Cabbage Soup

​1 tablespoon vegetable oil​
1 onion, chopped​
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced​
3 cups water​
1 head cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped​
3 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced​
1 tomato
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes​
1 carton chicken stock
salt to taste​
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp italian seasoning
Pepper to taste
6 medium mushrooms sliced

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the onion until lightly browned. Place sausage in the pot, and pour in water and broth. Mix in cabbage, carrots, celery, tomato, and crushed tomatoes. Season with salt, bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook at least 1 hour, until vegetables are tender.

Medical Update!

So I got some amazing news back from my doctor today!

My bloodwork has been completed and I showed no serious issues. I am as healthy as a slightly chubby horse. The only concern he had was with the fact that I had an extremely low sodium count. I apparently share that in common with my mother who I was told tends to not absorb sodium well either.

With this and my weight in mind, he is drawing me up a referral to the dietitian in his office. I should hopefully be able to manage my sodium more effectively by adding more salt to my diet or if necessary getting IV saline. Nifty right? Either way, I figure a dietitian will also be a handy tool for losing more weight and getting back to a healthy me.

In other news I have been trying really hard to portion my meals and trying to lose some weight. I was pleasantly rewarded when I stepped on the scales and found myself sitting at 176lbs. I have lost 9lbs since my last weigh in on October 16th (I believe!). Oh, and I also have started my birth control. 5 days into my first packet. I'll keep you updated on my status. The only thing is a nagging pain in my leg and chest, however it is distinctly possible that is from sleeping on a futon mattress on the floor.

Anyways, I have Dexter to catch up on.

This week for show and tell.....

So this has been an interesting week so far... I have been dealing with a lot of morons on the phones lately and trying unsuccessfully to sell toner. Unfortunately I don't seem to be having much luck. Normally I could sell ice to an Eskimo but not this month. I have been distracted with the upcoming holidays and trying to get my mind into the holiday spirit.

This time of year is always hard for me, I hate Christmas with a passion and it is very apparent. The only thing I really enjoy is spending time with my family. I love the way everyone crowds into someones house and we have the time to spend together, mingle if you will. I believe this year we are having it at my Aunts place, not a bad idea... saves my grandparents the stress of hosting and cleaning up.

In other news, I have disowned yet another friend.... I am really trying to take this "No Debbie Downers" thing seriously. He was just another to not make the cut. It didn't help that he couldn't keep him trap shut about me and keep his nose out of my business. I guess he didn't approve of my relationship with the hubby and was not above telling lies to try to get him to end it with me. So, yeah, he quickly was told where to go and how to get there, then dumped in the abyss of failed friendships. Sad though, I liked his kids well enough. Happy talkative little things, completely normal considering how the father is >.< Yes, I am aware that that was an inappropriate and likely only mildly warranted low blow, however, I am still pissed at this moment so I don't really give a shit. =)

In other news, I have been invited to my friends lovely abode in BC sometime in the new year and I am pretty sure that I am going to go. I just have to save enough for airfare and a week or two of food and what not over there and I'll hop a plane as soon as humanely possible. I have always wanted to see BC again since I first went as a child and this will be an amazing chance to see it properly and to visit one of the most amazing people I have ever had in my life. We met a totally random way and our lives intertwined even more randomly. I ended up having to use an alias to call her house! She is wonderful though, high spirited, laid back and incredibly funny and smart. Not to mention gorgeous. ^.^ She is one of the people I hold in high regard and find I could spend and immeasurable amount of time with. That is saying something.

In other news I am getting a shirt painted by Chris Cromwell and I definitely want a button as well. I need to add it to the front of my ugly, vomit green bag. It is the bag of all bags and I love it because it is just too hideous to be called a purse and can fit 1/2 of china inside it. I'll have to get a picture to show you guys... it's pretty amazing.

Anymawho.... I have started taking baby steps towards weight loss. I have started with doing yoga stretches at my desk at work and eating veggies as a snack. I have also made muffins that are probably 10x lower in fat than the ones I use to get from Timmies in the morning. OH! How can I forget, I've started eating a correctly portioned breakfast of Shreddies with no extra sugar. I am beginning to feel healthier already. Plus, 3 squares a day has the benefit of making me feel full longer. I can see now why I have been skipping something important. Guess I'll be stocking up on high fiber cereals.

But I must bid you good day as I have to get this apartment sparkling for my dinner guests tomorrow night! I hope it turns out as well as I've planned! Cheers!

Another doctors appointment.

So today I had a doctors appointment with the new Gyno.... He was a little bit strange but all in all an efficient and pleasant doctor. I have always been a fan of straight to the point and no sugar coating things, he did his exam and the ultrasound. After leaving me to put my clothes back on, he informed me that there were no growths on the outside of my ovaries or on my uterus and after going through my blood tests he had decided I had a nasty case of PCOS.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is very common and easily treated with the most drastic treatment being laparoscopic remove of the large cysts. However, for the time being, we have decided that a less drastic approach would be to start me on a cycle of birth control which should help with my acne and my Houdini menstrual cycle. I will be starting it in a few weeks from now and he said to expect to not get a period for a while but to see my other symptoms clearing up quickly.

I am still getting more tests done, there was a test or two not done in the first round and my doctors agree we should cover all the bases. I am also going to talk to my doctor about talking to a dietitian and about the GB. I am going to be very clear that I need to lose the weight and lose the weight soon. After all my health problems, I feel like I have hit bottom so hard I bounced twice and I am not going to let up until I can say I look and feel healthy. I want to be able to run a marathon when I am 50 and right now I just want to prove to myself that I can be healthy.

So I now have a regular Gyno and Family doctor, all that's left is a therapist and dietitian. Once I have those covered I will have everything I really need. So much has changed with my health lately, I am just happy to have what I do. Especially since I have had a flair up of asthma lately and I need to get it under control ASAP.

Otherwise... if anyone has some great health blogs, healthy recipes or exercise ideas, send 'em to me! I need to lose close to 80lbs!

A new consideration

I have tried dieting and exercise for a long time, it seems not much has worked for me. I have dropped the weight but it comes right back up again. I am really bothered by the way it looks on me and the way I feel. Easily winded and always tired, I don't look forward to another round with P90x or even a slow bout of yoga. I have tried dieting but it seems all the things I adore have to be cut out of my intake and I don't think that half of the ones out there are healthy. Cutting calories down to 900 a day, not ever touching carbs, fat free, sugar free, liquid only.... it all just rubs me the wrong way.

I am not a heavy smoker by any means and I rarely drink. My BMI is a whopping 35 and is only going up. I want to be able to do the things that everyone else can do and I want to look the way I feel. I have always wanted to climb a mountain or go on a hike, however with my current BMI and weight, I can't. I get tired and light headed and my whole body feels like it's on fire.

I know this may seem like a drastic step for only being 185lbs,(however I am only 5'1) but I am going to talk to my doctor about gastric bypass or Lapbands. All my friends think I'm crazy but I feel so unhealthy. I feel like something is so wrong that it cannot be corrected without other assistance. This will be a starting step towards a bigger life change.

If you have an opinion, leave it below.