Two Years

This is our two year blog anniversary! All told I have only gained nine pounds in those two years. Sigh. I was 224.4 today - or was it .6. I don't remember. Regardless - also in the past two years I have quit smoking and gotten in MUCH better shape. Of course, my knees and back now hurt - but that probably would have happened sooner had I not improved my diet. I HAVE improved my diet fairly dramatically too. Granted, prior to this I didn't eat horribly, but I didn't THINK about what I ate quite as much as I do now. So I still consider all of this blogging mostly successful.

I am scheduled to meet with the nutritionist tomorrow. I have been testing foods all week. I haven't had any dramatic reactions so far. Gluten made my colon vibrate - and this morning I woke up early with an upset stomach which could either have been the reaction to the spasming colon from the gluten or from the dairy I tested yesterday. I am not sure. I followed the elimination diet instructions - which were to test one new food a day - but I do which I had allowed for a day of rest in between (not in the instructions unless you are testing joint pain...) Also on the day I tested gluten I fell asleep at 10:15. I WOULD have gone to bed at 9:30 - but that was so unnaturally early I couldn't do it. Fatigue is one of the symptoms. But Katie and I also moved the lilac bush that day. It was hard work, but not ridiculously hard. I have done much harder work and not collapsed by 9:30! So - it looks like we have a winner! Gluten. Sigh. I still have wheat to test - which may be redundant considering gluten already failed the test - but I want to see if I have a stronger reaction to wheat. I haven't had any reflux with any of the foods I have tested so far - and reflux is certainly the most immediately noticeable reaction I have to foods - but then, reflux USUALLY is brought on by wheat based foods. I can't check the wheat today since I am still upset from the dairy/gluten test. Maybe I will be able to check it later today.

I am off today waiting for the inspector to arrive to check the holes dug by the deck guy yesterday. Then hopefully the deck guy will also come by and get something accomplished. I am having so much fun "furnishing" my new deck. I have a glider (which I can also get as a swing - but it cost twice as much) picked out...

Mission Glider

I am trying to decide between a few different fireplaces - Fireplace #1 or Fireplace #2 or
Fireplace #3

I am now kind of glad that the deck is going up in early fall. When I had a balcony I sat out on it more in the fall and spring (and winter even!) than I did in the hot summer. My habit was to eat breakfast out there in the mornings. Of course - that was when I didn't have to be to work until 8:30am. Breakfast on my (soon to be) new deck would have to be practically in the middle of the night for me to still make it to work on time!!