So Much Appreciation!

In most trying-to-conceive journeys, it is the woman who is usually the center of attention. Understandably so, because pregnancy and motherhood require so much sacrifice from a woman.

But today, I like to show appreciation to husbands - especially mine! They also get depressed and frustrated and yet, they remain to be our pillar of strength. I am so blessed to have a husband who is very understanding and supportive. I could not imagine going through this journey with anyone else.

Thank God for you!

Operation Weigh Loss: An Update

Hi, everyone!

I'm sorry for the long silence. I am getting busy with our mission so I think the reason for my absence is more than valid!

What have I been doing? Well, I started with simple lifestyle changes. To mention a few:

• I cut off all sugary drinks. No more soda and even artificial fruit juices.
• I veer away from fast food. No matter how tired I am and no matter how much I love cheeseburger, I say no. I try to cook (healthy) meals as much as possible.
• I do not eat in between meals but when I do, I munch on fruits. Before all this, I can live without eating any fruit ever. So this is a major change, indeed.
• I read about fitness A LOT to keep me motivated. My current favorite, workouthq.org, has a lot of informative articles and product reviews. Which led me to...
• Buying a treadmill and running on it at least 1 hour daily.

I know I need to do more, or at least remain consistent. I have lost 6 lbs. in a month! As they say, celebrate small wins!

Obesity and Infertility

I was never slim for as long as I can remember. My family l-o-v-e-s food, and we were never the type to be conscious of the nutritional content of whatever we put in our mouths. I was not bothered because nobody was getting sick and we all appeared "healthy".

Not a few people mentioned about the relationship of obesity and infertility. I was not bothered because, hey, I see plump ladies getting knocked up without a hitch.

Things changed when we started seeing infertility experts. I seriously realized that being overweight significantly decreases a woman's chances of getting pregnant.

Obesity causes hormonal imbalances and ovulation problems. It is linked to poly-cystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a leading cause of infertility among women. In addition, being overweight makes the body respond more slowly to fertility treatments.

If you think, the guys' fertility is not affected by obesity, you are so wrong. Being overweight affects the quality of the sperm. It can also cause hormonal imbalance and erectile dysfunction.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the reason why now I am determined to lose weight. I really hope I can sustain the conviction

Hello From Pammie!

Hi, friends!

Thank you for dropping by my blog. Let me tell you a little something about myself.

My name is Pamela Patterson, a 32-year old Accountant living in Portland. I am married to the most amazing husband, Russell.

This blog is going to be my open diary. It will serve as my virtual best friend who will witness and celebrate my triumphs, absorb my frustrations, and just echo my general sentiments.

At the moment, my world revolves around our journey towards pregnancy. I am very much within the child-bearing age, but it has been 5 years of trying and Russell and I badly want to start our family. There are no major fertility issues between us, thank God. But there is one very important thing that we need to work on: LOSE WEIGHT!

And so the journey begins... To fitness, and eventually, pregnancy.

Let's do this!