Thursday, December 29, 2016

Dream: Lands End Scam

I'm sitting at home in a white undershirt and underpants when the doorbell rings. I realize it's the delivery man with the new cellphone. My wife is hobbling to the door. But I know that the package will require a signature, so I get up to sign for it. But then I realize I need to put on pants. Where did I leave them? I go from room to room quickly, almost frantically, searching for my clothes. Finally I find them, in a neat pile in front of the telephone in the kitchen. Meanwhile, my wife has let the man into the house and calls out to say that it's the man from Lands End. Still in my underwear, I encounter the man in a doorway. He's taller than me and dressed in a uniform – white shirt and blue pants – like a delivery man / courier.

The scene has shifted. I'm in an office, lit brightly with natural light from undressed windows. I'm certainly not on the ground floor; I'm perhaps at least three stories up. Suspicious, I question the man. I haven't ordered from Lands End in a long time. Maybe this is a scam to hijack my Lands End account. Maybe his showing up will compel me to log in to my Lands End account while an accomplice with a packet sniffer picks out my username and password. So I say, “When was the last time I ordered from Lands End?” “Oh, in 1951,” he lies. This bothers me. First, I was born in the sixties. Second, does he really think I look that old?*  So I say, “I'm calling the police.” He nods as if to say, “Oh well, you caught me.” It was just a threat – I was hoping he would run away. But he stays. My daughter is here, so I say to her, “Let me have your cellphone,” hoping to convince him I am serious.  She gives it to me. It occurs to me to use the cellphone to take a picture of the man. I get distracted trying to find the camera app. By the time I find it, the man has moved. I don't remember what he looked like, and there are two other men dressed just like him! Which one is he? Then I see that he is walking out the door.


The scene has shifted again. It is night time. I'm outside in a parking lot that looks as though it was hewn out of thick woods. The margins are irregular and there is no curb along the perimeter. The three men are now driving three separate white Cadillacs. They're leaving the parking lot. The first two are driving to the right, headed for the road. The third is driving straight away from me onto a dirt path. I get into my car. My daughter is in the driver's seat, so I get in on the passenger side and say, “Follow that car,” pointing to the third one. We both know she's an inexperienced driver – she just got her license. But I'm not really serious about “catching” this man, and I figure it would be a nice confidence booster for my daughter if demonstrate that I'm willing to depend on her for this kind of thing. I take out the cellphone and hold it up to aim at the car. I operate the laser pointer focusing beam. I see the red dot appear on the rear window of the car. The car stops and its lights go out.


* It doesn't occur to me that there was no Internet back in 1951.  Maybe there wasn't even a Lands End, either.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20161221

Well I do cheat on this diet. But I'm finding that I'm able to stop myself after just one or two cookies. Before, I'd stop only after eating the last cookie.

We had our first significant snow fall of the season. And I spent nearly two hours shoveling snow that morning. I wonder if that's why my body fat is one percent lower.

Waist = 40.25"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20161214

Well, I've been cheating on my keto diet, so much so that I'm sure I'm not in ketosis any more. Last night I had a sickening amount of flavored whipped cream. I forgot that the volume of the final product doubles after whipping, so I started with a bit more than I needed to. I'm glad that only my waist measurement has gone up!

It occurred to me that ice cream makes a lot of sense. Heavy cream has such a short shelf life. Making ice cream is a great way to preserve it.

Waist = 40.25"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20161207

I'm surprised my numbers haven't increased since last week. I've been sneaking candy nearly every day. And last night I ate an entire 14" thin crust pizza. Yet my weight and fat are the same as last week, and my waist even went down. Then again, I slept very well.

Waist = 40.0"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Weigh-In Eight Year Graphical Summary

Here is an eight year graphical summary of my weigh-in data.

I think the increase from November 2015 to June 2016 is because I was taking Lexapro.

I think the longer-spanned increase from about September 2013 to about November 2014 is related to a malfunctioning CPAP machine.


Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20161130

I think it's time for me to post another graphical summary, if I can remember how.

Waist = 40.25"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20161123

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Waist = 40.25"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20161116

I've given up on making home made low carb ice cream. Now I do something easier and better. I make flavored whipped cream. I combine liquid stevia* with a flavorful ingredient and add heavy cream all in a really good jar, such as a clean 16 ounce almond butter jar. Then I just shake, and shake, and shake. Eventually it thickness and turns into a great filling dessert! I used Madagascar vanilla extract on Sunday night and got something that resembled Talenti Gelato Tahitian Vanilla ice cream. Last night I used a nutmeg grater to pulverize a thumb-sized piece of raw ginger and added that to get a ginger ice cream knock off. Really good heavy cream costs about $7.30 per quartz (or $3.65 per pint). But the cream's volume increases by at least 50% using this method. So you don't need 1 pint of cream to get 1 pint of dessert -- 12 ounces is sufficient. And frankly, when I start with only 1 cup of cream, I get more than enough dessert for a serving. So it turns out to be much cheaper than good quality ice cream.


* I have powdered stevia, so I add a tablespoon of very hot water to liquefy it before I combine ingredients.

Waist = 40.75"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20161110

I offered to relieve someone of her huge bowl of leftover Halloween candy on Monday. I left the full bowl in the cafeteria at work on Tuesday morning. In two hours it was all gone except for several pieces of bubblegum. Somehow I managed to limit myself to a miniature peppermint patty, which my wife gave me, and three pieces of bubblegum. This despite the fact that there were plenty of Butterfinger bars to tempt me.

Waist = 40.5"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Post Election Speech

Many friends and relatives, both online and in real life, are upset, stunned, ashamed, worried, etc. about the results of yesterday's election. Their reactions are extreme in some cases.

One loved one exclaimed, "Don't say to me to relax, take a deep breath, everyone's gonna be alright...":

But we do need to relax; we do need to breathe. However we should not be complacent and assume that everything will work out.  We must work hard to tip the scales back toward love and compassion.  Treat all humanity with respect and honor.  All life is precious.

As an artist / engineer, I can do this.  I think you can, too. A difficult challenge has been set before us, and we will "up our game" to meet and exceed this challenge.  Be positive.  Be a beacon of light and hope.  Only then will everything be alright.

Peace and love to you all!

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Hand Made Low Carb Ice Cream

For those of us on a low carb diet, ice cream is off limits.  Even the sugar-free varieties that I've seen in the store are filled with artificial sweeteners and maltodextrin.  Sure they're lower carb, but the sweetness would be enough to throw me into a sugar-seeking binge,  So I made my own version from pure heavy cream, vanilla extract and a modest amount of stevia.

I don't have an ice cream maker, so I used a method described on the Handle the Heat website.  It's very satisfying, meaning I don't need to eat a lot in order to satisfy my ice cream craving.  I controlled the sweetness to a bare suggestion of sweet, relying on the vanilla to carry the illusion of real ice cream.

I have stevia powder, which I first liquified with about a tablespoon of hot water.

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Dream: Widow Maker

I awake early.  It's only about 4:10am, and there's no chance I can fall back to sleep quickly.  I get up and go outside wearing nothing but my T-shirt and undershorts.

It's light out already.

I walk to the right side of the house.  Something about the trees looks “off.”  Then I look up and notice that one of the trees isn't even touching the ground.  It's actually a “widow maker” -- a huge branch that broke off and is now hanging in mid air.  It's so huge that it's the size of a tree.  I make a note of not walking below it from now on.

A truck pulls up in front of the house.  It's the landscapers!  On a Saturday!  And I'm outside in my underwear!  I rush inside to hide from them.


It's later in the day.  I'm outside with my wife, again on the right side of the house.  I point out the widow maker after she walks underneath it.  Then I grab a long pole and use it to pull the widow maker down.

Our outdoor party has begun.  I get distracted by some young boys next to a white plastic folding table. They want me to drink a soda.  I really don't want to, but I don't want to hurt their feelings, so I stall.  Then I realize that I can be very entertaining by “preparing myself” to taste-test the soda.  I clear my throat, lick my lips and smack them.  I do increasingly more bizarre things like humming through my throat and then through my nose.  I shake my head vigorously so that my jowls flap about.  I hum again though my nose.  But then I notice that the humming doesn't stop – I can't make it stop!  What great excuse not to drink the soda – a nasal sound that won't go away!  I apologize to the boys and walk away.

[As I awoke, I found out that the humming was due to a leak of my CPAP mask.  The sound was coming from the silicone seal, which was vibrating.]

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20161102

Well, it's November, and I'm not participating in NaBloPoMo this year. But at least my diet is working!

Waist = 40.5"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20161026

I wish I could say that I've been sticking to the lo-carb diet 100%. But alas, I caved in to some sweet treats since last week: candy-coated almonds; jelly beans; candy corn. Also, yesterday and this morning I ate Chinese food, which undoubtedly contained wheat and sugar in the sauce. I'm glad I didn't gain more than a half pound!

Waist = 41.0"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Easy Homemade Mayonnaise

Ever since I found out how easy it is to make mayonnaise from scratch, I've been whipping together one-cup batches.  I follow the basic process described by The Healthy Foodie and use my own ingredients, which includes (in addition to the large egg and 1 cup extra light olive oil):

¼ teaspoon dry ground mustard
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional, for a taste more like "Bell Menz")

Be sure to keep the immersion blender at the very bottom of the jar until the emulsion stops "blooming."  (If you lift the blender too soon, the mayonnaise will be very runny, but it might be salvageable by adding another egg.) Then slowly lift the blender to incorporate the rest of the oil.

Why go through all this fuss?  Why not just eat store-bought mayo?  Commercial mayo is made from inferior, highly-refined, GMO oil.  Even the products sold in health food stores are made from canola oil, whose ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 is not favorable.  Besides, homemade mayonnaise is so much more delicious, and you can vary the recipe to make a dressing.  For example, you might add horseradish to complement roast beef, or Worcester sauce for a spicy sushi dish.

A batch lasts at least two weeks, but you'll probably finish it before then.

Try it!

2016-12-30 SPG Edited to add the optional maple syrup.
2023-12-26 SPG Add details about egg and oil, plus the paragraph about keeping the blender at the bottom of the jar.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20161019

Just another weigh-in...

Waist = 41.0"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20161012

I'm really frustrated by the preponderance of low fat food. I even think that the "meat" bars, such as those from Epic and Tanka, are lower in fat than I'd like them to be. Folks like me who cut back on carbs need to get some of those lost calories from fat.

Waist = 41.25"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20161005

I finally found a source of additive-free heavy cream. But I also found that I can't tolerate too much of it. Dairy fat is a convenient source of fat, which I use to offset the lost calories from the carbs I'm cutting out. And it satiates me very well.

Waist = 41.75"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160928

I'm finding it challenging to keep carbs low. I even have to keep portions of vegetables lower than usual. But I have no sugar cravings and my mood is steady -- no anxiety or depression!

Waist = 41.25"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160921

I started a ketogenic diet on Thursday evening, right after visiting with my Naturopathic Doctor. As well, I'm tracking my food intake on MyFitnessPal. For the "induction phase" I'm including full fat dairy in my diet. This includes feta cheese and goat cheese, plain whole milk yogurt and organic half and half. I'm trying to keep my intake of net carbs to 30 grams or less, but it's extremely challenging.

Waist = 41.75"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160824

Allergy season is starting for me. The cooler nights make it hard for me to breathe. But when we eventually get a nice coating of snow, things get better. Dairy makes the condition worse, so I really need to cut out the dairy now. It's also a good time to start the light therapy treatment -- it gets dark here before 8:00pm!

Waist = 42.75"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160817

This has nothing to do with weight monitoring, nutrition or most anything that this blog usually discusses. But I thought you'd be interested in this free, online, downloadable reference on Tarot Cards.

Waist = 43.0"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160810

When I wake up now, the mental, spaced-out sensation is gone. I'm actually alert now that I have a CPAP machine that's set properly for my condition. But I still have at least a half cup of coffee to improve my mood, even though I seem to function fairly well without it.

Waist = 43.0"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160803

Last week I mentioned that I had started to use a new CPAP machine. Today I'd like to promote a free program designed so that CPAP users can view their data in detail. It's called SleepyHead, and you can find it here.

Waist = 43.0"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160727

I finally got a new CPAP machine and started to use it. The morning after the first night, my mind felt clear and free of fog (mostly). But physically I still ached and needed time to work out the stiffness. I was able to go without coffee that morning. The most interesting result is that time seemed to move more slowly. Before using the new machine, it would take me four hours to get ready for work on some mornings. But now I go through what I need to do and find that it's still quite early. I think that without proper treatment, I had been frequently lapsing into brief states of semi-consciousness, as in Petit mal seizures or Absence seizures. Just imagine how you'd feel if you suddenly find yourself with more time in the morning. It would be like the switch to Daylight Savings Time every day!

Waist = 43.0"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Quotes from "Meditation as a Way of Life"

The following quotes are from "Meditation as a Way of Life," by Alan L Pritz.

"Chanting is an especially potent [devotional] practice because it brings energy (might) to the heart (love) and directs the attention completely (with all thy soul) on God.  In my years of leading meditation groups, I have found that chanting effectively helps people get past their heads and into their hearts.  Even persons with no spiritual leaning have reveled in the alluring aura generate by chanting.  When practiced deeply, devotional chanting can induce a kind of intoxication similar to that which Jesus's disciples felt when toughed by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost: Your energy gets elevated to a divine plane, and you simply get drunk on the love of God! (page 95)

"Another form of devotional practice involves using prayer beads of the rosary -- whatever fits your tradition.  The idea is to pass these beads between your fingers one at a time while reciting a mantra or prayer. Like anything else, it can either be an empty gesture or have inner value, depending on the quality of your attention and intention.  One story tells of a woman who complained to a Hindu saint that prayer beads were ineffective:  She had been using hers for years with no result.  Discreetly observing her over time, he noticed that her attention was on everything else but God, so naturally her mechanical prayers would not bear fruit.  The same can be said for any superficial spiritual practice.  We could be in heaven but miss its glories if inattentive.  With right determination and devotion, however, nothing can  keep us from Spirit.  Loving thought of God invites his company, and that can be done anywhere, anytime.

"The love of God opens mental and emotional channels that keep us in tune with Spirit because Spirit is love.  The Divine is omnipresent, and remembrance of God is a doorway to his presence.  'Be thou diligent in performing actions in the thought of Me.  Even by engaging in activities on My behalf thou shalt attain supreme divine success.'  When thinking of and loving God, our vibrational field is raised.  Ordinary persons may notice this rise by feeling joyfully inspired.  Those steeped in divine ardor may experience spiritual ecstasy or, in the case of the Christian mystic Brother Lawrence, can levitate.  When divinely enraptured, Brother Lawrence rose off the earth; his fellow monks, being ever practical, put him on refectory duty so the ceiling would keep him from floating away.  Heaven, it seems, manifests whenever the head and heart are absorbed in God." (page 96)



"A principal feature with breathing exercises is that mental states respond to the depth, rhythm, and retention of breath.  Regulated breathing balances energy movements through the brain hemispheres, causing a tonic effect that enhances nervous and immune system functions.  Associated benefits include resistance to stress and disease, plus elevated mood, calmness, focus, and creativity.  Even a little done daily is beneficial.

Exercise 1: Centering Breath

This exercise is a cornerstone for stress management and can be done anywhere, anytime -- at home, driving (with eyes open!), or at work.  It helps us to be present and turn within for meditation when desired.  In fact, many and spiritual traditions use centered breathing in conjunction with prayer or guided imagery to enhance inner experiences.


"Use of sound frequencies deliberately exercised for spiritual purposes is rarely employed in the West outside of Wiccan or indigenous traditions....

"Use of this mantra requires that it be repeated in conjunction with breath..."

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Quotes from "Finding the Right Psychiatrist"

Here are some quotes from Finding the Right Psychiatrist, by Robert L. Taylor...

For mild to moderate depression -- the most common target of antidepressant medication -- they are no better than placebo (Fournier et al. 2010).

And even these meager results may be overstated.  When studies fail to show any advantage over placebo or when adverse effects prove too troublesome, no problem -- psychodrug makers simply throw out the results and start over.  There are no restrictions on how many studies can be done.  A pharmaceutical company can keep at it until approvable results turn up.  These outcomes -- no matter how difficult to come by -- can then be trumpeted as the only outcomes.  (The FDA does now require all drug studies to at least be publicly registered on a website: www.clinicaltrials.gov.)

You might reasonably ask, Why then do antidepressants remain so popular?  One major factor relates to the tremendous influence psychodrug makers exert over psychiatric publications.  In some instances these companies arrange to have supportive articles ghostwritten!  Another factor stems from selective publication.  In a review of 74 antidepressant studies, researchers found 37 of 38 positive outcomes published in professional journals.  In contrast, only 3 of 36 negative outcomes made it into print (Turner et al. 2008).  In a few instances, failed results were buried in the report and replaced by a positive but unrelated finding.  This long-standing practice carries the nickname "data torturing" (Watters 2010). - page 48

------------------

... magnesium, commonly deficient in the American diet and susceptible to depletion by stress, seems to counteract depression.  One report documented depressed persons recovering after taking extra magnesium (125-300 mg) with each meal and at bedtime.  When put to the test, magnesium also exerts a mood-stabilizing effect, which may be related to chemical characteristics shared with lithium (Eby 2006).  - page 89

------------------

Stanford psychiatry Professor Lorrin Koran and his research team studied the addition of a stimulant drug to the treatment regimen of persons with severe obsessive-compulsive symptoms.  While continuing their previously prescribed SSRI, the patients took, in addition, one of two stimulants: dextroamphetamine or caffeine.  The researchers were surprised when caffeine (used as the control) produced improvement equal to that achieved with dextroamphetamine.  In addition, caffeine was associated with an unexpected reduction in anxiety (Koran et al. 2009).

Further evidence of caffeine's therapeutic value comes from the study of fifty thousand women.  Those who drank two to three cups of coffee a day were 15% less likely to require treatment for depression over a ten-year follow-up period (Lucas et al. 2011).  The results suggest that increasing one's consumption of caffeine might help stave off depression in persons so predisposed. - pages 91-92


2016-07-26 Added hyperlinks to quoted text.
2016-07-24 Reformatted some paragraphs to remove unwanted carriage return / newline characters.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160720

I never weighed so much in my life! It may be that the GABA and/or Tryptophan also cause weight gain, perhaps indirectly. I plan to make an appointment with a Naturopathic Doctor soon. Here's a link to an interesting article on GABA. I found it interesting that GABA should not cross the Blood-Brain Barrier. But, GABA makes me tired, which may indicate that I have a "Leaky Brain".

Waist = 43.0"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Dream: Interview With Nessbaum

I'm accompanying my wife, who has a job interview.  We're in the building.  I'm in a hallway at a make-shift wire gate.  My wife has gone on ahead of me.  There is another visitor there – a male.  A female employee of the company is at the gate letting people through.  The visitor speaks with the employee and gets her to slide the gate open part way.  While they're still talking, I slip through, saying, “I know the way.”

I walk down the hallway, looking into rooms, because I really don't know the way.  I figure I'd just find which room my wife is in and enter that room.  After looking in a few doorways, I find her.

I enter the room.  It's more like a sitting room than an office.  The walls are paneled with wood.  The company president is there.  I'll call him “Nessbaum” -- that's what he looks like, a “Nessbaum”.  He's an older white man, with wire-rimmed glasses, short, thick, curly, gun-barrel gray hair, and a professional yet kind and patient disposition.  He's sitting in an overstuffed chair sorting through paperwork that's in his lap.  I remain quiet, trying to not disrupt anything.

Eventually, he's finished with my wife and now it's my turn.  But he has yet more paperwork to shuffle through.  So I get up and ask him if he'd like anything from the cafeteria, a cup of tea perhaps.  He says that he'd like tea, and tells me a particular brand and flavor.

In the cafeteria, I open the cabinet containing the teas.  I don't see the one he mentioned.  I wonder if this is a test.  Perhaps he wants to know how I'll react in an impossible situation.  I ask the other folks who are there, “Do we have blank tea?”  They chuckle and one says, “Oh that's for Nessbaum, right?  He really means blah blah tea.”

Relieved, I select the blah blah tea.  Yet I take one final glance for the tea that Nessbaum asked for.  As I walk back I think about what I'd say if he complains about the incorrect tea selection.  The response comes to me quickly.  I'll say that I decided to trust the advice of the other employees.  If they're honest, you'll get the right tea and all will be well.  But if they're sneaky and try to trick me, then you won't hire me which is just as well since I wouldn't want to work among sneaky dishonest people.  It's the perfect answer, and I'm very pleased with myself.

I return to the room, but Nessbaum isn't there.  Instead a few other people are using the room.  I'm concerned that I took too long and lost my opportunity to interview with him.  I walk further down the hallway hoping to find him, and I find my wife sitting in another room.  “Where's Nessbaum?” I ask.  “He's dead,” is the reply.  I'm shocked and upset.  I explain how I thought of a great reply to why I didn't bring the tea that he asked for.  Then I start to cry.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160630

I'm making another effort to get the new CPAP machine. The machine I have now is fixed at a pressure of "9". But I weigh more than I did when I had the sleep study, and the machine is old and might not be working correctly. The new machine would be capable of auto-titration, an APAP.

Waist = 42.75"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160622

I've started taking two new supplements: GABA Calm and L-Tryptophan. I have absolutely no anxiety, and I'm not anymore depressed than before. The dull apathy I was experiencing is all gone. The range of motion in my shoulder is so much better, but I still have some pain.

Waist = 42.75"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160615

I decided to stop taking Lexapro. Instead, I'll follow the guidelines in Trudy Scott's "The anti-anxiety food solution : how the foods you eat can help you calm your anxious mind, improve your mood, & end cravings." Ever since I started Lexapro I had pains in my right shoulder and elbow, very low motivation, tiredness and apathy, and weight gain. The pains remind me of what I experienced when I ate corn, so it might be due to the fillers in the pill. Anyway I expect the tiredness and pains to be gone within seven days, which is about how long it took for me to improve under the Blood Type Diet.

Waist = 42.5"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160608

The numbers are the same as last week's. Our dishwasher has been broken for a couple of weeks. My routine used to be that I'd load the dishwasher and turn it on before going to bed. And to motivate myself to do that, I'd eat a snack while loading it. But it's harder to eat a snack while washing dishes, so I may be eliminating some extra calories.

Waist = 42.25"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160531

Okay, it's Tuesday, but I was naked and standing near my scale, so I figured, "Why not do a weigh-in?" It's quite dismal news, I know. I think the Lexapro might be contributing to the rising numbers. I'd weigh more, but I lost a lot of water overnight due to steaming in the hot, humid air.

Waist = 42.25"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160322

Sorry about the lack of posts.  Spring is here, and I feel a bit more energized.

Waist = 42.0"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160217

All the improvements in fitness that I achieved by starting a lower-carb version of the Blood Type Diet eight years ago are nearly all gone. I'm too lazy and apathetic to care right now.

Waist = 42.0"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160113

Lately I've been wondering why we swallow probiotic supplements. I read in "Gut" that most of our gut bacteria live in the large intestine. An abundance of bacteria in the stomach or small intestine is considered bacterial overgrowth and is unpleasant to experience. So I think probiotics should be supplied as suppositories.

Waist = 41.0"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Wednesday Weigh-In 20160107

Sorry for my absence. I'm still trying to cope with a great deal of apathy that came about when I started taking Lexapro. The dose is now a meager 5mg.

Waist = 41.0"
Height = 5' 9"

References:
  1. Wikipedia BMI page
  2. Tanita Scale with Body Fat monitor
  3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.