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Saturday, 14 May 2016

Princess Health and May 14th, 2016 Short Questions-Long Replies. Princessiccia

Princess Health and May 14th, 2016 Short Questions-Long Replies. Princessiccia

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May 14th, 2016 Short Questions-Long Replies

Before I recap this day, I'm starting tonight's edition with a few great questions:

Lori asked:
"Have you ever gone over your calorie limit and do you plan ahead?"

Reply:
Great question about the calorie budget! I'm sure I've gone over before--BUT, not intentionally. I use a digital food scale at home and work and that gives me accuracy 85% of the time-- when I'm out at a restaurant, I'm relying on my experience in weighing everything to guide me through the best approx.amounts... Room for error? Certainly, but it's super close. I often test my perception at home and work by giving my best guesstimate prior to weighing things--and most of the time it's super close, if not spot on. I've nailed it, many times! With my #lastfoodofday, I enter the food in MFP to determine the amount I need to hit goal--then I prepare accordingly.

For me, it's very important to enter the food in MFP PRIOR to eating--during preparation or during some kind of pre-planning time (most of the time I do the entry just prior to eating). A few times, I've waited on the entry until after--and was surprised by a super high count.

Here's the most important point: Maintaining the integrity of my calorie budget is super important, always--not because I'm worried about the physical consequences of a couple hundred extra calories--in most cases, a little bit over isn't going to make a big difference...physically. BUT--It makes a HUGE difference mentally. If I disregard the importance of maintaining my budget's integrity--then I'm starting something of a progressive weakening of my entire plan. It's the slippery slope thing...

If I intentionally violate the budget once, it would be easier and easier to justify doing it again and again. I find myself in a hard earned and very fortunate position. My metabolism works more efficiently now than ever before, so my maintenance mode budget is a generous 2300. However, maintaining its integrity is still just as important as it was at 1700, during weight loss mode. And if I need a higher budget--I must officially set it higher, otherwise, from a mental dynamic perspective, the budget must be held in the highest--And if it isn't, I will relapse/regain, period.

Caryl asked:
"I really enjoy reading your blog. What was your motivation to start one? Was it to keep yourself more accountable or to reach out to others?"

Reply:
I started the blog on Day 1 100% in an effort to build my own personal accountability and support system. I instinctively knew how what I was sharing might resonate with others, but I had no idea how that part would develop over the years. Still, to this day--the number one goal of my blog is to help me stay accountable, in support and to help me further explore/learn along the way.

If/when it helps someone else, it's a wonderful blessing of a bonus to me. And trust me, that part feels good, but truly--sincerely, I do my best to stay present and mindful of the importance of its original purpose.

The difference is this: I'm never immune to relapse/regain. It doesn't matter how many days, months, years or epiphanies I experience--It doesn't matter how much I develop my personal weight loss philosophy and techniques--It doesn't matter how passionate I am about sharing these things--I am the same as you or anyone else working hard to navigate through what this is all about.

We all have different circumstances, different experiences--completely different everything--and yet, regardless of the method used for weight loss, we can most usually relate precisely on the most critical emotional/mental elements--and those are the things that every single one of us, if we desire the deeper transformation, must face in our pursuit of continued positive progress.

In my opinion, the long term morbidly obese (like me) becomes and stays morbidly obese for long periods of time as a physical side effect of these deeper mental/emotional/psychological dynamics. With that firmly in mind, then, I believe we must ask ourselves--is the method/plan we're choosing treating only the side effects? And if so, and if it's focused exclusively on the method to lose--without focusing on the deeper elements, the roots--then is its success sustainable? I've often referred to this as "calling in a plumbing crew to clean up the mess--but not fix the leak."

Do we spend the rest of our lives constantly cleaning the mess--or do we get super real with ourselves, patch the leak--then monitor it daily in an effort to keep it patched?

Okay--that was way more than what you asked. I kind of got carried away. Thank you for the question, Caryl!

Renee writes:
"I enjoy the Tweets only posts just as much as the others because of the way you make the food look so appetizing! Always a "treat" (no pun intended, I try to abstain from refined sugar) to peruse your blog."

Reply:
Renee, thank you! I sincerely appreciate this! I do make it important to enjoy the process of planning, preparing and enjoying what I eat--and that effort, to me, is an important part of embracing my plan. Thank you so much for your continued support and loyal readership!

---------------------------------------
After falling asleep sitting up at my desk, trying to write--I dropped into bed last night and slept nice and deep. I needed it. Today was a busy one.

I had two back to back location broadcasts on the schedule, one from a library--the other from a grocery store fifteen miles north of here. I planned one of my "on-the-go" lunches of almonds, cheese and fruit and I planned to grab a coffee in between broadcasts, but ran out of time. Kristin came to my rescue with a mid-afternoon coffee (see tweet below), just the way I prefer. She knows me well! It was an incredibly nice thing to do. She's awesome!

I grabbed a nap late afternoon because I knew full well that my plan was to stay up late working on some things--so I needed to be able to do that without falling asleep at my desk, again.

I stopped by my oldest daughter's new house and visited briefly with everyone. My son-in-law's parents were in town visiting. Irene and Allen were both there along with my youngest daughter and Noah. I made plans to pick up my grandson Noah midday Sunday for some good times. Noah and I plan on visiting mom as a belated Mother's Day get together. We'll be dining out with mom tomorrow night.

That planned restaurant visit tomorrow night is precisely why I changed course tonight. The original plan was to meet Kristin at a restaurant for a late on-plan dinner. Instead, I offered to cook dinner at my place. Kristin enjoyed the meal--and so did I! I cook for just me 98% of the time--so it was nice to prepare a meal for someone else. I recently did this for mom at her place and at Amber's place, too--and I'm looking forward to doing it more often!

Tomorrow is the two year anniversary of my "Epiphany Day." The self-worth/identity epiphanies and subsequent exploration of my personal happiness code is still with me, as strong as ever--two years later. I'll be highlighting "Epiphany Day" in tomorrow night's edition. In the meantime, if you haven't had a chance to read--May 15th, 2014 and May 19th, 2014--both are in the archives listed along the left hand sidebar, those are two days I highly recommend. Those explorations have made and continue to make a profound difference in my life.

Today's Live-Tweet Stream:
















































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean

Princess Health and Tips for staying healthy and safe on Kentucky's waters. Princessiccia

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Brad Molnar on Taylorsville Lake
(Courier-Journal file photo, 2003)
The state Division of Water and Department for Public Health offer tips to help Kentuckians stay safe and healthy as they go boating, fishing, swimming or otherwise recreate in the state's waterways this summer:
  • Avoid ingesting or inhaling the water.
  • Thoroughly clean hands and other areas that have come in contact with the water.
  • Avoid allowing open wounds to have direct contact with the water.
  • Avoid areas where swimming or harmful algal bloom advisories have been issued.
  • Avoid water with obvious odors or surface scums.
  • Avoid getting in water after heavy rainfall, especially in dense residential, urban and agricultural areas.
  • Avoid areas below wastewater-treatment outfalls, animal feedlots, straight pipes or other obvious sources of pollution.
  • Restrict pets and livestock from drinking the water if a bright green or blue-green surface scum is present.
James Bruggers, environmental reporter for The Courier-Journal, reminds us: "The Clean Water Act of 1972 declared that all waterways in the United States were to be 'fishable and swimmable' by 1985. We've made progress, but we have a long way to go. Be safe out there."
Princess Health and Doctors, medical students and others in Louisville say America needs a system of single-payer health care. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Doctors, medical students and others in Louisville say America needs a system of single-payer health care. Princessiccia

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A group of physicians, medical students and others in Louisville said May 10 that the U.S. needs a national single-payer system of health coverage because "health care in America costs too much and too many people go without it," Deborah Yetter reports for The Courier-Journal.

"The Affordable Care Act has helped," said Dr. Barbara Casper, a University of Louisville professor of medicine and chief of internal medicine. "But we still have a significant number of people falling through the cracks."

The event, held at U of L by Kentuckians for Single Payer Healthcare, "follows the recent call in the American Journal of Public Health for a single, national health care system similar to that of most industrialized countries. It was signed by more than 2,200 doctors nationwide," Yetter reports.

Physicians and medical students at the event said they see too many patients "who lack coverage or can't afford the costs of their health plans, such as high deductibles and copays," Yetter writes. "Brandi Jones, a U of L medical student and past president of the group, said she supports universal coverage because as a future physician dedicated to healing people and saving lives, she can't 'condone a system that allows people to die'."

Dr. Syed Quadri of Elizabethtown said his free clinic "sees many working people who make too much for Medicaid � the government plan for the poor � but can't afford private plans that often come with high costs."

The speakers "acknowledged it will be a tough political battle to sell a national health plan, possibly by expanding the current Medicare system to all Americans," Yetter reports. "Dr. Morris Weiss, a cardiologist who said America spends far more of its gross domestic product on health care than European nations such as France, Germany and Italy � with far less to show for it. When it comes to health outcomes, 'We're one of the bottom countries of all the industrialized nations,' he said."

Friday, 13 May 2016

Princess Health and May 13th, 2016 Tweets Only. Princessiccia

Princess Health and May 13th, 2016 Tweets Only. Princessiccia

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May 13th, 2016 Tweets Only

Super long day.

It's been a long time since I had a true Tweets only post.

I'm overdue and plum exhausted.

I was planning on writing about this crazy day--and then I fell asleep sitting here at my desk. And that's when it dawned on me-- actually--it didn't dawn on me right away--I slept for a little while, but when I woke up--yeah, that's when I had the thought: I might need to go to bed, now. :)

My plan integrity: Maintained.

Tomorrow's goal: Do it again.

Today's Live-Tweet Stream:
































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
Princess Health and Insurance commissioner sues contractor for failed Kentucky Health Cooperative, alleging gross negligence in handling claims. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Insurance commissioner sues contractor for failed Kentucky Health Cooperative, alleging gross negligence in handling claims. Princessiccia

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State Insurance Commissioner Brian Maynard, acting as liquidator of the failed Kentucky Health Cooperative, filed suit in Franklin Circuit Court Friday against against the company that the co-op hired to process and pay claims. The suit contends that CGI Technologies and Solutions Inc. was "grossly negligent" in processing and paying claims and thus breached its contract.

The co-op, created by federal health reform to compete with insurance companies and hold down premium costs, had financial problems from the start. This year Republicans accused former Gov. Steve Beshear, a Democrat who embraced health reform, of holding down co-op premiums to make the reforms look good. Beshear denied the charge.

The co-op announced in October 2015 that it would close because Congress did not provide sufficient "risk corridor" payments to insurers with disproportionately sick policyholders and the Obama administration was unwilling or unable to make up the difference. The co-op, which had a deficit of $50 million in 2014, was expecting a risk-corridor payment of $77 million but got only $9.7 million. Most other co-ops also failed.

�We have a duty to investigate the causes of the co-op�s collapse and to hold responsible those individuals who caused the collapse,� Maynard said in a press release. �This includes recovering funds from responsible parties so that the doctors, nurses, and hospitals that treated Kentuckians insured by the co-op are fairly compensated for their services.�

Thousands of patients and thousands of providers will have to wait until Oct. 15 or later to find out how much of their medical bills sent to the co-op will be paid, Kentucky Health News reported in February. The co-op "left thousands of providers waiting for payment," Stephanie Armour reported for The Wall Street Journal. It covered about 51,000 people through the end of 2015. Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd will decide how much will be paid to whom.

Princess Health and McDonald's stops sending to schools man who says he lost much weight eating only at McDonald's, including Big Macs and fries. Princessiccia

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Photo via flickriver.com
McDonald�s has stopped "giving nutrition advice to students in schools, pulling back on a program that critics said was a subtle form of fast-food marketing that could imperil kids� health and understanding of nutrition," Roberto Ferdman reports for The Washington Post.

The company had been sending to schools "a middle-aged teacher from Iowa who came to fame after claiming to have lost almost 60 pounds eating only McDonald�s," including Big Macs and french fries, Ferdman writes.

"McDonald�s said in a statement this week that Cisna stopped those visits last fall, after a Washington Post article highlighted how McDonald�s used its relationship with local schools and teachers� associations to get its message in front of students. . . . McDonald�s had long defended the practice, saying that Cisna�s presentation was about choice, not about eating McDonald�s. But critics argued it amounted to little more than a veiled attempt to woo customers at a young and impressionable age."
Princess Health and Health-insurance stocks fall in reaction to federal judge striking down one Obamacare subsidy; ruling is stayed pending appeal. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Health-insurance stocks fall in reaction to federal judge striking down one Obamacare subsidy; ruling is stayed pending appeal. Princessiccia

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"Shares of Humana, Aetna and other health insurance companies tumbled on Thursday, as a federal judge ruled that Affordable Care Act subsidies could not be dispensed without congressional approval," Boris Ladwig reports for Insider Louisville. "Humana�s shares slid 2.5 percent, and Aetna�s dropped 3.26 percent. Insurers Anthem and UnitedHealth Group also booked declines."

District Judge Rosemary Collyer of the District of Columbia ruled that Congress had never provided money for the subsidies to people who buy health insurance through Kynect and other exchanges. "Without subsidies, fewer people would be able to afford to purchase health insurance, which means insurance companies would lose customers," Ladwig explains.

Collyer, an appointee of George W. Bush, allowed the program to continue while the Obama administration appeals her ruling to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court appears likely to decide the issue.

The suit by House Republicans involved only cost-sharing subsidies, not the income-tax credits that apply to monthly premium payments. The Obama administration funded the cost-sharing with money from the tax-credit account.

The cost-sharing subsidies are available to people with incomes between 100 and 250 percent of the federal poverty level � between $24,300 and $60,750 for a family of four. "Several million Obamacare customers receive cost-sharing subsidies, but the exact figure is unknown," Jennifer Haberkorn reports for Politico. "As of the middle of the last Obamacare enrollment period, 57 percent of people who signed up for coverage through the federal exchange on HealthCare.gov receive them. . . . If the subsidies are ultimately struck, it would reinforce claims from opponents of the health law that the Obamacare insurance plans are not actually affordable."
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