Learning to live normally

December 23rd, 2017
Weight loss content. If not interested, move on, please.
 
 
I just baked six varieties of cookies including my absolute favorites chocolate chip.
 
I ate a clementine instead of cookies.
 
I haven’t weighed myself recently, but I feel fantastic. Seriously, I feel better than I have in 10 or more years.
 
My pants are fitting better and pants that were too tight now slide over my ass and onto my waist.
 
I am exercising on a daily basis and adding minutes each week.
 
And again, I feel better than I have in years.
 
I am learning how to do this. Like last Sunday I went to the closing of JarrettThor Art Gallery. They had all sorts of yummy food. I ate light the day before and after so I could have some of it.
 

For the average person that is common sense. I know that. People with food issues have to learn to eat like this.

People who grew up poor and have food issues really have to learn this. Growing up money was very tight. If something really good came into the house, you ate it as fast as you could so you got your share.

I never got over that. Even as an adult who is doing better than my parents did I still have issues with eating free food until full, or overfill, and to never ever wasting food.

Prior to the past few months, if there were leftovers in the fridge that were getting close to going bad, I would eat them. It didn’t matter if I were actually hungry, it couldn’t go to waste.

Now, I’m learning to cook in smaller quantities (Still working on that one) and if I am not hungry and it is not on the plan for the day, it doesn’t get eaten.

Again, this is revelatory to someone like me.

This week I am eating lighter even than the past few months so I can eat dinner at my parents on Christmas Eve and then dinner on Christmas day without guilt.

Thanksgiving was a test. I cooked all the carb-filled heavy food plus several kinds of vegetables. I made my sweet potatoes with just baked sweet potato. No sugar, no nuts, nothing like that.

I ate small portions of some of the food, but I kept it small. Again, this is all new to me.

I have binge eating issues. I have for years.

Since I began eating better this time I have only binged once.

I’m starting to think I can really do this. Instead of a diet so much, I am really doing a lifestyle change. I have changed what I buy, what I cook, what i even think about putting in my body.

There have been no potato chips in my mouth for months and months. And, I love potato chips. Seriously, they are a food group to me.

Slowly, but surely, it is working.

Now, I just have to ignore the cookies until they are eaten. I may very well just have Tony put them up out of my reach. I mean even as good as I am doing I only have so much willpower.

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10

December 11th, 2017

Colonial Beach Elementary School held its annual winter concert last week.

Second, fourth, fifth grade and the concert band and chorus performed. Just a couple shots of the adorable kiddos.

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9

December 11th, 2017

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Eight

December 9th, 2017

Christmas festivities in Colonial Beach, VA.

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Seven

December 7th, 2017

My insurance company is frustrating the hell out of me.

I’m on a number of medications, see, cancer survivor, diabetic, with chronic pain and lymphedema. So, meds.

While, I am grateful that I have insurance, I am also fed up as hell. Everything was lined up, one day a month an hour’s drive, each way, to get my medications.

Then my insurance decided I needed to get a bunch of them from mail order. Okay, I can handle that except it’s a pain in the ass and they still haven’t fixed my synthroid prescription so I am going without that.

Recently they decided to change their rules on preauthorizations for my pain medications. They gave me one, then fought us on the other. And fought and fought and fought.

They finally approved it, but only for 84 pills. My doctor prescribed 3 a day times 30 days a month, so 90 pills. They refuse to pay for those last six.

It’s ridiculous. So, tonight I went and got that prescription and one other. Due to insurance screwing around my other one won’t be approved to be paid for until tomorrow.

Again, an hour’s drive away. An hour’s drive home.

I have to cover multiple things this weekend for the paper, meetings, installations, an art show. I have a photography shoot on Sunday.

Monday is deadline day.

I am fed up with all of this. These medications keep me alive, keep me working, keep my going.

This tires me.

Tomorrow between meetings I get to call the insurance company and fight them on some other things they aren’t covering. One of which is my Mirena IUD.

I need the Mirena as I have endometrial hyperplasia. Without it I could develop endometrial cancer. They fought it last time, they’re fighting us this time.

I’m 42. I like my uterus where it is.

I also like the side effect of no chance of pregnancy. (Yes, that’s a change from the past. A story for another day.)

If I didn’t have a history of infertility they would cover it with no problem as needed for birth control, but to stop me from having another form of cancer they won’t?

The hell?

Gah, I need a drink.

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