Tackling Costochondritis - My Regimen

This blog entry is about my nearly two year struggle with costochondritis. You can read my story and follow my blog entries in chronological order by going to this link.

Writing a blog entry for dealing with this monster (costochondritis) is not easy. I probably should start writing down a list of thoughts before I blog about this. I have a feeling I'll be sitting here cutting and pasting my words so that they'll not be so jumbly (and the spell-check says "jumbly" is not a word--but I'm saying it is today). More than a year's research is floating around in my brain, and I know that there's no possible way that I can get it all in in one blog entry (hence the need for a whole series of posts so that you can read on your own time). Today I'm going to devote my blog entry to the regimen I'm going to attempt to follow. I say attempt because my history doesn't exactly include a heaping amount of determination or will-power. However, I'd love to get my life back, and that's a whole lot of determination right there. And that also reminds me to tell you that I'm going to write a post (or maybe more?) about what a bad day is like for me and what a good day is like for me.

But first I want to share with you what I'm going to do to tackle this problem, and with God's help, eliminate it. Speaking of God, I also need to share with you in a blog entry about my struggle and my spiritual growth.

Diet Life-Changing Eating Plan
I hate that word Diet, and anyone who has ever been on a diet surely hates it, too. The word is not pleasant and brings back the thought of endless FAILED attempts at changing my eating habits. The word Diet has an unpleasant letter arrangement that I also associate with failed attempts at changing my eating--d-i-e. Yup, every time I go on a diet, the plan always dies. I don't have much will-power. So, that being said, I have chosen--instead of Diet--to use the phrase Life-Changing Eating Plan.

My eating plan is developed around the perfect whole foods diet eating plan. ;) Whole foods means that there is nothing processed in such a way that nutrients are stripped. So, basically, here is a list of foods I will be eating, followed by a list I won't be eating.

Life-Changing foods (what I'll be eating):

• whole grain bread, crackers, with no sugar or ingredients that contain -ose
• fresh fruits and frozen (no sugar added, no preservatives)
• fresh vegetables and frozen (no preservatives)
• brown rice, barley, etc. (not refined)
• no-salt nuts
• non-breaded meats
• organic yogurt (no sugar), cheese (no processed junk)

Life-Inhibiting foods (what I won't eat):

• white flour
• canned fruit, dried fruit (including GMO fruits and veggies, which I avoid anyway)
• white rice
• breaded, processed meat
• anything with sugar in the ingredients or -ose or -ol in the ingredient list
• anything with monosodium glutamate in the ingredient list

Since I also suffer from acid reflux, I also plan to eliminate tomatoes, onions and celery from my diet (my acid triggers) for a while.

Relaxation

Stress & Tension - My Slow but Steadily Plunge into Pain
Relaxation is going to be a huge part of my regimen because I've developed the habit of bracing. During the last thirteen years, I have bit by bit held tension in my upper torso. As a result, my neck was my first source of problem. I have alignment issues (because of one leg being longer than the other), but that is only half of my neck problems. When I was 22, I started getting tension headaches. I just thought for years that I was afflicted with migraines; looking back on it and knowing what I do now, it was a part of my stress problem. Thirteen years later, I still have neck problems, but I've added upper back, shoulder, mid back and lower back to my list of pain. Last February, I added chest to the mix. Instead of now simply responding to a stressful situation by tensing my shoulders and my chest muscles, I now tense my shoulders and chest muscles when I am not stressed. I will be sitting in front of the television, reading a book, or simply having a conversation and realize that my muscles in those areas are tense. I consciously realize it several times a day and force myself to relax those muscles.

Morning Pain
My mornings are rough. When I wake up, my sternum and ribs (front and back) are sore. If I awake while lying on my side, it feels like my sternum is being squished. Painful. As the morning progresses, I begin to feel better. This lets me know that I tense my muscles up during sleep.

How I'm Hoping to Fix It - Skilled Relaxation

Last year I discovered a website that has brought me my greatest number of resources in fighting and winning the battle against acid reflux and costochondritis. And that website introduced to me the book on the left: Recapture Your Health. I bought it (and no, I have not been paid to talk about this book), and boy has it been an eye-opener. It's a holistic look at healing your problems when allopathic medication won't bring you healing. (The authors don't dismiss modern medicine--they prefer a natural healing when possible combined with allopathic means of handling other health needs, such as genetic illnesses.)

One third of this book's major topics deals with relaxation (the other two main topics cover exercise and whole foods diet). The idea behind relaxation is to teach your body not to respond to the fight or flight mode that many folks find themselves constantly in. For me, relaxation is simply lying on the bed for half an hour, focusing on my breathing and keeping thoughts at bay. I also occasionally listen to classical music (Pachelbel's Canon is one of my favorites) when I'm having trouble with focusing on relaxing. I don't listen to relaxation CDs with people telling you what to do, nor do I do self-hypnosis or things like that. I simply lie down and relax. I do this twice a day, according to the suggestion in the book. I've not done it long enough to see results. As a matter of fact, the book states that it can take 6-12 months to see major results. Maybe three months before I see noticeable results. I don't care if I have to wait a year--if it'll work, I'll try it three times a day if I need to.

Supplements & Helpful Practices
Here is a list of supplements that I am taking:

• regular multivitamin
• folate
• fish oil and/or flax seed oil
• magnesium
• B12
• Frankincense oil
• Vit. D
• chiropractic care & massage therapy as needed
• gentle stretching & walking
• Echinacea (two weeks on, two off)

I'm keeping a notebook to keep track of my relaxation sessions, vitamins,and symptoms. This will help me to see if there is a pattern to my pain. Some people claim that weather makes costochondritis worse. I've not been able to see if there is a pattern yet for me. Time will tell.

My goal is to be whole and well again. The ultimate goal would be to pass on my findings to someone else battling this so that they can be made whole and well again, too.

Starting Week 1 - Weight Loss

Last year I lost a lot of weight. I was down 41 pounds with only about 30 to go. Well, I've packed on about half of that back. Bad girl! What I did was for almost 8 weeks, I didn't eat any bread or sugar. None whatsoever. It was HARD, and it's not something that is easily done unless you're extremely determined. I was very determined. I did it, I was healthier for it, but where I live, bread and sugar is like air. It's just there and it's so tempting.

So today I'm starting over again. I've got 60 pounds to lose altogether, and while it seems daunting, I know I can do it because I made such great strides last year. *grin*

Ok, so I know you're dying to know what I'm going to do. Well, there's a book that I had checked out at my library two years ago. It's a low-carb idea, but it's not as strict as Atkins. It's called "Crack the Fat-Loss Code" by Wendy Chant. I was successful in losing a good deal of weight while I was on it. The first week is tough, because carbs are depleted. Carb allowance for each day is under 20 grams. If you're not big on carbs, though, it may not be hard for you.

The first week is where you will find your largest weight lost. Naturally, some water weight is lost, but also during the Carb Deplete week, your body is being taught how to grab from your fat stores.

Since this is my first week on the program, I will be doing the Carb Deplete all week. In my experience, it's not so fun. But when you're ready to lose the weight, you'll jump on board. I hate the energy shakes, I hate eating a whole cup of broccoli a day (though I love broccoli), and I hate the headaches that are there until my body has gotten used to the fact that this is the way it is going to be. But all in all, the plan is not bad after the first week. Next week I'll talk about Week 2. :)

I'm not a fan of exercise. Let's just get it out there: I hate it. But when you've got spare tires in your way, you're going to hate it. It's no fun to feel out of shape, and the battle is fierce when you attempt to correct that issue. I've regularly done Leslie Sansone's Walk videos. This is great for me, and the videos aren't boring. They're low-impact (you won't put someone's eye out or damage your TV), and for me that's great. I've learned that I'm not coordinated enough (nor do I have room) for videos that require violent kicking and punching. I'm sure my kids value their lives. *grin* Anyway, Leslie has many walking videos, so you can choose which one's right for you. And not only that, you'll feel great afterwards!!

Besides getting a good cardio workout, I've got a problem area that needs specific adjusting. My tummy. After two kids and two cesareans, then a gall bladder removal, I've got this extra flab that is just there. It's not going to go away quickly. It WILL go away slowly if I just adjust my diet and exercise, but I want to go beyond that. I want to try something that I've never tried before.

I love Dr. Oz, and I know some of you do too. He's always got some interesting tips for bettering  health, and this week, I found this dude on Dr. Oz's site named Brett Hoebel who I'd never heard of before. He has a 5-minute flat belly workout. It caught my curiosity really quickly, and I clicked on the video link and watched in amazement. "I can do that!" I said out loud. Thankfully, only the dog witnessed my talking to myself. It looks like a pretty intense workout, but hey, if it works, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. There's nothing worse than losing 40 pounds and knowing that you SHOULD be able to fit into a size 10 pants but because you've got this extra donut attached to your gut, you're wearing a 14. Baaad news, and no girl wants to sport that atrocity. So, I figure I'll do this for a few days a week and see if I'm able to whip that gut into shape.

The bad thing with the Carb Deplete week (or maybe it's a good thing--I dunno, I might change my mind) is that Wendy doesn't recommend exercise that week. If my memory is fresh, I don't think I would've wanted to exercise that week the last time I did a Carb Deplete. The detox from carbs produced headaches for a few days, and I'm not sure I could've dealt with trying to exercise too.

So, that's my story for the week. I'm anxious to see how much weight I lose this week. Most people lose around 5-15 pounds during the first week on this program. The last time I did this, I think I lost either 7 or 8 pounds that week. We'll see.

Stay tuned for my report on Sunday. I'll let you know how much weight I lost and how I've done this week.


I've not been paid to try these products. This is a personal journey, and my opinions are my own.

Made to Crave - a Litfuse review

Made to Crave, written by Lysa TerKeurst, hit me in the gut (pun intended). The very things that she talked about in her book left me nodding my head quite a bit. It was almost as if she were writing her book about ME!

In essence, this book is not a how-to for weight loss. You won't find a weight loss program here, so if that's what you're looking for, go somewhere else. What you WILL find here is Lysa's opinion on why many people have problem with being overweight. We're "made to crave" God, not food. Instead of eating to survive, we survive to eat. And that was not God's desire for us--His will for us is that we'd crave him, that we get our deepest desires and our satisfaction from fellowship with Him instead of turning to a candy bar for that "ahhh" moment.

It didn't take me long to relate to this book. I think it was Chapter 2 that the tears began to start, because I could relate to what she was saying. I highly recommend this book to any "Jesus girl" who fights to stay thin (or lose weight). If you're like me and you've tried every diet known to man, you know what you SHOULD eat, try reading this book. Ultimately, your will to do better will be what eventually motivates you to eat healthier, but this may be the catalyst to get you moving that direction. As the book's subtitle says, "Satisfying your deepest desire with God, not food"--that's what this book is about.

Win a brand new KINDLE from Lysa Terkeurst during the Made To Crave KINDLE Giveaway!

To celebrate the release of Made to Crave and the MTC Small Group DVD Study Set, Lysa is giving away a KINDLE prize package worth over $175.00! To enter just click on the image on the right side of my blog! One winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle with Wi-Fi & the New E Ink Pearl Screen
• KINDLE editions of Lysa’s Made to Crave and Becoming More Than A Good Girl

But, wait there is more!

Lysa will be announcing the winner of the Made to Crave KINDLE Giveaway on February 8th during the Made To Crave Party on Facebook!

During the party Lysa will chat with guests, host a trivia contest or two, and give away lots of other fun prizes (copies of Lysa’s other books and Amazon.com, iTunes & Starbucks gift certificates) – including a live Author Chat with Lysa for your small group!

Don’t miss the fun! Lysa is looking forward to learning more about you – so be sure to stop by Lysa's Facebook Author Page on February 8th at 5:00 PM PST (6 PM MST, 7 PM CST, & 8 PM EST).

The giveaway has now ended. About Lysa: Lysa TerKeurst is an author and speaker who helps everyday women live an adventure of faith through following Jesus Christ. As president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa has led thousands to make their walk with God an invigorating journey.

Lysa wrote the book Made to Crave from the perspective of a woman who has never craved a carrot stick in her whole life. Having struggled with her weight her whole adult life, Lysa knows what it feels like to be in the vicious cycle of gaining and losing, but never feeling at peace in her struggle. Everything changed when Lysa decided to have her deepest desire met by God not food. Now, armed with the spiritual motivation she gained in her own journey, she is inspiring others to find lasting victory.

As a nationally known speaker, Lysa has been passionately teaching women God’s truths for years. Lysa’s personal adventures of following God led to appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, The 700 Club, USA Today newspaper, Woman’s Day magazine, and Focus on the Family radio.

Today, Lysa and her ministry team at Proverbs 31 Ministries encourage more than 375,000 women through their daily online devotional. In addition, she co-hosts a 1-minute inspirational radio program aired on more than 1,200 stations around the world. Plus, she touches hearts through their monthly magazine, P31 Woman. Lysa’s blog averages over 70,000 avid readers per month. She is the award-winning author of 14 books, including her newest releases, Made to Crave and Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl. Other noteworthy books include What Happens When Woman Say Yes to God, What Happens When Women Walk in Faith, Capture His Heart, and Capture Her Heart. Visit Lysa's website for more info and to visit her blog! http://lysaterkeurst.com


I received Made to Crave as a complimentary gift in exchange for review from Litfuse Publicity Group

Let's Do Lunch - A Book Sneeze Review

I received this book as a BookSneeze member to read and review. I'll say first of all that it was a pleasant, quick read. It wasn't confusing; the author went right to the point.

This book is a "diet" book, written by Roger Troy Wilson, who once weighed over 400 pounds. After he tried and failed multiple diets, saw nutritionists and doctors, he woke up one morning with an epiphany and began eating differently. His focus is to eat fruits for breakfast, your BIG meal at lunch (protein, veggies, etc.), and a smaller dinner. The author was able to lose hundreds of pounds and has kept it off for many years through the use of this new eating style.

The book tells the reader how he was able to lose weight just by eating, and with little exercise (he likes to golf). However, he suggests that exercise and/or resistance training can aid in weight loss endeavors. The book also has letters from individuals who have written to tell about their success in weight loss the "Let's Do Lunch" way.

The end of the book includes many recipes and also gives a link to his website where more recipes can be found. All in all, this was a very nice book, and an easy read. It was a type of dieting I've never tried before, so I think I may give it a whirl!

Here's the run-down of what I think of the book:
Ease of reading ................ 5/5
Supporting Details ............. 4/5
Sufficient Length .............. 4/5
Ability to hold my interest ... 4/5
Overall Impression ............. 4/5

I am a member of BookSneeze, a fabulous website where you can read free books and keep them if you write a review for your blog and for a major retailer (such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble).