Gardens and Tetanus Shots

Yes, you read that right.

I got to go in for my tetanus booster (actually, the t-dap) today.
Why, might you ask?
Because I was trimming back the bushes with a rusty box cutter, and managed to accidentally fillet my knuckle. And, the last time I remember getting a tetanus shot was, oh, 11 years ago.

So, now I have some gauze and a bandage on my finger, and a bandage on my arm and I'm no worse for wear. I also have record of getting the shot. Since recorders are what I didn't have and thus had to rely on memory.

As per the advice of the nurses, I have thrown out the box cutter.

Please forgive the mess, that's my gardening table. 

That being said, my garden is coming along swimmingly. Soon nothing will be covered anymore and I've already begun harvesting. I love it! I will do a more in depth and serious garden update later.

Self-Administered It Works! Ultimate Body Applicator Analysis: Conclusion (Part 4)

It is Now Tuesday.

I drank a little more than half a gallon every day since the It Works! Ultimate Body Applicator wrap on Saturday.

I ate well, and exercised vigorously every day, minus a single cup of coffee with a teaspoon of raw local honey in the morning.

My final measurements are as follows:

Smallest point of middle: between 33.5 and 33.66 inches, down from 34 inches.

Around belly button 38.5 inches, down from 39 inches.

Crest of hip 41 inches, down from 42 inches.

Additionally, the widest point of my hips/butt is now 43 inches, from 44 and my rib measurement is 33.5 inches from 34.

CONCLUSION:

Inconclusive. 
There are too many variables to verify whether or not this "works." In addition, the changes in my body have increased my waist to hip ratio, which is not something I am pleased with. Also, the amount of water drunk may have as much to do with the 1/2 to 1 inch shrinking as the Ultimate Body Applicator. Most notably because the inches lost spread beyond the area of application.

If you are willing to spend 99 dollars on 4 applications or 30 dollars on one and conduct your own experiment, I would say that would be a good idea, but if my results are not drastic enough, feel free to disregard this. My belief is that eating well, drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly will likely yield the same results (though perhaps over more time) and cost you less.

I will post pictures and allow other people to make their own decisions.

Before Ultimate Body Applicator Wrap and 72 hours later. (a)

Before Ultimate Body Applicator Wrap and 72 hours later. (b)

Me with my stomach sucked in,
for comparison to the pictures without
and to think about when seeing
any results.

Self-Administered It Works! Ultimate Body Applicator Analysis Part 3

Today, Day 2,

34 at smallest point in middle, maybe a little under 34
39 at my belly button
41 at crest of hips

Time of measurement 10 am. (I will be busy in 20 minutes so I figured it wouldn't hurt)

Of course, I used the marks from the Sharpie to ensure I was measuring in the same place and I successfully drank an additional half-gallon of water yesterday.

I also made sure I was adequately hydrated the previous two days, and drank a full two glasses of water before even putting on the Ultimate Body Applicator, as well as the water drank while wearing it.

Additional notes:

In addition to working out yesterday I also went on a two hour walk with a friend around a park and then around town.

I noticed that my stomach felt sore and sensitive all day yesterday, everywhere that had the lotion on it. That didn't go away until I washed it off late last night.

Slept 9 hours.

Self-Administered It Works! Ultimate Body Applicator Analysis Part 2

After the first application I am ¼ inch larger at the waist, from 34 1/2 to 34 ¾

1 inch large around my belly button, from 39 to 40

And 1 inch smaller at the crest of my hips, from 42 to 41.

Time of measurement 10:20 am.

Observations:

• The cold sensation turned to a slight burning or pain that lasted the duration.
• Around the 30 minute mark I noticed that I had begun to stink. The smell at my arm pits was bad enough by the time I had completed the wrap that I used deodorant, which I rarely use. Smell has been an issue (ketosis, I believe) with my decreased appetite lately, but it is usually triggered while I’m exercising. I was not exercising at all, I was standing perfectly still and typing. So, that seems unique.

     Pictures of body prior to application. I will put up comparison pictures in 72 hours.

     Also, do remember that in the last 5 months I have lost between 25 and 30 pounds (and of course I can't know exactly how much for another week because I have made the choice to focus on health rather than weight and thus only weigh once a month), so whether or not this body seems pleasing or displeasing to you is not important. Thank you. :)

Self-administered It Works! Ultimate Body Applicator (1 Application) Analysis Part 1

So, a friend of mine from high school, a housewife down in Florida, has become an It Works sales person. I've seen her posting about the "wraps" and the foods, and checked all of it out.

She said she used it and it worked and I don't think she's purposely deceiving anyone, but I'm dubious about it being truly effective. However; I'm as much a scientist at heart as much as I am an artist so I really found my curiosity growing. I finally talked myself into it and figured that if I bought one and it didn't work I wouldn't have spent too much money and at least she'd get a little bit of commission. After all, she has two kids.

Using the Ultimate Body Applicator is what I'm doing right now. I measured myself; in the morning, but after my workout and after a warm shower (the shower is a suggestion I got from my friend). I have also made an effort to be sufficiently hydrated for the last few days so that dehydration is not as likely to effect results, positively or negatively. I also took my measurements a couple days ago, so that I know my actual measurements as different from the one third to half an inch that the hot shower added.

After measuring I had my sister mark where I'd put the measuring tape so the next three times I measure (after taking it off, at the same time on Sunday, and then at the same time on Monday) I will be measuring in the "right places." I then took out the applicator and rubbed the extra goo from the plastic (as suggested in the how to apply video) on my stomach before unfolding the applicator and putting it on my stomach from sternum to pubic bone and around my sides and making sure it was flat. I then had my sister wrap the saran wrap around me several times, twisting occasionally to keep it "firm" as the video suggested.

Then I started the timer. I will keep it on for 45 minutes to an hour. My friend said 40 minutes is really the time it takes but the packaging suggests a little more.

I am also refraining from sitting, eating, or exercising during the application.

It was suggested to me that I drink 40 oz of water while I have the wrap on, which I am doing. It will be a tight fit, though, to drink 40 oz in 45 minutes.

From what I can tell the saran wrap feels a little snug on my middle but nothing more than a size too small shirt would, it's not tight. The actual application smells strongly of eucalyptus and maybe tea tree oil. It feels quite cold in the same way that rubbing Vic's vapor rub on your chest might.

I was told that if you eat poorly or don't drink enough water the application might not be as effective. That being said, I am on a no sweeteners diet (and of course, by diet I mean the kinds of food I consume, not a commercial gimmick to lose weight), as I have mentioned in previous blogs. I eat no processed foods, no sweets, low in salt and inflammatory foods. My indulgence is my one cup of coffee a day. They said that caffeine can negatively effect it so I might switch to green tea but I'm not going to risk the headache. I really don't see how something that is canceled by a "normal" diet could be found to be very effective for many people. That said, my diet isn't normal, it's great, so that shouldn't be an issue. It was also suggested that I drink half my weight or more in ounces of water each of the three days. So I will endeavor to drink a gallon of water today, tomorrow, and the next day.

I can't help but wonder if the required water is to hide the water weight loss?

I will make an analysis of the results in another entry, along with pictures, and will continue with entries over the next three days assessing change, and whether or not there is any.

Experimenting! Fun!

Appetite is back?

Maybe I worried for nothing. I ate like a normal person today and was ravenously hungry when I tried to skip a meal. Maybe it just took a little while [more than a week] to lose the effects from the antibiotic? Or for my stomach to regrow? No, that doesn't make any sense, I wasn't forcing food on myself.

It could also be because I'm back to my normal workout routine plus I'm using 5 pound weights during my cardio rather than 3 pound weights and I added one new high intensity exercise for my abs.
On that note; you're not going to be hearing much about the specifics of my work outs because I think that's personal, and it's not up for scrutiny. 

Anyway, I had a banana and toast and an egg and coffee with milk this morning, lots of water, an apple and greek yogurt and kimchi and a fruit leather and a cup of orange juice for lunch, then two servings of noodles and a serving and a half of beef and a serving of zucchini and 1 chocolate truffle from a student and another fruit leather and another banana. So, there you go, back to normal eating.

And, after the lunch my stomach was growling sooooo bad.

That's all.

Update:

My appetite was decreased the next day and now seems to be consistently low compared to what it was 3 weeks ago, but not non-existent. I am finding that I sometimes stink very badly when I sweat. I think this is ketosis.

Garden update 5/19

Well, my garden is coming along quite nicely.
And, I finally pulled out my overpriced Fuji camera, stuck 4 batteries in it, and took some pictures!
Some of the spinach is ready to be picked

And the peas are doing well.

The tomatoes are growing slowly but surely

The kale is getting mature enough to come out from under its protective covers

As is some of the chard (this is an "aerial view")

The lettuce is growing quite nicely and about ready to be taken out of their containers.

Oh, and then there are the herbs,

Sage

the baby basil

and the new thyme

And so is the zucchini. I've also planted cucumber, watermelon, some beans, Mexican zucchini, and
summer squash.

The few carrots that survived the first planting are doing well, and the ones from the second planting are just beginning to spout. I expect there will be a third planting some time in June.

The broccoli never took off. I'm tempted to say it's the batch. I never should have bought seeds from wal-mart. :-p Lazy lazy.

The war with the slugs is going on just as strong as it ever was.

Also, I've seen both a rabbit and a groundhog looking around in my compost heap today. I'm just going to leave it uncovered in the hopes they will go after table scraps rather than gardens.

That's all!

A Shout-Out for a Lovely Article

Lovely lady, lovely article. She's right on.

Jennie Runk: My life as a 'plus-size' model

Insonmnia

You know, I wish I could tell you an easy cure for insomnia.

If I knew it I'd use it.

From what I can tell, there is no easy cure. Even the hard cures are hard.

I've been suffering from a bout of insomnia lately courtesy of the antibiotics I was taking. My body clock is all out of sync now.

2:30 am to 11am is not a good sleeping schedule.

I suspect that the situation isn't helped by the fact that I lived in South Korea for two years. I think my body still has a left over memory of that, and is trying for the nice medium of living on eastern European time.

So, it's back to melatonin for the next week or two, and trying to wake up early, even if I didn't go to sleep early.

And exercising. I have ADHD and exercise is really unnecessary for focus, and for sleep. I have to strain out some of the excess fidgetyness. I don't see a flaw in working out hard for a full hour every day, not to loose weight, but to sleep well.

Additionally, nothing with caffeine after 5pm.

And, computer off and closed by 10.

It's funny to me because I like sleep, and I love waking up, but I don't like going to sleep.

Wish me luck!

Food for the day

Breakfast:

A banana, because I woke up at 11. More on that in another post

Lunch:

Lots of kale. Lots. Was 4 or 5 cups before steamed. Probably about 3 cups after 4 minutes of steaming. (I'm never sure if I should measure something by the size it is before or after being cooked) Drizzled with extra virgin olive oil (cannot completely validate it's unadulteratedness but it did completely solidify in the fridge), a little salt, and garlic.

1 serving of grass fed beef, a little oil in pan, tiny bit of salt, pepper, garlic

2 servings spaghetti noodles, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, garlic, paprika (organic)

1/2 tomato, chopped

2 small organic pears (because they're going to go bad and they taste perfect when they're bordering on too ripe)

Dinner: 

Probably something with mushrooms if I can swing that at all I don't want to waste my money on food I don't eat. Tuna on the side or eggs (which would go better with mushrooms), the spinach I picked from my garden yesterday as well as some of the stuff that's starting to get old, and the last of the kale, and a banana.

Water: 

As much as I want throughout the day. Probably about four or five tall glasses. I'm fairly certain I will also consume at least 1, if not 2, cups of coffee at some point today.

Conclusion;

A hearty workout for a couple of days does increase the appetite some, but I'm still not eating much compared to previously  I haven't even touched the bag of spinach I bought this week, and a lot of my consuming is having to do with trying to keep foods from getting old rather than food interest. I haven't touched my bag of oranges from this week either and I still have three bananas left (which really should be eaten by tomorrow because they're getting very spotted). The eggs are only about half eaten and I still have two cans of tuna though the chicken and beef are finally finished. The cheese, the parmeasean from a few weeks ago, the colby-jack from this week, the mozzarella  the mixed shredded bag from two weeks ago, none of them are empty. So, no buying cheese this week, I have a ton. I still have some spinach left from two weeks ago, and all the zucchinis I bought this week and one from last week. I haven't opened the new milk, though I nearly finished the one from two weeks ago. Not even the orange juice is gone. I will, however, need a little more pasta as I'm about 2/3 through my box of spaghetti and I finished the box of curly noodles left over from two weeks ago. I need to eat more yogurt or my yogurt from 3 week ago will go bad. I'm about 1/2/ to 2/3 finished with the 2/4 oz container. I still haven't opened the plain Greek yogurt I bought last week.

I think that if I can get my body clock reset and start eating a real breakfast again I'll find myself going through a bit more food and being hungrier. Also, I should probably buy less food until I figure out how much I'm eating now.