Taking My Daily Medication and Supplements Challenge--Important Update

By now, you know I am not here how to  tell you how to get rid of Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue 

Syndrome, or whatever Chronic Illnesses you deal with.  Since I've been ill, there are more people talking about how to manage our illnesses, giving out comfort and encouragement, and wanting to have a dialogue than I have ever seen .  The internet has been a blessing in that regard.  However, that doesn't change that it is up to each of us to manage her health, even when she gets exhausted.  If you are at the point you can no longer care for your own needs, you may get assistance;  but for most of us, we still have to keep track of our daily routine.

And so, the balancing act goes on -- pacing ourselves, keeping track of our medications and supplements, as  well as facing each day with fatigue and pain that never entirely goes away.  Some days are better and other days, we wonder how we can keep going another day.  Most of the topics I write about  come out of my own experience and a few I have caught as I read, so I pass them on.  Today's topic is something I need to work on.

M E D I C I N E  &  S U P P L E M E N T S

A warning about medication and supplements is necessary, because small children are apt to be curious.  Please keep medication and supplements out of the reach of your children and grandchildren.  Some people even keep them in locked boxes.  Since our grandchildren do not live near enough to be here often, I put them in a place that is out of their reach when they visit.  When we visit them, I am also careful to keep medications out of their reach.

Looping -- My Groundhog Day?

Do you remember the movie Groundhog Day?  Have you ever felt as if you were caught in an inescapable loop?  That's the sense I had last night.  I am caught in a loop of what I can only figure is seasonable depression.  Perhaps, I have a touch of SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder.  All I know, is even though I thought I would escaped the January blahs this year, I did not.  I don't want to go anywhere, my sleep patterns are disrupted, and I am unmotivated to do much of anything.  The reason it feels like Groundhog Day is that I have to figure out how to get out of the loop again.

I know if I wait it out, the bad feelings will go away;  however, it gets old always having it come back.  I have to exert twice as much will to get out of this -- at least that is how it seems.  With prayer and faith, God will give me strength to get into a better routine.  And I will begin feeling better.  FlyLady says if your routines are established you can keep on going. This week I have been happy for each small thing I do a day.    

One of my favorite facebook fibromyalgia-groups stays very positive.  Am I being negative to admit my ups and downs?  I certainly do not want to bring you down or make you feel less positive.  Unfortunately, depression often comes in the Fibromyalgia package.  If you are encouraged that you are not alone, I have done my job.  I will start taking my babysteps again.  I am sure I will be able to get back to feeling better with each small step of moving forward in my life. I have hope.  Will you join me?

Losing Weight -- A Gradual Process

Argh!  I weighed more this morning, two pounds more.  I can think of nothing I have done to weigh more, but I know my journal will be my ally in figuring it out.  One thing I can see is I have not been having as many vegetable snacks.  One of my favorite vegetable snacks is baby carrots and celery sticks dipped in hummus.  Also, I have not been eating as much coconut oil.  Coconut oil, unsweetened coconut, cocoa, and splenda made a wonderful substitute for the taste of chocolate with sugar in it.  Also, I didn't have cravings and my appetite went down.  My appetite is still at a good level.  I don't eat all the time, never have;  however, I am definitely sensitive to carbohydrates.  I guess it's time to pull out the journal from August through October, and see what I am doing differently.  

Bring up the subject of weight is a touchy subject for many of us.  I use to be quite slim, but I was rarely satisfied with my slimness.  It seemed to be a constant battle to stay there.   Sometime during my illness, I got tired of fighting the battle.  It seemed like nothing made a difference, but I know I was weary and battle worn.  Trying to lose weight caused too much of an emotional reaction in me:  it was just one more thing to deal with.  The best reason I can think of now to lose weight is to improve my health.  My knees are suffering and I have borderline diabetes, so I have to watch what I eat.  For the last two years, I have made very gradual changes in my diet to the point that I no longer feel deprived.  One of the main things I do is pay attention to my hunger and fullness.  When I am satisfied, I quit eating.  There are many times I have put leftovers from my plate in a container for later.  

However, the thing I do not do anymore is make a list of "Nevers."  These would be the foods that the diet gurus say never to eat.  I did not feel at all deprived during the fall of this year.  I even had the occasional hamburger and french fries.  I only had to make a few changes, because I already eat a healthy diet.  One change was keeping cookies and ice cream out of the house.   I did buy the low carb bars for treats, but they  are not something I always want to have around.  Another thing I did was I took primrose oil in addition to my supplements.  I also found myself giving up "treats" without disappointment, because I had  alternatives or  I didn't want to become addicted to sugar again.  One of the things I really love is that I have actually forgotten there was leftover ice cream in the freezer.  So I am seeing behavior changes, all done gradually.  

That's the other thing:  I have not been very good about taking all my supplements for the last three weeks.  Could it be my body works better when I take the supplements?  Do you ever get tired of loading up the medicine containers and taking the supplements?  I do.  I wish I didn't have to take any, but it is medicine and supplements that helped heal my body to the point I could function again.  So today, I will take the time to line them up and get myself back on the path I need to be on.

One more thing:  I mentioned I had a new secret weapon to add to my weight-loss efforts.  Usually, I avoid anything that promises to help one lose weight, but I saw Dr. Oz's name next to something I have never heard of and I knew to go to his website, because he does not endorse for money or sell supplements.   In fact, he warns against buying something that has his name beside it, because people use his name without his permission.  What I did was check this out and I am not going to explain it all to you, because Dr. Oz's web site does it so much better.  He did an experiment with a carefully selected section of his audience, using placebos and green coffee extract to see if green coffee extract helps people lose weight.  The important thing to note is there were positive results, but it is not recommended as something to take for months on end.  Also, it is important to note that some green coffee extracts have fillers he does not recommend.  I am doing this as an experiment to see if it helps me this month, but I do not endorse or recommend this to anyone else. I just figured that I already drink coffee, so it would not hurt me.  I am merely telling you what I am doing, not suggesting you try it.  I don't even know if it is going to be helpful.  In fact, I took it yesterday and weighed more this morning.  So please take this as my disclaimer:  I am not a medical professional, nor a dietitian.  If you want to lose weight, you should contact your doctor  and always inform him/her of any supplements you are taking.  Some supplements may interact with your medications.  It is good to err on the side of caution.  Lastly, if you are interested in the green coffee bean extract, I suggest you watch all of Dr. Oz's videos on the subject.  Also, read the other information about green coffee extract on his website.  I just went back to read the information today, and I decided to follow the directions I saw there -- not the directions on the container of green coffee extract I bought.  Again, I repeat, this is merely a report, not an endorsement.  You should contact your medical professional before beginning a weight-loss program or taking over the counter supplements.   

One more thing, I promise not to bore you with the details of my progress every blog post.  However, I will let you know how things are going -- negatively or positively;  although, I have to let you know I am aiming for Positive Results.   As far as weight goals go -- I have none.  Most of my life has been filled with unrealistic or realistic weight goals.  I am aiming for healthy lifestyle changes:  as many as I can make in my physical condition.  
To simplify, I will list them and that will conclude this post.

Learning to Balance Life Changes

P.S.  As I was writing out my lifestyle changes, I remembered what I have been doing differently, which could have tipped my carbohydrates over the amount I can have and lose weight.  I have been drinking cherry juice to bring down the inflammation in my knee.  Since I don't count carbs or calories, this may have made me gain a few pounds.  So, I will either have to stop drinking the juice or count the carbs.  I could also look for fresh cherries, but I doubt I will find them this time of year.  I also went about two or three weeks without journaling my food, which I should have mentioned on my list of lifestyle changes.  Writing down what I eat makes a difference for me.