I've been really bad at updating lately. Hopefully after the grocery shopping trip I have planned for tomorrow and getting back to really gung ho about my diet I will be posting more.
I started charting this cycle. I had the WORST period of my life to start it off with. I was seriously in agony. There was a day where sitting in the chair at my desk hurt so much I just laid down on my office floor. And I work at a car wash, so nothing (other than the cars coming out!) is clean, including the office floor. But it felt so good! It's been hard getting back into the habit of charting after two years of not doing it. I'm hating taking my temperature in the morning! I have to temp vaginally because I sleep with my mouth open. Yesterday I think I was so tired when my alarm went off to take my temp (5:25am, because that's when I randomly took it the first day) that I forgot to actually turn the thermometer on and then fell asleep. When I woke up I removed it and turned it on and saw a really low temp. I don't think it was an actual reading because the last temp always shows up when you turn it on, and that temp didn't show up today. So, yeah, temping is driving me crazy. I will get used to it though, just like I did before. I've also been checking my cervical fluid. I have found that checking internally is the best for me. I didn't start this until a few days after my period ended. I definitely went from dry to one day of sticky to a few days of creamy so far. Tonight, though, it had a very pink/red tinge to it. I'm excited thinking this may be ovulation spotting, but it could also be any number of things, including my cycle being lame and my period being on its way. So we will see! I'm getting back to checking my cervix as well. I'm not marking these readings down yet because it's a sign that's very difficult for me to get accustomed to. So I'm kind of just scoping it out right now.
Okay, I just have to say that I love going out to eat and having complete control over my meal. Donnie and I were off today and ran some errands and decided to go out to lunch. We went to BD's Mongolian BBQ. I don't think if this is a national chain or not, but it should be. Basically, you get a bowl, go through a "salad bar" type line and pick your meat/seafood/pasta, then your veggies, then your sauces. Then you take it to a big grill and watch them cook it for you. I LOVE this place! I've been really trying to eat the best I can lately, given that I seriously need to go grocery shopping. This meal just made me happy. I had two plates today. The first was chicken (boneless/skinless), shrimp, broccoli, bean sprouts, pineapple, onion and edemame with soy and ginger sauces. The second was all veggies (since I was full but really wanted more!): broccoli, onion, pineapple, pea pods, baby corn and edamame with a sweet orange peel sauce and teriyaki sauce. Now, granted, the sauces weren't incredible choices as I'm sure they're filled with sugar and definitely lots of sodium, but I think overall it balanced out well. I just love that I had total control over my meal. I didn't have to ask for substitutions or feel bad about anything I ate, I didn't have to feel like "Well, most of this is good, so it's okay", or anything like that. I chose exactly what I wanted and it was delicious. And it was good for me, and totally within my diet. I walked away uncomfortably full but HAPPY.
Tomorrow I'm making salmon and I can't wait. I've managed to talk myself out of making it the last few nights because I never felt like going to the store to get stuff to go with it. How lame is that? The scale is not being friendly, so I'm very excited to go shopping and fill the house with yummy, healthy food!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
OMG OMG OMG OMG
I owe Donnie $20. But I also have actual reason to think I ovulated! Gonna be charting this cycle to see what happens. Maybe I can check "ovulate at least once without medication" off of my list! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PCOS BE DAMNED!!!!!!!!
PCOS BE DAMNED!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Holy Body Confusion, Batman!
So, with PCOS, a common symptom is irregular cycles. This was my very first symptom, and it's stuck with me for almost 16 years now. The only time I have ever had a regular cycle was while on birth control, and even then it was sometimes still wacky. So, here I am, 27 years old, slowly giving up on the idea of ever having kids, and I decide to start really battling my PCOS on my own. I've done birth control, I've done Metformin, and while I have no complaints about any of it, no bad side effects or anything, I just don't want to do that anymore. I want to see where I can get just by changing how I eat, exercising, and working with the problem instead of masking it. So, I started the Ultra-Metabolism
diet and while I haven't been wonderful with it (which is directly related to my lack of blogging lately), I do try to stick to it when I can. Well, after about six months of getting my period every two months-ish, I ended up getting it in June, and 33 days later in July. I remember texting my BFF and telling her I got it and it was weird because it had only been four weeks, lol. Now, 31 days later, it seems like another cycle may be moving in. Of course, I may be wrong. But, on August 5th, Cycle Day 19, I was complaining to my BFF about my ovary hurting. Did I ovulate? Maybe? I don't know! But I'm excited. To think that while I'm still totally unhealthy, a super simple change may have led to my body self-regulating, is just - I don't even have the words. So, here's to hoping that a new cycle starts in the next few days!!! Though, I'd be happy if it didn't, because if it does, I owe Donnie $20. I've been super irritable the last few days and he has noticed a direct link between that my period lol. So, we shall see. If it does come, I will be doing some serious charting this next cycle to see what happens.
diet and while I haven't been wonderful with it (which is directly related to my lack of blogging lately), I do try to stick to it when I can. Well, after about six months of getting my period every two months-ish, I ended up getting it in June, and 33 days later in July. I remember texting my BFF and telling her I got it and it was weird because it had only been four weeks, lol. Now, 31 days later, it seems like another cycle may be moving in. Of course, I may be wrong. But, on August 5th, Cycle Day 19, I was complaining to my BFF about my ovary hurting. Did I ovulate? Maybe? I don't know! But I'm excited. To think that while I'm still totally unhealthy, a super simple change may have led to my body self-regulating, is just - I don't even have the words. So, here's to hoping that a new cycle starts in the next few days!!! Though, I'd be happy if it didn't, because if it does, I owe Donnie $20. I've been super irritable the last few days and he has noticed a direct link between that my period lol. So, we shall see. If it does come, I will be doing some serious charting this next cycle to see what happens.
Friday, August 13, 2010
A Mile a Minute
It's been awhile, I know. Life has been pretty crazy. We had a surprise 50th birthday party for my mom last Friday, so the last few weeks have been packed with preparing for that. My best friend came out from Philadelphia for the weekend and the party. I hadn't seen her since April '09, so that was fun. My eating kinda went out the window. And the scale is showing it. So, my big focus now is on getting back to eating well and starting an exercise program this week!
Here are some pictures to catch you up on the last couple weeks of my life:
This was Donnie's brother Cody's 21st birthday on July 31st. This pic is Donnie, his dad and Cody.
Cody and I
This is my parents at my mom's party. They have been married 28 years but never had an "official" first dance, so I picked a song ("You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" by Gladys Knight) and surprised them!
Tuesday and Wednesday this week were taco night at our house!
The peanut butter I have been using.
I love the ingredients! Or should I say INGREDIENT!
A big batch of Stonyfield Farms Organic yogurt (plain) with vanilla extract, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and chopped walnuts - pretty tasty, but I'm gonna try to get vanilla yogurt next time.
The best part of my breakfast for the last couple of weeks - flaxseed bread with peanut butter and sliced banana...YUM!
If you've never tried Fuze drinks, you should. I love them. They aren't really juice at all, and the ingredients aren't completely great, but it's far from bad for you, unlike many drinks!
Here are some pictures to catch you up on the last couple weeks of my life:
This was Donnie's brother Cody's 21st birthday on July 31st. This pic is Donnie, his dad and Cody.
Cody and I
This is my parents at my mom's party. They have been married 28 years but never had an "official" first dance, so I picked a song ("You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" by Gladys Knight) and surprised them!
Tuesday and Wednesday this week were taco night at our house!
The peanut butter I have been using.
I love the ingredients! Or should I say INGREDIENT!
A big batch of Stonyfield Farms Organic yogurt (plain) with vanilla extract, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and chopped walnuts - pretty tasty, but I'm gonna try to get vanilla yogurt next time.
The best part of my breakfast for the last couple of weeks - flaxseed bread with peanut butter and sliced banana...YUM!
If you've never tried Fuze drinks, you should. I love them. They aren't really juice at all, and the ingredients aren't completely great, but it's far from bad for you, unlike many drinks!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
A Pleasant Surprise
Wow, I'm really sucking at updating lately. I've been working so much and I think I'm just worn out. But, let's see...I was debating whether or not to move on to Phase II of the Ultra-Metabolism Prescription this week or not. I was thinking I'd extend it to four week instead of the three, because I wasn't 100% on plan the whole three weeks. I chose to move on, though, because the food options opened up so much and I really just wanted new food. So, on Tuesday I started Phase II. This phase is the "for life" phase. It reintroduces dairy, eggs and gluten. I haven't had much money for grocery shopping this week so I didn't ease them in like I was supposed to. The plan recommends adding them back in one at a time, with a few days in between so you can see the reactions your body has. I know I'm lactose intolerant, so I picked up Lactaid chewables so I can enjoy dairy. I know I'm okay with eggs, gluten I think I may need to be careful with. So, I'm paying attention. But, I've been so happy to have some yummy grainy bread, whole wheat pasta, and eggs! My food the last couple of days has been so yummy. I haven't been taking pictures, though. Breakfast has been what I've been looking forward to for three weeks - scrambled eggs with shredded cheddar, salsa and sour cream, and toast with peanut butter and a banana.
The pleasant surprise was when I got on the scale this morning. I am down 6.4 pounds! That is just since July 5th. I've never lost weight that quickly! I can only imagine what it would be if I had been 100% on plan! I have my Wii Fit goal as losing 8 pounds by August 5th, so I'm thinking it might actually be possible! I'm so excited and so motivated. I used to be happy to lose .2 pounds a week, so this is just crazy for me. And all I've done is change how I eat! In the past, the best weight loss plan for me has been being on both birth control AND Metformin, and twice that led to losing 15 pounds in 3 or 4 months, so I'm actually losing FASTER this time! It's amazing how simply changing what I eat is brining such amazing results.
The pleasant surprise was when I got on the scale this morning. I am down 6.4 pounds! That is just since July 5th. I've never lost weight that quickly! I can only imagine what it would be if I had been 100% on plan! I have my Wii Fit goal as losing 8 pounds by August 5th, so I'm thinking it might actually be possible! I'm so excited and so motivated. I used to be happy to lose .2 pounds a week, so this is just crazy for me. And all I've done is change how I eat! In the past, the best weight loss plan for me has been being on both birth control AND Metformin, and twice that led to losing 15 pounds in 3 or 4 months, so I'm actually losing FASTER this time! It's amazing how simply changing what I eat is brining such amazing results.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
It's Been Way Too Long...
I don't know why I haven't posted in 11 days! I mean, life has been busy, but, wow. I need to work on that. Now I need to think back and figure out what has been going on.
Well, first off, Donnie and I went camping this weekend. This was my first time camping and I loved it! I peed in the woods, swam in a lake, sat around and did nothing, cooked food over the campfire, slept in a soaking wet tent and saw beautiful night skies. It was a much needed mini-vacation for us, and I can't wait to do it again. I even got to knock two goals off of my 101 list - visiting a place in Michigan I've never been to and going camping. Foodwise, I was pretty good. I didn't intend on staying 100% on plan, so overall I was happy with how I handled things. I packed way too much food. I planned for more meals than we ate there and just wasn't hungry enough for a full three meals plus snacks. I made a big batch of smoothies at home and threw it in a ziploc bag, and had that for breakfast two of the three days. Donnie and I ended up going out to breakfast on Sunday and I went off plan and had a veggie omelet, hashbrowns, toast and orange juice. Oh man, did I pay for that. It was yummy, though! I definitely know that I need to avoid dairy (the cheese in the omelet, ugh), or at least get better about taking a Lactaid when I do have it. I have gotten so accustomed to just ignoring my lactose intolerance because I never got around to buying more Lactaid, and I just can't do that. I also had a very late night grilled cheese cooked over the fire, a couple of small hamburgers, and a couple of s'mores. Oh, and of course there was some drinking. Other than that, though, I had my smoothies, munched on veggies and my first (crappy) attempt at salsa, chicken kabobs, fruit and almonds. I am still sore from swimming which feels great but is upsetting and a sure sign that I need to start working out.
On the diet front, overall I'm doing really well. Donnie makes me so happy when he tells me how proud he is of me! I've been struggling more and more as life as gotten busier, but I'm doing the best I can. I had one night about a week ago where I wound up eating a bunch of crap and definitely paid for it the next day. As much as I hate feeling yucky, I like the reminder to stick to my guns. I had stomach problems for a long time, but shortly after starting the Ultra-Metabolism diet all was well and I couldn't be happier. I've decided to extend the Phase I detox to four weeks instead of the three it's supposed to be, since I've been straying a bit.
Now for some PCOS stuff. My cycle is completely irregular when I'm not on birth control. I went off the pill back in January because my prescription ran out and I just haven't gotten to the doctor yet. I'm thinking I want to stay off of medication if I can, though. I want to see how my body is naturally functioning and how the lifestyle changes I'm making are effecting the various health issues I have. Anywho, so, my period has been every 2-3 months since going off the pill. My last period was July 18. So, color me surprised when Sunday brought on a new cycle! That means I had a 33 day cycle! WTF?! I'm being optimistic and thinking it's because my body is responding to the new way of eating and it's already having a positive effect on my hormones. I'm really hoping this is what it is, because that would make me SO happy! I can't wait to see all of the other changes I will see as time goes on.
Here are some pictures of food I've had lately.
This was salmon I made with a honey dijon sauce recipe I found on All Recipes.
Homemade hummus and veggies...mmmmmmmmmm
This is what I got when we ordered Chinese - steamed veggies, shrimp, chicken, scallops and lobster. So good! I skipped the brown sauce and forgot to specify brown rice so I had to make my own. I'm so excited to be able to order Chinese without worrying!
A yummy tuna lunch
Cilantro lime chicken with peppers, onion and rice
Italian herb and lemon chicken with artichokes and rice
Well, first off, Donnie and I went camping this weekend. This was my first time camping and I loved it! I peed in the woods, swam in a lake, sat around and did nothing, cooked food over the campfire, slept in a soaking wet tent and saw beautiful night skies. It was a much needed mini-vacation for us, and I can't wait to do it again. I even got to knock two goals off of my 101 list - visiting a place in Michigan I've never been to and going camping. Foodwise, I was pretty good. I didn't intend on staying 100% on plan, so overall I was happy with how I handled things. I packed way too much food. I planned for more meals than we ate there and just wasn't hungry enough for a full three meals plus snacks. I made a big batch of smoothies at home and threw it in a ziploc bag, and had that for breakfast two of the three days. Donnie and I ended up going out to breakfast on Sunday and I went off plan and had a veggie omelet, hashbrowns, toast and orange juice. Oh man, did I pay for that. It was yummy, though! I definitely know that I need to avoid dairy (the cheese in the omelet, ugh), or at least get better about taking a Lactaid when I do have it. I have gotten so accustomed to just ignoring my lactose intolerance because I never got around to buying more Lactaid, and I just can't do that. I also had a very late night grilled cheese cooked over the fire, a couple of small hamburgers, and a couple of s'mores. Oh, and of course there was some drinking. Other than that, though, I had my smoothies, munched on veggies and my first (crappy) attempt at salsa, chicken kabobs, fruit and almonds. I am still sore from swimming which feels great but is upsetting and a sure sign that I need to start working out.
On the diet front, overall I'm doing really well. Donnie makes me so happy when he tells me how proud he is of me! I've been struggling more and more as life as gotten busier, but I'm doing the best I can. I had one night about a week ago where I wound up eating a bunch of crap and definitely paid for it the next day. As much as I hate feeling yucky, I like the reminder to stick to my guns. I had stomach problems for a long time, but shortly after starting the Ultra-Metabolism diet all was well and I couldn't be happier. I've decided to extend the Phase I detox to four weeks instead of the three it's supposed to be, since I've been straying a bit.
Now for some PCOS stuff. My cycle is completely irregular when I'm not on birth control. I went off the pill back in January because my prescription ran out and I just haven't gotten to the doctor yet. I'm thinking I want to stay off of medication if I can, though. I want to see how my body is naturally functioning and how the lifestyle changes I'm making are effecting the various health issues I have. Anywho, so, my period has been every 2-3 months since going off the pill. My last period was July 18. So, color me surprised when Sunday brought on a new cycle! That means I had a 33 day cycle! WTF?! I'm being optimistic and thinking it's because my body is responding to the new way of eating and it's already having a positive effect on my hormones. I'm really hoping this is what it is, because that would make me SO happy! I can't wait to see all of the other changes I will see as time goes on.
Here are some pictures of food I've had lately.
This was salmon I made with a honey dijon sauce recipe I found on All Recipes.
Homemade hummus and veggies...mmmmmmmmmm
This is what I got when we ordered Chinese - steamed veggies, shrimp, chicken, scallops and lobster. So good! I skipped the brown sauce and forgot to specify brown rice so I had to make my own. I'm so excited to be able to order Chinese without worrying!
A yummy tuna lunch
Cilantro lime chicken with peppers, onion and rice
Italian herb and lemon chicken with artichokes and rice
Saturday, July 10, 2010
It's Feeling Like a Lifestyle...
Friday was kinda hit and miss on the food front. Food was a big focus for the day, because I spent awhile messaging back and forth on Facebook with Donnie's cousin about our camping trip next weekend. I'm kind of nervous. I really want to stick to my diet as much as possible but it will be hard in that sort of situation, with limited storage space and everyone else eating differently. I have a big list of foods I want to take, most of which I can prepare ahead. It's just a matter of narrowing it down enough to be able to fit in a cooler. I'm confident, though. I may not get through the weekend 100% on plan, but I will do my best and enjoy myself and be proud of sticking to my guns. I got on the scale a couple of days early this morning and was down 2.6 lbs since Monday! If that's not motivation for me to stick to this plan as much as possible, I don't know what is.
I watched two movies yesterday, as well. Only one gets to go toward my 101, though. I watched Miss Conception, which was a lame romantic movie with Heather Graham using an English accent and trying to get pregnant when she finds out she only has one egg left and is about to ovulate. Cute, but lame as expected. It lets me knock M off of my list, though! When I got home Donnie and I watched Shrek the Third, because I hadn't seen it yet and want to see the new one. So cute! I love Shrek!!!! I'm also excited to report that we finally got the washer and dryer hooked up and I was able to wash two loads last night. It's crazy how big of a difference in your life simply being able to do laundry at home makes!
Yesterday wasn't overly exciting food-wise. I had my usual smoothie for breakfast, and totally bombed on lunch. I brought the leftover arugula salad, topped with some more baby spring mix greens and the golden vinaigrette dressing, a can of tuna and some white beans with dijon. It should have been yummy. But, there was so much oil in the dressing that it just ruined it all. I even went in the bathroom at work and drained some oil out but it was still gross. I ate as much as I could and gave up. I ate my almonds and went home and had a grapefruit. I sincerely believe this was the first time I've ever eaten a grapefruit without sugar! Yum! Donnie wasn't very hungry when I wanted to make dinner, so I just threw together a bit of a stir fry. I had an uncooked chicken breast leftover from the other night and some leftover rice. I cut up the chicken and cooked it in some EVOO with garlic and ground ginger, tossed in a bag of frozen bell pepper strips and some edamame. It was colorful and yummy and with some low-sodium soy sauce it was totally my kind of meal!
I watched two movies yesterday, as well. Only one gets to go toward my 101, though. I watched Miss Conception, which was a lame romantic movie with Heather Graham using an English accent and trying to get pregnant when she finds out she only has one egg left and is about to ovulate. Cute, but lame as expected. It lets me knock M off of my list, though! When I got home Donnie and I watched Shrek the Third, because I hadn't seen it yet and want to see the new one. So cute! I love Shrek!!!! I'm also excited to report that we finally got the washer and dryer hooked up and I was able to wash two loads last night. It's crazy how big of a difference in your life simply being able to do laundry at home makes!
Yesterday wasn't overly exciting food-wise. I had my usual smoothie for breakfast, and totally bombed on lunch. I brought the leftover arugula salad, topped with some more baby spring mix greens and the golden vinaigrette dressing, a can of tuna and some white beans with dijon. It should have been yummy. But, there was so much oil in the dressing that it just ruined it all. I even went in the bathroom at work and drained some oil out but it was still gross. I ate as much as I could and gave up. I ate my almonds and went home and had a grapefruit. I sincerely believe this was the first time I've ever eaten a grapefruit without sugar! Yum! Donnie wasn't very hungry when I wanted to make dinner, so I just threw together a bit of a stir fry. I had an uncooked chicken breast leftover from the other night and some leftover rice. I cut up the chicken and cooked it in some EVOO with garlic and ground ginger, tossed in a bag of frozen bell pepper strips and some edamame. It was colorful and yummy and with some low-sodium soy sauce it was totally my kind of meal!
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