Breaking The Silence

Well folks, after my OBGYN told me not to follow the ketogenic (20g of carbs or less) diet after it badly messed with my hormones, she said I had to do 50g of carbs MINIMUM per day.  You know what happened?

I fell off the bandwagon a few weeks ago, and now I'm really bummed and feeling a little hopeless... especially because I epically tripped on a curb last week and injured my left (dominant) hand and right leg.  Hashtag, klutzforlife. 

My hand is healing well, and though it didn't affect my ability to play the piano, my handwriting has changed slightly.  That's fine by me, though, because I believe it got a smidge more legible!

My leg... my leg is not doing well.  When I'm home, it's pretty much constantly elevated and iced.  I use a tens unit combined with ice to increase circulation. The PT guy at my chiropractor had fun taping my leg up yesterday to also help increase circulation.  I cannot go for a leisurely walk without feeling like someone is ripping all the meat off my shin... and by leisurely walk, I mean any and all movement.  If you see me around, I'll have a positive face on, because there is just not much else I can do... and I cannot... I will not let this impact my daily living.

Well, I will not let this impact my daily living except my ability to break a sweat on the elliptical.  Though I promise it won't become a clothes rack, it will be out of commission for a bit.  Long lovely walks with my amazingly supportive boyfriend may also be on the backburner for a while.

Since my last blog post, I hit the 15 pounds lost benchmark.  Since falling off the bandwagon, I put about 8 back on, give or take a few (I weighed while on my period, and we all know that can do horrid things to the scale).  Good news, though, is that my smaller jeans still fit well.

Here's to a restart of a simply low-carb (50g-ish of carbs per day) approach.  Gotta keep trucking!

PS. See the sparkly size 7 ring?  That's my next mini goal!  I'm not the girliest girl, but I do like pretty things. At my thinnest back in high school, I wore a size 5 ring... small steps!

Keto Day, well... Ch- Ch- Ch- Ch- Chaaanges!

I've been following a low carbohydrate, spefically Ketogenic, diet since March 4th, 2017. I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), and I'm a slow loser coming in at a 10 lb weight loss just barely as of Thursday morning. 

My old jeans began feeling loose weeks ago, so I went online and found the next size smaller (my favorite brand are hard to find locally). They arrived Wednesday night. When I looked at them, I thought, "Damn, I forgot to get the curvy fit, these aren't going to work." I put them aside and went to bed feeling depressed. Thursday morning, I begrudgingly tried them on, and they fit PERFECTLY (the photo posted shows the difference between my old and new jeans).  That made my day!!!

And my week!!!

Thank goodness, because I needed it.

I recently gave up dairy products with the support of my OBGYN in hopes that it would have a positive effect on my menstrual issues.

Well, it didn't.

About 2 weeks ago, I increased my carbohydrate intake for 5 days to see if that would help (sometimes lady stuff responds negatively to big diet changes, like going super low low carb).

That didn't help either.

I called my OBGYN on Monday to problem-solve and she was not at work. Tuesday morning she called me and said she could see me in June... JUNE!!! I am hopping on a plane with my boyfriend next week for a trip East Coast and trust me, you don't want the girl problems I've got while flying.  I expressed this and was told she'd go see what other options were available.  About 15 minutes later I got another call; there was a miracle 11am cancelation!!!

At my appointment I was told that although my blood sugar levels all look good (and have for the last 10 years of annual bloodwork), it's not because they are good... it's because my pancreas is frickin' awesome, apparently. In other words, my pancreas is working harder than it should.  I also learned that I'm insulin resistant.

I have now been put on Metformin, a medication very familiar to a lot of folks with diabetes.  In addition to helping my body use insulin better, it should also have a positive impact on my girl issues. Yesterday was the first day that it didn't make me feel like hurling every other second, or sleeping like a hibernating bear.  With those side effects gone (for now, until further titration in 2 weeks), I'm feeling a bit less angry about it all.  I'm just not a fan of having to take medication... and still a little pissed that it took so long to figure this out despite my diligence in having annual blood panels done (because I know I'm high risk for diabetes).

Since eliminating dairy did no harm or good, I was told to reintroduce it into my diet or start taking a calcium supplement.  Since most vitamins/supplements cause severe vomiting for me... hellooooooo dairy!!!

Yogurt and cheese... I missed you. [Insert heart emoticon here.]

Also... I was instructed to increase my daily carbohydrate allowance from 20 grams to 50 grams, 40 at the very least.  So, this means I'm still following a low carb diet, just not strictly Ketogenic anymore.

If my OBGYN believes this in conjunction with the Metformin will help with my girl issues, I'm on board.

Of course I'll still hop on and blog periodically, because the adventures continue! 

Keto Day 23 - Best leftovers ever!

I made crockpot broccoli and cheese frittata/casserole, and twice baked mashed cauliflower for dinner on Saturday with my amazing but non-keto boyfriend and 2 Mormon missionaries, and they could hardly believe the cauliflower dish wasn't potatoes! That's a WIN! 

You know what that dinner produced?

The best leftovers ever for Sunday after church (which what is in the photos, 'cause I forgot to take photos of the original dishes)! Recipes included in images too!

Even Mango, my crazy orange tabby cat, wanted in on the yummy food!

I'm still doing well, and my digestive system continues to cooperate better than it has in years. So grateful!

Keto Day 10 - Be Prepared, but...

Back when I had my gallbladder still (8-ish years ago), if I was too busy to eat, I would just not eat. No big deal. Since I have no gallbladder and a constant bile drip that my body never adapted to (my doc said about 1 in 1,000 never adapt), I can't skip meals without getting very ill. 

This morning I was faced with the desire to get to work early, and the reality that I had failed to prepare food last night for today. I ate 2 string cheese sticks right after waking up (I have learned that if I don't put something in soon after rising, I get stomach issues), got ready for work, and left home with hopes of finding luck when I stopped for gas.

It's best to be prepared, but if you find yourself running out the door in the morning for work without having made breakfast or lunch, there are easy and Keto-friendly rescue options out there!

Thank goodness!

The Holiday gas station near my office had packs of cheese and meat sticks, cheese slices with salami to make "cheese sandwiches," and boiled eggs!!!  My total carbs today are good and low at 4 grams (3 grams of those are from my vitamins). My fats are on target, and my protein is only a few grams high.

Mondays are weigh-in days for the Facebook group I joined for support with this Ketogenic WOE (way of eating).  I'm down 5 pounds in 10 days.  My NSV (Non-Scale Victory) is that my jeans can now be put on and taken off without unbuttoning or unzipping them!

I'd like to also add that my mean ol' digestive system continues to work properly again with this new WOE.  That's my biggest NSV ever! 

Keto Day 2 - Not so bad...

I recently moved into a new apartment, and church starts later in the day than I have been accustomed to.  As a treat, I slept in today, and combined breakfast and lunch into one meal.  So, I guess I made brunch!

Before cooking, I ate 2 pieces of string cheese to make sure I had some fuel to function.  I opened a tube of pork breakfast sausage (super cheap at Walmart, by the way), separated it into 4 serving-sized patties, browned them in a skillet, then baked them.  One of them was eaten with brunch, and the rest went into the fridge.  While the sausage patties were baking, I made low-carb cream cheese pancakes (look them up, they're pretty tasty) topped with butter instead of a syrup.  My Ninja blender has been a wonderful resource!

After church, and when I was ready for dinner, I cooked 3 eggs in the same skillet the pork sausage was cooked in this morning. With the eggs, I added a half cup of broccoli to the skillet, and about a quarter cup of shredded cheddar cheese melted on top of the broccoli.  I also pulled out one of the pork patties from this morning, put a tablespoon of mayonnaise on it, and added that to my meal.  When I logged dinner on my fitness app to discover that I hadn't met my 20 carb goal and my fats could use some boosting, I enjoyed 2 Clausen dill pickle spears (my favorites) with another tablespoon of mayonnaise.

My indulgence today was made to bring my carbs up from 11 grams to my goal of 20 grams... a neuro drink.  It's fairly good with only 9 grams of carbs per bottle, and it was the one for sleep, which I need help with.  It was in my fridge from before I decided to dive into this new WOE (way of eating), so the temptation to mindlessly chug it is gone now...

***Disclaimer: Yes, I am a member of the LDS/Mormon church, and yes, today was Fast Sunday.  Before any judgement is made for making/eating breakfast, please understand that ever since my gallbladder was removed in 2009, fasting causes me major issues in the digestive department. It is best that I eat regular meals to keep the homeless bile in my system occupied. 

Keto Day 1 - Success!

Day 1 on the ketogenic diet -Ahem!- the ketogenic WOE (way of eating) has been a success!

I wanted to make lunch for my boyfriend, but he follows a strict eat-every-4-hours routine to control his blood sugar (he has type II diabetes) and we had to eat while out-and-about. I found that Carl's Jr. offers low-carb adaptations (lettuce wraps) for all of the burgers and sandwiches on their menu.  I hit the jackpot with a lettuce-wrapped guacamole bacon cheeseburger!!! It was so good... and guilt-free!  The very few carbs in it had to be from the guacamole, tomatoes, and/or lettuce.  I can officially now say that I really love when fast food chains have published nutritional information online, it's so helpful.

I enjoyed a snack this afternoon of 2 slices of the bacon from this morning and 4 dill pickle spears (oh my gosh, I love pickles).  Dinner was merely the last 3 slices of bacon from this morning; I wasn't really hungry but knew I should eat something, so I did.

My favorite things about today have been how easy this was to adhere to, and my excitement to keep going tomorrow! Wooo!!

It Is Me, Again.

It's March 3rd, 2017, Im 32 years old, and I continue to struggle... and not just with my weight. I also experience frequent migraines, occasional temporal lobe seizure activity, have significant trouble sleeping, have had a bad run-in with Plantar Facciitis, and deal with all the fun of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).

A friend of mine with a similar health background has experienced some weight loss success by following a ketogenic diet plan.

So... I did a little research.

This diet change is believed to have significant positive influences on those with seizure disorders, sleep issues, PCOS, and weight struggles.

It is hard for me to sum up, I'm still figuring things out myself.  However, I can tell you seems unconventional, but I'm intrigued. The average target of intake focuses on food types rather than caloric counts.  An average target is to have your intake be 75% fats, 20% proteins, and 5% carbohydrates. 

I have set up the MyFitnessPal app to help me track my food, and took the liberty of tracking a no-good-eat-everything-in-sight-stressfull day of eating (today worked) to illustrate my current intake.  Surprisingly, it came out just a bit over 2,000 calories, but my percentages were way off from my new targets. I think this helps make it apparent that (as I have posted about in the past) calories don't matter in my world.

They don't really matter in the ketogenic diet world either, and I like that.

Bonus: I can eat BACON.  Um... win!

Needless to say, I'm starting this new way of eating (WOE) tomorrow!  March 4th, 2017... let's hope this marks the beginning of a new me!

Well hello, it has been a while....

It has been over a year since my last post.  A lot has happened since then, and a lot has changed (including the name of this blog; I'm overhauling).

So, if you read all the past posts, and you're wondering, "OK, what the heck is wrong with this gal?", I'm here to catch you up to speed.

In March 2011 I finally found out why I was sick for so long.  Two words: Food Allergies

Over the year previous, I was tested and poked and prodded for everything from Crohns to Cancer, Celiacs to Leaky Gut, etc.  They did discover that my gallbladder simply didn't work (OK, it did, but only at a rate 15%) so that got removed.  I'm now 2 organs short of a whole person (my appendix ruptured when I was 8 so that's been missing for a while).  I suppose I'm grateful for that discovery, though unfortunately it was not the source of my issues.

The food allergies were discovered in March when I "fired" my gastroenterology doctor and checked out a highly recommended wellness center that leans toward Eastern medicine, yet embraces Western medicine when it is necessary.  The first thing they decided to investigate was possible food allergies.  This is a topic of conversation my gastroenterology doctor wouldn't embark on at all; he didn't believe any type of test was accurate.

Well, a few thousand (ugh) dollars later, I got my results... and they were overwhelming. I had enough allergens in similar families that I was told to avoid all the foods in particular families during the "elimination" portion of dealing with food allergies.  However, over time when most are supposed to be slowly reintroducing allergens in small amounts and being able to tolerate things in moderation... I simply can't.  I try... and I keep getting sick... extremely sick.

So, you want to know what I can eat?  Here's a listing in no particular order of "NOs" and "CANs" (the order is based upon how it comes out of my head when I'm doing a quick recall):

NO vegetables (except onions, go figure)
I CAN eat all fruit (except tomatoes, dang it)
I CAN eat beef.
NO birds (chicken, turkey, etc.)
NO pork
NO bison (bummer)
NO cod, tillapia (sp?), polluck, or haddock
I CAN eat salmon (but my roommate's allergic to it so it doesn't come in the house)
I CAN eat tuna (fresh and raw only - the canned stuff has vegetable broth in it which gets me sick and trust me, don't cook tuna 'cause it's gross)
I CAN eat most other fish to my knowledge, but it's not always affordable
NO soy
NO dairy
NO nuts
NO canola, safflower, or sunflower ANYTHING
NO beans (major loss)
I CAN consume goat milk, cheese, etc.
NO yeast (brewers or bakers... so that eliminates TONS of stuff with yeast including MSG, vinegar and anything with vinegar in it, like my favorite dill pickles)
NO peppers
I CAN eat most grains (some don't like me all the time, but it's hard to figure out which and when)
I CAN eat garlic
I CAN eat potatoes (sweet potatoes are still in question)
NO whole corn (though some corn products, like Grits, settle OK)
NO eggs

I THINK I covered most everything.  It surely leaves a lot to be desired.  I'm just starting to be OK with all the restrictions.  I am emotionally bothered less and less as time passes (except when I smell tomato soup... major emotional trigger).

The most detrimental thing about this whole situation is that I have a terribly hard time managing my weight.  Sources say not to eat meat and fruit in the same meal because it increases the chances of developing extra allergies to the fruit since it sits too long in the digestive system waiting for the meat to digest.  However, I have borderline hypoglycemia and the not eating protein with fruit makes me feel like crap.  Inside my body, when I consume simple carbohydrates like fruit, my pancreas is overproducing insulin to compensate (plus some) and that contributes to one hanging onto extra pounds.

Fruit and whole grains are very healthy, but I am learning that they don't do so well as the main staples in a diet.  I can only eat so much animal protein before I go crazy (I have never been a major meat eater, especially beef, plus it is tough on the pocket-book).  Additionally, not being able to eat vegetables is a real hitch in the get-up.  It's a major lose-lose situation right now, and I'm frustrated... and tired.  Nutritionally speaking, I know I'm not getting what I need despite supplements from my homeopathic doctor.  Unfortunately, they often make me throw up, so that just adds to the fun.

So, to conclude, I really need to figure out a plan.  I'm 27 years old, and I cannot continue living trapped in this body the way it is.  I'm tired, I'm often weak, and I want a future full of energy and health.  Maybe one of these days I'll find a great guy to settle down with, have a family, and just... continue moving forward with life.

I am going to start looking around for support locally.  I know a woman who is a counselor for Weight Watchers here and she said they may be able to help me work around my food allergies.  That will be the first place I investigate for support options.  Wish me luck, I will report when I find out more.

Good Jewish Mothers

Meet the one man that can get me out in the rain, sleet, snow or sunshine and make me walk, walk and walk some more.  He also doesn't excessively watch sports, play video games, ogle other women (unless they're holding a tennis ball) or wear white socks with black slacks that are to short when he sits down.  This pooch is the perfect gentleman... minus the fur, slobber, lack of vocabulary skills and the fact that he licks his butt.  

This isn't my dog.  I house-sit for his family and have the pleasure of hanging out with him regularly; might as well be family.  This weekend I'm hanging with the pooch again (my cat is jealous) and getting 2 hours of walking in each day.  That's right, 2 hours.

This week I've been really good about exercising.  I've been using my elliptical each morning for 45 minutes and each evening for 15 minutes, enough to clear out my day's events yet not prevent me from falling asleep.  I've stayed on program and even survived a lunch out with a close friend and his extended family on Thursday at an all-you-can eat buffet in town.  I spent $8 on the equivalent of a side-salad, ate so slow that I took my last bite right before the rest of the crew took their 3rd trip to the buffet for dessert and... was absolutely VICTORIOUS.  My friend's father and brother-in-law kept trying to give me ice cream.  It went something like this:

Dad: "Joanna, you should get some ice cream."

Me: "No, I'm good."

Brother: "Aw, come on. It's good but it would be better if they had Oreo crunchies."

Me: "No really, I'm ok."

Brother: "What flavor do you want? I'll get you a bowl."

Me: "Please don't, I'm OK."

Dad: "Wanna bite of mine?"

Me: "No, thank you, it will make me sick."

Brother: "Really? Just a little bit?"

Me: "I like a lot of things, but a lot of things don't like me."

Brother: "Ah, you're lactose intolerant."

Me: "Sure, that's it.  I'm lactose intolerant."

The women in my friend's family didn't question me, never bothered me about just eating a salad, never mentioned dessert.... what's up with men? Are they all pre-programmed to be (as my mother states it) good Jewish mothers? 

Oh wait, and then there was the bank teller today.  In the drive-through to deposit my paycheck, with an empty car except for myself, I was offered a sucker.  The woman in the window held one up and asked, "Would you like one?"  I laughed a little bit and said, "No, thank you".  And then she said, "Are you sure?" What part of NO didn't she understand? And what the heck was she offering me a sucker for? 

Today I've decided that this world needs to remember what the meaning of NO is.  After someone says, "No" people ought to remember that follow-up questions and various statements meant to cajole shouldn't be thrown around.  Period.  

Speaking of decisions, today at my weigh-in I also decided that I really hate the scale.  I worked so hard exercising and staying on program this week and actually, again, gained one pound.  Seriously, my body has no idea what's good for it.  I'm so frustrated.

PS.  My bicycle is all tuned up and I'm making a goal to ride it to work next week at least twice.  Wish me luck.

Never ask a woman about her weight...

Hello, my name is Joanna. I'm 25 years old and have had the unfortunate pleasure of being moo-ed at as a child and teenager. Thank goodness adults have moved beyond moo-ing at overweight people and have advanced themselves to visual body checks before delivering looks of distaste while we innocently pass through ice-cream sections at grocery stores simply on our way to get eggs and plain yogurt.

If you've ever "been there, done that, got the t-shirt" and understand what it's like to be on the ample side of things, please join me on my new journey of discovery. I theorize that through this journey I will finally discover what is really ailing my body while at the same time improving my health, image, outlook and so much more.

And now, some background information:

I work for a local non-profit agency writing treatment plans for mentally ill adults and had an interesting experience about 2 weeks ago. I was battling a cold and sneezed while nearing the end of a meeting with a client and he asked, "Want to know what to do about that?" I chuckled and answered, "Sure", thinking he was going to tell me something along the lines of needing to drink orange juice and sleep longer.

Well, he didn't.

This client looked at me and said, "You need to eat more vegetables and exercise. It will help you lose weight".

I picked my jaw up off the floor and, with the help of a clinician who was in the meeting with me, used this as light-hearted teaching opportunity. We talked to the client about social mores of interacting with women such as NEVER ASK A WOMAN ABOUT HER WEIGHT. Of a sound mind or not, most men have yet to understand or apply this.

What this client didn't know is that I am working on exactly what he was talking about... minus eating more vegetables. Yes, let me explain.

In December 2009 something I deem rather evil attacked my digestive system, prompted a friend to drag me to the emergency room, and I haven't been the same since. I've been tested for many things, and re-tested for half of them. One minute the gallbladder was ruled out, the next minute it was decided I had Biliary Diverticulitis and it was taken out. I've been poked, prodded, pushed... I've peed in cups, crapped in containers, been tested, tried and I'm tired. After a full recovery from the gallbladder removal (which helped the pain but did nothing for other symptoms), about 2 weeks ago my gastroenterologist gave me a "Joanna-shouldn't-eat-this" list to follow, hoping to settle my system down and give me a break from more testing for a while (Crohns is a suspect if that gives any perspective). I really should have asked him for a sticky-note with a list of things I SHOULD eat; it would have been a lot easier.

The left side of "The List" contained all dairy and dairy-related products (which includes bread, processed meats, pasta and a handful of unpronounceable ingredients to look for in packaged products). The right side of "The List" listed a huge number of fruits and vegetables as well as beans, legumes and garlic. My gastroenterologist added that if anything not on the list caused *ahem* issues, to avoid those too.

This boiled my diet down to rice and lean meat.

Now you understand why I'm not working on eating more vegetables. I haven't been able to enjoy vegetables for about 6 months; oh what I would do for a green salad.

These last 6 months have not only delivered multiple levels of pain and frustration... I dare say that I've grown rather depressed. Not that I'm a social butterfly, but I socialize less. I don't get excited about much, I prefer to be at work or home rather than out and about with friends... and I think I may be forgetting how to smile. I can barely drive to work and back without storming into a gas station bathroom with an "I have to go NOW" emergency let alone go on a road trips like I always love to do in the summers.

A few weeks ago, feeling like hope was going down the toilet... I made a choice that will change my life.

Goodbye rice! Goodbye lean meat! I've taken a trip to Alaska Premier Health and am starting a medically supervised diet utilizing the OPTIFAST plan.

I've spoken with my gastroenterologist about this and he is supportive. It will allow my system to get a break while I also drop some weight, which is always beneficial to other health concerns. During the time of the diet where healthy foods are reintroduced, I will be working closely with my gastroenterologist to monitor what does and does not irritate my system so we can hopefully find more answers.

I began the program on Thursday June 24th. I will post again after my weigh-in next week. Wish me luck!



Stay tuned for more!