What’s been going down this week for me? Let’s see. I dunno why I update this thing anymore really – does anyone even read it? Haha.

> My first class for my BA in Health and Wellness is Public and Community Health and I LOVE IT. I got really into the two discussions for this first week’s work.
< Took Katie for her check up and school shots on Tuesday! She is almost 49 pounds and 3 foot 9. She passed her vision and hearing tests, plus got 3 shots. All I have to do now is get her dental check up and that paper signed for her school registration that is coming up next month (WOW!). > Finally “settling” on a consistent routine for my daily food intake, but lately i have been adding too much MCT oil to my shakes and it has had a bad impact on me… bleh. Another lesson learned. I’ll get there. One day.
< It actually hasn't been too hot here! We haven't went swimming yet because we've just been busy with other things > My neighbor’s cat had to be put down yesterday, due to renal failure (prob due to the long term use of prednisone for itching) =(
< We've been watching the HARRY POTTER movies! I had only ever seen tiny bits of a few movies, but now we're caught up to Goblet of Fire so far. > Watched the latest Extreme Weight Loss episode last night & loved it. CHRIS POWELL IS AWESOME. I totally want a career similar with helping people.
< No gym this week, between school work and Katie's appointment (that took 2 hours because of traffic/waiting time). > Pretty cloudy today, with a chance of a storm.
< Took a video of Katie and Echo playing in the hall the other day, lol. It's hilarious to see Echo prance/run around happily hahahaha. > LEAVE PAULA DEEN ALONE, SHEESH. The media always wants to stir something up. Oooo she’s not perfect, OH NO.
< Bought some new MCT oil, but do not like it nearly as much as the one I buy from my Naturopath. Ah well, gotta use it because it's a huge bottle. > I wasn’t charged for the supplements I ordered online! I guess because one of the items was out of stock and they had to delay my shipment by 8 days, so they decided to be nice – which is AWESOME and just fine by me!!!!
< I miss my best friends. A lot. …. That’s about it! Gotta go fix Katie’s lunch and finish my protein shake. Have an awesome day, rest of the week, and weekend!!! July is coming fast.

I’m so thankful for this college break! However, I have not been able to enjoy it because I am not doing well on the health front. I had that huge stressful weekend a few weeks ago and never recovered completely, then I tried some new products/supplements that did not agree with my MESSED UP gut, which then caused a “stop up” (ifyouknowwhatimean) and that causes trouble… well, I felt like i was making a *TINY* good progress then BAM – I decided to be a DUMMY and did exercise that I haven’t done in a while last night. I ate my snack last night and could tell it was not digesting like normal and prob needed an extra hour or two to digest, but I was tired so I know I went to bed with undigested food sitting… equals bad. Woke up and ate too many rice cakes.. bad. I’ve just been laying around this morning. I dunno anymore. Weight and body fat have gone up and I feel a little dazed – plus can feel the inflammation in my back from the gut.

The only time I had really, really good improvements in the past was when I completely cut out grains and fruit. Yes, at first the detox/withdrawal is overwhelming and HELL, but after about 2 weeks I felt amazing. I’m just scared to do it again because it makes me feel like DEATH. I have to make a big diet change – have to, have to, have to… (and keep that diet change!) if I ever want my gut to regenerate and to be able to exercise/run again. AND I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY WANT THAAAAAAT. MORE THAN ANYTHING. Running still means everything to me, even though I haven’t been able to. People who can exercise and eat normally? They better feel hella lucky and never, ever take it for granted. =( I still feel like this isn’t real sometimes – like this is some sort of cruel nightmare, but I know I have control and can HEAL. The body is always trying to heal!!!!!! but I keep putting foods into it that only stir up and hinder my gut from doing it’s own healing. We humans are brilliant, aren’t we?

Just have to hold on. Other than that, I’m just trying to live my life but it’s hard when you can’t focus and feel like your gut/back is on fire most of the time. I WILL OVERCOME!! I will. It’s been a long fight these last few years, but it’s always been in my control. It’s up to me to help my body.

Well, I didn’t have any grains yesterday and really started to feel bad in the evening, but I ate too much fruit/protein pudding too close to bed time and ugh – it really messes my gut up. Then I think back to a few weeks ago. I was feeling BETTER. Mood was better, gut was getting better, and my weight / body fat was starting to balance and go down bit by bit. What made that possible?

Yes, I was eating gluten-free grains, but not *too* much of them and I was waiting about 2 hours between meals and I could tell it was working because my digestion and elimination were synced better, if you know what I mean. What happened? Well, first of all BIG STRESS happened and threw my body for a loop then I had the idea to ramp up the carbs and then started eating way too many rice cakes. Was not allowing enough time for digestion because the big stress made it where I needed more than 2 hours to digest and then it all just sits in my gut (ick) and makes me feel out of it because toxins and crap are being absorbed, instead of eliminated.

I went cold turkey and got rid of the grains and that’s why I felt so bad. Was too extreme and it causes back pain and a burning sensation in my abdomen (which all has to do with my GUT problems), not to mention my mood goes to blah and I just want to do nothing. HATE IT. I’m gonna eat what I was eating when I was starting to feel better and WILL NOT CHANGE ANYTHING until I am better. I KNOW it was working, but I need to keep the stress very low and the food consistent. When my gut is calm and balanced then my thyroid medicine and nutrients can absorb better, which leads to lots of improvements. However, it is a VERY VERY FRAGILE balance.

SO – Keep the carbs to a lower amount, but enough to help give me a little boost that I need for digestion and mood (serotonin!). [There IS a big connection between the gut and brain (mood). That’s why when my gut takes a nosedive, so does my happiness & interests] Allow enough time between meals for better digestion. QUIT CHANGING IT UP, KEEP IT CONSISTENT SO MY BODY CAN STAY STEADY. Seems if I keep my meals really simple (like only 2-3 diff foods, versus 5-6) then my body has an easier time and of course foods that are softer just help digestion too. *sigh* I do not wish this on my worst enemy. I can FOR SURE SAY THAT GUT HEALTH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD because without a healthy gut I cannot get my thyroid function back up to speed, but they both go hand-in-hand – just like the whole body is connected. It’s one big confusing puzzle to try to figure out, but I’m getting there.

Just praying for healing and to get back to feeling good like I was a few weeks ago, but STAYING that way!!! That will be my dream come true, literally – because there is so much I want to do, but this impairs my health so much that I just do not feel well, mentally or physically and my body is just seeming to tell me “rest rest rest” and so I’m trying to listen because in 2010 and maybe even part of 2011 i kept PUSHING PUSHING and trying to do everything, even with my health imbalances and it only made me worse. I will overcome!!!!!!!

I know my experiences – esp with thyroid and gut will be very valuable when I start my career of helping people with their health / fitness / food!!! That’s all I want to do… motivate, inspire, and give all my knowledge and information out to others who are struggling too. <3 I am soooo passionate about it <3

*SQUEE* I AM DONE WITH MY AA BUSINESS PROGRAM! Monday was my last class day and so I am a graduate and will get my diploma in the mail soon, woot woot. I start my Bachelor’s in Health and Wellness on the 25th, so I get a little break!!! SUCH A BIG STEP FORWARD!

Randoms:
– Today is day ONE of grain free. I’m taking the big leap and doing it because I’m done with not healing the way that I should and my Naturopath recommended it anyway.
– Our air has been out yesterday and today -_- and it was supposed to be fixed today, but looks like it will be tomorrow.
– Nothing new to watch, as far as TV until the 25th for the new Extreme Weight Loss eppy and then DEXTER on the 30th
– Bought a baby gate to make an area in our hallway for Echo (our ferret) to get out and run. It’s HILARIOUS to see her prance/run around LOL

That’s really all? Nothing much else going on! Hoping to go swimming soon and prob going to the gym tonight.

Counting down the days until the first official day of SUMMER! A lot of people do not like summer, but I love it! My favorite. What’s been going down since last time?…

> We were trying Katie out with panties during nap time and bed time. She did great with the nap time, but first night with panties she wet them. We’re seeing that she isn’t able to wake up during the night to go pee, she just sleeps right through. Just gonna wait until she’s ready! That was a MAJOR stressor for me Saturday morning, and then I got added stress later that day trying to align my schedule with my neighbor’s so she can take me for Katie’s upcoming Doctor’s appointment. In the end, Brad said he would just get off early that day and take us. Yea, I really need to get my license and have transportation. That added stress? Ugh, it really had impact on me – mood, appetite, everything, and I always feel lousy – don’t want to move, my weight / body fat goes up. It really does a number on me! I tried to relax the rest of the day, but then come night time Katie would NOT GO TO SLEEP and yea, that only enhanced my irritation. She didn’t go to sleep till after 1AM because she was playing in her bed, even though she kept yawning. (we still have our video monitor to use every now and then). Woke up feeling horrid Sunday so we didn’t go to church and I tried to just take it easy. Brad had never seen The Lorax, so we all sat down together Sunday night and watched that together! :]
> GAME OF THRONES, AAAAAAH. Winter is coming.. =( and then The Secret Life finale? HA. Everyone is enraged and disappointed. Ramy FTW. :/
> Went back to see my Naturopath yesterday!!!!! My T3 labs have been like this – 2.5, 1.8, and now it’s 2.2, which is still really, really low. I need to be up there atleast to 4. My T4 went down tho, so we’ll see if that goes down anymore and might have to take a little T4 too to bump that up. Iron levels are slowly going up… which is good, so I will keep taking the iron supplements. So, MD bumped me from 5mcg to 10mcg of the T3 meds and I know that will help! We’ll see how it goes. I had those big stressors Saturday… only “started” to recover Monday, but then I waited way too long to eat Tuesday because I was running around and that relapsed my body back into that stress mode and so, I don’t feel that well today. Went for my light workout at the gym last night, but gonna take the next week or so to just try to take it easy and get my body balanced and to calm down.
> When Brad and I came out of the gym yesterday he heard hissing when we walked up to the car… sure enough the back right tire had something stuck in it and air was leaking out. Ugh. We had a “doughnut” spare, so Brad changed it and we made our way (at a slower speed) back home. He got up this morning and took it to a nearby tire place and they said that it didn’t ruin the tire!!!!! We thought we would have to get a new one, but nope! They patched it up and that was that! WOOT. Brad was only an hour late for work, but his boss already knew the situation.
> I GRADUATE IN 5 DAYS. I will be getting my first degree – my Associate’s in Business! I’m almost all situated to begin my BA in Health and Wellness and I will start that on the 25th (i’ll get a little break YAY) of this month and then another 2 years will be underway. I’m so happy to be getting my education and I know this will give me potential for opportunities. Although, I know a lot of people still struggle to get jobs/careers, even with degrees, but I’m happy to be learning!

Well, I’m off to go get a nice shower and eventually take a nap! Have a lovely day and rest of the week, plus an epic weekend!!!