Dental Update #6 (Things Are Out of Control)

 Here are some notes I actually scribbled down over the past week:

"Things I Can't Do Right Now"

• Chew gum. You can't chew gum when all you have are gums...
• How am I gaining weight? I have gained 4 pounds in the past 10 days!
• I've got to get back on the Good Chop regimen.
• Need recipe for yogurt ice cream. (Can you make gelato with yogurt?)
• Why are pancakes so delicious?
• Find a recipe for crepes.
• Drink more black coffee. Or with cream only. Or less sweet cream.

Some of (most of) these little scribblings explain the others. For instance, I have fallen back in love with pancakes. I haven't eaten pancakes on such a regular basis since I was a teenager with the metabolism of an Olympic athlete. 

Here's the thing, all the easiest things for me to ingest with no teeth happen to be calorific. Potatoes that I can roast in the Ninja for 10 minutes; pancakes that I can whip up in less than 10 minutes; coffee with cream; Dalgona coffee with cream. Thai coffee so sweet it gives me phantom toothaches; Sweet potatoes that taste so good with brown sugar, fresh-ground nutmeg, and butter; and did I mention potatoes with butter and a little cheese?

But I am a big fat liar. Those things are all pretty easy to fix but there are also healthier and less-fattening things I can cook. I have been eating quite a bit of fish - flounder, salmon, and cod. I won't be getting more cod though because it tends to be a bit "fleshier" and less flaky than the others. 

There's still a lot of time between now and January when I get my teeth. When I got on the scale the other day during my annual physical, I attributed some of the additional weight to my shoes and clothing. Honestly, though, I don't own enough summer clothing and footwear that weighs that much. My doctor gave me a little bit of a pass. She understands the whole soft food and I'm-sad-because-I-have-no-teeth things. Still, she did strongly encourage me to reign things in. 

My doctor is right. I need to get things under control here. I've taken steps. For one thing, I re-activated my Good Chop membership. They have enough fish and ground meat options that I can justify the cost. Actually, I'm getting a great deal because of my LifeMart discount. I am getting over 6 pounds of fish (salmon and rockfish) and meat (ground beef and ground Italian sausage), delivered for under $110. I am getting the deliveries every 8 weeks or so. And there are other reasons I returned to Good Chop for the fish and meat...

Normally, I have been able to get wild-caught salmon, flounder, and cod from Aldi's or Walmart for some decent prices. However, on the last Aldi order, I had to get a refund because the salmon was... iffy. When I was prepping it to cook, I noticed that the texture was off. When I picked up a piece, I squeezed it a bit and it was way too soft and, well, just "off". That made me think about the quality of the fish I'd gotten through Good Chop, but it was also the idea that I was paying around $6 for a pound  - which is good, but almost too good. According to a quick online search, "Wild-caught salmon typically ranges from $15 to $25 per pound, depending on the type and source" and that tracks. Quality is key.

Anyway. Getting back to Good Chop is the first step I'm making (my next order comes at the beginning of September, right about when I'd do my next grocery shopping), but I am also going back to Intermittent Fasting. 

I know, I know, I've been there with the IF before. However, this time I'm going a bit easier on myself with a 15:9 schedule to start. And, don't forget, I am now drinking more black coffee. Last time, I could not deal with coffee like that. These days, I rarely use my sweet and tasty creamer (Nestle's Sweet Italian was my favorite!); I am drinking Cuban coffee with plain cream or half-n-half and my good old Luzianne Pure Coffee Dark Roast bare bones black! The coffee will be a lifesaver for me. The thing that always sunk my fasting was not being able to drink enough black coffee in the morning before time to start eating and sometimes in the evening. 

 By the way, I was kind of stuck on drinking Navierra Cuban as "creamer-only" coffee. It tends to vary a lot in price and availability though. I'm glad that I found a few other Cuban dark roasts that taste just as good. And there's always good old Cafe Bustelo.

My ultimate goal is not to gain any more weight while waiting to get my teeth. Then, hopefully, when I can eat "regular" foods once again, I can do a protein-heavy diet for a while. And that's not going to be hard at all. I've been making lists of what I want to eat with my new chompers: a grilled hamburger loaded down with veggies; slow-cooked ribs; broccoli and collard greens; chicken wings with Bang Bang sauce; chicken wings with Famous Dave's sauce; rib tips and coleslaw; and a pork roast with gravy... I probably won't go near potatoes or pancakes for the next few years, God willing to let me live and nothing happen.

Anyway, at least now I have a plan. I will have to do another update in a few weeks to let you know how it's going. There are about 150 days until the new year. I hope and pray that I will be getting my teeth as early in January as possible! Let the countdown begin...

Peace

--Free