Day 12 - Day 17 (Yep. An Entire Week Together)

Day 12 - Day 17 (An Entire Week)

This week can be summed up with two words: Covid Positive.

I have not exercised. I have not ate healthy necessarily. (Haven't ate much truthfully.) Therefore, there hasn't been much to add to a diet and exercise blog. 

What have I done? Coughed. A lot.

Lay in bed and watched various streaming services. 

Work. Yes, I've been fortunate to have a job where I can do some of the work from home. It's been interesting, and there's been difficult moments, but I've managed. 

What is Covid-19 like for me? Like I said above, a lot of coughing. The worst sore throat ever. Like fire and glass shards. Exhaustion. Headaches. Body aches. Tight chest. Heart beating too quickly. Like out of my chest. It took me ten minutes to catch my breath after changing the sheets on my bed. Simple tasks are big tasks. It's not your average influenza A or B. This is nothing your body has seen before. 

Thankfully, I have a great doctor who prescribed me medicine to help. It won't cure Covid, but making the symptoms lessen has been beneficial. Also, I've been taking Emergen-C and vitamin D3.

Hopefully, within a few more days, I'll be back to myself. Until then, I'll rest up, work from home, and watch more shows. 

Between Day 16 and Day 17, I watched every movie from the Star Wars franchise. Even the movies between the episodes. It was a great 2 days of vegging out with an all-time favorite series. 

I only took a 3 hour break from the Galaxy to root for my favorite football team in the playoffs. 

Go Pack Go!

Adios Muchachas,

Mel

P.S. Stay healthy. Stay home. Wash your hands. Wear a mask. 

Day 11 (Expect the Unexpected)

Day 11 (Expect the Unexpected)

I've heard the phrase said many times. I've even said it myself a few. But do we ever really expect the unexpected? I have to say no. When something happens to us (or our friends and family) we never expect it.

This "unexpectedness" is going to physically change the diet and exercise for the next ten days. One word: quarantine.

Yep. That nasty word we hoped to leave in 2020 has made its way with us in 2021. Our family had done a pretty decent job of escaping it for 10 months. We wear masks, wash hands, drink Emergen-C, take vitamins like D³, drink gallons of water, and social distance. That being said, we still try to live our lives as normal as possible. (What is normal anymore?)

So... Clover3 is a wrestler. Wrestling is a hands on physical sport. The wrestling team has been quarantined once before. (Four days before Christmas break began.) She made it through the quarantine without any symptoms. We went to Florida on vacation. We were good. Then... She wasn't. 

She was back home from vacay for New Years Eve. She attended a small party with friends. She worked her waitressing job. She attended a school club meeting, and went back to school. All of these things while wearing a mask and following protocols. The only thing without those precautions in place was wrestling practice. And, honestly, they practice it as much as possible except for the wrestling part. 

On Day 8, she had a sore throat. Strep, the school nurse believed. The express doctors office swabbed her but the rapid test was negative. The PA sent her out the door with a Rx for Amoxicillin and the explanation of having a throat infection that was non-contagious. (Remember, sore throat was her only symptom.)

Day 9 & 10 she felt great. Still a sore throat but she's on Amoxicillin, it's a slow working antibiotic. It'll take a couple days, right? She worked out and went to softball practice. (Yes. She's always involved in sports. Usually two sports at a time.)

This brings us to Day 11. Expect the Unexpected. I did not expect her to feel worse instead of better after 2 full days of antibiotics. I did not expect her to wake up with the chills, throat now on fire, headache, drippy nose, and body aches. I did not expect her to have Covid-19. Not even when we went to test did I expect the result. Honestly, I expected the long test for strep to come back positive and a new, stronger antibiotic called out. I did not expect this.

Not Covid. Not quarantine. Not Clover3 in isolation from the rest of the family. (This is a kid who is outgoing and loves being busy. She has a goal of being the state champion wrestler for her weight. This is not helping.)

So here we are. Quarantined. Husband and I gave up the master bedroom so she would have her own bathroom. I took her room. The husband took the entire family room. (His office for work is there and he works from home.) Clover2 has a basement bedroom away from us. Clover4 is quarantined in his own bedroom. We are all separate, but together and alone, in this. So far, no one in the family has symptoms. 

What will my exercise and diet look like the next ten days, I have no clue. I hope to figure something out in my small 10X12 space. I have free weights, resistance bands, yoga mat, and an over the door pull thingy. Not sure what it is but I'm about ready to find out. 

And the best part? Since she's been feeling yucky since Day 8 of the year, and tested positive, her 10 day count of isolation began then. She busts out of jail on Day 18. The rest of us? Our 10 day quarantine begins tomorrow, Day 12. We can't begin our time (days?) until we have the first day of "no contact" with the host. 

Wonderful.

We will get through this. She will get better. The rest of the family will make it. We will win. Wish us luck and throw any and all prayers you want toward the heavens. Thank you and God Bless. 

Adios Muchachas,

Mel

P.S. My plan includes:

And...

Minus the cat. I don't have a cat. Two dogs and, yes, they are always underfoot. 

Day 9 (Vise) Day 10 (Back at It)

Day 9 (Vise)

I had 100% intentions of exercising and eating healthy today. I woke up great, drank my coffee, went to work (it was a half day), came home and took a little nap. (One of my favorite Saturday events.)

When I woke though... My head felt like it was in a vise. You know, those metal tools machinists use to hold an object firmly.

That or it felt it had a weight dropped on it. 

So, instead of the gym, I took medicine and basically went back to bed. Didn't really eat much of anything either. What a waste of a day. 

Day 10 (Back at It)

What a much better day it was! First, it was Sunday so I was able to spend it in worship. Second, I tried out a different location of Planet Fitness due to Clover3 having softball practice nearby. And, drumroll please, third, I had Starbucks! 

Anytime I can have a Venti Pike Place coffee with 2 pumps no sugar vanilla and a splash of milk, is a great day! Makes my world keep spinning. 

For dinner I ate a flat iron steak and half a potato. It was the best. 

My workout was mostly legs (squats, calf raises, hamstring curls) after 20 minutes of cardio on the elliptical. I broke a decent sweat and my legs felt well used walking out of the gym. I'd call it good. 

Who knew I could get my new bitmoji to coach my old bitmoji. Weird but cool. 

Also, I can trip myself. Sorry. Too much fun over here.

Adios Muchachas,

Mel

Day 7 (This is Hard) Day 8 (What is hard)

Day 7 & 8 are being blogged together because, well... I was being lazy. And, forgetful. Go figure. There will be times throughout this self mandated torture where I will not blog each day. I thought the first would be farther down the road than week one, but it is what it is at this point in life. 

So, Day 7. (This is Hard)

I thought the day after legs was hard on my body? Try two days after. I could barely walk without favoring one side over the other. I may have looked a little weird getting in and out of my desk chair at work too. 

Exercise: Stretching. A whole lot of stretches. Yoga. I managed to breathe deeply and push a yoga pose as far as I could without tearing tendons and muscles in half. 

Diet: Steamed veggies, steak, a slice of pound cake, strawberries, mandarin oranges. We're not talking about that thing I hid in the middle of the diet. What's done is done. 

After all the yoga and stretching, I felt better. It wasn't a sweaty gym workout but it was something and I think something the body needs each week. 

Day 8 (What is hard?)

I think the stretching made my body ready to go again. When I hit the gym, and after my 5 minute warm-up on the rowing machine, I was a pumping iron fool. Everything was easy. Even the ab workout seemed to breeze by without any complaint. 

I left the gym feeling renewed. This is good because I was already becoming bored. This day was not a fake it until you make it day, because I made it. 

Diet: Grilled cheese (yes, with the bread) fried egg sandwich. I decided I needed something heavier at lunch. We were fresh out of steak. Yep, it never lasts long in our fridge. For dinner I ate some Skinny Pop popcorn before going to the gym. Ate some more when I got back. Hey, it's birthday cake flavored. Have you ever tried it? Then, don't judge. But try some. You won't regret it. It is true to the name "Skinny Pop" and has way less calories than any other popcorn. 

All-in-all, it was a good two days. I thought, since I wasn't hitting it hard on day 7, I would feel like a failure. I didn't. That's good, right? I may have hold on this diet/exercise thing after all. 

Adios Muchachas,

Mel

Day 6 (Less Success)

Today was rough. Like climbing Mount Everest, rough. Well... Probably an exaggeration, but you get the enormity of the roughness if I compare my workout to a master-size-skilled climb, right?

Okay. The workout today royally sucked. Better? 

It was only meant to be a 30 minute elliptical (pushing myself with resistance). Easy peasy, right? Wrong. 

First off, I was bored within the first 3 minutes. I upped the resistance as planned but was still beyond asleep at the wheel. I upped it again. Boredom. I pumped my arms for added cardio. Booooorrrrrrrrred. 

Secondly, my hamstrings! Dead-lifts always make my hamstrings sore a few days. Honestly, I like the sore. It means I actually did something productive. Yesterday was dead-lifts, therefore, today was soreness. And apparently, soreness equals boring elliptical workouts. 

Third, cardio is dumb. I like weight training days. 

The whole fake it until you make it theme hit home today. I knew there'd be days like this. I signed up for it. Doesn't mean I have to like them. Or, blog niceties about them. 

I still made it 30 minutes. Believe me, I must've appeared as a banshee on fire when I shut the machine off and just as frantic as I wiped it clean. But I was done with it. D. O. N. E. Done. 

As far as food today, I wasn't extremely hungry but still ate meals. For lunch I ate steamed veggies, fresh strawberries, cuties, and half a bacon wrapped filet mignon someone left in the fridge. I also ate a couple cookies. They were soft. And sugary. 

For dinner, I found the pressure cooker full of pot roast, potatoes, and carrots. I can't say no to potatoes. I ate a small helping of the rest but my plate was mostly a buttered, peppered, glorious potato. And it was delicious. 

That is all for this not so great day in the life of exercise/diet hell. 

Adios Muchachas,

Mel

P.S. All images are not my own and taken from their respective sources. 

Mount Everest image: Illustration: Rabindra Manandhar /TKP

Lizzie Mcguire image: Lizzie Mcguire the series by the Disney Channel. 

Minions image: Twitter Minions page: @Minions

Day 5 (Success!)

Success. That's what I have labeled today, Day 5. Why? Because I took a day off (a holiday, remember?) where I ate too much food, (didn't think twice about not exercising) and successfully made it through the next day of healthy eating and exercise.

Total complete success!

So... Day 5 workout:

5 min warm-up on the upright bike. Btw, that thing hurts my rear end. I may try the recumbent next time I do a bike warm-up.

Body For Life biceps, dead lifts, and triceps. The husband talked me into doing a little extra legs so I did my own BFL routine on the leg press machine. 

Abs consisted of 3X10 each leg of glute presses and 3X10 on the adductor machine. I'm not entirely convinced that machine does anything worthwhile but I'd like the inner flabby thigh to go away someday and I'm told it's the machine to do the work. 

^^This one I really like. Glute press.

What did I eat today? Well, after eating the most sugar and carbs of all the days of 2021 combined (I know there had only been 3 previous day's at the time) I consumed the most amazing flat iron steak I've ever tasted. The husband made it for me at lunch. (Remember, he cooks, I eat. We have a deal.) I ate a couple spoonfuls of steamed veggies along with it and some strawberries for an afternoon snack. And... water, water, water. 

See? Complete success. Hey, I may win this fake it to make it battle after all. Haha! Check back on day 30 and see if I'm still here. 😉

Adios Muchachas,

Mel

Day 4 (The Birthday)

It was a big fat no on the diet/exercise routine today. I said it was a day off since it was technically a holiday but there was a very small slice of possibility I would decide to exercise just because.

Nope. Ate too much and currently feeling miserable. But it was oh so good.

What was the birthday dinner? Pancakes. Restaurant pancakes. Extremely large restaurant pancakes. So large, I had to tap out at about 75% through. And, why are restaurant pancakes so much better than at home? Is it the fluffiness? The butter? The hot syrup? Whatever it is, they were delicious and I won't be having them again for quite a long time.

On top of the amazing breakfast for birthday dinner, I had bacon wrapped filet mignon for lunch. Yep. I know. I am one spoiled brat. The husband was responsible for the lunch. He grills. I eat. We have this worked out. Don't be jealous. 

It was perfectly seared on each side and still mooing in the middle. Perfection. 

I did spend a little more time with my inversion table before stuffing myself with breakfast foods. I love the stretch it gives my entire back. I swear I am taller after using it. I've now had it a year as I received it last birthday. I'd never part with it either. 

It is birthday tradition in our house to have some type of dessert and sing. No matter the age of the birthdayer, we celebrate the occasion. 

I'm not sure I have room for one bite of cake, but the family did sing and I did take a bite. It was delicious too. 

Not really my age but my little clovers think it's funny. I just think they are sweet.

Back to the grind tomorrow. More torturing with healthy eats and gym rat routines. I think it's bi's, tri's, and dead lift rows for weights. Some core work and maybe a little cardio warm-up. Sounds exciting. 🙄 Remember folks, fake it until you make it! is the motto for this year. 

Adios Muchachas,

Mel

Day 3 (Still here)

I did it! I came back for day 3 (technically on day 2 but we talked about this, remember?) of exercise/diet punishment.

Today I ate a handful of tator tots, a few chicken wings, and had a coffee spiked with hot chocolate again. Not sure what's for dinner yet but I probably need protein & carbs, along with veggies. I have a little bit of a headache starting and I think it's a lack of nutrients. It's all right. I'll eat something and down an Emergen-C with a bottle of water. All will be good. I hope. 

Anyway, Day 3: Just got back from the gym and have to say I did a fine job of torturing myself with a make you sweat treadmill incline workout from Body for Life.

Check out that incline. ^^ Not sure my lower back appreciated it but we'll see how it feels tomorrow.

To help with my back issue, I'll hop on my inversion table for a few minutes later and finish the night with 15 minutes of heating pad. Btw, if you've never used an inversion table, you are missing out on one of the greatest contraptions for spine/back pain sufferers ever invented. You seriously hang upside down like a bat. That's it. When you come off the table you are about an inch taller and every kink has been pulled straight. 

Beyond the incline treadmill routine, I spent 5 minutes on the stairmaster, climbing a total of 16 flights. I want to make a goal of 20 flights then add a flight each week. Seems doable. Maybe. 

I finished with ab work doing 5-30 second planks and 6-12 rep russian twists. My back cracked with each one. Maybe I don't need the inversion table time. Nah. I definitely do. 

Tomorrow is technically, kind of, most definitely, a holiday. I know what you're thinking. The 4th of January is not a holiday on any calendar, but... A birthday is always a holiday. Therefore, remember my rule about not having to do stupid diet/exercise on holidays? So... Basically I'm telling you early, tomorrow, I may not participate in this hocus pocus I've started. But... I still may. The day just might involve cake. 🍰 🥳 And, probably a Guinness. Both of those equal large calories. Both well cherished. Hence why I would enjoy them on a birthday. We shall see. 

Adios Muchachas,

Mel

Day 2 (Wait? No Day 1?)

Day 2 of 2021 and I've decided to make myself hit the gym and start a diet.

Again.

Not starting on day 1 because:

A) Hello? New Year's Day diet. New year, New You. So cliché. Those never work. So, I figure, why not on Day 2? It HAS to be better than the first. 

And, B) Hello? The first was a holiday. New rule: All holidays are gym/diet free. Off limits to this ridiculous diet and workout life. Because... If I have to live this stupid diet/excercise life, I get to make the rules. Enough said. 

So... Day 2. Being honest here. Yes, I ate some mixed carmel/cheddar/plain popcorn from a Christmas tin. It was pretty good too as far as commercial popcorn goes. I also threw a couple spoonfuls of hot chocolate in my coffee. So what? I plan on eating grilled chicken for dinner and possibly a handful of almonds. That should work, right? Remember, I get to call the shots this time.

What does me calling the shots look like? Well... Mostly, I'd like to make healthy choices. No gimmicks. No "Eat this to look like that." It doesn't work. At least, not for me. 

What does work for me? So far? Not much I've enjoyed. I like to eat bad food. Pizza, POTATOES, CAKE, nachos, anything Mexican, and whatever else has obvious carbs. Horribly bad carbs. Basically, bad decisions I end up feeling worse about later. KETO was a good diet, until it wasn't. Eventually, I grew bored. I can still see how great I felt while following the diet, but... I need more. 

This new "try" will be different. Not because I have renewed faith and strength in enjoying my newfound diet/exercise. I don't. However, I'm committing to making myself. 

Yep. You read that right. I'm going to "fake it" until I "make it." Can't wait. (Can you hear my sarcasm?) If not, re-read the 3rd and 4th sentences. 

I might even blog it daily. At least in the beginning. I always forget to take a picture and think of something to write but what if I set an alarm every evening and MAKE myself? Will I hold myself accountable?

While being completely and nakedly (is that a real word?) honest, let me tell you something. When I stepped on the scale today and saw the horrendous numbers staring back at me... I'll admit I flipped my switch a little. 

How am I almost right back to where I was 3 years ago? Before Keto? Is it age as well as bad choices? Lack of exercise? The Oldness? (Definitely blaming The Oldness. It's a real condition. Basiclly, everyone over 40 probably suffers from The Oldness.) Whatever it is, IT got me. It's up to me to do something about IT. Even though I don't want to do a darn thing, I'm faking it til I make it. 

I told you what I ate today. Day 2.

My gym choice:

5 min warm-up on row machine. (I like the overall warm-up the rowing machine gives my entire body.)

Body for Life weights:

Flys, Lunges, & Presses.

Weights alternated: 5, 8, 10, 12, & 15.

Abs: Total Gym core sliding. 3X15

I think that is all I can do for Day 2. Come back and see more on Day 3 if you are bored. I'll try to keep it entertaining. 🙄😂

Adios Muchachas,

Mel

P.S. Still not giving up my coffee for any diet. Ever. Period. 

P.P.S. That's a Planet Fitness in the first photo if you can't figure it out through the dirty windshield. 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️

The KETO Diet. What All the Cool Kids are Doing

Do Keto, They said.

Keto is awesome, They said.

Keto is the new Adkins, They said.

You'll love Keto, They said.

For months, I replied with an easy, and polite, simple, no, thank you.

For months, I watched as They took pounds off. Inches melt away. And, I mean, melt off like the real butter They were consuming.

Fine. Fine. Fine. I've tried everything thing else under the sun (remember the potato diet?) why not Keto? I said.


So, on February 1st, 2018 (more on why I chose that date at the end of the post) I began Keto.

I Googled the Keto calculator and entered in all my junk. I was quickly informed of my daily totals. I used this one: https://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/

25 grams net carbs
1600 total calories
123 grams fat
98 grams protein

Okay. Well, that sounds like a decent challenge, but... Hey, let's do this! Right? Okay, that wasn't supposed to be a question; more of a: I got this, fist pumping into the air, you go girl. I'll work on it.

So... I chucked my beloved bread, pasta, POTATOES, CAKE, sugary treats, pastries, ice cream, fried foods, chocolate, and whatever else I was consuming on a regular basis that was supposedly causing my flat tire syndrome.

Day One
Breakfast
I made egg whites (I dislike the yolk; this is a personal choice; Keto dieters are allowed the yolk) with 1 Cup chopped spinach in a T of REAL butter. It was good. Similar to my usual breakfast, except I used cooking spray before.

I switched my skim milk in my coffee (let's be clear here, if Keto said no coffee, this blog post would not exist. No coffee means no Keto) to almond milk. It too, was good. Truthfully, I now prefer the almond milk. But? How do you milk an almond? No, seriously. My youngest Clover and I would like the answer.

Snack #1
10 dry roasted/salted Almonds and string cheese. (I calculated I can have 28 almonds a day for 3 of my total net carbs. I broke mine up into 10, 10, 8.)

Lunch
Two chicken thighs with 1 T Horseradish mixed in and two sandwich sliced dill pickles, served inside a bed of green leaf lettuce. It was all right. I mean, I didn't die, and it tasted fine. It was no fried chicken strip sandwich, but... It was acceptable.

Snack #2
The next 10 almonds in my daily allotment. 1 Carbmaster (copyrighted name but I have no idea how to put the little c with a circle after it. This parenthesis should suffice) yogurt.

Dinner
Large pepperoni. Make a short cut into each of the four side (Quick question. Does a pepperoni circle have sides? Well, I think they do.) Fit each pepperoni into a cupcake tin (Look at me finding a new use for my cupcake tins I won't be making cupcakes in anymore.) Drop one teaspoon of pasta sauce (I used a traditional one because it had the lease amount of carbs) into the pepperoni. I added two sliced black olives, REAL shredded parmesan cheese, a pinch of finely chopped mushrooms, a pinch of REAL mozzarella cheese. I baked mine for thirteen minutes on 400 degrees. (Mostly because, I was too lazy to change the temp on the oven; it was already set at four hundred.) They came out perfect. I ate four.

After dinner, I decided I was so good on this new diet I didn't care about all the fat I was consuming. I mean, at first, when buying ingredients, I had a hard time choosing REAL things like butter, cream cheese, hard cheeses, cottage cheese, yogurt. I'd spent years training my brain to buy low-fat, low-cal. Here I was, creating all kinds of havoc for my mind. To say it was hard is an understatement.

For a late snack, I ate the remaining 8 almonds.


So, day one was a success. What about the following days? What made me decide to keep going without my beloved foods listed way above?

Well, week one I lost three pounds. I know it doesn't sound like much, but... I hadn't lost three pounds doing anything else, so... Why not keep going? Plus, the food was growing on me and I wasn't having any cravings.

Weeks two through six, I lost an additional sixteen pounds for a total of nineteen. Nineteen is where I currently sit, ten weeks in. I've exercised maybe twice in the entire ten weeks. Not because I don't want to, more of my back/shoulder/arm is jacked up and when I manage to get in the exercise, I can't walk/sit/stand for the next couple days. I've been in PT and graduated, so... Hopefully I can start exercising once again.

So... I suppose, I've hit a KETO PLATEAU, (I'm dubbing it so since I've now sat at the same weight loss for four straight weeks) I've gone back to the Keto calculator, entered in my new weight, it spit out some new numbers.

My new restrictions:
20 grams net carbs
120 grams fat
90 grams protein
1519 total calories

Not too much changed in fat, calories, and protein, but... The carbs dropped by five. This will be a challenge. Did you know a Guinness has 10 total carbs? I've had three while on Keto. The first, I saved my the carbs throughout the day for the end and my beloved Guinness. The second and third, on St. Paddy's day. I seriously ate 28 almonds, an extremely green salad, and two of my beloved stout beers. It was worth it.

In somewhat of a conclusion, I'm continuing even if I don't lose more weight, because... I feel better. Who knew carbs weighed a body down? And, I'm not talking about poundage. I mean, how carbs made me feel lethargic, tired, blue, down, sad, bored, less of myself...the list could go on and on with similar feelings. I feel better. More energetic. Fun. Ready to go. Not gonna lie, I still have some fatigue from my stupid thyroid issues, but... That's an entire different blog post.

Also, I found recipes on Pinterest for Fat Bombs. If you have no clue what they are, Google the words. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G I feel like I'm cheating, but Keto says I'm not. Yay me!

I guess that's it for now.

Adios Muchachas,
Mel

P.S. Why choose February 1st for a start date on things? Two reasons. 1) The month is only 28 days long. They say it takes 21 days to make a habit; I'm giving myself 28. I can do just about anything for 28 days, right? And, 2) On February 1st, 2017 I gave up soda pop. I'm still soda free, it must be the Feb. 1st deal, right?

Did Someone Say Potato Diet???

Seriously...


I read where a man from Australia lost 114 pounds from eating only potatoes.


Potatoes are my absolute favorite food. (Sorry cake).


I bet you can't guess what my next diet attempt is going to be?


The potato diet, duh!


I guess it's actually called a mono-food diet. Meaning, you eat solely from one food source. The Aussie chose potatoes. He ate only potatoes for an entire year. I read his blog and fell into a potato coma somewhere around him losing 22 pounds the first thirty days without exercising. (Okay, he was over 300 pounds and eating junk to begin with so any attempt at a new diet would grant him these results, but still...22 pounds in a month with no exercise? Sign me up!) He did add in exercise over time, eventually making it to 90 minutes a day, but I currently get 30 minutes a day in now and have no plans to give it up. Maybe I'll add to what I already am doing. Hey...I said maybe!


So...I'm reading through his story and the more I read the more excited I am to begin. Then it dawns on me what eating only potatoes means...no cake.


I love cake.


And, my youngest clover is having a birthday in a couple of days. Which entails cake. Golden cake for his golden birthday.


All right, I'll begin the potato diet the day after his birthday. Hopefully I can continue it until December (the next birthday in our family). In my dreamland, I'll have lost my 22 pounds by then and be allowed to have a sliver of birthday cake again. Right?


So...Potatoes will become my life in 3 days. Coffee and tea are allowed as long as unsweetened, which is how I drink both. Beer on occasion, again, how I drink it and of course, water. Tons of water. Add it together with my women's Day vitamin with added B12 and B6 and I should be all set. Well, we shall see, I'm not the greatest at following through with these types of plans. But potatoes? Favorite. Food. End. Of. Story.


Adios Muchachas,

Mel



If you've miraculously found this blog and want to read the original spud dieter's blog, here is the link:

http://www.spudfit.com/f-a-q

Back Surgery Recovery [part 2+++]

I suppose I forgot about updating my weight loss journey blog with the progress after back surgery. This is the promised [part 2].

Because I'm completely over anything to do with back pain or recovery, in a literal sense, here is the quick version:

1. Went to PT for a month and it helped me tremendously. Thank you Chris at Advanced Physical Therapy.
2. I was right about having piriformis syndrome and it causing my sciatica pain after surgery.
3. PT fixed the issue.
4. I had a follow up with my surgeon where they took new X-rays and everything seems to be doing great.
5. I still live with back pain, but it's not near as horrible as before surgery.

Throughout this journey, from healthy back to locked-up, something is wrong back to surgery and post surgery, I've learned one thing. Take good care of your body.

My next step is focusing entirely on losing weight and exercise. I believe it is the only way to eventually feel better all over. I'll be pushing for a loss of 75 pounds, but I think I'll begin with 5...

More to come on how I plan to accomplish this feat.

Adios Muchachas,

Mel

Back Surgery Recovery [part 1]

So...my previous post, I told you I was going in for lumbar surgery. Lamenectomy Decompression with Disectomy to be exact. Well, I did have the surgery; it took a little over 2 hours and my surgeon said everything went well and he was able to remove a lot of bulging disc fragments. He also informed me that my sciatic nerve was approximately double in size. Quite likely it was irritated due to the disc lying on it and should go back to normal now that the disc was removed. 

I spent the night in the hospital being monitored [and starving] as my nurses waited patiently for me to fart. Yep. You read that right. I had to "pass gas" in order for them to let me eat. So, if you know me well, which you probably don't, I'll just let you know that I don't pass gas as often as some. Actually, It may be days between bouts of natural gas. When my team told me what I had to do to get fed, I laughed. Not about the farting part of it, more because I knew, and my husband knew, we could be stuck there for days. 

The rest of the day passed with no farting. By nightfall I was starving. I wanted a chicken salad sandwich on a croissant from Panera, but alas, no passy gassy, no eaty.  Those were the rules. I managed to live through the night without nourishment and my team allowed me to have a few sips of water beginning the next day. They also started giving me Reglan to get my digestive tract moving. After four doses and a few hours, there was still nothing. It had been over 36 hours since I last ate. My team finally caved and allowed me some jello and a few crackers. Within an hour it finally happened. A fart. A little one, but hey, they didn't say it had to be a butt blower in order to eat. And boy was I starving. I had my sandwich, not from Panera, very generic, in fact I'm not sure I even tasted it going down. I inhaled that puppy so fast I questioned if I dreamed it. My husband brought me a pumpkin muffie, which was delicious and sort of like having cake. 

Sciatic pain was gone upon my awakening from surgery, however, incision, as well as muscle pain, came in the place of it. With good meds I was able to start walking daily. Walking is the key to getting strong back muscles again. So, I walked the halls with my granny walker about every other hour. I was determined to break free from the hospital.  It took a little bit of me repeating that I wanted to get checked out for them to finally sign me out; I'd already passed all their dismissal tests, so why keep me? Once at home I mostly slept, walked and slept. Drugs will do that to you. With lumbar surgery they give you this awful looking back brace to wear for the next six weeks. SIX WEEKS?!?! Are you kidding me? The thing is annoying. And hot. And annoying. You even have to sleep in it. And no showering. That's right, sponge baths only. Yuck! Something about keeping the sutures dry. Well, I can now tell you from experience that the back brace makes you sweat so you're not keeping the sutures dry anyway, so...they should let you have a real quick shower. I thought about taping some thick plastic sheeting to my surgery site and giving myself the water-running-over-my-body that I craved. But, in the end (2 weeks) I had survived. I also got pretty good at sponge baths. 

So...I said above that when I woke from surgery that my sciatic pain was gone, right? Well, on day ten post op the sciatic pain returned. I called my surgeon and the nurse told me it happens sometimes and to take more narcotics and rest. Like I could do anything else? At 2 weeks and 2 days I had my first post op appointment. My doc was a little concerned about the return of the pain so he prescribed me another steroid pack. I believe this was my 4th steroid pack, plus the two steroid Epidural's we tried in March and April and quite possibly in surgery they finished up with a local steroid before stitching me up. Basically, I'm well roided up. 

I am now 6 weeks post op and the pain is still the same. I've been doing my own research on my issues and have come to a self-diagnosis. I'm pretty sure I have Piriformus Syndrome.  I think the surgery I had worked to fix the lumbar issues, but since I've been out of commission for so long I think I have a new problem. Piriformus Syndrome is where the muscle (it's a thin muscle that runs in your butt, from hip bone to thigh) becomes tight and sort of rolls up on itself causing it to feel knotted. When this happens, it also presses on the sciatic nerve causing pain to run down the leg, just as in when the disc is on the nerve in the lumbar. Yay! me. NOT! 

So, today, at the six week post op appointment with my surgeon, and my back has been feeling a little strained/inflamed. I've been taking more anti-inflammatories. My surgeon said my x-ray looks OK but the back straining & weakness has him concerned. I'll be going to PT for about a month and if there's no change he will order another MRI.  I could have another disc defragment. If so, surgically, he will go in through my abdomen and put in a fake disc.  I pray for PT to fix all problems and my back to never act like this again. The excellent news of the day though: I can now go without my awesome back brace accessory unless I'm at work. And, I start back to work tomorrow! 

Until next time,

Adios Muchachos,

Mel

P.S. I titled it Part 1 because I'm sure this isn't the end of the story. 

Back Surgery 2016

It's been a long while since I last posted anything of my weight loss journey. 

Pretty much because I woke up one day in January 2016 and my lower back (lumbar, as it is known to the medical world) decided it was time to quit working. I had turned 39 years old only 2 weeks before. 

After three rounds of steroids, muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatory meds and pain killers, it was still jacked up. My doctor ordered X-Rays and an MRI. The tests showed a bulging disc at my L5-S1 and also an Annular Fissure (this is a tear in the disc. It's okay, I didn't know what it was before any of this happened either.) 

So, my good ole doc ordered an epidural injection of steroid. It was supposed to fix up the disc real nicely and allow me to return to work a "fixed" person. 

It didn't work. 

I began seeing a Kinesiologist of my own accord. After ten visits, and trying a lot of crazy stuff, my doc and I decided to revisit the epidural injection. The second one didn't work either. 

I began Physical Therapy and scheduled a consultation with a spine surgeon. PT was great. I had more movement in my leg than before and the pain after each visit was less. But it didn't last. 

After 120 days of enduring back and sciatica pain, I wasn't improving and my doctor referred me on to a spine surgeon. 

The meet with the surgeon went great. I had two options. He could do a Lamenectomy and Discectomy from the lumbar, or go in abdominally and remove the entire disc, replacing it with some fake body part. The lumbar version only required 6 weeks of recovery and the awful back brace. The abdominal version was more extensive and would require between 3-6 months of recovery and back brace. Not being one to take the long more exhausting route to things, I opted for option number one. Besides, the surgeon was young and cutting edge so that had me less nervous. He does the surgery quite often. He's a spine surgeon after all. 

After quite a few more PT sessions, more X-Rays, a pre-op physical and numerous questions fielded for the insurance company, I was approved for surgery. 

So here I am. One hundred and sixty-one days later, ready to be cut open. My kids are freaking out, but the husband and I are low-keyed. I'm excited to get it done and get on with life. I'm sure recovery will be painful and my PT girl will kick my butt back into shape when she can get her hands on me again, but for now, I just want to get it done, wake up, feel no pain in my leg (sciatica) say hello to my husband, kids, family and friends and eat some cake. Either double chocolate or Tiramisu. Still deciding. 

Until the next time,

Adios Muchachos,

Mel

Thyroid Crap

Man this Thyroid crap is just that. Crap. I know what you're thinking, and from my own words too. "C'mon Mel, suck it up buttercup."  And you're right, I should just suck it up, but all I ever want to do is sleep. Or lie in bed. Either one is fine with me right now. 

So, after just over 2 months on LevoThyroxine 100 mg, I'm still tired. Not really sure what I was thinking would happen on medication, but...  Oh, who am I kidding, I know exactly what I thought would happen and it goes something like this:

Take medicine, aka: Magic pill, and life goes back to how it was before my thyroid decided to crap out. Actually life is even better than before no thyroid life. (Not quite sure why that scenario would happen, but hey, I was being optimistic.) I was also picturing myself 100 pounds lighter. Not sure where that came from either. That's being overly optimistic! Lol. 

So... Tiredness, grouchy, I can't seem to hear anything anyone says to me anymore, my eyesight is terrible and I'm freaking cold all the time. Did you know it was 97 degrees today where I live and I had on jeans, a tee shirt and a hoodie! Seriously. 

I've changed my diet to add more iodine in. I'm taking the medication. I'm taking the vitamins. I'm drinking tons (and I really do mean tons) of water. I'm walking every day. What else can I do to get back to me? 

I'm frustrated to say the least but I don't return to the doctor until November, so... (Twiddling thumbs) what to do? What to do? Anybody in the same boat as me? Or even ocean? I'd like someone who has been where I am to let me know it's going to get better. 

I know there are way worse things out there in the big bad world. Like cancer, abortion, children dying, starvation, dirty drinking water; the list goes on and on and on, but this is the chapter I'm on right now in my life and God seriously knows how impatient I am. Seriously, He and I have had the 'I have zero patience' conversation several times.  I'm a work in progress. Obviously. 

I think I'll take up yoga... Lol, as if. I can just see myself attempting yoga and trying to be all quiet so I could meditate and all that stuff only to interrupt myself with random thoughts and all the crap that constantly runs through my brain. 

Yeah. Not going to happen in my lifetime. 

Anywho...

Adios Muchachas,

Mel

Dear Thyroid

Dear Thyroid,

I am writing you this letter to let you know how disappointed I am in you. You have failed me. I fully expected you to be there for me for the longevity of my life, and yet you are leaving me. This was not our aggrement.

Why? Was it something I did? That virus I had that one time? Was it the concussion? Hashimoto's disease? Either way, I just wish you could've hung around for the rest of my life to see how it goes.

Because you are leaving me, I now have to take medicine daily for the rest of said life. Bleck! I am not a fan of pills. I don't care how tiny. It is annoying to take medication every single day. You've left me with no choice but to be upset with you.

I'm not happy at all about the energy you have stolen from me. My children are the ones who are supposed to be syphoning the energy from me. They deserve it, not you.

And the dry skin, brittle nails, grey hair; or worse thinning hair! Of all the mean things to do to a women, why did you have to thin my hair? I miss my thick healthy mane. It surely wasn't a very nice thing to do.

I'm not sure where to begin with the feeling of the need for sleep 24/7. And then you throw insomnia at me. Why? Is it all just a cruel game you are playing with me?

If games are what you are playing, then I'm here to tell you that I'm a natural competitor. Yep, you heard me right, I'm going to fight you for my body. I know it's going to be rough and I understand that you and I are never going back to how it was before, but I'm still fighting to keep myself. Yes, I'm going to take the medicine the doctor prescribed, plus the vitamins, extra Iron, Iodine, thousands of gallons of water, the fish, fiber, nuts, fruits and vegetables and exercise as much as I can. I am going to do all that is recommended to help prolong the life of what amount I have left of you. You will not get all of me. I may give my body a little rest here and there at your insistence, but just know that I will fight you. I refuse to allow the depression you force on me. I will conquer the anxiety. I will continue to do mind building exercises to stay sharp and block out the brain-fog you are so persistant on me suffering from. Now that I know that you are being lazy and no longer doing your job, I will do my best to keep you from ruining my life. Because I have a husband and children that need me. Because I have parents and siblings that love me. Because I have friends that enjoy my company. Because I have a loving God who knows I have work to do here on this earth.

This is my pledge to you. Take THAT Thyroid. I dare you to come at me. Actually, I double dog dare you.



Sincerely,



Mel
The body that has housed you for thirty-eight years now. I think you could be a little more appreciative of that. Just saying.

Why I'm on the fence over watching 50 Shades of Grey

First off, let me be totally honest. (Which, btw, I always am.)

I read all three books in the series. In one week. While I was on our 15 year wedding anniversary trip to Jamaica.

There were parts I enjoyed.

There were parts I did not enjoy.


And, I've read books with more sex in them than 50 shades had. (Yes. Really. There are books out there that are far worse. Far more descriptive. Far more disgusting. I know it's hard to believe, but 50SOG is NOT the first book with erotic scenes involved.)

I'm not always comfortable reading sex scenes, I'd just as soon a story read, "And he carried her off to the bedroom..." and the rest was left up to my imagination.

But, the fact remains, it is a book about a sexual relationship between an unmarried man and woman. The male happens to believe he can only live as a dominate, while the female believes he is capable of love.


So, classic love story, right? Well, maybe not so classic in the sense of what his lifestyle entails. And this is where people begin to throw the "porn" label around.


Honestly, I do not watch porn. I don't see the point in it, but it is a 10-14 billion dollar industry, (Forbes magazine) so, obviously it is a money maker for someone out there and a very profitable one at that. I understand, sex sells. It sells movies, books, magazines, and pretty much everything. Commercials have been using sex appeal to sell products such as: clothing, cars, Old Spice, Perrier water, Dentyne Ice gum, Carl's Junior burgers and the list goes on an on, you get the picture. It does not appeal to me though. I did not read 50SOG for the sex scenes. (Actually I skimmed most of them) However, romance novels appeal to me. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a happy ending, knight in shining armor, or billionaire gets the girl. Either way, the story appealed to me.


While reading 50SOG, I found myself drawn to Anastasia. Here we have a just graduated college student, virgin, who has not necessarily been saving herself for marriage, but hasn't happened upon the right guy. As a Christian I have to admit I am disappointed when a character is not so concerned with morals, unfortunately there aren't mounds of popular books where the female character is concerned about her virtue. Although I have read some. And, there are definitely not many books to read where the male character is "saving himself" for the wedding bed. In society, for some reason men get a pass on this. I doubt God feels the same. And, speaking of God, He let us know in Genesis 2:24 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."


Back to Ana. She is a young adult who is seriously lost. (I'd like to think I wasn't that lost at 22) She doesn't know what she wants from life. She hasn't even been looking for a job for post graduation. She is the perfect target for Christian. And I say target because that's precisely what he thinks of his next submissive. In his lifestyle, he looks for a submissive by gauging if he could control a person or not. I know, this is where some major red flags for the feminist community come in. I've read a huge majority of the articles on this "red-flag" and I can even see the point in some, but, I somewhat defend the lifestyle because it IS a lifestyle for some people. And regardless of what feminist think, it can be a healthy lifestyle. So, to say things like "Why should a woman be controlled?" "Are we back in the 19th century?" or "Great, now women are taking a step backward instead of forward toward a future of freedom from oppression." I disagree with all of those comments because, like I said, some people "live" this lifestyle.


Okay, I have to let you know about my naiveness here. Until reading 50SOG, and at 35 years of age, I had no idea that BDSM (Bondage dominance/or discipline submission masochism) was a real thing. Obviously I was in the dark, even though I had read some books where there was some of that kind of thing going on, however in all of those stories it was frowned upon. Like it was a disease or something. Kind of like how Russell Brand says he is a sex addict. But then I researched it, and found out there is an entire, I'll call it, culture out there where they practice this stuff. Okay, if I was uncomfortable with porn or Playboy magazines, then BDSM is definitely not my thing. If it's yours, so be it, I am not your judge or jury.


So I told you a bit about Ana, so, here is the background story on Christian. He is this totally messed up billionaire. Christian has believed from a very young age that he is damaged goods. Incapable of loving someone. BDSM is the ONLY relationship he knows how to have. His words to describe himself are: "Fifty shades of f****d up." His mother was a prostitute. She did drugs and was strung out for most of the four years he spent with her. She committed suicide and he spent four days with her dead corpse, walking around in her blood and starving because he couldn't find food to eat. So, he is emotionally damaged. He is introduced into the submissive lifestyle, as a young teenager, by an adult "trusted" family friend. His adoptive parents have no clue. So, he is physically damaged. And because of the two, he is mentally damaged. This is so typical of many real stories that go on in the world. Abuse is real. Especially sexual abuse in adolescents. 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys. And those are just the numbers reported. It is estimated that only 20 percent of cases are actually reported. Yikes!(victimsofcrime.org) So, for me, this book isn't about sex because the BDSM lifestyle Christian leads is just a coping mechanism for a damaged man who feels out of control and wants to protect himself from pain by being in control of all things. Women included.


The difference in Christian being the submissive for his adult lady friend and Christian being the Dominant of many (the book reports 12 before Ana) is that he was a young teen when he was subjected to the lifestyle and therefore could not comprehend the difference between the attention he craved (and was getting) and what abuse was. Therefore he fell into the sexual abuse trap. Since he became the dominate, he did not take a submissive without consent and definitely not one under age. Regardless of what the reviews say, I did not read where Ana says no. She does tell him that she doesn't want to have sex because she is sweaty and disgusting from a workout, but she changes her mind. She is embarrassed over her presumed stinkiness and he assures her that she does not smell. I can't see where this is so uncommon with people in this world today, myself included. So, the so-called "rape" is completely taken out of context.


So, why would I even like this story, you ask?

Well, the part of the story I'm drawn to is the part where Ana changes Christian. Ana is his knight in shining armor. She teaches him how to love. And how to be loved. She shows him that he is worthy of love and that his family (his adoptive family, has been waiting years to show him love). Is this not the same as what we try to do for our fellow human beings on a daily basis? I don't know about you, but if I know someone who is struggling with things in their life, I try to help them to the best within the capabilities I've been given. Now, I wouldn't help them out sexually, but I'd refer them to someone of a profession (think a counselor or addiction therapist, not prostitute) that could be of assistance.


I know, most will say this is a huge stretch for this book/movie, but I am not most people. I have the ability to read into the underlying story and comprehend it without it effecting me. Just like when I read 'The Kite Runner' I didn't feel the need to rape anyone, when I read 50SOG I didn't feel the need to beat my husband with whips and tie him up.


Several critics say that the story glorifies abusive relationships. I'm not going to deny that whatsoever. In the beginning, nearly every interaction between Ana and Christian was emotionally abusive in nature. He stalked her. Isolated her from her friends. Showed up at her part time job (she didn't even tell him she had a job, let alone where she worked). Intimidated her. He sold her beloved car and bought her a brand spanking (pun intended) new one. For which she was furious. But, you have to know, this is all prior to Ana really getting to know him and pushing him to change. She holds her own against him. She moves him. These traits he has in the beginning slowly go away as she challenges Christian to be a better, different person. And he accepts. In the beginning without even realizing it. By the time he catches on, he is already going down her path with her hand-in-hand. Willingly. Lovingly. How boring would this story be if it started out with Christian already a changed man? What would the point of that be? Obviously he has to be "messed" up in the beginning in order for the rest of the story to take place. Duh! 


So, question: after all of the above thoughts from me, do I think people should read 50SOG? My answer is no. Not unless you are capable of seeing it for the somewhat beautiful butterfly metamorphosis that it is. Not unless you can read intimidate details of the submissive lifestyle. Not unless you enjoy a good love story where, surprise, there are forces of nature trying to keep the two main characters apart. And by forces of nature, I also include the main characters as they try to destroy the very relationship they are building. And, definitely shouldn't be read by teens.

As for the movie, like my title says, "I'm on the fence over watching 50 Shades of Grey," I'm pretty sure my answer will forever be no, I do not wish to see the movie version. I read a review before the movie was released that said 1/5th of the movie is comprised of sex scenes. I have no desire to see that. I can not imagine the director capturing the things I liked about the book and effectively putting them into the movie. As I said above, sex sells. I can only imagine the movie is going to capture a lot of submissiveness and less metamorphosis.

Am I going to judge anyone for watching the movie? Well, no. Just like being honest, I try my hardest to not be judgmental. Who would that benefit? 

One more thing. As a Christian I'm sure most people are going to ridicule me for reading it in the first place. I agree. It is not a Godly book. It does not glorify God in any way. This is something I am not proud of about myself. I'm also not proud of anything I do myself. Thankfully my God is a forgiving God. 

In the end, make your own choices about watching it or not. As, I've made mine.



Adios Muchachas,

Mel

The Five Categories of Migraines

I suffer from live with migraines. Migraines are not to be confused with a really bad headache. Migraines are migraines. There's no defining them any other way.



I have come up with a sort of scale system to categorize my migraines. I call it MC1-MC5. It is short hand for Migraine Category 1 through Migraine Category 5. Think Hurricane categories. Because, we all know, a migraine can feel a bit like being hit by a hurricane.



Before getting into the categories, I have to explain the difference between a headache and a migraine. With my migraines, I have a few "tells" that let me know one is developing. With a headache there are none of the "tells" just a headache. And, just a headache responds to OTC medicine.



So, what is a "tell"? I have many as I'm sure most migraine sufferers do. Here I'll list some of mine, and the one that I don't experience. A sharp pain in the hinge of my jar, a tingling under my scalp in the "headband" area, pressure behind the eye socket (usually only one eye socket is effected), pressure between my eyes; as in the bridge of my nose area and sharp pains in and around my cheek bones.



And then there's the aura that people talk about. I do not get the aura. The best way to describe this is to call it a vision distortion. Sometimes people can see wavy lights in their peripheral vision. From what I've read, within thirty minutes of the aura, the migraine begins. This is listed as the most common "tell" of an oncoming migraine. I'm not sure why I don't experience this "tell", but I've been told my migraines are unusual and they also don't respond to migraine medicines. I know, I'm obviously, medically weird. As expected.



So, that being said, I can get into the categories now and you'll understand what I'm talking about when I say "tell".



Let's start from the least severe and work our way up.



MC1:
This is when you have a tell going on and then shortly after your head starts to throb. You've tried OTC medicine and it will not alleviate it. You move on to prescription migraine medicine and with one dose it goes away. It helps to drink lots of water. Generally you can continue your day without the effects of the migraine interfering. The difference between a MC1 and a regular headache is the tell being present and the medicine used to alleviate it.



MC2:
You've had a tell, your head is throbbing, OTC medicine is not working and neither is the first dose of prescription medicine. You can somewhat function in your job, or the world, but it's starting to effect you. Some effects are trouble concentrating and blurred vision. A second dose of Rx meds helps, but not make it completely go away. Eventually you make it through the day and can go to bed to "sleep" it off. Generally you wake the next day without a migraine or any headache.



MC3:
All of the above for MC1 and MC2 happen, but no amount of medicine is alleviating your pain. You can't function well at work or in your daily activities. You need a dark room, absolute silence and a cool rag splashed with lavender or peppermint. An MC3 will be accompanied by trouble concentrating, slightly slurred speech, nausea and blurred vision. Sometimes to the point of not being able of driving safely. Your head feels too heavy for your own shoulders and you can feel the veins pulsating through your scalp. Sleep is the only answer. Sometimes you wake the next day with a slight headache, but OTC meds will work to alleviate the headache.



MC4:
The main difference between MC4 and MC3 is the vomiting that occurs with MC4. The nausea that you felt with the MC3 is intensified and actually makes you physically sick. The pain is so intense that the only way to alleviate it is by vomiting. No amount of meds are helpful. Water, dark rooms, silence or sleep will not help put off the inevitable; puking your guts out until there's nothing left. After heaving your stomach contents, you have less pain, but it is still there and you have an immediate reflex to sleep. And sleep now! I have actually fallen asleep beside the toilet before. No joke. Upon waking the next day there is usually a headache remaining but it is not anywhere near as intense. It's usually about a MC1. Water is your best friend. And food, because your stomach is empty.



MC5:
And, that brings us up to a MC5. The mother of all migraines. This is the one you never want to come to town. MC5 is the MC4 plus you end up in the Emergency Room. The reason you end up in the ER is simple, dehydration and pain. It takes an IV bag (or two) and a shot of Demerol to end this type of migraine. Earlier on in my migraine life I visited the ER on a regular basis, even once when I was out of town, but since then I have figured out ways to keep from suffering from the MC5. The main way to stay out of the ER is by drinking lots of water. When the first tell begins, before you ever feel your capillaries pulsating, drink water. Don't chug it, just take a sip here, a sip there and so on. I've found that room temperature water goes down the best when you are starting to feel the effects of a migraine coming on. I don't know why, but it's just something that works. The day after a MC5 you will definitely have a migraine hangover. I've had one last for five days and had to take strong prescription pain medicine such as Vicodin.


MC3, MC4 and MC5 are all debilitating to your day. Don't expect to do anything the day any of these categories come into your life, except cope.



Alright, now that I covered the categories of migraines, I thought I might add some things over the years that have been known to cause migraines for myself. These aren't the same for everyone, but if you suffer from migraines and you are not sure what is causing them, maybe you should check out what you are eating or your surroundings.



Here's my trigger list:
Aged cheddar
Lunch meat
Soy foods
Hot dogs-or any food that contains nitrates
Some citrus foods
Chocolate
Excessive amounts of caffeine (This is because caffeine dehydrates you)
Wine
Secondhand smoke
Some cigars
Strong perfume
Flashing lights
Too much direct sunlight (Yes, this one sucks. I really enjoy the sun)
Dehydration
And STRESS. Just FYI, stress is listed as the number one cause of migraines. Although I believe dehydration is.




Here is a list of other triggers known to the migraine world, but none of these seem to bother me.
Nuts
Avocados
Alcohol (except wine effects me)
Citrus juice (weirdly I can drink small amounts of juice, but not eat very much citrus)
Marinated, pickled or fermented food
Peanut butter
Sourdough bread
Broad beans, Lima beans
Figs
Raisins
Papaya
Sour cream
Bacon
Menstrual cycle



Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. This is strictly my opinion and information I have gathered on my own migraines. Do not replace your own physicians advice with any of my experiences. Seek professional help.



Adios Muchachas,

Mel

100 of my Favorite Things

In honor of my birthday, (32nd according to my 6 year old) I decided to make a list of my 100 favorite things. These are in no particular order, but my kids said I HAD to put my Faith and family at the beginning. So here it goes. 

My God~his son and the Holy Spirit all in one, my husband, my kids, my parents, all other family, good friends, the Atlantic ocean, Chips and Salsa, The University of Notre Dame, books, absolute quietness, music, sunny days, a clean kitchen, Christmas hymns, first snow of the year, tall boots, traveling, love letters, NASCAR, giggling, dogs, the USA military, TV dramas, my quilt, Coke Zero, Rum (and both of the two previous together), steak, vacation, lounging  poolside, hot tea, lifting weights, Shockers Basketball, Taylor Swift, Antiques, the beach, sleeping, reading, pianos, mascara, the color green, all levels of football, Holy communion, shirts that talk, my kids sports, ear buds, Asics shoes, sunglasses, homemaking my kids Halloween costumes, Pinterest, QT Pineapple Green tea, putting my feet on the dash while Jed drives long distance, High heels, the Green Bay Packers, sappy romance novels, a jeep with no top or doors and really BIG tires for mudding, Netflix, Holy Week church services, writing, Febreeze, tubing on the lake, Venti white chocolate mocha from Starbucks, staying up really late to finish a novel, sleeping in, hoop earrings, air conditioning, toilet paper, Isotoner gloves, patio sitting by my fire pit, my iPad mini, my iPhone, the smell of used books, moscato wine, photography, sledding, TJ MAXX, Directv, DVR, Shock Top beer with an orange slice and cold glass, humor, texting over talking on the phone, Instagram, fresh-clean towels, Birthday parties, bike riding, hoodies, big screen TV's, popcorn, concerts, Libraries, my children's individuality, red hair, shopping, coloring, giving gifts, flying in airplanes, fishing, my husbands smile, my tattoo, praying. 

Now, those being said, this is not a list of the only things I love, just my 100 favorite. 

Disclaimer: This list is subject to change based on the day, hour, temperature outdoors or my mood at the time. 

Love to ya'll,

Adios Muchachas,

Mel

New Year, New You! Blah, blah, blah...

My New Years resolution is not going to be a diet or exercise routine that I will ultimately fail at. I mean, why continue to torture myself year after year with the same old weight loss goals, right? I can't even remember my weight loss goals from last year, how am I supposed to keep them? I know, but my new goal is brilliant I tell you, and here it is: I will make a new plan to de-clutter my life instead. If I de-clutter I'm sure to lose weight, right? Some of the de-cluttering will have to be physical work, after all. 

 Well, that's the plan. 

 So, how long until I fail? I'm being optimistic here, but I give it until July 1st. And, actually, I'm not going to be calling it a failure if I make it to July. But, if I somehow, by a miracle only God himself can provide me, do I manage to finish de-cluttering my life (Which, no one can ever really "finish" because, let's face it, clutter will always arise in new forms) then I will be calling that: goal accomplished. 

 Now don't get all, "C'mon Mel, you have to have a little Faith in yourself." Believe me when I say, this IS me having Faith in me! I have zero reason to feel I can do better than 6 months because I have zero results from past projects. Except I did complete my reading goal of 2014. Yep. I wanted to accomplish reading 100 books in a year and I finished it just 3 days shy of the deadline!!! Actually, I ended up reading one extra! <gasp>

So, my new-found feeling of so called faith in myself comes from this particular part of me that managed to make my reading goal. (But really, it's not me who accomplished this goal. Yes, I physically read those books, but God made it possible. He had me sitting a 2 hours worth of practices almost every night of the week throughout most of the year. And, THAT was a huge reason why I accomplished the goal.) 

 Since I'm on that accomplished goal high right now, I shall lay out the definition of "de-clutter my life." 

"De-clutter" meaning to me: 

 1) My house is clean and cleared of all visible "clutter" 

2) Physically I feel less weight (even if the scale says otherwise) 

3) Mentally I feel more relaxed 

4) Emotionally I feel free 

5) My husband can tolerate me and still continues to love me 

6) My kids are still alive and containing all of their body parts 

7) My dog is housetrained kind of potty trained 

8) I've refinished my Great Aunt's antique hutch that has been sitting in my garage for 1 1/2 years now 

9) I've refinished the two antique chairs that are also sitting in my garage (These are the "major" projects on my radar) 

 And 10) I finish writing one of the four book projects I've messed around with for the past 4 years. Even if I don't ever self-publish or get published by any random company out there, especially Harlequin or Penguin books,(because let's face it, THAT alone would be the ultimate dream come true and I would be allowed to die young if need be) as long as I "finish" one of the four storylines and I can personally say I finished one in 2015 it will be wrote down as accomplished. 

So, there you have it. My 2015 goals. Pretty lofty goals now that I see them on paper. I'm actually already feeling kind of overwhelmed by them. Okay. I can do this. I will do this. I am woman hear me roar. (Or something like that mantra) 

Focus. Okay let's break it down. 

Numbers two and three are only going to happen if I accomplish numbers one, eight, and nine. Number four will happen when I finish number ten. Numbers five and six will hopefully be intact throughout the year. And, we should really just completely strike number seven from the list. after all, you can't teach an old dog new tricks, or so I'm told. 

 I'm feeling better about it now. 

 Time for a latte and starting on number one. And that's a skinny latte, if you're needing to ask. Hey, baby steps here. 

Adios Muchachos 

 Mel 

 P.S. Here are a few pictures of some of the items on the list of ten. I will not be showing a pic of the clutter or the antique furniture, not because I don't want to, but more because I don't have pictures of them. These are the said dog, Cupid, my happy kids and loving husband.