Saturday, February 20, 2010

Dana Eats Real Food: An Experiment

To keep me alive I've been dosed with the most powerful steroids available which have thinned my bones, turned my hair gray, made me into an insomniac, created in me an extreme sense of well-being (I pretty much thought I could fly) that later spiraled into an epic crash, reset my internal core body temperature, destroyed my metabolism, initiated shaking episodes, triggered a 90 lbs weight gain, plus some stuff I don't feel like listing...


As of December I'm off the horrid pills/injections. Dana post-steroids is a mess! I've consulted with specialists and a plan has been developed. I have to eat real food. For a while I have to take a ton of supplements: fish/flax/borage oil, C0 Q 10, Linoleic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Calcium (3 types), Magnesium, Iodine, & a totally food-sourced Multivitamin.


Oh and don't forget the exercise... We're starting slow because of a past injury but we're progressively building up a routine.


I feel like an experiment and I want to share it. Here we go...








According to the wisdom I've received from many qualified professionals. I've gotta eat. The steroids robbed my body of vital minerals and vitamins. Despite being overweight I am literally starving.


6:30 am


Here's breakfast: Herbal Tea, Fruit Salad, Oatmeal w/ Honey, one cup of water.

I eat this while reading my morning devotional passage from My Utmost For His Highest followed by 3-5 chapters of Scripture.

I ate it all & less than two hours later I was so hungry my stomach growled & growled.




9:00 am


Snack Time: Carrot/Cucumber/Ginger Juice & more herbal tea.

I drank it slowly as I read friends' blogs, posted on my own, and caught up on emails.

By the way I HATE cucumbers but the juice wasn't bad.



12:30 pm

About three hours after that more intense hunger. I fixed a Pesto Pizza. whole grain crust, prepared pesto, red onions, chicken, topped with thin sliced tomatoes. Peppers on the side.

I ate the WHOLE thing along with a salad.

2:00 pm I am starving!!!!

Lettuce leaves w/ homemade hummus, pumpkin seeds & crackers w/ goat cheese.

I ate this while studying.






6:30 pm

I am hungry again. I don't think my stomach has felt full for more than an hour.


Miso Chicken on spring mix greens, baked sweet potato, overly done asparagus (total accident)

Week One Rundown

The rest of the week went a whole lot like the first day...

I feel like I'm spending the majority of my day fixing food. Gotta streamline!

I ate & ate & ate... I also drank a lot of water. (About 3 quarts a day.) I added extra snack times & ate nuts (almonds & pistachios), bananas, yogurt with fruit, etc... I ate and then I ate some more. I ate as much as I wanted to eat. Hunger woke me up regularly at 2 am & I instituted yet another snack time & filled it with natural peanut butter on Sami Bread & an apple. Then I'd wake up hungry ready for breakfast.

No exercise yet. Not even light stretching. That starts next week.

I lost eight pounds.



5 comments:

timpani76 said...

Wow, although I'm sure some of that was water weight from being off the steroids. All that food looks good. Do you shop at health food stores, or just use the stuff from your family garden?

lizS said...

good heavens!! while i'm glad that you are feeling better, i am so sorry you had/have to go through all that!! and i'm astonished that you lost so much in one week! i'm utterly flabbergasted. i sure hope it keeps up, and you can get not just not sick, but healthy again!! that's my goal too. ;)

Renae said...

Wow! So are you feeling better? (besides the starving thing - which does not sound like any fun at all!) Kudos to you for having the will power of ... well something with LOTS of will power! Yeah my analogy skills aren't quite awake today. Good job on that 8 lbs! Keep it up. Shake it Sugar!

Dana Cheryl said...

Hey girls!!

T-

I shop at Kroger & Aldi for the fresh fruits, veggies, meats, canned beans, dried beans.

When the garden is in season then all the veggies come from there. I use a lot of food we put up either through canning or freezing.

I do buy a few things at the health food store. Veganaise (very healthy alternative to mayonnaise), Sami Bread, Tea.

L-

I'm praying and hoping we both reach our goal!!!

R-

LOL! I'm gonna start shaking it sugar this week!! woo hoo!!!

I am feeling lots better. I HAVE to sleep a full eight hours which is new. (The insomnia has tapered off & a need for sleep has replaced it. My body is probably making up for lost time. lol)

I notice a big, big difference with the starving situation when I take my vitamins (all 22 of them). If I skip 'em I'm more hungry.

lizS said...

veganaise! what's the brandname and the name of the store you get it from? i need some for my dad. his cholsterol and bp have gone through the roof, and he's had to start taking medication (that he hates) and working out, eating better, ect ect. he's always always always been a mayonnaise person, and that has been uber hard for him to give up. i would LOVE to find a good alternative for him!!