Back on Track: Accountability with Food Journaling

This week was a success!

I am back on track and seeing the results. The key to this week was simple: Food Journaling.

In my previous post I talked about how on this journey we are accountable to only one person: ourselves.
Because of this, when we succeed, it gives us a great sense of pride and accomplishment ... but it is also the very reason why most of us fail.

When we are accountable to others, they will know when we fail. Think about it, if you want and extension on a deadline or extra credit in school you have to go to another person and ask permission ... and they may say no. But when we are on this journey, when we want to cheat, binge, or completely go off track, the only person we have to ask permission from is us. Because of that, we will find ways to justify our stumble or rationalize our behavior ... and it is easy to give ourselves permission to do things we shouldn't.

When I think about this journey, I often see myself as two people. One Ashley is trying her hardest to succeed and be a diva in this journey, but then there is another Ashley that wants to cheat and thinks ...."mmmm ..... Cheetoes". lol.

This week, I tried something new: Food Journaling.

We are often blind to our own stumbles and pitfalls, but by writing it down, we have no choice but look at our diets truthfully and be honest with ourselves at the end of the week.
When the scale shows a loss, a gain, or stays the same, we can look back at the week and see where we went wrong or went right. .... It makes the inanimate journal the "person" we are accountable to.

I took a small notepad and started writing down everything I ate ... and I realized, that because it was more trouble to find that silly thing and write it down, I was less likely to snack late at night. I would have just enough energy to grab a snack, but not quite enough to grab a snack and write it down and calculate the carb intake.

This week, I lost 1.2lbs ... pretty good for a girl who has a condition making it near impossible to loose weight. :)

I hope to get to a point in my life where I will no longer need the journal, but for now, I am just starting out and the journal will help me fight those old habits of mine.

Falling off the Wagon!

Well, I've hit plateaus a few times since starting this journey, and it appears that I've hit another. :(

A few posts ago I announced that I had reached a milestone of a 42 pound loss. ... since then, I've put back on 3 pounds. ... Now I'm back to the weight that I've been hovering around for about two months. [sigh]

We have to expect that plateaus will happen naturally no matter what you do and you can't expect to lose weight every week. ... But of course we are all human and it is natural for us to creep back into old habits ... it really is a test of discipline and a test of will power to stay on track. 

The diet itself isn't difficult ... the food is amazing and I haven't had food this full of flavor and variety in my entire life. ... The difficult part of this journey are the habits of old. 

I spent 25 years of my life snacking on junk food and gorging on rolls at dinner time. Twenty five years of skipping breakfasts and eating pizza three times a week. Twenty five years of bagged lunches with Debbie Cakes, personal bags of chips, white bread sandwiches, and candy. 

All of that training won't melt away because of a diagnosis or a commitment to a new way of life. Those habits will creep back in and turn their ugly heads from time to time. 

Now, those easy switches I haven't gone back on. I haven't had white bread, Debbie Cakes, or candy since the diagnosis. ... but the other things have made an entrance from here and there, and I have to admit it to myself, these habits is the main reason why I've hit a plateau lately. I have the tendency to forget that while I may have some things in extreme moderation .... my brain starts to think that I can have them after all ... and over indulge. I've eaten whole grain Cheeze-Its, organic blue corn chips, and brown rice to excess. I'm not gaining weight or going completely off the wagon, but I am going off track. This week, I even convinced myself that I could indulge in a slice of carrot cake because I've been a "good girl" on my diet. 

This is the bottom line .. we aren't accountable to anyone but ourselves! Because of that, we have to realize that having that extra cracker or having that slice of cake is a very real thing that affects us and our diet. Forget carb budges for a moment and all of that ... when we eat that cracker, we are telling our bodies that they aren't worth the sacrifice, that our bodies aren't worth the care and effort we have committed to giving them. 

In the end, nothing tastes as good as feeling good feels ... isn't that what this journey is all about?

Today, I am making a commitment to staying on track. I know that I will falter now and again, and I won't ever truly be rid of those old bad habits, but if I stay mindful to their existence and have the will power to control them, I will succeed.  

EAT ORGANIC and manage PCOS!

I've been struggling lately with the milk delima because so many sites say that ladies with PCOS shouldn't eat dairy products. Why??

 

I have been researching the question for about a week and the results startled me and made me realize exactly why dairy is so dangerous for me ... :(

 

The bottom line to my research is that milk, cheese, and butter contain an alarming amount of hormones in them. I've heard that all my life but until this week, never made the connection. My dad always said that the reason I had big breasts was because he always fed me lots of milk and chicken. That essentially, hormones make women mature faster, hit puberty faster, and they make us bigger ( . ) ( . )    .... lol.

 

Those hormones may make our girlies bigger, but they may also do a lot of harm. ( Girls hitting puberty at 9 can't be a good thing.) And when it comes to those of us with PCOS, we already struggle everyday to maintain our hormone levels .... so why would we drink something that makes that challenge even greater??

 

Milk, Cheese, and butter contain DHT and progesterone among other hormones. DHT contributes to our hair loss and progesterone promotes infertility. Think about it ... any of us that are familiar with birth control knows that the most active hormone in those medications is progesterone! I have been fighting the hair loss for a long time now and more recently infertility and it kills me to know that I have been drinking something that is thwarting my efforts.

 

But I also came across some interesting literature that organic milk, cheese, and butter don't contain hormone levels as high as the regular dairy products we buy. Many of the PCOSers out there have shunned dairy completely, switching to almond butter and soy milk. But I LOVE butter and milk. Soy milk just isn't the same ... and on top of that ... there is also research that shows the dangers of eating soy. What is a PCOS Gal to do???That's why I am releived that I don't have to give up my favorties ... I just have to fork out my checkbook and pay through the nose for organic dairy. Now ... I am still not going to buy organic cheese. The way my husband chows down on cheese ... we'd go broke ... But I am planning to use it consiously and more sparingly than before. So no more mac-n-cheese for me, just a little garnish for my tacos. When I get a hankering for milk, I will reach for the organic and since my diet now calls for such limited amounts of butter, the organic brands won't hurt my feelings.

 

I'm not done researching meats though. I know that there are hormones present in cattle and chickens to make them grow bigger faster, which I suspect also affects my hormone levels ... but more research is needed.

However, one thing is certain, organic, at least in meat and dairy, is safer for those of us in the world who have a hormone inballance. Lesson learned ... it's time for another change in my life and diet ... but I don't think that this change will be a huge bump on my journey ... though my wallet may not agree.

Grocery Shopping

Last night, I went grocery shopping after work and I found some excellent finds in the health food section. I have to share all of these amazing finds with you. Yes, we are supposed to limit carbs, but from time to time, a little treat within reason can't hurt ... and those Kashi Steamer meals are good anytime. It's all about balance and we need good carbs to live a balanced life ... these options have helped me stay on track and keep away from the cupcakes and deep-dish pizza.




AMAZING FIND #1:
Kashi's Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Soft-Baked Cookies!
Okay Okay, so they don't taste like traditional cookies. But I have to say, after not having cookies for over 6 months, it was exactly what I needed to satisfy a craving. Yes they are sweetened, but with all natural honey which isn't bad for us PCOSers. Not only that, they are made with stone rolled oats. I had ONE ... yes, just one ... everything in moderation, even the good stuff.





AMAZING FIND #2:
Kashi's Roasted Vegetable Thin Crust Pizza!
Kashi has done it yet again with this amazing pizza. Got a craving for some pizza pie? Oh, this will curb this craving.
Whole GRAIN crust, all natural ingredients, it doesn't get better than that!

AMAZING FIND #3:
Kashi's Steam Meals!
Gotta love Kashi .... These steam meals are packed with protein, what us PCOSers use for energy! They take 4.5 minutes to cook in the microwave and are delicious, which make them perfect for my dinner at work when I don't have a lot of time and don't feel like cooking. Hey, it's how to manage my PCOS realistically for me.

AMAZING FIND #4:
Cascadian Farm Organic Kids Cinnamon Crunch!
Whole grain cereal with CINNAMON! If you've read my previous post on cinnamon, then you already know about what cinnamon can do for PCOS. I am very excited about this find. A small bowl with some organic milk and a half a banana. Yup, that's a great breakfast. For that perfect PCOS breakfast, sprinkle some flavor-free protein powder on your cereal. (Yes, it is hard to find). Or if you're like me and don't like cereal in the morning ... a small bowl will make a perfect snack at the end of the night.

Hair Solution Day One Review

I finally got my Clinicure in the mail this week and I was so excited to try it out on my hair.
So here is my "Day One" review:

• I like that the bottles are labeled steps 1,2,&3. It helps someone like me who will forget over time.
• The cleanse smells amazing ... kinda minty and like green tea.
• The nourish is a bit thick and I was worried I didn't put enough on my hair. ... but it seemed to do okay.
• I was worried that the rescue bottle was going to wet my hair down too much to style ... but I worked it in with my fingers and it soaked right in. 

After all of the applications, I have to say, I can actually see the difference. I'm not saying that I grew hair instantly, but one of the steps claims to make hair look fuller and make the scalp the best condition it can be for fuller looking hair. Usually, I have to play with my hair for a while and put a light spritz of hair spray in it to hide the thin spots .... today .... I didn't need to play or spritz at all!! I am so excited to see what the difference will be at the end of the trial period.    :)

Cinnamon .... A Treatment for PCOS?

I read a study today about cinnamon and it's medicinal effects on PCOS and diabeties.

Essentially, cinnamon is linked with the reduction of blood sugar and the management of insulin levels. Check out the article here.

I am intrigued about this, especially after hearing my friend Juan's account about how ginger has all but cured his gout problems. ... Not only that, but my friend Rubina also has her husband using ginger tea to help with his shingle pain.

With all of the things that God creates for us to use ... why wouldn't he create some things that would cure  our ailments? It is common knowledge that many of the wonderful medicines that doctors use today were found growing naturally in the rain forrest or from a particular hair that grows on the nose of a unique animal. God gave us all of the plants and animals on this Earth for our use ... to consume to nourish our bodies and for us to protect. I love the fact that our our Lord gives us all we need on this Earth.

Has anyone out there tried this out? Did it work for you?

Six Month Mark and a Milestone!

I have been working hard these past 6 months and it's paying off.

The diet isn't that bad really ... I like the food and I LOVE vegetables .... the hard part is staying with it. There are so many temptations out there, so many influences to get you off track. Come on, let's have a slice of cake ... come on, just one bite wont hurt you! NO NO NO NO NO!

Just say NO as Nancy Reagan would say .... or Just Keep Moving as Michelle Obama would recommend ... the only good part of that administration. haha.

But today I weighed in as I do every saturday and I have reached an AMAZING goal of mine, one when I started this journey, I couldn't have hoped for. ... I lost another 3.4lbs. Which means that I am down a total of 42lbs. in six months.

That number already sounds huge to me, but lets put this number into perspective.

When I started this journey, I was the heaviest I've ever been. Weighing in at 210lbs. I was HUGE!
Now at 168lbs., I have lost 20% of my body mass!!!!!! Who does that??? ME!

I've lost 20% in 6 months ... at home with nothing more than a simple change in diet. WOW!

Not only that ... I've lost enough weight to move me out of the obesity category and into the delightfully overweight category.

Lew-Ann told me to accomplish about 5% -10% loss for the year ... that little bit would help my condition ... but no, I'm only half way through the year and have lost 20% AND I'm not obese anymore!!

I still have another 6 months to go, I can't wait to see the look on Lew-Ann's face when I weigh in at my one year mark. I am so excited today .... nothing can affect my mood today.

Make Small Changes and WIN BIG

When I first started my diet, OMG .... I ate nothing but grilled chicken salad with a tablespoon of light Italian Vinaigrette, grilled chicken with a side of broccoli or squash, hot wings (Mmmmm Carb Free), and peaches for snacks. .... It wasn't helping my energy levels (I didn't know about protein yet, though the chicken helped a little bit). As I learned more and more, the more I learned that there was a better way.
How defeating it was to think my whole life was going to consist of bland, tasteless food ... not including the hot wings of course (YUMMY).
The closest I came to breaking down over food was when my husband and I went grocery shopping .... I thought, mmmmmmm juice. I was always raised thinking juice was a health food and I always prided myself that I would grab a glass of cranberry juice when dad grabbed a Pepsi, though I drank my fair share of that too. .... I grabbed my favorite blend, cranberry/blueberry juice. And, like I was told, flipped it over to read the label. .... The sugars were sky high and the fiber was completely gone, removed in the juicing process. My husband got onto me for even thinking I could have juice.
I felt tears come to my eyes as I put the juice down .... for the rest of my life, the only things I can drink is water, un-sweet tea, and black coffee. :(

So for the next month, that's all I drank ... and I ate mostly veggies and meat .... and I lost 12 lbs!

But life isn't about diets ... It's about living and living healthy. There had to be a way to eat what I love and still live healthy. My problem was that I didn't know how to prepare healthy meals or where to even begin. So I started researching good carbs hoping to bring back in some of my old favorites.

I don't have to give up the things I love! I may not lose weight as quickly as I did before, but life is more enjoyable. I think at this point, I'm trying to find a balance. I am having a lot of meals that aren't bad for me, I just need to cut back these good carb meals back to about 1 or 2 meals a week and focus on low carb the rest of the week .... right now I'm around 4-5 good carb meals a week, and frankly, I haven't been paying close attention to my Carb Budget. If I just started doing that, I think the weight would start falling off again. .... And this week is the week! I am going to focus on behaving and kicking my discipline back in.

But here it is, my list of simple switches so you can enjoy your favorites every now and then:




1. TACO TACO, BURRITO, BURRITO, TACO TACO.
Switch out soft shelled tacos for hard shelled tacos at Taco Bell and save yourself TONS of carbs. Not to mention, corn is a whole grain and better for us.
When making tacos at home however, the best thing to do is go with a high fiber soft shell taco or low carb soft shell taco.





2. BURGERS AND HOTDOGS
You can buy whole grain buns if you want to be apart of a group, but if it's just you and the family, put the burgers and dogs on a slice of whole grain bread. Seriously, read that package ... buns have a lot more carbs in them than slices of bread. And remember, they are whole grain, so they won't affect your blood sugar the way white bread would.





3. PASTA
There are three types of pasta available for us: Whole Grain Pasta (in the regular pasta aisle), Quinoa Pasta (Health food section), and Brown Rice Pasta (Health food section). But still try and limit your intake of carbs for that meal. Pass on the garlic bread and start the meal with a side salad so you won't gorge on the deliciousness of pasta.





4. PIZZA
Kashi now makes a 7 grain frozen pizza covered with veggies. Again, you should have a side salad to lower your carb intake for the meal. ... It's no Dominoes, but hey, it's yummy. .... And if you want to burn a cheat day and have pizza ordered in, stick with thin and crispy and you'll save a ton ... but remember, have hot wings or salad on the side to lessen your carb intake for the night.




5. BISCUITS
SYKE! There's no good substitute that I've found for the delicious buttery goodness of biscuits ... but I'll keep looking ... though it doesn't look good. And BTW, I haven't found a good cookie either.

PCOS RECIPE: Portobello Mushroom Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• Prego Light Smart Traditional Sauce (It is low in sugar, however, some organic brands have even less if you're willing to fork out the dough)
• Cup of Baby Bella Mushrooms (chopped to desired size)
• 1lb. of lean ground beef OR1/2lb. of lean ground beef and 1/2lb. of Italian sausage
• Oregano to taste
• Minced Garlic to taste
• Olive Oil
• 1 Box of Quinoa Pasta, Brown Rice Pasta, or Whole Grain Pasta

Directions:

Boil a pot of water for the pasta and cook to directions on box.

In a skillet, put a tablespoon of olive oil and add mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes and add minced garlic. Cook for an additional 2 minutes until aromatic. Remove from heat and place to the side. 

In a skillet, put a tablespoon of olive oil and add ground meat, garlic, and oregano. Cook till meat is cooked through.

In a pot, combine sauce, meat, and mushrooms. Heat on low for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Assemble on plate and top with some cheese ... Mmmmmmm. 

What makes this a PCOS friendly recipe is the fact that the sauce is lean and low sugar and the pasta is whole grain which makes our bodies happy! For an even healthier meal, make a small bowl of pasta and proceed dinner with a small salad. That'll cut your carb intake for this meal by 25-30%.

Developing Your PCOS Plan of Attack

When facing any medical condition: Education is important!!!! I have learned that doctors won't always share the specifics of your issue with you or take the time to fully educate you in the office. Hey, their day is hectic and there are more patients to see. The best thing that Lew-Ann (my midwife) told me to do, was to go and research it for myself and started me off with some literature to read ... along with her reccommendation for a course of treatment, which in my case was diet and exercise.

That's something that us PCOSers need to learn. We have to be our own advocate and take our course of treatment on for ourselves.

Don't forget, the doctors we deal with are not general practicioners, they are OBGYN's and midwives ... they are in a business, and while, yes, their business is health, it is also to make MONEY. The simple fact is, there isn't any money in telling a patient to go home and diet.

Think about the other patients they see every day. How many women have I known that have had C-Sections when it could have been avoided, been induced because the doctor pushed them before time, had every-other week ultrasounds to test for a complication that happens to <.002% of women?? These doctors will find any excuse, any scare tactic, to keep women in their office, play by their schedule, and keep us on the meds they get a kick back from. You have to keep in mind, you may have one of the few doctors in the country that are 100% there for you and what's in your best interest .... but sadly, the only person you can really trust to keep your best interests at heart IS YOU!

   

I came up with my own course of treatment after doing a great deal of research. While I immediately started my crash diet per my physician's advise, I was able to tweek my course of action as I learned more. 

Think about it ... most mother's-to-be develop a "birth plan" because there is simply so many ways to have a child these days. Some people with arthritis or gout swear that drinking a glass of ginger tea cures their aches while others swear by their medication. From this point on, your "PCOS plan" is unique to you and should be developed after seaking medial advice and after doing extensive research.

I can't count how many hours I spent reading books, blogs, pamphlets, and medical references before my final "PCOS Plan" was finished, and I have to say, it's far from complete. For me, I do the research and then play a game of trial and error to find the right way for me. It's like being back at school again ... cracking the books at the end of the night as if cramming for an exam. There are TONS of medical websites out there that deal with the topic of PCOS and methods of teatment. Unfortunately, the most frustrating site to navigate around in is WebMD. ... though it is always worth a look.

So Here's My PCOS Plan:

• For the first year, approach with diet and exercise. Goal is to lose 15% of total body mass in 12 months or 31.5lbs.
• Monitor blood sugar once or twice a day using a diabetic testing kit. Readings in the morning should be around 75 and two hours after lunch, should be around 95-105. If high, pinpoint foods that may have triggered increased blood sugar levels. (I got a reader at WalMart that didn't cost that much)
• Be concious of carbohydrates. ... avoid white carbs and have whole grains in strict moderation. Limit intake to 30g or less per day. (subtracting fiber)
• On simi-cheat days (earned once a week) limit intake to 60g or less for the day. (Subtracting fiber)
• On full blown cheat days (earned every other week) limit intake to 110g or less for the day. (subtracting fiber)
• Protein, Protein, Protein! Attempt to get in around 40-50g per day of protein with the bulk intake at breakfast.
• Veggies, Veggies, Veggies, and Fruit!!! Veggies and fruit do not contribute to "Carb Budget" for the day.
• Milk debate: Milk is okay in moderation. It provides levels of calcuim that are essential to my diet. ... I will revisit the milk debate down the road as I do more research.
• NO SODA OR JUICE ... it wouldn't fit into my "Carb Budget" anyway.
• Have 3-4 days a week of moderate, light exercise to start. ... on own schedule, increase intensity and duration.
• After one year of diet and exercise, tests for androgen levels and insulin/sugar levels. Weight will be measured in % of body mass lost and period cycles as well as other symptoms will be discussed and checked for improvement. If all readings and symptoms have subsided ... no medication will be required. HOWEVER: if I am unable to manage the weightloss or hormone balance, metformin will be required along with other possible medicinal treatments.

*** I have already met the first goal *** I am already down over 18% of my body mass .... so I am certain that Lew-Ann will be pleasantly surprised. :)