Monthly Milestones 2017 {12}

Today is the twelfth and last Monthly Milestones of 2017.  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:

1. My weight hasn't changed, but I'm thrilled to end the year with an overall weight loss of 26 1/2 lbs.!  I was really hoping that I'd have an overall weight loss to share with you this month, but I don't.  My weight has been in a yo-yo/plateau phase for the last 2 months especially, and I am just now starting to get that more in check.  I'm hoping I can begin the new year with a weight loss, but we'll see.  At least I can say that I'm 26 1/2 lbs. lighter than I was at the beginning of the year, and that makes me over-the-moon happy. :)
 
2. My activity level is not where I want it to be.  Due to weather, bouts of sickness with me and my family, and family/church activities, my physical activity has not been what I want it to be.  I'm working on finding ways to be more active even on bad weather days, but it has not been easy.  I'm going to keep working on it, and we'll see what happens.  The big thing will be forcing myself to get outside for at least a little while, even when it is cold.  Wish me luck!

3. We covet your prayers about a few things.  As I mentioned last time, my husband has been dealing with a lot of health issues lately.  He did go see the allergist, and the allergist has said no more allergy shots for my husband for at least the foreseeable future, and he wants him to go off of gluten for at least 2 months because, about 6 years ago, he did test positive for one of the antibodies they look for in Celiac's Disease (though not the one that is specific to Celiac's) to see if that helps some of his stomach/GERD issues.  My husband is also having a CT scan of his sinuses on the 11th of this month to see if there is anything going on there that warrants surgery.  If my husband continues to have health issues that none of these things answer/solve, more blood work and tests are in his future.  Prayers definitely appreciated as we go through all these changes and tests.  Thank you!

Thank you to those who prayed for my oldest's eyes.  He has recovered very well, and doesn't need to go back to the ophthalmologist until spring.  The issues he had before the surgery are gone, and any issues he has now are essentially issues that can even arise in those with "normal" vision.  We are so thankful!

My middle kid had his ibuprofen challenge, and passed with flying colors.  We are so glad he is not allergic to ibuprofen!  We may never know what caused his lips to swell, but my guess is that he somehow got a chemical burn (he'd eaten some spicy things, and had told me (the next day after he'd gone to the ER) that his mouth burned before he took the Advil or used the chapstick) that was made worse by applying chapstick, causing the swelling.  Either way, we're just glad that he is ok, and able to take ibuprofen if need be.

We still have a few other huge unspokens that I don't want to share the details of online, too.  Just know that we covet your prayers right now.  Thank you!

This has been a challenging year in more ways that one, but God has been so good and has been so faithful!  We are grateful for His protection and help with all of these things and then some.  Thank you for being part of it with your prayers and support.  They mean so much!

4. I am hoping to do some updating to the blogs soon.  I am still behind on the updates I want to do here and on Natural and Free.  I have plans to attempt typing up those recipe posts (and maybe a few others) over the next few weeks, but I have no idea if I'll be able to or not.  Every time I carve out a minute to do some updates, something comes up that needs my immediate attention, changing my plans.  We'll see if I can get those posts up sooner than later. *fingers crossed*

5. This may be my last ever official Monthly Milestones post.  I am not sure if I will continue with Monthly Milestones next year or not.  I'm still on the fence about it.  I still plan on doing updates, I'm just not sure if they will be in the same format.  I'm throwing some ideas around, and we'll see what happens.  There's a lot of reasons for this line of thinking (about ending Monthly Milestones) that I don't feel at liberty to discuss right now, but know that this decision will not be taken lightly.  Either way, I'll keep you posted about any changes as I can.

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!)

Monthly Milestones 2017 {11}

Today is the eleventh Monthly Milestones of 2017.  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:

1. My weight hasn't changed.  I was deeply hoping that I would have another weight loss to share, but I don't.  My weight has roller coaster-ed a lot this last month, so I'm really glad I didn't have a weight gain to share.  I can attribute the lack of progress to not being as active and eating more "outside the norm" (read that as more sugar/carbs and less healthy).  I hope to eat better this month, be as active as feasibly possible, and hopefully have a weight loss to share next month.  Wish me luck!
   
2. The weather has been crazy, so activity level has reduced greatly.  We've had a lot of rain, so we've not been able to get out much.  I get out when I can, but that hasn't been very often.  I may have to start walking our stairs.  We'll see!  When the weather switches over to snow (we had our first sticking snow today, which thrills my daughter and no one else), then we can walk regardless (if we bundle up, of course).  Anyway, I am thinking of ways to stay active indoors, and it will definitely take some creativity on my part!

3. October was busy, but in mostly good ways.  Other than my husband (who has been ill with a respiratory issue for over 2 months), our health has been reasonably good.  We've had our Missions Conference (which I did miss a lot of due to being ill with a horrific migraine and fever), our oldest turned 15 before that, we had our Teen Youth Group take over a Sunday night service where our oldest preached and our middle kid lead the singing (which is huge deal if you knew the issues our middle kid has with public speaking) just this last weekend, and we also had a Harvest Party with our NBB and Teen groups (NBB is our version of AWANA).  As you can see - BUSY!  November should be a little less crazy, but not by a ton.  We'll see!

4. We covet your prayers about a few things.  As I mentioned above, my husband is still dealing with health issues.  Pray that we can find the cause and that he improves soon.  Now that Penicillin/Amoxicillin containing antibiotics are off the table for him, that limits treatment options, and that may be part of the reason he is having an issue getting over his illness.  He is improving, but it's slow going, and whenever he gets his allergy shot, it seems to knock him back a few steps.  Please pray that we'll know what to do in regards to treating his allergies, that he not be as sick this winter as he was last, that we'll know who to talk to about this (if he needs to see someone new or go back and see one of his current doctors), that we'll know if he needs a different kind of treatment or even further treatment, and (again) that he will get well in general.  Thank you!

Please continue to pray that our oldest eyes heal up well from surgery.  So far, so good!  He has had 2 follow-up appointments, and all looks well.  He goes back in 6 months to see how he is doing.  Thanks so much for those who have prayed for that, and keep praying that all continues to go well!  Thanks!

We still have a few other huge unspokens that I don't want to share the details of online, too.  Just know that we covet your prayers right now.  Thank you!

We have definitely been through it in some ways, but God is good and has been so faithful!  We are grateful for His protection and help with all of these things and then some.

4. I have been able to update the blogs a little, but not as much as I'd hoped.  I have managed to get one new recipe posted on Natural and Free, but I have yet to find the time to get any more ready to go.  I have also been able to do a few updates here and there, but have not been able to do more than that.  I have plans to attempt typing up those recipe posts (and maybe a few others) next week, but I have no idea if I'll be able to or not.  We'll see if I can get those posts up sooner than later.

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!)

Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins (Nut, Wheat and Fish-Free, Can Be Milk, Soy and Egg-Free)

First of all, I must apologize for how long it has been since I last posted a recipe.  I have so many to share with you (honest!), but have had absolutely zero time to sit and type them up.  I still have very limited time, but I have decided to just work on typing up recipes a little at a time as I am able, and then post them when they are ready.  Hopefully, that means at least a recipe per month (that's my goal), but time will tell.

This recipe is a recipe of my own design.  It is perfect for autumn!  It is sweet, but not too sweet, with just the right combination of apple and cinnamon, and the cinnamon and sugar on top gives it just enough crunch to make it fun.  It is sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike!

This recipe is also wheat, fish and nut-free, and can be soy-free (if you use all soy-free ingredients), milk and egg-free (see variations).  I hope you enjoy it!

Note: The gluten-free baking mix I recommend does not technically contain soy, but it does contain xanthan gum (see "Soy-Free" under variations for more details) which can cause issues for people with soy sensitivities or allergies, and that is why I will not claim that this recipe is soy-free.

Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins

3 Cups gluten-free baking mix 

(I recommend King Arthur Flour's Gluten-Free Baking Mix, and yes, it has to be a baking mix, NOT a gluten-free flour or the recipe will not turn out right)

1/2 Cup white sugar

1/2 Cup brown sugar
  

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  

1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil

4 eggs

1 Cup milk

1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract

1 1/2 Cups small diced apples, peeled or not based on preference

(I use Ida Red, Honey Crisp, Ginger Gold, Granny Smith or a combination, but you can use any baking apple of your choice)

Cinnamon and Sugar (for topping) (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350^oF.
     
2. Prepare muffin tins with 24 paper cups or grease tins well with fat of choice.
      
3. In a medium bowl, mix the gluten-free baking mix, sugars and cinnamon until well blended and set aside.
     
4. In another larger bowl, mix the oil, egg, milk and vanilla until  well blended.
     
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until the  mixture is just blended.
     
6. Fold in the diced apples until evenly distributed.
     
7. Evenly distribute the muffin mixture between the 24 muffin cups and top each one with cinnamon and sugar, if desired. (Note: The amount of cinnamon and sugar you put on each on each muffin is up to you, but I recommend about a teaspoon per muffin, but you could put as much as a Tablespoon.  To make a mix of cinnamon and sugar, I recommend about a teaspoon of cinnamon for every 2 Tablespoons of white sugar, but you can certainly use whatever ratio you like best.)
     
8. Let the muffins rest about 10 minutes before baking.  (Note: This ensures the best results, so please don't skip this step!)
     
9. Bake the muffins for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
     
10. Let the muffins sit in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing them from the pan and allowing them to finish cooling on the counter or a wire rack.
      
11. Enjoy them warm or let them cool completely before enjoying - whichever you prefer!

Makes 24 muffins.

Variations (Please keep your individual dietary needs in mind when using variations):

• Milk-Free: Use non-dairy milk of your choice in place of the milk, and use either paper cups to  line the tins or a non-dairy fat to grease the pans in this recipe.  You could also substitute apple juice or cider for the milk.
    
• Egg-Free: Use an egg replacer in place of the eggs.  For ideas on what to use in place of the eggs, check out my ingredient substitutions page.  The flax seed "egg" or applesauce replacement would be a good fit with these muffins.
   
• Soy-Free: King Arthur Flour's Gluten-Free Baking Mix does not claim to contain soy, but it does contain xanthan gum, which can cause issues with people who have soy sensitivities and allergies, and hence the reason I won't claim this recipe is soy-free already.  You can use another soy-free baking mix (if you can have wheat/gluten) or soy-free, gluten-free baking mix of your choice.  Keep in mind that if your baking mix doesn't contain guar gum or xanthan gum, you may need to add between 3/4 to 3 teaspoons of ground flax seed, guar gum or xanthan gum to help with textural issues, too.  You'll have to make sure all your ingredients are soy-free, too.
           
  
• Different Flavors: If you are not an apple fan, you can substitute raisins, dried cranberries, peach, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, or another fruit of choice (though I don't recommend pumpkin, banana or any other "mushy" fruit).  You can use a combination of fruits, too, as long as you don't exceed  1 1/2 Cups of fruit.  I recommend using fresh fruit or dried fruit ONLY, as canned or frozen fruit will alter your texture greatly.  You can also leave out the cinnamon if you don't like it, as well.  You can also top the muffins with plain sugar or nothing, if you so desire.
    
• Sugar Substitutes: You could use any sugar substitute that is approved for baking for the sugar.  Make sure that you sub it according to the recommendations for that sweetener.  Not all sugar substitutes are subbed with a 1:1 ratio.  I also don't recommend using a liquid sugar substitute as it would greatly alter the moisture content. 

 Don't these look great?

I promise, they are quite delicious!

You won't regret making up a batch (or 2) to enjoy with a nice hot cup of tea or coffee on these cooler autumn days!

(This recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)

Monthly Milestones 2017 {10}

Today is the tenth Monthly Milestones of 2017 (I am posting this a day early because I will be at a Ladies' Retreat all day tomorrow and unable to do it then).  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:

1. My weight is down another 3.5 lbs.!  I finally made my goal!  I'm under 200 lbs!  My next goals will come in 10 lbs. increments, so that makes my next goal to be under 190.  Just 7 lbs. to go!  We'll see if I can make that before the end of the year.  Wish me luck!
     
2. I try to get out and walk as I can.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get as much walking in as I'd like.  We've had a lot of illness, ER visits, surgery, and a other life happenings that have prevented me from doing that.  I have been decently active with other things, but I would still like to get out more while the weather is behaving.  We'll see how I do this month.

3. September and the beginning of this month have been insane for us.  As I mentioned above, we've had some adventures recently!

Everyone in the family has had a vicious head cold at one point that seems to last forever (the worst of it is over in about 3 days or so, but then it takes about 2 weeks or longer to be essentially back to normal), and we've all had it about a week apart, so that's made things interesting.  We are finally all on the mend in that regard, so that's good. :)

The beginning of September, our middle kid broke his collarbone, and then proceeded to have some form of allergic reaction a few days after that, possibly to ibuprofen.  He is healing up nicely now, and is headed for an ibuprofen challenge with the allergist in November, so please pray for that.  We also found out that he has scoliosis that isn't quite bad enough to treat, so we're keeping an eye on that, and hope to get his to a chiropractor after his collarbone is sufficiently healed in hopes that will correct some of it (all of it would be nice, too) or at least keep it from getting any worse.  Prayers appreciated for wisdom and direction here, too.  Thank you!

About 2 weeks ago, my husband either had a reaction to Augmentin that affected his heart or nearly had a heart attack.  He spent the night in the hospital, and we praise the Lord that there was no damage to his heart or signs of an obvious heart issue.  We still don't know for 100% what happened, but he is to avoid all Penicillin containing products (which is the ingredient in Augmentin that would have been the issue) from now on, and also we have to watch for any further issues with the heart.  So far, he's been well, and I'm so grateful!

Yesterday, our oldest had surgery on both of his eyes to fix a strabismus issue that his glasses could no longer correct adequately.  He is recovering well with the normal post-op issues which have included drainage and some double vision that should correct in time.  Please pray that he continues to heal well and that the surgery will have been 100% successful (something we will only know in time).  Thank you!

We still have a few other huge unspokens that I don't want to share the details of online, too.  Just know that we covet your prayers right now.  Thank you!

As you can see, it's been a wild ride, but God is good and has been so faithful!  We are grateful for His protection and help with all of these things and then some.

4. I want to update the blogs soon, but life keeps getting in the way!  I keep trying to get some recipes ready to post on Natural and Free, but I have yet to find the time.  I have plans to attempt typing up those posts next weekend, but I have no idea if I'll be able to or not.  We'll see if I can get those posts up sooner than later.

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!)

Monthly Milestones 2017 {9}

Today is the ninth Monthly Milestones of 2017.  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:

1. My weight is down another 1 lbs.!  I am so thrilled that my weight keeps going down, and so is my doctor.  I was hoping that my weight would be below 200 for this post, but I didn't quite make it.  Actually, I did dip below 200 for just a day, but it didn't stay there.  Hopefully next month I will make it to that first big goal.
       
2. I try to get out and walk daily as the weather allows.  I wish I could say I get to get out and walk every day, but I do get out most days.  I am hoping that the weather stays nice for awhile yet so that I can continue to get out and walk for long spurts.  Right now, I am planning on taking multiple shorter walks when it is too cold to take a longer one.  We'll see what happens.  I may take to walking up and down our inside stairs on rainy days if nothing else.  Hopefully I'll be able to figure out some form of consistent exercise when the weather switches over to more nasty.  For now, I'll just enjoy the beginnings of autumn and walk outdoors as I can. :)

3. I have increased my water intake.  I increased my water intake from 9 (8 oz.) cups of water a day to 12.  I originally started this when I tried going off of my water pill for awhile to see if I could stay off of that pill (I will explain more below), and decided to continue it even though I had to go back on the water pill.  I find that I feel better if I'm hydrated enough, and it does help keep me from overeating.  I will probably increase my amount again in a few months when my body adjusts to the new amount.  We'll see.  

4. I am still dealing with some health/physical issues, and we could use your prayers for some other issues as well.  As I mentioned above, I tried to go off of my water pill for awhile, hoping it would help with my petechiae issue.  I thought it was helping for a few days, but then the petechiae came back with a vengeance.  So far, I have not been able to pinpoint a cause for it, so I'll have to wait until December when I see the dermatologist to see if she has any answers/ideas (I may call them next week, though, to see if I can get in sooner).  If it clears up on its own, that would be great, too.  All we know for sure is that we have no idea what has caused it, and (so far) it appears to be harmless.

I did not end up needing to have a diagnostic mammogram, and the regular one was "normal".  That has been a big relief!  I just have to keep an eye out for any new spots, and keep record of any changes.  Hopefully things will stay stable and I won't need a diagnostic mammogram any time soon. :)

My husband and I have been able to get back in to the chiropractor.  They are having issues with the kids' insurance, so the kids aren't able to go back yet.  Hopefully that will change soon.  We are not sure how much longer we will be able to afford going to the chiropractor, but at least we have been able to go for now.  It has been very nice to get our spines back in alignment!

Please be in prayer for our family.  We have a few huge unspokens that I don't want to share the details of online.  Just know that we covet your prayers right now.  Thank you!
 
Also, please pray as we get ready to start school up next week (wow - where did summer go?!?!?).  All 3 kiddos will be homeschooled this year, and that will definitely be very interesting!  I appreciate the prayers!

5. I want to update the blogs soon, but life keeps getting in the way!  I keep trying to get some recipes ready to post on Natural and Free, but I have yet to find the time.  Ironically, I think I'll be able to get a bit more done once school gets into full swing and I have a schedule back.  We'll see if I can get those posts up.  I have so many recipes written down, but I just need the time to type them out and such.  Here's hoping I will have those things started in the coming weeks.

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!)

Monthly Milestones 2017 {8}

Today is the eighth Monthly Milestones of 2017.  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:

1. My weight is down another 2 lbs.!  I am so thrilled that my weight keeps going down, and so is my doctor.  I am hoping that next month my weight will be below 200!  Here's hoping! :)
       
2. I try to get out and walk daily as the weather allows.  I wish I could say I get to get out and walk every day, but I do get out most days.  Today has been especially nice, so we were able to go out an hike at a wonderful natural area nearby.  It was a lot of fun!

 3. I am working on eating more balanced and only when I am hungry.  We've been really busy as a family lately, and it can be really hard to eat right when you're in a rush.  I try to ask myself, "Why am I eating this?" before I eat something, and it helps me make better choices both in what I eat and when I eat.  I find that if I drink enough water, I am less likely to eat when I'm not truly hungry, too.  It keeps that water retention down as well.

4. I am still dealing with some health/physical issues.  I'm sorry I didn't post an update about my blood work.  The reason I didn't post one was because I didn't really have anything to report.  I had repeat blood work and that came back "within normal", so we're at a standstill right now.  I am still not feeling 100% (fatigue, hearing issues, sleep issues, unexplained fevers/chills, etc.), but the doctors aren't seeing anything obvious, so we wait and see how things go.  Going off my daily aspirin did help make the petechiae lighten a bit, though it is still there, so that's a positive.  I'll just keep plugging along and see how things go for now.  I'll let you know if something changes.

I have another appointment soon that includes a mammogram and all that.  I have found some new spots that needs to be checked out, so I may end up having a diagnostic mammogram vs. a regular one.  We'll see how that goes.  I appreciate your prayers for accurate results there.

I am scheduled to see the dermatologist in December to check on the "rash" that I have to see if it truly is petechiae or something else.  If it disappears between now and then, however, then I can cancel the appointment.  We'll see.

Chiropractic plans are on hold indefinitely for now.  Hopefully, we'll all get to go back sooner than later, but we've not been able to work out going.  We'll see what happens.

Thanks again to all of you who pray for me and for my family.  It means so much!

5. I want to update the blogs soon, but life keeps getting in the way!  I keep trying to get some recipes ready to post on Natural and Free, but I have yet to find the time.  With school starting soon, I am not sure I'll get the chance any time soon.  We'll see.

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!)

Monthly Milestones 2017 {7}

Today is the seventh Monthly Milestones of 2017.  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:

1. My weight is down another 2.5 lbs.!  I am so excited that my weight loss continues, though I am still yo-yoing sometimes.  I have been better about portion sizes and eating when I'm hungry vs. when I am bored, so that's positive.  I have noticed a decrease in my appetite recently which has made things a little easier, so I suppose that's a mixed blessing.  All in all, I'm glad that my weight is going down.
             
2. The weather hasn't been as wonderful, but I still get out when I can.  We've had a lot of rain lately, so it's been harder to be active like I want.  When it's not rainy, it's (more often than not) been too hot to do much outdoors for long (it's still a bit too cold to really swim for too long).  On top of that, I've been dealing with some overwhelming fatigue, so that's made it even harder to be active sometimes.  I still try to stay active when I can, however, and I definitely get outside to walk when it's not rainy or too hot, even if it is just for a little while or in short spurts.  Hopefully I'll be able too do more in the weeks to come.  We shall see!
    
3. I am drinking more water and less tea.  I almost never drink anything other than water now.  I will still drink tea at times and even milk or juice, but those times are rare.  I am happy to see that I've kicked the coffee/tea habit, and now just drink it as I desire vs. "needing" it.
        
4. I am still dealing with some health/physical issues.  As I mentioned last time, I am dealing with some health issues right now.  I still have the "rash" (for lack of a better term) that we believe may be petechiae, I deal with severe fatigue, my appetite is down, and a few other things.  I did end up going to see a hematologist, and he re-ran some labs, and a few of my levels came back abnormal.  I am waiting to hear if I am going to be going back to him or back to my normal doctor to see if I need to repeat tests, do new tests, etc.  I should know by the end of next week what the game plan is, and I'll keep you posted.
   
   There is still a plan to get me back into the chiropractor soon, but that's not happened yet with everything else that is going on.  I am not sure if I will get back in there before August because July is so busy.  We'll see!  Until then, stretches and walking it is!
   
   Also, I want to thank all of you who have kept me and my family in your prayers.  It means so much, and I don't know where we'd be without them.   Keep them coming! :)
     
5. I'm planning to add updates to the blogs soon!  I am hoping to get some recipes ready to post on Natural and Free that will go live in the future starting very soon (I have pictures and everything, I just haven't been able to type anything up just yet).  I am also mulling about some ideas for here in addition to Monthly Milestones.  We'll see how much I get accomplished.  This fatigue and multiple doctor's visits aren't helping me get much done.  My aim is to do purposely set aside blog time weekly starting next week.  We'll see if I accomplish my goal! :)

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!)

Monthly Milestones 2017 {6}

Today is the sixth Monthly Milestones of 2017.  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:

1. My weight is down another 2.5 lbs.!  I am so excited that my weight loss continues, though I am having a little more trouble with it being steady and consistent, and I didn't quite reach my birthday goal (Today is my and my twin sister's birthday!  Happy birthday, sisser!) of 200 or less.  There is a lot of yo-yo-ing going on.  I think it mainly has to do with being to comfortable at times in regards to the weight loss, assuming it will just happen, and not being honest with myself with it comes to portion sizes.  I am starting to work more on that piece of it, and it seems to be helping.  Hopefully the weight loss with continue, and I will get a handle on consistency. :)
             
2. The weather has been lovely, so I've been able to stay more active.  I am finding that I need to be active more often than not.  I just don't feel right if I can't get in a decent length walk (I strive for 30 minutes or more, but sometimes I can only do 15 minutes).  It now bothers me to sit for too long.  I think this is a good change!
    
3. I have to stay on top of my diet and exercise.  As I mentioned earlier, my weight is in yo-yo mode.  I have found that I have to get enough water, walk enough, avoid sugar and excess carbs, eat more protein, and avoid highly processed food or I just maintain weight or gain, and I feel awful.  It is a hard lesson to learn, but one I learn a little more each day.
        
4. I've eliminated all of my supplements except my probiotic, and am dealing with some more health/physical issues.  I went off all the supplements except the probiotic to see how I felt off of them and if eliminating the turmeric and flaxseed oil would help with my easy bruising issue.  I still bruise easily, so I may add back in the turmeric and flaxseed oil, but am not 100% sure on that yet.  I am dealing with some health issues that I do not believe are related to the removal of those supplements (I do think removing the supplements may have brought them to the forefront), but I do believe they may help.
   
   Back in mid-April, I had a sinus infection that I went on Doxycycline for.  After I finished it (and I had also gone off the tumeric and flaxseed completely, one at a time during this period and was feeling fine), I noticed an odd looking rash on my legs.  About a week later, I noticed one on my arms.  The original doctor I saw for it thought fungal infection, and prescribed a cream.  A week after that (towards the end of May), I went back in and saw a different doctor because it really looked like petechiae to me.  Turns out, the new doctor agreed and ordered a bunch of blood tests.  They all came back "within normal", but the petechiae are still there and a little more pronounced.  I am also dealing with major fatigue and some joint pain now, along with random fevers and chills, night sweats, losing my voice, dry cough, hearing issues, and other random symptoms off and on.  My plan for now is to give it another week and see how I am.  If I am still having issues, I will go back in and see him and talk about everything, and then (with his consent - I don't want to do anything that may make it worse) add back in the flaxseed oil and tumeric as a trial to see if they help.  Prayers are appreciated!  Thank you!
   
   We've still not been back to the chiropractor yet, but we hope to do that soon.  The walking and stretching that my chiropractor recommended months ago does help, though.  That's a blessing for sure!
   
   Also, I want to thank all of you who have kept me and my family in your prayers.  It means so much, and I don't know where we'd be without them.   Keep them coming! :)
     
5. I'm hoping to get updates done to the blogs soon!  I am hoping to get some recipes ready to post on Natural and Free that will go live in the future starting very soon.  I am also mulling about some ideas for here in addition to Monthly Milestones.  We'll see how much I get accomplished.  I've got a lot planned for around the house, too, so I may have too much ambition and not enough ability.  At any rate, we'll see what happens! :) 

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!)

Monthly Milestones 2017 {5}

Today is the fifth Monthly Milestones of 2017.  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:

1. My weight is down another 2 lbs.!  I am so excited that my weight loss continues, though I have had a bit of a hiccup recently with yo-yoing.  It started when I was put on an antibiotic for a sinus infection that has left me with water retention and constipation issues.  It is getting better slowly - more slowly than I'd like.  I also have been struggling with eating right since the antibiotic (it left me incredibly nauseated unless I had something on my stomach at all times, so that definitely didn't help me any).  Again, I'm making improvements slowly, but it is definitely a frustration.  Hopefully I will get a firm handle on it soon, and will have another weight loss to report next month, too. :)
             
2. The weather is better mostly, so I've been able to get out more.  You will notice that I definitely have more tone going on.  This is because I've been able to walk more.  It is so nice to be able to get outside!  I find that a good walk revitalizes me.  I've missed it a lot.  I've also kept busy with housework, and spring/summer cleaning has begun, so these are all good things to keep me active!
    
3. I have to stay on top of my diet and exercise.  As I mentioned earlier, my diet has been off track, and I've paid the price.  It's no fun at all.  Losing weight is not a steady process for me.  It always yo-yos at least a little bit, especially when I get more active as muscle tone builds.  It can be easy to get discouraged, but I am determined to do what is right for my health, and it is paying off, even when there are hiccups.  I have to keep reminding myself that good health and proper body weight is worth taking the time to make the good-for-me meal vs. the easy, frozen, full of junk meal.  I also have to fight eating when I'm having a rough day.  I am an emotional eater, and that's not a good thing.  I am trying to form the habit of having a cup of herbal tea when I'm having a rough time vs. eating a piece of chocolate (ok - a whole bar of chocolate), and it is slowly forming and definitely helping.  Hopefully I won't lose sight of my goal.  Time will tell!
        
4. I've made some changes with my supplements, and am still dealing with some more minor health/physical issues.  I decided to try going off all of my supplements except for my probiotic.  It was not a decision I made lightly by any means, but one I decided on based on improvements in my diet.  I am doing well so far, but may end up having to add back in the flaxseed oil at some point, and possibly the tumeric or B vitamins.  We'll see.  For now, I haven't noticed any major changes in my health to indicate that I need any of them back.  We'll see what my doctor says when I see him for my physical in July or August.
   
   As you may have noticed, I got new glasses.  My vision has actually improved.  My eye doctor could not find the cause of my vision blurriness that occurs sporadically, but did encourage me to keep looking into it.  I mentioned my hearing issue to her (my right ear still does not hear correctly), and she did say that my vision issue could be related, and thought an ENT would be a good next step.  The only question now is if I should wait until July or August when I see my regular doctor or if I try to get in sooner.  I'll keep you posted, but I will probably see about getting in earlier.
   
   We've still not been back to the chiropractor yet, but we hope to do that soon.  The walking and stretching that my chiropractor recommended months ago does help, though.  That's a blessing for sure!
   
   Also, I want to thank all of you who have kept me and my family in your prayers.  It means so much, and I don't know where we'd be without them.   Keep them coming! :)
   
   
5. My boys are officially done with their homeschool year (my daughter has another month and a half nearly), and I'm hoping to get updates done to the blogs soon!  I am hoping to get some recipes ready to post on Natural and Free that will go live in the future starting very soon.  I am also mulling about some ideas for here in addition to Monthly Milestones.  We'll see how much I get accomplished.  I've got a lot planned for around the house, too, so I may have too much ambition and not enough ability.  At any rate, we'll see what happens! :) 

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!)