More Changes

268.2

As you know I'm in the process of doing a Life Inventory in order to make necssary changes and identify the strengths that will get me where I want to be. I've been eating much better. I was even 2 hours late to work yesterday because I made from scratch several healthy food items: oatmeal for breakfast (with a chopped apple and agave) and chicken salad (so delicious!! LOVE the recipe I found). This worked well in that I was never starving and therefore never overate. I wasn't even hungry at dinner time (YAY!!), not that I'm trying to skip meals, but nighttime is the WORST for me, so I know I'm on the right track.

However there is one problem that I have GOT to fix ASAP: swollen ankles. As a student, I sit. For my job, I sit. And when I sit, my ankles swell. Not only is it uncomfortable, it prevents me from doing just about anything other than more sitting. I wanted to go to the library after work last night but I was so uncomfortable that I had to go home and prop my feet up. If I would have continued to sit as I had been, my calves would have swelled too. This makes my jeans extremely tight (which certainly just makes it all worse), and I can't walk because I can't bend at the ankle and can't stretch my calves. See? It sucks.

I used to take prescribed water pills, but we lost our health insurance, so that't not an option. Last week I bought some OTC water pills, and even after taking 3x the allowed dosage my ankles continued to swell.

Because of all this I've decided to go back on the Atkin's diet. I did it about 15 years ago and interestingly after about 3-4 days, all the extra water left my body (you know how) and my ankles . . . oh my wonderful ankles . . . they came back! I saw the bones and could wiggle my feet :-D It was wonderful! I had read the book and this was not one of the intended effects of this diet, so it was a great surprise.

So for the next two weeks I'm in the induction phase, which is pretty common for a lot of diets. I see it as a cleansing phase, one that shocks the system. Luckily the diet has been recently modified so no more eating any kind of meat or fat I can get my hands on. Now it's healthier, unprocessed meat. Also, it used to be that only meat and fat were allowed during the induction, but now it states that I must eat 12-15 grams of healthy carbs per day (vegetables), and I'm so glad about that. No fruit or anything containing any sugar at all.

This may or may not all make sense. I'm not being as picky about my writing as usual because I don't feel well. I didn't sleep well at all last night. I'm tired of being tired (oh that's another wonderful side effect of Atkin's--the burst of energy that hits a few days in). Right now I don't even want to leave the house. Just thinking of it is overwhelming me, but all that's for another post :-D

LL xoxo