100 and 145 or bust!

My goal is to reduce my blood glucose to 100 and my weight to 145.  I look great at 145.  So got the diabetes diagnoses ..finally.  I have been working to stay away from it but not hard enough.  I gain, I lose.  I gain.  I lose.

I need to stay the course.  I can use your help and support.

I am not on medication for diabetes II, and I don't want to be.

I am going to classes on how to manage it..well, they start next week.  I hate going to classes.  I really do.  I think it was all those years in college..and working full time.  All schooled out.  But I'll go..or I will give it a shot.  I have been studying online as well.  This link on carb counting was very helpful.

So, went to the dr. in early May and weighed a whopping 211 lbs.  I weighed yesterday... 202.  Our scales are a lb apart. My fasting glucose was high...145.  Heck I'd be thrilled to lose 45 glucose points and 45 lbs!  That would be awesome.  A lb. at a time.  Will weigh weekly..on Sat.  I get my glucose meter on Tuesday so will be sharing those numbers too.  I'll be able to see which foods are best for me.

So, have been eating foods to lower and stabilize my glucose.

I will be posting about this journey until I lose the sugar and the weight.

My 15 Minutes

Well, the Sacramento Bee published two pages today about the two years I was involved in testing recipes for the newly nominated James Beard Award for Best Cookbook.."Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking" by Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Stevens-Graubart.  (was that sentence too long?) I and 29 other people across the USA tested recipes..for the second time.  Very thorough those two are!

Gumbo

I am thrilled for the media coverage, as the co-authors will be here April 3, 4, and 5th..very soon!

Of course, I am absolutely gorgeous in the photos (camera adds 40 lbs).  I had a blast with the photographer and the journalist....who I enjoyed in my kitchen for 4 hours the other day!

The article says I am an AVID blogger...so I best start blogging again, eh?

The beautiful photos of the food...which I didn't know I'd be making until Manny arrived and said, "so what are we eating?", are beautiful online.  I was making "fake stuff" for photos...ya know, onions and peppers in a hot saute pan for the photos.  Good thing I can think fast on my feet and had a FEW of the REAL ingredients to make the seafood gumbo from the cookbook!

Refer to article about their schedule.  They will be on TV Thursday morning, Good Day Sacramento/channel 31 with Chef Jon Clemmons of The Porch...9 a.m. hour.

So..FED EX is here to deliver the 75 copies of Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking.  Luckily, American River College is getting their own shipment today!  Elaine Corn and I will be merrily schlepping escorting books and authors around town soon. 

P.S.  This is so cool.

P.S.S. I used to watch Nathalie on PBS all the time.  Nathalie and Julia.  Cynthia produced the shows!  I still use Nathalie's advice when it comes to big dinners.  Fill a very large cooler (or two) with soapy hot water, hide em, and throw the dirty pots and pans in there ...so you can enjoy company and do em later!  If you read her recipes, you will notice that she often mentions things like.."why dirty another pot?"  She also admits to hating to empty the dishwasher...I do too, and so does my DIL.  Sisters from another mister.

Retro Kitchen "Re-model" Continues....

By the time I finish my kitchen/diningroom, retro will be out-of-fashion.  Oh well, I seem to be behind the curve most of the time.  La-di-da.

I made a mood board with cabinet paint ideas, flooring ideas, etc.  I already have the retro table and chairs...which I believe are from the late 40's.  I have the retro bar stools, the retro buffet, and retro lamps.

I can't imagine painting those damned cuboard's myself..but probably will.  Have done it in the past, before I had achey-breaky neck and knee joints!

The floor...well, that is another matter.  Anyway..here is my mood board.  What do you like?

    um..just realized after posting this..that clicking on thumbnails does not enlarge them.  Well, whatdoyouthink about the floor possibilities?  Those are the easy to see blocks of forbo marmoleum ideas.  (Hey...if you right click on the photo you want to look at, you can then click on view image and it will give you an icon to enlarge image...whew!)

The First Step...I Am Powerless

I've spent the last year..maybe two coming to terms with my condition.  I couldn't stand to look in the mirror for fear of my own reflection.  The truth was there before me. Who is this person??  I was in denial, big time.

I had long been afraid that other people would notice...did I falter in my speech or gait?  Would they notice that I couldn't recall what I did yesterday?  Or last week?  Would they notice that my behavior was a bit confusing?  Could they smell it on my breath...or in my house..or on my clothes?

I was afraid of what I might get in the mail...and was afraid to answer the phone.  I knew it might be someone who knew what I was up against.

I've talked to other people..on the down low, who felt the same way but were also unwilling to admit it.  Fear of rejection, judgement, and of just being ignored..or the worst, of being alone.

I've tried to cover up my mistakes, clumsiness, and social awkwardness with excuses, justifications, etc.  I was afraid someone would actually ask me about it.

So, I've heard it is best to just be public about it.  Be brave and just spit it out.  Tell the truth.

My name is Melody.. I am a senior citizen, and I belong to AARP.