the story so far
or the non-story, that is.
was at the GP last monday to finally receive my diagnosis... i was really hoping it was something that could be medicated so i could finally get my period back. well it turns out i had conflicting blood test results and he wasn't too sure what was going on with me. *story of my life!* i underwent another round of bloods, hopefully that will give them a clearer picture of what's going on. and he'll refer me on to a gynaecologist to do a bit more investigating.
the good news: i got the all-clear for diabetes, PCOS, and i'm not pregnant. my cervical swabs were all fine as well. i'm assuming i also don't have a thyroid condition which could explain the secondary amenorrhea.
the bad news: i couldn't blame my weight gain to wonky hormones!!!! argh. that means i REALLY have to watch what i put in my mouth, otherwise, i'm going to regret the weight gain that creeps up on you... like the hilarious joke that's posted in the office:
"Calories are the little bugs that get into your wardrobe at night and sew your clothes tighter. MY CLOSET IS INFESTED WITH THE LITTLE DEVILS!"
well comparing how i was a year ago to now, i'm eating a heck of a lot better. i'm not starving myself and i eat a lot more whole foods. i still am enjoying my vegetarian diet (meaning: way of eating, not the modern interpretation of restricting what you eat) and i think i can stay eating this way for a while, until i find or discover a new "diet". hehehe.
not missing the taste of meat at all, because i have discovered a whole new world of mock meats. it may sound unappetising, but it's not so bad. i've learned how to make seitan at home. it sounds really complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's quite easy. it adds a lot of texture to stir-fried dishes and it's pretty high in protein. it has no taste at all, so it quickly absorbs the flavour of the dish you're using it with. it's made with wheat gluten, so doesn't work very well if you are gluten intolerant.
i've also finally set myself a weekly grocery budget because i know i can get overboard with grocery shopping. it's one of the things i actually look forward to every weekend, when we hit the farmer's market and supermarkets in search of ingredients to buy for the week ahead. i am pretty good at sticking with my grocery list. but sometimes i do get overexcited about something (if i find an ingredient that i've read in a cookbook) and tend to buy and store it in the pantry and eventually forget about it.
so i have set myself $60/week to spend on groceries which started last week. last week wasn't too bad, i think i went overbudget by about $20 and that's a lot less than i normally spend anyway. this week will be a challenge as we have a party to go to and we need to bring a plate. we've made malted milk ball (aka maltesers)gelato and i also plan to make a cake for the party.
ok enough talking about food! it's making my tummy grumble!
maybe part of the apparent weight gain has to do with weight training. i usually do gym sessions 3-4x a week and i do challenge myself with heavier weights. i've never been into weight training until i learned about its benefits last year and i do enjoy it. it doesn't give me the breathlessness that i get with doing cardio, but it definitely kills my muscles! i've gotten much stronger since- not bodybuilder strong yet, but i can definitely outlift joel. :)
i better get back to my night job... toodles!
was at the GP last monday to finally receive my diagnosis... i was really hoping it was something that could be medicated so i could finally get my period back. well it turns out i had conflicting blood test results and he wasn't too sure what was going on with me. *story of my life!* i underwent another round of bloods, hopefully that will give them a clearer picture of what's going on. and he'll refer me on to a gynaecologist to do a bit more investigating.
the good news: i got the all-clear for diabetes, PCOS, and i'm not pregnant. my cervical swabs were all fine as well. i'm assuming i also don't have a thyroid condition which could explain the secondary amenorrhea.
the bad news: i couldn't blame my weight gain to wonky hormones!!!! argh. that means i REALLY have to watch what i put in my mouth, otherwise, i'm going to regret the weight gain that creeps up on you... like the hilarious joke that's posted in the office:
"Calories are the little bugs that get into your wardrobe at night and sew your clothes tighter. MY CLOSET IS INFESTED WITH THE LITTLE DEVILS!"
well comparing how i was a year ago to now, i'm eating a heck of a lot better. i'm not starving myself and i eat a lot more whole foods. i still am enjoying my vegetarian diet (meaning: way of eating, not the modern interpretation of restricting what you eat) and i think i can stay eating this way for a while, until i find or discover a new "diet". hehehe.
not missing the taste of meat at all, because i have discovered a whole new world of mock meats. it may sound unappetising, but it's not so bad. i've learned how to make seitan at home. it sounds really complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's quite easy. it adds a lot of texture to stir-fried dishes and it's pretty high in protein. it has no taste at all, so it quickly absorbs the flavour of the dish you're using it with. it's made with wheat gluten, so doesn't work very well if you are gluten intolerant.
i've also finally set myself a weekly grocery budget because i know i can get overboard with grocery shopping. it's one of the things i actually look forward to every weekend, when we hit the farmer's market and supermarkets in search of ingredients to buy for the week ahead. i am pretty good at sticking with my grocery list. but sometimes i do get overexcited about something (if i find an ingredient that i've read in a cookbook) and tend to buy and store it in the pantry and eventually forget about it.
so i have set myself $60/week to spend on groceries which started last week. last week wasn't too bad, i think i went overbudget by about $20 and that's a lot less than i normally spend anyway. this week will be a challenge as we have a party to go to and we need to bring a plate. we've made malted milk ball (aka maltesers)gelato and i also plan to make a cake for the party.
ok enough talking about food! it's making my tummy grumble!
maybe part of the apparent weight gain has to do with weight training. i usually do gym sessions 3-4x a week and i do challenge myself with heavier weights. i've never been into weight training until i learned about its benefits last year and i do enjoy it. it doesn't give me the breathlessness that i get with doing cardio, but it definitely kills my muscles! i've gotten much stronger since- not bodybuilder strong yet, but i can definitely outlift joel. :)
i better get back to my night job... toodles!