Week 8 with Medifast

NSV

Just had my 8th weigh-in since beginning the Medifast program on March 12th.  Delighted to report that there is 22.7 pounds less of me than there was in March.  Woo!

Here is probably my most significant non-scale victory (NSV)...a couple weeks ago I went to the doctor to get a blood panel run for a checkup.  In Jan of 11 my cholesterol was high at 226.  As of last week, my total cholesterol is a nice 161!  My life has been consumed with counting calories, fat grams and pounds.  I'd never really cared about my cholesterol because there were so many other things for me to worry about.  Knowing that it was high was well...not a huge deal for me because I just didn't really know why I should be worried.  That said, knowing that it has dropped 60 in the last 1.5 years is a great feeling. 

The only odd thing is that my good cholesterol keeps going down!  It is actually low.  Not sure why that is but I will try and do a bit of research to find out.  Logic assumes that it should go up with weight-loss.  Mine was at 52 1/11 and is now 38.  That is a significant drop.  If anyone has any thoughts, please share them.

Sickness

I did spend the last week and a half being sick...sore throat, low fever...cough...the fun stuff.  I did stay on program though I found it hard to eat all of my meals.  Thankfully I had lots of hot cocoa and other hot drinks from Medifast in my pantry.  My exercise has stopped because of the illness but I need to kick that up a notch.  Still feeling a bit wonky, my throat or glands are being stubborned but it is time to do something active.  I would love to start swimming again.  I may try to get up really early one morning and go before work. 

All for now!

Relief

Received word on my blood work from 2 Friday's ago ::drum roll:: I AM NOT DIABETIC!!!! What a huge relief. To be honest there is nothing other than luck involved here. The last year (really 36 of them) have been filled with pure gluttony. All about that instant gratification and no thought about the damage being done. Sure, I would occasionally give it a thought ... then quickly put it out of my mind as I rummaged through the freeze for more Blue Bell Cookie Dough ice cream. Damn, that shit is good. I digress.

As of late I have had this nagging concern that something is seriously wrong. Finally I got my shit together and made an appointment to run a full blood panel. I hate the doctor (but I love my prescription for Xanax) and generally avoid going. Okay, I actually don't hate going to the doctor, I hate those evil scales. There was no exception this past week. I had gained about 20 pounds since April..yikes. Anyway ... blood work drawn ... and the waiting began.

The snow/ice storm delayed the results for a few days ... but today was the day. My cholesterol is high, 226. My good cholesterol was in the good range ... my bad was 151. My understanding is that it should be more in the neighborhood of 135ish. Something to work on! Thyroid is a-okay...and by some miracle I have always had normal blood pressure. Oh, have I mentioned I AM NOT DIABETIC??

This is my last chance people ... my last chance to really fix this insanity I have been living. I need to take care of myself for once and stop acting like I do not matter.

Oh, random other interesting events of the day...I had the first hint of a menstrual cycle. TMI? Sorry...but this is the first cycle I have had in ....er....hmm....maybe 5 years? I haven't had a cycle with any regularity since the age of 15. Long story (PCOS) but this is a good thing. Feeling like a 13 yr old "what the hell am I supposed to do?" but I managed. Yay for actually feeling like a girl.

That is all for now ..

Head firmly removed from my arse!

Over the last few days it has finally occurred to me that something is just not feeling right with my body recently. For a while I have been suffering from what I realize is fatigue. I am drained all the time ... when I wake up, when I am at work, when I am sitting in front of the TV crocheting ... all the time! I kept assuming it was just because I was heavier than I have been in years...but it finally hit me that there may be something medically wrong that I should get checked out.

There is no reason with my diet, lifestyle, family history that I shouldn't be concerned. Seven years ago I was diagnosed with insulin resistance and totally on a path to something serious like Diabetes. I have ignored that condition and haven't thought about it in years. My denial has run very deep...very very deep.

Perhaps part of this whole journey is becoming more self-aware and as I titled my post, pulling my head out of my a$$ and taking care of myself! I deserve it...

Anyway, not really trying to be a downer ... I actually feel quite pleased with myself, my realization, and my getting off the pot and making a doctors appointment! Perhaps I just need to lose that most recent 15 pounds that has put me over the edge...perhaps I have a vitamin deficiency ... perhaps a hormone imbalance .... and very realistically perhaps a blood sugar regulatory issue.

This fatigue is a bummer for sure...I am completely useless and unmotivated! It is impacting my life at home and at work. Still haven't had the energy to finish taking down the x-mas tree...yikes!

Aside from just not feeling like me, I have had a pretty good day. Fairly balanced diet, lots of water ... kept within my points range for the day. The planning I did over the weekend has really paid off!

-allison

Quick note

Hey everyone.  Just wanted to publish that I did very well last week surpassing the 15 lb lost since 12/10/09!  Yay me. 

The last couple of days have been long and tiring.  My grandmother was ill yesterday and around midnight it escalated to the point of needing to call 911.  Fortunately no serious issues.  She had an infection that made her sick and lightheaded, that was compounded by dehydration and she was going in and out of consciousness. 

We spent all night in the ER and arrived back home around 5:30 this morning.  According to my GoWearFit i slept 1:11 ...not quite hitting my goal of 8 hrs a night!  I am exhausted, naturally, so not really in the mood to celebrate.

I will say that when starvation set in around 3am last night ... I also had good sense.  The hospital had a 24hr McDonalds.  I used my phone to see the nutritional information (calories/fat/sodium) of 6 pieces of chicken nuggets...and thats exactly what I had.  We actually ordered one huge 10 piece meal (supersized) and my BF ate ALL of the fries and 4 of the 10 nuggets.  I was pleased with myself. I could have easily drowned my sorrows into that enormous bag of fries.

That is all for now.  I hope to keep up this rate of loss (3lbs a week) so that I am able to reach my goal of 36 by my 36th! 7.5 weeks to go ... at 2.7 pounds a week and I am there!

That is all for now ... time to crash!

Back on track ... again!

Feeling good about being back on track as of yesterday. Not feeling well in general ... but feeling good about that! I had 4 HMR shakes, couple of fiber snack bars, and an entree with veggies on the side. All in all on target for what I wanted to accomplish, a 1500 calorie deficit!

Today I am trying to keep my mind on finishing out my meetings at the office, going home and crawling into bed! Apparently the world doesn’t stop because I don’t feel well... the nerve!

More shakes shakes ... need to order some actually. More water water water ... and more trips to the ladies room!

Hope all of you are keeping your goals in mind for today and the new year. My goal for the next decade is to get considerably healthier. I'll be turning 40 :::shiver::: and would like to do so in much better shape than I am now, and with life skills to support that lifestyle moving forward!

- Allison

Something is trying to kill me!

For the last 3 or 4 months I have been having strange stomach/abdominal pains after eating.  I've decided the majority of the issues must be related to a food intolerance...but what???  I don't think its a gluten issue, lord knows I would be dead with the amount of pasta and cake I have put away in  my time.  I am now suspicious of ONIONS!!!

I don't eat a lot of onion anyway, I don't care for them raw ... or noticibly on my food.  But something between my HMR shakes and my Lean Cuisine meal made me feel like I had taken a bite out of death and it was sitting in my stomach!  Soo much pain ... nothing really happening.  I am sure you are all glad for me sharing.  I think I am scared to eat anything today.  No shakes yet ... but had oatmeal for breakfast. I have felt fine all day.  For dinner I had another Lean Cuisine ... and hello twinges of pain. 

Hopefully not to the tune of lastnight where I was moaning almost in tears ... but its just a bummer.  I am such a lazy cook and I have no kitchen right now.  These frozen entrees - HMR entrees are what I am relying on to keep me on target. 

Anyway ... that is all I have today. It was miserable last night, so I have taken it easy. I haven't really done much in the way of exercise ... hope to make up for that tomorrow.  I foresee another trip to the mall dodging strollers and shoppers!  Calorie and hydration wise doing well.  Tonight for dessert I will have a nice double vanilla pudding with buterscotch and some cool whip (my fav). 

I am in holiday denial, BTW.  OOOH.  Speaking of holidays, here is a photo of the empty tray of cookies that mocked me all day each time I got up from my desk.  I didn't have ANY.  Yay me.  I am kept telling myself that I was sure that those buckeyes (peanut butter balls of goodness dipped in chocolate) probably sucked.  Hehe.

Oh, and in all of my misery I was still thinking of grandma's cookies.  How crazy is that???  :)