Weighty Matters

Friends, I remembered to pack everything but my snack bag with its cheese wedges and peanut butter.  This is my fall back when I’m on the road and need to eat something every couple of hours.  I left the bag in my house instead of throwing it into my carry on.  So, while on the road yesterday I had to improvise and accept that protein was not going to be readily available exactly when I needed it, so the option became minimizing damage while still getting some fuel into my body, even if that meant more carbs than I would otherwise have chosen.

I had to leave the hotel for the airport before they set out the free breakfast which usually has some eggs.  I picked a small blueberry muffin and ate half of it.  The airport at 6 a.m. was a completely chaotic, packed mess.   Even though I arrived a couple of hours before flight time and had checked-in online so I had my boarding pass, it still took a full hour plus to get to the counter to drop off my bag and then even more wait time for TSA.  (No “groin anomalies” this time so I didn’t get pulled for a full pat down.)

Luckily, my flight was delayed by half an hour but even then the line to get any food other than doughnuts was too long.  We boarded, took off, and I perused the snack menu.  This airline needs to offer something with protein, IMHO.  At least on JetBlue you can get real cheese.  I settled for a mix that included nuts and picked out enough almonds to satisfy my hunger.

Once I arrived, I had lunch plans with my aunts and a cousin.  My South Jersey home area is known for many, many things.  Those in the know, know that we are also the place for the world’s best subs.  (Known as hoagies and grinders in other parts of the world.)  It’s a tradition that when we get together for lunch at the holiday, subs are the menu.  Honestly, cold cuts are cold cuts.  The secret to the best sub in the world is the bread.  Right, so why am I glorifying a sandwich because of the bread that I shouldn’t be eating?  Hey, being successful with my eating does not mean completely and forever depriving myself of the foods I love.  I think that I handled it pretty well.  I cut a very small slice of the sub and ate it.  I took another small slice, removed the protein sources and ate them, but in an act of supreme compliance, did not eat the second piece of bread.

After a lovely few hours with family, I hit the road for a couple of hours to spend time with another friend.  When I checked in to the hotel, the staff offered me fresh fruit or a warm, chewy chocolate chip cookie.  I chose the apple.  My friend and I had dinner plans and opted for a local Italian place.  Before we went, I was very clear with myself that I needed to focus on a quality protein at the meal.  That’s what I did, with a yummy chicken sorrentino.  My friend and her mother will no doubt enjoy the other half of the entree that I, of course, couldn’t finish.

We did some last minute holiday shopping afterwards, avoiding the hectic malls and finding good stores in separate shopping plazas that weren’t crazy at all.  Between that experience and the earlier trekking around the airport, I feel like I got in some decent walking.

This morning, I ordered in some eggs for breakfast.  Really too huge a portion which means that, sadly, a lot is wasted but I got in protein that I needed.  I have a little time and think I’m going to pull on my sweat pants and walking shoes and go log at least a half an hour on the treadmill down in the exercise room.

So, the last 24 hours weren’t perfect for me foodwise, but I think that I did the best that I could.  Overall, my food intake wasn’t horrible.  Not every day is going to be perfect, but each day can be as good as I can make it.

How are you all doing in the season of holiday eating?

That’s an expression held over from my Mom.  When she sensed that I might not be feeling well, she’d ask, “Honey, are you feeling punky?”  I don’t know where she got it from, but it’s a good memory.  Particularly because she’d usually then be happy to make me a grilled cheese sandwich and some tomato soup.

I defrosted some of my Giada-recipe tomato soup and had it for lunch today, sans grilled cheese sandwich.

Honestly, I’m feeling better than I did yesterday.  Mostly I’m tired which is an improvement over feeling tired and like crap.  The cold is moving down into my chest which makes me cough more.  This is not fun after an hour of Zumba where we did a lot of crunches and other ab work.  On the plus side, I was able to breathe through the entire class.  Booyah!

Okay.  Enough whining.  It’s just a freaking cold.  It’ll will pass in a few more days.  In the meantime, I’m functional.

My day started early.  Every few months, the surgeon requires extensive blood work.  In addition to the regular stuff like a CPC, lipid panel, and blood sugar, he wants to check a number of vitamins in my blood.  Makes sense, since I’m eating so little.  He needs to know that I’m nutritionally balanced.  I know that it takes a while to draw all of the blood needed for these tests, so I was at the hospital when the outpatient check-in opened at 8 a.m.  I was the first patient.  The phlebotomist was a jewel, but understandably curious about why so many tests were ordered.  As she lined up tubes (10-12) and prepared to stick me, I explained about having surgery.  We started to have a really nice, empathetic discussion about being heavy and needing to lose weight.  (She’s slightly more than 300 pounds.)

We also commiserated about some of things that well-meaning friends, co-workers and family say.  While the intent might be to help, a lot of people don’t realize that their words actually hurt.  Seriously, folks, no overweight person needs to hear that things would probably improve if they lost weight.  Likewise, if anyone is ever tempted to tell an obese woman, “You have such a pretty face.  You’d be so beautiful if you only lost weight.”

Actually, any statement that could end with the phrase “if you only lost weight”, should probably not be uttered.

It’s not like we don’t know these things.   I don’t know too many people who don’t try to lose their excess weight, unless they’ve completely given up.  Stating the obvious often just makes us feel worse about ourselves than we already do.

I know that not saying anything is difficult.  People that love us, or at least like us, naturally worry about our health.  There is a need to say or do something with the hope that what is said can encourage us to do something positive.  I know that I never figured out a way to do this for the long term until I had the surgery.  I don’t think that surgery is the only way for everyone.  I hope that I continue to be successful.

I hope that the sweet phlebotomist is able to find her way.

Show of hands — which is it?  Feed a cold, starve a fever or starve a cold, feed a fever?  Who thinks that either is total claptrap and has nothing whatsover to do with making us feel better when we’re sick?

I have a cold.  I’ve been battling getting sick since last week and thought that I successfully kept illness at bay by boosting my immune system with Vitamin C dosing.  After a week of the cold coming in and receding like some germy tide, I honestly thought I’d won.  Then I woke up this morning, started sneezing and felt the cold symptoms progressing through my nose, into my head.  I’m made of tough stuff, however, and don’t easily give in.  I had plans today, damnit, fun plans.  Fun, going to swim with dolphins while wearing a Santa hat for my holiday photos, plans.  I went, had a great time, got adorable photos (Yes, I will share them when I finish my photo holiday card.) and then came home and wanted to melt into bed like a rag doll.

Ordinarily, I have a powerful immune system and, thankfully, do not often get sick.  I think all of the travel and running around finally undermined me and left me susceptible.  I’m sure this was not helped by the woman two seats over in my row on the flight to Jersey who hacked, coughed and wheezed for two hours.

The few times that I do get sick, I usually crave specific foods:  extra crisp bacon, tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches.  I figured that a couple slices of extra crisp bacon would not throw me off track too badly, so I made some for breakfast.  I then fed at least half of it to the dogs.   The hot cup of tea, however, was excellent!

I went off to the dolphin swim and was gone for a few hours.  When I returned, I still wasn’t hungry after my shower  but knew that my body needed sustenance.  I don’t have bread in the house, so grilled cheese was not an option, and defrosting some homemade tomato soup was beyond my ability.  I took out two small stalks of celery, dipped one in a scoop of hummus and the other in some soft Brie and called it lunch.  Followed by another cup of tea.

At that point I really wanted to collapse in the chair, so I did for an hour or two.  Then I remembered that I had an assignment due tonight!  Yikes.  I brewed more tea and forced my brain to concentrate.  This is a little more difficult with a low grade fever and frequent bouts of sneezing, but I kept going.

A few more hours passed.  Dinner time came.  And went.  Totally not hungry, darn it, and I had really been looking forward to some deliciously grilled tri-tip beef!  Finally, I got up out of the chair and grilled the meat with a zuccini side dish.  Next to chocolate, I love really good beef more than any other food.  Do you have any idea how frustrating and annoying it was to lose all appetite after three bites?  I couldn’t force another forkful down on a bet.  Nat and Pyxi were quite pleased to receive the remainder of my paltry serving.

So, here I sit, forcing fluids like a good patient.  I’m not going to say that I’m starving.  One would actually need to be hungry and deprived for that condition.  I know this condition won’t last long.  For now, I guess I’ll just be satisfied to have fed by need to whine.

Thanks for listening.