Sunday, June 10 -- Catching Up!

Jennifer here...

Wow, can't believe a week has passed since I last posted.  I don't even know if anyone reads this so chances are, no one missed a few days of no posts.  If you actually do read these posts, maybe chime in and say hi.  Please add your name so I know who is posting.

Tomorrow, June 11, is 3 weeks that Emily and I have been doing the no-sugar-no-flour (NSNF) eating.  Emily has had one "no-no" in 3 weeks; I have had NONE.  Not one "cheat".  At this point, I have done this so long that even though I have huge cravings to be bad, I have not been bad once.  Dr. P said that if we "cheat" once, it's like starting back at day one.  If you read the first 3 posts I made a few years ago when I explained what we were doing and why Dr. P said it would work, starving our bodies of sugar will cause it to have less sugar to burn, which is fast immediate fuel, and it will have to burn stored fat (please excuse my layman explanation -- there is surely a more scientific way to describe this but it's my interpretation).  This process will also reset my metabolism and get it going again.  So knowing that, I don't want to start over and have the past 3 weeks be for nothing.  Sugar will not pass these lips.

Note that I said it has been 3 weeks that "Emily and I" have been doing NSNF and I want to clarify that the entire family is doing NSNF *but* Carly, Emily, and I are the ones doing it 100%. Tom probably could use a few pounds added on him so he will indulge in a couple things every now and then, and the boys have been invited to birthday parties and going out-to-eat with friends this week so they have note been as diligent as the girls. Just wanted to clarify that it's a family effort but the boys have had a few no-no's that I have allowed.

The last time I posted, I shared that I went in for an annual physical and my doctor said I had *extremely* low B12 levels.  She actually said I had the lowest B12 levels of any patient she's ever seen.  So, I have to have a B12 shot once a week for 4 weeks then a shot monthly for 6 more months. I have not felt any different since the first one.  The nurse showed me how to do them at home and Carly excitedly volunteered to give the shots to me at home.  My scientist.  Monday, tomorrow, will be shot #2.  Fingers crossed that this is an easy process.  I guess I am thankful that my insurance company required me to go in for a physical because it actually has been 4 years since I've had a general physical.  I go to my OB/GYN yearly for an exam and I have been getting a mammogram every year for a few years but I haven't not had a full work up in years. And I would not have gone this year either if my insurance didn't require it.  I have felt fine so I never saw a need to go for a physical.  It's scary to think all the damage going on inside my body, slowly over the years, and I was unaware.  I bet that by the time I actually started to feel bad, I would have been a mess.  I probably would already have diabetes and who knows what else.  I'm sorta glad I just had all this blood work done because I'm having it all repeated in 6 mos when they retest for my B12 and I know that everything will have gotten better by following this way of eating... and the way I know that is because that's exactly what happened last time we did the NSNF.

After I got the results for the B12, I also had to go back to the doctor and do a glucose tolerance test (I think I mentioned that too), and I got those results this past week and the results were not as good as they should have been.  Even though my sugar limits were within the "normal" range, the doctor said my numbers were on the high side of normal and she was concerned.  She said that if I didn't get this weight off immediately, I could expect to be diabetic within 3-4 years.  What crappy news to get.  Three to four years??  Wow.  I also have high cholesterol and low levels of the "good" cholesterol (can't remember if it was LDL or HDL -- I just know the bad was bad and the good was bad.).  I have to go back this week and have a consult to go over what to do with all these test results.  She said there was a med out now to help with the sugars and I might start a cholesterol medicine temporarily to help while I work on losing weight.  I'm anemic too.  How in the world I have functioned so well is beyond me.  The doc said the body just keeps adjusting and adjusting as well as it can. What I can't wait is for all my numbers to get back up to "normal" and then get my energy back!  HAHAHA!  Sometimes I don't know where I find the energy to do what I do so thinking that I might get MORE energy makes me laugh.  I'm guessing that as soon as I feel better, I'll look back and realize how bad I actually am feeling now.

I must admit that I had a few day long "pity party" for myself after all this crappy news. It still is depressing to think about but I cannot focus on the negative.  I just can't function like that.  The doctor said this surely explains memory issues, depression, exhaustion, and more.  So, I guess I need to emphasize to everyone to go get a physical and get a work-up.

I've started walking this week.  That is probably harder for me than NSNF.  I hate exercise.  Hate it.  But, I'm trying to change that attitude. I put in 10 miles this week. My youngest son is 11yo and in Boy Scouts and is working on his Personal Fitness Merit Badge.  He has to do an exercise routine for 90 days and I'm earning the Personal Fitness MB with him.  Trying to do it with a smile but everything hurts.  My arm pits hurt!!  My shins, my shoulders... it's just easier to be fat.  Bennett is liking "directing" me to do my exercises and he's charting my progress right next to his.  If I stop posting again, it's probably because my fingers hurt too bad to type. :-)

Another depressing thing this week to add to my pity-party is that I have not lost one more pound.  In 3 weeks, I am still at only 6 lbs lost.  I'll be honest that I'm PISSED!!  That is the most aggravating news of the week.  The last time I did this, I was losing about 4 pounds a WEEK.  I should be at about 12 pounds lost and I'm sitting at 6.  Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!  Very, very unhappy.  Seeing that scale unchanged wanted to make me quit more than anything.  I have NO idea what is going on.  I even added walking this week and nothing more lost!!  It makes me want to cry.  If this does not work, I just don't know what else to try.  Emily and I are going back tomorrow to weigh-in again.  Please Lord, just let it move by 1 pound.

So food journal...

I have tried a couple new recipes this week that were really good!!  Definitely will do them again.  Anything that gets thumbs-up from the family will be made again.  I don't have exact daily menus (sorry!!) but I'll give you an overview.

Breakfasts this week have included 
2 eggs with 1 piece of Ezekiel toast;
Half an Ezekiel muffin with a hard boiled egg sliced on top with a cheese slice, heated in the microwave for 30 seconds to melt the cheese;
Half Ezekiel muffin with peanut butter

Snacks this week have included:
apple with peanut butter;
raisins;
pickles;
popcorn;
nacho chips and salsa and guacamole once;

Lunches
Lunched have been the "snack" food listed above instead of a sandwich

Dinners this week included
Nathan Hot Dogs (no buns) (Nathans doesn't have sugar added), deviled eggs, corn on the cob, fruit
Turkey / Quinoa meatloaf (see recipes), veggie stir fry (red cabbage, zucchini, walnuts with soy sauce) (see recipe), peas, fruit
Spaghetti and meatballs, green jacket salad, Ezekiel garlic toast, fruit
Leftover night, which we lovingly call YOYO Night (your on your own!)
Shrimp Pasta (see recipes), ediname

Desserts
It's summertime so we have Edy's "no sugar added" ice cream in the freezer to have every now and then.
Bennett loves making the frozen banana ice cream - made another big batch tonite (see recipes)

Wow.  Long post.  Thanks for following along.  I'm still encouraging the girls to get back to the blog and fingers crossed they will post this week.  Check back in the next day for all the recipes I mentioned above.  And I'd love to know if I'm talking to someone or just typing for nothing so say hi if you read this! :-)