Stumbling To Bethlehem

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Dannon yogurt

Calories eaten yesterday: 1249
Fat: 30g (21%)
Carbs: 75g (24%)
Protein: 170g (53%)
Weight this morning: 130.4 (One week ago: n/a)
Calories burned in exercise today: 153

I slept in this morning. I must have been very tired. I got to bed a little after 2 a.m. (only a little later than normal) and when I opened my eyes it was nearly 12:30 p.m.! Yikes.

I walked down to the BART station from my house and discovered is takes about 30 minutes. I walked to the grocery store my my ending BART station and got yogurt and cottage cheese, then took the bus the rest of the way in.

I called the Red Cross to reschedule my blood donation since I still have the remnants of my cold. Now I go in Sept. 5.

On the yogurt issue, Dannon is making all their 60 calorie Light N' Fit yogurts into 80 calorie yogurts by adding even more sugar. I've been buying up all the old 60 calorie ones I can find, so I'll be eating a lot of yogurt for a while, lol! It actually does quite well with protein powder for breakfast. This morning I took a raspberry one and mixed it with a scoop of chocolate caramel whey protein to make a chocolate caramel raspberry yogurt that packs a protein punch. Yummy.

I wrote to Dannon and told them I wasn't going to buy their yogurt anymore. At 80 calories a serving I might as well have fat-free cottage cheese which has the same calories, but less sugar and more protein. So no more Dannon yogurt when my little stash is gone. I am not happy.

Technorati tagged: diet, low fat, weight loss, health, Dannon, fitness, weight,yogurt, fat, overweight

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Just stuff...

Calories eaten yesterday: 1299
Fat: 29g (19%)
Carbs: 94g (29%)
Protein: 167g (50%)
Weight this morning: 132.8 (One week ago: n/a)
Calories burned in exercise today: 83

Went into San Francisco to check my mail and that was about it. Bought some groceries on the walk in to work. Dannon is getting rid of their 60 calorie yogurts, adding sugar, and re-releasing them as 80 calories. I have been buying up all the 60 calorie ones I can afford, and yes, I wrote Dannon to express my displeasure and told them that they will be losing this customer.

I'm very hungry today after two days of working out hard and eating low calorie. I bought some cerely sticks at the store and ate the whole package, lol! But celery is very low calorie so it didn't hurt my diet.

My 1-day "vacation" is tentatively set for August 28. That's a Thursday and I am taking one vacation day and cashing it in to find this one. That will use up the rest of them. I'm going to go into the City and just kind of hit a bunch of cool places, such as Buena Vista for their Irish coffee and Hooters, plus that little wine shop on Pier 39 that Brad and I discovered before. Maybe I'll hit some of the tourist attractions. I'll try not to eat too bad, lol.

Then Brad and I are supposed to rent a paddle boat at Lake Chabot on Friday (and he's taking a half day off). We'll see if he has his half of the money for it or if it mysteriously gets eaten up. They aren't that expensive and we are each paying half so his part is super cheap, but things always seem to happen.

Not sure if I'll go to the gym tomorrow. I am still getting over the rest of this cold and might just sleep in. My legs are so sore from my workout yesterday I'm not sure what cardio I would be up to anyway. I'm just plain tired and my thyroid and iron pills don't seem to be helping.

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

Monday, August 18, 2008

Week 74, Day 2

Calories eaten yesterday: 1187
Fat: 28g (21%)
Carbs: 77g (26%)
Protein: 155g (52%)
Weight this morning: 134.2 (One week ago: n/a)
Calories burned in exercise today: 407

Nothing much today, just getting back into my routine again, which feels good. Made it to the gym and did lower body for weights and the elliptical (with the moving arm handles) for my cardio. Walked to work from the train station and am exhausted!

Tomorrow I run into San Francisco to check my P.O. box.

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

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Week 73 Weigh-In

Thursday, August 14, 2008

"S" is for Sick

Calories eaten Sunday: 986 (no, that's not a typo)
Fat: 25g (22%)
Carbs: 56g (22%)
Protein: 135g (53%)
Calories burned in exercise today: 0

After bingeing for two days I just wasn't very hungry.

Calories eaten Monday: 1112
Fat: 25g (19%)
Carbs: 73g (26%)
Protein: 150g (53%)
Calories burned in exercise today: 176

Calories eaten Tuesday: 1104
Fat: 22g (18%)
Carbs: 79g (29%)
Protein: 143g (52%)
Weight this morning: xx (One week ago: 135.8)
Calories burned in exercise today: 217

Calories eaten Wednesday: 1169
Fat: 22g (17%)
Carbs: 79g (27%)
Protein: 157g (54%)
Calories burned in exercise today: 122

Weight Thursday morning: 131
Calories burned in exercise today: 101

After a week of not weighing in I finally did today. Those two days of bingeing really did a number on me, but four days of super strict dieting has undone at least some of the damage. I'm still above where I should be. I've been eating really light to make up for the lack of exercise.

I know I haven't posted since Sunday, and there was no Sunday weigh-in. I've been sick with a cold and I don't usually update if I'm sick. I need my energy just to take care of all the usual life stuff. We'll call this week a wash and just pick up next Sunday with my regular weigh-ins.

Today I am just working a half shift. I'm still sick, but I'm down to just one day of sick time left. I'm doing the first half of today's shift which should be easier than the later half. Then I will have all weekend to recover.

The accident on Friday really messed up my spine, but two visits to the chiropractor helped.

Tonight Brad will pick me up when Lisa comes in. She said she could be there at 7:30 tonight. Then I have to do some basic shopping since it's payday. When I get home I'll take a shower, have something to eat, and go to bed.

See you all Sunday with my weigh-in. I'm going to be a good girl tomorrow. :)

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

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

Friday, August 08, 2008

More Re: A response to my critics

I decided to post Melissa's latest response to me here, followed by Brad's response to her.

Melissa's baseless accusations:
Melissa has left a new comment on your post ""S" is for Stress":

Make up your mind. You are the one that said that it was deleted due to name calling, not me.

IMO, there's no difference in Brad buying you diet pills and Brad buying your groceries because you spent all your money on diet pills. I guess you are use to being supported since you still get the checks from daddy. At your age, that must be nice. Yes, yes, I know that's none of my business, but remember that you are the one that put it out there.

That's great that you and Brad share. That's what this world is all about. I certainly can't see myself nickel and dime my friends if they share with what I have. Good grief! I definitely wouldn't lambaste them on a public blog for accidentally losing something.

Oh, and BTW, I never claimed to know everything about you or follow you around. That's creepy! All I know is what you post here. That's the way blog work you see. Paranoid and defensive much?

Brad can post or not... it's nothing to me. I'm just posting a public comment on a public blog. *shrug*

My response to these accusations is in my last post, which prove her accusations completely false.

Furthermore, Brad feels Melissa is way off base and he agrees with me. Here is his comment:
Hi Victoria,

Thanks for letting me know of Melissa's comments. Her and others don't know all the truth. Limited information with limited understanding leads to that type of thing. Let us forgive them.

As for me addressing that, I concur with what you have written. I do not wish to add anything else.

To any who read this blog, realize it is a snippet and not a point by point accounting. Blogs generally will be areas that people pour out their hearts. It is not a place to wholly judge them as a person. Would you want to be judged by what you write or have written without being able to add necessary information? Be slow to judge and quick to hear.

To really know someone you must care for them and constrain judgments.
Friends are not won and kept only by kindness, but, also mercy. Without forgiveness for wrongs no friendship would last past the wow phase. Work within the Law of Kindness. We all fail each other, even ourselves. We all fail God. We can't avoid failure, but we can by the will and grace of God overcome it. Jesus said, "I have overcome the world"!

If you do not believe in God, this dark existence is harder and more difficult to get through. For, you'll have no understanding of why you do "wrong" things, or what "are" the wrong things. No light. Your life may appear magical, wonderful, bright and glorious, but that has cost.

Gospel of John 1:10-14
The Christ-Messiah, proclaimed by God in the Prophets of the Old Jewish Testament; Jesus of Nazareth is God. The Cross proves it and His life. If you reject Him, you reject life. He is life and His way. IF you have not Jesus you are existing not living. For no one lives apart from Him. Praised be His name. As it is written:

TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, LEAN NOT TO YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING, IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE WILL DIRECT YOUR PATH.

Peace to You and Yours. Read Genesis.

There is all is. Judge for yourself whether Melissa is right or if she has been slow to hear and quick to judge.

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

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Thyriod, Vitamins, & Glucose Tolerance Test results

Calories eaten yesterday: 1237
Fat: 24g (17%)
Carbs: 95g (30%)
Protein: 163g (52%)
Weight this morning: 132.2 (One week ago: 130.2)
Calories burned in exercise today: 419

Ok, I had some further tests run after some of my initial thyroid tests came back funky. Here's the full rundown. I'm definitely hypothyroid, but don't understand all the numbers.

T-4 Total: 5.3. The range is 4.5-12.5. In range.

T-3 Uptake: 35.5. The range is 22-35. OUT of range, high.

Free T3: 149. The NEW reference range is 230-420. OUT of range, low. WAY out of range.
I'm thinking this may be the key right here.

Free Thyroxine Index: 1.9. The range is 1.4-3.8. In range, but low.
Thyroxine-Free (Free T4): 0.9...range is 0.8-1.8. In range, but low.

TSH...4.07...range is 0.4-4.5. In range. This is the old range. In the new range I can't be above 3.0 and would be OUT of range, high.

Thyoid antibodies:
Peroxidose Ab
TPO...<10...the range is <35
Thyroglobulin Abs...<20...the range is <20.

So if I am reading this right I don't have any thyroid antibodies?

Chemistry
Vitamin B12...1787...the range is 200-1100, so I am out of range, but high.
Vitamin D, 1-25-dihydroxy...56...range is 15-60
Vitamin D 25, total...39...range is 20-100
Vitamin D 25, D3...39...no range given
Vitamin D 25, D2...<4...no range given
Ferritin...23...range is 10-154 (from what I hear, ferritin should be closer to 70)

So my vitamins look okay? I do take a supplement with B-12 in it and spend a lot of time outside without sunscreen for vitamin D.

I got my 5 hour glucose tolerance tests back also. The insulin results are still pending but I had some hypoglycemia going on during hours 2 and 3. Hours 4 and 5 my blood sugar started to come back up again.
Fasting glucose: 70
Then I drank 100g of dextrose.
Hour 1: 46
Hour 2: 39
Hour 3: 30
Hour 4: 66 (coming back up again)
Hour 5: 72

So some hypoglycemia and then in hour 4 my liver kicked in and did what it should to get my blood sugar back up. But it does explain why I felt so crappy halfway through the test.

Exercise today was one hour or upper body work, mostly arms, shoulders, and lats. Then I ran 31 minutes on the treadmill (3 miles), and finally walked to work from the train stations, about 30 minutes, 1.5 miles.

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

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

"S" is for Stress

Calories eaten yesterday: 1381
Fat: 29g (19%)
Carbs: 102g (29%)
Protein: 183g (52%)
Weight this morning: 135.8 (One week ago: 130.6)
Calories burned in exercise today: 81

Crud. I'm up a half pound from yesterday and almost 5 pounds over this time last week. I was raging hungry yesterday, but only gave in to a couple extra "naughty nibbles." I really do have a non-existent metabolism. :(

Still waiting on all the tests. *sigh* I can see that I won't be getting the results of anything before I see the doctor meaning I will have no clue what is going on since he just zips through everything and I like to research. I'm pissed about that and everything else.

My friend lost my jeans jacket and I had to buy another even though I'm broke and he can't pay me back until the "next paycheck" (which never comes). Oh...the jacket had an irreplaceable, hand-painted, one-of-only-a-few-made pin. I got it at General Conference a couple years ago. It can't be bought or in any other way replaced. I loved that pin and now that's gone, too, stolen, never to be seen again because Brad left it at the damn restaurant! :(

I have a birthday (sister), anniversary (sister and her husband), and wedding shower (my pastor's daughter) to also buy gifts (or gift cards) for with my non-existent money. I swear to God that anniversaries and showers (especially showers!) are just a time for people to say "We have money and you have none, but we want you to give us stuff." That pisses me off, too. All these people have far more than me. Right now I don't even have a way to buy basic groceries so I can eat next week!

Then there's the fun with my gym membership, the ongoing stress with my cats, and the list goes on.

Oh yeah...I forgot the mention the final stress. This would normally be the week of my vacation (my one week a year to get away). But due to lack of funds and the higher costs I don't get a vacation this year. So right now I'm stuck here at work under a ton of stress instead of at my church's General Conference where I want to be. :( :( :(

Oh...I missed my bus last night. The driver saw me and drove away anyway. I was running and yelling and two other people were waving and yelling. I know it won't do any good, but I called in the complaint today. I broke down in tears after missing the bus. It was 11:15 pm for crying out loud! I just can't take it! If I weren't on medication I would probably be suicidal about now.

Ran into the City today to get my mail. Helena's check was there, but not the one from the property. That's going to make money really tight. I needed the property check to cover my debts and give money to my sister (birthday), her husband (anniversary), and the two lovebirds for their wedding shower. The money from Helena (my security deposit) is already spoken for. I intend to withdraw the money and set it aside as soon as the check clears.

My only exercise was walking the 1.5 miles from the train station to work.

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

Monday, August 04, 2008

Dropping my health club membership

Calories eaten yesterday: 1171
Fat: 28g (21%)
Carbs: 83g (28%)
Protein: 152g (51%)
Weight this morning: 135.4 (One week ago: 135.6)
Calories burned in exercise today: 323

I forgot to write this yesterday: I dropped my health club membership yesterday. No, I'm not quitting. ;) I want to get a pre-paid membership, but those are only available for new members. So I have to drop my membership, wait for the last month to run out (I paid first and last when I signed up), and then rejoin with the pre-paid membership. I'll use the money Helena owes me from my security deposit and set it aside for this. Hopefully I won't have to miss any workouts.

Today was leg day. I did one hour of mostly leg work with a teeny bit of core. For cardio I set the treadmill at a 15% grade and just walked, mostly at 2.5 mph. I finally ended with walking to work from BART.

One thing I bought last weekend was an OTC thyroid supplement. I started taking it yesterday. Hopefully it can help a little and more hopefully I can get some thyroid medication from the doctor to help me.

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

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Week 72 Weigh-In

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

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Week 72, Day 4

Calories eaten yesterday: 1305
Fat: 20g (14%)
Carbs: 153g (48%)
Protein: 123g (38%)
Weight this morning: 130.2 (One week ago: 134.2)
Calories burned in exercise today: 417

Made it to the gym. I did one hour of upper body (arms, back, shoulders) weight training, then ran 2.9 miles on the treadmill (30 minutes). I walked to work from the train station. Felt pretty good today but now I am wiped out. *whew*

I am so tired and hungry this week from the high carb diet I have to follow before the glucose tolerance test. It's driving me nutty!

I stopped the Super Cleanse program I've been doing. It seems to cause more problems than it solves, and I'm well cleaned out by now. :-p I just can't take the cramps and intestinal upset this stuff causes. I need a whole body cleanse program, not a colon cleanse. I'll continue of course with the Candistroy.

Tomorrow is laundry in the morning, and then Friday I am going to Quest for the 5 hour glucose tolerance test, so no sleeping in that day. I do get shaky and grouchy if I go to long without eating anything, so I may be hypoglycemic. I doubt it, but it's possible. This is also being done with insulin levels which is the real thing I want to see. Blood sugar alone is not the whole story.

My thyroid results still aren't back. They initially couldn't find the paperwork but they finally did (they had my name spelled wrong). Results are due back in another day or two. *sigh*

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

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

A bit of a lazy day

Calories eaten yesterday: 1397
Fat: 25g (16%)
Carbs: 168g (48%)
Protein: 123g (35%)
Weight this morning: 130.6 (One week ago: 133.2)
Calories burned in exercise today: 81

Nothing much happening today. I slept in and walked to work from the train station. My weight whooshed and I am down 5 pounds since yesterday. Thank you Whoosh Fairy. :) I also seemed less bloated this morning - a very good sign.

I'm trying to deal with the extra hunger from the higher carbs this week. I enjoy the higher carb foods, but I'm so darn hungry and craving protein! I'm getting very little meat (no carbs in it), and relying on protein powders and some cottage cheese to get my protein in.

I'm still waiting on the blood test results from last Friday and wondering how the heck I'm going to get through the five hour blood test this Friday. No snack before bed, and no eating all the next day until the test is over.

Back to the gym tomorrow.

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

Monday, July 28, 2008

Week 72, Day 2

Calories eaten yesterday: 1286
Fat: 23g (16%)
Carbs: 149g (47%)
Protein: 118g (37%)
Weight this morning: 135.6 (One week ago: 137.6)
Calories burned in exercise today: 356

Leg day today. Also did some core work. Was too tired to run on the treadmill. I tried the elliptical, but gave up after 2 minutes and just walked on a treadmill for the next 43 minutes for a total of 45 minutes (I can go longer when the intensity is lower).

I'll probably sleep in tomorrow and hit the gym again on Wednesday. If I go tomorrow my arms won't be recovered enough to give the weights my all. Thursday is laundry, and Friday is my 5 hour blood test, followed by walking with Brad.

The Red Cross called me and wants me to give blood again. Since I have an AM doctor's appointment in two weeks, I scheduled it after that appointment.

The thyroid blood tests didn't come back today. The doctor's office said it would be a few more days.

Xena has definitely taken over the bathroom as "hers." That's not okay so I'm closing the bathroom door for the time being. I'd like to move the litterbox back in the bathroom and I can't do that when Xena thinks the room belongs to her and prevents Abby from using the box.

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

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Health Care, Helena, and Hellions

Calories eaten yesterday: 1373
Fat: 29g (19%)
Carbs: 98g (28%)
Protein: 183g (53%)
Weight this morning: 133.2 (One week ago: 129.2)
Calories burned in exercise today: 143

Exercise: 36 minutes round trip the laundromat and 39 minutes from the train station to work.

Yesterday I was three pounds above where I was last week; now I am four pounds above. Except for last Saturday I have stuck to plan and I have somehow gained four pounds - from one bad eating day! I have been on track all week. With my low metabolism my body just sucks up every calorie I eat and turns it to fat. :( :( :(

Health Care

Tomorrow I have my doctor's appointment. I'm getting a PAP smear. As a virgin I find this extremely painful. Last time I had one done I had one Darvon and it only took the edge off. This time I am taking five (500mg Darvon and 3250mg Tylenol). Hopefully that will help more. Along with that I'm taking 1000mg Ibuprofen and 2mg Xanax (for anxiety and to make me sleepy). After that we are going over my test results from my physical last month. I have all the pills set aside and will take them just before going in the doctor's office. The pharmacist said it takes Darvon about 30 minutes to "peak."

Obviously, Brad and I are not going walking. I expect to be far too doped up. We're going to Safeway for some basics so I can eat next week (salad, raw veggies, cottage cheese). Then we are going out for a super burrito at Geraldo's. They make the best burritos!

After that we are going home and then who knows?

Saturday is a regular day at church and then back to the gym on Sunday. I'll be back Sunday with a full report and my weigh-in with how much I gained from the burrito.

Helena

Argued a bit more with Helena today about the security deposit. She insisted I call Nick at a second number he had and see if he answered. I humored her one last time. I got the answering machine, and called her back and said so. She asked if I left a message and I said no, I want my money now. She actually thinks she can drag this out by making me wait to see if he responds? He didn't before and he won't now and I want my money. It is well past the 21 days she has to return it. She said she would send me the check. We will see if she actually follows through.

Hellions

I let Abby out last night. Xena calmed right down with Abby out. I've seen Xena hiss at merely the sight of Abby, and Abby loves the cat tree, so I moved the cat tree into the kitchen (right by a window). We'll see how this setup works for them when Abby shows up again. I really don't know what else to do than let Abby outside a whole lot more.

Xena is trying to take over the bathroom, so I put the scratching post and water next to the cat tree in the kitchen. I'll probably move the scratching post back since only Xena uses it.

I did hear a couple of very brief cat fights right after I put Abby out, so I assume she met up with a couple of the neighborhood cats. Still, she's happier outside and doesn't have to deal with Xena.

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

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

High-carb, Helena, and Hellions

Calories eaten yesterday: 1286
Fat: 24g (17%)
Carbs: 138g (44%)
Protein: 124g (39%)
Weight this morning: 134.2 (One week ago: 131.2)
Calories burned in exercise today: 430

Note: In case you're wondering what a hellion is, Merriam-Webster defines it this way: "a troublesome or mischievous person."

High-carb

How did I gain a pound yesterday, and 3 pounds over this time last week?!?!? Grr...my body hates me. Must have been too much water (yes, it is possible to gain if you drink too much) and my higher carb day yesterday. Back on track today.

I notice how much hungrier I am on my higher-carb days. I feel like I could eat a house! Yes, my medication makes me hungry, but carbs seem to exacerbate the problem. Today should be better; I am getting plenty of lean protein. Breakfast was cottage cheese with protein powder, and I had the same after my workout. Lunch and dinner is tuna. I'm putting the dinner tuna on my salad. Yum! The lunch tuna is mixed with fat-free mayo, diced onions, and spices and I'll eat it without bread since I can't spare the calories.

Had a good workout today even though I was a bit tired. I did one hour of mostly upper body work. I threw in some leg work since I didn't get a leg day this week. Then I ran on the treadmill for 31 minutes/3 miles. I had my snack while waiting on the train, then walked to work from my train stop.

Tomorrow I am doing laundry since Friday is booked. The kind of doctor appointment this is will require the rest of the day to recover.

Helena

Helena is still not giving me my money back. She wants me to talk to Nick about the $200 cat deposit. I left one message and he never called back and I am now sick of doing her work for her. If Nick owes her $200 when he sold her the contract then she needs to take it up with Nick and sue HIM if need be. The fact is that she owns the contract and now owes me my security deposit back, including the $200 cat deposit. I told her that I am not going to do her work for her and that I expect my money. It's past the 21 days she has to give it to me. No more Mrs. Nice Girl!

Hellions

The cats are still going at it. Last night Xena hissed at Abby on the bed, so I tossed her off. This resulted in another cat war breaking out. Xena takes out her stress on Abby, Abby attacks Xena and chases her into the bathroom and under the tub. When I walked in Xena was under the tub hissing and growling and Abby was halfway under the tub. As soon as I walked in Abby ran out, tail fully poofed.

Abby wants out (no wonder!) and without an easy way to separate them in such a small apartment, I'm inclined to let her. I'm no longer on the top floor so Abby can make her way back. It's been more than two weeks so I doubt she'd run off. She's very smart and knows where the food is. ;)

I just don't know what to do. Xena is stressed and Abby is an easy target, but how do I make her less stressed?

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

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Week 71, Day 3

Calories eaten yesterday: 1193
Fat: 30g (22%)
Carbs: 90g (29%)
Protein: 147g (48%)
Weight this morning: 133.2 (One week ago: 133.2)
Calories burned in exercise today: 82

The cats are back at it after one night of peace. It started with my spraying Oust all over last night because the litterbox stunk. Right after that Xena started in with her hissing and growing again. I used the pheromone spray bottle to replenish the calming scent all over the house. Unfortunately, there was also some hissing and growing this morning also.

Finally got the scale to whoosh to where it was last week by pounding the water and staying away from the seltzer water when I got home. I just have plain water.

I'm doing a higher carb day today to give my body a little shock. It probably won't hurt and might help. I had oatmeal and fat-free yogurt for breakfast instead of wheat gluten pancakes or egg whites and cottage cheese.

Today I went into the City to get my mail. My 8 million step shoe token was there and is now on my shoe. :) Tomorrow I am going to the gym and doing arm, shoulder, and back work. I won't get a leg day in this week, but it can't be helped. I walked to work from the train for exercise so at least I got something in.

Friday is going to be eaten up by my doctor's appointment, so I'll do my laundry Thursday morning before work. No need to do a shopping trip that day since I'm broke. I'll borrow some money and buy the basics at some point. I need salad, cottage cheese, and veggies if I want to eat next week, lol!

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

Monday, July 21, 2008

Thank God for Feliway!

Calories eaten yesterday: 1302
Fat: 30g (20%)
Carbs: 103g (31%)
Protein: 162g (49%)
Weight this morning: 137.6 (One week ago: 134.8)
Calories burned in exercise today: 91

I'm hardly down at all since yesterday. Time to pound the water. I think I also need to lay off the seltzer water. It could be one reason for my recent bloating. Just as much as getting my weight down, I want my tummy flat again. So for now it'll be plain water when I get home instead of bubbly.

I'm happy to report that Xena has made a complete turnaround and I'm able to sleep again! Just 24 hours after putting up the Feliway plug-in, Xena is a different cat. She didn't hiss or growl even once last night. She laid down next to me on the bed and is letting Abby get close to her. Abby is still wary, but that should eventually resolve as long as there are no more incidents.

God bless whoever created this stuff because it works! I got it at the local pet store where the Feliway brand was very expensive so I bought the Nutri-Vet brand because it was cheaper, but it works just as well and has the same active ingredient. I wish I would have had this stuff when I moved Xena to the apartment three days early. It would have helped her greatly.

After the lack of sleep for the past week I slept in today. I'm still not totally caught up on sleep and recovered, but I feel a bit better. My only exercise was walking to work from the train station. I stopped at Starbucks on the way for a large coffee since I'm still a bit draggy.

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

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Week 70 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)
Total loss: -15.8

Ok, now to catch up on other numbers.

Calories eaten Thursday: 1318
Fat: 26g (17%)
Carbs: 90g (27%)
Protein: 157g (47%)
Weight Thursday morning: 129.2 (One week ago: 130.2)
Calories burned in exercise Thursday: 129

Calories eaten Friday: 1623
Fat: 29g (16%)
Carbs: 96g (23%)
Protein: 168g (41%)
Weight Friday morning: 128.8 (One week ago: 130.4)
Calories burned in exercise Friday: 457

Weight Saturday morning: 130 (One week ago: 131.4)
Calories burned in exercise Saturday: 0

Calories burned in exercise today: 345

I hardly know where to start. It was not a restful weekend. Xena is the root of my sleeping problems. She continues to keep my awake at night with her hissing and growling at Abby. As of last night I have resorted to using the water bottle to spray her when she hisses from the bathroom. If she is on my bed, she just gets tossed off. She has to learn that it is not okay to hiss at Abby.

Friday I did laundry - 30 minute walk round trip. In the afternoon I went walking with Brad and we ended up walking completely around Lake Chabot again - about 8 1/2 miles. I made a new high step count that day - 28,113 steps, 12.42 miles total. Eventually I want to do the bike loop around Lake Chabot. It's about 12 1/2 miles so it would be a day trip and we'd have to take lunch.

Saturday after church we had the business meeting. As the secretary I had to be there and take the minutes down on my computer. Brad decided to defer to me this time and not stay for the movie. We left and went to Starbucks where I tried their new Vivanno drink (chocolate banana), and had a yogurt with fruit and granola snack.

In the morning at Starbucks I had a non-fat, sugar-free vanilla Venti latte with four shots of espresso, a petite vanilla scone, and a low-fat breakfast sandwich. I was trying to eat all the things I crave so I don't give in this Friday when I have my PAP and follow-up at my doctor. I am planning to have a super burrito at Geraldo's. I deserve that much if I survive the appointment! I just don't want it to get any more out of hand than that.

Anyway, back to Saturday. After Starbucks we hit Petco. Feliway was too expensive, but I found a couple of off brand Feliway-type products - an electric diffuser and a spray bottle. I also bought Xena a new ball in a ring toy, something I gave away to Goodwill when moving, and a new water dispenser. Theirs is old and grows mold quite easily.

Then we hit the health food store. My belly is once again sticking out like a starving Ethiopian child, so it's time to do some cleanses. I bought Candistroy - I am having horrible carb and sugar cravings again, and a bottle of Super Cleanse. I started both cleanses today.

Brad stayed the night and drove me to the gym this morning. But I was too wiped out to really have a good workout. It took me two diet Rock Star energy drinks and an Extreme Speed Stack drink to get through my workout.

I did one hour of upper body work - biceps, shoulders, back, lats, and triceps. I was too tired to run today, so I just did the crossramp elliptical for 30 minutes. I had my protein and carb snack and then walked to work from the train.

My tummy is a bit upset today. I ate too much yesterday, and too much sugar. I even gave into a donut bar filled with vanilla cream and topped with icing. I also had four granola bars at church. I think I am craving carbs and fat after Friday's hike.

I'm back on plan today and intend to be all week, except for the burrito on Friday.

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

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Shopping spree, DSL, the cats, & weekend plans

Calories eaten yesterday: 1374
Fat: 32g (20%)
Carbs: 105g (30%)
Protein: 173g (49%)
Weight this morning: 129.2 (One week ago: 130.2)
Calories burned in exercise today: 129

Well, finally a number under 130 for the first time since my move.

Today was payday so I went on a shopping spree - $158 at Safeway for groceries, including $20 spending cash. I had so many groceries that someone asked if I was having a party. No. It's just a BIG shopping trip. I spent $105 at WalMart, including buying another bottle of Alli. I also bought a "maximum support" knee brace. It doesn't look very comfortable, but we will see. I paid a bunch of bills when I got to work - Direct TV, my cell phone, home phone, and $200 more toward my computer. I owe less than $100 on it now, but it will make the next couple of weeks tight.

I also called Earthlink (my ISP). My one year pre-paid dial-up plan finished out. They dinged me $2 they shouldn't have for the last month, and I got them to reverse that charge. Then I discussed high speed Internet with them. I finally decided on a DSL/home phone combo. They said I could cancel my AT&T home phone service once I get theirs set up. Total will come to about $50 a month for both, plus a one-time $40 activation fee and $20 mailing fee to mail me the kit. This is what I ordered:

Service Plan for Earthlink DSL & Home Phone Service

Basic:
* DSL speed up to 1.5Mbps
* 500 minutes per month
* Activation fee: $39.95
* $49.95/month

I figure that if I can cancel my current home phone service then I can probably afford this. It's a one year contract.

The cats are still going at it and I'm beginning to make sense of it. It always starts with one of the neighborhood cats coming up to the front door. Xena gets territorial and they attack each other through the panes of glass (no actual contact because of the glass). After that Xena will start hissing and swiping at Abby and after a little bit of that, the two get into an actual fight. They did it again last night, but thankfully it was shorter than the night before and no one got hurt.

Step one: tonight when I get home I'll tape paper over the bottom panes of glass so Xena can't see the neighborhood cat. Step two: I occasionally take Xanax (an anti-anxiety medication), and last night I got so desperate to calm Xena down that I cut a 0.5mg Xanax in half, crushed it, and mixed in into a spoonful of wet food. She ate it all, but it didn't seem to help. *sigh* I put some Rescue Remedy in Abby's spoonful. I'll do it again tonight, hopefully before Xena spots the cat outside. Someone also suggested Feliway, but I don't know when I'll have a chance to go to the pet store.

Exercise today was walking to Safeway and back with my rollie cart, and then walking from the BART station to work.

Tomorrow Brad and I will walk in the Lake Chabot area. Saturday we will be at church all day. After church and the potluck we are having a business meeting and then we are probably having a movie night with popcorn and ice cream. I'm bringing some healthy snacks for myself. But there will be no exercise that day. I hate business meetings and I hate movie nights so it will not be a very restful Sabbath for me. I just have to grin and bear it because Brad thinks the movie nights are the greatest thing in the world.

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