Retesting Theories

I found out something interesting over the past few weeks.

I might have to get retested for Celiac disease. All because someone in the medical field didn't give me proper information.

The clinic doctor at the time (whom I shall lovingly refer to him as Dr. Pinhead) kept putting off any suggestion that something other than my weight could be the reasons I was feeling so run down and lethargic. 

"You're tired because you're fat. You're achy because you're fat. You're run down because you're fat," he would tell me over and over. But I kept insisting on the test, and he finally relented.

When the results came back, it was negative, confirming the fact that Dr. Pinhead was right, and I was just fat. But my gut, as big as it was, just knew something was off kilter. I just couldn't find the reason.

Now I have a new doctor (clinics trade them around like baseball cards), and I'll ask the new doc if I can have the test again. Why? Because Dr. Pinhead never told me I had to eat bread and pasta before I took the test!

He knew I was not eating flour, or anything that contained it. Yet he never told me I should be eating it regularly before the test. I could have had a false negative, and would never have known, had I not talked about it with a group of friends over the weekend. 

I was told I had to eat it anywhere from a few days to a few weeks before the test, so I'm going to ask the doc (and look it up on the net) just how long I'm supposed to be eating this stuff before I get retested. And I will get retested. God gave me a big mouth for a reason!

The downer is I'll probably gain weight. The upside is I'll find out if I have it, or am sensitive to gluten. One more piece of the puzzle will be solved with no guessing games. I'll keep you posted!

Bit By Bit and Bite By Bite!

One thing I've learned is that I must do things slowly and consistently in order for things to change. It might not work for everyone mind you, but it works best for me. If I take on too much too soon, I burn out faster than a Fourth-of-July sparkler.  For instance:

Messing with the diet plan first. Once I got this to a healthier level, I went to the next step. Please note I said healthier, not completely healthy. I'll explain why in a minute.

Getting into physical shape. I started walking first. I didn't buy weights, join a gym, or do anything extreme as I started, because I knew I would poop out too soon. Remember the old Aesop tale of the tortoise and the hare- slow and steady wins the race!

When those two things became habits, I stepped it up. I started going to a gym and doing toning exercises- I wasn't trying to build muscle- just make the muscle I did have a bit more firm. I worked out until I was slightly sore, and took a day off in between. In fact, I'm still doing it! When it gets to a point where I'm not sore, I usually do one of two things- add weights (usually 5 pounds at a time) or add repetitions- never both. 
In the kitchen I stepped it up by cutting down on seconds. Even if I was truly hungry for more, I would only give myself a spoonful or two as a 'second helping' and that usually was enough. I stepped it up again when that became a habit, and tested my theories on flours- then I started making my own breads. Even if I wasn't eating bread, my family was, and homemade bread is not only cheaper, but better for you!

The idea is not to change the kitchen around in a day, but to gradually introduce new recipes to the menu and see what tastes better to the entire family. I'm working towards getting rid of 80-90 percent of the prepared foods we have now and have a collection of foods that I can either make myself, or have them made as close to it's natural state as possible. That's why it's 80-90 and not 100 percent- I don't think I can do a complete turn-around without having my own farm!


I am happy to report that I behaved myself last week and not only didn't eat anymore cake, I walked 15.5 miles! And the scaled showed the results- not only did I lose that 1.5 pounds I gained last Monday, but I am now a svelte 291.5!


That's right folks- that's a total loss of 28.5 pounds! 1.5 pounds away from the big 3-0!


And that means I'm closer to my next goal weight-275. That also means I have a better chance of fitting into my wedding dress from 15 years ago! I was 265 then (not thin, but thinner than I am now!), and with any luck, I might be able to wear it for our 15th anniversary in mid-May. It's a stretch, but I think I can do it! This isn't my main goal though- just a step in the right direction. The main goal is to get somewhere in the 160-170 range in the next 2-2.5 years!


That, and living a healthier lifestyle- being able to go on long hikes with the kids, eating better foods, and just enjoying life without getting out of breath!


Keep those chins up and your weight down- God bless!