Sunday, August 28, 2022

Good morning! Interesting how many of us are struggling with bone loss. I do recall being told that WLS can exacerbate it. So if you haven't had a bone scan, it would be a good idea to have that as part of your regular screenings in the future. Which reminds me, I need to schedule mine for September.

I was diagnosed with ostopenia when I was 48, so before I had WLS. It became osteoporosis when I was 59. I currently take Fosomax to treat it. I've taken it for almost 2 years. My September scan will tell if its helpful or not. The doctor said its very unlikely to reverse loss at this point, and they will consider it successful if I've stabilized or slowed the bone loss. If not, then I would move onto IV treatments, usually twice a year.

Big storms here last night, with tornado warnings and straight line winds. I went to the basement, as one should, DH ran outside to check it out. The rotation went over fast, and did not become a funnel. DH said he could hear it howling. Now I kind of wish I hadn't been sensible. All is well in our little corner, a few branches down from our self pruning trees.

Not much planned today. I need to do a little sorting of clothes so it's easy to put together some outfits for next week. I should have chili and another bean hot dish (Calico beans) to bring for lunch. I think I will make a pot of Broccoli cheese soup too. I'm optimistic it will be a good year. It will be. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Thank you all for your positive words on my house! It all helps so much! Last night I took a half of a Valium I had left over from surgery long ago. Expired, but it worked great. I was able to sleep. Thankfully, my addictive behaviors begin and end with food, so I can have a full bottle of Valium hanging around for years because I never took them when prescribed as I didn't like the feeling.

One of my worries yesterday was about my choice of town. It's like my brain is looking for thinks to worry about. So I decided to go for a little proper hike - my first one since I got here last month. It's been hotter than I like to hike in since I arrived, but I felt like I needed a reminder of what Sedona has to offer beyond views. So I chose an easy hike near Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte at sunset. It was only about 2.5 miles and felt great to be out in nature and moving. I saw a couple of people at the end, but mostly it was me and the rabbits.

I read an article the other day by a doctor and tried to post it on TT, but it wouldn't let me. It was about what she thinks is vegetable oil's role in the obesity and inflammatory disease crisis. By "vegetable" she means seed oils - canola, sunflower, soy, safflower, cottonseed, corn, hydrogenated oil, refined palm.

People these days get about a quarter of their calories from seed oils and we consume 10-20 times more of these oils than we did before the push to eliminate saturated fats and trans fats. When heated, these oils convert into several oxidized carcinogenic compounds that are found in the tissues of people with complications from obesity and inflammatory diseases. She said our body fat these days is 6 times higher in polyunsaturated fat than a few generations ago. And our cells have trouble converting stored polyunsaturated fat into fuel so we crave alternative fuels like sugar. When it does manage to burn off these fats they release inflammatory compounds. She said cutting out these oils is often all that's needed to have lasting weight loss. But it's not easy to do if you eat processed food or at restaurants.

I went shopping yesterday and there was not one mayo without seed oils at Safeway. I found one at Whole Foods. My favorite salad dressing uses canola oil. The popcorn I devoured used sunflower oil. It was hard to find bread without it.

Off to start the day...

CC, Many researchers (but still the minority), seem to agree that processed fats are the devil. I go through kicks where I make my own salad dressing, but bottled salad dressing, mayo etc is so much easier. There is no corn oil etc in my cupboards though. I only cook with olive oil and butter. I use olive oil in banana bread etc. I also find that when I eat foods with natural fats (bacon!) I am more satisfied, and eventually end up eating less overall. I think saturated fats in dairy and eggs and meat have been unfairly villianized. Gary Taubes writes a great deal about how the food pyramid was influenced by lobbyists for the sugar industry etc. Remember the low fat craze? I was never so hungry in my life, and oh my gosh, the manufactured low fat junk I ate!!!

This is my problem with WW. I love how they encourage fruit and vegetables, but I feel it's still too focused on low fat.

Also, that scenery is breathtaking!!!

Gorgeous scenery! So not what I think of when I think of AZ. I've only experienced AZ farther south and it is not nearly as beautiful.

I would love a link to the article you read, if it's on line. I am in complete agreement with Diamond D about WW being so low fat that it's hard to not be hungry following a WW plan. We also only have Olive oil and real butter in the house. I will have to check out the salad dressing labels and mayo. I had not even thought of those because I eat so little of them, but bread, too????? Seems like nowadays pretty much any manufactured food has something in it that'll kill you!

Good Sunday Morning!

GOAT 3.0 is parked in front! And yes, I love it even more now that it's here and I'm packing it up! I have the kitchen and bathroom done. This afternoon I will do the bedroom and start on packing the "basement" storage. Packing the basement storage areas will be a little trickier since it has to be well organized by both kind and size.

Sudden drop in weight this morning, but I'm going to chock that up to not eating properly yesterday and possibly being dehydrated. I'll have to see if this drop sticks. Would be nice, but not counting on it.....

I am very lucky with bone density. Even though I have a bone disease, my life long love of calcium rich foods (dairy) and history of resistance training has kept me from bone density loss. I have a little arthritis in my left knee, juvenile arthritis scarring on both hips and osteoarthritis in both hips currently. Otherwise, I'm okay in the bone area. I think for me the stiffness is muscular and connective tissues losing elasticity as I age.

I have to groom a dog and do some lesson prep today and I must meal plan for school. Other than those MUST DOs, I plan to have a kick back enjoyable Sunday.

Wishing you all the same.

Resistance training is something I'm planning on pursuing this fall. I like the recumbent bike for cardio because its so kind to all my joints, and it hits my quads and gluteus, always an area of need for me, but it doesn't really do anything for bone density.

Glad to hear Goat 3.0 is delightful!

I hiked with a woman who had osteoporosis (found when she wanted bunion surgery and pre-testing showed her bones wouldn't be able to hold the screws). She was on medications, but didn't make real improvements until she started hiking daily. Something about the weight bearing impact on the ground is good for stimulating bone formation in your legs and spine. Makes sense that it would be true for weight training too.

Very tired today, so I don't feel like doing much though we did transfer to Mike's place. I am getting a little run down by all this moving around. BTW, it is the 28th, not the 29th correct?

I was diagnosed with osteopenia before WLS and my mother had osteoporosis, suffering a hip fracture in her early 60's. So I suspect mine is more genetic in nature.

CC, we did an easy hike around Bell Rock on the extra day trip we took there on our trip. I don't remember if it was the same one but it was very beautiful.

Have a sunny Sunday!

Yes, it is the 28th , opps! Liz, it takes A LOT I think, to wear you out. All the moving around would have worn me out weeks ago! I hope you honor those feelings, and give yourself some resting up time.