Should I change the name of my Blog?? :-)

To Sandra's journey with Hormones!   OMG!

I have been absent for a while.  No I haven't been anywhere, just exhausted, mentally, physically, spiritually.

I had my annual physical...well I missed last years so my not so annual.   Got my results came back and my thyroid is showing low.  Well I have been having problems for 20 years with my thyroid; showing all the systems but nothing has shown in my blood work till now and that's because my menopausal hormones are aggravating the situation.   I've worked with naturopaths and other alternative health practitioners, but I never seem to get anywhere solid.   I think because I have been so exhausted for so long I have learn how to survive and get buy, but never energized. 

...soooo....the doc put me on thyroid medication (with a twist) and my compound pharmacist put me on an adrenal support program by Dr James Wilson.  I also bought his book, Adrenal Fatigue by Dr James L.Wilson N.D. D.C. Ph.D to read where he lays out how to heal your adrenals.  Together we are creating a healing road for me. 

My weight is up 12lbs!  I have a wonderful doctor who's going to see my once a month for just one more accountability person and review how I am doing with everything.  I have 2 months to my daughters wedding, just incase my stress level wasn't enough :-)

Thank goodness for the adrenal hand book I am going to need it.  I am currently reading the chapter on lifestyle and how to change them without causing more stress, the food chapter is next.  There is a lot of information about cortisol levels in this book and how to balance them out.   I will be doing the BFC just adapting any foods to include healing foods and exclude any that aggravate either adrenals or thyroid function.

Now I am going to do a pilate workout.  I am only to work out to tolerance, I thought that was interesting prescription "to tolerance"  just the wording made a shift for me.  It was explained to me that;  if after my work out I am exhausted then next work out bring it down a bit.  Build slowly!  You should feel good after you work out.   I thought, Really?  I never knew that ;-)  feeling good after a work out?  and not needing to rest or collapse.

Sandra

Still working out!! Yeah!

Hi Everyone....It's so great to see everybody back posting ;-)  the holiday are busy and fun but I love January and getting back to it :-)   
 Just wanted quickly post that I am still doing my commitment of 20 minutes a day...almost didn't today after work.  I was very tired and cranky.  ( I didn't set my stuff up before I left this morning )
 ...But I put on one of my favorite yoga dvd and I pushed my way through with some motivational self talk.   I told myself that I will feel so much better if I just did my 20 minutes, then I can sit down..and reminded myself how bad I feel if I just sat down .."you know you won't get back up to do any kind of workout".   Seemed to help. 

Now I have set everything up for after work tomorrow and off to bed to read.   I am also trying to set a better sleep routine. 

Happy 2013 Everyone :-)

Well so far so good...I start a movement plan on December 22, 2012.   I don't like to start on January 1st feels like too much pressure :-)   So I started just before Christmas with working out 20 minutes a per day for 6 days a week.  I will be doing that for 30 days then increasing.   Since I have been working all year long to heal my hip and ankle I am taking it easy and trying for consistency.   That has always been a struggle in the past for me.   This year I really am aiming for consisted effort on my part.   I did very well last year with getting sugar out and had success with the hitting 30lbs down but it balance out at 27.5lbs just wouldn't move past that very frustrating.   I have done my best with changing how I eat now lets add some real movement.   I have read some about movement helping heal your metabolism; so I am adding it in;  I have tried before but I kept re-injuring myself.  That's why I asked around to some trainers and got some suggestions from them and this is what I came up with for me.

I have a choice of  free weights / yoga / zumba / bosa ball (probably more but that will do for now) -  all at home;  gyms scare me at this time of year :-)  plus I have everything I need at home.   I set everything up before I leave for work and then when I get home I change my clothes; turn on the dvd of choice and a 20 minute timer and go.   Then in 30 days I will increase to 30 minutes 6 days a week.  Each month evaluating every 30 days to see what I need or want next.  

Monday morning will be the weigh-in and measure-in to see my progress.  I will also do a blog that day for accountability :-)

New years *Wishes* to you all for the best outcomes in all that you do in 2013!

Happy 12-12-12 birthday to my daughter !

Well it's my daughter 12 - 12 -12 birthday!  I delivered a red velvet with cream cheese icing cake to her at work and told them it was Twelveina's Birthday today :-)  she loves all the attention and turned red as her red sweater she was wearing.  Lot's of fun.   I didn't have any cake...but I might have a bite when I go back to pick her up for some late night girl shopping after work.  That's what we are doing for her birthday together...the weekend will be with all her other peeps! 

My friend help me get my house all decorated and we had wine and a good time!  The house looks wonderful and I am almost done with all the preparations for christmas stuff...you know visits, office parties, house parties, etc.   I will be starting my events this Saturday with the office gathering then sunday with a Christmas tour day.  I am going up to the local mountain with friends then a late lunch ..then Christmas light tour and back to my house to visit.   Should be fun and busy.  

Wishing you all lots of fun....try to just enjoy the moment. 
 ....Nobody will know that you forgot to get the perfect candles or "whatever" we are the only ones who knows what goes on in our heads...shhhhh....and don't tell them what you forgot...just have fun together!

Well the Christmas rush is on!

I was out in the stores today with my daughter - her birthday is the 12th and it has always sent in me into panic mode to get everything done for some reason.   I do my best during this time of the year not to watch TV commercial and not to listen to the radio again the commercials...they get me going into panic mode and that I have to get things done now.    I have learn to stop myself and take a breath so I can enjoy myself with my family and friends, but it's insane that I still have to stop myself.  Oh well at least I have learn to stop myself.  I would like to eventually not even start down the panic road...one day...right :-)  

Well I have finished up the big changes I was working on and now I can settle into the season. ( Sorry no details..it's a secret... as someone might read them that shouldn't know ;-)     I am behind on my Christmas decorations;  so my friend has offered to come over and spend the day with me to do just that.  We can break out the wine and put on the Christmas music and have fun!   I hope everyone else is enjoying the season and doing all the seasonal fun stuff like I am.   I am going to try the pumpkin protein shake this week....did you know that pumpkin is one of the super nutritional foods!   I love pumpkin so I'm really looking forward to that one.

Wishing you all lots of seasonal fun stuff! 

Seasonal ideas...

....Grab some of your favorite holiday tea in a To Go mug and look at Christmas Lights in the neighbourhood....We drive around with holiday music on...some people even have their lights set to music that you can listen in on a station they have setup on the car radio.

Why I have been gone so long!

Hi All,

Well I am back :-)   my computer died and it took awhile to get back online. I haven't master typing on my tablet it just causes me great stress doing that.  Also I have working on some big changes that I hope will be completed this week.  So I haven't been blogging or leaving messages but I am still here!  

I was reading on Rosalie's blog - Trina's comment that the our blood sugar spike double with whole wheat bread over a snickers bar...I'm going for the snickers bar!  lol.  No I am not but in my experience as soon as I touch anything with wheat my cravings are back full on!   One of my biggest problems is night time cravings and when I do the BFC original with no wheat; I don't have a problem with craving in the evening.  It's very manageable even if I am experience stress or emotional stress I can't deal with it.  But if I have been eating wheat the craving monster has a tantrum and I often give in to it.   Well now I know I can do better :-)  Thanks for sharing that from the Dr Oz show, I missed it.

Happy December everyone!

Snowshoeing

I have mentioned before that I have a goal of snowshoeing this winter.  Well yesterday I was looking at some snowshoes to buy :-)  visualization with action... lol ... and today I am doing my walking, which is doing very good.     Also today I am making the protein bars that everyone has been enjoying....mmmmm.   plus getting my food prepared for the week.   I ate my breakfast this morning within an hour of waking up...I actually get a bit nauseous eating in the morning but I am having good results from it energy and weight wise, so I am thinking it will pass and it's just my body readjusting.

Well off to clean my fridge and make food....what an exciting day...I can hardly contain myself...NOT :-)

Breakfast is the Key!

Last week at the advised of Rosalie I started eating a real breakfast (fiber and protein/veggies).   I have often missed or ate it later mid-morning or drank it as I ran out the door but I made a point of eating within an hour of waking as I was told :-)  .  Then in our local news this week they have a regular piece done by a local doctor also mentioning that they have scientific proof that breakfast is the most important meal of the day...below is a article with some links if you are interested. 

 "By Malika Dalamal

We've always been big fans of the morning meal - especially when it looks like this. But now we have     proof that breakfast really is worth waking up for as neuroscientists have discovered that skipping breakfast means your brain is primed to look for unhealthier, higher-calorie foods later in the day.

In an article in the Guardian, Tony Goldstone, of the MRC Clinical Science Centre at Imperial College London, talks about his findings after he scanned the brains of people who skipped meals. He also discovered that people who miss the first meal of the day eat more at lunch time. "Not surprisingly, when they are fasted they are hungry and they rate the high-calorie foods as more appealing than when they are fed," said Goldstone. "For low-calorie foods, the effect is not as marked. When they come out of the scanner, they are given lunch and they eat more when they haven't had breakfast."

We don't want to say we told you so but..."

I found it wonderful how I was getting these messages coming from all directions :-)  Did I get the message?  Yes!   and this week I reported my weight went down!  It hadn't moved lower for 6 weeks it did go up 2-3lbs depending on the day but now it's down to a new low!!   I did notice my food choices were different at lunch, all good and healthy.   I also made sure I added some green veggies to breakfast and lunch.   Dinner is still a challenge but I am eating  food all day so it feels okay I  make up some protein then when I get home I just have to do something with veggies and heat the protein.   Sometimes if I am not very hungry at dinner I just have a bit of protein and that's it.   The message for this week is eat your breakfast!! get your metabolism started first thing.   "Break The Fast" and things will work better.....that's what I have posted on my fridge to remind me.  This is a big thing for me to change I started as a teen not eating breakfast so I have to reprogram to make the positive change for myself.

Oh and PS
I am on my days off I ate my breakfast by 9:00 a.m. (see I listened Rosalie :)  another big accomplishment for me...I have been a big offender of not eating until 11a.m. or 2 in the afternoon on chore days or days off ....so big YEAH!  and it shows ;-)

 

Inspiration sneaking in :-)

Well I feel a bit better today...feeling like a cup of tea too ;-)  after I saw Patti message lol.  After a good pep talk from Rosalie!  Thank you Rosalie!!  I feel better, I even went out I got myself some wraps and stuff to make a  wrap for breakfast.  I am going to eat my breakfast not drink it :-)  so I had a good breakfast & lunch...no snacks just some coffee with almond milk (too busy at work to have snacks).   Now it's time for dinner and here I sit totally uninspired :(  tea as I said sounds good and view some blogs. 
...Well at least I eat breakfast and lunch and that is what I am trying to do this week.  I will head out for my walk ( I am doing so good at that )  and see what happens with food when I get back.  I am hungry, just don't want to prepare anything....once I get through this week my next days off I will do some prep work with single size portion as Dawn is suggesting today :-)   It's tiring after a day of work to come home and cook to much...even worst when you don't really like to cook or make stuff...I like to be served...lol :-)

See you in the Blogs :-)

Another busy weekend :-)

My Daughter surprise birthday party was this weekend..Hawaiian theme it was fun.  Today is her actual birthday and we have a birthday tea...she still loves tea parties...hahaha :-) She turns 25 today all grown up and having a tea party :-)  She also loves 'High Tea'  I will have to take her to Victoria BC once for a very English High Tea at the Empress Hotel.

I haven't done well with my eaten this week.   Need to get back on track.  I made myself one of my favorite soups but it didn't turn out...too much spice and too salty?  I guess I wasn't paying attention and trying to cook quickly as I ran to my next thing that had to be done :-(    I hate my cooking this month.

I am also not being prepared with my food in fact I am not taking care of myself well at all.  I will have to refocus today and make this week all about making food for me and my freezer to help me get over this hump and back on track.  I just really don't want to make food UGH.   Boiling an egg feels like too much LOL.

Well wish me luck :-)  I will read all your blogs to see if I can inspire myself into cooking.

Today is a new day :-)

Good Morning everyone

Just finished our Canadian Thanksgiving weekend it was only 2 dinners...usually it works out to 3 dinners in my family and friend group.  But from here till the end of the year it's a mine field for me lots of birthdays which mean family gatherings and food.   I know I can make good choices so going into this time of year after doing this since February I have a good foundation.   

Movement has been a big issue for me this year and it is finally showing some real improvement.  I have been doing great with my walking, even headed out at 6:45a.m. one morning :-)  I go for 30 minutes I don't know how far I go just keep and fast pace (for me) for 20 then cool it down for 10.   I keep in my head that I want to snowshoe this winter!  I have wanted to do this for years and every year comes and goes and I haven't done it...but this year is already different I bought a seasons pass to the local mountain and in the package I get one free rental of the snowshoes and a guided walk on the mountain in the snow.   Plus my daughter who loves the outdoors is going too....so I have made a commitment to her!  Accountability! 

Speaking of Accountability, that's the other thing that has got me this far through this blog I have accountability so I am recommitting to blog weekly here.  I wish I was close enough to join Rosalie's support group that would be fun and great to meet some of you.  I know sometimes I don't blog for a while because  of one thing or another mostly it's in my head...If don't have some great success to report then I get down on myself and  'beat myself up' which leaves me very unmotivated to blog.    Moving forward  I will commit for myself to just blog because it keeps me on track!  and it's all in our heads right!  Just make a shift in our heads and do it.   Also everyone has been so supportive even though I don't have recipes and knowledge to share :-)  Just my thoughts and struggles ( and there is a lot of struggles :-)  and I look forward to your comments that's really keeps me blogging which then keeps me on track.    When you are doing these type of life changing things it's really good to feel connected to others who understand how much effort you are putting in; just to get through the day of eating well....and now movement! yeah!  Really I can't express enough on how happy I am I can walk as well as I am!  I am on my way.

Thanks for listening :-)

Wow! a whole month...No Blogging

Hi Everyone....I have been commenting and reading blogs, but haven't been in the mindset to do any blogging myself.  I have been in the 'Y' Loop as I call it:   Why this....Why that...Why can't I make this work?  just circling back to Why?  and 'Why' question only create more 'y' questions.  Ever play the little kid game to see how many time you can ask why?  Well turns out in my head it feels like infinity squared.

So how do you stop, you say?  or maybe not...you might just be looking at these words and saying she needs to stop whining and get on with it.   But actually the way I am stopping it is by changing the question to 'How' questions like;  How can I get there and enjoy the process?....turning my why's into how's.  It takes concisous effort on my part to be aware that I am stuck on the 'Y' loop and change the question to 'How'  and then remember to add 'and enjoy the process'.   Life needs more enjoyment and we have to make it better for ourselves one choice at a time. 

I have been at a standstill with my weight for the past month once again...so I have to changed my 'Why can't I get this weight to move off my body??!!'  to   'How can I get things moving and enjoy the process?'  I find whenever I have done this in my past it has opened doors to ideas when I least expect it.  It's just that I have been stuck in the 'y' loop for a long time I had forgotten about it how to stop it, till someone reminded me of this.  I was so grateful to be reminded it has already started to help.

Just this past weekend I was in the middle of the 'y' loop and I changed it to how...then my daughter calls and suggested we go to the mountain top so I dragged myself out and went with her.   Once there my whole head space changed I felt happy and inspired the mountain air got me out of my mental slump.   That was yesterday and today I went for the first of my daily walks that I have committed to.  

I have come along way since November of last year when I injured myself and couldn't walk very far at all.   I walked at a good pace and my strided was so much better and I didn't have to make it short due to my leg giving out.  It was a good day :-)

Cheers to you all

Birthday post

Hello Everyone :-)  This a very special week for me!

I am holidays for my birthday week...yes I put aside a week not just a day...LOL :-)

I spent my birthday up one of our local mountains...what a beautiful view.  I love it hear in BC you can be up in the mountains then down enjoying the sea all in the same day...going from cold to hot :-)  Gorgeous out fantastic weather to see all the sights and views. ( I was going to post pictures but my daughter didn't send them to me yet...so they will follow)

This was the first birthday in over a decade that I wasn't bigger than the year before!   I am so happy it's a big change for me...and I have to thank my blogging community, the support, information and how everyone shares their experience and knowledge has really help make the change for me.  It has made a HUGE difference for me.

Thank You All!!

For the first time in years I have made changes in my mindset;  I see it all so differently.  I see and accept that it is a lifestyle.  I am also accepting that for me;  this is necessary for my health.  I get it now, and the big change is that 'I am happy with it'.  I no longer feel like it just me being singled out and restricted.  Before it was always in the back of my thoughts that it was a punishment that I wasn't allowed the food I thought I loved...so I want them more :-)   and I felt I deserved to eat whatever I wanted and got very angry at anyone who said differently.   I guess I made the 'mental switch' Finally :-)... and I am going forward fine tuning along the way to what my body needs to be healthy, strong and energized.

It's been a good year!  I survived the ups and downs and made a big change in my life...kicking and screaming but change just the same :-)

Cheers! and Hugs! to All :-)

Finally

Good Morning All,

Finally the scale moved to 219lbs  Yeah!! (that's 2lbs lower).   I lowered my carbs to 20-25 grams a day, seems I am very carb sensitive.  I have been reading a book called "Why We Get FAT" by Gary Taubes a very interesting read, my daughter shared it with me.   He is basicly stating that:  "Carbohydrates make us fat and they do so independently of the first law of thermodynamics. Forget about calories, you can eat as many or as few of those as you'd like, ultimately weight is purely about carbohydrates." 

We will see :-)   if my numbers now consistently go down or not, with my reduce carb intake.   I am sticking to the idea once I achieve my goal weight, and I will!  I will then have to test which carbs work well with me, introducing them slowly and seeing how the effect my weight.   Which is basically what we are all doing by fine tuning are diets to how our bodies react to certain foods.

Hugs to all...I know allot of us are having major stressful times in our lives at the moment and the strength you are all showing is amazing.  Sending good thoughts and love to you all.

Recommitting

After a bumpy couple of weeks I am recommitting to BFC with lower carbs between 20 to 40 a day until things start to happen again.  Also as Rosalie told me add some green to my diet!  That's a hard one for me so I am cooking up my kale and have a few emergency frozen broccoli & cauliflower steamers to get me on the road to veggie land.   It's not that I don't like veggies; I do, I just get lazy and eat very plain I don't like meals everyday so I have little mini-meals.  You see I am non-conformist try to conform...very challenging.
Mornings I have been doing great at;  I have hard boil eggs in the fridge and my protein drink all ready easy peasy for me to grab and remember in the morning even on my days off!!

As for the news on the hormonal front...OMG!

....so many suggestions; so many opinions; so many variables: so many choice with no straight answer...the short version try something;  see if it works for you because everybody's journey is individual.  I am taking Evening Primrose Oil only now.   I take it in the morning then another just before bed.  It seems to be helping.   I will keep this up for a while before adding  anything else....and the no sugar diet is very good for helping balance the hormones :-)

Busy weekend

Very busy weekend, 2 days off and didn't stop...muscles are soar I seemed to walk for 2 days.  No relief on the hormonal front doctor is sending me to a specialist but I don't have much hope from them... I am keeping it natural as possible black cohosh is what I have been using but its not working any more and I tried maca same..night/day sweats etc. continue.   So next stop the compound pharmacist that specializes in bio-identical therapy...will keep you posted.

As for eating I'm doing well...helps to be with my daughter that last couple of days as she is on a health kit and getting sugar and wheat out of her life.  Hope you are all doing well; now I am off to work for another exciting day :-)  can you hear the sarcasm in they typing...LOL

I fell :-(

I fell off the wagon and jumped into the bread basket...aaauughh....I totally comfort ate last night!  Yes night time eating and it was bread...wheat!    I don't know why?  it was there; I was there; then it was in my belly.  Total comfort food meltdown -  tea and toast with peanut butter and jam.    Its my weakness but I have been so good for so long I don't know what got into me.   Hormones!!   they betrayed me again.   I felt the stressed and didn't use any of my techniques to release (I have a few that work) I just went for the easiest path :-(   food.....aaaaughhh.

Okay I have confessed my sins;  time to brush off the dirt and get up and jump back on the wagon.  Its actually very cleansing to type this out....I wish I could do this with all my stuff that I seem to like to beat myself up with but then I would be putting to much private information out there....and we all know that's hasn't turn out well for some of our blogging friends.  I miss Wednesday Confessionals :-( 

Cheers!

Back to Work

Well I am done with my 3day weekend and now back to work.  I think my meno moods are better with my work day routine.  On my days off I just seem to stop my morning routine and food prep;  that means I forget my supplements and balanced eating.  I still eat BFC just feels like I forget to eat most of the time.  I am going to get some information on the menopause stuff tomorrow.  I think it has alot to do with that, I am not in a good head space and I need some help with balancing things out.  Atleast with work days I have a routine;  I get up in the morning make my shake with all my vitamins in it and take my supplements then once I am there I am forced to take lunch at a certain time etc. etc.   I cooked up a storm last night prep-ing for the next couple of days so lots of good food choices! So I am good to go :-)

One a side note:    We had a wicked lightning storm last night for 3 hours!!  and I am sure one of the fork lightning hit the ground within a mile of my house!! Yikes! The thunder crack made me jump 3 feet in the air...scarey!  But I kept cooking LOL

Long weekend!!! yippy!

Well we are having our long weekend....BC Day!  so oops, I have had a little more carbs than usual..still BCF friendly but for me I have to keep my carbs lower...so no new lower numbers (I am bouncing higher).   Also I think I am pms-ing or is it just one long pms since I am menopause-ing;  I just don't know anymore. I get my cycle it then it goes away for months then it comes back but you still get symptoms...its all so unfair and exhausting.   I am going to a couple of different health practitioners to get some help and information.

I think the fact that my weight is still going down even though its slow is a very good sign, and that I am on the right track with my eating.   Most women going through menopause usual see a weight gain of 10lbs to 15lbs!   I am doing great!  Not only haven't I gone up;  I have gone down and more than 15lbs.  Yeah! for me.   I am coming up to my birthday this month I am targeting 30lbs down or better...its only 4.5 away  I can do it!!  this will be the first birthday in 10 yrs that I will be smaller than the year before.  Big Woot! Woot!

Good Morning

Good News I am still at 221lbs...I haven't bounced up (fingers crossed) I am listening to the pod cast that Trina suggested http://www.askthelowcarbexperts.com/2012/01/1-weight-loss-obstacles-jackie-eberstein/
I am finding it to be a good pep talk and reminding me of things to focus on.

Stress is a big one in my life, it's been chronic in my life;  which I have just gotten use to it and I think my body has gotten suck!  Managing stress is a big one for me, there really is no way to get rid of it from our lives other than going to live in the mountains away from all and then the bears and other wild things might cause you stress..LOL so finding a way to manage it sounds better to me.   Also they suggested to adding Chromium Polynicotinate and resistant training.   I have been trying to add the resistant training to my weekly routine and have been having a challenge with motivation and energy.  I will go today to my friendly health food store and pick me up some Chromium P.