Whether you snort white powder, or you shovel crystals down your gullet, the consequences are…
June-ish, 2016. It was the last leg of the morning commute, on I-287. The heart starts to race, this followed by a pinch, with its roots pushing outward like the tail of a lightning strike.
Doctor’s diagnosis: High Cholesterol. Root cause? Diet, with any 3 or 4 of following occurring on any given day:
- Yogurt. Fruit on the Bottom. Jacked up with two heaping tablespoons of Smucker’s Strawberry Jam.
- Fruit. Sliced bananas. Floating in Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup. Sliced strawberries, same. Blueberries, melon, raspberries, same.
- Hotcakes. With Canadian Maple Syrup, and a dollop of Raspberry jam.
- Drinks. Orange Gatorade. Florida Orange Juice from the carton. Artificially sweetened Lipton’s Green Tea, 2 bottles at a time. Diet Coke(s). Cranberry Juice, swigged from a 1 gallon jug. And oh let’s not forget, Welch’s Grape Juice, one could bathe in it.
- Ice Cream. Pint of creamy Chocolate Haggen Daz in a single sitting. Breyer’s Vanilla Ice Cream, topped with chopped nuts, chocolate sauce and several shots of Reddi Wip Cream.
- Coffee. Spiked with 2.0 (yes, two) packets of Nutrasweet or its brethren.
- Hot Tea. Golden Bee Honey from a squeeze bottle swirls to and coats the bottom.
- Snacks. Semi-sweet chocolate chips (in pantry for cooking) by the handful. Entenmann’s glazed donuts. Mini Snicker Bars by the handfuls.
- Sandwich. PBJ, mostly with J, oozing on all sides of enriched and wholesome white bread.
- Cereal. Including Raisin Bran, supplemented with a handful of California golden raisins and hopped up with a heaping teaspoon of white sugar crystals sweetening the 2%.
And the pre-bed-time sedative…which warrants its own paragraph, not a mere bullet. Grape Jelly trembles as it waits for the tablespoon to dig deep and scar its surface. Jelly coats the teeth and slides smoothly down the throat. A trace lingers on the lips. The body settles in, calm now, with its fix. Bed time.
And, so, and so, and so, it was time, well past time, to choke off the flow of crystals.
And choke it we did.
I’m out the door this morning. 57° F, and light rain.
Four miles into the run, Dave Matthews plays “Stay or Leave” as I crawl up a slow sloping hill on Pear Tree Point Road.
“Wake up naked drinking coffee / Making plans to change the world / While the world is changing us.”
I pan back to the morning weigh-in prior to my run. I’m standing in front of the scale, naked, bare feet standing on cool tile. I gently place one foot, and then the other on the scale and wait, the scale flashing, flashing, flashing…
12 pounds down in 60 days.
I turn, and stare at Me in the mirror.
A streamlined Me.
I place my hand on my chest, over the gentle thumping, the blood flowing smoothly through the pipes.
Changing me. Just changing me. One day at a time.
Steps: 12,755. 7.4 miles.
Nap Time.
Notes:
- Sugar Image
- Related Posts: Running Series
Live & Learn 
That’s the best way, the only way, to change most things. One day at a time. Be happy where you are but determined to improve. Every day. Good for you!
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Thank you Claudia. And hope that day after day, there is some forward progress, without backsliding….:)
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Oh wow, just skipped church to commune with God on my extra mile walk because I went to sleep, hand on belly, saying…”you gotta get healthy, Lisa.” Now I won’t have to go to the trouble of making my “limit these” list!
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Smiling. You go Lisa.
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Way to go, DK…I need to take a page from your book…
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Thank you Mimi.
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Wow…. that’s fantastic!
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Thank you Peggy. It’s a struggle. 🙂
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I need black coffee to wipe the over sugary taste in my mouth from reading this.
Oh, all suggested past posts from your blog under this post are sweets recipes 🙂
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funny!
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You are funny…
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Sugar is everywhere, and it’s shocking to see how much is in our food when we take the time to check it out.
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I’m beginning to see that!
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Yeah! Wooo hoooo! Go, DK, go! That. Is. Awesome! Next post you’ll be 20 down, I can feel it. You got this, pal…..
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Love your honesty Mr K. Not many would admit their daily crystal intake but when we do, we all realize it’s too much! We only get one chance to take care of this body. Well done! 😀
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Golly! I thought it was all SWEET! Yeah, I now do more iced tea rather than Diet Coke. But I do miss, but do not need, my single-malts.
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Smiling. Thanks James. I’ve had to give up all ice cream and derivatives. 🙂
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Thank you Karen.
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This is great news, David. I was wondering about the donuts and the ‘fully loaded’ ice cream servings…happy to hear about your progress. I have a hot Finnish tip for you: replace the white bread with full grain rye bread full of fiber…delicious toasted and available baked right in N.Y by Nordic Breads.
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Thanks Helen. I’ve actually moved to whole grain – – I need to check out Nordic Bread’s full grain rye. Thank you.
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one spoonful at at time – congrats and keep going
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Yes. Thank you Beth.
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Well done to you, David; all those little cells will be rejoicing, I’m sure; even if the brain is not! 🙂
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Smiling. Thank you Carolyn.
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Such commitment and willpower to rise above the old version of your self. It must be hard with such a sweet tooth David!
Congratulations on losing the excess, and becoming fitter … and a great version of yourself along the way!
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Smiling. Thank you Val.
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kudos
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Thank you Ofelia. Hope you are well
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I just lost my password and it seemed like too much to make another one! I certainly missed your posts. I’m sure you’re many bloggers’ favourite post-er
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Smiling. Thank you Ophelia. Appreciate the kind words.
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Keep up the good work David. 🙂 I think we’d all like you to stick around for a while longer.
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Hey Sarah. Thank you! Welcome back from your sabbatical to France…
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Good for you, David! Congratulations. Keep caring for yourself…
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Thank you Vicki.
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