How it goes

I've been on hiatus - you would think, it appears...but no not really. I have just been learning how to Eat to Live.

Over at Spark people, someone suggested that I try it out. So, since she herself had great success with it, I decided to at least give it a look.

Being diabetic/pre-diabetic, depending on which doctor you talk to, and having just started medications for it, and really, REALLY not wanting to passively live with this disease, I decided I needed to learn how to deal with it as naturally as possible.

So the premise is simple, eat the highest nutrient foods - and let nature do its thing. Challenge? Rearranging my pantry and learning what is REALLY in some of those foods we eat.

Ultimately, it's a vegan diet, emphasizing on all natural, organic, wholesome foods - basically treating my body with respect and giving it the best foods for optimum health.

The result? After about 6 weeks, which is what is recommended - I lost 22 lbs. Nice! And I felt better! If you had a chance to see Oprah's episode on Food, Inc. and Alicea Silverstone's portion on being kinder to your body. She is dead on.

Now, since the holidays (which I fared through very well), I have continued to give up meat - about 98% of the time. My hubby is a true carnivore, so sometimes I relapse, maybe once every two weeks, by taking a taste of this or that. But overall, don't really care that I gave up meat.

What gets me? Grains! Those carbs and starchy veggies! Ugh, they are my nemesis. And there's always an excuse for sweets. But great improvement there as well. My hubby had a birthday this month and as always he gets a super duper chocolately cake. Yes, I had a piece - but then I made him take the rest to work. No temptations, thank you very much.

And I have come to enjoy green smoothies, veggies, salads and beans like nobody's business. It has been a bit of a journey, and lots of learning about how to cook these items, and so essential that I keep on top of it so that I don't relapse.

But overall it's been great. Looking forward to starting another 6 weeks. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Stop it by Starting it

I've done WW's, been to a dietician - they worked, but didn't work for me. See the thing is I know what's good for me. But I obviously live in a world of denial. I mean, why else could I watch BL and not KNOW that I was a candidate? How else could I gain 20 lbs in 6 mths. How else could I let this happen to myself, knowing full well that my family has bad DNA?

Seriously, how could I not know after my mother and my grandmother died of diabetes related complications. SERIOUSLY??

(note the tough love here)

Yes, my mother was 42 years old when she passed away. It's my subconscious fear. And yet I am defintely on the track to self destruction.

So how do I stop the resistance? Just start. And start again. And when you have an oops! Really start again.

I've restarted up with Spark. It's a tool a co-worker tuned me into almost 4 years ago. I didn't really get into it - I was doing WW at the time and that was really working for me.

But now with 3 kids, two getting into school activities, and hubby's work schedule is 12 days - there's no way I'll get to WW meetings consistently enough, and I know it was the accountability that made it work for me.

Spark has lots of great tools, and communities for just about everyone. Lots of good ways to stay accountable. I also found my co-worker (who has since moved on to another job). She's back in the saddle. That's a good thing, 'cause together we really kept on track.

So I have to stop this downward spiral, and that mean's starting again every day regardless of whether the day before went good or bad. Every day is a new day and a new opportunity to get healthier.

Easily Distracted

Yes world, I am easily distracted from my goals - which is why I am where I am today.

Shortly after my last post I got a knock me down cold that wouldn't give - a good two weeks, wouldn't give up kind of a cold. And with it my exercising got knocked off track and lost somewhere in the middle of no where.

Followed by a trip home (always my undoing) and a wedding. Well I was ready to get back on track - except then my kids got the flu - yeah, you know the one that everyone is freaking out about? - there went another two weeks and in that time my good eating habits? = non-existent.

Yes I'm easily distracted. It doesn't take much more than life itself to get me off track.

So...

Nothing like a good kick in the gut to get you going again. Had a few visits with the Dr's this week - to find out that the insulin resistance is intensifying - unfortunately the only consistent thing in my mini-drama - and all my other health complications are pretty much due to me being overweight and the insulin resistance.

Well, duh.

Only had to give 7 vials of blood, two visits with "specialists" and slap down some money on the counter to find that out huh? I know that from watching BL for heaven's sake!

Sorry - the sarcasm is getting a bit thick isn't it...

So I am sitting at my computer after doing 30 minutes on the treadmill, a portion of which I ran and felt like my lungs were going to explode - tired - but feeling not so bad - to confess to you all my brothers and sisters.

Ain't nothing and no one going to be able to help me, but me. And that's the honest truth.

Here we go again.

Weigh In 7

quick check in - down 2.2.

I guess I don't understand the human body any more than my dr's. Hmm..that's a bit sarcastic.

I'll take it!

Health Stuff

I went in for some blood work, an insurance requirement now - does anyone else find that to be a little scary? topic for a different kind of post.

Anyway, found out my cholesterol is down - like WAAY down. From 225 last year this time, to 170 - all the good and bad numbers (still figuring this out) were all good. So big YAY! Means something is going right.

What's not so good? My blood glucose of course! Still elevated into the pre-diabetic range, and my own morning readings have been higher than I've ever seen them, even when I was pregnant. Grrr!

Now I will proceed with a list of excuses - just to get it out:

1. I started doing the 30 day shred. 5 days in I stopped - because I was bit by a spider! Ok, go ahead, call me weak. But that thing hurt!! and I had this huge - lets just call it a thing because it was too gross to describe, on the back of my calf. Seriously people, I was practically limping. Crazy!! So a week later, the redness is almost gone and it isn't throbbing anymore. Man!
2. I have not been following my diet. Girlies started school this week, and getting them on a schedule got me totally OFF my schedule. I even forgot to take me supplements the first two days. I have felt so scattered, and I thrive on being in control - at least perceived control :)
3. I have a cold! It finally gets nice out and hubby is ACTUALLY off on a holiday weekend - and I woke up with a cold!! Totally stuffy head, earache, sore throat, runny nose - I think my chest is sore - kind of cold!

Can you hear the whining?

4. Apparently all my iron nail and OJ acid intake is taking a toll on my esophagus after 4 months, because I started having discomfort in my chest - I would say chest pains - cause that's more what it felt like, but I won't alarm you all. I started drinking a bottle of water right after the supplement mix and eased up off my other supplements, and it seemed to help - also stopped downing coffee about 1 hour after my liquid nails/OJ cocktail. I know! What am I doing to myself?

I know what you're thinking - what was the weigh in like - where is the weigh in? Well I was down 1.2 - go figure. My fat is probably still combobulating - lol that is NOT a word.

So I'm a big wimp. I will not be exercising tonight 'cause my head feels like it's going to explode. And my eating - well. I will focus on drinking lots of water and healthy stuff to shoo this cold and get back to working on improving me.

If you're still reading this - sorry for the rant & thanks for listening :)

Green Monster Smoothie

I've seen these around, and honestly thought they looked gross and dismissed them as some health freak, bitter green goop (sorry ya'll).

But after reading round the blogs and seeing the nutritional punch this smoothie has over at girl get strong, particularly the amount of iron in it - this iron deficient girl had to give it a go. And what do you know, I actually have all the ingredients on hand.

Now you do have to be a bit careful, 'cause though some of the variations out there sound yummy, make sure you calculate the nutritional info on these, some of them are HEFTY on the calories and fat - but then if you're a smoothie for a meal kind of person, this is likely right up your alley.

The one I found particularly reasonable in the ingredients and nutrition was from she-fit and goes like this:




1 frozen banana

1c 1% milk

2c spinach

1/2 c frozen blueberries

6 ice cubes

1 pkt stevia (or to taste)



This one has that green color, and is 224.8 cal, 42 carb, 3.2 fat, 4.2 fiber and 12% of your recommended iron intake, and only 4 WW points. But it made a nice batch so I had 1/2 after dinner and 1/2 for breakfast this morning. booyah!



I have to admit - it was pretty good. Now if I could get my kids to drink this stuff. They are on a green food boycott - yeah even the 18 month old - whatever. So I'll have to get a different variation for the kiddos - but if I can get them to take in some spinach or kale - yeah, I have to give it a go.

Weigh In 5

Not good. Major set back - I gained back the 2.4 that I had lost last week. This was a strange week. My blood sugars were high every morning, and I wasn't feeling good. Lots of eating out and no journaling at all two days. On Fridays we have movie night, and girls picked pizza for dinner- unfortunately so did I, old style.

Arghh - frustrated. This honesty/transparency thing is hard.

I have a busy fundraising week ahead at work (= extra long days & lots of food around) and then we head out to a family camp next weekend, so I really was hoping to at least maintain. But, looking over the week - can't really expect that when I know I had at least 3 days where I went over my calories.

But let's not completely focus on the negatives. My supplements/medications don't seem to be upsetting my stomach anymore, and the last two days my morning blood sugars look like they're coming back down. Found out my iron levels are coming up - slowly but surely - and I've been referred to an internist to deal with my apparent domino effect of health issues these past few months. Don't know if that last one qualifies as a positive, but I'm trying to remain hopeful that this Dr. will actually be able to get to the root everything.

I got a chance to try out the Jillian's 30 day shred yesterday - and heaven help me, I couldn't believe what looked so simple totally did shred my muscles. I got up this morning so sore. I'm thinking it works. I'll have to buy that DVD ..oh and a sports bra - jumping jacks are rough on a big girls goods!