Week One (2nd time)

Well, week one has come and gone along with four pounds.  Not much I know!  But, considering what this week was I still feel it was not a failure.

This week was Fourth of July and also my wedding anniversary -- 22 years, holy wow!  I did stray from my diet during the week, but only a little.  On the fourth I enjoyed a wonderful, perfectly grilled piece of prime rib.  OMG!  It was delicious, and not just because I was dieting.  I did only eat half and saved the other half for Friday's dinner.

Now... Saturday was a different story, but 22 years people, that's a big deal!  That's like half of my life!  I was definitely treating myself to some carbs!  We went to my favorite restaurant -- Conchy Joe's.  I started out good by ordering a white sangria... delish!  But then I ordered than darn Big Conch.  This is a drink for two -- seriously, says so on the menu!  Here is a picture of the Big Conch next to a normal ordinary glass of sangria:

Then it all went downhill...
Conch fritters...
Salad with creamy dressing...
Fresh warm corn bread...
Seafood combo (okay, I did order it broiled and not fried)...
Plantains with mango glaze...
OMG... heaven!  I ate it all so fast I didn't even take pictures!
I didn't order dessert.  I was good...

until... I got home, then I treated myself to a Nestle's Vanilla Caramel Drumstick -- it's just like the original Drumstick except it has this wonderful oozy caramel down the center of the ice cream.  Need I say more?!!

Sunday I ate nothing but vegetables... as much as I tried it didn't balance out that amazing meal!
Needless to say, I'll be eating MUCH better this week!

Shocking the System... again!

For those that are new to the blog or those that don't remember -- no worries, I forget stuff constantly, especially all that important stuff I'm supposed to remember!  Anyway, yesterday I started on my shock diet again.  If you have some time and want to catch up on the history (including pictures -- yes, I'm a brave girl) follow the links:

4/4/2012 http://karenmarchetti.blogspot.com/2012/04/weight-lumps-and-hormones.html
4/10/2012 http://karenmarchetti.blogspot.com/2012/04/weight-loss-week-1.html
4/18/2012 http://karenmarchetti.blogspot.com/2012/04/pounds-tests-ribbons.html
5/7/2012 http://karenmarchetti.blogspot.com/2012/05/down-13.html
6/3/2012 http://karenmarchetti.blogspot.com/2012/06/catch-up-not-ketchup-that-would-be.html

If not, here's the quickie version:  I quit smoking, put on 60+ pounds, now don't get me wrong - I did WW -- yep, actually gained weight while counting all those points.  I had a couple thyroid issues so I went to the doctor.  Well, he explained to me no matter how many points I counted I wasn't going to lose weight that way -- I was a carb hoarder, everything I was eating was being stored away for later.  Really?  Later... like when I finally got stuck on that deserted island?  He did a bunch of blood work and decided that a no-carb shock diet would be the best way for me to go.  So for two weeks I ate no carbs,was a crazy veggie-eating woman and lost 13.5 pounds.  I added minimal carbs back into my diet and still managed to lose a total of 20 pounds.  That was about 1/3 of the weight I needed to lose.

Well I slowly added real carbs back into my world, which brings us to now.  No, I'm not packing the weight back on -- that was the entire purpose of shocking my system -- to retrain my body not to hoard them, to actually use them, as long I wasn't a carb-crazed woman I'd be okay.

Here comes the bad news... I put on weight -- only three pounds, but I don't want any back.  In fact, I'd love to lose a little more!  I guess if I had kept paying attention to all the carbs I'd been eating it might have made a difference.  But this is where the re-shock comes in to play -- hopefully it'll reboot my systems and possibly retrain my carb cravings just a bit.

So here is the Round 2 Day 1 picture:

I'll let you all know how it goes.  I've got help this time, my son's girlfriend is doing the shock as well!

Catch up... not ketchup, that would be messy!

Oh my, this is going to be a VERY LONG post.  Sooooo much has been going on that I don't even know where to start.

I guess I'll start with Mabel since she is weighing on my mind the most.  We finally got her regulated to the point that she was getting insulin at 50 units am and 45 units pm -- this was keeping her urine glucose in check.  Well, right when you think things are okay... NOT.  Memorial Day she had her first diabetic seizure.  Break out the karo syrup and attempt to get it on her tongue while her teeth are clenched shut... it was rough, we got through it.  No insulin that night.  Tuesday morning no sugar in pee, no insulin, Tuesday night, pee glucose at 500, dropped her down to 40 units of insulin... this went on with no rhyme or reason until Thursday morning... forty minutes after her insulin she had another seizure.  Rushed her to the vet for blood work, okay.  Get home, within minutes another seizure.  The vet says the best part of this is that we had blood work one hour after a seizure and one hour before a seizure, apparently speaking "vet" this was the best opportunity for blood work to see what was happening during the seizures.  Turns out her blood sugar was almost zero - so close to diabetic coma... okay, can't even go there mentally.  It also showed that her fructosamine was mid-high.  I'm not a doctor/vet but apparently this shows what has been going on with her for the past 6 weeks.  She most definitely needs insulin.  So now we are back to 20 units am and 20 units pm.  Apparently Mabel is just like the rest of this house and runs hot and cold... never a middle ground.  The vet decided that instead of following her urine glucose levels, we'll just track them and use her thirst levels for insulin adjustments.  All I can say is thank God I work from home and can monitor her as much as possible.

I guess my weight loss would be next.  I haven't lost any weight in almost three weeks, I guess the good in this is that I've been adding carbs back and haven't gained any weight either.  Strange part is my weight is moving around, if that makes any sense at all?  Here are three pics to date, the right being the most recent, still weighing the same, fat's just moving somewhere?  Oh goodness, I'm wearing shorts too, I haven't done that in a very long time!  See, I told you I have a bunch of these shirts, super thin oh-so-comfy t-shirts (now getting super baggy).  Oh, one more thing, in case I haven't mentioned this, thank you all for being so very supportive through this!

Up next... a recent trip to Joann's to use up my expiring coupons resulted in an awesome deal.  I purchased yet another 6.5" ruler.  I own two, well three now, but this way I am able to lose it, just like the others!  I also got some bigger mirrors (12") for wholecloth designing.  But the best deal was a faux-silk (yep, did the burn test) in a luxurious copper-penny color.  Ready, it was originally 21.99 (a bit high for faux I think), marked-down three times to $6 and since it was 50% off Red-Tag fabric I got it for $3/yard.  WOW, that was a super unexpected sale! 

Isn't it gorgeous!  I am amazed that is is faux - it catches the light and adjusts color just like real silk, but yet it melted like plastic.  Guess it's just a really good faux silk - as beautiful as it is, I will accept it!  Here is a little peek of what is going on it... sorry, but that's all you can see right now!

See, I told you tons of stuff going on over here...

On to old/new business.  A while ago I received some embroidery files from Cristy at Purple Daisies.  For those of you that don't know, she is daughter to the amazing Sharon Schamber (someone I am both honored and proud to call friend).  Anyway, Sharon has been working on digitizing her beautiful quilting into embroidery files.  Let me tell you, they are amazing!  I had made this super cute mini-quilt using the files Cristy sent.  For those of you that don't know me well, I created it, quilted it, binded it, and the put it on the table and covered it... normal-ness in my house.  Well, I just found it the other day and shipped it right off to Cristy with an apology for being my own forgetful self... gotta take the good with the bad right?  Anyway, here are some pictures

These are from the Sea Foam Feathers collection and they are absolutely beautiful!  Make sure you visit Cristy's website and order some for yourself!

Oh, almost forgot, Wonderlust has been accepted into Quilt Odyssey in Hershey, PA -- if you're anywhere near there at the end of July make sure you stop in to visit it for me!

I have two more bits to share with you, but they will have to wait until next time!  Happy Day Quilties!

Down 1/3

I've done it!  I have hit my first milestone... 20 pounds, gone!  Yes, I feel fantastic, but only 1/3 fantastic -- I've still got a long way to go, but in the meantime I am most definitely doing the ohhh I am 20 pounds lighter happy dance!

Here is the 20 pounds gone pic, and yes, I'm still missing my head!

My favorite shirts (I have like 5 of them) are getting bigger and baggier, and this is NOT a problem.  It is a reminder that I am smaller than I was.  I am down a pants size, and it is nice.  I truly think I'm down more than one size but I was soooo stuffed into my last size that I was probably two sizes larger and unwilling to admit it.

Here is the face so that you can see the weight loss there too:

This was from yesterday's photo-a-day challenge -- it was YOU, well really me... you know!

On to the follow up on the thyroid nodule.  The nuclear scan showed several "cold" areas.  A cold area is where the iodine/radioactive juices didn't take... a non-functioning part of my thyroid and/or nodule.  I don't know which, the scan was of both.  I was told that about 20% of "cold" areas actually turn out to be cancer.  So, the next step is a biopsy.  They are going to take samples of multiple areas.  I meet with the surgeon tomorrow so that's about all I can catch you up on.  I will, as always, share away once I know more.  If you are new to my blog and want to follow the thyroid/weight loss from the beginning, check out these previous posts:
4/18/2012 http://karenmarchetti.blogspot.com/2012/04/pounds-tests-ribbons.html
4/10/2012 http://karenmarchetti.blogspot.com/2012/04/weight-loss-week-1.html
4/04/2012 http://karenmarchetti.blogspot.com/2012/04/weight-lumps-and-hormones.html

On the quilty-artsy side, I have been working.  Doing some customer stuff, and attempting to work on my JTA project which is due on Wednesday.  This block is cubism, don't worry I'll have a blog post about it - and no, I'm no where near done!  You can check out the last block (fauvism) here.

I've also been designing, erasing, redesigning, erasing, sweeping up the mess of eraser dust, and once again redesigning my next quilt.  It is already named but no where near creation yet.  It's called "Mama's Got the Blues", and will be an innovative wholecloth using the robins-egg blue tencel I purchased at Houston last year, here's a pic of the fabric:

I hope that the color comes through across the computer.  I think is is absolutely delicious and can't wait to get the design finalized to get it on there!  I've got tons of threads planned, yep, you guessed it, blues!  I might even do some couching with beautiful silk fibers.  I'm not sure yet, don't know how that will affect the "wholecloth" status - if anyone has suggestions on that one, please feel free to let me know.  Is it still a wholecloth if I couch silk ribbon/fibers down.  Either way, I can't wait!  Hopefully it will be as awesome as I have it pictured in my head. 

And, I did take out, put on my design wall, and look at my kaleidoscope quilt -- a soon to be beauty created with all of Natalie's beautiful hand-dyed fabrics.  But looking is about as far as I got.

Oh, I almost forgot.  How could I possibly forget?  My most beautiful MQX-East Faculty Award Ribbon!  Thank you again, Teri Lucas!  Read all about it here (under the QR part).

Well, that's about it, at least until after Wednesday big reveal at JTA.  Happy day quilties!

Pounds, Tests, Ribbons...

Some NQR and some QR...

Last week I lost 5 pounds, that's 13.5 total so far.  It is rough, but seeing results really helps.  I am no longer a grande muffin top, I'm more like a homemade muffin now.  Here is a photo I took for my photo-a-day challenge.  That days challenge was "how you feel" -- well, most definitely, lighter!  Sorry, but to show the weight loss I was unable to keep my head attached!  And I honestly can't get over the weight loss in my feet (really!), all my flip flops are flopping right off!

So..... last week I also went through a nuclear scan on my thyroid.  I have a 2 cm nodule on the right side of my thyroid..  The preparation for a nuclear scan was rough!  No, I didn't glow from the radioactive pill I took...  I was put on an iodine-free diet for 72 hours.  Let me tell you, there is iodine in a lot of foods, especially green vegetables.  With my no carb, no sugar diet I am eating mostly vegetables.  So for most of last week I was only eating egg whites, greek yogurt, cucumbers, and carrots -- rough!  So the scan is actually three visits over two days.  Finally on Friday my diet returned to normal -- I never thought I would be excited to add vegetables back into my diet.  I don't get the results until I see the doctor on the 23rd... I will surely keep you all informed.

Now on to the ribbons... LOVE hearing that word!
Last week was MQX-East (Machine Quilters Expo) in Providence, RI.  I was lucky enough to have "Wonderlust" accepted for the show.  I didn't place, which is fine, I am just soooooo happy to be included in such an awesome show!  I haven't yet been there in person, but it is on my list, really close to the top too!  So I sat reading the list of winners and congratulating everyone.  So many beautifully amazing quilts this year and that was just in the winner list.  I can't imagine how much fantastic beauty was hanging at the show.  See, like I said, happy to be included!

BUT, to make things even better.... Teri Lucas sent me a photo she took of my quilt - with a ribbon!  Yay, I had received a Teachers Ribbon.  Teacher Ribbons and Judges Choice are two of my most favorite ribbons.

I was beyond thrilled, until I realized I would have to wait until the show package came back (as MQX was shipping my quilt directly to MQS) to see who had awarded the ribbon.  Pffft... me wait, patiently?  In less than 4 hours it was driving me insane.  It was all I could think about, really!

Well, I managed to get through Monday, and on Tuesday, Margaret Solomon Gunn posted a picture of the back of my quilt while hanging at MQX.  This was great, I love that MQX hangs the quilts so that the really cool backs are visible.  Thanks Margaret, it is always great to see your quilt hanging at a show, but now it stirred up the wondering all over again... (hehe, and you all are probably wondering how "Wonderlust" was named.... I wonder, one of my most famous sayings).

Who... who had awarded "Wonderlust" a ribbon?  Not like knowing would change the world, just calm my mind.  So I waited, again.  Me waiting translates into me driving my entire household and half of my speed dials insane... it is not pretty.

This morning I sign on facebook and have a notification from Teri.  It tells me that I should really read her blog today.  Which, of course, I would have, but now I am super-curious.  I started reading before I even sipped my coffee.  Yippee!!!!  It was Teri, she picked my quilt as her favorite -- and she picked it from the back, OMG... !!!  You can read all about it here, on her blog.  So now my mind has calmed and I can go on with my day...

Happy Day quilty peeps!

Weight, lumps, and hormones...

With that title I'm sure you realize this post is not quilting related (NQR).

Let me start a little over three years ago.  I was a smoker, a very heavy smoker, so was my husband.  On March 26, 2009 we woke up and became non-smokers.  It was rough, very rough, we rediscovered our taste buds -- wow, we were missing some really good foods over the past twenty-some years.  All that food was great, but... yep, with every bite I was putting on weight.  I know, I was told to expect 10 or 15 pounds, I was prepared -- it had to be better than smoking, right?  Well, if you don't already know, I am an over-achiever... I didn't stop at 10, 15, or even 20... over the past three years I have put on over 60 pounds, 68 to be exact!  That's a lot of weight!   It was progressive continual weight gain of about 1-3 pounds per month, way beyond any quitting smoking poundage.  I'd do weight watchers, walk on the treadmill, run on the elliptical and maybe lose a pound over the course of a month.  Something was NOT right.  In the meantime I developed this strange lump in my throat/neck.  It made me cough every so often, then it started making me choke every so often, then... all the time, coughing, gagging, choking, sleep was almost not existent.

So last week I went to the doctor.

He ordered a plethora of blood work, as I am also peri-menopausal, depressed, have lower self-confidence than normal, etc. and also ordered an ultrasound of my neck as we are pretty sure it is a thyroid issue.  Great news, we can fix all of this!  The doctor explained to me that he can balance all my hormones to their proper levels and correct the thyroid issue and I may drop 5-10 pounds, BUT (damn that dreaded but), the rest of the weight is all mine until I lose it.  Lose, what a word, I lose my keys, I lose my grocery list, weight - I know exactly where it is!  In other words, I must get rid of it.

So... here comes Monday.  I started (as suggested by my doctor) a NO carb NO sugar LEAN protein diet.  Hello, my name is Karen, I am a carb/sugar addict.  Do you know how hard it is to find NO carb recipes... very hard, you need to look in Mother Nature's recipe book, because they are called vegetables!   Now this diet isn't permanent, the doctor is trying to shock my system because right now it is storing everything I eat.  But, it is also a serious change for me... I love bread.  I love whole milk.  No breads, okay, got it, I'll adjust.  My milk choices are skim (ewwwwww) or unsweetened Almond Milk (okay not too bad).  None of this matters -- I MUST LOSE WEIGHT!

Here's a picture of me a few days after I quit smoking.  My Mom, so proud of my accomplishment, treated me to highlights and a new haircut.  I was at a good weight -- not high school skinny, but normal, no double (triple) chin, healthy cheeks, normal upper arms, no inner tube belly, not even a muffin top (you can't see, but I know)...

Here is me now (ugh, in all my unedited glory).  But hey, that's what I really look like, well, what 68 extra pounds looks like.

So, here begins my journey of weight loss, hormone balancing, and thyroid corrections.  Have fun sharing it with me, along with all my ups and downs, mishaps, goofies, and crankies!  Oh, and by the way, I wasn't supposed to weight myself til Monday (1 full week), but this morning I peeked -- three pounds in less than 3 days.  I am keeping totally optimistic knowing I have no other choice!