Friday, March 28, 2014

EXERCISE AND SLEEP

Stitching, stitching, stitching! I can see my new border working out. Heaps more work though. Then there is the quilting.

I think that I am at last seeing some weight loss just from doing what now comes naturally to me. I hope so as I don't want to go back to weighing and checking and watching macronutrient ratios. 

Last year I worked hard to lose weight. I seemed to be i a permanent stall and really the only time only lost anything significant was when I tried Fat Fasting. From November to January this year I gained 6 kg/13-14 pounds. It's been quite a mental battle to not let myself become upset by this.

I knew the gain was largely due to stress, (with a few poor food choices thrown in) ..... situations which I had no control over but none-the-less were painful.

The situations are still there. The stress is still there but I am finding ways to live with it. 

I am working toward more regular exercise. I know this is a major key.
MY food is reasonably good. I think I am in ketosis, or at least close to, most of the time. I am learning that I must do something positive about sleep. Exercise and sleep seem to go hand in hand for me so that's a bonus. I just need to be a bit more disciplined every night, not just now and then. For instance,last night I stayed up until about 1.30 am playing solitaire on my laptop. I still woke up at least an hour before sunrise which has become my normal. I need to be in bed by 10.30 pm latest.

Lack of good sleep an exercise has become a vicious circle. I intend to break this. 

Will keep some records to encourage myself.

Today
Sunrise Walk:- 0
Cross-trainer:- 0
In My Bed:- ?

MARCH 25TH

I am feeling a lot better about things today. There is nothing I can do about the situation except 'Be There' to talk with when I'm wanted.

Sleeping better again and weight beginning to drop back down. I'm stitching away at the next lap quilt top. Piecing the bits. I've made a much bigger job for myself than planned but that's OK because I'm not planning to go out anywhere for the next 10 days. 

It's good to be over the shock and disappointment of the last few days. I don't mean to be negative but I do wonder what will be next. It just seems that we do not get much time between one serious problem or another errupting.

At least I can switch off by putting in my ear buds an stitching. It has a tremendously calming affect Smile

Talking of quilting ..... Does anyone have an idea for something small I can stitch for an engagement gift? Both have been previously married.

Monday, March 24, 2014

A DIFFICULT WEEKEND

My turn! To be stressed out by life's happenings. It seems to me that every second blog I read the writer is dealing with some kind of family issue that is causing great emotional pain.

We had some not great family news over the weekend. I'm still processing it all and coming to terms with what is.

Couldn't sleep last night. It was close to 4 am when I finally went to bed and was awake again before 7.

This morning I could have eaten a loaf of bread and a pound of butter or even a large block of chocolate. Instead I began the day with a bubble bath and a book, because I can. I made my usual keto coffee and now I'm not hungry. 

I'll be going to bed earlier tonight. Right now I'm going to listen to a podcast or two and do some stitching. 

Dinner is in the slow cooker so no stress there.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

IT'S TRUE! I AM AN ADDICT.

Hi Kitty. I'm sorry the Fat Fast upset you to that degree. I never suffer that way unless I have been on a total fast, my first meal, whatever it might be has unacceptable results, so not something I do very often.

Hi to all those who missed me the last few weeks. I'll try to keep up but as you will read I have added something newish to my life.

I have two admissions to make.

# I am an addict. Doesn't matter what. It can be fat especially as in pork crackling, blogging/internet stuff, (not so much games unless you count Sudoku), and now patchwork quilting. 

I am surprised I have set it aside for a few hours this morning. It all began a few weeks ago when I decided to make a table runner for our daughter-in-law's birthday, March 6th. I finished that, and began a knee snuggle rug for myself featuring fabric I bought in Hawaii last year. I have almost finished the top part and will put it away to finish another snuggle rug top to make as a gift for another son's partner who has a birthday in May. This is all very time consuming because I sew all by hand. No machines for me.

I have so many ideas buzzing around in my head that I just might have to get the sewing machine back from our daughter. Every time I consider doing such a thing I remember how stressed sewing by machine makes me. So here I am with a million plus ideas and doing things the slow way. 

I cannot wait to get out of bed in the morning to get started again, I cannot wait to see the next block take shape and now how it looks with the blocks joined up and ready to sandwich with the backing and wadding. I have gone whole days without taking time to dress and John has had to cook dinner more than once or twice.

The wonderful thing is this has come about since I had the surgery which allows me to blink. While my eyesight is less than perfect I am comfortable enough and it might even be improving. 

The other good thing that allows me to enjoy this hobby is my pain-fee hands. For years I have picked up hand-work and put it down again fed-up by aching fingers. I have been 90% wheat free for 2 years and 11 weeks. Not only are my hands pain-free but they are increasing in strength. There are many simple tasks I no longer request John to do. The most obvious is can opening with the hand held opener. 

Becoming wheat free has turned the arthritis right around. I still have bent fingers and some thickened knuckles but there is no crippling and no aching. And best of all, the improvements seem to be continuing.

# I gained back every pound I lost doing Fat Fasts. They were useful in that I learned a lot about nutrition and what works for some people and how it works for me. I'm not saying I will never do another Fat Fast but not for some time at least. 

It is taking me a while to settle into a routine that works for me. Not getting out to exercise regularly is one of the negatives about my new addiction to quilting. I'm fairly certain that once I add in that daily or twice daily walk/cross-trainer thingy I will be improving my general well-being and therefore weight loss too. It won't do any harm that a little exercise improves sleep too.

So there you go. An up-date that will hopefully lead to me being more active here again.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

QUILTING, BALANCED BITES, BLOOD KETONES 1.7

I'm working on my quilted table runner. Would love to finish before Sunday but still have at least 4 days work and that means sewing for as long as I can manage at a time.

I have not walked in the last few days. That's not the best for me.

Ketones looking good though. latest blood ketone reading 1.7. Only four test strips left. Mostly I will be depending on urine strips which are not as accurate. I've been doing low carb off an on for 10 years in various forms. I should have the hang of this but I like to see some kind of confirmation that I am still on the right track.

Back to my sewing. That's my break over for now. I am listening to archived podcasts from Balance Bites. It's one way of getting some information into my brain.

Monday, March 3, 2014

HAPPY WITH TODAY'S NUMBERS

I skipped my walk yesterday and I'm starting today differently with a soak in a bath of bubbles an epsom salts for no particular reason.

Ketone level is beginning to look good and my weight is down another small fraction. Maybe I'm getting the hang of this. It doesn't seem quite so difficult this time.

I think that's because I have already done a lot of experimenting with food patterns and recipes, measuring ingredients and serving sizes so that I don't have to think so much about that.

It's not that I do not need to work at it but that I have gradually been getting my meals more in line with a ketogenic diet.

It's so encouraging to see the numbers doing what I want. I know that's not more important than good health but ...... I have reached a point where there's not a lot more I can do to stay healthy except lose weight and move more. The two seem to go together.

I am thinking about the 10,000 steps a day but I don't want to push walking or the cross-trainer or anything else until I am stable in fat burning. It has been suggested this may take three weeks in ketosis without stumbling. That's enough to work on right now, especially as I have a big weekend coming up with a 70th birthday party and outings with son an his wife who are coming up from Christchurch for a week, arriving next Saturday.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

WALKING ON THE BEACH

This might become a habit. .... Walking first thing that is. I woke up this morning rearing to go. I was later than yesterday by 30 minutes. I put the coffee on before leaving the house after clinging to my bed for an extra few minutes before facing the cool morning.

We have a noisy but not overly strong, S.E. wind which has brought autumn to our doorstep, right on schedule since today is March 1st downunder. I was very pleased to find that the cool wind did not cause any problems to my eye. Walking will become a pleasure again.

Back home, with pockets full of sandy shells. all I had to do was pour and whisk my keto coffee. I took a blood ketone reading and was disappointed but not surprised to see it had dropped back to 0.3.

I ate a large dinner last night and was totally uncomfortable. I did not need so much food but who passes up a nice steak with mushroom, onion and tomato sauce.

Today's plan is to continue quilting. I might have a session on the cross-trainer. The day is warming up and promises to be sticky in spite of the wind. 

The first two months have 2014 have flown by and I'm only just beginning to get my act together on all fronts.