I’m not officially “diabetic” but my doctor says I am “prediabetic”. So some time back I got a blood glucose meter and tested myself for a while. Since then I have also started a very low-carb diet (call it Primal/Paleo or LCHF) and have lost a lot of weight. My HbA1C tests have showed I am still on the borderline, but my doctor says it shows “excellent control” (mine is 5.1%, non-diabetic will be 4.9% or less). ...
Removed some friends from my list who probably are no longer active. If I removed you but you are still active, comment here!
I posted this as a comment in a friend’s journal but it sums up a lot of what I’ve been thinking about lately. On the subject of going cold-turkey vs. gradually reducing carbs…
I want to re-negotiate my relationship to food. Typical low-fat diet wisdom Eat a lot of small meals during the day Diet and exercise together–both are important Portion control is key Eat protein, starch, and veggies about equally Avoid fat, no “bad” fats, small amount of “good” fats Avoid sweets Carbs are the body’s “preferred” fuel Number of calories is the most important measurement of the diet If you eat fat, you can only eat half as much food as when you’re eating carbs What’s wrong with this picture? ...
I am still eating a very-low-carb diet. (The one I’m following is LCHF, very similar to Paleo. Look back a few entries in my LJ for more info about the diet itself.) So far, it is an awesome life-change for me and I am actually enjoying it. Compared to other “points” or “calorie restriction” diets, it has been much easier to follow and stay on. I have been losing about 2-3 pounds a week when I’m paying close attention, and staying about the same when I become lazy or cheat more than 1 day per week.. but it seems quite sustainable. ...
Hi friends! Is anyone else playing Star Wars Online?
Short version: We have a new car. The first dealer didn’t get it when promised, got it two days later, but I backed out of the deal. I ended up getting very close to the same model for a bit less, from another dealer. The car is now here and we are happy. Longer version: This is approximately what happened with the first dealer: Sat 2pm: Met with D1, asked if he could match the price quoted by D2 in email. He said he could not match it but could come within $440 of it. I said this was OK. Sat 230pm: D1 shows me the same car as the one I want, only in V6 engine. I say I like it. He says he can get me the V4, should be able to have it tomorrow (Sunday). I say, I am traveling Sunday but I can pick it up Monday. Sat 3pm: D1 checks my trade-in car, agrees with me that it is in great condition and would resell easily. I say I am hoping for mid Blue-book value (5600). His offer to me: 3500. I counter: 4500. He counters again: 4000. I say OK. Sat 330pm: Lots of papers are signed. I have all the papers saying I have a new car, I just don’t have the keys. Sat 4pm: D1 gives me a loaner car (Jetta with 94 miles on it) and takes my Jetta trade-in. I transfer all my stuff to the loaner car and say goodbye. Sun: Day passes with no call, but I was not concerned. Mon 12pm: I call D1 to say, I haven’t heard from you, do you have my car? Mon 2pm: I get a voice message from D1, something like “The car didn’t get to get the the dealership, we’re going to figure this out tomorrow. You know, they release so many cars the last couple days and we tried to locate where the trucker is, but we were not able to do that today. So by tomorrow… any questions, feel free to gimme a call” I’m starting to get the feeling “tomorrow” is not a firm date either Tuesday 9am: As a back-up plan I reach out to D2 to make sure he still has the car I want. D2 says sure, and I share my story so far. D2 is sympathetic and says that if I decide not to deal with D1 just let him know and he will take care of me. Tuesday 11am: I show up in person at D1 and say “Look, I really need the car today, or we will not be doing business”. D1 and D1.mgr both swear up and down that it will definitely be here today by 6 pm. Tuesday 5:50pm: I show up again, and the car is there, but by this time I have decided I am no longer wanting to do business with this dealer. I explain that I have decided not to accept the car. Many awkward conversations happen over next 60 min but finally they give up on me. Tuesday 7:30pm: They explain that they cannot give me my trade-in car back, since that sale is finalized and they have already started reconditioning the car. Instead they will cut me a check for the agreed trade-in amount. More papers are signed. They tell me to come back the next morning for my check. Total time: approx 78 hrs Now, here is the experience with the other dealer: ...
Update: It’s been another month since my previous post on this. I am still keeping very low carbs, eating foods that I like, and haven’t felt hungry.
TL;DR Powerpoint version: I have been on the LCHF plan for 4 weeks LCHF means “Low Carb High Fat” So far, lost 3 lbs. per week Haven’t felt hungry at all What is LCHF? LCHF is a version of the low-carb Atkins-like diet that is also being called the Scandinavian diet. Read more about it here or Google it. Rather than repeating what other web sites have said about it, let me just say what I like, and what drew me to it. ...
We have all heard of this “marketplace of ideas” but, where actually is it? Sure, it sounds funny when you put it like that, but I’m being quite serious here. I think there should be a website (or app, maybe) where people can express ideas, vote on the ideas they agree with, and rate how strongly they feel about them. Then, people could find other ideas, and rate them too, and explore the links, maybe even view ideas that seem to conflict with those they feel strongly about. Perhaps we could even draw connections and vote for the best related/supporting ideas. ...