I hate PMS. Now I am not one of those grouchy ladies when I am post-menapausal, I am all about the food. I crave sugar and usually give into it. I don't know why, it just happens before I even think about it. Today hasn't helped as I had to miss my lunch break so I could work a couple hours at the gas station BBQing hotdogs and of course after I was done cleaning up I had to buy one for myself. Not a small one either, figured it I am going to eat a hotdog I'm going to really eat a hotdog. We have what we call Bahama Mama's. 7 inches of cheesy, jalepeno goodness on a bun. Of course I have to dress it with tomatoes (got one veggie in there), sweet salsa and just a hint of mayo. All and all this baby cost me 520 calories. Not bad given I allow myself about 400 calories per meal. Here's the kicker, I bought candy. Not just one thing of candy but 3!! Dang 3/$1.00 special. So because I had it on hand I consumed in a matter of 2 hours, 1 Baby Ruth bar (280 Cal), 1 Butterfinger Crisp (250 Cal), and a box of Gobstoppers (150 Cal). This brings my grand total so far today to 1505 calories counting breakfast. Ouch and not even really healthy calories.

Just goes to say that I am flawed and I am not ashamed to admit I have weaknesses. Tomorrow thankfully is another day........

Turns out my digital ear thermometer is reading temps wrong. Tested it on DH last night and it kept coming up low on him as well. So I broke out the digital one that goes in ones mouth and tried that. I still have a lower temperature but not as low as 93 degrees. More like 97.6 which is nothing in my mind to call the doctor about. I'll continue to take my temperature for a few more days and if nothing changes I'll call and cancel my follow-up doctors appointment and leave my findings with the receptionist for the doc to go over. If he thinks a low temp is something to talk about, I'm sure he will give me a ring.

On to weight loss news, I am doing quite well with water since buying a 1/2 gallon jug to suck on. The first day I got in my recommended 96 oz and some. Yesterday I only got in 64 oz, kinda forgot about it on the kitchen counter. Today so far no water, I left the jug at home. I have a couple 16 oz bottles I should go fill for the time being. Going to be taking a half day from work so I can go shampoo my carpets and move some furniture around so my house looks great for my grandmothers arrival on Thursday..though she probably won't see the house until Friday or even Saturday. At least I'll get in a lot of exercise this way...still have tons of yard work to do as well. Hoping for at least an hour of activity today.

Sorry I am just getting to this, I felt like actually doing something yesterday so I went to the store and bought some flowers for my bare flower bed. I went for a walk with my son...well actually I pushed him in the stroller and then he helped me weed the flower bed and plant 4 plaits of Begonia's. They look so pretty, now I just need to measure the space and go buy some pavers for the border.

On to the good news.......

My doctor gave me a clean bill of health! Okay this is good and bad. Good because I do not have a thyroid condition, any signs of diabetes, good overall cholesterol levels, great motor function. I do have gallstones, but he says what I am doing seems to be controlling it fine. My LDL was a little high and my HDL's were a little low, he wasn't concerned but I figure it's something I can work on as I know gallstones are created from cholesterol...I'll work on getting those LDL numbers down....cheerios anyone? :)

So the bad part is neither my doctor or the intern can determine what is causing my fatigue and my weight gain or inability to lose weight. He says that my metabolism may have decided to slow down early, which still doesn't explain the fatigue. He also said I could have a rarer form of thyroid malfunction that is not picked up through bloodwork. He says it is characterized by higher than normal core body temperatures and that I am to take my temperature first thing in the morning and before going to bed at night. Funny thing is I took my temp this morning and I actually have a lower than normal core. Normal or average is 98.6...I had an average of 93.9 after taking my temperature 4 times!! Don't know what that means, maybe I'll google it. We'll see what it is this evening.

Build a Better Burrito

Are you and your family craving that spicy, south-of-the-border cuisine? Well, skip the local burrito joint. Those "burritos as big as your head" can contain more than 1,000 calories--and more depending on how many fixings you add. Instead, round up the muchachos and throw a build-your-own burrito fiesta! These quick and easy Mexican delights take just minutes to prepare and are sure to please the pickiest of eaters.

The basic building blocks of burritos are tortillas and beans, which provide a healthy amount of protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. By applying these burrito-building tips, you can trim the excess calories, fat, and sodium, but keep the flavor. With these healthy and tasty burritos, your family will be singing your praises and shouting "Ole!"

Cut the Calories and Fat

• Replace ground beef with ground round or ground turkey.
• If you don't want to swap your ground beef, brown and drain the meat. Then place the beef in a colander and rinse well with hot water. This method reduces both fat and calories.
• Use fat free refried beans or canned beans of your choice; avoid beans canned with lard.
• Use reduced fat cheeses. Cheeses with stronger tastes (like sharp cheddar) allow you to use less without sacrificing flavor.
• Enjoy a small dollop of guacamole. Avocados provide healthy, monounsaturated fat.

Season without Salt

• Use fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes labeled "no salt added."
• Try a taco or burrito seasoning, labeled 30% less sodium.
• Use corn tortillas, which have less sodium, instead of flour tortillas.
• Select reduced-sodium cheeses or use less cheese.
• Add flavor with cilantro.

Increase Fiber

• Add extra beans for flavor, protein, and fiber.
• Make your own salsa with fresh tomatoes, beans, corn, avocados, and onions.
• Instead of tortillas, enjoy 100% whole-wheat pitas.

Round out the Meal

• Add lettuce and tomatoes to your creation--the colors are appetizing, plus they add flavor without all the extra calories.
• For a side dish, serve red beans and rice or Spanish rice.
• End your meal with a sweet guava, papaya, or mango for dessert.

I'll come back and update for the past few days later. Have a doctors appointment at 3:30 and want to include the details.

Happy Monday

Wow I missed a day of blogging. That's what actually having work to do will do to you. So I sat watching educational accounting videos all day. I had a couple mugs of coffee just to get me through the morning session and then switched to water after lunch. I did well for food. French toast sticks for breakfast and leftover lasagna and pudding for lunch. Did up a nice seven bone steak for dinner and combined it with spinach salad and corn on the cob. The 3 cookies I had during the videos almost ruined my day, but I skated by with just under 1550 calories by not having any other snacks.

On Wednesday I discovered I need to have more self control or just buy some baggies and portion out my snack crackers. I told myself I would just have one serving at lunch while watching TV, one serving turned into 8!!! Needless to say I didn't eat the rest of the day....really not on purpose either. When I got home from work at 5 my DH (dear husband) wasn't home yet and I waited to cook dinner. He calls an hour later and tells me to come over to a co-workers house. I got a beer there and that is all I had other than a bottle of water (my 96th oz of the day!) When we finally came home DH wanted food so I made him an fried egg sandwich and made myself....nothing. I will not from now on eat after 8pm.....it was 11pm.

Ah yeah I weighed myself this morning and I was an even 154. Drats I gained weight.

I did well yesterday, stuck to my guns and didn't snack on anything unhealthy. My lasagna and pudding turned out so-so. That's what I get for following a low fat, low salt recipe. My son loved them though, so that is good. I managed 68 ounces of water before I had to start my fast for my lab work today....which also went well. I'll find out results on that and my ultrasound on Monday.

I started today off with a YoPlus yogurt, suppose to be good for my digestive system. I had several coupons when I went grocery shopping. I bought some nice healthy cereals, no more sugary stuff for me, save that for my son. I also bought lots of yogurt and I could have done better on fresh fruits and veggies, but at least I got some cauliflower, baby carrots and spinach. Fresh produce is just so spendy, I mean 6 weeks ago I was getting bananas at 33 cents per pound and now they are up to 69 cents per pound!!

Well off to fill my water mug.....happy losing!

After yesterdays food fiasco I am really tightening the reins on my snacking and meals. I've done well for the day and I'm working on my second 20oz of the day, only 56 more...3 large mugs will do it. I've picked out a heart healthy and calorie friendly dinner for tonight, zucchini lasagna. At only 250 calories I can do a nice dessert of rice pudding at 160 calories and still have calories to spare for a few nice healthy snacks. I go grocery shopping this evening so I will keep all this knowledge in mind.

Here's the recipes for the lasagna and pudding if you want them:

Lasagna - http://recipes.sparkspeople.com/recipe_details.asp?nutrition_id=390777

Pudding - http://recipes.sparkspeople.com/recipe_details.asp?nutrition_id=221452

Cut Calories Without Dieting

Cut Fat and Calories Without Deprivation

-- By Nicole Nichols, Health Educator & Fitness Instructor

The word diet doesn't always mean eating less to lose weight—although that’s what we commonly associate it with today. Someone "on a diet" is trying to eat less, or stop eating sweets to fit into a smaller pant size.

Diet has another meaning. It also describes the food that you normally consume—following a vegetarian diet, an American diet, or "My diet consists of meat and potatoes." Improving your normal diet by making gradual, but permanent changes is a healthier way to lose weight than by just restricting calories.

Low calorie and fad diets can have serious health implications—insufficient vitamin and nutritional intake, lethargy, slowed metabolism, hormonal effects, and even dehydration. Dieters commonly experience intense feelings of hunger and deprivation, which can lead to "cheating" or bingeing over time.

Here are a few tips to help you decrease your caloric intake without "dieting" or feeling deprived.

Don’t eyeball it
Studies show that people tend to underestimate how much they really eat every day. In doing so, we consume too many calories without realizing it. Research shows that keeping a log by recording exercise and food intake is one of the best predictors of successful weight loss.

• A written record can point out your eating patterns (eating in front of the TV or in the car, eating the same breakfast every day), triggers (stress, sadness, boredom, time of day), and areas where nutritional changes can be made. You may find that you are eating less fruits than you thought or drinking too much soda, for example. Then you’ll know where you can implement healthy changes.
  
• Reading food labels is key to healthy portion sizes. At a quick glance, a bottle of juice (or bag of chips, candy bar, or frozen entrée) may appear to contain 100 calories, but a closer look will reveal that the package includes two or more servings, which doubles the caloric content.
  
• After familiarizing yourself with portion sizes, be sure to measure. Be exact if cooking at home, but when eating out, think about common objects. Two tablespoons of peanut butter, mayo, or dressing is about the size of a golf ball. A serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand. A medium piece of fruit is similar to a baseball.
  
• Having trouble stopping at one serving of pretzels or chips? Buy single-serving packages of your favorite foods for built-in portion control, or measure out single servings into baggies or containers.

Hold the fat It’s important to remember that not all fats are bad. Certain oils (olive, canola), and nuts are nutritious and healthy to eat. However, fat does have more than twice the calories per gram than carbohydrates and protein (9, 4, and 4, respectively). And generally, people consume too much and the wrong kinds of fats, which means excessive calories.

• When cooking, limit the amount of oil you use by using a non-stick pan. You can also use spray-able oils (avoid substitutes and go for the real olive and canola oil sprays) to coat your pans with virtually zero calories. A MISTO sprayer, available in department stores, can evenly distribute 1/2 teaspoon of oil or salad dressing, compared to the 2-3 teaspoons that you would usually pour on for the same purpose—a savings of 100 calories.
  
• Skimp on butters, dressings, and creams, using just enough for taste. Try a baked potato flavored with salsa rather than butter, and forgo the "secret sauce" on your favorite burger. Search for lite or reduced-fat versions of certain condiments, like dressings and sauces. One serving of lite mayo has less than half the calories (85) of regular mayo (200), but is almost identical taste and texture.
  
• Blotting the fat from greasy foods like cheese pizza or burgers is also worth the effort. One could easily soak up a teaspoon of grease, 5 grams of fat, and 40 calories from two slices of pizza alone.
  
• Add flavor to foods without excess calories and fat by using herbs, fresh or dried. An added bonus: studies show that spicy foods, flavored with red peppers or chili peppers, may boost metabolism and help you to stop eating sooner.
  
• When cutting out high-fat and high-calorie foods, replace them with fruits and vegetables. These essentials are low in calories, but high in volume, fiber and nutrients, which can give a feeling of fullness. They make great snacks and are easy to pack. Stick to whole foods as much as possible. A potato is a better option than an order of fries, just as an apple is healthier than a slice of apple pie.

Drink water, not alcohol
Not only does alcohol contain 7 calories per gram, but it also lowers self-control when it comes to food. Limit your alcohol intake and your body will thank you. Save alcohol for a post-meal indulgence, rather than drinking it before or with food. Studies show that alcohol lowers inhibitions and control when it comes to eating, causing people to eat more than those who waited to drink after finishing a meal.

Drink water throughout the day, before, and during meals to help curb your appetite. Oftentimes, people think they are hungry when they are actually thirsty or dehydrated. Dehydration can slow metabolism, but the process of drinking water and warming it to body temperature involves energy and burns calories. Plus, being well hydrated gives body at least 10 minutes more energy for exercise, according to a study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine.


To lose a healthy one pound of fat per week, all it takes is a 500-calorie deficit per day (which can be achieved by reducing calories, exercising more, or a combination of both). For a healthy lifestyle, not a diet, that is easy to stick with, try incorporating some or all of these easy strategies to reduce calories without giving up the pleasures of eating.

View original article here:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=336

When I am at home all I can think about it eating!!! I finished off the last of the pound cake I made for the 4th of July so at least that temptation is gone. I don't feel any worse for it at least, most times when I cave in I feel sick later, lots of heartburn. I only have a little bit now. I guess we'll find out if that Prevacaid is going to work or not.

I have a new found taste for beer. At least domestic beers. I've always enjoyed a good dark beer off tap, not to fond of bottles and cans. Well canned Bud Light is my new favorite. We must have gotten ahold of a newer brew because I haven't liked Bud since I over did it on Bud when I was 19! Yep I was an early drinker, thank my husband.

So dieting is going to be harder than I planned. Thank goodness for my dogs, they keep me from eating off my sons plate since they are right there giving me those great big eyes and begging. I just give them his leftovers.

Well I am off for the night, 2 posts in one day is over doing it for me....haha...yeah right. Oh make sure you check my food log to the right to see how I progress into eating right. True dieting never has worked well for me, but writing down and admitting what I really eat throughout the day really helps me to think, "hey, should I really be eating this"?

So the eggs and toast are not settling well today. I feel bloated and gassy. Perhaps it was the peanut butter. Time to cut that out I guess and try it in a few weeks. I don't eat eggs a lot, so I don't know if it would be them causing me grief.

My doctors appointment went well. I think I got more information than I normally would have because my doctor had a student with him today. They are both thinking what I was thinking and that's thyroid imbalance. So I have to start fasting at 8pm on Tuesday and I go in at 8 am for blood work to check my thyroid and to check my cholesterol and blood sugar. I follow that up with a trip to the hospital for an ultrasound of my gallbladder. I'm not going to be doing the flush I had planned just to make sure they can tell if there is a problem....and I know there is I just want to see how big of a problem. My doctor says changing my diet was about the only thing other than having it removed that can help my gallbladder. I'm so glad he is with me on my self diagnosis. I thought he might think me crazy. He also gave me some previcaid (sp?) and told me how to take it to see if it may help with the cronic heartburn.

I'm just one big ball of problems, at least they are small (I hope).

So today is the day I really start this diet. I did very well today, plenty of water...though I did have one Bud Light. I'm nervous about my doctors appointment tomorrow, but I am very curious for any answers to my health issues.

So I stepped on the scale last night and I was down to 153.2 Not my lowest in the past 12 weeks, but an improvement from the latest weight. I'm working on cutting out the sweet cappuccino drinks, easier now that I am not working from midnight to 6 am. My water consumption is still way down, but I've picked up on tea consumption....oh how I love my sun tea.

So I took a few days off from posting....life got in the way. I haven't weighed myself since my inital post and honestly I don't think I'd see a difference. I've been looking at my eating habits and though not excellent, they are not really unhealthy. There is room for improvement like incorporating more fresh fruits and veggies. I have to eat whole grains as I have digestive issues so I'm good there and because of those same issues I can't have fried foods. So it's back to portion sizes again. I don't over eat unless it's something sweet, so even with fruits in mind I could go over board. I'm trying to work on incorporating more walking into my daily routine...it's tough when you have to be to work by 8am but are up at 7am to make lunch for your husband and feed your 1 year old breakfast before being whisked off to daycare. I am late to work most mornings.

So I had a huge confidence booster the other evening. One of my customers point blankly called me HOT! I was dumbfounded and flabbergasted. I couldn't even sputter out a "thank you" or "no I'm not". His buddies even looked at him funny, like it's not something he says to a woman often and they weren't laughing like it was a joke. The conversation continued like this:

• Him: Are you married?
• Me: Yes
• Him: Happily?
• Me: Very much so
• Him: Good for you, you've got a lucky husband

So I know looks are not everything...so I wonder how lucky my husband thinks he is? I haven't gotten to rehash this converstation with him yet...he's not a morning conversationalist so I will bring it up this afternoon after we both get home from work. He's always on me about my weight and has only called me beautiful once in my life....though I do wonder what he is thinking when his eyes glaze over as he is looking at me when he doesn't think I am looking at him. This the man that calls me fat and then laughs. On the other hand, I just think it's funny that someone would think me hot, not just so so, or pretty or beautiful but hot! Probably won't ever hear that one again. Oh yea and this wasn't an ugly man saying this either. Wonder what he would think when I lose this stubborn weight and tone up.

To end this post I finally scheduled an appointment with my doctor to have my thyroid checked. Sluggish thyroid (I know there is a proper name for it) runs in my family. My mother was diagnosed finally when she was in her late 40's. I've developed issues she has much earlier than her so why not develop this one as well. We'll see what the doctor has to say on Monday.