Lately, it seems, all I can think about is food!  What is that?  I start craving my lunch about 10:30.  Normally I eat lunch about 2:00 so that I have something in my stomach when I go to the gym after work, and then I can eat when I get finished, and I won’t be hungry later on in the evening.  It’s a plan I’ve been on for a while, and up until recently, it seemed to be working out well.  Well, that is until my mind takes over and all I think about is F-O-O-D or as the Gary Larson Farside cows spell it: F-U-D

So, Julie and I discussed cravings during my last session with her at Emory.  Sometimes your body craves carbohydrates and sometimes your mind craves chocolate, so you have to distinguish the craving; is it “above the shoulder” cravings, or physical cravings.  I think my food “thinking” lately is “above the shoulder” cravings/hunger and not physical, so I really work on putting off the craving/hunger, but then, I just think about food all the time!  Wow!

I also try to separate ”habit” eating (mindless) and real hunger.  Julie told me to make my desk a “no snack” zone, and it has really helped.  I’ve had to put up a sign to remind myself, though, that I’m in a “no snack zone”, and then, of course, I think of food again!  When I make good food choices, I’m very pleased with myself, and when I make bad food choices, I think about what I’ve done, and what I can do next time to make better food choices.  Food, glorious food! Everywhere with the food!

I know that some folks who have never had an issue with their weight automatically think, “Well, why don’t you just quit eating?”.  Um…..you have to have food to survive!  Hello!  It’s the food choices that we make that make us fat.  Some people can eat whatever they want whenever they want and not gain weight, and for them, I say “Hooray for you”! and genuinely mean it, because I can’t eat whatever I want and not gain weight, I just don’t have that gene.

Everywhere you turn, there is food.  Ads on the radio, television and internet, food in the breakroom at work, at the gas station (even if you pay at the pump, there is a big poster of a hot dog hanging at the pump), fast food restaurants and coffee shops on every corner, and the list goes on and on and on.  Our society is inundated with access to food and I guess it has finally gotten into my brain, so that all I think about is food.

September 11, 2001 is a day in American History that every American who was ten years old or older will remember for the rest of their lives.  The company I work for (and I worked there in 2001 as well) lost 176 employees alone.  Other than the death and devastation of lives lost, families broken, and a country brought to our knees, two things I remember distinctly are that (1). this country came together like no one had ever seen before and opened thier minds and hearts to each other and embraced the fact that we were still alive and no group of thugs was going to take away our livelihoods so quickly, and (2) everyone realized that having a family and being a part of a family is extremely important so that we could all take care of each other like never before.  Part of taking care of your family means taking care of yourself first.  I know that may sound selfish to some, but think about it……if you don’t take care of you, then you won’t be around to take care of your family.  Now, I do not have two legged children, but I have a very loving, supportive husband, and I want both of us to be around for a very long time, and barring anotther terrorist attack, being healthy is going to keep us both around for a long time to take care of each other. 

We all know that taking care of ourselves means eating fresh and healthy, non-processed food, getting plenty of exercise and fresh air, and having a support system (whether it’s blood family or a group like us who are “family”) in place (so that you will have a soft place to fall if your nutritional and fitness goals run off in a ditch). 

I have the sweetest sister on God’s green earth.  No kidding.  Her name is Debbie, and she was recently diagnosed with colon cancer.  I nearly lost my mind with worry and grief, much like those families during the days following September 11th that could not get in touch with their loved ones that had survived the attack.  Thankfully, she had very successful surgery, the cancer was caught early, it was small and had not spread.  I’ve been harping on Debbie for years to please eat right and exercise, all to no avail.  Since this cancer scare (I also consider cancer a terrorist cell), Debbie has lost weight and has started a small exercise routine that takes her to her mailbox and back and using her Wii Fit.  She can’t do too much right now, but I have all the faith in the world that she will not gain her weight back, and she will continue to increase her exercise.  I believe that she knows now that if she doesn’t maintain a healthy lifestyle, she won’t be around to take care of her grandchildren.  Debbie will be my support system, and I’ll be hers, because we both know you have to practice what you preach.

Please take a moment to reach out to a loved one, whether it’s by phone, in person, via email or on Twitter or Facebook, and tell them you love them, and you want them to take care of themselves in a healthy way.

This is my year and it could be your year, too!

Until next time……….

Long story short…….I had to be in a hospital in Tennessee recently, staying with my sister as she had some very invasive surgery.  I personally wasn’t a patient, simply an overnight visitor.  For those of you who care, the surgery was successful, and my sister is in full on recovery mode (as I write this).  The nurses there were all very sweet and professional, and there was a constant stream of nurses, blood drawers (I believe they’re called phlebotomist or sampler), IV checkers, and folks that came in to check her vitals every four hours.  Those sweet nurses?  All fat.  Every last one of them.  Fat.  Why?  I’ve also noticed this at my doctor’s office, at the pharmacy, all kinds of places where one might encounter a nurse.  I’m not being judgemental here, as I don’t like to be judged myself, but then, I’m not dispensing medical wisdom.  Why are there so many  (I can’t say all, because I really don’t want to piss any nurses off; they’re definitly doing a job I wouldn’t or couldn’t do) fat nurses?  I’m talking from the level of me, which is considered overweight via my BMI, to morbidly obese.  Shouldn’t their doctors (bosses) be telling these nurses how to eat and to exercise?  Where are the hospital nutritionists when you need ‘em?  The hospital I was visiting didn’t have a gym on site, so for my exercise, I had to walk/run the greenway two blocks away, which was awesome.  This particular hospital is also located on a hill, so the climb up the hill really capped off my walk/runs.  Here’s a hint to those nurses…….park down the hill so that you have to walk up that hill every day to get to work.  That’s one way to lose 10 or 20 pounds.  Do most hospitals have gyms on site?  If they don’t, they should, if for nothing else to help those nurses get in shape.  How can a nurse get on to me if my blood sugar is high, or if my blood pressure is too high?  Really?  It’s hard to respect a reprimand about my health if the person dispensing that reprimand is fat.  Same goes for doctors who smoke, but that’s a whole ‘nother blog……