Wheat Belly: Weeks 2, 3 and 4 and other stuff

I know, I know.  The weeks seem to just fly by and I'm not SUPER happy with my weight loss but trying to not think about that and know that I am becoming more healthy and making a good change with my life.  I think some of my weight gain is water anyway but still..its frustrating.

Anyway, things in the wheat belly world are going pretty well and I am feeling pretty accomplished and happy with myself.

Cooking has become kind of a challenge but I am trying to broaden my horizons.  I am hoping to post some things I have tried.

Here are the stats from the last 3 weeks:

Week 2
Weight 184.4
Week 3
Weight 184.8 (Booo)
Week 4
Weight 185.0 (Double Booo)

I started working in the Kansas City temple this past Saturday so life just became more busy.  But I am excited to be working there and serving the Lord.

Wheat Belly: Week 1 in review

I have decided that I don't know how to cook very many vegetables so I will be looking around the Internet for more ideas.  If you have any veggie recipes that you would care to share, please feel free.  I especially want to learn to cook eggplant but have been pretty unsuccessful thus far.  Tell me your secrets please!

This week went fairly well I would say.  My hunger seems to be slowing down a lot.  I am not looking around for something else to eat 2 hours after I finish eating.  I even successfully went out to dinner on Saturday night and had salmon which I love.  I ate just a few pieces of broccoli because I was unsure how it was cooked.  I didn't touch the rice because I really wasn't that hungry and it wasn't that appealing.

Weird.

Its definitely been a challenge too, don't get me wrong.  I have to find some alternatives to salad though because I can see myself getting tired of that pretty quickly and I don't want to get tired of this new lifestyle.  I want to be successful!

All in all, a great week!  Looking forward to week 2.

Stats:

Weight: 185.2  (2 lbs lost!  Yay!)
GI Issues: Still here but don't seem to be as intense.
Feeling Hungry?  Not really.
General Mood:  Good.

Wheat Belly Day 2 and 3

Yesterday just got away from me before I could post about Day 2 so I am trying to make up for lost time.  Just a warning: If you don't want to read about my GI issues, stop reading now.

Seriously.

I have had chronic diarrhea for about 15 years now since I began taking a certain immunosuppresant from my very first transplant.  Usually it can be handled and I just live my life.  But my hope with this diet is that I will be less inclined to spend 15 to 20 minutes in the bathroom 2 or 3 times a day.  Days 1 and 2 were some of the best GI days I have had in a long time.  Today wasn't so great but that is just par for the course. I know that I can't expect a diet to reverse the side affect of a medication.

But the hunger isn't as bad.  I have noticed that I do feel hungry about every 2 hours but then it goes away and I don't feel hungry.

The experiment continues.

Wheat Belly: Day 1

I would call Wheat Belly Day 1 a success!  But isn't that the way it always is?  The first day or maybe week you are super excited and super motivated? I need to remember that this is a lifestyle change, not a diet.  I am trying to eat healthier so that I can keep this kidney as long as possible.

I found myself hungry around 9 and then again at 11 but after lunch and dinner I wasn't hungry at all.  Lunch was salad and I had some cheese chunks.  (So happy I can have cheese) Dinner was zucchini and broiled steak.  Yummy.

Looking forward to more success!

Wheat Free T-minus 1 day....

and counting.  Or maybe not really counting but thinking about how my life needs to change.  My eating habits to be more specific.  I have known that I need to eat better for quite awhile and these last few months since I started a job in March have been those kind of months where I didn't care what I put in my mouth.

Wrong.  Decision.

Recently, a family friend told my mom about a book called Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis.  Dr. Davis is a cardiologist whose basic message is wheat has gone through quite a few molecular changes in the past 50 years by humans.  We have made it easier to grow, harvest etc.  As a result, it has become unhealthy for us to eat.  Wheat has become addictive and only makes us want more.

How many times have I finished dinner to start looking around the kitchen for something else to eat about 2 hours later?  Dr. Davis contends that wheat and wheat based products make us want to eat more and more.  Why can't I stop at just one cupcake?  Wheat.

Starting tomorrow I am going completely off of wheat and see what kinds of effects it might have on my body.  Dr. Davis presents several case studies about people who have lost weight and generally have better health all because they don't eat wheat.

It should be an interesting experiment and I am going to try to blog about it as much as possible but mostly for me.  I am going to be seeing how not eating wheat is helping my intestinal issues, weight and some other things.

I can do this.  I am a woman of action!

Today's stats:
Weight: 187.2
GI issues: still occurring
Feeling hungry: After lunch I didn't feel hungry two hours after.  GREAT!
General mood:  Great!

Farewell 2011...you were a good ship.

2011 was a year of miracles and a year of change for me for which I am so blessed and grateful.  Following is just a short list of things I am thankful for to remind me on the hard days to have a better attitude because I am truly blessed beyond measure.

1. Family.  Without my family I wouldn't and I couldn't have done so many of the things that I accomplished this year.  A special shout out to my parents who I owe so much and I can't even begin to express the impact they have had on my life.  I don't know where I would be without their kindness, patience, love and devotion. I especially want to thank my Mom who has been my rock and my support the last few years as I've battled the 2nd round of kidney failure.  I always knew that my mom loved me but I think this year I finally got it.  I understood that she would literally do anything for me.  She stayed up all night the day of my transplant and stayed even longer.  I am pretty sure my Dad didn't get a lot of sleep either.  I love you both.  Thanks also to my siblings and their husbands and fiancee.  I couldn't have done another transplant without you.  Seriously.  I love you to the moon and back.

2. Friends.   I have so many friends to thank and I don't want to thank anyone by name because you are all special to me. You enrich my life in ways that I can't repay you.  Vanessa especially has been there for and with me to hell and back these past two years. I couldn't have done it with out.  Thanks for being there...and being there...and being there.  Thanks for staying all night during the transplant when I know you need your beauty sleep.  You are my 3rd sister and I love you.

3. The Gospel.  Teaching Seminary this year has helped my understand of the gospel grow in ways that it hasn't before. I learn so much more than I could ever teach to my sleepy students.  But it is such a blessing to me to be able to study myself and gain new understanding.  I am so grateful to know that Heavenly Father loves and knows me.  And that His Son died for me so I could live with them and with my Family forever.  Its very comforting and when you have faced death multiple times it only becomes more cemented in your mind that you want to live so you can be with them.

4. My Health.  I am so, so blessed that a family, in their hour of pain and suffering, allowed one of their mother's kidneys to be given to me.  I feel so much better than I did and I have so much more energy.  I was even out raking leaves today.  (Granted it was 65 here)  I can do the things I want and I am looking forward to doing more. I am trying every day to take care of this gift and to remember exactly what it was..a gift.

5. Passing the AAPC exam with an 88%.  AAPC is the Academy of Professional Coders and the test was 150 questions and was 5 hours and 40 minutes long.  Coders do much of the behind the scenes work in a doctors office.  There is more to it than that but I won't bore you with the details.

2011 was a great year and I expect 2012 to be even better.

I hope that everyone out there in blog land will think about their blessings from 2011 and reflect on how they changed you.  I know that mine changed me and I am beyond blessed for it.


Happy New Year!

Margaret's Birthday

I guess late is better than never but we just uploaded the pictures from Margaret's 30th birthday bash and I wanted to share with my lovely readers!

I had Mom and Dad help me separate the candies into colors.  We had Skittle, M&M's and Reese's Pieces to do.  They are such great helpers!

A close up of Dad working on the Skittles.

Mom working on Reese's Pieces.

We made a collage of pictures of Margaret through the years.  It was fun to look at and remember all the times we had as kids and growing up.  I could have lived without pictures of myself included.

I think its so fun to have big number balloons for a big birthday!

My Mom and Xiao Hua cut these letters out, laminated them and put magnets on the back.  I loved that it greeted everyone as they came to the party.

The dolls on the table are Margaret's My Kid Sister and My Little Buddy dolls from when she was younger.  The girl is named Candy and the boy Cory.  Margaret took those dolls with her everywhere even when we went on vacation. We had a pop up trailer when we were younger and Mom made them their own little sleeping bag.  

The Reese's Piece's, Good and Plenty's and M&M's.  I put them in pretty dishes/containers as well.  I think they look good.  My handmade signs, not so much but it worked.

Gummy bears, Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids and Skittles.

Of course we had to have cotton candy individually bagged of course because I am that crazy!

We had a really great time at the party with lots of family, friends and great food. I enjoyed doing my first candy bar and I would probably do it again for another event sometime.  We also had a pinata and the kids that attended enjoyed doing that.  After everyone arrived my camera got forgotten so I am sorry no pictures of actual people.  

It was great to throw this party for Margaret and I know she had a great time.  She always does when we are celebrating her birthday!