Saturday, April 12, 2008

This 'N That


Here's the picture Damama T referred to in the comments section of the last post.

__________________________________________________________

We did go back to the zoo Monday. Here's a picture of Jon and the kids:

The sun was in their eyes. That explains Birdie covering her face and Baby Bear squinting. You'll also notice the absence of coats and jackets. It was very warm that day. We also made sure we took and used sunscreen. No one got sunburned Monday, but everyone was sunburned last Wednesday.

____________________________________________________________________

My time for blogging has been decreased lately for several reasons:

1. Mrs. Darling introduced me to
Spark People. I finally checked it out and began counting my calories. I was just eating six small regular meals and being careful not to let my blood sugars get too low. It's amazing how many calories I must have actually been eating. According to the Spark People site, I need to eat between 1250 and 1500 calories a day. My doctor had previously told me to aim for 1800. I am now starting my fifth day using Spark People and I have lost four pounds already. I have allowed myself to eat more than the 1500, but I have kept my calories close to or under 1800. I've had headaches, hunger pangs, and my blood sugars feel constantly on the low end. I'm encouraged by the weight loss though. Right now this is taking up a good bit of time to record my foods and exercise. I'm going to stick with it and see if I can get everything evened out.

2. We switched around the chore assignments, so I am spending a lot of time overseeing chores.

3. We have been doing a lot of family activities in the evening.

4. The kids have Y' KNOW practices. Since Kitty Kat just reminded me that they have practice today, I'd better get off the computer and get everyone ready to go.

7 comments:

weavermom said...

Congrats on the weight loss!! That's awesome. I've got to get this in gear too. I'm excited that it is sunny in the mornings again and I'm hoping I can get back to my walking routine.

I mean this as encouragement, not "fussing" or anything - it's really not good for your metabolism to lose more than 2 lbs a week. Your body may think you are "starving" and actually slow your metabolism down. I do better with 6 small meals too - just my mood! I hope you'll share that your body is adjusting and you are feeling better soon!

Brandi said...

Thanks for the encouragement.

Actually, the plan I'm following is to only lose two pounds a week. I just happened to lose four this week. If I continue to lose four per week and struggle with my blood sugars, then I may up my calories a little. If my sugars even out and I'm still losing four pounds per week then I may just continue and change things around when I stop losing. The headaches are normal for me. Getting my sugars under control helps some. I'm also usually hungry all the time because of my hypoglycemia anyway. I always just grabbed something when I was hungry before. Now I'm waiting until my next meal or snack.

Anonymous said...

I don't see how anyone manages to track what they eat... I just can't make myself do it... I can't even make myself track how much water I drink so I can prove to my dr's how insane my water requirements are.

In any case, I accidently started eating a ton of small meals instead of big ones... I felt like I was eating nonstop, but was always hungry and didn't have time to cook meals while I was working on the Easter and Taco Bell sales...

Finally checked a scale after things slowed down, and I'd lost 15 pounds!!

Can't believe it. Don't feel like it, I thought I was *gaining* weight. But I'm going to try to keep up this eating style and see if the weight loss continues! Of course, my weight fluctuates by 5 lbs everytime I drink 1.5 litres of water lol.. so I have to average it out.

Brandi said...

TMBMT,

You probably kept your metabolism going. Good job!

I sent your an invitation to Spark People. SP makes it really easy to track your water consumption and calories. You might even be able to join a group of people who have similar health backgrounds.

Damama T said...

Who is that beautiful, young model whose picture you used for your profile??? ;o)

I'm so proud of you for taking control! Keep in mind, though, that with hypo-G, you have to keep your blood sugar up in order to keep your brain cells fueled. I know - you know this! I just wanted to make sure that you are checking your sugar level when you are hungry and not just trying to tough it out. If you are low, fuel up on a complex carb - just a bite or 2 will usually stimulate me enough to get back to feeling OK. Then I can hold out for a bigger portion a little later. Love ya!

Damama T said...

OH! I almost forgot - Thanks for putting my picture version in here. It's nice to see you with the family even if it took some fancy fingerwork to get you there! ;o) xoxoxo

Brandi said...

Damama, I'm flattered. Thank you.