September 25, 2003
 Yayyy!!
I'm so completely excited. This should really just be put in the Fatastic
Journal, but it's such a big thing that I wanted to share it here first!
I've found the perfect food plan for me! My wonderful daughter-in-law told
me about this book called "The Insulin Resistance Diet," by Cheryle Hart and
Mary Kay Grossman. In it, the emphasis is on high protein, while balancing
them with carbs and keeping calories under control as well. The only
complaints I've seen online about this program are from some of the Atkins
people who complain that Hart and Grossman are perpetuating the low fat madness
by keeping the fat grams down in their book. My feeling is that if it
can't hurt (and I can't imagine it would as long as there is enough fat in the
diet), then why bitch about it? Anyway, after reading the first 1/3 or so
of the book, this looks like something I can really employ in the long term, so
I'm very pleased to be getting it underway today. I was particularly
surprised to find that the authors noted two things that were very specific to
me, saying that people who have insulin resistant tend to have skin tags and
that if you are on a high protein diet for a while, your resistance to illness
is much lower due to reduced levels of antioxidants (and as you know, I've been
picking up almost every bug that comes along lately whereas I never used to get
sick). Since there seems to be a good bit of this book that speaks
directly to me, I'm positive I was led to it for a reason.
 I'm
very eager to also get into the new Dr Phil book, "The Ultimate Weight
Solution." I know that he will likely be basing it entirely on the 10 Life
Laws he outlined in "Life Strategies," which is fine since they are very sound
observations. I always find good stuff as he builds a case for the subject
matter (such as in "Relatonship Rescue") around those 10 premises. I know
there will be parts of it that will speak to me. Thanks to my friend,
Karen, I have revisited my reservations about Phil as a weight loss guru.
I do, as all of you know, really respect him and live by so many of his basic
life laws. The concern I've had about both Phil and Oprah as weight loss
inspirations is that they have many opportunities that those regular folks
around us will never have. Phil just sent his personal trainer to talk to
the Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge folks. Oprah has her own cook to follow
her around and Bob Green (no less) to exercise with her and inspire her. I
don't fault them that. If I had that kind of money, I'd do the same thing.
It just bothers me that they are there encouraging us and telling us how to go
about losing weight and in some cases, basically demanding that we do (Phil once
told a woman that she had "no right" to be overweight and deny her family of a
mother) when they have all of these amenities at their disposal. When
Oprah had her show on incredible weight loss successes, it was extremely
inspiring, but unless I missed something, every person mentioned having a
personal trainer. Shit, I can't even afford the admin fees to the gyms
around here, much less the $90 a month regular fees. Our YMCA does not
have gym facilities, so choices are fairly limited.
I do understand that weight loss
happens on the inside first and blah blah blah, but I think it's much easier to
translate the inside to the outside if you have skads of money to afford
yourself the finest and the best in the way of support. So considering
that, I find it a bit over the top for them to be telling us how to do it.
Now that being said, I do feel that Dr Phil has a great deal to offer in regard
to the psychological aspects of weight loss and about anything else. I
feel Oprah has a fantastic forum to gain access to a number of different schools
of thought and I think it's fine that she uses that in an attempt to help
others. I do, however, feel that in the interest of relating to their audiences,
it would be kind to at least acknowledge that not everyone can afford the
gratuities that they can buy for themselves and that as a result, it could be
considerably harder for them.
I do very much want to read Phil's book
and will be picking it up as soon as I can. I thought it would be best to
get to the food plan first, then hit the psychological tweaks next payday.
Checked my blood pressure again last
night and although it's a bit high for me, it's well within normal limits and I
feel fine (130/80). I'm not near death, so all of you who have that
furrowed brow, smooth it right out. What happened on Saturday was a strong
wake up call and signal from the Universe and I'm on it and taking it very, very
seriously. Eric is checking out exercise bikes for me tomorrow. He
has a friend from the mosque who owns an exercise equipment store, so he's going
to talk to them about costs.
* * *
 On
the recommendation of my friend, Sage, I have found a show that I completely
love called "Judging Amy." I've only been watching it on TNT in rerun, but
despite my initial thoughts that it was a churchy lafemme chick show (a genre
that along with the whole 90210/Melrose Place gig that I despise as far as my
own entertainment), I have found it to be very, very entrancing. I had the
same experience with ER. I've watched the episodes from show 1 of season 1
right up until Mark's death a total of 3 times. After that episode, I have
no idea what happens. I'm only just now getting into The Sopranos via DVD
and I'm finding that now, into the 2nd season, it's really starting to slow down
and not be as compelling of a watch. I am seriously hoping that doesn't
happen with Judging Amy. I've only been watching for a month or so, but I
am completely entranced by Maxine, the character played by Tyne Daly. I
have loved Tyne Daly since Cagney and Lacey and I remember admiring her as a
person then for having the courage to be one of the first public caucasian
figures to be married to a black man (actor Georg Stanford Brown). I feel
like Maxine gives me a wonderful homing beacon of where I want to go and who I
want to become. Maxine is my hero and I haven't had one of those in a
long, long time. *sigh* I love being entertained.
* * *
Eric is off work tomorrow, which will
be nice. He's been working very long hours prior to this week and
beginning this week, they went to 4 ten hour shifts a week. He's working
about 90 minutes out of town, so he gets up painful early (about 3:45am) to get
ready to leave and comes home around 6pm. I miss him very much, only
getting a very short time with him by the time dinner is finished and the kids
are settled. He's exhausted (admittedly, so am I), so we are usually
asleep by 9pm. Prior to last night, I stayed up later just to try and have
some quiet, nonkid time, but I ended up getting too drained from lack of sleep
and had to start going to bed with him. It's difficult, but necessary for
now. I think I just need to find my stride with it. I want to get
the house well cleaned today so that we don't have to do more than minor
maintenance on it while he's off work.
We are both very, very much looking
forward to Joe visiting us in a month. Additionally, we're hearing that
Josh might be able to make it down at some point as well. I love seeing my
kids. :) I'm looking forward to getting some good one-on-onetime
with each of them. They are really fine young men and I'm so proud of
them. David is the one who stayed local and he is such a gift to me and my
little ones. I'm just really lucky to have given birth to such really,
really wonderful people. I just wish my daughter-in-law could come down as
well. With any luck, I can see her in a few months.
* * *
Time to get busy and impress myself.
I am doing well on the food plan I mentioned above and so far have felt great
today except for being a little tired. I'm eager for the weekend and hope
to catch up on some much needed R&R. You may not hear from me for a few
days. It doesn't mean I stroked out in the garage, just that I'm on the move.
Much love to you all and wishes for an
absolutely STELLAR weekend!!
Love,
Katrina
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