LizaQ's Log

[LizaQ]

Week 0 - I am planning to start next week and am researching/planning/testing this week. But I decided to start logging now so I can see how my symptoms are on what I'm currently eating.

Some basic info - I'm 52, married, 4 children, 2 still at home. My family is supportive of my doing the Whole 30 but are still hoping I find time to make some carby side dishes for them! I'm the cook around here.

I have been on WW for the past 3 months and have lost some weight. But I am not here to lose more (even though I am obese and my drs are encouraging me to keep losing) or faster. I am here to learn how the elimination/re-introduction of these food affects my Rheumatoid Arthritis and a few other issues. I intend to keep tracking my food on the WW app as it is easy and already a habit and I don't actually have to weigh/measure - I can guesstimate or even just list If I decide to. I have been weighing myself daily in order to get used to the daily/weekly fluctuations and the general trend downwards. That is a habit I will not continue! I doubt that I will mention WW again but since the entire WW way of thinking is not Whole 30ish, I thought that I should mention it.

I made a list of my symptoms from big to small and am categorizing them so I can keep track.

Skin - acne, chronic unexplained dermatitis.  Digestive - heartburn (rare now because I am on a medication for it), bloating, constipation, loose stools. Rheumatoid Arthritis - joint stiffness and pain, exhaustion. Mental - brain fog, general vague depression, Trichotillomania (was surprised to see this on the list!). Menopause (I realize I can't exactly stop the process but I do hope that I can decrease some of these symptoms!!) - Hot flashes, bloating, insomnia. Other symptoms that don't seem related - high blood pressure, anemia, seasonal allergies, random muscle pain (don't think it is RA related), gingivitis (fighting it but still an issue).

OK - that's enough for one post.

[LizaQ]

Week 0 - Monday I ate:  B: 2 slices rye toast, butter, 3 eggs. Far from compliant but I was actually thinking "ooh, have some rye toast while you still can". And I ate 10ish , a few hours after I got up becasue I knew it would be a non-lunch day. L: cut-up pineapple - I was at a prayer meeting and that's all there was. Ok - there were chips and cookies but I decided not to eat those. D: Sirloin steak panfried in butter, onions and mushrooms sauteed in butter and red wine, half a roasted sweet potato with butter and salt. Very buttery day - I will also miss butter terribly!

Symptoms - digestion fine-ish. No bloating after a runny poop (yes I'm being gross here but I need to be clear in this log!). Stiffness and pain average for me - enough to slow me down but not enough to go to bed or take pain meds. I take the bus/subway most places and I definitely take the route with the least amount of walking, even if it takes longer. Terrible trich episode  like 9-10 while scrolling through the forum. I must be more stressed than I realized! One hot flash at night. I was also up several time due to terrible itchiness on my leg/ankle. This started about 2 weeks ago. I dealt with this from August-November in several places on my body - it traveled lol and my drs thought it was nothing to worry about. I used cortisone with aloe and it finally calmed down Slept overall...11-7 but maybe only 6 hours of that since I was up so much. Also up to pee 3 times.

I think I will always write this the next day so I can see what I ate and how I slept afterwards together, along with any symptoms/issues throughout the day.

Today I am working on a shopping list for Fairway. I am hoping to find everything I need/want there as Trader Joes and Whole Foods are inconvenient for us. I don't drive - real city (Brooklyn NY) girl and my husband usually does the food shopping with my list. He is fine to take me to scout out a few local supermarkets but neither of us want to drive 30m plus. If necessary we will look into Amazon Fresh etc.

 

 

 

[LizaQ]

I hope it's ok to put some planning stuff here? I want to have this to refer to as the month goes on.

Today- a shopping list.

My goal is to have some kind of veg at every meal, even breakfast.   vegetables I like - Cooked: Asparagus Peppers Broccoli Br Sprouts Carrots Cauliflower Green Beans Mushrooms Onions Garlic Potatoes Spinach Snow Peas Tomatoes Zucchini Broc Rabe Arugula Leeks Shallots  Raw: Peppers Broccoli Carrots Cauliflower Spinach Tomatoes Arugula Celery Cucumber Lettuces  plenty of choices!

I like lots of fruits but won't be prioritizing them. I like most meats. I do like fish but my family will react badly if I cook it at home - the smell is a real issue. So I'll only have canned tuna. I intend to try canned salmon - I like salmon so I hope I'll like it canned! I love bacon so I'll be looking for compliant bacon. I'm planning to make my own sausage patties - they look super simple.

Fats. I will be shopping for compliant mayo and ghee so I'll have something to start with. I expect that I will make my own as well and then I can compare the flavors/costs. I'll be looking at avocado oil - I already have olive and sesame oils. Also shopping for coconut milk and butter - I have coconut oil. I'll be checking out salad dressings as well, though I expect I can make these easily enough. Nuts/nut butters...I feel like I need to approach these like fruits. I like them but I won't be prioritizing them.

Other stuff - I'll be looking at compliant ketchup and sauces and thinking about buying vs making. But I won't need those right away.

Dinners are tricky so I'm planning them first. My daughter (19yo, college, working, busy, living at home) has Celiac and EE and multiple food allergies and I am committed to serving something for dinner that she can eat...even if she is not crazy about it.  Of things that are allowed on Whole30, she can't eat eggs, coconut, or beef.  Because of her allergies, I already cook without dairy, gluten, soy, tree nuts, seafood, probably a few other things I am not thinking of right now. So I'll be saving eggs, coconut, and beef for meals when she's not home or we won't be eating together. She always makes her own breakfast and lunches when she is home but dinner is a communal meal.

OK - I'm ready to make my list.

[LizaQ]

I found some good stuff at Fairway - ghee, bacon, broth - chicken and bone, mustard, tuna, coconut milk. Their meat selection was not too large and what was good - organic, grass-fed, etc. -  was super expensive. We'll check our regular grocery stores over the weekend if we can and see what they have to offer. And I got avocado oil at Target.

Tomorrow I need to go into the city and I will be quite close to a Whole Foods and a Trader Joes. I can't buy anything cold (I'll need to carry it around for a few hours and then home on the subway/bus) but I can check for mayo, coconut aminos, maybe a salad dressing or 2 if they're not too pricey.

Now I am going to bed early as I have a busy day out tomorrow, which equals a lot of joint pain/exhaustion. Hopefully I'll get home before I feel like I need to crash.

[LizaQ]

Week 0 - Tuesday I am going to look at what I ate and see if it would be easy to make that meal W30 compliant.

B: I think it was 90m of getting up. Some chopped up leftover chicken from a whole chicken I bought already roasted from the supermarket. Some mayo. A few cups of arugula. OK - protein, fat, veg. If it had been a chicken I made myself (I saw that this one had dextrose) and compliant mayo it would have been fine. Which is great, becasue I eat a salad like that a few times a week - leftover meat, mayo or dressing, arugula/romaine/spinach.

L: Ate this 7 hrs after breakfast - wasn't hungry. Omelet made with 3 eggs, butter, Canadian bacon, cheddar cheese. If I had used a compliant fat, skipped the cheese & bacon  (I wonder if I could find compliant Canadian bacon??) and added a veg. But - I don't like veg with my eggs. I could do a side salad though.

D: Ate this 4 hours after dinner - so I ate a smaller amount than normal. Taco salad - ground turkey with taco seasoning. Romaine. Salsa cheese sour cream. If I made my own seasoning, skipped the dairy and made guacamole, I think this meal would also work!

Symptoms - less pain and stiffness becasue I did much less. I only went (in the car) to the supermarket in the afternoon though my fett were stiff/in pain afterwards. I did lay down after dinner to get enough oomph to do the dishes. I went to bed around 9, read till 10, slept till 2, bathroom, slept till 4, bathroom then hot flash, was awake till at least 5:30 (my husband got up for work), dozed off and woke at 8 when the phone rang. Total sleep - 8ish hours. Less itchiness but still annoying. Some cystic acne getting better, nothing new. I made an appt with my dr (first one I could get is in 2 weeks) and I will see about getting a referral to follow-up with the dermatologist and hematologist (acne/itch and exhaustion). I see my rheumatologist at the end of April.

Now it's a new day. Time to get started!

[LizaQ]

Today I hit Whole Foods and found: mayo, salad dressing, coconut aminos. I also hit Trader Joes where I found baby broccoli  (that's just to try out tomorrow as I'll buy veggies for next week over the weekend) and ginger turmeric tea. I've been looking for a turmeric tea as I read it is good for inflammation.

If I can find meat and eggs that I am happy with - I don't have to go all organic/grass-fed/etc but I'd like to buy the best that I can find/afford - I think I will be totally ready to start Monday.

[LizaQ]

Week 0 - Wednesday

B: Chicken, arugula, salad dressing. Would be fine if I bought/made a compliant dressing

L: Chipotle! I am not intending to eat there during my W30 but I have read about how carnitas should be fine, with salad, salsa, guac.

D: Weird dinner as I was very tired. Deli ham and swiss wrapped in lettuce dipped in mustard. I know that there are compliant deli meats but one of my plans is to have more hardboiled eggs on hand and I should also have leftovers.

And I had some dark chocolate covered almonds. I had bought a small bag of them at Fairway and then my husband and I split it. Totally not going to have these on the W30.

Note - on days I am home I generally drink a gallon of water. On days I am out I drink probably half of that - hard to carry that much water and hard to find a bathroom while I'm out so I purposely drink less.

I walked for several blocks, took the bus/subway both ways, went to 2 stores, met my Dad for lunch and then went with him to a dr appt. When I got home I was tired and a little achy - not as bad as I expected. I ate and then laid down for a few hours. Read, watched TV, talked to my family. I settled down to go to sleep at around 10 and then my foot began aching. I kept trying to ignore it but I finally got up and iced it. My shoes were not supportive enough for all that walking. I think I slept from 11-2. Bathroom then hot flash and then awake till about 4. Slept till 8. So maybe 7 hours total. Mild itchiness. My seasonal allergies are starting to bother me...or I'm getting a cold! No digestive issues.

[sweetcee]

Hey @LizaQ! Your prep seems awesome! I made some meals ahead to freeze for busy lunches but I went to the store soooo much in the first few days. Awesome work. 

I love that ginger turmeric tea from TJ’s! It’s very soothing. I mixed a little coconut milk in once and that was also nice. 

Not trying to jinx it, but my seasonal allergies have been pretty good so far and I attribute that to w30 (and a long winter I guess!). Cheers and good luck!

[LizaQ]

Thanks!!

Week 0 - Thursday

B: Ham and lettuce rolled up and dipped in a bit of the Primal Kitchen Mayo. It was...ok. Actually better than Hellmanns Light Mayo but nothing like regular mayo. But I'm determined to get used to it! And a cup of black tea. I haven't mentioned that I drink a cup usually 2x, occasionally 3x per day. My goal is to get it down to one cup a day. At least I already drink it black so I don't have to worry about creamers sweeteners!

L: 2 hot dogs on buns with mustard. This came out of nowhere. I haven't had a hot dog in a few months and I wasn't consciously thinking I wanted one...but it was a last hurrah kind of thing. I hadn't planned my lunch - I usually only plan dinner and then make what sounds good for breakfast and lunch. Since I've been on WW I've been fairly careful but I can see that I need to know my plan before I walk into the kitchen!

D: Broccolini blanched and then sauteed in avocado oil. My husband and I were both underwhelmed. I would have preferred it sauteed with garlic and he would have preferred it boiled a bit longer and then served with butter and salt. Next time I'll try it his way with ghee. Speaking if ghee - I took a tiny taste and I was thrilled - it tastes buttery! I will be happy to add it to everything!! Oh - we also had a sheet pan meal with olive oil, spices, potatoes, onions, yellow and orange peppers, and turkey sausages. The sausages had sugar but a compliant sausage would have made this a good W30 meal. My husband and I talked about trying Applegate Farms and Aidells but I reminded him to please check the ingredient list. If we're going to spend more we need to be absolutely sure!

Today was full of laundry and schoolwork. Oh - I should mention, in case my legions of readers lol want to know, that I've been homeschooling for 22 years and this is my final year - my youngest is graduating soon. This is part of the reason I am really focusing on my health right now. If I wanted to get a job or volunteer, I don't think I could with my current level of pain etc. I downplay it because I'm home most days and can slow down or lie down any time I need to. But I want to be free to choose what comes next in my life, not just stay home because I can't do anything else.

Symptoms - still sniffly but I doubt that's food related. Normal bathroom stuff. Tired but not too achy. Moderate itchiness. My other foot (not the one from yesterday with the arch pain) had different pain - the bones at the top of my foot. My knee was a little tricky - I live in an apartment building and I need to bump the laundry cart down a short flight of stairs to get to the laundry room. It always sets off my right knee a bit.

I slept weirdly. Went to bed around 9:15 as I was tired. Didn't actually get up to go to the bathroom - I drank only about 100 oz yesterday. One hot flash but I was awake several times but for short period of time. And I woke up at 6:30.

Just realized - it was a day without dairy!

 

 

[Hope4Overcomers]

On 3/28/2018 at 4:50 PM, LizaQ said:

Today I hit Whole Foods and found: mayo, salad dressing, coconut aminos. I also hit Trader Joes where I found baby broccoli  (that's just to try out tomorrow as I'll buy veggies for next week over the weekend) and ginger turmeric tea. I've been looking for a turmeric tea as I read it is good for inflammation.

If I can find meat and eggs that I am happy with - I don't have to go all organic/grass-fed/etc but I'd like to buy the best that I can find/afford - I think I will be totally ready to start Monday.

I found that Yogi provides a good Tumeric Tea!

[LizaQ]

I tried the TJ tea and it was good. When I run out I will look for the Yogi one - I love to find new teas! I am looking at all of my labels and finding that a few have stevia so I will be taking them out of my rotation.

[Hope4Overcomers]

Good point! Many or most of my teas have to go for Whole30. A lot have caffeine!

[LizaQ]

Week 0 Friday

Busy yesterday and today so a fast update.  B: Leftover sausage potatoes peppers If I were W30ing it, I would have needed to add some fat. L: Scrambled eggs with ham cooked in ghee, clementines. Again - more fat. Also - where were the veg? D: Chicken breasts cooked in avocado oil and stuffing. WHERE were the veg? Apparently, that's how I eat on a busy day the day before food shopping when I am eating mindlessly. At least the day wasn't full of sugar. And I am getting in lots of water

I slept terribly - I definitely have a cold. And another hot flash - every night this week. Sometimes I only get one in a week. 2 bms yesterday - weird. Super itchy. Pretty tired - and all I did was laundry/cooking/cleaning. I skipped church becasue of my cold. Specific pain in my left foot.

[LizaQ]

OK - cold is on the mend and I started today - Wednesday 4/4. I weighed myself this morning and stopped at the supermarket this afternoon for a few extra things - chicken apple sausages, some ground pork for homemade sausages, spinach and tomatoes, roasted red peppers.

I am down to one cup of caffeine a day and I intend to stay there, though I will have decaf tea later in the day.

I guess that's it. The day is going well. I'll do a recap of today in the morning!

[LizaQ]

Day 1 - W 4/4

B: Not within an hour. I had a slow poky not-hungry morning and didn't eat till 9:30. I had scrambled eggs with ghee and a salad of romaine, red peppers, and tomatoes with avocado oil and apple cider vinegar.

A cup of black tea with caffeine at 11.

L: I ate before I was really hungry, at around 1:30, so 4 hours later. Turkey burgers with a dip I made with Primal Kitchen mayo, mustard, fresh garlic, and Herbes de Provence. It tasted better than the mayo alone. And asparagus roasted with olive oil. And a little fresh pineapple. I actually was a little hungry!

D: I had dinner around 6:30, so 5 hours later. I made a chicken dish that I often make but I took out the white wine and used broth instead. I made Basmati rice for the family but had my chicken over cauliflower rice. And I had a salad with romaine, carrots, red peppers, oil and vinegar.

Was it a template day? No snacks. Possibly too much fat but maybe better than too little? Plenty of veg. Solid amount of protein.

I took a nap in the afternoon but that's not unusual for me. Itchy but not too bad. I had a little cystic acne that has mostly cleared up. No gassiness. Gum a little swollen and some ear/jaw pain - both sinus/cold related, I think.  Some aches and pain - regular amount.

I was up coughing twice (didn't last long though) and then had a hot flash around 4 and another at around 5:30. But I kept going back to sleep and woke for real at 8.

[LizaQ]

Day 2 - Th 4/5

B: 9:00 A breakfast hash with bacon and a burger on the side. P-Bacon, leftover turkey burger V-potatoes/asparagus/red peppers F-bacon fat (on the veg), mayo (on the burger).

L: 1:30 A salad. P- 1/2 chicken breast, 1 hard-boiled egg, bacon V-romaine/raw broccoli/red peppers F-salad dressing (primal kitchen Caesar) also 1 clementine

S: 3:30 A bit of everything. P-hard-boiled egg V-raw broc F-dressing

D: 6:00 Melissa's Chicken hash with green beans on the side. P-chicken thighs V-sweet potato/spinach/green beans F-ghee/olive oil (on the green beans) also apple

My salad had less protein than yesterday as I wasn't that hungry...but then I was hungry two hours later and had the snack. Other than that my meals were a good size and, I think, right on the template.

About 120 oz of water, 1 cup black tea @11am.

Pretty itchy in the evening so I broke out the hydrocortisone with aloe. Still blowing my nose a lot! A small runny poop. More stiff and achy than the day before. No nap but I did lie down for about 20m 3x over the day. Turned off the light at 9:30, up 11ish to pee, up 2:30 to pee, then a hot flash, then restless sleep (my temp was all off - take off my nightgown, turn on the fan, turn off the fan, pile on all the blankets, kick them off again, etc), up to pee again around 5, restless till 8, when I got up. And blowing my nose or coughing a little a few times during the night.

Sleeping in till 8 is becoming a new normal for me over the last few weeks.

 

 

[LizaQ]

Day 3 - F 4/6

B: 8:30 Big Salad. P- chicken breast, bacon V-romaine, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, red peppers F-olive oil. Also apple cider vinegar

L: 2:30 Leftovers P-hard-boiled eggs V-green beans, spinach F-Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette

D: 6:30 Leftover Melissa's Chicken Hash plus some of my family's dinner because I didn't have enough leftover! P-chicken breast V-white potatoes, Brussels sprouts F-extra olive oil on the veg - probably not enough?

Tea, gallon of water

Diarrhea today - but once and done, not all day.

I had a busy day. Stiff and achy but not so much that I didn't get to the store and do lots of laundry. Definitely spending more time in the kitchen! I laid down for 45m to watch some tv in the late afternoon but no nap. Walking slowly and my husband noticed I was limping again - knee troubles. Super itchy before bed. I was in bed by 8:30 and asleep by 9. No hot flashes! But I did get up to go to the bathroom at around 3 and I slept restlessly till 6 when I got up so I could go food shopping.

[LizaQ]

Day 4 - S 4/7

B: 10 A Scramble P- Eggs V- Asparagus, white potatoes F- Ghee in cooking but no extra

L: 2 A Stir-fry P- Chicken apple sausage V-carrots, spinach F- avocado oil and extra ghee

D: 6 Fajitas P- chicken V- peppers, onions, tomatoes, romaine, salsa F- guacamole

Black tea, gallon of water

Overall a good day. Breakfast was shady - late and no extra fat. I went food shopping, did stuff around the house, and watched tv and relaxed. No desire to KATT lol.

Bathroom twice - second time diarrhea. But then done - didn't linger. Itchy. Not too achy but I did relax a lot. Not too stiff - I made sure to change position more often. Sleep was broken again - up twice. 5 am hot flash and never got back to sleep...so I just got up at 6. I might have fallen asleep again but I can't sleep in and make it to church.

[LizaQ]

Day 5 - Sun 4/8

B: 7:30 Leftover Salad (not raw) P-1 hb egg, chicken breast, bacon V-leftover white potatoes and green beans F-PK Greek Vinaigrette

L: 1:30 Salad P-chicken V-spinach and romaine F-PK Ceasar dressing. Also strawberries

D: 6 Burgers P-ground turkey V-Carrots (in the burgers), brocolli (sauteed), tomato (raw) F: PK Mayo. Also mustard

First thing I noticed when I got up was that my ankles looked skinny. I guess that they are generally a little swollen - not so much that I even notice it - but enough that I noticed them NOT being swollen. NSV!

This was our week to do set up at church, which meant moving chairs, setting up the coffee table, doing some clean up, etc. By the time we left I was definitely limping and when we got home I went to bed right after lunch. I just needed to put my feet up. My ankles were still looking good but the bones and joints in my feet were miserable. And I fell asleep and didn't get up till 4. Which was great but didn't help my sleep at night! Not grumpy at all and the tiredness was consistent with this kind of Sunday - not extra W30 tiredness.

No poop at all today. Pretty itchy. My feet were fine by the time I made dinner. I felt tired again and went to bed at around 9. I was also absolutely freezing, and it wasn't that cold. But when I got up at 11:30 to go to the bathroom, I was up for a few hours. Reading didn't help. Watched a little TV (like 10m) - no help. I was cold/hot/uncomfortable/couldn't settle. I think it was around 2 when I fell asleep again - awake at 6:30 and just got up. Busy day.

I was reading about body temp fluctuations. I have had a lot this winter in addition to actual hot flashes. Could be menopause, or arthritis, or losing weight (I've lost 20 pounds Jan-Mar) or who knows. Aggravating.

 

 

[sweetcee]

I will say that during my whole30, I woke up a couple times sweating at night, and it is definitely not menopause or arthritis for me. Also, it’s been so cold here that I was confused! Whether it is true or not, I chalked the disrupted sleep and new stuff up to w30 and my body adjusting to changes. It only lasted a little while for me.

[LizaQ]

Day 6 - M 4/8

B: 8 Burgers and a stir-fry P- Turkey V-carrots (in the burgers), cauliflower rice, shallots, red peppers F-avocado oil, mayo. Also mustard

L: 12:30 I was out at prayer group (we meet every other week). I brought some snacks and the hosts had only w30 food out since they knew I was doing it - they're the ones who told me about it! No protein, but I think it was a good choice of snack - V-baby peppers F-raw cashews and I was careful to only eat a handful. I actually closed my fist over it! And some pineapple.

S: 4 By the time I got home (I ran errands after the meeting) I was starved. So I had another snack! P-2 HB eggs F-mayo. aldo mustard. Basically, everytime I use mayo I add some mustard to it as I prefer the flavor that way.

d: 6 Steaks! P-sirloin steak, only 1/2 of what I would normally have had as I wasn't that hungry. V-sweet potatoes, shallots, asparagus F-avocado oil drizzled over the veg.

Diarrhea again...but not too much, if that makes sense. Less runny than earlier in the week.

I was in some pain - did a lot of walking and I was limping a little by the time I had the kitchen cleaned up. I was in bed by 7:30, watching some TV and stretching out. Quite itchy. One hot flash right at bedtime - about 9:30 - and then my temp was pretty reasonable all might. But I still slept restlessly - up once to go to the bathroom and it took a few hours to get back to a deep sleep. I woke about 6am with muscle pain in my legs and it is still bothering me (it's 8:30 now) enough that I think I will take ibuprofen.

I see my dr on Thursday and he will weigh me and talk about my weight. Unavoidable. I thought about waiting till I was done with the W30 but I am about out of one of my medications and I want to see how my BP etc are doing - I haven't seen him since August or September and it is time. Plus I need some referrals. I need to follow-up with my hematologist and the eye dr for a treatment I had over the fall.

[LizaQ]

Day 7 - T 4/10

B: 7:30 Eggs and Salad P: HB eggs V: Romaine, peppers F: Caesar dressing

L: 11:30 Leftovers P: Steak V: asparagus, white and sweet potatoes F: guacamole Also pineapple

D: 5:30 Hash P:chicken thighs and sausages V: Sweet potatoes, spinach, green beans F: Greek dressing Also apple in the hash

I had a hungry day yesterday. I don't think I ate enough at breakfast so I had lunch early. And then I was pretty hungry at dinner, plus it was delicious, so I definitely ate more that I should have. I just kept eating becasue I had served myself so much. I served my dinner in 2 bowls (I didn't want to combine the green beans with dressing with the hash- I'm picky that way) and I think if I had put it all on a plate I would have seen just how much it was. But it wasn't so much that I felt sick - just fuller than I am used to lately. When I started WW I stopped eating seconds and I am now accustomed to eating a plateful.

Symptoms. Still itchy. Nothing in the bathroom dept. Skin pretty clear. Pain faded after the ibuprofen and I was comfortable the rest of the day. I was pretty tired by 8...because I made 2 dinners last night (chicken/rice/beans for my family) which was more standing and lots more dishes.

Bed at around 9:30. Slept till 12:30, bathroom, up for a while but fell asleep at one point, hot flash at 3:30, still awake at 5:3- when my husband was getting ready for work, dozed off but woke again at 7:15. It's crazy how normal this sleeplessness is for me. I can't imagine how I would function if I was working - just errands and household stuff and regular life have me exhausted. Today I am trying something new - Tai chi. I am hoping I sleep better tonight....if I can just keep from taking a nap when I get home

 

[LizaQ]

Day 8 - W 4/11

This was not a good food day. No - actually, the food was fine but my timing was all off.

B: 9 Big salad P: leftover steak V: romaine tomatoes radishes red peppers F: Caesar dressing

I left for Tai Chi (first time!) at 11:45 and didn't eat anything first. I should have had breakfast earlier and then an early lunch or a snack before I left. Took the bus and got there are around 12:20 for a 12:45 class. I can leave later next time, which will give me more time to eat first. Class from 12:45 to 1:45. I had read here that you don't really need a pre/postwo meal for something like Yoga...but I did. For me it was strenuous!! By 2 I was in the grocery store feeling desperate. Oh - I had a bottle of water with me so I was keeping hydrated.

Snack 1: 2ish Lara Bar pecan pie flavor. Hit the spot. I ate it walking down the street towards the bus stop. I got a seat on the bus and felt better within 10m.

Snack 2:  2:45 Chicken and guacamole. I should have lunch but I needed to go out again - this time I was driven! I left at 3:00 and, among other things, hit the grocery store. Came home with lots of new food! But I was too tired to cook much so I made a quick dinner for the kids and had mostly leftovers for myself.

D: 6ish Leftover chicken hash etc P: chicken and sausage V: Asparagus plus sweet potato and spinach in the hash F: Avocado oil on the asparagus. I was still a little hungry so I had a hardboiled egg. Better.

So. Skipping lunch in favor of two small snacks did not work. I should have modified my day so I ate lunch before I went out and then had a small snack ready for when I got home. Next week - I want to make the Tai chi a weekly thing - I will plan better.

Symptoms. I was tired after class but in a good stretchy way and I felt a little more energetic. I got through the day without lying down once...till 7:30. Then I was done with everything and went to bed. Watched some tv and talked to my husband and kids. But I did not sleep well again, and I was hoping I would have a better night. Well, I sort of did in a way. I wasn't up for long periods of time but I did wake up many times. I was in just enough pain to struggle with getting comfortable but not enough to take something for it. Now I kind of regret it - I'm tired and maybe I should have taken something!!

Itchy. No hot flashes. An almost regular poop. My right knee is not happy - a have a slightly torn meniscus and it has been much better the past 6 weeks or so. But I think I overdid it yesterday in the class and then all the walking. I need to be more careful.

Seeing the dr in a few hours so we'll see how my blood pressure is.

.

[LizaQ]

Day 9 - Th 4/12

B: 7:30 Hash P: Chicken and sausages V: Sweet potatoes and spinach, arugula F: Caesar dressing. also pineapple

L: 11:00 Egg salad P: 3 eggs V: sweet potatoes and shallots F: Mayo. Also Cashews! *I was on my way out an still hungry so I added cashew ot my meal instead of extra veg since I didn't have time to cook more and didn't want more raw veg.

D: 6:00 Sheetpan P: Chicken thighs V: Carrots, shallots and garlic F: no extra fat. I wasn't that hungry and I felt like I had had so much fat at lunch it would ok to just have the avocado oil from the veg. Still afraid of too much fat I guess.

Today I had the dr. I don't know how much I have lost the past week exactly because I only know how much I have lost since I last saw him. But he was pleased with my weight! My BP was good  - 112/82 - so I don't have to take a water pill anymore, just the regular med. I'll see him again in 6 months and I am hoping that I will get off that med altogether then! We discussed my exhaustion, pain, itch, etc. and got the referrals I needed. I'll see a derm for the itch and go back to the rheumatologist and hematologist.

Symptoms? Terribly itchy in the evening. I did make an appt for the derm but that's in a few weeks. 2x trips to the bathroom - close to normal. Again, I took no naps or rests, even after taking the bus/walking to get to the dr plus making 2 dinners - one for my husband and son and one for my daughter and me - but I was very ready to lay down at 7. I was ready to sleep at around 9:30. My sleep was similar to the night before - woke up many times but did not stay awake for long periods of time. My pain was very specific - rolling over with a torn meniscus is painful and wakes me up! I woke up for real at 6 and felt like I could start my day. Limping a little but it is not all of my arthritis, just the meniscus. That's an improvement. And my feet didn't hurt as much yesterday!

[LizaQ]

Day 10 - F 4/13

B: 7:30 Eggs and salad P: Eggs V: arugula, romaine, tomato F: Greek dressing, avocado oil, ghee on eggs

L: 12:30 Burgers P: burgers made with organic pastured etc beef, 1 small pork sausage V: asparagus F: mayo (and mustard, avocado oil

D: 6:00 Chicken and veg P: chicken breasts V: sweet Potatoes, arugula F: cashews

Today I felt like I didn't eat enough veg. I had less asparagus left than I thought and I had a higher ratio of protein and fat to veg at lunch. Ditto dinner - I didn't make enough veg for 2 so shairing it with my daughter meant that I had a little less than I should have - my plate was not full. And I shouldn;t have had the cashes becasue it was 2 days in a row. I just couldn't think of a fat, other then pouring oil over my food - yuck - that would work/be appealing. I wish I like coconut or olives!

Busy day at home so I missed all of the beautiful weather! I was tired, lay down twice during the day, and fell asleep at 8. My daughter woke me at 9 - poor kid, she didn't know I was asleep - with some good news about her grades, and then my son came home around 10 and came in to let me know how is evening had been, so I was very awake till about 11. Restless sleep but no long stretches of being awake...and then my husband woke me at 5 to see if I wanted to come food shopping. I didn't...but then I was too awake to get back to sleep even though I tried. I will probably need a real nap today - we'll see.

Not too itchy till this morning. A few new cysts - maybe my period is coming. Trich is troubling - not too much but every day. Knee and feet about the same. No bathroom and feeling a little bloated this morning so I hope I empty out today lol. I can't believe I am discussing my bathroom habits on a public forum!