Back At It/Thyroid Thursday

So I pretty much sucked up the last of January.  I ate whatever I wanted and didn't do any fitness. So rather than give a lot of excuses I'm moving on to February.  Time to start again.  You only get over the hill if you keep trying to climb it right.  Here are my goals for the next month.

February Goals:

Lose 15 lbs. by the end of February

Follow clean eating diet once I get the books.

Do not any eat deserts/sweets/cakes/cookies.

Do not drink any soda.

Exercise 45 minutes each day.

Drink 6 bottles of water daily.

Eat at least one salad daily.

I have a chart where I'm marking the thing off that I'm supposed to "Do" daily. Side note: my water bottle that I drink from daily holds 24 ounces, or three cups.  This means I'll be drinking 18 cups or 144 ounces daily.  That alone should help me lose some weight.  I'm listing my goals at the beginning of the month so that I have something to grade myself on.  The chances of accomplishing something are much greater if you write it down.

Moving on to Thyroid Thursday.

When I was 19 I came home from my freshman year at college and slept all the time.  I had gained weight (but doesn't everyone gain that "Freshman 15") and my skin was extremely dry.  My mother took me to our family physician and I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. Four years later I was also diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.  I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know very much about theses auto-immune diseases. How ignorant is that?  I know they affect my weight and I guess subconsciously I've used that as some sort of excuse for my laziness.  I also know that Oprah (not that I'm a crazy O fan) also has Hypothyroidism and her doctor told her that if she wanted to stay thin she better learn how to tolerate always being hungry.  How sad?  I am going to learn more about my diseases and share what I learn here on   "Thyroid Thursday."

Here is an interesting article that I read today regarding dietary consumption for those with Hypothyroidism.http://www.herbcompanion.com/cooking/Smart-foods-for-hypothyroidism.aspx.  I particularly benefited from the portion regarding iodized salt consumption.  Sometimes I CRAVE salt.  I do not eat a very salt heavy diet and there are times when I just really want it.  Now I understand a little of why.  I'm going to utilize these helpful hints in my diet from the article.

Dietary tips to avoid hypothyroidism

1. Use iodized salt.

2. Cook goitrogenic foods: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cassava root, horseradish, kale, millet, mustard, mustard greens, peaches, pears, radishes, rutabagas, soybeans, spinach, and turnips.

3. Eat tyrosine-rich foods.

4. Use cold-pressed olive oil and nuts for vitamin E, and nuts for some B vitamins.

5. Consider including shellfish, dairy, eggs, or meat for zinc and vitamin B12.

6. Eat nuts, whole grains, and whole-wheat bread for naturally occurring B vitamins and zinc.

7. Garnish cooked foods with raw culinary herbs such as parsley for vitamin C.

8. Include vegetables rich in beta-carotene, such as winter squash, in your diet.

9. Consider switching to purified water for both cooking and drinking to reduce fluoride consumption— fluoride has been implicated by some sources in reduced thyroid function. Black and green teas also contain fluoride.

Another thing I thought was interesting it Tip #9.  I always drink tap water.  Bottled water annoys me.  However, perhaps I would benefit from bottled water as this article suggests.