Today is a quiet day. It’s hot and humid, leaving both of us with low energy. I didn’t sleep well last night, waking up every hour or so, having one weird dream after another as soon as I fell back to sleep. Finally, by 4:00 am, I drifted off and slept until 7:45, bolting out of bed knowing I needed to get up and start walking and prepare tonight’s dinner.
I’m making a dish Tom particularly likes; Low Carb Hamburger Scramble, a meaty, cheesy hamburger casserole with cream cheese, onions, and mushroom. I also like it a lot, but it’s so delicious that I tend to overeat. Lately, I’d gained some weight, and I have been working hard to lose it before heading to the US and then on a cruise.
Although I eat a keto diet and have done so for over 11 years, it’s easy to gain weight by overeating. Plus, I was making low-carb cakes for a while, and regardless of the low number of carbs in them, they are calorie-dense. There’s no “free lunch,” as they say. There’s never a way of eating that one doesn’t have to control portion size to some degree.
I have found that I never lose an ounce from walking vigorously, even when I do 10000 steps. Few people ever lose weight from exercise alone unless jogging or running or performing intense exercises for extended periods. It’s all about what goes into our mouths. If we overeat, we can gain weight, regardless of the carb count.
Maintaining my weight has always been a struggle for me due mainly to my bad genes on my mother’s side of the family, most of whom were overweight and diabetic, eventually succumbing to heart-related consequences, a byproduct of high blood sugar uncontrolled blood pressure.
Luckily, I have been working hard to keep my blood sugar and blood pressure as low as possible by eliminating most carbs except non-starchy vegetables and dairy. I take one low dose medication for blood pressure, but no medication is required for my blood sugar due to my eating.
It was always somewhat of a health-nut. It surprised me to discover I had coronary artery disease, although nothing is wrong with my heart itself. It is the arteries that are bad. I am grateful to be alive today, unlike many relatives who died from these conditions long before they reached my current age.
That is why I am so diligent about walking, diet, and lifestyle. Now, if I could be more consistent in sleeping better, I feel as if it’s all under control. Also, keeping stress under control is crucial. Overall, our lives are relatively stress-free. The only time I get my “hair in a bundle” is when I make a mistake and have to correct it promptly or when there’s some issue with a booking caused by human error.
Fortunately, neither of us has felt overly stressed about Covid, although we have spent plenty of time researching how it impacts our travels. Knowledge is the best means of reducing fear and anxiety. Now, with the war in Ukraine, expecting our cruise to be canceled, we know we’ll figure out how and where to travel until the following cruise. It always works out one way or another.
In the interim, our concern is for the citizens of Ukraine and this horrific experience and, of course, how this event will impact the economy in the US and the world. All we can do in the interim is pray for a quick resolution to end this madness.
Be safe.
Photo from one year ago today, February 26, 2021:
