Let's talk birth control pills and appetite issues

Now to all the people who don't like TMI posts- I am pretty sure that the words "Let's talk about birth control pills" should give you an idea of just how TMIish this post will get...so you've been warned!

Ugh. Last week was terrible. My appetite was insane last week, and now I feel like I've gained 10-20 lbs. I am still exercising regularly, trying to eat as healthy as possible and then I ended up with a voracious appetite, munching and snacking for a few days throughout the day on stuff that isn't so healthy for you. Chips. Granola bars with chocolate chips. Whyyyy?

When I got it back under control I realized how bloated I was feeling, how I felt like I had another 10-20 lbs on me. My moods have fluctuated as well, but I can place the blame on something else- birth control pills. As a means of fixing the various female issues I have, I was placed on Yaz birth control 4 weeks ago. I've been continuing to do what I am doing to stay healthy but my moods and my willpower are starting to wane. I'm constantly fatigued, I'm mopey, my appetite is out of control, I can't sleep, and I'm terribly bloated. Blah!

Yaz is supposedly the best one for me because of my moodiness and fatigue issues, and I have to give it 3 months to see if it does anything. This first month has been a mix of hell and "I'm okay". The first two weeks? I was fine. Now I'm dealing with restless legs, and everything I have mentioned above. Going into Yaz initially I was concerned, because of the fact that I am a large woman and blood clots are a huge issue with BCPs. For the first two weeks I was having psychosomatic leg pains. They have stopped for the most part but now I'm dealing with restless legs.

So now that I'm on this and trying to make sure I do what I'm supposed to do- how do I continue the willpower to keep exercising and watching what I eat? I've even considered buying an appetite suppressant because I am hating how hungry I am despite eating what I should. Someone told me to try eating low glycemic foods, and that's something I'm looking into. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. I don't want to buy an appetite suppressant, but at this point I feel I have no choice. It's just not healthy either way.

Another thing I would like to get back under control is my insomnia. It's come back full force and it's nasty this time around.

Back on the bandwagon

Last week was terrible, and I'm still feeling the effects of my injury, however, I stopped taking any form of pain medication (be it Aleve or Advil) and have been working out daily since Monday. My goal is to get myself back in gear by continuing my T-Tapp exercises at least 5-6 days a week and then add another different workout to my program when my injury completely heals.

On top of this we have stopped with our poor eating habits and have been eating homecooked meals. Tomorrow is grocery shopping day and I am trying to focus on the types of food that are healthy as well as tasty. I'm a huge fan of bell peppers and they say the more color in your diet the better it is for you. The only problem is I sometimes end up with a hive-like condition anytime I eat orange bell peppers, but I can't stay away from them! I have a terrible sweet tooth and will try to pacify that with more clementines (as long as they are still in season) and because my husband was buying ice cream for the past week, I am going to try those Healthy Choice Fudge Bars or whatever they are so everyone has a satisfied sweet tooth. Time to crack the whip! And I will tell you one thing that is off our list this month- string cheese- or I will have to hide it, because my daughter went through the string cheese like crazy. Another thing I will be buying for afterschool snacks for her and myself are breaded chicken breast nuggets from Costco. We'll see how good those are. I love Costco!

I've never stuck with a workout program as long as I have with the T-Tapp. Getting my eating under control takes discipline but it's easier to do than exercising on a regular basis, so I'm pretty proud of myself for sticking with it.