The Graceful Skinny

A homeschool mom of one sharing my thoughts, curriculum reviews, organization techniques, and planning ideas with others in the homeschool community.

Weekly Update: Better Late Than Never April 25, 2011

Filed under: Road Blocks,The Weekly Check in — The Graceful Skinny @ 4:54 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

My wonderful readers, I am so very sorry for my inconsistent posting this past month. April has been a bit rough health wise and it has caused me to slack in other areas. I stared this blog as a way to be an encouragement to others and try to do my best to keep a positive outlook in my posts. However, this once I must ask your forgiveness if I come across as a bit negative and whiny, because today I just need a bit of time to vent.

I am tired of being tired. I am tired of medical issues and weight issues and fertility issues and pills and hormones. My issues with asthma and the steroids at the beginning of the month started a bit of a chain reaction.  Aunt Flo went weird (yet again). Provera was needed. And now I am left with 7ish pounds of weight that I am going to have to re-loose!

Though as run down as I am, if I stop for a minute and listen it becomes obvious that God is trying to teach me something through all of this.  And while this is something that I have known for years being able to step back and take peace in this knowledge is not all that easy.

It’s at times like these where I feel so run down and frustrated and find myself screaming out to God, “I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE!” It’s at these moments when I finally stop and really listen that I hear God gently whispering back to his reminder that I never could do it, nor was I ever supposed to, and as crappy as all this is to deal with, there is something unbelievably freeing at this reminder.

God is there watching over us and taking control over everything.  When I stop and think about how easy it is to slip into the grind of the daily life and trudge through it all, it is these moments that cause us to break that really bring us closer to God.  And as crappy as they might be to get through, as much as I would LOVE to push the fast forward button on life just to skip all of this, I wouldn’t trade a single piece of it because God has truly used it all to bring us closer to him.

So while I may have my moments of acting like an exhausted two year old, in the end its all good because God is in control and for that I am ever grateful!

Related Articles
Advertisement
 

Weekly Update: Pollen: 3 – Me: 1 April 8, 2011

Filed under: Road Blocks,The Weekly Check in,Venting Frustrations — The Graceful Skinny @ 5:17 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rachael Lorenz, diet, blog, weight loss, pollen, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, PCOS, Hashimotos thyroidits, Asthma

Why hello there strangers!  I would like to take a moment to apologize for falling off the face of the earth for a few weeks.  Spring is rolling in fast and with it the evil of pollen has been giving me quiet the beating.  My asthma has flared horribly causing me to have to have nebulizer treatments and heavy steroids.  Not only are the steroids unpleasant by themselves but they always come with extra weight and enhanced hunger and food cravings.

I have sadly gotten slack in stepping on the scale like I am supposed to.  And I am finding out that the longer you put it off the easier it is to keep putting it off and the harder it becomes to make that step up on to the scale. By the time that I stepped up on it this morning it felt more like I was trying to step over a mountain then take a baby little step up on to a scale.

Step up I did though, and I am desperately trying to encourage myself with the fact that at least I am not ignoring the issue. I am trying to remind myself that I am almost done with the steroids and that the weight gain from taking them is just an unfortunate side effect of the medication that is helping me to breathe better.

That being said, I have gained 4.6 pounds in the last 2 weeks.  That by far is not a happy number. To say I am feeling a tad on the dejected side right now would be a bit of an understatement.  But at least I know that the worst is almost over pollen wise and I can recognize that I got that weight off once I can get it off again.  Maybe I needed this bit of wake up call to get my but back into gear.

So how have you been in my absence? Is anybody else getting kicked in the butt royally by this horrid pollen? If so, stay strong dear readers! We can fight it together!

 

Weekly Update: Dancing through the Potholes on the Road of Life! February 25, 2011

Filed under: Road Blocks,Small Victories,The Weekly Check in — The Graceful Skinny @ 6:16 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Birthday cake the graceful skinny diet wieght loss medical issues asthma pcos hashimotos celebrations blog diet

 

Well dear readers my week has been quiet interesting and busy. Due to my birthday on Monday I spent the weekend celebrating with Friends, family and loved ones.  I refused to deprive myself and even caved and brought a few special treats to munch on throughout the week.  I set my expectations low for the scale and relaxed and enjoyed myself knowing that this is a rare occurrence.

 

My birthday was wonderful! It was filled with my wonderful friends and family and some great food. The best part of it all was the beautiful sewing machine that my husband gave me! I have been wanting to learn to sew for the longest time.  He conspired with my friends and family and I now have everything that I need to learn to sew. I am almost done with my first project!

 

But alas, it wouldn’t be my life without a few trips to different doctor’s offices and yet another referral. I had my physical on Tuesday. It was probably a mistake to go in for a physical the day after my birthday but I wasn’t thinking about that when I scheduled my appointment.  So yet again I had all the fun of fasting and giving up 4 vials of blood to the Vampires to test. I was subjected to an EKG and a Breath Test due to my asthma. The EKG was good. The breath test however, came back with results showing I have the lungs of an 84 year old. It is possible that the test was not accurate however I am being referred to a pulmonologist just to be sure.  Oh yeah we also get to tack on yet another medication to help with the asthma.

 

My blood work came back with a mixed bag of results. It would appear that my TSH levels (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) are perfect. Both my general practitioner (GP) and my gynecologist were happy with those numbers. However, apparently my cholesterol levels are still high.

 

My GP wants me to consider medication for it, but my gut tells me strongly not to.  This gut feeling was re enforced when I went to the drug store to pick it up and the pharmacist explained some very likely complications this cholesterol medication would cause with my treatment plan for the PCOS.  Needless to say I have declined the option for this medication.

 

It just goes to show you that when it comes to your medical issues, you can’t just sit back and assume everyone else knows what they are doing 100% of the time. You can’t relax. You have to stay on top of things. Sometimes that might mean you have to get annoying, others it might mean that you have to get stubborn. But always falls back on you to fix the issues of the day.

 

Needless to say, I have been busy this week. Which is frustrating, because it means I haven’t had nearly as much time with my new sewing (to me) machine as I would have liked.  And while I could have easily have let all this negative news get me down I choose not to. I am choosing to focus on the good side of things.  But enough with that. You probably are just sitting there anxious to see the damage all that celebrating did right? I know that I was when I stepped on the scale this morning. It took me a moment to actually peak at the screen and see my numbers for the week.

 

Imagine my absolute shock and surprise when I actually did take a look at the numbers!

 

The Results for the week are:

 

  • This week: 1.1 POUNDS DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!
  • TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS: 30.5 POUNDS DOWN!!!!!!!

 

 

In all honesty, I think that is the best birthday present I could ever give myself! And it goes to show that you can indeed have your cake and lose weight to! I can’t describe how great it feels to finally break through the 30 pound wall. And in just 4-5 pounds more I will officially be out of the obese category! How great is that!

 

So dear readers now is the time I hear from you! How has your week gone?  Anything exciting going on with you?

Related Articles
 

A New Discovery for Those Days When You just really Want a Soda! February 17, 2011

Filed under: Road Blocks — The Graceful Skinny @ 2:48 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Graceful Skinny "Mexican Coke" "High Frutose Corn Syurp" "Corn Sugar" "Cane Sugar" soda "weight loss" diet

One of the first things that I learned when I started on this weight loss journey was to be weary of anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup (a.k.a. Corn Sugar). There are more and more studies that are finding strong addictive tendencies in this evil substance.

Princeton did a study on the substance and the results that they came up with were enough to raise eye brows. You can find the article that talks about this study here:  http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/

It is definitely an article worth your read.

In the study, they found that the rats who were given High Fructose Corn Syrup laced water gained significantly more weight than the rats who were given table sugar.  Not only that but they also found that the rats who had the High Fructose Corn Syrup ended up not just gaining more weight than the table sugar group but that the animals in the High fructose corn Syrup group ended up gaining 48 percent more weight!

When I stumbled across this information I started to try to do my best to avoid it, only to come to the realization that it is found in almost everything we eat.

It’s not practical to think that you can avoid ever eating it again. And the saying is always true, Everything in Moderation.  The problem however, is getting that into moderate amounts of your diet.

So next time you decide to go pick up that soda can or candy bar think twice! Rid yourself of the constant craving for it and you will quickly find that things that are loaded with it are overly sweet.

After only a month I got to the point were most sodas and soft drinks are just revolting to me.  Just try to go a while without the processed foods and then taste them again. They just aren’t as tasty as we thought.

But there will be days when you will miss that soda. And for those days, my husband and I have found a great compromise.

This bottle of coke isn’t any normal coke, and you more than likely are not going to find it on your regular soda aisle.  No folks, this coke is Mexican coke! What makes it better than the normal stuff you ask? Let’s turn the bottle around and take a look.

"Mexican Coke" Coke Graceful Skinny "Weight Loss" diet Soda "Cane Sugar" "Corn Sugar"

The red box believe it or not is the ENTIRE ingredients list.  That’s right there are only 6 ingredients in this bottle.   And let me tell you, there is a huge difference in flavor alone to justify the extra cost.

All of that being said, you should be aware that there is a bit of the “Corn Sugar” that may find its way in here.  I went on to coke’s website and found a Ingredients Glossary. According to their website  Caramel Coloring is defined as:

Caramel Color

Caramel color is made by a process involving the heating of corn or cane sugar and other carbohydrates to achieve the desired color.

http://productnutrition.thecoca-colacompany.com/ingredients

Because they don’t clarify if its indeed Corn Sugar or the better option Cane Sugar you should still take caution and limit the amount you drink it. But if you are just looking for a special treat every now and then, I would have to say that is a great way to go.

So as you go about your day, be weary and warned. Keep your eyes out and pay attention you might just be amazed at just how much of the High Fructose Corn Syrup is making its way into your diet.

 

Weekly Update: I Got an Award! Oh yeah, and some kind of stomach bug! January 28, 2011

Filed under: Road Blocks,The Weekly Check in — The Graceful Skinny @ 4:44 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

So my week has consisted of waves of nausea that come and go hampering much productivity.  I haven’t had a chance to weigh in this week due to said nausea but will try to give it a go tomorrow and post it a day late.  But for now, I have just been a little green around the gills and that has just really set me off my game.

 

I do however want to take a second and thank TheBettyLife for the wonderful acknowledgement and award.  I will try to get a list of blogs to pass the award on to in the coming days.  For now though, I will leave you guys with wishes for a good weekend and the hopes that by next week I will be a little less friendly with Ralf the porcelain king.

 

My dear readers, what is it that you eat when your stomach misbehaves like this? Anybody have some healthy options that are easy to eat for a picky stomach?

 

Weekly Update: Snowed In! January 14, 2011

Filed under: Road Blocks,The Weekly Check in — The Graceful Skinny @ 5:03 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Snowed In Weight Loss The Graceful Skinny diets

 

I officially call this week a throw away. From the fact that there has been crazy amounts of snow and Ice EVERYWHERE to the fact that I had to fluctuate a few of my meds to make them last till I could even consider getting out of my apartment, to the Provera and the ensuing period, it shouldn’t come to much surprise that I haven’t had the greatest week weight wise.

 

This week I discovered the only thing more dangerous for a waist line then hormonal cravings would have to be hormonal cravings while snowed in for a week.  We were finally able to get out for a tiny bit yesterday, and let me tell you, I have never been more elated to be going to a drug store!

 

I do want to apologize for not posting much this week, but with the snow my husband has had to work from home the week.  He had to take over the main computer area leaving me with only my broken down old laptop to get internet access.  Without access to my normal work environment I haven’t been able to get much done.

 

I will go ahead and admit, I haven’t made the best decisions food wise but being ADHD and trapped in a two bedroom apartment without much contact to the outside world got me real twitchy real fast. That plus all the other things going on with me has made for almost unavoidable bad cravings.

 

The upside to all of this is that I have gotten a week of rest right when my body needed it. My husband and I got some extra time together and most of the problematic ice should FINALLY start to fully melt away today and tomorrow.  The only thing to make this better would have been to have the Christmas boxes in the apartment with me so that I could have used the stranded time a bit better. But let’s be realistic here. With the way my body treated me this week, I doubt that much of it would have gotten done anyways. Ah well.

 

I’ll get back on track next week. I promise this time!

 

Weekly Update: Ugh! December 10, 2010

Filed under: Road Blocks,The Weekly Check in — The Graceful Skinny @ 6:57 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Christmas Crazy Diet Weightloss


So this week hasn’t been all that great. There have been some good parts but as Christmas inches closer my list is growing larger. And for a girl who is suppose to keep her stress levels down or else she gets rather sick, I have been doing not so good this week.

 

Today has been especially stressful because I completely went all ADHD and forgot about one of my doctor appointments. (Ironically this appointment was actually about my ADHD.) My whole planed morning went out the window and it has now thrown off my whole day.

 

My Weigh in this afternoon was completely off from how I normally do it and probably is part of the reason for the results this week. That, and the fact that for the past two weeks I haven’t had a chance to work out.

 

My Doctors appointments went well this week. However the diagnosis of the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and the Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) has been confirmed.  This means that I am now saying hello to two new medications to add to my list. Oh joy.

 

So with an ever growing list that is covering half my wall and a clock ticking down let me throw this week’s results up and run off to the next task! Here is hoping your lives aren’t quiet as crazy as this!

 

  • This Week: 1.1 pounds GAINED!!! BOO 😛
  • Total Weight Loss: 27.2 Pounds

 

 

So like I said. Results aren’t great this week. But I am not going to let that get to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of it is the additional over load of stress (yes I am to the point where I have been feeling it physically. And yes after dealing with this for a year I can hide the symptoms well) as well as the factoring in of new meds and the fasting for the blood work I had to go in for last week.

 

Oh Provera! How I Hate Thee!!!! November 9, 2010

Filed under: Road Blocks,Venting Frustrations — The Graceful Skinny @ 6:18 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

For those that are fortunate enough to be unaware of what Provera is, let me explain. Provera is a drug that is derived from the female hormone Progesterone. Female hormone imbalance, abnormal uterus bleeding, and contraception are some of the many reasons a doctor might prescribe it to you. In my case however, it is being used to force start my period.  You see, with all of my health issues lately, we have been having a hard time regulating my periods. Apparently, it is unhealthy to go more then 3-4 months without a period. Thus if I hit the magic number of months without a period and I am not pregnant I have to go on Provera.

Let me tell you ladies, if you think Aunt Flo is cranky on a monthly basis, you haven’t seen anything yet. I think the following skit from SNL describes it best.

http://widget.nbc.com/videos/nbcshort_at.swf?CXNID=1000004.10045NXC&widID=4727a250e66f9723&clipID=221774&showID=61&siteurl=http://www.nbc.com?vty=fromWidget_Video&dst=nbc|widget|NBCVideo&__source=nbc|widget|NBCVideo

I go on this rant about Provera now because unfortunately, it was recently that magical time where I must allow Provera to drag dear Aunt Flo’s royally pissed off butt back over to do her job. So I got the added delight of battling the extra weight Provera can pack on along with the mother of all periods.  Did I mention that a few of the side effects of Provera are Acne, Breast swelling and tenderness, & water retention? Think PMS on steroids. Oh lucky me!

And for all those out there who get to join in my fun; you have my utmost sympathy!

 

Two Steps Forward One Step Back October 28, 2010

Filed under: Road Blocks,Venting Frustrations — The Graceful Skinny @ 4:13 am
Tags: , , , , ,

Just when I felt like I was settling in to the routine of the new diet, I get a phone call from my Gastroenterologist’s office telling me that my nutritionist has just informed them that she is retiring as of November 1st! I would like to sit here and tell you that my reaction to this news was a wonderful example of a pure hearted Christian woman. I would like to tell you that, but then I would be lying.

No, sadly the only thing I can be grateful for was that I wasn’t able to answer the phone while I was on the job as the nanny. Because my instantaneous gut reaction was to scream out in such a way that would make any foul mouthed temper-tantrum throwing 2 year old proud.

I spent the day sulking and then decided to buck up and put my big girl panties on and handle this like the adult I am. Just because she decided to up and quit doesn’t mean I have to. I still have the plan she put me on, and I have a few contacts in the area to call. This is certainly fixable.

I have leapt over barriers larger than this; I can make it through this small hoop. It’s just another step in the process. My strong stubborn side has come out to play and I WILL when this battle. There is no more “if” I can lose the weight, just a matter of “WHEN”.

And for those of you out there fighting your own battles alongside me remember this: with God at your side and determination in your heart anything is possible. Don’t let these stupid road blocks get in your way.

*Update: In the days since I first wrote this post I have since been in contact with both my nutritionist as well as my doctor’s office. My doctor’s office is working on getting a new nutritionist in the practice and will be calling me when they get one. My nutritionist has informed me that she plans on keeping in touch through email. It looks like I may have slipped to the woe is me mentality a little too quickly. Hey…We all have our moments.