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24 July 2009

My ear Surgery...

Ok - so in my last blog, I mentioned that I had an ear surgery done.
I had to have a "Tympanoplasty" and a "Mastoidechtomy" done to my right ear.

What does this have to do with my diet/exercise?
Well - the healing process will take about 6 - 8 weeks from the surgery and then about 4 months total for my hearing to get back to "normal"...at least this is the timeline my doctor has given me.

What sucks is I am SO looking forward to getting back to working out - but I honestly don't know if I'm going to be allowed to for a while. :(

My first post-op appointment will be this upcoming Thursday and I will talk to the doc about working out when I see him.

Now - about the surgery itself...basically I have had ear issues since I was 7 years old. I was 7 when they first put the first set of tubes in my ears - and my mom SWEARS that having done that helped me in school tremendously, as before I had this done, I was having troubles hearing the teachers and participating in class...but once I had it done - things changed and I was pretty much always an A & B student.

So - for the past 23 years, I have lived with A. not being able to get water in my ears - meaning earplugs every single time I would take a bath/shower - go swimming - even if I wanted to have a water balloon fight and B. if I WAS to get water in my ear...instant ear infection. It just became second nature to me as it was a part of my life.

Now - because of my ear issues, I've always had a little bit of trouble hearing people - but no real "hearing loss" to speak of until really this past year...
Last August - on my 29th birthday, actually ... I remember my left ear popping and thinking "oh great, another ear infection"...but this time it wasn't a 'normal' infection like I was always used to.

Along with the actual hearing loss - I also developed incredible Tinitus (ringing in the ears) - which will never go away, even with surgery. :(

So I found the most FANTASTIC ear doctor here in Indianapolis and after he looked at my ears and history - we decided that in that left ear the best plan of action was to take the tube out.
I knew that my RIGHT ear didn't have a tube in it anymore - and knew that it had a small hole where the tube had usually been placed - but no longer was there as there was the hole.

So anyways - I had that tube removed from the left ear and it healed nicely (according to the doc... :))
BUT once I had it removed - the hearing really started to go. In fact it got so bad last year that my fiance started to think I didn't like hanging out with his friends and it was straining our relationship until I myself realized that the REASON I was becoming "anti-social" was because of my hearing loss. I HATED trying to carry on conversations with people when I was CONSTANTLY turning my head to get them to talk directly to my ear and constantly saying, "what? can you please repeat yourself? what?"...so instead I didn't realize it - but I just started to decline to be in situations where I'd have to worry about BEING in a social setting. :(

Not only that - but my job started to suffer too. I started to really look anti-social at work and was even turned down for a promotion because I came off as "not a people person"...when I now know that it was BECAUSE of my hearing loss!

quick FYI - once I realized that, I started working on this issue with my supervisor, as far as communication goes - and I DID finally get a promotion I deserved - and I start this monday!!

So my surgery. Once the tube was removed from my left year last year - the doc really started to concentrate on my right ear. He told me of what needed to be done and what was actually WRONG with the ear drum (half of it was literally gone - the other half was all scar tissue from the YEARS of infections and needed to be removed...)

So we scheduled my surgery for July 21st. It is now July 24th. It's been 4 days since I had the surgery and I will be on a long road to recovery. I know this was absolutely NEEDED and I'm not wishing I hadn't had it done or anything like that - but I'm just going to put this out there - IT SUCKS!!!!! lol

so yeah. that's where I'm at right now. As for exercising - HOPEFULLY I'll be able to go back to the gym this year - but we shall see. I know I don't want to do anything to harm my healing - and I may end up having to cancel the membership all together until next year. :(

So anyways - I will post more later!

each and every pound, now, is a celebration!!!!

wow. ok - so on tuesday of this week I had ear surgery done. I had a HUGE hole in half of my ear drum that needed repairing as well as all this scar tissue that needed removed...so I had that done on Tuesday.

Tuesday morning, at the hospital - I weighed in at 170.4 lbs - that's cool - I was good with that. :)
After my surgery - the nurses fed me apple sauce and sprite...yeah - i know i'm obsessing since i'm actually bringing that UP - but it's almost like a force-fed cheat. lol - but in all honesty it wasn't a big deal.

That afternoon when I got home, my mom (who'd been here with me and my fiance for the surgery) - went to go get my medication from the pharmacy and I asked her to go ahead and get me a sandwich from Jimmy Johns - yes - bread and all.
And so I had my FAVORITE JJ's sandwich - Beach Club - and enjoyed every bite of it! Now, granted, I did NOT eat any chips - which, in the past, I would have...
But it's seriously been over 7 months or longer that I've had Jimmy Johns - which I used to be addicted to! :)

That night I was good - and just had a steak caesar salad from O Charley's (no croutons)...

All was good the next day - wednesday - I weighed in at 171...ok - understandable

Wednesday night, however, my fiance REALLY wanted the new Tagalong blizzard from Dairy Queen...so he went and got a large and (gasp, confession time) I shared a bit of it with him...

So yesterday morning - Thursday - I weighed in at 173!!! ACK!!!!

So yesterday I go right back on track and this morning - 168. whew!

Now - I know that there's TONS of reasons why my weight goes up and down and up and down. And I know I should NOT be concerned if one day it's just a little higher (as long as it doesn't keep GOING higher EVERY day...).

It's funny - Dan (fiance) tells me NOT to scale hop every day - which is what a lot of other people say too - but for me, I NEED to. I NEED to keep myself in check to make sure that I'm NOT going up and up and up...when I'm NOT obsessing over the scale - my weight creeps up and before I know it, I'm at 200 pounds again.

I am *sooooooooo* close to 160 again it's awesome!

I have a pair of slacks in my closet - from when I weighed 160 - that I have been longing over for YEARS since I first weighed 160 and could wear them...and then started gaining back when I could no longer wear them...so they've been sitting there - staring at me - saying, "wear me...wear me..."
Well - I tried them on this morning - and O-MY-FREAKING-GOSH!!!!!! they actually pulled up and I was able to button them!!!!!! NOW - they were just a little tight - but seriously - maybe 5 more pounds and I can wear them again!!!!

I also pulled down all of my skinny jeans out of the attic the other day - and every single one of them - INCLUDING my favorite pair of "ass-jeans" (you know, the ones that make your ass look incredible!) which are a size 11 in juniors - fit like the old friends they are!

I'm just in absolute awe. THIS is how I'm supposed to live. THIS is how I'm supposed to eat (low-carb) and I will NEVER EVER EVER be at an unhappy weight again!

Now - due to my surgery I'm not allowed to exercise for a while. :(
BUT that doesn't mean I can't take walks (which I plan on doing til I can go back to the gym).
I WILL absolutely maintain (if not lose a bit more) before I DO go back to the gym - and once I'm back there - it'll FINALLY be time to tone up and focus on weight training.

Now, in all seriousness - ONCE I do get down to 160 pounds again - if I never lose anything else and stick at that for the rest of my life I'd be ecstatic. HOWEVER just the idea that I could actually weigh UNDER 160 is beyond my comprehension.

I'm turning 30 years old next month. All of my 20's was up and down and up and down on that freakin' scale. All of my 20's was also about finding out who I was and where I wanted to be with my life. And here I am - one month before I turn the big 30 and now that I've finally FOUND all those things
  • ~I've finally gotten my eating habits under control and I know how to live a healthy life.
  • ~I've finally found the most incredible man, and we're getting married, and we have an AWESOME house with our AWESOME dogs and we're planning on kids after the wedding...
  • ~I've finally found the most AWESOME job (well, have had this for a while, lol) but I've also gotten a promotion to a job I have wanted for some time now...
And I must say - I pray and thank God every single day for all the blessings he's instilled in my life.

- Now that I've finally found all these things - I only have one thing to say about turning 30...
BRING IT ON!!!!!!

16 July 2009

169 lbs. July 2009

Wow. So my scale FINALLY says 169.0 lbs.

Sometimes I thought I'd never see that number again. It is absolutely amazing to me - the past 7 months - I've NEVER felt like I was "dieting" because there's never been a time where I was STARVING because I was only allowed so many calories during the day and didn't want to "go over"...I haven't been KILLING myself at the gym with cardio just to "burn off" the reeses peanut butter cups...

It is seriously incredibly amazing to me that THIS is the way to eat. It's funny too - I'm really reading up on REAL foods / WHOLE foods - that aren't chemically created...you know - the way people are SUPPOSED to eat...and the fact that it's SO easy - SO good for you and SO delicious - I'm almost pissed at myself that I didn't start this YEARS ago.

I know that one thing that will help me in the future NOT to gain back and yo-yo ever again is the understanding and knowledge that all those packaged foods out there - twinkies, pop tarts, oreos, 100 calorie snack packs and yes - even my beloved reeses peanut butter cups are for the most part pure chemicals!

It does suck sometimes cuz I know how GOOD those things tasted - but I've seriously gotten to the point now where I do NOT want to put ANYTHING chemical like that in my body!

Not only do I KNOW for an absolute FACT that I WILL weigh 160 pounds again - I also know that I will NEVER weigh 200 pounds (not including pregnancy weight)...but even then - I only plan on gaining the "recommended" 25 pounds - if that!

Plus - as much as part of me thinks I miss those packaged foods - the truth is I don't crave them at all any more. AND it's really opened me up to learn how to make my own healthier concoctions from almond flour and coconut flour.

I haven't made my own peanut butter cups yet but I do plan on doing those things when I get closer to my goal weight - to make sure that my body can handle real organic chocolate.

There is a new chocolate I've been eating (sssh don't tell anyone on the atkins board, lol) - but I found this INCREDIBLE dark chocolate truffle made with omega 3's at Whole Foods - and there's 4 truffles per package - I'm able to only eat ONE at a time...and it's like 4 carbs per truffle! :) and OMG do I savor every last bite. It's SOOOO good!

I also know that - once I'm in 'maintenance' I WILL eat bread again - which I'm looking forward to - but I also know I should NOT have bread at breakfast, lunch AND dinner.

plus - i LOVE my almond flour pancakes i make...and my home made jelly... :)

low-carb does NOT mean eggs, meat and cheese for the rest of my life. it means making SMART choices for my body that I know my body can physically handle.

11 July 2009

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06 July 2009

July 2009

So last night, Monday 06/July I did yoga - for the SECOND NIGHT IN A ROW! :)

Sunday night I did Bob's Fat Burn Yoga (The Biggest Loser)
& last night I did a crunch yoga DVD.

I am actually starting to miss working out. I decided to put my gym membership on hold until September due to my ear surgery this month. But during this time, I'm going to really start researching new weight training routines so that once I'm good to go for exercise I will be set & ready!

I know, for me, I'm actually excited that once I start exercising again, MOST of my weight will have already been banished forever...and I actually FEEL like weight training will DO something for me. So I'm def. looking forward to getting back in the gym. Til then though...and at LEAST for the next two weeks til my surgery - I will be doing yoga. :)

Also - another thing - it's funny too...but in the past I was never one to take vitamins. Ever since starting Atkins, however, I've started a decent regimen of vitamins...but for the next two weeks I can not take ANY vitamins and really am only allowed to take my prescribed Metformin & my BC pills...and i'm even supposed to stop the metformin 5 days before surgery.

SO that also means I can't have that new whey protein shake I made the other day (which sucks cuz MAN is it yummy!)
And - I've also found a few new supplements I'd like to try - but again - nothing til at least 2 weeks after surgery...so until then - research, research, research! :)

05 July 2009

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Ok - so FIRST off...my exercise for the day:

15 minutes of using the punching/boxing bag + jumping jacks
20 minutes of Yoga with Bob (Biggest Loser)

NEXT: my food for the day

BREAKFAST (high-er carb...)
4 tbsp flax seed = 2.66 grams net carbs & 5.34 grams insoluble fiber
2 tbsp Smart Balance Peanut butter (w/flax) = 6 g carbs, 2 g fiber = 4 g net carbs
1/2 cup blackberries = 10 g carbs, 4 g fiber = 6 g net carbs
1 greens/whey/strawberry/coconut milk shake = 9.5 g carbs, 2.5 g fiber = 7 g net carbs

Wow - this WAS a bit high in carbs - but oh so good! :)
total carbs = 28.16 g carbs, 13.84 g fiber = 14.32 g net carbs

LUNCH
1 grass-fed/home-made bratwurst = 0 g carbs
1 cup canned spinach = 8 g carbs, 4 g fiber = 4 g carbs

total carbs = 4 g net carbs

DINNER
Halibut w/Basil Oil = 0 g carbs
1 stuffed Avocado = 14 g carbs, 8 g fiber = 6 g net carbs

TOTAL net carbs per day = 24.32 g carbs
TOTAL fiber for the day = 25.84 g carbs
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SECOND...

Ok - so I found this new FABULOUS store here in Indy (another health food store) and there I found this AWESOME book called, Cooking With Coconut Flour. I'm really excited because there's SO many AWESOME looking recipes in this book. :)

a'right - that's all for now. last post of the day. :)

later!

The Next Two Weeks...

Ok - so the next two weeks are:

#1 - My last two weeks as a Desktop Publisher, as I've been promoted to Technical Administrator!!

&

#2 - The two weeks before my ear surgery. My doctor has advised me to stop taking all herbal supplements including my flax and fish oils & multi-vitamins. (I'm having a mastoidechtomy & tympanoplasty done on my right ear drum on July 21)...

SO. I have decided. Since I've NOT been counting my carbs for the past few months and really just been "eating healthy" as I've learned to do on Atkins...I am going to make a two week journal. First off - since this is my last two weeks as an hourly employee - which means once I'm salary, I'll no longer be paid for overtime - I DO plan on working as much overtime as I can.
AND - as I mentioned in a few posts back, I have placed my gym membership on hold...
I'm going to - for the next two weeks - take up pilates & yoga in my basement. I will work out 5 days a week for the next two weeks (10 days total). I am also moving up to the beans & legumes rung of atkins (rung 6).

AND I am putting my scale AWAY for the next two weeks.
I weighed in yesterday morning at 170 lbs exactly and that is my starting point for this two week experiment.

I will blog more later!

Cocnut Milk & Strawberry Greens Protein Shake

Ok - so I've found this new AMAZING protein shake that I FINALLY love the taste of.
At the Whole Foods market here in Indy I found the So Delicious Coconut Milk which the unsweetened is only 1 gram carbs 0 g fiber per 8 0z glass. And the Greens & Whey Protein powder. What I love about this new powder I found is that it's not only a Protein powder - but it's also got TONS of vegees in it.

Ingredients:
8 oz So Delicious Coconut Milk - 1 g carbs, 0 fiber = 1 g net carbs
1/2 cup frozen berries (I used strawberries) - 6.5 g carbs, 1.5 g fiber = 5 g net carbs
1 scoop Greens & Whey Protein Powder = 2 g carbs, 1 g fiber = 1 g net carbs


So I pour 8 oz of the Coconut Milk into my blender. Add about 1/2 cup frozen strawberries - or any berry you want - (frozen works best). Add only 1 scoop of the Protein Powder. Blend!

It's THAT easy and sooooo yummy.

Total Carb Count:
9.5 g carbs / 2.5 g fiber = 7 g net carbs

The carb count obviously is different for the different berries you use. Blackberries are the lowest for carb count and highest in fiber... :) Blueberries have the highest amount of anti-oxidents.
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EDIT - Tuesday 07/July/07
Well, for some reason I can't reply to the comment - but I think you're right! I actually just blogged that I'm not going to have the whey protein for the next two weeks because of my surgery, and I've been advised to have NO vitamins or anything like that...but I didn't think of just the milk with the fruit...I will def. try this! :)

04 July 2009

July 4th, 2009

Ok - so lately I've been very interested in learning more about grass-fed beef & dairy, free-range chickens (eggs & meat) and organic foods.

I used to be the kind like, "really? organic? what's the flippin' difference?" But now I'm LEARNING what the flippin' difference is and it's freakin' scary!

Luckily, where I live - here in Indianapolis - I have a couple of different places I can shop for very good organic food. There's two Trader Joes (and I live 5 miles from one)...there's a dairy farm in the neighboring town of Zionsville called Traders Point Creamery which I can also buy their non-homogenized grass-fed dairy at the Fresh Market literally around the corner from my house...and we also have a Whole Foods too.

I plan on reading the book, "The Omnivore's Dilema" soon as I've read and heard from many people online that THIS is the book I NEED to read if I'm interested in learning more about our food industry.

I am still Low-Carb for life - but the more and more I learn about real nutrition - I'm loving all the information I learn about how to really eat! No more junk food. No more corn-fed/anti-biotic raised beef. Only REAL - WHOLE - NUTRITIOUS foods that actually DO something FOR my body. :)

Now - I usually shop at wally world every week for our groceries...one thing I am doing, though, is definitely NEVER EVER buying ANY kind of meat from there ever again! There are SO many places here in Indy to buy from the "little man" - many different butchers and I have access to farmers who sell grass-fed beef...I'm so excited and happy I've found this new way of eating!

I've also found a few websites online that I'm in LOVE with. Such as the blog for Healthy Indulgances. I made her coconut brownies today for the 4th of July BBQ we are having and I really really like them!

So anyways - just wanted to make a quick post as I haven't posted in a while.

My weight is holding steady at 170 right now - but I also have not exercised in a while...And I actually put my gym membership on hold until the end of September - due to the fact that a. it's summer...and i get lazy - lol...but mainly it's because I'm having ear surgery in July and won't be able to exercise anyways.

BUT I must say I am VERY happy that I've finally learned how to eat right - so that when I DO get back to the gym this fall - I won't have gained ANYTHING back and I'll BE HEALTHY!!!! :)

A'right well I gotsta get going.

Next up - I will post about a FABULOUS new smoothie I made this morning with Coconut Milk & Greens Whey Protein. :)

Later!