Wednesday Weigh-In 20251230

The last weigh-in of 2025 ends on a high note -- literally.

Waist = 44.75"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Book Review: “Thriving in a Relationship When You Have Chronic Illness...," by Lisa Gray

This book targets married couples or couples in a committed relationship, one of whom has a chronic illness. However, it seems as far as this book is concerned, the term “relationship” can be expanded to include filial, such as between father and son, for example. Close friendships, too.

The book is very well-structured.  The first ten chapters are organized according to the five stages of grieving. Odd-numbered chapters describe the situation and emotions in each stage, while the even-numbered suggest tools to cope.  In the latter there’s a tool for the patient and another for the partner.

Chapter 2 (tools and activities for the Denial phase) lacks the important suggestion to maintain medical records, apply for disability immediately, and get a good attorney to handle the appeal. The denial portion of chronic illness might make you think it’s not necessary. But if you wait until you realize you need it, it might be too late and you’ll regret it.

The final, eleventh chapter wraps up the book, but it also discusses what to do if the partner doesn’t want to follow the process. Guidance is undergirded by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT.

Throughout the book, we follow the experiences of two couples, one of which experienced a sudden setback; the other, a food-loving diabetic whose life-style must altered to accommodate the illness.

The author is well-qualified to write on this topic. She is both a mental health professional and a patient with chronic illness. And she has “a very patient and selfless partner.” In the introduction, she writes briefly about an eleven year search to find a reason for her malaise, during which she was misdiagnosed or told there was nothing wrong.

Although I haven’t read the entire book, the parts I did read are very well-written. The Resources section provides links to helpful websites and podcasts; References, a list of books. Any sources are cited in-line with the text. There is no index.

Every rehabilitation group should have some on hand to give out to newly-diagnosed patients. I wish I had this book 15 years ago.

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This review was posted to LibraryThing on 2025-12-26.  More reviews can be found here.  I received a free signed copy of this book in order to write this review.

Dream: Hawk Jumps on Me

I'm outside at a sort of Dude Ranch / Farm / Park area. I notice that there is a hawk caught in a barbed wire about ten yards away from me. My urge is to free the bird. But instead I point out the situation to a girl nearby, and she goes and frees the hawk.

I’m relieved to see that the hawk is unharmed. It flies away in the opposite direction a bit low to the ground. But then it turns and comes toward me. I turn away and crouch down. It lands on my neck and head, and it pinches my right ear with its beak, gently, not drawing blood, but just holding it. I remain very still so as not to alarm it, and to prevent it from acting more aggressively. I stay like this for a minute or two. I’m not sure what to do. Maybe someone will notice and remove it.

I’m reminded of a time when I played with a cat and it suddenly grabbed my hand with its claws. Whenever I tried to pull away, it would dig its claws in deeper to hold on tighter.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20251224

My partner has started with a new Pain Management doctor. Unfortunately, he's acting more as an arm of the DEA than as a clinician. Apparently there are stricter rules and more oversight regarding the use of opioids. This is why the previous doctor retired. So my thoughts are scattered due to overwhelming concerns about my partner's future. And recently I scored higher on the depression screening test, so the dose of my antidepressant was doubled.

Waist = 44.75"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

New Feature – Easy Meal Recipes

My ideal meal is one that

• tastes great
• provides abundant nutrients
• can be prepared in no time
• requires no fancy equipment
• costs nothing

As well, the meal’s ingredients would last for decades without spoiling.  Alas, no such meal exists.  But lately I’ve been focused on reducing the prep time of my delicious, low-cost, easy-to-make, nutritious meals, and I’d like to share with you.

Notice that I didn’t claim that my meals would be “healthy.”  I’m not a researcher in this area, and ideas about what’s healthy and what’s not healthy vary over time or by consumer.

For example, there was a time when all fats were bad, or all saturated fats were bad, so folks thought margarine was healthier than butter.  But now we’re advised to avoid trans-fats and consume good fats. Grains form the base of that dreaded food pyramid; I gain weight from them (and rice constipates me), so I avoid them.

Expect to see recipes or advice on how to overcome obstacles to home cooking.  The idea is to adapt them to your liking, adding and omitting to suit your lifestyle.

As well, if you have a favorite recipe, please share it.

Thanksgiving 2025

I shared my recipe for turkey thighs back in 2023. ¹   I made that again today, but this time I took photos as I layered the ingredients.

I loaded the vegetables into the oiled pan in this order:

Brussels sprouts, sliced four times
Garlic, sliced four times
Turmeric root, sliced very thinly
(PIC1)

Parsnips, Cut into less than 0.5" (1cm) cubes
Carrots, Cut into less than 0.75" (1.5cm) cubes
Dashes of dried herbs: Thyme, Italian mix
(PIC2)

Red Beets, half rounds, sliced 0.25" (0.5cm) thick
Golden Beets, half rounds, a bit thinner than the red beets (They seemed a bit denser than their red counter parts.)
(PIC3)

Onion sectioned longitudinally
Half a Small Butternut squash, peeled, cut lengthwise into 8 pieces
Sprigs of fresh herbs (Thyme, Rosemary, Lavender)
(PIC4)

Last, but certainly not least, the two turkey thighs, patted dry with the skin sides rolled in a plate of salt and fresh-cracked pepper, skin side up.
(PIC5)

Set into an oven that's been pre-heated to 375°F (190°C).  Your kitchen will start to smell wonderful in just five minutes.

Meanwhile, take the vegetable trimmings out to the compost, or take out the garbage and perhaps stroll through the woods looking for mushrooms.  When you get indoors after about 15 minutes, you'll really enjoy the aroma.

After about 55 minutes, test each thigh with a meat thermometer.  The overall cooking time should be 60 to 65 minutes, so when you first test it, it might be at 145°F (63°C).  If so, leave it in for about ten more minutes.  Remove from the oven when the temperature reaches 165°F (74°C), and tent it with aluminum foil (shiny side down) for about twenty minutes.

Last night I mashed two small rutabagas (after peeling, cutting into cubes and boiling in salt water).  So while I let the turkey rest, I cleaned up a bit and then I reheated the mashed rutabagas.  I served all of this about 90 minutes after putting the turkey into the oven.

I hope you had a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

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¹ https://square--peg.blogspot.com/2023/11/thanksgiving-2023.html

Wednesday Weigh-In 20251125

I've added chia seeds and oat bran to my diet. It seems that the extra fiber keeps me from wanting too many sweets. Except right now I'm munching on milk chocolate chips.

Waist = 44.25"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.