... February review and March preview ...

Posted on Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 05:12 in random ramblings

We dealt with a lot of illness in our home in February and so there wasn't much thinking going on with regards to healthy living. But, it's a new month and so time to get back on track. I've just had a check-up with my endocronologist and all of my lab results were normal. That is a good thing. However, it doesn't help me figure out what I need to do to lose weight. BOTH of my Dr.'s have told me that PCOS makes it very, VERY difficult to lose weight. Yep, I already knew that as I've been trying for almost 4 years to lose about 20-30 lbs.

So, I'm basically starting all over again like I did in January. My plans for this month are:

- start keeping a daily food diary so that I know the details of what is going into my body

- more veggies every day!

- more water daily

- take the new BodyPump class at the gym 2-3 days weekly with my daughter (she also has a lot of weight to lose)

- eat every 3 hours following the Insulin Resistance Diet and using the glycemic index; combining several techniques from things that have worked before will hopefully give me a quicker loss

I think that once I get all of these techniques in place, my loss will begin and hopefully continue until the end.

Today's weight at home: 158 lbs.        -----                Goal for April 4th: 152 lbs.

... starting off on a good foot ...

Posted on Saturday, February 2, 2008 at 01:19 in eating

Last night, I got out my books by Jorge Cruise ... 8 Minutes in the Morning and his 3-Hour Diet book and Cookbook. What he proposes makes a lot of sense to me, just as it did last year when I bought the books. I'm still having issues with 3 of my joints (elbow, hip and ankle) so am not sure that I'll be able to continue on the treadmill at this time. I may have to switch over to a couple days of swimming at the gym. I'm going to have my daughter get up and do the morning exercises with me each day.

I did my big grocery shopping trip today and took a lot of time reading labels ... it's totally unbelievable how many items have high fructose corn syrup in them. It was also surprising to me how many are going back to using plain ole sugar! I'd rather eat sugar than the corn syrup, even with my insulin resistance. The 3-Hour Diet consists of 3 smaller meals of about 400-500 calories each and 3 snacks of about 50-100 calories each, all spaced out at regular intervals throughout the day to keep the blood sugars level. He even allows us a small treat each day ... my daughter and I like to munch on a small handful of these dark chocolate covered plum pieces by Sunsweet. They are yummy and healthier than a Reese's cup or other candy.

I was pretty happy with all of the great choices I made for our family today. I bought grain-fed eggs, organic brown rice and whole grain pastas. We love yogurt in our house and, while I can make my own and probably will start again soon, I bought a bunch of it for us for snacks. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, too. I bought these inexpensive divided plates so that my daughter and I can work at eating more of what we should be eating and less of what we shouldn't. We've also got our own 1/2-gallon containers to track our water intake.

I think we are ready to finally do this!! I'm feeling a lot more positive about everything than I was last month. I'll post some menus throughout the month to give you an idea of what we are eating. I am not keeping track of calories at this point, but just trying to get into the habit of eating every 3 hours. Today's menu is this:

BREAKFAST 8:30am - Smoothie made of 8 oz. skim milk, 1 cup frozen raspberries, 2 Tbls. ground flaxseed and 1 LA Weight Loss vanilla shake mix (left over from when I tried their program last year)

LUNCH 12:30pm (late due to morning grocery shopping) - ham & cheese sandwich w/lettuce & tomato on pumpernickel bread, 1 apple, water

SNACK 3:30pm - yogurt and 1 cup grapes, water

DINNER 6:30pm - chicken stirfry w/veggies over brown rice, water

SNACK 9:30pm - chocolate-covered plum pieces, sm. glass of milk

Of course, I'll have drunk more water in between all of this. Guess we'll see how this all turns out in another week or so! Wish me luck as I try to get my 14 yo daughter to accept these changes.

... 3 days down, 362 to go ...

Posted on Sunday, January 27, 2008 at 11:33 in random ramblings

I never did post my measurements for January and so am going to do that now. I took these on January 3 and they may have changed a bit since I am up from 157.4 to 159 lbs. in that time. I was going to post pictures, but I haven't taken them yet! I'll measure again in 4 weeks and also blog about the healthy changes that I have made in that time. I'll probably blog in between, but this is not my main blog.

Weight (1/27/08) - 159 lbs.

Neck - 14 in.

Bust - 40.5,  ribs - 35

Bicep - 11.5

Waist - 33.75, pooch - 37, hips - 39

Thigh - 22, calf - 15.5

I do hope to take some pictures so that I have 'BEFOREs' and 'AFTERs' to compare when my year is up!

... 365 days to change my bad habits ...

Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 07:59 in interesting links

Well, today REALLY begins my quest to be "fit by 40." I turned 39 today and enjoyed being very naughty ... chocolate, ice cream and a Frappucino that my kids got me as part of my presents. I read an interesting entry recent over at The Morning Ramble about high fructose corn syrup. The one thing that REALLY struck me was this comment, "It is believed that this high consumption of corn syrup is undermining appetite control." So, I spent some time today looking through items in my home ... yowzers!! I better get a dumpster and begin purging. It was absolutely totally amazing to me how many items had high fructose corn syrup in them.

My biggest problem is appetite control and feeling hungry and I can see that one of my problems is some of the low-calorie, low-fat food that I have chosen for snacks and such. Now, to be honest, I have no intention of just throwing all of this food away. So, what I will do is make a list of items that I need to replace with different items or try to find a way to make some things on my own to use as substitutions. If I can get that constantly hungry feeling under control, that is half the battle for me. Actually, is probably more than half the battle!

I have gotten on my treadmill this week, but didn't make it to the gym for weight-training. It was just too darn cold for me and I felt like a slug all week. I know it's probably due to a bit of dehydration as I'm not drinking my water like I should be. It is said that it takes 21 days to make a habit. So, on that note, I've put together a list of goals for myself for the next 3 weeks.

1. Drink a minimum of 48 oz. water daily, working up to 64 oz. daily by the end of the 21 days

2. Read all food labels looking for high fructose corn syrup and make a list of items to replace with better choices.

3. Treadmill 6 mornings a week (2-3 miles), weight training 2 evenings and try out ONE new class each week at the Fitness center each week (BodyPump, 20-20-20 and yoga) to see what I do and don't like.

4. Begin Food Journal, writing down all that I am eating so that I can count calories, fat, carbs, protein, etc. I know I'm eating more than I should be eating each day.

I won't move on to the next set of goals until I have accomplished these. If at the end of 21 days, I am still not into a good habit of doing these things, I'll stretch it out another week at a time until I'm ready to move on.

I'll let you know how I'm doing in another week or so!

... Back on my feet again ...

Posted on Saturday, January 19, 2008 at 02:29 in medical info

I got my cholesterol bloodwork results in the mail today. It wasn't bad exactly, but it wasn't great either. Here are my results:

total cholesterol - 200 (should be 200 or less, so I'm almost over the top)

HDL (the good stuff) - 49 (considered a healthy level, but desirable is above 60) ... need to improve this one

LDL (the bad stuff) - 132 (borderline high is 130-159, so not so great here)

VLDL (some more bad stuff) - 19 (normal is 6-40), but I read this online "Your VLDL level is considered safe if it plus your LDL level are no higher together than 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)." Oops ... I'm at 151, so that's high, most likely due to my LDL levels.

Triglycerides - 97 (normal is 35-200, so doing ok here!)

Chol/HDL ratio (this is a better indicator for heart disease than all of the other stuff above!) - 4.1 which puts me just over the top as I should be less than 4.0

Here is some more info that I found online about what I need to do next:

How to Increase HDL	How to Decrease LDL
(Good Guys)	(Bad Guys)
Exercise Cessation of smoking Weight reduction	Decrease saturated fat intake Maintain good body composition Increase dietary fiber Increase aerobic exercise

All in all, I'm ok with this report. I know where my weaknesses lie and it is more motivation for me to get on that treamill most mornings and get my cardio in. I am also reminded that I need to watch my intake of fat and fiber better . I'll have my bloodwork redone about a year from now and see where I am at then.

... not a great week ...

Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 09:47 in random ramblings

This was not a great week for me in my journey to get healthier. I did get on the treadmill twice and made it to the gym once. However, my mood has sunk to an all-time low and I just don't want to think about eating well or exercising. Yes, that is counter-productive, but I have dealt with depression for over 14 years and it gets worse during the winter time, so I'm used to this. It's depressing to know that you weigh more than your husband ... sigh ... my husband is the symbol of health - is thin and fit, runs (is training for a marathon), can eat whatever he wants, has great cholesterol levels and blood pressure, blah, blah, blah!

I don't like what I see in the mirror and that affects my feelings about intimacy with my husband. I don't want him to see me this way ... yuck! I caved and ate chocolate and a chocolate milkshake from McD's this week. I'm eating late at night and I'm eating even when not hungry. I just feel beat ... unattractive, bloated, and a failure. I couldn't even make myself go to the gym this morning. I didn't have any excuse, really ... just couldn't see the point of going - it's not going to do me any good anyway.

My itchy hands are driving me crazy and their presence is constant distracting me from everything else going on. I just can't focus right now. I know that this is PMS week and that is part of my problem, but I'm also dealing with the constant thought that I'm going to fail again, so why bother even trying?

Sorry that this is such a negative post, but I need to be honest during this journey. I'll probably not post again until I can work through this negativity and deal with my emotions and feelings about all of this. So, I'll be back when I'm ready!

... taking baby steps ...

Posted on Saturday, January 5, 2008 at 02:36 in random ramblings

I wimped out this week and didn't make it to the gym at all. I didn't even get on my treadmill at home either. Part of the reason is that I decided to enjoy my last few days of our winter break. The other reason is due to some fear and doubt. Part of me doubts that I all of my efforts will work THIS time ... why should it be different than any other time. Yep, I have my 'little devil' sitting on my shoulder whispering negative thoughts into my ear. I also fear that I will fail once again ... it seems easier to just keep doing what I am doing - the status quo seems enough.

My husband has been great this week as I've talked to him about my fears and doubts. He has reminded me to take baby steps. I have over a year to do this, so it's not like I need to get it all done in 3 months or whatever. He says that my first step should just be to GET MOVING! I read something recently that said that people who are long-term exercisers make the exercise time work into their schedule so that it's not inconvenient. I gave this some thought and I do believe that I have come up with a great, doable schedule that I can begin on Monday. I'll get up with my dh at 6am and hop on the treadmill M-F for about 45 minutes. On M, W, F, I'll do some ab work for other 15 minutes following the routine in The Abs Diet book. I have to drop my kids off for karate on Mon. and Thurs. and so I'm already at the gym. Instead of doing my typical drop-the-kids-and-return-home routine, I'll get my 2 weekly sessions of weight training in. On Saturdays, my family will drop me off at the gym as they head to karate practice. I'll take the 9:15am BodyPump class and the 10:30 yoga class or swim some laps and then they'll pick me up on their way back home. I'm not sure that I am much of a class person as evidenced by the choices I make for exercise - walking, running, swimming. But I hear the BodyPump class is a great workout so I want to try it a few times. I figure that I'll have a good routine going by the end of the month and I'm not making extra trips to the fitness center to get it done.

I have taken my measurements, but not my pictures. I'll get this taken care of and posted soon. I've already lost an inch in my 'pooch,' probably due to the gentle DIY cleanse that I am doing (see previous post). I have most of a cleanse kit from BlessedHerbs.com left over and I'll be doing that cleanse in a few weeks after my PMS and cycle weeks are gone. To get the best results, you have to go on a juice fast while doing the cleanse and I don't want to do that during my hungry weeks! I am happy that I have already lost about 2.5 lbs. I think I did pretty well controlling my emotional hunger this week.

I guess that is all for this update. I'll update at least once next week ... we are getting back to homeschooling, so my internet time will be a bit more limited. I hope you are doing well with whatever things you are doing to get healthier!

... The DIY cleanse ...

Posted on Wednesday, January 2, 2008 at 09:22 in random ramblings

I came across this blog - The Do-It-Yourself Cleanse - sometime last year and saved the info so that I could attempt this on my own someday. I have done cleanses before and I do feel better when I do them, but I am curious to do a long-term cleanse this time around. This one is cheaper than any program you can buy and will take me a month to complete. The basic info on how to do the cleanse is in this post. I was only able to find 2 of the items - the psyllium husk and some senna. CVS has their brand of most items on sale, buy 1, get the 2nd item 1/2 off. So I bought two containers of sugar-free berry-flavored fiber. It's not bad! I cannot find the tea or digestive enzymes locally, so bought some store-brand senokot pills.

I emailed the blog's author and asked some questions and here are some answers that she shared with me:

I'll let you know how it goes at the end of the month. I found some digestive enzymes and the Smooth Move tea at Vitacost.com, but decided to try it without those items the first time around. I'll probably do another cleanse after about 3-4 months. I can tell that I am needing one as things are NOT moving out as quickly as I would like, if you know what I mean!

I haven't taken any measurements of pictures yet, but I will do so soon. I forgot to do it this morning. I'll get it done tomorrow  ... trust me, the pictures will be hard for me to post, but I need to do it for posterity to see myself change over the course of a year. My sugar cravings are going away slowly, but surely. I'm on the downhill slide towards PMS symptoms next week, so I'll be curious to see how I feel then. If I can make it through that week without chocolate, then I usually lose a bit of weight.

Well, I want to read a bit more of The Writing Diet before bed, so I best get offline. Back soon with some stats and pictures!

... The Writing Diet - Write Yourself Right-Size ...

Posted on Wednesday, January 2, 2008 at 09:02 in recommended books

I have just received this book hot of the presses - The Writing Diet ... had ordered it mid-December, but it hadn't been officially published yet or something because it took several weeks for it to arrive in my mailbox! Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way, has written a new book based on the premises in that book. I have read almost half of the book since last night and it is like a HUGE lightbulb has gone off!! The author recommends several techniques that involve writing in place of eating. In the morning, upon waking, I am to write out my stream of thoughts before beginning my day. She recommends writing three pages, but I decided that I was going to write for 20-30 minutes. I'm just to write whatever comes to mind ... there is no "right" way to do this. The idea is that you'll find yourself writing the same thoughts over and over and these are the ones to pay attention to and deal with.

The 2nd technique is to write in a journal (I'm going to use the same one that I'm writing my morning thoughts in). Whenever you feel like you are hungry or want to eat something, you are to write about your feelings at the time answering 4 questions:

1. Am I hungry?

2. Is this what I feel like eating?

3. Is this what I feel like eating now?

4. Is there something else that I could eat instead?

The idea is to really THINK before you eat! I am bad about this as I am an emotional eater and will eat when bored, tired, stressed, cranky, etc. I don't think about it ... I just eat! Having to answer these questions should help me eat better and only when I'm really hungry, too.

I'll blog more about this book as I read thorugh it. I can already tell that it is going to give me a way to handle my thoughts and I am looking forward to some personal growth through the journaling. You can read more about this book on Amazon.

... Info on my past attempts to lose weight ...

Posted on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 at 04:27 in Tips and Tricks

I have a VERY difficult time losing weight. I thought I'd take a few moments to write up some info about my current condition and what all I've tried to do to lose weight. In the sidebar, I've added a link to some basic information on insulin resistance and PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). I was diagnosed with that several years ago. Because PCOS is in a vicious cycle with insulin resistance (also known as metabolic syndrome or pre-diabetes), they put me on glucophage, a typical medication used to treat Type II diabetes. It sometimes helps people lose weight because it regulates the blood sugar better, but it didn't help me in this area. I went off of it for several months in late 2007, but began taking it again several weeks ago and I feel better when I am on it.

I have tried all of the low-carb diets and have found them difficult to stay on for too long. However, eating lower carb and making sure they are good carbs and following the precepts of a low-glycemic diet worked for me the last time I lost weight. I had the best luck with The Insulin Resistance Diet. I coupled this with several other books - Superfoods Rx and The Schwarzbein Principle - and lost about 12 lbs. in no time and I wasn't exercising excessively either. I have since read The Abs Diet for Women and am going to combine some of the principles from all of the books. I do believe that I can succeed this time! I have created a section in my sidebar listing books that I have read AND KEPT here at home to help me again.

One thing I have learned is that fiber is my friend! We should shoot for a minimum of 25 grams daily, but most of us don't even get half that! If you eat a pear (6g) and apple (3g) (both with skin on) and eat a grapefruit like an orange (5), then you are more than halfway to your daily goal! I try to eat each of these fruits daily. I love eating oatmeal - NOT INSTANT! - for breakfast and I usually add 1-2 Tbl. of ground flaxseed and that gives me a bunch more fiber. A salad for lunch or dinner and some side veggies at dinner and I have my 25 grams each day and usually more! You can also add ground flaxseed to smoothies. I bought some berry-flavored CVS-brand 'metamucil' today and it tastes pretty good! I wanted to have it around for those days when my fiber intake is a bit lacking.

My mom lost almost 90 lbs. on LA Weight Loss, but it didn't work for me. I'm not sure why, but in 3 months, I only lost 5 lbs. I was following the plan and even exercising. I did lose some inches, but  not as much as they thought I should have lost. Eventually I got frustrated enough and I just quit ... that was a ton of money gone. Oh well, live and learn! My mom is currently on maintenance and doing well. She does not have insulin resistance or PCOS and so I often wonder if that made a difference for her. She never even hit a plateau! Weight Watchers works for a lot of people and I have tried it, but it worked best for me when I followed The Wendie Plan. This plan keeps your metabolism working by mixing up the # of calories taken in each day. You have high and low days ... your body is kept guessing and you lose weight. I will be applying this strategy again, too, as it worked for me several years ago.

Something else that worked for me a few years ago was to split my exercising into 2 sessions - morning and night. I would do 30 min. each time, often just walking in the neighborhood. Exercising this way revved up my metabolism again in the evening and kept that burn going a lot longer. I intend to apply this to my exercise routine this time around, too. A good 30 min. on the treadmill in the morning and either a class at the gym or a walk in the evenings. Stress also increases our chances of belly fat and there is evidence that yoga helps reduce stress, cholesterol levels and cortisol levels, too. So, I plan on taking some yoga classes at the gym before my membership runs out in March 2009 and learn enough that I can continue it at home, maybe with a video.

The final strategy that works is to write everything down and be sure that I am not taking in too many calories. I mentioned SparkPeople.com on my other blog today. Once you sign up, you can enter what you are eating and it keeps track of your calories, fat, carbs, protein, etc. for you. I have created a sheet at home for my own use. It does take time to write everything down, but I keep these sheets and refer to them at future times. I've already looked up the information for all of the food counts, so it saves time to just keep them in a notebook.

I know that this is a LOT of information, but if you've read something here that you have NOT tried, then maybe I have helped a bit. I intend to use MOST of these strategies again. I am getting older and so it is going to take more work this time around to get healthy once and for all!