Skinny girl to fat girl and back to skinny girl - for life page 13

[cmlloyd]

I did that too previous to PB. Boredom snacking. i call it grazing. I have to beat my bad side back and tell it I don't need it I want it. It's hard for me too. damn about your fridge. Our fridge is on the verge of clunking we just ordered a new one should be here on Wednesday. right now the temp in the fridge is about 58-60 So we have kept milk out of it and I'm trying not to keep food in it.

I am in the market probably before I DS senior portraits to get a monopod. I have done fairly well with just handheld b/c of lens speed, but sometimes it helps to have that extra stabilization this is one from my Wedding day outside on the docks during our stay at Smithfield Station VA
DSC_0236-1183354824-O.jpg

[June68]

My tripod is my sharpest lens. Seriously, if you want better photos, get a tripod. I practically never shoot handheld anymore and it's made an enormous difference in the quality of my work. Not only in the end result, but also in the process of framing, composing and being able to REALLY choose what settings to use for each image, not just having to cope with what's manageable.

Grazing is such a tough habit to overcome since it's bound up with emotions. Whenever I find myself thinking about it, I find something to do with my hands - wash dishes, play solitaire, water the plants...anything. It usually passes. I haven't been doing this for a whole month though and I haven't been through my whole cycle though, so I wonder if I'll be as vigilant when my hormones really shift. I don't have a period anymore (woo hoo!), but I still ovulate and have all the rest of the hormonal responses. Basically I'm not counting days and tracking anymore because it doesn't matter if I don't have tampons with me and so I don't know if I'll see much of a change over time with my eating cycles.

[cmlloyd]

OMG I have the same issue.... I have the controls but NO oven. but i still get what's called mini periods, b/c it was just a partial Hysto - they left my ovaries and cervix. (maybe TMI?) I had adenomyosis. Extremely painful and put me out of commission as far as doing really anything for about 6months (it was actually 2 years with all the crap going on) before treament which is a hysto. no other cure. I'm not complaing though
But it does make it hard to judge what your body is doing exactly when the hormones shift and are out of wack! lol

[June68]

nah, not TMI. Before, during and after my hyst I was on a website where the women there bared all their health issues regularly so I'm pretty inured to it. My cervix was my problem (cancer) and so it's gone as is the uterus. After some bladder issues and the long internal healing process (OMG I had no idea one of my incisions would still bother me over a year later!) I'm back to normal. Everything works and having no period is frigging awesome. I am out of practice tracking though so sometimes when I feel this weird ache back by my kidneys it mystifies me for a while until I remember, duh, you're ovulating. Why it should hurt so much to pass one little cell though continues to mystify me. Men have it so easy. Well, except for having to walk around with those things.

[jenn26point2]

I love the photography! Keep it coming!

It's one of those days... i read all the posts but apparently absorbed nothing b/c I can't remember what was said... lol So, keep up the good work, take those pretty shots and enjoy your day!

[June68]

thanks jenn. I'm staying put today and probably won't have time for the camera over the weekend, but early next week I'm sure to get the itch.

B | 2 hen egg scramble w/mushroom, pepper, green onion & cheddar | 1 bratwurst | 4oz V8 | 5 strawberries

While enjoying me food, I thought about the insulin response and how eating fat doesn't make you fat. As I'm going to be with family Sunday I'm sure my bro or my SIL will see that I'm avoiding certain things and will probably lead to a discussion. My bro and SIL are both smart people, but I think explaining why I've changed my way of eating in factual, biology-based terms is going to have resonance. Thus learning the mechanics/chemistry is key and so here's my take;

Insulin is the hormone that controls/provides the mechanism for fat storage. Fat storage occurs when there is too much sugar/glucose in the blood. More than about a teaspoon is too much; glucose is poison in higher concentrations (hyperglycemia). In an effort to get that shit outta there, insulin is released and the only thing it can do with the excess glu is convert it to fat and store it in fat cells because the liver can only house so much. Constantly feeding yourself carbohydrate-dense foods (starchy foods like bread, pasta and potatoes) means a constant release of insulin and thus a constant storage of fat outside the liver. Your body becomes less and less able to manage the insulin and eventually you can become resistant to it as well, increasing your glucose level. This can lead to diabetes as well as tremendous weight gain. Shifting to foods with lower carbohydrate loads will keep your glucose level down and decrease the need to produce insulin which in turn decreases the amount of glucose you turn to fat. With a low level of glucose your body can use what it needs without excess and if you run out, the liver can make more. The liver uses fat to metabolize protein, cholesterol, glucose and other fuel. First it uses the fat it has stored in itself, after that it uses fat stores in adipose tissue. Decreasing the dietary dependence on nutrients and increasing dependence on manufacturing these from stores is where fat burning comes into play as well as maintaining an even energy delivery system. No more sugar highs and crashes from eating bagels, chips, ice cream, soda etc.

So...I think that's how it works in a nutshell. Oy. It took a little bit for the concepts to percolate, but I think I have it down now.

[jenn26point2]

I think you're pretty close. The only problem I see is that the liver cannot convert fat to glucose, but instead converts it to ketones and acetone. Acetone is removed through the urine and the ketones are used to fuel the muscles and brain. The brain actually works better on ketones than glucose, according to what I've read by Mark. that's why people suffer from carb flu the first few weeks after giving up grains and starchy carbs. They have to adjust to using ketones instead of glucose and that can take some time and make people feel really poorly for a few weeks - tired, lethargic, etc.

But for the most part, I think you nailed it pretty well.

[June68]

eeek, yeah, I didn't mean to imply that the liver converts fat to glucose, but that the liver uses fat as fuel to do everything it does.

the ketone v. glucose thing is another animal though and one I definitely need to let percolate a bit more in my head. Eventually I'll get it to the point where I can explain it.

[June68]

Today and yesterday I spent some time cleaning out the cupboards and pantry. So far we have four reusable shopping bags full of non-primal food. Crackers (including my beloved Cheez-Its), pasta, canned beans (for soup and chili), canned soup, cereal, granola bars - it all goes. My parents can either have it or donate it to a food pantry. I feel a bit conflicted about this, but there it is.

Hubby is home and manning the grill. My eating day has gone and will go like this -

L | chicken thigh w/skin | 1/2 endive | 1 HBE | 1 small piece dark choc
S/PDD | cheese | Kettle One ... uh it was supposed to be a martini, but hubby forgot the vermouth. Ha!
D | bone-in pork chop | grilled summer squash & zucchini (from a local farm) | 08 Winderlea Pinot Noir | strawberries (from same farm which is an old town farm, something like the 4th gen guy running it, graduated HS w/my hubby so we like buying his stuff)

bon apetit!

[June68]

OMG, what a day.

After the weekly grocery shop, hubby and I walked 5.5 miles in 1 hr 24 mins. Not bad considering it's 90 degrees in the sun and humid as hell. Then when we got back he coached me with the kettlebell (16kg/34lb) and I did a few sets of swings. Damn!!! That is something else. I'm not sure my hamstrings will ever be the same. LOL. Seriously, that is one HELL of a workout. I think I like it. I was worried about my lower back (spina bifida occulta), but with the right technique and form, it's not a risk and my back feels fine. I'll know if my form is off if I feel it.

So here's the funny bit. We did most of this on very little food.

B | 1-2 Tbsp greek yog | 2/3 or so c berries (mix) | 1 HBE | coffee x 2 (one before errands, one after) | another small handful of blueberries
5.5 miles
kettlebell
S | 1 c (ish) ground beef ragu | more berries (mix) | cheese

Seems like a lot of fruit, but basically that's my only carb intake all day. I don't know what we're eating tonight, but damn I think I'll probably devour it!

Oh and in case anyone cares, I wrote a review of Mark's book on my book review blog. Not that you can't form your own opinions or anything. LOL.

Life is too short to read bad books.: The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson, 2012