Are You Leaving? (148)

I stepped on the scale today, to see if the slight extra calories from that hot cocoa impacted my progress.  The answer would be NO, and, in fact, I'm down more, so I am firmly in the Severe Obese category.  I'm no longer teetering on the edge of Morbid Obesity. 

I would like to be down to, at least, 237 by my mid-January doctor appointment - 10 lbs below morbid obesity.  His nurse told me not to "worry" if I gained a few pounds by the next (January) appointment.  The doctor never sees patient weights (voluntarily) go down at January appointments, from where they were earlier in the previous year, having gained weight over the holidays, etc.  Won't they both be surprised?  I weighed 271 at my October appt.  hehehe

I would dearly love to have my other meds reduced, if not eliminated.  I have already had the cholesterol medication discontinued!  A reduction or elimination of medication is the surest sign that the body is improving in health, and recovering from years of poor eating habits.  I am dieting, after all, primarily to improve my health!  My eating habits are changing, and even my taste has shifted to a more healthy palatte.

Speaking of food ...

In the northern regions of Europe, traditional salads are not leafy or green, the way we think of them.  They are usually more hardy vegetables, with vinegar or cream/mayo-based dressings. 

I grew up with some of those Old World style salads, and one of my favorites is still red cabbage based.  I love red cabbage braised, but this dish (below) is not the traditional red cabbage side vegetable.  It is, instead, a traditional salad commonly found in old German Prussia (today, northern Germany and Poland).  This is Grandma's simplified version.

12 Days of Salads

Day 7:

Grandma's Old World Red Cabbage Salad

half-pound red cabbage, grated
1 medium granny smith apple, cored and grated
salt, to taste
1/2 tsp. prepared horseradish
1 TB vinegar
1-2 TB oil
several hard boiled eggs (opt)

Toss all ingredients together, except eggs, until well blended.  Peel and cut eggs into wedges, and garnish the cabbage with them (parsley too, if desired).  Serves 4 (or Ann)  hehehe

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Today is Dad's last cancer treatment.  The infusion will be this afternoon.  Then, they will remove the port next week, and that will be that.  Dad is looking forward to the holidays without doctor and/or hospital visits.  He has been a real trooper!  xxox

According to the Spawn Challenge predictions, if I stick true to the plan I'm on, I could reach my goal weight by mid-June  ... just in time for the likely family reunion!  And here I was thinking I'd just be THRILLED to have the number one as a first digit.  It tickles me to think I could actually pull off a healthy, normal range weight by then.  It will be up to me to see how close I can get, right?  Reunion photos, in particular, are forever (like wedding photos). 

Tomorrow is the 24-Update report, where I see how close I'm coming to actually fitting into the old size 24 jeans I've had in the back of my closet for years.  I try them on every other Friday, and note the progress I'm making, in an attempt to get back into them.  They are like new, they've probably only been worn a few times, while on my way UP the scale.  I hope to get more use out of them on the way down!  I've talked to the alterations place.  If I bring the jeans in tomorrow before noon, they can have them back to me by Tuesday or Wednesday.  There is no rush, because I don't think I'll be in them comfortably until after the holidays, but it will be nice to have them ready for when that special day comes!

Gosh, the last weekend before Christmas is almost upon us!  The month is flying by, just as November has.  It will be a new year before we know it.  Merry Christmas to all the bloggers who will be leaving us this weekend, until after the holidays!  I'll probably be on another week, before taking off for Christmas/weekend, but I know quite a few are leaving today and tomorrow, for a hiatus of a week or two.  To those, I'd like to say:  Merry Christmas!!  And a Happy and more successful New Year!!