Tuesday, April 13, 2010

My new "project"

It's only been 4 1/2 weeks since my D&C but somehow it feels like forever ago. I find it harder and harder to remember what it felt like to be pregnant, maybe because I was only barely pregnant to begin with. 2 1/2 more weeks before I can take my genetic testing. I'm going to request a printout of the tests they are going to give me because I have a very VERY strong suspicion that I have thrombophilia. Not because I have to have an explanation for my miscarriage or because I've read articles like this one but because I honestly think that the symptoms fit my situation. So we'll see in about a month whether my Dr. Google diagnosis was correct. (For the record, no one in my family has thrombophilia. I'm attributing my self-diagnosis to the fact that I have PCOS and high androgen levels. And the fact that I passed clots all through my short pregnancy seems like a tell-tale sign.)

With all this waiting for test results and our next cycle I'm starting to get a little antsy. If we choose to go through another fresh IVF cycle I want to try and get better quality eggs and hopefully have more than 4 embryos at day 3. In order to do that I need to lose some weight. Okay, not some, alot, but let's start with some. I had been telling myself I would start the weight loss 2 weeks after the D&C but that obviously never happened. I continued to eat crappy food and lay around the house. Actually the main reason was because for the past two weeks I've worked about 25 hours of overtime at work but that's still no excuse. So this FRIDAY will be my weight-loss start date. I will also be eating healthier but that will be hard to accomplish during our Great Move Across America trip.

I weighed myself this morning, although this weight will not be my starting weight. I'll count Friday's weight as my starting weight. But today the scale was cracking under the weight of my 195.5 lb self. I have set my short-term goal weight at 175 lbs. I hope to achieve this goal before our next cycle, whether it's a FET or IVF. That is about 5-6 months away so I have plenty of time. I will update my blog every Friday with the week's results so I can at least be held accountable somewhere. My husband, while very supportive of my desire to lose weight, is also supportive in every other aspect of my life as well. So if I'm feeling too tired or depressed to exercise then he'll suggest we just lay on the couch and snuggle that night. For this project, however, I'll need more of a drill instructor husband. Since Brandon is obviously too nice for that I will have to turn to my bloggie friends to keep my ass in gear, especially on the days where I'm craving coffee ice cream or feeling too lazy to go exercise when its raining outside. If anyone would like to join me in my Weight Loss Quest, let me know and we post our updates together! I look forward to this and hope that it will help me get out of my funk and feeling more optimistic.

11 comments:

  1. I SO HEAR YOU about wanting to get healthy before the next cycle. You sound just like me 3 cycles ago! Did I ever actually do anything about it? No...It's so hard to eat right and exercise and yet we know it's the best thing for our bodies and potential babies. Good for you for setting out a plan a goal and for telling all of us about it because then you'll be accountable to someone and that helps. Good luck!!

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  2. I'm happy that you have been able to figure out a plan, that helps! Also- sparkpeople.com is great. You can join teams (like mom's of angels and getting fit before baby), where people encourage you, but also keep you in check. Its free, and I really like it! I've lost about 15 lbs while using the program. Just a thought.

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  3. I'm also with you on needing to lose weight! I've been struggling with my weight for a long time and it's been an up and down battle.

    Have they ever tested you for insulin resistance, since you have PCOS? They have gone hand in hand, at least for me since I have both but they say it's common for PCOS women to have IR.

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  4. Weight loss is such a struggle for me. It seems so simple, but it's so hard to do! (Kind of like having a baby huh?)

    Good luck with it and I can't wait to see how you progress.

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  5. Wow this is the blog I've been looking for!!! Support that seams accessible. The post above really got my attention. I just started working out 1 week ago. I'm starting or hopefully starting IVF at the end of the month. We are trying to get financing; but it's challenging given the econ climate for loans these days not to mention unsecured loans. I cant believe that my dream for every owning a home is about to go out the window. Its going to cost us about $40,000 for this treatment; and while ARC seems like that dont offer a good APR they do offer the ins. program. Just cant image paying back a loan with no baby in tow. Well good luck to your weight loss I will check back on Fridays to see how you've done. Its help me with the stress of the situation. WOW can you tell I really needed to connect w/people this is a very long comment. :)

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  6. I know a lot of people seem to down it, but as someone with Pcos I can understand how hard it is to lose weight. My option... The Atkins. It worked amazingly for me (lost 65lbs in 2 months). I have had 4 miscarraiges in the past, 8 years of infertility treatments, but once I lost the weight I got with twins on my own.They are wonderful, then a year later I found out I was pregnant once again. 3 babies later I put every pound back on. I started to notice the heavier I became the worse my PCOS symptoms became. I am going back on Atkins tomorrow. It always made sense to me that a diet that cuts out carbs would be great for women with PCOS. Since we actually have a metabolic disorder. I wish the world for you and your husband. We are praying for you.

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  7. I am sorry for your loss and I send prayers for a successful IVF. I signed up for the Glycemic Index Diet yesterday, thinking it would work great with a PCOS'er like myself. I'd love to buddy up and support these stubborn pounds.

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  8. It took me 3 years of TTC and a pregnancy to finally have a doctor (my ob!) tell me that anyone with PCOS should be on a low carb diet. Funny how not one thing I'd ever read had mentioned that, but he was SO RIGHT!

    I feel amazing when I watch my carbs! A fellow friend of mine who also has PCOS just started doing low carb and she lost 10 pounds the first week! Hopefully once she loses enough weight, she'll start ovulating on her own and won't even need treatments!

    I'm not super strict about it but have learned so much about how even healthy foods (milk, certain fruits, etc.) are very high carb and not so good for those with PCOS. It's all about moderation. I make sure I have a high protein breakfast (usually some sort of egg, a slice of ham and some cheese) and then I'm just mindful of what I eat the rest of the day. I still allow myself the occassional treat (hello, discounted Easter candy!) but overall it's really not that hard!

    The first week on it was probably the roughest as your body is addicted to carbs and sugar so it kind of thinks it is starving that whole week until you get them out of your system, so to speak. After that first week I was finding that I felt much more full faster.

    The Atkins website has a ton of great info, but again you don't really need to follow it word for word. Just educate yourself on how many carbs are in things and be mindful of what you are putting in your body. High protein/high fiber is the best. (Hint: Fiber keeps you fuller longer and for each gram of fiber you eat, it negates one gram of carbs. So if something has 10 grams of carbs, but 4 grams of fiber, you only have to count 6 grams of net carbs!)

    My fave low carb foods:

    Ole brand Extreme High Fiber tortillas - they actually have like a -7 net carb count!

    Kroger's CARBmaster yogurt. Has like 3 net carbs and 12 grams of protein plus some fiber.

    Atkins Shakes. Strawberry and vanilla are my fave.

    Atkins bars. One of them reminds me of a Milky Way Bar. Seriously - yum.

    Russell Stovers sugar free candies. They are made with sugar alcohol, which doesn't effect your blood sugar like regular sugar does. (You can subtract the fiber and sugar alcohol from the carbs to get the net carb count. Usually they have about 1-3 net carbs depending on the flavor.)

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  9. I'm a new reader! And I just saw where you have been following blog! First off, thanks for reading! Secondly, thanks for sharing your story!
    I see you are in Silverdale. We just left Everett a month ago! We were stationed there for 3.5 years!
    Anyway, I just wanted to say hello! And I'm looking forward to following you on your journey!
    And good luck on the weight loss! I started a few months ago! I did really good, and then we moved across country. Oops. Guess that I need to get back on that wagon!!

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  10. I just found your blog. I'm so sorry to hear about your miscarriage and fertility problems. I will be blowing some baby dust your way!!!!

    You can do the weight loss, especially since you just laid it all out to us. It will make you stick to your goal since you are posting every Friday!

    Just think about your baby you will be holding in your arms......that will help you get to your goal weight:)

    I'm now a follower! You can find me at, Goodnight moon! or Willis, Party of 6.

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  11. I am going to be right there with you working on loosing weight. I never thought about low carb diet until doing some more research. I was diagnosed with PCOS this February so I am new to all of this. 7 mo of TTC is nothing I know but I know I could stand to loose some weight. More like 50lbs. So, I will be posting my weekly update on Friday at http://melissasdailyjourney.blogspot.com/
    Check it out. I will motivate you!

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