Free Online Health

am crook as a dog... 3 weeks ago i had hubby home sick for the week, then last week i had my son home for the week sick... have struggled all this week with a background sore throat, but now it's hit me full force. i feel like crap.

still, am up and about, and tomorrow will be at curves. today will get some walking in. never underestimate the value of fresh air... will continue with my vitamins and have some honey & lemon drinks and just do all the good stuff. hopefully after lunchtime today i can curl up and get the most needed of all - REST! am getting into curves 4-5 times a week.

am frustrated with the zero change in my body weight (though things are fitting better....measurements again end of month) and have been doing more research on the leptin & insulin resistance, am back on the met, and am going to see a naturopath (see what they say, eh...) i am working towards cutting out ALL sugar (which will be interesting on it's own...) and have cut back alcohol in recent weeks (except last night, which was just silly) but think i must eliminate it completely. our group is sooooo social so it's a hard thing but they also can be really supportive so that's great too. one of my girlfriends recently asked "what can WE do to help you?" which was just one of the best things i've been asked in years... i burst into tears LOL...

anyhoooo i continue, am slowly learning to be kinder to me, so that's the main thing.

now, if my ears and throat would just stop hurting.....

 

 

I am sorry you are sick, Kaz!

What has you thinking about the insulin resistance? Just curious! I was looking into that a while ago, but to be frank, I was making excuses yet again! (not saying you are, trust me, but I sure as hell was!) I just eat too much, and don't move enough! LOL!

Hope the germs leave the building FAST!

---

Caution: Sarcastic and Cynical!!!

hi jane,

that's ok. the hormone leptin was only discovered in 1994, so there's not a lot of information - yet - and because it's not something that's able to be pharmacologically treated (yet), (read not much money to be made by giving a specific medicine), a lot of doctors are oblivious or only vaguely aware of it, and it's role in weight and metabolism, let alone how to treat it. i've been looking into the available information and hope to at least find a doctor remotely familiar with leptin resistance... combined with the insulin resistance ( which is when your body is desensetised to insulin - so makes too much - ie insulin is produced, doesn't pick up the glucose, so makes more insulin, which goes nowhere, which is then stored usually around the abdominal area - same kind of thing as leptin resistance in it's behaviour) it's a really big struggle.

anyhoooo i was in Borders today and had a chance to flip thru Ray's new book... I grabbed a few copies and put it on the End Displays so that it was more visible :) hehehe

germs are killing me. about to go back to bed. am in crap way

xxxx

So, what causes the resistance then, and can you alter it by other means, not medicinal?

---

Caution: Sarcastic and Cynical!!!

Hi Jane (don't know if this is now coming up in the orange font but how fun for a change!!)
The little bit of info is a basic bit of info on what insulin resistance is.
Basically, your body produces insulin to do it's job on the glucose, but it doesn't DO it's job, so the glucose remains, the body makes more insulin. I think that's how it sort of works - the body builds up a resistance. Sort of like how some antibiotics don't work on certain infections because they have become resistant to them.

With the leptin, my body makes tonnes of it but can't USE it effectively because it's basically immune to it. There are strong links between the two hormones and this is what is being researched. I've ordered some books on both subjects, trying to understand the situation a bit more, with the research currently available. As it currently stands, I expect that by reducing sugar intake (and by this i mean to also look at what foods break down into high sugars), then my body would lower the amount of insulin it releases. That's kind of what I'm thinking anyway - am excited to read the information when it arrives and can give you a better idea of what it all might mean. Seems most run of the mill GPs have little idea. 

What is insulin resistance?
Insulin resistance occurs when the normal amount of insulin secreted by the pancreas is not able to unlock the door to cells.  To maintain a normal blood glucose, the pancreas secretes additional insulin.  In some cases (about 1/3 of the people with insulin resistance), when the body cells resist or do not respond to even high levels of insulin, glucose builds up in the blood resulting in high blood glucose or type 2 diabetes.  Even people with diabetes who take oral medication or require insulin injections to control their blood glucose levels can have higher than normal blood insulin levels due to insulin resistance.

OK, I might be thick (shh!) but what causes this to happen?

---

Caution: Sarcastic and Cynical!!!

this is only a guess, based on my own experience and of how my own metabolism defies belief, but i would assume the years i spent not eating breakfast or lunch, only a carb-loaded dinner (eg pasta) caused the excessive glucose in my body with that one meal to make a lot of extra insulin, causing the cells to become resistant to the insulin.

once i have read more of the information that is currently available, will happily continue the disucssion. as it stands, i know very little about it (tho more than my GP). as for leptin, i don't know if even THEY KNOW (the researchers) what actually causes it. seems that insulin & leptin are linked (as insulin is linked to everything practically in your body anyway), and that it's a metabolic connection. as leptin wasn't found until the 90's, there isn't a slew of information or data though bits are coming through.

it's about the way these hormones interact within the body that is causing the problem.

am really sick. am going back to bed. have a rotten tummy bug. it's not pretty.

x

it's almost 8 months since i quit smoking, and i'm 1 kilo away from my pre-quit/post back injury weight. once i drop this next kg, i'll have 6kgs to go to pre back injury weight...
have been doing weight watchers the last couple months and am loving it. the weekly accountability & support are invaluable, and i have learned something new each week - very interesting considering i thought i 'knew it all' LOL

am loving curves. it's gentle and suits me. funny, eh.

will check in again soon.

Hi Kaz,

Glad to hear you're back in the swing of things (Discounting the tummy bug of course!), and who'd have thought you'd be having fun at Curves :)

I'm not much on their staff, and some of the info they give out, but I really like the idea of the continuous circuits that I've seen. It's something I'd definitely implement if I had a studio.

I'm also keen to hear more about what you find out about Leptin resistance.

Ray

---

My new book: Winners Do What Losers Don't

I have a gf doing curves, she's only wanting to lose 2 kgs because she's a lightweight but she's found it great for the cms and overall fitness and strength.   I'm pretty happy with how I'm going on ww too.  Thats good news, Kaz!

---

SW: Aug08 - 103.8kgs
CW: 95.8kgs (lost 8kgs)
GW: 79kgs by Mar09

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas!
It is over 10 MONTHS since I had a cigarette!! I've saved nearly $3000 by not smoking in this time. And yes, I've banked it away. (:

I had a look at stuff I wrote back in the middle of 2007 so here is where I am at with them now:

things i must change in my life...

• negative self destructive thoughts GONE
• self hatred GONE
• self hating actions - smoking, drinking too much QUIT SMOKING, DON'T DRINK MUCH ANYMORE
• feelings of self defeat NO LONGER EXIST
• feelings of inadequacy NO LONGER EXIST
• pain - physical & mental PHYSICAL - receiving PROPER Pain Management & Treatment; MENTAL - had Psychology treatement to work through & eliminate
• lack of motivation MOTIVATION COMES FROM WITHIN - NOONE ELSE WILL EVER DO THIS FOR YOU - AM SELF MOTIVATED MOST DAYS
• lack of direction I KNOW WHAT I WANT FROM MY LIFE
• lack of focus I AM BECOMING BETTER AT COMPLETING THINGS
• all or nothing attitude NO LONGER EXISTS
• giving in to temptations - occasionally is fine, 4 times a week (sometimes more) is not BECOMING BETTER & STRONGER WITH THIS
• not reaching goals SOMETIMES THE JOURNEY IS THE LESSON 
• setting unrealistic goals I NOW MAKE REALISTIC GOALS
• pretending i don't care I DO CARE AND I DO VALUE MY LIFE
• painful death thought obsessions ANXIETY & DEPRESSION TREATMENT - NO LONGER EXIST
• getting too comfortable SOMETIMES IT IS OK TO BE COMFORTABLE, SOMETIMES IT IS GREAT TO FACE A CHALLENGE
• not overdoing it I HAVE LEARNED IT IS OK TO HAVE LIMITS - I AM NOT SUPERWOMAN
• learn to accept & own my feelings and emotions THIS IS HARD BUT BETTER TO BE HONEST WITH MYSELF AND OTHERS
• learn to explore and understand and then learn from my own feelings & emotions SOMETIMES EVEN HARDER TO LEARN FROM BUT WORTH IT IN THE END
• be accountable to myself YES - BECAUSE I AM OK
• learn to take time to just be BREATHING FULLY IS NICE
• learn to ask for help BECAUSE IT WON'T KILL YOU TO ASK FOR HELP!!!
• learn to accept help BECAUSE HELP IS BEAUTIFUL AND ALLOWS YOU TO LEARN AND GROW
• seek truth and guidance NEVER EVER STOP SEEKING TRUTH & GUIDANCE & ALWAYS TRUST YOURSELF

All up the last 18 months or so have been a massive period of growth & transformation. I haven't been as present online as I had been in the past - because I am OUT THERE doing things, trying things, and that's a cool thing too. Rather than just taking something or reading it and then not actioning it, I've been trying to find answers, find different ways of doing things that I'd always done. I still make mistakes. I still muck things up. I still have sh!t days. But I know that it's all part of living my life. Life doesn't come in a cookie cutter mould, we're not all meant to be the same. But we can be the best we can be. The main things I've learned through this is that love is the most amazing force on earth, and love has to start within yourself. Once you can love an accept yourself, you will find a whole world of difference in the way you see things and respond to things. I was smoking because of my self hatred, and drinking to excess because of the same. I didn't think I was worthy to be here, and that I had no real purpose. What a crock! Every single one of us has an infinite capacity to love and bring beautiful and positive things into being.

 I have found support in places I didn't think I would. I have found that some people don't like us to change, and prefer it if we are their sad/fat/miserable/self-hating/doubting friend. Those kinds of friends I don't need!

2008 has been for me, a really massive year of struggle, sadness, loss & pain, but it has also been one of growth, learning, change and most of all, love. So many unexpected things have occurred, that I can't begin to tell you here. What I can say, though, is to never ever give up, to always challenge what doesn't feel right, and to persevere in the name of love for all that is good. I look forward to the conclusion of 2008 and all it's trials, and i am excited for the new year ahead, and all that could unfold there. Plant your seeds and nurture them, and help them grow into the beauitful garden of your dreams, because you are worth it.

cg xx

Hi Kaz,

Great to see things going well. Perseverance is certainly the key!

Ray

---

My new book: Winners Do What Losers Don't

Yay Kaz, what a positive post! Just think how fantastic 2009 will be!

---

Caution: Sarcastic and Cynical!!!