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!