New Job

Well, I sent out two resumes and got one reply resulting in a job offer.  It is a promotion, more money and half the commute.  Tomorrow I must resign from my current job and I'm freaking out.  I adore my boss but the work has become unsatisfying.  I'm ready for change but I am panicking to have that conversation.   There's no room for emotion in business, right?   I love change but I'm out of practice.

What happened to June?

Well, I will force myself to happily report that I haven't gained any more weight, but I'm still up 25 pounds from my great weight.  I am getting much better at the blood draw - it's not as scary as it once was.  My ketone numbers vary greatly from .5 to 1.5 and haven't seen anything higher.  I don't yet understand the dramatic variance but I haven't lost weight.  My belly fat is still here and it makes me very sad.  My official blood test came back normal, other than liver numbers had doubled (to 40) but Dr. says he doesn't worry about anything less than 100.  So .... I have no answers on my weight gain.  Other than I'm older and haven't been lifting weights.  Also dealing with some pretty intense depression.......

List of Happy Things

Spring

It’s that burst of color that comes out of something that seemed dead for so long.

 

Spring is a reminder to enjoy all that is lovely and to embrace beauty when it is present, and to wait in hope for it when it is not. We must understand the cycle of life is so much like the changing seasons. We are constantly changing.

 

If you are in a season where there seems to be no beauty, trust that it is coming. Just like the new leaves on the old oak tree in the spring, new life always comes. It takes over all that has been dead and dormant.

 

Simplicity

I want to be the woman, who in this busy life, always finds it high priority to reveal the beauty of simplicity. We can want, have, need, and get, but that feeling lasts only for a moment. I have tasted and seen many wonderful things, but my heart is most satisfied simply sitting in the grass and soaking up the sun.  Let’s un-teach ourselves that more is better.  Joanna Gaines

Trying Again

As a low-carb success story for many years, I enjoyed wearing my skinny jeans and feeling confident in my own skin.  It pains me to say that for whatever reason, I have gained 25 pounds in two months and I can't seem to stop this upward trend.  My thighs are suddenly huge and I have belly fat that I've never ever had before.   I've tracked, researched, starved, ate, reviewed, etc. and I sit here today being nothing more than bewildered and scared.  Is it menopause?   I'm 45.  I still adhere to low-carb dieting and I lift weights.  This isn't about willpower or making bad choices!

I added this new category to my blog so perhaps as the days pass, I can update this area with answers and successes.  I am strong, determined and I will figure this out because feeling good about my body was a wonderful emotion.  I want to bring me back to life.

Initial steps taken:  blood draw complete and waiting on blood analysis on all things typical as well as T1, T3 and T4 thyroid counts.  Ketone monitor and blood testing devices ordered and waiting for arrival.  This is extreme for me, never did this before, but did I mention I'm scared?

Things to ponder: 
- In my constant research on all things nutrition, over the past few months I have eliminated dairy from my diet and added coconut oil as a replacement.  I think I'm allergic to dairy as without it my acne and bowel moments have improved.  Coconut oil is high calorie - and although I know calories aren't supposed to matter - I can't help but wonder if this isn't related to my weight gain.  

- I am to blame for not drinking enough water as compared to before - but that changes today! 

- Although red wine is completely acceptable to a low-carb lifestyle, I need to stop for awhile.  I may have hit the age threshold of it doing too much damage to my metabolism. 

Zinc

Zinc is essential for keeping a healthy immune system, building proteins, triggering enzymes, and creating DNA. Zinc also helps the cells in your body communicate by functioning as a neurotransmitter. A deficiency in zinc can lead to stunted growth, diarrhea, impotence, hair loss, eye and skin lesions, impaired appetite, and depressed immunity. Zinc is critical in wound healing. It’s also important to have zinc to help build the stomach acid you need in order to pull the minerals from your food to begin with.

Correcting a zinc deficiency can go a long way toward helping the frustrated dieter control impulses to eat something sweet, something fatty, or something devoid of nutrition in an attempt to satisfy an inner compulsion.

You lose zinc as you sweat and through excess urination. So in the beginning of a keto-adapted diet, you will be low in zinc. The average American consumes less than 10 mg of zinc per day, far less than what is required for normal sugar metabolism or the other functions of zinc in the body. A zinc deficiency is a huge issue with PMS and salty cravings, or craving a bite of sweetness after each meal.

Our modern day soil is low in zinc, so the best source of zinc is animal products. Oysters, seafood and organic red meat are your best choices for zinc. So if you are a vegetarian, I suggest adding in a supplement. Certain prescriptions, including birth control, deplete zinc in our body. A zinc deficiency can cause birth defects such as cleft palates.

Source: mariamindbodyhealth.com