What Have I Been Up To?
Hey Everyone!
Another two months have passed since my last review :(, but I promise I have my review for Meg Cabot's latest novel No Judgements scheduled for September 20th!
I have been pretty busy these last couple of months. I got laid off a few months ago from my job, which was very difficult, not just financially but also emotionally, because I had been running that after school day care for three years, and knew most of the kids for years before that (because of my previous job at the same school). I had grown attached, and it was very sad to leave my last day of work. I miss them.
Luckily, I live in a small town, so I do get to see some of them once in a while though.
Anyway, I am currently working with my husband and his company; which has been an interesting experience. I am definitely still learning the ropes, but I have been extremely lucky in that while we are super busy, I can have time off when I need it.
So does that mean, I have been reading?
Sadly...no.
It means I have been taking the time to take care of myself.
I am on a journey to self-care. That means for present and future Mandy. I started my journey very late last year, and really got into it after the holidays were over. It has definitely both made a very large difference in my life, but also been a slow process. I am no where near where I want to be, but the progress I have made has made me much happier.
I was diagnosed a couple of years ago with something called PCOS. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It is a very interesting syndrome, in that it has many many many difference side effects it can have on your body. Not only am I prone to getting cysts on my ovaries, but I also am prone to having trouble losing weight, acne (cystic acne and regular), hormonal imbalances, irregular periods, and insulin resistance. Not to mention the future effects it can have on your body, such as a higher chance of getting diabetes, heart disease, and ovarian cancer. The #1 effect it can have though, is trouble conceiving a baby.
My husband and I recently starting trying for a baby. We are SOOOOO very excited in this next step in our journey together. I have been trying to not think about the chances of having trouble conceiving (and failing and not thinking about it!), but I can tell you one thing...
The changes I have made in my life in the last ten months, have been incredible on my body!
By the way, I SWEAR I am not going to be ending this post with trying to sell you something!!! This is not about a product I'm trying to sell!! I don't do that!!
No, I have been doing this all-natural!
People with PCOS are more prone to inflammation in their bodies, so certain foods can make symptoms worse. Those foods/ingredients tend to be: processed foods, gluten, dairy, high GI-Carbs, and sugar.
The easiest for me was the processed foods.
I would say besides eating out, I have cut out 90% of processed foods. I love to cook. I love finding new recipes, and cooking from scratch. I love buying all my vegetables fresh, and cutting them up myself. I have really been enjoying all the recipes I get to make! It's been great!
The next thing I have cut WAYYY back on is gluten. While not as good as the processed foods, I have been able to cut out about 75% of gluten I would say. My husband is Sicilian, and so Pasta is a huge staple food in our family. In fact, we tend to have it every Sunday for family lunch. What is great though, is all the Gluten Free pasta options. What sucks is that most of them still have the carbs! So most weeks I try to say no to the pasta, and bring something else for me to eat, that I also enjoy, and is more of a treat, but not have the consequences. I recently discovered quinoa (I know, I'm super late to the game!), and I have truly enjoyed garlic quinoa with steamed veggies. It has been one of my staple meals over the last few weeks; and a great substitute for pasta I have found. It reminds me of couscous a bit, but without the gluten!
The next thing is dairy. Dairy apparently is not my friend. As much as I would love to think so. A lot of cheeses cause me to have digestion problems. And while I have not cut it out completely from my life, I try to limit my cheese intake to maybe once a week, which usually is some fresh mozzarella with a ton of tomatoes (again Sicilian husband!). Fresh Mozzarella doesn't seem to have the same effect that other cheeses like Cheddars do on my body. I have also switched away from dairy milks. I try to use only almond and coconut milk now. This may not seem huge, but it is for someone who used to daily have some sort of cheese on her plate, as well as have yogurt and milk on a regular basis.
Now for the last enemy...sugar. Yup, still my enemy. My goodness, and what an enemy sugar it is. I crave it. I desire it! It is my drug. And what an addictive drug it is! Sugar has, hands down, been the most difficult to cut out. And by cutting out, I mean I have failed miserably.
I have been able to switch away from cane sugar, and switch to other "healthier" sugars. I started using Monk Fruit sugar recently; which was recommended by a PCOS Diet Challenge I have been able to get a lot of helpful information from. But yeah Sugar is the main thing I still need to work on.
What has been the hardest part of this journey?
The obvious reason has to be: Staying Motivated. It is INCREDIBLY disheartening stepping on the scale every morning and not seeing a change; or especially seeing it go up. The last month I have been in a really bad rut. My weight has stayed the same, but I think I've been working hard. I went on a trip to Cleveland last month, and during that trip, we did eat out everyday. I didn't always make the best choices, in fact, I ate like crap during that whole trip. But when I got back after that week, I went straight to the grocery store, and started cooking my healthier meals again. No change at all. At least on scale when it comes to my weight.
However, when I was feeling particularly discouraged a couple of weeks ago, I was going through my photos, and found something that helped a lot to see the progress I have truly made...
About a month and a half after getting off the Accutane, was when I started making the real changes in my lifestyle. Grocery shopping with a list each week. Not buying anything but fresh ingredients. And making my meals from scratch.
The latest change I've made is trying to buy mainly organic ingredients. The cost is a bit more, which can definitely get more difficult, but after reading a lot of information, I found it could make things even easier on my body. All the chemicals used on the non-organic produce, can a real negative effect on any body, especially in the long run.
I know, once again, this is not book related. I am not sure The Romance Bookie will continue to be only book related. I think she has almost turned into my saga of growing up over the last ten years.
I hope those of you who read The Romance Bookie, will stick around. I know I have lost a lot of readers over the years. I also haven't been as present as I once was. I know we all very busy, and growing up.
But I am going to try to find some things to tie in my love for books, food, and new things in my life; and share with you on The Romance Bookie.
Another two months have passed since my last review :(, but I promise I have my review for Meg Cabot's latest novel No Judgements scheduled for September 20th!
I have been pretty busy these last couple of months. I got laid off a few months ago from my job, which was very difficult, not just financially but also emotionally, because I had been running that after school day care for three years, and knew most of the kids for years before that (because of my previous job at the same school). I had grown attached, and it was very sad to leave my last day of work. I miss them.
Luckily, I live in a small town, so I do get to see some of them once in a while though.
Anyway, I am currently working with my husband and his company; which has been an interesting experience. I am definitely still learning the ropes, but I have been extremely lucky in that while we are super busy, I can have time off when I need it.
So does that mean, I have been reading?
Sadly...no.
It means I have been taking the time to take care of myself.
I am on a journey to self-care. That means for present and future Mandy. I started my journey very late last year, and really got into it after the holidays were over. It has definitely both made a very large difference in my life, but also been a slow process. I am no where near where I want to be, but the progress I have made has made me much happier.
I was diagnosed a couple of years ago with something called PCOS. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It is a very interesting syndrome, in that it has many many many difference side effects it can have on your body. Not only am I prone to getting cysts on my ovaries, but I also am prone to having trouble losing weight, acne (cystic acne and regular), hormonal imbalances, irregular periods, and insulin resistance. Not to mention the future effects it can have on your body, such as a higher chance of getting diabetes, heart disease, and ovarian cancer. The #1 effect it can have though, is trouble conceiving a baby.
My husband and I recently starting trying for a baby. We are SOOOOO very excited in this next step in our journey together. I have been trying to not think about the chances of having trouble conceiving (and failing and not thinking about it!), but I can tell you one thing...
The changes I have made in my life in the last ten months, have been incredible on my body!
By the way, I SWEAR I am not going to be ending this post with trying to sell you something!!! This is not about a product I'm trying to sell!! I don't do that!!
No, I have been doing this all-natural!
People with PCOS are more prone to inflammation in their bodies, so certain foods can make symptoms worse. Those foods/ingredients tend to be: processed foods, gluten, dairy, high GI-Carbs, and sugar.
The easiest for me was the processed foods.
I would say besides eating out, I have cut out 90% of processed foods. I love to cook. I love finding new recipes, and cooking from scratch. I love buying all my vegetables fresh, and cutting them up myself. I have really been enjoying all the recipes I get to make! It's been great!
The next thing I have cut WAYYY back on is gluten. While not as good as the processed foods, I have been able to cut out about 75% of gluten I would say. My husband is Sicilian, and so Pasta is a huge staple food in our family. In fact, we tend to have it every Sunday for family lunch. What is great though, is all the Gluten Free pasta options. What sucks is that most of them still have the carbs! So most weeks I try to say no to the pasta, and bring something else for me to eat, that I also enjoy, and is more of a treat, but not have the consequences. I recently discovered quinoa (I know, I'm super late to the game!), and I have truly enjoyed garlic quinoa with steamed veggies. It has been one of my staple meals over the last few weeks; and a great substitute for pasta I have found. It reminds me of couscous a bit, but without the gluten!
The next thing is dairy. Dairy apparently is not my friend. As much as I would love to think so. A lot of cheeses cause me to have digestion problems. And while I have not cut it out completely from my life, I try to limit my cheese intake to maybe once a week, which usually is some fresh mozzarella with a ton of tomatoes (again Sicilian husband!). Fresh Mozzarella doesn't seem to have the same effect that other cheeses like Cheddars do on my body. I have also switched away from dairy milks. I try to use only almond and coconut milk now. This may not seem huge, but it is for someone who used to daily have some sort of cheese on her plate, as well as have yogurt and milk on a regular basis.
Now for the last enemy...sugar. Yup, still my enemy. My goodness, and what an enemy sugar it is. I crave it. I desire it! It is my drug. And what an addictive drug it is! Sugar has, hands down, been the most difficult to cut out. And by cutting out, I mean I have failed miserably.
I have been able to switch away from cane sugar, and switch to other "healthier" sugars. I started using Monk Fruit sugar recently; which was recommended by a PCOS Diet Challenge I have been able to get a lot of helpful information from. But yeah Sugar is the main thing I still need to work on.
What has been the hardest part of this journey?
The obvious reason has to be: Staying Motivated. It is INCREDIBLY disheartening stepping on the scale every morning and not seeing a change; or especially seeing it go up. The last month I have been in a really bad rut. My weight has stayed the same, but I think I've been working hard. I went on a trip to Cleveland last month, and during that trip, we did eat out everyday. I didn't always make the best choices, in fact, I ate like crap during that whole trip. But when I got back after that week, I went straight to the grocery store, and started cooking my healthier meals again. No change at all. At least on scale when it comes to my weight.
However, when I was feeling particularly discouraged a couple of weeks ago, I was going through my photos, and found something that helped a lot to see the progress I have truly made...
The photo on the left is of me in Florida end of January/beginning of February and the second photo is of me taken last month while I was at the Rock n'Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. 6 months, 30 lbs.
Again, I still have so much to go, but man, not only did I see the difference in those two photos, but it reminded me of how much better I feel! I have more energy, I don't feel winded from doing the simplest tasks, and my acne is pretty much GONE!!! I have had acne almost my entire life! I started getting black heads in third grade! But I hit puberty it got so much worse. Three years ago I started getting really bad cystic acne, that was extremely painful. I was put on Accutane last year, and all it did was poison me. My acne got worse while on it (I took it for four months), and I felt so weak on it. I would get light headed, headaches, lethargic ALL THE TIME!! It was crazy! My dermatologist didn't believe me at first, but when I hit the five month mark, and he wasn't noticing a change, he wanted to up my dose again, and have me be on it even longer than the original six month time! He wanted me on it for a year!! That was when I said "Hell no!" I decided in that moment I would have to live with my acne, because I knew it was destroying my insides!
About a month and a half after getting off the Accutane, was when I started making the real changes in my lifestyle. Grocery shopping with a list each week. Not buying anything but fresh ingredients. And making my meals from scratch.
The latest change I've made is trying to buy mainly organic ingredients. The cost is a bit more, which can definitely get more difficult, but after reading a lot of information, I found it could make things even easier on my body. All the chemicals used on the non-organic produce, can a real negative effect on any body, especially in the long run.
I know, once again, this is not book related. I am not sure The Romance Bookie will continue to be only book related. I think she has almost turned into my saga of growing up over the last ten years.
I hope those of you who read The Romance Bookie, will stick around. I know I have lost a lot of readers over the years. I also haven't been as present as I once was. I know we all very busy, and growing up.
But I am going to try to find some things to tie in my love for books, food, and new things in my life; and share with you on The Romance Bookie.
The Romance Bookie :)
Congrats on the weight loss! I do a lot of Hello Fresh and things like that and I enjoy cooking, although I like eating out too. I have Crohns so should maybe try cutting out gluten, but I do love bread ...
ReplyDeleteIt is hard!!! Hello Fresh looks good! We've been buying it all ourselves and getting the recipes from a program I follow, called "Platejoy" which is covered by my health insurance. They give me weekly recipes and a weekly shopping list!
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