Paleo for PCOS (and more!)

Hey ladies! It's been a while since I have written an entry but I have to share this. Fourteen days ago I started eating "Paleo." If you don't know what it is, in short it is eating the way our Paleolithic ancestors ate. Meats (grass-fed, preservative free), most vegetables excluding potatoes, beans and other starchy ones, nuts and fruits (I think there may be some stipulations on the fruit but I am just learning so right now I am eating 1-2 servings of any fruit per day). No sugar or processed foods. This is a very basic run-down and I not claiming to know it all or even half of it but I am giving it my all and I am already seeing results! My original intention was to do the Whole30 program (http://whole9life.com/category/testimonials/) but I was starting on Nov. 1 and with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I knew I wouldn't make it the complete 30 days. So I decided to just introduce myself to this way of eating and do the best that I could with my knowledge thus far.

My progress:
1. For the first week, I lost about a pound every day. Now I know this isn't about the weight loss entirely but those of you with PCOS know that when you are successful at weight loss it is a huge victory.
2. Before beginning this diet, I had always experienced some really intense heel pain. I always  thought it was from wearing flip-flops pretty much 365 days a year and maybe in part it was caused by that. Now 14 days into the diet and I have literally NO heel pain. It used to be so bad that I could hardly touch the backs of my heels and now nothing! That in itself was amazing to me.
3. Finally, A.F. came back all on her own! I can't believe it! It has been at least a year since I have had a cycle that wasn't medicated. Now I am not 100% sure if this is due to the diet changes or if this is purely coincidental because this happened on about Day 11. If it was the diet, I likely didn't ovulate because I would have needed 14 days but it is possible that my hormones are coming under control.

I am so excited to see what other great changes happen to my body as I become more proficient in this way of eating. I wanted to share this with you PCOS ladies out there who are interested in changing your diet to help with your condition. If you have done or currently do Paleo or something similar, I would love to hear your testimonials, so please share!

Until next time, may Christ's love and blessings be upon you and yours.

*Edit: Here are some great links regarding Paleo: Whole9, Everyday Paleo, Caveman Strong

Home Educating Family Publishing

Home Educating Family Publishing

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Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus...

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, 

Look full in His wondrous face,

And the things of earth shall grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

Such a well known song, such powerful lyrics.

In the time since I have written we have taken some steps in our infertility journey. Last month I took Clomid (a hormone that stimulates ovulation) for the first time. I am not sure what prompted me. At the time, I truly believed that it was our next step defined by God but after much prayer, many tears and another failed cycle I realize that it was simply my fleshly desire to hurry God's plan along. Today I am at a point that I don't know what God's plans for us are concerning children. It has been a really long couple of years and I am tired. 

Someone recently posted a YouTube video of Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus on Facebook. As I listened to the lyrics God starting working on my heart, telling me that my focus had turned so much upon having another child that I was no longer looking upon Him. I had made a pure and wonderful thing, the blessing of a child, into an idol; into something that spawned jealousy and pain. 

It is now time for me to set my mind on things above, not on things of this earth (Colossians 3:2). I am deciding to look upon His wondrous face and endure sufferings here on earth with a joyous heart. 

Joyous heart? That's right. This doesn't mean that I am happy, that have forgotten all about having another baby. It doesn't take away all the pain and I can't guarantee that I'll never shed another tear over the matter. But what I can guarantee is that I will be content, that I will understand and embrace the concept that all of this suffering is leading to greater things. Things from above. Things that are better than I could have ever imagined. I trust in my God, although it is not always easy to relinquish control I will do it. I lay my life plans in HIS hands to do as He see best. He knows the whole picture, He knows of things to come.

Adoption? 

 A biological child?

Foster care? 

No more children at all?? 

I don't know how life will play out but I know I will not be alone. He is by my side. 

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. -Deuteronomy 31:8

Until next time, may Christ's love and blessings be upon you and yours.

The Blame Game

Amidst my hours and hours of internet research and reading on PCOS, I have found that is very common for infertile women to blame themselves for the problems within their bodies. Until last week, I did not fall among these women. I had my head on my shoulders, knowing for a fact that it was all in God's control, there was nothing I could do to fix the problem and on and on. I was so glad I did not think it was my fault...ugh! I hate when I start to get a haughty attitude! God has a way of handing us over from time to time to our ugly behaviors. About a week or so ago I got clobbered with a big huge rock with the words blame all across it! Wow does it hurt! I can't stop thinking about the fact that if I could just lose some more weight maybe my fertility would come back, if I could eat this way or that maybe it was help me ovulate, maybe if I wasn't so lazy, if I could motivate myself to get off the couch THEN I could have a baby. No matter how hard I try to go back to not feeling any blame it just keeps coming around again and again. I am a huge believer in personal responsibility in all aspects of life but had never accepted any for my current situation. Now it's raining down on me and I don't know what to do. I don't know how to change  all the things that I have control over. I don't know how to get motivated! Even my spiritual life feels dry. This battle is a never ending swim upstream.

My apologies to you women out there who have felt blame and I have perturbedly thought: "Why?" "How could you feel guilty about something you have no control over?" ... Now I know. Now I know.

Until next time, may Christ's love and blessings be upon you and yours.

Soul Cysters Weight Loss Challenge Giveaway

I know all you women out there suffering from PCOS you know how hard weight loss can be. I am going to be entering the Soul Cysters Weight Loss Challenge starting on Aug. 1 Right now Mrs. O's Life is giving away 2 entries into the contest. I am really hoping this will motivate me to drop a few lbs before I start taking (or while I am taking) Clomid. Check out her blog and take the steps to start your own weight loss journey or further the one you have already begun!


Until next time, may Christ's love and blessings be upon you and yours.

While I'm Waiting...

Lately, my life seems at a stand still. I feel like I am sitting here waiting upon the Lord to act on my behalf. We are coming up on two years that I have been dealing with my heart's desire for a child. I have found a great peace with God and realized that I there is a large chance I will never give birth to a child but I still have high hopes that my future does hold more children. 
I have had a great conviction to begin foster care, my husband however has not had this 'great conviction.' This poses a huge problem as you might imagine! I know that my husband has a huge heart and desires to serve God but sometimes he needs a push or a pull to realize that a path is for him. I normally have no problem nudging him along but this time is different. At first, I tried begging, pleading and convincing, no results. And then, I felt God's working hands pulling on my heart and telling me the one word that I am absolutely no good with: WAIT. Ugh! Seriously? More waiting?? So I tried to convince myself that it wasn't really GOD who wanted me to wait...mistake. So after more begging, er, nagging and a little praying, essentially God told me to shut my mouth and let Him do the talking, moving, happening. 
It's now I realize that God can do a much better job of making things happen, perfecting things and calling people to action than I can begin to imagine. No, my husband did not miraculously come to me and abruptly announce that he was ready to sign up for foster care but I can now accept the fact that God is working things out. Working in His own time to perfect this situation, to perfect our hearts to receive children hurt by a sinful world and to perfect the love that we will give these children. 
And so, as the song says:
"I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait..."

If you feel inclined, please lift our family up in prayer. That God's will may take shape in our lives. 

Until next time, may Christ's love and blessings be upon you and yours.

Learning and Sewing

It's been over a month since I last posted...life get's so hectic sometimes, I completely forget about blogging!  I hope you haven't all abandoned me in my absence.

This weekend our small church had a great opportunity to have John Clayton give several lectures. This man is a former atheist who became a Christian while trying to write a book bashing the bible. Ironic? In case any of you are interested his website is doesGodexist.org He is a scientist and former high school teacher. He was incredibly interesting and really made me begin to examine some of my views and some of my actions. Anytime someone can shake you sand wake you, you'd better take advantage of the opportunity!

In unrelated new, I took on another sewing project --curtains for my pantry. We had a set of bifold doors but one was broken and I really despise those things. My *dream* solution would have been frosted doors with "PANTRY" etched in the glass but the budget just wouldn't allow. I was looking through a Country Living book and saw the ideas of using curtains in the doorway and thought it was super cute.  Here is a pic of my curtains:

 

I left the curtains a little long because I was in such a hurry to begin sewing that I didn't pre-shrink the fabric and know that they will likely shrink a bit in the wash.  

That's the excitement here on the homefront.

Until next time, may Christ's love and blessings be upon you and yours.