11 sleeps until Christmas!

I had to Google that because I was too lazy to count it. I miss Christmas as a kid. Now I just look forward to food, not having to work and catching up with friends. If I could do that at any other time of the year it would be fine with me.

I was at the doctors the other day, getting my regular 6 week blood tests (which is funny, because 6 months ago I was TERRIFIED beyond BELIEF when it came to needles) when I decided that I would try a new GP. My old GP was no one special, but someone they continued to book me into after I had the first blood test done. I didn't warm to him, because he seemed to just want to be the middle guy when it came to tests and treatment. He was quite happy for me to pass on instruction from the Endocrinologist and do whatever I needed. Which was good and bad, as I could get anything done but I couldn't bounce any ideas or questions off him (and at $260 an appointment, the Endo is reserved for special occasions).

So I picked someone else on my last appointment. Which meant the entire run down of my history (which I thought they had on file, but seems not). He seemed very good to start with, asked all the right questions, took notes. I told him I needed my TSH, Free T4 and Free T3 checked (as usual) and a new prescription of T4. He agreed, wrote up the note for the pathologist and added in a kidney and liver function test as well and said he'd write the prescription when the results came in. Excellent.

I decided to bring up, that I was having trouble losing weight. At 150mcg of T4, I should have been able to shift it easily, but instead it was staying the same. He asked about my diet and exercise. Diet consists of meat, vegetables, little fruit and a few nuts - total 1300 calories a day. No dairy, wheat, rice or sugar. Fat from meat and nuts. Exercise was walking/running dogs, weights 3-4 times a week.

He looked confused. Decided to weigh me and take my height. Proceeded to fall off his chair when he calculated the BMI. I noted quickly that the BMI was NOT an accurate measurement for me, as I tend to build lean muscle very easily. Although I was overweight, body fat percentage was not huge, but still in the average female category. I told him I am aiming for 22% body fat (down from 29% now) and a size 8-10 which will keep me around the 70kg mark (a BMI of around 27, technically overweight).

He didn't care about this, and gave me a dressing down about weight. Wasn't happy, and left really miffed, thinking I needed another GP. On returning to collect my blood results he proceeded to tell me that I needed to cut my calorie intake to 800 calories a day.

To give you an idea about how LITTLE food that is, here's a few items:

Apple: 54 calories
Whole Egg: 177 calories
1/2 Chicken Breast: 142 calories

Oh well. I eat really well at the moment so I thought I would ignore that piece of advice from him. I also did my insulin, cortisol, cholesterol, triglycerides tests and they were all p-e-r-f-e-c-t. Other than my slow metabolism and the whole autoimmune thing, I'm a picture of health which was great to know. Blood pressure is excellent as well.

I think I'd be stuffed if I had to go that slow. I have to eat brazil nuts for the selenium, and 6-8 of those is about 207 calories. A mini binge on that would stuff me.

So after months and months of eating like a caveman, I cannot wait for Christmas Day when I am going to spurge. Then on Boxing Day, I am going to have KFC, because I haven't had that in months and months also. Every other day will be back to boring eating and exercising, but those two days will be glorious.

I still have not done ANY Christmas shopping, which I might do today. I have a couple of catch-up-with-friends to go to once I go home and a photo session with a friend who's bribed some poor girl to be our dummy for the day. THAT I can't wait for because we're going out to some really pretty locations around the area, and back to a cool abandoned fuel depot which I wanted to go back to.