Mail Call for a Ninja!

“Did anyone get the mail?”

I typically ask this after standard greetings each day when I get home. The reason I ask is because some days the mail is waiting for me and other times, it is waiting for me in the mailbox outside. Kids.

Anyhow, last night I was answered with,”Yeah dad and there is a package on your desk.”

Sitting on my desk was a little brown box with a Medtronic sticker on it. Much too small to be my pump supplies, which I am waiting for, but too large to just be advertising of some sort. I opened it up and inside was a white USB drive looking thing with CARELINK written on the side.

Not knowing what that is or why I got it, I read through the installation sheet. This unit plugs into your USB plug on your computer and wirelessly transmits all the info in your pump (BGs, boluses, etc.) into the online software stuff (think Web 2.0) so you can pull up graphs and all kinds of goodness.

It was easy to install and when Master P and this thing started talking, you would swear they were old friends. It took a while but I think that is because I have not uploaded my info into the system for some time. Before I would have to use this very strange cable that had what looked like a permanent test strip attached to it. It was still USB but you would have to stick the strip side into the BG meter that came with my pump which worked as the receptor of the info.

That BD machine sucks and I never use it. So since I never even pull it out anymore I never use the online data thing-a-ma-bob. Now that I can use this slick little guy, I will actually transfer data more often and have some sweet charts to look at and print out for my doc.

The best part is that it was free!

Sweet.

You Tube Tuesday #69

This video was played at church this Sunday and as soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to share it with all of you.

I hope you enjoy this one.

My Take on Both Sides of the Weight Watchers Program

Maniacally Monday asked me a question via her comment on Saturday’s Weight Watchers Update post. She asked,

“Can you talk about the difference between points and core? I've tried to read the WW literature about it, but I'd love to hear (read) the differences from someone who has used both.”

Here is a quick description of both plans and keep in mind that there are some minor things like activity points and extra points that I am not going to mention here.

FLEX – According to your weight, height, age, gender, and activity level you are assigned an amount of points that you can have each day. All food items are assigned a point value or you can figure out a point value with a simple sliding scale you get when you join. As you lose weight you lose points. Eat all of your points each day and you will lose weight.

CORE – You have a list of items you can eat. It is very specific. You do not calculate points at all. You eat only those items and stop when you are satisfied. As long as you do that, you will lose weight.

Here is my take on why each one is good. I am not sure how others think about the plans but here are my feelings on them.

POINTS – This plan is great because you can eat anything you want! As long as you keep track of your points for the day and how many you have left then you can each anything you like as long as you have enough points to eat it. If not, save up your points throughout the day and have what you want tomorrow. It’s great because you can plan you stuff and never feel like you are missing out on stuff you love!

CORE – This plan is great because you don’t really have to think about anything after you go shopping. You have your listed of Core foods and you eat them. It spells it all out for you and teaches you not only which foods are the healthiest BUT it forces you to listen to your body and react when it is satisfied and not when you are full. Hunger pangs are not an issue with Core. There is always something healthy to eat.

Here are my negative thoughts on both.

POINTS – Having to keep a journal of everything you eat can be annoying. You have to stop and write down everything you consume and you do that after you calculate the points value and it get frustrating. There are times you do not have the box or nutritional values for an item and so you guess but you are always worried if you chose wisely. Also, it is hard to have a 1/32 piece of cake because all I have is 2 points left after the birthday meal I just had.

CORE – It is difficult to eat anywhere other then home. You do not get much variety nor do you get to eat ANY cake at all! It is restricted and takes a lot of will power. If we knew how to listen to our bodies and ate when we were satisfied, would we need Weight Watchers?

As a Ninjabetic, let me give you my feelings, both good and bad, on both.

POINTS – This plan got me to lose 40 pounds. It works and it does not feel like a diet the way other diets do. It really forces you to learn portion control. The biggest problem is that you have more to calculate. As a diabetic I have enough to worry and think about. This is adding more numbers to my day and frankly can be very overwhelming. Also, the carb count of foods does not always go along with the Points. In fact, carbs are not even a part of the equation when you calculate Points. I experience lots of highs.

CORE – I feel so free! I am a creature of habit so lots a variety is nothing I need. I like knowing, this I can eat and this I can’t. I don’t have anything more to calculate which is also freeing. My diabetes requires so much management and I love not having to think much more then just listening to my body. But, it is difficult going out to dinner and finding something on the menu that is not just a bed of lettuce. It feels a lot more like a diet then the Flex plan but it also feels like a bigger step. Like I care more and am willing to make the sacrifice. That is a good feeling.

Well, that is my long winded (however that would be in typing terms) response and take on the whole weight watchers thing. PLEASE let me know if you have any other questions about it because I would love to talk more about it.

Weight Watchers Update

This is my first week on core and the results are so-so. I like the way it works so I am going to give it another week with some exercise too (I had virtually none all week) and we shall see.

Loss - 0.8 lb

Total Lost - 38.6 lbs

Shoes

When we picked George up from school after he got home from his Washington DC trip last week, he was tired. Their flight was delayed and they did not get to school until well after midnight. He was excited and happy to be home. Gillian made a “Welcome Home” sign for him as well as baked a cake with her Grandma to welcome her big brother home.

We were all too tired and it was way too late for cake so we all went to bed as soon as we got home.

After our typical Saturday morning routine, we sat down with George to hear all about his time. He told us about, Williamsburg, Monticello, Georgetown, Gettysburg, Amish food, the Capital, National Archives, Mount Vernon, the FDR memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, the war memorials, Arlington Cemetery, the Eternal Flame, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the National Cathedral, Spy Museum, Union Station and more.

He had a lot to say.

I asked him, “What was the best part of the trip?”

“Well, I would not say the ‘best’ part but the thing that I want to go back and see again is the Holocaust Museum.”

My wife and I were a little surprised because we were sure it was going to be the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Arlington that he got to participate in but we were wrong.

“I could not stop reading. I just wanted to read everything in there. They gave us these cards with people on them that were there and they had a story about their lives. I just feel like I want to read everyone’s story. Even the little kids have their own story. I feel like I should know who they are."

"There’s this one part where you walk through a box car that was used to transport the people to the camps. When I was in there I could just feel the fear. It’s like it’s still in there. I was standing right there where people died standing up because they were packed in. People that were being sent to die. It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it now.”

I saw him start to tear up a little and he paused. After he caught his breath he continued.

“I saw the rooms they slept in and the bunk beds. They even had this one part where you walk through this sea of shoes. I swear you could swim in these shoes there were so many. They have one pair for every person who was killed. I couldn't believe it and you just walk right through the middle. It was awful to think about all those people. Why would anyone do that? Who could be so ugly?” He stopped again.

He handed us some things he bought from the museum as keepsakes. One was a postcard of the room he described with the path through the huge pile of shoes. I read the words on the picture and welled up too.

"We are the shoes, We are the last witnesses

We are shoes from grandchildren and grandfathers.

From Prague, Paris and Amsterdam

And because we are only made of fabric and leather

And not of blood and flesh,

Each one of us avoided the Hellfire"

My son is growing up so quickly. I can hardly keep up.

I am thankful that his heart is well ahead of him.