Conversation

Talking with my doctor, at my 6 months post-ankle-surgery followup visit:

Doctor: Your ankle looks a little more swollen than I'd expect to see at this stage.
Me: Well, I just sprained it pretty good on July 4th. Since I was here last, I've sprained it at least 3 times.
Doctor (surprised): What???
Me: Hey, I can walk on it after spraining it now. The one on July 4th was bad enough that before the surgery, I would have been on crutches. Now I can walk on it after spraining it.
Doctor: So this means there's improvement?
Me: Yes, most definitely.
Doctor: That's good. The surgery can be done to help stabilize your ankle, but we unfortunately don't have a cure for your clumsiness.

Wordless Wednesday

Skinny Grandmas

I was talking the other day with my best friend Carol. She recently had a baby, and has been losing weight and skinny-ing down very nicely as of late. We talked about weight, and how our bodies aren't so inclined to drop it easily, etc.

She was telling me about how she had put on those extra pounds to begin with-- her hubby, nice guy that he is, would bring home all kinds of yummy ice cream for her. And the weight creeped on. And it started me thinking-- my hubby does the same types of things whenever I drop weight. Ice cream. Desserts. Fattening foods.

I am wondering now if there's something unconscious in a guy's brain that wants to fluff up their women a bit.

Women, when they start to reach middle age, begin to plump out naturally. The body is trying to make more fat cells in preparation for menopause (fat cells can convert and send out estrogen to the body).

Then I realized something-- skinny grandmas look weird. Bony grandmas tend to be an anomaly. Grandmas, by nature, should have soft padding for grandbabies to snuggle up to.

Society tells us a different story. Something is wrong with you if you aren't a size 8. Trying to reach that "goal" is probably more harmful to my body than helpful at this point (low estrogen levels suck). It's much better to concentrate on eating healthy and exercising regularly, and allow my body to naturally move to where it wants to be.

So today I am happy to report that the way things are currently headed, I will NOT be a skinny grandma. :)

Amazing Steel Cut Oats

Many of you have asked me for my oatmeal recipe. Since my usual method of cooking is, as my mom used to say, "by guess and by golly"-- in other words, I just wing it-- I had to spend the last week paying attention to how much of each ingredient I was tossing in, and actually using measuring spoons.

So here's what I came up with. Make sure you are using steel cut oats, not the rolled variety (or you will end up with mush)(ew). The most inexpensive place to find them is in your bulk food section. If your neighborhood grocer doesn't carry them, take a trip to your local health food store.

Amazing Steel Cut Oats

1 cup steel cut oats
3 cups water
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

In the morning, before you leave for work or start your day, combine the above ingredients in a pan. Cover with a lid, and allow to soak all day. At night, before you go to bed, add in:

1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/4 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Bring to a full boil, put lid on pan, and turn off heat. Allow to sit on the stove overnight. In the morning, add:

1/4 cup raisins

Mix well. You may then reheat it on the stove, or spoon out individual servings into bowls and reheat in the microwave. Add in preferred sweetener to taste (honey, brown sugar, agave, etc.), and some fruit on top. (This oatmeal is fantastic with sliced bananas or apples.)

Makes approximately 4 bowls of oatmeal. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator, and use within 4-5 days.

(Here's my HASAY addition: Since I've been eating steel cut oats for breakfast almost every morning for just over two weeks, my body fat has consistently dropped little by little each day. Wow!)

Time to Trim Up!

I mentioned a while back that I was embarking on a weight-loss program, trying to get off the extra weight that's causing my back to be in the "very painful" category. I also mentioned that I was interested in the hCG Diet, and wanted to know what people's opinions were on that. Since I couldn't find the information I wanted on the internet, I decided to turn myself in to a guinea pig, and record the numbers I couldn't find.

Fat Loss Chronicles

That being said, I'm trying really hard to change my current eating patterns. I gave up sugar for Lent (first time I've participated in Lent!), and stayed off sugar for 36 consecutive days. (I had some ice cream on Saturday.) Haven't had any more sugar since Saturday, though. I've started making my own yogurt and kefir, and have been tracking my food intake and nutrition over at Fit Day.

Now I need to get a regular exercise routine going again. I was doing interval training not too long ago (fast walk with running), and loved it. But my back started hurting so much, I had to quit. Now that I've dropped 15+ pounds, I think it will be doable again.

Hey, Casey. Does this mean I qualify to join HASAY?

Prescription Cough Syrup Haiku

foul tasting liquid
full of codeine happiness
makes my legs tingle


(Inspired by Joe's recent post)

Random Tuesday Thoughts

I've been really sick since Friday. As in, I-swear-I've-only-got-half-a-lung-left-as-I've-coughed-up-the-rest-of-it kind of sick. So the only random thoughts I have today are sick ones. (No, not that sort of sick ones.)(Sicko.)

I don't know about you, but I really hate sick dreams. They're full of stupid weirdness that you have to endure when you finally fall asleep inbetween coughing fits.

At least I don't have a sinus infection with this, even though like Grant, my head has become a mucous factory. I credit the good fortune of no sinus infection to my loyal neti pot. I should write an "Ode to the Neti Pot" in another post. Love the thing.

I hate that my work lumps vacation time in with sick time, so all you have is "personal time off". I hate using sick leave when I could be off camping somewhere instead.

And for those still wondering, both my gelatin and ibuprofen allergy tests came back negative. So the other night, when I had such a horrible headache, I took two ibuprofen. The test LIED. Two swollen eyes this time. Ewww. No more ibuprofen for me!

Now I'm going to go back to sleep. I hate being sick.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

When I was a kid, my mom used to torture me by making me take all kinds of vitamins. I thought she was some kind of weird Health Nutjob. Then I grew up, and now I find myself taking vitamins and the like because it makes me feel better. Now my kids think I'm a weird Health Nutjob.

I really hate that manufacturers don’t have to disclose on the packaging that their product contains sucralose (Splenda). I guess since it’s “modified sugar”, the FDA thinks it’s fine to just list it quietly in the ingredients. I have to very carefully read labels so I can avoid it, since all artificial sweeteners taste horribly bitter to me (and give me headaches).

I had a weird dream that something was attacking me in my sleep, but I used Super Cool Ninja Moves on it, and killed the Mean Thing. But I woke up to smacking poor Ron in his sleep. I think I scared the crap out of him.

And then the next night, I dreamed that we had this sleep-over work party. One of my managers said, “I get to hold Suz tonight,” and proceeded to snuggle up to me when we were going to sleep. Weird.

Last night, we went to my parents’ house to pick up our new dishwasher (stupid old one died)(it was only 7 years old!), as my dad very nicely went and found us the Best Deal yesterday with all the sales (Ron and I both had to work). Ron and I were talking to my mom, and she mentioned that we probably wanted to get going. Ron replies TO MY MOM, and I quote: “Yeah, so Suz and I can get home and have some wild sex.” Are you supposed to say things like that in front of your mother-in-law?

Considering

I've got these extra 40 pounds on me that I really don't care for. They suddenly appeared (and it was within a 6-week time period, really) after I quit taking hormone replacement therapy crap. So my body, deprived of the estrogen it really wanted, decided to fatten me up in revenge.

While I can hold my weight well (I can always win at those "Guess Your Weight!" games at the carnival and such...), it does take a toll on my back. Even an extra 5 pounds is enough to cause me misery.

But losing the weight this time around isn't working. I've done all the usuals (hardly any carbs, upped my protein intake, I don't drink sodas, exercise, good healthy diet, etc. etc. etc.). My body wants nothing to do with it, unless I feed it more estrogen (which isn't an option anymore).

So I'm really considering the hCG diet. It's not that I necessarily want to drop the weight as quickly as they say you do on this diet (that part kind of worries me, actually). I just want something to kick start my butt into downsizing.

I would like to know if anyone has tried this, or if you know someone who has. I'm particularly interested in any long term stories and/or side effects of having done this.

How to Prevent Migraines and Headaches

A co-worker stopped me today, to thank me for some advice I gave her about a year ago. The advice? Take magnesium to prevent migraines.

I'll say it again-- take magnesium to prevent migraines.

I learned this important lesson two years ago, when my migraines were so bad that they finally hospitalized me for them. And they still couldn't make the pain go away....

After spending untold thousands of dollars on the regular medical establishment, I decided to go to a Naturopath. After talking with him for 10 minutes, he diagnosed me with magnesium deficiency. He said that 90% of the intractable migraine sufferers he sees in his office are magnesium deficient (as are most Americans). He gave me a magnesium shot right then in the office, and within a half hour, my migraine went away. Yes, went away.

I've been on magnesium supplements ever since. I prefer magnesium glycinate (easiest absorbed), or magnesium citrate. You take it to tolerance, meaning you take it, a lot of it, throughout the day until you have loose stools (that's the side effect of too much magnesium). Then, back off a pill or two. If you're having trouble absorbing any magnesium at all, be sure to take B6 and zinc (a multi-vitamin has sufficient zinc, but I would suggest taking additional B).

It takes a few months for the magnesium levels to build back up in your system, but you will feel better and better. I've had numerous co-workers thank me for letting them in on this "secret"-- they are also headache free now. It also helps with tight shoulder muscles and regular headaches.

Here's to migraine-free days and nights. Thank you, magnesium!

Bodies

Yesterday, I took Violet and Lu to go see Body Worlds. If you haven't been to one of these exhibitions, you need to go. They are truly amazing! (I will have to say, though, that Bodies-- The Exhibition was much better than Body Worlds, even if BW was the original...)

One of the displays was of the blood vessel system in your body. I was pointing out to Violet and her friend Steffi how many blood vessels are in just the skin on your head. Steffi looked at it and said, "Wow! My head must look like a Chia underneath the skin!"

I love kids. :)

First Place! Yeah, Baby!

Received in my inbox today:

SanDisk’s Point and Shoot Film Festival Contest
Dear SanDisk’s Point and Shoot Film Festival Contest Entrant,

As the Official Administrator of SanDisk's Point and Shoot Film Festival Contest, we're pleased to inform you that your entry into the contest has been selected as a First Prize Winner!

Too cool. I entered in a video of my daughter playing soccer with the guys.

In other news, I did get in to see an allergist. The official diagnosis is: "I'm not sure exactly what you're allergic to, but I suspect it's the ibuprofen." The other culprit could be gelatin, of all things. I only got the reaction after I switched over to liquid gels. So now I get to have blood tests to see if it is the gelatin or the ibuprofen. Gelatin would not be a fun thing to be allergic to. There's gelatin in a LOT of stuff!

Wordless Wednesday

Health In The Age Of Google

I think that maybe I have pneumonia. At least, my symptoms match the ones I've found on the internet. With so much health information right at my fingertips, it's amazing how many diseases I think I probably have.

I wonder how many people self-diagnose themselves before they set foot in a doctor's office with a ream of printed paper clutched in their hands. The internet is like the ultimate candy store for hypochondriacs-- one stop shopping to match your symptoms against thousands of diseases, all for the taking! You could even be a discriminating hypochondriac, only choosing diseases that fit your lifestyle and needs at the time. Plenty of information to help you decide.

In the meantime, I think I will continue to scare myself to death, thinking of the possibilities of what I might be sick with. When I get freaked out enough, I'll haul my sorry self into the doctor's office and look pitiful. Only then will my worst fears be realized, as I come to know that my internet searches were right. Or maybe not.

Kayla told me the other day she thinks she has diverticulitis. She did an internet search, too.

Nothing (And Yet Something) To Report

It's been a weird last few days. Lots of things happening in my life (Shandy wants to come home to visit for the first time in almost 2 years!)(Joy!)(Having to think about going to court-- again-- next week)($#@%!)(Kayla got burnt out on soccer, and isn't going to do club ball for awhile)(Mixed emotions)(Sick kids)(Not fun)(New part-time business actually going pretty darn good)(Yay!)(Went to Lana and Nate's wedding reception/Halloween party, which I still need to write about)(Fun time!)(Shandy turned 18!)(Am I old enough to have an 18 year old?)(Even though I'm exercising more than I ever have before in my entire life, I'm gaining weight and have a higher fat percentage)(Life is SO unfair)(Attended the last minute *mandatory* budget meeting at work, where we were assured that All Is Well In Zion)(Liars)(Attended nephew's birthday party and scared the crap out of a bunch of kids with my costume)(Bwahahahaha!).

But nothing really to blog about.

Various and Sundry

I had my 4 week weigh-in and fat percentage testing yesterday evening. I gained 2 pounds, and my body fat went up by 0.6 percent. My lean body mass, however, has increased by 0.1. I'm bummed that the numbers don't jive with the fact that my pants are getting loose.

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Claire: "Are you going to eat my brain?"
Sylar: "Claire... that's disgusting!"

I win. I told my kids he didn't eat their brains...

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I think for my future Wordless Wednesdays, I'll just put a blurb at the bottom of the picture to let you know where I took it. Or stole it from. :)

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I'm getting up the guts to talk to the Manager Who Doesn't Like Me to see if he'd be willing to allow me to swap jobs with another guy in our department. This guy wants a higher paying job, and I want to be able to do his job from home. I figure it would be worth the paycut, if I'm allowed to work from home. Since it's not currently an "at home" position, it will take some convincing. Wish me luck-- I'm going to try to talk to him on Thursday.

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And the most amazing news of all: My best friend Carol just found out she's expecting baby #4. What's so amazing about this, you ask? Well, she has some major medical problems that tend to mean you can't get pregnant. And regardless of this fact, plus the fact that birth control obviously didn't do its job, she is now expecting. The jaw-dropping component to this is that her youngest child is currently 15.

Can you even imagine???

Rain

I love the smell after a rainstorm. I love the fresh, clean fragrance of trees and flowers; the sweetness of the air; how crisp everything looks all washed off. I love sitting out in thunderstorms, watching the lightning dance frantically in the skies above me. I love the wind whipping droplets into my face, hair, hands...

Ron and I went walking/jogging this morning at 5:15am (please don't ask me what I'm doing up at that ungodly hour... I can scarcely believe it myself), after it had been raining for most of the night. It was still even sprinkling a bit here and there...

It was a small piece of heaven on earth.

Bikes

I guess I'm finally serious about getting the extra weight off me... Ron and I got new bikes last week. We've been on two rides so far, and after each ride, my butt is SORE! :) They're really nice cruiser-type bikes-- LandRiders, to be exact. I picked them up at an auction for $80 each. Killer deal!

We rode around in the rain today. It was fun!

Phew! Day 2

The strength training kicked my butt. Ugh.

In December, when the doctor was removing the screws from my back, he noticed something that wasn't very good-- my back muscles had turned into fatty tissue because of non-use. Having titanium hold you up for 6 years makes for non-working back muscles, apparently.

So now I'm trying to do yoga-type poses with practically no back muscles to speak of.

I have a LONG way to go, baby...

Phew!

So, I signed up for this "fat burner" class my work offered. Last night was the first class, and we did the baseline measurements. I weighed in at 178 pounds and 30.2% body fat. It's time to get that body fat down, and my lean body mass up!

The exercise portion will be 15 minutes a day of interval training. I tried it out this morning, doing 45 seconds of walking, and then 15 seconds of jogging, cycled for a total of 15 minutes.

I'm SO out of shape! Having a bad back means you aren't able to move as much as you used to. It's hard. The physical therapist gave me special exercises to do because of my December back surgery, so we'll see how that goes.

You alternate the interval training with strength training the opposite day (3 days for interval, 3 for strength). One day off a week. The strength training is done using just your own body, and the exercises look very similar to yoga poses. (I would like to be strong enough to be able to do yoga again!)

The class lasts 12 weeks. Maybe by then, I'll have dropped down a pants size. :)