Fighting PCOS Naturally

Work: I've been mostly working 6 hours a day. I had a 5 hour day, and I have taken a day off to deal with some family stuff. But I'm doing really good. I've been getting up earlier so I can get my hours in and be able to do other stuff afterwards. School:  I have not started my Mobile App Development course because of missing Monday. I will be getting the two lectures I missed done this weekend so I can start viewing the live lectures next week. My bosses have approved watching them at work, I just have to clock out. I'm glad I have awesome bosses. I've already got some ideas for app development, so it'll be cool to actually put this into practice. It will also come in handy at work, since we are building phone apps for our system. Personal:  I went to a "How to Make Your Own Kombucha" class Wednesday, and got my own batch brewed and "cooking" last night. Next Thursday I'll be able to flavor and package it up, then one more week be...

March Goals: - GET MY DAMN DRIVERS LICENSE - YES!!! - Proofread the novel I didn't do last month - YES! - Continue working at least 6 hours a day during the week - Mostly. I was sick a lot this month, as was Hubs, so I was only successful about 65-70% of the time. But that's a lot better than nothing! - Work out at least 4 times a week (SMART goal) - No. But I have attended multiple yoga classes this month, found a great new studio, got a new workout buddy, so things are looking up! - Be a little more successful with advance meal prep - No. I need to work on this some more. - Start, and hopefully finish, one of the multiple courses I have purchased - Didn't even look at them.  - Come up with a name for my Etsy store - No. Changed my mind, and decided that I don't really have the time for my current life, so adding more responsibility isn't a good idea.  - Cost/pricing structure of potential product options - See previous comment ^^ - Get products ph...

I think that one of the most important lessons in the Personal Nutrition course I took in January was how to set a SMART goal. I've mentioned it in my monthly goals post, but never went in depth. SMART stands for: Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic/Relevant Timely (Yes, you might find other words replaced in the SMART definition, but for the most part, it's all the same.) A word about SMART goals - Because SMART goals force you to set a timeframe, this isn't always the *best* way to set a goal. Sometimes a goal isn't always realistic in the beginning, because you don't have everything you need. For example, having a goal of being a parent is a great goal, but not necessarily a SMART goal - because nature plays a big part in your success, you can't put a specific timeframe on it without the fear of failure. Believe me, I had my parenting goals down before I was a teenager. But life said otherwise, and I'm three years past when I was supposed t...

Here were last month's goals. February: - Complete my Personal Nutrition final - Done! Finished with Distinction - Start and finish the Interior Design course so I can decorate an entire house in March - Nope. But the house in need of decorating isn't happening anymore, so no rush. - Proofread a friend's new novel - Hell no. And this makes me feel bad. - Set up some SMART goals and achieve them! I need to add more veggies in my diet, and add more physical activity! - Nope. I mean I did eat more veggies and hit my step goals more often, but didn't actually set the goals. - Do something fun for Valentine's - Yes! We waited til the day after V-Day and saw Deadpool with a good friend. - Get the February newsletter out fast. - Never did it. - Start the Couch to 5K program - Didn't even download the app - Get some more junk out of the house - This was actually successful! Hubs spent a few days rearranging, and we got some crap out. My house is almost liv...

It's February! Damn. January went by really fast, and Feb will likely go faster, even if it has an extra day this year! So how did January go? Not half bad. I got a lot accomplished, even though they might not have been on the goal list. I didn't spend a ridiculous amount of money. I took Hubs to Mellow Mushroom so he would quit nagging me. I got a FitBit! My support group had the 2nd annual clothing swap and that went well too! The fitbit story is great. I've wanted one for a while, but haven't been ready to fork out the money for what I felt was an overpriced pedometer. But surfing the facebook garage sale groups can prove beneficial. I managed to score 2 fitbits, with chargers and bands for $40. Yeah, I made sure to type that right. Other people wanted it before me, but when you have a husband that doesn't work, you can make him do things immediately that other people have to wait until after work to do. So when I told the seller that I could have the cash in h...

I didn't get the results I had hoped for, but I didn't really try so I can't expect miracles. December: - Finish at least 2-4 more modules in my Dyslexia Therapist course - Well.... I finished 2 more on Jan 3, and it was before I started my goal list for January, so that counts, right? I'm going to say yes. - Yoga! - Ugh no. - Finish wrapping all gifts - Yup - Finish my Christmas card to a special couple - No. But I am sending her a late Christmas present, so I'll send the late card at the same time. - Visit Hubs' grandmother a few hours away - Nope, we're doing that soon, after one of the board games that Hubs wants to take with us finally shows up in the mail! - Finish at least 1 week on the McDougall Plan - I did. I'm a little iffy, and still trying to find something that works for me. But it has been very beneficial for me, because I have learned how to drastically reduce how much oil I use in cooking. - Sit down with Hubs and get our 2016...

I'm in a couple of vegan groups on Facebook. They have really helped me out while getting over the hurdles of eating animal products. One of the groups is a weight loss group ran by some nurses. I love this group, because everyone is so nice, and shares lots of recipes and tips. It was here that I was introduced to the McDougall Plan , devised by Dr. John McDougall. Most people are very used to me preaching that certain carbs are bad for people with PCOS and diabetes, like rice, potatoes, corn... I have always said to stay away from white potatoes and corn altogether, and use a limited amount of brown rice. This has been due to all the research stating that these types of carbs would increase blood sugar and just mess you up. But.... The McDougall plan has shown great promise over the last several decades, helping people with severe auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia reverse their symptoms completely. This goes for diabetes as well. But why am I talking...