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Not Quite Paradise

Lisa Eirene

About Lisa Eirene Lisa lost 110 pounds through calorie counting and exercise. She swims, bikes, runs, hikes and is enjoying life in Portland, Oregon. Her weight loss story has been featured in First Magazine, Yahoo Health, Woman's Day and Glamour.com.

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12 Comments

  1. bethh

    I’m glad your back is better and you can feel some cautious optimism. I’m wondering what you wear when you hike – specifically, do you use a backpack to carry water? it might be worth experimenting with a waist pack, if there’s any chance it might help.

    1. Lisa Eirene

      I think it was a combination of things…back feeling tight, sitting in the car, carrying a heavy back pack (I carry water for Bella and Michael has a camelbak for us) and then the steep incline. I’m thinking maybe lighter backpack and maybe start experimenting with hiking poles.

  2. Fran

    I still think it was a lovely walk, the waterfalls are really pretty.

    1. Lisa Eirene

      The falls were really pretty. I’d go back there for a picnic any time!

  3. Biz

    My husband used to have the worst back problems and twice I had to call an ambulance because he literally couldn’t move – he was a big guy then – maybe close to 300 pounds so it took three guys to wheel him out of the house and the wince of pain he felt was nothing I would wish on anyone. 🙁 Glad your critters kept you company!

    1. Lisa Eirene

      I’d never had spasms before. It was horrible! Worst pain ever, worse than a break I think.

  4. Lori

    I love waterfalls, big or small. Have you ever been to Niagara Falls? It’s breathtaking!

    We are planning a hike this weekend at the lake.

    1. Lisa Eirene

      I have not been that far East yet. Some day I hope to!

  5. CARLA

    THREE CHEERS FOR BETTER BACKS and HIKING and not MELTING.
    <3

  6. Amanda

    Such a bummer! Spasms and back pain are THE worst; glad to hear it has improved. I second the hiking poles- also can be a godsend for knees on the downhill and they are quite helpful with stream crossings and tricky footing.

    Also, Paradise Park on Hood is absolutely INCREDIBLE if you ever get there. It’s a long hike no matter which way you go, and I don’t recommend the trail you were on (boring forest slog), but rather starting from Timberline Lodge. You can hit up the ZigZag Canyon overlook for a really beautiful, but shorter (aka reasonable, lol) day. Sometimes it’s nice to make new memories, especially after an injury.

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Thanks for the recommendation. I’m hoping I can wait for the next REI member coupon but I may need to get some poles sooner than that. We’ll see.

      Agreed, the area we hiked wasn’t too scenic. I’ve seen pictures of Paradise Park near Timberline and it looked gorgeous!

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