Progress Report

I'm behind in posting. It's getting harder and harder to devote so much of my day to being healthy. I lobe feeling better and losing weight, don't get me wrong - but this lifestyle change takes up a LOT of my time and the longer it goes on, the more things get pushed to the side. Things like cleaning my house, working on my business ideas, even taking care of my family. Finding a balance is hard. This isn't news to any adult alive, I'm sure. I'm still working on that balancing act. (Has anyone actually got it figured out? Because if you do, SHARE WITH US. You could sell that formula and make a fortune.) In the meantime, I haven't given up! I'm not doing it perfectly; but then again, who amongst us is perfect? I just take a page from Cub Scouts, and from what we tell our kids almost every day - just Do Your Best.

Technically I'm in the middle of week four... in a nutshell, week three was making time for relaxation every day and making sure you get proper sleep. I have found it's really difficult, for me at least, to make time for relaxation! I want to just rush through it and GO GO GO on to the next thing on my to do list. I think that's kind of missing the point though. Anyone else have this same problem?
Week four is to add in exercise you enjoy. Ideally cardio, strength training, AND 30-60 minutes of stretching at least twice a week. This is another thing that's tough to fit into every day life. I know exercise should be a priority but I'm still working on that. More on that later.

As I muddle through all this, here's a progress report. (Past progress reports can be found here, for reference.)

Weight - 219
Waist Size - 46.25"
Blood Pressure - haven't tested since last time
BMI - my BMI is 35.3. I'm still obese!
Waist To Height Ratio - .69 (This website says "Take Action!") Dr. Hyman says "this number is a better predictor of diabesity, heart disease, and risk of death than almost any other number."
Hemoglobin A1C - haven't tested since last time
Cholesterol - haven't tested since last time


Insulin- my sugars were creeping a little higher than I liked; fine during the day but getting too high for my fasting. I have added in one shot, my Levemir (slow acting insulin). I am currently taking 25 units each night. My fasting is better - some days ok, some days too high. Daytime blood sugars have still been fine. I continue to monitor regularly.

PLEASE keep going down! I've only had one spike up since I started this, and though it was short-lived it was not a fun time.

I'm right on the cusp of my lowest weight in a long time. For the past several years I've made it down to this weight (219), but never made it past it. I used to go to TOPS - Take Off Pounds Sensibly. I went for about three years. I can't tell you how many times I hit this weight while I was going. I used to bounce regularly between 219 - 225 or so. The beginning of this year saw me at my highest weight EVER - 236.4. Ouch. I've lost 17.4 pounds this year. 10.4 of that has been since August, when I changed my diet drastically. I'm scared I'm going to have some sudden random weight gain and it'll be really discouraging. I really want to get past it forever and never see it again. I haven't been below this weight in at least five years! My daughter (my youngest child) will be six in three weeks. I was right around 220 when I delivered her. I know I lost weight after I had her; I think I got down to about 210 sometime in her first year, and then I went back up to around 220. I stayed in the upper 220's for most of her life, until this year when I crept into the mid-230's. When I GOT pregnant with her I weighed 190. So my intermediate goals kind of coincide with my pregnancies and deliveries... ultimately I'd like to get to at least 175 and then re-evaluate where I'm at. On the way there, my goals are kind of as follows:
218 - because I haven't seen it since Oksana was one or so (5 years ago)
210 - because I haven't seen it since the first year of Oksana's life (5.5 years ago)

190 - the weight I was when I got pregnant with Oksana (6.5 years ago)
180 - the weight I was when I got pregnant with Drake (8.75 years ago)
175 - the weight my doctor told me I needed to be before we should talk about me getting pregnant again (about 9 years ago)

170 is the lowest I recall ever being as an adult. That's where I was when I met my husband (9.25 years ago).

And we'll see what happens after that.

Other indicators of progress:

I can't really SEE it myself yet - despite losing 17.4 pounds this year, since I see myself every day, I don't think I look much different yet. However, I just saw a friend yesterday who hasn't seen me in 2-3 months and she complimented me and said she could definitely see it. And other friends have told me they can tell too. That's always nice to hear.

Clothes - yesterday I wore a pair of jeans that have always fit snugly on me. I could get into them but they were always really tight and never wanted to stay on my ass. They still kind of ride down a bit (I think that's just part of the cut of this particular pair of jeans) but I got into them with no struggle and they stayed on all day comfortably. Today I am wearing a pair of capris that are a size 16. They are a fairly elastic size 16 - I was able to wear them in the past when everything else was a size 18 - but I haven't been able to get into them in about a year. I haven't really noticed a difference as far as my shirts go yet, though I have noticed that most of the time when I look down, I don't see my belly sticking out past my boobs anymore. That's nice.
Current clothing sizes - shirts are still pretty much extra large. Pants are mostly a size 18.

Picture Time!

Me in March of this year, at our Cub Scouts Blue and Gold Dinner.

Me yesterday morning, helping to pack up books to send to a school in Africa so they can have a library. Those are the jeans I mentioned.

Me yesterday, holding a pipe wrench I brought to a friend's OMGWTFBBQ.

Week Two: The Blood Sugar Solution

"Nutritional supplements are an essential and effective part of diabesity treatment." - Dr. Mark Hyman

 Week Two of the plan is Optimize Metabolism with Nutritional Supplements. Dr. Hyman says "nutritional supplements are an ESSENTIAL and effective part of diabesity treatment" because "emerging scientific evidence has proven the importance of nutrients as essential helpers in our biochemistry and metabolism". He goes on to discuss how large-scale deficiencies of various nutrients have been well documents in our population. Obesity and malnutrition often go hand in hand, especially with our modern diets, because they sheer amounts of processed, sugary, high calorie, white foods are generally deficient when it comes to supplying nutrients... and they require vitamins and minerals to metabolize, further depleting our body's stores. He lists several additional reasons we are nutrient-deprived in this day and age.

His reasoning for recommending such a variety of supplements, and also his reason why studies into specific supplements often vary in results? "Nutrients work as a team. Broccoli is great for you and can help prevent and cure many diseases, but if all you are was broccoli, you would get sick and die. Nutrients work together to maintain the proper balance in your body."

He goes on to point out that while drugs are regulated, supplements are not. You might get cheap / poorly absorbed forms of the nutrient, or the dosage in the pill may not match the label, or it may have additives or allergens, and so on. He, OF COURSE, sells his own TRUSTED brands of supplements. It's all on his website. Go ahead and check it out; it'll cost hundreds of dollars each month to follow the plan. Bully for him. My advice is to do your own research and find supplements you can trust AND afford. Here's an article that discusses ways to make sure your supplements are safe, including looking for various certifications from some of the regulating agencies out there.

What supplements should you take?
If you are on the Basic Plan (and really, he recommends these for everyone, and to stay on these for life):

1. Multivitamin - will contain all the basic vitamins and minerals you need
2. Vitamin D3 - deficiency is epidemic; it influences more than 200 different genes that can prevent and treat diabetes and metabolic syndrome
3. Omega-3 Fatty Acids - improve insulin sensitivity, lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, prevent blood clots, and lower the risk of heart attacks
4. Magnesium Glycinate - helps glucose enter the cells and turn those calories into energy for your body
5. Alpha Lipoic Acid - powerful antioxidant and mitochondrial booster that has been shown to reduce blood sugar and heal a toxic liver; may also prevent diabetic nerve damage and neuropathy; can improve clearance of glucose from the blood by 50 percent
6. Chromium Polynicotinate - important for proper sugar metabolism and insulin sensitivity; can help you make more insulin receptors
7. Biotin - enhance insulin sensitivity, lower triglycerides, reduce expression of cholesterol-producing genes, and improve glucose metabolism
8. Cinnamon - helpful in controlling blood sugar and improving insulin sensitivity
9. Green Tea Catechins - helpful in controlling blood sugar and improving insulin sensitivity; can increase fat burning and metabolism
10. PGX (polyglycoplex; a super fiber) - profound effects on insulin, glucose, and hemoglobim A1C; reduces the absorption of sugars and fats in your bloodstream and helps control appetite, weight loss, blood sugar, and cholesterol; can lower your insulin response after a meal by 50 percent
11. Protein Powder (to add to a morning protein shake) - rice, soy, hemp, pea, or chia - some are anti-inflammatory and support detoxification, can lower blood sugar and cholesterol.
12. Probiotics - to counter the damage modern life does to our gut ecosystem

He does note that it's perfectly acceptable, and even recommended, to find products that combine these items as long as they are high-quality and you are taking the recommended doses of each.

If you are on the Advanced Plan, you should take all the supplements listed above and also add these:

1. Acacia (heartwood extract) and hops extract - regulates critical signaling factors that control your genes, which have been clinically shown to improve insulin sensitivity and fat metabolism
2. Fenugreek seed - assists in insulin function and helps lower triglycerides and raise HDL cholesterol
3. Bitter melon gourd fruit extract - helps reduce blood sugar in diabetes
4. Gymnema leaf extract - lowers blood sugar levels and may help repair the pancreas

He recommends taking the Advanced Plan supplements for one year, then getting your blood tests redone, repeating the self-assessment quizzes, and evaluating your progress.

Finally, he has a section discussing even MORE supplements you can take if you have conditions frequently associated with diabesity, such as elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc.

This chapter of the book also discusses the intelligent use of prescribed medications. He cites a study called the Diabetes Prevention Program, which found that medication did not work nearly as well as lifestyle changes, and this effect lasted for even 10 years after the study ended. His goal is to use The Blood Sugar Solution to help patients (with their physician's guidance) reduce or even eliminate many of their prescribed medications, since many of them have limited benefits and significant risks.

The cheat sheet section for week two in the book.

So that's week two... supplements! In addition to following the food rules from week one, of course. As I mentioned yesterday, starting all of them at once gave me quite the stomach ache. I recommend adding them in slowly. I'm going to start adding in one a day... and if I feel any ill effects, hold steady until my body has time to get used to what I'm on, or possibly eliminate the ones I don't seem to be tolerating well.

Health Progress - Numbers And Such

As of 9/23, from this post:

Weight - 219
Waist Size - 46.25"
Blood Pressure - haven't tested since last time
BMI - my BMI is 35.3. I'm still obese!
Waist To Height Ratio - .69 (This website says "Take Action!")
Hemoglobin A1C - haven't tested since last time
Cholesterol - haven't tested since last time


Insulin- my sugars were creeping a little higher than I liked; fine during the day but getting too high for my fasting. I have added in one shot, my Levemir (slow acting insulin). I am currently taking 25 units each night. My fasting is better - some days ok, some days too high. Daytime blood sugars have still been fine. I continue to monitor regularly.

Current clothing sizes - shirts extra large. Pants size 18. 

Picture from 09/22/12.

 As of 8/24/12, from this post, here are some numbers:

Weight - Right now it is 222. A month ago it was 229. At the beginning of this year it was 236.4; the most I've ever weighed.
 Height - 5'6"
Waist Size - Right now it's 47.5". At the beginning of the year it was 50.5".
Blood Pressure - I used a machine to test it while we were on vacation. It was 105/70 and my pulse rate was 78. In June it was 126/7- with a pulse rate of 80. In May it was 122/80.
BMI - my BMI is 35.8. I'm obese!
Waist To Height Ratio - .70 (This website says "Take Action!") Dr. Hyman says "this number is a better predictor of diabesity, heart disease, and risk of death than almost any other number."

• my last Hemoglobin A1C ( a few months ago now) was over TEN. Abnormal is greater than 5.5. Ten is REALLY out of control.
• My total cholesterol, last time we tested (a few months ago), was 257 (ideal is less than 180). My HDL cholesterol was 44 (ideal is higher than 60). My triglycerides were 460 (ideal is less than 100).
• I've got fatty liver disease.
• We tested my thyroid last spring and it came back normal.

Also I'm not currently taking ANY of my insulin (I also stopped my Victoza) and my blood sugar has been good. I'm testing multiple times throughout the day and the numbers are always between 100 - 120. My fasting blood sugar is too high; it was 154 today, and 160 yesterday.

08/25/12; my friend Leslie on the left (she's lost 102 pounds this year!), me on the right.

As of 07/19/12 I'm 7 pounds down and my blood sugar is under control. I still have a long way to go, and it's slow going so far, but I'm seeing bits of progress and that's encouraging.

At my friend Tina's wedding, June 2012.

I Found My Book!

There was great rejoicing in the land! It appeared mysteriously on my family room floor this morning. I went down to clean / search for it for another half hour and... there it was. So let's play some catch-up here:

I left for vacation while still in the midst of prep week one. I continued to follow the food rules but didn't finish any of the other prep week tasks or tackle anything new. Here's what I didn't finish:

Prepare Your Community

He wants you to join his online site, prepare a support group for yourself with friends, family, and co workers (and try to get them to do the program with you), set boundaries if you have food pushers in your life, and get involved socially and politically at www.takebackourhealth.org .

I am not joining his website. Not because it's bad or anything, just because... it's another step I don't have time for. I've done sparkpeople.com (an excellent site) and teambeachbody.com and others in the past too and have learned that, while I love blogging and I HAVE made lasting online friendships with people this way... I just don't have the time to devote to building lasting relationships with online weight loss friends. I'm more of an introvert so unless an online friendship grows organically over several avenues and time, I'm just not that motivated by strangers and to me it's just another obligation. Support is VITAL, so if this works for you don't skip it, but for me I'll get my support in other areas.

Friends and family... no one is doing the program with me but I have lots of friends and family who are working their own ways to get / stay healthy, and even those that aren't are very supportive. Blogging is great... it seems quite a few of my folks are following along too because I get lots of comments and support in real life as I run into people. Talking about it with everyone is a HUGE source of support and it keeps me on track too!
I also use some tools on my iPhone that have a social structure as well. My two favorite health apps right now are My Fitness Pal and Nexercise.

My Fitness Pal is a food and exercise tracker with a social vibe. I've tried others in the past but keep coming back to this one for two main reasons:

1) Their database of foods (caloric and nutritional values) is HUGE. I've only had to add recipes I make from scratch (I use sparkrecipes.com to calculate the nutritional value of the recipe).

that's the 'cereal' I made up for breakfast. It's actually pretty good.

2) I love the social side. I have a few friends who use it and every time I log in I am treated to their recent accomplishments. You can comment and encourage each other, too!

Leslie is SMOKIN' it!!

 If you use My Fitness Pal and would like to be friends, I'm MillionDreamMom there.

Nexercise is an app that lets you turn exercise into a fun game, and possibly even a competition with your friends. Every time you exercise you start the app, select the workout you are about to do, and hit 'start'.

They have loooootttts of exercises to choose from in their database.

 You earn points for exercising, with bonus points and titles for things like consistency, motion (the app will track motion if you tell it to), time, etc. If you add your friends then you can check the leaderboards to see who is accruing the most points, or give them a nudge if they haven't nexercised in a while! It's a fun and easy way to track my exercise time and I like competing with people so I enjoy that part.

Virtual medals don't really DO anything and yet they make me feel so accomplished!

It also looks like, in the most recent update, they're adding a new point system that might actually get you rewards in the real world, like amazon gift cards and such. I just saw this for the first time yesterday so it's new to me but I am intrigued! That's even MORE motivating!

I'm connected to Nexercise via Facebook so you'll either have to be my friend there or send me an email to connect with Nexercise if you use it. I'd love to have more people to compete with so please do!

As far as becoming socially and politically active... it's on my dream list. I do what I can but right now taking charge of my health and taking care of my family is pretty much a full time job. I dream of being a social and political crusader sometimes but I don't beat myself up for the things I don't do right now. Time is finite; we all do what we can.

Take Measure of Yourself - Track Your Numbers

You're supposed to start out by taking a bunch of measurements. I just ran out of time before vacation so I don't have all of them from the start, but I've taken a lot of these over the past year so I know most of them. Weight, Height, Waist Size, Blood Pressure, BMI, Waist To Height Ratio.
You're also supposed to complete the diabesity quiz(zes) to see if you are on the Basic or Advanced plan.
There's a set of diabesity tests he recommends as well, plus additional tests if you are Advanced.

In the spirit of full disclosure, and probably some oversharing, I'll share my starting numbers with the world. Why not, we're all human, right? It's not where I want to be but it's nothing to be ashamed of either.

Weight - Right now it is 222. A month ago it was 229. At the beginning of this year it was 236.4; the most I've ever weighed.
 Height - 5'6"
Waist Size - Right now it's 47.5". At the beginning of the year it was 50.5".
Blood Pressure - I used a machine to test it while we were on vacation. It was 105/70 and my pulse rate was 78. In June it was 126/7- with a pulse rate of 80. In May it was 122/80.
BMI - my BMI is 35.8. I'm obese!
Waist To Height Ratio - .70 (This website says "Take Action!") Dr. Hyman says "this number is a better predictor of diabesity, heart disease, and risk of death than almost any other number."

In case I didn't mention it, I'm on the Advanced plan. Advanced in this case is NOT a good thing. It means I'm extra sickly. It also means I'm more severely restricted on the foods I am allowed to eat for at least six weeks.

The blood and urine tests he recommends are:
Insulin response test, Hemoglobin A1C, NMR lipid profile, Lipid panel, Triglycerides / HDL ratio, Total cholesterol / HDL ratio, High sensitivity C-reactive protein, Fibrinogen, Lipoprotein, Uric acid, Liver function test, Kidney function test, microalbumin, 25 OH vitamin D, Homocysteine, Ferritin, Thyroid Hormones, and sex hormones. He has a free online guide - How To Work With Your Doctor To Get What You Need - with additional tips and info.
I'm already sort of in the middle of the plan and I already KNOW some of those things are WAY abnormal for me... I'm going to put it on my to-do list to get a physical and talk to my doctor about these tests in the near future.
I can tell you:

• my last Hemoglobin A1C ( a few months ago now) was over TEN. Abnormal is greater than 5.5. Ten is REALLY out of control.
• My total cholesterol, last time we tested (a few months ago), was 257 (ideal is less than 180). My HDL cholesterol was 44 (ideal is higher than 60). My triglycerides were 460 (ideal is less than 100).
• I've got fatty liver disease.
• We tested my thyroid last spring and it came back normal.

So. Now I've caught up with the last of the 'prep' stuff I was supposed to do before officially starting the six weeks. Which I kind of haven't really started counting anyway since I couldn't find the book! I'll write about week one... probably Sunday, because tomorrow I'm going to a Scrapbook Expo with my mom and some friends!