DUKE, DIET & DOGS

Hey, I'm back...for at least a few words today. It's been a busy and productive summer - a lot of busy-ness without much time or inspiration to write. About the middle of June I drove over to Durham, North Carolina to Duke University with the intent to enroll in their gold-plated Diet & Fitness Center.




It was a lovely drive through the Smokies and, although I originally planned on stopping overnight in Asheville, N.C., I was listening to an audio book and decided to drive on through to Durham. I recall the drive took about 8-1/2 hours and it really wasn't that tiring. I kept thinking the book would get better (a Danielle Steel splash) but it didn't, however it served its purpose of keeping me somewhat occupied while driving by myself.



Needless to expand on my feelings that first day at Duke, but trust me, I was nervous, excited and just plain scared to think I was turning my big, soft white body to these people for the next 30 days. There is a condo complex across the street from the Center and most of the participants stayed there - easier to drag yourself over at night and collapse in bed or in front of the TV.



We had an orientation meeting with the Director and a couple of his "henchmen" who carefully outlined what we could expect and what we had to do to make it a successful trip. Believe me, this was no "spa!" I was assigned to a M.D., a nutritionist, a psychologist and a physiologist! All of these people were dedicated to assist, badger and inspire me for 30 days. We ate all our meals at the Center and divided our time between lectures and fitness training. It's an understatement to say I learned a lot - it was an immense immersion into fact and fiction about good health. It wasn't just about calorie counts - it was more about calorie EFFECT and what strategies we can employ to become mindful about them. It never was about what we COULDN'T eat, but how mind, exercise and food can be integrated into our daily life. That may sound easy, however, it's a challenge giving up 70 years of not coordinating these most important aspects of our lives. There's nothing easy about it; you have to train your mind to understand that the choices you make this minute will effect tomorrow. Just one Snickers does have a cost and you have a choice to eat it and be in denial or eat it and either increase your exercise time or adjust your meals accordingly for the rest of the day. It's your responsibility and you have to be "present" all the time.



There's so much more, but time is an issue. I will have to say I met some wonderful people there and their support was immeasurable to my success. If anyone has any questions about Duke, I'll try and answer.



Coming back to reality has been interesting. I've found the time to exercise 5 to 6 days per week and I'm still mindful of what I'm eating and why. I'm still losing weight (slowly, to be sure) however, my other concerns continue to improve: not using a cane, blood pressure normal, increase in muscle strenght and energy,etc.

They told us that the routine we learned at Duke may begin to fail after 3 to 6 months so some of us may need a tune up. That's a great fall-back so I'll be calling if need be.



PRO FOOTBALL & DOG FIGHTING



There's not enough words to say how dreadful this whole Michael Vick charge has been to everyone but the most insensitive. The caution should be who we make our "hero's." At this point, I really don't care who has come from a deprived or neglected background. After 20, you better begin to smell the coffee and realize there is a value to life and to know the difference between right and wrong. You can not go through life without a conscience or sense of responsibility and be forgiven for your bad actions or choices. If you don't know what is right or wrong, seek out those who have had to pay a price for what they've done and unless they are confirmed sociopaths, they might teach you a lesson. Bottom line, find out who or what will be hurt by your actions. If anyone or anything will be - then don't do it!