Saturday, June 17, 2023

Another day in the wind and sun. I drove DD and her BF to the airport mid-day yesterday. I already miss them. But we went out with friends to a place on a pier with music last night and I ate a very fresh chicken wrap. Tender grilled chicken and nice fresh veggies. I felt like I was sort of eating healthy. I can still only eat 1/2-3/4 of something like that but I can snack like crazy so that's why I maintain at best (and gain if the snacks really take off). I am probably maintaining here since I rarely snack because we are always outside. Maybe I could self-pay Wegovy for a month and it would jump-start me? I know they don't recommend that but geez I feel like I need something.

Speaking of eating tonight we are going out with friends to one of the oldest Dutch restaurants on the island where one sits outside in a courtyard under lights with guitar music playing in the background. We always enjoy it there. Saturday is the best day to go to the most popular places as it is "turn-around" day for the timeshares. People just arriving are too tired to get dressed up and go out.

Looks like Shirl had a great fundraiser. Wasn't she cute wearing that car? Diane S. good luck getting more objects out on the gallery shelves. Maybe you should walk the dogs on the beach periodically (or don't they lend themselves to that)? CC, once you take care of what you are procrastinating about you will feel better (easy for me to say - I'm the worst about stuff like that). DD, so exciting about your upcoming trip!

Have a super Saturday!

Liz, Your dining plans sound heavenly, and really, my idea of a perfect night, patio, music, good food and some nice wine and friends. All the necessary ingredients. :) We will be back to Boston on July 13 and staying with DD for about a week and a half. We would love to set up a get together! You'll be on the cape then?

CC, I feel that dread of certain tasks that leads to procrastination, and so much wasted time thinking about the dreaded task. Why?!!! I've come to the conclusion it's probably a more common response, and people who don't procrastinate are super organized, driven etc or have developed really good habits. I will try to emulate them. :)

Diane S, yes us Midwesterners always think how much we would go the the beach, if only we lived by the ocean. The holy grail. My parents live in a lake home, and back in the day there were boats and docks, and dinner on the deck closest to the water. Nowadays they only see the lake from the windows and the deck right off the house, which is back from the shoreline. But they enjoy the lake just the same. I would imagine living by the ocean could be like that. It's just part of your life now, not a special occasion..

I spent a good amount of time reading on my front porch this morning. The number of birds flitting about and in the 3 bird baths I have out front was amazing. If I'm quiet on the porch, they come and take their baths right in front of me. So delightful!

No big plans today, just household things that need to get done. Tomorrow we will visit my patents for Fathers Day.

Our kids had a Key Lime Pie delivered to my husband from his favorite local bakery for a Fathers Day Gift. I had a small slice that I could not finish. That was hours ago, and i am not interested in having anymore. Thank you Wegovy.

Yes, we will be at the Cape for the entire month of July. PT twice a week... I have to see the orthopedist on the South Shore (not far from Boston) on the morning of 7/17. Maybe we could meet after that?

It's a very sedate Saturday here. It's a gift, really.

I, too, am a king of procrastination! I admire and try to follow the example of those highly organized, uncluttered people in my life. I have only mild success with that and often find myself reprimanding myself in my thoughts for my lack of productivity. Apparently, my life is pretty busy (according to friends and therapists!) so when i do have down time, I tend to vegetate! Sigh.... Oh, to be a highly driven person with a metabolism that resembles someone on high doses of amphetamines! LOL!

After 2 days of driving back and forth to the Santa Barbara area for a photo shoot, my weight jumped up 2.5 pounds. I'm good with that. Always happens after a road trip. I think the long hours sitting combined with eating "road trip food" (yes, it's a thing - at least for me and my friends....) cause some water retention.

I think DD is right about things becoming commonplace when you live close by. We rarely go to the ocean. I haven't been to Alcatraz since it opened to the public in 1973. I was in my 20s before I ever went to Yosemite (and I've only been there once) and I have never even been to the top of our local mountain from which, on a clear day, one can see Mt. Shasta almost 300 miles away! As far as San Francisco, which is a 45 minute drive away, I avoid it like the plague! It is a dirty, filthy city. Vagrancy is out of control and the city government does absolutely nothing about crime - either minor or severe! The theatre district, which would be my biggest reason to go the SF, is very iffy now. Last time we went we didn't feel particularly safe unless in a crowd of theatre goers. Very, very sad! We used to run into the city at the drop of a hat "back in the day".

Had a great talk with my nutritionist yesterday. Wegovy was a subject that she brought up and wanted to discuss with me since I had mentioned DD taking it. She basically wanted to know if I was "triggered" by the idea of Wegovy. It was kind of nice to tell her that yes, initially I was quite intrigued, but after research I realized it was not the direction I wanted to gon- especially for the cost. For me, with my addictive personality and the ramping up of dosage, it's too akin to taking Vyvanse. I needed more and more of the Vyvanse for the effect and even then it wasn't the end all be all. Also, for me the notion of needing to take it long term to maintain the weight loss is unappealing - especially financially. I am thrilled that it works for DD! And honestly, if my insurance covered it, I would have probably jumped on the bandwagon without doing all the research I have done. I do find it appealing that most people who take Wegovy lose 10% body weight without much effort and those who stick with it over the course of a year average an 18% body weight loss. That's pretty good stats. However, without continuing on the medication regain stats are staggering. It'll be interesting to see where DD goes on her journey.

What I think Wegovy is really showing the medical profession is that obesity is even more complex and multifaceted than previously thought. There is no single quick fix or answer. Obesity is probably one of the most complex and misunderstood modern diseases. At least medicine has come from seeing obesity as merely a lack of moral character and gluttony to seeing it as a multifaceted diseases with no true clear course of treatment.

Hope everyone has a satisfying Saturday.

In Brazil they have a saying I love: A domestic saint makes no miracles. Explains why lots of us don't visit the tourist attractions in our own towns.

It's so illuminating hearing about your journey with food issues. My experience is similar in not recognizing when I was younger all of the destructive messages I internalized. But as far as my emotional landscape after surgery: different. I wondered if WLS would uncover other issues I was medicating with food, if some latent problems would be exposed without food to soothe. I worried about transfer addictions. My overriding emotion once I recovered from the physical shock of surgery was giddy relief! I still feel that way, I feel that something broken in me got at least partially fixed. So Wegovy makes sense for me, it's tweaking the original repair. My hope is there will be some kind of semi glutide treatment in the coming years that I can take forever. I'm fine with the idea this may be a lifetime thing. But I totally see how it is not the right step for everyone.

Hey all! My hair is all brown again. At least for the next 3 weeks... I had a good night's sleep, amazing what a difference that makes.

Did anyone else see articles about this report on the changes obesity makes to your brain? I think it's interesting in light of our discussions about regain.

I'm low on information today. Maybe tomorrow will be more interesting!

Take care!

Wow. Interesting article, thanks for the link. Since WLS surgery is still the most likely way to keep off weight lost (what are the current stats I wonder) something must happen with those receptors that were not working and caused obesity. More and more I am convinced WLS changes hormones, which change how our brain perceives fullness.

That was a great read! Lots to think about! Given that Wegovy affects hormone levels, I can see why it is so helpful considering what the study revealed.

Interesting article! Now I really wish I could afford Wegovy.

Greetings all

Another great day here. I spent it at the studio listening to my buddy and glazing. Got all my figures finished. Time to make more.

CC great article. I have wished someone would put together a good book on the science of obesity that has all the known scientific information together. Diet weight loss books have no footnotes and therefore must be garbage, in my overeducated opinion. It makes sense to me that there is a biochemical reason for eating more than is needed. I have always felt that after weightless all the shrunken fat cells are sending out biochemical messages screaming "feed me".

Shirley is indeed adorable with the little car costume. What a neat idea! Looks like a great time.

Yeah seems like we never go to all the places that we could around here. We used to when we first moved here and it was so fun to explore. Now it only happens when visitors come. Yeah I should take the dog to the beach but my dogs are naughty and pull on the leash and some places take a lot of steps over dunes to get to the water. ***** ***** *****

Yes Peps San Francisco has turned into a major dump and it has happened fairly quickly. The first year or two after we moved here I had to go to SF a whole bunch of times due to hand surgery. I used to drive around the city and explore parts of it and it was so interesting. I am afraid to go there now.

Heard from another friend that I had not talked to in quite awhile. They sold their acreage inland and are trying to find somewhere to live out here on the coast and it is not going well. Kind of a sad story for people in their 70's.

Not much progress made today on dejunking but I am plotting and scheming. Thats what I do. If only it would turn into action.

Pot pie tonight. All is well. Diane S