And not in a good way. My weight was up FIVE and a half pounds since last week. AND - last week it should have been inflated because my period started that day. This just isn't right. OK - even if last week was an unnatural low - and today is an unnatural high I still want to know how I gained FIVE POUNDS in a week!?
It could be five pounds of post nasal drip - but I don't think it is. I have been dealing with allergies - but that is mostly an extreme headache (possibly a migraine and not allergies) and fatigue. I haven't been excessive with my exercise - but I have also been not that bad... Every other day if not daily. I had eaten virtually no Easter candy - until just this past weekend. OTOH, I ate almost no protein this weekend either. I have been Green Monstering every day, so I haven't been completely devoid of nutrients.
This past Friday I had another weird dizzy episode like I did back in February. This time I was at work in the middle of the day and started feeling dizzy. It is more vertigo than lightheadedness - but at the same time I don't really feel like I am going to fall down. It is more like I am stable, but the world is moving around me. Anyway - that lasted from about 1:15 to 5:30. I went home at about 2:30 because it came with an urgent need to sleep. I do know that my body will gain weight in reaction to pretty much any stress. It is very possible that THAT alone made me gain weight. I continued to feel bad off and on all weekend. I STILL feel like I can't get enough sleep and my head is being pressed in a too small headshaped steel mold. Yesterday Suzanne told me I looked unnaturally pale - even for my normal paleness. Anyway - so today I went back to my doctor for a follow-up anemeia, vitamin D blood test.
Sigh... The worst part is that when I have these weight spikes, they don't go away. I will never drop those extra five pounds.
8 comments:
Did you mention the dizziness to your doctor? Could be something simple like the allergies causing fluid to back up in your inner ear, leading to dizziness, headache, etc. But remember that mom had that really bad vertigo at one point too. I think that's what they first thought was caused by a reaction to too much niacin/vitmain B3, but later decided wasn't the case. I can't remember where they landed on that one.
The best and easiest source of vitamin D is Mr. Sunshine. NIH wrote a report that says even if you get 5-30 minutes of sun two days a week between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. that should give you enough. I certainly make an attempt to get sun daily (when it's out around here). No sunscreen or sunglasses for a few minutes. Soak up the sun and you shouldn't have any vitD issues.
Also, just so you don't feel alone in this weight gain -- last week was a long one and I wasn't as aggressive on my exercise or food -- I had two dinner parties and friends in town. I put on some pants last night that weren't tight at my fattest and they were *tight*. Oddly, I put on a shirt today that has been big recently and It was hard to button the sleeves. My wrists don't appear swollen but maybe I'm in a serious water-retention mode. It's very strange and a bit disheartening. I'm heading back to the gym tonight and will go the rest of this week (my plan before putting on my clothes). But just very strange.
Using the sun to get your vitamin D doesn't always work so well. I was shocked to find that my vitamin D was low when I had it tested a few weeks back. I had always figured that I was outside enough (and without sunscreen, which I never wear unless I'll be out longer than an hour; partly this is because I'm lazy but also because I knew that wearing it doesn't let you take in vitamin D from the sun) to keep my D levels up, but after my low reading I did some research and found out that if you live north of Atlanta you can't ever get enough vitamin D from the sun in the winter months, and that even in the summer months you have to be careful. It's not enough to be outside for 20 minutes at the beginning and end of the work day. Sun exposure has to be midday (between 10 and 2--those hours they told us not to be outside when we were young) and you have to have a lot of skin exposed--shorts and tank top are recommended. In those circumstances, you can get plenty of vitamin D in 10 to 30 minutes (depending on how dark your skin is), but outside of that, it's best to get a supplement if you've tested low in the past or are at all concerned.
I didn't actually see the doctor today. She had me on a prescrpition vitamin D pill again - and asked me to come back in 90 days to retest my blood. I figured when she calls me with the results I would mention it. It is very likely that it is allergies. I have been thinking the same thing. OTOH - I just finished my period, which I hear also makes pre-menopausal women have dizziness. I don't know. I am not super worried about it except that I want to do nothing but sleep - and get fat apparently.8-)
I know what you mean about disheartening, Vicki, I just bought two new beautiful pairs of shoes from Zappos. In both cases I was like the wicked stepsister in Cinderella - I could barely get my big toe in. Of course, I held them right next to my previous pair of shoes - same brand, same size, and they were a good inch smaller all around. So maybe they just changed the sizing. It was insult to injury though. 8-(
I read a yahoo story just recently about the sun and vitamin D. It said basically the same thing - the "advantage" of being in the sun is so minimal that it isn't worth it to risk the disadvantages of cancer and badly aged skin. So to ALWAY slather on your sun screen - even if it is for a short excursion.
I am back to thinking this is all a migraine. I feel much better when I close one or two eyes - and my vision is very wonky today. I also can't concentrate.
Kirsten always had great vitamin D levels when she was at home despite absolutely zero sun exposure -- she loved milk so much that she got plenty in her diet, or at least that was their theory. So the sun is obviously not the whole secret.
Well this thread just goes to show that there's all kinds of research out there. The whole "north of Atlanta" issue has been, supposedly, tested around the world and debunked. That people in northern latitudes do get benefits. I think pollution is probably the biggest issue.
There also have been studies that show your skin needs the sun to *avoid* skin cancer. So we can go on and on about it. Food should supply plenty of vitD -- I eat plenty of veggies etc -- but I personally also like the sunshine.
Post a Comment