Microscopic Hematuria: Fast Friends

I'm all about full disclosure after a period of time. There are certain things we should keep quiet, but I needed an outlet this time.

My doctor has tested my urine positive for blood for two months in a row. We aren't sure why it is there or what is causing it. I'm not working out as much as I used to. I don't have any weird pain or discomfort. I'm not sick, don't have a fever, and don't feel nauseous. 

My doctors said to go ahead and see an OB/GYN for a consultation and to see what else might cause the problem.

The reason we're a bit worried is because there are no major signs of trauma or anything to indicate a disease. The biggest reason to get checked out and watch this problem is the link between trace amounts of blood in urine and cancer. To my knowledge, no one in my family has/had cancer. I feel safe in that regard.

That doesn't mean I couldn't have cancer for some reason.

I've been reading up on the condition of having blood in your urine, hematuria. There are a variety of reasons listed by the Mayo Clinic and WebMD for hematuria.

I'll keep everyone posted. As of now, I'm just waiting for my first appointment with an OB/GYN. I just want to keep healthy and safe so that I'm not surprised and overwhelmed when we start to seriously think about having children.

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A Beauty Overhaul

I have never been known to score 100% in the "taking care of self" category in life. I can put off showers for a few days, wear my jeans multiple times before throwing them in the laundry basket, forget to brush my teeth until I need to be out of the house and in public... The list goes on and on (just ask my husband).

Since meeting my husband, I went through a phase of showering and being stylish and cute all the time (dating phase), sloppy outfits (got him for good), and sensible style that is functional (present). Over the years, I have noticed one thing that upsets me a little: My husband takes better care of himself than I do myself. He gives himself pedicures, goes for regular massages, is always trying new shampoos and lotions, etc. He is always making sure he looks great and feels great. I love that about him. Because I love that about him, it's starting to rub off on me.

While I love being in jeans and a t-shirt, I realize that this isn't always attractive or sexy. I have always wanted to make sure that I am attractive and sexy for my husband as much as I want to feel that way for myself. This has led me to search for comfortable and fun clothing. I mean everything from jeans, shirts, and dresses to bras and underwear. I never used to buy colorful bras, just the standard nude, white and black. Now, I don't think I reach for a bra unless it has a fun color or pattern on it. I've also developed a love for Eddie Bauer. The clothes are just so comfortable. They are also just my style. It's adult clothing with some fun added in. Changing your clothing is only half the battle, though. The real struggle is skincare.

I have struggled most of my adult life with acne. I've had a ton of small bumps to no bumps and some huge pimples. I know that I haven't had anywhere near the trouble as other people, but it still has been hard for me to deal with. I have always wanted clear skin. While I haven't always worked toward having clear skin, I am trying a lot harder now to achieve it. I started getting facials once every month or so. I also follow a more strict daily regimen of washing, toning and moisturizing. To combat my oily skin, I also do facial masks. I alternate between peel-off and clay masks. I have had great results with both, and I recommend them to anyone interested! I'm going to review some of the products I use in following posts so you, too, can try what I'm trying.

Another great discovery I just made on a whim is Bare Minerals! I grew up seeing the commercials and infomercials. Upon moving to Denver, I even saw stores! The other day, I was in the mall and stopped at Sephora to buy a gift for my sister. Before heading to the register, I noticed the bare minerals display and asked if I could try it. One of the artists, Jose, helped me with how to apply it and what is best for my skin. I learned about facial primers that help set the makeup to the skin. It worked wonders for me! I have tried hundreds of foundations and creams and powders, but NONE OF THEM has kept the oil in my t-zone so under control. If you are skeptical, just go and try it out. It is phenomenal and very easy to do. I was so amazed at the subtle transformation of my skin.

There are a great deal of other things I have been trying to do keep myself feeling great, which I will end up posting on in the future. For now, be looking out for more updates on my Weight Watchers adventure and on the products that have been life-savers for me. Until then, God bless!

Weight Watchers: Week Eight - Switching to Simply Filling

I didn't post last week as we had just gotten home from a 3-Night Bahamian Cruise on the Disney Dream. Needless to say, I didn't track points. I also didn't really watch what I was eating or drinking. Suffice it to say I took a break for 5 days. I realized after thinking back on what I had been eating, that I was really following the Simply Filling plan. I had a lot of salads, eggs, and power foods on the list. This is probably why I maintained weight after vacation. Jake gained a few pounds back but not anything cringe-worthy.

Simply Filling is pretty easy to follow once you have an idea of what is included on the power foods list. Don't track foods that are on the list (or have a green triangle next to them in the tracker). The idea is to eat only to make you feel satisfied and not full. For me, it means eating skinnier meals and snacks throughout the day versus worrying about getting in 3 square meals.

We'll see how this goes. I'm at 202.0 lbs. right now. Hoping to lose another ten in the next two months.

Weight Watchers: Week Six - Weigh In

Last week I lost nearly 2 lbs. I think this had a lot to do with not worrying about eating all my points. It was jut about eating and tracking. I've also noticed a lot I change in my choices of what constitutes a meal.

I had a spicy, marinated, skinless chicken thigh with green beans. That was just 3 points. I avoided making rice or pasta and adding those carbs in when I would most likely be eating as much rice or pasta as I could versus veggies.

I've learned that not every meal needs a starch. This has really changed my eating. I look for combinations of foods that would satisfy me without assuming that I need to make rice or pasta. I start with protein and add in veggies. If I need more after all that, I consider noodles over rice because I can gauge portions for noodles much better than I can with rice.

It has also led to me discovering new foods, like Indian! We ordered chicken vindaloo and lamb curry. Delicious! Stay away from lamb, though. It's almost as bad as beef for points.

A huge triumph for me was having valentines lunch with my husband and ordering a 6 oz. steak instead of a 12 oz. I also ordered a sirloin instead of ribeye. I saved the Texas rice for another day and only ate half of my mashed potatoes. It was delicious and filling, and I wasn't craving more afterwards. That's a huge triumph for me!!

Throughout college, I was always hungry. Between stress and just needing to eat at all, I would go out to eat and order a pizza hours later. I was constantly snacking. By snacking, I really mean "mealing." A snack was ramen or rice and a hotdog. Now, I'm snacking on popcorn or smoothies. I even eat a bunch of fruit.

It's really rewarding to be losing the weight. I can't wait to be in jeans I haven't been able to wear comfortably in a while. I can't wait to look at my body in the mirror and feel like I don't have to hide anything. I want the image of myself in the mirror I match the one in my mind.

1.6 lbs. lost last week. Can't wait for more.

Weight Watchers: Week Five: Weigh In

Here we are again! Unfortunately, I've been slightly ill and stressed over the last week. This meant that I was eating a lot more to keep myself hydrated and feeling well. I gained some weight as a result: 203.4 lbs.

A minor loss. I've realized that not having fruits on hand has really made it hard to stick to eating right. Despite being a lot better at portion sizing, I still chose some foods that I should have left alone (like ramen). 

On top of that, I was recently diagnoses with a urinary tract infection. May be too much information, but it has drastically changed my diet in the last week. I'm on meds to clear it up, but it made my energy level last week very low. I'm hoping to see it bounce right back up in the next few days. My doctor and I are hoping that this clears up a lot of the digestive issues I have been having, meaning I'm not lactose intolerant or allergic to gluten. We had quite the debate on whether or not rice had gluten in it (it doesn't). That will show him for suggesting that rice might be killing me slowly from the inside out. Haha...

Anyway, more updates very soon on Weight Watchers, the UTI, and on playing with my new camera!

If you didn't know, I recently purchased a Nikon D5100. I have been getting pretty good at it. I just purchased and received my copy of Photoshop Elements 5.0. I'll be sure to post about my new photography adventures in the coming weeks (culminating in a trip to the Bahamas aboard the Disney Dream with my husband and his parents). I'll be sure to take so many photos that I'll have to buy new memory cards on the ship.

Until then, keep losing weight and stay healthy!

Weight Watchers: Week Four - Weight In

Jake and I have been particularly naughty the last two weeks by eating all of our points and then some almost every day. Still, I lost about a pound and am now at 202.0 lbs. This fluctuated a ton during the week. I was weighing in at 199.0 lbs. on Wednesday. There is some truth in weighing yourself once a week. It makes the official weigh-ins less aggravating. Still, it's a pound of loss that brings me closer to my goal. My 10% goal is around 189 lbs. I hope to be there by a friend's wedding in June. That hopefully means I can buy a new dress and be back in some of my older jeans from college.

I will keep reporting back.

I would write more today, but I've got a test in Bio II. It's more important than blogging since I missed a day for being sick last week. Enjoy and let's keep losing!