Diet | The Graceful Skinny

I Laugh In The Face of Illness! December 15, 2010

Filed under: FYI,Revalations along the way — The Graceful Skinny @ 5:02 pm
Tags: Articles, Body weight, bodyimage, Christmas, Conditions and Diseases, coping skills, Diet, Diets, Endocrine Disorders, Goals, Haital Hernia, hashimoto's thyroiditis, Hashimotos, Health, Hernia, Hiatus hernia, Holidays, Hormone, Humour, Hypothyroidism, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Laughter, Lifestyle, Mental health, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Revalations, Stress, Stress hormone, Stress management, Support Groups, Thyroid, weight loss

There are so many people who are so confused when they see me laughing and joking about bad news. So why do I laugh? I laugh so I don’t cry. Because if I did not laugh the only other option is to let the stress get to me and cause more issues. I laugh because everything is always easier to handle if you throw a joke at it. I have always felt that laughter was good for us, but recently I have come across an article that verified just how good laughter is for us.

Did you know that laughter doesn’t just affect us mentally but it has physical benefits as well? Apparently when we laugh it not only increases serotonin but it also decreases stress hormones. By decreasing our stress hormones our immune system works better. Laughter also improves the heart by increasing blood flow and helping to decrease cholesterol and blood pressure.

It also works your stomach. And because it takes muscles to laugh and smile you are burning calories while you boost your mood.

I have found that it is just so much easier to keep a clear head and deal with all that is coming at me when I can find a way to laugh at it. Don’t let yourself fall into the trap of stress. Laugh your way out and life will look so much better. I promise!

So while you are going through all of the stress of Christmas Craziness, give it a try. Let out a laugh. You will be amazed at how much better you will feel.

The Health Benefits of Laughter (everydayhealth.com)

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Weekly Update: Ugh! December 10, 2010

Filed under: Road Blocks,The Weekly Check in — The Graceful Skinny @ 6:57 pm
Tags: Abdominal pain, Articles, Body weight, Conditions and Diseases, Diet, Diets, Digestive Disorders, Eating, Endocrine Disorders, Friday, Goals, Haital Hernia, hashimoto's thyroiditis, Hashimotos, Health, Hernia, Hiatus hernia, holiday, Holidays, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lifestyle, Nutritionist, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Set Backs, Support Groups, Thyroid, weight loss

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.

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Vegetables at Breakfast? December 9, 2010

Filed under: FYI — The Graceful Skinny @ 5:25 pm
Tags: Articles, Body weight, Breakfast, Conditions and Diseases, Cooking, Diet, Diets, Eating, Egg yolk, Eggs, Endocrine Disorders, Food, Fruit and Vegetable, Goals, Haital Hernia, hashimoto's thyroiditis, Hashimotos, Health, Hernia, Hiatus hernia, Home, Hormone, Hypothyroidism, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lifestyle, Muffins, Nutritionist, Olive oil, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Revalations, Spinach, Thyroid, weight loss

In last week’s post I told you about the ins and outs of my diet. Like a lot of you, when I first started the diet I thought that my instructions to eat a veggie at every meal including breakfast was a strange one.

A few days into my diet it dawned on me that people eat spinach and egg quiche for breakfast all the time. That is when I decided to try adding spinach to my breakfast.

The result was a wonderful Spinach and Egg Muffin that is tasty at home but is also easy to grab and go with. This is how I make it:

Ingredients and Supplies:

~ Large Handful of Spinach

~ 1 Egg

~1 English Muffin

~Cooking Spray ( I like to use Olive Oil Cooking Spray. Its a little healthier for you!)

~ Small amount of Margrine

Step One:

Spray a very light coating of cooking spray in your pan and turn your burner on to medium- medium high heat.

Put in your spinach.

{Note: I know this looks like a lot of spinach for one person, but Spinach cooks down significantly!}

Step Two:

When your spinach looks like this go ahead and put your English muffin in the toaster.

Step Three:

When the Spinach is done cooking shape it into a circle and form a small divot in the middle, as seen above.

Step 4:

Crack the egg right into the middle and sprinkle a tiny pinch of salt now.

{I like to use kosher salt. You can use less and get more flavor out of it!}

Let the egg cook for a few seconds.

Step 5:

Use your spatula to gently break up the egg yolk.

Step 6:

Gently fold and flip the spinach and eggs. Taking care to Shape your patty as you go.

Step 7:

Make sure to mash down on the spinach and eggs as you are forming your patty. This ensures that all of the raw egg gets cooked.

Step 8:

Once the egg is cooked through remove pan from heat.

Step 9:

Pull your English muffin from the toaster and lightly butter it.

Slide your spinach and egg patty on to the muffin and fold back over.

Finished Product:

Enjoy! Just make sure that you get a fruit to go with that on the side!

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Weekly Update: Getting ready for Christmas! December 3, 2010

Filed under: Small Victories,The Weekly Check in — The Graceful Skinny @ 7:32 pm
Tags: Beauty, Body weight, bodyimage, Christmas, Conditions and Diseases, Diet, Diets, Eating, Endocrine Disorders, Food, Friday, Goals, God, Haital Hernia, hashimoto's thyroiditis, Hashimotos, Health, Hernia, Hiatus hernia, holiday, Holidays, Hormone, Hypothyroidism, Lifestyle, New Year, Support Groups, Thanksgiving, Thyroid, Thyroid hormone, weight loss

I did pretty well this week. Although I do have to admit, I was pretty darn bad about working out. I kept meaning to but time just keeps slipping away. I plan on getting one in tomorrow. No excuse on Saturday (yet). But I am pretty proud of myself. The stockings are hung and I have finally de-Scroogified my husband after all these years. And to think, all it took was finding his train from his youth and getting him to set it up around the tree. It was a rare and special treat to see that boyhood wonder on his face.

So with one or two last gifts to get and wrap, I am starting to get my living room back. The cleaning and organizing is almost done! I think the husband and I are going to reserve this weekend for relaxing and us time. We certainly need it. We have been running around too much, though I do smell a dreaded costco trip in tomorrow’s horizon. (Shudder the thought!)

So the results from this week? I have to say that my progress as of late has been slowing slightly, however I did reach another 5 pounds mark this week. And I am very close to another. As a matter of fact, I have another small victory that my treasured red Christmas top that I couldn’t wear last year is now officially ready to be worn to my many Christmas gatherings this year! So Yay for that! As for the fabulous job weight wise this week, I am pleased to announce the following results!

This Week: 5.1 pounds down!

Total weight loss: 28.3 pounds down!!!

I do have a slight bummer, there is a pair of jeans that I have been working to and now that they fit, I don’t like them anymore! They are too short. Boo! Ah well, they won’t fit for long anyways. A bonus, I am apparently a large now. I had to return all of the extra larges I bought last week at the black Friday sales! I always like that! Now if I could just finish dropping down a size in my jeans. I am still at that annoying place where the sizes 16s fit but are getting really loose and are starting to look sloppy. I can’t even look at the 14s yet. Maybe in another week or two.

Oh, and my secret weapon for Thanksgiving Day? I wore my Spanks to dinner. Helps with the sliming and they don’t allow for extra expansion and over eating at the table! And I originally just put them on because my pants were fresh from the dryer. Who knew that Spanks were so useful!

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Its the Little things that get you! December 2, 2010

Filed under: Small Victories — The Graceful Skinny @ 7:50 pm
Tags: bodyimage, Christmas, Conditions and Diseases, Diet, Diets, Eating, Endocrine Disorders, Food, Goals, Haital Hernia, hashimoto's thyroiditis, Hashimotos, Health, Hernia, Hiatus hernia, Hypothyroidism, Infertility, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lifestyle, Nutritionist, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Portion control (dieting), Support Groups, Thyroid, Thyroid hormone, weight loss

So I have been a busy beaver this morning updating my medical records in preparation for my doctor’s appointment next week. ( I am going in to my Gynecologist to get a second opinion on the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) In flipping through my records I found a chart with my Vitals history on it from last year. I am proud to say that I am 15.4 pounds lighter then I was at Christmas last year!!!

I had a hunch that I might be getting there but it’s still nice to see the results in numbers like that!

I’ll be back tomorrow with the weekly update to go more in-depth with how my week has gone but I just had to share that small victory. Gotta celebrate the small things right?

Weekly Update: I totally Rocked this week! November 26, 2010

Filed under: Small Victories,The Weekly Check in — The Graceful Skinny @ 5:20 pm
Tags: Body weight, Conditions and Diseases, Diet, Endocrine Disorders, Friday, Goals, Haital Hernia, hashimoto's thyroiditis, Hashimotos, Health, holiday, Holidays, Hypothyroidism, Lifestyle, Thanksgiving, Thyroid, Thyroid hormone, weight loss

So this week’s update is just a quick one. My two Thanksgiving dinners went well. Everybody loved my attempts at Apple Pie and were very impressed. The most amazing thing about the week though is the fact that not only did I loose but I lost a whole 1.3 pounds this week!!!! 0.7lbs just yesterday alone! Thats right folks! I LOST weight on Thanksgiving having ate 2 Thanksgiving dinners. I guess my portion control strategy works! I even got a few second helpings.

So Totals:

This Week: 1.3 pounds down!!!!!

Total: 24.5 pounds down!

Not too shabby if I do say so myself!

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING! November 25, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Graceful Skinny @ 2:17 am
Tags: Body weight, Conditions and Diseases, Diet, Endocrine Disorders, Food, Haital Hernia, hashimoto's thyroiditis, Hashimotos, Health, holiday, Holidays, Hormone, Hypothyroidism, Lifestyle, Set Backs, Thanksgiving, Thyroid, weight loss

I hope that each of you have a happy and safe Thanksgiving today! Remember, just cause its a holiday of eating doesn’t mean we have to over indulge. I am just hoping that I can handle the two dinners that I am going to today. YIKES! Enjoy the day with out guilt and then get back on it on Friday. Just don’t forget our good friend portion control! See you folks tomorrow for the weekly check in!

Woot! November 23, 2010

Filed under: Small Victories — The Graceful Skinny @ 5:02 pm
Tags: Body weight, Conditions and Diseases, Diet, Endocrine Disorders, God, Haital Hernia, Halloween, Hashimotos, Health, Hypothyroidism, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lifestyle, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Thyroid, Thyroid hormone, weight loss

So I went in to the doctor yesterday for a routine thyroid check. For the most part it has gone pretty well. I did get two pieces of bad news but overall, the appointment went great!

The Bad news:

It turns out my thyroid issues have been potentially masking yet another two issues. It would appear that I may have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, as well as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. The first issue would be the true cause of the constipation and diarrhea issues. The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome could potentially be the cause for the period issues. For the moment since we have been dealing with the other stuff I made the call to sit back and find out a bit more about these syndromes and the recommended medications before I take action. If the period doesn’t show this month I think I will go ahead and schedule an appointment with the Gynecologist and talk over the possibility of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome with him. As far as the Irritable Bowel Syndrome issue goes, right now I think I will just bring it up at my next gastroenterologist appointment. If I am already seeing these other doctor’s anyway then I might as well confer with them over new suspected issues in their area of medicine.

On to the Good News!

It would appear that the meager 11 pounds that I have lost since my last visit with the general practitioner has made significant differences in my blood pressure. My blood pressure has gone from okay to GREAT! The nurse was extremely pleased by what she saw. I wish I had written down the numbers though. I only remember that it was 118 over something.

An extra bonus, my blood work came back this morning and my TSH levels {Thyroid Stimulating Hormone}[ Note for those that don’t know about the thyroid: This is the hormone that gets the thyroid going. If the TSH is too low then that means that your Thyroid levels are too high making you hyper. If your TSH is too high then your Thyroid isn’t making enough hormone and you are hypo. ] My levels came back right in the money zone! Much better than I ever thought possible.

Over all, I can’t complain. And while the prospect of adding two more medical issues to the ever growing list, at least that means that I am getting healthy and that I have been doing all of the right things to sort everything out. I’ll get there eventually. I know I will. All I can do is rest easy knowing that I am doing everything right and remind myself that these things take time to sort out. I choose to spend my time worrying about the things that are in my direct control. Such as making sure I stay on track this week when I am at my not one, but two Thanksgiving dinners on the same day.

If there is anything that I have come away from all this mess with it would be this, don’t worry about what you can’t change. Focus in on the things that you can control and God will take care of the rest in his own time.

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Poll: What is your Thanksgiving weakness? November 22, 2010

Filed under: Polls — The Graceful Skinny @ 7:53 pm
Tags: Articles, Body weight, Conditions and Diseases, Diet, Endocrine Disorders, Food, Haital Hernia, hashimoto's thyroiditis, Hashimotos, Health, Hypothyroidism, Lifestyle, Nutritionist, Set Backs, Thyroid, weight loss

Weekly Update: Well How’s About That? November 19, 2010

Filed under: The Weekly Check in — The Graceful Skinny @ 3:40 pm
Tags: Articles, Body weight, Conditions and Diseases, Diet, Endocrine Disorders, Friday, Goals, hashimoto's thyroiditis, Hashimotos, Health, Hormone, Hypothyroidism, Lifestyle, Thyroid, Thyroid hormone, weight loss

Well the scale surprised me yet again this week. I had the full intentions of working out a few times this week along with finally getting the closet re-org. done, but then reality hit and it just hasn’t happened yet.

I have been fighting off a cold all week. I only got one good work out in this week. And that clothing sort? Yeah, it’s the project that just won’t get done.

I’m pretty sure my thyroid has been doing its crazy dance this week. I go in on Monday back to the doctor for a check on my thyroid. I am looking forward to hearing what he has to say on my progress with my weight loss.

So with all that has been going on this week and with my weight yo-yoing back and forth like a spastic two year old on a sugar rush I have to say that I was anticipating a gain this week.

Imagine my shock and surprise when I hoped on to the scale and found out that I have hit another baby milestone! This morning I crossed over a line that I better not cross back over unless I am about to pop out a kid. This morning I say good-bye to the 220’s forever!

It really is amazing to see how far I have come in such a short amount of time. I only wish that my pants could reflect better the change. I am still only down one size and not all 16s fit yet. But then, that goes back to yesterday’s post doesn’t it? My pant size doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I am getting healthy.

So now to the results for the week:

This Week: 1.1 pounds down!
Total Weight Lost so far: 23.2 pounds!!!!

Not too shabby if you ask me! Especially when you factor in that I wasn’t expecting any results when I hopped on to the scale this morning. So dear friends and readers how have you done?

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The Graceful Skinny

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