I suppose it’s been a bit since I’ve written anything.  I want to say I’ve been busy, but that wouldn’t necessarily be true. 

Work…but who wants to talk about that!  We had my brother and sister-in law and 2 nephews here last week.  Huge change having a house full of people compared to just the two of us.  It was really nice to have family around.  Really makes me wish we lived closer to everyone.  I would be okay with people popping by all the time. 

Okay so now this whole life style change thing.  I feel like a complete mess!!!!  So I was breaking out in this hot rash ordeal.  Went through all sorts of tests – note I still haven’t gotten results back from last week!  But I was told that it wasn’t a rash that it was flushing.  So okay, what the heck is  causing this flushing?  Hasn’t really happened the last week.  It’s like I can feel it coming on but it doesn’t go full blown.  But they are positive it’s not an allergy of any kind (it’s not a raised rash…)  My only guesses are that it’s some sort of emotional reaction (stress/anxiety?).  Or it’s hormonal.  But the way the drs are with the tests….the world may never know.  I did have the allergist tell me that it may just go away or you may just need to take benedryl whenever it happens. Oh, okay…let’s not try to figure out why or anything….I’ll just accept that and carry on.  Why not.  (I really dislike drs.)

Okay cool.  So supposedly I’m not allergic to anything.  Well my gut will tell you that something is not making me happy.  I’ve cut down on nuts (pretty much eliminated them).  I swear when this is all said and done I’m going to be down to eating 5 things if I’m lucky.  I may not be allergic per se, but my body and digestive system do not like cashews, peppers, onions and cooked tomatoes (raw ones seem to be okay).  Fantastic.  I’ve read all sorts of things on what could cause this.  Overly fatty diet, which other than the nuts, I’ve stuck to lean everything.  So I don’t know that that’s it. 

I mean for the last (almost) 2 months I have not strayed, eaten anything I wasn’t supposed to. I’ve stuck to this thing to the letter. Not one slip up! (even when I made the minion cup cakes and all the other crap I cook for other people)  I have been a bit frustrated with the lack of weigh loss since month one.  I threw the scale this morning.  Made sure it was broken so I don’t have to worry about that factor any more!  I’m pretty much committed to the tape measure at this point.  Now I know it could be a number of factors.  And the scale weight is just a measurement of the mass of your body at that given time.  It  doesn’t tell the whole story.  Which I get, but I’m not exercising like I think I should be.  This is where I’ve slacked off.  But because I have such a struggle with food, I’m really not worried about extending the stages a bit until I feel like I have this food thing under control.  Then I can work on the strength.  I have just been so pre-occupied with not  falling off the wagon and giving into temptations that I’ve put phase 2 on the back burner for a few weeks. (and hoping my gut and flushing spells will work themselves out so I can move on).

I was sleeping really good and then this last week not so much.  I think I’m stressing over all this physical stuff.  I need to stop being so intense about everything and just go with it.  I really have no reason what so ever to be stressed about anything right now.  So not sure what my problem is.  I mean wow…stressing over not having to be stressed?  Drama queen much?

So last week I had a bout of breakouts.  At first I thought it was cashews because all signs pointed to the dreaded cashew.  I was heartbroken.  Then I cut them out and I still broke out.  So I went and had a blood test that came back with “yes you are having an allergic reaction” (well no shit.  I didn’t need a bloodtest to tell me that).  So then they ran a test for all food allergies (nuts, dairy, wheat, shellfish etc) and the regional grasses and pollens.  Nada!  So I’m officially not allergic to anything.

Well as for this week, I have not broken out yet.  I think I’m just going to keep an eye on it and if it happens again then I suppose I get to start the long process of what the heck is causing this!

Okay I mean I kinda knew in the back of my mind that it couldn’t be food.  I mean for the past month and a half I’ve been eating about as healthy as I have been (notice I didn’t say as you can get!)  No processed anything, no dairy, no sugar, no grains, NOTHING!  And the fact that I write everything that goes in my mouth down, it was pretty easy to figure out. (okay except for the jump on the fictitious cashew allergy that I totally panicked over.  I think I almost wanted it to be that so it was cut and dry and nothing crazy.)

So outside of that little tidbit of drama.  All is going well. Except for my husband walking into the house with Wendy’s this evening….I proceeded to chase him down the stairs and spray the house with air freshener to remove the smell of bacon cheeseburger and fries.  I mean honestly!

I have started doing the regular exercise of the world.  I forgot that I missed it.  I had a bit of trouble last week getting started, but am back on track this week.  I can’t believe how weak and out of shape I got in a month!

So it’s been a week since I lost my best friend and the best freakin dog ever. Certain things are just not the same around here. I’m sure time will heal that, but it just really sucks ass. Friskey (the cat) is taking this hard as well. They had a “Garfield/Odie” type relationship. Friskey is sitting in her spot a lot and has pretty much been following me around like glue.

So the lifestyle change update. REBOOT!!!!! Hit my 30 days and and now on Stage 2. Down 17 pounds and 10 inches since June 16th. I’m keeping on the same eating program….not adding anything back in yet. I can add dairy, but I really don’t miss it and wasn’t really a huge dairy fan to begin with. (Ice cream and I never got along). But I cut out the nightshade vegetables which really isn’t a huge thing since I don’t eat them anyway. So I am just going to keep doing what I’m doing. Need to really make sure I get this exercise thing going. I know it would be best to do this first thing in the morning. But I’m having a heck of a time getting my butt out of bed.

Now for the exciting news of the week. (ha!) So on Tuesday at work I break out in a rash. Of course my first thought is I’m allergic to something. So I’m thinking cashews since they have given me problems before. Then Wednesday at the same time the same thing. But I didn’t have any cashews. Thursday no rash at all. Today rash. Went to the lab today to have blood drawn to see what might be going on. Guess I’ll see what happens this weekend at home. If nothing happens then it’s something at work. If it happens at home it’s more. I’ve eliminated that it could be any food so who knows.

I really need to post more often.  Not much has happened in the last week. I’m coming up on the last week of my 30 days.  I made a grave mistake and got my scale out.  Good news I have lost weight along with feeling much better.  But I’ve now started to obsess again.  Now other things that I have to get back on track with….I really need to watch my nut intake.  Seems if I eat too many of them my body is not liking it at all!  It’s like my body knows.  But I have found that I’ve slowly started to compensate by using nuts.  So I’ve banned them for a few days until I can get a grip on this.  It’s so hard having an addicting personality!

I really need to start exercising.  I actually miss it.  (did I just say that?)  I mean we are still doing our hikes on Saturday, but they are getting hard since I haven’t been running like I was.  So, I think this weekend I’m throwing the scale away and start back on my running again.  Another big thing I have to get back to is making sure I don’t skip meals.  I have a tendency that if I can’t have what I want to eat I don’t eat at all.  Not good.

Now on another note.  I was introduced to the world of Eurovision.  Talk about starting to become obsessed.  I am going to watch the last few years…figure out who I like and who just sucks.  Speaking of just sucks.  This Cezar guy.  Dude….I really don’t know what to think of him.  He’s awful, but totally intriguing….it’s like a train wreck…you just have to watch and keep listening.  I’ve gone to the dark side!!!!!

I haven’t written in a few days.  All is still well.  Really starting to get used to the eating patterns.  And I found the wonders of Kale Chips!  OMG…who knew!  So needless to say this weekend I will be going out and getting a food dehydrator and sticking every bit of food in there to see what happens.  SNACKS! SNACKS! SNACKS!

Nothing really outstanding going on anywhere.  Did the cleaning thing on Saturday.  Trying to get everything organized for some reason.  I’ve been getting these spurts of energy.  okay whatever.

Now I have like 14 more days of phase 1 and then to phase 2.  I think I’m going to stay a little strict for maybe another month.  I want to get down to a certain size before I start adding other things in.  I really need to get my shtuff together and get back to reading and everything.

There is so much social media and games and TV shows and movies and hiking and out door things to do…just not enough time in the day.  And if you are like me I have to schedule everything…LISTS! LISTS! LISTS!

I did get my nails done on Saturday after a year.  I have to say I did feel much better afterwards.  I have to remember to do something like that every so often to make me feel good.  I also threw away clothes on Saturday.  Anything that was too big…gone!  I am going to do it again at the 30 day mark.  I have to let things go!  It is weird though.  It’s like I sometimes don’t believe that certain things fit now, and that I’m going to wake up and they won’t fit again.  Like I’m waiting for it to not be real. 

Well tomorrow is the first Friday of the week (I am working on the actual Friday). We’ll see how the day goes.  I have to come up with a plan…you know if I don’t have a plan and a list….

I have managed to conquer the Friday meet after work for beer event.  I had iced tea, and not even all of it because I swear there was something other than tea in it.  I don’t know maybe it’s the caffeine.  But obstacle diverted! 

I did forget to eat lunch today.  I’ve noticed I’ve been doing that a lot lately.  Not good.  I really need to work on this!  I think next week I’m going to try to get more elaborate with my salads.  I really need to change it up coming up on the half way point of this first 30 days.  I think this weekend I’m going to see if  I can’t find some new recipes.  I’ve been keeping it basic up to this point, and really need to branch out a bit!  Just because I’m not eating certain things doesn’t mean what I do eat shouldn’t taste good!

Today is the first day I feel like I am getting a little bit of zing back in my step!  I mean I still have that “I want to go to bed” feeling.  But I did get quite a bit accomplished and my body doesn’t feel like it’s been through a wringer today!  OMG the last week was just brutal!

I also don’t feel like people have been getting on my nerves as much.  Don’t get me wrong, I have faith that people will always get on my nerves (at least the ignorant stupid ones). 

Now for the update on the clothes and other wearable items.  Rings are much looser!  Very excited about that.  And my clothes overall are getting looser.  That pair of pants I had that were borderline, yeah can’t really get away with them although they do zip up, fit like they are supposed to now.  so that’s pretty exciting.

I’m very excited for dinner this evening.  Beef Tenderloin and green beans and potatoes.  I will not be partaking in the potato portion of today’s meal.  But I’m really okay with that.  Potatoes are kind of a gateway food for me.  So I have pretty much come to the conclusion that I will not be partaking in the potato any longer.  Kind of like sugar.  I don’t think I’ll go back to sugar.  And dairy.  I’m really okay with not having any dairy.  Probably the bread thing too.  See I have an issue with bread…and most wheat products come to think of it.  See on more than one occasion I have bitten into a piece of bread/roll/wheat thin to find mealworms wiggling around in my food.  Now I realize in some countries that would be considered quite a luxury and I should feel fortunate for them being there.  But I prefer not to eat moving insects.  So as it was I would inspect the hell out of a grain before I would eat it, and just be freaked out with every bite.  So why go through that stress!

Then there’s corn products.  I mean does corn even have any nutritional value to it?  Why bother. I don’t like corn anyway.  Of course I do like corn chips and tortillas…but could totally do without them…(chips…gateway food! need to stay away!

Now the thing I really really want these days is an apple.  I so miss my apples and peanutbutter.  The first thing I want to add back in is apples!!!!!!