***Goddess***
I'm not going to repost your quote because our posts are probably the longest thing this forum has ever seen! If they would just allow Private Messages from the get-go, we wouldn't have this issue!
You know, regarding firing your doctors - I did the same thing! I totally fired my pain management doctor over SSRIs and SNRIs. Um, I was seeing pretty patterns in the sky dancing around! And it was no where near the Fourth of July fireworks celebration! I think it was a symptom of serotonin toxicity - but ha!! I'll never know because I fired the doctor and got off the meds. I also went through a withdrawl period on them. I read about one of the meds (after I was given it and already taking it) and it said that many people fire their doctors after they want to stop taking it. Why don't doctors think about withdrawl symptoms and the fact that we all don't want to be on their drugs our whole lives?
Oooo! I'm so excited for you and law school! I was also thinking of doing that, I love law! Both business law classes that I took during college were really awesome. You will make the United States better by becoming a lawyer. You will help people, I know it!
Oh about the chiropractor - please ask him for a referral for someone in my area! As close to Reston, VA and Herndon, VA as you can get! I'll send you more specifics once you can receive the magical PM! I can't drive far due to my pain and the traffic around here is intense anyway. I know what you mean that most people seem to be magically cured by chiropractic adjustments. Well, I'm not. But I do feel better and I can tell that it helps me. I am sure part of it is just slowing down enough to take care of myself and concentrating on it for that hour. The massage beds and heat and ice help tremendously too. I'd better start doing the heat and ice at home again. I even have a "heated seat" in my car - a heating pad plugged in to a car adapter! I have more to say about the medical profession but I'll save it for a PM. I guess you can't receive them today because it won't let me send one to you! Sad!
My boyfriend - oh he's wonderful! He's happy about his consistent 5 pound loss per week. I'm happy for him and proud of him. He is really stressed but he is finally putting a lot of effort into finding a new job.
Thank you for your compliments about my writing! I get paid to write about software/web, but that's fine with me! I like getting paid to write. I'm so lucky! I also used to teach English as a foreign language. I absolutely loved it, but it didn't pay the bills. But it paved to way for my current career, and it's just amazing how well everything fits together and works out along the way!
I had no idea that most people ate dinner at 5pm! My parents both had their own businesses when I was growing up (my mom still does), so I've never eaten at 5pm. And all my jobs during my professional career have had hours that lasted until 6pm, so I eat late. The "sheet" (definitely deserves personification and a description such as a strict teacher or a drill sargent!) has been the bane of my existence this whole time! My clinic told us at first that we could have our snack in the afternoon. Then after 1 week, they sent out an emergency email that said we MUST have the snack before bedtime, as it's listed on the silly sheet. They re-iterated that it is mandatory that we eat it before bed (after dinner) so that our bodies will continue to burn the fat and not the muscle during the night. I wanted the fat bandits to make off with my fat during the wee hours of the night, so I followed their advice. But you are so right, I eat much later than normal and I never want the snack after dinner. Where were you 7 weeks ago to give me this good advice?
You're the best!
I think you would make a great coach. You coached someone to lose 100 poudns on Atkins, right? Also you are our resident expert and researcher regarding all things biological (and human). I'd love to be a coach too (and become a nutritionist because I find food so fascinating). I am annoyed that my clinic is so strict and I understand that people can follow the IP protocol strictly, but some people need a little leeway so that the diet works for them and they are successful! I think with research and analysis and personalized care, coaching would be much better. I can do what they are doing right now, just give me the sheet. I'm a smart cookie and can read and follow directions! Their answer for everything is, just follow the sheet. If you don't follow it exactly like this, then you won't lose, it won't work, and we can't help you. But what kind of help is that providing anyway? Not much if you ask me. Novak goes to the same place and she does her own wiegh ins and takes her own measurements because they aren't even good at that and don't keep track of it for us. Sorry for the rant.
I have been following the phase 3 sheet! (Insert tantrum here - haha!) It's just not very specific for an overly analytical mind like mine! It says you can have all veggies except potatoes. But with someone on phase 1 in my house (who also pays for our groceries) I have been eating mostly the phase 1 veggies. But yesterday I had some other non-phase 1 veggies. The sheet should really say, you SHOULD eat the veggies that were previously forbidden. Oh well! I also added more egg whites to my 2 eggs last night. It was either 2 eggs or shrimp and I'm sick of shrimp! So I went with eggs and added 2 servings of egg whites to make the total protein for my meal = 24 grams. It made so much too- totally filled up my plate (albeit it was a salad plate, not a full-sized dinner plate). Then I added soy cheese. Some people eat that throughout the diet so I don't count it as a cheat. Can you see I'm trying to ramp up to eating normally again? I'm a pretty healthy eater too, but I was eating too much junk before IP and that's why I gained weight. That and trying to eat as much as my bf - hello, men need more food than women! Just as it's a bad idea to go drink for drink with men, it's also a bad idea to match them bite for bite while eating!
Today I decided I am going to slowly go back to being vegetarian again. I think that is my issue/disorder with food lately. I am grossed out by it, so why should I eat it? Having to eat cooked protein 3x a day is too much for me! Today for lunch I made a tofu "yogurt" with WF blueberry sauce and I realllllllllly enjoyed it.
Birman, thank you for your on-going support because I know you are still vegetarian and making it work. Just to know you are out there makes me feel happy! And of course
Goddess, I always feel special when you respond to me too! I didn't mean that comment about not responding to you in jest, really! I get really confused if I don't write everything down (especially for now as I am taking pain meds in the evening). Luckily I can write everything in the daily food journal, and I made extra photocopies of the pages too! I have some at work so on days like today if I forget my journal, I can still write everything down and keep track of it! Without it, I feel like a lost little puppy!
About the Calm tea - why yes I do like Calm tea from Starbucks! AND I even have some sugar free vanilla syrup at home. I'll have to pick up a box of Calm team a treat to myself. Oh and Sinatra made my night last night! "I get a kick out of you!"
I sang a lot. I have choir tonight so I'll sing a lot tonight too. Glad you got a kick out of my melodramatic onion performance! You sound like an awesome first date - mascara everywhere, almost dieing from onion fumes. At least they comp your meal (cheap date heehee!).
I'm glad to hear that after 6 months on IP, your body will get to take a break. I read that protein diets are hard on our livers/kidneys (I think that's what I read, MuayThaiGoddess will chime in on this if I'm totally wrong). Of course, eating lots of junk and processed, prepared food as we all used to do is probably hard on the body too! I was wondering how long someone could stay on the diet. You are doing a really fabulous job and your outlook is so positive! I hope you get to share your story with other young people and inspire them to lose weigh too! 
Dance Party Yaaay!
:wiz ard:
