It never really occurred to me that I would be judged by my friends. Friends is the definition of thick and thin. Friends are also supposed to tell you the things you don't want to hear. If they find something wrong with the things you are doing in your life then they should say so (if they are good enough friends). I don't feel like I should have to explain myself to anyone but if you are not part of my life on a continual basis- you do not see the goings on in our everyday life, then there is no reason for you to judge. On that note I would like to address one issue that the people on the 'outside' may find interesting.
We did not start eating paleo on a whim. We did a lot of research, talked to many Doctors, consulted a nutritionist, etc. Maybe I should back up. All of you probably already know I have PCOS (yawn old news) but did you know that PCOS is not just something that makes it difficult to get pregnant? Let me educate you. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a term that is thrown around a lot. In fact, a large amount of women that 'have' PCOS do not really have it. You do not have to be 'fat' to have PCOS. There is no bloodwork to test if you have it. It is a process and inclusions of eliminations if that makes sense. Ok- so over the years I have had series and series of panels, discussions, tests, you name it, to finally come to my diagnosis. PCOS can also be a cause of heart disease, strokes, heart attacks, etc later in life. I too am sick of obesity being the culprit for every ailment on the planet-so rather than saying 'you're sick because you're fat' how about 'you're overweight because of a potential underlying problem-let's try to work together to fix it'. In my case they first thought I was only hypothyroid. So I was medicated for that. Then early in my infertility treatments my Doctor noticed over 15 cysts on each of my ovaries as well as a large dermoid tumor on my left ovary. He immediately ordered more blood work to confirm a PCOS diagnosis. PCOS also causes insulin resistance which is a big reason that PCOS women are overweight. I have linked a medical page about insulin resistance. Notice the insulin resistance page also includes diabetes. Why you ask? PCOS mimics diabetes. PCOS can lead to diabetes but is not diabetes in itself. PCOS can also lead to fatty liver disease. When Bryce was about 7.5 months old, I started not feeling right. My Doctor started investigating and found that my liver enzymes (AST and ALT) were both 6x the amount they should be. The AST was in the 240's and my ALT was in the 330's. Keep in mind these are 6x the amount of the UPPER limits. Fast-forward and series of blood work later, a GI specialist confirmed that I not only have fatty liver disease but that my liver was inflamed and had lost 5% of its function ability. Eventually it could lead to cirrhosis if I 'didn't lose weight'. Well I told him I'd been trying to lose weight for years but that the PCOS made it incredibly difficult. He was un-sympathetic and pushed me out of the office saying 'well try' and if you can't lose weight in 6 months I'm doing a liver biopsy. Well the 6 month mark from that appointment was in September and I had not lost weight and I did not go back. So amidst all of this, I had been doing a lot of my own research. For a very long time I was convinced my body was failing me. Overweight, infertile, hypothyroid, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, honestly aches and pains all the time, tired, etc. I felt worthless, fat, lazy, helpless...lost cause. Then I started reading of other women having success with a low-glycemic diet. Basically eliminating grains, sugars, etc...no brainer right? Also- notice, the article specifies that it is good for people with diabetes-aka-insulin resistance-aka-PCOS. A classic example of a LGD is the Paleo lifestyle. There are ways to make it expensive and ways to make it cheaper. We stick to organic for the dirty dozen and the rest we buy conventional. As for meat, our beef is grassfed (much more nutrients) and our poultry is always antibiotic/hormone free...etc. What I don't get is WHY is the latter more expensive? If you're not injecting my meat with costly pharmaceuticals then why is she more expensive? (mass production of hormone injected chickens, 1,000's of chickens in closed cages, short life spans due to hormones, etc I get it...more of a rhetorical). Our fish is always wild caught. So Paleo is LGD. I haven't been able to lose weight in 7 years. I have steadily crept up in weight. I have been Paleo for 2 months and I've lost 10lbs. I haven't seen this weight in YEARS. I'm not even working out yet and I've lost 10lbs. So to elaborate- yes we spend an ample amount on groceries but what does your dinner plate look like? Mine looks like different cuts of chicken, or canned salmon cakes, turkey meatballs, fish, and then usually cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, or a green salad. Usually the salad because it's super easy to prepare. I calculated it out. Our chicken legs cost $1.70/e. The salad tub split up over 8 meals is about .50cents/per serving. Add in spices, a lemon and olive oil for the greens (let's say .16cents for the spices, .50/lemon, and .18cents for olive oil. My Paleo meal comes to $3.04 per serving and it makes about 5 servings. When is the last time that 5 people when out to eat for $15.20 and it was all fresh-no preservatives, organic, and the like?
We did not pick Paleo as a fad or because it's the latest thing. It is by far not the most/least expensive way to eat either. Fresh fruit, vegetables, meats, are going to add up. Period. We do not eat out and we do not buy pre-packaged foods etc.
I am breaking this down for a few reasons. For one, it has come to my attention that some people out there think that because Keith and I have financial difficulties (boo-hiss, did I just talk about financial struggles publicly? Better throw me to the dogs!) that we should not be eating this way. Did I make my point enough above? My life was literally on the line if something didn't change. Literally. My health was spiraling downward and I'd heard from more than one Doctor that I needed to lose weight. I have now been off my blood pressure medications for 3 weeks and it has stayed down all on its own! I have been on them for almost 2 years and to say I am ecstatic is an understatement. I believe it has to do with not eating highly salty processed foods. Not just the weight loss.
So- if this is the lifestyle that saves my life...I'll stick to it. Nothing else was helping. Before we got pregnant with Bryce, I consulted another nutritionist and he put me on a very specialized diet that 'works for everyone'. I followed it very strictly. Counted carbs, grams, proteins, sugars, etc. I was working out 6 days a week, 3 hours a day. Yoga, zumba, hot yoga, pilates, karate, etc. I did this every day for 3 months. I did not lose one pound.
“Who are you to judge the life I live? I know I'm not perfect-and I don't live to be-but before you start pointing fingers...make sure you hands are clean!”― Bob Marley
