13 Diet Discoveries
I’m on a group diet. Sounds weird, but it’s working for me. It’s a program for the prevention of diabetes that my doctor recommended. Here’s some of what I’ve learned.
1. The program is called Lifestyle Balance. It’s free, supported by a combination of state funding and run by the CDC.
2. Diabetes is caused by an over abundance of glucose in the blood. I already knew that, but I hadn’t realized the over abundance isn’t cause only by insulin levels. Type 2 (my type) is often caused by an inability to utilize the insulin present.
3. The program began as research. They were testing some medicine. Turned out the lose weight and exercise more program was far more effective.
4. The goal is only to lose 7% of your weight. So for someone who weighs 207 pounds (the typical weight for those entering the program) that means losing 14 pounds. Yeah, only 14. I’m shooting for 15.4. Hey! Put that calculator down!
Suzie’s House 396 : Shenanigans
“The first time he got away from me, don’t laugh, he hid in the closet.” Donny grinned for a minute, then seemed to realize no one smiled back. “Hey, he could have fooled anyone. I swear I checked everywhere. Checked the closets twice. He had to have moved from one to another, always one step ahead of me.”
“Just goes to show I’m not as stupid as you think I am,” Walter said. His smile wasn’t entirely nice, but not exactly calculating.
“Anyway, he waited until I was screaming his name, then bam! There he was, just standing in the hall closet with this big huge grin on has face. Scared the sht out of me.” Donny started laughing.
Health Program
My doctor sent me to a diet program. Apparently she’s concerned because I have diabetes and heart disease riddling my family history. She suckered me in on the possibility that if I lose enough weight I might be able to drop the blood pressure medicine.
It’s a cool program. If your doctor recommends one like it, I say jump on it.
It’s free to participants with backing by both the state and the CDC. The statistics collected get turned in to the CDC and are part of their long term study of diabetes. Originally, twenty years ago, the CDC set up three groups for their study: a control group that merely reported their condition. A group testing a new diabetes drug. And a group that focused on improving diet and exercise together. The last group improved their health and longevity by twice as much as the drug group and three times the control group.
Last week we focused on fat grams. I have to have 42 fat grams or less. I’m finding it easier to count fat grams than calories, though I’m sure we’ll end up counting them, too. I know because there’s a spot for calories on their forms.
I learned all kinds of things by looking up the food I normally eat. For instance, 2% milk had 5 grams per cup. That’s a lot when you can only have 42 grams a day. Pork blade is worse than pork chop. Beef is a killer. Cheese is my Waterloo. And always, always, always look the food up BEFORE you eat it. Gyros have 40 grams per 12 oz!
Who knew? When I complained to The Girl, she shrugged and said, “Well we already knew it would be bad. I mean, look at all the people who work there.” She’s got a point.
J&J Today
I just encountered the photographic equivalent of writer’s block. I haven’t had to deal with writer’s block in a looooong time. I’m quite confident that I will get over it, but maybe not this weekend. So, look for Jack and Jill next week. Or Jack at any rate. For the time being, Jill is out of the picture.
Have you seen her?
Emily has been walking for fifty two days now. She just got up one day and started out. We don’t know why. All she’s got is what will fit in one little backpack and our good will. If she lets us know where she is, we send money. So far she’s never hung around long enough for us to catch up.
No need to try and bring her home. She won’t stay. She’s full grown now. Not much we can do. But if you see her, let us know how she’s doing. Give her a roof for a night and maybe some grub, if you’re willing. If we see your Carl, we’ll do the same.
The Hub: Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
Photo credit: Dawn Q. Landau
13 Screensavers?
Etsy only lets me pack five photos together per transaction. Which ones should I include in my Canada pack?
1.
Suzie’s House 395 : Job Insecurity
Donny didn’t like the look of this new guy. He had “cop” written all over him. But it was too late to hide the evidence. Donny had been toking for at least an hour. Pot smoke filled the air of his employer’s living room.
Donny glanced at Ned, his employer. No reaction. None from the other guy either. They all just stood around the couch with their heads in the cloud.
Well, he had his green card, anyway. If this cop guy tried to pull something, Donny would just prove it was medicinal. No one needed to know the doctor who prescribed it was a friend.
True Love Is a Tree
I was reading one of Brian’s poems when it occurred to me that I tend to say a lot about love. This, of course, is pretty reasonable for a Romance writer, right?
How many of you forgot that I’m a Romance writer? How many of you never knew?
I don’t generally lean toward the sappy. I certainly have my moments, but really, I’m a bit too… I can’t really say “down to earth”. Maybe “earthy” is more like it.
I tend toward scatological humor – more like Mozart than like a little kid. I lean toward suspense, and now and then I get a bit macabre. Not exactly what generally comes to mind when thinking about Romance.
Yet underneath it all is definitely a core belief in the power of love. To me it isn’t something airy fairy. It’s like a good marriage. Although the loving impulse might be as fleeting as a rose bud, love itself is like a tree. It changes over time, but it lasts. Come to think of it, that’s what the happyily ever after in a romance is all about.
Strangled Moonshine
Theodor: What happened here?
Jack: Bachelor party! I’m the laaaaasssst bachelor, so we had it at my place. P-p-pretty wild, huh?
Theodor: Let go of the moonshine. We need to talk. The future had been ruined by your mother-in-law. I need all the information on her personal history that you can provide.
Jack: What mother-in-law? I’m a baaaaachelor! Hey! Don’t put a cork in it. You’ll strangle it. By the way, who are you?
Previously in Jack and Jill: Cupid and Pink Hearts
The theme for this week’s Jack and Jill is “Strangled Moonshine” as suggested by Jannie Funster
Want to see what I can do with a word or phrase? Make a suggestion.
In Comparison
“This is the perfect symbol for my love.” Liam pointed to the mass of dark crystals in the museum. “They are long and barbed like frozen fireworks splayed in all directions. Each crystal is very sharp and dangerous, yet delicate and brittle. Only gentle care will keep it intact.” He gave Sally a meaningful look.
“Your love? Your love is more like real fireworks – all flash and heat. No, if these symbolize anyone’s love, it would be mine.” Sally turned a cold shoulder and moved to the next display.
Liam grinned. “She loves me.”
The Hub: Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
Photo credit: Marie Gail Stratford
13 Things Left To Do
I didn’t get much done this week. How’d I do from last week?
1. Clear off my couch so my ds will have a place to sleep tonight. I did! But then I filled it again.
2. Sweep the floor Done. And it’s harder than it sounds when you have trouble bending over.
3. Dishes They never end. It’s still on the list.
4. Find and update password list. I have torn the house apart and put it back together and still haven’t found it. I can only assume it got packed away and taken out to the storage unit. That or it’s been destroyed.
5. Update my Welcome page Maybe this week?
6. Update my Suzie’s House episode listing. Again, still on the list.
7. Catch up on revision goals. Only twenty pages behind.
8. Learn to make cardboard boxes So far it’s been a disaster. Who knew cardboard could be so hard to fold?
9. Buy more healthy food. But nothing looks appealing this time of year. Maybe I’ll get seed packets.
10. Update my To Do list. Quit laughing. I have it on a spreadsheet. It’s intense.
11. Join the YMCA for the free swimming. I did! But I haven’t gone swimming yet.
12. Do my exercises I was a total slug and paid dearly.
13. Put together some screensaver packs. Next week maybe?
For more lists of Thirteen, visit Thursday Thirteen
Suzie’s House 394 : Shaking Hands
He looked like Martin. Or maybe not. This guy had sandy brown hair where Martins had been more of a light black. This guy was a lot taller. His face more angular. But there was something in his eyes a little off, the way it had been with Martin when he wasn’t sober. Walter wasn’t at all sure he wanted to meet this guy.
“My name is Andrew Banks. You can call me Drew.” The druggie stuck out his hand to be shaken.
“You’re an FBI agent?”
“Former.” Some shadow passed over Drew’s eyes as he said it. There was regret there.
