leg lifts without resistance 2-3 times a week (20 reps). These 3 exercises keep back pain at bay for me. The resistance 120 lbs. (60/side).
 
No pain no gain. True in almost every aspect of life, our bodies included.

I used to suffer from severe back pain and was on meds for a while, kicked the meds and the lazy warehouse guy out and slowly increased the amount of physical work I do. On a given day now I move 50 to 150 large heavy cartons apart from the general day to day shit. Saved myself some money and no back pain. Sleep like a baby.

I would rather die than give up my alcohol but that too in moderation is good for you. I decide what’s moderate though
 
Yea. I'm re-writing what I think of moderation. LOL.

Another sucessful night. I'm still waking up with 'hangovers'. Of course I used to wake with actual hangovers a couple days a week, but these are every morning. I assume this is withdrawal. I wonder if its alcohol or sugar or both.

I cold turkeyed the extra sugars.
 
I've been reading this with great interest--I'm 45 this summer, dad of 4, and a professor. Since my job is low impact, I've done what I can to stay active and fit. For a long time it was martial arts, but I'm kind of sick of being slammed into mats. Hiking and camping of varying intensity is my preference theses days; with regular, but fairly light exerscise, almost daily, coupled with gardening and taking care of the house in general, I've been able to stay pretty active.

But... I love red meats, whisky of all sorts, cigars, and chocolate clip cookies... the latter of which I refuse to have in the house.

So, I try to stay active, still enjoy what I like... and have come to accept the aches and pains of my accumulated milage--no matter what I do, it comes and creeps in the direction of worse, if slowly.

Re-writing one's definition of moderation is itself a kind of moderation that speaks from a quite self-knowledge. "Nothing too much" still lets us enjoy a little bit of all those things we crave. I've been itching for a cigar since New Years... I promised myself one after I hike up Mt Baldy at the end of the month... cigar and a generous helping of bourbon.
 
Yea. I'm re-writing what I think of moderation. LOL.

Another sucessful night. I'm still waking up with 'hangovers'. Of course I used to wake with actual hangovers a couple days a week, but these are every morning. I assume this is withdrawal. I wonder if its alcohol or sugar or both.

I cold turkeyed the extra sugars.


Is this your first time quitting booze “cold turkey”? The reason I ask is because if not, it can be dangerous, but it sounds like you are past the worst of it. I’m asking out of concern, not trying to be a “nosy Nellie.” I’ve always, when quitting booze myself, either tapered down slowly or gotten a one week prescription for librium or valium, because something about the chemistry of alcohol can cause fatal withdrawal symptoms. I forget what the specific reason is, but the more frequently one does it, the risk is higher. If it’s already been a week since the last drink, don’t worry about it though. Good luck, God bless, and good health to you sir!
 
Is this your first time quitting booze “cold turkey”? The reason I ask is because if not, it can be dangerous, but it sounds like you are past the worst of it. I’m asking out of concern, not trying to be a “nosy Nellie.” I’ve always, when quitting booze myself, either tapered down slowly or gotten a one week prescription for librium or valium, because something about the chemistry of alcohol can cause fatal withdrawal symptoms. I forget what the specific reason is, but the more frequently one does it, the risk is higher. If it’s already been a week since the last drink, don’t worry about it though. Good luck, God bless, and good health to you sir!

I'm not quitting cold turkey. I went from 9 to 6 to now 3 beers a day. Soon I'll go further. No withdrawal that I notice yet. I snapped a Phillip the other day, but I apologized and haven't had anything like that since. I'm waiting for 3 to get 'normalized' and not be a pita before going further. Thanks!
 
Our bodies get so used to routine (food, activity, etc.) they reject all change and make it harder through pain whether real or in our heads. I have Doctors Appt tomorrow and I know what the conversation is already. Doctor's right though.

I have a 3 day (12-8-8 hour) handgun class coming up in a month. My goal is not be a wheezing dying mess day 1, so will start riding my mountain bike an hour an night. First week is a disaster with mornings even worse.....but week 2 is better, week 3 is nothing and week 4 is the new normal. It does get better, but it's painful getting there.

Good luck and stick with it.
 
Fats and La Croix
I too have cut back on Sugar/beer. I found that increasing my "good" fats has helped a ton, keeps me full through the day and not searching for sugar. Also really made my digestive system get back in order. Also I switched from beers after to work, to those sparkling drinks, 0 cal, 0 sugar, and i get to reach into the fridge and open something carbonated.
 
Fats and La Croix
I too have cut back on Sugar/beer. I found that increasing my "good" fats has helped a ton, keeps me full through the day and not searching for sugar. Also really made my digestive system get back in order. Also I switched from beers after to work, to those sparkling drinks, 0 cal, 0 sugar, and i get to reach into the fridge and open something carbonated.

The "opening something carbonated" is true for me, too. Though, I'm using full-sugar drinks. I've found that Sprite/7-Up on the rocks with a couple dashes of Agnostura bitters gives me a lot of the same satisfaction that vodka sodas/Old Fashioneds do. That habit of just making a drink or cracking a beer is one of the hardest parts. I had a buddy that quit smoking simply by lifting his fingers to his mouth and taking a few "drags" whenever he had a craving. The mental aspect of performing the acts seems to be a hang up for people trying to quit/cut back on anything. When you no longer do "the act" it's super noticeable and stays in the back of your mind- gnawing at you.
 
Andy, it is not easy to make these changes. Very proud of you and thanks for starting this thread. I am sure we all have these types of challanges that will make us better people.
 
Thanks for all y'alls support. Still no sugar except for 3 slices of a tangerine this weekend. No more than 3 beers a night. Last night I only had two. Its getting easier to forget about wanting one. And my body is feeling better finally from the sugar (I assume).
 
I know your pain. After years of being too preoccupied trying to fix and unfixable situation I was smoking way too much and had put on too much weight. So last year I quit smoking after thirty years of doing it, and lost about 80 pounds and all except the leg is still a bit painful I feel much better today than I felt two years ago. You have a big parking lot. Maybe put up a hoop and you guys take a break for some half court action for a half hour a day. That will have you moving all of your joints and using all of your muscles, but not in a really exhausting high impact sort of way. Just a thought.
 
You have a big parking lot. Maybe put up a hoop and you guys take a break for some half court action for a half hour a day. That will have you moving all of your joints and using all of your muscles, but not in a really exhausting high impact sort of way. Just a thought.

That's actually a great idea. Or tape off a 4 square court, or challenge another knife makers shop to dodgeball/wiffle ball/basketball/4 square tournament.
 
I’m wrapping up a two week working trip in Okinawa, and my take away was that as Americans, we eat like crap. Taste has been supplanted by quantity. Our food has no taste and what little we do have is missed because I’m in such a hurry to eat and move on to something else.
 
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