Calorie Needs

Hi all, I have been quiet for a few weeks, but I have been reading blogs all over blogsphere and tried to comment many a time, but for some reason since I got my new computer, it would seem I have to log in an infinite number of times to post comments, of which non actually got through so I gave up. I commented on Tina's, Caroline's and Alison's blogs yesterday without success - in particular Alison I have a remedy for Hair Dyed Neck Syndrome - Fag ash and lemon juice!!! It is grim, but it works. I had to get our lodger to chain smoke 5 fags in the garden last year to get some ash for the brew as I had dyed most of my upper body black. It should stink, as it sounds awful, but actually it is ok.. kind of charcoal smelling, but certainly not fag ash smelling!!! It's a tip from an old school hairdresser, and she said it works better than the chemical one they use in salons. In the old days before the H&S police they used fags & jif! haha

So yeah, its been a while since I posted properly. A lot of people liked the 8 year bandit post, which I thought was a brilliant post to be honest. I am 4 and a half years out, and still need those tips!!!

So, since we last spoke, I have had a new tumble dryer and a new computer to purchase as the others died. I will probably have to have a new oven soon too. The fan gets stuck and sticking a pencil in it to get it turning at the start of a baking/roasting session is kind of too hands on and a little scary even for me!

We have also just completed our first year tax return and our business made a profit!!! We are thrilled and also quite surprised that in just 1 year we have been able to make a profitable company which bucks the trend generally. Even our accountant told us that in the first year, it's usual to make a loss. He was very happy with us!

My health has taken a nose dive however. I am not sure why but things seem to be ramping up on the Lupus front. All of the above have got in the way of me sitting down and blogging to be honest and as I haven't lost weight this month at all I just couldn't be bothered to write all this stuff out.

Blogging is cathartic however, and I know life gets in the way for us old timing bandits. It's not the dizzy heights of those first exciting banded days any more, but nowadays having a band is like having a twisted friend that sometimes stabs you all over for the hell of it, and sometimes gives you a treat.

My band is certainly doing the do, but I think I could do with a small adjustment. However, I don't have £125 right now, and I think mainly I need to just cut my calories a little.

That leads me onto a cool thing I found:

A Basal Metabolic Rate calculator.  at 114kgs I need 1900 calories just to stay alive. So, If I lock myself in a cupboard for a few months I will lose a lot of weight!

For me, the website LiveStrong has been a great help as I can track all the stuff I eat, but sometimes its difficult as the foods people have put on don't correspond totally with the product labels and I have to do mathematical equations to get it right.

However, Knowing my metabolic rate is helpful as then you can work out your daily calorie needs to stay at the same weight, and obviously eating less than that = weight loss. :-)

As I exercise 3 times a week, I now know I need to eat (at the moment) 2613 calories a day just to maintain my bulk. Therefore I know I need to eat 500 calories less than that to lose 1 pound a week.

I think I can live on 2100 calories. I will use my Daily Plate thing at LiveStrong  to count it. They say I should have less calories, but I am going with the other one (more food! LOL)

The Gym is working out well... a little video for you of my success the other day:

So yeah, I am enjoying it. Me and TB go three times a week and we smile all the while!! HAHA

Back onto the old health issues... Well I dunno if you remember, but way back before xmas 2010 the doctor made me shit my pants when she told me a rash on my breast looked like Paget's Disease, which is the 'Big C'. Well I have had little success at getting the rash to...

1.) go away
2.) stop making more rashes.
3.) go away

...so F I N A L L Y they got me an appointment to see a dermatologist. How did this come about? Well I googled images of rashes and was astounded to find a lot of rashes similar to mine called...

WAIT FOR IT...

Subacute Cutaneous LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Yes. Another type of Lupus.

Now, considering I already HAVE lupus you would think that some bright spark might have put 2 + 2 together but Noooooooo! It's been 18 months since I got the rash, and it was getting worse and worse and worse as you could see in that post from the photos here It did get even worse than this, on my boobs, and even a small patch under my chin - right where I have to pluck my beard out!

so I took those printed out photos to the doctor and asked him, as tactfully as I could, if he thought this looked similar to SCLE ???  They get that wry smile on their face which says "I studied for years to become a doctor and you do some google image searches and diagnose yourself. I pity you you poor ignorant wretch" and then took a look at his screen and YESSS! he concurred actually it did look the same, and referred me.

18 freaking months!!!! Doctors Shmoctors. I know there are billions of diseases but for FUCKS SAKE I already have the other type of Lupus goddammit! It's not that difficult surely??!?!?!

So got referred to the derm's and he took one look - like 2 seconds - and went "Ya, SCLE, here's some antimalarial tablets, 500mls for factor 50 sunscreen for ya body, 2 tubes of tinted face sunscreen cos ya can't use foundation any more and a referral to see the consultants again asap in London. Ya can't go in the sun at all ever again. have a base line eye test tomorrow too as your eyesight will turn shit taking these tablets"

Gee thanks mate. OMG I am not kidding I was like reeling when I came out. No more tanning, sun lotion each and everyday, rain or shine for EVER,  no clinique delicious foundation (and he was right - it goes all wierd on my skin if I use it over the suncream = random), antimalarials for rest of life and possible immunosupressants. God, as if I don't get ill enough.

YAY.

The other pleasantry is, if the rash isn't brought under control, it turns to skin cancer. Cool.

So I had a biopsy on the biggest and longest lasting rash - all clear. The bladder operation that I had 18 months ago was also caused by the same thing... these rashes are there too.

So now I am taking a cocktail of 5 drugs daily, the antimalarial's (not the normal ones you get for holidays!) make your hair fall out, skin dry out like a crusty rhino and all kinds of other shit including emotional disturbance (crying ALL the time) and eye damage. I have been taking them now for 5 weeks, and everything seems to have settled down.

I have to say that the invisible tint sunscreen is awesome though. I dont need makeup and my skin looks really good actually, so that is a bonus.

The first time I washed my hair after starting them I nearly passed out as handfuls came out in the shower. Thankfully its not patchy, just thinner all over, but its an experience I can tell you. I was distraught as I honestly thought it was all going to fall out. It blocked the shower!! I think I am losing about 150 hairs a day now, which is a little above average, but not too horrific. I have had to have it cut in a crappy straight across style because the thinning hair made it all look a little bitty and tatty at the ends, but there we go. It dries a lot quicker, and I should go back to normal hair loss soon.

At least I know what the rash is now, and can treat it with the proper stuff. I am a bit pissed off about having paid over £7 for each different anti fungal creams and steroid creams that I was prescribed but didn't need, must add up to about £40 I reckon, but hey ho. At least I don't need to pay for suncream any more. The 500ml bottle of stuff they gave me on prescription in £30 a bottle in the shops, and the tubes of face cream are £12!!! wowza.

So, that's the update on me.

I am going to make Mummy Fried Chicken or MFC for short tonight with savory rice. I am going to try and stay below my calorie limits and see what happens on the weightloss front.

This month I have been so crap with emotional eating, which is not a normal response for me. I usually prefer savory like Indian takeaways and chinese etc... but I have gorged myself on crisps and cheese and biscuits and chocolates, so for July I am going to get over myself and get back on track. I have 6 months until we go on holiday, and I want to be at least a stone or two lighter than now. Whats the point of going to the gym if I am just eating it all back in front of the telly?

Ok peeps, over and out x