Jewish Musings, Thursday, 10/6

[lee058]

What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.

Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:

Angelika
Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy

[lee058]

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well today. My mom is in SE Florida and getting ready for the hurricane; she is somewhat nervous, but since she has been through this before, she is hoping that it won't be too bad. She has food and batteries and flashlights, so she is ready. She's not right on the coast, so fortunately she doesn't have to worry about flooding, but her condo development almost always loses electricity when there is a bad storm. I will stay in contact with her over the phone, and hopefully that will stay on as it usually does. I just talked with her and she sounded good. I will call her later.

As for us, how about if we continue yesterday's discussion and take a cue from my mom, and talk about starting anew? Do you think this is possible? I do! What's more, I think it is possible to take aspects of your life and make changes fairly often. Of course, with some things, this is easier said than done, but there are many things that we can do without it being too difficult. Little changes can build up into big ones over time.

For me, my latest visit to my endocrinologist is pushing me to make some changes. I do not want to have circulation problems, especially if they could lead to kidney or cardiac problems!!! I am going to take my new medications first of all, drink more water, and eat more foods with potassium. I looked online yesterday, and found out that dairy food, oranges, and squash have lots of potassium, as well as bananas. It will be easy to add more of these to what I eat; when I went to the store yesterday, I bought a bag of navel oranges and some zucchini. I will eat them and not just let them sit around. I will also do more research.

So: looking on the bright side of things, making small changes that can build up into big ones, and seeing what you CAN do as opposed to what you can't will all lead to a happier, more productive life. With the HHD in mind, I think these are important.

I'll check back later. Have a peaceful day, Lee

[peachymom1]

Good morning everyone, and Lee, I hope your mom is OK.

I do believe starting over is possible, and I'm glad, because it means we're not stuck with the same old meshugas day after day, year after year. People have to want to change, though. Good for you, Lee, for looking for ways to make those changes that you want to. Now I want a naval orange...MMMM!

[happysavta]

Since Tuesday night when DH left for China, I've had a stiffened and painful right knee. I was hobbling and could barely get up and down the stairs, walk the dog, put on shoes and socks. Wednesday, I went to the pool and walked in the water for 30 min and sat in the Jacuzzi for 15. Much better today. I'm going to the orthopedist today.

Lee, I'm at the same juncture with my endocrinologist and my blood tests. Gotta make changes. I went to Costco yesterday and bought cut up butternut squash and cut up cauliflower. Anybody have anything clever to do with zucchini? No more soda, switched to green tea only.

Lee, the idea of starting anew is so powerful. But first, I have to break the chain that ties me to the failures of the past. For me, it's the word "always". It haunts me like a ghost. "You always regain all the weight." "You always give up and binge." "You always blurt something out of your mouth that you regret." "You always neglect yourself." "You always look like a mess." "You always avoid exercise." My DH likes to say, "Today is a fresh page. (Hayom Daf Chadash). But I'm so busy self-flagellating and moaning over my shortcomings that I don't take advantage of the power of starting anew.

DH and I married in Haifa between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur and celebrated our 47th wedding anniversary last week. It's a powerful season to start anew, so I am taking the opportunity, along with Lee and I hope along with the rest of you to lose weight, get active and fit, and banish some of the ghosts in my head.

[savtele]

Boker Tov All! Kind of a cold & wet day today - I have some things to get ready for the wedding, then tomorrow will be heading to the venue with a car-load. Weather this weekend is supposed to be nice.

I think that small changes are so much easier than big ones. We get excited about big changes - but one small tweak at a time, over time, can lead to big changes, long-term. I've gone to the pool for years - that's a non-negotiable for me. And lately, on the days I don't swim, some other form of exercise. Doesn't need to be a long time. Doesn't need to be anything big & scary. Just something. Every day.

When I 1st started doing half-planks (about 2 months ago now) I could only do 15 seconds, and then it took me about 2 or 3 minutes to get back up off the floor (I refused to ask John for help!) Now - I do 2 minutes, twice, and then I get up. It's still not easy to get up off the floor - probably never will be - but I am less and less "stuck" down there! Et viola! my BP is waaay down from what it was!

And of course, my IBS problems earlier this week helped convince me that I don't EVER need to go back to eating wheat! Granted, it may have been caused by something else. It might have been some sort of intestinal bug. But the fact that that "bug" hit right after a KaffeKlatsch with a whole lot of wheat-filled goodies is not lost on me! I'm not taking a chance.

Good thoughts & prayers for all in the path of Matthew!

[gazelle18]

Hi everyone!
Frieda, it's nice to have you back with us again! I missed you!

I love the idea of beginning anew. Thank God there is such a concept, as I am often sorely in need of a new beginning.

Sometimes, as Frieda seems to say, it seems almost crazy to start about beginning anew, since I "always" end up reverting to old ways. But there is something magical about us humans.... We have can develop an endless capacity for hope, for figuring things out, for forging new paths.

[louise]

I'm in the process of trying to figure out how to break down the big bad enemies (my weight, the clutter) into pieces I can handle. The picture is not clear for me yet but I applaud the idea! Have started by cutting way down on sugary foods.

My mom is also in the hurricane area. She is in the process of packing up stuff and moving in with her neighbor in the next apartment so she is not alone. Last time I was there I brought her a car charger for her cell phone (which also has a "help me" button) so she won't have to rely on someone else's (which is what happened when the last big one hit). She's got all the right gear - still hoping they don't get it full force though.

[hollygail]

Sitting at my cousin's house (north of San Diego County, inland from LA County) with MSNBC on the TV watching news reports about Matthew. OMG! We have one cousin (her DH died some years ago, and she has a BF although I'm not aware that they live together but he must live nearby) living in Hollywood, FL. I think my "local" cousin has been in touch with the FL cousin... This one looks really bad...

Starting anew. What a refreshing concept! Each year at tashlich I ask for more patience especially with DH, and you guessed it; if I ask every year, you know I haven't yet practiced additional patience... Boy, it would be nice if the coming year were different...

[lee058]

Hi again everybody. It was great reading everybody's comments, as usual. I feel more committed to taking care of myself --- and I think that will be tomorrow's topic!

Have a peaceful night, Lee

[peachymom1]

Holly, it's interesting that you used the word "practice" with patience. I find that patience does take practice. I don't think it comes naturally or easily to many of us.

Right now I am practicing patience with my own DH as he muddles through the murky waters of understanding his health insurance that he will have to sign up for, now that I can't carry him on mine. I have to muddle through my own new plan too, and we will both have to understand each other's plans. In addition to that, the DS25 who's still at home will turn 26 in December, so as of January 1, he'll have to have his own medical insurance. He has a couple of chronic conditions, so he can't go without, but I did remember that a friend of mine mentioned that the university DS25 graduated from has an alumni association that offers health and dental insurance. I told DS25 to check it out and let me know what the options are. All fingers crossed! And then that's yet another plan we will have to familiarize ourselves with and keep track of.

I did talk to my sister today and told her I was not going to Dad's 80th birthday party in Tennessee in December. She gets it. And I feel better having stood my ground on that one.

Everyone have a wonderful evening! I'm going to go practice my Torah readings again!