Saturday Night Open Thread
By John Cole February 4th, 2012
I have a sneaking suspicion that I am about to shortly begin a strict low-fat, low-salt, heart healthy diet and exercise regimen, so I am making tacos tonight. Devon visited dad, and reports that he was complaining about visible dust in the vents (“It’s just disgusting, why doesn’t someone clean it?”), so it looks like he has already recovered completely.
What are you all up to?
Posted in Open Thread
Glad to hear he’s doing better. I’m trying to recover from a two-day teaching and learning conference!
February 4th, 2012 at 6:07 pm
Celebrating Penguin victory.
Getting drunk.
Bong hits.
“Captain America” DVD
Fuk yeah…
February 4th, 2012 at 6:08 pm
Very glad to hear that your dad is feeling better. And enjoy those tacos.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:08 pm
In honor of your father’s quick recovery I am vacuuming and then making something for Super Bowl Sunday.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Remember to send a few to the mayor of East Haven, Connecticut.
Got nothing much planned other than trying to relax after another six day work week. I’ll probably end up sleeping through the Super Bowl tomorrow.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:09 pm
So, so glad to hear this. Yeah, a better diet would probably be good for all of us…...but, what the hell.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Glad to hear he’s back to his old self. Will you all be watching the Superbowl in the hospital with him?
As for the healthy diet, a friend swears by the 80/20 rule—if you can eat healthily 80% of the time, then don’t worry too much about the 20%. Count your tacos in the 20%. Another does the healthy during the week/eat whatever on the weekend diet and has lost a fair amount of weight. You have to find what works for you.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:11 pm
Yum tacos. I’m making red beans and rice. That’s a dish that you can make heart healthy if you use smoked turkey. I’m using leftover ham that has been in the freezer since xmas though. I do use brown rice though.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:11 pm
Your dad is amazing. I’m so glad to hear that it was a relatively mild heart attack and that he’s getting good treatment.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Feeling whimsical. Don’t know why, but that reminds me of taking care of my Dad as he was dying. Great yelp from the bedroom. “Tell me, did a camera just emerge from my pillow!” “No dad, I think that was a hallucination.” “OK. (head back in the pillow) YOU deal with it.”
February 4th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Is this diet going to coincide with you taking a break from blogging?
February 4th, 2012 at 6:16 pm
At least he didn’t wake up yelling “Refund! Refund!”
February 4th, 2012 at 6:16 pm
I’m glad to hear that your Dad is doing better. And a low-fat, low sodium diet is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s amazing how good fresh fruit can taste if you let it. I had to learn to eat differently after quitting PT five days a week.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Is this like The Last Supper? What would I eat if I was getting executed tomorrow? Probably pizza.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Good luck on yer healthy living regimen. Your only regret will be that you didn’t make yourself do it sooner.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:17 pm
@Violet:
That’s the Hungry Girl rule. Lisa Lillien lost weight but had a huge problem with maintenance, so rather than give up on her favorite foods entirely, she just remade them. She relies too much on processed foods for my taste (Egg Beaters?) but overall it’s a great ratio. And I’m as much an onion ring whore as she is. Gonna try her way of making them one of these days.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:17 pm
I’m glad that you are realizing that this will be your fate too if you don’t change things.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:17 pm
@Soonergrunt: That’s the truth. I have never been a big salt user and I use more herbs and spices. A friend wanted to go to Olive Garden for lunch…UGH..It was awful.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:18 pm
@Soonergrunt:
For me it’s all about the sugar. I’d happily give up salt, but it’s so hard for me to ignore the siren call of sugary treats. The real food I eat is all healthy and good for me. And then I want ice cream and cookies. Sigh.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:19 pm
Great that your Dad is back to himself—that is always a great sign…
Enjoy your tacos and this Saturday night!
February 4th, 2012 at 6:20 pm
@Violet: You need to do a candida cleanse.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:20 pm
I’m Watching Lethal Weapon and trying to imagine a time before realizing how crazy and possibly racist and sexist Mel Gibson is.
Also too, Just in time for tomorrow. Picture of the weekend:
Are You Ready For Some Football!
Check out the pic, you won’t be disappointed.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:21 pm
@Yutsano:
Interesting, I didn’t know about her. The friend who does it follows one of those strict paleo diets and feels really great on it, but only does it 80% of the time. He’s an extremely competitive athlete and found doing his diet this way improved his strength and stamina, etc.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:22 pm
@Violet: I spent the night in Kennesaw! I did eat at a good Cuban joynt last night.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:22 pm
@kwallio: Heh. One of my favorites: “No! I’m not glad to be alive. I’m glad I’m not dead. There’s a difference!”
Paul Dooley, isn’t it?
February 4th, 2012 at 6:22 pm
Right now getting a crockpot of soup beans going, with some green macha iced tea. Then it’s doggy bath time, I think charley already senses it coming, hanging out under the bed.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:23 pm
@JPL:
Yup. I found that when I started growing my own vegetables, cooking with herbs and baking my own cookies, etc, that chain restaurant and processed food stopped tasting good. I got used to different flavors and less salt.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:23 pm
@The Ancient Randonneur: No, but he is going to be in a flaming-everything-in-sight bad mood when he starts his diet. The ignorant, montebanks, frauds, conservatives, lilly-livered democrats, any republican watch out. I can’t wait.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:24 pm
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Mickey Mantle
“If I knew I was gonna live this long I woulda taken better care of myself”!
February 4th, 2012 at 6:24 pm
Glad Dad’s doing better, JC. May it continue.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:25 pm
As any guy knows, if he’s complaining about anything other than his health then he’s doing much better! :) Great to hear that he’s doing well and I hope that he continues to do so.
I’m upgrading a laptop for a customer, enjoying the warm, sunny weather and having my ankles strafed by our kitten every time I go inside.
Good luck with the change in diet and focusing on health issues!! Be patient, getting in bad shape happens over time and reversing the effects of it takes just as much, if not more, time. The slow progress can get discouraging at first but as your body adapts to the changes it will start to respond better.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:25 pm
Hey John Cole and Balloon Juicers, welcome to your worst nightmare: Tim Tebow Leaves Door Open For Possible Future In Politics
February 4th, 2012 at 6:26 pm
Good to hear he’s doing well, or better anyway. Going to watch IU/Purdue game and then hitting a jam band bar where the hippies all go, just like Neil says. I am certain a good time will be had by all. Badly needed, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....38;ob=av2e
Editorial note: I don’t (usually) interject personal items, but I’m feeling seriously overburdened at the moment and need to unload. Raising a special needs child makes you develop reserves of patience of which you never thought yourself capable. By the time your child reaches eighteen, in my case, it’s very definitely like Groundhog Day the movie – the same eight year old for ten years. I’ll happily go on doing it til the day I get shoveled under, but it makes you tired in a place that no amount of rest will ever reach.
On the other hand, it gives you a great sense of perspective. She’s healthy, happy, goes to school, has friends and functions on her own within her capabilities. Every time I’ve taken my daughter in for checkups at Riley Children’s Hospital neurology, I think to myself: “You don’t have problems and neither does Miss Thing. Those people over there with the kid with the funny shaped head, they’ve got problems.”
The moral of the story – and as we all know, every good story has a moral: Count your blessings when and where you can….
There. I feel better.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:26 pm
@lamh35: THAT MAN is playing ball in the White House! and not using a coaster! Ronald Reagan wouldn’t allow bowling balls in the White House bowling alley! Where’s the outrage!
February 4th, 2012 at 6:26 pm
@cathyx:
I haven’t done a specific candida cleanse, but I have done a cleanse that was very close to it. I’ve also done hard core induction for South Beach diet, which is pretty close to a candida cleanse.
I will add that I’ve had a sweet tooth for as long as I can remember. Even as a kid, I liked sweets. I think part of it is that I was never allowed them as a kid, so there’s a psychological component to it.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:27 pm
The “low fat” diet recommended by the medical community is not based on science. There is ample evidence (peer reviewed and published) that an atkin’s type diet does as much for blood pressure and cholesterol as the AHA diet.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:27 pm
@Violet: My aerobics instructor, in her 50s and in great shape, who works out 5 to 6 days a week is very strict about what she eats during the week, but has no rules for what she eats on the weekend. Seems to work for her!
February 4th, 2012 at 6:27 pm
John Cole –
About your insomnia, there are some people who exercise acts like caffeine and if you do it after say 4pm, you’ll be up all night.
Try it in the mornings…
February 4th, 2012 at 6:27 pm
Working…left over hamburger helper…missing a good fight card….sigh.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:27 pm
@lamh35:
The very pure usually have special talents for falling dick first into a tub of vice, sooner or later. You can almost take it to the bank.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:30 pm
Btw, which Fper is gonna start the BJ fitness/wellness club? We got too many people looking for answers and so many people doing differnet things that it would be a horrible thing not to help and support one another.
My diet…I eat what I feel like in normal healthy proportions. If you go on a “diet” you’ll only crave what you deny. Nothing wrong with a cookie or two, just don’t eat the whole damn package!
February 4th, 2012 at 6:32 pm
Procrastinating on Econ homework and studying for a Finance mid-term. Watching movies on SyFy.
Need to exercise, but damn am I having a hard time getting my butt in gear (for the last 3 months). I started jogging again, with some regularity in September. Rolled my ankle in October, so I couldn’t run and now I’m a fat slob on his couch, with a lap-top on his lap and the T.V. on.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:32 pm
I am cooking lots of stuff for the entire week. Trying to make a chicken curry in the oven, roasting beets, making some risotto, refried beans, pickled cabbage, beef kebabs and a ricotta cheesecake. Also roasting some butternut squash and potatoes.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:33 pm
It’s my birthday and my lovey made me a birthday banana walnut cake with chocolate ganache. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Sorry to tempt you, Jon, new diet and all.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
Since it’s not evening here yet, I’m enjoying a rare warm sunny day today. I even thought about washing my car.
I have to plug how proud I am of my daughter. She’s in 8th grade and taking advanced math. She had algebra last year and geometry this year. 8th graders take a state test to test their proficiency in math. But since most 8th graders are taking algebra this year, the math being tested is algebra. She came home crying that she will probably do poorly on the test because she can’t remember a lot of the algebra since she had it last year. So we went to the library and got an algebra book and she’s been reviewing it all day. (I would never have done that when I was her age, not that I would ever tell her that)
February 4th, 2012 at 6:35 pm
@DanielX: Earlier today on this site they linked to an article in the NYTimes about Wonder Dog. What amazed me most was not the special needs dog but the family unit. I was so pleased that they shared their story because it is a learning lesson for all of us. Three words came to mind when I read the story, Courage, Strength and Glory.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:35 pm
@gene108: What kind of Econ? Macro or micro? Corporate Finance or Investments? As for exercise you should try swimming, when you have an injury
February 4th, 2012 at 6:36 pm
Chicken tacos with chipotle sour cream, avocados, and fresh cilantro from the back porch garden.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:36 pm
The first thing I gave up after my heart attack was double quarter pounders with cheese for lunch.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:37 pm
Reading A Clash of Kings and completely obsessed with Tyrion.
About the whole diet thing.
Just be sure to let yourself have a “free day”. It gives you something to look forward to. Mine usually involves cake and beer. :)
February 4th, 2012 at 6:38 pm
Diets are boring penance for your gustatory sins. Eating different doesn’t have to mean you hate yourself at mealtimes. John has lots of tools in the drawer & he’ll do fine on a new eating regimen. And now he has the perfect motivation.
I hope Dad bounces back fast and goes on to annoy for many more years.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:39 pm
Running back Curtis Martin and four linemen were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, along with one senior committee choice.
Martin is the fourth-leading rusher in NFL history. He is joined by Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy, Willie Roaf, Dermontti Dawson, and senior selection Jack Butler.
Jerome Bettis, Cris Carter and Bill Parcells were among the finalist who didn’t make it.
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....z1lSYEEatT
February 4th, 2012 at 6:39 pm
@Lojasmo:
Yeah, but Atkins is hell on your kidneys. Keeping your body in a constant state of ketosis is not actually good for it.
As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, I work for Weight Watchers one day a week because I really do believe the program is the best one out there. It helped me lose 32 pounds and keep it off. IMO, the reason it works so well is that it’s very flexible: you literally can eat anything you want as long as you plan for it and count it. It really helps with the 80/20 kind of thinking—you can go ahead and have that ice cream without guilt because you planned the rest of your day around it.
So for people who genuinely want to change the way they eat and not just temporarily lose a few pounds, I always recommend Weight Watchers.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:40 pm
@hildebrand: That sound good.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:40 pm
Reheating meatloaf and brown rice for supper. Then getting back into a pretty good biography of Doc Holliday.
And yay! for your dad, JC.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:40 pm
All Balloon Juice posts on Kathryn Jean Lopez should begin with the phrase, “Joyless virgin Kathryn Jean Lopez…”
That is all.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:40 pm
‘Diet’ is a word like ‘budget’ that implies restriction. Think of it as an eating plan and it becomes less depressing.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:40 pm
Well, I lost about 30 pounds over the last 6 months or so, and here was my approach:
1) Don’t drink sugar. No soda, shakes, etc.
2) Don’t eat daily desserts or snacks. But eat as much fruit as you want.
3) Don’t eat anything repeatedly that you don’t know the calorie count of. I never counted calories or tried to stick to a diet – I just wanted to be aware. Proper tacos usually came in around 250-300 calories (not sure what passes for a taco in WV, so YMMV) so I never worried about them. Nachos usually came in between 1000-2000, which alarmed the shit out of me, so I’d get a taco instead. But after a bit of this I got a pretty good sense of what my trade-offs were. I discovered I was better off with a really nice turkey sandwich than PB&J, which pleased me to no end.
4) Get 10 minutes of aerobic exercise a day. Something easy. At work I would just walk to the top of an office building – 10 stories – and back at lunch. Done.
5) Pick up a more intensive exercise that you enjoy to do more occassionally. For me it was riding the bike. 10-20 miles a few times a week. No pain. Maybe just take the dogs for a long walk – but make it a bit vigorous. You don’t need to run, just get the heart rate up.
6) Special occasions are free days. Birthdays, Thanksgiving, Super Bowl, you can do what you want. Pig out, drink soda, all that. Denying the special stuff on special days will make you resent what you’re doing, so just give in on those days and you’ll make it up on all of the others.
Overall, it wasn’t hard. Awareness plus cutting back on daily excesses plus adding a little daily activity did wonders. And after you do it for a bit, you find your appetite for the things you cut out goes down and your appetite for what you add in goes up. I’ve got a garage full of girl scout cookies and so far I’ve had exactly one cookie. I don’t really feel compelled to eat them.
And as for the salt thing, unless you eat out a lot or eat a lot of processed food, don’t sweat it. Restaurants are finally starting to dial back the salt because they’re discovering that people actually like it better. A lot of the oversalting came back when everybody smoked and nobody could taste anything. Now that much fewer people smoke (well, maybe not in WV) people (particularly young people) are finding that less salt is preferable and restaurants are finally clueing in and dialing it back. Hopefully that’ll make the need for ‘low salt’ diets a thing of the past.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:41 pm
Since this is an open thread: Interesting article here with a lot of graphs. My main takeaway is how much of an outlier the US is when compared to the rest of the first world.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:42 pm
Here’s some research based info on The Fat Trap.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:42 pm
@DanielX: Just in case you didn’t get my innuendo these three words are meant for you and your family also. Courage, Strength and Glory.
There is always someone who needs more help but it’s also important to step back, take a breath and pat yourself on the back and give your daughter a hug.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:43 pm
Whatever you do don’t bring your dad a vacuum cleaner.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:44 pm
@cathyx: tell her to check out
Khan Academy. Videos, some exercises, great stuff for everything from addition to trig and calc. I occasionally have to do math that I can’t remember and I brush up there.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:44 pm
@lamh35: Ugh-just what we need-another Heath Schuler clone. Then again, given how well Schler’s NFL days were….
February 4th, 2012 at 6:45 pm
@Mnemosyne: I honestly don’t diet. I just took a look at my portion sizes and about fell over. So I still eat pretty much the same way I have (which is half Mediterranean anyway) but I don’t gorge myself. And I listen to my body. When I get the full signal, I STOP. So I aim for stuff I can stash in the fridge for lunch at work during the week. Pushing now to get that last 25 off.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:46 pm
@DanielX:
In my (extended) family, we are all so proud of my cousin because she was able to move into a place of her own in her early 40s and can now live independently despite her intellectual disabilities. She still gets lots of assistance (family checks up on her, she has a cleaning lady, and she lives rent-free since the family let her parents buy out my late grandmother’s condominium) but she has a job and tons of friends and she’s living a great life.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:46 pm
@DanielX:
Maximum respect – not that you want or need validation from anyone – but if that’s you venting, you’re doing ok. I have two that don’t have special needs and they make me crazy sometimes, so I can relate on that level. Enjoy your time away from kid(s)!
February 4th, 2012 at 6:46 pm
I recommend NOT doing anything drastic with your diet. Deprivation, restriction and eating what you don’t like are the fast lane to failure if you want to make lasting change. Spend a month just being aware of what you eat, how it tastes, how much salt and fat you are adding to ingredients, and when you begin to get the first inklings of being full as you eat. Then begin making small changes, one at a time and letting each one become natural. Progress, not perfection. For people like us who love food – the thinking, planning, cooking as well as the eating – it is too cruel and unproductive to go cold turkey.
And hey, let’s not throw tacos under the (Spanish word for bus)! Use lean meats and load ‘em up with lots of veggies, good on any eating plan.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:47 pm
@gogol’s wife What, should he go over to his parents house, strip down, and mop the bathroom?
February 4th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
@JPL:
In my daughter’s case it was Greg the Oriental Shorthair Wonder Cat, who was her bestest buddy. Hung out with her when she was sick, slept on her bed, always gave paw hugs around her neck, rode around on her back or shoulder. After all, wherever she was going was where he wanted to go, so why walk if you can be carried? And of course, in his moment of supreme infamy, stealing three ounces of top grade filet off her plate. Filet was not quite as big as his head, looked like a python with a pig in its mouth. He made a clean getaway…that’s one of her dining out stories.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
Have to go, attend to all the things in the oven. Meanwhile, I leave you with this, special shout out to those who went Catholic school as kidlets!
February 4th, 2012 at 6:49 pm
@lamh35: Thank you so much. He didn’t have on a Patriot hoodie so there was some disappointment but I’ll admit it was a nice picture.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Making a lamb stew. And I have to tell you I think your family rocks. I loved it when your brother popped into the comments, back in the twitter kerfufle, to remind your commenters who you are and why we hang out here.
Glad to hear your dad is bitching about dust too. That makes me feel like he’s feeling better and ready to get on with life.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:50 pm
@Yutsano:
Oh, yeah. The rule I had to tell myself before each meal:
“The goal isn’t to be full. The goal is to be not hungry.”
February 4th, 2012 at 6:51 pm
Or, for the corseted ladies, if I remember it correctly: Always rise from table with room for a biscuit.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:52 pm
@Yutsano:
I don’t diet anymore, either. I haven’t dieted since the 6th (and final) time I joined WW in 2002. I changed the way I eat, and it’s been long enough since I changed that my body won’t let me go back. If I eat a meal that’s too high in fat, I literally get sick, because my body just can’t handle it anymore and tries to get rid of it as quickly as possible.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:53 pm
Glad your Dad is okay. I went through a similar situation recently. Found out after the fact that my father went to the ER, but it was only indigestion. On the OT, I’m now addicted to MI5. If you watch it,make sure you don’t get attached to any characters- it’s a dangerous job after all. Also, just renewed my PP membership. They gave me my first BC when I was a poor college student.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:55 pm
@schrodinger’s cat:
Heh. I went to Catholic school during the height of Vatican II, and the nuns used to go on the swings with us at recess. I actually have nothing but good memories of my encounters with various nuns, believe it or not.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:56 pm
Waiting for delivery from our local good Italian restaurant. Lasagna for mrs efgoldman, chicken parm calzone for me. There will be enough left over for at least one more meal, maybe two.
mrs efgoldman spent the day making from-scratch soup from the remains of an oven stuffer. Matzoh balls, also too. It sits in the fridge for a day, and it will be our super bowl supper tomorrow.
Gave things up in stages. Quit all soda fifteen years ago, when I was diagnosed with diabetes. Reduced sodium because my blood pressure is very sensitive to it. Ben & Jerry’s is another thing….
February 4th, 2012 at 6:56 pm
@Donut:
O yeah…living with the usual teen hormonal angst coupled with the emotional restraint of a ten year old (shudder), not that any teenager is walking around bent over double with emotional maturity. But hey, rock and roll tonight, Super Bowl tomorrow, and then all the rich assholes from out of town will be gone. Just as well, even my area far from downtown has too many arrogant jerks staying here. Far as I can tell they figure we’ve all got shit on our shoes, hay in our hair, and ought to genuflect when they’re standing in line at the liquor store.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:57 pm
Also, too, on the changing your eating habits front: a food diary is your best friend. Don’t bother with counting calories, at least at first. Just write down everything you eat after every meal (or, the high-tech way, take a picture of it). You’ll be surprised how reluctant you are to grab that extra Oreo when you know you’re going to have to see it in your own handwriting.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:58 pm
Ah, and I should add: regular exercise ameliorates Risk even if weight loss is not achieved…even brisk walking has these effects (like walking a dog) :)
February 4th, 2012 at 6:59 pm
BTW - love how by tacit agreement we all seem to be ignoring the thingie in Nevada. Poor Mittens, nobody cares.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:59 pm
I haven’t had a parent with a heart attack but I was in the hospital last year and after I had the angiogram and had the second chance since my heart artery wasn’t blocked like they thought, I’ve changed my way of eating. I need to get back on the wagon though I don’t eat like I did before. It’s not easy John but what motivates me is fear that the next time won’t be a warning. Unfortunately, fear is a great motivator.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:00 pm
@Mnemosyne: That has been my experience, also. The really tyrannical teachers at my school were not nuns. I just thought that the lol was cute.
Have you seen this one
February 4th, 2012 at 7:04 pm
@Garbo:
What thingie in Nevada?
I’ll only be interested if Ron Paul comes in second. Too many Mormons in Nevada to conquer Willard there. I think Newt is holding on until the rest of the South weighs in. Plus someone on his team can do math. This thing ain’t close to over yet.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:08 pm
Garbo:
I pretty much forgot about it until an hour ago.
And now … it’s such a foregone conclusion in favor of Dog on Car, it evokes approximately 0% (+/- 5%) interest.
The only interesting thing happening is that Fat Dog announced he’ll hold a press conference tonight in lieu of giving a concession speech. That might be fun, depending on how far he takes the crazy.
.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:10 pm
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/p.....z1lSfDvZ3e
Yes, I’m really concerned for the financial future of Romney’s grandchildren if he loses. Doesn’t everyone have a multi-million-dollar trust fund accumulating since birth?
February 4th, 2012 at 7:10 pm
Alternatively, you could be really stressed and depressed a lot and just lose your appetite. That’s a good way to keep the weight off.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:16 pm
@Violet: I have a very strong sweet tooth and have had it since chiildhood. I have to stay on a strict low carb eating plan to keep my weight and cholesterol in check. Two things that I keep in the house are super dark chocolate (70-80%) and dark chocolate covered coffee beans. I find that if I eat just a small amount of one of these each day, I can stay away from sweets and not wreck my diet.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:16 pm
@Mike G: If he really cared about his grandkid’s prosperity, he would never have run. He’s spending an ungodly amount of their inheritance on his campaign.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:17 pm
@Soonergrunt:
That’s one thing I (sorta, kinda, in a way) miss about the Army. I used to be a PT bad ass, and I miss being rail thin and eating absolutely anything and everything. I remember at DLI (living off post) I’d stop by McDonalds after I got home from PT and showered, since I really, really needed those calories and fat to make it through hours of class.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:19 pm
I hardly ever comment here, but I’d echo the endorsement of Weight Watchers—or failing that, a food diary. I used WW to lose about 50 lbs from my peak, and I’ve been able to keep it off pretty well for a year now. If you want to make a lasting change (as opposed to wanting to fit into a prom dress), then that’s a great way to go.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:20 pm
John my daughter is doing weight watchers and seems to be eating better than me.
She is preparing chili and beans for tomorrow, and will fix her version of jalapeno poppers. She uses low fat cream cheese, sometimes adds seasoning to the cream cheese adds a little grated two percent cheese and wraps with regular bacon as it is the same points as turkey bacon. You can grill or bake them in the oven.
She likes the new weight watchers as now you can eat all the fruit you want especially bananas.
Combined with fast walking she has lost 16lbs in one month.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:23 pm
Anyone have any advice on finding a Psychiatrist who takes Medicare? The Medicare website has listings but the vast majority are years out of date. Western Mass if that has any relevance.
Thanks
February 4th, 2012 at 7:24 pm
This is the GOP’s base:
Stay classy, Republicans.
.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:25 pm
@Garbo:
words on da twitter saying rumors flying that Newt is out possibly cause his “Daddy Moneybags” is saying no more money?
I personally don’t believe it.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
@Amanda in the South Bay:
That only works if you’re mildly depressed, at least in my experience. Major depression leads to things like eating boxes of Trader Joe’s Clouds as a main meal and an extra 30 pounds in no time at all. Especially if the reason you’re stressed out and depressed is that you’re unemployed and even Starbucks won’t hire you because the economy is in a recession after a major terrorist attack in New York.
ETA: Actually, I just realized I’m conflating two bad times—9/11 happened towards the end of that major downswing of mine, so I’d already gained the 30+ pounds by the time the planes hit the WTC.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
@Corpsicle: My former sister- in-law only took Medicare patients because she felt the government paid quickly and it solved the problem of hiring a staff to take care of insurance billing. She was outside of Philly though. Good luck.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:29 pm
Sneaking suspicion?
How about a non-stop, pile-driving, pull you by the ear to the healthy food section of the store kind of motherly nagging? :-)
After your Dad’s event, I’ll wager $10,000 Romney Bucks that she will be scoping out your fridge on every visit.
In fact, if I were Tunch, I would only poke my face out of some cubbyhole when they visit – he’s next on the low-food diet.
That’s what love is all about…
February 4th, 2012 at 7:29 pm
@Corpsicle:
Calling your local hospital that has a psych unit is always helpful in getting leads. Do you specifically need a geriatric psychiatrist, or just someone who accepts Medicare?
February 4th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
I think that people who are thin most of their younger life and don’t start to gain weight until later have the hardest time losing weight and keeping it off. I’ve had my entire adult life having to watch what I eat, ever since I hit puberty. I’ve had a lot of practice watching what I eat and depriving myself. Even though I want to feel sorry for everyone else, I just simply can’t. Welcome to my entire life. You’re lucky you had all those years to eat what you want without care.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:39 pm
Stacks of hot, hot buttered toast. And unlimited crisp bacon.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:44 pm
Recently had a high blood pressure-related health scare & was ordered to lower my Triglycerides ASAP by cutting WAY back on white rice, sugar, flour, pasta & any kind of potato. Though the goal was to lower my blood pressure, which it did (along with a very low dosage A.C.E. Inhibitor), a side benefit is that – after only 3 weeks – all my clothes started becoming too big for me. Just wish I could afford a new wardrobe. Sigh…
February 4th, 2012 at 7:45 pm
@schrodinger’s cat:
Micro-econ and Corp. Finance for my MBA program. I’ll be done in August. It can’t get here fast enough.
Also, too I realized I’d make a horrible parent. If I had a kid, who complained about how much homework sucks, I’d heartily agree with him/her, instead of making them do it.
As far as exercise goes, I could’ve walked or done less impactful exercises, but I quickly slid back into not exercising. Right now I don’t have access to a pool. I joined my local YMCA for their pool, but found all the packing – swim trunks, goggles, towel, change of clothes, etc. – to be a big hassle.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:46 pm
I’m glad your father’s going to be okay, John, but sorry you had such a big scare.
I think you love to cook for people, so
cook for him when he gets sprung.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:50 pm
@SarahT:
Same with the hubster. Pretty much cut out carbs—except for occasional treats—and his bp and trigs went down and he dropped about 25 pounds in a year. (I, on the other hand, lost 5 pounds right away and then plateaued while he got skinnier and skinnier. Grrrrrr.)
February 4th, 2012 at 7:52 pm
@Mnemosyne
Generic, I’m not old, although I’m working on it.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:52 pm
My cat recently had a health scare. Ok, actually I had the scare, he didn’t care. Both of my cats were overweight and one of them was acting as if he had become diabetic. He turned out to not be, but it was strongly recommended that I put them on a diet and get their weight to what it should be. So I started to feed them only twice a day. They both are now the weight they should be. Recently I had to take one of them in for an unrelated matter and told the vet that I got their weight down to almost half of what it used to be. He told me that the majority of people only succeed in getting their overweight pets down about 10% of their highest weight.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:52 pm
So glad Mr Cole the First is on the mend. He may get dizzy easy as he adjusts to the meds. No fast moves for a week or so.
Fish tacos are heart-healthy and dee-lectable at the same time so there you go.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:58 pm
@SarahT:
Yeah, when I stopped eating grains and sugar, my HDL went up 17 points, my LDL went down 70 points, and I dropped my systolic pressure from 140 to 115.
Paleo FTW.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:58 pm
@Michelle: I just started A Dance With Dragons. Only get it two weeks, though, as it’s a library copy. Nine hundred and fifty-odd pages. I’m a little tired just thinking about it.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:08 pm
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
i’d have more respect for the guy if he did something really manly like ride mountain bike.
/s
February 4th, 2012 at 8:11 pm
@Svensker:
From what I’ve seen anecdotally, Atkins-type diets for weight loss work better for men than for women, probably because of their greater muscle mass.
Just another example of One Size Does Not Fit All.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:11 pm
@Martin:
Sadly, alcohol is on that list. Have one cocktail a week instead of one at the end of the workday can make a big difference.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:12 pm
Also, too—even when I was 30 pounds heavier than I am now, my blood pressure was on the low side of normal. I’m always startled to see anything higher than 90/60 on the gauge since that’s typical for me. So a diet that lowered my blood pressure any further would probably kill me, if only by making me constantly faint.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:14 pm
The cook who once talked about making cookies flavored with lavender
I think it was cookieson this very site is going to have NO problem replacing salt with herbs, or whatever’s required.You’ll be good at this.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:15 pm
Some fresh Charlie action. With his love beads
February 4th, 2012 at 8:17 pm
I, too, don’t eat white sugar and grains. But I’m a fitness instructor also, so keeping the weight off isn’t so hard for me now. But even as active as I am, I still have to watch what and how much I eat. I only drink alcohol on the days that I don’t have to work the next day. I never eat fast food, and I cook almost everything I eat.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:20 pm
One of the posts that made me realize that Balloon Juice was probably my favorite blog was a video of your dad. He had just finished cleaning a room and the dogs went in & romped a bit. Oh, No, your father said when he saw. I hope his progress continues positively. Hurray for tacos.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:20 pm
Jesus. Fucking. Christ.
(1) Here – Read this and then buy the book – http://www.sciencebasedmedicin.....the-heart/
(2) Stay away from Woo.
(3) Watch what you eat – know what you eat – and move more. It helps – a lot – to have a place to track both. There’s a ton of free diet sites out there. I like nutritiondata.com to help me look at the “what.” http://fatsecret.com/ works really well for tracking.
(4) Expect all kinds of shit to get in your way as you work your way to better health. I look at it like I looked at quitting smoking – practice, practice, practice. I’m not sure my cardiologist agrees but I can only do what I can do.
Love,
Miki, etc.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:20 pm
Congratulations to Cortez Kennedy on making the Pro Football Hal of Fame
February 4th, 2012 at 8:21 pm
I second the Balloon-juice diet and exercise club idea. I have asthma so the exercise bit is tough for me (although I think I’ve figured out a system) and I’ve just started tracking my dietary potassium. (If I eat less than 3,000 mg of Potassium a day I get severe foot cramps at night.)
I think I’m actually losing a bit of weight from this potassium thing. I went in for a checkup a few days ago and my weight was actually down a couple of pounds-even with being weighed wearing winter clothing and boots instead of shoes. High potassium foods are extremely high in fiber so I’ve not been eating as much crap. I’ve been doing it for about a month. I don’t have the discipline to diet but counting potassium units is working for me. (And the relief from the foot cramps is indescribable!)
ETA: Who was it that mentioned the Quercetin and GSE for allergies? I owe you a serving of the beverage of your choice.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:21 pm
@imonlylurking:
Asthma tip: make sure you do a long (15 to 20 minute) warm-up before you get into the serious exercise. The typical 5-minute warmup isn’t long enough if you have asthma.
Also, cold air can easily trigger an asthma attack, so you should probably try to do most of your exercising indoors until spring begins. If not, try to keep a scarf over your mouth so you’re not breathing the cold, dry air directly.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:25 pm
Cooking a pork tenderloin, sauteing mushrooms and onions (will add gorgonzola to the mix later), and making mashed potatoes. I did resistance work and ran today.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:26 pm
@gene108: Good luck on your exam!
February 4th, 2012 at 8:26 pm
I just processed and scanned two rolls of medium format film. It’s my latest attempt to shamelessly imitate Dorothea Lange and Frances B. Johnston, two of my favorite photographers. Once again… failure. Their ability to shoot in open sunlight and produce images of stunning delicacy continues to elude me. Oh well, I got more film.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:28 pm
Glad to know your dad is recovering fine and will be home soon.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:31 pm
Dude, how the fucke didde you type thatte poste the other night after a bottle of fucken wine and two glasses of scotch AND THERE WERE NO TYPOS OR GRAMMAR ERRORS
?
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?
?
?
?
I have a couple glasses of motherfucken jameson, and I’m all like whty are thy furic ibn dueonbe thees bloge neidu!
February 4th, 2012 at 8:36 pm
@Mr Stagger Lee:
He come dancin across the water mon
Cortez Cortez. . .
February 4th, 2012 at 8:38 pm
Stuck, your dog is cute, but I can’t see the beads.
All I see is an extremely shiny coat and eyes.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:41 pm
Not too familiar with the specifics of the Atkins Diet, but is that no carbs at all ? Because my doctor said to absolutely eat carbs – just a LOT more of the unbleached, unprocessed whole grain type of carbs. But boy do I ever miss eating potatoes more than once a week…
February 4th, 2012 at 8:41 pm
I can’t even do 15 minutes right now. My goal at the moment is 5 minutes 4 times a week. Yes, you read that right. I will also be using my rescue inhaler 20 minutes before I start and making sure my humidifier is filled and on.
The hardest part will be not overdoing it and trying to do too much too soon. I did 20 minutes the other day and was gasping for air an hour later.
Cold air is the bane of my existence. I am totally in the wrong state. Of course, the flip side of having well-controlled asthma is my brand-new reaction to plant and tree pollen. I have a very narrow window for outside exercise.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:41 pm
@lamh35: Me neither. His ego would not allow it.
February 4th, 2012 at 8:57 pm
Welcome to my world.
Enjoy your new diet. :)
February 4th, 2012 at 8:59 pm
@kay:
that’s odd. Try this link
February 4th, 2012 at 9:06 pm
John, I’m with you. You simply need 3 things—an iPod or West Wing Box set, an elliptical machine, and the South Beach diet. With the diet and the exercise, I dropped 45 pounds. Do it.
February 4th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
You never expect hospitals to be dirty, but FSM knows they are. We’ve been in some where we literally had to keep a cockroach watch out & smash them as they ran up the walls. It was either that or let the kids ride them down the halls.
Fun times.
February 4th, 2012 at 9:17 pm
@imonlylurking:
Yep, your asthma is definitely more severe than mine. It’s a building-up process, so stick with it and don’t overdo or you’ll end up with a nasty bout of bronchitis. (Ask me how I know.) It really will get better if you keep it up, but you have to go WAY more slowly than you want to. Don’t go past 5 minutes until you’ve been able to go that long for at least a week or two with no trouble.
I moved to California from Chicago pretty much the instant I was able to after high school. We did a visit last February and I had to call my doctor in California to get an inhaler because the cold, dry air made my poor lungs seize up. Warmer climate for the win (though I’m allergic to some damn thing that’s blooming right now).
February 4th, 2012 at 9:17 pm
@Corpsicle:
Your local hospital should be able to make a recommendation for you. When I desperately needed a therapist, I got a few names from UCLA and ended up staying with the one I chose for 7 years, until I moved out of the area.
February 4th, 2012 at 9:22 pm
@lamh35: Actually, that sounds like my fondest dream.
February 4th, 2012 at 9:24 pm
@Mnemosyne: Thanks
February 4th, 2012 at 9:31 pm
@Mnemosyne: I was only diagnosed a few years ago-I have moderate chronic cough variant, so I don’t wheeze. I had all of my asthma symptoms categorized as something else. (I used to think I had a bad back-that was my lungs locking up.)
My roommate still has to yell at me sometimes to use my rescue inhaler or breathe steam-I’ve lived so much of my life without treatment, I’m used to just powering through. That will be the hardest part.
February 4th, 2012 at 9:43 pm
@DanielX: Dude, you are stellar. I know it’s hard, but it sounds like you are doing a great job taking care of your special needs child.
For what it’s worth, my kid and her husband (with three young boys) often reference Groundhog Day when they get up in the morning. Like, it’s the same damn thing every day, over and over and over and…...
You are not alone.
February 4th, 2012 at 9:46 pm
@lamh35: That is indeed a great picture for this weekend.
February 4th, 2012 at 9:47 pm
@DanielX: I’m really late to the thread (as usual), due to west-coast + life. But hi from another parent to a special needs kid. Groundhog Day is a great way to describe our lives. Hang in there, you seem to have a good attitude. Give a hug to your great daughter, & try to take some time for yourself.
Trying to follow my own advice. . . take care.
February 4th, 2012 at 9:49 pm
@DanielX: Also, I have to smile at your comment, since our son IS one of the kids who draws all the looks (his head isn’t that funny shaped). For years, my spouse & I, when at clinics or hospitals, would commiserate with the people who have kids like yours, the perennial 8-year old, or 3-year old, because to us, it seemed like those parents could never truly relax.
We’ve got friends whose 17-year old son has the mental ability of a 2-year old, & thinks nothing of stripping down to run through the sprinklers, or waiting till Mom is busy to escape & roam the neighborhood. With our guy, even with the lifting, tube feedings, etc, we do at least know where he is!
I suppose we each get used to our own kid & his or her needs & adjust our lives accordingly. Be well!
February 4th, 2012 at 10:02 pm
I’m at Lake Tahoe, but I haven’t gotten on skis yet. My club hosted the first round of the Ski Orienteering World Cup. We had about 60 world-class athletes from 14 countries participating. In ski orienteering, they get special topo maps with a set of locations marked on it. They have to ski (cross-country) to each, in order, choosing the optimal route on each leg.
This is the first time that the World Cup has been held in North America, so it’s a big deal for us. Despite the thin snow cover, the athletes have be really happy with the event; they’ve all been courteous and grateful to the volunteers.
I’ve been working the results computer, so I haven’t had time to go out for a run. Maybe tomorrow.
February 4th, 2012 at 10:18 pm
Ah, the low-fat food, tacos! Gonna have some nachos with that, John;
No, “low fat” is something like tofu stir-fry, dude.
February 4th, 2012 at 10:21 pm
Down in the ATL, catching up with friends I haven’t seen in six years. Exhausted from all the social interaction, going to bed way early for this night owl.
February 4th, 2012 at 10:51 pm
What am I doing 2nite?
I called my Ma, who also had a “mild” heart attack 6 months ago.
She’s doing fine, sneaking a glass of wine now and then, away from my father (who doesn’t drink).
I spoke with her today, and said that eating squirrel pot pie is awesome. (We are foodies.)
She thought that was garbage, I thought it tasted awesome.
Go Appalachia! (no really, squirrel tastes great…just watch the bones.)
heh!
-gali
February 4th, 2012 at 10:58 pm
@mclaren: Reading fail.
February 4th, 2012 at 11:01 pm
Great news about your Dad, John.
I think I hallucinated a good thread, early this morning ;)
February 4th, 2012 at 11:01 pm
Find the lentil taco recipe on allrecipes.com. I’m not kidding, it’s really good. Its a version of the classic American ground beef homemade taco, but much less fat & grease which you won’t miss. My kids favorite.
February 4th, 2012 at 11:17 pm
I remember when you first enrolled as a Democrat, I think you put out a post saying, “Ok, now where are my forty virgins” or something like that. And I was very tempted to write, “Forty virgins can be found at a Chastity Ball—leftists aren’t virgin for long. But your forty svelte incredibly flexible friendly young women await you at the nearest yoga class.”
Now, I didn’t post it because it was snarky, and rude, and not in keeping with the kind of person I’m trying to turn myself into by studying yoga. However, now that you are looking at exercise and a healthy diet, I can in good conscience recommend the nearest yoga class.
First, meditation, pranayama (breathing) and the asanas are actually really good for your heart. See this:
http://www.health.harvard.edu/.....rt-disease
Second, you do not need to change your diet to practice yoga. Yoga will change your diet. To kickstart this I would recommend yoga retreats, which generally serve communal vegan meals. Awesome vegan meals. I went to a retreat in New Orleans and they had a vegan collard greens that was better than any other collard greens I’d ever had in New Orleans and I’d eaten and eaten well when I’d visited that town before. I’m not vegetarian, let alone vegan, but after trying some yoga retreat food I learned how to cook it at home and it’s not just a lot better for you, it actually tastes better. (Dinner tonight was an awesome kale salad with cranberries and walnuts followed by greenmarket apples and greenmarket Vermont cheese. This is not what the doctor ordered, this is what I want to eat.) And everyone I know says the food at Kirpalu is incredible good: http://kripaluhealthyliving.or.....thy-living. And did I mention that in addition to its other virtues, being vegetarian is cheap? http://thirtyaweek.wordpress.com/about
So trundle out to a yoga class, and learn how to stretch, breathe, and cook from the beautiful forty young women you’ve been entitled to ever since you registered to be a democrat!
February 4th, 2012 at 11:25 pm
Continued good wishes for your father. I’m doing laundry and unpacking from a trip through the Marcellus Shale, which was odd.
Highly recommended, especially bc it’s not really a “diet”:
The Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn.
Basically, the guy got some of the other guys in his fire house to try out plant-based eating & record their cholesterol & BP progress, also weight loss. The author is not nearly as funny as this blog, but he tells stories in an approachable way, and the recipes are good.
If ya want all the science-y stuff, his father’s website (heart attack proof dot com) has some research summaries & x-rays. Also, most anything by Dean Ornish (e.g. Eat More Weigh Less) has good citations so you can cross-check claims.
PS: Shoulda mentioned—the Esselstyn stuff (the dad’s research) is what Bill Clinton’s been using, so far with good effects.
February 4th, 2012 at 11:34 pm
I got stuck in moderation and I don’t know why. :(
General gist: Romney is getting pub as having a big win (two in a row!), but his Nevada showing is much weaker than it was in 2008.
February 4th, 2012 at 11:45 pm
A hospital is no place for a person on the mend. Hoping your dad returns home soon!
I hear the DASH diet is optimal for heart health. But I’m sure your dad is getting lots of advice.
Heart disease is largely preventable. But it means giving up stuff we like. I find I battle with this constantly and alternate between periods of eating a lot of crap and eating very healthy. I tend to compromise by buying 100% organic dark chocolate and organic beer, not that it makes any difference. ;)
February 4th, 2012 at 11:52 pm
@Omnes Omnibus: Today is different how?
February 5th, 2012 at 12:02 am
@Cassidy: Good point.
February 5th, 2012 at 12:06 am
Spent most of the day shooting these cute little niblets. Some days, I am very happy to do what I do. Then the car breaks down. But I soldier on.
February 5th, 2012 at 12:19 am
@ruemara: Martians? Or over-exposure to fluorescent lighting?
February 5th, 2012 at 12:33 am