we had a sweet little Easter baby early this morning, and I have done my visits. Had a short nap, (just dozed briefly, but its something) and won't do much today except make a salad. DH is doing the ham, and the neighbours are doing the potatoes for our community supper.
150 this am before bed, likely a bit high since I didn't have enough sleep. Not sure I will stick to plan today, kind of depends on what is presented.
I won't say know to a treat.
LOL, Have a lovely day, I'm waiting for the sunshine.
Carol Sue You have been really busy this morning. I asked DH if he wanted something special today for Easter meal and he said "No just fix eggs". So we will have our regular Sunday meal. I hope all goes well at step-sons. I'm glad your feet are doing well and hope it continues today.
I watched a man yesterday on YouTube talking about the different sweetners and he said Stevia helps get rid of sodium, but it also may produce insulin for some people. I hadn't heard that, but since we can't check insulin only sugar I don't know. Je says the best sweetener to use id Monkfruit because it doesn't raise insulin. He did say one thing about Splenda that I didn't know is that it eats the good bacteria in your gut so I don't think I will be using that very often. He also says that Erythitrol which I noticed that Dr. Berg uses a lot in his recipes won't cause bowel problems because 90% of it is absorbed before it gets to the bowel and he says it is a superior to other sugar alcohols.
I watched another guy this morning on Yahoo who is a gut doctor and has been on Dr. Oz show. He says that you need to stop eating corn and some other foods that have been sprayed with glyconate, and foods that have antibiotics and emulsifiers. He named one called H.pylori which causes stomach ulcers. He says even eating organic isn't 100% safe but better. He says to use chicory root (fiber), probiotics TCPs and B complex to off set the effects of these things. Of course he is selling his own product that is supposed to be the best balance of these things which I probably can't afford. However, he does stress getting your gut flora corrected is the main thing before you can start feeling better and start losing weight.
I figure that we are on the right track since I am making the yogurt with the good prebiotic/probiotics in it. We are taking the B-complex that Dr. Berry thinks is best and he takes so that is good for me. I do like my salads and I can't always get organic fruits and veggies but do the best that I can and since I do like my crackers I decided to get the ones with fibers. I couldn't find the Mary's crackers or the ones Carol Sue recommended. I couldn't remember the name of those, but I think I would have known them if I had seen them. I don't think this Walmart carries a lot of those, however, I did find some with 2 g of fiber so I got them. I can look for a better quality when I go to the other store and may see if Sam's carries something acceptable when we go tomorrow. I think just having some fiber foods should do the trick without buying another pill.
Today was WI and I'm down .2 lbs back down to 215.6 from last Sundays 215.8 so I'll be happy with that. FBG was 130 so that was good too. No gain is good. Had my yogurt and fruit this morning so will try to just 2 meals today. If I need a snack I will eat a beef jerky slim stick with my MCTOC this evening.
Hoppy Easter! My daughter played Easter bunny for us and cleaned out our cabinet that holds our food storage containers (e.g. Tupperware). It has needed it for a while since items would tumble out when you opened the door. She is so thoughtful!
Things were looking great earlier in the week but they always seem to take a bounce on my "official" recording day. I think I'll have to be really careful about my Chinese food selections. We had it for dinner last night and what I usually get seems to have driven my BP up a lot. All in all I feel like I am seeing progress despite the bounces on recording day. I really struggle with the daylight savings time change. It takes me about three months to be use to it. Another weird thing is at about 5-6 weeks after it, I feel just as awful as when we set the clocks back. Subsequently, I have made it through that rebound week and should continue to feel better.
With regard to yoghurt, I remember really liking it before the low fat craze really took hold. Then it became watery and really sweet. The current Greek yoghurts are how I remember the yoghurt I liked. For the whole gut health discussion, I think the importance of the gut flora has been overlooked. Some of the research I've seen shows that the balance between the two large genus types will affect your weight. It also has impact on some autoimmune conditions.
I saw thyroid come up earlier and it reminded me of my long path trying to get answers as I have a thyroid problem. The current treatment model relies solely on the measurement of TSH (a hormone produced by the pituitary). The theory is a small decrease in one of the primary hormones the thyroid produces (T4) will cause a large change in TSH. The measurements of my T4 were cut in half but my TSH barely changed. My endo said my numbers were "perfect" and completely disregarded my symptoms. The symptoms were so bad, my qualify of life was impacted. The average dose of thyroid hormone before use of the measurement of TSH (when was based only on clinical symptoms) was nearly double what is today using TSH as the "gold standard". In addition, I have a know pituitary problem so it wouldn't be surprising that other things were affected by it. Long story short, even though I have changed endos, my thyroid issue is still under treated. It is a sore spot with me as I believe it contributes to the fatigue I have.
I've been taking Patty's lead and testing my BS after meals that are OP. I am pleased to see that they seem to have a reasonable impact on my BS and it returns to normal within 3 hours. Although, it has been hard to understand what that should be. Does anyone know? I have been using <140 three hours after eating since I found two sources stating that value. However, other sources vary (i.e.: <85, <120 and <127).
Here's to another good week. I hope everyone is enjoying their day!
Pipsicle I guess those changes are why they never see that my thyroid is probably off. I used to be told by doctors that it was borderline now they just say it is fine. I'm not sure what the bs reading should be 3 hrs later and haven't really checked it at 3 hrs lately. I try to remember to check 1 or 2 hrs after. I might should check into that. At one time I heard that if your bs reading was over 145 3 hrs after a meal that you were diabetic. I only remember that because DH has a BIL who wanted to check my bs after we had eaten a steak dinner that DH and I shared. My bs read 145 and he said, "See I told you you were diabetic". Years later I realized that didn't mean I was diabetic because he checked it about 30 minutes after we ate. If I had known what I know now I would have checked it again later.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,426
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
So glad the holiday is over and I can get back on plan, I hope. I ate too much food, but not a lot of carbs. I did have a cookie and small piece of cheesecake. It was WW cheesecake with no crust. The cookie was really good. It was good getting together with family, but I'm glad it's over.
I have heard that for a diabetic blood sugar should not go over 140 2 hrs after a meal, and some others say not over 180. The numbers for non diabetic are lower, I think. Blood sugar can go high if you eat too much, too, even if it's not high carb. Trust me, I know about that one!!! LOL
Pipsicle, good for your daughter for being helpful. It's great when kids take on some responsibility.
Trish, today my SIL was complaining about knee and foot pain she has been having lately, so I'm not the only one. It's not that I want her to have pain, but it's helpful that unexplained pain happens to others, too. My foot hurt pretty bad today so I took Tylenol and a pain pill before we left. I think it was from being on my feet so much yesterday and today getting things ready. It doesn't help that it's been very rainy here, too.
152 this morning after scalloped potatoes with supper, and little tiny bit of cognac after our meal. I loved it.
Everyone enjoyed. I went to bed after the first disk of "the Ten Commandments".
For DH its a tradition to watch this every Easter. A few years ago, we went to the cottage for Easter weekend so I bought him the DVD set for a gift. So we watched that with our guests, who are great movie people. They had a great time, but I was fading. I didn't even read a whole page in my book in bed, I turned out the light and thought, I will read more if I can't sleep and that was that. I know I woke up twice to use the bathroom, but went back to sleep easily. About 9 hrs sleep feels good.
Pipsicle, I wish I could suggest a different route to get the thyroid better looked after. It must be frustrating.
Trish: Re read some of Dr. Fung's work about the artificial sweeteners. He says ALL of them cause increased insulin. No exceptions, Not monkfruit, or anything. It is a NORMAL response for our body to release insulin whenever we eat, and anything sweet (including just a drink, like a diet soda etc) will do it. And since insulin is what drives up weight gain, and every time we eat and release more, we have the potential for increasing weight gain. That is why IF works, we reduce insulin release to just those times of day that we eat, instead of 3 or more (with snacks) times, we reduce to just twice, or fewer if fasting. and yes, a diet soda between meals will do the same.
Its also not like we have monkfruit by itself, its sweetening something, and that food will increase insulin release.
There is not getting around it, nothing magic. I still use stevia a bit. I used a teaspoon of sugar and a tablespoon of stevia to sweeten the cheesecake yesterday. Cream cheese is so naturally sweet that you can get away with very little sweetening for cheesecake. Everyone liked it.
I am planning a fast today after two days of 2MAD and some treats yesterday.
Working a bit, so will see how things go.
Have a good morning, I'm looking for the sun today
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,426
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
I have heard that proper treatment for thyroid is hard to find in the US. Word is, if you find an Endocrinologist who properly treats your thyroid issues, never let him go. I have had thyroid issues off and on for years. One time my thyroid went overactive. I lost a lot of weight, had heart palpitations, sweating, etc. The doctor tested TSH and verified it, but took a "wait and see" attitute, and within a month or so it went back to "normal." Many years later I went to the ER thinking I was having heart issues but it turned out to be underactive thyroid. My PCP put me on thyroid meds, but after a month of that I started feeling terrible so I stopped it. PCP was not happy that I stopped it, but when he checked again TSH was once again back to normal. I've never had an explanation for why these things happened. Since that time my TSH has checked out as "high normal" and no further testing has been done. I have some of the symptoms, but they are slight. The time that it went underactive I was eating large quantities of cruciferous vegetables which are known to slow the thyroid. Now I eat them, but make sure they are well cooked, and vary them with other vegetables.
The only time I use artificial sweeteners is when I drink Diet soda, which is only occasionally now. I also use it if I drink tea, but that is rare, also. A box of tea bags can last me a year or longer. As far as sweets, when I eat them, I want the real thing. I would rather have something real a few times a year than something fake every week. But I am not a big sweet eater.
My pain was very bad yesterday. I have not soaked my feet for 3 days now, and I'm wondering if that's the problem. I will soak them today and see what happens. I can't do this myself because I cannot lift the foot bath to empty it. DH has to do it, and I hate to bother him. My other option would be to sit with my feet in the bathtub.
Last edited by Wannabehealthy; 04-22-2019 at 08:48 AM.
fatmad Thanks for the advice. I do still use the Stevia because it doesn't seem to raise my bs although DH told me that doesn't mean it doesn't raise insulin since I can't check that. I have felt that the little I use isn't a problem because it doesn't hurt my bs reading. However, I realized yesterday that I was using the SF French vanilla in my BPC and other cup of coffee I drink each morning. Not sure when I started doing that. This is something that I have not done in the past. I have only allowed myself to have the SF FV creamer once a day with main meal as a treat. Yesterday when I checked my bs after the BPC the reading was higher where as it has always been lower than my FBG. I realized that I had both the Stevia and the SF creamer that must have been what raised my bs. I have always used Stevia in the BPC and bs has always been lower than FBG. This morning without even really thinking about it, I switched to using half & half in the BPC but didn't realize until I drank the it that I must have forgot to put the Stevia in it so I will check it again later to see how it affected my reading.
Carol Sue I hope you get over the foot pain. I like the idea of putting my feet in the tub. In fact I wish I had a jacuzzi to put my legs in for circulation. I wonder if they still sell those that hang on the side of the tub. We didn't get a tub with jacuzzi or hot tub since I can't get in and out of a tub to sit in any more, but I could sit with my legs in the tub and use one of those things that hang on the side. I think I will check into that and talk to DH about getting one.
I didn't do well with eating the yogurt for breakfast yesterday morning. Although, I have noticed the last 2 Sundays that eating breakfast for my main meal doesn't satisfy me for very long and I end up wanting to eat everything I can get my hands on. DH and I used to go out for breakfast when we went to church in FL and SC so he likes to eat them on Sundays now, but I'm going to have to figure something else out. I may eat my breakfast as usual and then cook him eggs for his main meal and have something else for my main meal on Sundays.
I think I am going back to my LC breakfast omelet each morning around 10 or 11 and eat my main meal with DH then either have the yogurt as a dessert ate that time if I can. If that doesn't work and I still get hungry I will just plan on doing a 8 hr window and have the yogurt in the evening. We go to see Daddy today and it will be very late when we eat main meal... probably 5 or 6 pm and DH will be wanting a McDs DCB. I think I will make my LC bun before I leave so I won't be tempted to go off plan. I will throw out McDs bun and use the double cheese meat patty on the LC bun and add my veggies to it and have the yogurt as dessert. I just need to get myself into a routine eating this way and work around the timing of it.
Started my day with exercise while showering and dressing. I've decided that I have a hard time getting around to exercise so I will work in some throughout my day. I did squats holding on to sink, walking in place in the shower, etc that can be done first thing in the morning. Ehen I was young I would tell my Mama, "where's there's a will there's a way". I think I need to make that my motto. I know the quality of life I want to live for the rest of my life and I am going to do my best to create it. It just comes down to making choice and change my attitude. As for the thyroid, I know I'm probably not going to get much help on that so I have to learn to work around it.
Easter always seems to bring the feeling of new life and I think Spring along with it makes it feel more official because everything is coming to life again. It seems to make me want to be back OP with diet and exercise and I feel like I am good to go with new hope. I will take advantage of these feelings hoping they can become habits before the feeling wears off.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,426
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
I think you are doing great Trish. Making positive changes. I think you could make your breakfast smaller and then include the yogurt. Just a suggestion.
I used to use the sf French vanilla creamer and I still have some but I went back to black coffee.
I finally soaked my foot. I should also rub it with lotion. I am very worried about this being diabetic neuropathy. I do not want to lose my feet. I should think of that every time I am tempted to eat carbs. Before it was just pain but now I get burning. Please pray that I don't lose my fèet.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,426
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
I was in bed for 12 hours but not sleeping all that time. I was up for a good while in the bathroom with potty issues. Then I sat on the edge of the bed for a while feeling like I was going to throw up. I don't know what caused this. I didn't eat since dinner around 5. I am fine now. I will have to check my Fitbit to see how many hours I actually slept. My pain level is low Now. I need to keep my blood sugar low and my eating window short. This black coffee sure tastes good!
Carol Sue So sorry you were sick all night. Perhaps it was a bug. I'm glad you are feeling better. I wasn't sick night before last, but didn't sleep as well so I know how that affects us too. I hope you get whatever rest you need today. I definitely will pray for your feet to get better so you don't lose them. DH and I constantly watch our feet. He had a redness around one of his big toes yesterday that looks like he may have hit it on something, but he can't remember doing it. His 1st wife didn't lose her feet but she did lose a lot of toes and if she had survived the heart surgery she had would have lost her legs. DH said they were black. It was hard for him to let her go but he knew she wouldn't want to live without her legs. So we both keep watch of our feet. Praying for all of us on that one.
FBS was 144 this morning but my weight was back down to 216.2 from yesterdays 219.4. I never made the lc bun yesterday so when we came home I threw the McDs bun down the garbage disposal and used the Sara Lee MG bread instead. I think I need the fiber some time because I notice that doing LCHF that even eating veggies and what little berries I eat that my fiber never even gets up to 10 most of the time. But my carb count is still staying under 80 g the last 2 days when I tracked on MFP. So I'm on track but not sure how to get more fiber since I really don't want to take it.
I do have my plan about 9 to 10 hr window. I know I will lose slowly but it works for me. I have brunch of LCHF breakfast. Main meal isn't as HF but it does have fat and my evening snack is yoghurt and berries. This morning I decided to add organic cinnamon in my MPC. DH switched a few weeks ago to drinking his BPC only in the evening. I've decided in order to cut my calories to weight losing calories to cut that one out and only drink it in the morning. I guess you would say that I am tweaking. I've already done 15 minutes of exercise while dressing. I did the core exercises in bed which come to 5 minutes and then I did 10 more while dressing. I decided that I end up having a long conversation with DD so when I call her I will work on getting the guest room straightened out like I want it. I want to take all the junk in the closet in there and make it neater so guests can hang their clothes if they need to. I hope when DH gets things straightened up in the other bedroom closet that I can hang some clothes in there so I can declutter our bedroom closet. I would love to turn that room into our library and put an archway into the bedroom next to ours and extend it so I could have that closet and a sitting room. However right now it is the library with our filing cabinets in that closet so I don't have that space. Oh well.
fatmad I hope you are doing fine. I saw where you were going to BC so I'm not sure if you are there now or now.
Pipsicle, Donna and all lurkers... Y'all have a great day.
Trish, I'm sorry to hear that about your dad. I've dealt with that with members of my family as well and that can be so hard. I wish you and your family nothing but the best.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,426
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
Trish, the redness around the big toe, accompanied by pain and swelling, is a sign of gout but it could be something else. Has he had issues with gout in the past? DH thinks my pain is from gout but I don't have any issues around my big toe, although gout can come in other places. I think it gets red and is warm to the touch.
I checked my Fitbit and I got 8 hours and 54 minutes of actual sleep during the 12 hours between going to bed and getting up. So that's probably why I don't feel excessively tired in spite of being up, sick. I am fine now.
I have so much decluttering I want to get done and deep cleaning. But DH always wants me running here and there. I have to stop in the middle of things. I have to do a little bit at at time when I can fit it in.
Carol Sue DH he doesn't have any pain so and no swelling. I think I remember him hitting it on something the other night.
I tried to declutter the guest room closet but it can't be done as it is I just made it neater. Just too much stuff in there. So it is neat at this time.
Just popping in to say hello. Today I am feeling better. The sleep disturbances are harder on me all the time. I slept well overnight. We leave for British Columbia on Friday, and I hope not to be up in the night tonight before that, I am starting to pack today.
We still have 1-2 people left to deliver in the next week or so. Will see how that goes for them. I go off call tomorrow night. I have a mani-pedi booked at 6 pm when I go off. Want to look good for my holiday.
Weight is 151 today. It goes up and I retain fluids when I am lacking sleep. But I did well and feel turned around after a good sleep last night.
I hope everyone is doing well/better. Yes, we have to watch the feet. I hope things work out and that your caregivers are providing good information for everyone.
If I don't check in while away don't worry. I don't think I will take my laptop, which is where I always come 3FC. I have a tablet that I mostly use for ebooks, I don't like to type on it, and have never loaded 3FC onto my cell phone computer. (cells are not phones anymore, are they?)
So if I don't check in for a couple of weeks, don't worry. A break from the internet is never a bad thing, I think. I have loaded books to read onto my tablet, which is what I mostly use it for, and rarely get on the internet with it, other than downloading a book.
