These days there have been a lot of "sometimes" moments...
Sometimes I look at my life and know that I have made some great choices.
Sometimes I look at my love and think how I wonderfully cared for, and accepted, I am.
Sometimes I look at my body and think it ain't that bad.
Then there are sometimes I look at my life and wonder what is going to go wrong.
And then sometimes I look at my love and wonder if I'm "good enough" for him.
And then I look at my body, think about where I was a year ago, and I think I have my answers.
Sometimes I think it's ok that I'm not the "ideal weight" and sometimes I hate that I'm not there.
I want to get there again and stay there, but do I want to do it with 1200-1500 calories and 2-3 hours of high exercise a day? Is there a balance? What is that balance for me? Why does everything I put in my mouth have to be a calculation of what it's going to do to my blood glucose levels, and if there is enough fibre? Does it all come down to PCOS and insulin resistance? Am I making excuses? I want to just be "normal" when I think about my weight and body. I live a healthy life now, great blood pressure, great heart rate, don't get winded going up the stairs, etc etc etc. But I know I need to exercise more. But is that all there is to it? And that's where I get stuck. Why do I have to dedicate at least two hours, everyday, of intense cardio to get back to that place? What if I just do the "normal" 1 hour a day? Where does that get me? What makes me different? Why do I have to be different that way? And then I think, haven't I always been that way?
When I was a kid, I wore the "husky" clothes from Sears. When I was 8 I wore size 28 (women's) pants. When I was 12 I was the tallest kid in the class. When I was a teenager I was always told that "she" was 128 pounds when "she" was my age, and that I weighed too much. When I was 20 I had to go through basic training, to get to "her" desired weight. When I was 30 I was told that I need to be careful of how much weight I'm putting on. When I was 36 I was told I was beautiful after losing 40 pounds. How much of all my "stuff" is me, and how much of it is someone else? I'm not blaming anyone...I know what I have to do. I just want to not always be thinking about it and worried what's going to be said to me the next time.
Sometimes I just want to not have it be such a big deal.
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Past Post - February 10, 2008
Thoughts...
I feel like I want to write words, but I am unable to write them; things I feel like saying, but no way to say them. But even in the writing, or the saying, what can really be accomplished? Who is listening? Are these things that are in my mind even meant to be brought to light?
There are days in life that are more...just "more"...than other days. We all have them, and we all survive, and some of them we even enjoy. I guess there are times in our lives when there are more of these "more" days in a row. The thing is...how much more do I need to do? How much more do I have to handle? How much more is there going to be?
To escape, there is the dream. The dream of what it is going to be; the dream of what might be. It is wonderful when the two dreams are the same, but it can also be more wonderful when the dream of what might be has nothing to do with what is to be. That is the true escape. The escape from the life that is being built; the life that is the "more" that is causing all the words that want to be said. Any vacation is a good vacation. Even if it's just while you are standing, naked, in the shower as you start your day, imagining the life that might have been. Any time away can give you the energy to carry on with what needs to be done, no matter how much more there is to do.
I feel like I want to write words, but I am unable to write them; things I feel like saying, but no way to say them. But even in the writing, or the saying, what can really be accomplished? Who is listening? Are these things that are in my mind even meant to be brought to light?
There are days in life that are more...just "more"...than other days. We all have them, and we all survive, and some of them we even enjoy. I guess there are times in our lives when there are more of these "more" days in a row. The thing is...how much more do I need to do? How much more do I have to handle? How much more is there going to be?
To escape, there is the dream. The dream of what it is going to be; the dream of what might be. It is wonderful when the two dreams are the same, but it can also be more wonderful when the dream of what might be has nothing to do with what is to be. That is the true escape. The escape from the life that is being built; the life that is the "more" that is causing all the words that want to be said. Any vacation is a good vacation. Even if it's just while you are standing, naked, in the shower as you start your day, imagining the life that might have been. Any time away can give you the energy to carry on with what needs to be done, no matter how much more there is to do.
Finding our Family
Well we've started the journey to find our family; we've started the adoption process. Why adoption do you ask? Well, my doctors tell me that I'm not able to have kids, or at the very least it would be very, very difficult and would require a lot of intervention and drugs. I've got Polycystic Ovaries, and the doctors think I'm going through menopause - not perimenopause - but full on menopause. I think they are wrong. Everytime I go through a no-period period of a few months, I can usually bring it back with herbal supplements and vitamins and minerals. I also seem to have managed to get the PCOS under control using these same herbals, vitamins and minerals! Go figure!! However, I'm still not getting pregnant. As for the whole fertility treatments - it's not for me. I've had so many problems with my hormones and with my weight that I really don't want to put my body, or my sanity, through all that!!! Not to mention that there is NO WAY that we can afford the procedures! If I remember correctly, Alberta is the least expensive in the country (for those provinces where people still pay for it), but at $6000-ish a "pop" it's out of our reach. Maybe if we end up getting posted to Quebec I'll consider that option - but not right now!!
There's been so many emotions that have come along with this journey, and it's been hard to sort them all out and figure out where they are coming from. My therapist is helping me do that. I'm starting to come to the realization that hope is okay, and I don't need to be afraid of it. I'm also figuring out that it's also okay to be realistic, so long as it doesn't get negative. Does that mean that miracles can't happen? Nope! But it does mean that I can't obssess over it, or constantly wish and pray for it. I have to remember to live my life on one path...not four. I have to go with the decisions I've made and live my life with confidence. I've made the decisions I have for a reason. The hard part is trying to figure out when "enough is enough"...have I done enough, have I tried enough, have I explored all the options? I know I've explored all the options, but not all of them are right, or possible, for me...at least not right now. I'm working on keeping the hope in my life, without letting the result become an obsession...I will get what I want, one way or another, and I have to let the journey take it's course without trying to control every step. Steps have to be natural...I have to let them "be"...
There's been so many emotions that have come along with this journey, and it's been hard to sort them all out and figure out where they are coming from. My therapist is helping me do that. I'm starting to come to the realization that hope is okay, and I don't need to be afraid of it. I'm also figuring out that it's also okay to be realistic, so long as it doesn't get negative. Does that mean that miracles can't happen? Nope! But it does mean that I can't obssess over it, or constantly wish and pray for it. I have to remember to live my life on one path...not four. I have to go with the decisions I've made and live my life with confidence. I've made the decisions I have for a reason. The hard part is trying to figure out when "enough is enough"...have I done enough, have I tried enough, have I explored all the options? I know I've explored all the options, but not all of them are right, or possible, for me...at least not right now. I'm working on keeping the hope in my life, without letting the result become an obsession...I will get what I want, one way or another, and I have to let the journey take it's course without trying to control every step. Steps have to be natural...I have to let them "be"...
Saturday, 18 September 2010
Around and around
Emotions swirl in my head like the wet paint splatters on a spinning card. It's all mixed up into one picture and I can't make any sense of it. I want to be able to explain, I want to be able to make it okay. Nothing is what it seems anymore - at least that's the way it seems. I need you to say that you get it, that you understand - even if you don't mean it I will believe you. I don't want you to change, I don't want you to give in - I only want you to understand and think that maybe it will make a difference.
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
PCOS Saga - Sharing What I've Learned
First I would like to clarify that I'm not a doctor, and all this information is based on my own research, discussions with doctors, and what my own experiences have been. Please make sure you do your own research.
OK Ladies - so here it is. This is some of what I've learned over that past three years that has worked for me...I hope you will be able to take away from it what you can and use it to make your own successes.
Part 1 - Herbals, vitamins and minerals
Here is a link to a webpage I found that has a handy dandy list of vitamin/mineral/herbal supplements that are supposed to help alleviate symptoms of PCOS. I've concentrated on the ones that help with hormonal imbalance/infertility as those are my most prevalent symptoms. However, I have noticed, for myself, that I have also had hair regrowth (where I want it and not where I don't), less acne, nicer nails and and a general sense of increased well-being. Look at the list, see what supplements fall under what symptoms you would like to see improved and then do your own research (I'll provide a couple websites that are good for research as well). I try to keep it as natural as I can - I have found that Planet Organic has the best prices.
I take the following vitamins and minerals - Omega 3-6-9, B 100 Complex, Calcium, Vitamin D, Choline & Inositol, PABA, Chromium, prenatal multi-vitamin (higher levels of folate and a few other ingredients that aren't found in "regular" multivitamins).
I also take herbal supplements - Vitex, Brad King's Her Energy, Brad King's Lean Energy
Websites:
List of supplements - http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/supplements.html
Brad King Products - http://www.fatwars.com/
Websites for supplement research (Wikipedia is GREAT too!!) - http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodnatur/applications/licen-prod/monograph/index-eng.php
Part 2 - Lifestyle (aka diet & exercise - I know, I know... it sucks)
After all the research I've done about diet and how our bodies process food - this of course means that I've read what other people have written on the subject - and now from personal experience, the most effective lifestyle (no more saying the word "diet") is eating smaller meals more often through out the day. Two weeks ago, I purchased a little book titled "Flat Belly Diet Plan" that shows you how to eat "mediterranean style" with north american food. The first four days (a jumpstart plan) I lost almost two inches around my middle!! Short that I couldn't wear on my vacation I could fit into again!! I have since continued on this plan, and have been noticing changes still, though not as quickly - and I'm ok with that!! Today I was able to wear pants that I wasn't able to last month. Awesome!!! This could technically be called a low Glycemic Index diet, but really it's just a smart plan that includes foods from ALL food groups, in smaller portions, and includes a portion of a Mono-Unstaturated Fatty Acid (MUFA) such as seeds, nuts, avocados and YES!! even dark chocolate! You eat four small (around 400 calories) meals a day, of healthy, as-natural-as possible foods. Imagine a plan that MAKES you eat dark chocolate!! There is another plan out there that pretty much gives you the same style of eating called "Eat Clean" - however they have you eating 5 times a day - every 2 hours. I tried that way once, but I eneded up putting on pounds and that was because of one thing...your body needs at least 2 hours to decide if the carbohydrate you take in (breads, fruits, vegetables, grains, etc.) is going to be used up as energy or stored as fat. Because our insulin works slower than the "normal" person's, we need an extra hour to have our bodies make that decision and start to use the food as energy instead of storing it as fat. So I like the idea of eating four times a day - every 3 hours (2 and a half if you can't hold out LOL). Now here's the part about exercise - you don't need to be a gym fanatic :o). All you need to do is get anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes a day. That's it! And all you have to do is walk at a decent pace. If you want to do more than that, because you like to and it makes you feel good, then that's AWESOME! I'm envious!! However, for those of you who just like to get out and be active - walking is a great option. You can even step it up a notch (pun intended) and add weights to your ankles or hands. Just get out there!
So I hope you are able to get some usefullness out of what I've put up here, or at least it gives you a starting point to do your own looking into. Good Luck ladies!! It's a jungle out there, and when you're hormones are raging, and everyone gets on your nerves, people just better pray there isn't a machete near by!! :o)
OK Ladies - so here it is. This is some of what I've learned over that past three years that has worked for me...I hope you will be able to take away from it what you can and use it to make your own successes.
Part 1 - Herbals, vitamins and minerals
Here is a link to a webpage I found that has a handy dandy list of vitamin/mineral/herbal supplements that are supposed to help alleviate symptoms of PCOS. I've concentrated on the ones that help with hormonal imbalance/infertility as those are my most prevalent symptoms. However, I have noticed, for myself, that I have also had hair regrowth (where I want it and not where I don't), less acne, nicer nails and and a general sense of increased well-being. Look at the list, see what supplements fall under what symptoms you would like to see improved and then do your own research (I'll provide a couple websites that are good for research as well). I try to keep it as natural as I can - I have found that Planet Organic has the best prices.
I take the following vitamins and minerals - Omega 3-6-9, B 100 Complex, Calcium, Vitamin D, Choline & Inositol, PABA, Chromium, prenatal multi-vitamin (higher levels of folate and a few other ingredients that aren't found in "regular" multivitamins).
I also take herbal supplements - Vitex, Brad King's Her Energy, Brad King's Lean Energy
Websites:
List of supplements - http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/supplements.html
Brad King Products - http://www.fatwars.com/
Websites for supplement research (Wikipedia is GREAT too!!) - http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodnatur/applications/licen-prod/monograph/index-eng.php
Part 2 - Lifestyle (aka diet & exercise - I know, I know... it sucks)
After all the research I've done about diet and how our bodies process food - this of course means that I've read what other people have written on the subject - and now from personal experience, the most effective lifestyle (no more saying the word "diet") is eating smaller meals more often through out the day. Two weeks ago, I purchased a little book titled "Flat Belly Diet Plan" that shows you how to eat "mediterranean style" with north american food. The first four days (a jumpstart plan) I lost almost two inches around my middle!! Short that I couldn't wear on my vacation I could fit into again!! I have since continued on this plan, and have been noticing changes still, though not as quickly - and I'm ok with that!! Today I was able to wear pants that I wasn't able to last month. Awesome!!! This could technically be called a low Glycemic Index diet, but really it's just a smart plan that includes foods from ALL food groups, in smaller portions, and includes a portion of a Mono-Unstaturated Fatty Acid (MUFA) such as seeds, nuts, avocados and YES!! even dark chocolate! You eat four small (around 400 calories) meals a day, of healthy, as-natural-as possible foods. Imagine a plan that MAKES you eat dark chocolate!! There is another plan out there that pretty much gives you the same style of eating called "Eat Clean" - however they have you eating 5 times a day - every 2 hours. I tried that way once, but I eneded up putting on pounds and that was because of one thing...your body needs at least 2 hours to decide if the carbohydrate you take in (breads, fruits, vegetables, grains, etc.) is going to be used up as energy or stored as fat. Because our insulin works slower than the "normal" person's, we need an extra hour to have our bodies make that decision and start to use the food as energy instead of storing it as fat. So I like the idea of eating four times a day - every 3 hours (2 and a half if you can't hold out LOL). Now here's the part about exercise - you don't need to be a gym fanatic :o). All you need to do is get anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes a day. That's it! And all you have to do is walk at a decent pace. If you want to do more than that, because you like to and it makes you feel good, then that's AWESOME! I'm envious!! However, for those of you who just like to get out and be active - walking is a great option. You can even step it up a notch (pun intended) and add weights to your ankles or hands. Just get out there!
So I hope you are able to get some usefullness out of what I've put up here, or at least it gives you a starting point to do your own looking into. Good Luck ladies!! It's a jungle out there, and when you're hormones are raging, and everyone gets on your nerves, people just better pray there isn't a machete near by!! :o)
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