Perimeno Fun -- Another leg of Ev's Journey

[EvelynM]

I'm journaling here to help myself be accountable. My history from lowcarb (2002 : 250 to 199) to CEA HOW (2003: 230 to 200) to BFFM (2004: 210 to 185) to the sinkhole which followed a severe workout injury (gaining all the weight back) to a misguided attempt at "normal/intuitive" eating to haphazard, intermittent attempts at 'getting back on track' has brought me to this place. Back in the two-bucks club. 220

The good news is that I've made exercising/workout a part of my lifestyle and have done so consistently (with the exception of the 4 or so months that I was recovering from the injuries).

The better news is that I've found a doctor who specializes in bioidentical hormones and weight management for mid-life and I was thrilled to hear that I was NOT crazy and do, in fact, have some issues that have affected my inability to drop fat ever since 2004. Who knew I'd ever be EXCITED about hypothroidism, candida, and estrogen dominance? My first visit with him was April 22 -- earth day -- very fitting, it's springtime after all -- all about rebirth, growth, etc.

Armed with my bioidentical progesterone cream, a truckload of supplements, a colonic cleanse program, and a low-carb meal plan .... here I go!

[EvelynM]

My meal plan:
1. Low carb -- limit to 30 and 35 per day.
2. Most fats to be eaten during early meals.
3. Most carbs in the forms of salad and veggies to be eaten in the middle of the day.
4. Largest portion of protein to be eaten at evening meal.
5. Breakfast - 3 to 5 carbs; Lunch - <10 carbs; Dinner - <10 carbs
6. Sweeteners limited to Stevia and Xylitol.
7. Caffeine - limit of 2 cups a day
8. Water - 100 to 120 oz a day.
9. Log food and tweak plan as necessary.

My life plan:
1. Follow meal plan
2. Continue workouts
3. Increase yoga/meditation sessions
4. Power mindset to-do lists to stay focused and reduce stress

[EvelynM]

Sunday, 4/27

MEALS:
Breakfast: Egg cream (2 eggwhites, protein powder, 2 T heavy cream, coconut oil, chia seeds) Yum! Tastes like cookies and cream ice cream!
Snack: Cucumber rounds topped w/avocado, lite havarti cheese, natural black forest ham. OMG! What a delicious snack!
Lunch: Salad (organic spinach, salmon, artichoke hearts, blue cheese dressing mixed w/Udo's 3-6-0 oil, chia seeds)
Dinner: Roast chicken;

WORKOUT:
Biggest Loser Cardio Max, Level 3

TO-DO LIST:
Have FUN and enjoy DAY OFF. (Harder than it sounds. Taking notes on relaxing from my dog, Shelby.)

[EvelynM]

Weight is 218. It went down to 215 on Saturday. Have to remind myself about the fluctuations. Also, need to really follow this plan as written which is low carb but definitely not Atkins. Or maybe it IS closer to Atkins than a lot of Atkids follow. I remember Dr. A stating that he never meant for people to be little piggies about animal fats .... a trap I can easily fall into.

I also have to remember that before I get the thyroid meds (another week and a half), I can't expect to drop as efficiently as I will be.

So, I'm going to use Fitday today and follow the doctor's meal plan more closely to see what those numbers look like.

[EvelynM]

MEALS:
Breakfast: Protein drink (Chocolate whey protein, coconut oil, Udo's 3-6-9 oil, coffee, eggwhites)
Lunch: 4 oz natural lean beef mixed w/1 T golden, ground flaxseed and .5 cup eggwhites, grilled and wrapped in 2 romaine lettuce leaves; 8 asparagus spears
Snack: 3 oz organic black forest ham, cut into chunks and served on cucumber rounds (1/2 cuke)
Dinner: 4 oz natural lean beef sauteed w/2 T Bruschetta (Trader Giotto's); 1 cup zucchini squash

Vegan Rice Protein drink post-workout some time in afternoon

Fitday breaks this down to 1222 calories, 18 carbs. Fat percentage is a whopping 72 grams or 57%. Yikes. This is going to take some getting used to. Nutritionist says not to stress about ESSENTIAL fats like Udo's and the magical coconut butter. However, I'm already 'feeling' the effects of heavy whipping cream and whole cheeses which are allowed but in fairly SMALL portions!

WORKOUT:
Biggest Loser Power Sculpt, Level 3

TO-DO LIST:
Meet with Pat and review administrative and household tasks for week!

[EvelynM]

Well, this is Day 7. I'm not having any cravings which is great but nothing too impressive is going on in the weight loss department. It feels good to scout around some of the induction threads and be reminded that weight loss is a bit trickier with low-carb. My job is just to stay on plan and trust that the fat will drop away. Of course, I can't imagine this happening until I get the thyroid meds.

My menu changed a bit from yesterday and you can't edit these entries so I might just wait until the end of the day to journal what I've eaten.

Insomnia last night -- hormonally induced, I'm sure. I've been up since 2. That should make for a nice long day.

[EvelynM]

Yesterday was hellacious -- felt like a zombie all day from lack of sleep. BUT, I stayed on plan. I'm having a bit of a time adjusting to what I can eat/can't eat. I'm a newbie again. I tried low-carb a few months ago and was horrified when I didn't lose after several days (knowing that I usually drop some water weight the first week). Doctor tells me it's NOT the low-carb, it's the thyroid and candida that were preventing the release of fat. I hope he's right. Still, patience is obviously not my strong suit when it comes to wanting to see results when I'm behaving around food.

Now, I'm going to run up and do my workout because time will slip by and I won't have time later.

[EvelynM]

Ok, workout was great. Just a quick Turbo Jam session.

Breakfast was a lean chicken breast cooked in 1 t coconut oil and drizzled w/a tsp of Udo's 3-6-9 oil.

Off to shower ...

[EvelynM]

Morning snack: 2 hb eggs mashed w/1 T mayo
Lunch: Steak salad - rib eye strips over spinach and 2 oz cheese w/caesar dressing
Afternoon snack: a few walnuts toasted in butter and xylitol
Dinner: Protein drink w/coconut oil and egg whites

[Leenie]

Hi Ev It's so good to see you back too!

I think you have a great solid plan here. You've done much better with the exercising than I did.

I hope your journey down the hormonally challenged road is very smooth and the bioidenticals work out well for you. I was more of a crazy woman on the progesterone cream. Actually I can't say it was that because I was taking so much stuff at the time it could have been anything.

I finally found the secret to sleeping all night. Don't go to bed until 2 am

My doctor (who is actually a rheumatologist) was able to calm me down when I had lost patience after being strict on my diet for 1 day and not losing anything He just patted me on the leg and told me everything would be ok, I'd eventually lose the weight when the time was right.

Then he proceeds to tell me the story of aging and what to expect. Middle age, gain fat around the middle. Older age, lose muscle, bone loss, etc. Really old age, lose fat. I guess the Dr. was telling me I'd finally lose the fat when I'm 90

Is The Biggest Loser Power Sculpt good?

[EvelynM]

Hey Leenie. I remember you posting about progesterone cream, back in the day. I've actually noticed it calming me down. My gynecologist (and other internist) had put me on Wellbutrin to deal with the mood swings which necessitated a benzodiazapene (Xanax) in small doses to deal with the effects of the Wellbutrin and then a sleeper (Ambien) to .. blah blah blah. I stopped all of that and the progesterone seems to have replaced all of that nicely. I still get PMS (like the insomnia the other night) but I'm never sure if I'm going to get a period. Several months go by and then voila, it's here.

The doctor I found says all of those aging symptoms do NOT have to happen. He says it's hormonal imbalance, all of it. For men and women. He looks great (and he keeps a private stash of progesterone on his desk). His lips to God's ears!!

[EvelynM]

Ok, I've used my morning workout time to fashion a menu and cook. I'm going to see if I can get a little workout in at lunch time or during my dinner break.

Menu today:
Breakfast - Protein drink (water, chocolate whey protein, 2 T heavy cream, .5 cup eggwhites, 2T Udo's 3-6-9 oil)
Snack - .5 cup 4% cottage cheese
Lunch - Salad (2 cups organic greens, 3 oz natural, no-nitrate ham, 3 oz high-protein tofu, 2T Caesar dressing)
Snack - 10 slices cucumber rounds topped w/3 oz ham
Dinner - 5 oz chicken breast, 1.5 cups zucchini

Feeling pretty good today Scale isn't moving but I have FAITH THAT IT WILL.

It's the first day of May and I'm feeling grateful and happy!

[EvelynM]

Two meals and one snack down and on plan 100%.

AND I rolled out of the house in my Vera Wang mustard sweater which is a size ... drum roll please ... Medium. (That's right. I bought this several months ago and picked up the wrong one, thinking I'd selected the Extra Large.) It fit then, albeit a bit snug but it fits perfectly today.

AND I started my period. Again. So, while I would normally be all eye-rolly , I'm actually ok with it because I'm thinking that maybe TOM had something to do with not dropping anything significant for the first week of an 'induction-type' diet.

The only bummer of the day is that the doctor's office called (in response to my asking if the doc could call in any thyroid meds he was going to prescribe before our phone session which isn't scheduled for one more week) and the message he left with the medical assisant who called was, "It's not an emergency. Let's just wait until next week." Uh, yeah, YOU'RE not the one walking around like Bloaty McBloatBloat! Ok, getting over myself. Cut to me, shaking it off.



Looks like the only exercise I'm getting today is jumping to conclusions but it's all good ... or as Snoop says, "It's all hood, baby."

[EvelynM]

Rough evening with cramps. Uber cramps. Yikes. In the late afternoon, I ran to the store because I'd been thinking about pork rinds. Reading some post where people were debating the merits of pork rinds. Really? Anyway, I remembered that I used to like them dotted with cinnamon and Splenda. Not willing to do Splenda anymore but I bought some erthyritol (sp?) and gave that a go. Boring. Dry. Not very satisfying. Oh well. I remember some Mexican dish where you cook the pork rinds (re-hydrating them) in tomato sauce or something. Have to look that up ...

Couldn't eat my dinner. Thought maybe Mr. Scale would be appreciative. He wasn't. Does it help that I'm less bloated today? Does it help that my cute little capri denims are a little baggier? Does it help that I actually fit into a onesie-type Spanx/Flexzee undergarment that I haven't fit into since I bought it a year ago?

So, this morning I made the revoloopsie roles made famous by Cleochatra. Isn't she a hoot? I love her blogs. She's so funny. I just want to hang out with her. Well, and eat her food ...

They came out pretty good. I could totally see using them for sandwiches. I used mine as pancakes this morning and they were yummy.

I also made the cream cheese muffins which I've decided would be tres dangerous for this girl. I halved the recipe and just used 1 egg and 8 oz of cream cheese. This yielded four muffins. At 4 carbs apiece, I'm not sure why they're supposed to be so great for induction. I Fitday everything; no guessing for me. Eyeballing portions bought me this zoftig figure. Anyway, an 8 oz pkg of cream cheese has 16 carbs. You know how hard it was for me to have ONE little muffin for my morning snack? I bow to me.
Yeah, so the little cream cheese muffins that could will be saved for special occasions or until I've learned to have ONE muffin as a little dessert.

Today's ciao:
Breakfast: 4 oz chicken breast; 2 oopsie rolls with s/free maple syrup
Snack: 1 cream cheese muffin; EAS shake
Lunch: 2 cups organic greens; 3 oz natural ham; 2 T Caesar dressing
Snack: EAS shake
Dinner: 4 oz salmon; 1 cup zucchini

One more patient and I'm audi. Will listen to more of The Age of Miracles by Marianne Williamson on the way home and get ready for my afternoon sessions at the house.

[Leenie]

Sorry about the cramps dear, I sure don't miss those.

I've tried various recipes using pork rinds and don't like any of them. I wish I did as they satisfy a craving for something crunchy but I just can't stand the things. I love Cleo's oopsie rolls! They are so easy to make and are great for sandwiches. Bacon, egg & cheese sandwich is my favorite. We also use them as tortillas.

Have a good weekend!

[Lisa46]

Hi Evelyn! I poke in and around anything that has the title "peri" or "meno" and just had to come in here and check out your journal! I love that you are taking such great charge of your life during this hormonal rollercoaster ride!

Are you happy with your bio doc? I, too, am trying to control the mid-life weight gain, candida, and low thyroid and would love to hear more about your experience. But, I don't want to consume your journal with stuff you don't want to chat about.

I just am so excited to see other women sharing what they are going through. How I wish there was more support out there in the real world for those of us facing a bit of a challenging time in life. and to you on your journey!

[EvelynM]

Don't worry about 'consuming' -- I love the support!

Yes, I LOVE my new doctor. I've seen two doctors (a gynecologist and an internist) over the past two years who were not very well versed in how to MANAGE hormonal imbalance and just believed that you had to ACCEPT weight gain and discomfort during perimenopause/menopause. Dr. Michael Platt (Platt Medical Center, Palm Springs) wrote the book on bioidentical hormones and how they affect menopause, fibromyalgia, adult ADD, chronic fatigue, weight gain, etc. His office partner, Dr. Carr, is the doctor I'm seeing. He sat with me for 90 minutes for the first session. I don't remember ever sitting with an m.d. for 90 minutes. Oh yeah, because it's NEVER happened!

In 2005, when I regained the weight I'd lost on BFFM, it all came back in places I'd never carried it before -- around my tummy, waist, etc. I was horrified (and told that this was just estrogen belly and to deal with it). I was also given antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds to deal with the agitation and depression I felt. I did the antidees for about a year before deciding I had to find another way.

I was THRILLED to stumble upon Dr. Platt's book (and reviews by patients). I was very impressed with the Center and their philosophy -- management with bioidentical hormones, supplements, and nutrition.

So, how are YOU doing with your 'journey'? Your stats look great so obviously you have the weight part down?

[EvelynM]

Having a 70's flashback. That was the theme song from some Liza Minelli movie.

I realize I'm going to have to watch that my OCD not get triggered on these boards. I started getting a little this morning while perusing the threads. I can't get caught up in whether I'm taking in the right amount of calories, whether my ratios are correct, whether Mercury is in retrograde. I know me. I'll get overwhelmed and start entering Twinkies into Fitday...

Right now, Day 11, I'm doing superbly. I've eliminated all sugars, all flours, all grains (with the exception of oatmeal which I'm allowed on this plan but have only eaten once), all fruits, starchy veggies, and all artificial sweeteners. Hooray for me. Maybe I should run for president since the democratic party needs just a little more drama. (Oops -- outside voice?)

So, the observe and learn part: I couldn't eat my planned meals yesterday. Instead of my salad for lunch, I had cucumber rounds w/natural ham and cheese. Instead of my salmon and veggies for dinner, I had a protein/egg shake. No PROBLEM with this except my plan strongly suggests that I don't have fats late in the day as I don't have enough time to use them up for energy. I am noticing that I don't WANT my planned dinners which should ideally be 4 to 6 oz of meat or fish and a vegetable. Hopefully, tonight's dinner will seem a bit more appetizing. I find that I have times when I LOVE my fish ... and other times (like now) where I think if I SEE another salmon fillet, I might just have to kill somebody...

217 today. That works.

Comida for today:
Brekkie: Zucchini scramble: 2 eggs, .5 cup eggwhites, 2/3 cup steamed zucchini, 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, 1 T golden flaxseed
Snack: EAS shake blended w/ Udo's 3-6-9 oil and ice
Lunch: 4 oz salmon over 2 cups organic greens; Udo's oil and spices
Snack: EAS shake (I'll be at salon)
Dinner: 2 chicken sicilian sausages, 2 servings green beans fried in garlic and coconut oil

Not being compulsive about it. If I want to change anything, I can. My commitment is to Fitday it and be accountable.



Seeing patients this morning and then heading to the salon for a facial, haircut and color.

[Lisa46]

Evelyn! Thanks for taking the time to reply to me. It sounds like you are well on your way to figuring this puzzle out, good for you.

I wouldn't know where to begin with my story (probably need my own journal, but I'd much rather read what others have experienced). Let's just say that I have tried bio identicals with great success 2 years ago, then began to experience lots of negative symptoms and here I am, 25 pounds up from where I was and still trying to figure out what the right balance is. I'm beginning to think ignorance really IS bliss, as the more I read/research, the more questions I have. I've read Vliet, Reiss, Schwarzbein, belong to yahoo groups for menopausal women. I've tried stopping bio's cold turkey and that was not the answer. Then when I started back on them, I gained 10 more pounds. From what I have read, low estrogen can produce the same symptoms as too much estrogen and the same with progesterone.

Evelyn, how did Carr determine what balance of hormones you need? When I FIRST went on bio Estradiol and Progesterone, I dropped 25 pounds in 2 months. Suffice it to say, now I can't get any balance and am trying to figure out if there are other things causing the fatigue and belly/hip fat. I have NEVER in my life had belly fat before and I DON'T LIKE IT!

I've seriously considered flying out to see one of the docs that I've researched about. I am getting desperate!

Thanks for letting me vent, Evelyn. And keep up the good work...no crappy food for 11 days is very exciting!!!

[EvelynM]

Hey Lisa. How closely were you being monitored with those bioidenticals? Do you still see the same doctor? What 'negative' symptoms did you begin to have besides the weight gain? Did your diet remain the same? Were you doing low carb the whole time -- rigorously? I have a phone session with Carr next Wednesday where we'll review all of my blood work. He says they don't often use estrogen in their treatment plans but you never know. Were you given testosterone? What was your nutrition plan from the doctor? Was he treating the candida? Did you do the colinic cleanses? Probiotics? Are you on thyroid meds? Will Timmie get out of the well? Sorry. That was quite the interview. But you know where I'm coming from. When we're THERE, we can't get enough info about how other women are dealing with this stuff!

[Lisa46]

Ev...Timmie is still in the well...and, well, I think he's goin' under!

Can I PM you? It's not pretty...

[EvelynM]

Great afternoon at salon. Went blonder with the highlights. It IS almost summer, after all.

Afternoon snack was a homemade shake instead of the EAS shake. Dinner was the sausage and eggs instead of sausage and greens. Dessert was a little cream cheese nuked with erythritol and 1 T of walnuts. Yum!