RECIPE WEDNESDAY - Vitamins & Fast Metabolism

While I've always tried to eat healthy (okay, most of the time), sometimes I need a little structure. As I said in Monday's post, my sugar numbers have been back up due to 'not' staying on track while the girls were here.

DISCLAIMER:
I am not a dietician/ pharmacist/ nutritionist, etc. Expert in anything. I just know what works for me.
Do your own research and listen to your body.

First, let me give you a rundown of my routine.

Morning:
8 oz of warm lemon water with a tsp. of raw honey.
This helps cleanse the liver, which will help rid the body of excess glucose.

Breakfast
2-3 days a week: old-fashioned oat meal with diced peaches/ cinnamon and a 1/4 c half & half
 Cinnamon is great for lowering glucose. While fruit is a natural sugar, this also provides fiber           the body needs. Same for the oatmeal.

Morning Vitamins  1200mg Berberine - take 2.
Berberine is a Chines vegetarian supplement that will help block  sugar
Apple Cider Vinegar tablets 480 mg per serving.(take 2 / 1-3 times per day) I take them 3 times a day
Chromium - 1000 mg - take 1
Chromium is a system cleanser. Lets your body only retain what it needs and flush the rest.
CoQ10 - 200 mg - Good for heart function. My mom died of a heart attack so I know there is history
Cinnamon - 1000 mg per 2 tablets.
Super B Complex - 1 tablet for Metabolism.  I have a slow metabolism.
Ocuvite for 50+ - For eye health
VirMax - Blood Sugar stabilizer - take 1

I take 2 vinegar tablets 3 times a day. I also take the cinnamon mid-day rather than with the morning round.

BEDTIME:
I have an 8 oz. cup of Detox Tea by Yogi. You can read about it HERE

Apple Cider Vinegar can reduce your 'fasting number' by 20pts. So at bedtime, I drink 4 oz. warm water with a 1/2 tsp of raw honey and 2 Tbl. of Apple Cider Vinegar. I usually have 2 -3 crackers to prevent heartburn.

While this seems like a lot, I feel the natural course is far better than the chemical/ medical options. 

I won't go into details about Haylie Pomroy's system today. If you need a refresher, I invite you to check out THIS POST

There are 3 Phases. Her key thing is 'don't start on Monday'. I get that. With that in mind, Phase 1 runs Tuesday Wednesday. So here's my food list for yesterday and today:

PHASE 1

VEGGIES:

Bamboo shoots/ Bean Sprouts/ Green Beans/ Carrots/ Mushrooms/ Peas/ Pumpkin/ Sweet Potatoes/ Tomatoes

GRAINS/ STARCHES:

Barley, Brown Rice, Steel Cut Oats, Quinoa, Rice Milk, Sprouted-grain breads, Tapioca, Wild Rice

FRUITS:

Apples

Apricots

Asian Pears

Blueberries

Cantaloupe

Cherries

Honeydew

Lemons/ Lime

Mangos

Oranges

Peaches

Pears

Pineapple

Strawberries

Tangerines

Watermelon

MEAT

Lean meats - beef/ chicken/ pork/ turkey

Buffalo

Deli meats (nitrate free)

Fish - Haddock/ Hallibu/ Pullock/ Tuna

Sausage - chicken/ Turkey/ nitrate free

Turkey Breast

Turkey Bacon

BROTHS/ ETC.

Broths - chicken/ beef

Dried Herbs

Garlic - fresh

Ketchup - no sugar/ syrup added

Mustard

Decaf Tea/ Coffee

Salt & Pepper

Onion Salt/ Powder

Garlic Salt/ Powder

Cinnamon

SWEETENERS:

Stevia

Tomato Paste

Vanilla Extract

Peppermint Extract

Vinegar

NO FATS!

 If you look at the list, you'll see the first 2 days are more about 'cleanse'.

BASICS
Eat within 30 min of rising - this kicks in the Metabolism
Eat EVERY 3 Hours -
    Meal/ Snack/ Meal/Snack/ Meal
Veggies are FREE
Drink a minimum of 64 oz. EVERY DAY!

Tomorrow I'll share with you what the list encompasses for Thursday/ Friday.

Whatever you choose to eat/ not eat... remember....

Enjoy the Journey!

~Kelly

   

THE GLUCOSE STORY - How My Journey Began

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

Tuesday's are normally about FlyLady. I'm updating my system and will be bringing that back in September. I hope you'll join me as we deep clean and find a routine ahead of the Holidays.

Since the cat is out of the bag with my family (Bob has known from the beginning), I thought it time to share my Pre-Diabetic condition with you.

I've always had low blood sugar. I was born anemic and took Tryvisol with Iron until I was twelve. When Bob and I were first married and I went to the gynecologist, they said everything was fine but that my sugar was a bit low. That if I felt fatigue to eat a candy bar. Great! I've never been one for candy bars. LOL

Speed ahead about five years ago. Bob and I had to have blood work done for Bob's insurance at work. I've always been a head-in-the-sand- type of person so when mine came back with a glucose of 135 I didn't think much about it. Bob's youngest brother and wife had been here for a visit. I had extra people to cook 'comfort' foods and desserts for four days! I chalked the number up to the extra carbs/ sugars I'd consumed and didn't think any more about it.

But here's the thing... the signs were there. I just did NOT KNOW they were signs of pre-diabetes.

Every day by 3 p.m. I wanted a nap.
I made frequent trips to the bathroom. Well of course I did! I was drinking like a fish.
I thought I was just trying to get my daily water in.

I didn't give these signs any thought.

Then I started getting tingling in the tips of my toes. Not cramps, just slight tingling. - early signs of diabetic nerve pain.

I also spent nights searching for cold spots in the bed because my feet were always hot. (I've always had COLD feet at night)

Maybe I should get a glucose meter and see what's up. Am I low? Am I high? (the numbers, not me!)

Speed ahead to January of this year.
January 15... Bob and I went to Applebees for their all-you-can-eat BBQ riblets/ shrimp/ tenders. Well, of course I ate the riblets! Three rounds! I also drank part of a pepsi (I normally drink unsweet tea but this was a special occasion) plus a few fries. I'm not a fan of french fries.

As we walked around, shopping, my toes got almost to the point of unable to walk. I thought the pain was due to wearing my new boots for the longest length of time since I'd bought them. So we went to the shoe store and got tennis shoes.

By the time we got home, my toes/ feet hurt so bad, I had Bob rub my feet down with a muscle rub, took Percogesic and searched for those cold spots between the sheets.
The next day while in West Plains. I went to Walgreens and bought a test meter.

Are you ready for this?

365

If you're not familiar... that is stroke level!

Here's the scarier part. My feet weren't hurting. I shudder to think what that number was the day before!

I don't do doctors. You may as well know that up front right now. I have strong beliefs I won't get in to here. Instead, I got on the American Diabetes Association website and EDUCATED myself. I changed my eating habits immediately.

I began paying closer attention to signs of when I thought the numbers might be up

I started taking the Vinegar tablets/ Cinnamon capsules/ Sugar blocker as well as the Detox & Vinegar Teas.

I added my DARK GREEN veggies to my diet and really watched the carbs.

I check my Fasting number every morning when I get up and plan my meals accordingly.

If something seems off throughout the day, I'll check again to make sure of where I am.

THIS is the monitor I use. 

To this day, that is my routine. 

I kind of got off-track when the girls were here and I'm paying for it now. I'm fighting to get my numbers back into what is 'normal' range for me... around 135-152. I'm still hovering between the 160's and 180's. 

Listen to your Body

Pay attention to changes

Educate yourself

and if you see a doctor... 

Make an appointment. Go armed with Questions. See that you get answers.

Tomorrow I walk you through how I'm shocking my system back to reality this week. 

Enjoy the Journey!

~Kelly

FAST METABOLISM - Working For the Weekend

So far so good for the first week. I'll give you the update on how I did during the Monday Weigh In.

I can say that during the week I am truly 'working for the weekend'. Phase 3 is my FAVORTIE phase. Probably because of all the seafood options.

PHASE 3

ANIMAL PROTEIN
Crab
Eggs - whole
Lobster
Rabbit
Scallops
Shrimp
Trout

VEGGIE PROTEIN
Almond Milk

HEALTHY FATS
Mayo
Nuts - Raw
Oils - Olive/ Sesame

FRUITS
Blueberries
Cherries
Lemon/ Lime
Peaches
Plums

One thing I am looking forward to is seeing what this plan does to my glucose numbers. Everything will be updated on Monday.

Here's a little music to get you dancing!

Enjoy the Journey
~Kelly

WEIGH IN 8-12-19

162/ 167/135

I'm Back!

Thank you so much for your patience while I took two months off to spend with my grandgirls. They are 11 and 7. We had an awesome time making art, weenie roasts in the back yard and hotel/ pool time. We took in a local play of Beauty & the Beast as well as caught showings of Aladdin and Secret Life of Pets 2. Lots of garden time, snuggling and just making memories.

After not touching my office during that time, the place is a disaster. I've been working on a serious dig out/ pitch/ organize session in prep for starting an Etsy shop as well as increasing my Stampin' Up! business. I have a financial plan I'll share with you at another time.

For now, this is my first day of my first full week back to work. My blog board is set up, the planners (which I've not looked at since mid-May) will be put in order and I'm writing again. You can read about that in today's post at my AngelaDrake blog.  

As you can see, I am up a pound from my last blog post. Not too bad considering all the nibbling and eating out we did while the girls were here. That also meant my sugar numbers went back up. Bad me! But I'm okay with that because I know what I need to do to get back in line.

BTW, Bob won the last weight challenge. While I could have used the money I was thrilled to see him losing weight. With his job, that is such a struggle and I was very proud of his accomplishment.

Now that I've had a chat with my sister, I can share with you that I am pre-diabetic. My goal is to not have to take medications/ insulin. I've gotten a lot of good information from the American Diabetes Association website I know this is controllable with proper diet and exercise. 'Proper Diet' means eliminating things from my food plan and adding extra of others. 

After the past two months I think I need to shock my system back into shape. For the next two weeks I'm going back on the Fast Metablolism menu. You can read about that in THIS POST.

  Wednesday is Food Day here on the blog so for the next couple of weeks I'll be sharing the rotation of foods from the Fast Metablolism plan. 

My step counter is out of commission for the next couple of days. I need a new battery. I did keep my steps up while the girls were here but I want to go back to tracking them in my planner again. 

Feels good to be back with y'all. Let's Do This!

We are on this together... let's Enjoy the Journey!

~Kelly

WEIGH IN 5-27-19 & Memorial Day Tribute

162/ 166/ 135

Blessed Memorial Day! 

Remember to take time to remember those who've given their life for our freedoms as well as family and friends who've left this earth but live on in our hearts.

WEIGH IN 5-20-19

162/167/135

As you can see, the scale hasn't budged. I'm stuck - again! But I have a plan.

My husband is always telling me 'it's good to have a plan'. Coming from someone who doesn't plan things, I find that quite funny. I'm the planner! lol I like to have a road map. And I've got one in hand going forward for the next two weeks. 

#1 - More veggies. I've gotten away from eating salads/ veggies. 

#2 - The Gazelle

On the second one, even though I'm getting in anywhere from 6,000 - 14,000 steps a day (yes, you read that last number correctly), I still need a bit of cardio. A good clip walk on the gazelle should help.  

I have two weeks to drop at least one, preferably two, pounds. Since neither Bob nor I won the last weight loss challenge, the pot is at $200 when he comes home on the 30th. Boy, could I use that. I put in my largest Stampin' Up! order in twenty years, a couple of weeks ago and I need the cash to pay off the card without dipping into my CO trip money any more than necessary. So, yeah.. gotta put forth a bit more effort.

How do you handle plateaus? I'd love tips right now!

Enjoy the Journey!

WEIGH IN 5-6-19

162/167/135

Okay.. so you were treated to a different type of blog post last week. LOL That Weekend Travel post was to go under my An Ozarks Journal blog. Geez. I usually catch those burps but in trying to get posts up so that Bob and I could spend our last couple of days together, that one went by me. Now I know why the post did NOT show up on the journal blog. 

Okay.. so a couple of things to cover today. I sincerely hope you'll understand what I'm about to say.

First off, I HAVE to do better about my weight loss. My glucose numbers are reflecting the fact I've put five pounds back on. I'll admit. When Bob is home, I don't do my salads here at home every day. I don't eat the amount of vegies I should.. because Bob's intake is limited to two things:

canned peas (ewww)

french style green beans with cheese sauce (I like these actually LOL)

But I can only eat so many green beans. When I make him peas I will eat them if I can mix them with mashed potatoes. Otherwise, I will make frozen peas.

As you'll see below, if you don't know already, I am a Stampin' UP! demonstrator. I placed a reasonable order last week from Clearance to build up my future Etsy shop plus put in a big order (the largest I've EVER placed) on our pre-order in preparation for the 2019-2020 catalog releasing June 4th. I have to pay for that so I'm turning in all of my change. 

But here's the thing.. 

1) I found a hidden $100 bill yesterday from a previous weight challenge won

2) Last weigh in neither of us one... making this new round worth $200!!! 

Winning this current challenge would pay for half my order. That would be really sweet. I have enough change stashed in the office to cover the rest... I hoard my change and in this case, that's a good thing LOL

So I REALLY need to buckle down and get back to eating properly.  

Stress also raises glucose numbers and I've been stressed a lot trying to get time in the garden between rain drops, keep up with blogs (which I'm only succeeding on 2 at the moment), get the house straightened up before the girls' arrival and stay on top of office stuff in general. Did I mention writing Book 2 in the series? LOL

So yeah.. something has to give!

Last week was a perfect example of how crazy things are here... and with the girls' arrival on June 1 the time allotments will only get tighter. I HAVE to cut some things. 

June 1 - the girls arrive

June 4 - Stampin' UP! new catalog release

June 20thish - Launch Etsy shop

July 1 - Book 2 in my series releases

Mid-August - the girls go back home

August 25 - Contest entries due

September 4 - Stampin' UP! Holiday catalog launches

October 1 - Book 3 in series releases

While this blog began as a weight loss journey, I'm not getting comments/ feedback.. lots of voyeurism. I'm okay with that as long as I know what I'm sharing is helping someone to at least feel they are not alone on this journey.

So here's the deal.. 

Based on the afore mentioned schedule, I have to step back from the blogs that are not part of my income flow at the moment.  My summer is dedicated to book writing, new product launch, prepping for the Etsy grand opening and most of all - TIME WITH MY GIRLS! We will be doing all kinds of fun stuff. Abby's my crafter and Adrian is my garden buddy. Plus there will be field trips and library days, time at the creek... well, you get the idea.

So until September 1, this blog will be my Monday Weigh In. I KNOW I can't plan anything else. 

In the mean time, I hope to get some other posts organized so I can get us through the rest of the year without fail. 

By the end of this year I will know whether or not this blog continues into 2020....

... and a big part of that decision will come from you.

If you want this blog to continue, if you get anything from my posts I NEED to hear from you.

For now... I'm stepping back and Enjoying the Journey