Week 3 coming to a close.

Thus begins the last day of week 3 - halfway through phase 2.  As I suspected, it is a whole lot easier to prepare meals as the allowed foods have increased.  I still don't have a good source of grass-fed meats and eggs, though.  As well, I have yet to get a response from Deerfield Farm regarding their milk and, due to other constraints, I have not yet been able to visit them in person.  I am not discouraged, though.  Overall, I am pretty pleased with my ability to comply with the guidelines of The Maker's Diet.

A change for the better (though, still not optimal):  On my last trip to the grocery store, I was not too surprised when they did not have the yogurt I originally purchased.  As such, I looked at a different brand - Stonyfield Farm - both as a result of personal experience and a friend's recommendation (thanks again, Josh).  Their yogurt is made from pasteurized milk which makes it less than an optimal choice.  The plain yogurt has added pectin and Vitamin D3.  Given that Stonyfield Farm is 'organic,' I am not worried about these additives being synthetic.  This brand is a bit more palatable than the other one, though it still needs some help.  After blending the 'cream top' into the rest of the tub, scooped out a serving.  To it, I added a little honey (allowed in phase 2 - though it is supposed to be raw unlike what I have at home), some flax seeds, and some cinnamon.  I was amazed at what a little bit of doctoring could do to this otherwise very bland yogurt!  While I am still hoping for a yogurt that is made from raw milk, this will suit me nicely until I find one.

My exercise continues to be fairly regular.  I still have some days where any activity at all just seems to be out of the question.  I had started off the year with the hope of learning T'ai Chi as well as doing other activities in order to work towards being symptom-free.  Well, it seems that my balance is a little too shaky for T'ai Chi.  Though I still hope to learn this art, I will need to put it off until I can manage the stability it requires.  Granted, practicing it will also help to improve that stability but it is just a little bit beyond my reach at the moment.  As such, I have really dug into the Wii Fit Plus as a major source of my exercise.  I like the fact that it tracks your activity and progress and even allows you to input your non-Wii activity - any physical activity you do that does not involve the Wii Fit Plus.  The improvements they made - the 'Plus' - add quite a lot to the experience. Some critics claim that the Wii Fit Plus does not provide a true workout.  That may be true if you are a trained athlete.  However, for the average person, the workout that you are able to do with it is quite comprehensive and can be very effective.  With the addition of the estimated calorie burn counter, it also provides an idea of how effective the various activities are.

Well, it wasn't too long ago that I was saying that there were really no measurable results to report, and that still remains to be true except for one category.  As of yesterday, I am 20 lbs. lighter than I was on January 1st!  Again, The Maker's Diet is not primarily intended for weight loss though it is not contrary to it either.  I am definitely encouraged by this progress.  I have no doubt that losing all (or at least most) of the weight that I gained - thanks to the corticosteroids I was prescribed to initially combat the symptoms and the almost completely sedentary lifestyle that was thrust upon me - will result in a positive change in my symptoms.  Of course, losing weight is reward enough on its own.