Starting over

Now that vacation is over I'm back on plan!!

OK....I've been home 2 weeks, so this is the new start of a sugar free, low carb, high protein diet. This isn't a "diet" in the sense of loosing weight, but a "diet" as in a way of eating. (see 1 a and 1b below)

Main Entry: ¹di·et
Pronunciation: 'dI-&t
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English diete, from Anglo-French, from Latin diaeta, from Greek diaita, literally, manner of living, from diaitasthai to lead one's life
1 a : food and drink regularly provided or consumed b : habitual nourishment c : the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason d : a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one's weight diet>
2 : something provided or experienced repeatedly diet of Broadway shows and nightclubs -- Frederick Wyatt>

So, to start back on track, I want to report I've lost more since vacation!! Since returning from vacation on August 26, I've lost an additional 2.8 pounds! And! I'm at a new low! I have not seen this weight in over 23 years!




This is going to be a short post. I'm taking today to rest and get back on track. I've been under a lot of stress lately, which hasn't lessened yet....and I'm tired. So today is a day to rest and get caught up on blogs and message boards!!

I've sold my house, but everything isn't finalized yet! The buyer had inspections done yesterday, and all passed except for a problem with termites! I'm not sure how extensive the damage is, but I'm sure I'll loose even more off the price of the house! Oh well....as long as the buyer doesn't back out, I'll take it. I really need to get out of here!

I'll be posting 2 additional posts today. One will be a special comment by Keith Olbermann and the other will be my review of Kimkins that I posted on the Better Business Bureau.

Update and I've been tagged.

Just a quick update.....no I haven't sold my house yet, and yes I'm still packing and cleaning!! Man what a lot of work!!



I've been tagged by Sparky's Girl to list 8 random facts about myself.

First, the Rules:
1) Post these rules before you give your facts
2) List 8 random facts about yourself
3) At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them
4) Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged


Here are my 8 facts:
1. I have 2 adult children, ages 22 and 25, that I raised as a single mom. (and I'm incredibly proud of them!)
2. At the age of 43 I packed up my kids and myself, sold my house, quit my job, and moved from MA to NC.
3. I'm a RN, and probably became one because of my dad's sister, also a nurse, who I adored.
4. My hair is pretty much completely gray and has been for several years....I first noticed it changing before my 13th birthday.
5. I'm the baby of the family, the youngest of 4. There is 13 yrs between me and my sister, the oldest.
6. I'm a RN, but right now I work as a QA Analyst testing a web-based application for nurses, social workers, etc. I'm self taught in at least 75-80% of what I know about computers and applications.
7. I have 2 dogs, Daisy and Duke, who are rescues. They are a mix (we think) of Doberman, Shepherd and some kind of hound. After I move I might get a kitten.
8. I love birds. I like to feed them, watch them, photograph them....but I can't stand to see them in a cage!!


Now...who will be my victims??
1. Jimmy Moore (Livin La Vida Low Carb)
2. Connie Bennett (Sugar Shock)
3. Mark (Mark’s Daily Apple)
4. Mr & Mrs Fat (Blogging While Fat)
5. Lady Rose (The Diet Pulpit)
6. Crabby (Cranky Fitness)
7. BamaGal (Back Across the Line)
8. Carol (Kudos for Low Carb)

I hope none have already been tagged....I'm way behind in my blog reading!!


OK....Now the REAL reason I'm posting today. I have hit my latest mini-goal!!!



I am soooo psyched!! My goal was 180 by 8/12, and I weighed in Saturday at that, then Sunday at 179.4!! That means I have less than 20 pounds to go!!

Last time I weighed under 180 was when I was pregnant with my son.....yep, the 22 yr old. When I got pregnant with my son I weighed 175....so that's my next goal. I think by December 1. Since I'm so close to goal I know the loss will be slow, and I don't want to set too high a goal and end up getting frustrated.


This weekend I'm going on vacation with a long time friend. We're going to Hilton Head, where she has been able to get a vacation share. We have no idea what the place looks like, but we're going!! I don't even care if it rains all week!! Just being able to get away from work, and the house, and all the rest....and talk to a dear old friends.....who needs sun!!

OK....that's it for now!! I'm hoping once I get back from vacation things will be a bit quieter. But not for too long!! I want to sell my house and move and get back to normal!!

Thanks to all who read my blog and post comments. Be sure to check out the people I've tagged! They all have great blogs!





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Weigh In week 19

No loss this week, in fact, I'm up 0.4 pounds this week!




Been following my plan as closely as I can. I did have one day that I had almost 150 carbs, but it was all "legal" foods.



Work has been horribly busy!! It's been good, in that things are going fairly smoothly....but it's been busy. Which does make the day go faster!!


I've been trying to get my house on the market....and man is it a lot of work!! I have closets that haven't been completely cleaned in years!!! We're not going to be doing painting, etc....we're just trying to get everything cleaned up and packed up.

I have brought a ton of clothes and other things down to Salvation Army, and have a bunch more to bring down. I've also thrown out a ton of stuff!!!


A friend and I are now planning a trip for next spring. Not sure of dates yet, but we're going to Rome!! Holly, my friend, has been to Rome twice, but I've never been out of the country....except Canada as a kid and the Bahamas on my honeymoon.

So....here's the story. Holly has a plane ticket for a trip she was supposed to go on this past week. The trip was canceled, but the ticket can't be. It can, however, be changed to another date and destination. So....Holly had a deadline for changing her ticket and the two of us got together and decided we're going to go to Rome, but not until the spring. By then I should have my house sold and all my bills paid off. As soon as all is final with the house, I'm going to apply for a passport, then plan the date of the trip.

I am so excited!!! I've been following Dr Mike's posts about Rome....and boy I can't wait!!!


Speaking of Dr Mike....he's done it again. This time it's a post about inflammation.

I have long believed that the food we eat and many other things cause or increase our levels of inflammation. All the chemicals in "foods" that are a part of our regular diet cannot possibly be good for us. Well, according to Dr Mike, it's the food itself!! Read his post and see if you agree.

On that same vein, I've long believed that it is NOT good for us to spend an hour or more each day doing strenuous exercise. I've also believed that pushing yourself and exercising with pain is not good. The comments on Dr Mike's post agree with this. You know what I'm talking about....the ads on TV showing people "working through the pain" and taking drugs to stop the pain so they can continue to exercise!! Oh yea, that makes sense!!

One of the ways our bodies have to tell us something is wrong is by producing pain. Our bodies can't tap us on the shoulder and say "hey, your left knee is not doing good. It's all inflamed and needs a break". No....our bodies do this by causing pain. Pain should be a sign that you need to stop. And chronic pain means you need to make some serious changes!!

So...if you're finding that your inflammation markers are elevated, check the foods you eat and how you exercise. Stick with whole, natural foods whenever possible and take it easy with the exercise!! And yes, when something hurts take it easy!!

Personally, I'm a fan of resistance training over cardio exercising. Now sure, if you like running or playing basketball or biking, great....but it probably isn't the best thing you can do for fitness!!

I am also a major fan of Krill Oil for inflammation. I started taking this as a result of an article I read, again on Dr Mike's blog, about a study that showed Krill lowered inflammation markers. I have long standing problems with my back and neck, including 3 bad discs and arthritis with bone spurs. I noticed a difference in 48 hours!!

The most remarkable thing with the Krill is that after being on it for less than 3 months I had blood work drawn and almost all of my inflammation markers were within normal limits!! Sed rate was still a tad elevated, but my CRP and other levels were all within normal limits!! I cannot remember when they were last normal. Low carbing brought some down, but Krill seems to have done the rest.

I posted on this in the past, and only heard from one person, but that response was positive. I've told several people in work, but they all think I'm a nut case, so they'll probably not may any attention.

So, if you think it will help, give it a try. And if you do, let me know....and let Dr Mike know!

One caution. If you do decide to try the Krill, make sure it's "Neptune" Krill oil. I buy mine at Vitamin Shoppe and buy the Source Naturals brand. It's not very expensive and well worth every penny!!


I read an article today that will probably not be a surprise to many in the low carb community. It seems that triglyceride levels are more of an indicator of heart disease than it's been believed to be in the medical community. According to this article, it's not the fasting triglyceride level you have to worry about, but the after meal level.

In the past I've read several articles that stated that triglyceride levels are useless as they literally go up and down all day long. The argument was, what good is it to check a fasting level when it's an artificial level. While I can see this....and this article seems to agree....to me the fasting levels shouldn't be thrown out either. Before I discovered low carb my triglycerides were too high to count. At the time I was told that meant they were over 700. Now, if my fasting was over 700, what was it after a meal!!!

The article is a pretty good one, although they never really give any optimal levels, nor do they mention how long after a meal the levels should be checked. And then, at the end, of course they turn to drugs!!

Whatever the testing routine may ultimately turn out to be, dangerously high triglyceride levels require the same corrective measures as high cholesterol levels, McBride said, with close attention to the well-known risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and inactivity.

(emphasis is mine)

NO!!!! No! No! NOOOOO!!!

Triglycerides are directly related to carbohydrate intake!!! Lowering fat intake is NOT going to help. Lowering protein intake is NOT going to help, Lowering levels with drugs is NOT going to help!!!

Lowering carbohydrate intake is the BEST way to lower triglycerides. Check out Dr Mercola for information, or Dr Mike, or Dr Vernon. Don't bother looking at the AHA site (or any of their influenced sites like WebMD) . Although the AHA does say to cut back on carbohydrates, they also suggest, of course, a low fat diet.

But, if fat is the cause of elevated triglycerides and not carbs, why do we see a dramatic lowering in people that start a low carb diet? Even those that follow very high fat (60, 70% and more) diets , when it's accompanied by a very low carb (less than 20-40grams/day) diet usually see a fairly rapid and very dramatic lowering of cholesterol levels! If fat is the cause and not carbs, why do people that follow Dr Ornish's diet or the AHA diet often see an increase in their levels??

Following a low carb diet is the best way to lower triglycerides. Following a low carb diet is also the best way to lower blood sugar and insulin levels. Most experts (real and imagined) agree that high triglycerides are often seen in uncontrolled or undiagnosed diabetes.

So lowering blood sugar and blood insulin levels are the way to go. And we all know that the best way to do that isn't with drugs, or with limiting fat, it's by limiting carbohydrates!!

Will the medical industry ever figure it out? When they can make a fortune on drugs and procedures why should they?

You know....I'd like to say I don't care. But I do. I have friends and family members that listen to and believe everything the AHA and ADA has to say. The simple fact that I am a RN with over 30 years experience and have been researching this for over 2 years doesn't matter. It's against what the "experts" (the imagined ones) say!!


Calling all insomniacs!!!! I read a comment on one of Dr Mike's blogs, where a commenter said that since starting vitamin D3 insomnia was a thing of the past. Well, when I read that, my jaw dropped.

I have been an insomniac for as long as I can remember. I can remember being a teenager and lying in bed for hours before falling asleep. Didn't matter how tired I was, I would lie in bed as the rest of the family slept. This continued into adulthood, and there were times that I would only be able to sleep for 3-4 hours a night. Night after night, I'd lie there, trying to sleep and still lying awake.

Several months ago, in March, I started taking vitamin D3. I use Carlson's brand and have been taking 5000 IU each day. About 2 months ago I realized that my insomnia was gone!! Now I've had periods where for several days I'd be able to go right to sleep, but never longer than 2-3 days at a time. And that would be followed by several weeks of insomnia. Now, however, I go to sleep withing minutes of going to bed!! I still have "bad" nights, like last night, but on these nights I lie there for 30-60 minutes before falling asleep. GONE are the nights of lying awake until 2 AM, 3 AM and even later!!

If you too have problems with insomnia, give vitamin D3 a try. If you've also noticed an improvement in your sleeping since starting D3, let me know. I'd love to see a study done, but of course there's no money in supplements. I have been able to find several references that say that insomnia is a side effect of low D3 levels, so maybe this isn't all wishful thinking!!

I've passed this info on to a friend who has as big a problem as I have. I don't know if she will take the D3 or not, but she sure seemed interested. If she takes it and give me a report, I'll post it here. And if anyone else has seen an improvement in their insomnia that is felt to be due to vitamin D3, please post a comment!


OK....I guess that's it for now. Again, thanks for visiting!!

Weigh In week 16

Whoo Hoo!!! Down 2 more pounds!!!

I've changed my ticker to reflect my total loss and goal.

I've drastically increased my fat and protein and dropped my carbs over the past few weeks and have found my weight going down again!!

I've been recording in Fitday and taking all my supplements. I've been concentrating on getting the protein up and the carbs down.
As you can see, my protein and fat intake is high. Much higher than the "experts" recommend, and that's just fine with me. I've been going for 95g protein daily and got at least that except for yesterday (Saturday). I've not been looking for added fat, but have been adding cream to any shakes I have and I've not been avoiding it!!





And, as you can also see, I've been meeting and exceeding the recommended levels of vitamins and nutrients. In fact, the only thing I'm "deficient" in is carbs and fiber! And sodium, which is getting to be almost as "bad" as saturated fat. I don't add salt to many foods, but this isn't because I think it's bad for me, but because I often forget to!


I've been trying to get moving more, but I'm still not being too consistent with exercise. I've now bought a Tai Chi DVD and am going to try it for a while. It's for people with arthritis and stiff joints, so I figure it can't hurt!

I've also been doing some weights, but until I get my bench out of my son's room and into a more accessible area, this will be spotty.

Weigh In week 15

Note: this was edited at 5PM.

Well, down another pound! I'll take it!!




See? 27 pounds to go now!!

This past week I decided to sharply cut back on carbs, total as well as "junk" carbs. I've been keeping my carbs as close to 20g/day as possible, not going over 30g max. No artificial sweeteners, no sugar alcohols. No breads too.

I have been having a shake almost every day for breakfast. I use EAS Myoplex Carb Control Ready-to-Drink, mostly strawberry but also an occasional chocolate. I mix in egg whites and heavy cream to increase the fat and protein. I get about 1/2 my daily protein needs in just this drink. I take 1/2 my supplements with breakfast, so will occasionally have an ounce of peanuts also, to help push the pills down. Most days this isn't an issue, but if I have trouble I have to have something solid, or I'll end up with horrendous indigestion (I have esophageal spasms and other issues, which can make swallowing tough)

For lunch and dinner I have some kind of meat, usually beef, and veggies. I've been having burgers, meatloaf, roasted duck, and short ribs for my meats and mushroom, cucumber, salad greens, tomatoes, green beans and asparagus for my veggies. One day I had a second shake for dinner, but that was because of a late and large lunch (salad plus an 8oz burger with cheese and bacon).

I've been taking my supplements, and have been watching my nutritional levels in Fitday. I added Calcium and Iron to my supplement lists, as these are 2 things I was a bit deficient in. The only other deficiency I see in Fitday is in carbohydrates and fiber!

When I started this, last Saturday, I decided that on day 7, Friday, I would allow myself some kind of a treat. Well, I did that last Friday, having some (thin crust) pizza and a couple of Atkins Endulge bars. Felt lousy going to bed, and was 3# up in the morning, so next time I'll be a bit more careful. I am going to continue allowing 1 treat a week, but only one.

I still haven't measured myself, can't find my tape measure, but I have 2 pair of pants that now fit! I think I'm going to run down to WalMart and see if I can get some new pants for work. I need lightweight cotton, or maybe some jeans.

5 PM
Oh wow!!! I just got back from the store, and boy, and I happy!!!

First I went to Target....nothing. None of their tops did anything for me, and all of their pants were either Capri pants (I have very heavy legs) or heavy (winter) long pants!!! My goodness, it's not even July!!! I did, however, get a neat hand mixer for mixing my shakes.

The handle swivels for different kind of mixing.

After leaving Target, I was pretty disappointed, but decided to check out Walmart anyway. I started out looking in the Women's department, regular sizes, then went to the Plus sizes, then went BACK to the regular sizes!!! I bought 3 pair of pants, size 16, and 6 tops, all size 16/18.


I cannot tell you how excited I am!!! I literally cannot remember the last time I was able to buy clothes in the "regular" women's sizes!!!

Weigh in week 11

Wow.....how did I miss this? I am "officially" no longer "obese", I'm just "overweight"!

And, I lost another 2 pounds, bringing me under 190!! Whoo Hoo!!!




Oh! And look! I have less than 30 pounds until my next (and possibly last) goal!!

I've been watching my weight closely with my diverticulitis flare and lack of appetite. Over the past 2 weeks I've been going up and down 2-3 pounds each day.

I guess I've just been to preoccupied with work and other things, but I really had no idea I'd left the "obese" category!! So now, for the first time in about 22 years I am considered "overweight" not "obese". If you've never struggled with this, you have no idea how I feel....but I think most of my readers know exactly how I feel!!


Went to see my new doc on Friday. Hopefully this guy will be my primary care doc. It's a guy I saw when I first arrived in NC and I liked him very much. I had to change docs after a year when my insurance plan changed. I've been calling this guy's office every few months for about a year, waiting for him to start accepting new patients.

The good:
Really seemed to listen to me.
Nodded his head and said "good" when I said I was following a low carb plan.
Didn't argue with me when I said I didn't believe in the cholesterol = heart disease theory.
Agreed to order some extra blood work, including ferretin, vit d, A1c. (also getting liver and kidney function tests done)
Didn't think I was a nutcase when I told him I had a glucose monitor that I was playing with and getting readings.

The not so good:
Of course wants to get my lipid levels and "maybe tweak things", depending on the results. (He looked shocked at my pre-Lipitor numbers and how strongly it affected me)
Concerned about my blood pressure, which was elevated, but seemed to accept that my readings at home were much lower.

So, more good than not. I'm curious what my cholesterol numbers are, but like I said to my doc, I will not go on any medications that is designed to lower cholesterol. I'm also curious what my A1c is. I just hope my week of higher carb doesn't change my numbers!!

The doc is also checking my blood for sed rate (inflammation marker), rheumatoid factor and ANA levels (anti-nuclear antibodies, and indicator of lupus and other auto-immune diseases) because of the joint problems I've been having. He also told me to keep monitoring it and to call him if I have an unusually bad flare or one that lasts longer than a day or two.


Blogs have been pretty quite lately, but I did want to send out a big GOOD JOB to Victoria!!! She's met her (unofficial) goal!!! She's been working really hard at this, so stop by her blog and give her a big congrats!

Also, Dr Mike has an interesting post on low carb and alcohol breath testing.


Articles in the news:
Avandia may increase your risk of heart disease and death from heart disease. Now, this is based on looking at all the studies done and lumping the data. I understand that this isn't the best way to do research, but it's an acceptable way that the drug companies use all the time. Of course the manufacturer, GSK, says there's nothing to worry about!

This is a little scarey!!! It seems some pacemakers are influenced by iPods!! Now, iPods were the only device tested, but there is evidence of interference when the iPod is held just a few inches from the pacemaker for just 10-15 min!!


OK....that's enough for now. I've got a few things to do before Heroes comes on....it's the big season finale!! If you've not been watching this show, you're missing a good one!!! If they show reruns over the summer, check it out!! SciFi did a 20+ hr marathon last weekend, and I'm sure it won't be the last time they show it!

To all who read my blog and to those that post comments and encouragement. THANK YOU!!! It really means a lot when I read your comments. None of you know me, but I feel I have so many friends on here!!

Weigh In week 8

One pound gain this week!!





Last week I was sick, and for about 3 days I barely ate anything. I also barely moved....exercise wasn't even tought about. I had a UTI and it was nasty. Abdominal pain, back ache, the whole bit. But, thanks to modern medicine, I'm better! (Antibiotic twice a day for 10 days). I imagine the gain was due to my illness, but who knows.

I've actually been weighing myself daily for the past week, but Monday morning is my "official" weigh in day. I've been fluctuating up and down 1-3 pounds each day. At my lowest I was a pound lighter than Monday and at my heaviest, 2 pounds heavier. I'm glad I weighed on Monday, not my heaviest day!

I cannot believe it, but I have been on low carb, cheat free, for over 8 weeks now!!!

I started out originally on Atkins, but later changed to Protein Power.

I am following my plan as closely as possible, but I will admit I haven't been eating my veggies...well not as many as I should anyway. Right now money is tight, but I have almost 1/2 a freezer of meat. That's a 13 cu foot deep freeze!!

I've got beef and pork and chicken and shrimp and fish and chicken and all kinds of goodies. I also have a few leftovers. I do have some frozen veggies and I'm buying fresh, just not as much as I should.

Weigh In week 7

No change in weight this week....again!




Oh well, at least it's not a gain!!!

Joints are much better, but did have a really bad night Friday night! The pain in my left hand and arm woke me several times! (Now, those of you that don't know me, don't know I am legendary in what I can sleep thru!) Nothing seems to help, not naproxen, or ibuprophen, or acetaminophen, or aspirin!! This is quite upsetting, as I am reluctant to try anything stronger, and I know, if this is arthritis, that any doc will recommend stronger meds, especially the new ones for arthritis!! Oh well....time will tell!

Want to mention a few blogs today....on topics I'd like to write on. Why do it tho, when others do it so well?

Dr Mike has a post today, The Bad Fat Brothers, about the AHA's attempt to continue to demonise saturated fat and his Nominee for the Reckless Award.

Dr MD also has an interesting recipe posted. Low carb tortilla soup sounds really yummy. I've never had "regular", since I never heard of it until I started low carbing, but this sounds like a great soup!

Sparky's Girl has an interesting post about Ronald MacDonald.

Dr Briffa has an excellent post today about how Resistance exercise may help to protect us from diabetes.

Bamagal has a very good post about funding for youth suicide prevention programs. There is a link on the post to contact your lawmakers to encourage passage of this bill.

Fred Hahn posted about resistance training and how it can change you.

Dr Vernon posted an excellent response to an email yesterday. Be sure to check it out.

Have a good week!! I've got a lot going on, so I doubt I'll be posting often.

Weigh In week 6

OK...I'm in a definite pattern. Once again, a week after no loss, I'm down 5 pounds!!





Over the weekend, from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening I was over my daughter's for a visit. I didn't eat much, but everything was low carb, except 1 small piece of garlic bread. My calories were only 1200-1350/day. Yesterday was better, but still a bit low.

Today, however, is a different story. I've had small breakfast, a huge lunch, and a decent size dinner....and I've had 2 pieces of sf chocolate candy. (Normally I restrict the candy to 1 day on weekend only, but missed last weekend, so had it tonight instead.) My total for today was over 1600. Again, still low carb and natural, except of course the candy.

Today I knew I had to have a big lunch. We went out for lunch to a buffet. I had a plate of salad and 4 different meats! The salad had mixed greens, cucumber, tomato, black olives, sunflower seed, bacon (real) bits, and Caesar dressing. I had a few ounces each of beef pot roast, chicken breast, pork tenderloin and some bourbon chicken. I also had a couple of small chunks of cantaloupe.

For dinner I had 3/4 of a home made pizza. A LC whole grain wrap with pizza sauce and cheese. It doesn't look like much, but it's very filling. I usually put mushroom on top, but didn't have any. Also didn't have any veggies in the house as all spoiled during a power failure.

I love low carbing!!!


I've been doing much better with my joints, although as I type this I have my left wrist wrapped and am off resistance training until it heals. This time, I think it's my fault. I've been doing upper body exercises with dumbbells and have noticed that my wrists seem weak and wobbly. After the trouble I had last week, I decided to put a wrist brace on both wrists. I have 2 different ones, but both work pretty much the same. I don't think I got the left one on tight enough, and re injured it. So...complete rest of the wrist for the next few days. I've not been doing as much lower body lately, and have been meaning to get serious....so I guess this is it.

For those that don't already know, I'm a RN and have had several job related back and neck injuries. I've also had 3 auto accidents that caused varying degrees of neck trauma. I've been told I have at least 3 "old" ruptured discs in my back and neck, arthritis in my neck and back with bone spurs in the pelvis and the neck. The bone spurs are causing spinal stenosis, luckily still mild.

I was doing great on exercising regularly a few years ago, until I was put on Lipitor and ended up with muscle problems and "exercise intolerance". Where I had once walked several miles without problem, I started having leg pain after just a few feet. I was also doing very well with resistance training, following the Body For Life program, and had at least doubled my starting weights. All of a sudden, each workout seemed to get harder and harder, and I ended up dropping weights, then stopping all together. It's has taken almost 2 years for me to feel back to "normal" with my muscles. I still don't have much strength and my endurance isn't great, but at least I'm able to reasonably exercise again. Small weights and slower pace.

I've been taking my fish oil and krill oil, and cannot believe the difference! I don't have as much discomfort in my neck and back, and really no "pain". I'm going to continue. I seem to have different levels of comfort, almost in a cyclical manner. I've noticed this over the years. Not including times when I was recuperating from an injury, I've noticed that the level of pain/discomfort came and went according to a cycle. It never seemed to be related to my periods, but a definite cycle of the pain getting worse then easing off. So I'm going to continue for at least another month, but I think I'll continue to see a distinct difference. I cannot remember the last time I was completely pain free in my entire spine! If I have that only a few days a month, I'll take it! Right now I'm taking 6000iu Fish oil and 2000mg krill oil.


I was supposed to have a doctor's appointment this Friday. It was with a new doc, and I was a bit stressed about it. I've been trying to find a new doc, but haven't had much luck. Well, yesterday I get a message that the doc has to cancel my appointment, and I can't get another one until at least mid-August! I did end up getting an earlier appointment with a different doc...and actually one I'm more hopeful of, since I saw him several years ago and liked him.

I'm tired, and going to bed now. Hope to be able to post again before next weigh in, but it's been busy!!! Work has been busy and I've been trying to get my house in order to get it ready for sale. I've also been looking for a new house and will post later on some I've seen.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog!!! You've all been a great support!

Weigh In week 4

I didn't post last week, and my weight remained stable.

This week, however, I've made up for it and lost 5 pounds!!! I almost expected the scale to say "April Fool!!", which actually would have been pretty amazing, as I don't have a talking scale! LOL

My calorie intake has been low most days this week, I just don't have an appetite!! Today is a great example. I had poached eggs on toast for breakfast (25g total with 5g fiber), then didn't even think about food until about an hour ago! That's over 7 hours!!!

I also measured myself today. Now, it's been almost 5 months since I measured, so I did expect to see some changes, but wow!!

neck: -1/4 inch
bicep: no change
forearm: -1/4 inch
chest: no change
waist: -1 3/4 inches!!
hips: -2 1/4 inches!!
thigh: -5 inches!!!
calf: no change

I'm amazed! And thrilled! That's a total of 9 1/2 inches!!

Krill Oil for Inflammation:

I took fish oil, and flax oil, for quite some time when I first started low carbing. While on them I had "normal" CRP level for the first time in heaven knows how many years.

I have degenerative arthritis with bone spurs in my neck and pelvis. In my neck I also have a fair degree of spinal stenosis, although luckily not enough to warrant surgery. I also have at least 3 damaged discs, loss of a natural spinal curve in my thoracic spine, and I've been told I have bilateral bursitis and likely arthritis in my right knee. Oh yea, and TMJ. (I get the back issues from dad and the rest from mom I think)

My CRP levels never concerned me, until they started linking it with heart disease. I had been taking statins, but stopped due to nasty side effects. After stopping the statins I started low carbing with induction (Atkins) levels of carbs, fat, protein for about 3 months. During this time I saw, for the first time in many years, CRP levels within normal limits. I stopped the fish oil and flax shortly after, due to nausea. I've since found it was the flax causing the nausea and went back on fish oil. I currently take 6 caps a day (100mg, EPA 180mg, DHA 120mg, OMEGA3 340mg each) I'm seeing a new PCP soon, so I'll let you know what my levels are, but i feel so much better!!

I still take aspirin fairly frequently, but no longer do I take ibuprofen 800mg 4X/day and even pain medications and muscle relaxants....and still find that I'm hurting!!

I still have random joint pains, which does concern me, and I've been wondering if increasing my dose even more or switching to Krill would make a big difference. (I check the Fish Oil at least weekly for freshness and buy a "quality" product)

After reading Dr Michael Eades' latest post on Krill Oil, I decided to give it a try.

So, on Friday I bought some Krill Oil. Pretty pricey, around $22 for 1 month's supply, but if it works, it will be worth it!

I'm starting out with 2 caps a day, which is the recommended dose on the bottle, but may increase to 4 a day.

Week 2 weigh in!

Down another 3 pounds! Whoo Hoo!!!



Went out to lunch today with some co-workers. A burger joint. Great meal! They have a "Cheeseburger salad", so of course, I ordered it, but I did ask for the meat on the side (didn't want the lettuce all wilted).

What a great lunch! Good quality meat, cooked perfect, 8 oz patty. The salad part was a plate of lettuce with either tomato and cucumber or jalapeno and banana peppers. I had the tomato and cucumber....not much for peppers of any kind.

The restaurant itself is kinda cool. The owner has pretty much dedicated the place to firefighters. There's all kinds of equipment and other memorabilia all over the place. Their delivery truck is an old fire truck!

Here's their web page. If you live in the area, Cary NC, stop by and get a great burger!


Got a nice surprise today. About a month ago, after reading about it in someone's blog, I registered at the DLife site. Apparently when I signed up, I also agreed to have them send me a free glucose monitor!

So I now have a glucose monitor, and of course I'm going to be checking my levels.

2 readings so far:

This AM, 90 minutes after breakfast: 86. Breakfast was 1/2c yogurt, 1/4c blackberries and 1/4c chopped walnuts.

This evening, 90 minutes after dinner: 80. Dinner was a low carb wrap with taco meat (beef) and cheese along with a little bit of sour cream and salsa. I also had a wedge of cantaloupe, a SF soda, and 2 SF Popsicles. Oh and 4 pieces of SF gum. All this eaten within 45 min. Testing done 90 min after last eaten.

Tomorrow I'm going to check what I am fasting. Until I get more strips, I'll probably only be testing in the AM. I'm rarely hungry in the AM, so I'll probably get "perfect" numbers. Later in the week I'm also going to have my poached eggs on toast and see what my readings are.



So now I guess I'll check EBay for testing strips!

3/20/07 14:34 - Edited to add last night's reading. CM

Week 1 Weigh-In & more

Oh boy!!!

I lost 4 pounds this week!!!


Been staying on plan, lost a lot of fluid.

Blog Roll: I would like to point out some recent blog posts that I think are excellent:

1. Regina Wilshire. Remember the study that was in the news last week? Atkins vs Ornish vs LEARN vs The Zone? The study that I notice is not in the news anymore? Well Regina, as always, has posted an excellent essay on the study. Check it out here. And be sure to take a look at her batch of quotes about said study.

2. Dr Michael Eades. Same study here and an excellent article on anti-oxidants and the importance of saturated fat here.

3. Suzique. If you have a recipe for veggies, or want a recipe for veggies, check out Suzique's Veggie Recipe Contest. There are several links, so be sure to check out all the recipes! Submissions for the contest is March 14.

4. Dr Davis. Excellent, but long article on Vitamin D.

5. Sherrie. A disturbing post about cholesterol, alcohol, and pregnancy. I've done a little research and it seems the women on statins were not put on them during their pregnancy, but were on them and got pregnant. Makes me feel a little better, but not enough.

6. Suzique again. Another disturbing post, this time about the lack of medical care available in New Orleans.

7. Dr Vernon. Ask Dr Vernon. She does answer. She has responded to various questions personally and in her blog.


My take on The Study?

It's interesting in how poorly everyone did in following their plans. I am also getting a chuckle about how all the "experts" are tripping over themselves saying how it's a bad study.

I can see good and bad. People didn't follow their plans, none of them did from the looks of it. Why? We don't know. Lack of support I would imagine is one factor. Lack of motivation I think is a major factor.

I also wonder about exercise. Were the participants told to exercise? If not, then I don't think they were doing any plan "properly". They certainly weren't doing Atkins!

I'd like to see a second study:
1. Allow people to decide which diet they want to try. Give each one the books, or at least a print out of a summary of the plans, and let them decide which one they feel they can live with.
2. Give more support, in weekly meetings or online support. Something to keep them motivated and to have a source to clarify things.
3. Have experts in each diet teach the classes. Personally I think longer classes over a shorter time, with more followup would be better.
4. Get people that not only want to loose weight, but also improve their health.


That's about it. I'm going to leave you with some pictures of wild dafodils that are in my front yard.


3/12/2007, 11:32PM EST: Edited to add Dr Vernon's column!

Plans

OK....as promised, I've made up my mind what I'm going to do about exercise.

At least once a day, I'm going on a walk, at least 20 minutes for now as I'm still recovering from a chest cold. I'm going to work up to at least 30-45 minutes. My dogs are going to love it.

Also, my son doesn't know it yet, but we're going to move my weight bench out of his room into the front room so I can use it!!! I'm going to use the Body For Life program (the resistance part), at least for now, for my routine. I really want to check out the Slow Burn program, but I have no money to buy the book, and my local library doesn't have it right now (but I'm going to request it, once I figure out how).

Here's my new ticker:



This is not my total weight loss, but just for my new goal.

My weigh day is Monday.

My measure day is going to be the first of each month.

I am going to walk daily, do resistance training at least 3 days a week, and stick with my low carb plan!

Week 4 Weigh in

Up one pound this week. I stuck to plan, but haven't been feeling well, so I guess my body is conserving calories?

Week 2 Weigh in

Short Term Goal:




Whoo Hoo!!! Another 3 pounds down!!

Didn't post my weight last week, but had lost 5 pounds then. I'm doing a 20 pounds in 20 weeks goal here, then will set another goal.

Been sticking with my plan, doing good, feeling good!!! Stomach has been great, NO indigestion or nausea, and no belly pain. Arthritis isn't too bad either! A bit of neck discomfort, that's about it.

Got a call from my sister over the weekend, and a follow up call tonight. She's going to have to have her carotids stented, both her internal carotids are blocked, one 90% the other 100%, but blocked, not by plaque, but by scar tissue. The scar tissue is a result of radiation treatments she had about 20 yrs ago for cancer of the epiglottis (the flap that prevents food from going into the lungs).

This is good news and bad news.

The bad news is that, since it's scar tissue, it can recur. The doc is confident that the stent will work in keeping her carotids open, but did also say that the scar tissue can again build up and she may have problems again down the road.

But, the good news is that she doesn't have any evidence of plaque build up! That of course, means there's a very good chance that the rest of her arteries are also clear or mostly clear.

Of course, there's no guarantee, but her chances are better than if they found her carotids loaded with plaque, it wouldn't bode well for the rest of her vessels!!!

She's already on Lipitor, and I'm sure they'll keep her on it, but now they've also put her on Plavix to prevent clotting. Of course she'll have to stay on the plavix for life also.

She's having one more test done, then will be scheduled for the procedure next week.

So, to all my readers, please say a prayer, or think positive thoughts for her.

Long Term Goal: