No cobs

I had my annual physical yesterday.
"What are we going to do about your weight?" Patty, my nurse practitioner, asked me at the end of the visit. This was the second time she mentioned it in the 20-minute appointment. I had already told her that I have taken up Pilates and that I belong to Weight Watchers.
Still, Patty was right to ask again, because the weight isn't going anywhere. It just idly meanders within the same 3 to 5 pound range, which is around 15 pounds above my age/height–appropriate recommended weight.
What's different this year is that a blood test showed my glucose level one tick above normal range. Patty didn't sugar-coat (ha) it: Lose weight, or risk inching up into diabetes territory.

(I didn't point out that I had unfortunately scheduled this blood test to take place right after the cake festival that was Memorial Day weekend. I'm not sure how the chemistry works--would the glucose reading reflect an acute increase in buttercream frosting?)

"Most people think it's sweets that are the culprits," she said, "but it's the carbs--breads, bagels, pasta, potatoes."  Except Patty's a native New Englander, so she said "cobs."

"Cut out the cobs," she advised.

Coincidentally, the results of a long-term study of weight gain in middle age were all over the TV news today. There were no big surprises––fries, chips, sugary drinks, processed meats, and watching a lot of TV contributed to weight gain. Fruits and vegetables, nuts (my lonely little pecan friends!), and yogurt contributed to weight loss.

I don't find it useful when these things are phrased like this: ". . .for every additional serving per day. . ." It's like when the diet advice is "Just eliminate one donut every day, and you'll lose 10 pounds in a year!"
But I currently eat ZERO donuts a day, Einstein.

I am hereby recording my intention to follow Patty's advice. It will be tough. But I'd like to see a real measurable difference at some point--both in weight and in glucose level.

Speaking of measurable differences, listen to this awesome news: I measured half an inch TALLER than I was last year!!  Pilates!!