I must apologize to my faithful WATJ readers — both of you — for the lack of bloggage recently. I had promised you an update on my weight loss efforts close to two weeks ago and I’m sure your disappointment has been close to unbearable.
Or not.
My two-week Fat Flush went very well — until Day 14 when I got a sinus infection and promptly switched tactics to comfort food. This was disappointing to me because I was all set to do a third week of the FFP which, as much as I love the Fat Flush, is not the easiest of diets because it is quite strict. I really have to be in the right frame of mind to do it and do it right and I’m not sure when my next attempt will be. The sinus infection brought me low and I’m really only now getting back to 100% operating efficiency. Not counting all the shoveling I’ve done lately, I haven’t exercised in 10 days.
Even though I’m not doing the FFP now, I’m still being (somewhat) mindful of what I am eating. Ann Louise would not approve of the dairy and various carbohydrate sources but I’m still doing alright.
But I know what you really want to know. How did I do while I was on the FFP?
I lost eight pounds and about 14 inches from various trouble areas (abs, hips, thighs). Over the last 10 days of recovering from the sinus infection I did earn three pounds back but I’m less concerned with what the scale says at this point and more of how I feel. Though, ideally, I have another 5-8 pounds to my goal weight, I’m more interested with toning and shaping than poundage.
Despite the setback of the sinus infection, I’m more pleased than I can say to be where I am. I’ve not been this light since my sophomore year at MSU — y’know, the year I had the ulcer (the second best weight loss plan ever). I am wearing clothes that have sat in my closet since then — those clothes we all have that haunt us with promises of of “someday.” Some of these items I’m quite pleased to be able to get into and others I wonder what I was thinking the first time around.
So...that’s where we stand. As the weather improves I look forward to resuming my walking/running regiment, as well as continuing to do Pilates regularly and free weights, and be conscious of healthy food choices.
That said, I’m off to make breakfast. I’m leaning toward Raisin Bran Crunch with 2% milk (my little treat to myself and the cat in the “comfort food” column). Or maybe I’ll have an FFP-approved egg with veggies. Oh to have choices again...
Note: That part about an ulcer being the second best weight loss plan shouldn’t be taken as dieting advice. I really don’t recommend it. I can’t remember a time when I was more consistently miserable. I couldn’t eat. That depressed me. What cheers you up when you’re depressed? Oh yeah. Eating. It was a vicious cycle no one should have to experience.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
Give it another look
It’s always amazing how looking at something in a new light can completely change your feelings about it.
I was putting away the holiday decorations Saturday and was dismayed at how empty and the living room looked when I was done. I tried rearranging a few pieces in hopes of filling the void where all of my "joy"-themed trappings had been to no avail. Since it was getting late and I’m getting lame in my old age, I figured I’d try moving the furniture around in the morning to see if that helped.
The next morning, coming out of the bedroom to start my day with Ann Louise’s long life cocktail, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I’d done a better job than I’d thought the previous night and I actually liked the way the living room looked. Rather than looking empty from the lack of holiday decor it looked open and inviting — making me want to grab my library book and curl up under a warm blanket for the day.
I couldn’t do that, of course, because I had to go for a walk since I hadn’t gotten one in the day before — unless you count lugging bags around the mall — that’s quite the workout itself.
While I’d been at the mall, I decided to take my self-esteem in my hands and try to find a pair of interim jeans on clearance to tide me over until I reach my goal weight. Despite what the scale and tape measure have already told me about my weight loss goals, it’s been really hard to see the results for myself just by looking in the mirror. Maybe it’s because I see myself in my own mirror every day — ie: the same light — but standing in front of that, usually, unforgiving reflective surface in the dressing room I definitely saw the difference more clearly. I then enjoyed a couple of entirely vain moment preening in front of the mirror and feeling pretty good about myself.
This “whole new light” thing applies to so many things and I often forget to take advantage of it. Sometimes, as I’m struggling with something at work — usually any number of other things the computer does or does not do to my complete bafflement and utter frustration — I need to remember to take some time away from project. Chances are I’ll see the source of the problem that much more easily if I look at it with fresh eyes or after a calming breath.
Maybe if we all took a moment to view things in a new light we’d spend less time in the dark.
I was putting away the holiday decorations Saturday and was dismayed at how empty and the living room looked when I was done. I tried rearranging a few pieces in hopes of filling the void where all of my "joy"-themed trappings had been to no avail. Since it was getting late and I’m getting lame in my old age, I figured I’d try moving the furniture around in the morning to see if that helped.
The next morning, coming out of the bedroom to start my day with Ann Louise’s long life cocktail, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I’d done a better job than I’d thought the previous night and I actually liked the way the living room looked. Rather than looking empty from the lack of holiday decor it looked open and inviting — making me want to grab my library book and curl up under a warm blanket for the day.
I couldn’t do that, of course, because I had to go for a walk since I hadn’t gotten one in the day before — unless you count lugging bags around the mall — that’s quite the workout itself.
While I’d been at the mall, I decided to take my self-esteem in my hands and try to find a pair of interim jeans on clearance to tide me over until I reach my goal weight. Despite what the scale and tape measure have already told me about my weight loss goals, it’s been really hard to see the results for myself just by looking in the mirror. Maybe it’s because I see myself in my own mirror every day — ie: the same light — but standing in front of that, usually, unforgiving reflective surface in the dressing room I definitely saw the difference more clearly. I then enjoyed a couple of entirely vain moment preening in front of the mirror and feeling pretty good about myself.
This “whole new light” thing applies to so many things and I often forget to take advantage of it. Sometimes, as I’m struggling with something at work — usually any number of other things the computer does or does not do to my complete bafflement and utter frustration — I need to remember to take some time away from project. Chances are I’ll see the source of the problem that much more easily if I look at it with fresh eyes or after a calming breath.
Maybe if we all took a moment to view things in a new light we’d spend less time in the dark.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Rheum with a view
As if I don’t talk nearly enough about Rheumatoid Arthritis, I’m going to devote an entire post to it.
I was diagnosed with RA three years ago this past December. Previous to this I’d always been kind of whiny and achy in various spots, mostly my knees, and ignored by my doctor (not uncommon, many RA sufferers — who happen to mostly be women — go un- or misdiagnosed for years). When I got a real job with insurance again, my new doctor actually did listen to me when I complained about the various aches and pains and the fact that I was tired all the gosh darn time. Not to mention that I also packed on close to thirty pounds in less than four years.
She took the two-hour naps every afternoon and weight gain into consideration, ran some tests and discovered that my thyroid had slacked off and my metabolism had suffered as a result. A while later, when I mentioned the achy knees and various other parts that give me trouble, she theorized that I might have RA and sent me to a specialist.
RA is an auto-immune disease (of which there are about a dozen and, once you get one, chances are good that you’ll develop others) where your immune system is somehow convinced that connective tissue and other necessities of the joints and other body parts are invasive and need to be attacked and kicked out.
After being officially diagnosed and talking with the specialist and his physician’s assistant, several things started making sense. My thyroid, it turns out, was probably damaged by the RA (or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis which is another auto-immune disease and causes hypothyroidism). My cold hands are a result of Reynaud’s Phenomenon (or Secondary Reynaud’s — constricted blood flow to the outer extremities when exposed to cold or stress) which many RA sufferers develop. The achy joints, of course, are from cartilage the RA has ravaged.
As of now, I have RA damage/pain in my knees, elbows and, as mentioned, my thyroid and hands. My knees are definitely the worst off with my hands a very close second with being cold all of the time and experiencing cramping or spasms at the most inopportune times (the shampoo bottle and my foot have enjoyed several encounters early in the morning). Compared to most of my rheumatologist’s patients, I’m not all that bad off. I’m lucky that I’m young and was diagnosed (relatively) early to begin treating the disease. However, having RA, it’s entirely possible that things will only get worse with age (which is why I’m trying to get in shape now) and, as I said, once you have one auto-immune disorder you’re that much more likely to develop any number of others. Plus, the RA itself doesn’t necessarily stop with the cartilage in your joints when there are all sorts of other tissues in the body it can attack like the heart and lungs. Fortunately this is very rare.
To counteract the affects of RA, I take an anti-inflammatory almost every day and an anti-malarial agent. The anti-inflammatory keeps inflammation — and pain — at bay. Part of why I’m trying to lose weight is because the less weight on my knees, the fewer pills I’ll hopefully have to take for pain and inflammation. The anti-malarial pill, for reasons I don’t think anyone is really all that sure of, helps to slow the disease’s progress and, hopefully, prevents further damage. Oh, and of course, I take a hormone replacement to compensate for the vacation my thyroid took.
And that, my friends, is more information than you ever really wanted to know about Rheumatoid Arthritis. Just remember, I’m not a doctor — I don’t even play one on TV — and all the stuff above, while it sounds convincing, is based on what I’ve understood from the rheumatologist and research I’ve done on my own.
I was diagnosed with RA three years ago this past December. Previous to this I’d always been kind of whiny and achy in various spots, mostly my knees, and ignored by my doctor (not uncommon, many RA sufferers — who happen to mostly be women — go un- or misdiagnosed for years). When I got a real job with insurance again, my new doctor actually did listen to me when I complained about the various aches and pains and the fact that I was tired all the gosh darn time. Not to mention that I also packed on close to thirty pounds in less than four years.
She took the two-hour naps every afternoon and weight gain into consideration, ran some tests and discovered that my thyroid had slacked off and my metabolism had suffered as a result. A while later, when I mentioned the achy knees and various other parts that give me trouble, she theorized that I might have RA and sent me to a specialist.
RA is an auto-immune disease (of which there are about a dozen and, once you get one, chances are good that you’ll develop others) where your immune system is somehow convinced that connective tissue and other necessities of the joints and other body parts are invasive and need to be attacked and kicked out.
After being officially diagnosed and talking with the specialist and his physician’s assistant, several things started making sense. My thyroid, it turns out, was probably damaged by the RA (or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis which is another auto-immune disease and causes hypothyroidism). My cold hands are a result of Reynaud’s Phenomenon (or Secondary Reynaud’s — constricted blood flow to the outer extremities when exposed to cold or stress) which many RA sufferers develop. The achy joints, of course, are from cartilage the RA has ravaged.
As of now, I have RA damage/pain in my knees, elbows and, as mentioned, my thyroid and hands. My knees are definitely the worst off with my hands a very close second with being cold all of the time and experiencing cramping or spasms at the most inopportune times (the shampoo bottle and my foot have enjoyed several encounters early in the morning). Compared to most of my rheumatologist’s patients, I’m not all that bad off. I’m lucky that I’m young and was diagnosed (relatively) early to begin treating the disease. However, having RA, it’s entirely possible that things will only get worse with age (which is why I’m trying to get in shape now) and, as I said, once you have one auto-immune disorder you’re that much more likely to develop any number of others. Plus, the RA itself doesn’t necessarily stop with the cartilage in your joints when there are all sorts of other tissues in the body it can attack like the heart and lungs. Fortunately this is very rare.
To counteract the affects of RA, I take an anti-inflammatory almost every day and an anti-malarial agent. The anti-inflammatory keeps inflammation — and pain — at bay. Part of why I’m trying to lose weight is because the less weight on my knees, the fewer pills I’ll hopefully have to take for pain and inflammation. The anti-malarial pill, for reasons I don’t think anyone is really all that sure of, helps to slow the disease’s progress and, hopefully, prevents further damage. Oh, and of course, I take a hormone replacement to compensate for the vacation my thyroid took.
And that, my friends, is more information than you ever really wanted to know about Rheumatoid Arthritis. Just remember, I’m not a doctor — I don’t even play one on TV — and all the stuff above, while it sounds convincing, is based on what I’ve understood from the rheumatologist and research I’ve done on my own.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
A little cracked
It’s 5:30.
In the morning.
And I’m awake.
Isn’t that crazy?
It’s all Ann Louise’s fault. (Ann Louise is the genius behind the Fat Flush Plan discussed in a previous post.)
Part of the Fat Flush Plan is drinking the Long Life Cocktail which is unsweetened cranberry water mixed with ground flax seed. It’s a gritty drink to start off the morning but it’s a component of the detox portion of the diet and I don’t argue with Ann Louise (because it’s not like she’s going to argue back).
The thing about the cocktail is that it’s part of the cleansing process so you have to be careful when you take it if you’re on any medications. For me, that means I have to take it an hour before my first set of meds — the ones I take on an empty stomach and then wait an hour before I can take the second set which requires food.
Having to get up at 5:00 to start my morning with the LLC is actually quite nice. I get up, drink the cocktail, do a Pilates workout, spend some time on the internet updating my journal (another component of the FFP — journaling your food, exercise and thoughts while on the Plan), take care of the rabbits and the cat — all before 6:00. This also gives me some nice quiet time to clean the kitchen or whatever little household chore-y things there are to do.
The only drawback is that, as discussed in numerous posts, I don’t get nearly enough sleep. While following the Plan I tend to have more energy than usual so I’m not suffering too badly from a lack of sleep but getting only five or six hours of sleep is going to catch up with me eventually. Plus, Ann Louise stresses the importance of getting plenty of rest while on the FFP so she wouldn’t likely approve, either.
I did get a whole seven hours of sleep last night — which I usually consider a good night’s sleep. I’m really going to have to start forcing myself into bed by 10:00, if not earlier, if I’m going to continue to get up before the crack of dawn (hence this post’s title for those of you looking for the connection).
A note of Joy: It turns out Ann Louise could argue back with me if she really wanted. There’s a support forum on her Web site and it looks like she actually answers questions posted there. How cool is that?
In the morning.
And I’m awake.
Isn’t that crazy?
It’s all Ann Louise’s fault. (Ann Louise is the genius behind the Fat Flush Plan discussed in a previous post.)
Part of the Fat Flush Plan is drinking the Long Life Cocktail which is unsweetened cranberry water mixed with ground flax seed. It’s a gritty drink to start off the morning but it’s a component of the detox portion of the diet and I don’t argue with Ann Louise (because it’s not like she’s going to argue back).
The thing about the cocktail is that it’s part of the cleansing process so you have to be careful when you take it if you’re on any medications. For me, that means I have to take it an hour before my first set of meds — the ones I take on an empty stomach and then wait an hour before I can take the second set which requires food.
Having to get up at 5:00 to start my morning with the LLC is actually quite nice. I get up, drink the cocktail, do a Pilates workout, spend some time on the internet updating my journal (another component of the FFP — journaling your food, exercise and thoughts while on the Plan), take care of the rabbits and the cat — all before 6:00. This also gives me some nice quiet time to clean the kitchen or whatever little household chore-y things there are to do.
The only drawback is that, as discussed in numerous posts, I don’t get nearly enough sleep. While following the Plan I tend to have more energy than usual so I’m not suffering too badly from a lack of sleep but getting only five or six hours of sleep is going to catch up with me eventually. Plus, Ann Louise stresses the importance of getting plenty of rest while on the FFP so she wouldn’t likely approve, either.
I did get a whole seven hours of sleep last night — which I usually consider a good night’s sleep. I’m really going to have to start forcing myself into bed by 10:00, if not earlier, if I’m going to continue to get up before the crack of dawn (hence this post’s title for those of you looking for the connection).
A note of Joy: It turns out Ann Louise could argue back with me if she really wanted. There’s a support forum on her Web site and it looks like she actually answers questions posted there. How cool is that?
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Sometimes it’s okay to cheat
Not very often will you hear me say that.
It is not okay to cheat on your schoolwork.
It is not okay to cheat at board games.
It is not okay to cheat on your significant other.
It is not okay to cheat on your taxes.
The one time it is okay to cheat is on your diet — and I’m not just saying that because I cheated on mine today.
My sister Gina and I are doing a two-week run of the first phase of Ann Louise Gittleman’s Fat Flush Plan. The name sounds gross, I know, but the FFP is a detox/diet plan that is so totally effective and has helped me lose (and keep off) 40 pounds. I’ve still got another 10-15 to go until I reach my goal weight of 145/150 pounds (I’ll save you the trouble of doing the math and just admit that I topped out on my doctor’s scale at 202 three years ago) and I’m using the FFP as a good way to jump-start healthy eating and exercise habits after the holidays.
The FFP is pretty strict and not just about what you have to eliminate from you diet. There are certain things you have to add to your diet and daily routine for the results you want. Because the Plan is so strict, Gina and I have built cheating into it to help us stay on track. Getting one “naughty” item a week gives you something to look forward to as well as giving you some breathing room from the strict regiment of no carbs, dairy, refined sugar, etc. Really, in any diet, you have to allow yourself room to cheat a bit or else you’re going to get off track that much quicker because, let’s face it, we only have so much willpower and it’s too easy to say "well, I blew it so I might as well quit altogether" from one splurge on a chocolate covered PayDay Avalanche, bowl of ice cream or, as is most likely for me, a giant burrito from Qdoba.
Today’s cheat was a small Blizzard from Dairy Queen with Heath Bar and Butterfinger in it. It was so good I didn’t even feel all that guilty about it because I know I’m going to finish out the evening with the unsweetened cran-water and keep going for the eight days I have left of Phase One. I’ll be sure to tell you all about my success on January 15.
If you want to know more about the FFP, check out Ann Louise’s Web site.
It is not okay to cheat on your schoolwork.
It is not okay to cheat at board games.
It is not okay to cheat on your significant other.
It is not okay to cheat on your taxes.
The one time it is okay to cheat is on your diet — and I’m not just saying that because I cheated on mine today.
My sister Gina and I are doing a two-week run of the first phase of Ann Louise Gittleman’s Fat Flush Plan. The name sounds gross, I know, but the FFP is a detox/diet plan that is so totally effective and has helped me lose (and keep off) 40 pounds. I’ve still got another 10-15 to go until I reach my goal weight of 145/150 pounds (I’ll save you the trouble of doing the math and just admit that I topped out on my doctor’s scale at 202 three years ago) and I’m using the FFP as a good way to jump-start healthy eating and exercise habits after the holidays.
The FFP is pretty strict and not just about what you have to eliminate from you diet. There are certain things you have to add to your diet and daily routine for the results you want. Because the Plan is so strict, Gina and I have built cheating into it to help us stay on track. Getting one “naughty” item a week gives you something to look forward to as well as giving you some breathing room from the strict regiment of no carbs, dairy, refined sugar, etc. Really, in any diet, you have to allow yourself room to cheat a bit or else you’re going to get off track that much quicker because, let’s face it, we only have so much willpower and it’s too easy to say "well, I blew it so I might as well quit altogether" from one splurge on a chocolate covered PayDay Avalanche, bowl of ice cream or, as is most likely for me, a giant burrito from Qdoba.
Today’s cheat was a small Blizzard from Dairy Queen with Heath Bar and Butterfinger in it. It was so good I didn’t even feel all that guilty about it because I know I’m going to finish out the evening with the unsweetened cran-water and keep going for the eight days I have left of Phase One. I’ll be sure to tell you all about my success on January 15.
If you want to know more about the FFP, check out Ann Louise’s Web site.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
New Year's Snake
Soooo...2008 started off with a backed up drain in my basement today.
Being New Year’s Day, no plumber is going to come out without costing you at least an arm and, most likely, a leg. The super good news is that I've got this great group of friends I can count on to help me out. The good news for them, of course, is that my clogged drain was the perfect excuse to purchase a heavy duty drum auger (otherwise known as a plumber's snake or drain cleaner) that will likely have use for any number of our friends.
As for me, I’m apparently going to have to have the main drain of my house snaked every year as I have a big tree in my front yard that likes to entangle its roots around and in the pipe running out to the city sewer line. You’d think just cutting the tree down would help but a) I love the tree and the shade it provides (not too mention being ultra pretty when covered with snow — as seen at left in this pictures taken before I realized the issue in the basement) and b) I've been told that, after the cost of having a tree removed, the roots are going to just keep going for another decade or so anyway.
Despite not being the restful and yet productive day I'd had planned for kicking off the new year, I can’t complain. Well, I could, but it would just be petty. I had a problem and a solution was provided. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Being New Year’s Day, no plumber is going to come out without costing you at least an arm and, most likely, a leg. The super good news is that I've got this great group of friends I can count on to help me out. The good news for them, of course, is that my clogged drain was the perfect excuse to purchase a heavy duty drum auger (otherwise known as a plumber's snake or drain cleaner) that will likely have use for any number of our friends.
As for me, I’m apparently going to have to have the main drain of my house snaked every year as I have a big tree in my front yard that likes to entangle its roots around and in the pipe running out to the city sewer line. You’d think just cutting the tree down would help but a) I love the tree and the shade it provides (not too mention being ultra pretty when covered with snow — as seen at left in this pictures taken before I realized the issue in the basement) and b) I've been told that, after the cost of having a tree removed, the roots are going to just keep going for another decade or so anyway. Despite not being the restful and yet productive day I'd had planned for kicking off the new year, I can’t complain. Well, I could, but it would just be petty. I had a problem and a solution was provided. It doesn’t get much better than that.
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