Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy & bullet proof coffee

This is me aged 10 years old standing in front of our house in University of Benin, Benin City Nigeria
Trying on a pink fascinator in John Lewis, Oxford Circus, London on Sunday 10 June 2018

Trying on a pink fascinator complete with price tag in John Lewis, Oxford Circus, London on Sunday 10 June 2018

Date: Saturday 16 June 2018 I am down 1 lbs to 156 lbs. This is good news but I can remember earlier this year when I was so alarmed because I was stuck in a plateau at 154 lbs.  https://www.theyoyochronicles.com//weight-loss-blog/plateau-alert-the-dreaded-plateau-strikes-again-at-154-lbs-yikes/ The moral of the story is that while plateaus are frustrating, it is much better to be stuck in one than to gain weight.  Sigh! Anyway, swiftly moving on, I have discovered the delights of bullet proof coffee in the last few weeks and it happened quite by accident. I have also discovered that bioidentical hormone replacement therapy might not be the magic bullet.

I am continuing to work hard using Ascot as a goal.  I am hoping to drop a dress size or two so that I have a choice of what to wear.  Yes, I could go to any High Street store and buy myself a new frock but I know from experience that this could backfire.  I have observed in the past while trying to shop for an outfit for Ladies Day, all the best High Street dresses get sold out.  When shopping for something to wear to Ascot in 2008, I trawled through practically every High Street chain starting with the shops in Oxford Street, London.  I could not find anything that I liked better than an old vintage French Connection dress I already owned so I restricted myself to buying a hat only.  This turned out to be a good thing because I saw every single dress that I had contemplated buying in every size and colour at Ascot.  The ladies looked lovely but I am sure they would have each preferred to look unique.   That’s when I discovered that the best way to ensure that I am not wearing the same dress as other attendees is to go vintage or bespoke.  It is now too late to go bespoke and as my more expensive and desirable clothes tend to be in smaller sizes to I have my work cut out.

Regarding exercise, I am attending as many gym classes as I can and I am once again logging my running miles.  I was shocked when I finally sat down to update my log a few weeks ago to find out that half way through the year when I should have completed 500 miles, I have only done about 200.  To catch up  I have had to turn some of my commutes to and from work into running sessions.  Whether to eat and what to eat before commuting via a run can be tricky.  I am often not very hungry before I set out but once I arrive at work, I can be starving hungry.  Do I eat in my sweaty running kit on arrival in the office or freshen up and change into my work clothes immediately?   One morning before my run I decided to experiment with bullet proof coffee.  I wanted the caffeine in the coffee to perk me up and the table spoon of coconut oil to act as food in my belly plus a half a teaspoon of stevia for sweetness.  To my delight, the effect was like rocket fuel.  It has been so good that I am now experimenting with using it on crazy busy days at work to help me feel full and in control until my next meal.

When I did a little research about bullet proof coffee or BPC as it appears to be called, I found out that it is usually made with a longer list of ingredients than I am using and is blended like a smoothie.  That sounds like far too much work for me and as the version I made tastes nice, helped by the fact that I love the taste of coconut oil so I am sticking with it.  Yes, once I drop the coconut oil into the hot coffee it starts to melt, spreading the oil across the top of my coffee but I don’t mind that either.

Euston, London on Sunday 10 June 2018. I took this photograph while waiting for the traffic lights to change so I could cross the road on my way running to Oxford Circus

Euston, London on Sunday 10 June 2018. I took this photograph while waiting for the traffic lights to change so I could cross the road on my way running to Oxford Circus.

I have also tried to weave my workouts around Ascot preparation.  Last Sunday, I ran into Central London – gosh! I love doing that listening to music too.  My favourite track on this run was the 1988 track by Bobby Brown which you can listen to by clicking the following link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d0p4gXWxbs. Oxford Street is still the most exciting place for me to go shopping in London and I can walk for miles on end to find the best outfit, bargains or just look at the displays.  Unfortunately, I could not find anything to buy probably because I set out for the run a bit too late in the day anyway.  I like to be at home on a Sunday evening so I can prepare for the working week so work week prep was somewhat compromised.  On the upside, I logged a very long run towards the 1,000 miles in 2018 total.

On Tuesday, I nipped out for a rare lunch break to Palace Shopping Exchange Enfield, and managed to pick up a few items from you guessed it, more High Street shops. I will not risk wearing them to Ascot this year for the reasons I explained earlier but I did find a few accessories that I think I could wear this year with a vintage dress so fingers & toes crossed I might be fine in terms of my outfit for this year!

My gym has a few peculiarities so it can be difficult to ever book a place on some of the popular classes such as dance fusion, yoga, pilates and certain classes.  Fortunately for me there are a couple of fantastic classes at 6.30 am called Gym Circuit and Body Blitz respectively that I am often able to get a place on without too much difficulty.  I try to fit in one or two more classes during the week alongside running.  However, this week, I have been very tired, busy or both and have not managed to make my classes.  I hope to regroup this weekend and be back attending classes next week.

I hate to admit it but I think that part of the reason I have felt tired this week is that the bio identical hormone replacement therapy I have been on for a few weeks now is either failing or not working.  At one stage all my menopausal symptoms disappeared and I enjoyed the best sleep I have had in years.  This has been disrupted in the last week and devilish insomnia and hot flushes appear to be on the comeback trail.  More about that in my next blog.

Until next time it’s
#nototheyoyo
#yestostableweight

 

 

Salad for my lunch at a Turkish eatery called Vadi Restaurant.

Salad for my lunch at a Turkish eatery called Vadi Restaurant.  The set breakfast menu included bread but they kindly made this salad for me and my friend happily demolished the accompanying carbs with gusto.

Julie

Author Julie

Lawyer (co-founding partner/solicitor of a legal aid practice), blogger, feminist, lover of fashion & beauty. I believe that there are two types of people - the living and the dead. Age has nothing to do with it.

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