Linda RN's Journal

[LINDA RN]

Well the time has come to start my own journal of my journey to skinny town. I have not started until now because I have become so addicted to reading what everyone else is posting. I wouldn't want to miss something. But something happened to me today I just had to share. I have be trying to be as LDL pure as I can with my schedule for the past 10 days. There was an in-service at work and the director came and invited me and mentioned there would be coffee and sweet rolls. Well I sure did not want to go, then and I was busy with other things. One of the other girls in our clinic wanted to go and get something to eat, but she could not get away. About mid morning there was a lull, so when they announced for anyone to come get the left-over refreshments, I went to get some for the other girls who did not get to go. OMG there were 5 or 6 huge trays from Atlanta Bread Company all filled with pastries. They were huge! One cinnamon roll or Danish was the size of a meat platter!!! Not really but they were huge. The sad thing is a few weeks ago I could have eaten 2 or three of them today and still had lunch and supper. The happy thing was I picked out 3 of the juiciest and gooiest and brought them back to the clinic and never even wanted a taste! Since I allowed myself to get side-railed during the Holidays, I gained about 8 lbs and have been fluctuating up and down since early November. I determined that I need to get serious and get some serious weight off before Easter. That resolve and 10 days really sticking to the plan kicked it for me!

I made the most awesome Pizza Soup last night. Ate 2 huge bowls full and then realized there would not be enough left over for me to take for lunch so made another batch. Today I was running late, did not fix any eggs. Was busy at work; then got hungry. Ate some grapes I thankfully remembered to take. So this was the first day I was able to do fruit only for breakfast. I have been leery of having fruit only for breakfast because in times past, eating anything sweet in the morning would cause my blood sugar to crash. But by waiting until after 10 am to eat the fruit, I did OK. 2 bowls of pizza soup and I was stuffed. 

I still have 3 or 4 more lbs to get me back to where I was the first week of November then I need to really take the plunge. Most of the weight is water concentrated in my calves and ankles. I need to drink more water to flush it out.
I know this is working for me even before I get to Onederland, and I will be there soon. I love pizza and taco soup. Now I need to move on to try some other soups. Going to do SM’s rag soup tomorrow.

Gotta get back to reading everyone else’s progress.……

[Wolfmother]

wow...congratulations for not eating those pastries...you are doing great and it will only get better.

Onederland here we come.

[MsHeirloom]

Linda- Congratulations.  Your renewed resolve and actions will take you the rest of the way to goal.  Maybe soon we can see the current Linda.  Pam

[Deborah D.]

Congratulations Linda you are doing great.  You will be in Onederland before you know it.

Deborah D.

[LINDA RN]

Ok, yesterday must have been a fluke. Stayed up till after midnight catching up on the boards and FB. Got up at 5:30 this am, read some more, grabbed fruit and left-overs and flew on off to work. Got to work at 8, hungry at 9. Started with banana-figured it would stay with me, then ate 1/3 small bag baby carrotts, then med bag of grapes. One of the docs wanted her blood sugar checked. It was 103, exactly the same as another nurse. I offered to check mine to see if I could get 103 also......0 M G can you believe...452??? I could not believe it, so made up my mind I was going to retest. Even though I wiped my finger with alcohol, the doc told me to wash my hands good since I was handling grapes. Whew, second test was 144. Not good but considering what I was eating, alot better than 452. I had been feeling really tired and hungry, but after that I was wide awake. An hour later, I was able to eat a big bowl of Pizza Soup and a chicken breast. Made the decision to go back to protein for breakfast and only have fruit afternoon and evening. still up 4lbs since Nov, have to back off salt. Legs, feet, and fingers still swollen. 
Posted from my cell.

[niki]

second test was 144.

linda, don't make me look for your first post to see if you're a diabetic......are you?

[lifegoeson24n7]

Hi Linda,

Just wanted to say you made the right decision to start a journal, it really helps.  I remember your picture from facebook, what a glamorous nurse

Just curious why are you going to switch and do protein breakfast and fruit lunch and fruit dinner?  Why not just do veggies and lite protein (like egg whites and/or BEANS) for breakfast?  Not hollering, just curious.

Looks like you are doing good and know exactly what you need to do to stay on the train.

--Jill

[LINDA RN]

No, Niki, not diabetic. But was still concerned about the 144 blood sugar even though I was in the midst of eating those sweet carrots and grapes. Retested 3 hrs after finishing lunch and, whew... it was 94!  So not diabetic, just very carb sensitive.

Jill, I have been eating eggs for breakfast for quite some time, and wanted to get off a plateau, so thought I could finally do just fruit in the morning. Looks like not unless I do beans in a fruit smoothie. We have chickens so getting fresh eggs is not problem. Will work on the lighter supper for now. Hubby still wants a protein meal in the evening unless he has cooked a pot of pintos. Then he wants cornbread with them, but he is trying to do without the cornbread now, LOL. This year need to get Okra planted. Seemed like we were really loosing when we were gettin lots of fresh okra.

[LINDA RN]

Spent my Pizza Soup Lunchtime yesterday talking to one of our doctors about LDL. She wants to loose weight, but just doesn't feel like she can because she cannot do without white bread. I shared with her what everyone is saying about the cravings being gone, and she promised to log in to the website yesterday evening. I hope she did. This morning, even though my stomach feels much smaller, my weight is up a few more pounds. Going to have to give up the popcorn. I am just too salt sensitive. My calves and ankles are so swollen. Made the 15 bean soup today. Read the ingredients of the flavor packet and first ingredient is sugar. Read labels on Tones spices at Sam's and many of them also have sugar. Bought the ones that didn't. Have a three day weekend so trying to cook and freeze and be better prepared for next week. Have an acorn squash turning orange. Will need to get it cooked also. Don't have to run to the store so hopefully it will be eatable, LOL. Want to try some ground turkey bean burgers also. Maybe tomorrow.

[Clown Lady]

Linda you are so good to post on my threads so here goes.  I have a banana and refried beans on corn thins most every morning and it seems to be the only thing that gets me thru the morning.  I eat my protein at noon or the lunch meal, but sometimes I don't think I have enough protein and I get hungry in the afternoon.  I do salads for dinner mostly or a veggie soup if I want hot.  As for my husband I still fix what he wants.  I add the potato for him or the bread.  He is not so heavy.  As for the popcorn I got a air popper and it pops so fluffy and I don't put salt on it.  Hope this helps.
Clown Lady

[LINDA RN]

Thank you for helping me. The refries just may be enough protein to help me in the mornings, but Beans were never my forte. In my head refries belong in a whopping big burrito, LOL. I am doing the eggs in the morning because they are free. We have 8 hens laying 6-8 eggs a day and 50 more that will start laying soon. The eggs at 6am hold me until around 10. Then I have to be sure to bring some fruit to snack on until lunch at around 12:30. I could go until noon or after not having anything but coffee, but reading what everyone is saying about how fruit in the morning will jump start the metabolism made sense and so I thought maybe if I did the fruit in the morning without the protein, I could get off the stall. Just doesn't work for me. As for the popcorn, the last bowl of it I ate, I just put cinnamon on it. It did not need any sweetener for me and it was good. I just decided to let it go for a while. If I do pop it occasionally, I will just use cinnamon on it. I would probably do OK with cantaloupe in the mornings. There is significant protein in it. Problem is, we raised some of the best cantelope and watermelon you have ever tasted a few years ago and I just don't want any that has been picked green which most out-of-local-season is. Read another post about how watermelon really helped drop weight and I just shared that with DH. We need to grow them again. Have not grown any in a while because we could not control the bugs, weeds and coyotes and wild hogs from getting into them. Not to mention the 100+ degree weather drying everything up. Guess we will have to believe in the finances for a greenhouse frame and shadecloth to keep the varmints out! And the money to water.

Interesting thing happened today. Have been trying for 2 days to file our income tax through Turbotax on line and kept getting error message. Made numerous calls for Tech support and got just as many answers that didn't work. Today I got a lady named Courtney 3 times....cell phone with weak signal. Ended up talking to her about LDL and she said she would check out the web site on her lunch break. So Courtney, if you have decided to join us, welcome and what you told me to do worked and I got my taxes filed! Amazing what the Lord will use to get the word out. Technical problems, weak cell phone signal, and slow dial-up on computer. The last time I got her, we were on the phone for what seemed like an hour. Had a nice chat and no disconnects!

Today is better. Yesterday was up 8lbs from my last low but down this morning to just 4lbs over. Lost 4 lbs over night. Stomach is shrinking, but legs ankles and feet very swollen. Once I get that issue resolved I know I will be way down and I can finally report a loss again. Snacked on leftover chicken breast this morning, and never got around to fixing eggs. Before I knew it, it was lunch time so shared a piece of steak with hubby and sauteed California Blend veggies. Added corn, onions and diced peppers to the veggies. Enough veggies left over for this evening. Not really hungry yet. There is a smoothie I took out of the freezer, I may eat later. It is warm enough here now to make you think spring is on the way. Frozen smoothie sounds good now.

[LINDA RN]

Well, I have some successes to report today.

First, I was finally able to record another lb discarded! WooHoo. I knew my clothes were getting loose. Feet and legs still somewhat swollen so know that I will be down more when I get over the fluid retention.

After promising to fix Rags Soup all weekend I finally determined to make it this morning. I ate it for breakfast instead of my usual sauteed eggs. A very small bowl at 6:30 am held me until around 10:30 and I ate a banana. That soup is soooo good I love it! Had it again for supper.

Last night DH I think was really craving some desert and decided to try his hand at making coconut macaroons. I was able to say no thank you after staying on LDL as much as I can for past two weeks. Thankfully, they cookies were harder to make than he anticipated and the taste was not worth the effort so he says he won't be trying those again. Then for lunch one of our LPN's who has been working in a temporary position and finally got a permanent position said he was buying lunch for everyone! He hauled in 20 pizzas! And Then there was the huge sheet cake for the nurses birthday. No way was I giving in now. I actually was down 9 lbs counting what I had gained over the holidays. I was not about to undo it now. So I sat in the corner, happily eating my Rags Soup and sauteed veggies with ground beef. It is so liberating when you hit that point of no return. I have read of other's elation when they come to the point of saying "no thank you" but you never really understand it until you get there yourself!

[MsHeirloom]

Linda- That is great.  Isn't it liberating to not be a slave to food.  Keep up the good work!   Pam

[LINDA RN]

Well, my resolve was fading as the night waxed on. The macaroons were screaming at me. Nuked an apple with cinnamon on it. Left off the banana since I had already had 2 today. Sweet, but still thinking the crunchy cookies would be great. Got so mad, I just warmed up the last of the rags soup and polished it off. Finally full and satisfied! Sometimes you can eat and think you are full, but if the cravings are still there, you are not "stuffed" as Roger puts it.

[dinker]

Great job!
When I am craving something sweet I find the LDL fried apples are awesome.  I try to keep them on hand.  They are good for a warm breakfast before work or a snack.
Check out the recipe on the recipe section.  SUPER easy!

[tprouty]

Good point, Linda, and job well done!

It doesn't matter if you think you should be full -- if you still crave something, you're not finished!

So happy for your successful choices! 
Terri

[LINDA RN]

OK not sure what to make of this new wrinkle. Last time I donated blood was October I think. Cholersterol was up but hemaocrit was either 38 or 40. (40-42 my normal). Was anxious to donate yesterday to see what happened to cholesterol since LDL.

I think sometime in November, maybe after hearing about LDL. was trying to deal with cravings. At work, I was really craving some pretzels. I remembered eating ice when I was pregnant (and not anemic) so decided that would munching ice would be a great low-cal snack. Drove everyone crazy and thinking I was anemic. Well, tried to donate blood yesterday and got turned down because my "crit" was 35. I was in shock. I have been eating more beef than recommended and the last few days have been eating the whole recipe of rags soup (with spinach) even having the last bowl for breakfast yesterday and a 2 oz piece of left-over steak.

Remarkable. I still believe the result was dilution. Hands were still swollen. But inspite, of knowing it was not accurate, that little seed of thought brought my mind into finding reasons why it could be true. "You've been really tired and sleepy lately", etc.
Makes it all the more important to keep the Word of God in your mind and let your mind go there instead.
I guess I will get back on B12 and maybe a multivitamin again.

[barrypaxton]

Linda,
I am a regular blood donor (10 gallons, not all at once LOL). I have never heard of your "crit" being tested during blood donation. They do test for iron. I used to get deferred sometimes for my iron being too low. I asked my Dr if I needed a Rx for iron. He told me to go to WalMart and buy the slow release iron tables and they would take care of the problem. He was right. I haven't been deferred in over 3 years. My husband is now taking the iron tablets because he was deferred a couple of times.

Many blessings,
Ollie

[LINDA RN]

Ollie,
I am nearly a 5 gallon donor. (Just can't get off to donate as often as I could.) There are 2 tests for iron in blood, hemoglobin and hematocrit. They can easily test hematocric in the "field". I have only been declined one other time...when they would drop the blood in the solution. Not very accurate and immediately tested my blood using the spin method they are using now, and it was like 40. I really don't think I am anemic. To get a hematocrit, they use a ratio of red blood cells to the plasma. By squeezing the blood from your finger, there is the possibility of also adding additional tissue fluid to the mix and it appears to not be enough red blood cells. I have taken multivits off and on, and even B12 and I have not been taking either lately. Been concentrating on C and D3 and probiotics and then only taking them a few times a week. I know, bad nurse....Good thing I don't have to be taking serious meds, LOL. I decided to take more Sublingual B!2 for a while. Ferrous Sulfate makes me sick so I have to use a ferrous gluconate, but I have never needed iron supplement. Will just take some when I know we will be having next blood drive. Disappointed mostly because I was looking forward to getting rid of another couple pounds, LOL!

[LINDA RN]

Winter Storm Warning!
After last year's Christmas Eve Blizzard, people took this warning seriously. We were pretty much prepared but since it was delayed another day, thought I would stop by Wal-Mart to pick up a few things and top off the gas tank. OMG! The place was packed out! Good to see that so many had the resources to get food etc, but what a shock to see an isle of shelves completely empty of WHITE BREAD! the other end of the isle with the healthier more expensive breads still had loaves and maybe some buns, but all loaves of white bread completely gone. I am so glad we have been delivered from that junk! I woke with a headache and even though it is pouring down rain, but not yet freezing, I decided to call in and use 8 hours of the over 2,000 hrs of sick leave I still have. Just not feeling like fighting the weather today. Think I will make a big pot of Pizza soup and then some taco soup.

The weight stall is finally over and I am loosing again slowly. I had had trouble stabilizing my blood sugar with just fruit in the mornings but it seems to be doing better now. When we started this last November I was mostly eating bananas and grapes. Been trying to eat more rainbow colors so here is how it has been going for me the past few days: Grapefruit around 6am (eggs if I have time), apple or pear at work at 10am and then lunch around noon. Then banana around 3 or 4 and maybe an apple after 5 on the way home. It has helped the cravings and I feel satisfied. I really think getting fresh apples and pears in every day has helped. I can say no to brownies and other sweets and grocery shop without feeling like I have to get something to eat right away. I am looking forward to being asked if I had the surgery because I look so thin!