Heather Shrinks in Houston!

[Houston Heather]

A little about me: I am in THE WORST PROFESSION EVER. See, I was born with a neurological/cognitive disabilty (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, poor Mom didn't know what she was doing). How does that affect me? Well, I can't drive and it's hard for me to hold a job. Overall, I seem very "normal".

It so happens that my husband's blind and he's got a vending stand with the State of Texas. My job? Stocking 4 snack vending machines, recieving deliveries of Dolly Madison Devil's Food Zingers and such, and stocking the sodas. Like I said, the worst profession ever if you are low-carbing.

I lost the weight before (about 70 pounds in 2003-4) but gained it back before I found out I'm also bipolar. I was a mess.

I started on my meds, which all have warnings that I'll get fat. They didn't make me gain, any, at least. The meds work great now, but I had some horrible side effects.

People were telling me all the time "You're fat" or the worst "What happened?" in a concerned voice "You used to look great." But I wasn't ready. Because I can't drive, and DH is blind, we use the paratransit service.

I got tired of seeing my future (I estimate 90% of the clients are riding due to obesity related health problems) every time I rode anywhere and finally said enough. I reinducted.

I was really worried. What if I freaked out? What if I got sick? What if my pills made it so I couldn't lose any weight?

Fortunately, all my fears were laid to rest. My side effects used to be pretty horrible. Now they're non-existent. I got 2 migraines but I expected worse, and I'm losing at an impressive rate.

Low-carb

[Houston Heather]

You can see what I ate today in Fitday. I had "kind of" a headache but I managed to cook some pork strips for my dinner. Yummy. I laid a half cup of sauteed pork strips (sauteed in canola oil with a few spices) over a cup and a half of mixed salad greens. I'd already placed 2 T of chopped red pepper in the salad, and I poured my dressing on. I mixed it and ate it, savoring every bite. It was delicious. It was healthy. I took my Lithium as I ate (I have to take 3 a day), thinking this was a lot better than most meals I eat.

I eat very well on this plan. Tomorrow, back to work. I have to check codes on the donuts and chocolate gooeys I used to eat everyday. I'll stock delicious potato chips and inventory candy bars.

And I'll have my lunch with me. Everytime I get hungry, I take something out and eat it. Maybe it's a salad with meat. Maybe it's tuna and egg salad. Maybe half an omlette with veggies. But it's good, whatever it is.

My husband is very supportive and happy that I'm drinking the bottled water (the tap water at work is horrible).

[Houston Heather]

I feel terrible giving away slightly out-of-code products to people. It's just sugar, trans-fats, and preservatives, nothing good. I'd stop selling them if I could, but people are so enamored of the pruducts, they will chase me into the bathroom and interrogate me while I'm on the toilet "Do you have the Dunkin Sticks?" Uh, not in there I don't! It's creepy at times.

Today, I was good and bad. I had a nerve-wracked morning and drank 4 cans + one liter Diet Dr Pepper soda. When I got home, I drank about 3-4 cans of Diet Rite Cherry Cola. No water except for what I just fixed myself. I need to drink more of the water and less of the soda, I know. I'm really working on getting "off" the aspartame. I think that's the "worst". Eventually, I hope to limit my caffeine consumption to "not-addicted" levels, and hopefully only drink a few cans of whatever soda a week.

On the good side, I'm eating clean, and I drank all my water yesterday. I fixed myself a generous breakfast that held me until "Pill time" at 12-1. I ate some tuna and egg salad and took my pills. I still feel pretty satisfied. I'll probably make some more of the salad (DH is begging) and fry up some hamburger patties for myself. I love hamburger patties, they're good at any meal.

My weight's stabilized over the last 2 days, which frustrates me. But I remind myself, it's about my health. It's not about looking hot or having guys pant as I walk by. Well, having my husband pant, but it's not about a number.

I'm already down over 5 pounds and my medication really helps with the emotional eating. In fact, I have to eat when I take it, so I have plenty of low-carb snacks around.

Oh, and my husband got his "Bacon Wave" today. He loves that thing, he's had another one for years but accidentally somewhat melted it ("Don't put papertowels over the top of the bacon."). Now, with our new one, we can fix lots more tasty, crisp bacon. He preps it, I pour off the grease. We feast. Yum, yum.

[Houston Heather]

Today at work was like a horrible low-carb farce. "Heather, bring me the donuts". "Heather, I need 7 devil's food zingers" "What is the code on this (delicious) cupcake!" He really needs to know - he's blind.

THANK GOD I bought a sausage on a stick when I went to Walmart and ate it right before starting work! My blood sugar was stable, no cravings, mood stabilizers on board, so I was fine.

I had much more trouble the last time I did Atkins, cheating and all. The mood stabilizer cocktail I'm taking makes it easy to focus on the goal, even when I've had a day from hell, or I'm holding a cupcake in my hand that is one day out of code and DH is telling me "Get rid of it".

I really thought it would be impossible to lose while working in a vending job but it isn't. I'll admit the chips looked awfully tasty today (maybe my sodium levels are down), but I just thought "If I'm hungry, I can go work on that sausage as soon as I finish." I'd finish and ask myself "Hungry? OK, go fill the next one."

MY big secret: LUNCH PAIL! I have an insulated lunch box I take with me everytime I step out of the house. Yesterday, I had to go downtown. I brought my lunch bag. I had a big (clean) breakfast so I didn't get hungry, but I was glad I had it. Especially when the nice old lady sitting next to me offered me a peppermint.

I also drank most of my water today. It was pretty easy because I LOST WEIGHT! I'm down to 219 instead of the 220's. That's 8 pounds in 10 days, NOT BAD. I also lost a quarter inch off my waist. That equals 2 inches lost off my waist in 10 days.

My pants kept falling off today, so in exasperation, I wore the 20W's to work. They fit fine, a tad snug in the waist but the butt and thighs are very confortable. Even when I have to pee it isn't unbearable. I guess I can get rid of the 22W's.

I am going to be so happy when I get back into the Misses section, but I'm not putting any pressure on myself.

I told DH today "I can get up on a ladder now". My side effects from medication were so bad I wouldn't have dared try it before. Now, I have no real side effects except for dry mouth, and that just encourages me to drink my water!

Off I go to cook up 3 pounds of carne picada beef. It's delicious. I'll freeze most of it, for, you guessed it, lunch pails!

[Houston Heather]

I have a regular blog too. Today's entry is going to be entitled "Lead us not into temptation".

My parents are coming to visit. I only have one "good" chair in the living room. I decided to get a matching loveseat to go with it (the Lillberg) at IKEA. I thought, it'll be OK. Sure, I commited some awful food sins in the cafeteria but I'll be fine, they have breakfast.

My husband and I use the paratransit service, the "short bus" to get around. No big deal, right? Well, they came half an hour early (we were ready though) and we had a straight trip. That meant we got there an hour before the store opened.

I had brought drinks in my big canvas tote bag, so I just opened one. We waited and waited some more. I told my husband about the bottle vending machines IKEA has installed (I bet they make some good cash off of those bad boys). I even read him the product selection. How funny, IKEA has a Pepsi contract and we work with Dr Pepper.

By the time the store opened, I was starving. I ran upstairs. Ron needed to use the bathroom. OK. He comes out. "I don't want to stand in line, can you bring me the food?" Sure, I told him. He gave me some money and I got a tray.

I don't know how your IKEA works but ours funnels you past the desserts before you get to the "Lunch Lady". I stared, eyeball to eyeball with chocolate mousse, chocolate cake, and cheesecakes.

THANK GOD CHOCOLATE AND DAIRY GIVE ME MIGRAINES NOW! I was so hungry...

I got 2 breakfasts. Now breakfast is a good deal, $1 for about 8 ounces of scrambled eggs, 2 thin strips of crispy bacon, and about a cup and a half of potatoes. I used to love those potatoes.

I have to carry, not one, but 2 trays of the stuff to the checkout. They have cinnamon rolls and pancakes. As I approach the checkout, I see muffins and crossaints.

I made it. I got 2 drinks (diet pepsi for me, DH loves the lingonberry drink).

When I got to the table, I scraped all the potatoes (not one bite, although tempted) onto HIS PLATE. He's got carb-blockers. They work for him. He's in maintenance. I doubt even the sugary fruit drink will affect him.

I ate my eggs, bacon, and diet pepsi. I did my shopping. I bought the loveseat and arranged to have it delivered. I got other stuff and considered accessories. It's 2 hours later. I'm hungry again. I finish all my business. I'm really hungry.

I call DH "I'm going to get a hot dog or two without the bun and come get you some lunch" (I'd left him in the cafeteria - he hates shopping. He looked at the loveseat, liked it, knows how to assemble it now, back to the table.).

"Don't get the hot dog, just come up. Maybe they have something you can eat." No, I told him, I'm getting the hot dogs. If I see something delicious upstairs, then I can always save the hot dog for later.

As I'm standing in line for the hot dog, I'm tormented by scents of cinnamon roll and giant images of same on the billboard right above my head. "What would you like?" asked the cashier.

"Three hot dogs with no buns, please." She was happy to do it.

When I got upstairs, I didn't see anything appropriate for me. DH wanted meatballs with brown gravy and french fries (He's stayed at 150 eating like this for years) and carb-blockers. I hit the salad bar, which was actually quite excellent. I saw endive, radiccio, and various colored lettuces in the salad mix. It was awesome, especially with a drizzle of olive oil and some red wine vinegar. I'm getting those for home, by the way. DELICIOUS.

[Big sigh] I survived! Oh, and when I woke up my waist was a quarter inch smaller. Yay!

[Houston Heather]

Today I bought 2 cruets, a bottle of garlic red wine vinegar, and some EVOO (olive oil). I liked the "dressing" so much yesterday I decided to make it happen at home.

First of all, I had to lug a 60 pound box of candy goooyeness out to our Metrolift ride. I can't drive due to my "things". I lugged it out, put it in the trunk area, and got in the cab. I love that I'm strong enough to do that without hurting myself. It really helps to remember the powerlifting postures. I just pretend I'm doing a squat or deadlift and adjust my body properly. It works. Sometimes other people (drivers or my husband) will try to lift the box, give up, and grunt "That's heavy!"

I was "cheap" enough with my activities to put all the candy-lugging into my fitday. So, once I get this evil stuff into work I have to stock it. That's right, an hour and a half of staring at all the favorite candy bar brands (about the only thing I didn't used to like were the peanut bars...ew). I can smell the candy as I'm stocking it, but I ate a good breakfast.

It doesn't hurt when a massively obese postal worker walks by and checks out the candy display, either. Good motivation, but sadly they are our best customers. I wish I could "Cut them off". I can't.

I resisted that temptation, but I figured it was time to eat my hamburger patty before I stocked the chips. I ate it, it was delicious. I got the chip cart and went at them. Again, everyone's favorite chips. Including mine (Lays Sour Cream and Onion).

After work, we went to Walmart. I got a naked double hamburger. It had one slice of cheese (the other one stuck to the bread as I pulled it off), but I can get away with a slice of cheese now and then. I wrapped it up and stuck it in my purse. Later on, when I got hungry, I pulled it out and ate it. Tasty. It was also pill time so I took my 12 PM pill.

I've been craving green chili salsa recently. I already have pork rinds. It took a little searching, but I finally found a delicious salsa I can eat. I take a lot of Pepto because my medication irritates my stomach. I drink it straight out of the bottle.

So I never use the dose cups, which are 2 T. Easy. I just spooned the dose cup full of salsa and ate away. I had plenty for 1 cup of pork rinds with a little leftover. It really hit the spot.

Dinner will be another hamburger patty and salad. I love the oil and vinegar. I don't even need much of the vinegar.

Last night I had sauteed beef and broccoli with an insane amount of garlic. Oh, that was good.

[Houston Heather]

Don't eat before you read this. It's pretty awful. No, I won't give you a visual of me, naked, first thing in the morning on the scale.

It was funny this morning when I weighed myself. I checked the scale - 216. I was so tired I couldn't remember if that was a good thing. I had to check my little notebook. Then I said, YAY! I'm down a pound and a half. I even lost a quarter inch off my waist and my period is due in just a few days. Amazing. I'm doing exactly what I need to be doing.

As you know by now, we ride the paratransit service. Work is somewhat near a terrible public housing project with an awful reputation. One of my pivotal images, whenever I consider cheating, is this:

The "client" of the service used a power wheelchair. She is extremely obese, at least 400 pounds or so. She is wheezing from the effort of pushing the joystick on her wheelchair. If she were standing up she would be about five feet tall. She can't close her legs because they are so bloated. She was wearing a skirt. I could almost see "her treats" and God knows I didn't want to.

Her lower legs were encased in dirty, unraveling surgical dressings. They were stained with discharge, and were peeling off as I watched. You could tell she didn't have all of her feet. I begged God not to let the bandage unravel until we got off. Thank Him, He listened.

That, to me, is the most graphic and horrifying image of what eating sugar and (bad) carbohydrates will do to you. That could be any of us. That could be someone reading this post right now.

And it was totally preventable!

This morning, on the way to work, full of my low-carb sausage patty and a strip of bacon, we made another pickup. On the paratranist service it's like a carpool. Anyway, we made another stop.

It was an extremely obese woman in a power wheelchair. She can't close her legs. Thank God this lady was not wearing a short skirt. Her lower legs are encased in (clean!) surgical dressings, gauze topped with Ace Bandages. She's going to the low-income clinic.

Not an hour later, a guy at work offered me a cheese danish. I described that woman to him and asked him if he wanted me to look like her. No, he replied, shocked.

THEN DON'T YOU EVER offer me another one again!

I've been urinating a lot today, hopefully I'm about to lose some more. I'm focusing on my health, but I like watching the numbers drop too. I bought a pair of shorts "In my size" last year, size 22W. They were really sized for a 20W and I couldn't wear them. The shorts and I had a great time today, and I plan to wear them until they're too baggy to fit.

Another good bonus is the fact that I'm losing my constant need to suckle on a soda can. I've had a very modest amount for me. When I'm thirsty, the first thing I crave is water now.

Isn't it great?

[nicsweed]

I agree with you on the idea to always be prepared with your lunch pail! When were faced with split second choices sometimes it's not always a good one! I hate the fact when people you know and loved ones know how ur trying to eat low carb and they still try to offer food my mom, my hubby and especailly certin co-workers always do this to me and i say; no thanks i dont care for a peice of BLAH-BLAH...... and dont ask me agian, and sometimes they will say a bite of blah-blah wont kill you, and i say it wont kill me, but it may kill u if you dont stop eating it!

[Houston Heather]

Yeah. Some "freinds".

I have to get up at 3 AM central to get my junk food tomorrow. I will eat a hearty breakfast (1/2 hamburger patty, sausage patty, mustard greens with butter or olive oil). I'm bringing ham & green beans with olive oil, already have a cooked hamburger patty there, and some green chili salsa and pork rinds.

After work, he wants to go to IHOP. Once we're done eating, I plan to go to the "nice" grocery store and get some "Non-Walmart-supercenter" food. If I get hungry, I'll buy some pork rinds.

'Most everything they sell at Starbucks gives me migraines so I'm not worried about that. It's pretty easy to say no when I know what'll happen if I say yes.

I'm still 216.5. Not bad considering TOM is only a day or so away. I'm sure I'll see plenty of motivation at the IHOP to encourage me to eat smart.

I used to love the chocolate chip pancakes but they would give me a migraine now, thank God. I'm thinking some kind of omlette with a side salad.

It's really warm out. My 22W shorts are so baggy I only use them for yardwork. The 20W shorts fit great (the test is getting the monster key ring in and out easily, which I can).

[nicsweed]

good girl....loose cloth's are a great NSV side effect!

[Houston Heather]

Today we got up at 3 AM. Weighed myself, up 2 pounds. I figure I am retaining water prior to TOM'S arrival tonight or tomorrow. I was up about half an inch on my waist, too. Ick.

I ate my breakfast of 1/2 hamburger patty and sausage patty, took the morning pills. I brought my green beans and ham, a bag of pork rinds, and some of my favorite green chili salsa (1 carb per T). Ron (DH) made me bacon. I carefully wrapped it and stowed it in my lunch pail. Off we went.

I had 3 deliveries today, Vistar (everything that goes in the snack machine, and drinks too), IBC (makers of evil pastries), and the sandwich company. I needed to hear what my sandwhich lady told me (she is Asian). "Oh, look at you! You not so fat today? What you doing again?" I love that woman. She is very blunt, so if she says I look better I do. I noticed my face is getting nicely lean, no more jowlies.

I ate some bacon before I helped DH with the evil pastries. I used to love devi'ls food zingers. Thank God they give me migraines!

I ran around, drank way too much diet soda, and got everything done just in time to go. Off to IHOP.

We rode with a diabetic we know. He's going to dialysis. His feet are "going", he confided recently. I told the driver about my WOE and the guy just erupted. I'm doing it all wrong. I'm going to kill myself. I'm going to get sick.

All this from a man who's destroyed his own kidneys from diabetes. He is still at least 100 pounds overweight. He told me he still eats pancakes and starchy foods, he just adjusts his insulin. If his WOE is so healthy, why is he so sick? I didn't ask it, though, but I raised the point with the driver after he left. "Take advice on eating from people who are healthy."

It was oddly amusing to watch his rage when I described what I eat in an average day (the driver said I was looking better, and asked what I was doing). Oh. Well.

So, we went to IHOP. The memory of the dialysis center fresh in my mind, I flip through the menu until I find the low-carb section. I got eggs, links, and bacon, but the bacon was terrible. I didn't even eat the whole thing so half went in my trusty lunch bag (tomorrow's breakfast). Ron ate himself sick on a big bacon omlette. He's in love. He just ate the omlette and didn't touch the eggs.

We ran an errand for DH and I dropped him off at Starbucks. He ordered a large coffe with cream, while I went to Randalls. I wanted something new, low-carb, and tasty.

I found some great premixed frozen veggies, proscuttio (sp) ham to die for, and some True Lemon. We came home, I took a nap, woke up, worked in the garden, and had a great dinner.

Chef's salad with ham, bacon, and chicken. Italian dressing, mixed greens. Mixed veggies (yellow "string" beans, sugar snaps, and water chestnuts, I checked, all legal for induction. More proscuitto. Oh, it was heavenly.

I did go 2 carbs over my limit but I've decided to try 2 cups fresh salad + 2 cooked veggies a day, and see how I feel on that. I've been kind of fatigued recently.

I had to increase my Lithium this weekend (symptoms were coming back) so that's probably it. At any rate, today was crazy enough that I'm feeling no guilt over 2 extra carb grams. Tomorrow we'll be home most of the day so I can lean back a little. I want to cook those turkey cutlets (with ham, on salad!!!!).

[Houston Heather]

Yay! Last night I was too full to eat my mixed veggies so I had them for lunch. Tasty.

We were supposed to get severe weather so we went to work in the morning and then straight home. While at work, I was faced with over 11 chocolate cupcakes (the chocolate filled ones with the icing) that had reached their sell by date. I also had a couple of those fried apple pies. I gave them to the "domino guys". They are nice guys, I would trust them to watch my purse, and they really add life to the cafeteria on their breaks and lunches. The guys were happy to eat them, and I didn't have evil fattening butt paste staring at me. They have very active jobs so they burn them off.

The other vendor, the one who always tries to give me the pastries, was a little sad he couldn't "Offer me anything". I told him I'd love a bag of plain pork rinds. He was thrilled and I had a good snack on the loading dock waiting on the milkman. I was very active at work.

When we got home, I was tired and not hungry, so I just took a nap. I woke up hours later, ate the leftovers, took my pills, and hung curtains with DH. He would like them if he could see them, I think. I try to make the house look balanced, not estrogen-poisoned.

For dinner, I had a delicious chef salad. I'm really liking these for dinner, 2 cups mixed salad greens, a cup or so of assorted meats, olive oil, and a little no-sugar italian dressing. I had an appetizer of you guessed it, proscuitto ham. Oh, so good.

I haven't been super hungry today, and TOM ought to start tomorrow, so I'm not concerned about weight or measurements. I'm healthy, active, and eating a clean diet. I expect a pretty decent whoosh in the next week or so, based on the way I lost last time (cheating, even).

[Houston Heather]

Today I ate some of my own, organic, colllards. I bought transplants back in January and put them in the garden. They're getting very boisterous so I trimmed 4 leaves off various plants, chopped them up, and simmered them in 8 ounces of chicken broth. Oh, it was delicious. I was going to share them around at work, but now I'm feeling greedy. Most Texans, when sharing their collard recipe, emphasize boiling them to death for hours on end. I only simmered mine for 8 minutes.

Mine had a nice tenderness, with a little crunch to it. The mating of chicken broth and veggie essence was superb. I drizzled a little olive oil into the bowl right before I ate them. Tasty. Next time, I'm going to try them with a little salt pork. I hate to think what the store would charge for organic collards. 4 good-sized leaves made about 1/2 cup cooked greens, perfect for one serving. The only green thing DH eats besides salad are green beans.

I'm still up in water weight, waiting on my stupid cycle to begin. I'm getting PMS cramps so it shouldn't be more than another day or two. I want to get rid of this bloat and find out did I lose anything? How much? At least I know to expect a couple-pound weight gain next month. It's very discouraging and depressing. It's not like I'm ever going to use my uterus to reproduce, either.

I had a great time out in the garden planting peppers, pole beans (the snap kind), bush beans, marigolds, you name it. I had a lot of fun.

I'm still pretty fatigued. I'm not sure if it's PMS, my medication adjustment, or what, so I'm trying to be kind to myself.

I had a great 3 hour nap (today was my day off).

[Houston Heather]

I was down 2 "bloat pounds" this morning, which was a great start. I had some cramping and diarrhea all day. Yuck. Thank God Pepto-bismol is sugarfree. I had a good appetite so I know it isn't a medication thing, it's some virus I must have picked up.

For breakfast, I had a delicious cup of green beans with a sausage patty. For lunch, well, that was interesting. We use the paratransit service so I ended up at Starbucks with a bag of pork rinds. I needed to eat in half an hour. I went to the nice grocery store. The quiche looked pretty good (even though I'm lactose intolerant). I bought it. The thing was still FROZEN. No microwave. They are busy. I am somewhat shy and I don't like to make a fuss.

I reach into my bag and get out the trusty pork rinds. I ate them, drank my soda, and took my lithium. I was worried the pork rinds wouldn't be enough to cushion the lithium, and make me ill, but I was fine. So I had pork rinds for lunch. They stuck around for a while, too. I didn't get hungry for hours. When I did, my quiche was thawed and I remembered I'd hate myself if I ate it (crust nonwithstanding, I can't eat cheese). I threw it out.

I got my beloved proscuitto. They looked at me like I was a glutton when I ordered a pound and a quarter. I was shameless. I got the smoked salmon next. Oh, delicious salmon goodness. 4 oz for $4.

I got some more of their reusable shopping bags. I love those things. Ron needed some Dramamine (we got the generic), etc. I also found some delicous cherry tomatoes for about $3. ORGANIC tomatoes. I had a half cup of them with my dinner. Tasty.

When we got home, I made my roll-ups. I sandwiched one slice of smoked salmon between two slices of the ham. Oh, delicious. I told Ron "No dinner you could buy me could taste any better than this." It was perfection. It was also nice to get myself a healthy food treat.

Still waiting on TOM. I tell myself my real weight is 208. I just don't see it yet. It comforts me.

[Houston Heather]

Holding steady at 217, waiting on TOM. I guess I could wait up to the 26th if "it" does what it has in the past. My poor abused body. I'm probably flooded with preservatives and synthetic hormones from all my dissolving fat. It's like "my" vending machines, I try to be kind to my body instead of yelling at it and calling it a piece of crap. I mean, really, if you keep calling something bad names, pretty soon it will live up to them. My opinion. I can't remember the last service call "MY" vending machines have had. I treat them kindly and praise them often. Why not do the same with my body?

I have a cat sitting by my foot right now staring intently out the window. He's watching a sparrow frolicking in the Red-tips (a large bush). My broccoli is beeping in the microwave.

I woke up early today, 6-something. It's my day off, no less. We try to never take more than one day off in a row. Otherwise the machines can develop problems. They just sit there losing money and annoying customers who want to buy their products, but can't.

I got ready to weigh. Still 217. I'll take it, at least it's not up. I've been eating clean. Then I measured. 38.5. In a little over 3 weeks, I have lost 3.5 inches just off my waist. That's AWESOME.

I'll call that a win. Last time, my body would stay at the same weight for ages, then WHOOSH several pounds overnight. I'd lose a quarter to a half pound every day for a while, then the pattern would repeat.

I'm going to treat my body like a vending machine. Thank you for serving me so well!

[Houston Heather]

I ate clean today, even at Walmart. We may be going to dinner with a "freind" who is picky about where he eats. He is overweight and likes to drink his own weight in regular cokes every time we go out. I already had a good snack of prosuitto ham and smoked salmon just in case it isn't practical for me.

I've only been mildly bad. I need to drink more water, that's it. I had a blast in the garden today, too.

[Houston Heather]

I was very good. Our freind was late picking us up so I went ahead and ate a nice green salad. Ooops. I forgot to put the cherry tomatoes into fitday. I hit it with some olive oil and italian dressing. Tasty.

He arrived, we ran some errands, and then we went to Cracker Barrel. I ate the top off a cobb salad, all the meats and the hardboiled egg. I didn't bother with the greens because I'd already eaten a salad, just not the meat. I had a good time and I didn't feel deprived.

I did eat a little bit of cheese, I hope I don't hate myself tomorrow. I have some wierd boils but I know it's just from the toxins my body releases as it burns the fat. If they get worse, I'll go see my primary care doc. She is awesome.

[Houston Heather]

Today was the kind of day that used to send me for my ice cream scoop and my Blue Bell Cookies & Cream ice cream.

Cramps and a little spotting today. I swear my uterus is having a tantrum, or slowly recovering from toxicity, but it's acting odd. I never have a little spotting. It's always "tidal" in nature.

That's nothing. I'm just glad all my internal organs are working properly.

I went to work with DH today. We were only supposed to be there for a couple of hours. I brought one thing to eat. Due to a mistake he made, we ended up working an extra 3 hours to fix it. Have you ever tried to make a lunch, out of a vending supplies stockroom, when you are dairy-chocolate-nut intolerant? No one wants to buy low carb out of the vending machines. I had 2 things I could eat:
Slim Jims. Contain MSG, 2 g carbs.
BBQ pork rinds, contain sugar 2 g carbs.

I ate one of each, and took my lithium. Tomorrow I get some canned tuna in oil for days like today. I even drank most of my alloted water. I busted my BUTT helping him out for nearly 6 hours. One time he said thank you, I"m a big help.

When we got home, I tried to take a nap. He decided to take out the garbage and do something that involved running into chairs in the living room repeatedly. Needless to say, it was not a quality nap. He finally says, "I'm done now, you can go back to sleep." My body doesn't work like that and I told him so.

He takes a nap. I spend over 40 minutes making his favorite dish. He apparently didn't hear me say I was making it. Now he's angry because he didn't know. How about, thanks for making me my favorite dish, instead of "I have HEARING problems and I didn't hear you!" He did. Once, he said "Whatever" and the other time he said "OK". Third time "I don't want any now".

Like I said. Right now I'm feeling a little undervalued and unappreciated. But that's his fault, not mine. I did everything I could to help him today. That's all I can do. Other people see me as a valuable person.

All in all, I ate very well. I was nicely suprised to see my carbs under my limit for the day. And I cooked myself a lovely turkey breast steak for breakfast tomorrow, along with my delicious italian ham.

[Houston Heather]

Today's better. It's a nice mild sunny day, DH is as good as he gets, and the cats are doing well. I went to Walmart this morning. I was almost out of my salad mix and I wanted to look around and see if anything grabbed my attention in the food department.

I did my new routine at McDonalds (in Walmart). I ordered a side of eggs and a side of sausage. DH got a large soda, he'd eaten at home. I took my pills, ate my food (I have to take my pills with food or I get violently sick), and went shopping.

I know they have aspartame, but I got some of the carbonated flavored waters. I love the Black cherry and Key Lime. I looked at various spices and seasoning rubs. The "Cajun Blackened" seasoning has sugar very high on the list of ingredients. That means no. I finally decided the 50 cent lemon pepper looked interesting. The ingredients are "legal" and no wierdness that would provoke migraines. I moved on to the ethnic foods.

I got more of my delicious salsa verde. It's only got 1.5 carbs and no sugar per serving (the size I use). I wandered on down the aisle. I was struck by the sesame seed oil. It's mentioned in virtually every low-carb cookbook I own. It's not nut related but it has a nice rich nutty flavor. No migraines and a good flavor? It's only $2.24. I got it.

I am so glad I did! I was a little hungry when I got home and I hadn't eaten any veggies yet. I cooked up some frozen green beans and drizzled a little sesame seed oil on top. It was good. I wanted more. I put more. I ate it, it was delicious, and I'm so glad I got it! I want the most flavorful food I can get, without triggering my migraines. Tasty, tasty, tasty.

I finally lost the last of my bloat pounds without starting my period. Odd. Oh, well, I'm not going to worry about it. My body will sort itself out, I'm eating better than I have in years.

Let's hope the neighbors don't get too rowdy.

[Houston Heather]

Today I'm a little fatigued. I assume it's due to my medication because I used to feel like this all the time prior to inducting, and that was on a lower lithium dosage.

I set an appointment to get all my levels checked, blood and urine work. I go in Wednesday. It's kind of a hassle because I have to get my blood drawn 12 hours after my last lithium dose. I'll probably be fairly revved by the time I get the work done. The only food place near the lab is a Starbucks (good for maintaining DH, bad for me). I guess I'm bringing my lunch pail. As soon as the blood is drawn, I eat something hearty and take my pills. Life OFF my pills is anethema.

So, we'll see. In the meantime I'm trying to eat clean. I got a can of spam spread, a can of deviled ham, and a can of vienna sausages for work. God forbid I ever get stuck there without a meal I'll have something healthy to eat. It's hard to find something that works with my food intolerances AND, biggest issue, has enough fat.

My dinner of turkey breast and cherry tomatoes was tasty, but low in fat. I had to get out the pork rinds to finish off. I was too lazy for anything else. I need to drink another glass of water, wash my clothes, take my shower, and flop. I'm pretty tired already. I hope I can get it all done.

I'll take some water into the shower.

True lemon powder works very well on turkey breast, btw. I hit it with some pepper and true lemon, then threw it in a skillet with some soybean oil. Tasty. I have leftovers for tomorrow. We're going to the mall after work so I can de-carb Wendy's. I really try to avoid dairy if at all possible (oh, yeah, and I need to take my cal-mag-zinc before my shower), so I'll probably just eat a big chunk of meat and a salad I brought myself.

I like to think I'm getting smart about my WOE. I didn't used to think things out before which led to a lot of Frankenfood snacking. That stuff is loaded with allergens for me AND it stalls me. Bad food, very bad.

[Houston Heather]

Well, sesame oil is a migraine trigger. DAMN. I hate migraines. I hate migraines when I start my period too. I'm over the worst of the migraine but the cramps are pretty bad.

Men, be glad you're men. Women, you have my sympathy.

I am down a pound since I "started".

I don't have much appetite due to the migraine, but I'm on track with my mood stabilizers. A few years ago, I'd be obsessing that my "lack" of food today would "ruin" the good track of my weight loss. I would stall, and get stuck and it's all the fault of that stupid migraine.

These days, I take a more philisophical approach. I'm getting healthier. Instead of blilnding pain and a 12 hour migraine with nausea and vomiting, it was only crippling pain and a 7 hour migraine with no nausea or vomiting. Of course it's affected my whole day but before I'd be looking forward to 3 more hours of hell.

I'll take better, thanks. Either my weight will drop or it won't. I'm getting healthier, my wedding ring (titianium, impossible to size) is sliding off easier now, and I can put it on when my hands are a little puffy after doing dishes. Even my symptoms are better.

I'll eat what I can, when I need to take my meds, or hopefully when my appetite comes back. I'll eat GOOD things that will promote a healthy body. The rest will follow.

I'll never eat sesame oil again, either.

[Houston Heather]

Today I gave the sesame oil (along with some fresh home-grown organic collards) to a co-worker. He was happy to get them; I was happy to get rid of them.

Since I ride the paratransit service I expect to share a cautionary tale or two with you. Like the woman who didn't buckle up, and is now a quadraplegic. Today I heard of a very sad story and she isn't even riding Metrolift yet.

We eat a lot at Cracker Barrel - they have a low-carb menu. After work we went in and a waitress (not ours) came and sat down at our table. She asked my husband (who is completely blind) if she could ask him some personal questions.

He said, sure. Her mother in law just went blind. From diabetes. She thought everything was "under control", even though her vision had gotten a bit blurry. She scheduled an eye exam. Two days before her exam, she went legally blind from diabetes, just like THAT. On the freeway. She barely got off the road. Now she's legally blind, can't work, can't drive, can't shop for herself (yet). Ron plans to mentor the lady a bit and connect her with some agencies (like Metrolift, and the talking book program), but nothing can give her back the vision she lost. To diabetes.

It's been very easy to eat on plan today. I've never been diagnosed diabetic but my blood sugar was definitely unstable. It's very sobering for me.

I do have blood work coming on Thursday. If I can get a copy of the results, I'll share it.

I ate legal today, drinking my water. I was really tired (combo of aleve and Lithium always makes me groggy), and just got up from a nap. This morning, my weight and waist were the same, but like I'm always saying, I'm focusing on my goal = me healthier. The rest will come when it wants to.

Take care, everyone.

[Houston Heather]

I didn't get enough sleep last night and I drank way too much diet soda.

But... I'm down 2 pounds from what I was yesterday, down a total of 13.5 pounds from this time last month, down 3.75 inches off my waist, probably 4 inches off my hips, down a whole bra (band) size, down a whole shirt and pants size. I feel way better and I'm not all paranoid and irritable like I would have been if I'd missed some sleep before.

God is GOOD. Thank God I found this way of eating.

Today was a long day at work. I am surrounded by temptation. When I first started to get hungry, I ate half an ounce of pork rinds. When I got hungry again, I sat down with DH and ate my cooked salmon, braised in butter. It was incredibly filling and I enjoyed it. The next time I ate, hours later, was Burger King. I had a "quad stacker" with no bun. I took the bun off, wrapped the stack of meat, "cheese" and bacon in the wrapper, and ate it as if it were a burger. I'm pleasantly full and my mood improved quite a bit after eating it (I had gotten a bit cranky), enough that I actually apologized for snapping at DH earlier.

Obviously, for dinner I will eat some vegetables with fat. I have my blood tests tomorrow, so I need to pack an "instant meal" to go to the lab with me. DH waits for me at a nearby Starbucks. I have to take my lithium with food. Starbucks = me fat again so I'll

UGH vertigo attack brb

I can't blame the vertigo on the pills, it's actually inner ear allergies - block my tubes and I get very dizzy. I usually get enough warning to take a decongestant. I may be hyper tomorrow but that's the price I pay. Anyway, I took my decongestant.

Since I won't be eating at Starbucks, I will bring something that's good cold and eat that after my blood's drawn. I only take 1 tablet in the morning so a sausage patty or something should "hold" me.

It seems silly, but I worry about my kidneys. What if the lithium is damaging them? Then I have to go off my "tried and true" and start taking some "iffy" pill, maybe doing a lot of damage in the process. It's a very small probability. I try to "let it go" and focus on the fact that I'm feeling fantastic and all my vital systems seem to be working better than they ever have. Maybe it's all the dialysis patients I ride with. They're making me paranoid.

Off I go for a late nap. I know I have to get plenty of sleep if I want to get healthier/lose weight.

Maybe I've started a mini-whoosh and I'll have lost more tomorrow!

[Houston Heather]

Yay! 210! In 30 days on plan, that's 17.5 pounds lost, one clothing size lost, one bra band size lost, 3.75 waist inches lost, and a much happier Heather.

Today I got my blood work done, when I can get my results I'll post them. I know they will be a lot better than they were.

So, it looks like I'm back to my old weight loss method, a nice whoosh after my period, steady losses for a couple of weeks after, a pause, a slight gain, then a whoosh. I can live with that. I don't want to lose too much all at once and get flabby anyway. Or would it be saggy? Floppy? Loose?

After his accident 5 years ago, my husband lost a lot of weight while in the hospital. At home, he lost even more. He wouldn't eat much so whatever I could get in his mouth had to be incredibly healthy. I ended up making low-carb high-protein shakes for him, the only thing he'd eat. He lost down to a healthy level. Total weight loss was about 60 pounds in 3 months. His skin was kind of loose for a few months, but then it tightened up. He had been heavy for at least a decade, and he was 47 at the time of his accident.

I seemed to shrink down OK last time, I got down to 152 with no problems in the skin department. I just had a brain melt soon after and began eating bad things.

As a treat, I bought myself a little BBQ grill and accoutrements (tongs, charcoal, etc.). The whole works cost me $30. I look forward to getting some good ground beef, having DH season it, form it into patties, and I grill it. MM! A chicken leg quarter for him maybe... possibly even some salmon or fatty fish for me, turkey legs, I see a lot of possibilities. Shish kebabs.

It's a little sad though, looking at the marinades and things I didn't see one low-carb item. I'm thinking, recipe room here, just throwing some thyme or rosemary on the coals (I have plants), or low-carb specialty stores (netrition). Anyway, it will add healthy variety to my diet and make DH happy too.

Today I ate the last of the salmon I cooked the other night. It's very filling, I plan to eat a little more salmon in the future. Smoked over a nice hot grill... tasty. Tonight is looking like a salad, and then I need to cook something for tomorrow. What? I am clueless. I plan to buy a case of plain pork rinds from the other vendor tomorrow so that'll help with the snack department. Plain pork rinds in the 1 ounce bag have saved me more than once.

[nicsweed]

WOW 17.5 POUNDS IS AMAZING.....CONGRAT'S HEATHER UR DOING GREAT!

[Houston Heather]

Today was just a wild day. A good day, but a wild one. It started with a sausage patty for breakfast, as usual. I took my morning meds and ran out the door. Halfway to work, I realize I've left my purse at home. I'm feeling very thick-headed and slow. I didn't sleep well last night and had to take a couple of benadryl (our miracle knock-out pill). I actually got up and bumped into DH at the medicine cabinet, it was pretty funny.

What does my purse contain? My ID badge to GET INTO THE BUILDING. My keys so I can DO MY JOB. Most importantly, it has my PILLS. Ron was so awesome, all he said was "I'm just happy you realized it now instead of worrying you left it on the van." What a sweetie! I'm taking breaks here to gnaw on a hamburger patty.

We were supposed to leave work around 9:20. Our ride didn't get there until over an hour an a half late (which was good because Ron needed to stock some last minute items). We finally got to the bank. We were supposed to get home at 12:30, remember this.

At 12:30 PM, we got picked up from the bank. But wait, there's more. We have to find the other client and take her home first. She lives right over by where we work. Then we drove back to the grocery store. I ate my 1 ounce bag of pork rinds en route. That was it for my snacks.

Around this time, I got a call from my Dr's office. All my lab tests came back normal and I am in the ideal lithium range. I was hoping I could get my dosage reduced, but I have to keep taking 4 pills a day. But I can't because I don't have my PILLS!

I went to the dollar store and found a few little items I wanted. I am very fond of their woven plastic bags, they are very durable. I got a "junior" kind of a regular shopping bag size with a zippered top.

The only seating area at the grocery store, by the way, is in the BAKERY section. I am surrounded by gooey treats. They even have free samples. Suprisingly, it wasn't all that hard to resist, but I was getting hungry. So what does a dairy-nut intolerant low-carber eat?

I found "our" brand of pork rinds. They had the hot, the plain (I just ordered a whole case of them for myself to be delivered Monday), and something new. Salt and Pepper. I look at the label. It does have a little bit of MSG but it has garlic, onion, salt, and pepper in the pork rinds. I thought "What the hell" and bought a bag.

Oh, it is so good. They are Mac's snacks Salt and Pepper pork rinds. Here's a link so you know the ingredients and the bag's appearance: Macs Salt and Pepper pork rinds

I ate about an ounce of them. I shared a few with Ron, warning him "If you like them tell me and I will buy you your own bag." He liked them of course. I ended up buying 5 bags total, one for him, the half-eaten lifesaver bag, and 3 spares. They have a good long code that expires in May.

I got a few spice items, some ingredients for my famous low carb pasta (I will be eating my meats and sauce over spaghetti squash). I use Dreamfield's. But I won't eat it right now, it ought to be delicious over spaghetti squash.

Now we're done. We wait over an hour for our ride home. When I got home I located my purse and took a nap. I finally ate something and took my pills.

I have to share a fun ritual I have when it comes to weight loss. Last time, I had someone take a photo of me next to the Crisco - the amount of fat I'd lost. I lost about 70 pounds.

Today I found some cheap trans-fat vegetable shortening. I picked up the can. It was big. It was also about 2 pounds and 10 ounces. I did the math and realized I had lost over 6 cans of the stuff IN ONE MONTH. I was so thrilled I bought the can of shortening just to keep around. If I get discouraged, I can look at it and say "I'm doing great, I lost 10 of these" or however many increments I've lost.

I think everyone doing low-carb should do this. It's incredible to actually SEE the fat lost. Last time, I bought one can for each increment I lost and I was getting overrun. This time, I think I will just have the 42 ouncer and a 7 pounder. It's so much fun to hold the can and realize I've lost six and two-thirds of them.

[Houston Heather]

This morning, on the way to Walmart, I brought up Atkins. The driver was very interested (he was a regular cab driver contracted for the trip by the paratransit company), so I gave him a copy of DANDR.

I had a lot of running around today, part of it trying to find a cute romantic, appropriate dress to wear out to dinner if DH and I go out with my parents. No luck. It was very discouraging.

Tomorrow I have to tell DH some bad news came that will depress him. Then I have to live with him. UGH. I'm not surprised I'm battling a mild depression tonight.

I really need to get some good sleep tonight, take a nap tomorrow, and I've already reserved tomorrow for work and home, nothing else. Except mowing and weed-whacking the lawn, watering my plants, etc. AAAAAAGH! I would hate to see me off my pills.

I have been craving neckbones big time. Big, meaty neckbones. I never ate them until a few years ago, when I made them myself. I've made good ones and bad ones but the good ones keep me coming back for more.

Tonight I tried a new recipe for my neckbones, but it does contain some molasses. That will not be a "clean" meal. I hope they work out and I enjoy them, if they don't I'll have saved myself the molasses carbs. They are very filling and last a long time so I'm not worried, it will be about 7-8 carbs per meal. If that. Then I go back to my clean eating. I just can't resist those neckbones, maybe I need the calcium or something?

Generally, in Houston neckbones are thought of as poor black food. Huh. I don't pretend to understand.

Anyway, Mom and Dad are here in just a couple days. I need to get the house and yard orderly, deal with the fallout from DH's bad news, and keep the machines stocked.

Tomorrow I plan on making it a priority: lots of good portable food for me, because it's a constant lately, I'm out and I have to improvise. Pork rinds and lithium are not my ideal lunch, especially every day.

[Houston Heather]

I know I'm in trouble when I'm awakened repeatedly by a worsening headache. Yeah. I had a migraine. This one was even easier than the last one, I was able to work a couple hours. Then I came home and curled up in bed.

This morning I was able to take my (bipolar) medication. I have learned through bitter experience with migraines DO NOT EAT UNTIL I AM ACTIVELY HUNGRY. I cannot eat just because I should - if I do I will vomit which will make the migraine worse. Ask me how I found that out.

DH was in a pissy mood because of the migraine. Once he got angry at me and accused me of being "sickly". I didn't eat any bad things so how is this my fault? Then he decides to WEED WHACK? I fell asleep anyway and when I woke up I was somewhat functional.

Since my parents are coming to visit I had to mow and weed whack (he only got a small area) the entire back yard. Then he got angry at me for asking him to roll up the weed whacker cord because I "Was supposed to whack, then mow". I told him, considering the fact that I had a migraine I was doing damned well and I figured mowing four thousand square feet of backyard was a little more important than weed-whacking 100 feet of house and fence. AAAAGH. Too bad I can't send him for "Sensitivity training" like they do at some offices. I have to take that back, he just came in and apologized for his behavior today.

Anyway, I was feeling much better by the time I finished. I wasn't hungry yet but I decided to fire up the BBQ. My first creation was a tasty cheddar burger for DH. He loves sharp cheddar cheese and smoked meat. OK, I can do that. He loved the end result. We weren't impressed with the fresh sausages we got from the Randall's meat department (plus I noticed they had added sugar), but I have some Chappel Hill sausages smoking on the grill right now. Those are always so delicious. I like the link size, too. About 3 ounces or so.

I actually got hungry so I ate a hamburger patty and took my lithium. I do not EVER want to screw with that. I had to take 3 pills because I couldn't take my noon dose. I'll be OK tomorrow.

Anyway I have to get up at 4 AM tomorrow. Booo. Still stuck on the weight and measurements. I don't expect to lose more than a pound or so tomorrow because I hardly ate today. I am glad the migraines are getting milder. I figure my body's processing out toxins.

[Houston Heather]

Well, I'm down two pounds this morning. I hope it sticks. No headache and I drank all my water before 11 AM. I'm very proud of myself for that.

It was a busy day with a lot of running around but we got it all done. I'm just glad I can sit back and relax a little. I got my nap when we came home.

Mom and Dad will be here tomorrow. I did something really intelligent, I think. We're going on a tour of the Blue Bell ice creamery. My bright idea when I wasn't low-carbing, everyone loved it and I don't want to spoil their parade. While DH was on the phone discovering they have lots of no-sugar added items, I went to the Randalls and found a no-sugar added sorbet. It has 5 grams net carbs. I can take that with me and eat that when everyone else is indulging. I can "indulge" too without hating myself in the morning OR getting the certain-to-follow dairy consumption migraine.

People seem to think it's a little "harsh" that I can't eat chocolate, dairy, nuts, etc. But I'd rather not be able to eat it at all than endure constant temptation. Especially when I have to stock the devil's food zingers like I did today. It's easy to say no, now. I like it this way. God's a genius.

[Houston Heather]

My shorts are all falling off. Today I tried belting a pair, but I hated it. It felt very cheap.

I buy most of my clothes at Walmart but I never feel cheap. I hated it. I threw away the belt halfway through the day (I didn't like the belt much).

Today I was able to buy a pair of 18W shorts. I just checked my size charts, yup, I am an 18W. Once I drop another few inches I'll be in an 18 misses. I'm really looking forward to that. For now, I'll enjoy my $10 pair of comfortable shorts. I saw some cute ones in hot pink but not at this weight. I'd look like a big pink hippo from behind. [shudder]

I sustained my weight loss, I didn't gain it back. I was worried it might have been water weight after my migraine or something. No. And I'm still a 38.

I even found some Ketosticks. I peed on it and they were dark purple. I need to drink more water! When I eat that sorbet tomorrow they will be a great tool to see if the stuff derailed me. I bought plenty of diet drinks to take on the road. I don't want to get stuck, thirsty somewhere with only bad choices. I'd rather look like a pioneer with a big bag then screw up my weight loss. I ought to be good for another couple weeks of easy losing IF I AM SMART.

I'm actually sitting at my table staring at a hamburger patty. I"m not hungry but I need to take my pills. I'm taking bites now. It's good, I cooked it Sunday, used the meat thermometer and everything. Tasty.

So it's just pick up the house, make things look good. Get ready for my road trip. I'll update.

Mom and Dad are due in tonight. Tomorrow we go to Brenham.