Idgie's new journal

Share your daily McDougall menus and/or keep a journal describing your personal progress.

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Re: Idgie's new journal

Postby Idgie » Sat Oct 13, 2018 9:34 pm

No reward today for MWL, but my food was really good. Went out to dinner with my kid and ordered veggie ramen and green tea; the rest of the day was right on MWL. Total reward is $17.

Symptoms today: Backache, but getting better. Shoulder pain from using the cane and putting my weight on my arms. A little lightheadedness from low blood pressure. May have to reduce my beta-blocker. I had bloodwork done today, and we'll see how it's going.

Drugs today: Regular dose of thyroid (250 mcg 6 days a week). 50 metoprolol morning and evening. 1 cup of green tea, no aspirin.
Idgie, Southern CA
My recipes (mostly MWL) are at https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=58361&p=586527#p586527
My new MWL-only recipe site is at http://mwlrecipes.weebly.com
Idgie
 
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Lab results

Postby Idgie » Sun Oct 14, 2018 1:14 pm

In April, I got bloodwork done. I kind of inched towards eating better, and then June 10th, I joined SparkPeople and got serious, and found this place June 29th. Yesterday, I got my six-month bloodwork check done. I'm pretty pumped about the numbers:

CHOLESTEROL 143 mg/dL (down from 161 last time, and an all-time high of 207)
TRIGLYCERIDE 150 mg/dL (down from 184 last time, and an all-time high of 214
HGBA1C 5.5% (down from 5.6 last time, and an all-time high of 5.9)
[ETA: TSH is way too low (0.10 -- correct range is 0.35 - 4.00) and I'm guessing my weight loss is the reason. Emailed the doc about dialing the thyroid hormone down. That should calm my heart palpitations, and then I can try halving the beta-blocker again.]

Woot-woot!
Last edited by Idgie on Sun Oct 14, 2018 7:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Idgie, Southern CA
My recipes (mostly MWL) are at https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=58361&p=586527#p586527
My new MWL-only recipe site is at http://mwlrecipes.weebly.com
Idgie
 
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Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2018 1:20 am

1st gym visit!

Postby Idgie » Sun Oct 14, 2018 4:49 pm

Well, today will go on the books as a successful day! I got up, took my time with breakfast and getting dressed and stuff, and then didn't even entertain the idea of staying home from the gym. I will be babbling about the gym for a little while, now, so feel free to bail out. I won't hold it against you.

Good things about my gym visit:

* Not crowded! I went around 10 or so this morning, and there were maybe 4 people in the workout room. I was 1 of 2 people in the lap-swim area of the pool, and there were maybe 4 people total in the pool.
* I was alone in the (clean, tidy) dressing rooms, which have great lockers with built-in combination locks.
* The people there answered any questions I had very nicely, but they seemed bored and didn't initiate contact, which is PERFECT for me. Being in the gym as a fat person doesn't bother me. Having to interact with strangers is what's hard for me.
* I start my free coaching sessions tomorrow at 7am, and I'm really looking forward to it.
* The pool is heated, and did I mention I had it to myself? I could only swim 6 lengths before running out of energy, but I did them, woot-woot!

Things I didn't think of, but now I know for next time:

* If I don't take my glasses with me to the pool, I won't be able to read my locker combination when I get back to the dressing room! :-D
* I should take sunscreen with me
* Ditto earplugs
* Ditto shower/deck shoes
* And a second towel to wrap my wet swimsuit in
* And a small towel for the equipment

I chose my three favorite exercises: swimming, cycling, walking. I can't do treadmill walking, so I decided on the elliptical instead. Dang, that thing was HARD for me! I'm way out of shape, so I did the best I could on all three, as a baseline, and I will get better as I go on.

Elliptical: 2 minutes
Cycle: 12 minutes HIIT (they're programmable)
Swimming laps: 12 minutes (3 lengths back and forth -- 6 lengths total. The 12 minutes includes the times when I had to stop to breathe or go really slow -- each length took around a minute not counting rests.)
Idgie, Southern CA
My recipes (mostly MWL) are at https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=58361&p=586527#p586527
My new MWL-only recipe site is at http://mwlrecipes.weebly.com
Idgie
 
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Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2018 1:20 am

Surprise Whole Foods run

Postby Idgie » Sun Oct 14, 2018 5:03 pm

What partner meant to say: "Hey, let's go to Sprouts so I can buy some cashew butter."
What partner actually said: "Hey, let's go to Whole Foods so I can buy some cashew butter."

Now, Whole Foods is 20 minutes away, and we haven't been there in maybe 15 years, since when we lived closer to it, but I grabbed the opportunity to declare an expotition.

I won't do it again -- too loud, crowded, tiny parking spaces, etc. -- but it was cool anyway. I got a bunch of stuff I don't have available to me at our local stores: My beloved Woven Wheats, Engine 2 burgers, many varieties of Dr. McD's soups, the latest FoK magazine, and some truly amazing organic teeny-tiny tomatoes. Partner got cashew butter, too, of course, but I ignore that part. :-)

Being there was not fun, but having some new completely unnecessary but fun on-plan treats in the house is very fun.
Idgie, Southern CA
My recipes (mostly MWL) are at https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=58361&p=586527#p586527
My new MWL-only recipe site is at http://mwlrecipes.weebly.com
Idgie
 
Posts: 1153
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2018 1:20 am

Re: Idgie's new journal

Postby Mark Cooper » Sun Oct 14, 2018 5:16 pm

Sounds like an excellent day, Idgie! Way to go with the exercise! :thumbsup:
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Re: Idgie's new journal

Postby Idgie » Sun Oct 14, 2018 7:39 pm

Thanks, Mark!
Idgie, Southern CA
My recipes (mostly MWL) are at https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=58361&p=586527#p586527
My new MWL-only recipe site is at http://mwlrecipes.weebly.com
Idgie
 
Posts: 1153
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2018 1:20 am

Re: Idgie's new journal

Postby VegSeekingFit » Sun Oct 14, 2018 8:40 pm

Hi Idgie! :)

Awesome on your blood work results!!! Woot!!!

I liked your gym post... not boring at all... Good for your for going and doing !! It is so exciting to track progress here too - how far, how fast, how you feel... no matter where you start, improvement -- and that's motivating!!! Keep going... you rock!

Cheers,
Stephanie
"Just put one foot in front of the other and don't worry about the length of the path.
Once you get on that path, and the longer you stay on it, there eventually will come a time when you will not turn back." - Martina Navratilova
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Re: Idgie's new journal

Postby Idgie » Wed Oct 17, 2018 10:53 pm

Thanks, Veg!

Had an emotionally difficult day at work (tried to help a woman who is in danger from domestic violence) and I didn't go off-plan, though I did comfort-eat some tomato soup. I have lost nearly 50 pounds, and I didn't want to mess it up, or to make myself feel sick and bloated and defeated just to try to make myself feel better.

2nd on-plan day = $2 to my bonus bucket, which is currently at $20.

Third time at the gym today. Did 20 minutes on the exercycle, 30 minutes of weights (would have gotten more weights done if I were better at using the machines, but I'll improve), then 10 minutes on the exercycle. I really really enjoyed it. Planning to go again tomorrow.

My reps today:

3 sets of 12-15 reps each (to failure)

Abdominals (crunches): 40 lbs.
Leg press: 100 was too easy; went up to 110 lbs.
Arm extensions: 40 was too hard; went down to 25 lbs.
Back extensions: 60 lbs.
Idgie, Southern CA
My recipes (mostly MWL) are at https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=58361&p=586527#p586527
My new MWL-only recipe site is at http://mwlrecipes.weebly.com
Idgie
 
Posts: 1153
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2018 1:20 am

Re: Idgie's new journal

Postby Mark Cooper » Thu Oct 18, 2018 3:35 am

Way to go staying on plan, despite a rough day emotionally!
I'm so glad you are enjoying the exercise (it is one of my absolute favorite activities :D ).
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Re: Idgie's new journal

Postby bunsofaluminum » Thu Oct 18, 2018 9:16 am

Oh, what a delight to read your entries here for the past week! The blood work looking good, reducing your meds :cool: the enjoyable gym experience! how wonderful! And staying on plan despite an emotionally rough encounter...girl you are ROCKIN THIS!

Idgie, FTW!

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Re: Idgie's new journal

Postby Idgie » Thu Oct 18, 2018 9:25 am

Thank you both so much!

I wish I knew the trick to always sailing through difficult weeks. Isn't it funny that sometimes little tiny things will throw us off track, and sometimes even really hard days don't beat us?
Idgie, Southern CA
My recipes (mostly MWL) are at https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=58361&p=586527#p586527
My new MWL-only recipe site is at http://mwlrecipes.weebly.com
Idgie
 
Posts: 1153
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2018 1:20 am

Re: Idgie's new journal

Postby choufleur » Thu Oct 18, 2018 1:13 pm

Hi Idgie, I just caught up on your journal too - you're doing so well!!! Way to go on the bloodwork results (!!!) and I'm so glad your gym experience has been pleasant. I was initially intimidated going to the gym too but I joined the Y earlier this year also and really like it!

Also yay on not going off track on the hard day. You're so motivating!
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