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This is a topic that I’ve been wanting to write about for quite some time…

…and just last weekend, I was again reminded that I need to finally get this message out.

Let me give you the scenario that inspired this blog before I dive into the message.

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Last weekend Stephanie and I were manning a booth at Valleyfest, when I noticed a previous patient of ours across the way.

Her name was Dee, and she was walking with a walker and not looking too good overall.

So I went over and asked Dee how she was doing.

As you can imagine, she told me not so good. She’s been having some trouble with her hips and back and is now relying heavily on her walker to get around.

I then mentioned to her that maybe it was something I could help her with, and do you know what she said to me…?

“I’m already doing physical therapy somewhere else.”

Lately, it seems like more and more people are interested in losing weight…

One of the more common circumstances is people who need to lose weight in order to have some kind of surgery.

Let me give you Sandy’s story as an example. Sandy came into the clinic earlier this week because of severe left knee pain.

She’s had good results with physical therapy in the past, but unfortunately her knee pain is again worsening, and on her x-ray report her knee joint is now bone-on-bone.

Sandy visited the knee surgeon a month or so ago, and this is what she told me when she came in for her consultation:

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“The doctor tells me that my knee is bone-on-bone and that I need a total knee replacement, but he won’t do the surgery until I lose 20 pounds.”
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Sandy’s in a tough spot!

Like most people in her situation, she doesn’t feel like she’s able to lose weight, because the pain in her left knee makes it really difficult to walk or exercise.

So if she can’t exercise much, how will she lose the weight?

Recently, the wife and kids and I visited the second happiest place on earth: Disneyland! (I say second happiest because Disneyworld in Florida is slightly happier!)

As a lot of you know and have probably experienced, it can be tricky to stick to a healthy diet whenever your travel. Especially if you adhere to the Paleo diet like our family does.

So today I want to tell you just how we did it, just in case you want to get a few pointers for your next trip. If you’re not familiar with Paleo, here are the basics: several foods groups are eliminated, including all grains, dairy, legumes/beans and other processed foods and refined sugars. Whole foods like healthy meats and fresh vegetables are emphasized, and eggs, nuts and seeds are also allowed.

A few weeks back, I found myself threatening to spit in one of my patient’s mega cups of pop…
You know those gigantic cups you get at the gas station or fast food restaurants that hold something like 2 gallons of your favorite soda?
Okay, they’re not that big, but they’re pretty huge! (maybe 64 oz. is more accurate)
Now before you think that I’m extremely unprofessional and a bit crazy, let me explain the whole situation to you, and let me promise you that the whole thing was done in good fun.
Here’s Judy’s story (55 years old):

Goal setting can be very fun and exciting at times! There’s nothing like being pumped up to make some positive changes in your life things like losing weight, exercising more, eating better, learning a new craft or skill, etc. Once you decide on a goal, you sit down and make yourself a nice little plan that’s guaranteed to get you the results you desire. And then comes the tricky part: you actually have to stick to your plan…