So, it's been a while. This is what discouragment and/or laziness looks like:
I went to the doctor for my physical and blood work results. Well, it’s about as I expected: I’m overweight with high cholesterol.
Weight (according to his sadistic scale): 244lbs (naked and 1st thing in the morning, mine says 237lbs) – this is OBESE for me, either way.
Overall cholesterol: 265
HDL (good stuff): 90 (anything over 39 is good, so this is really an “excellent number” according to him) – my secret: salmon and avocados
LDL (bad stuff): 150 (even considering how good my HDL is, he wants this number to be below 130)
Triglycerides: 123 (under 150 is good)
Fasting glucose: 88 (no problem with diabetes - super)
If I can’t lower my LDL by my next blood draw in six months, then he will put me on cholesterol medicine. I have to aim for a 2,000 calorie diet that is low in fats, particularly; low carb isn’t necessary, I just need to watch the calories with things such as sodas. My thyroid marker is still within normal range, but it has gone up since 2006 (his last record), and considering it runs in the family, we have to keep monitoring this. Something else that runs in the family that my aunt made me aware of is hemochromatosis. http://www.hemochromatosis.org/
So he ran some tests to see if I had this. The findings were a bit mixed. One overall key result shows everything is okay, but the breakdowns of the amount of iron serum and iron-rich blood cells were high. People who have hemochromatosis have to have their blood drawn monthly basically to flush your body of the iron-rich blood so that it can’t poison your organs. Sooo, he thinks that since my monthly flow is heavier than average, my body is flushing things on its own. We’ll keep watching the numbers and see if they go up. It does look like I’ll need to be especially on guard when I hit menopause, though. This is a chromosomal thing, so if my numbers do go up, he’ll send me to get genetic testing done to see if I have the genetic markers for this. And no multi-vitamins!
The rest of my blood looks great, urinalysis was fine, too. Good blood pressure, EKG, etc.
So, doctor’s orders are to exercise and eat right. Do the things I know I should be doing only now I HAVE to do them. I really don’t want to have to take medicine for something that’s in my control.
What I've eaten today:
2 - 8oz glasses of orange juice
2ea bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast tacos (the protein is good, right?)
1ea sausage w/cheese kolache (I'm weak, what can I say?)
What should I have for lunch? I'll try to find a good salad; Wendy's has a good grilled chicken Ceasar salad, so I may go for that.
Dinner? I have to cook some chicken breasts before they go bad. Broiled w/seasonings on it. Not sure what veggies are in the house. I have to stop at the store, so I'll get some broccoli. I've been trying to cut out the boxed pastas for dinner, but the boys and my husband really like them, so I'm doing it in small steps. I've been substituting slices of honey wheat bread for the pasta on occasion. Slightly better, right?
That's all for now. Peace out.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Day 2
Well, another day. Still no soda and feeling good about that.
Breakfast (6:30am):
1.75 cups Fruity Cheerios
6 oz skim milk
9oz orange juice
8:15am: 2ea chocolate cake donuts w/choc. icing
Feeling a little tired right now, most likely because of the donuts. Very tasty but I'm sure will be my downfall. Stupid really. :(
Ready to start my day.
Snack (10:30am):
Quaker Mini Delights 90-cal pack - Chocolately Mint
Lunch (12:15pm):
Taco Bell - bean burrito (no onions), nachos supreme
wanted so badly to order a Mtn Dew Baja Blast, but stayed strong (ugh)
am hoping the protein in the beans will keep me fuller longer
snack (1:55pm):
100-cal snack pack Craisins (again)
so much for my protein theory - did I not have enough, maybe?
need to go to store and find other snacks
snack (4:30pm):
Famous Amos Choc. Chip Cookies snack pack
dinner should be leftovers from Razoo's - we'll see.
Breakfast (6:30am):
1.75 cups Fruity Cheerios
6 oz skim milk
9oz orange juice
8:15am: 2ea chocolate cake donuts w/choc. icing
Feeling a little tired right now, most likely because of the donuts. Very tasty but I'm sure will be my downfall. Stupid really. :(
Ready to start my day.
Snack (10:30am):
Quaker Mini Delights 90-cal pack - Chocolately Mint
Lunch (12:15pm):
Taco Bell - bean burrito (no onions), nachos supreme
wanted so badly to order a Mtn Dew Baja Blast, but stayed strong (ugh)
am hoping the protein in the beans will keep me fuller longer
snack (1:55pm):
100-cal snack pack Craisins (again)
so much for my protein theory - did I not have enough, maybe?
need to go to store and find other snacks
snack (4:30pm):
Famous Amos Choc. Chip Cookies snack pack
dinner should be leftovers from Razoo's - we'll see.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Day 1
Weight (6:30am): 219.8lbs
Breakfast (7am):
2 packets Cinnamon & Spice oatmeal
8 oz orange juice
8 oz skim milk
Snack (10:20am):
100 calorie snack pack of Craisins
water
Lunch (11:45am):
Wendy's Crispy Chicken sandwich (value menu)
Ceasar side salad
Crispy Chicken nuggets
water
Snack (1:45pm):
3 Musketeers bar
So, here it is, 2:45pm and I'm hungry. Sigh. I'll have some Wheat Thins in a little bit. I've gotten through 1.5 bottles of water, so far. Not very good, but some is better than none, right?
Drank some water and managed to get past the snack craving. Just had a mint from the front desk to help erase the water after taste; this should get me through to dinner. Maybe.
Dinner (6pm):
Razoo's Restaurant
fondue w/bread for appetizer (so yummy!)
shrimp creole w/white rice
water
I only had a little of the entree because of the appetizer. I normally don't have an appetizer, but my DH was running late and the thought of fondue was too tempting to resist. And their bread - OMG, it was sooo good!!! Stayed good and didn't have a dessert there and boxed up the dinner to have for a meal the next day.
Dessert:
2ea 3 Musketeers Mint Minis
3ea Reese's Miniatures
Little bites to finish out my day. :) Was still feeling a bit full at bed time.
Breakfast (7am):
2 packets Cinnamon & Spice oatmeal
8 oz orange juice
8 oz skim milk
Snack (10:20am):
100 calorie snack pack of Craisins
water
Lunch (11:45am):
Wendy's Crispy Chicken sandwich (value menu)
Ceasar side salad
Crispy Chicken nuggets
water
Snack (1:45pm):
3 Musketeers bar
So, here it is, 2:45pm and I'm hungry. Sigh. I'll have some Wheat Thins in a little bit. I've gotten through 1.5 bottles of water, so far. Not very good, but some is better than none, right?
Drank some water and managed to get past the snack craving. Just had a mint from the front desk to help erase the water after taste; this should get me through to dinner. Maybe.
Dinner (6pm):
Razoo's Restaurant
fondue w/bread for appetizer (so yummy!)
shrimp creole w/white rice
water
I only had a little of the entree because of the appetizer. I normally don't have an appetizer, but my DH was running late and the thought of fondue was too tempting to resist. And their bread - OMG, it was sooo good!!! Stayed good and didn't have a dessert there and boxed up the dinner to have for a meal the next day.
Dessert:
2ea 3 Musketeers Mint Minis
3ea Reese's Miniatures
Little bites to finish out my day. :) Was still feeling a bit full at bed time.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Hello
So, I thought I'd try this blogging thing. I'm not very clever, so you may not be entertained, but I'll try not to bore you. My main goal for this blog is to be held responsible for my actions, specifically regarding my weight.
A bit of history:
Growing up I was always the skinny one. Very tall, knobby knees, slightly uncoordinated, and ate voraciously. This continued through high school. I ate whatever I wanted. I don't think I ate much, but what I did eat was junk. Lots of candy (I had a teacher ask me once if I had a blood sugar problem because I always had candy in class). We didn't have a whole lot of money, so dinner was small, but junk food was cheap, so there was always plenty of that. I graduated from high school weighing around 121lbs at 5'11". Like I said: skinny.
Then my one year of college. With my housing program, I was able to have three meals a day. Good solid food, unlimited, almost. Man, that was an awesome time. Never hungry. Loved it. Most freshmen gain 15lbs, right? I gained close to 30lbs. I specifically remember needing to buy clothes and having to buy a size 10, and being shocked by having to buy a double-digit size. I probably needed that weight, though. I suddenly had boobs! :) This is exciting to an 18-yr old, you know.
When I went back home, I was living on my own and responsible for all my own expenses. Back to no money for food. At least, not much after going out. Now, I didn't drink all that much (still don't), but I LOVE to dance. Was club dancing nearly every weekend (whenever someone would drive, as I didn't have a car). So, this means lots of exercise and the bare minimum of food. I lost 15lbs and was around 135lbs within a year (and was by now 6' tall). Was I healthy? No. I remember standing at the bus stop during the Texas summer and nearly passing out. I used to think it was because I was getting sick. Now I know, it's because I was malnourished. Hindsight is so clear, isn't it?
I went to live with my dad for a little while. Ooh, regular food again. No dancing, but occassional walking. Gained weight to 155lbs. Came back home a little wiser eight months later. Resumed my club nights, but tried to eat a bit more food. Was doing all right around 150lbs and I think I was a size 10 or 12, depending on the clothes of course.
Then I started dating my now husband. All my dancing stopped and regular meals began. My husband likes food just like I like food. When we got married (nine years after high school, 1997) I weighed 165lbs. In 1999, I weighed 195lbs. Then I got pregnant and gained 60lbs!! My doctor was never worried and my blood sugar was never out of whack. In my defense I delivered a very healthy 10lb, 2oz boy. Two years later I was able to return to 195lbs. Then baby #2 and another 60lbs begat a 8lb, 6oz boy. Six years later I reside somewhere between 205-220lbs. I keep going up and down between these numbers.
I have tried to introduce exercise and food control over the last three years. Where I stand right now is that because of the weight and other factors, my joints are not happy. I just recently got an MRI of my knee and am awaiting the results. So, since exercise is sort of on hold, I'm going to do something about my food intake.
I am a soda fanatic. Love the bubbly stuff - specifically Coke, Vault, and Mountain Dew. Notice the caffeine? Probably 75% of my love for soda. I've been able to break the caffeine habit once, but then my taste buds start craving a soda, then I don't get all the sleep I need, then I'm right back on the crazy train. I currently, if left unchecked, would drink soda constantly throughout the day. I've learned that drinking more than 20oz of Vault does not sit well with the stomach, so I've cut that down to only dire situations. Mountain Dew is great as long as my stomach has some food in it (see where I'm headed?). Coke is mainly for taste, as there isn't much caffeine it it and it can sometimes put me to sleep. I can't drink diet drinks as the artificial sweeteners give me headaches and make me nauseous. And lately I read that diet sodas aren't all they're cracked up to be, so I'll keep to the real sugar, thank you.
The times that I've tried to make a "food lifestyle change" I've gone gung-ho and stopped everything at once. I tried to immediately start only taking in 1600-1900 calories, as opposed to the likely 2500 calories I usually ingest. This does not make for a happy Lisa. Headaches, grouchy, hungry - not very pleasant to be around. So, I'm going for something different this time. This time, I'll do it in stages. First - the soda. Water, milk, and juice only, from here on out. I'm not going to make adjustments to my food intake. The hard part will be breaking the soda habit, so that's my focus.
I will (hopefully) log my status here daily and let you know how it goes. What I'm feeling, eating, drinking. I know you've read this all before from others (I certainly have), but I'm going to do this for me and see where it takes me.
A bit of history:
Growing up I was always the skinny one. Very tall, knobby knees, slightly uncoordinated, and ate voraciously. This continued through high school. I ate whatever I wanted. I don't think I ate much, but what I did eat was junk. Lots of candy (I had a teacher ask me once if I had a blood sugar problem because I always had candy in class). We didn't have a whole lot of money, so dinner was small, but junk food was cheap, so there was always plenty of that. I graduated from high school weighing around 121lbs at 5'11". Like I said: skinny.
Then my one year of college. With my housing program, I was able to have three meals a day. Good solid food, unlimited, almost. Man, that was an awesome time. Never hungry. Loved it. Most freshmen gain 15lbs, right? I gained close to 30lbs. I specifically remember needing to buy clothes and having to buy a size 10, and being shocked by having to buy a double-digit size. I probably needed that weight, though. I suddenly had boobs! :) This is exciting to an 18-yr old, you know.
When I went back home, I was living on my own and responsible for all my own expenses. Back to no money for food. At least, not much after going out. Now, I didn't drink all that much (still don't), but I LOVE to dance. Was club dancing nearly every weekend (whenever someone would drive, as I didn't have a car). So, this means lots of exercise and the bare minimum of food. I lost 15lbs and was around 135lbs within a year (and was by now 6' tall). Was I healthy? No. I remember standing at the bus stop during the Texas summer and nearly passing out. I used to think it was because I was getting sick. Now I know, it's because I was malnourished. Hindsight is so clear, isn't it?
I went to live with my dad for a little while. Ooh, regular food again. No dancing, but occassional walking. Gained weight to 155lbs. Came back home a little wiser eight months later. Resumed my club nights, but tried to eat a bit more food. Was doing all right around 150lbs and I think I was a size 10 or 12, depending on the clothes of course.
Then I started dating my now husband. All my dancing stopped and regular meals began. My husband likes food just like I like food. When we got married (nine years after high school, 1997) I weighed 165lbs. In 1999, I weighed 195lbs. Then I got pregnant and gained 60lbs!! My doctor was never worried and my blood sugar was never out of whack. In my defense I delivered a very healthy 10lb, 2oz boy. Two years later I was able to return to 195lbs. Then baby #2 and another 60lbs begat a 8lb, 6oz boy. Six years later I reside somewhere between 205-220lbs. I keep going up and down between these numbers.
I have tried to introduce exercise and food control over the last three years. Where I stand right now is that because of the weight and other factors, my joints are not happy. I just recently got an MRI of my knee and am awaiting the results. So, since exercise is sort of on hold, I'm going to do something about my food intake.
I am a soda fanatic. Love the bubbly stuff - specifically Coke, Vault, and Mountain Dew. Notice the caffeine? Probably 75% of my love for soda. I've been able to break the caffeine habit once, but then my taste buds start craving a soda, then I don't get all the sleep I need, then I'm right back on the crazy train. I currently, if left unchecked, would drink soda constantly throughout the day. I've learned that drinking more than 20oz of Vault does not sit well with the stomach, so I've cut that down to only dire situations. Mountain Dew is great as long as my stomach has some food in it (see where I'm headed?). Coke is mainly for taste, as there isn't much caffeine it it and it can sometimes put me to sleep. I can't drink diet drinks as the artificial sweeteners give me headaches and make me nauseous. And lately I read that diet sodas aren't all they're cracked up to be, so I'll keep to the real sugar, thank you.
The times that I've tried to make a "food lifestyle change" I've gone gung-ho and stopped everything at once. I tried to immediately start only taking in 1600-1900 calories, as opposed to the likely 2500 calories I usually ingest. This does not make for a happy Lisa. Headaches, grouchy, hungry - not very pleasant to be around. So, I'm going for something different this time. This time, I'll do it in stages. First - the soda. Water, milk, and juice only, from here on out. I'm not going to make adjustments to my food intake. The hard part will be breaking the soda habit, so that's my focus.
I will (hopefully) log my status here daily and let you know how it goes. What I'm feeling, eating, drinking. I know you've read this all before from others (I certainly have), but I'm going to do this for me and see where it takes me.
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