Hormones and Migraines

For about the last year and a half, I have been taking something every night to help with my migraines.  It actually is a prescription medication that does two things - helps block migraines and helps a person sleep.  The only problem with this, is that after doing some research, this medication also decreases muscle tone and makes it harder to build muscle.  Now, I'm not trying to be muscle bound, but we all need to be able to build lean muscle in order to burn more fat.  This news was kind of discouraging.

On the other side, I've also been back on the pill for 9 months, and I am just not a huge fan of the pill or what it does to my body.  When I went back on it several years ago, I gained 40 pounds in 4 months.  Although I didn't gain weight this last time, I was also training for a half marathon and running like a crazy woman.  I feel like being on the pill is making this process harder, too.

Since I know that my migraines have the potential to be reduced based on diet changes, and the reason I'm on the pill can sometimes be remedied with weight loss, I've decided to come off both of the medications.  I am VERY nervous about this, but I would like to try it for a month and see what happens.  If my migraines come back, or I absolutely just can't sleep, then maybe I will go back on it.  However, I would like to see how I feel without anything in my system.

This is a beautiful life.

Cinnamon, Be My Friendamon

Okay, so that title doesn't make any sense, but it did make me smile.  =)

I'm sitting on the couch tonight, a little sleepy, and already finished with dinner, when that feeling comes over me.  The feeling of wanting something sweet.  I've mentioned it before, but I think it is hugely ironic that I am craving sweets every now and then, when I've never been a huge sweet fan.  I start doing a mental check off in my head - we're out of cottage cheese - I took the strawberries to work - oh boy, this could be a long night.

Then...out of the blue....this small voice in the back of my head says - "Didn't you purchase a lot of Emerald Almonds back when Publix had them on a buy one get one sale?"  Um, yes, yes, I did.  I find a container of cinnamon almonds, eat just a few, and boy oh boy, that did the trick.  Yep, I'm pleased.  =)  Just a few almonds went a long way.  I'll have to remember that for the future.

This is a beautiful life!!

Weigh-In Wednesday Week 5 - Monthly Meaure Up February

Well, it's weigh-in Wednesday and the scale says the EXACT same thing as last week.  Yes, I know I bought a new scale, and YES, I know the new scale is weighing about a pound heavier than the old scale, but psychologically it does something to you to see the same numbers for two weeks in a row.  Am I at a plateau?  I have no idea.  Everything I've read says I've got to go at least four weeks without a loss in weight or measurements, and I'm only two weeks in.

In good news....I took my measurements since while it's Weigh-In Wednesday, it is also the first day of the month - so here are my results for the month of January

11.2 pounds lost
11 3/4 inches lost overall - with 2 of those inches being off my hips, this does seem to raise my spirits a little about the scale.  =)

It's on February...Let's do this!  I'm going to once again crush it in February and hopefully my March 1st  results will be something to be proud of, too.

This is a beautiful life!

This Year I Promise To....

Try very very hard not to check my work email after hours and on the weekends.  I have a tendency to find myself checking work email when I'm not at work.  This year, in order to help myself relax some (which is part of my plan for honoring my temple in 2012), I will make a very strong effort to quit that practice.  I love my job, but I believe it is very important to have a work/life balance.

Even the Cats are Going Organic

Disclaimer:  Anything I say here is going to make me sound like a cat lady.  I've accepted that - now, let's move on.  Have y'all seen Cheese and Crackers?  No, not the kind you eat, the two that live in my house.  They are HUGE.  I mean, one looks like a mini lion, and one looks like a mini mountain lion.  So, I've been doing some research, and the cats are going organic.  I went to Petco today and bought food that has absolutely no carbohydrate fillers.  It is all natural ingredients.  Yeah, it might sound crazy, but I'm going to see if this helps them become healthier in 2012, too.  Yeah, I'm sure they are about to love me.

                                                  Cheese and Crackers - Doing what they do

                                               Cheese - Doing his next favorite thing - taking a nap

                                                                      Crackers

Spring Mix, Strawberries, and Shallots, Oh My....

I made my FAVORITE salad for dinner tonight.  Sometimes I add chicken, but tonight, I just wanted to yummy veggies and fruit.  I've made it in the past, and of course, it is even tastier with sunflower seeds and walnuts in it, too. 

So here it is:
organic spring mix
cauliflower (most people don't like the extra veggies, but I do)
strawberries
a few Mandarin orange slices
green onions
shredded cheese
cucumbers
cherry tomatoes
just a drizzle of Ken's Light Raspberry Vinaigrette
also yummy - grilled chicken, walnuts, and sunflower seeds

It's a nice Spring/Summer salad, and even though it is January, sometimes you need a little early Spring.  =)

Okay, so obviously, the above picture was taken with my phone, so it is not amazing, but you get the point.  I also love my super cute pink and white bowl - perfect for a Spring salad.

It's a beautiful life!

Weigh-In Wednesday Week 4

It happened.  Oh, you know...the dreaded "step on the scale and nothing has happened" happened.  Even worse, the even more dreaded "step on the scale and it went up" happened.  For the first time in my history of dieting, I did not have a major set back when I saw that my official weigh-in weight was up - yes, only .2 of a pound - but when you've been as good as I've been about tracking everything, to gain at all can be disheartening.  Not really this time though.  You know why?  Well, simple.  The reason I'm not letting it get me down is because I absolutely without a single solitary doubt have no questions about what I ate or could have done differently.  I've pretty much been laying it all out there every single day.  So, I believe that it might not be this week....it might not be next week...but eventually, the weight will have to drop on the scale.

Another note on the scale...  I think my scale died on me.  The past few days, I've noticed that the scale won't give you the same weight - even when you step off and step back on.  Or, it will show me the same thing I weighed in the morning, when it's time for bed.  Tonight, it didn't show me anything at all.  So, I went to Amazon and ordered myself a brand new shiny bathroom scale.  It is supposed to be here Friday.  I shall weigh and see what it says.  It was rated a 5 star product, and considering there are almost 3,000 reviews, I'm going to believe I'm getting a great product.  I'm sure I'll blog about it.  =)

So - as of now - I am down 11.2 pounds....and still going.  =)

This is a beautiful life!