Big Step - Goodbye, NutriSystem

After 2 months of thinking it over, I've canceled my NutriSystem.

I'm at a steady weight now.  Not as slim as I'd like to be, but the meals aren't causing me to gain or lose.  So I figured it's time after 2 years and 4 months to try to eat on my own.

Breakfast is 2 egg whites and 1 slice of wholegrain Ezekiel bread.  Maybe a banana on my way to work.  Protein shake with my coffee that takes me at least till 11 to drink all of it.

Lunch is a small can of chopped chicken, roma tomato, and celery with a tiny dab of mayo.  Maybe 1/2 a teaspoon of mayo.

Dinner varies - I've done a bag 'o slaw with a Morning Star Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burger.  Or a NS dinner that I still have a few of in my freezer.

I've only been doing this for a few weeks.  When I get tired of the chicken I'll get Lean Cuisine egg rolls or maybe make chili or something.

I am nervous.  I don't think I have the portion control thing down.  But I have no desire at all to go to any fast food place. 

I do eat a bunless bacon cheeseburger with fries the nights I bowl.  Though tonight I think I'll switch that up and get a hot dog.

NS isn't meant to be forever.  Though I was planning on it that.  It's just so easy to grab something out of the fridge or out of the pantry and zap it.  However, I know it's healthier to eat non-processed foods.

Snacking is either an apple or grapes.

So we'll see how I do.  :-)

2/16/21 Update -

And I failed the doing it on my own.  I'm back up to 235.  So after my roof gets replaced from damages due to Hurricane Sally, I will be going back on NutriSystem.  I don't feel like I failed and I'm not upset at all that I'll be going back.  The food is good and I know it works.  :-)

Candid Co. Amost Done!!

Put my new set in last night.  6 more weeks to go before I'm done.

I thought they were done with my bottom teeth.  NOPE!  Owie.  :-)

They are also finally getting my top teeth straighter.  I think they left them alone last set of aligners.

I'm really excited about being able to not wear these things all day long.  But I'm also nervous about it.  I've had them in for so long that my teeth will feel unprotected. 

There are moments where I just want them out.  Same feeling I get when I'm wearing shoes.

The photos below - my bottom teeth don't feel as crooked as they look in the photo.  Me smiling is with my aligners in.  And my top teeth look dirty, but I think it's the lighting.

Why I don't like Christmas

A couple blogs ago I mentioned I didn't like Christmas.

Since it's quickly approaching I shall explain why...
I love giving gifts, I love seeing people smile.

But stupid me can't accept a gift gracefully.  I then feel like I have to give you something back.  And I can't do that all the time.

This year will be especially difficult because - none of your business!  LOL
But I have some things going on that won't allow me to spend any extra money at all.

I feel there will be some asshole somewhere - probably at work - that will start the whole, "We should do a gift exchange!"
I'll be the one to shoot that down and then get questioned for it.  "You can't even afford $10 or $20?"
No, I can't.  And even if I could, why?  Don't you get enough shit from your family?  Why do you have to force your co-workers to get involved as well?
Let me wrap up this company pen for you just so you'll leave me the hell alone.

My financial situation is none of your business, co-worker.  I should be able to just say, "Nope, not participating," without any explanation.

Christmas is also fake.  It was a holiday created for consumers to buy stuff.  Not as fake as Thanksgiving, but pretty damn close.

And side note - I like Thanksgiving more than Christmas and I like Valentine's Day better than Thanksgiving.  V Day I can walk around giving hugs and saying I love you and no one thinks I'm weird.  Thanksgiving I enjoy that whole time around it to be thankful for everything I have - my family mostly.

I don't want anything under the tree this year.  I just want to be with my family and have this one huge goal reached the week of Christmas.  And maybe I'll be able to cook them Christmas dinner with David's help.  :-)

Heart Health and Hashimoto’s Update

Easy one first - I’m finally at a normal TSH!  Hurray!

I have high cholesterol and have been put on a statin by my GP.  I didn’t like it.  Side affects sucked.  So she put me on a different statin every other day very low dose.  Still got the side affects, so I quit taking it and opted to go see a cardiologist.

I went to my dad’s.  It makes sense to me because he’s pretty much got the family history right there with patient #1.

Dr. Skoufis is very nice, soft spoken and informative.  Based on my numbers I have a 2% chance of stroke or heart attack versus a female my age with normal cholesterol having 1%.  So we’re trying a different statin - Livalo.

He also ordered a calcium scan of my heart.  I get that done the beginning of next month.

And losing another 40 pounds would be optimal, but not something I see happening quickly.  I’m more active - which helps.  I just have to stay away from the bacon cheeseburger and fries at the bowling alley.  :-)

Update 12/10/19:
The Livalo cut my cholesterol level in 1/2!!!
No side affects at all.  I'm on 2 mg a day.  But I get 4 mg and cut them in half.  There is no generic form of this drug and it's friggin expensive.

WalMart would cost me $800 for a 90 day supply of the 2mg.

But because of the great result - my cardiologist is sticking with this drug for me.  I think it'll be $100 for a 90 day supply when I run out of the free samples they gave me.

Hashimoto’s Update and Other Stuff

Last blood test had me at .1 for my TSH.  It’s supposed to be above .4. So I’m now on 125 mg or mcg or whatever of Levothyroxine.  Express Scripts sent the name brand because my doctor put ‘no substitutions’ on the instructions and rather than them calling and asking what exactly she meant, since I always get generic - they went and filled it. I tried to stop the shipment before it even left their warehouse, but assholes sent it anyway.  And they wouldn’t let me return it.  They wanted me to dispose of it.  Um....I can use it, dufus.  So I’m going to switch my levo to WalMart.  I can get it there with no insurance for the same amount Express Scripts charges.  And this way, I can say, hell, no I’m not paying $100 before I get handed the pills.

And the pills look EXACTLY the same.  They both say Synthroid on them.  So how the heck does the pharmacist know one’s generic and one isn’t when they look exactly the same?

And, no, I don’t have an insurance company for my prescriptions.  I have a PMC.

Meanwhile, I visited my Endocrinologist and was complaining about my fatigue and muscle fatigue and how I felt hypothyroidic when my numbers have me hyper.  She then says, “The statin your on can cause fatigue.”  Here I am blaming my pituitary gland and it’s not even the problem!

So I went to every other day on generic Crestor and the very first day of not taking it I felt a whole lot better.  I emailed my GP to let him know (I mainly deal with the nurse, she’s so good!).  Then I get an email alert from Express Scripts letting me know my order for pravastatin is being filled.

So I go look up that drug.  Supposedly, it has fewer side effects than Crestor.

Doctor’s office calls to let me know to take it instead of the generic Crestor and to take it every other day.  Today was my first day taking it.  :-)

I think I’m getting better with my bowling.  I started that up about a month or so ago.  Dad gave me a 14 pound and a 12 pound ball.  I’ve stuck with the 14 pound ball.  I’m in a league that starts the 26th of this month.  And I’m hoping to be in another one that starts in September.  It’ll be fun to be able to get out and not think about work.  Meet some new people.

My 9 year work anniversary was yesterday.  It’s the longest I’ve worked at any company.  It’s a little scary because if I did leave the company, I’d probably take a huge pay cut because of where I live.

For now, everything is good!  I’m not exhausted, my dogs are healthy, and I enjoy my job.  :-)

Happy! What?!

I am happy!  I woke up happy!  I even happily changed out my hoop earrings today.  Which I haven’t done in years.  I’ve thought about it, just didn’t feel like doing it.

I was humming as I walked across the street to work and didn’t care that I forgot my Arctic mug in the car.

I’m looking forward to working 4 or so hours tomorrow morning with probably no one else on my side of the building.  The quiet will be lovely.

So my new ‘happy’ pills are working - Escitalopram.  Effexor was a definite no for me.

I think my TSH is still low, but I’m getting used to that.  I’ll get tested again in late August.  And if it’s still low, another adjustment to my Levothyroxin.

My weight is between 188 and 190.  Which is fine.   Every once in awhile I get bursts of energy and I’ll do all my laundry, mow the lawn, clean a room.  Then it’s back to nope, stayin in my jammies.  But that’s a lot better than it used to be.

I’m even considering joining a bowling league that starts in August!

Tomorrow is my least favorite holiday with St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo - both bullshit holidays and lame excuses to get stupid drunk - and Christmas close behind.

Shocked about Christmas?  That’s a story for another blog.  For now, it’s happy time!  And happy bedtime!

Professional Behavior

My building did our semi-annual bowling thing this past Sunday.

I was goofing off and bowling for someone who wasn't there and doing way better when I bowled for him than for myself.  So I started saying, "Fucking Chandler."
(There weren't any kids within earshot.)

But one of my co-workers said, "You crack me up!  You're so PC at work, but so different here."

I couldn't even respond to that I was so dumbfounded.

Of course, I'm different at work.  And I'm not PC - I'm professional.  Do 20 and 30 somethings really not understand that you are supposed to behave in a professional manner when you're at work?

It's also different for the company I used to work for before we got sold.  Our upper management behaved worse than any construction worker I've dealt with.  They'd throw things and cuss all the time.  The excuse I kept hearing was, "That's the automotive business for you."  Well, Sparky, we're a software company, not a car business.

To me, if you can't communicate without cussing, then you should go back to high school or take a college course on Effective Communication.  And you most certainly should behave differently in the work environment than you do at home.

So where did I learn how to behave properly?  My parents?  Mentors?  Teachers? Co-workers?  I'm thinking yes to all of the above.