Trigger warning: diet…

Trigger warning: diet talk

Posting this to help keep me honest, please feel free to skip.

So in the last three months, I've gained eight pounds. My clothes are getting tight, and it is quite annoying. I pretty much held stable for years before that, aside from first a) undiagnosed hypothyroidism, b) one stint of situational depression (breakup + grad school), and then c) pregnancy.

It's fairly clear what's caused the weight gain -- my internal medicine doctor (whom I mostly like) thought I was over-medicated; she lowered my Synthroid dosage from 175 to 150 in the fall (which was probably the right move, as I was having some weird anxiety), and then six weeks later from 150 to 125, which led to me crashing, cold and exhausted, around 5-ish most days. Plus weight gain. I got her to refer me to an endocrinologist, and he was willing to move me back up partway to a dosage of 137 mcg for two months; we'll test again at that point. He still wants to keep moving me down in dosage, but has agreed to take it more slowly. Also, of course, winter + holidays + an excellent cook visiting us for some weeks have probably contributed a few pounds.

Anyway, that's the cause. The plan going forward is to count calories and track exercise for the next two months (in part so I can track it for the endocrinologist as well, to help us fine-tune the thyroid dosage), and also to reduce carbs, because seems to help me with weight loss. YMMV. More salads, more protein. I am trying to look on it as an excuse to eat sashimi occasionally, and am grateful that our budget allows that. Not every day, but once in a while. Also more lentils and chick peas. Maybe it's time to learn how to cook shiro.

Goal: Lose eight pounds in two months, in time for my next appointment. Should be do-able, if I stay on track, and should result in my feeling much better overall, if I pair it with daily exercise and lots of good sleep.

I'm aiming towards around 1000-1200 calories / day; that should result in about two pounds / week of weight loss. I'm probably not going to be posting a ton about this on Facebook, because I think it's mostly tedious / annoying to read about. But for the first day, here's my numbers:

Three eggs: 240
Caesar salad / chicken: 340
1 c. Thai chicken curry: 400
 c. rice: 100
1 oz. Cheddar: 120
4 tea with milk: 100
Yogurt caramel bar: 100
Exercise (half-hour walk at 3.0) (-110)

Total: roughly 1300 (okay for first day)

You know, I generally don't think of myself as disabled -- in most ways, I'm really very able-bodied. But having to manage a chronic illness, even one that is usually as mild as my Hashimoto's thyroiditis, does, I think, count. It takes time and energy and mental effort to stay healthy. Interesting.

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