IVF, Hormones & Diet: The Balancing Act

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weigh in may 22

So the weight gain thanks to my estrogen injections stopped…for now.

This week I bid adieu to my estrogen injections and (temporarily?) the weight gains. My weight held steady this week, and considering my hormones are all over the place, that’s a victory.

I still feel bloated and a bit moody … a bit like having PMS on and off for 2 weeks. Ugh!

Estrogen Injections – Mixed Results
(Warning: Female stuff ahead. I suggest the more delicate flowers out there read with caution or skip to the diet changes.) After 2 weeks of taking estrogen, the results were a bit mixed. On the plus side, the ultrasound indicated that my uterine lining thickened like it was suppose to.

On the minus side, while I was taking the estrogen, I noticed that the day following the injection, I’d start spotting. While it’s not typical to have vaginal bleeding during these injections, some women do. It turns out my estrogen level is lower than the doctor would like.

So now I’m 3 days (out of 7) into taking my new med – progesterone. The idea is that the new med will get my menstrual cycle properly regulated. About 5-7 days after my last dose, it will induce my period. Then the birth control pills start up.

Yep, I need birth control pills to get pregnant. Oh, the irony.

Then a saline sonogram and afterwards we might start the estrogen injections again.

Improving The Diet … & Bank Account!
On the diet front I noticed that I’m experiencing cold hands and feet on fasting days. What’s up with that?

I have too much of a calorie deficit on non-fasting days. Seems strange since I only eat when I’m hungry. That means I need to retool what I’m doing by upping my protein back to 6 ounces per meal. I cut back to 4 ounces months ago. Sure enough, I started feeling colder not too long after cutting back and just didn’t put 2 and 2 together.

I’m also making a sincere attempt at adding more fish into my diet, eating it twice this week. In June I’m going to start a seafood challenge – eating fish 2 times a week. That means I’m on the hunt for recipes as culinary skills in this area are severely lacking.

Besides improvement on the fish front, efforts to cut coffee from my daily grind are going well. This week I only enjoyed the Black Java during the weekend and limited myself to 2 cups in the morning. I expect by June I’ll be so over coffee.

As for cutting my ties to wine, I’m making progress there too. We no longer have bottles at home. But when I go out for dinner, I have a glass or two with my meal. I’ve essentially created a habit. Normally I’d consider this a little indulgence rather than a habit. The problem is we’re going out to eat far too often – 4-5 times a week! That’s a lot of wine.

And its wrecking havoc on our bank account (cost of restaurant + wasted food at home = stupidity). It also kicks me out of ketosis since my body burns the alcohol before any fat. Not to mention the sugar in wine is getting stored somewhere.

It also can’t be great on the hormone front either.

I don’t want to set foot in a restaurant until June. And even then I’m limiting eating out to twice a month. That way its more of a special treat.

Slow Cooked Pulled Pork & Low Carb Mustard BBQ Sauce

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I’ve tried to make a pulled pork dish a few times over the last couple of years and found some success using rubs rather than sugary sauces. But the leftovers never stayed tender or moist.

So about a week ago I embarked on creating a mustard-based BBQ sauce without any sweeteners. I don’t think what I came up with is considered an official “according to Hoyle” South Carolina mustard sauce, but I loved it and that’s what counts.

The recipe for the sauce makes a little more than 2 cups. I ended up using just 1 cup and used up the rest on burgers, salads and steaks. Hmmmm…

Now when I say this is slow cooked, it is…about 6-7 hours in my Dutch oven at 300 degrees. I always thought it was an art to transforming tough cuts of meat into tender bites of deliciousness. But there is also a science to slow cooking meat too. It’s important that the temperature is low enough to breakdown the collagen in the meat – that’s what turns tough meat into tender, falling off the bone awesomeness. If you cook the collagen too quickly the meat turns tough as heck. Too slow and it never breaks down.

This recipe worked best if you season the pork and make the sauce the night before cooking the pork. It’s important to let the ingredients meld together overnight. Your taste buds will thank me. Read More

Attempting Homemade Broth Again

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broth 3

Success! After my first failed attempt at making broth, I finally succeeded. This lovely vegetable broth is destined for my tomato soup!

For the last few weeks I focused on getting back into the kitchen. We’ve been eating out way too much for my liking. The pounds I lost recently is a clear sign that good things happen when you control the ingredients.

So this week I was making a tomato soup and decided to try yellow heirloom tomatoes as they finally appeared at my grocery store. I was determined to make it from scratch but that meant making my own vegetable broth. Ugh!

My previous attempt at making my own broth didn’t go that well. I used my Thanksgiving turkey carcass. The actual cooking was just fine. It was the storage where I ran into problems. Once I let the broth cool, I ended up dumping it into freezer bags.

  • First problem – I’d have to thaw a whole bag rather than just what I need.
  • Second problem – When I did thaw a batch it tasted like it sat in a plastic bag in the freezer for about a month.

I ended up tossing the broth. Read More

Light Meal: Portabella Pizza

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pizza 3

My portabella pizza, just before going into the oven (and eventually into my belly). Now that’s how you make a pizza!

After rushing out the door to pick up one dog from the beauty parlor, coming home to find a mess left by my cat, and another dog demanding his walk, I decided to deviate from last night’s scheduled pulled pork fest. I opted for something off the cuff, quick and light. I saw the portabella mushroom caps next to my yellow tomato sauce and inspiration hit – portabella pizzas!

A couple of weeks ago I decided to try my grocery store’s pepperoni.  Not the stuff that comes in the little red bag and loaded with chemicals. Nope, I’m talking real pepperoni sausage. I had to try it and I love it!

I used my homemade tomato sauce for this concoction! The recipe is below. However I’m sure something from the store is fine, but just watch those carbs.  Read More

Weekly Weigh-In: Down 3; Lowest Weight In 25 Years!

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weekly weight april 16

After losing 3 pounds this week I’m officially at my lowest weight in more than 25 years. Woohoo! 170s here I come!

I’m down 3.1 lbs. this week, weighing in at 181.4. That’s the lowest number I’ve seen on the scale for more than 25 years!  I finally feel back on track and have my sights set on saying hello to the 170s very soon.

So what worked this week? How about putting a stop on nibbling on cheese, seeds or nuts between meals. Anytime I walked into the kitchen I asked myself, “Am I hungry?” Presto! No more snacking. Don’t get me wrong, it took practice to get me into the habit of asking myself that question.

Instead I kept my focus on drinking water. The last couple of weeks I made a big effort in drinking my daily 90 ounces. Since I only use 24-ounce Tervis Tumblers, it’s pretty easy to track. As long as I fill those tumblers up 4 times a day I’m all set. This week I was hitting the mark.  Sweet!

Plus I’m finding I’m not that hungry. One of my consistent problems is not recognizing my hunger and satiety signals. I know that decades of bad eating really does mess with those hormones. But ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and leptin (the satiety hormone) do correct themselves over time with eating healthy, real foods. My hunger signal is working just fine. But it feels like my satiety signal is finally kicking in.

I’m noticing two things that might signal my leptin levels are normal again: Read More

Weekly Weigh-In: Self Sabotage!

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april 10 weigh in

I’m up 2 pounds from the last time I posted a weigh-in. Eating out is the culprit. But I’m back in the kitchen with abandon.

Holy crap! I haven’t posted a weigh-in since Feb. 29. Truth be told I’m working on a big project that’s consuming a lot of my time. I can’t say anything now but hopefully by this summer I’ll have good news to share.

After reading those awesome books by Steven Pressfield, I’m determined not to let my weigh-ins slide anymore. So weekly posts are back.

My Feb. 29 weigh in had me at 182.5 lbs, but by the time April 2 rolled around I was back to 187.5. With some changes this week, I dropped 3 pounds and now weigh 184.5.

So I’m trapped in a weird super moon bounce of my own making. Just bobbing up and down 5 pounds. What the heck is going on, Dot?

Self sabotage, that’s what! Grrrrrr!!!!!
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Corned Beef & Cabbage with Horseradish Dressing

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corned beef

My first try at Corned Beef & Cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day. My fears of all too tough brisket were unfounded. The dish is amazing and the hubby requested it become a regular menu item.

Well looks like my worrying about making corned beef and cabbage for the first time was all for naught. I generally don’t like boiling meat — it never gets tender enough. But this time it worked.

I did go full Irish with the meal too, adding carrots and potatoes to my pot of brisket and cabbage.  To keep it low carb for myself, I just stuck to the corned beef, cabbage and 2 small pieces of carrot. Yum!

The recipe couldn’t be any easier and it was all cooked in one pot (a big bonus).

At the last minute I decided to whip together some mayo, horseradish, sour cream and chives. I think I made this in case the corned beef wasn’t tender.  You know, something to help with the taste.

Well, not only was the meat tender, but the horseradish dressing was an awesome addition to the plate. The dressing is perfect for any beef or frankly a mixed green salad with an added kick.

Corned Beef & Cabbage with Horseradish Dressing
Net Carbs: 4.6g/serving (includes 1g for 1 tbsp of horseradish dressing; does not include carbs for potatoes)
Servings: 4-6

Corned Beef & Cabbage Ingredients

  • Corned beef brisket, about 2 pounds
  • 2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 4 whole allspice berries
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1/2 small head, green cabbage
  • 4 carrots
  • 4-6 small potatoes (about 2″ in diameter), washed & cleaned (optional)
  • Salt & pepper to taste (recommend only for vegetables)

Horseradish Dressing Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp mayo (home-made or made with olive oil)
  • 3 tbsp horseradish, prepared
  • 1-2 tbsp sour cream

Directions

  • Place corned beef brisket in a dutch oven and cover with water. Add seasonings (my brisket came with its own seasoning packet, which I used instead of the seasonings listed above). Bring water to a boil then turn down heat to a simmer and cover. Cook on low for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
  • Chop cabbage into 8 pieces. Rinse off and set aside. Clean carrots and chop into 2-inch size pieces. About 20-30 minutes before taking out the brisket add in the cabbage, carrots and potatoes. Depending on size of the potatoes, you may want to add them 10 minutes earlier than the cabbage and carrots.
  • While everything is cooking, mix mayo, horseradish and sour cream into a small bowl. You can add fresh herbs like chives, cilantro or parsley for added flavor if you like. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • When brisket is done, take it out of the pot and wrap in tin foil and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Recover the pot and continue cooking vegetables.
  • Unwrap brisket and slice thin and plate. Add horseradish sauce on top of slices. Serve with vegetables.

 

 

Microwave Experiment Update

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microwave

A relic of our fat past. My 2 week test of life without a microwave is now well into its 3rd month.

Back in December, while trying to make more counter space in my tiny kitchen, I packed up my microwave and lugged it to the basement. The plan was to try going without it for two weeks. A simple test to see how much I really rely on it. Well here we are, nearly half way through March and that microwave is still in the basement.

Do I miss it?

Nope.

Microwaving zaps food of its flavor…but hey it’s more convenient, right?  But if it is more convenient does that mean you’re eating more than you need?

I know our food consumption dropped without it, especially for my husband. It’s too easy to grab something out of the fridge, nuke it, and chow down.

The hubby told me he now thinks about whether he’s really hungry before snacking on leftovers. Why? Eating leftovers now means pre-heating the oven, getting out an oven-safe dish, and waiting  for the food to warm up.

Sure it’s not as convenient as zapping the food, but is it really that much of an inconvenience? I don’t know if there are any scientific studies on this, but I wonder if  households with heavily-used microwaves are more overweight than those households that go without. Something to consider when you think about all the microwavable “foods” are sold as a way to lose weight.

Because that convenience is gone, my husband now has time to think about whether he really is hungry or just bored. That’s a good thing.

I think it is safe to say our love affair with the microwave is over.

Reason #3 Why Workplaces Are Bad For Your Weight

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With all of the bitchin’ and moanin’ coming from corporate HR departments about the cost of health care (and the bitchin’ & moanin’ is quite justified) you have to wonder what companies are thinking when they bring in a spread like this for their employees to see first thing in the morning.

workplace food 2

This was the scene yesterday morning at my husband’s job. A healthy dose of fast digesting carbs — muffins, bagels and croissants. Oh sure there was a small bowl of fruit, but for those employees who are already overweight or obese, the seemingly healthy option just worsens their insulin & insulin resistance. Dear Corporate America, if you’re concerned about the health of your employees, then don’t do this!

Really!

My husband is doing his best to eat healthy, real foods. He’s also joining me in my daily 24-hour fast I’m doing for Lent.  Yet this is what he saw when he walked to his cube (oh and he sits near this stuff too). My hubby, whose favorite food group is “pie,” was pretty miserable that morning. Fortunately he resisted the temptations. Read More

Chorizo & Cabbage Recipe

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sausage 3

Smoked chorizo sausage and green cabbage go well together in this filling yummy dish!

I’m starting to become a fan of cooking with cabbage. Oh sure I like coleslaw, but no cooking is needed. I remember when I was young my dad would make sauerkraut. I hated the smell. Ugh! It just completely turned me off the stuff.

Well now that I’m eating LCHF, I’m much more open to foods I never let my lips touch – fish, cooked cabbage, liver (chicken, duck and beef), eggplant, mushrooms. I can’t believe what I’ve been missing out on.

Last summer I experimented with trying a new vegetable each week. Mostly I played with an assortment of mushrooms and some funky looking Asian veggies. Well it seems like cabbage is my new toy. Read More