Day 66 TEST RESULTS!!

Hold on to your lug nuts, it's time for my results after 6 weeks of lifestyle changes! Had my appt. today and this is what Dr. LaSalle said, "GIVE ME A HIGH FIVE!!"

I previously told you that my insulin was 70 and should be 5. I was wrong. It was 20 and should be 5. So...

Insulin 6 weeks ago - 20. Insulin today - 14!
Triglycerides 6 weeks ago - 338. Triglycerides today - 263!
Cholesterol 6 weeks ago - 235. Cholesterol today 196!
HDL 6 weeks ago - 37. HDL today 30 (not good that it dropped. This is the good cholesterol)
LDL 6 weeks ago - 130. LDL today 113!
And weight down 12 lbs.!!

She was SO HAPPY! She said, "YOU LISTENED TO ME!" She was so encouraging. She is starting me on Niacin to see if we can get the good cholesterol where it should be.

My bp was higher than it's ever been there (bottom number 100). I have NEVER had that with the exception of pre-eclampsia. But she said coffee on the way over here and the exciting news was surely the cause, but keep an eye on it. When I got home I checked and it was 125/63.

All in all, I'm SO PLEASED that the Lord gave me the desire to change and the strength to do it! And the things is, I told her that I was not nearly perfect!! And she said 80/20 rule makes a BIG difference in your lifestyle. She's right!

Thanks so much for all your encouragement and prayer. I am so thankful. I see her again in 2 months for another check on labs. She said it usually take 3 months to get Insulin down to 5.

I'm on my way!!

Day 64, OINK

Yeah, I ate today like a woman who had never heard of a new lifestyle. The only thing I resisted was lasagna, donuts and cheese cake. But the things I ate were high sugar, high carb, high fat and highly enjoyable. But I'm bloated and bummed so NO NEW NEWS!!

Back on track tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, it is my blood test in the a.m. I am nervous about it. I am worried that the numbers will say, "failure" and the doctor will say, "here's that medication you do not want to take, now take it or you'll die" or something like that.

So would you please pray that the efforts I have made, even though they have not been perfect every day and sometimes far from it, would be enough to show SOME IMPROVEMENT in my insulin and lipid panel? It would be a wonderful boost to my "keep going" part of my brain. I could use a little boost right now! The scales are the same, but my husband constantly comments that I am acting better, looking better and have more energy and less anxiety. He's right. Now come on blood, show me the numbers!

Day 61, TIP OF THE DAY

Do NOT eat carbs until the reward meal. Period. When an addict is recovering she cannot have even the slightest taste!!!

And that, my friends, is the tip of the day.

Blood test is Monday morning - GOTTA BE GOOD TO MYSELF!!

Day 60

I did end up walking last night, yay. I did end up eating more chicken before I went to bed, not yay. I'm sure it was the teraki sweet sauce I was craving and not the protein of the chicken.

Today has been pretty good! I had 2 eggs and 2 c. or more of spinach for breakfast, and lunch was 2 c. spinach or more with tuna, home made bread and a brownie with home made chocolate icing!!! WOOT!  Can you say reward meal was lunch today? YES YOU CAN!

Now if I can stick with the plan and have a healthy complimentary meal (as the Carb Addicts Diet calls it) at dinner, I will be fine! That will include A large salad (2 c. at least) and a protein, probably chicken. I already walked today, so I got that down. My accountability partner is back in town and it was good to be held accountable.

Thanks for your faithful reads!

Day 59, better

Today I had more of a focus of what is good for me and what is not. This is my food so far today:

Coffee, one with cream a a couple black
Lunch, large salad & flat bread baked with sun dried tomato pesto, and a little mozzerella
Dinner, teriaki chicken shredded, large spinach salad and 1 piece bread
Coffee, black
Water, lots

At lunch, the flat bread should not have been an option. I thought maybe I'd skip bread for my dinner because I can have it at one meal (the reward meal), but I didn't! So, better day though!

I hope to walk tonight. There is a flooded area on our road by the pond and the ducks were swimming in the road earlier today. Fun!

Day 58 end of week 2 on CAD

Wow. I've had a rough few days. I lost an avg. of 2 lbs. the first week and felt GREAT!! My 2nd week started out good and ended on a horrid note of carb addiction return.  Why? Because I let my hormonal body taste what I thought it needed, when really it was not what I needed at all. And once the taste came, the demons came back with ALL THEIR FRIENDS and I invited them in and gave them a place to hang out for awhile. Disgusting, isn't it?? I did not gain weight, but I did not lose, and more importantly, my lifestyle was not pleasing.

UGH. I hate the feeling after an addiction is fed. I have heart burn. I puke up in my mouth at night. My stomach is bloated. I am sleepier than normal. I am grumpier. My chest feels heavy. My throat feels full. I hate everything about it. I know my insulin is not being absorbed properly. I know the dangers. I've read it over and over and heard it straight from the Doctor's mouth. But when I am craving the foods that harm me, I seem to not care.

That's not really the truth. I do care. I care so much that I even have cried while the very danger passes my lips and goes down my throat.

One problem I have had this week is the grocery money was very tight, and I did not buy all the fresh veggies that I had the first week. BIG difference in how I ate. It was much better when I filled up with salad first off,and then enjoyed my protein. Mike got paid for an extra job and tomorrow, I head to the produce section!

Lord, you've shown me there is nothing good in eating foods that harm me. Nothing. Tomorrow is a new day and because of you, I can leave this day for what it is, and look forward to the new day of good things.

Not a diet, a lifestyle.: Day 51, end of week on on CAD

Not a diet, a lifestyle.: Day 51, end of week on on CAD: "I just finished my first week of the Carb Addict's Diet. I am so pleased to say that my craving for carbs is next to nothing! I can hardly b..."

Day 51, end of week on on CAD

I just finished my first week of the Carb Addict's Diet. I am so pleased to say that my craving for carbs is next to nothing! I can hardly believe it. They recommend weighing every day, then getting an average over a week's time. They say to add all the weights up (YIKES!) and then divide by the number of times I weighed. It gives more accurate (and encouraging) chart to track the weight loss, since most people's weight flluctuate a few pounds every week, up and down.

I lost an avg. of 2 lbs. this week. That is a total of 12 lbs. since I committed my new lifestyle to Dr. LaSalle in the first week of March. Basically, 12 lbs. in one month. I can live with that!

But on the the more important factor, and that is my insulin level and lipid panel. I will get those drawn at the end of this week and I pray so much that the numbers reflect my efforts!

Day 46, weighed

So thankful to weigh this a.m. and be down another pound. That's 2 lbs. in 2 days of the CAD! Feel so good! And my Dr. in Carmel said that she approves me trying this diet, and wants me to bring in the information to her on my next appt. and we will make sure it's right for me. If I am losing, and feel good, my insulin surely is lowering. Please Lord! Keep me going!

Day 45, Feeling good!

This was my second day on the Carb Addicts Diet way of eating. I must say, it feels really good. I woke up this a.m. and had lost another lb. which means 11 total since March 8th. If I count right, I am in my 5th week of a six week trial period. She will test my levels and I will see her in about a week. If I am improved, I will not have to take the dreaded pill to lower my insulin levels. Please, Lord, let my numbers be good.

I feel very satisfied eating this way. I am still learning and have to hear back from Dr. LaSalle about if she totally approves of this diet or not. I have an email sent to her and the replied today that they will answer asap. If she says bad things about it, I'll drop it. But I hope she doesn't.

To give you an idea of how I'm eating. And all of this is how the CAD says I should be:
Breakfast - 2 eggs with 2 cups spinach as an omlet cooked in a little butter.

Lunch - (yesterday) Large spinach salad with turkey chopped up (today) 2 cup spinach, 1 orange pepper, swiss cheese, sautee'd in left over butter from breakfast.

Dinner - (yesterday) 2/3 of my plate was spring mix salad, 1/3 was pasta and venison with sauce, 1/3 was bread. I ate until I was full, having another serving of pasta of less than 1/2 cup, and 1/2 bread. I was so satisfied and this was all eaten within one hour. (today) 2/3 plate was spring mix, 1/3 meatloaf, 2 cookies, 1 sm. glass milk.

If you don't understand the CAD then you won't understand the reward meal. It has to be eaten within one hour and it is not for binging. It is for eating normal portions, feeling satisfied, and then being done.

I did it. For 2 days. I feel like Linda Carter.

I also walked for an hour yesterday, but none today. However I was up and working from 5 a.m. until now and you'd think that could count for something!

Day 42, CAD?

Today at church I had our fellowship pray for my strength in staying away from the foods that harm me. An hour later, I met up with a friend, a healthy friend, who I had not talked to for over a year. She filled my ear with information that she had found very very helpful in her addiction to carbs. She has a PHD and is very smart, duh. The book she read and loved is called The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet. I read their website when I got home. Makes sense to me.

Just wondering if anyone else out there has heard of this? http://www.carbohydrateaddicts.com/

Day 41

Last night at a Pampered Chef party I made Strawberry Amaretto Puff Pastries. I loved them! The host also made a Chicken Ring from Pampered Chef recipes, and I love them as well. Pastry, Pastry, Pastry. That was the theme of the party! And wonderful strawberry lemonade to boot. But what did I eat and drink you ask? After the show ended and I was just visiting the host and her family, I had left over sliced strawberries dipped in chopped almonds. YAY FOR LOW G.I.!!!

I seem to be fudging every day though, somewhat. I want a string of perfect days, please. Like I had in the beginning when I lost 7 lbs. in one week and felt on top of the world. I'm doing so many things better like no pop etc., but I gotta be a gooder girl.

Day 40

Late yesterday I met a man who is close to my age. He has one leg, and sores and all kinds of problems because he is diabetic. His wife says it is not under control, meaning he probably still eats wrong.

I want my legs.

I had a fail yesterday and that really means NOTHING for today. New day, same commitment, same strength from the same Father.

I did walk last night, which made it not an UTTER fail, I suppose. My fitness partner will be gone for 11 days and I promised her I would keep up my daily walk/elliptical/bike ride on my son's bike.

Here I go!