Progress, Comfort, and Not Perfect

I have successfully lived The No Fun Food Life for one month now. While I have not been perfect, it had also never been my intention to be perfect. I make at least one solid exception a week, and look forward to it without guilt. I find that it helps me make all the correct small decisions everyday.

Fall weather is upon us and that introduces two new factors: Football Season and Comfort Food.

My husband asked me to go to Buffalo Wild Wings with him to watch football (he's a Buffalo Bills fan and I'm part of the Who Dat Nation... Geaux Saints!!)... and my first instinct was to turn it down and tell him to just watch TV at home. Then I decided to embrace the opportunity to hang out and have fun together. I ordered some salt & vinegar wings accompanied with carrots, celery, and bell peppers with spinach artichoke dip... washed down with iced tea. (Note: I didn't drink the entire giant iced tea. Too much caffeine can contribute to some of the metabolic issues that people with PCOS face, as well as exacerbate any depression or anxiety symptoms that usually accompany this syndrome.) I ordered water halfway through that tea. I felt those were pretty good choices.

As for comfort food, I wanted to eat a very filling and hearty meal with some hot bubbling broth. I love, love, love ramen - BUT! I obviously can't go running to those delicious noodles whenever I get the hankering. So, I looked up a Shabu  Shabu (Japanese hot pot) restaurant to try to satisfy the craving. I had 4oz. thinly sliced ribeye and a big bowl of veggies. The sauces looked super cute... but I skipped them due to their probable sugar content... opting for extra large heaps of minced garlic and green onions. Yes!

Most importantly in this whole process, I put a lot of attention and anticipation in the exceptions and I allow them to be amazing.

For example, I attend a weekly viewing of Downtown Abbey with a fabulous intimate group of ladies. Our host graciously provide a lovely meal for the event, and even tries to modify it for me! Last week, one of my friends knew it was pasta night so she brought a tupperware of roasted spaghetti squash for me... which freed me up to eat one slice of some very special garlic infused bread slathered with Irish block butter. *drool*

On top of that... earlier that day I went to a Korean bakery I found on Yelp and purchased a few treats for my ladies. I enjoyed a Chocolate Macaron that everyone agreed was amazing and a Pistachio Cookie (that felt more like a soft crumbly scone) that was, once again, seriously slathered in Irish block butter. Top it all off with some Lemon & Ginger Tea... watching TV doesn't get better than that!

Now, I know it may sound like I'm splurging an awful lot... I mean, before I embarked on this journey, Iwould've agreed with that. However, now I know exactly how much food I eat each day and how many opportunities I have to make good choices, the little splurges and treats are really like drops in a bucket. I definitely gained some valuable perspective from this experience.

I've lost 5 pounds this past month since beginning The No Fun Food Life. It's putting me on the right track towards the 10% body weight loss I'm aiming for... as recommended by my docs to put me on the right track for fighting PCOS. And the month before that I had lost a net weight of 5 pounds from a 5 day juice cleanse. So... I'm at a total of 10 pounds in just a few months, woot! Miraculous progress for someone with PCOS... seriously.

If I can keep this up and lose the last 5 pounds to reach my 10% goal, I'll be over half way to my original weight before the PCOS 25lb unstoppable freight train weight gain I experienced last year. After a long struggle of trying to understand what is wrong with me... I feel very positive about my journey right now. Yeah!! :)

Go Away, Mittelschmerz

A little bit of middle school reproductive health education. In the middle of the cycle, the follicles inside our ovaries will mature and one eventually ruptures as the little ovum, or egg, makes its way down the fallopian tube. Straightforward, simple... unless you have PCOS.

I am on day 19 of my cycle... and experienced what is commonly known as ovulation pains. You may also know it as mittelschmerz, which is German for "middle pain," referring to the mid-way point in a woman's cycle when ovulation takes place. You feel it in the way low abdominal and pelvic area. Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH) prompt those little follicles to grow and mature... and there are no openings in the ovary, so the little eggs literally erupt and break free. That's pretty violent and seems pretty inefficient.

A person with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, as the name implies, have multiple cysts on the ovaries because numerous follicles never mature all the way. What's left are the little bubbles of immature follicles, they collect fluids and sometimes have little blood vessels and keep growing. Anyway, as nothing is simple in the reproductive process for someone with PCOS, these cysts will also spontaneously burst sometimes. The first time one of these cysts exploded, I thought I had appendicitis and went to the hospital. I was told about the whole process described above in nutshell. The second time it happened... it was pretty mild. I took some ibuprofen and went about my business. Fast forward to late last night.

I went to the grocery store to get some items to prepare for my work week... and in the middle of the produce section, I felt the initial twinge. I wasn't sure... I thought I took a wrong step, maybe just an intestinal cramp? Then, I doubled over. I took a step, grabbed the cart handle, and crouched to the floor. It was awful for like 5 seconds... then it was over. I experimentally walked around gingerly... counted my good fortune that I wasn't incapacitated by pain and quickly grabbed the rest of my stuff and went home.

Later in the evening... the weird abdominal bloating and persistent achy pain set in on the right side (it's always the right side, can I just get one ovary removed?) - which turns into stabby pain whenever I took a step or twisted funny. I put my trusty heating pad on my tummy and sipped hot tea into the wee hours of morning. I woke up when my alarm went off, and drifted in and out of some strange lucid dreaming... I felt physically, mentally, and emotionally awful. I finally dragged my butt out of bed, emailed my work, and crawled back under the blankets with my heating pad.

These days, I try to to take too much ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or any other over-the-counter pain medications... not out of some crazy moral stance or funky science/non-science article... I just figured, if I can't feel progress, how will I know I'm making any? I've decided that my health is top priority in my life at this moment, and I am in a fortunate position where I can make that choice. So, if I'm not feeling well and I need the time and space for my body to heal, I'm going to let it do its thing and not mask the bad feelings and truck on with my day.

The pain was pretty manageable earlier today, I took the opportunity to go on a slow walk with the doggies... not sure that was a bright idea. I feel really exhausted, uncomfortable, and a little feverish. I took my temperature, I don't actually have a high temperature... I just feel that way. My husband brought home a can of chicken noodle soup out of love and concern. You bet I ate the soup... ate every carb-o-licious noodle. Today, I let myself indulge.

Just another fabulous day of living with PCOS. *sigh*

No More Hardboiled Eggs, Please

In a conversation with my cousin, I discovered that I was not alone in how tired I was getting of the good-for-you stuff. As documented in the photo, she is also going low carb, and that is a typical breakfast for her. She confided in me that she didn't know how much longer she could go on eating hardboiled eggs - to which I responded, "I know. I'm quite sick of them." In reality, I don't even want to look at them. Like, even in that picture. LOL

I am feeling that way about chicken and beef as well. So, I was trying to figure out other proteins I can eat. However, I don't think the problem lies in the eggs. The problem is that I'm not changing up the way I prepare them. Omelets and hardboiled are not the only way!

I decided to go with another oldie but goodie Chinese favorite... actually two of them! As a child, one of my favorite dishes had always been Shrimp & Scrambled Eggs. My mom also made Tomatoes & Scrambled Eggs at home... yummy. So, why not combine all that deliciousness!?

Shrimp & Scrambled Eggs w. Tomatoes
Heat 1 tbsp oil on medium-high in a wok/skillet, stir fry 4oz. peeled & deveined shrimp until they turn pink and opaque, add salt to taste, remove and drain.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok/skillet on high heat, add mixture of 6 lightly beaten eggs + 1/3 cup chicken broth + 1 tsp cooking sherry + 2 sliced green onions + salt & pepper to taste, lightly scramble for 1-2 minutes, add shrimp back in, scramble until eggs are cooked but still moist. Remove from heat.

You can END HERE or keep going for the zesty zingy tomato taste!

Add 2 tomatoes cut in thin wedges to the hot wok/skillet, stir and turn occasionally about 4 minutes until juices release and tomatoes wilt, add Shrimp & Scrambled Eggs back in, mix well and serve.

So, I used Heirloom Tomatoes for this recipe because they are more nutritious and delicious. Heirloom varieties have been grown without crossbreeding for 40 or more years. You are eating a TRUE TOMATO! Five Fun Facts: 1) They're a great for Vitamin C 2) They're good for the heart 3) Heirloom Organic tomatoes are higher in Lycopene 4) They're great for Vitamin K 5) They're bursting with flavor! Seriously, Heirloom Tomatoes are not genetically altered to be "sweet" and less acidic (aka. bland), and they're not pumped with weird growth stuff to grow large very quickly - a process that depletes them of their zing! and their vitamins/phytochemicals/minerals. Go Heirloom. You won't regret it!

The results were delicious and really hit the spot! The only thing that could've made it better was a big bowl of hot white rice... but since that is just a fantasy when living The No Fun Food Life... I made do with a side of turnips braised with shiitake mushrooms.

I also ventured into a new protein source: Shrimp! They're full of Vitamins A, D, E & B's, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Magnesium, Iodine, and Omega-3. This sudden inspiration to go back to my childhood faves was a real winner!!

:) Thanks, Mom! Thanks, Cousin!

Yoga and Hiking

Part of my commitment to my new lifestyle is moving and relaxing. I've been making some slow but steady progress in those departments. I've started wearing and syncing my Fitbit Flex every day. I've learned a few things: I average at just about 6,000-7,000 steps per day, I sleep just a little under 8 hours per night, and I don't move much when I sleep.

What else... I spontaneously joined my teammates in an outdoor yoga event after work one night. It was the moment where I chose to get moving instead of drive home and sit. It was a tough decision because my back was really killing me (I have scoliosis... and back pain and stiffness will keep me from moving around, which in turn causes more back pain and stiffness, go figure). However, I was very proud of myself for making the right choice. After yoga, I went to enjoy a burger with my friends - protein style, no sauce, with a side of broccoli. Yay!

Last week, I told myself... Yoga on Thursday morning before work or bust! I announced my intentions to a teammate so that I could have some sort of non-self accountability. I woke up with significantly less sleep than usual and felt pretty crappy - I'm not a morning person, at all. But I honored my promise to myself and got to the gym. It gave me a wonderful feeling - physically and mentally - all day.

Lastly, I went on a one day camping trip with my friends this weekend. I went on two hikes, one in the evening we arrived and one in the morning before we left. It felt great to experience the quiet adventurousness of being in nature was so relaxing. At night, the clouds rolled in and I could see their outlines in the remnants of twilight. Even though it really hid the stars, it felt so amazing because the moist air, cool breeze, and fire pit really reminded me of being on the beach in San Diego again. It gave me a bit of nostalgia.

I feel like I am finding opportunities to become more active and I'm finally giving that aspect of my life more attention. I remember how strong, flexible, and good I felt in my mid-20's when I used to practice yoga 3-4 times per week. Even though that is not something I can accommodate at this time, I am finding other ways to move more often and be more active. I take that as a small victory over a giant mental roadblock.

Lettuce Cups

My best friend gave me a lovely present... a healthy cookbook titled, " Eat What You Love Everyday." There's over 200 great tasting recipes that are low sugar, fat, and calories. It's been really neat reading the information and flipping through the books to try to find some easy and tasty recipes to try out.

First one: Moo-Shu Lettuce Wraps (modified)

Sauce
2 tbsp reduced sodium Soy Sauce (or Liquid Aminos substitute), 1 tsp Sesame Oil, 1 tsp freshly minced Ginger (END HERE if you're not eating sugar) 2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce.

Moo-Shu
Cook 1lb Lean Ground Turkey in a large nonstick skillet, add Sauce to skillet, simmer 3 minutes, remove from heat. Cover & microwave 3-4 cups bagged Coleslaw Mix and 4 thinly sliced Green Onions on high for 3 minutes when Turkey is cooking, add to meat & sauce, add 1/2 cup chopped Water Chestnuts, add Pepper to taste.

Rip off the springy leaves of a head of Butter Lettuce, fill them up with delicious Moo-Shu, and there you are! I call them Lettuce Cups instead of wraps because it just seems more fitting. I brought this delicious meal to lunch at work today - my coworkers were very impressed. So fancy!

I reserved the Hoisin Sauce for my husband to enjoy with his little Lettuce Cups because the #1 ingredient of Hoisin Sauce is usually sugar, and modified food starch tends to make an appearance about 75% down the ingredient list as well. Unnecessary carbs and sugar have no place in The No Food Fun Life. I also increased the coleslaw mix amount from 3 to 4 cups to bring my veggie and fiber game up a notch.

This awesome and great-for-me lunch was relatively easy to make. But that doesn't mean I had it easy. Recently, the microwave in our work Bistro was moved to a new location. It used to be right next to the soda machines - which was perfect because that's also the water machine, and I'm not a soda drinker. It was very mundane and simple microwaving my food there. Now, it lives next to this wall of COOKIES! A line of freshly baked, ready and waiting, luring and enticing COOKIES! WTF.

For one minute and thirty seconds, I stood there fantasizing about eating one of each kind of cookie - except Oatmeal Raisin *ew*. Then the microwave went ding! and I grabbed my nutritious lunch and hightailed it out of there before I came to any regrettable decisions. Success.

I wasn't perfect though. My friend came back to work after a trip to Boston and she brought back these Mexican Roasted Almonds - coated with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and a slight sugar glaze. I ate a total of four. So, I wasn't perfect today - and I admit it to all of you and to myself - but I don't feel bad about it. I still feel that I triumphed over the wall of cookies... and enjoying 4 heavenly Mexican Roasted Almonds brought back home from a long journey by a much missed friend is OK in my books.

Beef & Broccoli

I made Beef & Broccoli today from a super simple recipe that one of my students gave to me. I modified the recipe that she gave me to make it acceptable for The No Food Fun Life. I removed the cornstarch, used twice as much broccoli, and added roasted sesame seeds. The results were tasty!

I'll jot down the general recipe, and then let you know how I tweaked it to get as close as I could to no added sugar, carbs, or starches.

Sauce
2 tbsp Soy Sauce (or Liquid Aminos substitute), 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce, 1 tbsp Rice Vinegar, 1 tbsp Sherry Cooking Wine, 1 tbsp Cornstarch (which I omitted). Combine everything, marinate about 1lb Beef slices. I added roasted sesame seeds for fun.

Recipe
Stir fry a whole bunch of Broccoli (like 4 heads of florets) with a sprinkle of salt & pepper, after a few minutes drizzle a bit of Sesame Oil (mostly for aroma & flavor) and continue to stir fry until tender. Remove Broccoli. Add beef & Sauce... stir fry until beef is cooked, add the broccoli back in until everything is coated in sauce and hot (I modified this last step).

One thing I learned from this cooking adventure is that sugar is lurking in everything that makes stuff delicious. Oyster sauce is in a lot of Chinese cooking as a base for many sauces. No wonder it's tasty - it's got 5g of sugar per tablespoon. Two tablespoons add up to almost half of the recommended 25g of added sugar that a healthy adult woman should aim to stay below per day. And, usually, people overlook sauces and condiments when thinking about their daily consumption. So, it can really sneak its way into our daily intake.

So... to combat the sugar and cornstarch, I got a little creative. As stated above, I didn't add the cornstarch to the sauce - it has 7g carbs per tablespoon. Next, I cooked the broccoli, set it aside, cooked the beef & marinade... then I removed the meat with tongs and left the sauce simmering in the wok. I diluted 1 tbsp cornstarch in cold water and added it to the sauce and let it boil a bit. Once it thickened, I poured it out into a bowl - like gravy.

I ate my beef with the minimal sauce that had soaked into it with an oversized helping of yummy broccoli. It made me feel not so worried/guilty about the sugar - and my husband was able to enjoy the full flavors and thick sauciness of a pretty good dish of Beef & Broccoli. Solid compromise.

Success... and I've got enough for tomorrow's lunch at work - sweet! Pun intended.

Impromptu Potluck

As mentioned before, my fun-filled work place is hard on The No Food Fun Life. Earlier this week, my team decided that we should do a potluck today.

I bought all the ingredients to prepare either Beef & Broccoli or Braised Short Ribs. Either dish would give me a non-carb option. This is not my first potluck rodeo... people looooooove making and sharing dishes with oodles and oodles of delicious carbs. I didn't want to throw myself into the potluck predicament without a safety net.

Now, also as mentioned earlier, life throws curve balls. As documented in my previous posts, I've been deeply afflicted by the PMS party mix from the underworld this week. I was in no mood to cook last night, and even less mood to do so this morning. Uh oh.

So, I went to the grocery store right before work and bought a Meat, Cheese, & Crackers platter. Classy fingerfood... score. Next, I quickly grabbed an Apple Harvest Salad: baby lettuces, apple, chicken, cheese, and sunflower seeds. Yum! That way, if I rolled up to this potluck and there was nothing for me to eat, I wouldn't feel compelled to just give in and eat whatever was there. I feel like I played it pretty smart today. *pat on the back*

Lo, and behold! I arrived to the following: 3 dozen donuts (seriously!), cookies, enchiladas, lasagna, and slutty brownies (heaven-on-earth triple layers - brownie, oreos, chocolate chip cookies). I set out my little platter, stocked a little plate of salami & cheese and dug into my salad. I still ate with the rest of my team and socialized, chatted, and stuffed my face... I just did it on my own terms. I felt pretty powerful.

My teammates are all very supportive. I'd say 50% knows exactly what I'm doing in regards to changing my health and PCOS... and the other 50% thinks I'm extremely picky, healthy, and/or strange. Haha. But they accept it.

In fact! I got three of them to help me eat donuts and brownies vicariously through them. I would take a giant inhale of a particularly good looking Krispy Kreme to get all the deliciousness up my nostrils... and then I'd watch them take a big bite. OMG... if you've never done this... DO IT. I don't know if I'm crazy or if it's like a true scientific thing... but smelling it and then watching someone else eat it is REALLY CLOSE to eating it. I'm not joking! I'd even ask them to take a 2nd bite and go "mmmmmmmm" and then I'd make the same noise - and I swear I felt like I experienced the entire thing myself.

DON'T JUDGE ME!!!!

Today, I am in love with my teammates for supporting my journey, for not judging me, and for being such good-sport weirdos!!! hee hee... I consider this potluck a success because 1) I didn't give up when plans got derailed 2) I played it way smart 3) I found support from others and 4) I had fun! :)

Success, indeed.