Okay, for a while I have been a bit above what the ideal weight is for my height...just a bit because 40 lbs really isn't a lot...is it??????? I know it is, especially since I have had some issues with my foot and now have a new foot that really shouldn't have to put up with that type of excess. So, I am going to commit to a change in diet that I have only used as a cleanse in the past.
A lot of my weight is due to the fact that my thyroid is functioning lower than it should.
(Just a bit of history, it wasn't always like this...I used to be SUPER skinny and unable to gain weight because my thyroid levels were too high. Then I got zapped with radioactive Iodine and they killed most of my gland. I was left with a little bit of functionality; but, I've had to be on medication ever since and getting the meds right is a whole other story. That was in late 1997 or early 1998--I can't remember for sure. All I remember was, Cool I'm radioactive...and NOT cool because my husband has chicken pox and can't hold or feed the baby. Trying to feed a 10 month old at arms length isn't the easiest thing to do.)
Okay, so the main thing that is causing the weight gain is my under active thyroid and probably my decreased mobility due to my foot issues. But, the thing that is next in line is...(sound effects...dom dom dom!!!) Candida. Candida is an ugly little bacterial yeast that can get into your system through your blood and travel all over the place in your body. It has many symptoms that are typically overlooked by doctors and misdiagnosed. Some of them are: digestive inconsistencies (you know, going back and forth from one extreme to another...it is usually diagnosed as IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome), brain fog (not being able to concentrate or think clearly), dry skin, visual changes, ear infections and/or ear pain, bloating of the gastric tract...and many other things. I believe that it even effects my thyroid; but, that is yet to be proven though we'll see after I get all of this crap out of my system.
So, the main change in diet for getting Candida out and keeping it out is that you have to eliminate Sugar. Tell this baker that it isn't so!!!! I love my sugar and I love baking and cooking. So, I am going to have to totally change the way I eat. This includes even the sugar in fruit. I am not going to do a hard core Candida cleanse diet at this time because I can't stand most veggies and totally thrive on beef. I can see a cow in the field and start to salivate. Just so you know, I know my body and it does function much better on a diet of lean red meat I have lost weight in the past from being on a nearly completely red meat diet (nearly 30 pounds).
In short, I am documenting this to hold myself accountable for sticking to this. I am not prescribing these methods to anybody else just keeping tabs on what I am doing, have done...what worked and what didn't.
I am also exercising quite a bit. I swim at least 4 times a week and am doing water weights until my stick of a leg regains all of its muscle and range of motion (I had reconstructive surgery in August of 2010). So, I have been doing the swimming for 2 months now without so much of a pound of lost weight. A little discouraging; but, at least the cottage cheese look on my legs is starting to diminish. I have taken measurements so that I can track the non weight loss improvements which are as follows: Weight 180 lbs, Thigh--24", Upper Arm--14 3/4", Chest--42", Bust--43 1/2", Waist 40 1/4", and Hips 43 1/2".
Just know, I know I am not obese...but, you have to realize that my whole life I always been skinny...stick skinny. I was made fun of as a child and called Bird Legs and Skinny Minny along with other "fun" names. I by no means want to be back to the skinny state; but, I do want to be at a healthy weight and size and for that 40 pounds needs to come off.
The FIRST things I am doing in my diet are incorporating more kefirs and cutting the sugar. I culture my own milk and water kefir from respective grains that propagate like rabbits when fed properly. This renders a pro biotic that is far better than any yogurt ever hoped to be. Having the grains also means less expense as I do not have to buy dried cultures. And all of my family benefits...even the dogs as they get the fermented fruit from the cultures and that totally helps their tummies as well. I have started my sourdough starter and am actually making one without any sugar at all...it is built on brown rice flour, water and water kefir. I love bread and have to get my fiber from more than just the 3 veggies I like. The bread will be a fermented loaf which will make it a lot more digestible as the good-yeast in it will have already pre-digested everything. I know, it sounds sick; but, it makes for much healthier eats! I will also not be using any wheat in this bread. (I am probably going to have to invest in a couple of cookbooks...one in particular is one by Abby Eagle "Learn to Cook the Way Grandma Did..." which is all cultured food...cultured mainly by kefir http://rejoiceinlife.com/...and "The Art of Gluten Free Sourdough Baking" by Sharon Kane http://glutenfreesourdough.blogspot.com/. I do not have a wheat allergy anymore thanks to N.A.E.T. http://naet.com/ (again, another story); but, I do not want any of that over refined grain in my system...at least not right now...might add whole wheat back at a later time. FYI, both the
So, after my friend from Bible college stops by today to have some of the beautiful marble cheesecake I made for her birthday I will start to commit to the elimination of yeast in my system. I will try to keep the two who read this updated on a regular basis :) Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me!
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