Eat healthy

Getting back on track after being sick has been a difficult task. As a diabetic I know what I should and shouldn’t be eating but sometimes I lose sight of the goal. So here is a reminder.

Things you should be eating:

1. Greens – iceberg lettuce doesn’t really cut it here. Did you know it was originally grow to feed to pigs. You don’t have to go out and harvest your own kale like my nephew, but green leafy vegetables such as spinach, arugula, and collard greens can definitely be prepared as a tasty satisfying dish. Don’t call it salad and maybe you will like it.
2. Eggs – Eggs are a good source of protein. For years they have gotten a bad rap for increasing cholesterol levels. But just like any other food moderation is the key.
3. Fatty foods – Yes! We aren’t talking cupcakes and ice cream hear, although once in a while those can be a special treat. What we are talking about are avocados, butter, cheese, eggs, salmon, nuts, seeds, and if you like it Greek yogurt but watch for added sugars
4. Beans – I always think of that little song from childhood about them being the musical food. The catch here is that many processed beans are high in sodium. Dried beans are the best (of course you cook them first).
5. Fruit – This is a double edged sword. Raw fruits contain lots of fiber that help cancel out their sugar content. Smoothies break down this fiber and you are left with sugar. Also watch for sugar added to canned fruit. There are some with no sugar added. If it says in light syrup it is probably not the best choice.
6. Vegetables – Yuk right? We know we should eat them. The fiber here is also key. If you want that baked potato, try a baked yam instead. Asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, spinach, snow peas all are good choices. You can find ways to add these to your diet that make them tasty. Hide them in a quiche or soup. You don’t have to eat them in their native form, although I enjoy steamed broccoli, but I know many people including past Presidents detest it. Watch the cheese sauce. Unless you make it yourself it is probably full of sodium.
7. Whole Grains – I love bread products. Make smart choices here. There are so many “whole grain” options. Read the fiber content as some of these are misleading. Again we need moderation. Open face that sandwich. Eat that burger but leave off the top bun. Skip those chips or rolls and have brown rice or a yam with your meal. Small changes make a big difference.
8. Lemons – Citrus is an important part of your diet. It improves digestion, your immune system (I tend to think of pirates and scurvy here), and it keeps you fuller longer. Put that lemon slice in your unsweetened ice tea or water. Simple right?
9. Turmeric – I found this one on a website. I am a little dubious of its purported miracle qualities. But using it as a seasoning on salmon couldn’t hurt.
10. Chocolate – What? We are not talking milk chocolate here. The sugar added to milk chocolate cancels out any benefits it may have had. This is raw dark chocolate. It contains antioxidant chromium and is supposed to improve insulin function. Again this is a hard one to swallow. But mole sauce is one answer. I am sure it can be added to lots of recipes.

So that is my list for today. I am going to the gym after work. I am feeling much better. Eat healthy and we will achieve our goals.

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Excuses

So many things are happening, but I have not had the time or ambition to write about them. I have had a cold for the past two week. Always a miserable time. Even my cat got sick. I am doing better this week. Time to get back on track.

It seems there are endless excuses for not getting into shape. “It’s too cold outside.” “I stayed late at work.” “I have a cold.” “I don’t feel like it.”

These excuses lead to other bad behavior such as eating cookies, chips, ice cream, biscuits, etc. Looking for comfort in food has got to stop, because in the end it makes me even more unhappy with myself. Lucky for me these antibiotics are suppressing my appetite. I am also on a new shot for my diabetes. Slowly building up to a full dose. It is making me very frustrated. I have been gaining weight.

This post is turning into a big excuse. I need to move past this and get better, healthier and in shape. We are going to Hawaii next month. I still have time to do something.

Goals

After much internalization, I am finally over the doctor shaming I received last week. Let me say that I am prone to exaggeration and maybe a bit overly sensitive to what he said, but still it was hurtful and not helpful in the least. Moving on from that I did take some of the nurse’s advice about watching my diet and the whole open-faced sandwich idea as well as the bacon, only I bought sausage instead. Say good bye to bagels for now.

Now let’s move on to what this post is really about. Make short term goals that are both attainable and fun. There is more to getting in shape than just the numbers on the scales. We need to measure ourselves. I know you have heard that sometimes it is inches not pounds that make the difference. The problem is nobody wants to constantly measure their body’s, especially when those numbers are large er ah extra extra large. So here is the trick that can help you. Buy an outfit that is one size down from what you currently wear. Then once a week try it on.

I here you saying, “But what if it never fits?” The thing to remember is the goal is to get smaller so that it does fit. What’s the fun part, you may be asking. The fun part is you get to go shopping. I know that can be disappointing. That shirt looks so good on that mannequin, but not on me. First off, nobody should be the size of those mannequins, and if you look closely the clothes are pinned on to fit tighter than they really would.

So here is the thing. Don’t get something that you know runs small. Keep with what you currently wear and just downsize that by one. So for example, I wear a 2X shirt in Big and Tall, but a regular XXL is too small. So I find the shirt over in the “normal” section of the store and buy the XXL. Yes it is too tight, but don’t stop there. Can you get it buttoned? If you can get it button or pulled on depending on the shirt, does it pass the sit down test? When you sit down do the buttons look like they are going to pop someone’s eye out when they fly across the room? If you can sit down then you are almost there. Can you breathe? So here is the deal, you now have a goal, to wear this new shirt. You also have a way of measuring your progress to that goal. And not once did you grab a measuring tape and say, “Oh My God”.

You can do this with pants too. Do the pockets pucker? Do they fit through the rear? Can you sit down? Are they stretch pants that might give you a little extra give when you need it? You get the idea. Don’t go too small and don’t be too hard on yourself (like trying on your wedding dress or something stupid like that). This is a goal that is achievable.

For example, I can wear 38 inch pants that have some stretch to the fabric. Does my gut hang over the waist band? Of course, but I don’t tuck in my shirts anyway. I can get that XXL shirt buttoned, but I can’t sit down or breathe in it yet. Baby steps.

Attainable, measurable, goals, aside from watching what you eat and exercising. Which of course you should continue to do.

And one more thing. You don’t have to buy the outfit You could go to the store and try it on over and over again. I just prefer doing this in private at home. Plus as seasons change your sample might be gone.

Doctor shaming me

Just a quick update. I know I am not keeping up on this blog. But apparently that’s not the only thing in my life that needs some attention.

I had a follow up visit with my endocrinologist. While my A1C number is great at 6 0, my obesity is still a problem. Instead of losing weight I have gained 3 pounds over the last three months.

So the doctor had his intern go over my diet to see what can be adjusted. For the most part I am eating okay but as she put it just too much. Dah!

She suggested that I cut more carbs, have an open face sandwich at lunch, for example. Fore go that sleeve of thin mint cookies. Limit my ice cream to maybe once a week. Replace that bagel in the morning with bacon. And so on. Small changes will make a difference in the long run

Then the doctor came in and said most people lose weight on the meds I am taking. He changed my prescription to something more powerful. He said I don’t have to change. And sarcastically suggesting it was my choice if I don’t want to lose weight.

So I have been shamed by an intern and a doctor. Made me want that other sleeve of cookie. Ugh!

London Spy

I am halfway through a miniseries on Netflix called “London Spy”. It was originally aired on BBC in 2015. What is unique about this series is that the lead characters are gay. It is sort of and LBGT James Bond kind of story, with a twist. You have the rich villains, but the lead person is just an ordinary guy, except that he is fearless. His love interest is a handsome introverted brilliant mind. Not “Octapussy”, but intriguing none the less.

Ben Whishaw plays Danny.

Anyway, I am hooked on this show. Thank goodness it is only 5 episodes. I can’t binge watch it because it gives you a lot to think about and it can cause nightmares. I don’t want to give away the plot but this is for mature audiences. There are some sex scenes and drug use shown vividly.

Danny and Alex

Valentine failure

I normally ignore this holiday. But this year I decided to order Ricky a gift. This morning I got text saying it won’t get here on time. It is expected to arrive Saturday. So one again I have failed.

Blackface challenge

Prince

Note: I pulled this post because I thought it was too controversial. But here we are in the news again defending or not defending blackface.

Let me just say that being in blackface next to a KKK costume is truly offensive.

But Joy Behar darkening her skin for Halloween in the 70s is just ignorance. She didn’t have hate in her heart.

We need to pick up on these differences and move on. What someone is doing today is certainly more relevant. And so you can hate me for this post.

Those were innocent youthful times when people didn’t second guess everything for being “PC”. Something as a young gay man fighting for my rights I never wanted to be amyway.

There are plenty of gay stereotypes in the media. I am offended because I know we are more than those characters. But I can laugh at them too. At least we are being seen if not in the best light possible. Change takes time.

The first step is acknowledging we exist. The next step is proving we add value. The final step is accepting us for who we are as a person and not singling us out for our diversity.

It is a real challenge not to be prejudicial. But that is how we survive. We judge situations based on past experiences or learned behavior. The goal is to unlearn the behavior. Not an easy task…. and so here is my offensive post. Enjoy.

I have voted. Now that that is out of the way I can focus on more entertaining things, like Halloween! I used to celebrate this day in costume when I was younger. As a sales clerk we were encouraged to dress up. I was a vampire, the devil, a cowboy, and once dress up as Prince which would be a shameful thing to do now, but in the 80s I was just enjoying the tight clothes and lace.

I now know how offensive that was to wear blackface. Times have changed. My picture could not be tweeted all across the globe. We had to wait for PhotoMat to develop them. As for learning about the bigotry and racism of such a costume there was no internet to research it. It wasn’t even a topic in history class. Heck I was watching Al Jolson movies on channel 13. If you Google him now you will find that he was “The World’s Greatest Entertainer”, “Shameless” and “sentimental”, “melodramatic”.

So we have learned a lot since the 80s about what is proper and what is offensive to others. Political Correctness is a product of the 90s. I only bring this up because every year around Halloween somebody gets in trouble for defending or doing “blackface” as part of their costume. Seriously, I loved Prince and I thought I was paying him a tribute, not mocking him. I guess I am a white supremacist after all.

Grace Jones

I am almost afraid to post this blog because of the backlash it could produce. But know this, my ignorance is not an excuse. Society has moved on and we have a greater understanding of what hurts others or is prejudice, sexist or racist. Prince was one of my role models because of his androgynous looks. So was Boy George. These were some early heroes of equality: David Bowie, Alice Cooper, Elton John, Annie Lennox, Grace Jones and the list goes on and on. The desire to emulate our heroes is a good thing, just maybe not to look like them

Maybe Boy George would have been a better choice.

As for the Megan Kelly incident, I don’t like her anyway, but not because she said something stupid about Halloween costumes.