If you follow me on Twitter, you probably know that I'm a comedy fan. That sounds dumb, because "who doesn't love to laugh?" But I mean that I like following my favorite comedians on Twitter both to read their comments on a daily basis and to keep tabs on their latest projects. Then I started using Snapchat, and I don't follow as many comedians there as I do on Twitter, but I do follow Jackie Kashian, Katherine Ryan, Whitney Cummings, and Chelsea Handler.
It's super interesting, and I get to see snippets of their day-to-day lives. Snapchat has been a refuge for me lately when I've been overwhelmed by stress from the news so, when Katherine Ryan mentioned on Snapchat that she's following a plastic surgeon called Dr. Miami, I remembered how I used to love to watch Discovery Health and The Learning Channel (TLC) when I had cable and the content on those channels was actually educational--before cable was taken over by reality shows. There was one show in particular that I remember watching. It was called Plastic Surgery: Before and After. It was super interesting! (And later I watched all of Nip/Tuck, but the Snaps I watch are real surgeries, not a drama, so that's a bit beside the point.) So of course I immediately followed Dr. Miami.
Well it turns out that Dr. Miami has a squad, the members of which he and his social media team routinely promote via Snapchat and Instagram. Flash forward to a few weeks later, and I am now following twenty-four plastic surgeons (not all of whom are Dr. Miami Squad members) and one dentist.
Let me tell you, I've had no shortage of interesting Snaps to watch. Many are very graphic. They do Snap live surgeries. You see them cut off real skin and fat, cauterize cut blood vessels, perform labiaplasties, slice into eyelids, and peel back the tips of noses. The range of techniques, tools, and vocabulary is really fun to learn ("Why is this doctor using a scalpel and tongue depressor to repair this guy's earlobe when all the other doctors use scissors???" --Example of my thoughts on a daily basis). Also, it's not only interesting to see the amazing things that can be accomplished with plastic surgery but also to learn its limitations (e.g., breasts will never be perfectly identical).
Besides all the technical stuff, it's fun to see the doctors' and their staff members' senses of humor. Some perform skits for Snapchat, some are more straight-laced and all business. One of my favorite things is when one of the more straight-forward educational-type doctors cracks a joke. It's almost always like a dad joke, but I love it! Much of it is like eavesdropping on regular people making conversation with their coworkers to get through a routine day.
The third thing I like about watching plastic surgeons on Snapchat is that it's helping me make peace with my own physical form and count my blessings. Yes, my hair is thin & fine and my forehead's huge, but I probably don't need a hair transplant. Yes, I have bra rolls, but they're not very pronounced. My BMI is actually within the range that would qualify me for plastic surgery (most won't do work on patients with a BMI over 32 for safety reasons). Yes, I have a saggy butt and cellulite on my legs, but from the Before pictures I've seen of even much thinner, younger people, I'm beginning to believe that this is very natural, so I care a lot less about what anyone thinks about my backside. Sure, my boobs don't look like they did at 23, but I'm 43 now, so that makes sense ("Gravity always wins." --Dr. Martin Jugenburg). My tummy will probably always have an extra flap of skin and fat regardless of whether I ever lose weight down to a "normal" BMI, and I'm okay with that. I see it as a tax for spending decades eating and behaving like a teenage boy on Christmas break (stuffing my face constantly and sitting around watching movies). My ears stick out, but not like jug handles. My face is becoming wrinkled, and I still want laser resurfacing. (lol) But it can wait and I will use sunscreen religiously in the meantime.
Each doctor has a different style Snapchat account. Some have social media professionals Snapping, some do it themselves. Some are more serious. Lots have catchphrases or intros they use daily. Some have annoying things they do to try to stay on-brand (e.g., winking at the camera) and at least one promotes "natural remedies," but they still have great content otherwise. There are lots to choose from, so check 'em out.
If you're interested in following plastic surgeons on Snapchat, I recommend starting with Dr. Miami and checking out his squad via Instagram. Dr. Miami's office is closed for the week for Passover, but there are lots of pics on Insta as well as Snapcodes for his squad members.
Have fun!
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Monday, September 28, 2015
Diary 13: Birthday Cake
September 28, 2015 (not my birthday quite yet, just an early celebration)
I've been trying to eat less per sitting. I've been fairly successful over the past few days. The amount that I'm eating still makes me feel uncomfortable and ashamed. I feel huge.
For my birthday, I wanted one of those small five-inch Black Forest Cherry Mousse cakes from the grocery bakery, but they are $10 each *and* they were out of the flavor I wanted. Cake mixes are a dollar each, then three dollars for a can of cherry pie filling, and about two dollars for a can of whipped cream. That's what I decided to do for my birthday cake. Of course, I complained because I didn't want a big ol' 9" layer cake in the house considering how worried I've been about overeating.
Fortunately, Mom happened to spy a Duncan Hines "Perfect Size" cake mix. It was $3 as opposed to the $1 for a regular box cake but, in addition to the cake mix and the frosting mix, there was a little disposable pan included. So that came to $8 with the cherry pie filling and whipped cream--still less expensive than the $10 grocery store bakery cake if they'd had one on hand.
Anyway, to give you an idea of the size difference between the size a regular cake mix would make and the size that this "Perfect Size" mix would make, I took this picture.
Much better, right?? The box said it's meant to serve 2-4 people. I laughed because I used to eat the size on the left on my own in a 48 hour period. So thanks, Duncan Hines, for helping me with my quest to reduce my portion sizes and my overall sugar intake! I'll definitely look for this product again in the future.
I'm also happy to report that for supper I had the second half of my lunch and only a quarter of the cake. :-)
Today I'm thankful for:
--garcinia cambogia
--companies that aren't completely evil
--floss picks
I've been trying to eat less per sitting. I've been fairly successful over the past few days. The amount that I'm eating still makes me feel uncomfortable and ashamed. I feel huge.
For my birthday, I wanted one of those small five-inch Black Forest Cherry Mousse cakes from the grocery bakery, but they are $10 each *and* they were out of the flavor I wanted. Cake mixes are a dollar each, then three dollars for a can of cherry pie filling, and about two dollars for a can of whipped cream. That's what I decided to do for my birthday cake. Of course, I complained because I didn't want a big ol' 9" layer cake in the house considering how worried I've been about overeating.
Fortunately, Mom happened to spy a Duncan Hines "Perfect Size" cake mix. It was $3 as opposed to the $1 for a regular box cake but, in addition to the cake mix and the frosting mix, there was a little disposable pan included. So that came to $8 with the cherry pie filling and whipped cream--still less expensive than the $10 grocery store bakery cake if they'd had one on hand.
Anyway, to give you an idea of the size difference between the size a regular cake mix would make and the size that this "Perfect Size" mix would make, I took this picture.
Much better, right?? The box said it's meant to serve 2-4 people. I laughed because I used to eat the size on the left on my own in a 48 hour period. So thanks, Duncan Hines, for helping me with my quest to reduce my portion sizes and my overall sugar intake! I'll definitely look for this product again in the future.
I'm also happy to report that for supper I had the second half of my lunch and only a quarter of the cake. :-)
Today I'm thankful for:
--garcinia cambogia
--companies that aren't completely evil
--floss picks
Monday, September 21, 2015
Diary 12
September 21, 2015
2042: Although I had plenty of sleep last night, I was still tired all day today. Besides being sore from physical labor, maybe I had a bit of a hangover from the Tramadol.
We didn't do much today: ran a few errands, took naps, and watched two Star Trek movies.
Oh! How great is it to look in the mirror and see that a cold sore's almost gone and 20 minutes later feel a tingle as if a new one is coming up! @#$!$@%#^$&*(*&^%#@!!!!
Food run-down:
An egg, two pieces of bacon, coffee with milk, a pork chop, half a gluten-free Florentine pizza (crust made of rice, which I later found out is higher in arginine than lysine--should've been a no-no since I have this cold sore), another pork chop, a mound of steamed spinach with unfiltered apple cider vinegar, and some steamed summer squash with garlic & butter. Oh! And leftover strawberry ice milk.
I am very full tonight. I'm trying to wean myself off of omeprazole (brand name would be Prilosec). I've taken it for years at doctor's orders along with ranitidine (one of its brand names is Zantac) after a bout of suspected nutcracker esophagus (*snicker*). I think I've mentioned that before along with the fact that I have a hiatal hernia which probably contributes to my reflux. Anyway, we'll see how that goes tonight. I need to skip tonight and tomorrow night.
Tonight I am thankful for:
--Naps
--Star Trek
--Mom not judging me for liking either and even participating in the Star Trek viewing. :-)
2042: Although I had plenty of sleep last night, I was still tired all day today. Besides being sore from physical labor, maybe I had a bit of a hangover from the Tramadol.
We didn't do much today: ran a few errands, took naps, and watched two Star Trek movies.
Oh! How great is it to look in the mirror and see that a cold sore's almost gone and 20 minutes later feel a tingle as if a new one is coming up! @#$!$@%#^$&*(*&^%#@!!!!
Food run-down:
An egg, two pieces of bacon, coffee with milk, a pork chop, half a gluten-free Florentine pizza (crust made of rice, which I later found out is higher in arginine than lysine--should've been a no-no since I have this cold sore), another pork chop, a mound of steamed spinach with unfiltered apple cider vinegar, and some steamed summer squash with garlic & butter. Oh! And leftover strawberry ice milk.
I am very full tonight. I'm trying to wean myself off of omeprazole (brand name would be Prilosec). I've taken it for years at doctor's orders along with ranitidine (one of its brand names is Zantac) after a bout of suspected nutcracker esophagus (*snicker*). I think I've mentioned that before along with the fact that I have a hiatal hernia which probably contributes to my reflux. Anyway, we'll see how that goes tonight. I need to skip tonight and tomorrow night.
Tonight I am thankful for:
--Naps
--Star Trek
--Mom not judging me for liking either and even participating in the Star Trek viewing. :-)
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Diary 11
September 20, 2015
2126: It's been a long day. Up around 4:30, drove a few hours, mowed lawns all day, broke a string trimmer that doesn't belong to me, got rained on, ate more fast food than I should've, drove a few more hours, and now I'm home and showered, ready for bed.
Spent a lot of good time with Sisters 3 & 5 (birth order, not ages) and Mom today. So many laughs! Of course, I don't remember any of the situations clearly enough to relate them to anyone else. Even if I did, I'm probably too tired to write it right now.
I'm going to be really sore tomorrow from the lawn work. I had to take two Tramadols today for my feet. I haven't had a Two Tramadol Day in weeks.
Daily food run-down:
I had coffee with milk when I first got up, but I didn't eat breakfast until about 8:30 a.m. because I wanted something on my stomach when we began to mow. I didn't want to be ready for lunch at 9 a.m. I had a sausage/egg/cheese breakfast on a bun from Whataburger and iced water.
We had lunch around noon, and I had a Hunger Buster Junior from DQ and iced water. I wasn't trying to eat a small meal for weight loss purposes, I just didn't want a huge meal since it was so hot out and we still had a lot to do. Ordering that little burger reminded me that when I was thin I made it a habit to order kids' meals instead of full meals to help with portion control.
I drank three or four Gatorades during the course of mowing. It was humid & hot today--in the 90s--with barely a breeze. Good thing it was overcast now & then.
On the way home, we stopped at Whataburger again and I tried their little Whatachicken bites. They're basically the same thing as the chicken strips, only smaller than a McNugget. I went for the honey mustard dipping sauce. I didn't even eat a third of my fries, but I ate the Texas toast. I felt remorseful about that later. I didn't need that dang toast, I just like butter. I ordered a large unsweetened tea, but of course they screwed up and gave me sweet. I needed the caffeine, so I just drank it. I need to be more particular about checking orders before I move away from the employee. Immediately after realizing my tea was sweet, it dawned on me that I'd forgotten to order a kid's meal instead of a full meal. *sigh*
The good news in all of this is, even though my carb count was undoubtedly super high today, I did a better job at portion control than usual and also the only things I bought at gas stations today were gas and bottles of water. No chips this time, and still no sweets!
In the shower I was thinking about how I used to eat around 15 years ago compared to how I eat now. I lived overseas for seven years, and whenever I came home on leave, one of the main things I liked to do was eat at all the restaurants we didn't have overseas. When I finally moved back to the States, I immediately did the same thing--eating as if I were on vacation and wouldn't have access to all those fast food restaurants again for a while. Unfortunately, that never stopped. Add to that the fact that the antidepressants I was taking made me hungry. The listed side effects were nausea and weight loss. However, I was taught that if you don't have the flu and you're nauseated, you probably need a snack. So whenever I felt nauseated, I would eat. And you know what? The nausea did subside when I ate. For about 1.5-2 hours. I ate a lot.
Hopefully the realization about eating as if I'm on vacation plus not currently being medicated will help me break the cycle.
Tonight I'm thankful for:
--Soap & running water
--Clean pajamas
--Comfy beds
2126: It's been a long day. Up around 4:30, drove a few hours, mowed lawns all day, broke a string trimmer that doesn't belong to me, got rained on, ate more fast food than I should've, drove a few more hours, and now I'm home and showered, ready for bed.
Spent a lot of good time with Sisters 3 & 5 (birth order, not ages) and Mom today. So many laughs! Of course, I don't remember any of the situations clearly enough to relate them to anyone else. Even if I did, I'm probably too tired to write it right now.
I'm going to be really sore tomorrow from the lawn work. I had to take two Tramadols today for my feet. I haven't had a Two Tramadol Day in weeks.
Daily food run-down:
I had coffee with milk when I first got up, but I didn't eat breakfast until about 8:30 a.m. because I wanted something on my stomach when we began to mow. I didn't want to be ready for lunch at 9 a.m. I had a sausage/egg/cheese breakfast on a bun from Whataburger and iced water.
We had lunch around noon, and I had a Hunger Buster Junior from DQ and iced water. I wasn't trying to eat a small meal for weight loss purposes, I just didn't want a huge meal since it was so hot out and we still had a lot to do. Ordering that little burger reminded me that when I was thin I made it a habit to order kids' meals instead of full meals to help with portion control.
I drank three or four Gatorades during the course of mowing. It was humid & hot today--in the 90s--with barely a breeze. Good thing it was overcast now & then.
On the way home, we stopped at Whataburger again and I tried their little Whatachicken bites. They're basically the same thing as the chicken strips, only smaller than a McNugget. I went for the honey mustard dipping sauce. I didn't even eat a third of my fries, but I ate the Texas toast. I felt remorseful about that later. I didn't need that dang toast, I just like butter. I ordered a large unsweetened tea, but of course they screwed up and gave me sweet. I needed the caffeine, so I just drank it. I need to be more particular about checking orders before I move away from the employee. Immediately after realizing my tea was sweet, it dawned on me that I'd forgotten to order a kid's meal instead of a full meal. *sigh*
The good news in all of this is, even though my carb count was undoubtedly super high today, I did a better job at portion control than usual and also the only things I bought at gas stations today were gas and bottles of water. No chips this time, and still no sweets!
In the shower I was thinking about how I used to eat around 15 years ago compared to how I eat now. I lived overseas for seven years, and whenever I came home on leave, one of the main things I liked to do was eat at all the restaurants we didn't have overseas. When I finally moved back to the States, I immediately did the same thing--eating as if I were on vacation and wouldn't have access to all those fast food restaurants again for a while. Unfortunately, that never stopped. Add to that the fact that the antidepressants I was taking made me hungry. The listed side effects were nausea and weight loss. However, I was taught that if you don't have the flu and you're nauseated, you probably need a snack. So whenever I felt nauseated, I would eat. And you know what? The nausea did subside when I ate. For about 1.5-2 hours. I ate a lot.
Hopefully the realization about eating as if I'm on vacation plus not currently being medicated will help me break the cycle.
Tonight I'm thankful for:
--Soap & running water
--Clean pajamas
--Comfy beds
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Diary 10
September 19, 2015
We were up early to help some acquaintances with some lawn & painting projects this morning. We were pretty pooped by afternoon since we're not used to that much physical labor, so my afternoon mostly consisted of watching old episodes of Doctor Who to be in the spirit of the "Doctor Who season" even though I won't have access to the episode that aired today until tomorrow.
I had a surprise text from one of my sisters saying that she was nearby and wondering whether she could stay the night. The answer is always Yes, Of Course! She's been really good to me during my tough times, and she's fun to hang out with. We're going to work on the family land tomorrow (haha lawn work, not like farming or something) along with Mom and another of our sisters.
I had a bacon/eggs/coffee breakfast and just a pork chop for lunch. Super keto. lol Later I had a bit of the strawberry iced milk that I'd stashed in the freezer. Surprisingly, I didn't eat the entire stash. This medicine really does suppress my appetite. It's easier to tell the difference between eating for hunger and eating just to taste the food. I wish that would stay with me once I'm done with the treatment.
Supper was Mexican food with Mom & Sister 3, but I didn't have any rice & beans. Just a crunchy beef taco, a cheese enchilada, and guacamole salad. I did not eat my weight in chips, either. Still, not at all low carb. But I figure with the physical labor this morning and the physical labor tomorrow, I'm not going to beat myself up. And NO RICE & BEANS. That is a big deal. I count it as a triumph.
Today I am grateful for:
--Still being able to get up off the ground if I sit down, despite my weight and aches & pains
--Family that has kept me afloat & alive
--Laughter with people I care about
--Laughter in general
Good night.
We were up early to help some acquaintances with some lawn & painting projects this morning. We were pretty pooped by afternoon since we're not used to that much physical labor, so my afternoon mostly consisted of watching old episodes of Doctor Who to be in the spirit of the "Doctor Who season" even though I won't have access to the episode that aired today until tomorrow.
I had a surprise text from one of my sisters saying that she was nearby and wondering whether she could stay the night. The answer is always Yes, Of Course! She's been really good to me during my tough times, and she's fun to hang out with. We're going to work on the family land tomorrow (haha lawn work, not like farming or something) along with Mom and another of our sisters.
I had a bacon/eggs/coffee breakfast and just a pork chop for lunch. Super keto. lol Later I had a bit of the strawberry iced milk that I'd stashed in the freezer. Surprisingly, I didn't eat the entire stash. This medicine really does suppress my appetite. It's easier to tell the difference between eating for hunger and eating just to taste the food. I wish that would stay with me once I'm done with the treatment.
Supper was Mexican food with Mom & Sister 3, but I didn't have any rice & beans. Just a crunchy beef taco, a cheese enchilada, and guacamole salad. I did not eat my weight in chips, either. Still, not at all low carb. But I figure with the physical labor this morning and the physical labor tomorrow, I'm not going to beat myself up. And NO RICE & BEANS. That is a big deal. I count it as a triumph.
Today I am grateful for:
--Still being able to get up off the ground if I sit down, despite my weight and aches & pains
--Family that has kept me afloat & alive
--Laughter with people I care about
--Laughter in general
Good night.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Diary 8
September 17, 2015
I went through some stuff in my room today. I had many bankers boxes of papers and god knows what else all tossed in together and stacked in my room. Depression & anxiety does not play around. Its mantra is, "Fuck this, fuck that, you don't deserve to be able to see the carpet." I didn't exactly do a lot of filing, but I threw away lots of junk mail (YES I had junk mail from 2010) and receipts. I still have a dozen boxes to go. Egads, I know.
I finally FINALLY finished putting together my desk. I moved into this house in 2009. I have an L-shaped glass desk. I think I put together a half of it so I could have SOMETHING in 2010 or 2011. Today I finally put the entire thing together. There's so much room for activities!
I even found my bookends in a box! I put my study materials on my actual desk so that they can stare at me while I browse things online that will in no way determine my earning power.
Among the office supplies & old receipts in the boxes was a Queen box set, a compilation CD of the music they played at the Frankfurt Galaxy American football games in the late '90s, and a CD with about 15 pictures of a vacation I took with then-friends in 2003. So much fun listening to that music again and looking through those pictures! Great memories that I probably wouldn't have revisited today if I hadn't decided to find the junk mail to throw away in one single box.
We made pork chops & spinach for supper. That's all I had to eat all day besides coffee & milk. I consider it intermittent fasting. I wasn't hungry, so I didn't eat. I didn't miss the food. I hope I have more days like that. Maybe the pictures I found today will help remind me of what it takes to get back down to my 2001 weight (I'd already gained 15 lbs in 2003).
Tonight I'm grateful for being able to remember some good times. I can't remember them all, and I feel like I should be able to remember more than I do. I don't know if it was the decade of medications or the insomnia that they caused. In any case, it makes me sad. So I'm super grateful that I can remember some.
I'm also grateful for the odd day when I feel super motivated and not hungry. I don't know whether that's hypomania or the pills I'm on for my cold sore. Meh. Doesn't matter, still cleaned.
Take care.
I went through some stuff in my room today. I had many bankers boxes of papers and god knows what else all tossed in together and stacked in my room. Depression & anxiety does not play around. Its mantra is, "Fuck this, fuck that, you don't deserve to be able to see the carpet." I didn't exactly do a lot of filing, but I threw away lots of junk mail (YES I had junk mail from 2010) and receipts. I still have a dozen boxes to go. Egads, I know.
I finally FINALLY finished putting together my desk. I moved into this house in 2009. I have an L-shaped glass desk. I think I put together a half of it so I could have SOMETHING in 2010 or 2011. Today I finally put the entire thing together. There's so much room for activities!
I even found my bookends in a box! I put my study materials on my actual desk so that they can stare at me while I browse things online that will in no way determine my earning power.
Among the office supplies & old receipts in the boxes was a Queen box set, a compilation CD of the music they played at the Frankfurt Galaxy American football games in the late '90s, and a CD with about 15 pictures of a vacation I took with then-friends in 2003. So much fun listening to that music again and looking through those pictures! Great memories that I probably wouldn't have revisited today if I hadn't decided to find the junk mail to throw away in one single box.
We made pork chops & spinach for supper. That's all I had to eat all day besides coffee & milk. I consider it intermittent fasting. I wasn't hungry, so I didn't eat. I didn't miss the food. I hope I have more days like that. Maybe the pictures I found today will help remind me of what it takes to get back down to my 2001 weight (I'd already gained 15 lbs in 2003).
Tonight I'm grateful for being able to remember some good times. I can't remember them all, and I feel like I should be able to remember more than I do. I don't know if it was the decade of medications or the insomnia that they caused. In any case, it makes me sad. So I'm super grateful that I can remember some.
I'm also grateful for the odd day when I feel super motivated and not hungry. I don't know whether that's hypomania or the pills I'm on for my cold sore. Meh. Doesn't matter, still cleaned.
Take care.
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