Take a hike!, and medications

Calories eaten yesterday: 1299
Fat: 21g (16%)
Carbs: 82g (28%)
Protein: 131g (44%)
Weight this morning: 130.8
Calories burned in exercise today: 175

Walked to the BART (train) station, went into San Francisco, ran errands, came back, and walked from my stop into work - about 1 hour total walking.

Tomorrow I hope to go back to the gym again.

Brad and I are hoping to go hiking this Saturday. I want to do the Lake Chabot bicycle loop while the weather is still good. We get paid this week so I'll be able to buy the stuff we need - lunch meat, trail mix, granola bars, PowerAde Zero, etc. We hiked the loop last year and it was great. The loop is about 14 miles long and it was an awesome hike.

My edginess is coming out again. I really think it's the effects of the Celexa wearing off, which is why I know I will need to eventually switch anti-depressants. Edginess is the first sign of an AD not working.

I'm putting off seeing the doctor. I won't be able to get accurate thyroid blood tests for a while and I don't want to schedule an appointment just to change ADs. Hopefully the Celexa will keep working well enough until I see the doctor again for thyroid med adjustments.

That won't be anytime soon; in order to get accurate blood tests results you need to be on the same medication at the same strength for at least 6 weeks. I am juggling three different meds right now to get my T3 until this Armour shortage is over. Once I get on a stable dose I have to wait 6 weeks, get blood tests, and then I can see the doctor.

Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, obesity, overweight, fitness

Week 94, Day 4

Calories eaten yesterday: 1206
Fat: 23g (18%)
Carbs: 102g (34%)
Protein: 142g (48%)
Weight this morning: 133 (One week ago: 132.6)
Calories burned in exercise today: 348

I just can't cut back on my weight training. I love it too much and because I'm usually only making it to the gym twice a week anymore. So today was one hour of weight training and 30 minutes of interval work on the treadmill, alternating between walking and running. I finally figured out how to use the interval training setting! Gotta do more of that. :)

Tomorrow is laundry day and payday. Friday I will pick up my medications from WalMart and Costco including the expensive prescription Repliva iron pills. I'm also looking forward to getting the 25mcg pills of Levothyroxine and be able to take 112mcg every night instead of the 100/125mcg every-other-day thing I've been doing for the past week.

I don't think I mentioned that I didn't feel the doctor gave me enough refills on my Celexa since I have to take 1 1/2 pills a day. So what I've been doing the last week is alternating between 1 pill a day and 1 1/2 (40mg and 60mg) for an average of 50mg per day. I'll see how I do on this slightly lower dose. Eventually I'd like to get back down to 40mg, but we will see. I need to get my thyroid stuff straightened out first since the meds make me edgy. Eventually I hope to adjust.

Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, obesity, overweight, fitness

A Look Back at 2008: Moving & Medication

On January 19 Brad and I participated in the Walk For Life (short video), a pro-life event held in San Francisco every year. The walk itself was only 2.5 miles, but moved slowly. This was it's fourth year and the first time for Brad and I. I had a great time (though it was very cold, and want to go back next year.

On April 29 I received the standard letter from the owners that they would be raising my rent starting June 1. It was going up to $780. I decided to move. I put in my 30 days notice in May and started shopping around. Most places wanted people right away so I had to give up until June.

May 18th was the annual Bay To Breakers race. I bested last years best time by about 4 1/2 minutes and came in at 1:19:54. I again ran the whole race except for the hill.

I looked at three more apartments in early June, but ended up moving into one I had looked at back on May 4th! It is a little more expensive at $725 per month plus water, and is very small. But it was completely refurbished and quite cozy. Brad and I were able to move most stuff over ahead of time, so the actual move was mostly just furniture and went very quickly. Brad and I each took two days off work to move, unpack, and run numerous errands. I officially moved on June 30th when we took the furniture and bed over.

June 10th I had most of a complete physical at my newest doctor out in Castro Valley. They did complete bloodwork, urine and fecal testing, an EKG, and a chest x-ray.

July 11 Brad and I saw Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3D, my first 3 D movie since I was a kid. :) The movie itself was only okay, but the 3D made it worth it.

When the bloodwork results from my physical came back I noticed that my TSH was toward the high end and my Free T4 was barely in range on the low end. These are thyroid markers so at my next appointment on July 25 I asked for further testing - Free T3, ferritin, Vitamins B-12 and D, and thyroid antibodies.

I also asked for a 5 hour glucose tolerance test at this appointment. I went in for that test on August 1 (video), and when I got the results back I found out I was hypoglycemic and my blood sugar went as low at 30 at one point. No wonder I felt like crap during the test!

My DSL kit arrived August 1 and I got hooked up to high speed Internet. Zoom zoom! No more having to bring my computer to work to upload videos. :)

At my next doctor's appointment on August 8 we went over the further tests that were ordered - my Free T3 was in the basement, my ferritin on the low end, great Vitamin B levels, slightly low Vitamin D (though not worrisome), and no thyroid antibodies. I was officially diagnosed as hypothyroid and put on 50mcg levothyroxine (T4 hormone), as well as an iron supplement to get my ferritin up.

I wasn't able to go to General Conference in early August due to skyrocketing costs - I simply didn't have the money - so I tried to take just one day off and have a little fun locally by playing tourist for a day in San Francisco. Unfortunately, my fill-in at work flaked on me and since I hadn't totally covered my butt, her screw up was blamed on me and I was told to come in.

I finally got my much needed vacation on September 25, coincidentally enough the day that the fill-in girl had originally written down incorrectly. I also took the last half of the 24th off so I could get everything ready and be well-rested so I could better enjoy my day off.

On September 2 I took the deposit money from my old apartment and signed up for a 3 year pre-paid membership at my gym, so no more monthly dues for me!

I had another doctor appointment on September 19. The doctor bumped me up to 75mcg of levothyroxine. I asked him for adrenal tests to rule that in or out and he sent me for them. According to the people at About.com's thyroid forum my results were good so I am going to drop that line of inquiry.

My TSH came down a bit, my Free T4 went up a teeny bit, but my Free T3 took a 130 point jump and was finally in normal range for the first time in God only knows how long! :) My ferritin went down. I had given blood September 5 and thought the intervening time (three weeks) would be enough to get my levels back up, but it wasn't. I started eating Cream of Wheat every day, at first one serving and then two. Cream of Wheat has 50% of the RDA of iron in every serving.

Since the levothyroxine made me edgy and I would cry easily the doc bumped me up to 60mg of my anti-depressant (Celexa). I started the higher dose that very day, but didn't begin the 75mcg of thyroid meds until September 27, the day after my blood tests. I wanted to see how 50mcg effected my numbers before going up to 75.

After a while I tried to go down on the Celexa dose back to 40mg, and while it wasn't as bad as it had been, I still got weepy and edgy so I went back up to 60mg.

75mcg of thyroid meds made me very hungry. I am always hungry anyway from my Celexa, but this was much worse! Thankfully it seemed to calm down after several weeks and slowly return to my "normal" level of hunger.

October 31 the doctor bumped me up to 100mcg of thyroid meds. I also gave blood at the Red Cross (video). When I gave blood September 5 my hemoglobin level was 12.5% - the minimum required to be able to donate. On October 31 my level was 13.8%, so I guess the Cream of Wheat is helping. Of course, after the donation it will be much lower! I'm not going to give blood as often now. My low ferritin is the reason for my tiredness and I take two steps back in my treatment every time I give blood.

My next doctor appointment is the end of January and I will get blood tests done a couple weeks before.

It has been a hard year financially. When the economy went to pot, food prices soared. I'm now paying nearly double for some items I use every day (like salad), and can't afford anything better than iceberg lettuce. Before I could occasionally buy something healthier if it was on sale. Now I can't even afford the sale price.

So it's been a rough year just trying to survive from paycheck to paycheck, and if I didn't have the $200 a month from my Dad and the $200 a month from the Oregon property I wouldn't be able to make it.

Week 88 Weigh-In

Start: 154
Week 1: 150 (-4) - Week 2: 148.6 (-1.4)
Week 3: 146 (-2.6) - Week 4: 147.2 (+1.2)
Week 5: 145.6 (-1.6) - Week 6: 144 (-1.6)
Week 7: 143 (-1) - Week 8: 142.8 (-0.2)
Week 9: 143.6 (+0.8) - Week 10: 141.2 (-2.4)
Week 11: 143.8 (+2.6) - Week 12: 142.4 (-1.4)
Week 13: 142.4 (-0) - Week 14: 141.6 (-0.8)
Week 15: 139.4 (-2.2) - Week 16: 140 (+0.6)
Week 17: 139.2 (-0.8) - Week 18: 139 (-0.2)
Week 19: 138 (-1) - Week 20: 135.4 (-2.6)
Week 21: 137.2 (+1.8) - Week 22: 139.6 (+2.4)
Week 23: 143.2 (+3.6) - Week 24: 143.6 (+0.4)
Week 25: 137.6 (-6) - Week 26: 139.6 (+2)
Week 27: 142 (+2.4) - Week 28: 137.2 (-4.8)
Week 29: 137 (-0.2) - Week 30: 136.8 (-0.2)
Week 31: 142.2 (+5.4) - Week 32: 136.8 (-5.4)
Week 33: 137.8 (+1) - Week 34: 135.8 (-2)
Week 35: 137.6 (+1.8) - Week 36: 143.8 (+6.2)
Week 37: 142.8 (-1) - Week 38: 140 (-2.8)
Week 39: 142.4 (+2.4) - Week 40: 140.4 (-2)
Week 41: 139.6 (-0.8) - Week 42: 142 (+2.4)
Week 43: N/A - Week 44: 141 (-1)
Week 45: 138.8 (-2.2) - Week 46: 139.6 (+0.8)
Week 47: 133.6 (-6) - Week 48: 132.4 (-1.2)
Week 49: 138.6 (+6.2) - Week 50: 138.4 (-0.2)
Week 51: 138.8 (+0.4) - Week 52: 139.4 (+0.6)
Week 53: 137.8 (-1.6) - Week 54: 139.4 (+1.6)
Week 55: 137.6 (-1.8) - Week 56: 136.4 (-1.2)
Week 57: 136.6 (+0.2) - Week 58: 139.4 (+2.8)
Week 59: 136.6 (-2.8) - Week 60: 134.6 (-2)
Week 61: 137 (+2.4) - Week 62: 138.6 (+1.6)
Week 63: 137 (-1.6) - Week 64: 137 (-0)
Week 65: 141.8 (+4.8) - Week 66: 135.4 (-6.4)
Week 67: 136 (+0.6) - Week 68: 139.2 (+3.2)
Week 69: 137.2 (-2) - Week 70: 138.2 (+1)
Week 71: 136.4 (-1.8) - Week 72: 140 (+3.6)
Week 73: 139.4 (-0.6) - Week 74: 140 (+0.6)
Week 75: 137.6 (-2.4) - Week 76: 141.6 (+4)
Week 77: 136.4 (-5.2) - Week 78: 139 (+2.6)
Week 79: 138.2 (-0.8) - Week 80: 139.2 (+1)
Week 81: 139.4 (+0.2) - Week 82: 137.6 (-1.8)
Week 83: 137.8 (+0.2) - Week 84: 137.2 (-0.6)
Week 85: 137.2 (-0) - Week 86: 136.2 (-1)
Week 87: 140.6 (+4.4) - Week 88: 138.8 (-1.8)
Total loss: -15.2

Ok, now to catch up on other numbers.
Calories eaten Thursday: 1247
Fat: 17g (13%)
Carbs: 110g (36%)
Protein: 121g (39%)
Weight Thursday morning: 132 (One week ago: 129.2)
Calories burned in exercise Thursday: 194

Calories eaten Friday: 1480
Fat: 20g (12%)
Carbs: 119g (33%)
Protein: 121g (34%)
Weight Friday morning: 129.2 (One week ago: 133.2)
Calories burned in exercise Friday: 49

Weight Saturday morning: 130.2 (One week ago: 133.8)
Calories burned in exercise Saturday: 0

Calories burned in exercise today: 371

I forgot to take my body fat when I weighed this morning so I will do it next week.

This is a long post and more for me so I know what happened than for anyone else, so feel free to skip this post.

It was a crazy weekend. As you know if you read here regularly, I recently cut back my anti-depressant from 60mg to what I used to be on, 40mg. It was raised to 60mg because my thyroid meds made me edgy and I would cry easily. Well, I wound up in tears at the grocery store on Friday night and knew I needed to up the dose again. Evidently I still haven't adjusted to the thyroid meds yet. *sigh* I took an extra 1/2 pill Friday night and am now taking 60mg a day - 1 1/2 pills every morning.

Brad picked me up late on Friday - around 4:30. I wanted a nice skinny vanilla Venti latte with four shots for Saturday morning. Brad drives crazy and I didn't want it to spill, so we got it and took it straight home. By now it was getting dark.

Then we went to Safeway. We went to his in Alameda because it has the 48 oz. salads I use. They were out. I looked at their cucumbers (no other veggies were on sale) and they had been well picked over also. I walked out of the store mad.

I wanted to go to Trader Joe's because I'm running low on wine. I picked up a couple bottles of the "Two Buck Chuck" to tide me over until I can afford a case. Then I realized that his Safeway had a few other items that mine might not have, such as large paper platters. So we went back to pick up just those items. It turned into a full shopping spree. I ended up with a 24 oz. bag a salad to tide me over until I could get a 48 oz. bag, and opted for green beans for my veggie even though they weren't on sale.

At the checkout my total came to less than I expected and thought we could run to WalMart to get a few things there. But then I punched in my PIN number instead of the amount of cash I wanted back. I won't say the exact amount I got back because that would give away my number, but I'll say that it was between $70 and $80 - way more cash back than I wanted and more money than I could afford. I only had $99 to spend on groceries! They couldn't undo it. At this point I was in tears.

We took the money to my bank (there's a branch in the shopping center) and deposited it. Then I remembered that I needed to use my commuter checks for bus and BART passes so we went back to Safeway for those. After that I was in no mood for walking and it was getting late so we went home.

Brad had bought a $27 bottle of wine to share with me - WOW!. It said Merlot, but it didn't taste fruity. Indeed, it tasted more like Cabernet and was very strong. I said I could feel myself getting to my "happy place" after just one small glass. It usually takes more than that. Brad wondered what the alcohol content was. I got up and checked the bottle and it said 16%! Most wines are around 12%! Wow. Between us, we finished the bottle. Brad had a little more than half.

Saturday after church we relaxed a bit. I got Brad to put some Christmas lights around the walls of my room while I did stuff around the house. (There's no room for a tree this year, but I want something a bit festive.) I the evening we went out to dinner as I had promised way back in July. But first we went to Applebee's. Brad bought me two Mochatinis because I was buying him dinner late. The female bartender on Saturday night now knows me as "the Mochatini lady."

Then we went to New Zealander and bought an appetizer (a cheese plate), dinner, drinks, and dessert. I got adventurous and ordered a Kiwi Martini. Too strong for me, but interesting. I got the White Lady special made with lamb and no bun. This dish includes not just cheese on the burger, but a fried egg, a piece of beet, and tomato. I had the chocolate mousse cake for dessert. The bill was $90 and after we paid Brad got another beer from the bar. Since he had contributed to the tip I gave him $10 to cover the beer and part of the tip.

After that I lost my mind. We went to McDonald's because I wanted a chocolate dipped cone. I also got a small fry, and I paid for Brad's McFlurry. Then I was still craving so we went to Burger King for their "two double cheeseburgers for $2." I paid for those and gave Brad one. Then (as if all that wasn't too much) I asked to go to 7-11. I wanted cupcakes and I also bought a Diet Coke. At home I ate a low-fat Starbucks breakfast sandwich before crashing out. I've got to get my Saturday eating under control or the weight will never come off! :(

Today Brad drove me to the nice High Street gym. I can't get there by bus, so I can only go when Brad drives me, even though it's closer to where I live than the gym I normally go to! I did one hour of weight training - upper body and core - and ran for 32 minutes on the treadmill. I felt good so I went for 5k, 3.11 miles. I had to finish out the last minute so I actually ran 3.13. I had to up the speed at the end to finish it in only two extra minutes. Whew!

We had a little extra time before I had to be at work so Brad and I went for a short walk in a park near work.

Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, obesity, overweight, fitness, weigh-in

Week 85 Weigh-In

Start: 154
Week 1: 150 (-4) - Week 2: 148.6 (-1.4)
Week 3: 146 (-2.6) - Week 4: 147.2 (+1.2)
Week 5: 145.6 (-1.6) - Week 6: 144 (-1.6)
Week 7: 143 (-1) - Week 8: 142.8 (-0.2)
Week 9: 143.6 (+0.8) - Week 10: 141.2 (-2.4)
Week 11: 143.8 (+2.6) - Week 12: 142.4 (-1.4)
Week 13: 142.4 (-0) - Week 14: 141.6 (-0.8)
Week 15: 139.4 (-2.2) - Week 16: 140 (+0.6)
Week 17: 139.2 (-0.8) - Week 18: 139 (-0.2)
Week 19: 138 (-1) - Week 20: 135.4 (-2.6)
Week 21: 137.2 (+1.8) - Week 22: 139.6 (+2.4)
Week 23: 143.2 (+3.6) - Week 24: 143.6 (+0.4)
Week 25: 137.6 (-6) - Week 26: 139.6 (+2)
Week 27: 142 (+2.4) - Week 28: 137.2 (-4.8)
Week 29: 137 (-0.2) - Week 30: 136.8 (-0.2)
Week 31: 142.2 (+5.4) - Week 32: 136.8 (-5.4)
Week 33: 137.8 (+1) - Week 34: 135.8 (-2)
Week 35: 137.6 (+1.8) - Week 36: 143.8 (+6.2)
Week 37: 142.8 (-1) - Week 38: 140 (-2.8)
Week 39: 142.4 (+2.4) - Week 40: 140.4 (-2)
Week 41: 139.6 (-0.8) - Week 42: 142 (+2.4)
Week 43: N/A - Week 44: 141 (-1)
Week 45: 138.8 (-2.2) - Week 46: 139.6 (+0.8)
Week 47: 133.6 (-6) - Week 48: 132.4 (-1.2)
Week 49: 138.6 (+6.2) - Week 50: 138.4 (-0.2)
Week 51: 138.8 (+0.4) - Week 52: 139.4 (+0.6)
Week 53: 137.8 (-1.6) - Week 54: 139.4 (+1.6)
Week 55: 137.6 (-1.8) - Week 56: 136.4 (-1.2)
Week 57: 136.6 (+0.2) - Week 58: 139.4 (+2.8)
Week 59: 136.6 (-2.8) - Week 60: 134.6 (-2)
Week 61: 137 (+2.4) - Week 62: 138.6 (+1.6)
Week 63: 137 (-1.6) - Week 64: 137 (-0)
Week 65: 141.8 (+4.8) - Week 66: 135.4 (-6.4)
Week 67: 136 (+0.6) - Week 68: 139.2 (+3.2)
Week 69: 137.2 (-2) - Week 70: 138.2 (+1)
Week 71: 136.4 (-1.8) - Week 72: 140 (+3.6)
Week 73: 139.4 (-0.6) - Week 74: 140 (+0.6)
Week 75: 137.6 (-2.4) - Week 76: 141.6 (+4)
Week 77: 136.4 (-5.2) - Week 78: 139 (+2.6)
Week 79: 138.2 (-0.8) - Week 80: 139.2 (+1)
Week 81: 139.4 (+0.2) - Week 82: 137.6 (-1.8)
Week 83: 137.8 (+0.2) - Week 84: 137.2 (-0.6)
Week 85: 137.2 (-0)
Total loss: -16.8

Ok, now to catch up on other numbers.

Calories eaten Thursday: 1317
Fat: 20g (13%)
Carbs: 113g (34%)
Protein: 138g (41%)
Weight Friday morning: 130.2 (Two weeks ago: 130.4)
Calories burned in exercise Thursday: 167

Calories eaten Friday: 1497
Fat: 24g (15%)
Carbs: 104g (28%)
Protein: 133g (36%)
Weight Friday morning: 128.8 (One week ago: 129.4)
Calories burned in exercise Friday: 35

Weight Saturday morning: 129.4 (One week ago: 131.8)
Calories burned in exercise Saturday: 0

Calories burned in exercise today: 322

No gain, no loss this week. Considering the pig I made of myself yesterday I can live with that.

I'm going to try to taper down on my Celexa. When I started thyroid medication I became really edgy and would cry over every little thing. The doctor raised my Celexa from the standard 40mg to the maximum 60mg and it worked like a charm - the edginess went away and I stopped crying.

But I wonder if maybe my body has adjusted to the thyroid meds. I've been on them since August and am now taking 100mcg a day. The bruises on my legs have practically disappeared! It's so good to see that the meds are working and my body is starting to heal. Anyway, I'm going to take just 40mg of Celexa this week and see how I do. If I get edgy again I can easily go back to 60mg a day.

Thyroid meds are natural hormone and a good thing to take, but I don't like having to take depression medication, especially more than I need. I take it because i need to, but if I can get by on 40mg I'd rather do that.

Okay, the weekend. Friday Brad and I went shopping. First I bought an large bag of the Innova Evo cat food. It's expensive, but is bar none the healthiest cat food on the market. I buy the dry food, and use regular wet food for them, but wet food is strictly a treat and not something they get daily. At any rate, Innova Evo is the best commercial cat food. The only thing healthier is feeding raw, but most people (myself included) don't want to hassle with that. I eat healthy, and so my cats should to.

I bought Alli and paper towels at Coctso, but they were out of cat litter. We went to Safeway and I got a couple of the large containers of their store brand litter.

Friday night I baked the oatmeal cookies using the wheat gluten. They came out chewier, but not bad at all. I'll use the wheat gluten again and post the recipe here soon.

Saturday we never did get around to walking. We took the back way and it ended up taking us an hour and a half to get back to where I live from church! Never again! Every time we take the back way it ends badly. I tried to communicate to Brad where I wanted to go, but I wasn't clear enough and he didn't ask specific questions to ascertain what I meant. We finally found where I wanted to go, but it was too late by then. Maybe next week.

Today Brad's health club pass was still good so we went to the health club together and he (mostly) just watched me work out. Then I ran on the treadmill for about 30 minutes (I accidentally pulled the emergency stop twice so I don't know the exact time or distance) and Brad walked on an adjoining treadmill. It's our last workout together because his pass runs out this week.

I have some "God thoughts" and confessions to share, but that will have to be tomorrow because today's entry is already too long. So stay tuned. :)

Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, obesity, overweight, fitness, weigh-in

Week 77 Weigh-In

Start: 154
Week 1: 150 (-4) - Week 2: 148.6 (-1.4)
Week 3: 146 (-2.6) - Week 4: 147.2 (+1.2)
Week 5: 145.6 (-1.6) - Week 6: 144 (-1.6)
Week 7: 143 (-1) - Week 8: 142.8 (-0.2)
Week 9: 143.6 (+0.8) - Week 10: 141.2 (-2.4)
Week 11: 143.8 (+2.6) - Week 12: 142.4 (-1.4)
Week 13: 142.4 (-0) - Week 14: 141.6 (-0.8)
Week 15: 139.4 (-2.2) - Week 16: 140 (+0.6)
Week 17: 139.2 (-0.8) - Week 18: 139 (-0.2)
Week 19: 138 (-1) - Week 20: 135.4 (-2.6)
Week 21: 137.2 (+1.8) - Week 22: 139.6 (+2.4)
Week 23: 143.2 (+3.6) - Week 24: 143.6 (+0.4)
Week 25: 137.6 (-6) - Week 26: 139.6 (+2)
Week 27: 142 (+2.4) - Week 28: 137.2 (-4.8)
Week 29: 137 (-0.2) - Week 30: 136.8 (-0.2)
Week 31: 142.2 (+5.4) - Week 32: 136.8 (-5.4)
Week 33: 137.8 (+1) - Week 34: 135.8 (-2)
Week 35: 137.6 (+1.8) - Week 36: 143.8 (+6.2)
Week 37: 142.8 (-1) - Week 38: 140 (-2.8)
Week 39: 142.4 (+2.4) - Week 40: 140.4 (-2)
Week 41: 139.6 (-0.8) - Week 42: 142 (+2.4)
Week 43: N/A - Week 44: 141 (-1)
Week 45: 138.8 (-2.2) - Week 46: 139.6 (+0.8)
Week 47: 133.6 (-6) - Week 48: 132.4 (-1.2)
Week 49: 138.6 (+6.2) - Week 50: 138.4 (-0.2)
Week 51: 138.8 (+0.4) - Week 52: 139.4 (+0.6)
Week 53: 137.8 (-1.6) - Week 54: 139.4 (+1.6)
Week 55: 137.6 (-1.8) - Week 56: 136.4 (-1.2)
Week 57: 136.6 (+0.2) - Week 58: 139.4 (+2.8)
Week 59: 136.6 (-2.8) - Week 60: 134.6 (-2)
Week 61: 137 (+2.4) - Week 62: 138.6 (+1.6)
Week 63: 137 (-1.6) - Week 64: 137 (-0)
Week 65: 141.8 (+4.8) - Week 66: 135.4 (-6.4)
Week 67: 136 (+0.6) - Week 68: 139.2 (+3.2)
Week 69: 137.2 (-2) - Week 70: 138.2 (+1)
Week 71: 136.4 (-1.8) - Week 72: 140 (+3.6)
Week 73: 139.4 (-0.6) - Week 74: 140 (+0.6)
Week 75: 137.6 (-2.4) - Week 76: 141.6 (+4)
Week 77: 136.4 (-5.2)
Total loss: -17.6

Ok, now to catch up on other numbers.

Calories eaten Thursday: 1310
Fat: 19g (13%)
Carbs: 89g (27%)
Protein: 139g (42%)
Weight this morning: 129.8 (One week ago: 130.4)
Calories burned in exercise Thursday: 217

Calories eaten Friday: 1356
Fat: 20g (13%)
Carbs: 70g (20%)
Protein: 149g (44%)
Weight Friday morning: 128.4 (One week ago: 129.2)
Calories burned in exercise Friday: 85

Weight Saturday morning: 129.8 (One week ago: 134.2)
Calories burned in exercise Saturday: 729

Calories burned in exercise today: 70

Brad and I didn't get much walking in on Friday (only about 35 minutes) because we had so much shopping to do. It was payday and I needed to get stuff while I could - Farmer Joe's for Kombucha for Saturday, Trader Joe's for wine, Safeway for groceries, and Costco for Crystal Geyser water and my medications. We couldn't get the meds at Costco that day, but they said they would be ready Saturday. We couldn't go Saturday so Brad will pick them up for me on Monday. We went to bed early because we had to be up at 7 a.m. on Saturday.

Saturday we had early church due to Pastor's Steve's daughter getting married in Sacramento. Brad and I were up at 7 and out the door by 7:30 or so. We stopped at one Starbucks. They said they never carried the breakfast sandwiches and that they were discontinued. We went to another Starbucks and bought every single low-fat turkey bacon sandwich they had - 13 total. An unexpected expense and big shock to my checkbook, but I had to do it if they will not be carried anymore. Brad and I got lattes and I got a hot sandwich to go and we headed to church.

We got there before anyone else, but Pastor Brent soon arrived. I got him to let me into the cabinet where the snacks are kept and took a bunch of stuff for Brad and I's hike. We had church from 9 a.m. to a little before 10 and then Brad and I headed for Lake Chabot.

We hiked the 12.5 mile bicycle loop around the lake, and also did a little side loop to make the hike a bit longer - probably close to 14 miles total. We stopped for lunch at the stone bridge, the furthest point from the start and about halfway. I carried the backpack to that point and Brad carried it from there to the end. We took a bunch of photos that I haven't even downloaded off my camera yet.

After we finished I was craving a Mochatini so we went to Applebee's and I had a Mochatini, a lite beer, and a Caramel Appletini. Also a chocolate mousse dessert shooter. I wanted ice cream so then we went to Lourd's and got a junior hot fudge sundae with rocky road ice cream of course.

Brad really wanted to go to New Zealander so then we hit there. He got me a cheese plate, a glass of wine, and a glass of sparkling wine, and he got the Ba-Ba Burger with potatoes. I was hungry finally so then we went next door to McDonald's and got a cheeseburger Happy Meal for me with a small chocolate shake. I don't know why I was craving chocolate so bad yesterday. Went we got home Brad cooked me up a cheeseburger from the low-fat beef we have. I had a little wine (very little) and a lite beer.

I cooked the chicken that I meant to do Friday but didn't have time because we had to get to bed so early. I still have to portion the breast out into baggies, but the hard part is done. :)

We slept in very late this morning because we were both totally wiped out. We only got in a short walk and of course there was no way I was going to make it to the gym.

Off topic, I think it might be time for the depression med dose change. Some of my depression symptoms are coming back. It could just be stress, but it might not be too. I see the doctor this coming Friday and will talk to him about upping my dose from 40mg of Celexa to 60mg. 60mg is the highest safe dose.

Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, fat, overweight, NutriSystem, weigh-in

More NutriSystem drama

Calories burned in exercise today: 85

I'm going to show a gain this week after my binge yesterday. I'm bloated and my fingers are puffy. I had to take my ring off with hand lotion. I was too scared to weight myself this morning. I am just drinking up and eating light and lower carb.

I'm better today, but still feeling bleh (a pre-coffee feeling even though I have had coffee) so I skipped the gym and slept in. I walked to work from BART for some exercise (30 minutes, about 85 calories burned), and stopped at WalMart for their store brand of Crystal Light, Special K Protein Water, and bread.

I know. Only two gym workouts this week. Slap me.

My protein and calories are on the low side today. Other than veggies all my other food is protein and I am still low on protein. Breakfast was a half cup cottage cheese with 1 scoop of Muscle Milk Light. Lunch will be a soy burger with fat free cheese (I never use a bun). Dinner will be a half cup cottage cheese with 1 scoop whey protein. Snack will be the NS nacho crisps. I'll have another half cup cottage cheese before bed.

Friday:
Brad and I will go for hopefully a very long walk. I'd like to go over 2 hours to burn off my liver glycogen.

Saturday:
Church. Dinner will be Boca cheeseburgers and tuna melts with fat free cheese on low-carb, whole wheat bread with fat free mayo. Veggies on the side and red wine (for me) and beer (for Brad).

Sunday:
I *will* go back to the gym.

ANewYouin2008 attacked me on the NutriSystem forums today. Here's what she wrote and my response in red.

"Umm Victoria, your post is sort of freaking me out. Not sure anyone knows how to respond to it, hence the silence on the thread today? Eating then making yourself throw up, esp when you plan to overeat, is bulimia. Have you ever thought of or talked to the counselors at NS or elsewhere about this practice you have."

It's not bulimia. I was sick to the point of pain. I have NEVER thrown up before. But you don't know me, so you seem to assume this is common.

"Someone stop me if I am making too much of this, but...it sounds like you found an excuse to overeat (taxes), had guilt about all you ate so you made you ate something else yourself sick feeling, then literally sick, to purge the food and the guilt. Then , right after, rationalizing that you needed to to feel better, then mention that this is not the first time this has happened."

No guilt here, honey. I always eat whatever I want when I do taxes. I gave up the guilt long ago. :) I didn't throw up because I felt guilty. I threw up because I was SICK. I physically felt better after, not mentally. I had some Diet 7-Up and a shortbread cookie to settle my tummy.

I did feel better, managed to get off work early and had some bad food when I got home (and didn't throw it up!).

"I am not saying this at all to judge you. All of us americans have to file our taxes or have in the last few / coming months. But, very few need a xanax to do it, and do a binge and purge cycle based on its event. And the tax company actually did your taxes, so I am not sure where the stress came from? I admire you and the weight you have lost. I am just worried for you and your health. This sounds like a very unhealthly cycle, both mentally and physically, that you discuss, even if it only happened once or a few times."

I did take Xanax. I suffer from depression and anxiety, professionally diagnosed and am under treatment. I take Xanax as needed for those stressful situations that might cause an anxiety attack. Surely you're not suggesting it's better to have an anxiety attack at the tax office??? Don't take this the wrong way, but unless you suffer from anxiety you can't understand what it's like and how little it can take to trigger it. I also take Celexa (an anti-depressant that also helps anxiety) every morning. Before I got on these meds my life was a living hell.

For the last time, I don't do a binge and purge cycle. This is the only the second time in my life I've been that sick (the first time was LONG ago and I didn't throw up)! Good grief. You don't even know me and are making all sorts of assumptions about my life. And because you don't know me, all your assumptions are wrong. My best friend was with me during the whole thing and he would say something if he felt there was a problem. I don't think I belong here. The Race to Goal and TLFC threads were much kinder to me. They know me so don't make false assumptions.

She came back and attacked me after that again. This time she claimed that to make up for my supposed bulimia I undereat and overexercise. I really hate people who think they know you better than anybody else. Making a diagnosis over the Internet! What lunacy!

Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, weight,obese, fat, overweight, NutriSystem

My bad day

Calories eaten yesterday: 1324
Fat: 33g (23%)
Carbs: 96g (30%)
Protein: 144g (45%)

Weight this morning: 133.8 (One week ago: 133)
Calories burned in exercise today: 101

First, the rant of the day:
More craziness on the NS board. I'd put up a link, but you have to be registered just to read there. This time it's an insane wanna-be vegan. I swear to God these people are seriously lacking some nutrients to act the way they do. I posted on a vegetarian thread that I agreed that putting fish oil is the vegetarian entrees was wrong. Another girl posted and said she was a wanna-be vegan. Curly Jessie explained that you can't really do NS as a vegan due to the dairy products in their entrees. I simply said that I didn't feel veganism was healthy or natural - it's not the way our bodies were designed to function. Humans are omnivores and I believe we enjoy the best health on that kind of diet.

Anyway, Ms. Wanna-Be Vegan took offense at that. I had some concerns, which a couple other people were able to answer in an intelligent and non-confrontational manner, but Ms. Vegan Girl didn't (couldn't?) answer. I wonder if she even knows why she wants to be vegan or if it's some sort of in vogue thing with her friends or something. She comes across as quite young. [Edit: It turns out she's 33. I find that quite frightening. She also loves potatoes and sugar according to her profile page. Yep, a true carb addict who doesn't know it and wouldn't care if she did.]

This has been a horrible day for me. It's cold and rainy and gray. It took me nearly an hour to get to the grocery store. I barely had time to wash my veggies and cook my NS pancakes. I didn't have time to eat them with sugar-free syrup, so I sprinkled some flavored Splenda over them while they cooked and popped them in a baggie to eat on the bus. They were good that way.

It took me an hour and a half to get to work. The first bus broke down (brakes weren't working well in the rain) and we had to wait for the next. I really needed to stop at Walmart and that made me about 10 minutes late. Otherwise I would have made it just in the nick of time.

Today's payday and all that money (plus some) is already gone. I e-mailed Jon about cashing in my comp time (5 days total), plus another 5 days of vacation time. That would give me the equivalent of a full paycheck. I may even be able to buy a new digital camera. My old one is very outdated and some of the features (like zoom) broke ages ago. Anyway, until I get that check I can't buy anything or even pay any bills, but they should get me the check next week. I am also waiting on checks from my Dad and the mortgage brokers.

Oh...I almost forgot to mention a milestone. Today marks three years since I started taking Celexa. Unlike the Zoloft, this hasn't pooped out and I haven't had to increase the dosage. Of the medications I've been on, this is definitely the best.

Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, fitness, obese, overweight, NutriSystem

Thanksgiving

Calories eaten yesterday: 1233
Fat: 29g (23%)
Carbs: 76g (26%)
Protein: 141g (49%)

Weight this morning: 136.4 (One week ago: N/A)
Calories burned in exercise today: 366



Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope your day is a blessed one!

Had a larger breakfast than usual - about the same amount of protein as usual, but more carbs. I went to the gym. Did one hour of weight training (mostly upper body), then 30 minutes of cardio. Due to my larger breakfast I had more energy than usual; I hardly needed my energy drink. Then I was going to do the treadmill program, but at the first running interval I went for 12 minutes instead of the 2 minutes I normally do. At 5.0 mph that's one mile. I went back into the program after that and at the second interval I went for 3 minutes at 5.5 mph. That came to 31 minutes total.

The bus wasn't running often due to the holiday, so I walked the last 30 minutes to work, stopping at Starbucks for a double tall nonfat sugar-free Gingerbread latte and a chocolate biscotti.

One word on the medication. I had earlier said that it had gone up in price and they were now charging me almost $100 for my meds. Maybe that was in Canadian money and/or included shipping though, because when the meds came while I was on vacation they only charged me $76. I get free shipping for life because I took the $99 deal they offered - pay the one time fee and never pay shipping again. At any rate, it's only gone up a little - $69 to $76.

Here's a random photo of me taken at work yesterday. Click it for a larger size. Thanksgiving photos to come.



I put up some photos that my sister sent. Click the links to go to their photo page:

Millie, me, and my niece Marina
Thanksgiving dinner
the bed I slept in - it will someday be Marina's bed
Dad holds Marina
Millie holds Marina

Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, obese, overweight, NutriSystem, Thanksgiving, holiday

Medication Mixup Mayhem & Money

Calories eaten yesterday: 1241
Fat: 37g (27%)
Carbs: 81g (27%)
Protein: 137g (46%)

Weight this morning: 142.2 (One week ago: 133.6)
Calories burned in exercise today: 355

The extra calories burned today was because after my usual workout at the gym I walked to work from the train station to burn a few extra calories. I totally did NOT feel like working out today; I woke up with a bad headache and some break through anxiety. I took three Ibuprofen, one Xanax, and trooped off to the gym anyway. By the time I was finished I felt much better and was glad I worked out. :)

Money is very tight right now. Not only did I buy stuff in Seattle that I don't have the money for, but when my medication I ordered a few weeks ago arrived I got two bottles. Rx Care Canada, who I buy the meds from, said there was a computer mix up. They actually called me while I was in Seattle. I explained I was out of state and they said call back Monday. I did, but I called too late and was told the lady I needed to talk to had left for the day.

I called again this morning and was told the lady was out sick, but someone else helped me. She said I could either send the medication back, or keep it and pay for it. I asked if it was the same price (it came from Australia); she checked and said it was. This would give me a six month supply so I said I'd keep it and they could charge me. Anything to put off seeing my doctor. So that's another $70+ out of my pocket until I can get reimbursed for part of it. It's going to take a while to get back on even ground again. No eating out for Brad or I for a long time. We are both having financial problems.

Something I see I forgot to mention in my Seattle updates. One day while I was gone Brad called me to let me know that my a la carte order arrived - without the bears of course. I called NutriSystem and said that I had bough the rest of the bears I wanted off eBay and if they could just send me the 60 and 70 pound bears I would be happy. The customer service rep said they would send them out. So now I am waiting for them to arrive. I'll get a photo of them all when they come. :)

Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, obese, overweight, NutriSystem

Week 35, Day 2

Calories eaten yesterday: 1350
Fat: 31g (21%)
Carbs: 117g (35%)
Protein: 145g (44%)

Weight this morning: 134.2 (One week ago: 134.6)
Calories burned in exercise today: 86

A new low for a Monday! The last time I got really "cleaned out" my weight was up the next day, so being down is good. I just want to get this fat off so bad!

I'm sure everyone remember to turn their clocks back yesterday, but how many of you remembered to change the time on such items as your iPod and digital camera? Then I'm here to remind you. Pull out that iPod and camera now and do it! :)

Ok, on to today. Ran into San Francisco. My bank account was threatening to dip into negative numbers, I had Dad's November check, and deposited it. Thankfully, all the charges hadn't come through yet so there was still a positive balance and no overdraft fees.

Then I went to two GNC stores. The first one had the magnesium aspertate I was after, but didn't have the BCAA powder, so I walked down the street to a second one and they had the powder. They also had sugar free chocolate DaVinci syrup (a large bottle!) so I got that.

Then I checked my mail. My 5 million step shoe token was there, as well as the check for the property Dad gave me. I went back downtown to the bank and deposited that, saving out $30 for three rolls of quarters for laundry.

I walked to work from BART and stopped to pick up some groceries, came to work, paid more money toward the NS food I still owe on, and had my Celexa prescription refilled - almost $100! Yike, has the price ever gone up. This is my last refill so I will have to see the doctor to get another prescription.

I decided that the only way to get NS bears for all the weight I lost (including the weight on Atkins) is to change my NS start weight, and then order a la carte. If you've earned bears and order a la carte, they are supposed to send them to you, and the bears are sent out based on the weight you log on your NS profile. They don't know that I already bought 30, 40, and 50, so I expect a lot of bears with this order, lol! My a la carte order was five plain pancake mixes. They are pretty carby, but they are nice as an occasional treat. No coupons of course, so I had to pay full price.

I changed my goal weight again, just down 1 pounds so that I can say I've lost 70 since starting. That even number is so important and 70 pounds sounds much bigger than 69. I've changed my tickers to reflect this decision.

Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, obese, overweight, NutriSystem

Week 25, Day 2

Calories eaten yesterday: 1189
Fat: 27g (22%)
Carbs: 80g (29%)
Protein: 136g (49%)
Weight this morning: 140 (One week ago: 142)
Calories burned in exercise today: 88

I did some research yesterday and it seems that soy may cause bloating. I wonder if that it my problem. I really like the Nutlettes soy cereal. One article I found gave three dietary changes to make, two of which I am already doing - eat more fiber, cut back on refined carbohydrates, and take a probiotic to increase good bacteria. Part of the Candistroy program I started yesterday includes a probiotic component, so we will see how that works out. I also need to find a way to cut back on soy for a while.

I wonder if my goal of 137 isn't too low. I've hit it once and come darn near another time and always bounce back within a very short time and gain a lot. My body just doesn't want to be there, even though I feel and look great at that weight. I need to lose weight because my body fat of 27% is far too high.

My medication refill came today. I take a generic form of Celexa. I've been on it since December of 2004 and it's still working great for me. :) I get it from Canada much cheaper than the U.S. One bottle lasts 3 months and costs about $80. My employer reimburses me 80% of the costs after I turn in the receipt.

I'm starting to get the hang of the treadmill workout in the latest issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers. I gave it another shot yesterday and had an easier time doing the left and right side step, but I still had to go slower than the plan calls for and hang onto the rails for dear life. And it's hard to kick my legs back to target my glutes when I'm walking 3.5 mph. My legs are too short.

No exercise today. I went into the City to check my mail and just walked the last 1.5 miles to work. Tomorrow I will hit the gym again.

Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, obese, overweight, NutriSystem

The truth about Atkins

Due to people being too afraid to sign their names to anonymous messages, you must now have a Blogger login to comment. I have tried my best to be patient, but most anonymous commenters can't even type their name. If you can't type your name, don't type a message!

Ok, on to the topic of the post.

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There seems to be some major misunderstandings about Atkins and weight loss. I'm home with a cold and PMSing, so don't take any terseness in my tone personally. There's been a nasty cold going around my church and I finally caught it. Everyone else has already had it.

First, if your friend got sick "doing Atkins," then trust me, he was not "doing Atkins." A lot of people take what they see in the media as the gospel truth about the program (and sometimes try to copy it ), always with disasterous results. I'll bet he never read the book and probably didn't eat any fruits or veggies.

Atkins is a healthy program full of fruits and vegetables. The media won't tell you that, but read the book - it's all there. Do you believe what PETA says (and the media reports) that Dr. Atkins died of a heart attack? It's not true. He slipped on the ice while walking to work in a late Spring snowstorm in New York City. He hit his head, his brain swelled, the doctors tried to reduce the swelling by pumping him full of steroids (that caused massive water retention), but he died a week later. His widow, Veronica, is still alive and healthy and carrying on his legacy. Do a Google search on her name.

I eat way more fruits and veggies than ever before - way more than the "five a day" the goverment says to eat. My diet is primarily fruits, veggies, meat, and some dairy. What is unhealthy about that? I've been eating this way for three years and still haven't gotten sick (other than the occational cold). All my blood tests have come back normal. Additionally, my adult acne cleared up and I no longer get eczema flare-ups.

By the way, avacados, tomatoes, lemons, limes, and cucumbers are all fruits. A fruit does not have to be packed full of sugar to be a fruit. People on Atkins focus on non-sweet fruits.

Second, simply eating to satiety doesn't work for me. I take a medication with a side effect of weight gain. It does this by making me hungry 24/7. In fact, it's the reason I gained 40 pounds and went on Atkins to begin with. Try losing weight on a med that makes you gain! Here's a photo of my little weight gaining pills. Going off the medication isn't an option. I wish it were.



Third, my recent weight gain is simply from eating too much. Someone suggested that I was eating too little and lowering my metabolism. Since I wasn't losing I decided to give it a try. I ate a little more and promptly started gaining. I have to go hungry just to maintain, no matter what diet I am on.

Carbs and me do not get along. I am at risk for diabetes and carbs will only hasten that on. I have seen what a high carb diet has done to my diabetic Dad and I don't want his fate to happen to me. He's burned out most of the beta cells in his pancreas. I'd like to be kind to mine so I don't end up the same way.

Fourth, men lose easier than women. You naturally have a higher muscle mass and lower fat percentage than women. You can eat more and still lose. If a man and woman weighting the same go on the same diet, the man will lose more weight faster. That's just basic physiology. Women are cursed that way.

Fifth, I exercise. I've been a regular at the gym for over three years now. As the Atkins book says, "Exercise is a non-negotiable." If you are not exercising, you are not doing Atkins.

If you want to know what Atkins is about read the book or go to the Web site: www.atkins.com. But please don't disparage a program that you only know about through the media and a friend who didn't have a clue how to do the program right.

Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, fitness, exercise, obese, overweight, fat

Calories eaten yesterday: 1577
Fat: 69g (41%)
Carbs: 64g (17%) :(
Protein: 117g (31%)

Calories burned in exercise today: 112

I didn't see anything about rain on the forecast, so I didn't take my umbrella into San Francisco with me today. It began raining partway through all my running around. I ducked into a drugstore and bought an umbrella. That kept me dry while I finished my errands and enabled me to walk to work from the BART station. During the walk the rain stopped and the sun came out. That was my only exercise today.

I got another check today from the property Dad gave me. Instead of depositing it to my IRA, though (like I'm supposed to, but haven't done lately), I put it into my savings so I can put it toward my vacation in July. I'm planning on cashing in some comp time to get some money for vacation, too.

I also got the check from Mom today for my teeth whitening. I called the dentist and set up the appointment for March 2, my first free Friday. Soon my pearly whites really will be pearly white. :)

My latest medication prescription from Canada came today. I see when my doctor called in the prescription he gave me 400 pills (300 remaining now) so hopefully I won't have to see him for a while. Awesome! Here's an example photo of my pills. Sometimes they are oval and sometimes they are round. Click to enlarge:


I get the generic, which is not available in the U.S. A three month supply from Canada only cost me $69.21! :)

I need to cut back on the carbs I'm eating. I've been tired lately, and strangely, I think it might be because my carbs are too high. Generally speaking, the lower my carbs are, the better I feel. So I need to work on that. I think the simplest thing to do is cut out my cold tea each day, and cut out tomatoes on my salad. I'm not cutting the cottage cheese even though it's 8 carbs because I want to see if it helps me build and maintain muscle. Besides which, I need a natural source of calcium since I don't drink milk (due to the sugar content of 12g a cup).

A word on diets and drinking, as it seems there is some misunderstandings. When I say "pina colada" I don't mean those sugar-filled, insulin-elevating things that most of the world calls a pina colada. I use low-carb pina colada mix put out by Baja Bob. It has 1g of carbs and 7.5 calories per ounce. After adding rum and ice, two large glasses run me about 330 calories and 9g carbs.

Compare that to 9g of carbs and 77 calories per ounce in a regular pina colada; an 8 oz. can will run you 61g of carbs and 526 calories! Yike!

Wine, as you may know, is naturally low-carb - the yeast eats most of the sugar in the grape juice, leaving 1g or less of carbs per ounce. (Dessert wine is the exception.)

Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, fitness, exercise, obese, overweight

Day 7

Well, tomorrow is the Week 1 weigh-in on "the diet". I know I'll show a gain over my start weight of 144 due to behaving so badly on Saturday. I'll do better once I get past this Thursday and there's no more eating of meals that I didn't prepare.

I did well yesterday, with about 1642 calories and 50 carbs. Burned 279 calories at the gym, and logged over 10,000 steps total for the day. Even counting for the "steps" it counts when the bus bounces, it would still be over 10,000. This does count all my gym time, including my half hour on the crossramp elliptical and 20 minutes walking on the treadmill.

Click for original image.
Today was my bimonthly mail run into San Francisco, so I couldn't go to the gym. In fact, I won't make it to the gym the rest of the week. Tomorrow is voting day and my monthly meeting with Helen, Wednesday I have to do groceries because Thursday I'm having lunch with Pastor Ray, and Friday I hope to see The DaVinci Code movie since I am almost finished with the stupid book. That also will mess up my diet, though the theatre does have sugar free candy available. The sugar alcohols always make me gain weight. I could also take my own snacks in. It will make for higher calories, but I'll be able to track unless I go out to dinner at the mall where the theatre is - a distinct possiblity since they have so many restaurants there and many offer Atkins-friendly meals.

I did manage to walk the last leg to work today, so that's some exercise at least. Stopped at Starbucks and got a small coffee with sugar free vanilla syrup and did my Purpose Driven Life study. Only two more days left! Yay!

Got some money from my Dad, deposited it, and ordered three more months of medication from RxCareCanada.com. For 100 Celexa pills I'm only being charged $71.94, including shipping. It works out to 72 cents a pill - quite a deal as Celexa is a very expensive med. I could never afford my medication if I had to pay U.S. prices. This is the best med I've been on so far. I think it even works better than the Zoloft. I began Celexa December 6, 2004.

My Netrition.com order came today - extra virgin coconut oil (for baking), low-carb Big Train drink mix, five bottles of sugar-free BBQ sauce, and two Baja Bob's mixers: one for margaritas and one for pina coladas. Yum! Now I can have a low-carb pina colada anytime I want!

Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, food, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness, the-diet

Heading into a long weekend

Weight was 147.2 this morning, down from 148 yesterday, but still 5.2 over my goal. Calories eaten yesterday - 1797 (basically 1800), and burned - 2063. Not bad. Today isn't nearly so good due to the lack of exercise (less calories burned) and the eating out (more calories taken in). Accounting for how horribly I eat on Saturdays, and Friday and Saturday last weekend, I am taking in more than I'm burning. That means FAT gain. :( My jeans do seem tighter when I first put them on. Next Friday is the moment of truth!

Saw the doctor today. They kept me waiting 45 minutes - my appointment was at 11:30 and I saw the doctor at 12:15! He said Celexa can cause kidney and liver issues (news to me!) and ordered a comprehensive metabolic panel for me - okay, whatever - and I asked for another cholesterol test. I don't have to go back until fall and it hasn't been a year since my last tests, so I don't plan to do this for a couple months. I just wanted the paperwork in hand since I don't plan on seeing him again in the next two months. :)

I thought I wasn't going to make it to Denny's, but I made some good bus connections so I got my free entree and drink. :) I had the grilled chicken salad (would you believe they made it with iceberg lettuce? - how horrible!) with blue cheese dressing and a Diet Coke. It didn't fill me up at all so when I went to Subway to get my tuna salad for dinner, I just ate it as kind of a second lunch. Ouch!

The weather forecast for the race this weekend is rain!!! It just rained four years ago on race day; please dear God, don't let it rain this year. It's only supposed to happen about once every ten years. It takes all the fun out of the race when you are battling rain along with fatigue. I think I'll take a garbage bag with me, just in case.

Picked up the carbohydrate gel packets today. I got PowerBar brand PowerGel. Roughly 26 carbs with only 6g sugar. That should give me pretty sustained energy. I got one vanilla flavor and two strawberry banana. I hope they taste better than the horrible orange flavor I had to choke down last year - "choke" being the operative word. :-p

Alright, let's go out there and RUN! And THINK KENYAN! (That's kind of an inside joke. If you knew anything about the race's history, you'd understand.)

I'll see you all on the other side of this long (for me) weekend. Expect lots of long posts about everything when I get back to my work computer on Monday, and I'll let you know when I get back online from home.

Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness

24 Hour Fitness; I signed up!

Ok, I signed up at 24 Hour Fitness today. It ended up costing a bit more than I expected because the special quoted sign-up price that *included* 4 sessions with a personal trainer was only if you signed up for all club membership (meaning I can work out at any club - something that's nice but I would rarely use), and that's $4 extra a month. Still I would want personal training in the future so I decided to go with that. It's $2 over the max I was willing to pay for monthly dues, so I hope I can swing it. All together it came to $11 more for the initial signup than I was quoted two days ago :-p but I took everything out of savings and depostited what I could into checking today, so I just had them use my Visa debit for the extra $11. The rest ($356) I had in cash (also taken out of saving this morning). The $367 dollars includes the processing fee, 4 sessions with a personal trainer, and 1st and last month's workout fees. (It's like rent - meaning that when I decide to cancel, I don't pay the last month.)

I know I'm babbling. I'm sorry. I'm tired. Neighborhood dogs were STILL barking at 2 a.m. so I didn't get enough sleep.

Started on the Celexa today, another of those wonderful anti-depressants that cause weight gain. :-p I hope I can keep myself from gaining this time. A regular starting dose is 20mg, but I still remember how a starting dose of Zoloft had me climbing the walls the first 3 days (and crashing down on the 4th before I adjusted to the med on the 5th day). So I decided to quarter the first pill and only take about 10mg this morning. At least for now, I won't be going up to a "regular" dose of 40mg; I'll stay on 20mg if it works for me and only add more if I need to. I will also be taking a very small dose of Wellbutrin still (100mg a day). I'll remain at 200mg for now and go down to 100mg once the Celexa has a chance to kick in.