Here’s To Us!

“Every new day is a chance to change your life.”
Unknown

Like the rest, I have had times when I felt I could not compete with the “supermodels” of the world. I have doctor appointments where I am told my BMI makes me obese despite being a size 12.

However, in September 2022, my dad took me to my first Re-vitalize appointment. I know what you are thinking; “oh great, another ad to sell me my ideal image.” No, I am here to talk about my experience and gratitude to my dad for forcing me into this. My dad had heard one of his favorite sports radio announcers talking about Re-vitalize while on his way to yet “another meeting that could have been an email.” The announcer mentioned the favorite thing he liked most about his experience with Re-vitalize was the staff support and the valuable information he received about maintaining his weight loss. This was a step my dad was very interested in hearing about. He, like the rest of us, has always heard about losing weight but never about how to maintain weight loss. The announcer went on to see that Revitalize was more than a diet, but a different way of looking at the food one consumes. Yes, you can eat the food you love, but with some research and guidance, you can eat it in a way that actually helps your body.

After completing some research, my dad set up an appointment for the following week to learn more. While at the appointment, we learned about the program, which includes a bio scanner to track your individual body needs and much more. My dad and I looked at each other and decided we had nothing to lose, so why not go for it? We went home and told mom, and she immediately cleaned out the pantry and rid it of foods that would not be appropriate for the first few stages of the weight loss program. (We made some friends and family very happy the following day when we handed them the goods we were getting rid of.) We ordered oil-free hygiene products and locked the makeup drawer for 40 days.

The first 40 days of the program involve not having any oils, including those used in personal care products. I was given different minerals to take throughout the day. I was also told about the importance of drinking plenty of water, using pink salt to help hydrate the cells and staying away from starchy foods. The first 40 days are about eating 4-6 oz of protein and tons of veggies. We bought scales to weigh ourselves every day. I got my own, while my parents decided to share one. We even got a food scale. I checked in with a nutrition coach once a week, either in person or on the phone. The support provided was not something I thought would mean anything, but it was extremely comforting to know someone was there to answer any questions I had.

After 40 days, we were allowed to use oils and eat a few more foods we couldn’t before, like corn. We continued to use reset days if needed, which consisted of something as easy as eating apples throughout the day if weight was stagnant or gaining more than 2 pounds from the day before. Then they help set you up for success in the real world, so you don’t have to fear food. After following their simple lifestyle changes for over 150 days, I have lost 32 pounds and am now a size 10! My BMI no longer says I am obese, just overweight, but I will take it. The BMI doesn’t define me.

I learned since giving up gluten and eating more of a keto diet; I have had fewer migraines, had more energy, and slept better. I’m not saying you should go out and try this; I’m just telling you my story about how I have come to love myself more and started stepping out of my comfort zone. I even have cooked some now, which I would never have done before. I enjoy going for nightly walks, going to the gym with my dad a few days a week, and just knowing I did something good for myself.

Morals: 1) Love yourself. 2) Food is not the enemy. 3) Remember to eat those vegetables.

Hey Siri

It is only when they go wrong that machines remind you how powerful they are.
Clive James

Today it seems that everyone has a cell phone, even my nieces and nephews received smart phones when they were 10 years old. One might wonder what does a 10-year-old need with a phone? The answer depends on the perspective. For the parents it satisfies a safety concern, for the kids it satisfies their addiction to the latest video games. Unlike a computer, the smart phone lets them play anywhere at any time – 24/7.

If I had had a phone at 10, I would have been able to call my mom at Magic Mountain when I wandered away from our after-ride meeting spot. Realizing I was lost, I did the adolescent most responsible thing, I wandered around the entire park looking for them. I checked the parking lot and was happy to see they didn’t leave without me. So I checked all of the other rides. Thinking they might be hungry like me, I check the restaurants to see if they were eating without me. I finally gave in and faced the truth. I was lost. So I went to the Lost and Found booth to see if my parents were waiting there. They weren’t, as they too where busy wondering the park. The officer was able to reach out on my behalf and bring us together.

All could have been avoided had I stayed where I was supposed to wait and had I realized that the people getting off the ride were the people who went into the ride before them. The other solution, I could have just gone on the ride, but then I would not have gotten the Mickey Mouse rain jacket the police officer provided to a scared and rain-soaked 10 year old. At the end of the day when time had soothed the anxiety pains and Mickey was still keeping me warm and dry, I began to think it worked out pretty good for me. I still have a tendency to wander off the beaten path and get turned around, but my trusty cell phone has made getting unlost sufficiently easy to the point that I now am no longer burdened with the ‘I will never be found syndrome’.

I remember buying a 20-foot phone cord that would let me take the desk phone from the office to my bedroom for 14-year-old girl talk privacy. I was later excited when we bought our first wireless receiver. I could then talk anywhere in the house and even on the front porch with just a handheld phone receiver, WOW. Now, my iPhone has advanced from a wallet sized phone that allows phone calls from most anywhere in the world to a small, advanced computer. Even more amazing, I can dictate a letter into my watch and have it sent as a text message and even answer a phone call on my watch. We have advanced to the point where we need on-line classes to learn how to use our phones to monitor our sleep and our wellbeing, how to take and edit photographs and videos from our professional-grade phone cameras, and how to use all of the programs that make life easier.

My dad brought home the newest iPhone 12 ProMax this week. It is a bit heavier, wider, has a better tri-lens camera for landscape photos, has more memory, and a battery that lasts longer. However, the new Siri may need some improvements. My dad decided it was time that Siri got his name right. He felt confident this new Siri on his phone was up to the task.

He asked Siri, “What is my name?” It told him, “Dobson.” It believes my dad’s name is, actually, the name of his place of employment. When my dad asked to change his name, Siri wanted to know the nickname he wanted to change. After dad said, “Dobson.” The phone seemed to go dead. We sat at the table for a minute or more when my dad, thinking he needed to start over, said, “Hey Siri.” The phone said, “Hey Siri,” back. Then my dad’s Ipad awoke with, “What can I do for you.” Every time someone said, “Hey Siri”, Siri, responded with my dad’s new name, “Hey Siri” and it started another device. This went on for about 10-15 minutes before Siri was reprogramed to acknowledge my dad’s name is Dennis and not “Hey Siri” or “Dobson.”

Moral: 1) Be patient as Siri is always learning too. 2) While cell phones are great, don’t forget to take some time to live as if cell phones don’t exist and spend more time communicating in person at a CDC socially acceptable distance.

Feel free to share your stories in the comments below or at zsmisadventures@gmail.com and your story may be used in an upcoming blog. Stay Whimsical.

Civil Unrest

Doc Rivers 8/25/20

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
Martin Luther King Jr.

This week’s blog is a little different than my previous entries. I have added a YouTube video (above) that I felt was important to share. I want to emphasize that this is in no way meant to be political just my own opinion and observations. I have wanted my blog to be a reprieve from the stress, worries, and aggravations that often fill our day. I wanted it to be a place where readers could go and have a few laughs. This week has proved to be a challenge for me in getting that accomplished. In 2018, I attended a yoga retreat, where attendees were favored with individual astrological readings. Based on my birth date, time of birth, place of birth, et cetera, I was told that my calling in life was to be a Justice Warrior Apprentice. After 9 years of working with abused and neglected children, I believe the Apprentice part of my journey can be dropped. So as a Justice Warrior, I hope you enjoy this piece with that in mind.

Tomorrow is Labor Day. It is a United States Federal and State Holiday that was first celebrated on September 5th, 1882. It has been celebrated on the first Monday in September ever since. It is meant to be a day to celebrate the strength, contributions, and prosperity of Blue-Collar Workers in America. It is a national tribute to let families know how important their work is to the fabric of America. It is a day dedicated to family bonding with BBQs, parades, riding the Ferris wheel at the Country Fair, picnicking in the park, and relaxing at the beach. Best of all it is a day off for most with pay.

Since the dawn of America, it does not seem that those whose skin happens to be darker than others are treated with the respect, kindness, or appreciation for the contributions, sacrifices, and dedication that they too have shown to the American social experiment. While I have only been around for 30 of the 500 years since Columbus sailed the ocean blue, it seems to have gotten openly worse quite quickly lately. I am saddened, frustrated, and angered that in the year 2020 racism is alive and stronger than ever. A man should not be shot 7 times in the back in front of his children for being black. A man demonstrating mental deficiencies should not have the police place a bag over his head as a use of force because he is black. The thought should not be if he is black, then he is not human. The thought should not be if he is black, then if he dies by a white man’s hands then it is not murder, but self-defense and no charges should be filed. America should not be the training grounds for White Supremacy.

The thought should be that this person is one of God’s children, he bleeds like me, loves someone, is loved, has a family, a purpose, hobbies, life stories, etc. He is a human being whose skin color happens to be a different color than mine. His skin color is not all that he is, just like my physical features are not all that I am. We are all different and that is what makes this world so beautiful. It would be boring if we were all the same. So please spread some love, the world desperately needs it. I could use some, myself. Nothing good ever comes from hate, just more hate. I ask that you take time to tell those you care about that you love them. Human life is precious, it was given to us as a gift. A gift filled with love, kindness, selflessness, and gratitude. No life can be replaced once it is gone. This pandemic has amply demonstrated that we are social beings who detest lockdowns, so when we are totally free to mingle, please value one another and mingle like never before.

Moral: 1) Black Lives Matter. 2) Your actions make a difference.

Thank you for taking the time to read this week’s blog posting. I truly appreciate you allowing me this space to reflect. Feel free to comment below or at ZsMisadventures@gmail.com.