Hi,
I take lots of supplements every day. I have even made a chart of them so when I go to the doctor's office I don't have to spend ten minutes reciting what I take while the nurse writes it down.
I have said that, in order to say this: If the supplements matter.... why would the food not matter?
If we truly believe that ingesting a pill prescribed by our doctors, or a supplement recommended by them, will have a beneficial effect on our physical well being... why does it not follow that the food we eat affects our physical well being, also? After all they are going to the same place: our bodies.
What we put in our bodies matters. What we eat, drink, take, and swallow will eventually do something, either good or detrimental, to our body in both small and large ways. Water quenches our thirst, while sweet beverages only seem to coat the tongue. Food nourishes us, or irritates us.
What I consume will affect my body in some way. Why must my desire be for food that I know will do me harm? Why do I not have a craving for fresh raw veggies instead of frozen yogurt or mac and cheese?
I must admit that I have, on occasion, craved a salad or some raw veggies -- especially when I have not had any for a while. After my body feels stuffed and bloated and out of sorts from eating processed food for a period of time, then I do actually crave the light healthy satisfying feeling of fresh raw salad.
Sometimes I wonder why I need to be reminded of these things so often. Why do I seem to wake up every day in a rut? Is it the fog of addiction? Or is it simply the fog of being human?
What is discipline and how do you do it? Why do you do it? What keeps you doing it?
Asking questions is a way of thinking. I'm not looking for "answers" like on a test. I am attempting to wake me up from my most recent stupor.
I logged into my blog tonight with the thoughts about supplements and food on my mind but when I pushed the "view blog" button, it seemed to randomly choose to take me to an old post which I read as if it were from some other author. What a reminder. What a slice of my own life it was. It was the entry for "Day 53" and it was refreshing to me.
I don't know what it is like to be someone else. I envy the people I read about or see on a TV program who always eat right and always exercise right. Or are they not telling us something? I envy those who have successfully lowered their weight and no longer struggle, because they have really incorporated a new lifestyle of eating right and exercising into their daily activities.
Someone who does the same healthy routine every day.
I do have a routine but it feels like it is born of habit rather more than purpose, yet I do have a purpose. But is it not the "habits" that define a lifestyle and bring us to our purpose?
I'm glad to have the habit of recording my personal statistics every day. I check my weight. I test my blood sugar. I take my blood pressure. I examine my ankles for swelling. I look to see how much pain I have in my neck and head or in my low back. I have a simple system of recording this information daily. I take my supplements and then the day begins.
I also have the exercise habit going pretty well, now. I really do aquatic exercise three times a week for at least 30 minutes and often for 40 minutes and if some holiday is going to interfere I make the adjustments needed to get there the three times I believe is good for me. I like the exercise. I like the water. I crave it.
So I do have those two things going for me currently. I just need to get back on the proper food band wagon again. I got off it with the "7 day" program I tried. For the first six days I ate properly (veggies and protein) and on the seventh day I ate two high carb meals. That was it for me. I have had a really hard time getting back to the Six Day Program and have been seeking to include carbs nearly every day. Wow. Strong Addiction!!
Well... I do have a salad in the fridge at this very moment. I have eaten two salads today. Tomorrow is the day before Thanksgiving and I want to eat right. Thanksgiving is going to be whatever is at my friends' house that I've been invited to. I am bringing the dressing. It is the only time in the year that I make it, and I want it to be special. I don't want to waste a high carb day on carbs that I don't really like, but crave when I see them, anyway.
What a system. The plan at the moment is that the day after Thanksgiving I go right back to the raw veggies and protein. After having read another one of my posts, and thinking about the condition of my body after having done a higher amount of protein than normal and not liking the results, I have decided to cut back some on the protein and increase the veggies. I think 80/20 will be a better ratio for me.
When focusing on this stuff, I need to be reminded of all the things I am thankful for and that this matters but it is not the "Main Thing"
God is the Main Thing. Keep the Main Thing, the Main Thing.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Marcia
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Right Actions Matter.
I did not used to really trust that God was looking out for me. I know better now. He has looked out for my finances, and my safety, and my health, and He has blessed me. I am thankful for all He has done for me and all He has given me. We plant, but God gives the increase!!
I used to do the stuff that gradually allowed me to put on weight. Now I do the stuff that gradually takes weight off of me, and strengthens my body and my soul. I can actually see myself getting smaller in width and am liking the very real possibilities of this. I actually had a thought today that began with, "When I get to 299." Praise the Lord!!
Day by day. Choice by choice. Experiment by experiment I am not only learning but living in a different direction. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? God has given me a new destination. Thank you, Lord!
I think the best part of this new direction is that I am no longer doomed to obesity. It used to be an albatross around my neck that I could not get rid of. It is so odd that doing something different has given me a different view point. I had not realized that "actions speak louder than words" could mean a new direction for my life. Taking the actions has given me new hope. I always thought you had to have hope to take action. But that was wrong. It is the action that gives you hope. Amen!! Actions always produce results of some kind, and new actions produce new results that can give you new ideas and new destinations. Right actions matter.
As I drove down the road today I noticed a young heavy set woman walking across a grassy yard with a toddler by the hand. I thought about my reaction to the scene before me and realized that I had not judged the young woman for being over weight. It simply had not happened. She was alive and taking care of the little one. I immediately felt a connection with her and empathy for her. She reminded me of times in my own life when I had done similar things. The word "pretty" never entered in. It just really did not matter. In fact it was some how relevant to maturity that the superficial had fallen unnoticed out of the picture. Pretty had become irrelevant. I'm glad!
I'm not sure I can convey what the difference was, but there was definitely a difference in how I "related" to her. She was young. She was normal. She had a moderately large belly. She appeared healthy and she was simply walking along with the little one as he looked all around himself at the scene before him. She guided him and protected him. She was a lovely life and picture of womanhood. She was responsible and walking towards whatever goal or destination she had in mind. She mattered. The child mattered. Nothing else mattered.
Later, when I realized I'm living in a new direction, I thought about how Paul, the Apostle, always kept his eye on the prize of the upward call of life in Jesus Christ. It seems that that is part of what made him able to accomplish all that he did for Christ and in Christ. He kept his eyes on Christ.
I thought about the words that I had written on a post-it and stuck to the edge of my monitor that say: "Keep your goals in front of you. Sometimes to reach goals you have to do very difficult things." I heard that as I watched an episode of the TV show "Heavy" as one of the trainers talked to one of the participants and I wanted to remember them because they are relevant to me. I get it.
My Pastor always air hugs me and tells me he loves me. Every time I go to church. It does not matter that he says that to everyone -- when he says it to me, my heart is always touched. I want to start giving back by pointing out something from his preaching that touches me. I'm usually too rushed, too shy, and too tongue-tied to say anything more than "thank you." (It is always easier for me to write than to do unprepared or spontaneous speaking. I'm horrible at toasts.)
It may sound weird but I think that one of the main things that has been keeping me on track -- and allowing me to get back on track when I fall off -- is the daily journaling about what I eat and the exercise that I do -- or don't do. That written record keeps it real for me. I love my charts because they remind me what to look at.
I read recently about a study that proved that even if a dieter has no specific goal in mind, if they keep a daily diary of what they are eating, they are more successful at weight loss.
It works for me.
For what it is worth... Just wanted to record these thoughts and share them with you.
Be back soon,
Marcia
I used to do the stuff that gradually allowed me to put on weight. Now I do the stuff that gradually takes weight off of me, and strengthens my body and my soul. I can actually see myself getting smaller in width and am liking the very real possibilities of this. I actually had a thought today that began with, "When I get to 299." Praise the Lord!!
Day by day. Choice by choice. Experiment by experiment I am not only learning but living in a different direction. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? God has given me a new destination. Thank you, Lord!
I think the best part of this new direction is that I am no longer doomed to obesity. It used to be an albatross around my neck that I could not get rid of. It is so odd that doing something different has given me a different view point. I had not realized that "actions speak louder than words" could mean a new direction for my life. Taking the actions has given me new hope. I always thought you had to have hope to take action. But that was wrong. It is the action that gives you hope. Amen!! Actions always produce results of some kind, and new actions produce new results that can give you new ideas and new destinations. Right actions matter.
As I drove down the road today I noticed a young heavy set woman walking across a grassy yard with a toddler by the hand. I thought about my reaction to the scene before me and realized that I had not judged the young woman for being over weight. It simply had not happened. She was alive and taking care of the little one. I immediately felt a connection with her and empathy for her. She reminded me of times in my own life when I had done similar things. The word "pretty" never entered in. It just really did not matter. In fact it was some how relevant to maturity that the superficial had fallen unnoticed out of the picture. Pretty had become irrelevant. I'm glad!
I'm not sure I can convey what the difference was, but there was definitely a difference in how I "related" to her. She was young. She was normal. She had a moderately large belly. She appeared healthy and she was simply walking along with the little one as he looked all around himself at the scene before him. She guided him and protected him. She was a lovely life and picture of womanhood. She was responsible and walking towards whatever goal or destination she had in mind. She mattered. The child mattered. Nothing else mattered.
Later, when I realized I'm living in a new direction, I thought about how Paul, the Apostle, always kept his eye on the prize of the upward call of life in Jesus Christ. It seems that that is part of what made him able to accomplish all that he did for Christ and in Christ. He kept his eyes on Christ.
I thought about the words that I had written on a post-it and stuck to the edge of my monitor that say: "Keep your goals in front of you. Sometimes to reach goals you have to do very difficult things." I heard that as I watched an episode of the TV show "Heavy" as one of the trainers talked to one of the participants and I wanted to remember them because they are relevant to me. I get it.
My Pastor always air hugs me and tells me he loves me. Every time I go to church. It does not matter that he says that to everyone -- when he says it to me, my heart is always touched. I want to start giving back by pointing out something from his preaching that touches me. I'm usually too rushed, too shy, and too tongue-tied to say anything more than "thank you." (It is always easier for me to write than to do unprepared or spontaneous speaking. I'm horrible at toasts.)
It may sound weird but I think that one of the main things that has been keeping me on track -- and allowing me to get back on track when I fall off -- is the daily journaling about what I eat and the exercise that I do -- or don't do. That written record keeps it real for me. I love my charts because they remind me what to look at.
I read recently about a study that proved that even if a dieter has no specific goal in mind, if they keep a daily diary of what they are eating, they are more successful at weight loss.
It works for me.
For what it is worth... Just wanted to record these thoughts and share them with you.
Be back soon,
Marcia
I'm still here. I'm still going to the pool and exercising three times a week. I've lost about 30 pounds now and I am still learning. My blood pressure is slowly coming down and I'm also employing some relaxation moments to help my BP readings.
The relaxation exercise done just before taking my reading has really helped to get my BP down lower than it was. I'm finding numbers like 148/85 again, and I'm glad. What I do, is close my eyes and "look" inside my body with the idea of relaxing in mind. I take a few slow deep breaths, and let my shoulders drop. I am usually holding them up. Then I let my jaw un-pry itself and drop down enough to relax and let go. Then I look kind of deep inside the trunk and let go the abdominal muscles. I can feel the relaxation spreading. Most of the "holding" that I do is in the jaw, shoulders, and trunk and it really feels good to relax for a space of time. I can see that I need to do this periodically throughout the day... and it always feels good.
Today I've been reading and listening to some expert bodybuilder-types named Joel Marion and Craig Ballentyne who have some very interesting things to say about fat loss, when to eat carbohydrates, and the best way to exercise to keep your body burning fat for 24-48 hours after your workout. (If you are interested, the link to their free download is here: http://247fatloss.com/rptdwnld.html)
As usual they are selling their workout videos, but they are also sharing some interesting information that might make a difference on a fat loss program. One of the things they talked about, that really perked up my ears, was about the hormone called leptin. If my understanding of what they said was correct, Leptin is the thing in the body that allows you to burn fat because it affects your metabolism. When you have an adequate supply of leptin, your body will burn fat and you will lose weight, with the opposite also being true that without it, you won't burn fat because your metabolism has slowed down.
They gave an example of how the loss of leptin shows up when you are on a diet -- and they also have a surprising way to restore your leptin and increase your fat loss. The example they used was one that every dieter is familiar with. When you first undertake to reduce your weight and go on a diet, the first week is always a very good fat loss week. The second week you still lose weight, but not as much, and by the third week things begin to slow down to a crawl. As time passes you may even hit a plateau and the frustration that comes with it from still following the program you are on, but not getting any results.
They said the problem is that as you diet, and reduce calories and carbs, your levels of leptin (and your metabolism) begin to go down also, meaning the ability to burn fat is getting weaker. They have a very surprising solution to replenish your leptin and keep your fat loss metabolism at its optimum. They suggest that once every seven days you have an "overfeeding" day on which you eat pizza, cake, cookies, whatever carbs you like and this fills up the leptin tank. When the leptin tank is full, you then get back on and continue your weight loss program the next day, and this time, you will lose weight, again because your metabolism has been cranked up.
This one is a carbohydrate addicts dream. I guess you would have to actually to try it out in order to find out if it works in your body or not. And they were not talking about diabetics, so I might think a diabetic would have to do this in a sensible way, too, because I'm not sure it is good to suddenly have a huge blood sugar spike like this. I think the addict (like me) would have to be reminded that this can only be done on the seventh day -- which means it would have to be the same day every week. You could not do it on Monday, then again, on Thursday, then on Monday again -- that would most likely get you really off track.
I think it would really put an ease on social gatherings, too, if you chose, say, Friday as your feeding day. If you are already in the habit of going out with friends on a Friday and eating decadent food with them, you could still do that, then get back on the program and still lose weight over the next six days. You could even eat the donuts at work on a Friday and not bat an eye. How flabbergasted would your friends be to watch you eating like a pig on Friday and still having optimum weight loss each week on your program?
This is still such a strange idea. I have actually heard of this before and used the idea to explain away (to myself) having a high carb day once in a while, but I never really planned a program that included it. Wait... I have a memory from long ago, of reading a book by a very obese man who did this. He lost weight, but when I tried it, it did not work for me. Perhaps this method works differently for the two genders. For men, they may be able to eat wildly the whole day long, but we women may have to be a bit more modest and only eat wildly for one, maybe two, meals on the seventh day. But, hey, if it works, it works. On the other hand, if you try it and it does not work, well then, you have your answer.
I am ramping up to try this out and have chosen Sunday as my Carb day. I chose that day, because that was the last day that I "overfed" and I know I need the six days of eating right in between to make it work. I am a little leary of over feeding for the whole day so I am going to start off with just two meals with carbs on that day. I also think I need to do it more like a "reward meal" from the Carbohydrate Addicts' program than simply bellying up to the macaroni and cheese trough. The CA program suggests eating thirds of veggies, protein, and carbs -- and if you are still hungry to have more of all three. I am not sure if that will defeat the metabolism response that I am going for... it is just so hard to let the guard down and do the carb overfeed for the whole day.
I know, from experience, that one day of high carbs also wants to repeat itself the next day (like it was in charge!) so I don't want to run into that trap either. I'm thinking that it might be better for me if I plan restaurant or fast food meals so I don't have to buy the carbs and have them in my house the rest of the time. Not having the carbs in the house really supports me. I already know that if they are in the house I will reach for them first. Not kidding. I'm an addict and I know it. If I find this new twist does not work to help me maintain and increase my weight loss then that will be bagged as easily as any other bad prescription. The main point is that you just have to try it, if you want to know.
Here I go, again.
Hope all is well with you.
Be back soon,
Marcia
The relaxation exercise done just before taking my reading has really helped to get my BP down lower than it was. I'm finding numbers like 148/85 again, and I'm glad. What I do, is close my eyes and "look" inside my body with the idea of relaxing in mind. I take a few slow deep breaths, and let my shoulders drop. I am usually holding them up. Then I let my jaw un-pry itself and drop down enough to relax and let go. Then I look kind of deep inside the trunk and let go the abdominal muscles. I can feel the relaxation spreading. Most of the "holding" that I do is in the jaw, shoulders, and trunk and it really feels good to relax for a space of time. I can see that I need to do this periodically throughout the day... and it always feels good.
Today I've been reading and listening to some expert bodybuilder-types named Joel Marion and Craig Ballentyne who have some very interesting things to say about fat loss, when to eat carbohydrates, and the best way to exercise to keep your body burning fat for 24-48 hours after your workout. (If you are interested, the link to their free download is here: http://247fatloss.com/rptdwnld.html)
As usual they are selling their workout videos, but they are also sharing some interesting information that might make a difference on a fat loss program. One of the things they talked about, that really perked up my ears, was about the hormone called leptin. If my understanding of what they said was correct, Leptin is the thing in the body that allows you to burn fat because it affects your metabolism. When you have an adequate supply of leptin, your body will burn fat and you will lose weight, with the opposite also being true that without it, you won't burn fat because your metabolism has slowed down.
They gave an example of how the loss of leptin shows up when you are on a diet -- and they also have a surprising way to restore your leptin and increase your fat loss. The example they used was one that every dieter is familiar with. When you first undertake to reduce your weight and go on a diet, the first week is always a very good fat loss week. The second week you still lose weight, but not as much, and by the third week things begin to slow down to a crawl. As time passes you may even hit a plateau and the frustration that comes with it from still following the program you are on, but not getting any results.
They said the problem is that as you diet, and reduce calories and carbs, your levels of leptin (and your metabolism) begin to go down also, meaning the ability to burn fat is getting weaker. They have a very surprising solution to replenish your leptin and keep your fat loss metabolism at its optimum. They suggest that once every seven days you have an "overfeeding" day on which you eat pizza, cake, cookies, whatever carbs you like and this fills up the leptin tank. When the leptin tank is full, you then get back on and continue your weight loss program the next day, and this time, you will lose weight, again because your metabolism has been cranked up.
This one is a carbohydrate addicts dream. I guess you would have to actually to try it out in order to find out if it works in your body or not. And they were not talking about diabetics, so I might think a diabetic would have to do this in a sensible way, too, because I'm not sure it is good to suddenly have a huge blood sugar spike like this. I think the addict (like me) would have to be reminded that this can only be done on the seventh day -- which means it would have to be the same day every week. You could not do it on Monday, then again, on Thursday, then on Monday again -- that would most likely get you really off track.
I think it would really put an ease on social gatherings, too, if you chose, say, Friday as your feeding day. If you are already in the habit of going out with friends on a Friday and eating decadent food with them, you could still do that, then get back on the program and still lose weight over the next six days. You could even eat the donuts at work on a Friday and not bat an eye. How flabbergasted would your friends be to watch you eating like a pig on Friday and still having optimum weight loss each week on your program?
This is still such a strange idea. I have actually heard of this before and used the idea to explain away (to myself) having a high carb day once in a while, but I never really planned a program that included it. Wait... I have a memory from long ago, of reading a book by a very obese man who did this. He lost weight, but when I tried it, it did not work for me. Perhaps this method works differently for the two genders. For men, they may be able to eat wildly the whole day long, but we women may have to be a bit more modest and only eat wildly for one, maybe two, meals on the seventh day. But, hey, if it works, it works. On the other hand, if you try it and it does not work, well then, you have your answer.
I am ramping up to try this out and have chosen Sunday as my Carb day. I chose that day, because that was the last day that I "overfed" and I know I need the six days of eating right in between to make it work. I am a little leary of over feeding for the whole day so I am going to start off with just two meals with carbs on that day. I also think I need to do it more like a "reward meal" from the Carbohydrate Addicts' program than simply bellying up to the macaroni and cheese trough. The CA program suggests eating thirds of veggies, protein, and carbs -- and if you are still hungry to have more of all three. I am not sure if that will defeat the metabolism response that I am going for... it is just so hard to let the guard down and do the carb overfeed for the whole day.
I know, from experience, that one day of high carbs also wants to repeat itself the next day (like it was in charge!) so I don't want to run into that trap either. I'm thinking that it might be better for me if I plan restaurant or fast food meals so I don't have to buy the carbs and have them in my house the rest of the time. Not having the carbs in the house really supports me. I already know that if they are in the house I will reach for them first. Not kidding. I'm an addict and I know it. If I find this new twist does not work to help me maintain and increase my weight loss then that will be bagged as easily as any other bad prescription. The main point is that you just have to try it, if you want to know.
Here I go, again.
Hope all is well with you.
Be back soon,
Marcia
Friday, October 14, 2011
Hi,
About the high blood pressure... I had run out of the Hawthorn Berry supplement and had not replaced it. I am thinking that may be a big part of the problem. I ordered some more and have been taking two tablets, twice a day, for about a week, now. The BP does seem to have dropped a little. (They were recommended by my doctor for BP control.)
In an effort to make real changes and reduce my BP into a more normal range I have stopped eating the Shirataki noodles, except on rare occasions. I have resumed eating the fresh raw salads and the home made salad dressing with vinegar. A dear friend of mine told me that if I put 2 Tbs of vinegar in a glass of water and drank it, my BP would go down. I tried it and it did seem to help. I don't do that every day, because I know vinegar can cause me problems, ... but ... who knew? Right now they are still running an average of about 160 over 85 -- but that is down from 175 over 90, so that is progress.
I don't know if the Shirataki noodles are the culprit in my case. All I know is that my blood pressure went up after I started eating them. It could be a coincidence or the cause.... I guess I will find out. I hope it does not take long. I have even limited my protein intake to eggs, tuna, and feta cheese, in case the meat was the problem. I'm also eating my veggies raw, again.
During all of this, for the past few weeks, my blood sugars have been staying low for the most part. I did have one morning when I woke up to a reading of 140 (they usually range from 104 to 115 in the morning), and another one that was 130, but they seemed to be flukes. I checked my journal to find out what I had eaten the days before and it was restaurant food on both occasions (one was a "sit down" and the other was a "drive through"). Home made is better for my health. I can't control everything, but I can support myself better when I eat at home.
Speaking of which, I had lunch with a dear and long-time friend today that I had not seen for a very long time -- perhaps a year or more. We chatted and ate, laughed, and shared for about three hours at a buffet. It was great and we are planning on doing it again. She has moved to another part of the State of Georgia, so we drove to the "middle point" and visited together. I really enjoyed seeing her again.
I am still exercising in the pool and enjoying it. If I have to miss I do the stretchy bands and try to keep things on track. My friend said that I looked like I had lost more than the 25 pounds I owned up to. That was nice to hear. The exercise must be working. I've noticed my sweater fits me better now. I can easily button it and there are no gapes. Nice!!
So... I am working hard to get back on track with the BP and stay on track with the exercise.
Be back soon...
Marcia
About the high blood pressure... I had run out of the Hawthorn Berry supplement and had not replaced it. I am thinking that may be a big part of the problem. I ordered some more and have been taking two tablets, twice a day, for about a week, now. The BP does seem to have dropped a little. (They were recommended by my doctor for BP control.)
In an effort to make real changes and reduce my BP into a more normal range I have stopped eating the Shirataki noodles, except on rare occasions. I have resumed eating the fresh raw salads and the home made salad dressing with vinegar. A dear friend of mine told me that if I put 2 Tbs of vinegar in a glass of water and drank it, my BP would go down. I tried it and it did seem to help. I don't do that every day, because I know vinegar can cause me problems, ... but ... who knew? Right now they are still running an average of about 160 over 85 -- but that is down from 175 over 90, so that is progress.
I don't know if the Shirataki noodles are the culprit in my case. All I know is that my blood pressure went up after I started eating them. It could be a coincidence or the cause.... I guess I will find out. I hope it does not take long. I have even limited my protein intake to eggs, tuna, and feta cheese, in case the meat was the problem. I'm also eating my veggies raw, again.
During all of this, for the past few weeks, my blood sugars have been staying low for the most part. I did have one morning when I woke up to a reading of 140 (they usually range from 104 to 115 in the morning), and another one that was 130, but they seemed to be flukes. I checked my journal to find out what I had eaten the days before and it was restaurant food on both occasions (one was a "sit down" and the other was a "drive through"). Home made is better for my health. I can't control everything, but I can support myself better when I eat at home.
Speaking of which, I had lunch with a dear and long-time friend today that I had not seen for a very long time -- perhaps a year or more. We chatted and ate, laughed, and shared for about three hours at a buffet. It was great and we are planning on doing it again. She has moved to another part of the State of Georgia, so we drove to the "middle point" and visited together. I really enjoyed seeing her again.
I am still exercising in the pool and enjoying it. If I have to miss I do the stretchy bands and try to keep things on track. My friend said that I looked like I had lost more than the 25 pounds I owned up to. That was nice to hear. The exercise must be working. I've noticed my sweater fits me better now. I can easily button it and there are no gapes. Nice!!
So... I am working hard to get back on track with the BP and stay on track with the exercise.
Be back soon...
Marcia
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Continuing on My Own
Hi,
My sessions with my physical therapist have ended and I am now on my own. I am using my charts to remind me of not only what I have and have not done, but to remind me what is available to do. My PT told me that using stretchy bands is better than hand weights for me to build core strength and endurance. I'm going along with what she said because I suspect that she is right. I have also found a great source for buying the resistance bands online at: http://www.power-systems.com/
I have purchased three additional cords that are shorter than the one I have been using. Being shorter makes it easier to do some exercises rather than having to choke up on the cord with my hands in order to increase the resistance. I bought three because they come in different amounts of resistance. The resistance levels are color coded: green (light weight), red (medium weight) and blue (heavy weight) which makes a set for me. They have others that are both lighter and heaver than the ones I purchased. I find that the green one works best for my upper body and the red one works best for my lower body which makes sense to me because my legs are stronger than my arms. I am hoping to move up to the blue one at some point.
The company (Power Systems) is located in Tennessee and I am in Georgia, so when I order something the UPS man brings it in about three days and I am happy with the service. I have also ordered two circular bands of medium and heavy resistance to use for my hip flexes.
I also bought a set of aquatic gloves to wear in the pool for water exercises. It is like putting a"web" on your hands, so you have to pull a little harder to move through the water when you open your hand. The catalog said they increase the resistance of the water by 30 percent so I am excited to begin using them, soon. I investigated getting some water dumb bells like I was using in therapy but they are very expensive, especially if you need more than one size. I am hoping to adapt the gloves to do a similar thing without the expense (they were only about $7.50). I shall report later, on what I find.. I am also not sure they allow water dumb bells in the pool, but what could they say about gloves? They let you wear water shoes, so I'm hoping water gloves are OK, too.
I think I spent about a total of fifty dollars for all of this and I don't think that is too much since I have spent hundreds of dollars in the past on exercise equipment, that I did not use, by the way. I often did not use them because the routines were simply far beyond my capabilities and I would get discouraged, but, after having done the physical therapy I feel very confident that I now have exercises and methods that are suited perfectly to me and I can continue doing them on my own.
It is very difficult for a fat old lady to keep up with fit young people on the exercise routines that come packaged with many pieces of exercise equipment. They make it look so easy. They are fit and toned and the exercises are easy for them. I am neither fit, nor toned, and am actually stiff and old and very heavy, but my physical therapist has taught me what I can do for myself and I am very happy with that.
There are two things I need to do next. One is buy a seasonal fun card at the aquatic center and the other is make an appointment with my chiropractor. I think I over extended myself in my last therapy session and I have been having head and neck and arm pain ever since. I have been doing cervical traction and the exercises my former PT gave me for this situation and it lightens the pain, but it has not quite gone away yet. I don't know why I have not picked up the phone and called, other than I was hoping that what I have been doing would solve the problem. I think I need a little help so I will call him tomorrow and see what he thinks.
I calculated the price of the seasonal fun card and I will be saving myself about a hundred dollars in fees if I really get me going and using it three times a week like I want to do.
The medical front is not so glowing. I have discovered that the shirataki noodles, when over done, such as in "three times a day" is playing havoc with my kidneys. I have a trace of protein in my urine and I know that excessive amounts of carbs is what causes that. So... the shirataki does not raise my blood sugar, but my body reacts to it as if it were a high carb item anyway. I have now reduced my intake back to once a day and will see if that improves that situation. It may be that I will have to reduce them even further.
I guess I should explain why I was eating them three times a day. One day, I decided to have the shirataki twice instead of once and I lost weight the next morning. I tried the same thing on another day and the same thing happened. So I took a day and tested eating them three times in the day -- with every meal -- and I, again, lost weight. After that I started to eat them three times a day in an effort to speed up the weight loss. It seemed to be working but I also noticed that I did not like how I was feeling when eating it that much.
Also my blood pressure has begun to go back up to it's old really high levels again. I don't know if that is the shirataki or the animal protein I am eating. I am waiting to see if the reduction in shirataki makes a difference but am keeping the protein levels lower, too. Oddly enough, I have grown tired of eating salads and even though I have the ingredients in the fridge, I am not eating them, out of lack of interest. Since I am cooking meat (mostly turkey sausage) a few veggies and the shirataki into a "stir fry" I seem to have no interest in the fresh raw green salads.
When I initially reduced the shirataki back to once a day, I began eating the salads again, and immediately started to have leg cramps in the mornings -- some of them were pretty bad. That seemed really odd to me, but I think I have zeroed in on the vinegar as being the culprit. I purposely stopped using the home made salad dressing (vinegar and oil) and the cramping stopped happening. (Sheesh... if it is not one thing it is another.) Perhaps that is also why the lack of interest in salads... I don't have any dressing for them.
The official Carbohydrate Addicts program allows salad dressing if there is no sugar in the first four ingredients, so I might have to start going that route for a while to see what happens. My own problem with most salad dressings is that they are almost always made with soy oil and I am not interested in eating soy oil -- or soy of any kind unless it is fermented (as per Dr. Mercola's advice). Perhaps I can figure out a way to make a dressing for myself that does not include vinegar. The thought of just using oil is not so appetizing to me at this point in time. I think I have liked using lime juice in the past. Perhaps that might be a useful bit of information to start with.
I'm also taking a stronger dose of the Allopurinol to reduce the uric acid levels in my blood since I was still having gout flare ups in the middle toe on my left foot. I have to take something called Colchrys (I think) if I have a flare up and was really flabbergasted when my druggist told me the price for thirty pills was one hundred and fifty-five dollars. That is a fifteen day supply. I used my mail order Rx from Aetna to purchase a ninety day supply and that came to only $60. What a relief. The druggist said that there are no longer any "generics" for this particular medicine because they have been taken off the market. The lack of competition has made the prices sky-rocket. I had read about that happening but had not experienced it before.
I am very slowly losing weight. At this point in time I have lost 26 pounds and am happy to be continuing to lose weight. I hope I find the perfect diet for me soon. My blog is a record of everything I have tried for more than a year, so you know I've been working on it. I'm wondering when I will finally find the solution that works for me. For now, I shall simply keep on keeping on -- making adjustments as I go.
Reminders to me:
"You can sit there and feel sorry for yourself, or you can get moving."
Goal: Tired, Not Irritated
Goal: Continue to lose weight
Be back soon,
Love you,
Marcia
My sessions with my physical therapist have ended and I am now on my own. I am using my charts to remind me of not only what I have and have not done, but to remind me what is available to do. My PT told me that using stretchy bands is better than hand weights for me to build core strength and endurance. I'm going along with what she said because I suspect that she is right. I have also found a great source for buying the resistance bands online at: http://www.power-systems.com/
I have purchased three additional cords that are shorter than the one I have been using. Being shorter makes it easier to do some exercises rather than having to choke up on the cord with my hands in order to increase the resistance. I bought three because they come in different amounts of resistance. The resistance levels are color coded: green (light weight), red (medium weight) and blue (heavy weight) which makes a set for me. They have others that are both lighter and heaver than the ones I purchased. I find that the green one works best for my upper body and the red one works best for my lower body which makes sense to me because my legs are stronger than my arms. I am hoping to move up to the blue one at some point.
The company (Power Systems) is located in Tennessee and I am in Georgia, so when I order something the UPS man brings it in about three days and I am happy with the service. I have also ordered two circular bands of medium and heavy resistance to use for my hip flexes.
I also bought a set of aquatic gloves to wear in the pool for water exercises. It is like putting a"web" on your hands, so you have to pull a little harder to move through the water when you open your hand. The catalog said they increase the resistance of the water by 30 percent so I am excited to begin using them, soon. I investigated getting some water dumb bells like I was using in therapy but they are very expensive, especially if you need more than one size. I am hoping to adapt the gloves to do a similar thing without the expense (they were only about $7.50). I shall report later, on what I find.. I am also not sure they allow water dumb bells in the pool, but what could they say about gloves? They let you wear water shoes, so I'm hoping water gloves are OK, too.
I think I spent about a total of fifty dollars for all of this and I don't think that is too much since I have spent hundreds of dollars in the past on exercise equipment, that I did not use, by the way. I often did not use them because the routines were simply far beyond my capabilities and I would get discouraged, but, after having done the physical therapy I feel very confident that I now have exercises and methods that are suited perfectly to me and I can continue doing them on my own.
It is very difficult for a fat old lady to keep up with fit young people on the exercise routines that come packaged with many pieces of exercise equipment. They make it look so easy. They are fit and toned and the exercises are easy for them. I am neither fit, nor toned, and am actually stiff and old and very heavy, but my physical therapist has taught me what I can do for myself and I am very happy with that.
There are two things I need to do next. One is buy a seasonal fun card at the aquatic center and the other is make an appointment with my chiropractor. I think I over extended myself in my last therapy session and I have been having head and neck and arm pain ever since. I have been doing cervical traction and the exercises my former PT gave me for this situation and it lightens the pain, but it has not quite gone away yet. I don't know why I have not picked up the phone and called, other than I was hoping that what I have been doing would solve the problem. I think I need a little help so I will call him tomorrow and see what he thinks.
I calculated the price of the seasonal fun card and I will be saving myself about a hundred dollars in fees if I really get me going and using it three times a week like I want to do.
The medical front is not so glowing. I have discovered that the shirataki noodles, when over done, such as in "three times a day" is playing havoc with my kidneys. I have a trace of protein in my urine and I know that excessive amounts of carbs is what causes that. So... the shirataki does not raise my blood sugar, but my body reacts to it as if it were a high carb item anyway. I have now reduced my intake back to once a day and will see if that improves that situation. It may be that I will have to reduce them even further.
I guess I should explain why I was eating them three times a day. One day, I decided to have the shirataki twice instead of once and I lost weight the next morning. I tried the same thing on another day and the same thing happened. So I took a day and tested eating them three times in the day -- with every meal -- and I, again, lost weight. After that I started to eat them three times a day in an effort to speed up the weight loss. It seemed to be working but I also noticed that I did not like how I was feeling when eating it that much.
Also my blood pressure has begun to go back up to it's old really high levels again. I don't know if that is the shirataki or the animal protein I am eating. I am waiting to see if the reduction in shirataki makes a difference but am keeping the protein levels lower, too. Oddly enough, I have grown tired of eating salads and even though I have the ingredients in the fridge, I am not eating them, out of lack of interest. Since I am cooking meat (mostly turkey sausage) a few veggies and the shirataki into a "stir fry" I seem to have no interest in the fresh raw green salads.
When I initially reduced the shirataki back to once a day, I began eating the salads again, and immediately started to have leg cramps in the mornings -- some of them were pretty bad. That seemed really odd to me, but I think I have zeroed in on the vinegar as being the culprit. I purposely stopped using the home made salad dressing (vinegar and oil) and the cramping stopped happening. (Sheesh... if it is not one thing it is another.) Perhaps that is also why the lack of interest in salads... I don't have any dressing for them.
The official Carbohydrate Addicts program allows salad dressing if there is no sugar in the first four ingredients, so I might have to start going that route for a while to see what happens. My own problem with most salad dressings is that they are almost always made with soy oil and I am not interested in eating soy oil -- or soy of any kind unless it is fermented (as per Dr. Mercola's advice). Perhaps I can figure out a way to make a dressing for myself that does not include vinegar. The thought of just using oil is not so appetizing to me at this point in time. I think I have liked using lime juice in the past. Perhaps that might be a useful bit of information to start with.
I'm also taking a stronger dose of the Allopurinol to reduce the uric acid levels in my blood since I was still having gout flare ups in the middle toe on my left foot. I have to take something called Colchrys (I think) if I have a flare up and was really flabbergasted when my druggist told me the price for thirty pills was one hundred and fifty-five dollars. That is a fifteen day supply. I used my mail order Rx from Aetna to purchase a ninety day supply and that came to only $60. What a relief. The druggist said that there are no longer any "generics" for this particular medicine because they have been taken off the market. The lack of competition has made the prices sky-rocket. I had read about that happening but had not experienced it before.
I am very slowly losing weight. At this point in time I have lost 26 pounds and am happy to be continuing to lose weight. I hope I find the perfect diet for me soon. My blog is a record of everything I have tried for more than a year, so you know I've been working on it. I'm wondering when I will finally find the solution that works for me. For now, I shall simply keep on keeping on -- making adjustments as I go.
Reminders to me:
"You can sit there and feel sorry for yourself, or you can get moving."
Goal: Tired, Not Irritated
Goal: Continue to lose weight
Be back soon,
Love you,
Marcia
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Goal: Tired, Not Irritated
Hi!!
I've been to see my physical therapist a couple of times since I last posted. I've upgraded and updated my "exercise/activities" chart and may need to do another upgrade to include more different specific exercises. I've been doing something on the chart every day, so far.
My new "motivating self talk" is: "You can sit there and feel sorry for yourself, or you can get moving." The "feeling sorry for yourself" part came from a very good friend of mine who very gently pointed out this flaw in me. We were in a small meeting of four people discussing some plans and we were all sharing very intimately with one another. It was appropriate, simple, and delivered with humility. I sat and thought about it at the time, and realized that, yes, I do feel sorry for myself, but I guess I never realized that it was a Flaw that could be addressed. My response at the time was the simple acknowledgement that "I am not sure how to not do that."
Recently I've been thinking about it some more and the result is the new motivating self talk. I did not know I had a choice with this, but I certainly, do. I'm not certain what the cure is, or where it actually came from, but I know how to get beyond it in the moment and that is the "get moving" part. I think my former idea of "feeling sorry for yourself" was what I called "wallowing." I think it may also be called "depression." No matter what you call it, the antidote is to get moving. For me, right now, the "get moving" part means to exercise. To just get up out of the chair and do a set of something.
My physical therapist has taught me that I don't have to schedule thirty minutes of exercise all at once, I just need to DO SOMETHING at different intervals throughout the day. It's kind of like eating lots of small meals instead of a few large ones. That is where my chart comes in, which is how I keep track and let me know I've been doing the right stuff exercisewise. I also have bits of exercise equipment just laying out for me to grab at any moment and do a few reps. My stretchy bands are around a post between the kitchen and living room. My hand weights are on a chair in the living room. My Airofit is always set up in the spare room. Isn't that funny? I kind of like it. They are ready at a moments notice, so when I get the urge, they are available and I simply pick them up, think about the "form," position my body, and do twenty reps.
My therapist says that I do not need to build strength at this time, but endurance, which is why I do either two sets of ten, or a set of twenty reps. I'm building endurance. My body actually does like to exercise.
I'm also glad my PT has given me the goal of "getting tired, not irritated." When I first started doing the exercises at physical therapy I did not like the "tired" part. I was more than tired, I was "wiped-out" and could not move for a day and a half afterwards. But by the time the next session came along, the second day after, I was ready to go again. Still not liking "tired" but doing it. Now I realize that "tired" is not a bad thing. In fact, "tired" is a good thing and I am beginning to like the feeling. I feel as though I have done something. Accomplished something. The "tired" is the evidence that I am doing the right things for my body.
The "not irritated" part means that if I feel a pain of any kind I am not to ignore it, I am to make an adjustment to reduce it but keep going. If pushing my foot hard against the wall during a ham string stretch hurts my toes, then back off, reduce the toe pain, but keep stretching the ham string. It means that if raising my straight arm directly over my head using a stretchy band, makes my neck hurt, then back off, and reduce the resistance on the stretchy band.
Right now, I am simply raising my arm over head with the goal of raising it straight up, which I cannot, yet, do. I cannot do the stretchy band, yet, but once my body gets more agile, I will be able to begin using the stretchy band for that one and eventually will be able to add more resistance. I feel perfectly fine about this method and it does not make me feel sorry for myself that I cannot do it with a ten-pound weight in my hand. I'm doing what works for me. Thank God for my therapist and the guidance she has given me.
It is encouraging to feel new strength building in my body. I absently touched the back of my leg this morning as I was waking up and was pleased to recognize that the muscle has gotten a little firmer and fuller there. It was actually exciting to see that what I've been doing is having an effect. In the past, I always thought that seeing the effect of exercise "takes time." But the reality is, it takes "movement" -- the "get moving" part. LOL
Funny how I had to be taught that the goal is to get tired, not irritated, which refers to body aches and pains, not attitude, by the way. My therapist says, the old "no pain, no gain" plan is a bad idea. I work at the "no pain" part and I'm having gains in strength, stability, and enthusiasm. I'm also glad I was able to get started with a physical therapist and not a physical trainer like the ones on the TV show "Heavy." Those folks are pushing through pain and sometimes have to actually go see a doctor and get pain pills. They make great strides in weight lost but they are paying the price in pain. It does not have to be done that way. I'm glad.
I'm glad the Lord is guiding me to better ideas about exercise. I'm glad I like exercise, now. The charts keep me focused and I don't have to depend on my memory, I have a record of what I have, and have not, done. I know when I have not drunk enough water. I know when I need to exercise. I know when I need to eat something and it is OK to eat right now. I used to kind of get mad at myself for getting hungry, but now I check the time that I last ate and can see that my body really is ready for food again, and I don't have to be upset about it. It is OK for me to eat. I know if I am eating the right things, too, because I have a record.
I cannot say enough good about those charts. I'll share mine with anyone who wants them -- just leave a comment with an e-mail address and I will send an Excel file to you -- but there is a part of me that is excited because I made my own, to suit my situation, to fit my needs, and satisfy my tastes. I think that if you make yours to fit your life and the life style changes you would like to accomplish it cannot help but work for you. If you are familiar with Excel you can easily adjust mine to suit you. If you are not familiar with Excel, then I suggest you make your charts however you can and then use them. It is the "using them" part that makes the difference.
Reminders to me:
"You can sit there and feel sorry for yourself, or you can get moving."
Goal: Tired, Not Irritated
Goal: Continue to lose weight
Be back soon,
Love you,
Marcia
I've been to see my physical therapist a couple of times since I last posted. I've upgraded and updated my "exercise/activities" chart and may need to do another upgrade to include more different specific exercises. I've been doing something on the chart every day, so far.
My new "motivating self talk" is: "You can sit there and feel sorry for yourself, or you can get moving." The "feeling sorry for yourself" part came from a very good friend of mine who very gently pointed out this flaw in me. We were in a small meeting of four people discussing some plans and we were all sharing very intimately with one another. It was appropriate, simple, and delivered with humility. I sat and thought about it at the time, and realized that, yes, I do feel sorry for myself, but I guess I never realized that it was a Flaw that could be addressed. My response at the time was the simple acknowledgement that "I am not sure how to not do that."
Recently I've been thinking about it some more and the result is the new motivating self talk. I did not know I had a choice with this, but I certainly, do. I'm not certain what the cure is, or where it actually came from, but I know how to get beyond it in the moment and that is the "get moving" part. I think my former idea of "feeling sorry for yourself" was what I called "wallowing." I think it may also be called "depression." No matter what you call it, the antidote is to get moving. For me, right now, the "get moving" part means to exercise. To just get up out of the chair and do a set of something.
My physical therapist has taught me that I don't have to schedule thirty minutes of exercise all at once, I just need to DO SOMETHING at different intervals throughout the day. It's kind of like eating lots of small meals instead of a few large ones. That is where my chart comes in, which is how I keep track and let me know I've been doing the right stuff exercisewise. I also have bits of exercise equipment just laying out for me to grab at any moment and do a few reps. My stretchy bands are around a post between the kitchen and living room. My hand weights are on a chair in the living room. My Airofit is always set up in the spare room. Isn't that funny? I kind of like it. They are ready at a moments notice, so when I get the urge, they are available and I simply pick them up, think about the "form," position my body, and do twenty reps.
My therapist says that I do not need to build strength at this time, but endurance, which is why I do either two sets of ten, or a set of twenty reps. I'm building endurance. My body actually does like to exercise.
I'm also glad my PT has given me the goal of "getting tired, not irritated." When I first started doing the exercises at physical therapy I did not like the "tired" part. I was more than tired, I was "wiped-out" and could not move for a day and a half afterwards. But by the time the next session came along, the second day after, I was ready to go again. Still not liking "tired" but doing it. Now I realize that "tired" is not a bad thing. In fact, "tired" is a good thing and I am beginning to like the feeling. I feel as though I have done something. Accomplished something. The "tired" is the evidence that I am doing the right things for my body.
The "not irritated" part means that if I feel a pain of any kind I am not to ignore it, I am to make an adjustment to reduce it but keep going. If pushing my foot hard against the wall during a ham string stretch hurts my toes, then back off, reduce the toe pain, but keep stretching the ham string. It means that if raising my straight arm directly over my head using a stretchy band, makes my neck hurt, then back off, and reduce the resistance on the stretchy band.
Right now, I am simply raising my arm over head with the goal of raising it straight up, which I cannot, yet, do. I cannot do the stretchy band, yet, but once my body gets more agile, I will be able to begin using the stretchy band for that one and eventually will be able to add more resistance. I feel perfectly fine about this method and it does not make me feel sorry for myself that I cannot do it with a ten-pound weight in my hand. I'm doing what works for me. Thank God for my therapist and the guidance she has given me.
It is encouraging to feel new strength building in my body. I absently touched the back of my leg this morning as I was waking up and was pleased to recognize that the muscle has gotten a little firmer and fuller there. It was actually exciting to see that what I've been doing is having an effect. In the past, I always thought that seeing the effect of exercise "takes time." But the reality is, it takes "movement" -- the "get moving" part. LOL
Funny how I had to be taught that the goal is to get tired, not irritated, which refers to body aches and pains, not attitude, by the way. My therapist says, the old "no pain, no gain" plan is a bad idea. I work at the "no pain" part and I'm having gains in strength, stability, and enthusiasm. I'm also glad I was able to get started with a physical therapist and not a physical trainer like the ones on the TV show "Heavy." Those folks are pushing through pain and sometimes have to actually go see a doctor and get pain pills. They make great strides in weight lost but they are paying the price in pain. It does not have to be done that way. I'm glad.
I'm glad the Lord is guiding me to better ideas about exercise. I'm glad I like exercise, now. The charts keep me focused and I don't have to depend on my memory, I have a record of what I have, and have not, done. I know when I have not drunk enough water. I know when I need to exercise. I know when I need to eat something and it is OK to eat right now. I used to kind of get mad at myself for getting hungry, but now I check the time that I last ate and can see that my body really is ready for food again, and I don't have to be upset about it. It is OK for me to eat. I know if I am eating the right things, too, because I have a record.
I cannot say enough good about those charts. I'll share mine with anyone who wants them -- just leave a comment with an e-mail address and I will send an Excel file to you -- but there is a part of me that is excited because I made my own, to suit my situation, to fit my needs, and satisfy my tastes. I think that if you make yours to fit your life and the life style changes you would like to accomplish it cannot help but work for you. If you are familiar with Excel you can easily adjust mine to suit you. If you are not familiar with Excel, then I suggest you make your charts however you can and then use them. It is the "using them" part that makes the difference.
Reminders to me:
"You can sit there and feel sorry for yourself, or you can get moving."
Goal: Tired, Not Irritated
Goal: Continue to lose weight
Be back soon,
Love you,
Marcia
Saturday, September 3, 2011
It is Visible if You are Looking for It!!
A lot has happened since I last posted. I visited my doctor and she was very pleased with the progress I have made. I've been watching episodes of the TV series called "Heavy" on Netflix and getting ideas. I can feel my body getting stronger and I want to begin to push it a little more, but I also want to follow my physical therapist's parameters. And I've had my eyes opened with a new chart that I made.
Since I don't have cable-TV anymore I am not "up" on what is current in that scene, but I found the TV series called "Heavy" about obese people who go to a facility for thirty days to be rebooted. I have watched all of the Texas episodes and then the episode where they revisited the Texas people about six months later to see how they are doing. It seems to me that the camera eye view is almost totally focused on the exercise, with only a small percentage of attention on the food -- yet the affects of eating wrong show up instantly in weight gain for the participants. This view point is totally the opposite of my own focus.... so far. (It is easier to film actions like exercise, than it is to document people eating salad. LOL)
They seem to be on about a 1200 calorie a day diet of protein (fish) and vegetables (salad plus a few green beans) from what I can see. They do not go into the details of the food. But they sure go into the details of the exercise experience. At first as I watched I wondered about the people. I wondered why so many were crying and complaining. I wondered why this was so hard for them. Then it began to dawn on me that they are going through huge withdrawals and are initially under a lot of stress.
They are having carbohydrate withdrawals, family and friend withdrawals, and are also being forced to use their unfit pain wracked bodies in ways they never would have (or could have) done on their own. They are in a completely unfamiliar environment and suddenly every bit of bad behavior that they have depended on in the past to get them out of "bad situations" comes out to play. After the first week, though, things usually begin to settle down some, and their eyes begin to open up to the new possibilities for their lives. I think it is awesome and extremely tough to do. My hat is off to these many successful participants who put their lives on the air for us to observe... and to learn from. From what I have seen, nearly all of them are successful -- not absolutely all.
One thing I noticed is that even with their success they often still look like obese people when they are done -- but they have changed. If you were to meet them on the street and know nothing about them, you might only see that they are obese, but a few of them lost nearly a hundred pounds -- that gives you an idea of where they started. One man who weighed over four hundred pounds when he started had ankles that were nearly purple with lack of circulation. One of his legs had a "weeping" wound which is a spot where the skin has simply opened up and liquid seeps out, so he was not allowed to go in the pool until he got his doctor's OK.
Later on, it shows where he has lost at least a hundred pounds (I don't recall the exact specifics) and looks a lot smaller and younger and happier.... but his legs still look purple. Another man had a "lymphodema" surgically removed and he is able to walk a lot better. I guess the reason that these physical conditions have stuck in my mind is because in my journey I wanted to reverse my pre-diabetic state which, technically, happened, but I am not without the disease, yet, and if I falter it will come back like a raging lion. I think the participants were brave and the trainers are awesome.
I've been thinking about what my "weight loss goal" should be. The thought of choosing a number makes me a little crazy and does not work for me as a "goal." I cannot simply use "lose weight" as a goal either. I have tripped myself up in the past with that one. Once I lost a few pounds the goal would be met and I would wander off in another direction. I am comfortable with "continuing to lose weight." I feel able to continue (with the Lord's help) on the path and not wander off. One of the ladies in the TV series said something about "perseverance and grace." and that has really struck me as being motivational for me. I'd like to have those two in front of my face for a while to remind me, and help me stay on track. With my perseverance and God's grace I shall continue to lose weight.
I also want to speed it up a little so I'm beginning to focus on the exercise. I've made up an activities chart for me to keep track of my daily activities. My physical therapist has told me that I can do "three minutes" of one exercise and then in a little while do "five minutes" of another one and continue doing this throughout the day. That way I don't have one gargantuan block of exercise to do all at once -- which can be completely overwhelming to me. I'm more likely to simply sidestep the issue if it looks too hard (overwhelming) for me, but I can do a few minutes here and there, repeatedly throughout the day. Which is the reason for the chart.
Today was day one, and at the end of the day, I had not done any exercise. I would not have noticed that except that the chart has made me aware of the truth. So on day one, I noticed what I was not doing. For tomorrow I want to have some check marks under a few activities that I have done so I shall start earlier in the day to do a few of the "little minutes of activity." They are important and I need to incorporate them into my daily life. I shall begin the exercise again, in the morning.
I shared what I have been doing with a friend and she wants copies of my charts. I am pleased that she likes them and wants them... but I've got enough experience to know that she may or may not actually use them. I've tried to help people in the past with things they said they wanted, but many (I believe, most) people are not willing to actually adapt it to their own lives. I did the same things for years. I've bought many pieces of "weight loss" equipment, but they don't do a thing for the body that does not get on them. In my defense I must say that the equipment is not actually made for people who are completely unfit and outrageously obese -- or, at least, that is what I thought. My physical therapist has taught me to pay attention to the fingers poking into my body (points of pain) and to make adjustments for them. Change something to stop the irritation but keep going. She says that to make improvements I need to get tired, but irritation only makes things worse.
One of the things the successful participants of "Heavy" have mentioned a few times is how much more agile they are now. I'd love to have some of my former agility back. I can see it happening with the PT that I have been doing. If I persevere and depend on God's grace, my agility, balance, and strength will improve. I won't be twenty-two again, but I can improve. I'd like to improve and see where I might go with it. With my perseverance and God's grace I shall continue to lose weight and increase agility and strength.
I'll be checking up on me with my chart, so I'd better be alert and get active! Don't laugh... I think it might work!!
Be back soon,
Marcia
Since I don't have cable-TV anymore I am not "up" on what is current in that scene, but I found the TV series called "Heavy" about obese people who go to a facility for thirty days to be rebooted. I have watched all of the Texas episodes and then the episode where they revisited the Texas people about six months later to see how they are doing. It seems to me that the camera eye view is almost totally focused on the exercise, with only a small percentage of attention on the food -- yet the affects of eating wrong show up instantly in weight gain for the participants. This view point is totally the opposite of my own focus.... so far. (It is easier to film actions like exercise, than it is to document people eating salad. LOL)
They seem to be on about a 1200 calorie a day diet of protein (fish) and vegetables (salad plus a few green beans) from what I can see. They do not go into the details of the food. But they sure go into the details of the exercise experience. At first as I watched I wondered about the people. I wondered why so many were crying and complaining. I wondered why this was so hard for them. Then it began to dawn on me that they are going through huge withdrawals and are initially under a lot of stress.
They are having carbohydrate withdrawals, family and friend withdrawals, and are also being forced to use their unfit pain wracked bodies in ways they never would have (or could have) done on their own. They are in a completely unfamiliar environment and suddenly every bit of bad behavior that they have depended on in the past to get them out of "bad situations" comes out to play. After the first week, though, things usually begin to settle down some, and their eyes begin to open up to the new possibilities for their lives. I think it is awesome and extremely tough to do. My hat is off to these many successful participants who put their lives on the air for us to observe... and to learn from. From what I have seen, nearly all of them are successful -- not absolutely all.
One thing I noticed is that even with their success they often still look like obese people when they are done -- but they have changed. If you were to meet them on the street and know nothing about them, you might only see that they are obese, but a few of them lost nearly a hundred pounds -- that gives you an idea of where they started. One man who weighed over four hundred pounds when he started had ankles that were nearly purple with lack of circulation. One of his legs had a "weeping" wound which is a spot where the skin has simply opened up and liquid seeps out, so he was not allowed to go in the pool until he got his doctor's OK.
Later on, it shows where he has lost at least a hundred pounds (I don't recall the exact specifics) and looks a lot smaller and younger and happier.... but his legs still look purple. Another man had a "lymphodema" surgically removed and he is able to walk a lot better. I guess the reason that these physical conditions have stuck in my mind is because in my journey I wanted to reverse my pre-diabetic state which, technically, happened, but I am not without the disease, yet, and if I falter it will come back like a raging lion. I think the participants were brave and the trainers are awesome.
I've been thinking about what my "weight loss goal" should be. The thought of choosing a number makes me a little crazy and does not work for me as a "goal." I cannot simply use "lose weight" as a goal either. I have tripped myself up in the past with that one. Once I lost a few pounds the goal would be met and I would wander off in another direction. I am comfortable with "continuing to lose weight." I feel able to continue (with the Lord's help) on the path and not wander off. One of the ladies in the TV series said something about "perseverance and grace." and that has really struck me as being motivational for me. I'd like to have those two in front of my face for a while to remind me, and help me stay on track. With my perseverance and God's grace I shall continue to lose weight.
I also want to speed it up a little so I'm beginning to focus on the exercise. I've made up an activities chart for me to keep track of my daily activities. My physical therapist has told me that I can do "three minutes" of one exercise and then in a little while do "five minutes" of another one and continue doing this throughout the day. That way I don't have one gargantuan block of exercise to do all at once -- which can be completely overwhelming to me. I'm more likely to simply sidestep the issue if it looks too hard (overwhelming) for me, but I can do a few minutes here and there, repeatedly throughout the day. Which is the reason for the chart.
Today was day one, and at the end of the day, I had not done any exercise. I would not have noticed that except that the chart has made me aware of the truth. So on day one, I noticed what I was not doing. For tomorrow I want to have some check marks under a few activities that I have done so I shall start earlier in the day to do a few of the "little minutes of activity." They are important and I need to incorporate them into my daily life. I shall begin the exercise again, in the morning.
I shared what I have been doing with a friend and she wants copies of my charts. I am pleased that she likes them and wants them... but I've got enough experience to know that she may or may not actually use them. I've tried to help people in the past with things they said they wanted, but many (I believe, most) people are not willing to actually adapt it to their own lives. I did the same things for years. I've bought many pieces of "weight loss" equipment, but they don't do a thing for the body that does not get on them. In my defense I must say that the equipment is not actually made for people who are completely unfit and outrageously obese -- or, at least, that is what I thought. My physical therapist has taught me to pay attention to the fingers poking into my body (points of pain) and to make adjustments for them. Change something to stop the irritation but keep going. She says that to make improvements I need to get tired, but irritation only makes things worse.
One of the things the successful participants of "Heavy" have mentioned a few times is how much more agile they are now. I'd love to have some of my former agility back. I can see it happening with the PT that I have been doing. If I persevere and depend on God's grace, my agility, balance, and strength will improve. I won't be twenty-two again, but I can improve. I'd like to improve and see where I might go with it. With my perseverance and God's grace I shall continue to lose weight and increase agility and strength.
I'll be checking up on me with my chart, so I'd better be alert and get active! Don't laugh... I think it might work!!
Be back soon,
Marcia
Friday, August 26, 2011
You Are What You Eat!!
I just can't believe how smooth my skin has gotten. I first noticed the smoothness about a week ago, when I absently touched my knee and was surprised at how smooth and soft it was. I thought that it might be something in the pool water at the physical therapist's office and wondered what it might be that would make my skin feel so smooth and soft. It was nice but, you know, nothing of import and I figured it was temporary. I noticed it again a couple of times, but still paid no real attention to it. Recently, I have noticed the skin on my face is as smooth and nice as baby skin. I checked my arms and neck and, surprisingly, my whole body skin has become as soft and smooth as it was when I was a child. What a nice surprise!
I am not sure what to attribute this to, except for the diet of fresh raw vegetables, protein, and good fats. Maybe even the shirataki noodles. Who knows? I was eating the vegetables before and my skin got "clear" but not so smooth and nice as it has become now. It seems that it must be either one or both of the protein and the fats that I am consuming. Gee... even my hair has gotten soft, again. I remember when I stopped eating sugar that my skin was no longer so dry, rough, and flaky, and now it has become extremely smooth and soft, too.
The only place on my body that the skin is not what I would call "ideal" is on the bottoms of my feet. There it seems to be flaking and cracking in odd places like the bottoms of the toes. I had put some coconut oil on them this morning after using emory to "file" them down. I was not yet pleased with them. But this "whole body" skin thing is new and unexpected.
"You are what you eat." Every time I make a dietary change, my body responds to it in ways that I was not expecting -- and most of them have been good changes recently because I've been eating good things.
If you think about it, every time a diabetic pricks their finger to test their blood sugar that is proof that what a person eats actually does get injected directly into the blood stream and courses through the body with every beat of the heart. If I eat something sugary or high in carbs my blood sugar goes up. I know because I can test it, myself. If I eat raw vegetables, protein, and fats, my blood sugar reflects the absence of excess sugars.
When the doctor checks my A1C, she can tell just how much sugar and high carbs I've been eating over a three month time period. The A1C test measures how many of the oxygen molecules have been displaced by glucose molecules on our red blood cells. Isn't that awesome to think about? Every bit of food we put in our mouths, chew and swallow ends up in a cell somewhere in our body. Some of them to give us health and vitality -- and some to cause problems, like the sugar replacing the oxygen on the red blood cells which ends up being "poor circulation." How about them apples?
"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” (Hippocrates, 460 B.C.) H said this more than 2500 years ago and it is still true today. What we eat really does affect our bodies. I keep hearing vegans and raw foodists saying this, but mainstream America does not seem to be listening. It is hard for addicts to change their lives. Whether the addiction is tobacco related, alcohol related, or food related the hardest part of the addiction to deal with is the cravings. It's not good for you but you just can't seem to stop eating it!! And every bite you eat adds another problem to your body.
I've just been spending some time at http://www.konjacfoods.com/ reading the bits and pieces of research that they have posted about how glucommanen acts in the body to reduce post-prandial blood sugars, insulin, and lipids in the blood stream which make them an excellent food for diabetics. Some of the studies were done in the 1990s, so why it just now, that I am hearing about it? I must admit that I had heard about and even ordered some glucomannen tablets once about ten years ago, but I did not see instantaneous affects from it, and never completed taking the bottle of pills.
I was a little afraid of the choking warning, too, so was never really comfortable taking the GM pills. I remember throwing them out because I did not know enough about them. Too bad!! The choking warning on glucommanen pills came about because if one of the capsules were to get lodged in your throat and then break open the glucommanen, which can absorb 100 times it weight in liquid, could block the passage and cause big problems. They recommend that you drink lots and lots of water if taking the pills. I think I recommend not taking the pills!!
But eating the shirataki noodles which are made from glucommanen is not a problem -- as far as I can tell at the moment.
Another thing I have noticed as I am journaling and keeping track is that after I exercise can become a problem time for me. Not every time, just certain times, and I am not exactly sure which is which. I do recall a suggestion from an exercise guru that I read in the last year. He said that you need to make sure to have something to eat, and water to drink, immediately after exercising. I'm thinking that perhaps I need to pay more attention to that.
I often feel completely exhausted after a work out at my therapist's office. She always has a cup of water ready for me to drink after both the massage and the work out so I can see she follows that same "drink water after exercise" theory. I am always ready for the cup of water, too. So, perhaps I need to prepare a snack for after exercise, too. She does not want me to eat a heavy meal beforehand, so I don't, but I seem to need a real good snack afterward. Maybe some bacon would be a good easy to carry with you snack. I don't seem to do "snacks" at home... but maybe I need to start. I need them on Sundays when the service goes long, too. Maybe some of those pork rinds would do, and they would be easier to carry. I think I read somewhere about a lady who is doing low carb and she carries string cheese in her purse. I need something that is portable, not a bother, and has protein -- a veggie would be good too.
They have a whole list of low carb snacks at www.atkins.com but some of them seem a little complicated to just carry in your purse for emergencies. They do list bacon, avocado, and cheese, each one as a snack item. I could do any one of those and be happy. Although the avocado would require a knife for opening and eating.
I've been looking online for a better way to purchase the plain shirataki noodles (no tofu) and the www.konjacfood.com seems to be the cheapest -- but you have to buy a case of them. That does not seem like it would be a problem since I am planning on using them nearly once every day. I purchased a case of their #1 variety and have been very pleased with them. I do find that I don't like the "macaroni" shaped ones, though. They seem to be too chewy and not really like macaroni for me. I love the noodles like the "angel hair", and the "linquini." Anything that resembles spaghetti pasta works for me, so next time, I may just order a case of "angel hair" and skip the variety pack. Of course, I would not know that, if I had not tried it out.
I found this on the Konjac Foods website along with other sited reports about high fiber foods and diabetes:
Diabetes Care (2000; 23: 9 - 14)
Beneficial effects of viscous dietary fiber from Konjac-mannan in subjects with insulin resistance syndrome: results of a controlled metabolic trial.
"A diet rich in high-viscosity KJM improves glycemic control and lipid profile, suggesting a therapeutic potential in the treatment of insulin resistance syndrome."
This is saying that the addition of any soluble fiber with a high viscosity (ability to soak up liquid) affects how carbs get digested in the body. Glucommanen is the natural soluble fiber with the most viscosity known to man. Konjac root, Glucomannen, has 64 grams of soluble fiber per ounce as compared to oatmeal that has 12 grams of soluble fiber per ounce. If eating oatmeal once a day can help lower cholesterol, then eating shirataki noodles once a day should work about six times better or faster.
Glycemic control means keeping blood sugar levels low and glucommanen (shirataki noodles) helps to control blood sugar. It also controls the fats (lipids) in the blood. So if you have high triglycerides (fats) in your blood, then glucommanen powder or shirataki noodles may help lower the lipids or fats in your blood. The suggestion of a "therapeutic potential" means they may be used as therapy for "insulin resistance syndrome" which is also known as "prediabetes." I'm on board for that.
Been feeling closer to God lately. I'm glad of that. Been praying for the upcoming hurricane to close up shop and not hit the East Coast. God is the Master of the Wind!! If you are a believer, then please pray for "Irene" to stop blowing and become peaceful.
From my friend, "B":
Love you
Be back soon,
Marcia
I am not sure what to attribute this to, except for the diet of fresh raw vegetables, protein, and good fats. Maybe even the shirataki noodles. Who knows? I was eating the vegetables before and my skin got "clear" but not so smooth and nice as it has become now. It seems that it must be either one or both of the protein and the fats that I am consuming. Gee... even my hair has gotten soft, again. I remember when I stopped eating sugar that my skin was no longer so dry, rough, and flaky, and now it has become extremely smooth and soft, too.
The only place on my body that the skin is not what I would call "ideal" is on the bottoms of my feet. There it seems to be flaking and cracking in odd places like the bottoms of the toes. I had put some coconut oil on them this morning after using emory to "file" them down. I was not yet pleased with them. But this "whole body" skin thing is new and unexpected.
"You are what you eat." Every time I make a dietary change, my body responds to it in ways that I was not expecting -- and most of them have been good changes recently because I've been eating good things.
If you think about it, every time a diabetic pricks their finger to test their blood sugar that is proof that what a person eats actually does get injected directly into the blood stream and courses through the body with every beat of the heart. If I eat something sugary or high in carbs my blood sugar goes up. I know because I can test it, myself. If I eat raw vegetables, protein, and fats, my blood sugar reflects the absence of excess sugars.
When the doctor checks my A1C, she can tell just how much sugar and high carbs I've been eating over a three month time period. The A1C test measures how many of the oxygen molecules have been displaced by glucose molecules on our red blood cells. Isn't that awesome to think about? Every bit of food we put in our mouths, chew and swallow ends up in a cell somewhere in our body. Some of them to give us health and vitality -- and some to cause problems, like the sugar replacing the oxygen on the red blood cells which ends up being "poor circulation." How about them apples?
"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” (Hippocrates, 460 B.C.) H said this more than 2500 years ago and it is still true today. What we eat really does affect our bodies. I keep hearing vegans and raw foodists saying this, but mainstream America does not seem to be listening. It is hard for addicts to change their lives. Whether the addiction is tobacco related, alcohol related, or food related the hardest part of the addiction to deal with is the cravings. It's not good for you but you just can't seem to stop eating it!! And every bite you eat adds another problem to your body.
I've just been spending some time at http://www.konjacfoods.com/ reading the bits and pieces of research that they have posted about how glucommanen acts in the body to reduce post-prandial blood sugars, insulin, and lipids in the blood stream which make them an excellent food for diabetics. Some of the studies were done in the 1990s, so why it just now, that I am hearing about it? I must admit that I had heard about and even ordered some glucomannen tablets once about ten years ago, but I did not see instantaneous affects from it, and never completed taking the bottle of pills.
I was a little afraid of the choking warning, too, so was never really comfortable taking the GM pills. I remember throwing them out because I did not know enough about them. Too bad!! The choking warning on glucommanen pills came about because if one of the capsules were to get lodged in your throat and then break open the glucommanen, which can absorb 100 times it weight in liquid, could block the passage and cause big problems. They recommend that you drink lots and lots of water if taking the pills. I think I recommend not taking the pills!!
But eating the shirataki noodles which are made from glucommanen is not a problem -- as far as I can tell at the moment.
Another thing I have noticed as I am journaling and keeping track is that after I exercise can become a problem time for me. Not every time, just certain times, and I am not exactly sure which is which. I do recall a suggestion from an exercise guru that I read in the last year. He said that you need to make sure to have something to eat, and water to drink, immediately after exercising. I'm thinking that perhaps I need to pay more attention to that.
I often feel completely exhausted after a work out at my therapist's office. She always has a cup of water ready for me to drink after both the massage and the work out so I can see she follows that same "drink water after exercise" theory. I am always ready for the cup of water, too. So, perhaps I need to prepare a snack for after exercise, too. She does not want me to eat a heavy meal beforehand, so I don't, but I seem to need a real good snack afterward. Maybe some bacon would be a good easy to carry with you snack. I don't seem to do "snacks" at home... but maybe I need to start. I need them on Sundays when the service goes long, too. Maybe some of those pork rinds would do, and they would be easier to carry. I think I read somewhere about a lady who is doing low carb and she carries string cheese in her purse. I need something that is portable, not a bother, and has protein -- a veggie would be good too.
They have a whole list of low carb snacks at www.atkins.com but some of them seem a little complicated to just carry in your purse for emergencies. They do list bacon, avocado, and cheese, each one as a snack item. I could do any one of those and be happy. Although the avocado would require a knife for opening and eating.
I've been looking online for a better way to purchase the plain shirataki noodles (no tofu) and the www.konjacfood.com seems to be the cheapest -- but you have to buy a case of them. That does not seem like it would be a problem since I am planning on using them nearly once every day. I purchased a case of their #1 variety and have been very pleased with them. I do find that I don't like the "macaroni" shaped ones, though. They seem to be too chewy and not really like macaroni for me. I love the noodles like the "angel hair", and the "linquini." Anything that resembles spaghetti pasta works for me, so next time, I may just order a case of "angel hair" and skip the variety pack. Of course, I would not know that, if I had not tried it out.
I found this on the Konjac Foods website along with other sited reports about high fiber foods and diabetes:
Diabetes Care (2000; 23: 9 - 14)
Beneficial effects of viscous dietary fiber from Konjac-mannan in subjects with insulin resistance syndrome: results of a controlled metabolic trial.
"A diet rich in high-viscosity KJM improves glycemic control and lipid profile, suggesting a therapeutic potential in the treatment of insulin resistance syndrome."
This is saying that the addition of any soluble fiber with a high viscosity (ability to soak up liquid) affects how carbs get digested in the body. Glucommanen is the natural soluble fiber with the most viscosity known to man. Konjac root, Glucomannen, has 64 grams of soluble fiber per ounce as compared to oatmeal that has 12 grams of soluble fiber per ounce. If eating oatmeal once a day can help lower cholesterol, then eating shirataki noodles once a day should work about six times better or faster.
Glycemic control means keeping blood sugar levels low and glucommanen (shirataki noodles) helps to control blood sugar. It also controls the fats (lipids) in the blood. So if you have high triglycerides (fats) in your blood, then glucommanen powder or shirataki noodles may help lower the lipids or fats in your blood. The suggestion of a "therapeutic potential" means they may be used as therapy for "insulin resistance syndrome" which is also known as "prediabetes." I'm on board for that.
Been feeling closer to God lately. I'm glad of that. Been praying for the upcoming hurricane to close up shop and not hit the East Coast. God is the Master of the Wind!! If you are a believer, then please pray for "Irene" to stop blowing and become peaceful.
From my friend, "B":
FAITH AND FEAR
Faith keeps you stable despite what your eyes see
Fear keeps you on shaky ground and never wants you free
Faith keeps you moving as each day you believe
Fear keeps you idle and it likes to deceive
Faith keeps you encouraged as you keep your eyes on Him
Fear wants you to dwell on things when they're looking dim
Faith gives you power to keep on pressing in
Fear keeps you in condemnation and looking back again
Faith gives you power to stand upon God's word
Fear clouds your thinking with the negative things you've heard
Faith makes you more like Jesus as you trust Him and obey
Fear wants you to figure things out and keeps you in disarray
Faith helps you walk in peace and calms the storm and rain
Fear makes you always doubt and keeps you under lock and chain
Faith helps you please the Father and makes your body whole
Fear will never help you win so don't let it have control
By: David Todd Hendrix
Love you
Be back soon,
Marcia
Monday, August 22, 2011
Progress is Progress
Last Post Aug 10, 2011
Wt: 337
Morning BG: 113
BP: 147/82
Ankles (scale of 1 to 10) about 2 -- which is great
Today, Aug 22, 2011
Wt: 331
Morning BG: 106
BP: 147/88
Ankles (scale of 1 to 10) about 1.75 -- which is great
I consider this a monumental breakthrough!
Most times when I have not been blogging, that is a big indication that I have been wandering around in a fog -- but this time is different. I have been keeping my daily food journal for about four weeks and today is the start of week 5.
My progress has been extremely slow by some evaluations but I consider progress, even slow progress, to be exactly that: progress. Some people might think that a six pound loss in five weeks is nearly nothing, my former self included but after trying for two years to settle on a program that I could do and stick to (very important) and also see progress in weight loss and blood sugar numbers, I think I have finally found the solution. It is my own modified version of the Carbohydrate Addict's Lifespan Program by Drs Richard and Rachel Heller (http://www.carbohydrateaddicts.com/).
I think I told you I made myself a chart to keep track of things and as I have been going along I have made some chart changes that suited my needs. I think I have the final chart down now. I call it a "chart" because I made it in Excell and it has places for me to record today's date, my daily morning weight, my morning blood pressure and blood sugar readings, along with my pulse (that comes with the BP reading so I just write it down) along with what I call "Ankles" which is my eyeball evaluation of the edema in my legs and ankles. I awake enthusiastic to record my numbers and have been eagerly doing it for four weeks now.
I took the Heller's advice and have weighed myself every day and at the end of the week I calculate the average. (You just have to know that I made an Excell chart for that too!!) I call this one my Progress Chart. I'm using my old "standard weight" of 352 as my starting weight and then subtract to find my actual weight loss for the week. The first three weeks my weight really did not change much (15, 14.7, and 14.8 lbs lost) if you round those off I stayed at a 15 pound weight loss for three weeks. I figured that if I was not gaining weight that was progress. Then the next week I suddenly lost two pounds and this morning I went down another 3.7 pounds for a total lost (today) of 21 pounds. I am fully aware and even expecting that will fluctuate up and down over the next week to whatever it ends up to be, but I must say it was a good day when I found that number on my scale for the first time.
The thing that keeps me motivated and on track is the actual elimination of food cravings that has been going on from following the program. As I ate my raw low carb vegetables and proteins I felt fully satisfied and was not craving food. Sanity suddenly showed up. That is what makes the program easy to do and what gives me enthusiasm to continue. I no longer have to fight against my own body and self to stay on the program. Just as Rachel Heller says, it does not take will power to stay on a program that is satisfying, which this one, FINALLY, is.
Since when I started I had already gone through the "withdrawal" and was off of sugar, starches, and any other high carb items from the eight day juice fast, I did not have to spend the first three days fighting withdrawals on the program. It was actually quite easy to begin incorporating satisfying salads and proteins which make me feel good. Literally.
That is not to imply that I did not have any problems, though. The "Reward Meal" was the first daily problem that I encountered. I'm not saying this is a bad part of the program, I'm just saying it caused me problems. My blood sugars would jump up pretty high after a reward meal, and I had trouble controlling the amount of carbs I was eating. I was not exactly like a kid in a candy store, but I began to see those impulses. I'm so glad I was journaling and keeping track of my blood sugars at that time, because I could tell the reward meal was causing me problems by how high my blood sugars went after those meals.
My first program modification then was to reduce the number of reward meals I had. I could not do one every day, my body is too extremely sensitive to carbs to be able to handle that. I had thought that I might have one every three days, but I came across a better solution. I eliminated the "Reward Meal" concept and rules and replaced it with shirataki noodles (SNs) once a day. I have found through blood sugar checking that the SNs do not raise my blood sugars even one point. You would think this might make me "over indulge" but I've notice I also have some side effects from the SNs so I keep it at once a day.
The side effects are the same as eating other carbs, minus the blood sugar increases. I am not positive yet, but think there might be an effect on the edema. I think my body has had to adjust to this new and foreign-to-my-system food, also, so I am giving it time to adjust. I noticed right away that my sinuses seem to be effected by it with an increase in liquid output and post nasal drip. I've even noticed a headache on some occasions. I don't seem to be getting the headaches as often now but I've also noticed that my herniated disc seems to be acting up from the exercise that I am doing which can also cause headaches, so the jury is out on whether it is the noodles or the disc causing those. I need to start doing neck traction again, so I can eliminate that as a possibility.
The good things about the SNs are that they fill me up, satisfy the sense memories, and do not raise my blood sugars. So I use them for the reward meal, at which, I no longer have to be so careful. One package is "one serving" so I can eat all 8.8 ounces and not feel any pangs. It truly is a pleasure food to eat. They are touted as extremely high in fiber. I still have to take magnesium to keep regular but am not having the problem of trying to pass "bricks" as I did so long ago on a low carb/high protein diet. So, for now, I shall continue with the SNs for my reward meals. I suppose I might at some time get tired of "stir fry" which is how I have been cooking them, but there are so many varieties of other ingredients (the protein choices to the veggies and spices) that I'm happy and satisfied with it all.
If you would like to check out the Shirataki noodles that I am using for yourself, here is the web site that I ordered them from: http://www.konjacfoods.com/
I am ordering them online because I have not yet found a local source. They have the tofu/shirataki noodles at Whole Foods if you feel OK about eating soy-based foods, but I don't eat soy because I believe it causes some forms of cancer and is simply not good for humans to eat. They are not low in carbs, either. If you do not have those considerations (or simply have not read about them, yet) you can choose to eat them. They are not for me, though. I don't suppose buying one package to try them out would kill you, but why become familiar with and begin to enjoy something that is not good for you? I buy the plain (no tofu) ones online and am happy with them. (for my initial reactions and descriptions of the noodles in more detail see http://cureprediabetes.blogspot.com/2011/07/shirataki-noodle-verdict-is-in.html .)
Have to go get ready for physical therapy so will leave this for today. Hope you are doing well. I really do. Have a good one,
Be back soon,
Marcia
Wt: 337
Morning BG: 113
BP: 147/82
Ankles (scale of 1 to 10) about 2 -- which is great
Today, Aug 22, 2011
Wt: 331
Morning BG: 106
BP: 147/88
Ankles (scale of 1 to 10) about 1.75 -- which is great
I consider this a monumental breakthrough!
Most times when I have not been blogging, that is a big indication that I have been wandering around in a fog -- but this time is different. I have been keeping my daily food journal for about four weeks and today is the start of week 5.
My progress has been extremely slow by some evaluations but I consider progress, even slow progress, to be exactly that: progress. Some people might think that a six pound loss in five weeks is nearly nothing, my former self included but after trying for two years to settle on a program that I could do and stick to (very important) and also see progress in weight loss and blood sugar numbers, I think I have finally found the solution. It is my own modified version of the Carbohydrate Addict's Lifespan Program by Drs Richard and Rachel Heller (http://www.carbohydrateaddicts.com/).
I think I told you I made myself a chart to keep track of things and as I have been going along I have made some chart changes that suited my needs. I think I have the final chart down now. I call it a "chart" because I made it in Excell and it has places for me to record today's date, my daily morning weight, my morning blood pressure and blood sugar readings, along with my pulse (that comes with the BP reading so I just write it down) along with what I call "Ankles" which is my eyeball evaluation of the edema in my legs and ankles. I awake enthusiastic to record my numbers and have been eagerly doing it for four weeks now.
I took the Heller's advice and have weighed myself every day and at the end of the week I calculate the average. (You just have to know that I made an Excell chart for that too!!) I call this one my Progress Chart. I'm using my old "standard weight" of 352 as my starting weight and then subtract to find my actual weight loss for the week. The first three weeks my weight really did not change much (15, 14.7, and 14.8 lbs lost) if you round those off I stayed at a 15 pound weight loss for three weeks. I figured that if I was not gaining weight that was progress. Then the next week I suddenly lost two pounds and this morning I went down another 3.7 pounds for a total lost (today) of 21 pounds. I am fully aware and even expecting that will fluctuate up and down over the next week to whatever it ends up to be, but I must say it was a good day when I found that number on my scale for the first time.
The thing that keeps me motivated and on track is the actual elimination of food cravings that has been going on from following the program. As I ate my raw low carb vegetables and proteins I felt fully satisfied and was not craving food. Sanity suddenly showed up. That is what makes the program easy to do and what gives me enthusiasm to continue. I no longer have to fight against my own body and self to stay on the program. Just as Rachel Heller says, it does not take will power to stay on a program that is satisfying, which this one, FINALLY, is.
Since when I started I had already gone through the "withdrawal" and was off of sugar, starches, and any other high carb items from the eight day juice fast, I did not have to spend the first three days fighting withdrawals on the program. It was actually quite easy to begin incorporating satisfying salads and proteins which make me feel good. Literally.
That is not to imply that I did not have any problems, though. The "Reward Meal" was the first daily problem that I encountered. I'm not saying this is a bad part of the program, I'm just saying it caused me problems. My blood sugars would jump up pretty high after a reward meal, and I had trouble controlling the amount of carbs I was eating. I was not exactly like a kid in a candy store, but I began to see those impulses. I'm so glad I was journaling and keeping track of my blood sugars at that time, because I could tell the reward meal was causing me problems by how high my blood sugars went after those meals.
My first program modification then was to reduce the number of reward meals I had. I could not do one every day, my body is too extremely sensitive to carbs to be able to handle that. I had thought that I might have one every three days, but I came across a better solution. I eliminated the "Reward Meal" concept and rules and replaced it with shirataki noodles (SNs) once a day. I have found through blood sugar checking that the SNs do not raise my blood sugars even one point. You would think this might make me "over indulge" but I've notice I also have some side effects from the SNs so I keep it at once a day.
The side effects are the same as eating other carbs, minus the blood sugar increases. I am not positive yet, but think there might be an effect on the edema. I think my body has had to adjust to this new and foreign-to-my-system food, also, so I am giving it time to adjust. I noticed right away that my sinuses seem to be effected by it with an increase in liquid output and post nasal drip. I've even noticed a headache on some occasions. I don't seem to be getting the headaches as often now but I've also noticed that my herniated disc seems to be acting up from the exercise that I am doing which can also cause headaches, so the jury is out on whether it is the noodles or the disc causing those. I need to start doing neck traction again, so I can eliminate that as a possibility.
The good things about the SNs are that they fill me up, satisfy the sense memories, and do not raise my blood sugars. So I use them for the reward meal, at which, I no longer have to be so careful. One package is "one serving" so I can eat all 8.8 ounces and not feel any pangs. It truly is a pleasure food to eat. They are touted as extremely high in fiber. I still have to take magnesium to keep regular but am not having the problem of trying to pass "bricks" as I did so long ago on a low carb/high protein diet. So, for now, I shall continue with the SNs for my reward meals. I suppose I might at some time get tired of "stir fry" which is how I have been cooking them, but there are so many varieties of other ingredients (the protein choices to the veggies and spices) that I'm happy and satisfied with it all.
If you would like to check out the Shirataki noodles that I am using for yourself, here is the web site that I ordered them from: http://www.konjacfoods.com/
I am ordering them online because I have not yet found a local source. They have the tofu/shirataki noodles at Whole Foods if you feel OK about eating soy-based foods, but I don't eat soy because I believe it causes some forms of cancer and is simply not good for humans to eat. They are not low in carbs, either. If you do not have those considerations (or simply have not read about them, yet) you can choose to eat them. They are not for me, though. I don't suppose buying one package to try them out would kill you, but why become familiar with and begin to enjoy something that is not good for you? I buy the plain (no tofu) ones online and am happy with them. (for my initial reactions and descriptions of the noodles in more detail see http://cureprediabetes.blogspot.com/2011/07/shirataki-noodle-verdict-is-in.html .)
Have to go get ready for physical therapy so will leave this for today. Hope you are doing well. I really do. Have a good one,
Be back soon,
Marcia
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Doing Better
Wt: 337
Morning BG: 113
BP: 147/82
Ankles (scale of 1 to 10) about 2 -- which is great
Hi,
I think I finally have things straightened around (for the moment. LOL) I stopped doing the reward meal for a few days, just to see if things straightened out and they did -- this morning, in fact. I'm kind of thinking that I will not have a reward meal every day, but about every third day and will monitor what happens with that. I do believe I need some high carbs... I just need to get them regulated so they don't cause me weight loss or health problems.
I'm also seeing that I need to up the portions on the protein. For some reason I just don't buy cuts of beef (even grass fed) when I am standing in front of the counter. The prices are high, but I just don't understand all the cuts and how to cook them -- and I am reluctant to buy nine dollars worth of meat and mess it up. Perhaps I need to find that information so I can begin to make decisions about what to purchase. Vegetables are a whole lot easier.
I had a nice experience at physical therapy yesterday. When I got out of the pool, I could tell my body is stronger than when I started out a few weeks ago. That was a nice feeling and I like that I have finally seen some payoff from the exercise I've been doing. I am also encouraged to keep at it, since I can see the good results. It has also dawned on me that when you build muscle your weight may go up because muscle weighs more than fat -- which might be a plausible explanation for some of the ups and downs I've been seeing on the scale.
Yesterday a friend shared with me that her weight and her husband's weight also go up and down daily as I have been experiencing. That was kind of a relief to hear that their weight can also change in four-pound increments over night. I felt a little better after that, so, see, when you share weird stuff it can be helpful to others!!
I mentioned that I had gotten some "Atkins" stuff in the mail. Part of what I received (for free) are the guidelines of how to follow their program which I have been reading. It is not so much different from my "craving reducing" meals. On that one you can eat as much as you need to fill you up, also.
They sent a small "chef" recipe book which is interesting to read but you have to be careful and notice that not all the meals are OK for what they call their "induction" phase. This irritates me. Anyone who needs the guidelines to begin would need phase one recipes, don't you think? I also don't like all the sugar substitutes they use and one of the (about six) recipes was for homemade almond flavored gelatin. Puleeze. Who would eat that stuff? It looked like a white blob on the plate. I guess there are people out there who like "flan" -- I am just not one of them.
I did like the recipes for salmon, but you have to start them in a skillet and then place the skillet in the oven (in 90 degree weather? -- NOT) and, of course -- they are recipes for four servings. Don't they know it is easier to multiply than to divide? I can turn a recipe for one into any number of servings I need, but turning a recipe for 4 into a recipe for 1 does not always work. One good point was that they told you there were more recipes at www.atkins.com -- so that is a redeeming quality.
I guess I should not be complaining -- they sent the stuff for free, after all, and I have used it to compare to what I am doing. Their program is not all that different, except for the reward meal -- which has been kind of tripping me up. Well, I guess, I've been tripping myself up -- but in the course of things I see that I can cut down on the reward meals and hopefully get things back on a more even keel for longer periods of time. I leave the actual weight lost to The Lord -- as I simply continue to be obedient to the program.
I liked some of the suggestions they have for snacks between meals -- like one stalk of celery and cheese, or 10 olives and a bite of protein. They seem to have it all thought out for you. Of course, I've never been able to follow someone else's meal plans but I can get ideas from them.
I enjoyed my salad today. I went shopping the other day so have plenty of things to add for variety: three kinds of lettuce, radishes, fresh raw skinny asparagus, avocado, sun flower sprouts and broccoli/clover/radish sprouts. The salad was refreshing and very filling. I cooked up about a third of a pound of turkey sausage for the topping and my protein for the meal and am completely satisfied. And the BG afterwards was 111 -- excellent!!
OK. So much for the diet travails.
Hope you are doing well!! Write and let me know!!
Be back soon,
Marcia
Morning BG: 113
BP: 147/82
Ankles (scale of 1 to 10) about 2 -- which is great
Hi,
I think I finally have things straightened around (for the moment. LOL) I stopped doing the reward meal for a few days, just to see if things straightened out and they did -- this morning, in fact. I'm kind of thinking that I will not have a reward meal every day, but about every third day and will monitor what happens with that. I do believe I need some high carbs... I just need to get them regulated so they don't cause me weight loss or health problems.
I'm also seeing that I need to up the portions on the protein. For some reason I just don't buy cuts of beef (even grass fed) when I am standing in front of the counter. The prices are high, but I just don't understand all the cuts and how to cook them -- and I am reluctant to buy nine dollars worth of meat and mess it up. Perhaps I need to find that information so I can begin to make decisions about what to purchase. Vegetables are a whole lot easier.
I had a nice experience at physical therapy yesterday. When I got out of the pool, I could tell my body is stronger than when I started out a few weeks ago. That was a nice feeling and I like that I have finally seen some payoff from the exercise I've been doing. I am also encouraged to keep at it, since I can see the good results. It has also dawned on me that when you build muscle your weight may go up because muscle weighs more than fat -- which might be a plausible explanation for some of the ups and downs I've been seeing on the scale.
Yesterday a friend shared with me that her weight and her husband's weight also go up and down daily as I have been experiencing. That was kind of a relief to hear that their weight can also change in four-pound increments over night. I felt a little better after that, so, see, when you share weird stuff it can be helpful to others!!
I mentioned that I had gotten some "Atkins" stuff in the mail. Part of what I received (for free) are the guidelines of how to follow their program which I have been reading. It is not so much different from my "craving reducing" meals. On that one you can eat as much as you need to fill you up, also.
They sent a small "chef" recipe book which is interesting to read but you have to be careful and notice that not all the meals are OK for what they call their "induction" phase. This irritates me. Anyone who needs the guidelines to begin would need phase one recipes, don't you think? I also don't like all the sugar substitutes they use and one of the (about six) recipes was for homemade almond flavored gelatin. Puleeze. Who would eat that stuff? It looked like a white blob on the plate. I guess there are people out there who like "flan" -- I am just not one of them.
I did like the recipes for salmon, but you have to start them in a skillet and then place the skillet in the oven (in 90 degree weather? -- NOT) and, of course -- they are recipes for four servings. Don't they know it is easier to multiply than to divide? I can turn a recipe for one into any number of servings I need, but turning a recipe for 4 into a recipe for 1 does not always work. One good point was that they told you there were more recipes at www.atkins.com -- so that is a redeeming quality.
I guess I should not be complaining -- they sent the stuff for free, after all, and I have used it to compare to what I am doing. Their program is not all that different, except for the reward meal -- which has been kind of tripping me up. Well, I guess, I've been tripping myself up -- but in the course of things I see that I can cut down on the reward meals and hopefully get things back on a more even keel for longer periods of time. I leave the actual weight lost to The Lord -- as I simply continue to be obedient to the program.
I liked some of the suggestions they have for snacks between meals -- like one stalk of celery and cheese, or 10 olives and a bite of protein. They seem to have it all thought out for you. Of course, I've never been able to follow someone else's meal plans but I can get ideas from them.
I enjoyed my salad today. I went shopping the other day so have plenty of things to add for variety: three kinds of lettuce, radishes, fresh raw skinny asparagus, avocado, sun flower sprouts and broccoli/clover/radish sprouts. The salad was refreshing and very filling. I cooked up about a third of a pound of turkey sausage for the topping and my protein for the meal and am completely satisfied. And the BG afterwards was 111 -- excellent!!
OK. So much for the diet travails.
Hope you are doing well!! Write and let me know!!
Be back soon,
Marcia
Monday, August 8, 2011
Monday Morning Blue Cloud
Current Wt: 339
Blood Pressure: 153/81
Morning Blood Sugar: 137
Total Wt Lost from 346 = 7
Original High Wt: 352 for a total loss of 13 pounds
Hi,
It's Monday and I am discouraged. My weight is going up, not down. Last night at church it dawned on me that I have not turned this over to the Lord -- I am still trying to do it on my own -- so I prayed and asked the Lord to bless me with weight loss, as I continue to do the program. The blood pressure is the only thing that is "OK"... it is still high but not as high as it used to be.
I am keeping my food journal and watching what I eat. There are two places that I find are troublesome for me. One is Sunday's. The other is the Reward Meal. I'll start with the reward meal:
The guidelines say that I must have two cups of salad before I begin. I've got that down. Then it says that your plate must be divided into thirds of craving reducing vegetables, protein, and high carb item. I've not been measuring but I have been eye-balling and trying to get the portions right, but I have trouble doling out the right amount of high carb items. Just like you would think that an alcoholic who is allowed one certain sized drink a day will find a way to fudge the size up, I think I am doing that with the high carb item. I've been pretending that the HC item can be just a tad larger than the protein, but I need to find a better way, at least for now, to make sure I am getting equal portions.
I think for a while I will actually measure the protein and the carb portions, so I can get them closer to real. Perhaps, if, for now, I just did half cup/half cup/half cup that would insure the portions. Then once I get accustomed to that, I hope I can go back to eyeballing but with better proportions in mind. OK... that seems to handle that problem.
The reason Sunday is a problem is that I go to an old fashioned Baptist church and the meetings can be any length they happen to be. Sometimes it goes short, and sometimes it goes long -- it just depends on how the Spirit is moving that day.
Yesterday is the first time I had gone back to morning church after having the blood clot, because I was afraid of sitting for too long (hour drive there, hour drive back, one hour for SS, and one hour for church is an average of about four hours of sitting). Steve suggested that I could get up between meetings and walk around, which I did yesterday.
My morning meal was at 8:15 a.m. but I was not able to eat again until 2 p.m. and since I was at a friend's house I did not accept the fruit and coffee that everyone else had. I simply requested ice water. I was OK going to evening church, but coming home, I think things may have gotten off kilter. My evening meal was at 10:00 (I'm not precisely sure on the time). That was just too long of a time between meals. Then on the way home I stopped to pick up my mail and Atkins had sent me three Atkins bars to sample.
I had already planned on having potatoes for my HC item in my reward meal. The bars had been out in the ninety degree weather sitting in the mail box, so I could tell they were softish and misshapen. I put them in the freezer... but they stayed on my mind. The addiction was kicking in before my meal started. All it took was a little too long between meals and I fell over. I overdid the potatoes and then in a craving frenzy I ate the three bars after dinner. Insanity ruled, last night. Before I ate the bars my blood sugar was 148 but I had to have the bars, too. I measured the blood sugar at about midnight and it was 123.
I need to plan a little better for Sunday. Part of the problem was the spontaneous invitation to Steve and Linda's which I accepted at morning church. I asked what they were having to eat and asked if it was OK if I stopped at Wendy's and got a Cobb salad for me to eat -- and they encouraged me to stay on my program. I appreciated that. I guess I'm going to have to plan some sort of snack, too -- either for on the drive home from church or something, because I was just too hungry and the old addiction took over instantly.
As I think back on it, and check my journal, I realized that on Saturday night I had overdone the high carb part of the RM, also. Again because of too long between meals. Don't you just wish you had my body that can gain weight on three ounces of extra carb with a meal? Well... I guess I'm going to have to be responsible and remember that. I do think the measuring will solve that problem.
I've also been thinking about the blood pressures which are still moderately high and the only solution I can see is more exercise. Exercise will bring down the blood pressure and the sugars. I'm still doing the aquatic with physical therapy with an additional swim at home, but I think I'm going to start getting on the Airofit again. That has helped my back pain in the past, and I hope it will again. I'll also do the stretchy cords, too.
So rather than continue to sit at this moment I shall end for now and go do the exercise. Then I have to go shopping -- I have nothing to make salad with, and I really need that replenished.
Be back soon,
Marcia
Blood Pressure: 153/81
Morning Blood Sugar: 137
Total Wt Lost from 346 = 7
Original High Wt: 352 for a total loss of 13 pounds
Hi,
It's Monday and I am discouraged. My weight is going up, not down. Last night at church it dawned on me that I have not turned this over to the Lord -- I am still trying to do it on my own -- so I prayed and asked the Lord to bless me with weight loss, as I continue to do the program. The blood pressure is the only thing that is "OK"... it is still high but not as high as it used to be.
I am keeping my food journal and watching what I eat. There are two places that I find are troublesome for me. One is Sunday's. The other is the Reward Meal. I'll start with the reward meal:
The guidelines say that I must have two cups of salad before I begin. I've got that down. Then it says that your plate must be divided into thirds of craving reducing vegetables, protein, and high carb item. I've not been measuring but I have been eye-balling and trying to get the portions right, but I have trouble doling out the right amount of high carb items. Just like you would think that an alcoholic who is allowed one certain sized drink a day will find a way to fudge the size up, I think I am doing that with the high carb item. I've been pretending that the HC item can be just a tad larger than the protein, but I need to find a better way, at least for now, to make sure I am getting equal portions.
I think for a while I will actually measure the protein and the carb portions, so I can get them closer to real. Perhaps, if, for now, I just did half cup/half cup/half cup that would insure the portions. Then once I get accustomed to that, I hope I can go back to eyeballing but with better proportions in mind. OK... that seems to handle that problem.
The reason Sunday is a problem is that I go to an old fashioned Baptist church and the meetings can be any length they happen to be. Sometimes it goes short, and sometimes it goes long -- it just depends on how the Spirit is moving that day.
Yesterday is the first time I had gone back to morning church after having the blood clot, because I was afraid of sitting for too long (hour drive there, hour drive back, one hour for SS, and one hour for church is an average of about four hours of sitting). Steve suggested that I could get up between meetings and walk around, which I did yesterday.
My morning meal was at 8:15 a.m. but I was not able to eat again until 2 p.m. and since I was at a friend's house I did not accept the fruit and coffee that everyone else had. I simply requested ice water. I was OK going to evening church, but coming home, I think things may have gotten off kilter. My evening meal was at 10:00 (I'm not precisely sure on the time). That was just too long of a time between meals. Then on the way home I stopped to pick up my mail and Atkins had sent me three Atkins bars to sample.
I had already planned on having potatoes for my HC item in my reward meal. The bars had been out in the ninety degree weather sitting in the mail box, so I could tell they were softish and misshapen. I put them in the freezer... but they stayed on my mind. The addiction was kicking in before my meal started. All it took was a little too long between meals and I fell over. I overdid the potatoes and then in a craving frenzy I ate the three bars after dinner. Insanity ruled, last night. Before I ate the bars my blood sugar was 148 but I had to have the bars, too. I measured the blood sugar at about midnight and it was 123.
I need to plan a little better for Sunday. Part of the problem was the spontaneous invitation to Steve and Linda's which I accepted at morning church. I asked what they were having to eat and asked if it was OK if I stopped at Wendy's and got a Cobb salad for me to eat -- and they encouraged me to stay on my program. I appreciated that. I guess I'm going to have to plan some sort of snack, too -- either for on the drive home from church or something, because I was just too hungry and the old addiction took over instantly.
As I think back on it, and check my journal, I realized that on Saturday night I had overdone the high carb part of the RM, also. Again because of too long between meals. Don't you just wish you had my body that can gain weight on three ounces of extra carb with a meal? Well... I guess I'm going to have to be responsible and remember that. I do think the measuring will solve that problem.
I've also been thinking about the blood pressures which are still moderately high and the only solution I can see is more exercise. Exercise will bring down the blood pressure and the sugars. I'm still doing the aquatic with physical therapy with an additional swim at home, but I think I'm going to start getting on the Airofit again. That has helped my back pain in the past, and I hope it will again. I'll also do the stretchy cords, too.
So rather than continue to sit at this moment I shall end for now and go do the exercise. Then I have to go shopping -- I have nothing to make salad with, and I really need that replenished.
Be back soon,
Marcia
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Thursday on Tuesday
Hi,
How silly of me. When I got to the doctor's office on Tuesday I discovered my appointment was for Thursday!! They took me in anyway -- Thanks Dr. Robbins!! I am just so used to my appointment being on Tuesday that I did not check the date, I just showed up. There was only one person before me in the waiting room and I only waited about 30 minutes.
When I saw the doctor I shared all about what I had done the previous day (the diuretic and the magnesium to show the weight lost) and she laughed. I asked about the side effects of Triamterene because I was suspecting that was the reason my blood sugars went so high that morning -- 132 for wake up -- and it was 127 at the office, after having eggs, sausage, and salad for breakfast, which should not have raised the blood sugar level at all.
I shared about the program I am doing and how I feel like it is the perfect one for me, because I am not craving, and I am actually able to follow the directions. I showed her my copy of the food lists, and also my food journal and I'm glad I brought it with me. I had evidence that I was doing things right even though the blood sugars were so high that day. Doctor's do not tend to believe that you are being compliant if their tests say you were not. This time I had proof.
The Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program is so much easier for me to do than anything I have tried in the last two years that I am completely amazed. Thank you Lord for reminding me of it and guiding me to it. I am grateful.
I am also actually using my daily food journal to keep track of my blood sugars, my water drinking, my weight, and my meals. I sometimes have to list the meals after the fact because I often forget to list them right after I've eaten -- but I am following the program eating guidelines better than any other program, too. The program, itself, makes it easy, because the cravings and the madness have disappeared with the doing of it. That is part of the purpose of the program: to eliminate the madness of cravings -- and I think it does that very well. Thank God!!
My morning blood sugars are very slowly dropping down again (119 this morning), and I am taking that as evidence that the Triamterene raises my blood sugars artificially, which also causes inflammation, and gout along with the inflammation. I am only going to use that stuff in an emergency. I am hoping that after a time, I won't have so much edema. I was also surprised that the day after I had taken the diuretic that my ankles were like balloons, again, but I was not tempted to take another one to get rid of that swelling. I just waited, elevated my feet, and ate right, and drank all the water I am scheduled to drink. They look much better this morning, but may increase by evening.
I have physical therapy today and am looking forward to it. I have all my pool do-dads packed and ready to go. I wear my swim suit under my clothes so all I have to do is take off the outer layers, put on the water shoes and climb the stairs to the little exercise pool. Getting in and out is the hardest part, because my PT wants me to sit on the edge and swing my legs over. I only wish I could "swing" my legs over -- ha!! Doing that is the hardest part for me to perform, but I do it the best I can. It is very hard for me to get my legs that high while seated. I struggle to get my foot up over the edge and then inch it along the ledge until it gets to the other side. Then I have to do it again for the other leg -- but the joy of being in the water is worth the struggle of getting in and out. I just love being in the water, although, I really don't like having my face in the water.
My reward meal last night was salad, turkey sausage, and half of an individual Pizza from Taco Bell/Pizza Hut across the street from the MHP I live in. I had gotten used to not having high blood sugars after a reward meal, but it was 149 after that meal. Perhaps I should have eaten only a fourth of the pizza.
I thought I had it all figured out. Literally half of my plate was green salad with a little homemade dressing. I consumed half of the salad before partaking of the sausage and a bite of pizza which was a taste treat for my mouth. I figured that since part of the pizza was cheese and meat and veggies, that it actually increased the amount of protein and veggies that I had by a small percentage. I always get the "supreme" from that store. At a real Pizza Hut I get the "super supreme." I am now wondering if they put MSG in their ingredients or have some other hidden sugars in abundance, because a blood sugar reading of 149 is really high, in my estimation for the equivalent of one regular slice of pizza.
The one other thing I am being tempted with is the high carb item for the reward meal. The pizza experiment is evidence of that. The program says I can consume ANY high carb that I want -- up to and including candy -- but it also points out that it would probably be better to choose more healthy items. The CALP program also points out that you have to add the one high carb item to your reward meal (that is why it is called that). It is not really a option to not have the reward meal.
Don't worry I have not eaten any candy in any of my Reward Meals this time -- although I did when I did the program in 1998 (which is probably why I did not stick to it, then). If you begin being out of balance with your carbs, the cravings and insanity start coming back and they sneak in a little at a time so you might not even notice it until you are completely crazy again. They are like "a thief in the night." The one thing that I'm having trouble with in planning the reward meal is that I keep thinking of grain items, then have to remind myself that I'm better off without grain.
I decided to go with avocados and new potatoes (not at the same time) for my upcoming reward meals which I bought at Sams after PT. They are whole foods and should be better for me. I don't think the avocados will cause any harm, but the potatoes may cause a spike, so I'll have to be vigilant with my record keeping and watch my blood sugars.
I seem to be in a better place with CALP than back in 1998. I think that some of the programs I did recently that lead up to this one helped me get off most of the bad stuff before I started: sugar, grains, and dairy except for cheese. For the most part I am choosing better HC items and don't really have many in the house -- which is part of the reason I stopped for pizza last night. It was late and I thought it would work. I paid attention to the portions but am not happy with the result.
Well... I am toddling down the path, making corrections as I go. I feel gladness in my heart.
Hope you are well,
Be back soon,
Marcia
How silly of me. When I got to the doctor's office on Tuesday I discovered my appointment was for Thursday!! They took me in anyway -- Thanks Dr. Robbins!! I am just so used to my appointment being on Tuesday that I did not check the date, I just showed up. There was only one person before me in the waiting room and I only waited about 30 minutes.
When I saw the doctor I shared all about what I had done the previous day (the diuretic and the magnesium to show the weight lost) and she laughed. I asked about the side effects of Triamterene because I was suspecting that was the reason my blood sugars went so high that morning -- 132 for wake up -- and it was 127 at the office, after having eggs, sausage, and salad for breakfast, which should not have raised the blood sugar level at all.
I shared about the program I am doing and how I feel like it is the perfect one for me, because I am not craving, and I am actually able to follow the directions. I showed her my copy of the food lists, and also my food journal and I'm glad I brought it with me. I had evidence that I was doing things right even though the blood sugars were so high that day. Doctor's do not tend to believe that you are being compliant if their tests say you were not. This time I had proof.
The Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program is so much easier for me to do than anything I have tried in the last two years that I am completely amazed. Thank you Lord for reminding me of it and guiding me to it. I am grateful.
I am also actually using my daily food journal to keep track of my blood sugars, my water drinking, my weight, and my meals. I sometimes have to list the meals after the fact because I often forget to list them right after I've eaten -- but I am following the program eating guidelines better than any other program, too. The program, itself, makes it easy, because the cravings and the madness have disappeared with the doing of it. That is part of the purpose of the program: to eliminate the madness of cravings -- and I think it does that very well. Thank God!!
My morning blood sugars are very slowly dropping down again (119 this morning), and I am taking that as evidence that the Triamterene raises my blood sugars artificially, which also causes inflammation, and gout along with the inflammation. I am only going to use that stuff in an emergency. I am hoping that after a time, I won't have so much edema. I was also surprised that the day after I had taken the diuretic that my ankles were like balloons, again, but I was not tempted to take another one to get rid of that swelling. I just waited, elevated my feet, and ate right, and drank all the water I am scheduled to drink. They look much better this morning, but may increase by evening.
I have physical therapy today and am looking forward to it. I have all my pool do-dads packed and ready to go. I wear my swim suit under my clothes so all I have to do is take off the outer layers, put on the water shoes and climb the stairs to the little exercise pool. Getting in and out is the hardest part, because my PT wants me to sit on the edge and swing my legs over. I only wish I could "swing" my legs over -- ha!! Doing that is the hardest part for me to perform, but I do it the best I can. It is very hard for me to get my legs that high while seated. I struggle to get my foot up over the edge and then inch it along the ledge until it gets to the other side. Then I have to do it again for the other leg -- but the joy of being in the water is worth the struggle of getting in and out. I just love being in the water, although, I really don't like having my face in the water.
My reward meal last night was salad, turkey sausage, and half of an individual Pizza from Taco Bell/Pizza Hut across the street from the MHP I live in. I had gotten used to not having high blood sugars after a reward meal, but it was 149 after that meal. Perhaps I should have eaten only a fourth of the pizza.
I thought I had it all figured out. Literally half of my plate was green salad with a little homemade dressing. I consumed half of the salad before partaking of the sausage and a bite of pizza which was a taste treat for my mouth. I figured that since part of the pizza was cheese and meat and veggies, that it actually increased the amount of protein and veggies that I had by a small percentage. I always get the "supreme" from that store. At a real Pizza Hut I get the "super supreme." I am now wondering if they put MSG in their ingredients or have some other hidden sugars in abundance, because a blood sugar reading of 149 is really high, in my estimation for the equivalent of one regular slice of pizza.
The one other thing I am being tempted with is the high carb item for the reward meal. The pizza experiment is evidence of that. The program says I can consume ANY high carb that I want -- up to and including candy -- but it also points out that it would probably be better to choose more healthy items. The CALP program also points out that you have to add the one high carb item to your reward meal (that is why it is called that). It is not really a option to not have the reward meal.
Don't worry I have not eaten any candy in any of my Reward Meals this time -- although I did when I did the program in 1998 (which is probably why I did not stick to it, then). If you begin being out of balance with your carbs, the cravings and insanity start coming back and they sneak in a little at a time so you might not even notice it until you are completely crazy again. They are like "a thief in the night." The one thing that I'm having trouble with in planning the reward meal is that I keep thinking of grain items, then have to remind myself that I'm better off without grain.
I decided to go with avocados and new potatoes (not at the same time) for my upcoming reward meals which I bought at Sams after PT. They are whole foods and should be better for me. I don't think the avocados will cause any harm, but the potatoes may cause a spike, so I'll have to be vigilant with my record keeping and watch my blood sugars.
I seem to be in a better place with CALP than back in 1998. I think that some of the programs I did recently that lead up to this one helped me get off most of the bad stuff before I started: sugar, grains, and dairy except for cheese. For the most part I am choosing better HC items and don't really have many in the house -- which is part of the reason I stopped for pizza last night. It was late and I thought it would work. I paid attention to the portions but am not happy with the result.
Well... I am toddling down the path, making corrections as I go. I feel gladness in my heart.
Hope you are well,
Be back soon,
Marcia
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Doctor Today, Then Physical Therapy
Hi,
Yesterday I blogged about taking three doses of magnesium to help rid my colon of stalled waste. I also took one diuretic pill to release some of the edema. This morning I am down four pounds. Amazing -- and proof that my suspicions were correct about why I was putting on weight on the scale, but not in the mirror.
I saw my friend Masa yesterday and she immediately commented that I looked like I was losing weight. I was grateful for her confirmation of what I had been seeing in the mirror, myself. I hope my doctor can see it also, because I have been working hard to do things right.
I went to the Golden Corral last night with Masa and filled my plate according to the rules of the Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program. I knew that it was perfectly acceptable to have dessert for my high carb item so I had a small piece of carrot cake (did not eat the icing) and one oatmeal cookie -- both of which were sickeningly sweet to my mouth. (I don't think I'll be doing that again.) I was glad to have a little protein and veggies to wash down the bites and eliminate the taste. On the program you eat your high carb item (no matter what it is) as part of the meal. Even dessert is not eaten afterwards, but becomes part of the meal.
My blood sugar last night when I got home was really not bad at 109, but this morning it was 132!! This seems very odd to me and I'm not sure what caused it. It could have been the dessert, but it did not affect my blood sugar last night when it would have normally had an effect(?). I suppose it could have something to do with the magnesium or the diuretic(?). I am reluctant to discuss this with my doctor because if I share that I had one meal like that, she assumes I eat every meal like that and may want to set me up on a another new and un-do-able program.
I like the program I am on, because it really seems to address my hunger issues. I am simply less hungry on this program. I don't have odd cravings for sweets any more -- they used to make me dash off to get whatever item it was. That does not happen any more -- at least as long as I follow the program -- I suppose that if I went off the program that would return. I would not have eaten the desserts last night except that I sat there thinking about them as I watched my friend eat. It was like a habit of my mind, rather than a craving of my body. My body actually, as I mentioned, did not really like the sweetness. It was more like an assault on my tongue, than a pleasure.
From past experience, I know that I could force the issue and continue to eat the sweets, but that would be insanity and head me in the wrong direction. I only make the statement because I have actually done that in the past. I don't want to do that now. I want to stay on the good eating program that I have found. I want to follow it more closely and do what it says. One of the options on the program is the suggestion to not go for the sweet high carb dessert-type items for my daily high carb reward meal, but to go for perhaps some bread, or potatoes or beans, instead. I had done that with the first plate. I very carefully filled half my plate with salad, a small roasted chicken breast portion, and a bowl of chili with beans. When I was done eating that I was truly satisfied. Then my friend went and got a huge plate of food with a lot of high carb items on it and I sat there just watching her eat.
It was then I began thinking about the idea of having another plate (just as it advises on the plan) with one-third veggies, one-third protein, and one-third high carb -- just so I could have the dessert. I chose some steamed cauliflower and broccoli, a spoonful of taco meat, and a very small piece of cake and one cookie for the final third of the plate. My blood sugars after the meal were good. I have been noticing that eating the one high carb item surrounded by good veggies and protein, really does not usually raise my blood sugars. I even tested them last night and went to bed feeling that I had done well. Then I wake up to a morning level of 132. It is really hard for me to believe that happened. But there it is, in black and white.
I learned about the "morning phenomenon" from Dr. Richard K. Bernstein's book, "Diabetes Solution" where he explains that when diabetics get up in the morning they may have rather high blood sugars after a good night's sleep, and no one knows why. I think I shall just chalk it up to the "morning phenomenon" and let it go at that. I am going to pay attention, though and see if I have any other reward meals with an extremely high carb, if this happens again. My morning blood sugars so far, had been very good.... from 110 to 113, which is excellent for me. This was the first time I have been thrown for a loop, as they say. I shall record and observe for future information.
You know, as I think about it, I am wondering if the morning high blood sugar was somehow connected to the diuretic. I had asked my doctor if there was anything that I was taking that would cause inflammation and she said, most definitely, the Triamterene, so I stopped taking it. As soon as I stopped taking the diuretic my blood sugars went down. I had attributed it to the change in the food I was eating, but I had also stopped taking the Triamterene at about the same time. Then boom. One dose of Triamterene and my morning blood sugar is even farther above what it had been running back then.
I shall observe this in the future, too. I want to confirm my suspicions on this one. I shall not take any for a few days and see what happens. Then I will take one, and see what happens. That should be a good enough test. I'll let you know what I find out. I think I will try to remember to ask my doctor about this, today. If I pose the question correctly, I may be able to find out if that is a side effect of the Triamterene or not. I may also look it up on the internet to see what I find.
I have set up a food journal for myself in my Excel program that has spaces for all the things I want to keep track of on a daily basis. It includes the 64 ounces of water, has a space for the blood glucose numbers, and the time of day. Plus enough room to write the contents of my meals along with the time that they were eaten. I wish I knew how to load a picture into the blog, but I am ignorant of that process, so cannot show you the chart.
Must prepare for the appointment....
Be back soon,
Marcia
Yesterday I blogged about taking three doses of magnesium to help rid my colon of stalled waste. I also took one diuretic pill to release some of the edema. This morning I am down four pounds. Amazing -- and proof that my suspicions were correct about why I was putting on weight on the scale, but not in the mirror.
I saw my friend Masa yesterday and she immediately commented that I looked like I was losing weight. I was grateful for her confirmation of what I had been seeing in the mirror, myself. I hope my doctor can see it also, because I have been working hard to do things right.
I went to the Golden Corral last night with Masa and filled my plate according to the rules of the Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program. I knew that it was perfectly acceptable to have dessert for my high carb item so I had a small piece of carrot cake (did not eat the icing) and one oatmeal cookie -- both of which were sickeningly sweet to my mouth. (I don't think I'll be doing that again.) I was glad to have a little protein and veggies to wash down the bites and eliminate the taste. On the program you eat your high carb item (no matter what it is) as part of the meal. Even dessert is not eaten afterwards, but becomes part of the meal.
My blood sugar last night when I got home was really not bad at 109, but this morning it was 132!! This seems very odd to me and I'm not sure what caused it. It could have been the dessert, but it did not affect my blood sugar last night when it would have normally had an effect(?). I suppose it could have something to do with the magnesium or the diuretic(?). I am reluctant to discuss this with my doctor because if I share that I had one meal like that, she assumes I eat every meal like that and may want to set me up on a another new and un-do-able program.
I like the program I am on, because it really seems to address my hunger issues. I am simply less hungry on this program. I don't have odd cravings for sweets any more -- they used to make me dash off to get whatever item it was. That does not happen any more -- at least as long as I follow the program -- I suppose that if I went off the program that would return. I would not have eaten the desserts last night except that I sat there thinking about them as I watched my friend eat. It was like a habit of my mind, rather than a craving of my body. My body actually, as I mentioned, did not really like the sweetness. It was more like an assault on my tongue, than a pleasure.
From past experience, I know that I could force the issue and continue to eat the sweets, but that would be insanity and head me in the wrong direction. I only make the statement because I have actually done that in the past. I don't want to do that now. I want to stay on the good eating program that I have found. I want to follow it more closely and do what it says. One of the options on the program is the suggestion to not go for the sweet high carb dessert-type items for my daily high carb reward meal, but to go for perhaps some bread, or potatoes or beans, instead. I had done that with the first plate. I very carefully filled half my plate with salad, a small roasted chicken breast portion, and a bowl of chili with beans. When I was done eating that I was truly satisfied. Then my friend went and got a huge plate of food with a lot of high carb items on it and I sat there just watching her eat.
It was then I began thinking about the idea of having another plate (just as it advises on the plan) with one-third veggies, one-third protein, and one-third high carb -- just so I could have the dessert. I chose some steamed cauliflower and broccoli, a spoonful of taco meat, and a very small piece of cake and one cookie for the final third of the plate. My blood sugars after the meal were good. I have been noticing that eating the one high carb item surrounded by good veggies and protein, really does not usually raise my blood sugars. I even tested them last night and went to bed feeling that I had done well. Then I wake up to a morning level of 132. It is really hard for me to believe that happened. But there it is, in black and white.
I learned about the "morning phenomenon" from Dr. Richard K. Bernstein's book, "Diabetes Solution" where he explains that when diabetics get up in the morning they may have rather high blood sugars after a good night's sleep, and no one knows why. I think I shall just chalk it up to the "morning phenomenon" and let it go at that. I am going to pay attention, though and see if I have any other reward meals with an extremely high carb, if this happens again. My morning blood sugars so far, had been very good.... from 110 to 113, which is excellent for me. This was the first time I have been thrown for a loop, as they say. I shall record and observe for future information.
You know, as I think about it, I am wondering if the morning high blood sugar was somehow connected to the diuretic. I had asked my doctor if there was anything that I was taking that would cause inflammation and she said, most definitely, the Triamterene, so I stopped taking it. As soon as I stopped taking the diuretic my blood sugars went down. I had attributed it to the change in the food I was eating, but I had also stopped taking the Triamterene at about the same time. Then boom. One dose of Triamterene and my morning blood sugar is even farther above what it had been running back then.
I shall observe this in the future, too. I want to confirm my suspicions on this one. I shall not take any for a few days and see what happens. Then I will take one, and see what happens. That should be a good enough test. I'll let you know what I find out. I think I will try to remember to ask my doctor about this, today. If I pose the question correctly, I may be able to find out if that is a side effect of the Triamterene or not. I may also look it up on the internet to see what I find.
I have set up a food journal for myself in my Excel program that has spaces for all the things I want to keep track of on a daily basis. It includes the 64 ounces of water, has a space for the blood glucose numbers, and the time of day. Plus enough room to write the contents of my meals along with the time that they were eaten. I wish I knew how to load a picture into the blog, but I am ignorant of that process, so cannot show you the chart.
Must prepare for the appointment....
Be back soon,
Marcia
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