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.
Showing posts with label glucose tolerance test. Show all posts
Showing posts with label glucose tolerance test. Show all posts
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Injuries and new meds
No weigh-in today. I know I am well over 140 now after pretty much bingeing for the past two days. So well call next week
Lots of stuff happening here, not good.
I had a doctor appointment on Friday (to get new meds) after which I was supposed to give blood. Brad was driving me and needed to stop for gas. I ran into the station to put some money on a pump. On the way in I tripped over the curb and fell too fast to even put out my hands. I slammed squarely into the glass door with my head, and my right knee came down hard on the concrete sidewalk. :(
Since we were headed to the doctor he took X-rays and says nothing is broken (the blessings of a larger bone structure), but my right knee is swollen and both knees have bruises. My head has a nice cut, not a good sign since I slammed into something flat.
Head photo 1 - Head photo 2
Knee photo 1 - Knee photo 2
I actually felt better a while after the incident and though I nixed the idea of giving blood, Brad and I did walk about 3 miles (I wore a tight knee brace!). But this morning I woke up feeling like death warmed over. When I slammed my head into the door I must have hurt the muscles in my neck and shoulders because now it hurts just to turn my head.
Anyway, I am going to be out of commission for a while. About the only thing I can do right now is walk if I have a good knee brace on. There's no way I can do either upper or lower body weights with my neck, shoulders, and knees all messed up. I need rest, heat on my neck and shoulders, and ice on my right knee. Last night I got to bed around 2 a.m. (I was working on my Flickr photos (24 Hours of Flickr) and researching hypothyroidism (.pdf booklet) and slept until 1 p.m. today.
I made the mistake of starting my binge-when-I-donate-blood before I actually made it to the blood center. It won't happen again. Next time when I give blood I won't eat off plan (and will eat fairly light) until I actually get there. All I can say to my readers is, "Sorry. I let things get way out of control."
The doctor said to take an anti-inflammatory and that the swelling in the right knee should go down in 7-10 days, so I'm taking two Ibuprofen three times a day. I'm also taking one aspirin a day to help prevent any clots, since I know that can be an issue with a head injury.
By the way, I felt lightheaded and nauseous after the incident and when the doctor's office took my blood pressure and it was something like 70/50! :o It eventually came back up. I used one of those drugstore machines and it was back up to a little above what is normal for me (my normal is about 99/69).
The left knee looks worse today, with a nice bruise. There is also some bruising spreading to my forehead from the head injury.
By the way, I am now officially hypothyroid and on medication (Levothyroxine aka Synthroid (photo) - 50mcg a day - 0.05mg), and because my ferritin was low he told me to take an OTC iron supplement. He went over my glucose tolerance test results and said he has never seen a more clear cut case of hypoglycemia than me. In hour 3 of the test my blood sugar was all the way down to 30 and I was still walking and talking! The remedy - what I am already doing - eating frequently. I go back on September 3 for more blood tests to see how the thyroid meds are working. I need to get my TSH down and my Free T3 and T4 up.
I came into work today, not realizing how messed up my shoulders were, but I am taking tomorrow off as a sick day. I also have a sore throat so I fear I'm coming down with something, but I won't know about that until I see how I feel tomorrow.
At any rate, no gym for a while. Sorry. I'm not trying to get out of it, but if I try to work out in this condition I'll probably only make things worse. Once I get a couple good sleep in days and get my energy back I might at least be able to walk on the treadmill.
I didn't weigh myself this morning. My eating has been the worst of the worst so I'm just going to pound the water, eat low calorie, and wait.
Technorati tagged: diet, photos, weight loss, health, life, pain, injury, accident
Lots of stuff happening here, not good.
I had a doctor appointment on Friday (to get new meds) after which I was supposed to give blood. Brad was driving me and needed to stop for gas. I ran into the station to put some money on a pump. On the way in I tripped over the curb and fell too fast to even put out my hands. I slammed squarely into the glass door with my head, and my right knee came down hard on the concrete sidewalk. :(
Since we were headed to the doctor he took X-rays and says nothing is broken (the blessings of a larger bone structure), but my right knee is swollen and both knees have bruises. My head has a nice cut, not a good sign since I slammed into something flat.
Head photo 1 - Head photo 2
Knee photo 1 - Knee photo 2
I actually felt better a while after the incident and though I nixed the idea of giving blood, Brad and I did walk about 3 miles (I wore a tight knee brace!). But this morning I woke up feeling like death warmed over. When I slammed my head into the door I must have hurt the muscles in my neck and shoulders because now it hurts just to turn my head.
Anyway, I am going to be out of commission for a while. About the only thing I can do right now is walk if I have a good knee brace on. There's no way I can do either upper or lower body weights with my neck, shoulders, and knees all messed up. I need rest, heat on my neck and shoulders, and ice on my right knee. Last night I got to bed around 2 a.m. (I was working on my Flickr photos (24 Hours of Flickr) and researching hypothyroidism (.pdf booklet) and slept until 1 p.m. today.
I made the mistake of starting my binge-when-I-donate-blood before I actually made it to the blood center. It won't happen again. Next time when I give blood I won't eat off plan (and will eat fairly light) until I actually get there. All I can say to my readers is, "Sorry. I let things get way out of control."
The doctor said to take an anti-inflammatory and that the swelling in the right knee should go down in 7-10 days, so I'm taking two Ibuprofen three times a day. I'm also taking one aspirin a day to help prevent any clots, since I know that can be an issue with a head injury.
By the way, I felt lightheaded and nauseous after the incident and when the doctor's office took my blood pressure and it was something like 70/50! :o It eventually came back up. I used one of those drugstore machines and it was back up to a little above what is normal for me (my normal is about 99/69).
The left knee looks worse today, with a nice bruise. There is also some bruising spreading to my forehead from the head injury.
By the way, I am now officially hypothyroid and on medication (Levothyroxine aka Synthroid (photo) - 50mcg a day - 0.05mg), and because my ferritin was low he told me to take an OTC iron supplement. He went over my glucose tolerance test results and said he has never seen a more clear cut case of hypoglycemia than me. In hour 3 of the test my blood sugar was all the way down to 30 and I was still walking and talking! The remedy - what I am already doing - eating frequently. I go back on September 3 for more blood tests to see how the thyroid meds are working. I need to get my TSH down and my Free T3 and T4 up.
I came into work today, not realizing how messed up my shoulders were, but I am taking tomorrow off as a sick day. I also have a sore throat so I fear I'm coming down with something, but I won't know about that until I see how I feel tomorrow.
At any rate, no gym for a while. Sorry. I'm not trying to get out of it, but if I try to work out in this condition I'll probably only make things worse. Once I get a couple good sleep in days and get my energy back I might at least be able to walk on the treadmill.
I didn't weigh myself this morning. My eating has been the worst of the worst so I'm just going to pound the water, eat low calorie, and wait.
Technorati tagged: diet, photos, weight loss, health, life, pain, injury, accident
Thursday, August 07, 2008
A response to my critics
Calories eaten yesterday: 1344
Fat: 26g (18%)
Carbs: 94g (28%)
Protein: 179g (54%)
Weight this morning: 130.2 (One week ago: 129)
Calories burned in exercise today: 40
Dear Critics,
I feel I need to respond to you today, especially a critic who finally identified herself as "Melissa." I know it won't do any good since your minds are made up, but maybe it will clear things up for other people.
This is my blog, my home. Please treat me like you would if you were face to face with me in my own home. If you don't like what you read here, no one is forcing you to read. Moreover, why do you even care?
My Dad does not support me; neither does Brad. Brad has an ex-wife and son to support; he can not support me, nor would I ask him to. Dad helps me out due to my being on medication and not having health insurance. I have "health assistance," but I still have to pay a great deal of medical bills out of pocket and then wait for partial reimbursement.
Dad gives me $200 a month, which doesn't go far in this area. He also helps out my sister, who's married with a child. He helped her buy a condo, which she now rents out and makes money from. She and her husband both work full time, but I guess she's also a "whiny brat" because she accepts the gifts. I own a piece of property which was gifted to me and receive about $200 a month from that. Dear critics, do you turn down gifts offered to you? If not, then please shut up.
I work full time at a radio network. Full time, as in 40 hours a week. No one supports me. I pay my own rent and buy my own food. I pay for my cats' vet bills and kibble. Brad helped me out once to buy basic groceries and it wasn't because I was broke from buying diet pills, lol. That kind of thinking is downright insane. Food and rent always take precedence over pills (unless it's my medication!).
Brad doesn't have to go out of his way for me. We work the same job in the same department at the same desk. He works mornings and I work evenings. He is a member of the same church I go to. It's no extra gas to take me with him to church, especially since he usually crashes out at my apartment the night before. I am his best friend and hiking partner. Not too many women love taking long walks/hikes, but I do. We do a lot of things together.
Weekend plans with Brad:
Doctor appointment Friday morning. We both want coffee so we'll hit Starbucks. I also want to grab a breakfast sandwich there. Afterward Brad will drop me off at the Red Cross and head back to work. I'll take the bus home and after he gets off we'll go walking, probably at Chabot since he seems to like it there and I like the change of scenery from our usual. After giving blood I am usually a bit weak, so it will have to be a shorter walk of about an hour instead of the two hours we both like to do.
Friday night Brad will probably spend the night since it's just easier for him and I don't mind since he doesn't really snore. ;) Saturday morning I am cooking breakfast for us (all from food I bought with my money, dear critics). I think I'll make french toast this week since I can make it low-carb (low-carb bread, egg whites, sugar-free soy milk, sugar-free syrup). I love the way Brad cooks grits (I also paid for the grits, dear critics), but I just can't have the carbs right now.
Saturday we'll go to church and after that I don't know. I'm hoping for an afternoon walk and a nice relaxing evening at home; I bet Brad wants to same. He'll probably spend the night and if he does I'll feed him breakfast (once again with food I paid for, dear critics) and get a ride to the gym.
Hmmm...seems to me that I pay for an awful lot of the food he eats, yet it's wrong for him to buy a few groceries for me once? How do you figure that? It seems like a give and take relationship to me, not just me taking taking taking. How does sharing food expenses (food that we both eat) translate to him supporting me? Can you please explain that?
I do not feel that asking him to replace a jacket that he lost is "nickel and diming." Maybe to you it is, but neither of us is rich. Asking him to pay me back for drinking one of my beers ($1-$2) would be nickel and diming. A $30 jacket is not, and he feels the same way. He acknowledges that he lost it while it was in his possession and that he should replace it. If I lost something of his I would feel responsible for replacing it. He read my blog entry and doesn't feel I "lambasted" him. I think he would be the better judge of "lambasting" than some stranger who doesn't know either of us. Hmmm?
What I find creepy is people who think they know enough about our relationship to comment on it simply from reading a few blog entries. You think you are enough of an expert to call me names (claiming I am a "whiny brat" and "paranoid" count as name calling) and claim that Brad is "catering to your (my) every whim." By the way, dear critics, when I told him that he outright laughed. It's so far from the truth that he found it funny.
Sincerely,
The "paranoid, whiny brat"
Okay, enough about that. Critics don't deserve the space I just gave them.
No exercise today other than the 30 minute round trip walk to/from the laundromat. I decided to be lazy and take the bus to work from the train station, stopping for the basic groceries I need for next week - cottage cheese, salad, and veggies. The zucchini wasn't on sale anymore, so I got the bagged broccoli and cauliflower.
Now that my test results are back I'm hoping the doctor can give me a prescription for thyroid medication. It's very clear there is a problem. In fact, I found my TSH numbers from a very basic thyroid test another doctor ran on me a few years ago. It was 3.87 then. She said it was fine (as did another doctor who looked over the test) but now that I know more I know I should have been treated then. I am 4.07 now so the problem has only gotten worse.
I'm also going to discuss the ferritin issue with the doc. I've read that I can buy iron pills over the counter and that they are cheap. The thyroid forums says levels should be in the 70-90 range, but I pulled out Drs. Michael and Mary Eades' book last night and that says that 50 is good. Considering that I am at 23 and feeling tired all the time, a supplement is probably a good idea, especially since I give blood every two months.
A little more on my glucose tolerance test. I had a two hour test done a couple of years ago. They took my fasting level (which was about 68 or 69), gave me 75g of dextrose, and tested me two hours later. Two hours later I was somewhere around 88 if I recall. So I don't know why I went hypo on this test. The main difference is that this test was 100g and the last was 75g. I'd had a glass of wine 11 hours before. Could that effect it even 11 hours later? I'm still waiting on the insulin levels for this most recent test. Hopefully the doctor will have them when I see him tomorrow. As soon as I have the insulin levels I'll post a follow-up video on YouTube with all the readings.
Ok, I'll be back on Sunday with my weigh-in!
Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, fitness, weight,NutriSystem, fat, overweight, cats
Fat: 26g (18%)
Carbs: 94g (28%)
Protein: 179g (54%)
Weight this morning: 130.2 (One week ago: 129)
Calories burned in exercise today: 40
Dear Critics,
I feel I need to respond to you today, especially a critic who finally identified herself as "Melissa." I know it won't do any good since your minds are made up, but maybe it will clear things up for other people.
This is my blog, my home. Please treat me like you would if you were face to face with me in my own home. If you don't like what you read here, no one is forcing you to read. Moreover, why do you even care?
My Dad does not support me; neither does Brad. Brad has an ex-wife and son to support; he can not support me, nor would I ask him to. Dad helps me out due to my being on medication and not having health insurance. I have "health assistance," but I still have to pay a great deal of medical bills out of pocket and then wait for partial reimbursement.
Dad gives me $200 a month, which doesn't go far in this area. He also helps out my sister, who's married with a child. He helped her buy a condo, which she now rents out and makes money from. She and her husband both work full time, but I guess she's also a "whiny brat" because she accepts the gifts. I own a piece of property which was gifted to me and receive about $200 a month from that. Dear critics, do you turn down gifts offered to you? If not, then please shut up.
I work full time at a radio network. Full time, as in 40 hours a week. No one supports me. I pay my own rent and buy my own food. I pay for my cats' vet bills and kibble. Brad helped me out once to buy basic groceries and it wasn't because I was broke from buying diet pills, lol. That kind of thinking is downright insane. Food and rent always take precedence over pills (unless it's my medication!).
Brad doesn't have to go out of his way for me. We work the same job in the same department at the same desk. He works mornings and I work evenings. He is a member of the same church I go to. It's no extra gas to take me with him to church, especially since he usually crashes out at my apartment the night before. I am his best friend and hiking partner. Not too many women love taking long walks/hikes, but I do. We do a lot of things together.Weekend plans with Brad:
Doctor appointment Friday morning. We both want coffee so we'll hit Starbucks. I also want to grab a breakfast sandwich there. Afterward Brad will drop me off at the Red Cross and head back to work. I'll take the bus home and after he gets off we'll go walking, probably at Chabot since he seems to like it there and I like the change of scenery from our usual. After giving blood I am usually a bit weak, so it will have to be a shorter walk of about an hour instead of the two hours we both like to do.
Friday night Brad will probably spend the night since it's just easier for him and I don't mind since he doesn't really snore. ;) Saturday morning I am cooking breakfast for us (all from food I bought with my money, dear critics). I think I'll make french toast this week since I can make it low-carb (low-carb bread, egg whites, sugar-free soy milk, sugar-free syrup). I love the way Brad cooks grits (I also paid for the grits, dear critics), but I just can't have the carbs right now.
Saturday we'll go to church and after that I don't know. I'm hoping for an afternoon walk and a nice relaxing evening at home; I bet Brad wants to same. He'll probably spend the night and if he does I'll feed him breakfast (once again with food I paid for, dear critics) and get a ride to the gym.
Hmmm...seems to me that I pay for an awful lot of the food he eats, yet it's wrong for him to buy a few groceries for me once? How do you figure that? It seems like a give and take relationship to me, not just me taking taking taking. How does sharing food expenses (food that we both eat) translate to him supporting me? Can you please explain that?
I do not feel that asking him to replace a jacket that he lost is "nickel and diming." Maybe to you it is, but neither of us is rich. Asking him to pay me back for drinking one of my beers ($1-$2) would be nickel and diming. A $30 jacket is not, and he feels the same way. He acknowledges that he lost it while it was in his possession and that he should replace it. If I lost something of his I would feel responsible for replacing it. He read my blog entry and doesn't feel I "lambasted" him. I think he would be the better judge of "lambasting" than some stranger who doesn't know either of us. Hmmm?
What I find creepy is people who think they know enough about our relationship to comment on it simply from reading a few blog entries. You think you are enough of an expert to call me names (claiming I am a "whiny brat" and "paranoid" count as name calling) and claim that Brad is "catering to your (my) every whim." By the way, dear critics, when I told him that he outright laughed. It's so far from the truth that he found it funny.
Sincerely,
The "paranoid, whiny brat"
Okay, enough about that. Critics don't deserve the space I just gave them.
No exercise today other than the 30 minute round trip walk to/from the laundromat. I decided to be lazy and take the bus to work from the train station, stopping for the basic groceries I need for next week - cottage cheese, salad, and veggies. The zucchini wasn't on sale anymore, so I got the bagged broccoli and cauliflower.
Now that my test results are back I'm hoping the doctor can give me a prescription for thyroid medication. It's very clear there is a problem. In fact, I found my TSH numbers from a very basic thyroid test another doctor ran on me a few years ago. It was 3.87 then. She said it was fine (as did another doctor who looked over the test) but now that I know more I know I should have been treated then. I am 4.07 now so the problem has only gotten worse.
I'm also going to discuss the ferritin issue with the doc. I've read that I can buy iron pills over the counter and that they are cheap. The thyroid forums says levels should be in the 70-90 range, but I pulled out Drs. Michael and Mary Eades' book last night and that says that 50 is good. Considering that I am at 23 and feeling tired all the time, a supplement is probably a good idea, especially since I give blood every two months.
A little more on my glucose tolerance test. I had a two hour test done a couple of years ago. They took my fasting level (which was about 68 or 69), gave me 75g of dextrose, and tested me two hours later. Two hours later I was somewhere around 88 if I recall. So I don't know why I went hypo on this test. The main difference is that this test was 100g and the last was 75g. I'd had a glass of wine 11 hours before. Could that effect it even 11 hours later? I'm still waiting on the insulin levels for this most recent test. Hopefully the doctor will have them when I see him tomorrow. As soon as I have the insulin levels I'll post a follow-up video on YouTube with all the readings.
Ok, I'll be back on Sunday with my weigh-in!
Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, fitness, weight,NutriSystem, fat, overweight, cats
Thursday, July 31, 2008
PG&E and my GTT
Calories eaten yesterday: 1391
Fat: 22g (14%)
Carbs: 171g (49%)
Protein: 126g (36%)
Weight this morning: 129 (One week ago: 133.2)
Calories burned in exercise today: 71
Good grief! I checked my PG&E bill and got a shock - $87! It only goes that high in the middle of winter. I called PG&E and the girl I spoke with said $27 was for my old address, leaving about $60 for my new address. Damn. Didn't realize I'd used that much power. There also appears to be almost two months between bills, with one bill at the beginning of June and the next not until the end of July. But yikes! What a shock and unplanned expense. That nixes taking Brad out to that dinner I promised him - at least with this paycheck. I barely have money for food now. I definitely will do that dinner if I ever get my deposit back from my old apartment. :-p
Tomorrow is my 5 hour glucose tolerance test. I'm going to ask Lisa for a ride home, and hopefully get to bed early. I took my nighttime shower this afternoon so I can just go home, have my snack, and go to bed. I did some research and found the minimum fasting period is 10 hours, so I can have a snack before bed, as long as at least 10 hours have passed before my first blood draw. I bought a packet of 6 Oreos for something quick to eat as soon as the test is over.
Here's a little more about the GTT, from Wikipedia:
Glucose Tolerance Test
I also found this interesting factoid:
"Low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia) are also seen with...Hypothyroidism." Wow. I did not know that. It will be interesting to see if I am hypoglycemic because I am definitely hypothyroid.
On the question of coffee, the Quest lab told me no; my doctor's office said yes. I'll brew some at home to wake me up and run out the door with it, but won't have any after that.
I'll try to do some videos, then edit them together, like I did when I gave blood (video) at the Red Cross a couple months back.
Did laundry today (about 30 minutes walking round trip), but decided not to walk to work from the train station. I got off at WalMart to do some shopping; it's 10 minutes to work from there.
Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, fitness, weight,NutriSystem, fat, overweight, cats
Fat: 22g (14%)
Carbs: 171g (49%)
Protein: 126g (36%)
Weight this morning: 129 (One week ago: 133.2)
Calories burned in exercise today: 71
Good grief! I checked my PG&E bill and got a shock - $87! It only goes that high in the middle of winter. I called PG&E and the girl I spoke with said $27 was for my old address, leaving about $60 for my new address. Damn. Didn't realize I'd used that much power. There also appears to be almost two months between bills, with one bill at the beginning of June and the next not until the end of July. But yikes! What a shock and unplanned expense. That nixes taking Brad out to that dinner I promised him - at least with this paycheck. I barely have money for food now. I definitely will do that dinner if I ever get my deposit back from my old apartment. :-p
Tomorrow is my 5 hour glucose tolerance test. I'm going to ask Lisa for a ride home, and hopefully get to bed early. I took my nighttime shower this afternoon so I can just go home, have my snack, and go to bed. I did some research and found the minimum fasting period is 10 hours, so I can have a snack before bed, as long as at least 10 hours have passed before my first blood draw. I bought a packet of 6 Oreos for something quick to eat as soon as the test is over.
Here's a little more about the GTT, from Wikipedia:
Glucose Tolerance Test
I also found this interesting factoid:
"Low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia) are also seen with...Hypothyroidism." Wow. I did not know that. It will be interesting to see if I am hypoglycemic because I am definitely hypothyroid.
On the question of coffee, the Quest lab told me no; my doctor's office said yes. I'll brew some at home to wake me up and run out the door with it, but won't have any after that.
I'll try to do some videos, then edit them together, like I did when I gave blood (video) at the Red Cross a couple months back.
Did laundry today (about 30 minutes walking round trip), but decided not to walk to work from the train station. I got off at WalMart to do some shopping; it's 10 minutes to work from there.
Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, fitness, weight,NutriSystem, fat, overweight, cats
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Week 71 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)
Total loss: -17.6
Ok, now to catch up on other numbers.
Calories eaten Thursday: 1374
Fat: 25g (16%)
Carbs: 92g (26%)
Protein: 168g (48%)
Weight Thursday morning: 133.2 (One week ago: 129.2)
Calories burned in exercise Thursday: 143
Friday turned into a major cheat day. Like most cheat days I ate mostly healthy, but far too much.
Weight Friday morning: 129.4 (One week ago: 128.8)
Calories burned in exercise Friday: 130
Weight Saturday morning: 138 (One week ago: 130)
Calories burned in exercise Saturday: 173
Calories burned in exercise today: 462
Well, the doctor couldn't do the PAP on me. He tried both the junior forceps on me, and the pediatric ones (I didn't know those existed!). He finally said that I had what appeared to be a strand of scar tissue right across my cervix, and he was afraid of causing a lot of pain and bleeding if he pushed through it. He said it was rare to see it, but I would have to go to a hospital to have the tissue removed and the PAP done.
BTW, I took five Darvon and five Ibuprofen before the appointment and it didn't help at all. It was like the Darvon were sugar pills. Brad and I even got in a walk around Lake Merritt later.
After the failed PAP the doctor went over the blood tests results with me. I went through my hypothyroid symptoms and what kind of further tests I wanted. He was agreeable. He couldn't do the tests right then, so he sent me over to Quest labs. Brad and I rushed to the closest one to get it done that day and the results should be back tomorrow. I'll call the doctor and have them mailed to me.
The doc agrees my thyroid numbers are off, and could also be the reason my white blood cell count came back slightly low. He said he already did a free T3, but he ordered a free T4, various vitamin deficiencies, ferritin, and a thyroid antibodies test.
I also asked for a 5 hour glucose tolerance test with insulin levels and he was amenable to that, too, even though I admitted I didn't need it and was just curious what was going on in my body. I'll do the glucose tolerance test next Friday, and I go back in two weeks to go over all the test results. The doctor IS open to giving me a small amount of thyroid medication. I will find out more at the next appointment.
Friday kind of turned into a free day after the doctor. Mostly pretty healthy food, but way too much, including the chicken super burrito I talked about last week, plus a chocolate banana Vivanno. *sigh* Oh well. And then Saturday I was in an eating frenzy, especially right before bed. It was bad, really bad. Brad bought me some basic groceries to get through the week - salad, cottage cheese, and veggies.
The veggies turned out not to be necessary. I didn't realize until Saturday that I needed to eat higher carb before the glucose tolerance test - at least 150g carbs a day. So Saturday after church I gave up on the $100 I had set aside to help with rent, and used it to buy high carb groceries. I bought a lot of Dannon fat free yogurt, apples, and Quaker chocolate rice cakes. Yummy. I'm looking at it as a sort of challenge and game to get my carbs 150g while still keeping my protein as high as possible and my calories low. I'm not going to do this like last time and eat off plan for five days.
Brad dragged me on a "short" walk at Lake Chabot because I wasn't feeling well. He thought it was only 1 mile out and back. It turned out to be 1.75 miles, not counting the walk to and from the car, which was parked up on the main road. The walk was about twice as much as I wanted to do. Something I ate Friday didn't agree with me. I started feeling better as the day wore on and I visited the bathroom numerous time.
Before bed I pigged out on 100 Calorie Packs, South Beach meal bars, and Special K Protein Plus. I taped the top of the cereal box so I can't sneak fingerfuls. I am committed to going soy-free for the week (for my thyroid), and mostly wheat-free (per the Candistroy instructions), though I really don't think wheat is an issue for me. We'll see how I fare. I'll stay away from it until Saturday.
Today I did an hour of weight training (arms, shoulders, back), 35 minutes of running (3.41 miles), and the 30 minute walk to work.
After letting Abby out on Thursday, she came back on Friday. Granted I was outside (my key wouldn't work at first), so I'm sure she heard me, but after I got in (through he back door) she came right to the front door and meowed. The entryway between apartments A and B and apartments C and D look exactly the same, but she came to the right door. That cat is one really smart cookie. Xena seemed a bit calmer after Abby had been gone for a day, so for now I will let Abby out whenever she wants. I have to keep the peace. Hopefully Xena will eventually get over this.
Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, fat, overweight, NutriSystem, weigh-in
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)
Total loss: -17.6
Ok, now to catch up on other numbers.
Calories eaten Thursday: 1374
Fat: 25g (16%)
Carbs: 92g (26%)
Protein: 168g (48%)
Weight Thursday morning: 133.2 (One week ago: 129.2)
Calories burned in exercise Thursday: 143
Friday turned into a major cheat day. Like most cheat days I ate mostly healthy, but far too much.
Weight Friday morning: 129.4 (One week ago: 128.8)
Calories burned in exercise Friday: 130
Weight Saturday morning: 138 (One week ago: 130)
Calories burned in exercise Saturday: 173
Calories burned in exercise today: 462
Well, the doctor couldn't do the PAP on me. He tried both the junior forceps on me, and the pediatric ones (I didn't know those existed!). He finally said that I had what appeared to be a strand of scar tissue right across my cervix, and he was afraid of causing a lot of pain and bleeding if he pushed through it. He said it was rare to see it, but I would have to go to a hospital to have the tissue removed and the PAP done.
BTW, I took five Darvon and five Ibuprofen before the appointment and it didn't help at all. It was like the Darvon were sugar pills. Brad and I even got in a walk around Lake Merritt later.
After the failed PAP the doctor went over the blood tests results with me. I went through my hypothyroid symptoms and what kind of further tests I wanted. He was agreeable. He couldn't do the tests right then, so he sent me over to Quest labs. Brad and I rushed to the closest one to get it done that day and the results should be back tomorrow. I'll call the doctor and have them mailed to me.
The doc agrees my thyroid numbers are off, and could also be the reason my white blood cell count came back slightly low. He said he already did a free T3, but he ordered a free T4, various vitamin deficiencies, ferritin, and a thyroid antibodies test.
I also asked for a 5 hour glucose tolerance test with insulin levels and he was amenable to that, too, even though I admitted I didn't need it and was just curious what was going on in my body. I'll do the glucose tolerance test next Friday, and I go back in two weeks to go over all the test results. The doctor IS open to giving me a small amount of thyroid medication. I will find out more at the next appointment.
Friday kind of turned into a free day after the doctor. Mostly pretty healthy food, but way too much, including the chicken super burrito I talked about last week, plus a chocolate banana Vivanno. *sigh* Oh well. And then Saturday I was in an eating frenzy, especially right before bed. It was bad, really bad. Brad bought me some basic groceries to get through the week - salad, cottage cheese, and veggies.
The veggies turned out not to be necessary. I didn't realize until Saturday that I needed to eat higher carb before the glucose tolerance test - at least 150g carbs a day. So Saturday after church I gave up on the $100 I had set aside to help with rent, and used it to buy high carb groceries. I bought a lot of Dannon fat free yogurt, apples, and Quaker chocolate rice cakes. Yummy. I'm looking at it as a sort of challenge and game to get my carbs 150g while still keeping my protein as high as possible and my calories low. I'm not going to do this like last time and eat off plan for five days.
Brad dragged me on a "short" walk at Lake Chabot because I wasn't feeling well. He thought it was only 1 mile out and back. It turned out to be 1.75 miles, not counting the walk to and from the car, which was parked up on the main road. The walk was about twice as much as I wanted to do. Something I ate Friday didn't agree with me. I started feeling better as the day wore on and I visited the bathroom numerous time.
Before bed I pigged out on 100 Calorie Packs, South Beach meal bars, and Special K Protein Plus. I taped the top of the cereal box so I can't sneak fingerfuls. I am committed to going soy-free for the week (for my thyroid), and mostly wheat-free (per the Candistroy instructions), though I really don't think wheat is an issue for me. We'll see how I fare. I'll stay away from it until Saturday.
Today I did an hour of weight training (arms, shoulders, back), 35 minutes of running (3.41 miles), and the 30 minute walk to work.
After letting Abby out on Thursday, she came back on Friday. Granted I was outside (my key wouldn't work at first), so I'm sure she heard me, but after I got in (through he back door) she came right to the front door and meowed. The entryway between apartments A and B and apartments C and D look exactly the same, but she came to the right door. That cat is one really smart cookie. Xena seemed a bit calmer after Abby had been gone for a day, so for now I will let Abby out whenever she wants. I have to keep the peace. Hopefully Xena will eventually get over this.
Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, exercise, fat, overweight, NutriSystem, weigh-in
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Busy Tuesday
Calories eaten yesterday: 1797Calories burned: 2074
Carbs: 40g
Fat: 87g
Calories burned in exercise: 265
Got some exercise today by walking from the BART station. FitDay says I burned only 82 measly calories.
Regarding my glucose tolerance test, I found something interesting on my South Beach day-at-a-time calendar today. You will remember at the two hour mark my glucose was 88 and my insulin level was a itsy-bitsy 3.
From the July 25 entry:
Some diets steer people toward decaf coffee for the simply reason that caffeine does stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin, which is the last thing an overweight person needs. Still, the net effect isn't all that great, and if a cup or two of coffee a day makes you happy, I think you should feel free. Tea may actually play a role in the prevention of heart attacks and prostate cancer.
So even though I had black coffee before the second blood draw, my insulin was still low, which tell me Dr. Agatston is right and it doesn't have much effect. It's good to avoid excessive amounts, but I gotta have my morning cuppa.
It's cooler today, so I am not wearing my new green shorts and pink tank. Instead I went for my new jeans and white tank top with the butterfly. I tried on the low rise size 8 jeans from Old Navy this morning, but they are really tight - couldn't even button them. I think these new jeans are a big 8 because they fit perfect. I think all jeans from Old Navy must be Petite, and Misses is a bit bigger.
I got a response from Dr. Michael Eades! First, my question to him:
Kinda off topic, but I have a question about my GTT that I had recently. My fasting glucose was 69, and two hours after the oral glucose was 89. Totally fine, although last week my fasting glucose was 88! Could that be because the high carb diet I had to eat for this test is driving my fasting blood sugar down? And isn't that bad?
The odd thing was the insulin I had them test for. There's no fasting and 2 hour range given, just an "insulin total." I'm not sure what that means but it's 3 and listed as out of range. Normal range given in 6-27. I know your book says it should be under 10. Is a low reading cause for concern and what does "insulin total" mean? Total of what?
I hate to bother you wish this, but you know a lot more about insulin and glucose than my doctor, who I couldn't reach anyway.
And finally, the response I received:
Hi Victoria--
Your fasting blood sugar is never an exact number that repeats with every test; it pretty much should stay in a range, though, and the sugars you listed are fine. I wouldn't worry about the difference between a 69 and an 88.
Your insulin is fine; the lower the better. The only time you need to worry about an insulin being too low is in type I diabetes, which you know you don't have because your blood sugar is normal. The less insulin you need to keep blood sugar in the normal range, the better.
The most sensitive test for all this is the insulin challenge, which we described in the PP LifePlan. Check it out.
Best--
MRE
Ok, I made it into the City today for my mail. The lady who does the boxes in still on jury duty and may be gone up to six weeks! I really hope they get around to my box before then. Right now I have to wait in line and show my ID to get my mail.
I checked around for hair bleach so I can dye my hair blue again before Conference, but I checked two drugstores and neither had it. I need a professional beauty supply store. I think there might be on on my way to the gym.
Stuff I bought today:
BioSilk oil - the stuff does wonders for my bleach-fried hair.
A book light - I need to take one with my to Conference so that I can wind down by reading without bothering my roommate.
A headset for my cell phone - so I can talk without having to hold the thing to my ear the whole time. Good for long "hold" times.
A case (with belt clip) for my cell phone. Found a real schnazzy one for $20 at the Verizon store. Cheaper and better than Radio Shack.
My PIN number came today. I took it to the bank and changed it to my old one that I already have memorized.
My checks also came and this time they are right, so I can begin writing checks again. Whew! I never received the checkbook cover that I ordered, and the main bank number told me to call my local branch where I ordered the checks. They also said I had been charged for the checks. I called the local branch and they said I shouldn't have been charged for the checks and that they would reverse that charge, as well as order the checkbook cover. I asked them the price for the cover so I could write it in my check leger. They said they would cover it for all my hastle. Cool!
My left ear is hurting. I don't know if it's something simple like wax buildup, something worse like an ear infection, or (God forbid!) something with one of my teeth. God knows my teeth are in pretty bad shape from my years of eating high-carb/sugar.
After my purse was stolen I thought it would really suck - and it did for a while, but I have to say, I have seen Romans 8:28 in action lately, and I am awed. He truly is bringing good out of this awful experience.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, low fat, weight loss, health, health and wellness, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Victoria the Pin Cushion
Weight: 139.4
Calories eaten yesterday: 1811
Calories burned: 1885
Deficit: 74 calories
Carbs: 40g (good)
Fat: 90g (yippee!)
Calories burned in exercise: 44
Even though I didn't do any formal exercise yesterday, I still managed to rack up over 9000 steps on my pedometer. I counted 15 minutes of exercise (in my exercise journal) for all the walking I did to and from WalMart, but didn't count anything else. I was running all over. It was a very productive day, if frazzling.
I walked the last leg to work today, for a total of 30 minutes and 88 calories. Yippee. Back to some semblance of normalcy.
Went in for the first of my blood tests today - cholesterol and a complete metabolic panel. I decided to go in next week for the thyroid and glucose tolerance test. Helen said I should have the GTT. For it, Dr. Atkins says to eat at least 150g of carbohydrate a day for at least four days beforehand. I think I'll do the test Monday and start today, with Monday being my last high carb day, then back to Atkins again. I almost can't wait to get back on program because I know I'll feel awful the next few days and I know how great I feel on Atkins! :)
This will mean putting the scale away for a couple of weeks and not weighing in. Anytime I cheat on low-carb for more than a day I gain about 10 pounds. Guess I'll be wearing a lot of skirts until I can get the weight off again. I'll probably take the ticker above out for a while since moving it up 10 pounds would be too depressing, and start my cheat free count over.
Stand by me through this all because I'm not good at intentionally going off plan and gaining a ton of weight just for a blood test, but there doesn't seem to be any other way to get a correct reading. As Dr. Eades explains in this blog post:
Following a low-carb diet makes one a little glucose intolerant, which is the reason that the instructions for a glucose tolerance test always include the admonition to eat plenty of carbs in the week before the test. Why? Because all the macronutrients--glucose, fat and protein--are broken down by enzymes during the metabolic process. And all the enzymes necessary for the metabolism of the various macronutrients are made on demand but not immediately. If you are on a high carbohydrate diet, then you will have plenty of enzymes on hand to deal with the carbohydrates you consume. If you switch to a low-carbohydrate diet, it takes a while to manufacture the enzymes in the quantities needed to deal with the extra fat and protein that your metabolic system hadn't been exposed to. This deficiency of protein/fat metabolizing enzymes is the reason people starting a low-carb diet become so easily fatigued--they've got plenty of enzymes on hand to break down carbs, they just don't have the carbs to metabolize. Once they produce the enzymes necessary to deal with the load of protein and fat, which takes a few days, they become low-carb adapted and no longer feel fatigued.
Once people become low-carb adapted--as I hope we all are--then the same thing happens if they go face down in the donuts. They don't have the enzymes on board to deal with the sudden influx of glucose, and, as a consequence, their blood sugar spikes higher than it would on a person eating the same amount of carbohydrate who is already carb adapted.
So to give my body the chance to manufacture the right enzymes, I need to eat plenty of carbs in the days leading up to the test.
I had them use my left arm for the blood test today and it hardly hurt at all. My left arm has a really good vein running down it. It's so good it actually pops out of the skin a little. I'll have to remember this for the future and have them draw from my left arm next week.
Anyway, in other life news, Brad said he would take me grocery shopping tomorrow afternoon, so I didn't do that today. I also need to bake communion bread tomorrow.
I finally got my Xanax today. Whew! What a hastle that was. I asked for a second vial so I could split the pills up. That way I won't lose them all if I lose my purse. I have 30 pills so I split them 15/15. Hopefully, that will prevent this from happening again.
Called the post office today and they said they could change the lock for me and have a new key; they just wanted to know what day I'd be coming in and I told them next Wednesday. This will be the last loose end to tie up and then all will be well.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
Calories eaten yesterday: 1811
Calories burned: 1885
Deficit: 74 calories
Carbs: 40g (good)
Fat: 90g (yippee!)
Calories burned in exercise: 44
Even though I didn't do any formal exercise yesterday, I still managed to rack up over 9000 steps on my pedometer. I counted 15 minutes of exercise (in my exercise journal) for all the walking I did to and from WalMart, but didn't count anything else. I was running all over. It was a very productive day, if frazzling.
I walked the last leg to work today, for a total of 30 minutes and 88 calories. Yippee. Back to some semblance of normalcy.
Went in for the first of my blood tests today - cholesterol and a complete metabolic panel. I decided to go in next week for the thyroid and glucose tolerance test. Helen said I should have the GTT. For it, Dr. Atkins says to eat at least 150g of carbohydrate a day for at least four days beforehand. I think I'll do the test Monday and start today, with Monday being my last high carb day, then back to Atkins again. I almost can't wait to get back on program because I know I'll feel awful the next few days and I know how great I feel on Atkins! :)
This will mean putting the scale away for a couple of weeks and not weighing in. Anytime I cheat on low-carb for more than a day I gain about 10 pounds. Guess I'll be wearing a lot of skirts until I can get the weight off again. I'll probably take the ticker above out for a while since moving it up 10 pounds would be too depressing, and start my cheat free count over.
Stand by me through this all because I'm not good at intentionally going off plan and gaining a ton of weight just for a blood test, but there doesn't seem to be any other way to get a correct reading. As Dr. Eades explains in this blog post:
Following a low-carb diet makes one a little glucose intolerant, which is the reason that the instructions for a glucose tolerance test always include the admonition to eat plenty of carbs in the week before the test. Why? Because all the macronutrients--glucose, fat and protein--are broken down by enzymes during the metabolic process. And all the enzymes necessary for the metabolism of the various macronutrients are made on demand but not immediately. If you are on a high carbohydrate diet, then you will have plenty of enzymes on hand to deal with the carbohydrates you consume. If you switch to a low-carbohydrate diet, it takes a while to manufacture the enzymes in the quantities needed to deal with the extra fat and protein that your metabolic system hadn't been exposed to. This deficiency of protein/fat metabolizing enzymes is the reason people starting a low-carb diet become so easily fatigued--they've got plenty of enzymes on hand to break down carbs, they just don't have the carbs to metabolize. Once they produce the enzymes necessary to deal with the load of protein and fat, which takes a few days, they become low-carb adapted and no longer feel fatigued.
Once people become low-carb adapted--as I hope we all are--then the same thing happens if they go face down in the donuts. They don't have the enzymes on board to deal with the sudden influx of glucose, and, as a consequence, their blood sugar spikes higher than it would on a person eating the same amount of carbohydrate who is already carb adapted.
So to give my body the chance to manufacture the right enzymes, I need to eat plenty of carbs in the days leading up to the test.
I had them use my left arm for the blood test today and it hardly hurt at all. My left arm has a really good vein running down it. It's so good it actually pops out of the skin a little. I'll have to remember this for the future and have them draw from my left arm next week.
Anyway, in other life news, Brad said he would take me grocery shopping tomorrow afternoon, so I didn't do that today. I also need to bake communion bread tomorrow.
I finally got my Xanax today. Whew! What a hastle that was. I asked for a second vial so I could split the pills up. That way I won't lose them all if I lose my purse. I have 30 pills so I split them 15/15. Hopefully, that will prevent this from happening again.
Called the post office today and they said they could change the lock for me and have a new key; they just wanted to know what day I'd be coming in and I told them next Wednesday. This will be the last loose end to tie up and then all will be well.
Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, health and wellness, obesity, obese, overweight, fat, exercise, fitness
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