Banana and cottage cheese covers a lot of recommendations, good call.

"I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION."

I somehow want the response to this to involve an offer of gum.

Oh, now they are saying only 3" here. OK, that's no problem at all.

I was in DC for the big storm in January 1996, and not only was I off work for a full week, my street was never ever plowed.

Banana and cottage cheese covers a lot of recommendations, good call.

I sort of want a pile of meat, though. There's a good mediterranean place in our neighborhood with excellent lamb shawarma. I have to get it on a plate, not as a wrap, but that's okay, because it means PILE O' MEAT. Also hummus and saffron rice.

Man, maybe I'm just super hungry in general.

I figure if you want a big pile of meat, probably that's what you need. I'm really only recommending electrolytes because I am craving salty stuff and if I'm cold you should put on a sweater.

Ooh, the new place down the street has shawarma, I need to try it. They aren't taking part in Restaurant Week, though, so it will probably have to wait. Although these couple of days of nausea are diminishing my enthusiasm for Restaurant Week, alas.

I agree with you 100%, Steph. I don't think being heavily overweight is ideal, for several reasons (my back and my hips would like a word, and my boobs are sullen), but I don't think fat is itself murderous. It's a marker.

I'm really only recommending electrolytes because I am craving salty stuff

I've eaten like an entire bag of potato chips - maybe two - in the last three days. All I want is salt and potatoes. And yet I've lost weight. I dunno. My doctor, who is very focused on BP, is baffled by my backwards responses to diuretics and salt. "It's not supposed to work like that," he says dubiously. "You're an alien."

shawarma

I've never had shawarma. I should do that.

I was in DC for the big storm in January 1996, and not only was I off work for a full week, my street was never ever plowed.

I remember that storm. It warmed up seriously over the following weekend, with consequential flooding.

Some things around here are being rescheduled to tomorrow, to minimize problems if things are closed Friday.

Went to the library for my stuff. Now I'm going to dive back into work for a bit and then exercise.

Steph. I don't think being heavily overweight is ideal, for several reasons (my back and my hips would like a word, and my boobs are sullen)

I want to say that my back and hips would be happier if I weighed less, but I also don't do any flexibility work, except maybe yoga once every 6 months. So it's entirely possible my back and hips would be fine if I treated them better. But they also might do better with 20-30 less pounds on them.

Largely, though, my focus is on activity, because that's what research shows improves/maintains health a great deal, independent of weight. Secondarily, I try to eat in a way that makes me feel good (which means a lot of protein, for some reason) and supports my activity level.

Things are up in the air on Tim's diagnosis -- it's either rheumatoid arthritis or gout. His blood test markers are iffy for RA but also iffy for gout, but his x-rays seem to be more indicative of gout than RA. Which is good, because gout is more easily treatable.

It's just going to be funny if it's gout, because he's a skinny vegetarian who hasn't had a drop of booze in about 25 years.

Keep his feet warm! Drink coffee!

according to my mom, drinking coffee cured gout. but mom drank a lot of coffee and never got sick (except for when she was dying) so theoretically she could say drinking coffee cured almost anything and it would be hard to prove she was wrong. worth pointing out she smoked all her life and did not ever have lung problems. possibly because she gave them to ME but never mind that now

Fingers crossed for gout, is what I'm saying. Because RA sucks.

Largely, though, my focus is on activity, because that's what research shows improves/maintains health a great deal, independent of weight.

If there's a magic bullet, it's exercise.

What's your blood type, Steph? Do you know? I ask for an informal "study" I've been doing for a few years.