My diet & detox journal

I was surfing the web, and happened upon a website I used to frequent back in the 1990s. It was started by three women who wanted a way to help others, and inspire one another as they managed thier own weight & medical issues. The website, http://www.3fatchicks.com was one of the first web forums I ever frequented, and I used to hang out on the ‘ladies who lift’ board. (a forum where women would chat about weight lifting, strength training, and basically how to manage one’s weight through those things. Weight lifting had always been a hobby, and really it was something that my mom inspired me to do. Not like huge weights, or bulky muscles. Just enough to keep the metabolism boosted, and keep the bones strong.

I have always been told to strength train anyway, with my PCO (Polycystic Ovaries) lots of muscle is important to help keep insulin functioning right in my body. And I like to do it anyway, especially lots of weighted crunches, squats and curls. (Did I really say that? But it is true!) Mom still works out several times a week with weights, and she is in her 60s, so that keeps me inspired.

Today I was drawn back to the 3FC site, as I have been working on getting into a routine again of weight training along with my cardio. I have to change it up pretty often, or I get bored and then stop. Again, with my PCO I can’t stop exercising, or I will pack on weight due to poor insulin function. To me, blood sugar issues are facinating. With PCO, it is like my body is seemingly fooled into thinking that it is about to go on a starvation jag, kind of like how a camel will store water in it’s hump…At least I am prepared for the next famine, right? Lol…

So, as I was saying, I happened upon that old website, and realized they are still going strong! It has been three or so years since I last dropped in, and there were lots of changes, but it still has the same supportive environment. I admit, the name scared me when I first saw it, as the term chick has a rather foul sound of slang, but honestly, the site is not at all what one would assume by just hearing the name. I encourage you to check it out.

WEll, I found this cute little program on thier site where you create a little ticker bar for a weight loss program. And, since I was there, I figured I would play with it, and included it here:

If you are interested in creating one yourself, check out this link. You get to choose from all different types of backgrounds and sliders, if running cats aren’t your thing. I wouldn’t say that my goal is to lose 15 lbs, but it would be nice. I am a bit over what I typically carry on my body, mostly due to eating all the cooked starches. But since that type of food has been needful over the past few months now as I heal, well, that’s something I can forgive myself for! It is my new years resolution however, to find a way back into balance. The herbs I am taking, and the reduction in raw fruits really is helping. Now if I can only get my body to tolerate things like Dal and lentils again. (a favorite dish I haven’t been able to eat in a LONG time without belly aches.)

WEll, till next year….

Cassy

It was time. I just couldn’t bare it anymore.

You know what I mean…When everything is so smashed in that shirts are falling off the hangers, and pant clips are only half attached. To make matters worse, the cat had taken to crawling in and making himself at home on the assorted shoes I had left in the back corner. It was time. All of this internal cleansing I am doing has inspired me to cleanse out my surroundings of excess junk…

So I grabbed some large trash bags, and started throwing in anything I hadn’t worn during the last three seasons. Much of the bag was filled with old socks, worn out t shirts and a few pairs of slacks, and much of the clothes that i had relagated to that part of the closet known as the “diet” section. Meaning, things that I intend to wear ‘after’ I diet.

Ok. I know that much of those things will never fit me right. Even if I were to loose five or more pounds. They are jeans that tug in the wrong places, or tops that are just a bit too snug across the back… YOu know what I mean. ANd they are nice things, as I have a habit of picking up things in consignment shops, or castoffs from family whose size is just a tad bit different than I. And I can never say no to nice things…And then they sit there gathering dust. That makes nice things ‘go bad’.

So today I tossed them into the bags, and tomorrow I shall neatly pop the bags into my trunk, and tote them off to be donated.

Why not Ebay them, you say? Indeed, some of the nicest things I probably should. Well, I actually decided to give the nicest things to someone I know who can use them. But Ebay, anyway, in terms of clothing sales can be hit or miss. And I don’t feel like paying for a miss. This way, they will be going to someone who can really use them. And I won’t have to deal with auction fees.

My belly is ok today, not as good as I should be feeling. I must admit I did something horrid. I bought a box of gluten free, wheat free, peanut free, dairy free, soy free, corn free, egg free sugar cookie mix. It is cookies made with rice flour and cane juice crystals. Made by Cherrybrook Kitchen. To be honest I was thinking that I would enjoy them. And I did, but afterwards I felt really awful. It hurt to breathe. Mostly I think that was cause I ate too many. Like a third of the batch. But it tasted so good seeing as I hadn’t eaten anything like it since August.

But now, as the day after, as I sit and look on at the pimple rising on the side of my cheek, (tiny but there) and the dazed and floaty feeling in my head and body, well…I am regreting it. I feel achey, and yucky, as I am trying to detox the sugar rush, which my body is not used to!

I made a pot of soup, however and it is making all the difference. With T under the weather too, I guess it is important to have warm filling things in the house. So T and I dined on soup, as we watched a TV program about model rockets and something on the discovery or science channel.

Four day weekends are nice. And we get one more three day weekend next weekend too. Joy.

Cass

I haven’t written in ages, I know. Probably because I decided to spend my energy healing myself from all my issues. The time was well spent. Indeed, the last time I wrote I was planning on seeing the chinese doctor. I did. She is a nurse of 20 years, plus a chinese doctor. I must say that the herbs and dietary work we have done together has helped me TREMENDOUSLY.

I was reading over my entries from the past year, and I am surprised I never really considered just how bad my IBS had really gotten. I mean, nearly every entry had some mention of either bloating, or nausea, or histeria, which is of course related. (the vagus nerve and all.) Even if I don’t totally agree with all of chinese medicine and thought, they are really on to something when they say that things can get out of balance…The doc agreed with what my collegue had said back in February, that all the raw food had shifted my system and digestion…I had ‘gone cold’ in my tummy, and things were just not breaking down right.

I have been given herbs to get rid of ‘damp heat’ in my middle burner, as they said my ‘liver is attacking my spleen and stomach.’ Now, this is simply another way of saying that I have liver gallbladder issues, compounded by hypochlorhydria. (too little stomach acid.) I have been taken off wheat, dairy, gluten, excess sugar - none of which was too hard for me. WHat is hard is that I was instructed to not eat any more raw foods for a long while. ANd that means NO raw foods. I have begun to steam all my veggies (even lettuce) and that has been really a hard mental challenge for me. Even harder is that I have to eat lots more protein. So I have had to bite the bullet and go back on poultry. I have not tolerated fishes, in fact on two occasions they have triggered my IBS and gall bladder. So, I am eating all sorts of foods that I have not eaten in years…

The great thing is, I FEEL SOOO MUCH BETTER! No kidding. It is like day and night. No more indigestion, no more bloating, no more side aches, and, I am sleeping through the night again. No more shoulder pain, no more nausea even.

I know that this is an answer I could have gotten from within myself if I would jsut listen to my body talking to me. But, even as a nutritionist, I recognise that we all need a little help sometimes. And whatever the doc is doing, it is helping. I am taking herbs for my liver, and other herbs for my tummy. ALso, we are working on my hormones too, and this month my period came at 5 weeks. So I know we are on to something. I am also taking all sorts of supplements from my own company to work on rebuilding my intestine, and target inflamation. It just feels like I am on the right track. Sadly though, I feel like I painted myself into this corner due to staying on the raw diet, long after it had brought me into balance, and thereby sent me WAY to far off in the other direction…

I will continue to post and share how I improve…

Meanwhile, my first class graduated a week or so ago, and I am in the planning stage for my next one which starts in January. I am so proud of my students! THey worked so hard, and now they are going to keep the rest of the team on thier toes, what with thier new eyes and desire to suceeed for the team. IT is great! Now I see why teaching is so rewarding. You are able to watch others grow and grow and then outshine anything you could do yourself!