Baby

I am going to see my great grandson today. He was born on New Year’s Day. I know everyone thinks their grandchildren are the cutest, brightest, etc. I can be impartial and say that mine looks like family. I see my granddaughter in his face. So far this is only from pictures. The very idea that somehow he is an extension of our family makes me smile.

When a look at what is happening in the world right now I wonder if this is the right time to bring new life. Here is a 17 year old young woman who is raising a son on her own. But as any parent will tell you there is no perfect time to have a child. She loves him with all her heart.

He is a product of today’s world. His father is Hispanic and thanks to 23andMe my granddaughter found out that one of her grandparents is Hispanic as well.

It is so contradictory to the messages coming from our government about boarder security. He poses no threat. He is not a criminal’s son. He is not an illegal immigrant. He is a middle class American baby of mixed ancestry just like all of us. And yet he may grow up and face some of these prejudices. We do need a wall. We need one around the government to keep us safe from them.

I don’t want to get too political. I know these things will resolve one way or another. I have done my part to vote and voice my opinion. This should be a joyous occasion of new beginnings and that is exactly how I intend to treat it.

Ok, so I will indulge myself by posting a picture of the cutest baby ever. 😉

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Hump day…

Today is hump day. I know it is Thursday, but for me this is truly a hump day. I am going to see a surgeon about a hump that has developed on my back between my two shoulder blades. I started a post about this once but then deleted it thinking it was TMI. But here it the thing. I have lost 30 pounds and still this hump persists. It causes me neck pain when I lay down. I have to adjust pillows and move the hump around to get comfortable lying on my back. It makes chase lounges very uncomfortable. And lord knows I need to relax in a chase by the pool this summer.

It’s called by many names, buffalo hump, dowager’s hump, hunch back, Quasimodo hump, to name a few. What causes it is the big concern. My doctor thinks mine is some sort of benign lipoma.

If you have ever seen the Pimple doctor she treat these things all the time. Sandra Lee, “Dr. Pimple Popper”, makes incisions and pops these masses out for your Instagram viewing pleasure. You can also catch her TV series on the Learning Channel. The interesting thing about Sandra Lee is that she is from Upland California. I used to live there in the ‘80s. I used to be young and thin too, but that’s another story.

So I am seeing a local surgeon in about an hour to find out what can be done for me.

Update: It’s not a lipoma so it can not be easily removed. It’s a dorsocervical fat pad caused by diabetes and obesity. ☹

The solution is lose weight so I am no longer have an ICD 10 E65. (Localized adiposity or fat pad).

Note: My office mate just tried to console me. She said it is not that noticeable. She never saw it till I pointed it out. I didn’t tell that’s be because I hide it with collars and jacket hoods.

Commitment

I am getting back on track for the New Year. But more importantly I am doing it for me. I have plans. I want to get down to what I weighed when Rick and I met in 1999. I was still heavy but not like now. I think the bliss of our relationship and having someone cook for me who enjoys cooking has contributed to my size increase. But the real blame is me.

I read an article on CNN that says exercise while good for you is not going to make you lose weight. Riding that exercise bike or treadmill for 20 minutes might burn a few calories, but those calories are easily wiped out by a latte or a cookie or some other snack. The only way to lose weight is to eat less calories then you burn in a single day. We have energy used to maintain automated functions, such as breathing, pumping blood through our veins, all forms of movement. We burn calories thinking about problems or stressing over things too. If you add all that up it is far more than any trip to the gym is going to accomplish.

Going to the gym does have its good points. It stimulates the brain and clears your head. It boosts your metabolism for a short time. It builds muscle mass. It also builds hunger. That is the problem I deal with every time. After exercise I am hungry. I am usually too tired to make the right choices. I eat junk.

My point in all of this is that I need start keeping track of what I am eating again. I need to hold myself accountable for that cookie after work or that morning mocha. Those are useless calories that make me fat.

There are many phone apps that help you track your daily intake. I have been using MyFitnessPal (on and off again) for several years. I like this one because it remembers my habitual eating and makes it easier for me to record. I tried WW (WeightWatchers) too, but they charge a monthly fee and quite frankly I was not seeing any real advantage. Either I am doing this or I am not and a monthly fee is no motivation. Just look at all the monthly gym fees and I never step into the place.

So free is better. Find one that you like. Some people like WW because of the support group. You can attend meetings and share with people on the app. That doesn’t work for me. I feel motivated when I first join and then the newness of the commitment wears off.

Anyway, as I have stated before I have a goal. Our 20th anniversary as a couple is coming in May. It will also be our 5th year of marriage. I need to look good on the beach in Hawaii. I am tired of people asking me to move because I am blocking the sun. I am tired of asking for a chair because I don’t fit into booths. I am tired of holding my food in my lap because the tray table can’t be lowered. I am tired of looking in the mirror and not liking my physical appearance.

Time for lunch! Hopefully I make intelligent choices…..

The Cakemaker

Over the holiday, besides eating too much food, we found time to watch a few LGBT movies on Netflix. I don’t normally like foreign films because I have trouble keeping up with the subtitles, but we came across a real gem, “The Cakemaker”.

The film is by Israeli writer/director Ofir Raul Graizer. While some of the dialogue is in Hebrew, the lead character is a German baker. Like us, the viewers, he doesn’t speak Hebrew either, so a lot of the interactions are spoken in English which puts the subtitles at a minimum. Also there are so much unspoken parts to this story. Tim Kalkhof plays Thomas (the baker). His ability to draw you into the story without speaking a word is true art and talent.

The basic story is two men fall in love. Oren (Roy Miller) is married to Anat (Sarah Adler) and they have a child. Oren meets Thomas and conducts his affair on business trips to Berlin. Oren is tragically killed in an auto accident, and this is where the story truly begins.

Thomas goes to Jerusalem and works his way into Anat’s life without telling her that he knew her husband. When I put this down in words here it sounds deceitful but as it unfolds on screen you are falling in love with all of the characters and get to understand their tremendous grief and loss.

There are flash backs into Thomas and Oren’s affair as well as Anat and Oren’s marriage and love for their son.

I won’t give the entire story away here, in case you decided to watch for your selves. But the baking scenes with Anat and Thomas are reminiscent of the pottery wheel in “Ghost”, and the desserts are amazing. Along the way we also learn things about the two cultures as well. I would give this film 4 stars.

A healthy new year

The New Year has already shown greatness. My great grandson was born on New Year’s Day, Andrew Jeffery Dunn. He has my name for his middle. I couldn’t be more proud. Someone is actually going to carry-on my name, well my first one at least.

Like many of you I am starting fresh on my plans to get into shape. The first step in that direction was to try a new breakfast item, “Just Crack an Egg”. The thing about this that is attractive is measured portion control. The 250 calories (including the egg) makes it a reasonable choice. Unfortunately, the taste is just not there for me.

Mine had mashed potatoes. Maybe a mistake?

The meal is basically a cup with little packages inside, cheese, bacon, potatoes. You peel them open and put that back in the cup with an egg. Stir it up. Microwave for 50 seconds. Stir it again and microwave for 40 seconds. It is pretty easy and the cleanup is so much easier. You throw it all in the trash, except the fork of course. While I don’t think I will be buying any more of these it has shown me what a portion should look like. I needed that reminder as I have gotten way out of control. I ate a half a bagel with it. I can’t be too drastic with this change or it will not work.

Tonight we return to the gym for a little exercise. Stationary bike for 20 minutes and 40 minutes using the machines. I was doing so well going 3 times a week. I need to get back at it.

I had my 6 month checkup. Everything is great health wise too. Blood pressure, glucose, triglycerides all under control. It was recommended that I start a Statin for cholesterol but I took a pass on that one. I have tried them before and the side effects were not to my likening. You read about them and it says “Wouldn’t you like reduce your chance of a stroke or CV event?” I would but if I am not feeling well after taking them I will pass, thank you very much. I do take a pill for Triglycerides, it just isn’t the one reco3mmended for Total Cholesterol. They want me to be on Crestor or some such thing.

Bottom line I am in pretty good shape for the shape that I’m in.

Lunch time

Today is cafeteria lunch day. Every once in a while I can’t meet Rick for lunch. It’s either a meeting or a doctor’s appointment or something and I am stuck here at the hospital eating cafeteria food. You would think a hospital would have healthy choices for lunch. Not so.

I picked up a readymade ham and cheese sandwich. The steamer table choice was some sort of Chinese food. It looked disgusting. The other options are to have something from the grill, like a hamburger or there is always pizza by the slice (equally gross looking). There is a salad option but they weigh it and it can get expensive fast not to mention unhealthy depending on what you pile on the plate. The readymade is already portion controlled for me so that is a plus, even though I am still hungry after eating it.

This is called a grub plate. Maybe too much.

The rest of this week will be equally challenging, Holiday lunches at various restaurants around town and one being catered in the auditorium which could be anything. The trick will be to order an appetizer as a meal. Many times these are less calories and not as dull as a salad. It will be festive I am sure. I might have a little trouble at the sushi bar, because I hate sushi. I am hoping they have shrimp or soup or something I can eat. They used to have a Shrimp Louie. The dressing is the danger there but I can handle it.

The point of all this is that you can celebrate and still watch what you eat. Just don’t order that chocolate cake and Claim Jumpers and you will be fine.

Portion control

Portion control sounds simple but it is so very hard for me to accomplish. Let’s look at what is getting in my way.

First, I have always used the excuse. “but I like it!” Here is the deal you can have what you like but you don’t need to eat it like you think someone is going to steal it from you if you don’t hurry up and finish it all. Where does this thought process come from?

When I was a child I watch my family devour their meals. My grandmother was a slow eater. This meant that sometimes she would miss out on things. Or so I thought. She actually took what she thought she could eat. This is what I need to start doing.
No one is going to take food away from me. This is not my last meal. This is not the only time I will have pizza. This is not my last desert. That bag of chips will be good for a few days without going stale.

Second, my partner is always offering me his food because he is full. It happened again last night. We were having pork tenderloin and he couldn’t finish his serving. Guess what he gave to me. I have to stop accepting these offers and be willing to throw it out.

Third, I do the kitchen clean up. The problem here is that I continue to stuff my face with things as am doing the dishes. I take the big serving spoon and eat those last few bites in the pan. I need to be scraping it into the trash or down the disposer. I am sure my partner is sampling the food while he is making it and that is what causes number 2 above.

Finally, I need to start measuring again so that I am more realistic about what a proper portion size should be. Of course, I have been to see a nutritionist. They show you what proper portion sizes are with fake food. But it isn’t the same as measuring something I am actually putting in my mouth. The rule is equal portions. Your plate should be divided into thirds, one part protein, one part vegetables, and one part starch. You should start by eating the vegetable and protein and then the starch. That way you might fill up on the other two and not eat as many carbs.

The portions get blurred when you are eating noodles or pasta. With spaghetti there is a meat sauce and there may be some meat balls on top plus cheese. When you are eating stroganoff there is beef on top of those noodles. Gnocchi is nothing but potatoes with a little olive oil and basil. How to balance these dishes becomes a real issue. One solution has been to not make these the main course. If you must have pasta have a chicken dish with it and always start with a salad or soup to fill you up. Then there is the issue of bread. This one is a killer. My advice is to not have bread with pasta. If you must have bread only prepare a small amount, not a whole loaf. This is again something I will eat while doing the dishes.

So basically, I know what to do. Now I need to get busy following my own advice.