Well, That Didn't Last Long

As you may recall, in my post Progress!  I shared that in January 2026 I was finally getting into the weight loss clinic and to see the nutritionist.  The doctor at the clinic did a referal to the nutritionish and to the local gym (true story).  I asked the pointed question of "well if you're referring me elsewhere, why do I need you?"  Her response "because I write the prescriptions"....sorry lady, wrong answer.  If I wanted a drug dealer they are easy to find on most streets.

I went to the nutristionist starting in January 2026 for the first time.  She gave me a sample menu, two recipes and scheduled me for my next appointment in 6 weeks.  I followed her suggestions and by my 2nd appointment I was up a couple of pounds.  At that appointment she told me to add more legumes and protein.

The following month, I met with my NP.  My A1C was 5.3, and it bothers me that she always seems disapointed that I'm not diabetic.  We did my regular blood work and found out that my potassium level was extremely low, so she put me on a prescription potassium pill.  We did more blood work 4 weeks later to find that my potassium was even lower than before I started taking the pill.  She then doubled the dosage.   I've been on that for about a month, and am currently waiting for her to send me for more labs.  In the meanwhile the extreme leg fatigue that I've complained about for such a long time has finally started to go away.  

By my third appointment with the nutritionist, my weight had increased to my highest weight ever.  We went over what I was and wasn't eating, and she said "I just don't understand".  Yes, this is what I've been trying to tell everyone.  My weight increase is not matching my food intake.  She said "well, lets schedule you for another 6 weeks out and see what happens."

My next appointment with my nutritionist was scheduled for June 4.  I got a call from the nutritionists office on June 1, informing me that my nutritionist had retired and they were not rescheduling any of her appointmnets.   I mean....18 months to get in, and less than 4 appointments later she's retired and I'm heavier than ever. 

I'm trying to find the humor in the situation, but it's lost on me.  The only thing I can possibly come up with is that I need to do this without doctors.   Other than that, I just don't understand.

Progress!

 After 18 months on the wait list for the weight loss clinic, and another 2 month wait for a referral to a nutritionist, I finally got in!

I met with the nutritionish on January 14.  Our initial consult was about an hour in lenght.  We discussed what I eat and when.  Her determination is that I may not be eating enough.  Her suggestion is to eat three meals a day, hight protein, lots of veggies, low starch.  I'm only to eat when hungry and eat slow enough to stop when satisfied.  This presented us with the question of breakfast - because I'm not hungry in the morning...so we bypassed eating when hungry for breakfast and I'm to eat a high protein meal, with whole grains and/or veggies.

Here's what the goal menu will be:

Breakfast:
1 or 2 eggs
1 strip of bacon (cut into two pieces)
1 slice whole wheat 12 grain bread
Avocado sparingly

Lunch:
Meat/cheese roll ups
Raw veggies with humus
Fair Life 30 gram protein shake (these are impossible to find in my area, so I had to order them).

Dinner:
Protein bowl consisting of -
Quinoa
Lean Meat
Black Beans
English Cucumbers
Cherry Tomatoes
Avocado sparingly

I'm adding a few minutes a day on the rebounder, to get the lymphatic system flowing.  I'll also be doing walking in the house & at the office, as well as some strength bands to work the muscles.  Once the weather breaks (it's currently in the teens and windy here) I'll start walking outside after work in the evening.

I've also added Goli Apple Cider Vinegar gummies, to see it that does anything one way or the other.  Here's hoping that sparks some type of momentum.

Starting Over (Again)

Does anyone remember that old country song "It's Me Again Margaret" by Ray Stevens?  That's what I feel like each time I "start" trying to lose weight and get healthy/strong.  I guess I should take solace in the fact that I'm at least trying again and not just totally giving up the battle.

But none the less, I sat down and wrote at a short exercise plan for the upcoming week.  By the end of the work day, my legs and feet are screaming at me, and I don't have the engery to go to the gym.  Instead of the gym, I'm going to be doing some excercise with bands at home, and incorporate the rebounder.

I'm going to spend the week assembling some health meal ideas that I can meal plan with on the weekend.  I had a really good recipe for falafel that I'm scouring the house for.  That's an excellent, high protein meal and now that I have an air fryer, I can make it even healthier.

It's a short post, but it's a start...and that's what counts.

A Health Journey - Our Broken Health Care System

In late 2019 and early 2020, I started noticing a pretty rapid weight gain that did not match my eating habits.  In early 2020, before the pandemic, I made an appointment with a local doctor's office.  I couldn't get in with a doctor, as they weren't taking new patients, so they put me with a nurse practitioner, which is fine.   I saw the NP in early February 2020, then the pandemic hit and you couldn't actually go into the office anymore for several months.   Once they were allowing patients in office, they rescheduled my follow up appointment, except my NP had left and I was put with someone else.

This is where the revolving door of NPs started.  Every time I had a follow up, it was with a new NP as the former one had left.  Sometimes my appointments would get rescheduled because the new person I was seeing didn't have an opening, so appointments were 6, 9 and sometimes 12 months apart.  So each time I saw a new NP, we started over at ground zero.  The only think I could get anyone to look at was my A1C (not even prediabetic), cholesterol (normal) and blood pressure, which was high.   We tried 3 different BP meds, under as many different NPs, and all three caused allergic reactions.  We finally landed on one that the body tolerated and then we had to work on the correct dosage.  I'd have to call in to get it refilled between elusive NP appointments.

In October 2023, I was scheduled to see a new NP (after having had my appointment with her rescheduled THREE times).   I was happy when I saw her because she listened, agreed that something was off and ordered a full panel of fasting blood work.  So the next morning I was up early, went to the lab to get my blood work done, only to find that my first visit happened to be on her LAST day of employment, and the lab wouldn't take her lab work order.   So I had to call back and get someone else to sign off on the labs, except they only signed off on A1C, cholesterol and triglycerides.   GAH!

January of 2024 I saw my newest NP.  She was wonderful, saw why I was so frustrated with the practice and agreed that we needed to look deeper.   She ordered labs to check my thyroid, but only the T4.  It was fine.  She upped my BP med and we started getting the numbers back in the normal range.  We did a colon check (normal), mammogram (normal), pap test (normal).  She "thought" she heard a heart murmur and sent me for an echocardiogram and a stress test.  I finally got scheduled for the tests in May.  Let me tell you, the copays for those two things were enough to jack the BP back up.   At that January appointment, she gave me a referral to a gynecologist, because at 56 I'm still having my monthly cycle and it's a BEAST.  

(On a side note, since when do you need a referral for an ob/gyn?  What do all the newly pregnant ladies do when it's months to get in to see someone??)

In June, the follow up with a cardiologist showed that there was absolutely nothing wrong with my heart.  She said she didn't even know why I'd been referred to her "but let's send you to XXX hospital for a heart CAT scan".  Um, no.  If these two very expensive (and apparently unnecessary) tests showed a healthy heart, we weren't going out of town for some other test.

She then criticized my NP for the BP med I was on and said she was going to prescribe amlodipine.  I was quick to point out, that if she looked at my chart, I had an allergic reaction to amlodipine and wasn't about to go back on it again.  That seemed to annoy her, so then she said she was prescribing a BETA blocker to get my BP in check.  I explained that I check my BP each morning and evening and it's ALWAYS in the normal range, unless I eat something very salty.  I asked about side effects of a BETA blocker and was told "we don't have time to talk about that now".  Um, no.   She made a few other rude, and condescending comments, at which point she encountered the side of my personality that she wasn't equipped to handle and I walked out of her office with jacked up BP from anger, but feeling like a boss.  

She also did a referral to the local weight loss clinic, and within 2 days of having the referral, I received a letter in the mail saying they aren't taking any new patients.  I was assured they'd reach out to me as soon as they had an opening.

July 2 I finally had my gynecologist appointment.  Yes, seven months after my referral was issued.  Now this looked like it was a game changer.  It's a small practice, and not only did she listen, she agreed that until someone actually looked at something outside of A1C and cholesterol, there was no way to know what was going on inside.  She ordered a full panel, including hormones, cortisol T3 (which is converted into T4).  She also scheduled a uterine ultrasound to make sure there were no polyps or fibroids that are causing the heaving and frequent menstrual cycles.

Test results showed that my hormone levels were a little wonky in that one that is usually low at my age is high, and the one that is usually higher is low.  What I came away with is that "You're just not aging as fast as other women your age."   Uh-huh.   Ultrasound was fine, and then once the OB/GYN saw there was no problems that required her "fixing", she dropped me like a hot potato.

So, here I am in 2025 with having just had my NP check up, and all of my blood tests are perfect, but I still have high BP because of my weight.  My A1C isn't even close to pre-diabetic.  I'm morbidly obese. The weight loss clinic never got back to me (shock).  I'm frustrated, and tired of being over weight.  But, I'm apparently the healthiest fat person around. 

Go me.

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

This week, I decided to do something different.  I went to the YMCA to exercise.  We've had a membership for years, and there for a while I was going several times a week.  I could blame my hiatus on covid, but that's a lie, I just stopped going.  So, I decided that it was a multifunctional trip event.  First, it would get me out of the house (bleck), second it would put me around other people (eew, people) and third it would benefit my weight loss/healthy body journey (ok, that's a plus).

The first day, I just rode the recumbent bike for 30 minutes and watched people.  Not watched them in a creepy way, but watched them to see how they used machines, and their routines.  No one spoke to me, not even the front desk person, and I was fine with that.  I scurried back to my humble abode and fixed a delicious breakfast of avocado and egg (with nutritional yeast) on toast and some everything bagel seasoning.

The second day, I did 1000 meters on the rowing machine and then rode the recumbent bike for 40 minutes.  I'd only planned to do 30 minutes, but a grandfather from the kids' little league days recognized me and stopped to chat around my 25 minute mark and...time got away from me.  

The third day, my goal was to use the rower and then move to the bike again.  Unfortunately, someone was camped out on the rower, so I started with the bike and did 6 miles in 30 minutes.  Side note, my right hip/top thigh has been uncomfortable for a bit, as in, I can't sleep on that side.  When I moved to the rower, that same area was very uncomfortable, so after about 200 meters I realized I had to stop.  Not sure what that is about, but I'll research and try to figure it out and do some stretches or something.

The fourth day, I mixed it up a little by going to the Y in the evening.  It's a different crowd there later in the day.  I think I'll stick with the mornings, unless I get a wild notion to do two visits in one day.  I did the rowing machine first (1000 meters in 7 minutes), then 30 minutes on the bike.

Day five, was back to mornings and doing the rower before the bike.  This works best for me.

Day six, yes, I went to the gym on Saturday!  Very few people were at the gym, and those who were there were hardcore, and not just camping out on the machines, but moving through their routine.  I was able to get the rower first, then the bike.  My goal next week is to get to 2000 meters on the rower.

Overall, I was pleased with myself for getting up and going.  I'd like to say I enjoyed it, but days 1-3 were torturous...by the fourth day it was getting more natural feeling.  There was some additional stressors this week and I did some stress eating along the way.  I'd like to say I've gotten past that, but apparently not.  Although, on a positive note, I was binge eating zucchini brownies, so at least there was a vegetable involved.

Here's to health!

The End of an Era

Well, I graduated my last homeschooled child last week.  I'm officially done with that season of my life.  I've been unsubscribing to newsletters and vendors email lists left and right, it's been very liberating.   I have stayed in two local Facebook groups, so that I can help new people navigate the waters.  I don't know if that will be a long term commitment, but for now I feel it's my way of giving back.

Here are two of my favorite senior photos of Lindsey.

So, what does the future hold for me?  No clue.  I have applied for a part time position at our local library.  I've also been binge watching "The Biggest Loser" trying to get ideas and motivation on how to make progress with my weight loss.  I've also ordered several "Biggest Loser" books and cookbooks from the local library. I should get those the first of the week.

Graduation was the last "big" thing I had on my radar, so now I can focus on my goal of getting myself fit and healthy, not necessarily skinny, but healthy.

Weight Loss Wednesday #12

 

Here we are on "Weight Loss Plateau", ahem.  I'm still stuck at 10.2 pounds gone.  I've lost/gained the same 2 pounds for the last couple of weeks.  I guess I'm just not working hard enough, and of course, losing weight after 50 sucks.