Blogland never ceases to amaze me. I bare my soul here. In real life, people don't want to touch that with a ten foot pole, it seems. TMI, they claim. But here, the more I bare, the more I'm loved. It seems that's how it "should" work. If I'm baring my soul to you in real life it's because I think 1) you can handle it, 2) you act like you like me, 3) I have the need to do so for whatever reason - and I rarely choose to do so, and 4) it's probably because "you" have with "me", too! But, it rarely works out. I'm judged, or I'm condemned, or I'm whatevered and baring my soul usually means I get hurt.
I hate that I'm in a realm where I need to bare my soul. And trust me when I say there's still a ton I'm keeping in. I know Husby doesn't really want to know what I think right now - and I don't blame him. But on the off chance that he decided to come here and read what I think to protect himself from a cryfest that would happen if he actually asked me, well, I'm keeping quite a lot to myself so that he can't read it, either. If he really wants to know - and I know in what cases he might decide he does - then he can ask me. But I hate to think of getting to the point that he wants to know. He'd either be asking me because 1) this is all behind us and he can or 2) because this is not going to end well. So...let us continue to pray for only #1!
So what's up with me today?
Lots of stuff. I want to talk about the band. I want to talk about non-weightloss while fat. I want to talk about baby making. I want to talk about life. But I don't ever seem to cover all that I feel I want to cover.
I read a blog today by Kagead. It was pretty interesting. It got me thinking about my own place right here, right now. I have a band. I've had it for 2 years and 2 months and a few days. I lost 41 pounds with it and I lost 70 pounds overall since starting my journey back in 2009. But right here, right now, I'm gaining. I'm up 49 from my pre-pregnancy low which means I've gained back all that I lost with the band as well as some of the pre-surgery, too. And I have no interest in losing right now because Husby and I, in spite of all that is going on, are still going to try and get pregnant this month.
Tangent: I use fertilityfriend.com to track BBT. That's basal body temperature, if you aren't aware. I take my temp first thing in the morning at generally the same time each day. I tell this program my daily temp and how I feel that day. And it tells me when I've ovulated. It's something that it tells you after the fact. But this program also "grades" you on how well you timed your marital activities during your window. In the two times that we got "A's", we got pregnant. One was the miscarriage. The other was the twins. In all other times, we got "C's". If we know anything about my cycle and we use it even remotely right this month, well, we're 2 for 2. So...can we make it 3 for 3?
It's so amazing how WRONG sex-ed is! What I thought I knew all along was so not right and it is because of BBT and learning MY OWN body that I figured out what we needed to be doing. I'm sure we woulda gotten pregnant eventually using what we knew from sex ed. But it's so much more of an efficient process when you understand the bodies involved!
And learning BBT and tracking it for myself even helped with weightloss! I lose weight better in the luteal phase, when progesterone dominates. In the follicular phase, I pretty much just hold steady. But seriously, when my BBT jumps, as it does when you ovulate, it's like a weightloss switch gets tripped, too! Practically taught me how to truly time my "heavy duty" workouts! Make 'em more meaningful.
Anywho, tangent complete.
So I'm not trying to lose. I had an appt yesterday with my GI about all my issues with the endometriosis. And he had to legally tell me at the end, as my weight was up from the last visit with him, that I am fat. He knows I am not doing anything right now with that info. He knows I have the tools to do so and that I was successful with the band before pregnancy. He knows. He had to laugh at "having to legally tell me" because he knows it's meaningless info right now. But he also has to legally report to the state, to the feds and to my insurance company that I "am a fat person who is gaining weight".
Damn Gina!
Yes. I need to literally hurry up and get done having kids. Getting done with the baby making days will 1) allow me to lose weight for good and 2) get past the pain of endometriosis.
We are not having more kids this quickly to suit either of those notions. We actually want them to be close in age. It was the plan all along.
But it's so weird to be considered a failure right now. I know I'm not. My GI knows I'm not. My ob/gyn doesn't even bring it up even though "legally", yes, he is supposed to. But we all know I am in this kind of in between phase.
I can sit here all day long and tell newbies about life with the band. But it seems meaningless from me, right now, because I'm a fat person gaining weight. Yet I'd choose this device again any day in a heart beat. I know that it works. I know that it works well for me. I know that quite a few of the cases I hear of it not working are not actually because of problems with the band but because someone doesn't want to do the work. And I KNOW how hard it is to do the work. All the time. In the gym, in the kitchen, on the grill, in the pool. It is work. It is a commitment.
I know how easy it is to lose the commitment. I know how hard it is to get back to being committed.
I know what skinny feels like now. No, at 194 and 5'7", I was not skinny. I was a size 16 or XL in pants. I was a 12 or large in blouses. But I know what I felt like at that size in those clothes. I felt GOOD. I was on the verge of 14 in pants and 10 in blouses. I want that back. For GOOD.
I also know what pregnant felt like. Odds are, another pregnancy won't feel the same. Odds are I'll have new issues and new sensations. But I know that turning weightloss off for the pregnancy was HARD. Letting myself eat "that much" was a serious trick for my mind to pull off. I struggled with "eating enough" in the beginning. I was losing weight too fast with twins because I simply no longer new how to eat "that much".
I want twins again. I want to not gain as much with the next pregnancy as I did with the last. I want to not have a flap of belly skin hanging off my large belly. I want to lose weight and deal with that flap. No plastic surgeon would help me right now. And I GOTTA do something about that.
So, believe it or not, I don't consider myself a failure. I still consider myself a success. Because no, I have not given up. I said all along, from the get-go, way back when in September 2009 when I started this whole journey that I liked the band because it was a good option for me given that we still planned on having kids. And I knew that pregnancy was going to play tricks on the weight. I knew that there'd be this span in between pregnancies where I wanted it different but there wouldn't be enough time to do something about it. Sadly, I took that notion, the not enough time given that we want the pregnancies so close together - and let that mean "anything goes" - and that's so very wrong. But it taught me a lot! It taught me how easy it is to lose track! But here I am, exactly where I predicted. And, as I've always predicted - I'm going to lose this weight. For once and for all. When the pregnancies are done. In the end, I am the one that will have done all the work. The notion that the lap-band is the tool that "lets" you lose weight is just wrong. It's so wrong it's beyond wrong. The lap-band does no such thing. The PERSON does it all! The band is a reminder. Look at the successes. Those who've lost it all and maintained for awhile. THEY did it. They work out, they eat right 99% of the time, THEY do the work. The band is a simple reminder. It does not matter how filled it is. Even empty, it's a reminder. I'm always aware that it's there. I have next to nothing in it right now and I had nothing in it for the entire pregnancy with the boys. I still felt the food go down. People get it removed - and still feel like it's there - because scar tissue is built up. The band is always a reminder. The brain just has to adjust!
So that's what I think. Hurry up and wait. Isn't that life?
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
06/11/2012: Accounting 102
Last week completed week 2 of my month long endeavor to not eat out. How'd we do?
Well...some might consider me a failure. I can see that argument. I, however, feel like I did "a'ight". I am actually pleased with the results!
Yes, we ate out.
So how can I be pleased with the results? Because it was mostly controlled and on purpose. It has moved past the compulsion that it was just a mere three weeks ago.
Here's the week.
Monday - ate out for dinner. BBQ. Got it on the way home. We were both just H.U.N.G.R.Y. for ribs from a local joint that does 'em best on Mondays for whatever reason. Monday was a weak spot - but it was not a compulsion, if that makes sense. We were both fine with saying no. It truly felt like a choice.
Tuesday - ate "at home", which means we either ate food from home at home or ate food from home at our designated appropriate places to be during the day (i.e. work).
Wednesday - ate "at home".
Thursday - ate "at home".
Friday. Ate breakfast and lunch "at home" and dinner we picked up. This was probably the one meal I would say really truly was more of a compulsion than a plan. I picked up Husby from work and declared I wanted sushi. 'Cause I did. We hemmed and hawed. We agreed we needed to get the boys and feed them and that it wasn't worth it to go back out for sushi. And getting sushi to take it home isn't worth it, either. Sushi is one of those we can't make it at home in the same way, so it is truly an 'eat out food'. Yes, I could make sushi. But I cannot make it as fresh and I cannot create the same variety for the same cost effectiveness. We always get a shrimp/crab combo as well as a smoked salmon, a salmon, and probably a tuna. I can't do all that at home without having a lot of waste. Well...we decided sushi would fit the schedule better on Saturday for lunch while we were out and about running errands and getting cars washed and generally taking care of stuff.
Sounds reasonable, right? Yeah. Until we decided to "get something else". We had tri-tip steaks marinating at home and we opted for something else anyway. Something we could take home. A definite weak spot. Yes. We should have just said no. After going through all that and talking ourselves out of sushi until a more reasonable and appropriate time, we should have said no and eaten at home. But we got take out Hooters instead. Yes, I do like Hooters and yes, I do think their chicken is good.
Irony is - we never did get the sushi.
Saturday - ate "at home" for breakfast. When we got up, we realized our out and about wasn't happening. Husby had plans with a neighbor to go golfing. So no errand running until late in the afternoon - and ultimately, we opted out of it saving it all for next weekend as nothing was pressing. But because of the no out and about thing, that shelved sushi. Good for us, eh? We cooked up those still marinating tri-tip steaks Saturday for dinner. But lunch, yeah, another weak spot. Excuses excuses but the end result was Taco Bell (a taco salad for me, yum!) that Husby brought home with him after his golfing excursion. I will say, in my one line of defense, the babies were in fine form Saturday as they are in full on teething mode right now and I had nary a second to myself that entire day. There was no way I woulda been able to conjure up myself a lunch while Husby was gone. But yes, he coulda conjured for us both once he got home. Taco Bell was our compromise for no sushi. Yikes - poor trade!
Sunday - ate "at home" as planned and ate out for dinner - as planned. Yesterday was one of our best friends' birthday and she opted for a group gathering at the original Carrabba's. The original Carrabba's is still owned by the family and is NOT part of the chain you might know. The menus have a few similarities but, by far, they are incredibly different. And I chose pretty well - grilled shrimp and scallops with a side of pasta. Funniest thing ever - we ordered an appetizer for the table - a goat cheese and marinara brusccheta that is beyond amazing. And eating my 1 1/2 slices of that, I was full by the time dinner came. Gotta love that time of the month!
So there's my week. In general, it was ok. More days than not were good. Monday truly felt like an ok decision, we wore the decision and not vice versa. But the Friday/Saturday sushi/no-sushi thing - the decision wore us, that time. I consider it the one blip for the week.
At the end of the day, last week, we finished with more money in the bank than we normally do - and that's a good thing. Something busted with our pool equipment over the weekend and having that extra money in the bank meant we could fix that component without touching savings. So, already, a benefit.
If I did a calorie count for the week I'm pretty sure I'd be in my ballpark of 8400 for the week which means I'm getting my gaining issues back under control. As I said a few times last week, I'm not into the weightloss aspect right now. I just want to not be gaining. If I lose, great. But I absolutely have to stop gaining!
So there's my accountability for week two of my endeavor to not eat out. Definitely coulda been better. But it's a hell of a lot better than it was!
Well...some might consider me a failure. I can see that argument. I, however, feel like I did "a'ight". I am actually pleased with the results!
Yes, we ate out.
So how can I be pleased with the results? Because it was mostly controlled and on purpose. It has moved past the compulsion that it was just a mere three weeks ago.
Here's the week.
Monday - ate out for dinner. BBQ. Got it on the way home. We were both just H.U.N.G.R.Y. for ribs from a local joint that does 'em best on Mondays for whatever reason. Monday was a weak spot - but it was not a compulsion, if that makes sense. We were both fine with saying no. It truly felt like a choice.
Tuesday - ate "at home", which means we either ate food from home at home or ate food from home at our designated appropriate places to be during the day (i.e. work).
Wednesday - ate "at home".
Thursday - ate "at home".
Friday. Ate breakfast and lunch "at home" and dinner we picked up. This was probably the one meal I would say really truly was more of a compulsion than a plan. I picked up Husby from work and declared I wanted sushi. 'Cause I did. We hemmed and hawed. We agreed we needed to get the boys and feed them and that it wasn't worth it to go back out for sushi. And getting sushi to take it home isn't worth it, either. Sushi is one of those we can't make it at home in the same way, so it is truly an 'eat out food'. Yes, I could make sushi. But I cannot make it as fresh and I cannot create the same variety for the same cost effectiveness. We always get a shrimp/crab combo as well as a smoked salmon, a salmon, and probably a tuna. I can't do all that at home without having a lot of waste. Well...we decided sushi would fit the schedule better on Saturday for lunch while we were out and about running errands and getting cars washed and generally taking care of stuff.
Sounds reasonable, right? Yeah. Until we decided to "get something else". We had tri-tip steaks marinating at home and we opted for something else anyway. Something we could take home. A definite weak spot. Yes. We should have just said no. After going through all that and talking ourselves out of sushi until a more reasonable and appropriate time, we should have said no and eaten at home. But we got take out Hooters instead. Yes, I do like Hooters and yes, I do think their chicken is good.
Irony is - we never did get the sushi.
Saturday - ate "at home" for breakfast. When we got up, we realized our out and about wasn't happening. Husby had plans with a neighbor to go golfing. So no errand running until late in the afternoon - and ultimately, we opted out of it saving it all for next weekend as nothing was pressing. But because of the no out and about thing, that shelved sushi. Good for us, eh? We cooked up those still marinating tri-tip steaks Saturday for dinner. But lunch, yeah, another weak spot. Excuses excuses but the end result was Taco Bell (a taco salad for me, yum!) that Husby brought home with him after his golfing excursion. I will say, in my one line of defense, the babies were in fine form Saturday as they are in full on teething mode right now and I had nary a second to myself that entire day. There was no way I woulda been able to conjure up myself a lunch while Husby was gone. But yes, he coulda conjured for us both once he got home. Taco Bell was our compromise for no sushi. Yikes - poor trade!
Sunday - ate "at home" as planned and ate out for dinner - as planned. Yesterday was one of our best friends' birthday and she opted for a group gathering at the original Carrabba's. The original Carrabba's is still owned by the family and is NOT part of the chain you might know. The menus have a few similarities but, by far, they are incredibly different. And I chose pretty well - grilled shrimp and scallops with a side of pasta. Funniest thing ever - we ordered an appetizer for the table - a goat cheese and marinara brusccheta that is beyond amazing. And eating my 1 1/2 slices of that, I was full by the time dinner came. Gotta love that time of the month!
So there's my week. In general, it was ok. More days than not were good. Monday truly felt like an ok decision, we wore the decision and not vice versa. But the Friday/Saturday sushi/no-sushi thing - the decision wore us, that time. I consider it the one blip for the week.
At the end of the day, last week, we finished with more money in the bank than we normally do - and that's a good thing. Something busted with our pool equipment over the weekend and having that extra money in the bank meant we could fix that component without touching savings. So, already, a benefit.
If I did a calorie count for the week I'm pretty sure I'd be in my ballpark of 8400 for the week which means I'm getting my gaining issues back under control. As I said a few times last week, I'm not into the weightloss aspect right now. I just want to not be gaining. If I lose, great. But I absolutely have to stop gaining!
So there's my accountability for week two of my endeavor to not eat out. Definitely coulda been better. But it's a hell of a lot better than it was!
Friday, June 8, 2012
06/08/2012: I bet you want to know
I'm going to change gears today. No weightloss, or non-weightloss. No cancer. No why. Nope. This is gonna be all baby.
I bet you want to know what the hardest part of having twins is. When I was pregnant, people would bless me all the time. As if this is a curse. I would say thank you. And then I would add "I have already been blessed more than you'll ever know!"
Twins are amazing! Sure, maybe some things or times are harder than others because I have two to contend with. Sure, I don't yet know what I'm really in for - they aren't yet truly mobile and I know that's going to change A LOT for us. But I stand by Twins are amazing!
Do you want to know what the hardest part of having twins is? You ready for this?
Why choose, you might ask. I mean, sure. I'd really rather not. I mean, I choose both, obviously! Neither one is more important than the other. So why choose.
That's the hard part.
What do you do, say, when Green is ready for a new diaper and then wants to be fed but Blue is ready to just be fed. If you don't tend to Green's poopy diaper, he's going to have diaper rash. It's that kind of a diaper problem. And there is only one adult in the house. Yes, you have to choose Green's needs. And Blue does not understand that. He just knows he is hungry and you have a bottle.
I have figured out, of course, that if I take them both with me to the nursery, Blue is a little more tolerant of not having his needs met. But he still doesn't like that Green is getting the lion's share of the attention.
Here's another scenario. This one breaks my heart even more, when it happens, although it hasn't happened for quite awhile. When I was home on maternity leave, or even while recovering from the various surgical situations I faced earlier this year, I'd sit on the couch with them in Boppy pillows beside me when it was feeding time. It's the best way to feed them both a bottle at the same time. Green would fall asleep. Blue would be done eating and just be sitting there staring at me. At the time, they both had a thing about not wanting *me* to cuddle both of them at the same time. Anyone else could cuddle them together. But *me*, Mommy, I had to do one at a time. So Green would fall asleep. Blue would still be awake and not eating but wanting a nap. And cuddling him would be that extra little 1-2 that he needed to fall asleep. So I would pick up Blue to cuddle him. And Green would somehow know and wake up. The look Green would have as he realized his brother was being cuddled, but not him. It would break my heart. This happened equally between them both.
How do you choose?
Luckily - the cuddle thing isn't such an issue anymore. And nowadays they will let me cuddle them both together. And with me back at work, it isn't as often that there's only one adult in the house anyway.
But choosing. That's the hardest part of having twins. Because I choose them both. Every second of every day, I want and need them both equally as much in my life!
I think having twins is amazing. And we are REALLY starting to see why.
When I am holding Blue and Husby is holding Green and we pass by each other allowing Blue and Green to get a glimpse of each other - there is a smile that neither Husby or I can get those boys to give us.
Yes, Blue and Green smile at us. Yes, the smile exudes love. But the smiles they give each other...those smiles can't be gotten by anyone else besides "brother".
Blue and Green already have the ability to piss each other off, to frustrate each other, to make the other question what he's doing. Blue can just touch Green when Green is tired and not wanting to fall asleep and Green will instantly settle - and fall asleep. Green can know what Blue wants even when Blue doesn't. I can't tell you how many times I've seen Blue sitting on his playmat just a little fussy. It's obvious he's not happy with his toy selection but he doesn't know what to do about it. Green will hand Blue a toy - and it will make Blue's face light up and solve all his problems.
They are not even eight months old yet.
Do you know how awesome it is to watch this?
Yes, this can happen with siblings. But these two already know each other better than anyone else ever will. My greatest hope for them is that they are always close, that they maintain positivity in their relationship.
If choosing is the hardest thing I have to endure, I'll take it. Because I've learned work-arounds that save me from having to make a choice in the majority of the examples I've come across. I know having more kids isn't likely to make choosing easier. But I also know that their personalities make some of the choices for us all and I am going to do my damnedest to ensure they always know how important their siblings are and how much all of them mean to me! There is no choice!
I bet you want to know what the hardest part of having twins is. When I was pregnant, people would bless me all the time. As if this is a curse. I would say thank you. And then I would add "I have already been blessed more than you'll ever know!"
Twins are amazing! Sure, maybe some things or times are harder than others because I have two to contend with. Sure, I don't yet know what I'm really in for - they aren't yet truly mobile and I know that's going to change A LOT for us. But I stand by Twins are amazing!
Do you want to know what the hardest part of having twins is? You ready for this?
Choosing
Why choose, you might ask. I mean, sure. I'd really rather not. I mean, I choose both, obviously! Neither one is more important than the other. So why choose.
That's the hard part.
What do you do, say, when Green is ready for a new diaper and then wants to be fed but Blue is ready to just be fed. If you don't tend to Green's poopy diaper, he's going to have diaper rash. It's that kind of a diaper problem. And there is only one adult in the house. Yes, you have to choose Green's needs. And Blue does not understand that. He just knows he is hungry and you have a bottle.
I have figured out, of course, that if I take them both with me to the nursery, Blue is a little more tolerant of not having his needs met. But he still doesn't like that Green is getting the lion's share of the attention.
Here's another scenario. This one breaks my heart even more, when it happens, although it hasn't happened for quite awhile. When I was home on maternity leave, or even while recovering from the various surgical situations I faced earlier this year, I'd sit on the couch with them in Boppy pillows beside me when it was feeding time. It's the best way to feed them both a bottle at the same time. Green would fall asleep. Blue would be done eating and just be sitting there staring at me. At the time, they both had a thing about not wanting *me* to cuddle both of them at the same time. Anyone else could cuddle them together. But *me*, Mommy, I had to do one at a time. So Green would fall asleep. Blue would still be awake and not eating but wanting a nap. And cuddling him would be that extra little 1-2 that he needed to fall asleep. So I would pick up Blue to cuddle him. And Green would somehow know and wake up. The look Green would have as he realized his brother was being cuddled, but not him. It would break my heart. This happened equally between them both.
How do you choose?
Luckily - the cuddle thing isn't such an issue anymore. And nowadays they will let me cuddle them both together. And with me back at work, it isn't as often that there's only one adult in the house anyway.
But choosing. That's the hardest part of having twins. Because I choose them both. Every second of every day, I want and need them both equally as much in my life!
I think having twins is amazing. And we are REALLY starting to see why.
When I am holding Blue and Husby is holding Green and we pass by each other allowing Blue and Green to get a glimpse of each other - there is a smile that neither Husby or I can get those boys to give us.
Yes, Blue and Green smile at us. Yes, the smile exudes love. But the smiles they give each other...those smiles can't be gotten by anyone else besides "brother".
Blue and Green already have the ability to piss each other off, to frustrate each other, to make the other question what he's doing. Blue can just touch Green when Green is tired and not wanting to fall asleep and Green will instantly settle - and fall asleep. Green can know what Blue wants even when Blue doesn't. I can't tell you how many times I've seen Blue sitting on his playmat just a little fussy. It's obvious he's not happy with his toy selection but he doesn't know what to do about it. Green will hand Blue a toy - and it will make Blue's face light up and solve all his problems.
They are not even eight months old yet.
Do you know how awesome it is to watch this?
Yes, this can happen with siblings. But these two already know each other better than anyone else ever will. My greatest hope for them is that they are always close, that they maintain positivity in their relationship.
If choosing is the hardest thing I have to endure, I'll take it. Because I've learned work-arounds that save me from having to make a choice in the majority of the examples I've come across. I know having more kids isn't likely to make choosing easier. But I also know that their personalities make some of the choices for us all and I am going to do my damnedest to ensure they always know how important their siblings are and how much all of them mean to me! There is no choice!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
06/07/2012: Do you know "why"
After I wrote yesterday's blog, I started thinking about "why". I love that question. "Why". It is almost always one of the most invaluable questions. If I can get to the bottom of why, then I can truly understand something. Sometimes it's "what", sometimes it's "how". But even when it's what and how, it's usually also "why".
So "why" did I start making bad choices? I drove to pick up Husby at the end of my work day yesterday thinking about that. And quite a number of things jumped at me. And it really made me realize a lot.
One of the things I love so much about "why" is that it is never-ending. I rarely get to the real bottom of "why". There is always more to discover. I love discovery! I think that's why I love "why" so much. And yes, I was that kid that asked people incessantly "why".
In thinking of why, nearly every answer you can come up with can still have another "why" behind it.
Ahhh...discovery! Never ending.
Anywho.
So "Why".
Why soda, for example? I wasn't drinking that many or any during the pregnancy. Why did suddenly being not pregnant make me pick up soda again?
Ok. I can answer that. And the answer to this one is kind of a lot of answers to a lot of things in my life. Caffeine causes problems for pregnancies, especially when consumed in the normal manner of day-to-day stuff like most of us do. Not all. But most. In a normal day, right now, with soda consumption under control, I start the day with a big ol heaping cup of coffee. I probably have one more later in the morning. A cup of coffee is about 140 mgs of caffeine. So two is 280.
When you're pregnant *they* "recommend" you limit your caffeine intake to 200 mg or less.
So in my normal day, I have two cups of coffee worth 280 mgs of caffeine and probably one more caffeinated beverage in the evening worth between 40 and 100 mgs, depending on the soda or whether it's iced tea. So 133% to 200% of recommended intake while pregnant. And that's if I don't drink iced tea during the day - something I am known to do as it's not soda and I'm fine with not sweetening it.
I did run into problems with caffeine while pregnant. I did cut back, especially in the first trimester. In the first trimester, I had no desire for coffee. It made me sick. Even decaf. So coffee went out the window. And I was going strong with little soda from my weightloss journey. But I did drink tea when it sounded good. I puttered along just fine with my less than 200 mgs of caffeine until around about week 21. I had gone to Austin for a baby shower and did not have easy access to water I liked the taste of. We were staying out in the country where running to the grocery store for what I would drink copiously was not an option (literally a 40 mile drive). By the end of the weekend, I was a smidge dehydrated. On the way back to Houston, we did stop and get me that water that I would drink without saying yuck. I started drinking copiously. Thinking nothing of it, the next day I went to work. Went out to lunch with friends and drank iced tea for lunch, not thinking of the caffeine because it was still much less than my 200 mg recommended limit. Iced tea has about 70 mgs in a 12oz cup. Being still dehydrated, I drank probably three glasses.
Tea does not solve dehydration. But add in a bit much of caffeine to that dehydration and it turned into a recipe for disaster. That night I started having contractions.
And that is why they recommend you limit caffeine while pregnant. It is known to cause premature labor. It was Wednesday before I finally called the doc as, at the time, I did not know those were contractions. And that was what landed me on bedrest. Premature labor at 21 weeks with twins was way too risky.
So. Then I did say no caffeine. If it wasn't water, I wasn't drinking it. I wasn't a zealot about it, I didn't eliminate it entirely. But in any given day, I wasn't consuming any. It was a random sip here or there of iced tea. Towards the end of the pregnancy I was allowing myself a glass here or there, say at a neighbors house for dinner. But from that point on....soda was OUT. Completely. My one source of caffeine that continued was chocolate. Dark chocolate to be exact. I ate 3-4 Hershey dark chocolate kisses each evening.
But there it is. When I was suddenly not pregnant any longer...then I could.
I am the girl who got out of the Navy and shaved her head because I could. In the Navy, when I was in, anyway, women had a minimum length of hair they had to maintain. Men had a max, women had a min. I had to have hair because I was a woman. This was an issue when my ship was deployed the the Persian Gulf. Because GQ was a way of life in the Gulf and donning protective gear was a nearly daily occurrence, men decided to shave their heads to keep things simple. Some of us women on the ship wanted to do the same, about 12 of us. Word got out that the shaving party was occurring on day x and place y and the captain intervened and told us women we were not allowed. Policies had been written prohibiting us from having hair shorter than 4 inches. This was not ship's policy, it was Navy policy. We fought it but ultimately we were told if we actually did it, we would be sent to Captain's Mast and punishment would be dealt. Punishment was usually restriction to the ship when we were in port as well as docking pay. So I didn't do it. I had a great record and I was keeping it that way. When I got out of the Navy, though, - I did shave my head. Just because I could. I was still technically in the Navy, in the reserves. And when I went in for a monthly weekend of training, I was reprimanded - as restricting me to the base wasn't an option since I was "only" a reservist. It was put in my personnel file and I was told if I did it again I'd be kicked out. I grew it out after that, it wasn't that I wanted the "style" more than anything. It was just that I could. (And no, I wasn't bald. My hair was shaved to 1/4".)
Here I was, suddenly not pregnant...and I finally could just have what I wanted.
Before I knew it, my treat of a soda here or there had turned into 4-5 a day with no simple water intake.
But, again, before I knew it, it was just what was, it wasn't anything I was thinking about.
Oops.
This is interesting to me. Figuring this out will probably save me after the next pregnancy. I would love to think I'll be far more wary next time of just letting go.
I wasn't a zealot about things when I was pregnant. I know some freak out about what soaps they use in the shower, decide they can never have any seafood at all, ever, don't drink any caffeine whatsoever...stuff like that. I am not that person. Moderation is key. I did eat seafood. I did have caffeine. I even used all my normal soaps and shampoos. Hell, I even took a bath nearly every night. Not as warm of water as I'd usually do, but a bath nonetheless. Body temp water. And it helped immensely with the aches and pains of pregnancy! But even with not removing things altogether, the freedom that came about when I was suddenly no longer pregnant...I got carried away with that.
Why?
"Because I could."
Do you know what the answer to "why" is?
"Because".
It's the simplest question. And the simplest answer. But that simple question gets to the bottom of so much and the answer explains everything!
Ahhh....I love me some "why".
And P.S. The scale has started to move downwards. No more up. I am not after losing weight right now. I hope to be pregnant by this time next month. What I am after is better eating and getting back to my more aware state. If I lose weight, great. But it's not the journey I'm focused on right here, right now. But still, I love me some downward movement as much as I love me some "why"!
So "why" did I start making bad choices? I drove to pick up Husby at the end of my work day yesterday thinking about that. And quite a number of things jumped at me. And it really made me realize a lot.
One of the things I love so much about "why" is that it is never-ending. I rarely get to the real bottom of "why". There is always more to discover. I love discovery! I think that's why I love "why" so much. And yes, I was that kid that asked people incessantly "why".
In thinking of why, nearly every answer you can come up with can still have another "why" behind it.
Ahhh...discovery! Never ending.
Anywho.
So "Why".
Why soda, for example? I wasn't drinking that many or any during the pregnancy. Why did suddenly being not pregnant make me pick up soda again?
Ok. I can answer that. And the answer to this one is kind of a lot of answers to a lot of things in my life. Caffeine causes problems for pregnancies, especially when consumed in the normal manner of day-to-day stuff like most of us do. Not all. But most. In a normal day, right now, with soda consumption under control, I start the day with a big ol heaping cup of coffee. I probably have one more later in the morning. A cup of coffee is about 140 mgs of caffeine. So two is 280.
When you're pregnant *they* "recommend" you limit your caffeine intake to 200 mg or less.
So in my normal day, I have two cups of coffee worth 280 mgs of caffeine and probably one more caffeinated beverage in the evening worth between 40 and 100 mgs, depending on the soda or whether it's iced tea. So 133% to 200% of recommended intake while pregnant. And that's if I don't drink iced tea during the day - something I am known to do as it's not soda and I'm fine with not sweetening it.
I did run into problems with caffeine while pregnant. I did cut back, especially in the first trimester. In the first trimester, I had no desire for coffee. It made me sick. Even decaf. So coffee went out the window. And I was going strong with little soda from my weightloss journey. But I did drink tea when it sounded good. I puttered along just fine with my less than 200 mgs of caffeine until around about week 21. I had gone to Austin for a baby shower and did not have easy access to water I liked the taste of. We were staying out in the country where running to the grocery store for what I would drink copiously was not an option (literally a 40 mile drive). By the end of the weekend, I was a smidge dehydrated. On the way back to Houston, we did stop and get me that water that I would drink without saying yuck. I started drinking copiously. Thinking nothing of it, the next day I went to work. Went out to lunch with friends and drank iced tea for lunch, not thinking of the caffeine because it was still much less than my 200 mg recommended limit. Iced tea has about 70 mgs in a 12oz cup. Being still dehydrated, I drank probably three glasses.
Tea does not solve dehydration. But add in a bit much of caffeine to that dehydration and it turned into a recipe for disaster. That night I started having contractions.
And that is why they recommend you limit caffeine while pregnant. It is known to cause premature labor. It was Wednesday before I finally called the doc as, at the time, I did not know those were contractions. And that was what landed me on bedrest. Premature labor at 21 weeks with twins was way too risky.
So. Then I did say no caffeine. If it wasn't water, I wasn't drinking it. I wasn't a zealot about it, I didn't eliminate it entirely. But in any given day, I wasn't consuming any. It was a random sip here or there of iced tea. Towards the end of the pregnancy I was allowing myself a glass here or there, say at a neighbors house for dinner. But from that point on....soda was OUT. Completely. My one source of caffeine that continued was chocolate. Dark chocolate to be exact. I ate 3-4 Hershey dark chocolate kisses each evening.
But there it is. When I was suddenly not pregnant any longer...then I could.
I am the girl who got out of the Navy and shaved her head because I could. In the Navy, when I was in, anyway, women had a minimum length of hair they had to maintain. Men had a max, women had a min. I had to have hair because I was a woman. This was an issue when my ship was deployed the the Persian Gulf. Because GQ was a way of life in the Gulf and donning protective gear was a nearly daily occurrence, men decided to shave their heads to keep things simple. Some of us women on the ship wanted to do the same, about 12 of us. Word got out that the shaving party was occurring on day x and place y and the captain intervened and told us women we were not allowed. Policies had been written prohibiting us from having hair shorter than 4 inches. This was not ship's policy, it was Navy policy. We fought it but ultimately we were told if we actually did it, we would be sent to Captain's Mast and punishment would be dealt. Punishment was usually restriction to the ship when we were in port as well as docking pay. So I didn't do it. I had a great record and I was keeping it that way. When I got out of the Navy, though, - I did shave my head. Just because I could. I was still technically in the Navy, in the reserves. And when I went in for a monthly weekend of training, I was reprimanded - as restricting me to the base wasn't an option since I was "only" a reservist. It was put in my personnel file and I was told if I did it again I'd be kicked out. I grew it out after that, it wasn't that I wanted the "style" more than anything. It was just that I could. (And no, I wasn't bald. My hair was shaved to 1/4".)
Here I was, suddenly not pregnant...and I finally could just have what I wanted.
Before I knew it, my treat of a soda here or there had turned into 4-5 a day with no simple water intake.
But, again, before I knew it, it was just what was, it wasn't anything I was thinking about.
Oops.
This is interesting to me. Figuring this out will probably save me after the next pregnancy. I would love to think I'll be far more wary next time of just letting go.
I wasn't a zealot about things when I was pregnant. I know some freak out about what soaps they use in the shower, decide they can never have any seafood at all, ever, don't drink any caffeine whatsoever...stuff like that. I am not that person. Moderation is key. I did eat seafood. I did have caffeine. I even used all my normal soaps and shampoos. Hell, I even took a bath nearly every night. Not as warm of water as I'd usually do, but a bath nonetheless. Body temp water. And it helped immensely with the aches and pains of pregnancy! But even with not removing things altogether, the freedom that came about when I was suddenly no longer pregnant...I got carried away with that.
Why?
"Because I could."
Do you know what the answer to "why" is?
"Because".
It's the simplest question. And the simplest answer. But that simple question gets to the bottom of so much and the answer explains everything!
Ahhh....I love me some "why".
And P.S. The scale has started to move downwards. No more up. I am not after losing weight right now. I hope to be pregnant by this time next month. What I am after is better eating and getting back to my more aware state. If I lose weight, great. But it's not the journey I'm focused on right here, right now. But still, I love me some downward movement as much as I love me some "why"!
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