Plyometric Workout

Life is busy. Don’t want to list it all but trust me… very busy. And with Julia’s birthday coming soon, we’re busy getting ready for that also.

Yesterday I went back to my trainer appointments. I’m still a bit sniffly, but I think that’s alelrgies now rather than sickness. Julia is well, so she can go back to gym daycare. So off we went.

I had a new guy — Marc. Nice enough but not as bubbly as Nora was. I get Emily next week, so we’ll see how she is.

MArc had me do a plyometrics workout.  The first was 10 reps on each side where I step up on an aerobics step with two risers while bringing a 4 lb medicine ball up and down.  I would hold it out in front of me and slightly raised, and when I stepped up, I had to bring it down to meet my knee.

After that it was curls with 5 lbs dumbbells and then shoulder presses. Still doing 10 reps per side while I kept stepping on and off the aerobics steps. In between exercies, go up and down the stairs.

It wasn’t too bad, but I’m completely out of shape and post-holiday — even worse.  I felt kind of gross for an hour afterwards and I’m out on my inhaler prescription. So I probably need to make an allergist appointment and get a check on the ol’ asthma. (Ugh. Hate going to allergist!)

Had a massage later that night — Carla told me my shoulders were tight.  No surprise there!

Remission?

Earlier this week I had an endoc appointment. It’s been 6 mos since the last one. Guess what?
All my labs were normal! Including the testosterone! I had that feeling since my periods are coming more regularly and my previous appointment showed a sharp drop.

I’ve been assigned a new endoc that I will see in the next 6 mos, but the NP who went over my labs with me asked me if I was still taking the Glucophage and all that.  I said yes, and she said you wouldn’t be able to tell from my labs — they are so normal.

I’m to carry on, try to get the exercise up, and they will see me in 6 mos rather than 3 mos.  I really didn’t inquire at the time because I was distracted with Julia but I wonder if at next appointment I can cut back on my dosage then? Will I ever get to where I don’t have to have it at all? And what does that mean for my future and my Type II risk?And if my labs are “normal” with all my hormones behaving like they should, will I see better results weight loss wise now? I’ve felt like I’ve been treading water on that front for so long.

And let’s cut to the chase… are we talking remission here?

I guess if by the next appointment things look the same I can think about calling it “PCOS in remission” or “dormant” or similar. Because by then it will be a solid 12 mos of it being so, right?

God, let it be so!

July 2007

We’ve had daily rain (once with marble size hail!) for weeks now. And with it came a roof leak and the madness of clearing out the closet it was in and trying to schedule roof people, drywall, people, AC insulation people… they are still coming. The roof is still leaking. I want this to be repaired quickly so I can stop living with the contents of my closet all over the place. Sigh.

Last day of July. And here’s how July looked provided I stick to today’s eating plan:

Average Calories Burned: 2493

Average Calories Eaten: 2150

Ave. Daily Difference:  343

Over 31 Days:  10, 633

In Pounds: 10,633 / 3500 =  3.038 predicted loss.

In real life?  I’m 3 lbs lighter. So right on the money.

How do I feel about this? Pleased, but in a grim sort of way. My hair isn’t falling out. My skin is improved on the acne front and the acanthosis nigricans front. My blood sugar has been reading well on spot checks. I’m managing my PCOS problems.

I’ve got another three months before my next endoc. appoint with a new doctor since my old one retired and I’m optimistic about another drop in free testosterone on my labs.
My daughter is 3 1/2 and I watch her appetite and her body like a hawk — when I was three I already had the patches of ancathosis nigricans indicating an insulin problem.

That’s why I’m grim. I can’t tell if the dark shadows about her elbows are just from playing out doors or something more.

Another for the Charts

Just finished my period. So that’s the fourth one for 2007, and I’m averaging 45 days. For comparison? In 2006, I had 6 periods total. I haven’t been charting temperature, just menses, though I might try to get back into the habit for temps as well.

Here’s my last two weeks of eating:

Had a weekend dining out that went over and today’s seems extra low because the day isn’t over yet. But on the average I’m burning 500 calories more than I consume. And the results after two weeks are at -1 lb. While not where this chart would put me, it’s moving downward. And given the fussy nature of PCOS, I’ll take it!

Blood glucose not great today — and I feel that woozy feeling. But I stayed on top of a huge desire to go off and eat crunchy things (anger) and then a huge desire to eat bready things (comfort). I don’t feel like getting into what was causing this potential emotional eating episode.

The anger part of it I’m saving to harness for a workout tomorrow morning.

The need to be nurtured I’m meeting with some quiet and peace away from husband and child, green tea, and a “peace” candle.

Lab Results

I’m still here. Just taking it easy. I’ve caught something — stuffy nose, ears hurt, scratchy throat, nausea, etc. So I haven’t been posting much. I pulled up at school today and another mom was getting her child out and she said she felt terrible with more or less the same symptoms. Ugh. It’s going around school!

Monday I saw my endoc. nurse. Dr. H. retired, so next time I see Dr. M. but in between I saw Nurse J. to go over my labs.

A1C? 5.4%  with 3.5 – 6.2% being normal.

Everything my comprehensive panel came back fine.

My lipid panel? Everything was fine other than HDL which they want to see closer to 50+ rather than 39.

Thyroid panel was on the money too.

Testosterone?  That was the best part. Down from 70 somethign to 39, with 24-41 being the range for me. I knew it had improved already because my cycles have been coming more regularly.

So my next check is in 6 mos instead of 3 mos with order to keep on how I’m going and make sure to get more excercise to kick up the HDL.

Overall excellent news, and certainly I’m pleased to see results. Esp. the testosterone level with such a dramatic drop.

But I’m also grumpy because if everything is looking so nice lab-wise, why isn’t anything much happening on the weight loss front?

Quickie

• What: Elliptical
• Duration: 25 min
• Distance: 1.73 miles
• Calories: ~ 300

Got my period this afternoon so that ends a 44 day cycle. Feeling crampy so I’m going to cut this entry short. Will write more later.

38 Days

Got my period towards the end of my masaage appointment this morning. Luckily I had a pad in the love compartment of my car.  I knew it was coming but I wasn’t expecting it til this Friday. Paul said he knew it was coming and then just grinned at me. I’ve been bloated, queasy. fussy, headachey — you name it.But it ends a 38 day cycle which is great for PCOSy me.

Mostly Vegan PCOS

I checked out a new PCOS book from the library — It was published in early 2006 but somehow it missed my radar. A Patient’s Guide to PCOS: Understanding–and Reversing–Polycystic Ovary Syndrome by Walter Futterweit. It’s pretty decent and straight forward.

Though I still think most PCOS/IR diet suggestions are too weenie.

Some nurse once made a comment to me like “Oh, you’ve been doing well on your low fat diet. I see your cholesterol is down.”  (Dr. H. used to reccommend that to his patients.)  Low fat did nothing for me.  Low fat vegetarian worked better and low fat vegan better still.

Why are publications so afraid of the word “vegan?” I’ve sat in the office waiting for my appointment reading trade mags where entire articles are devoted to the latest and greatest for managing Type II and it’s basically “go vegan” without actually using the word “vegan.”

So Dr. H. retired. Now I get to try Dr. C. at the same practice and my April appointment. I have mixed feelings about it. One the one hand, I’m hoping Dr. C. is more my age. On the other, I got attached to grandfatherly Dr. H. because he was the one to give me the PCOS dx after the doctor parade from the 90’s and early 00’s could not figure out what was the matter with me.  Dr. H. believes me when I tell him how I’m doing.

I’m back on Glucophage XR instead of plain Glucophage and it agrees with me more.

 I doubt I’ll be anywhere close to ideal, but I did drop some points on testosterone at my last check. I’m hoping by the time my April check rolls around I’ll have dropped a few more points.