Friday, January 6, 2012

Sugar Detox

Okay so I have an additional 6 pounds to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. In addition, I would like to lose an additional 7 pounds to put me at my ideal weight. So I'd like to lose 13 pounds in all. Coupled with the fact that after delivery and gestational diabetes, Christmas came around and I ate way too much sugar (my mil made 8 different batches of cookies), I've decided to try a sugar detox program. I've always known that I was sensitive to sugar but it really hit home this Halloween. While my friends and I were enjoying a pedicure, a bowl of candy corn was brought out. As I dove in for handfuls, some of my friends started making comments about how gross candy corn is. One of my friends said she could only eat one because they are so sickeningly sweet. The others nodded. I told them I could probably eat the entire bowl. That's when I started thinking about it. Chocolate, Peeps, sweethearts, ice cream, birthday cake, pie, jelly beans, etc. If it's got sugar in it, I'd eat it. So after Christmas, I decided it was time to try to detox from refined sugar and simple carbs. I started reading, "The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program" by Kathleen DesMaisons after it got rave reviews on Amazon. I officially went off overt sugar and all white foods December 27. I'm curious to see how detoxing from sugar will effect my body and mood. I've lost weight already and can tell my stomach looks flatter. I've had a bit more energy, which is a real plus since I'm having to take care of two little girls now. No headaches, and no major bouts of palpitations. Just a little depressed every evening after dinner since I miss having dessert. I hope to go 3 months strong without eating any sugar. After that, I have to watch my sugar addiction for another 6 months before I might be able to eat a cookie without wanting another dozen. My overall goal is not to go off sugar forever, but just to be able to get to a place where I can eat a handful of M&Ms without feeling like I need more. Wish me luck.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Delivery Room

My beautiful and healthy (praise God) daughter was born November 17, 2011. We are all doing extremely well. A bit sleep deprived, but adjusting well to a family of four. My older daughter is in love with her new baby sister and has been a great helper. Labor was a bit more difficult than with my first as I labored a lot longer without an epidural. After experiencing intense contractions 3-5 minutes apart for over 8 hours, it was time the anesthesiologist came in. As he started prepping me, he started asking me the standard questions, such as have I ever had heart disease, etc. Seldom do doctors ask about heart arrhythmia per say so I went ahead and started filling him in. While groaning through contractions, I spoke of PVCs, and of bigeminy, of my cousin and possible Long QT in our family. I mumbled stuff about tachycardia and fibrillation. That's when the anesthesiologist looked up from his paper he was taking notes on and asked "Are you a nurse?" I asked why he thought I was one and he told me that the terms I was throwing out made it seem like I had a medical background. Ha! Nope, I've just experienced these little buggers for so long, and I have wanted to educated myself about my heart. I actually took it as a great compliment. You always hear that you have to be your biggest health advocate and the fact that I was able to convey my medical history (even in great pain) made me proud. The epidural took and less than 2 hours later and a few pushes, my daughter was out. Recovery has been relatively easy, and post partum I haven't experienced too many premature ventricular contractions - medical jargon for "the dance". I bet the anesthesiologist would have even gotten a greater kick out of it if he had known I blog about the subject.