Monthly Milestones 2016 {5}

Today is the fifth Monthly Milestones of 2016.  If you want to share a milestone post, just leave a comment below with a link to your milestone post, and I'll pop over and visit it and leave a comment, and hopefully some of my other readers will, too. :)  Normally, Monthly Milestones, where I will be giving you updates on how I am doing physically, mentally, etc., will go live on the first Saturday of every month, though sometimes I may be a day early or late depending on circumstances.

Here is how I am doing as of today:

Me as of today, May 7, 2016, at 233.5 lbs.  Yes, I know I am no wearing the exact same outfit as normal.  Somehow, I lost the pants I had been wearing in the Monthly Milestones 2016 pictures.  No idea where they are.  I guess it is capris for the rest of the year! :D

1. My weight went up again!  I weigh myself every week, and this month has been up and down a *lot*, ending with a net gain of 3 and a half pounds.  I can contribute part of my weight gain to some water retention that I believe is a result of the baby Aspirin I take now, but I know that it is also due to food choices, lack of exercise, and a few other things.  I am starting on the "removing soy as much as possible" part of my plan today, and have been working on increasing my water intake.  I've also started getting more active as I'm able to, so we'll see how this goes.  I also, just this last week, increased my Levothyroxine dose to help with my Hashimoto's, so we'll see if that helps with the weight issue, too.  I do not like that I've gained 7 lbs. since February, and I'm going to put even more effort at working to get healthier.
     
2. The weather has improved!  The end of April and now May are shaping up to be warm enough to be outside more.  I'm trying to get into walking a bit more daily, but it's been difficult.  I've had a few really rough weeks physically speaking with leg weakness and I even suffered an injury to my right knee due to it.  Though I still can't walk as long as I'd like, I can walk some, so I'll take what I can get. :)  Hopefully we can get some form of water exercise started up again soon, too.
    
3. We're still plugging away with our new lifestyle choices, and making some new ones.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I removed my green tea supplement, and that has gone successfully, and I actually have been feeling better, so that's a plus.  I am planning on cutting soy out as much as possible starting today, and then in 2 to 3 weeks, reducing my grain intake, and then I work on removing my multivitamin or replacing it with one that is soy-free.  It will not be easy, but I needs to be done!  Wish me luck!
        
4. I have no further information on the cause of my health issues, and we are still dealing with other health issues in the family.  As I mentioned earlier, I've had some real physical trials lately.  This is the worst it's been, and this is the first time I've suffered an injury (stretched or torn meniscus in my right knee) due to it.  It has been very discouraging to say the least.  I am being scheduled for some more tests (you can read more about that here), but I have no idea when those will be done.  I will post an update when I know more. 
   
   We have had to make some other food changes, too, as my husband has been diagnosed with a sensitivity/intolerance to corn (we found out via way of a patch test that left him with basically a 3rd degree burn, which I would consider more than a "sensitivity", but it's not a histamine reaction, so it's not an "allergy", but I digress).  So, we have to avoid most corn products (he was told he could have corn syrup and like dextrose or maltodextrin, just not corn starch, cornmeal, corn cereal, or actually corn, but we avoid all types as much as possible anyway), and wheat/gluten, and now we're adding avoiding even more soy (which we try to do anyway).  The fun never ends! :D  Pray for us as we work on our dietary issues.  I'm hoping that these changes will not only help us feel better, but also help my physical issues.
     
5. We appreciate your prayers as we make some important decisions as a family.  Due to my unknown health status among other reasons, we need to make some decisions about various things in the next few months.  We appreciate your prayers very much.  Our lifestyle is definitely in for some very big changes, and we are doing our best to prepare for that.  We believe we've already gotten some direction, but are still waiting on some things before we decide 100%, but there are definitely big changes in store for us.  It will be different, but good. :)  Thanks so much for all the support and prayers for us through this.  They mean the world!
    
6. Blog updates have stalled, though posting has increased!  My system to add posts to this blog and Natural and Free at least once a month is still going well, and I have found the time to make some minor changes, and I do those when I can.  I'd like to do more than that, but my current health status is making that difficult, and I've finding that I am back to having a serious lack of time for now.  I'm hoping that will change when school is out in mid-June.  We'll see how it goes!  I may still be able to surprise you with some crazy awesome updates sooner than later. ;)  Stay tuned! :D

That's about it for now.  How are you doing?  Are you reaching your goals?  Have you tried something new?  Come up with a new recipe?  I hope all is going well with you, and I hope you will leave a comment sharing your thoughts and/or milestones (with a link to your post, if you wish).  As always, I wish you the best of luck in all you do, and hope you will return soon! :)

(This post was originally posted on my original site, Fibro, Fit and Fab!)