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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

December 22, 2010........It is finished!

This is my last post and now I will go on to my other blog.

The final results are in:
 
NameStandard Range11/20/200712/4/200812/8/200912/21/2010
CHOLESTEROL213229267232
TRIGLYCERIDE70777892
HDL60577676
LDL139157175138
RISK3.64.03.53.1

  
As you can see.....My total cholesterol went down  13% this year and my LDL went down 21%.
The only thing I changed in my diet was to eliminate sugar.  Exercise pattern stayed the same which is the reason my HDL remains high, that's a good thing.
My experiment was a success in my eyes.  I was a bit disappointed, I guess I had unrealistic number drops in my head but I am satisfied with these numbers.  The only thing the doc noted on my lab report is "Ideal LDL should be below 130".  Crap, why couldn't she say, "Great job lowering the LDL 21%"?

I guess I need to add my weight in here too, my weight this morning was 129.8, that's 5# less than on November 2, another benefit of eliminating sugar.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Day 49, 0 days to go............

The doctor's office called yesterday and ordered lab work so I can have my blood drawn this morning.  What do I wake up to.....5 inches of snow and it's still snowing.  I'm disappointed to say the least.  I could just take my shower, have my coffee, and drive through the snow to Prevea in Howard but I'm torn.  It's not really necessary that I go today so but I want to but I don't want to drive in the snow but I want to finish this experiment but..........!  If I could only make up my mind. 

After the labs are drawn what do I do?  Do I continue without the sugar or go back to eating an occasional sweet and/or ice creat treat?  I was weak the other night and bought a container of Peppermint Stick ice cream, of course, I have not opened it......yet.  It's my favorite ice cream and it happens only during the holiday season and it was on sale.  Yes, I have all the reasons to bring it into my house.  What about the 17 grams of sugar per 1/2 cup serving?  And who, really who, would only eat 1/2 cup of of ice cream?

1:00 pm......I'm headed to the doc's office to have the labs drawn........yeah!

I'm home from the clinic and as I sit here typing, very well fed!  I made a big breakfast when I got home:  ham, eggs, potatoes and toast.  That will be it for the rest of day except for a bag of popcorn while watching tv tonight.  Results should be posted tomorrow.  I am so excited!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Day 42, 7 to go...........again

Today was the day the experiment was to end.  Would my cholesterol be lower, higher, stay the same?  I'm going to have to wait a while longer to find that answer out.  The doctor's nurse called yesterday to reschedule my physical, Dec. 24 is the only appt available this year.  I asked if I could get in prior to that for blood work, Dec. 21 is the first day possible.  The doc won't be back in the office until Dec. 20 to write an order for the lab tests so there is no way I can go in before that.  Ummmmm, how disappointing.  Waiting this long with a goal in mind, then not being able to obtain that goal without any options, no control.  I believe my Lord is teaching me a valuable lesson in life: I can not control everything.

Weight today 128.6, down 5# since giving up sugar. 

Interesting tidbit I learned through the book, "Mindless Eating".

In many western countries, America in particular, people are trained to eat until they are “full.” Okinawans are trained to eat until they are “no longer hungry.” Consider the impact this shift in perspective might have on your eating habits.

"How do you know when you are no longer hungry?" Many of us are use to simply eating until we are full which is quite different than eating until we are no longer hungry. It takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to communicate with the rest of the body that it has had enough. If we continue to eat during those 20 minutes we won't get the message that our stomach has had enough until 20 minutes too late and by that time we are stuffed.  In Okinawa, Japan they have a saying that goes "Hara hachi bu" which means "Eat until 80% full." One way to do this is to plan how much you are going to eat before hand. Eat what you've planned and then stop  Then notice how you feel 20 minutes later. You may be surprised that you do indeed feel full even though you weren't when you stopped.
Okinawans call this "Hara hachi bu." 

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Oatmeal Harvest Cookies

Oatmeal Harvest Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup date sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/4 cups oatmeal
3/4 cup dried raisins and chopped dates
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat over to 375 degrees.
In large bowl cream together butter and date sugar.  Add egg and mix until blended; add vanilla and applesauce and mix well.  In separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.  Add to butter mixture and mix well.  Fold in other ingredients by hand.
Drop by tablespoons 2" apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Flatten with your fingers.  Bake for about 15 minutes until lightly browned.  Cool on wire rack.

Day 40, 3 to go.....

It's Saturday....and the snow is coming down.  We are expecting 6 - 12 inches to fall before tomorrow.
Weight this morning 130.2.  Steel cut oatmeal is on the stove cooking and I can't wait for it to be done.  I want to feel the fullness that oatmeals gives me. 

Found one of my sticky notes...info I wanted to remember.
*Fat plus sugar, fat plus salt, fat plus sugar and salt.........each stimulates food intake (we eat more because it takes good) but this combination of food does not fill us up and we keep eating.

Another sticky.
*Between 1995 and 1997 48 cases out of 1000 were dx with diabetes.   Between 2005 and 2007 that jumpted to 91 cases out of 1000.

*Train our satiety, retrain ourselves to feel full and satisfied.

Christmas season doesn't seem right without the baking and if I baked, I would have to eat what I baked or give it all away.   Somehow that just doesn't sound right.  If I am not eating sugar because it's healthier for me than why would I want other people to eat sugar???  Maybe after Tuesday I will feel differently.  I do want to try the recipe for Date Oatmeal Cookies and I did buy all the ingredients so next week I might be baking them.

DRATS........the doctor's office just called and cancelled my appt. for Tuesday.  The nurse will call me on Monday to reschedule! 
...............so the journey continues!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Day 38, 5 to go.........

I weighed in this morning at 131 and I am feeling comfortable with that.    There's absolultely no bloated feeling in my stomach.  Actually, now that I am thinking about it,  I feel pretty darn good!  There's no regrets in the morning, I know that I am not putting a lot of wasted calories into my body.   I'm sleeping sp much  better than I was 2 months ago but I know that has almost everything to do with getting off Ambien and a little to do with getting off sugar.

The Women's Christmas Celebration on Tuesday night was a lot tougher than I ever thought it could be.  Of course, I feel that the devil tempted me with all he had.  The  meal was a pot luck meal and the organizers had three huge tables set up.  Two tables were set up with appetizers, entrees, and salads with room to walk around each side of the table.  The other long, long table was desserts and it was full.  Four hundred women turned out for this event which made for really long lines.  By the time our table got into line the line was all the way  past the dessert table.  Now I am hungry, it's 7 pm, and I have to walk slowly past every inch of the dessert table.  I really tried concentrating on my friends and our conversations but the visual presentation of every kind of beautiful Christmas candy, cookies,  pies, and everything else one could possibly imagine was ALMOST too much to handle.

The negative self talk started about 1/4 of the way past the dessert table.  I started asking myself why I was doing this, would I really be able to live without eating sugar, and why would I want too.  The taste, the smell, the texture (Sugar, fat, and salt) of these desserts is what I wanted.  I know that if I had just started my journey (experiment) I would of caved in and ate.  Last year I went back to the dessert table 2 times and filled my plate up with several different desserts and although some looked better than they tasted I probably ate for 1500 calories of these desserts before being full enough to quit.  Toward the end of the line I wanted to cry, I felt so sorry for myself, it was such a self-defeating emotional time.  It was like was was in crisis and why...........it was all caused my sugar and feeling I was depriving myself of some type of joy in my life.   Now that I am looking back and writing about those feelings, it's crazy what food can do to you.  Is my life really less joyful because I can't have a peanut butter ball????

I wanted to add my recipe for Lentil soup.......gives  you something hot to eat when your sooooo cold! 

This is a hearty soup and gives you the feeling of being full. 

1/2 lb of dry lentils........wash them before adding them to the soup
8 cups of water
1/8 cup of barley........estimated, I just through in a handful :)
2 teaspoons of Better than Broth Beef Boullion
2 teaspoons of Better than Broth Veggie Boullion
2 stalks of celery-diced
2 carrots-diced
1 medium onion-diced
salt (to taste but I would probably say I used 1/2 teaspoon)
pepper to taste

You can add everything all at once and just simmer.  Approximately 2 - 3 hours.

If you haven't tried lentils before give this a try.  If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Day 36, 7 to go..............

My doctor appt. is one week from today.  Weight today 130, it seems to be really stable right now.  My days are getting so much better, foodwise.  I don't obsess about sugar or snacks.  As Dr. Kessler would say, I turned off the cues because the option for me to eat something that is sugar filled is non-existant.  I made my decision 36 days ago and I don't have to keep making the same decision over and over again.  My brain knows this now and has started looking for different options.  Popcorn, Carb Check Bagel, or an apple are my usual snack options. 

Tonight is the Women's Christmas Celebration at church.  It's a pot luck meal that always has way too much food and the dessert table goes on and on.  I'm not worried one bit about being tempted by the desserts but what I am worried about is what I will do while everyone else at my table is eating their plateful of goodies.  Not that eating a plateful of goodies is bad, especially at Christmas because there are so many choices, who can choose just a couple?  But the questions will start which will give me an opporturnity to share my journey.  Maybe I can go back and get a plate of salad or some other dish I didn't get to try on my first way through the line, ummmm, that sounds like a plan.

I'm not making much progress on the new Jillian Michaels book, by the time Trent was done with me I was even too exhausted to read.  But what I am learning is that hormones play a much bigger part in our metabolism then I previously thought.  I will list the hormones that play an active part tomorrow and today I will blog Jillian's information on how metabolic activities work:
She states that all metabolic activities work in one of two ways:
  • Catabolic activities are about destruction--they break apart larger molecules (like carbs, fats, and protein) to release the fuel that allows the body to function.  This process gives us energy and also builds body tissues in anabolic activies.
  • Anabolic activities are about construction--our cells take the glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids from catabolism and turn them into body tissues like muscles, fat, and bone.
Hormones are typically put into one of these two catagories.  She explains that cortisol is considered a catabolic hormone and growth hormone is considered an anabolic hormone.  Neither catabolic or anabolics hormones are fully good or fully bad, you need both kinds for a healthy metabolism.

She states that when we give our body the foods it was built to understand, you support your hormones to do what they are meant to do and by doing that we can make our metabolism work for us and not against us.

So there it is again, we have to feed fuel our body with healthy foods.  As Michael Pollan writes in his book "Defense of Food", he breaks down our need for fuel in seven words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants!

Wish me luck tonight on my pillaging the pot luck tables.

Sidenote:  I listed my Motorola Defy phone (gift from Oprah) on Ebay today.  What an awesome phone with so many functions, I was really impressed with it in Madison.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Day 33, 10 to go......................

The last 6 days have just flown by.  I'm in Madison taking care of my grandson, Trent, he's 2 1/2 years old and he keeps me really busy. 

There's not much time to read although I started a new book, "Master your Metabolism" by Jillian Michaels and I am still reading "In Defense of Food".  I'm really not getting far in either one but I keep plodding along.  When I finally get to bed I am so tired and often fall asleep without intending to. 

I've had a few struggles with the sugar issues but I have stayed true to my commitment.  DH had to buy Trent a donut "nonut" for breakfast one morning.  As we stood at the bakery shelves my mouth did NOT water.  (Success.)  At the same store, DH again, hit the candy counter with Trent...picked out little chocolate candies, most of my old favorites, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Hershey Kisses, again no drooling on the floor.  Actually, it was easy, but I have to say it wasn't without a lot of thought.  What would that food feed my body?  Do I want to go back to day 1 again?  Do I want my experiment to fail on day 31?  The answer is no! 

The book, "The End of Overeating" has taught me a lot and now I look at my choices differently.  I am not going to let my old ways dictate my new ways.  I always have a choice and I choose health.  I listened to Dr. Kessler's presentation on You Tube last night, I just searched Dr. David Kessler and it popped up, it's 59 minutes long and takes a lot less time than reading the book again.  He speaks to how the we have changed as a society and how available the food is at every corner.  We no longer just eat at meal times.  How we no longer feel full (or satisfied) if our meals are full of sugar, fat, and salt.  Everything I read and heard of Dr. Kessler's is leading me to a healthier way of looking at and consuming food.

Through this experiment i discovered that I love steel cut oatmeal.  I also know that I can cook a weeks supply, divide it up into individual serving sizes as to not overeat, put into fridge and whalla..........instant oatmeal 6 days a week.  About two minutes in the microwave and it's ready to eat.  How easy is that?

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Day 27, 16 to go................

I'm sitting here at 6:30 am, the day of the Noodleini 5k run, feeling like a bloated turkey.  Why?  Because last night I lost control.  No, I can't say I lost control because I had NO DESIRE to have control nor did I have a plan to have control but that will change today.   Twenty-seven days ago I did take control of my consumption of sugar and I have been doing good with that, now I have to change how I think about other aspects of my eating.  Today I am looking at portion control.   Back to the beginning.Why?  Because last night I lost control!   I will be back later to write more, but now I have to get ready for my run.  P.S.  3 pieces of Pizza Hut Super Supreme Pizza.......420 calories a piece plus stuff crust with cheese............I would estimate my supper last night at 1600 calories.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Day 26, 17 to go.........

Weight went back up to 132 today.  I'm really not sure what that is about but it is what it is. 

The sugar demons were attacking me yesterday in full force.  Yes, it definitely was my fault.  I went grocery shopping after running errands all day which included Black Friday shopping and having the MRI done on my knee.  The only thing I ate all day prior to walking into the grocery store at 5:30 was a Carb Check Bagel (140 calories) and coffee.  The baking aisle got me!!!!!!   As I walked down the baking aisle the cake mixes, brownie mixes, cookie mixes, sweet bread mixes........they all were jumping off the shelve at me.  I walked faster.....they walked faster.  It was hard, very hard.  I started to doubt myself.  Ask questions why?  Negative thoughts, such as:  You can't give up sugar forever!  What would it matter if you just ate one?  Everyone else gets to buy and eat that stuff!  It went on for what seems like minutes but actually it was probably only a few seconds.  I went down that aisle to buy pancake mix but the journey through the aisle was very eye opening to  me.  I have a long way to go.  My thinking has to change........I am not depriving myself of anything, these foods that were "talking" to me have NO nutritional value.  Why do I think that I'm withholding something good from myself?  Will I ever get over this?

Now that I write this, I remembered that these thoughts and feelings also entered my head on Wednesday night at Wal-mart.  Walking through to the dairy aisle I  passed through the end aisle of the store..........the whole aisle was Christmas Candy!!  Do we have to wonder why we have a world of overweight people when the stores are working against us.  How cheap is it to buy a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and bring them home to put a smile on your kids face?  Or to stop a screaming kid in the grocery store and give into his demands.  Why are we teaching our kids that sugar is good?  How much effort would it take to retrain them and to have to ask for apples or bananas?  Yes, it costs more to eat healthy but it also takes a lot of effort and from what I see in Wal-mart...parents do not want to expend that effort.  Could it be they need education on how to shop or how to cook?  Our society has really done a disservice to our poor.  It goes back the ancient proverb: "Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish ; and you have fed him for a lifetime".  We are giving way to much and not teaching how to provide for themselves.  Off soapbox!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Day 23, 20 to go...........

Today's weight 129.6.  I am really craving something sweet today.  As I write this I wonder if it is because I put the Sweet & Low Brown Sugar in my oatmeal which I am feeling guilty about. 

So I looked up some information.  Sweet & Low contains saccharin.  Saccharin has been around since 1879.  It is the most widely used and least expensive artificial sweetener in the world.  It is 200 to 700 times sweeter than sugar.   There are reports that have linked saccharin to bladder cancer in lab animals but studies done on people who consume a lot of it have not confirmed those results. 

Saccharin was discovered in 1879 by Constantine Fahlberg, while working in the laboratory of Ira Remsen, quite by accident as were most other sweeteners. While working in the lab, he spilled a chemical on his hand. Later while eating dinner, Fahlberg noticed a more sweetness in the bread he was eating. He traced the sweetness back to the chemical, later named saccharin, by tasting various residues on his hands and clothes (unsanitary conditions) and finally chemicals in the lab (not a safe lab practice).  Source:  http://www.elmhurst.edu/

It's certainly better than splenda...........read on:

Discovery of Splenda originates back to London in 1975 when a young Indian student who was doing graduate work in chemistry while studying insecticides.
The young fellow was helping on a project of looking for ways to kill insects, when one day he mis-understood the instructions from his boss, who said to be sure to “test” his efforts. He thought the instructions were to “taste” the product, and when he did as told, imagine the surprise when he reported that this highly toxic liquid was 600 times sweeter than plain old sugar.

This synthetic chemical was later to become known as sucralose (Splenda) and eventually approved for human consumption by our ever-so-diligent FDA (Food and Drug Administration) on April 1, 1998 – April Fools Day.

Splenda is the brand name for sucralose and should not to be confused with the naturally found sucrose which is extracted from plants as ordinary sugar. Sucralose begins as a sugar molecule but is chemically changed to a synthetic that includes the addition of three, highly poisonous chlorine molecules in a patented, five step process. It is then marketed as a “healthful” and “natural” product, although as a chemical substance, it is not recognized as sugar by the body. It is therefore not metabolized, which is necessary step for the maintenance of life.  Source:  http://www.healthwantednow.com/2009/09/sweet-deception-about-splenda-the-insecticide-that-is-600-times-sweeter-than-sugar/

Tomorrow is the Turkey Trot, I'm going to run with Laura.  It's going to be cold but once we start moving it will be just right.  I'm also dropping my registration off for the Noodleini 5k which will be Sunday.

I want to quote from "No Need For Speed" written by John Bingham that I found quite insiteful:
"During our sunset years of our running and our lives, victory is about letting go--of how we used to be and of what we thought we would be.  Being a victor means making peace with how far we've come, yet how little progress we've made."  I am at peace!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Day 22, 21 to go...........

Day 22, over three weeks of not having a single bite of sugar laden food.  I've had honey in my oatmeal, 1tsp., every other day at the most.  White flour in the form of bread has been almost non-existent (except for last night)  I've had pasta but kept the serving size to a minimum.  I'd say all in all, I've been very good.  My weight this morning was 129.2.   Here's the exception:

Last night I went out to dinner at my favorite pasta restaurant.  Normally (and my mouth waters even when I think about it - talk about conditioned responses) I order broccoli and cream.  That's broccoli mixed in with a very rich Alfredo sauce  poured over linguine and covered with mozzarella cheese and slightly browned in the oven.  But last night I ordered the sauce with all sorts of veggies in it besides broccoli there was asparagus, peas, carrots, and fresh mushrooms (sauce was still Alfredo sauce.)  This restaurant is exactly what the book, "The End of Overeating" described.  My plate had enough food on it for 4 servings, honestly.  Before you even order than place toasted garlic bread and crispy hard rolls on the table served with Wisconsin butter.  I did have one piece of garlic bread but that piece would normally be two pieces and I also had one half of a hard roll.  The salad was also served which I ordered french dressing on the side.  I ended up taking two-thirds of the pasta home and tonight I went to reheat it.  I actually heated half of it up in the microwave and ate a couple pieces of broccoli and tossed it all into the garbage.  OMG, the plate of pasta had an inch of melted butter around the edges of it.  I am not kidding, I should have taken a picture and posted it here. 

Now that meal is certainly an exception and I do not go there on a regular basis but why don't they  cut the price and serve a healthy size portion instead of putting so much on the plate.   My husband I have went there in the past and split an entree which works out nicely except my favorite and his favorite are not the same.  He likes seafood in his Alfredo sauce. 

So just in case I overate yesterday I cut back today.  I had my steel cut oatmeal this morning, I love that stuff.  This time I made four servings and divided the servings into separate bowls and put them in the fridge.  I hope this will work, just pop it in the microwave for a minute instead of cooking and stirring every day for 20 minutes.  Last time I went grocery shopping I found Sweet and Low brown sugar.  I know that I shouldn't use that stuff but a little bit, ummmmmmm, I actually felt guilty.  Anyway, I added cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon of the Sweet and Low, and a bit of milk and it was delicious.
Lunch was 1/2 whole wheat bagel with fresh peanut butter and supper ended up to be a Smart one plus 1/2 can of Progresso lentil soup.  In just those two items, the soup and the Smart One, I had my daily allotment of sodium - 1450 mg and 9 grams of sugar.

Finished the book last night and wanted to blog some insight that I want to remember:
*We have to seek out alternative rewards that satisfy us.
*We need to keep in mind how the brain processes stimuli and how that drives your behavior in the      presence of food and food cues.
*We need to pay attention to everything we eat.

Thanksgiving Day brings the 5 mile Turkey Trot.  Yesterday was a three mile run that took everything I had in me just to continue my interval running as I planned to do.  I can only believe that my body is not recovered from giving blood last Friday.  Hopefully, after another two day rest and I will be able to complete the run on Thursday with a little energy left for the rest of the day.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Day 20, 23 to go.........

Where does the time go?  I have to say after 20 days of not eating sweets, it gets easier to just say NO!  Weight this morning 129.8.

Friday I volunteered for the American Red Cross as a Donor Room Aide at Lambeau Field.  They served cookies, not just any cookies, but the cookies that the Packers serves the Box Ticket Season Ticket holders.  They were chocolate chunk cookies and peanut butter cookies with chunks of chocolate and pralines, I think (that's what they looked like).  The cookies were huge and shaped like footballs.  I didn't work by the canteen so the cookies really could yell out to me while working.  But, I decided to give blood while I was there and as a donor you are instructed to sit in the canteen for 15 minutes.  The cookies sat in front of me screaming for recognition.  Everything I learned in the book came back to me and I had a lot of tools and knowledge to use to calm my neurons that wanted a "reward".  Instead of a cookie I had a bag of trail mix (non-salted) which included nuts, raisins, and sesame seeds and I also started on a bag of miniature pretzels.  That's it, plus the coffee and water I drank. 

The Oprah show was a blast.  Everything about the trip turned out perfect, may not have went as planned but when I look back at the trip is was all perfect.  I really enjoyed myself.  My eating went well too.  We had subway for supper one night and the other I had a grilled burger which I ate only half of.  I decided to order the onion straws as a side and actually made a conscious decision to eat those instead of the other half of hamburger.  I am getting better at tossing out food rather than eating more than I need.  I am also becoming aware of the sense of satiety.  It takes attention to the food you are eating and your sense of knowing when you had enough.  Do you ever look at your plate and ask yourself, should I be eating this much food? Probably, if you have to ask that, there's too much food on your plate.  The book tells us to ask ourselves, how will I feel when I eat this food?  Will I feel better than I do now or will I feel worse?  I remember times when I have decided that I will eat above and beyond the portions that are healthy.  For example: Thanksgiving Dinner, Christmas Dinner or perhaps just a buffet while traveling.  The sense of being really full was comforting to me and now am beyond that and I realize how uncomfortable I feel physically and mentally.  It's not like I will not have food available to me for the next few days, food is always available.  Why do we ever have the desire to eat more than we need to eat? 

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Day 16, 27 to go.............

That good news, no sugar yesterday.  The bad news, my weight is up to 131.  Last night I made tenderized round steak for supper, browned in butter and onions and baked in the oven.  I made gravy from the butter and onions and poured it over the steaks.  It was very good and the meat was very lean but the butter is definitely the problem.   We also had baked french fries and peas with the meal.  This is what I learned:  I am not ready to graduate from the school of healthy eating  yet!  I should have cute the meat in half, instead I ate around 7 oz and 3 - 4 oz would have been a more appropriate portion size.  Instead of making french fries I could have spent more time in the kitchen and made a salad.  I could call my diet the "should have" diet, of course, that's probably what I've been following most of life.  :)   Another fact:  I need to add more fiber in my diet.  I can do this by adding 1/2 cup of Fiber One cereal, 13 grams of fiber, to my daily diet.    Maybe I could add this amount of cereal to my hot oats in the morning, I wonder how that will taste.

I spent most of the day shopping yesterday.  Today I am packing up for the Oprah adventure but I still need a top to wear tonight to the movie screening.   I am just not comfortable with the idea of wearing a turtle neck and a sweater.  I will be too warm.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Jewelry

I have not bought custome jewelry for over 20 years but today I bought a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet to wear for the Oprah show.  I figured I owed it to Caron to look like a "total package" as I read on one of the community sites for Oprah.  It basically said, if you want to sit in the front you have to have bright colors and have the "total package" look.  I still don't have it but what the heck, I tried. :)

Day 15, 28 to go............

Finally, a day to catch up with my computer friends, enjoy a cup a coffee, and reflect on life.

My weight this morning was 130.2.  That's 1.2 # more than yesterday but I totally expected it.  Stress can cause your body to gain in a few ways.  Cortisol is released in our body when we are under stress or perceived stress, nervous energy from the stress can cause us to eat more than we normally would, and we may or may not exercise the way we do when the stress is not apparent. 

There's a couple of stressors going on right now, one a good stress and one bad.

First the good:  OPRAH.  I am attending the taping of Oprah on Thursday, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are the guests.  Caron and I will be leaving on Wednesday for Chicago and attending a movie screening for Nicole's new movie, Rabbit Hole, which will be released on Dec. 17.  The screening is at the ShowPlace ICON Theatre in Chicago.  The stressor.........what to wear to the screening, what to wear to the show........OH MY!  Yesterday I went shopping and bought a rose colored sweater and a black top for underneath to go with my black dress pants.  I will wear that to the Oprah show.  For the movie screening I plan on  wearing new jeans and sweater.

The bad stress:  My knees.  I have a doc appt. on Friday, hopefully it will all be just an overuse issue again.  Actually, today the 6th day of rest for the knees, they are feel a bit better so maybe I will just have to take it slow again.  I am registered to run the Turkey Trot next Friday, 5 mile course, which I plan to run/walk. 

Eating:  Last night we went to Tony Roma's for dinner after my shopping excursion.  Honestly, I think I was really aware of the food.  We ordered an appetitzer sampler and after eating part of that I was not hungry.  I could have left without eating my entree.  I ordered my favorite entrie, Chicken Tuscany Pasta, but after eating the appetitizer the robust flavors of the dish were not there for me.  Usually we do not get any appetitizers but because we had a gift certificate we had to use up, we did.  My daughter Rikki joined us for dinner so we split the appetitzer but it was still a lot of food.  It was actually fun figuring out the textures, tastes, and the presentations of the food.   Sugar layered with fat, layered with salt, fat, sugar, and we wonder why American's are overweight.  I don't have to wonder anymore I know.  I think I had about three bites of my main entree and when I realized I just was not hungry it went right into a take home box.  I'm sure I still had tons of calories and I have to say, I would have enjoyed the meal so much BETTER had we not ordered the appetitizer.

Maybe if we could just ask ourselves these questions before put something into our mouths. 
Am I truly hungry or do I have an emotional need?  If emotional verbalize it..I am sad, I am angry, I am lonely.......if we put words to our feelings we might understand that we are trying to fill a hole that is NOT our stomach.
Am I going to be better off after I eat this?
What nutrients will it feed by body?
Am I going to be satisfied?
 
I'm off to go shopping...........

Monday, November 15, 2010

Day 14, 29 to go...............

Day 14, tomorrow will be a full two weeks.  My weight is down to 129, a loss of 5.8 # since I started.  Don't be fooled that this is all fat......when I started I was really bloated from all the sugar I was eating the days before.  I'm happy that the weight dropped off in a short period of time.

I want to write more about the things I have learned in my book but I am obsessed with the Oprah show right now.  The taping is on Thursday and I don't have a clue of what to wear.  Black dress pants from my closet but I have to go shopping today and buy a blouse or two.  I'm leaning toward boots but I'm thinking about comfort.  There's a lot of standing before you actually get into the studio and I don't want to be in pain.

Pain.......my knees.  I haven't run for 4 days this will be my 5th.  I made a doc appt. for Nov. 19 to have them checked out.  It will be sad if I have to give up running but I am trying to think positive, maybe just a week off and I can start again, I need to wait and see.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Day 11, 32 to go.......

I am definitely more hungry in the morning.  For breakfast I chicken breast for protein with my steel cut oatmeal.  I used the Stevita extract to sweeten my oats but right now, I would have to say it's not going to work for me.  I tried Stevita on my finger and it tasted bitter.  I don't know if I could ever eat oatmeal without a sweetener..............what would Jillian and/or Bob do?

This weekend will be a challenge because I am headed to Madison to spend some time with my daughter and her family.  I'm not sure if she realizes that I am on this NO SUGAR kick but she will when I get there.  I usually arrive with cookies or cake but this time my hands will be empty except for a box of oatmeal.  What a disappointment for the little guy.  It makes me realize how we use food to make others happy.  I know if I showed up with a cookie or donut he would be thrilled.  That's how we create our little brain pathways that associate food with pleasure.   I will have to find other ways to make him happy......take him to the park, play trucks, color, I'm sure he will have something he wants to do with his Gramma besides eat.

My weight this morning was 130, down a pound.  I checked back on my records and the last time I weighed 130 was about a year ago.  This is good, I want my weight to be 128 at my doctor appt on Dec. 14. 

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Day 10, 33 to go........

Ten days already, I know without a doubt now that I feel better!  The last couple nights I even slept without waking even for a potty run.  Now that's amazing.  I feel calm, that's the best word I can use to describe myself.  There's no sense of feeling wired anymore. 

My weight was still at 131 so no further loss there. 

New things:

I tried steel cut oatmeal today for the first time, actually I did make it one other time in a crock pot over night but that didn't work.......ended up throwing it all away in the morning.  This time I cooked it according to the package instructions, 1 cup of water to 1/4 cup oatmeal and simmer for 20-25 minutes.  It seems like a long time to wait for breakfast but by the time I got my morning chores done and taking a shower it was time to eat.  I didn't add milk, just a little honey and it was terrific.  It definitely beat out the rolled oatmeal I usually have and the instant stuff, I think you can forget that from now on. 

I bought stevia for sweetener.  After doing some research on artificial sweeteners I think it would be best to just say NO.  Did you know that Splenda actually was invented while chemists were creating insecticides.  One chemist but a bit on his finger and tasted it (who knows why) but it was very sweet and the story goes on from there to the supermarket shelves.  Stevia is a plant derivative and is sold in the health food department of your grocery store or in health food stores, not my the sugar products.  Tomorrow I will try it for the first time.

These are small steps I'm taking to improve my health and to feel better.  I want to learn to nourish my body and just not eat mindlessly because the food industry has figured out a way to get me to eat more and more.  Food cravability is what they call it.  According to the book I am reading the restaurants have turned our food into Adult baby food.   They make it easy to eat and and easy to swallow.  All the flavors and texture melt together and slide down our throat easily and this is done by adding just  the right amount of fat.  That chapter in the book reminded me of all the burritos that I have enjoyed at the Mexican restaurants, when everything is mixed together in my mouth and the flavors all melt into one big comfort food party.   Not only that but we are given such large portions and entice us to overeat, it's all a plan for us to get our dollar's worth and come back again, only to be able to eat more next time.  It's all a conspiracy, lol.  Do you know that an average $1.00 fountain soda at a fast food restaurant costs them 10 cents?  So why not double the size and sell it to us for $1.50, we think we are getting a deal and they are making more money.

What I am figuring out, (and it's about time) is that we have to educate ourselves.  We need to be know the tricks of the trade.   We have to know what is in processed foods (chemical additives that flavor the food into something you want it to be BUT it's really not).  Is the cheese sauce really cheese?  ummmm????

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Day 9, 34 to go..............

Yesterday had some difficult moments.....like the one when DH bought a candy bar at Fleet Farm and proceeded to eat it in front of me, Salted Nut Roll.  He asked if I wanted a bite and thank goodness, I had enough will power to say no.  We were shopping for garage furnace supplies so at the next store I stayed in the van, bad idea.  Do you remember where all the Halloween Candy is? Yep, they are in the van!  I obsessed over the thought of Butterfingers, Babe Ruths, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups......come on, it was 3:00 in the afternoon, what a great time for a snack.  One can't hurt, or can it???  Get a grip!  I was talking to myself, actually fighting with myself, those darn little voices anyway!  I am happy to be sitting here typing this with a smile on my face because I was victorious over all those empty calorie little candy bars.  I was alone in that van for 30 minutes with all those little candy bars screaming my name and I did not even look for the bag! 

We also went out to eat.  Since reading "The End of Overeating" and understanding how the food industry uses fat, salt, and sugar to overeat I am vigilant about how much I eat and why.  I want to know when I am satisfied and not continue eating because the food tastes good.  As we ate yesterday I pushed the plate away from me two times because I was not hungry anymore but kept reaching out to the plate to take another bite, ummmm, just one more bite.  Was I hungry?  No.  Was the Philly Steak Wrap good, YES!  After two extra bites, I finally was able to leave the darn plate alone.

Weight this morning 131, I slept good last night, and amazingly, I feel totally calm and peaceful.  Is this a benefit of giving up sugar? 

I think about food a lot now but I did prior to giving up sugar too.  Now I feel my choices are made for me, I don't have to think about having a cookie (for too long anyway), or which ice cream to buy or how much to have, because I am not having any!  No more decisions.  The world is full of food, healthy choices are all around us.  We need to educate ourselves, that's all.

DH and I watched a movie/documentary last night, FOOD, INC., (I rented my copy at the library).  Did you know that the hamburger (filler) that they use at fast food restaurants (yep, your eating it at McDonald's) is given an  ammonia bath to kill the ecoli before it's shipped to the restaurants.  This venture that I am on, well, can you say OBSESSED!  Buy your meats/poultry at your local butcher.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Day 8, 35 to go..........

Breakfast this morning included the 2 oz of chicken, 1/2 piece of ww toast with peanut butter, and a 1/2 serving of oatmeal.  I planned on eating the whole slice of toast and the whole serving of oatmeal but I was NOT hungry.  First, I think it's because I ate slower, I ate the chicken while I cooked the oatmeal and by the time I got to the oatmeal I was satisfied already.  That's an awesome feeling.

My weight this morning was 131.2 so that's stabilizing now, no loss and not really a gain either.

Interesting info this morning found on this website:  http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/sugar.htm

In layman's language it explains WHY sugar can affect your immune system.  I really enjoy reading something that I can actually understand the first time I read it.

If sugar sweetened drinks, candy, cookies, chips, and all the other fat ladened sugary snacks we feed ourselves and our kids have no nutritional value, WHY do we allow them to purchased with federally funded food stamps (now called SNAP)?  We allow these items but don't allow a vitamin to me purchased.....amazing.

Need more reasons to give up sugar?

Here is a list of ways sugar can affect your health:


  • Sugar can suppress the immune system.
  • Sugar can upset the body's mineral balance.
  • Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
  • Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
  • Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
  • Sugar can reduce helpful high density cholesterol (HDLs).
  • Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol (LDLs).
  • Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
  • Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.
  • Sugar can cause kidney damage.
  • Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
  • Sugar may lead to chromium deficiency.
  • Sugar can cause copper deficiency.
  • Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
  • Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
  • Sugar can promote tooth decay.
  • Sugar can produce an acidic stomach.
  • Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.
  • Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
  • Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.
  • Sugar can increase total cholesterol.
  • Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
  • High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
  • Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
  • Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
  • Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
  • Sugar leads to decreased glucose tolerance.
  • Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
  • Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.
  • Sugar causes food allergies.
  • Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.
  • Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
  • Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
  • Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage.
  • Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
  • Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
  • Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.
  • Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.
  • Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
  • Sugar can cause depression.
  • Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.
  • Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
  • Sugar can cause hypertension.
  • Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
  • Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha and theta brain waves, which can alter the mind's ability to think clearly.
  • Sugar can increase blood platelet adhesiveness which increases risk of blood clots and strokes.
  • Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.
  • Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.

Source: http://www.nancyappleton.com/

Monday, November 8, 2010

Garden Vegetable Soup

Garden Vegetable Soup

1 cup sliced carrots
1 small onion diced
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart fat-free broth (beef, chicken, or veggie)  I use veggie and I use more because I load up on     vegetables in this soup.
2 cups shredded cabbage (I buy the cole slaw mix)
1 cup green beans
1 16 oz can of petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sliced, diced, or shredded zucchini

Spray soup kettle with nonstick cooking spray, saute carrots, onions, and garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add broth and everything except zucchini and boil for 15 minutes or until beans are tender.

Stir in zucchini for the last 3 minutes.

Variations:  Add kidney beans for protein, pearl barley for fiber, or anything else you have on hand.  Barley would take more time to cook so you would have to partially precook the barley before adding it to the broth.

Day 7, 36 to go...........

One week ago tonight I sat at the table eating candy bars and never in my dreams did I think it would lead to a healthier lifestyle but it did.

Today I weighed in at 131 pounds, 3.8 # less than I weighed on November 2.

I have a couple wonderful friends that have decided to ride this train with me.  Together we will be able to come up with new ideas and we will learn a lot along the way, I'm sure.

This is a picture of Deb, Jan, and I after we ran the Hot Chocolate Run last year.  It was great getting to know these women that I only knew through my computer before this.  Anyway, Jan, is going on this sugar freedom ride with me.  Today we discussed protein and how we can add protein to our diet without a lot of calories or fats or carbs that go along with.  We came up with the idea of cooking chicken breasts or turkey breasts ahead of time, dividing them up in individual servings, 2oz. 
Two ounces of chicken breast can provide 18 grams of protein.  You can add it to a piece of toast for breakfast, salad for lunch..........just to add some protein to a meal that otherwise could be without protein.

Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy.........

John Bingham's book, No Need For Speed.
"A friend once asked me whose voice it was that I heard in my head when I was being critical of myself.  Who was it that was telling me what I should be able to do?  Who was it that was never satisfied with who I was and what I was becoming?  It was a sobering question.
Is there a little voice like that in your head?  Does a little character sit on your shoulder all day long and evaluate your every move?  Do you hear that voice berating your every mistake and belittling your every success?  Many of us do, I believe nearly all of us do.
I had that voice, but for me, sadly, the voice was my own.  I couldn't blame it on anyone else.  I couldn't conjure up an image of a person or place that made me feel that way.  By the time I was ready to start a life of activity, by the time I put on my running shoes and tried to change the direction of my life, I was the person who was the least cooperative.
Many of us berate ourselves and belittle our accomplishments in the misguided believe that it will encourange us to reach for a higher standard.  Rather than using a positive voice to celebrate our success, we constantly undermine our progress by reminding ourselves how far we have to go.  In the end, the constant criticism works to defeat us.  We do this to ourselves all the time.  How often have you heard someone chastising himself for a mistake?  How often have you done it to yourself?  Do you wonder to whom it is you're talking?  Do you wonder who it is that's talking?"

My struggle is definitely not over.  After supper I noticed two Werther's candies on my husband's dresser and my mouth immediately wanted them.  I was not hungry but the thought of the smooth, sweet caramel flavor..........I'm drooling, ok?  I won this battle tonight and I am hoping to win the war of sugar addiction for life.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

1 # Sweet Italian Sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef stock (I used Veggie Broth)
1 quart water
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 # of carrot toothpicks
1 teaspoon sweet basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cup tomato sauce
8 ounces of cheese tortellini

Directions:

In a large stockpot sauté sausage on medium high heat for 10 minutes.  Drain (except for 1 tablespoon).  Add green peppers, onion and garlic and sauté for another 10 minutes.  Add beef stock, tomatoes, carrots, tomato sauce and seasoning.

Bring to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.  Add tortellini.  Simmer until tortellinis are fully cooked.  Let stand one hour.  Bring to simmer again.

Serve in bowls sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

Day 6, 37 to go........

This morning I woke up hungry and that does not happen, hardly at all.  My weight stayed the same as yesterday.   I'm feeling good, I think I am noticing a bit more energy but then we did get an extra hour of sleep last night.  For breakfast I had peanut butter and ww bread, 1/2 slice, and a half of a high fiber bagel with coffee of course.  Then it was off to church to work the nursery. 

Busy day at church, 7 babies for first service and 7 for the second service too.  It only takes one baby's cry to upset the other babies.  So the trick is to keep them all happy, never let any of them cry, always sooth them as soon as possible.  All in all, I would say it was a good morning.

Grocery shopping after church, yikes, all the stores were so busy.  It's not that I have to go on Sunday since I don't work I could go any day of the week but I'm in town already so I thought I would save a trip.   Eating healthy costs more and takes a lot more time.  Am I going to completely obsessed with reading all the labels now?  Probably for a while, at least until I get the cholesterol checked.  To me, this is a big challenge, it's me vs. LDL, who or what is going to win?  It still amazes me, creamed corn - 2 teapsoons of sugar per serving, that's just wrong.

Computer problems on the horizon, this morning the computer was shut off again.  It's been doing that recently without any rhyme or reason to it.  I'm probably going to have to take the cover off and blow some air in it to clear the fans.  First I better do a little research and find out just how to do that. :)

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Day 5, 38 to go...........

4.2 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon of table sugar

Even tomato soup has sugar and not a little either.  I've been looking at everything in terms of teaspoons of sugar now.  A can of Campbell's Tomato Soup has 30 grams of sugar or 7.5 teaspoons of sugar.  I just can't imagine taking 7.5 teaspoons of sugar and adding them to anything but less tomato soup.  The other food I checked today (that was taken out of my pantry) Honey-Nut Cheerios.
Nine grams of sugar in 3/4 of a cup and I thought they were good for you.

I saw an ad on TV for Pediasure for kids (picky eaters).  My curiosity was piqued so I started checking to see if I could find sugar content.  I went to the manufacturer's website but I couldn't find the data there, either they make it hard to find or it's not there.   Found it.......Pediasure has 18 grams of sugar, 4.2 teaspoons of sugar in 8oz.  According to their website sugar is added because after testing the product they found out that kids like a sweeter tasth, duh!!!!!!!!  Who doesn't?
It's no wonder our kids are getting fatter and are addicted to that sweet taste.  I'm reading a book called, The End of Overeating by David A. Kessler, MD, it's hitting on the food industry's to make food so it is irresistible to us by adding sugar, fat, and salt.  Those three ingredients have caused the obesity we face today and the health problems related to it.

My weight was down to 131.8 this morning that's 3 #'s gone in 5 days.  I'm NOT dieting, I am NOT restricting calories, what I am doing is controlling my sugar and white flour consumption.  I'm feeling good, real good compared to the night I ate all those candy bars and the day after that.   I'm not bloated and my intestinal gas has certainly diminished.   I don't think my energy level has made any significant change, although my run went good today.   Also the cravings are gone.  Would I trust myself with a bowl of candy bars?  Yes, and at this point in my experiment, I would not eat any of them. :)

100% Whole Wheat Honey Bread

100% Whole Wheat Honey Bread - NO GLUTEN


At first I wasn't sure if this recipe would work because I did not add the gluten the recipe called for.  I did a bit of research why the gluten was necessary and I found out that it helped the bread raise and to keep it softer.  As you can see in the picture the bread did raise nicely without it.

Here's the recipe for the bread machine:

100% Whole Wheat Honey Bread - NO GLUTEN
1.5# loaf
1 egg, room temperature plus enough warm water to equal 1 cup
3 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbl honey
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast
Put all ingredients into bread machine according to the user's manual.   Select the whole wheat program, press start, enjoy!

(These are the changes I made from the original recipe:  Did not add gluten--the recipe called for 1 1/2 TBL Vital Wheat Gluten, decreased salt from 1 1/2 tsp to 1 1/4 tsp,  and substituted honey for brown sugar.)


Friday, November 5, 2010

Dept. of Agriculture 2010 Guidelines for Salt

New guideline lowers the recommended daily salt intake:

2005 guidelines:  2,300 mg of sodium is equivalent to 100 mmol of sodium and is the amount of sodium in 5.84 gm of salt (sodium chloride), about 1 teaspoon of table salt; and,
2010 guidelines:  1,500 mg of sodium is equivalent to 65 mmol of sodium and is the amount of sodium in 3.8 gm of salt (sodium chloride), about 2/3 teaspoon of table salt.

I skimmed the report for carbohydrates in the new guidelines, really confusing.   I had the feeling that they were "protecting the use" of sugar.   When I have no control over candy and it controls me, I have to believe that sugar is a drug and for reasons I don't understand, the government is protecting it.

These guidelines are not published yet but you can access the report:  http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-DGACReport.htm

My gosh, even a tablespoon of ketchup has 1 teaspoon of sugar!

Day 4, 39 to go.........

Weight this morning 132.4   I am definitely thinking about food more and what purpose it serves.  Sometimes I think it's to make us happy.  I know that God has created all food for us to enjoy but I think mankind has done an injustice my processing food so much.  It's not even food anymore when it comes in a box and can sit in my pantry for over a year sometimes two years.  I find myself checking dates now along with the sugar content of the food.  Just what do they put in the food to keep to stable for that long?  What does it do for our bodies except to give us a sense of fullness? 

Report on last night, no sugar, yeah!  There was 6 of us that went out to eat.  We ordered two appetizers for the table and my husband and shared a chicken quesidilla, and lets not forget the 3 bottles of MGH 64.  I didn't over eat but I sure didn't under eat either.  After the dinner we stopped at the casino and spent a few hours, the machines were good to us at times but ended up taking the money we set out to spend there.  My husband offered me his orange soda (not diet) and I refused, it didn't even tempt me.  So we got to bed late and we both had to get up early this morning.   It was a terrible night for sleep, you know how it is, when you KNOW you are only going to get 4 hours of sleep, it seems that everything starts running through your head and sleep does not come easily.  Today I am tired and that makes me want to snack food but with a little will power I'm doing okay.

This morning I noticed my stomach was not bloated, it actually felt good, kind of hungry but not starving.  For breakfast I had half of a high fiber bagel with freshly ground peanut butter with coffee.   Lunch was easy today since Jeff is working, oatmeal sweetened with honey and I added a few walnuts for protein and the good fats.

I discontinued my therapy sessions today.  It was my third session and of course, I think I can do fine on my own.  The reason I went was to find out why I couldn't sleep but I now realize I may have been addicted to Ambien after taking for almost 2 years.  The doc doesn't stress the addictive quality of the drug when they prescribe it to you.  Thankfully I had no problem, other than not sleeping, when I discontinued it cold turkey.  It took me about 7 - 10 days to start sleeping again without it.  Meanwhile, the doc thought I could use some counseling for anxiety to find out why I couldn't sleep..........could my body built up a tolerance to the low level of Ambien and was begging for more.  Thankfully, I recognized the signs and stopped.

I am going to make a loaf of 100% whole wheat bread, if it turns out I will post the recipe.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Day 3, 40 to go......

This morning I woke with a headache.   It was a tough night last night, I probably woke up 4-6 times, for sure I got up 3 times to use the bathroom.  I also felt hungry, maybe not so much stomach growling but the feeling of my stomach feeling empty.  My stomach does not feel bloated at all so that's a change for the better.  My weight this morning was 132.6.  Darn it, I don't want this to feel like a diet, I want it eat as much as I want of healthy food and just eliminate the useless food in my diet and I don't want to focus on losing weight. 

Useless food, that's interesting.  When I can start looking at food as fuel for my body and not pleasure for my mouth, that's the day I will have my eating under control.

Today was an elliptical day, I'm gradually working up to a 30 minute workout inbetween my running days.  I started at 5 minutes, then 6, and today it was 7 minutes, that machine is tough, but I figure if I gradually increase my time I won't burn out.

2:45 pm We are heading out to eat in about an hour.  So far today I have been "on program" and just finished a spinach fruit smoothie for lunch.  My mantra will be:  eat healthy, eat in moderation, DO NOT OVEREAT, order healthy..............relax have a MGD 64 or maybe two!!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Day 2, 41 left to go!

What a challenge, sometimes I think my challenge will become an obsession but if I can drop my cholesterol numbers without medication it will be worth it.  I think I need to redefine my challenge to be NO white sugar and minimal white flour.  All but one of my whole wheat bread recipes call for some white flour and what about pasta?????  I will definitely try to cut way back on the white flour as much as possible.

Last night I was hungry when I went to bed.  I turned the TV on to watch the election news but having the TV on in the bedroom is not good for my sleep hygiene.  After watching TV for awhile I talked myself into getting up to get something to eat.  Ended up with a hard boiled egg white, and left over chicken w/veggies. After eating I finally shut off the TV and although it took longer than normal I kept my anxiety in check.  But I woke up at 4:15 am and my anxiety got the best to me.  The doc prescribed anti-anxiety meds for exactly that reason so I took one and fell back to sleep.  I wonder if I woke up because of the late night eating?  Could it have been a change in my blood sugar?

Today was a better day than yesterday.  I was NOT so tired and the running nose I had yesterday subsided.  No symptoms from sugar withdrawal, no headache, no irritability (at least I don't think so) , no shaking, etc.  The day started with a 3 mile run that was not an easy run for me.  Some days you have bad runs and some day good but today was in the bad column.  I had my "colon issues" during the run and that always makes for an uncomfortable finish.  After I got home I had freshly ground peanut butter on a piece of oatmeal/honey bread with coffee.  Lunch was at my sisters which included pork tenderloin, potatoes, and cauliflower. 

I read a post from a friend this afternoon and she talked about making chocolate chips cookies and that's all I could think about.  Even my mouth started to water with the thought of sweet cookies.  Sugar is an addiction that can be controlled, I need to keep telling myself this. 

Rest the day I snacked on a bag of popcorn and supper I had a fruit smoothie w/spinach and flexseed.

Tomorrow will bring it's own challenges.  We are eating out tomorrow night with our son and his girlfriend.  Maybe I will have an apple or some oatmeal before we leave the house so I won't be real hungry when we get to the sports bar. 

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

November 2, 2010 No sugar or white flour..........42 days, I am crazy!

Last night I sat at the dining room  table and ate 7 snack size candy bars, not the miniature size bars, but the trick or treat size bars.  After that I went to the pantry and pulled out the full size Snickers candy bar and proceeded to eat that too.  Lucky for me, or unlucky depending on how you would look at this, Jeff (my husband) helped me eat it after I cut it up into bite size pieces.  Five pieces for me and 2 for him.  At this point I don't believe he had a clue to how many other candy bars I already ate.  After this feeding frenzy it was time for ice cream.  I usually don't even have ice cream in the house because I don't have any will power, if I like it and it's in my freezer, I eat it until it's gone.  So today, after the scale hit 134.8 I decided it was time to do something about my sugar addiction. 

The other day I watched, "Sugar:  The Bitter Truth" lecture on youtube.  Dr. Lustig explains in this lecture why sugar is a poison and causing obesity in the world.  Maybe there's a reason that I came across that lecture, maybe it's just time I start to eat better.  There's a direct relationship between sugar and our LDL cholesterol, that's the bad stuff in our arteries that causes the plague which causes heart disease.  It was noted in this lecture that sugar/fructose can also be the cause of high blood pressure.  It's been over 10 years since I had a cholesterol reading of under 200 and each year my doctor wants to start me on cholesterol lowering meds but I keep coming up with the same standoff........let me try changing my diet. 

My last year's cholesterol numbers were:  Total Cholesterol 267, Triglyceride 78, HDL 76, LDL 175 and my risk factor was 3.5.  I exercise on a regular basis which contributes to my high HDL number which therefore decreases my risk factor.  My annual physical is Dec. 14 this year and I want to experiment with the sugar theory.  I have 42 days to stop eating sugar and test Dr. Lustig's information.

Today, the first day.  I'm sitting here at my computer and I have to be honest, today was not a total success.   For lunch Jeff and I shared Sesame Chicken and I had a bowl of chinese vegetable soup.  Definitely did not over eat for lunch but did have a few bites of the chicken which I am sure had plenty of sugar.  Tonight I'm having oatmeal for supper along with a couple of hard boiled egg whites for protein.  Tomorrow I will make whole wheat bread in my bread machine.

The journey has begun................
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