Dieting & Weight-Loss: I have a love/hate relationship with my scale.

I HAVE A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH MY SCALE — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

About eight weeks ago I posted about how I started a pre-diet. I was trying to get reacquainted with the taste of healthy foods, and wean myself off of sugar. As far as that goes, I feel like I’m doing pretty well, I’ve even lost some weight. At the time of the post I had lost about six pounds, and since then I have lost another six. I’m now down 12 pounds from my heaviest weight ever (not counting when I was pregnant), I know because that’s what my scale says. If it wasn’t for my scale I wouldn’t believe I’ve lost any weight at all, so for that reason, I love my scale. However, I also hate that the number is still so high. And, I hate that even after losing 12 pounds, I still have almost 30 to go.

But, it’s always a better idea to focus on the positive, so that’s what I’ll try to do.

First, I have finally gotten over the sugar hump, and I’m not craving sugar the way I used to. I even made my world famous chocolate brownie cake with my daughter, and wasn’t tempted to eat any of it. That’s a pretty big deal for me. I’ve also stopped eating junk food, and I’ve stopped eating late at night (for the most part). Another thing I do, is always keep several bags of vegetables, and microwavable diet entrees in my freezer, for when I need a quick meal.

My daughter has been a great help by not asking me to buy cookies and ice-cream when we go shopping. It’s amazing how much easier it is to avoid eating junk, when it’s not in the house. Instead of ice-cream with chocolate sauce, she is now happy to get no sugar added ice-pops, and low-fat granola bars. We also had the opportunity to try something new. Skinny Cow sent us two boxes of Skinny Dippers, and they are very yummy (and only 80 calories). We both love mint chocolate chip ice-cream, so the mint Skinny Dippers were are favorite.

So, that’s what I’ve been up to for the last several weeks. I’m not putting a lot of pressure on myself, and I’m not starving myself. I guess what I’m doing could be called a diet, but I’m sticking with calling it a pre-diet for now. Once I hit a plateau, and I’m not continuing to lose weight, I’ll kick it up a notch and go on an actual diet. For now, this is working for me, so why mess with it?

Have you been trying to lose some weight? How much do you want to lose? Have you been having any luck? What kind of things have been working for you? Are you calling it a diet?

Other bloggers dieting…

Michelle ~ mother & scrapaholic…

So, some of you may have noticed my weight gain over the past few months… well, I’ve officially decided to do something about it. I don’t believe in “dieting” as in starving myself to death, but I do realize that I’ve got to make better nutritional choices. I’m also going to weigh myself weekly to track progress and post the results on my blog. (Hopefully, having to be accountable will help me beat any cravings for big fat fudge brownies or cool ranch doritos or Debbie’s “little Debbie bars”, etc!)

The Diet Naked Blog

Big Fat Deal

Dieting Battle

Down Home Dieting

Vickie’s Voice

Lilly Hydrangeas Blog

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

Dooce on Nightline — See Full Video Clip

Dooce on Nightline - Posted by Catherine Morgan

In a much better interview than had been done by Kathie Lee on the Today Show last week, tonight’s Nightline interview with Dooce was witty, clever, and informative. Here is a video clip of the full segment on Nightline…

SEE FULL VIDEO OF DOOCE ON NIGHTLINE HERE

Mommy Bloggers and Dooce on NBC with Kathie Lee (see video)

Did Kathie Lee just diss Mommy bloggers???

SEE FULL VIDEO HERE

Also See:  New Video of Dooce on Nightline

Is Lasik Eye Surgery Worth The Risk?

Is Lasik Surgery Worth The Risk? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at Qvisory)

I recently did a post on the news frenzy surrounding Lasik Eye Surgery. It seemed like the alarms were sounding, and we were going to soon find out that this procedure was much more risky then once thought.

The Los Angeles Times points out that the FDA is going to review reported side effects from Lasik eye surgery:

Almost 8 million Americans have had the procedure, and most ended up discarding their eyeglasses or contact lenses without long-term complications, according to doctors and health officials. But a small fraction complain of serious side effects that have left their eyes painfully dry and their vision marred by ghostly shadows or starbursts of color. Some say their sight is so poor they can’t watch a movie or drive at night.

But after researching the news and facts on Lasik surgery, I came to the conclusion that the benefits of this surgery (at least for me) far outweigh any risk. Every person who I’ve talked to that has had this procedure was happy with it. Even the people who suffered with side effects for months after their surgery, still had no regrets.

Like Miriam from The Moh You Know:

Last November I got Lasik surgery and have never seen better! Of course, there were a few side effects the first couple of months after which included:

• the first night was tough and painful, but the next morning I was pain-free
• very minimal dry eye
• halos and rings during night time driving
• light sensitivity
  

It all wore off within a few months and I haven’t seen better. It’s the best thing I’ve done to myself.

So, what is Lasik? And how do you know if it’s right for you? This is from the FDA website:

LASIK is a surgical procedure intended to reduce a person’s dependency on glasses or contact lenses.

LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis and is a procedure that permanently changes the shape of the cornea, the clear covering of the front of the eye, using an excimer laser. A mechanical microkeratome (a blade device) or a laser keratome (a laser device) is used to cut a flap in the cornea. A hinge is left at one end of this flap. The flap is folded back revealing the stroma, the middlesection of the cornea. Pulses from a computer-controlled laser vaporize a portion of the stroma and the flap is replaced. There are other techniques and many new terms related to LASIK that you may hear about.

At WebMD, you can also find a section about some of the disadvantages of this eye surgery:

• Changes made to the cornea cannot be reversed after LASIK laser eye surgery.
• Corrections can only be made by additional LASIK laser eye surgeries.
• LASIK laser eye surgery is expensive, typically costing $2,200 to $2,250 per eye; though compared to the cost of glasses and contact lenses, the price is reasonable.
• LASIK laser eye surgery is technically complex. Problems may occur when the doctor cuts the flap, which can permanently affect vision.
• LASIK laser eye surgery can cause a loss of “best” vision with or without glasses at 1 year after surgery. Your best vision is the highest degree of vision that you achieved while wearing your contacts or eyeglasses.

For the record there is no surgery that has zero risk, and that goes for Lasik eye surgery as well. So, if you are considering having this procedure done, you need to make your own decision about whether it is worth the risk. If you decide that you want to have this surgery, then the most important step becomes finding a good Lasik doctor:

This is probably the hardest choice to be made after the initial decision to have refractive surgery. Factors such as word of mouth, reputation, certifications, and membership in associations are clearly important.

What the educated patient needs is a surgeon and center that not only minimizes the risks as much as possible, but also does everything possible to maximize the visual outcome. Although it is tempting to assume the surgeon or center that advertises the most is probably the best, in many cases this is not true.

What if you’re not sure about Lasik? Are there any other alternatives? Of course there are. This is from an Associated Press article about alternatives to Lasik:

Frightened by headlines about Lasik side effects? Lasik gets all the advertising, but there are half a dozen alternate eye surgeries — from a simpler laser approach to implantable lenses — that might solve your squint.

They all have their own risks. A key is finding a surgeon who doesn’t have a favorite but is qualified to evaluate patients for all of the options, to find the best fit.

If you’re like me and blind as a bat without your glasses, you might want to look into Lasik. Don’t let the media hoopla frighten you; make your decision based on facts, not fear.

I am a Contributing Editor for BlogHer Health & Wellness and founder of The Political Voices of Women. I am a writer, blogger, nurse, and mother of two. As someone who suffers with chronic illness, I am also a patient advocate, and host a blog in support of living well with chronic illness. To learn more about me and my many blogs, visit my website CatherineBlogs. See Catherine Morgan’s other posts and profile.