Tuesday, May 14, 2013

AHA! Moment (Starting Over) + Side Effects

I had an AHA! moment a few days ago. I still haven't put it into action, but I will. I promise. Here is what I realized... I jump into dieting and exercise way too intensely and that makes me give up quickly. When I go from not working out at all to working out all the time, I get burnt out or injured and I give up. I don't want to give up anymore. So, here's my goal... I want to walk on the treadmill for at least one show a day. I watch too much TV so I figure if I walk during one show, that'll be about 45 minutes walked each day. I'm not talking about speed walking yet... I'm talking about a nice leisurely stroll. :) I was going to purchase a shelf to hang by the treadmill so I could put my laptop or Kindle on it and watch Netflix while I watch, BUT I remembered that there is a shelf on our back porch that my boyfriend made in high school. It's a little banged up, but a couple new nails and it'll be good as new. Plus, it's made out of wood which will look nicer than some randomly bought shelf. I will return to Curves as soon as I get back in the habit of walking. I figure once I start working out I'll also want to eat better. I stepped on the scale this morning and was saddened to see this:


Ugh... I thought I would never see the 230s again. Sad. Oh well... It's time to get back on the horse and not gain anymore... Who's with me?

Have you ever had an AHA! moment???

About five months ago, I wrote an entry about how I was going to stop taking my birth control at the end of last year. I listed the side effects of birth control that I had. I thought I'd go back through and see if five months without birth control. So, here's my list along with an explanation of the side effects I had and if I have that same side effect now or not:
  • Enlarged Breasts/Breast Tenderness: I had been taking vitamin E for years for breast tenderness. While my breasts are still rather large, I don't have any tenderness anymore (except during certain times) and haven't taken any vitamin E since I stopped my birth control.
  • Irregular Periods/Absence of Menstrual Periods: I used to have crazy periods. They would either be absent or super heavy. While my period cycle hasn't leveled out, my periods are more consistent in length and flow.
  • Weight Gain/Change in Appetite: My weight hasn't changed (gone up or down) since I stopped taking my birth control.
  • Sinus Irritation and Congestion: I honestly and truly thought I had severe allergies. Since stopping my birth control, I no longer take Zyrtec daily and only take Nasonex when I have a sinus headache. I would say that in five months, this has been less than a dozen times. Amazing!!!
  • Low Energy/Chronic Trouble Sleeping: My energy has been a bit higher... not good by any means, but better than before.
  • Yeast Infection of Vagina and Vulva: I don't think I've had a yeast infection since I took birth control which is rare. :) I used to have them all of the time
  • Migraine Headaches: I believe since I stopped taking birth control I have only had one migraine which is a huge change from the once or more a month I was having. Awesome...
  • Diarrhea/Incomplete or Infrequent Bowel Movements: I still have a lot of bowel problems so I think this is more hereditary than related to birth control.
  • Easily Angered or Annoyed/Mood Changes: I am honestly not as irritable as I used to be which is nice. I used to snap a lot more than I do now. 
  • Altered Interest in Having Sexual Intercourse: While I still have a lower than average sex drive, it has come back somewhat which is good... especially for Matt. Haha.
  • High Blood Pressure: I don't feel like my blood pressure is an issue, but I still take blood pressure medication daily. Since I haven't lost any weight, there isn't much of a chance I'll get taken off of it yet.

1 comment:

  1. vitamin E is a pill? my boobs hurt like 75% of the time, maybe it is worth a shot?
    im glad you are feeling better though. they make different types of birth control since every woman is different. i took one that gave me boils along my waist and my bra line (the gyno told me that isnt a side effect, but i stopped taking it and havent had one since, they were deep purple and hurt so bad). i was on ortho evra, which is the patch, and it cleared my skin up, i havent used it in years and i break out like a teenager now.

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