So much to say and no time to say it!

A quick and incomplete list:

1. Went to the GI doctor for my yearly follow-up. Really, all I wanted was my prescription refilled and we both managed to forget that part. I had to call back later and get them to call it in the pharmacy. She also gave me a months supply of Align samples to try. Apparently, her patients are reporting lots of success with it. So at some point here I will be trying that to see if I can back off on the meds a little. More on that and it’s possible side effects later.

2. GI doctor also decided to test me for Celiac disease. Um. Shouldn’t they have thought of that A YEAR AGO???  This is what happens when you see different medical professionals – even when they are in the same office. I am waiting on the results of that blood test and hopefully will have nothing at all to report about it next week.

3. I am down 7 pounds. I guess the point counting is working. I have made a few changes to my lifestyle – almost no soda at all since I started (and I don’t even miss it!) and except for last week when I was sick and had a really upset stomach, I have not eaten any potatoes.  A big difference since I used to have one for lunch every day. I am actually reading my cook books and planning meals and trying to get more of a balance. I have managed to increase veggies a little with a good-for-you soup but no new veggies. Cans of green beans are still the old fall back. One note worthy event – I had a hand full of fresh blueberries this afternoon. YUM! I know, it doesn’t sound like much but I haven’t had them in a long time. And I am eating a little more fresh fruit on the weekends. Last weekend I had half an apple – a big deal for me.

 

colds and doctors

My family and I have been sick for a week. It’s been great. Not eating right at all combined with lots of sinus drainage and a couple days of forgetting to take the meds on time have left me feeling in tip-top shape today. Tip-top shape for people in hell that is.

I didn’t realize it had been so long since I had been on here. The last few weeks have just been really hectic with a lot of mini crisis’ popping up left, right and center. It appears to be calming down so things hopefully will get back to normal soon.

I go to my GI doctor this week. I don’t have much to tell them really. I’m sure they’re going to ask me how I’m doing. I still have IBS – what in the world do they want me to say?  Just give me my prescription and let me go to work. *sigh*  I think I am going to ask them about probiotics. Get a professional opinion and all. Can’t hurt to try them right??

playing by the rules

Things I have learned this week while trying to follow the rules:

1. A cup of anything really is enough.

2. I used to eat more than I realized I did.

3. I can not make myself add oil to my diet, I don’t care how good it is for me.

4. I also can not figure out how to get my servings of milk.

5. It is possible for my husband and I to make a tray of brownies and not eat them all in two days! (this was a total shocker!)

6. It is worth it to eat my green beans with no butter if that leaves me a point for something sweet.

7. It is damn hard to hit the goal points when you have to eat 6 times a day. 

8. It is discouragingly easy to go over.

9. I can eat foods other than potatoes and my gut will be ok.

10. Cooking and freezing good food on Sunday is worth every minute (why have I not do this all along?? It is so much easier to not eat something that is bad for the gut when something that is ok for the gut is all ready to defrost and eat!)

11. I hate not eating everything on my plate, I think of left overs as wasted points. (hey, they add up you know! sometimes to a brownie!)

12. Number 11 has lead to a few stomach aches the last few days.

13. Budgeting anything is hard.

14. I still have a lot of work to do to figure out how to do this the right way.

hungry

I have had a bad couple of days and I’m not really sure why. I was almost late to my first meeting this morning and I couldn’t wait for it to be over so that I could come home. And then I had to be somewhere this afternoon and barely made it there and back. By mid-afternoon I had taken the max amount of Bentyl that I can take it a day. NOT GOOD. But I managed to get everything done and get home without dying.

My first meeting this morning was ok, despite how I was feeling. The leader is really nice but really, the meeting was rather boring and I didn’t learn anything I didn’t already know. She didn’t give information as much as ask for the people in the meeting to give suggestions which, well, honestly didn’t work work so well today. I am definitely going back (after all, I paid for a month) but I am hoping next week is a little better. I was hoping to come away inspired to be good about watching what I eat and excited about this life style change that I have going on and I wasn’t. Perhaps my expectations where too high???  Oh well, I’ll keep trying and if I don’t like this group I’ll find another. Maybe next week will be better if I manage to lose some weight.

On another note, I managed to spend a bit of money while I was there. Damn cookbooks! 

I am starving today. It doesn’t help that I am reading all the materials they give you (and yeah, the stuff I bought too). All these yummy looking things make my sweet tooth very excited! I am cooking my first meal in a box from the frozen section of the grocery store tonight so we’ll see how that goes. I actually found a couple of them that don’t have any ingredients that I know will make me sick. It’s hard to find some that I can eat really, they put milk and cheese into almost all of them. But the new fruit ones look good. So we’ll see. Of course, I won’t know it it bothers my stomach since it’s all messed up anyway. Here’s to hoping that it tastes good. Or at least ok. I’ll settle for edible really so I have something to fall back on for quick dinners if needed. Hubby eats them all the time and says they’re pretty good. But of course, he can have the ones with all the yummy cheese.

dinner update: It was gross. Of course. As most frozen things that say they are healthy are. What a waste of 7 points, I didn’t even eat it all! But it was quick and I had my fingers crossed that it would be good. oh well. Now I have to go and find something else. I could really use a big bowl of zero point veggie soup right now. But I won’t be able to make it until I go shoppingtomorrow. And dang it, now I have a stomach ache. argh!

Let the point counting begin!

So I’m going on a diet. Well, lets not call it a diet, it’s a life-style change. My Hubby and I are going to be counting points for the foreseeable future and I go to my first meeting tomorrow. yippie! I am actually really excited to go weigh in. I need to do something, I am tired of gaining and losing the same 5 pounds.  

This week has sort of been a test week. We decided to start this after we had already done the shopping for the week so this week has really been more about being aware of what I am eating and how it relates to what I should be eating. I have had some stuff I probably won’t be eating again for awhile but I’m not going to waste the food (or money!) after all. Since the Hubby joined in the point counting by joining online, we have had access to all the really cool online tools and have spent all week being shocked by how many points are in our favorite cookies.

I have always avoided structured diets. After all, my diet is so restricted as it is, I have never felt I could comfortably follow a plan and not starve. This one is great because I can eat anything, even potatoes. And Sprite if I want it! (For the record, I haven’t had a sprite since Sunday and surprisingly I don’t miss it as much as I thought I would). Although, I am having a bit of a hard time not going over my points for a day considering I have to eat meals and snacks 5 to 6 times a day. I am hoping to get some good tips from the meetings and the online message boards once I have access to them. Anyone out there count points and have any tips?

I decided when I started this new adventure this past weekend that I was just going to jump in with both feet and not really baby my tummy. I haven’t eaten anything I “shouldn’t” eat, but I have been eating differently so I have been kinda waiting for some backlash and it came yesterday afternoon. Right when I had to be doing all my end of the day important stuff my desk chair was noticably empty. ooops. But I am feeling much better this morning. So far. I think yesterday might have been partcially my falt. I may have perhaps eaten some raw carrotts on Wednesday which I think may have been a mistake. I am used to eating them cooked all the time and they have no points so I was thinking they would make a great snack. But I guess not.