It's been way to long!!!

Geez,  I have been so bombarded at work that I haven't had a chance to blog about anything.     I have had some interesting things come up.      My ankle is still not back to the best condition so I haven't been able to get back to running, so instead I came up with this crazy idea that I needed to buy a new and better bicycle!!!  I came up with the idea after going with my dad to the Diabetes Expo, they are having a ride in May called the Tour De Cure.   I was told that they were going to have a one mile bike ride, and I figured hey I want to do that,  and I need a new bike.  Ha Ha what a perfect excuse to buy something new.     Well,   I have to say that bicycle shopping is so complicated.   I feel like I am buying a car, test drive this, test drive that!! This one has disc brakes, this one has linear breaks. Do you want a hybrid, road, mountain bike.. ugh it's so confusing.     I am testing out another one tomorrow and I hope to make a decision from there!   I can't wait to get my bike!! I am so excited!               

On top of my crazy desire to buy a bicycle, I also decided to sign up as a consultant for a Organic Skincare Company.     I was very hesitant, and wasn't going to do it, but then I decided you know what I am trying to become a healthier person so why not sign up, even if no one buys it and it only benefits me.   Well, I have to say I haven't made much money off of it, and honestly it doesn't really bother me, because I am trying to do something better for myself by using less toxic skin care.     


As for weight loss I somehow miraculously managed to lose 5lbs in one week. That is a miracle in my thyroidless world.   Unfortunately this week is Fiesta, for those of you who have never heard of Fiesta it is this city-wide 2 week long party and of course it is all about eating, and having fun and being out and about.   Fiesta week is one of the reasons why I love San Antonio, Tx it's something very unique to our city!!  As a matter of fact, it is such a big tradition that on Friday, all the schools shut down, some  business shut down and there is a big parade downtown!!      

Ha Ha, I am sorry this post is so scattered, I guess it just goes to show you how my thinking has been lately scattered!!   

The Thyroid connected to everything bone.. or maybe I should say body.

This week I had my appointment with my endocrinologist.   These appointments always make me nervous, only because I never know what is going to pop up next.     The doctors office  I go is really awesome in the sense that before you go in for you appointment they have pretty much emailed you lab results from your previous visit.     The previous lab results indicate that my TSH was right on  target, my PTH still wacky and high, every else normal.. except ..............   My A1C level was on the high side of normal.    What is A1C well it is a blood test the measures your blood glucose level over the past 2-3 months.     The last time I went to the endocrinologist he told me that he was going to be monitoring my sugar levels.   Why,  I asked??? Well because apparently people with thyroid disorders and people without thyroid are have increased risk of developing diabetes.  Ugh, one more thing to freak out about.     Well at the appointment I had this week, I asked him what does that mean my A1c is normal but high and that I am at risk for developing diabetes.  He said, I didn't have diabetes, nor pre-diabetes but that I really need to monitor my carb intake and make sure I am exercising.    I told him exercise is typically not a problem except for now that my ankle is sprained, but watching carbs.. oh  I love carbs and that is so hard for me to do.     He informed me of a one day class they were having on weight management and  I told him I was interested in going.  The nutritionist gave us some useful information, nothing I haven't heard before but it doesn't hurt to hear it again and again and again.    Then because I have decided that I really want to prevent this from happening and that I really need to get very and I mean very serious I went back to weight watchers and had them weigh me in.  I hadn't been since early feb. and luckily I haven't gained, or lost which I think is pretty good considering I hadn't gone is such a long time.      I hadn't been able to go because my bank account got hacked into, so weight watchers had closed my account with them,unfortunately I hadn't had a chance to re-activate it.       Of course, now that I have been forced into seeing that this could be a real health concern if I don't try to do something about it.       I can't say that I have been completely perfect in terms of eating since finding out this information, but I can say that now every time I think about pizza, and pasta and break I find myself thinking about how  I need to limit myself and how these food items could end up causing me some real problems in the future.       
Of course, I am still sitting on edge waiting to find out what this next set of lab results reveal,my endocrinologist did say that he would be running to test again since he is going to be monitoring it.    I am hoping that since I have cut out fast food eating, that maybe I will have a better result.     One thing for sure I learned this week is that prevention is key and that I need to beat this before it beats me.  So on  that note, I am of to do some crunches, and some leg lifts and some arm weights.   

Oh and here are some little facts for those of us out there trying to lose weight.
>>>Cutting back 3,500 calories a weeks can lead to 1 lb of weight loss
>>Exercising at least  240 minutes a week is key to weight loss
>>>Make sure you eat  3 meals a day, no skipping
>>>>>>>For those of us with thyroid issues:  the nutritionist did tell me that she often find that many of us try to skimp on calories to promote weight loss, and this is not good because you end up not eating enough and your body just holds onto fat.   So make sure you get in anywhere from 1,200-1,500 calories a day for women. For men 1,600-2,000
>>> Eat, not -starchy veggies
>>>document everything you put in your mouth.

Ugh Sprained ankle

Hello everyone!  I hope everyone is doing well!  I haven't had a chance to update my blog but I have had some unfortunate adventures that have kept me from exercising.   A couple weeks ago I participated in a trail run.  I was doing pretty well, and felt good!!  A local Italian restaurant was going to provide us with a nice Italian meal upon finishing so I was trying to run for my pasta.    Until,  a rock jumped out at me and made me fall.    That dumb rock made me fall and twist my ankle.   I debated at first if I should continue but then thought logically that I should probably stop and walk back.  So off I went,  the medic checked it didn't think it was broken.   I ate my pasta and drank my beer,  I mean I didn't sprain my ankle for nothing, I figured at least I should eat my pasta!      The next day I went to the medclinic and sure enough I had a grade  2 sprain.     While I am thankful it was not broken, having a sprained ankle has been no walk in the park.   I haven't been able to exercise,  I am tired of limping and I am tired of the air cast that I have to use.  He told me it should take from 4-6 weeks to heal, I am on week 2.   Of course it didn't stop me from going to Las Vegas for Spring Break but it wasn't as fun had I been able to walk appropriately.        So now I have a little bit of a predicament,  I need to figure out a way to exercise without injuring my foot.  Any ideas anyone???  I have thought about doing crunches, leg lifts, I guess I could do weights for my arms but I just don't feel like I am getting a quality work-out.      Ugh,  if anyone has any ideas of some exercise I can do that won't cause me to put pressure on my ankle please let me know!!!!
Unfortunately I had signed up for a couple of runs that I am not going to be able to do,  one of them is a wine run so I am thinking I may just go for the after party :)

Italian cooking class

One thing I love to do is learn how to cook different kinds of foods.  So I decided to have a random adventure and enroll in a Italian cooking class.     It was great,  my last class was Monday, and I have to say that I will be missing some of the people that were in my class.  We were kind of like a little family.  Of course, I think I was the youngest one in there but regardless of age the company was great.      I learned how to make homemade meatballs and spaghetti sauce,  egg plant parmasean, an apple tart/pie,  foccacia bread,  and  stuffed pasta shells.   The lady that taught the class was Italian, so it was nice learning from an Italian person.    She said she will be teaching some classes in June, and I really hope I can sign up.    I do have some pictures of the stuff we made in class, however I want to post pictures of when I actually make it all by myself.      The good thing was since I gave up fast food for lent, the Monday night class pretty much ensured that I had a homecooked dinner, now that I no longer have class I am going to have to figure out what in the world to eat on Monday nights.       I am really excited to try making the recipes on my own, and I hope to post pictures soon.  

40 days and no fast food!!

Since having my thyroid removed, I have tried to become better about the things I am eating and putting on body, unfortunatly work, and life just get me sidetracked and then I feel guilty, and then I just keep on going into bad habits.    This year, I have to admit that I have taken the lazy track when it comes to bringing my lunch to work.    I think part of the problem is that I am typically shoved into a small little office or closet type space with no windows, so lunch-time is my time to go outside and get some fresh air!!!    Unfortunatly, this has caused me to resort to eating tons of fast food!!  In my mission to get fresh air, I don't pack my lunch and I run somewhere quick so I can see something other then four walls, but eating all this fast food has done nothing but make me gain weight, put bad things into my body, and make me spend more and more money.    
 Typically during lent, I try to do something good vs giving up something.    This year I decided I needed to do something good and give up something.   I decided to give up fast food!!!    Believe me, while this may not some like a sacrafice to a lot of people it is for me, because now I will have to take the time to pack a lunch. and a breakfast, and find another way to get outside during the work day so I don't feel like I am in a cave.   I decided that I can go to a sit down resteraunt and eat, but that I would do my best to find something healthy on the menu, however I am not allowed to go to fast food chains.        Fast food has become my life savor this past months, but in the end it is harming my health and my wallet!!!       This is going to be a challenge for me, but I think it will be a good challenge for me!!!       So here I go on my no fast food adventure!!!!    I am happy about my adventure to try to stop the fast food madness and in the process I hope the end result is a happier healthier me!!

Hot Chocolate Run !!!

Hello,

I wanted to get to this earlier in the week but I added some random adventures during the week that were unexpected, so I had something to do every night last week!        On Monday I took a italian cooking class,  on wednesday I took a golf class, and then I had some other random things that popped like running errands and stuff.    So, finally today I decided to update my Hot Chocolate Running Adventure!!!       

Last weekend was the Hot Chocolate 5k and 15k.  I signed up for the 5k because well I am just trying to get myself back into this running thing.   The Hot Chocolate run, is a run where they provide you with Chocolate goodness, after you run!!!   I am actually not a huge chocoalte person, but I thought this sounded like a fun race.       Of course, since it has been so weird here in Texas with the weather I wasn't sure how appealing hot chocoalte would be after a run.     Well, much to my surprise it was 31 degrees in Dallas, but the winshield made it feel like it was 19 degrees on that saturday.  I actually debated about not running, but my dad who drove me fron San Antonio to Dallas, said "I didn't drive you all the over here for you to chicken out."  So,  I layered on some running clothes and off we went.  Once we got there and I started my run, my body started to warm up and I was absolutley motivated to finish the 5k as fast as I could so that I could have my nice hot Ghirardelli chocolate!!!     Believe me when I say, I don't know how they made the hot chocolate but it was the best I have ever had!!!
Here are some pictures of the event!

  Prior to the race day, they had a packet pick-up/ expo.  The goodie bag came with a cute little jacket that said will run for chocolate, and because I registered with a coupon code I got a hat that said will run for chocolate.  Of course at the expo that also had some Ghirardelli chocolate bars, and some hot chocolate that was so good it was addicting!!





This was the start of the race, it was so cold but obviously people were determined to complete their run and get their chocolate rewards at the end.  Since we aren't used to being so cold her in Texas, the medical doctor that was helping with the race recommended that if you had signed up for the 15k and had a pace of 12 min/mile or slower that you may want to run the 5k because of risk of long term exposure to the cold!!!!!!!    To some it sounds silly, but to those of use who are not used to cold temperatures it's not sillly at all.   

Oh Sweet!!!  It was so cold
they decided to hold the
after party in the exhibit hall.    This is what we got to dip
the Chocolate Fondue in!!!  It was such a treat!!!!

The fondue was so good, and the stuff they gave us to dip just made it even better and worth the cold.  Of course they did give us some yummy hot chocoalte to drink as well!!!

 If you look closely at the picture you can see the fondue fountain!!!   I would defiinitely do this race again!!!

Color Run.. or maybe i should say Color Mudder

Yesterday I participated in a run called the Color Run.   It is basically a 5k, where at each mile they are supposed to throw some kind of color on you so that by the end you look very colorful.      Well,  I was excited about the run and looking forward to doing somthing adventerous.. well I sure did do something adventuerous more adventerous then I had planned for.    Texas weather is so random so of course it decided to rain very hard on Friday night, the event planners sent us an email saying that the run would take place unless there was a flash flood warning.  They warned people that there would be some muddy spots and for those who had planned to take strollers, not to take them.    Austin is a crazy town, so people showed up anyway and man was I in for a suprise.    The run started late because parking was horrible, and by the time I got to run they ran out of color for during the race but they had a crazy color party aftewards.   Actually I was told they didn't run out of color, but that with all the mud they where not able to take more color back and forth to the volunteers as had been planed.  So here are some pictures of what took place!!! 

 This is me before the color run!! The requirement was to wear a white shirt so that the color would show !  

Because Austin is crazy people still showed up Rain or Shine.  They ended up starting us in waves this was the line to start!! 

 

 The whole course was a muddy mess.  Some of it was like a muddy river and some it was sticky enough to where people got their shoes stuck and lost in the mud!

 Mud, Mud and and more Mud!  Yes those are my shoes!

At the end of the race I was a beautiful color muddy mess!!  I was upset at first at all the mud, but then I realized how much fun I actually had, and the workout of trying to navigate through the mud actually made my workout more intense then I had planned.  So overall despite the craziness it was fun.   

Here is me at the end!!! 

Here is me trying to figure out what in the world I was going to do with my muddy stuff!