Week 5 and 6

At the end of week 5 I was very discouraged and not feeling any results from the change in diet. So, I took a week off and for week 6 I felt awful. So, I am going to get back on the diet knowing that though I don't feel perfect on the diet, I feel better. So, I'm back to it with some flexibility in the plan. I'm not going to be as strict, but I am going to stick with it pretty well.

week four

Not a great week. Mild pain all week long, which made the diet feel meaningless. I cheated one day with a cookie. I'm trying to keep in mind that this really may work, but it will take a while. So a new week has come and I am back to it.

ouch

Flare in my right toes, hurts pretty bad. Totally frustrating. I really thought this was helping but I have been in pain all week. I'm not giving up...

small flare

Quick note to self...I have a lot of stiffness and some pain today. I had some nutrasweet yesterday (a no-no) and I was without my supplements for two days. Not sure if the two are connected but I wanted to take note anyway.

Week 3

So this is the beginning of week three, and though I am not ready to make any conclusions, I have to say that I am very happy with how I have been feeling. It's been a great week. We went on vacation and it was really hard being surrounded with food temptations, but I stayed strong. Phew! We also did a ton of activities and I didn't flare at all! It was exciting. Then yesterday I did an event at my mom's work and was on my feet in bad shoes for 7 hours and my toes felt pretty normal the next day! Amazing. Today is "shot day" and I feel pretty good. My hands feel a little tight, and my pinky toe hurts a little but not too bad. Nothing much else to report!

New yummy fish recipe...

2 lbs tilapia

2 T ginger, chopped small

2 T shallots, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro

a few shakes of soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Spray grill pan with olive oil and put tilapia on. Top with ginger and shallots. Cook for about 20-25 minutes (depending on thickness of fish) until fish is flaky. When fish is done, top with cilantro and a few shakes of soy sauce. SO YUMMY!!

Week two

Shot day, and feeling pretty good! I don't have any joints that feel flared up. I DO have some sore muscles from my yoga/pilates class, but that is great. After a rough week of adjusting I am finally seeing some possible results from this self inflicted torture :) And it isn't really even torture any more. The first days of no sugar and no coffee were rough, but I figured out some alternative sweets and hot drinks that helped, and made a few yummy meals that I could eat.

We leave for vacation today and I know it will be nearly impossible to stick to my diet on vacation. But I am going to try to do it at about 75%. I don't want to be a pain and a burden to those cooking (I'm just thankful I am not doing the cooking!) so I am going to relax a little.

I lost three pounds! A nice side effect :)

Week one is done!

AhhH!

Oh my goodness this is quite an adventure! I have experienced a severe caffiene headache, sharp stomach pains, flare-ups in my hips...my body is rejecting this new diet! Actually I think it's just adjusting, but its been a rough adjustment.

I tried a yoga/pilates class and it really really felt good for my joints. I am going to keep it up and see how it makes me feel. I felt weird and uncoordinated doing all the movements, but oh well.

So, thats the update for now.

Today's details

Suppliments:
Fish oil, 2 per day or 6 if I have a flare.
Kaprex, 2 per day or 3 if I have a flare.

Diet:
Eat mostly fish, nuts, fruits, and veggies (and a little chicken). Stay away from white flour, sugar, potatoes, tomatoes, and dairy.

I accidentally drank a cup of coffee while I was still half asleep. When the coffee woke me up, I remembered the new diet!

Food: I ate a banana for breakfast. Then a a strawberry spinach salad with some poppyseeds, vinegar, oil, and a touch of honey for dressing. And 1/2 cup of oatmeal with a touch of maple syrup and about 10 wild blueberries. Am I enjoying this bland bowl of oatmeal? Nope. It needs some walnuts and more sweetness. Oh well, it will fill my stomach for now. Tonight's dinner is "easy baked chicken" from my new recipe book.

I got lost going to Trader Joe's this morning so I missed my yoga/pilates class. I will have to get to it tomorrow for sure.

Weight: Nope, not posting that. But I am at my most normal low (for me) weight that I can never quite get under. It ends with a 5. Ha!

Week one

I am not starting the whole deal-e-o yet, but I wanted to log a few things down...
It's shot day and I still hate giving myself a shot, but it is of course worth it for the results. On the day of my shot my body tends to feel achy.

Current Pains: My right knee hurts a tiny bit. The toes on my right foot ache - maybe a 3 on the pain scale (a 1 is a small ache, a 5 would be very painful causing a wince with each movement, 10 would be having no use of aching limb). My fingers are stiff.

Eric and I had Blizzards tonight. Yummy. Soon I will cut out sugar (and dairy, and everything else) so I am treating myself a little before that happens.

I have been reading my book and looking at recipes. I have new feelings of empathy and sympathy for those who have to change their cooking and diets for allergies. To my sister, if you read this, I am sorry for the struggles you face in cooking for your family. You handle it all so well.

Another season of blogging here

I am back to using this blog to keep record of my rheumatoid arthritis. This time it is to see how the naturopath approach can help. I was able to visit a naturopath doctor this last week and I am going to try her suggestions and see what happens.

The approach is going to be pretty brutal, but worth a try. What sold me on it was the idea that I could change the course of my immune system to start working FOR me instead of constantly attacking me. I am sticking with my current medicine, enbrel, also because it is awesome. Maybe i will talk about it's awesomeness someday. I still have flare-ups even with the miracle in a syringe, but nothing like what I have without any meds.

New diet and supplements and yoga start next week :)

I need to make this blog a little prettier so that I am happy when i come here! The black background is so blah and sad.

Oh, and I was reading some old posts from when I was off Enbrel and pregnant - I was sleeping around 13 hours in a 24 hour period just to survive! CRAZY. Good to remember reality though.