127.

Okay friends!!! When I did the Thyroid Diet last year, I always had people asking me how to do the Thyroid Diet, what is the Thyroid Diet, and I don't want to buy the book so can you just tell me? I don't think anyone should do it exactly how I do it, because I like foods that you don't, or hate foods that you love. SO THIS IS STRAIGHT OUT OF THE THYROID DIET BOOK!!!!!!! THIS IS HOW YOU NEED TO DO THE DIET!!!! I figured I should put this up a little early so you guys can prepare before we start on Monday! Okay if you all have any questions please let me know! I'm so excited to start in 5 days! WOO HOOOOOO!!!! We also need more people to commit to the diet with our group! Come on friends!!!!

The Thyroid Diet

Mary J. Shomon

The Free Form Diet (There are 3 different Thyroid diets you can do, they barely differ from each other, but Free Form is the most common, so we'll all do it) :)

·        Eat 3 meals a day

·        Each meal should include 1-2 potions of lean protein

·        Eat all the low-glycemic veggies you want, at least 6 servings a day

·        1-2 servings of low-glycemic fruit a day MAX

·        A small serving of good fat with each meal and snack

·        1-2 snacks per day if needed (Don't eat after 8pm)

·        Only have 1-2 small treats a week

·        Drink 64 oz of water minimum each day

·        Have a minimum of 25 grams of fiber a day

Women's Calorie Worksheet

655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) – (4.7 x age in years)

***Your weight in pounds, divided by 2.2 = Your weight in kilograms

***Your height in inches, multiplied by 2.54 = Your height in centimeters

Body Mass Index

A rough calculation is: Your weight in pounds / (height in inches squared) x 703.

·        Healthy weight BMI = 18.5-25

·        Overweight BMI = 26-30

·        Obese BMI = 31-40 

·        Morbidly Obese BMI = Over 40

Setting Realistic Goals

Phase 1: Whatever BMI range you are in (Healthy, Overweight, Obese, Morbidly Obese) drop to the next lowest range

Phase 2: Drop again to the next lowest range

Phase 3: If you are already in the healthy range, get to where you are happy. If not, drop to the next lowest range.

**Continue to set small personal goals within each phase!

Low Glycemic Veggies:

Artichokes        Asparagus       Beans & Legumes       Broccoli            Brussels sprouts          Cauliflower

Celery              Cucumbers      Eggplants                    Green Beans   Green Peppers            Lettuce

Mushrooms     Spinach           Tomatoes                     Zucchini

Higher Glycemic Veggies (Try to limit/avoid):

Beets               Carrots                        Celery Root                 Corn                Parsnips                      Peas

Red potatoes   Rutabaga         Sweet potatoes            Turnips                        White potatoes            Winter squash

Yams

Low Glycemic Fruits:

Apples             Apricots           Blackberries                 Blueberries      Cantaloupes                Cherries

Grapefruits      Nectarines       Peaches                      Plums              Raspberries                 Strawberries

Higher Glycemic Fruits (Try to limit/avoid):

Bananas          Clementines    Grapes                                    Honeydew       Orange juice                Oranges

Papayas          Pineapples       Raisins                         Tangerines       Watermelon     Dates, dried fruits

ONLY EAT ON OCCASION:

Plain cooked oatmeal  Pita Bread        Brown Rice      Corn tortillas    High-Fiber NSA cereal             Peas

AVOID:

Bagels             White flour bread         Cakes  Cold cereals    Cookies           Crackers          Granola

Muffins             Pretzels           Refined flours              Rice     Rice cakes       white sugar

Good Fats:

Avocados         Canola Oil        Cashews          Olives              Olive Oil           Peanuts/Oil      Peanut Butter 

Almonds          Corn Oil           Fish     Flaxseeds        Mayonnaise     Pecans            Sesame Seeds           

Sunflower Seeds         Walnuts

Serving Size:

Veggies: ½ cup raw, chopped or cooked. ¾ cup juice. 1 cup raw leafy greens.

Starches: 1 slice of whole wheat bread. ½ slice of a whole wheat bagel. 2 cups of popcorn. ½ cup of whole grain cereal, pasta, brown rice, potatoes, corn.

Beef/Pork/Lamb: 3 oz

Fish: 5 oz

Poultry: 6 oz

Cheese: 1 oz (2 oz low-fat)

Egg: 2 eggs

Fats: 1 tbsp Oil or mayo. 5 lg olives, 7 sm olives. 1/8 medium sized avocado. 1 tsp Butter. 1 oz of nuts.

Fruits: 1 cup berries. 10 cherries. 1 small peach or apple. 1 medium plum or nectarines. ½ grapefruit.

Dairy Products: ½ cup lowfat milk. 1 cup fat-free or low-fat plain yogurt. ½ cup low fat ricotta or cottage cheese.

Things to do:

Eat spicy foods, drink more tea, snack on peanuts, add almonds, eat a big breakfast, eat three meals/day, eat a lighter dinner, eat slowly and chew thoroughly.

Things to cut back or eliminate:

Alcohol, caffeine, sugary soda/teas/juices, most sweeteners -except stevia-, multiple minimeals, don't eat after 8pm.

126.

Alright alright! I'm going to be starting up the Thyroid Diet again a week from today, Monday 09-05-11, and I want at least 20 other people to join in! My boss has already agreed, can we get at least 19 more to do it with us?? Think of how fun and easy it will be with a bunch of people doing it with you. So who wants in?? Let me know!

125.

Oh my goodness I can't believe it's been two weeks since I posted! I have just been going crazy over here. I never have time to do anything let alone get online :( How is everyone?? I've been pretty okay, battleing some kind of sickness which hasn't been extremely thrilling but that's life :) I don't have much time right now either but I REALLY REALLY wanted to share a song with y'all.

I was driving to work yesterday when they played it, and I just had tears streaming down my face. Now, she's kind of taking it in a breast cancer direction...but when you hear it you'll understand we can relate to it in some ways. As you all know I've had some scares in my life. When I was a baby the doctors told my parents I wouldn't make it through the night because I had the croupe so bad. (They now think I had such a bad case of it because I've probably always had thyroid problems) I had no oxygen in my body so they had to keep an IV taped to my head and were pumping me with steroids to open up my airways again. Obviously I lived through that night...but everyone was shocked. Then my Sophomore year of high school I got the news that I only had a short time before I went into a coma and eventually died because of how bad my thyroid was. And last just a couple years ago my doctor told me I had brain tumors. After my first day of uncontrollable crying I accepted it and was ready to defeat it...Two weeks later we got a call, turned out she was wrong and I didn't have tumors. PTL (Praise the Lord!)

Even just the call telling us we have a thyroid disease and/or cancer is incredibly hard to handle when you find out exactly what it all entails. Which is why I think this song is perfect for us all. I hope you'll all take a moment to listen in!


She dropped the phone and burst into tears

The doctor just confirmed her fears
Her husband held it in and held her tight
Cancer don’t discriminate or care if you’re just 38
With three kids who need you in their lives
He said, "I know that you’re afraid and I am, too
But you’ll never be alone, I promise you"

When you’re weak, I’ll be strong
When you let go, I’ll hold on
When you need to cry, I swear that I’ll be there to dry your eyes
When you feel lost and scared to death,
Like you can’t take one more step
Just take my hand, together we can do it
I’m gonna love you through it.
She made it through the surgery fine
They said they caught it just in time
But they had to take more than they planned
Now it's forced smiles and baggy shirts
To hide what the cancer took from her
But she just wants to feel like a woman again
She said, "I don't think I can do this anymore"
He took her in his arms and said "That's what my love is for"

When you’re weak, I’ll be strong
When you let go, I’ll hold on
When you need to cry, I swear that I’ll be there to dry your eyes
When you feel lost and scared to death,
Like you can’t take one more step
Just take my hand, together we can do it
I’m gonna love you through it.

And when this road gets too long
I'll be the rock you lean on
Just take my hand, together we can do it
I’m gonna love you through it.
I’m gonna love you through it.

124.

Okay who is ready for what I'm about to say?

Well hopefully all of you....

ANYWAY I have a goal, I know I know, some of you that have been with me from the beginning remember I've set a few goals and not followed all the way through, due to whatever was going on in my life. BUT I really really really really want this and I want to do this for me for so many reasons. -I'll list reasons last

So once again we're going to California for Christmas to visit my family, which is what gave me the push to set goals once again and really go for it. First of all, I'm not doing this for my family...I am doing it for me. But what gave me the "push" was how I've been feeling lately...and the dreaded plane seats/safety belts. my husband doesn't mind of course if I pour into his seat as well, but I do and I see the stewardesses trying to see my seatbelt to see if I actually got it to buckle! It's like I imagine them with evil grins bringing me an extender! NNNOOOOOO!

My goal this time isn't to lose all my weight. And if I don't lose much weight that's fine, I do want to get to a size 18 though...I've been in the 20s since college and I'm ready to be in the teens again -I'm currently a 26...so 4 pant sizes! With getting to an 18, I would also like to lose 60 pounds in the next 4.5 months. So those are my goals, but like I said, the weight isn't the biggest issue, it's the size!

60 pounds in 4.5 months seems like a lot to me, but then I realized I lost almost 50 in 3 months my first time doing the Thyroid Diet, so I'm pretty confident I can put a dent in that :)

I am really ready to do T-Tapp again, my back is hurting again (for those that don't know, I have a degenerative disc in my lower back + muscle spasms = I literally have been paralized for hours before because of it....and it hurts ALL THE TIME, but this week is pretty intense) I'm hoping getting back into T-Tapp and the Primary Back Stretch that will get better though, and I feel really good Thyroid-wise today! I think I'm finally ready to start again! YAY! 4 weeks without it wasn't fun.

My reasons: The big one is my health, I know being this large is extremely unhealthy, and it terrifies me! I also lose a lot of self confidence when I'm overweight, and I want that back and I'm sure my hubby does too...err...let me explain that one! My husband loves me, no matter what size I am, and he will always think I'm beautiful. But I want to feel like I'm beautiful for him too, and so I lose a lot of confidence and it bothers him because he thinks I'm beautiful. I also feels like it hinders our relationship and I don't want anything to hinder that! I want to go shopping and not cringe at the thought of it, I want to enjoy going to buy clothes! And last, I want to get to a point where we feel I'm healthy enough to start trying to get pregnant again. So those are the reasons! I'm hoping I can remember those during this time!


One last thing for today....by request I have pictures for y'all!

Here is our new baby Zöe!! (One has her big sister Skylar in it too!)

Have a great weekend friends!

123.

Hey dolls! oh my word I can't believe how long it has been since I posted. I honestly had no idea! Mine and Cory's lives have been SO SO BUSY since my last post. well.....all the time. but still. Okay so the day after my last post we got a new puppy for Skylar to play with! I honestly don't remember Skylar being this much hard work, I'm sure she was but Cory and I are exhausted parents that is FOR SURE! We seriously don't even get on the computer at home anymore. If we aren't taking out the new puppy, and trying to make sure she and Skylar are playing fair, we're trying to eat and get each other to work! (Cory's been working nights these last couple months...thankfully that's over though!) Then there have been BIG things going on at my new job, unfortunately I can't share, but I feel like this is the busiest I've been since I started there...so there really isn't any time to post while I'm there either. Anyway...just busy busy busy!

Okay I wish I had a super awesome T-Tapp report to give you but unfortunately I don't. and I promise I actually have a reason. A few weeks ago I noticed my perscription for my thyroid meds was getting low, but being me...I kept forgetting to refill it until the day I actually needed it -seriously I do this every time...yay for 1 hour refills!- But this time was bad...Cory and I went on our weekend date and I also went and got an amazing mani/pedi with my friend, not a big deal because I knew we would still have enough for my perscription (all our bills for the next two weeks were already paid) and to have some extra money for any misc. things we might need. Now in our house, I'm the one that keeps track of finances. It has nothing to do with my husband's ability of doing it...it's just that I LOVE figuring budgets and keeping track of money and all that, so I do it. I have a very good system down on the computer and it works perfectly. But I forgot one new thing. Paying our old apartment for carpet replacement. I wrote them a check and forgot all about it. Apparently it went through on Friday...and I didn't notice until Saturday afternoon -after our date, my nails, and also the day I no longer had any pills.- It literally left us with $5 to our name, we've never been in that tight of a spot financially and I flipped out because I forgot something like that. So I couldn't get my perscription until we got paid 6 days later, mistake #1.

I knew I should've just called one of our parents...but I didn't, mistake #2. and I didn't tell my hubby....mistake #3. He noticed Thursday night and got really upset. I don't blame him. With how high my perscription is...missing one day makes me feel awful, and he knows that. Thankfully we both got paid on Friday and I got my perscription refilled, and then went to get our new puppy...I was thinking all was fine.
I took it really easy that whole week just in case, but wasn't prepared for the next week -this last week-. I feel the worst I've felt in years. It's hard to go up the stairs, I can barely stay standing because I just feel so weak, and I'm so so tired. Basically normal Thyroid things, just magnified. Needless to say, my hubby my parent's, who now know, aren't thrilled with my week free of thyroid hormones. I scared them all and I'm sorry. Also, I haven't worked out since this started for obvious reasons....so it's been almost three weeks without T-Tapp :( I want to get back to it SO bad. I know my body will feel better when I do, but I need to wait until I know I'm okay to work out, and I can already tell I'm much better today than I was on Friday. So that's good news.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know what's been happening. I'm hoping I'm well enough to T-Tapp tomorrow, and I'll let you know how it's going soon.

BY THE WAY...I do not think it is wise for ANYONE to stop taking their Thyroid meds for any reason. I was really stupid that week I should have just asked one of our parents for the $20.