Michelle’s Loosing Fibromyalgia and Weight Journal

[lmggallagher]

Katie - seagulls count too - as they may not be the one's we have here. Hard to identify seagulls for me - but I give it a good try. I did look up all the birds in your earlier post. Thrilled that one is a rail as rails and herons are my most favorite birds. However, now that my birding is "on site only" I am getting pretty attached to my "average garden birds" they are immensely cheeky - especially the Black-capped chickadees who don't even fly off when I am out filling their feeder. Sadly all the hummingbird plants I planted are not attracting hummers - except when my Cousin Mike is here on the deck eating his lunch. He thinks I have them all the time - and I can't figure out what his be pull is with those wee birds

[lmggallagher]

I've been having a variety of health issues some old some new in the last few weeks. Still loosing weight but I get off course when I go through my traveling pain periods. I've had a couple of bad flares with those since I last logged in for weigh in. In addition to that the eye problem that was one of the symptoms of the bone density injection reactions has popped up again and been quite bad along with the skin rash on my arms. Not to mention the toe is still a problem - including what could be peripheral neuropathy or a psoriatic arthritis symptom. Whatever is going on with me is very vexxing and I'm not getting a handle on it because other than the video conference with my new primary care physician - diagnosing is a face to face thing along with labs if it's diabetes. I was pre-diabetic at A1C 6.2 - I wouldn't anticipate eye and foot problems at that level - but that's just one intermittent reading.

My best friend who lives in far northern California and takes advantage of all the amazing parks and trails up there - just got a pre-diabetes diagnosis. It completely shocked her because her weight and other factors are all perfect. However - that's completely due to the fact that her method of weight control is walking 16 to 20 miles a week - so she can eat all the fat and sugar she wants. Her diagnosis made me vigalent about the diabetes symptoms and also my recent cheats. I have been hitting the tortillas/hummus again and when I was sick I put some veggie patties in the food order for fast cooking. Both are major fat contributors and diabetes is about fat not sugars.

My friend made it clear that she was now willing to eradicate sugar from her diet and I sent her a link to Dr. Barnard's book on reversing Diabetes. I read the discussions in the weigh in group from last week and am taking Goose's guidance to not try to discuss anyone into this way of eating but to ask them if they'd be interested on a good book on the subject. My friend ordered it, read some and got back to me via text that it was too hard and she wasn't willing to give up nuts and avocados - THE END!

I texted her back and said I understood - she's vegetarian and makes good efforts (in between binges). I told her that my reasons for being on McDougall again were the breast cancer and the medical acceptance that BC and insulin issues are linked. Apparently she read on in the book and by the end of the same day she got back to me that she was going to try it.

I'm thrilled and started reading that book and listening to another Barnard wrote the introduction for "Mastering Diabetes". One of the authors of that book got diabetes along with two other auto immune diseases - so now I am wondering if this mix of symptoms is a couple of things, but all related to insulin levels. So now I am even more diligent with adhering to the plan here. Pain and changes in my eye sight are huge motivators - and it doesn't hurt that despite some cheats I made last weekend - I'm already down 2 pounds this week.

[lmggallagher]

SW: 241.9
GW: 150.0

Last Week: 218.0
This Week: 216.0
Total Lost: 25.9 pounds

Lost: 2.0 pounds

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert . I've got the carb to veggies right but I'm still overboard on fruit. Some how when I go online to order my food through Instacart all those frest peaches, strawberries, melons and grapes are just siren calling my name. I'll be better with this week's order on Tuesday - ration out only 2 fruits per day - boy will that be hard
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e., bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages) I'm still hitting my kale and chia smoothie on days when I am exhausted. It works and gets me through but I know I am paying in potential weight I could have lost.
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking) . I think the toes have improved enough to try some walking in Tevas next week but shoes are still out of the question.

Observation for the week -- My energy level is going up and my bad pain days have not cycled as closely together as they were. Also those only last a day now. Fingers crossed this keeps up. I lost a day yesterday to exhaustion and pain - but today woke up feeling fine head to toe and jumped right into the day. Clueless why this teeter-totter of symptoms happens, but boy am I overjoyed that the good days are now almost "normal person" good days

Good progress to everyone and stay healthy - Michelle

[fulenn]

Hi Michelle! Just wanted to drop in and say hi to you. I am glad that your pain days are just one day now. Hoping it gets to no days soon. Glad that you mentioned tortilla/hummus; my spouse wants me to make him some hummus for his sandwich tomorrow. I guess I'm off to the kitchen again. Hang in there!!

Fulenn

[lmggallagher]

FULENN: how wonderful to hear from you!!!

The pain thing isn't fibro - that seems to be really tamped down to nothing. This is something new - happened after taking oral meds for breast cancer and a bone density drug injection. It may be Psoriatic Arthritis - my primary care can't diagnosis unless I go in personally for a look - but I do have all the symptoms according to her from afar

I'm not daunted though as Nichole eradicated her PsA with this diet and YOU have been the best of all examples of how to tackle the toughest of diagnoses!

I'm sure you're making a perfect no oil hummus - I got to start doing that from scratch another good thing in need to model from YOU --- that home cooking thang.

Thanks for saying howdy - so glad to hear from you.

[lmggallagher]

Rachel from the MWL weigh in group posted some wonderful before and after photos this week. She looks so svelte and healthy in a super slim fitting dress! It's most motivating for me as she has lost just over the same amount of weight I need to loose.

Weirdly, I took some before pictures too - just this morning before I saw hers. Mine really discouraged me as this is the reality after losing 25 pounds and to be technically correct I had lost some on McDougall in prior years I hadn't yet gained back. So - in fact it's 38 pounds in total from my highest weight.

Anyway - as pathetic as these are - I hope one day to look back and see a whole new person that was there the whole time waiting to be healthy.





None-the-less --- I'm eating my kitchen sink salad right now and relishing the fact that I scored lemon cucumbers this week to augment the salad. I may not be happy with these pics, but I am happy with the way I am getting to a new me

[lmggallagher]

Yikes - I found a photo of me at my top most ever weight! I was 256 in this photo. It was taken in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I was on a cruise with my high school besties and their hubbies. This was the day before I was to go on a whale watching expedition. No one in my group was up for it as it was all day and lots of activity. Amazingly I was very able to do eight or so miles a day on that trip. I was once shocked that I had done over 20,000 steps - I have no clue how?

The whale excursion was the ultimate highlight of my trip! I got yo see Right whales which are terribly endangered. Amazingly, there were about 4 times as many that day as the biologists on board had seen in years.

Looking at this picture - perhaps they were mistaking me for a whale

[Ruff]

how wonderful you were able to see Right Whales! I am a volunteer Marine mammal medic and I help with whale strandings on the South Island. In our case its most often Pilot Whales but can be any, anywhere as we are a bit of rock sticking into many whale migration paths.

I am watching you and Buns at the moment, you are both doing very well on MWL. I am working towards joining you, because of the pain in my feet.

[lmggallagher]

Katie ---- I am so glad you are doing things to protect whales!

I love them and spent many hours on beaches watching them migrate along the California Coast. One day a friend and I weren't even out looking for any and a Humpback calf came into the beach cove not long after followed by Mom. They frolicked feet from us for about 15 or 20 minutes and then she headed him out. We were speechless the whole time and for quite awhile afterwards too.

I've not been one for the boat watching excursions - I think that is intrusive to the whales and disturbs their feeding grounds - but Right whales was too hard to pass up.

What's happening with your feet? Oh dear - that is possibly limiting. I have a problem with my little toe swelling and causing pain for months now. It's kept me from walking for exercising. I hope you aren't being limited in your activities too.

[lmggallagher]

Tomorrow is my birthday - I turn, OMG , 68. My Cousin Mike came today to install the gate he made for my back yard fence. He copied the old one which was nice, but this one is so much better and sturdier. It was all great! I'm so thrilled with the efforts he has made to help me and appreciative of his company during the time of Covid on different sides of the sliding glass door!! BUT...

... he brought a package from his Mom - that was clearly See's chocolates. The whole family knows I am doing my utmost to lose weight and she meant no harm. She's 91 and now can't go out to shop I am sure a neighbor bought it for her and it was the easiest errand to ask as the store is next to their grocery. Still ...

Luckily, I am not the only recent birthday girl in the weigh in group and others have foregone birthday treats or minimized the damage I used them as models to reinforce a better choice. So, out of a two layer box I picked 3 and literally flushed the rest. Amazingly - the three I picked tasted like pure sugar and not really that tempting. Still, I appreciated those who made the effort for my birthday and made a choice for health over people pleasing and gluttony. That's a small thing, but a nice way to start my 68th year.

[lmggallagher]

Re: Michelle’s Loosing Fibromyalgia and Weight Journal

Postby lmggallagher » Sat Aug 08, 2020 11:51 am
SW: 241.9
GW: 150.0

Last Week: 216.0
This Week: 215.4
Total Lost: 25.6 pounds

Lost: 0.6 pounds

2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert
. I was good with this until the massive heat wave hit California. I've only one air conditioned room and the kitchen is unbearably hot until about 10pm these days. I didn't plan this into my food order and still haven't figured out a no cook MWL plan - right now it's over loading fruit which I rationed until the next shop - so I best get a plan fast

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy)
. Ate 3 chocolate candies.

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking)
. The good news is that the toes are improving somewhat and I think I can walk without pain or tingling becoming too bad. However, it's too hot here now and the air quality is too bad to be out and about for the unforeseeable future. I have a weather app that shows the best time to exercise for your location - it literally shows no time what-so-ever

Observation for the week -- It was my birthday this week and because of Covid - I missed my usual family gathering celebrating our August births. So, luckily temptations avoided there - until, I opened one of the gifts from my Aunt - the two layer box of See's chocolates. However - we have had other birthdays and celebrations noted this month on the weekly weigh-in pages - and I was plenty inspired by the will power shown by those folks! So my plans was I picked out 3 candies and literally flushed the rest I don't regret the three as - yikes - that stuff tastes terrible now and it was a good reminder for me that I am missing nothing! Also, looks like my weight loss has slowed - actually I had a good week last week and I think so this week as well - but due to our massive heat wave here - and the fact that it's not cooling off at nights I'm hydrated to the point of waterlogged. I pretty much sipped my way through the miserably hot nights and got on the scale to find I gained a lot in the last two days. Gaining yet eating nowhere near the amount I usually do. Another contributor I think is dinner time is now late at night when it cools down enough to venture into my kitchen - last night that was 10 pm. That doesn't work well for me weight loss wise. One great thing though ---- I know I am tolerating the heat much better due to the 25 pounds I have lost --- and that's pretty cool

Thanks fellow MWL folks, Mark, Goose and Jeff for all the good examples and advice - here's to your good health - Michelle

[Ruff]

gosh that heat sounds dreadful, and I think you have fires again?

Here, August is midwinter, but it is surprisingly warm. I am at Hanmer Springs with Emily for a girls weekend away (no covid on the South Island, not much on the north despite what Mr Trump thinks....) and there is no snow on the hills. when I say warm, I dont mean warm, I mean warm for the time of year...

I hate cooking in the heat, and its so much worse if you cannot go out to buy what you want. How about getting up at 5am and cooking rice then?

still, even august will pass. And well done with the birthday chocolates by the way. I have a decision like that coming up today, I know Emily has brought vegan treats with her for us to share.....I have a box of rice and lots of fruit and veggies.....the 'social trap' the 'I-dont-want-to-hurt-her-feelings trap'............

[lmggallagher]

Katie: I'm so glad we are in touch again! I simply love knowing what you and the family are up too. It all sounds so wonderful. We are ordered back into isolation in my California County and because of the massive fires - even along our beaches we constantly hear the fire personnel dissuade tourist from coming to the area. In many of these locations is quite rural and people have farms or enough property for horses and other animals. I saw a news clip of one of my favorite beaches that was a stunning example of how regular folks are pitching in the help. The beach parking lot was taken over as a staging area for large animal rescue and folks have come with their horse trailers to pick up not only horses but cattle and convey them to inland safety! It was the entire parking area of a HUGE beach parking lot. I was so proud of those folks for volunteering.

I flipped the switch on you getting up at 5am. I can't do that as I have to sleep in to get my hours anytime I have disturbed sleep. But I do cook and do laundry after 10 PM. During the heat wave our electricity use was an issue and we anticipated being cut off! they provide a website to let you know if you will be out - but there were so many heat related breakdowns outside of that a much larger proportion of people were cut off. I got a notice my neighborhood was out and they were trying to restore us - my neighbors and I were texting like crazy because we weren't and it was almost time we could load our washing machines again

So Covid, the heat wave, the fires and Trump trying to suppress the election votes by gutting our federal post office operations - that was enough stuff by far and this week we added the air quality issues that made my house uninhabitable. This after I planned for wildfire smoke: I got air quaility sensors for inside and out and a giant best rated for my size of house air purifier. Figured I had it covered until Tuesday night - the sensors went to huge numbers and the air purifier was on auto running at high speed and showing by it's glowing red light that it was working on high level pollution. Until that day I could whiff smoke outside turn it on inside and see it clear the whole house in about 1/2 an hours. Tuesday it stayed red and as I have no air conditioning here which I could put the house on recirculated and HEPA filtered air. I had to jump in my car - run the AC and figure out, drive around and figure out what to do next.

When I got home after a half hour of rejuvinating my lungs only to find the air purifier on high mode still - I packed up a go bag and headed to my Aunt's an hour away and because the hour 5;30 am - no notice to her I was coming. at the time her neighborhood in Marin was about the only good air quality on the map! I sat in my car for an hour waiting for the time I know my cousin rises and called him to see if I could come ahead. Luckily - they know I have been in self-imposed quarantine this whole time and am no Covid threat. I stayed there for a day and a half until the air got so bad for me I had to leave and head home which then a better air location.

But on the morning I arrived at my aunt's we opened her paper the San Fransisco Chronicle to the news that California was recording the worst air quality in the world. It was devastating to read but it was deflating to know my lungs which have been compromised by radiation therapy were exposed and that it will probably be sometime for me to recover from the exposure.

All during this I keep thinking of what happened last summer in Australia and how terribly devastating that was. California and Australia have always had an affinity well beyond being the only places eucalyptus trees grow happily. I keep thinking of all the wildlife they lost some to the point becoming threatened with extinction. That's probably happening here too - I know we are losing large portion of our redwood forests. Many of the parks and haunts of my life are going up in flames and the trigger was a thunderstorm originating from Mexico due to the hot waters that are now a climate change norm. I couldn't be sadder.

[Ruff]

goodness Michelle, This makes horrific reading. I hope you are still alright, and managing to get away from the smoke. I know just how far that smoke can travel as well, last summer we had all day red skies from Australia, and you could smell the smoke as well.

It was heartening to read about how people are helping each other to move the animals to safety. a different America than the one we read about on the news. Talking of which we heard that Trump as removing letter boxes so people cannot use postal voting? Is this true? And can it be allowed? I thought everyone had to be able to get to a place to place their vote.

On a more cheerful note, I have set my potatoes to chit on the windowsill and will be planting the first earlies soon, which is very exciting. I have 5 varieties this year, and I'm going to try some in buckets as well as in the ground.

I also have an intensive rehabilitation programme for my foot, which starts properly today. It involves a lot of walking (amongst other things) so I will go down to the estuary and watch all the spring fun.

Just got back from the estuary, ducks, geese and black swans.

good luck with the fires and air quality over the next few days.

[bunsofaluminum]

Oh, Michelle! That smoke can be so dangerous! I'm glad you had a place to get away from it. We in Salt Lake have had hazy skies for many days, special delivery from CA fires. I remember the headline about the worst air in the world. I pray for California. So many years in a row of devastating fires. I'm sad about the redwood forests burning I've been there a few times and it's so beautiful.

Stay safe!