The Utopia of Weight Loss

  Does anyone remember that movie "Logan's Run"?  It was based on a book that was published in 1967.  The setting brings us to a post-apocalyptic, future dystopian society where people lived in harmony. Population and resource consumption was controlled by requiring the death of anyone reaching the age of 30 (21 if you read the book). Citizens were required to report to a "sleep shop" where they were incinerated. Anyway, the one part of the movie that has stuck in my mind all these years was a scene where any citizen could enter a lab and request to be "laser sculpted". The female character was beautiful, already thin, and perfect looking.  However, just like current times, all she and society saw where those tiny little flaws that kept her from being "perfect".

 Laser trim a few pounds off here, there, and anywhere else the pesky fat cells were accumulating. I remember thinking "how cool would that be"?  A machine that could fix any physical flaw. Even as young as I was back then, I was already focusing on my so called flaws.  Fast forward forty years later and I realize not much has changed other than I have gotten older and . . . yep . . . more fat. Actually, according to clinical standards I am obese.  When did the term "obese" replace the term "fat"?  Why did it replace it? Whose ideas was it?  

I started an online application based weight loss program last Monday.  It is a points based system that includes "free foods" and incorporates activity into the overall plan.  I was on this same program years ago and had fairly good success so I decided to try it again.  I do recall that the last time I started the program I had 31 daily food points - this time I have 17.  The points and pathway are decided after the user takes a survey based on their preferences. Luckily, in my pathway, I have 300 free foods to choose from so it shouldn't be too much of a hardship, right? OMG!  The first day I had access to the program I ate like I normally would just to see what my typically day would look like for points. This first day was not my start day but since the application allowed me to start tracking a day early I figured I would see how I measured up.

As I stated earlier, I have 17 daily points allocated for food intake.  I also have a bonus bucket of 32 weekly points that I can draw from should I go over my daily limit.  Test day 1: I tracked my food at the end of the day - big mistake! I consumed all of my daily points, all of my weekly points plus more.  I had a total of 63 points for ONE DAY!  It's no wonder I am fat  - or obese if you have made the change to political correctness.  I was sharing this story with my co-workers while we were at the nurse's station and as I made the statement "no wonder I am fat", my own physician just happened to come walking around the corner.  He had heard part of the conversation so of course I had to retell it. I was embarrassed - I don't know why, it's not like he doesn't already know I am "obese".  Maybe it was because I had confessed, out loud, that my eating habits were the real reason for my weight problem . . . I have been trying to convince him it is a thyroid issue.  Anyway, he now officially knows that I am following his advice to lose weight.

For now, the laser sculpting machine will remain a dream and weight loss programs and changing my eating habits will be my reality.  At least I was able to live past the age of thirty . . .

Random thought: The word "utopia" is from the Greek language and combines two meanings: "a good place" and "no such place".  Isn't it ironic that the word that has come to be associated with perfection is really a good place that doesn't exist?

~Daemon

Did I Really Do That?

While I was at work last night my coworkers and I happened to get into a discussion about things we remembered from our childhood.  I shared my memories of having to practice bomb drills.  No, not the drill where you think there is a bomb in your school and everyone has to evacuate the building.  I am talking about the point in time where America was worried that the Russians were going to bomb us. My generation was just at the tail end of this particular reality - thankfully it never happened but if it did, I knew how to dive underneath my desk for safety.  Are you kidding?  My desk?  As I think back I wonder what material that desk was constructed from that it could withstand a bomb.  I wonder; do any of those desks still exist today?  If so, I would really like to purchase a few and gift them to my family and friends.  I would be the hero! 

 "America, we are under attack . . . get under your desk, now!".  My family and friends would probably be the only survivors because of my gift.  How about this scenario? "The Civil Defense has noted a tornado heading in your direction . . . "  No problem friends and family, just crawl under that desk and hang tight until the storm passes.  Your house may be gone but at least you still have your desk and your life.

Isn't it amazing how we can overcome our fears when we think we have something the will keep us safe during any event?  Many of us have those items that we have to keep on our person or really close by to ward off evil, danger, and the occasional zombie.  My safety items have changed over the years.  I used to have a Teddy Bear but one day I imagined him coming to life and killing me . . . I don't know what television show I must have seen that planted that in my mind, but Teddy was relegated to the attic.  I also had magic blankets that could be pulled over my head when I was in bed.  Those blankets kept the monsters away. As long as I was laying in the middle of the bed - suffocating myself - nothing could reach me.  Not even that big monster under the bed.  There were times when I actually thought I saw that monster but I am pretty sure it was my oxygen brain playing tricks on my mind.  I better not forget about the cats and dogs that kept me safe over the years.  As long as one of those animals was sleeping on my bed or walking with me in the dark, nothing could get me.  I was convinced my pets would turn into vicious killing machines to protect me.

My current safety item is my cell phone - I keep it close by and even take it into the bathroom with me sometimes.  Why on earth would I do this?  Because it saved my life once.  Well, I actually saved my own life by calling for help but my cell phone was the safety item I used. I don't have the Teddy Bear or the magic blankets anymore and my pets are not going to save me from anything. Now, I try to anticipate certain situations and role play in my head what my reactions would be. I think about problems that could arise and how I could fix them. I tend to do this with everything and I haven't decided if it is healthy or not.  Sometimes my brain won't shut down because there are so many scenarios running around up there. It is this ability or curse that allows me to have a quick comeback or reaction to most things that come my way.  It's like I myself have become my elementary school desk and I can protect myself - I just have to crawl inside my own head instead of under my desk to be safe.  Crazy? Maybe, but it works for me.

Random Thought:  What if all children were taught to critically think and solve their own problems?  What would our world look like in 20 years?

~Daemon

Dare to Dream and Just Push Through It.

I woke up this morning feeling like I had been run over by a truck.  Not that I know what that feels like, but if I had to imagine what it felt like I would have likened it to the massive aching body that greeted me when I opened my eyes.  Getting older can mean different things for different people - for me it means that every day my joints wear out just a little bit more.  Do I sound like I am whining?  Well, maybe I am.  After all, there are things I can do to reduce the stress to my joints. I could lose weight, I could work out, I could cut back on the number of hours I spend sedentary, or I could take a handfull of pills every day to cut the pain.  I do not do any of those things because like many other people, I have gotten myself stuck in a rut and I am not sure how to get out of it.

There are those people who have the willpower of the gods and they can do anything they put their mind to.  The push through every obstacle to achieve the task at hand and they set an example for everyone else in regard to just what one person can achieve.  I often wonder what drives the individuals - I have that same drive when I start to dream about accomplishing a task.  I can plan everything from start to finish in my head and I can actually see the end result.  However, I either never start the task or I start it and it sits unfinished until I abandon it completely and dispose of the product of my mind.  Why do I do this?  I can come up with many reasons that are all legitimate when I think about my own situation.  I guess that is part of the answer to my question - we each have different abilities and even though we may dream big there is always the risk of something stopping the dream.  It could me a mental deficiency that cripples a person or it could be a physical reason.  In my case it is both. 

I deal with depression, arthritis, and cardiac conditions that often stop me dead in my tracks.  However, I am learning that I can still accomplish tasks that seem insurmountable.  I just have to go back to taking baby steps . . . or in this case baby bites.  It may take me longer to accomplish something but I realized that I needed to continued to bring my dreams to fruition even if it takes me two or three time longer than someone else.  After all, what is the hurry?  The dream is alive as long as I make it so.  I have decided that I need to continued to dream and tell myself to "just push through it".  Wish me luck!

Random Thought:  What if we all decided to "just push through it" and accomplished all that we dreamt of.  Imagine the possibilities . . . No, do the impossible.

~Daemon

The Year of Problem Solving

This morning I had another one of my epiphanies.  This one was better than the one I had where I realized I didn't have to eat blueberries anymore because I was an adult and could make my own decisions - that's a whole other blog.  Anyway, I have been struggling with not getting out of the house enough and feeling sorry for myself because I don't have time to do any errands before work.  What I realized this morning is that I do have time to do errands before work and the reason I wasn't going out before work was because I didn't want to wear my scrubs on my errands.  Here is the easy fix - wear whatever I am wearing from when I got dressed for the day and just bring my scrubs to work with me and put them on there.  Why did it take me so many years - yes, years - to come up with this solution?  Probably because I was too focused on feeling trapped and sorry for myself.

So, today I dressed in my jeans, t-shirt, and put on my makeup.  I fixed my hair, grabbed some lunch, ran a couple errands and still had time to stop at the local coffee shop for some much needed caffeine and a little "blogging" time. My scrub outfit is hanging in the vehicle just waiting for me to put it on when I get to work.  Work - there is another issue that this will help with.  We used to be able to punch in when we got to work and the boss would just adjust our time to reflect our scheduled start time.  Now, we have a new time and attendance system and staff is not supposed to clock in early - we have to wait for the clock to be at least seven minutes before the start time before sliding that badge through the reader.  I usually get to work at least 15 minutes early and I always just punched in and started working on something.  After the new rule took effect, I would often get to work early and plan to go back to the time clock to punch in - that didn't always happen.  New plan: I am going to go to work like I always have but from now on I will have my scrubs with me a go to the locker room and change. By the time I am done doing that I should be able to punch into work as I am going by the time clock.  Problem solved!  An added benefit is that I can change back to my street clothes after work and reduce the "bugs" that I could potentially be bringing into my home.  Win-Win!

Life has so many road blocks for all of us and it is easy to let ourselves get pulled down to a point where we feel we have no control over our own outcomes. I'm not a big believer in New Year resolutions but considering we are just starting a new year, I think that I am going to try looking back to my past and pull out some of the tools I used to use to help others problem solve.  I have a plethora of skills and tools sitting inside my brain just waiting to be dusted off and put to good use.  I think 2020 is going to be the "year of the problem solver" and I am going to try find unique ways to get myself going in the right direction.

Random Thought:  What if everyone focused on solutions rather than problems for just one day . . . I can only imagine the productivity spike that could result.

~Daemon