Week 26 Update

Sigh. It looks like the Christmas season beat me after all. I weighed in at 169.4 pounds tonight for a gain of 8.4 pounds since last week. So now I am 9.4 pounds away from my goal of 160. Sigh. I ate too much during Christmas and my hip hurts and I am sick and I have a lot of excuses and I am still not meeting my goal.  It can be very frustrating at times. So since I did not meet my goal I will continue to go to weekly sessions and forgo going to maintenance. The new year begins in a few days. My resolutions are to get down to 160, continue exercising on a regular basis and to try to go on maintenance successfully. Here we go. 

Week 25 Update

Okay so 1 beverage is working out okay. I clocked in at 161 pounds even tonight. I am very excited. I have one week to lose one pound and meet my goal of 160 for the new year. It may not sound like a lot but there is Christmas in the middle. I worked out 6 days out of 7 last week. And I am on pace for this week as well. Having a salad for lunch has been holding me down. Most days I did not have my new direction beverage until at night, kinda like dessert. I have also discovered low fat cottage cheese, specifically the Breakstone cottage doubles, where it comes with the fruit. Its very good. Kinda like yogurt, but kinda not. But in a good way. I also discovered butternut squash. It was kinda like yams, but kinda not. But again in a good way. I am feeling a lot more confident about choosing good portion sizes. And although I have indulged in a few sweets, I think I offset it well with exercise and good food choices for the rest of the day. Well hopefully Santa will give me a good gift and I will lose that last pound and reach my goals. Happy Holidays!

Week 24 Update

So I lost 1.2 pounds this week for a grand total of 166.4 pounds. I am now doing one beverage per day as well. I have determined that carbs are my weakness. Chocolate is a trigger food and thus must be avoided. So I will stick to the protein heavy low calorie diet the nutritionist set up for me and hope for the best. Last week I had way too many carbs courtesy of the 100 calorie snack packs that Hershey's makes. So I talked it over with the other half and decided to get that stuff back out of the house again so that I am not tempted. I did a good job as far as exercise goes. I did something everyday for a minimum of 20 minutes. Next week is Christmas so hopefully I can keep up the good work while I am away from home. Although 1.2 pounds seems very small in comparison to what I was losing in the past, I realize that it is the normal recommended amount to lose per week when you do regular low calorie diets. So that means I am doing okay. A loss is still a loss. And anyway, I am wearing size 6 jeans! Sweet.

Week 23 Update

I stayed the same. 167.6 pounds exactly, again. I managed not to overeat too much this week, although a few drinks at the club did me in on sat night. But at least I did not gain anything. I met with the nutritionist to talk about the next step in the program. She outlined the whole diet for using 1 beverage and for no beverage. She gave me the outline to continue with a low calorie diet so that I can continue to lose weight, albeit a lot slower. Either way she recommended slowly increasing my caloric intake to avoid regaining any weight. I have decided to stick it out with two beverages a day. partially because I still have not had a week where I have been successful on two beverages, and partially because I would like to get down to 160 if possible. So that leaves 7.6 pounds left. At least I am starting this week off better. I just got back from a nice long walk with my other half and yesterday I went to the gym and did some weights. Hopefully I can keep the momentum going. I also discovered WaWa built to order salads which are amazing. That makes the whole take out food thing a lot more bearable since I can have as many veggies as I want. I just have to be careful of the other stuff I get on top. 

Week 22 update

Boy oh boy did I mess up this week. I gained 3.6 pounds. So the downward spiral starts with my car getting broken into. Needless to say I did not go to the gym that day. Wed was a pre-Thanksgiving diner at Outback steakhouse. I didn't do too bad with the meal. But the appetizers did me in. Thanksgiving was even worse. I had 2, that's right TWO whole plates of food. And a very upset stomach for a couple of days afterwards. Then I had my high school reunion where I had too much to eat again as well as a few alcoholic drinks. Add all that over eating to no trips to the gym to do weights and my period starting and you get 3.6 pounds gained. So what have I learned this week? 1. Overeating is so not worth it. My tummy was very upset after eating as much as I did on Thanksgiving. 2. I need to watch the sweets. They are still a very real temptation.
So I decided to go to the gym tonight. And I feel much better for having done it. 

Week 21 Update

So I lost 4.2 pounds this week. Sweet. Especially considering I have been on real food. I am very excited. I am at 164 pounds even. This eating food thing is actually working out well so far as long as I monitor my portion sizes. Now of course I have my high school reunion as well as thanksgiving in the same week. My mom has been super supportive by doing things like using low fat cheese and making sure there is no ice cream or things I totally cannot have. Even though I am eating smaller portions of food I find it holds me just fine thru the day as long as I eat on regular intervals. Sweet. 

Binge

So I just finished eating way more than I was supposed to. Not good. And now my stomach is in knots and I don't feel any better now than I did before. I think I may be trying to sabotage myself. I was doing so well. I am two weeks into having real food again and I am trying to mess myself up. Yes, I had fruit and egg beaters. But I was not really hungry. I was eating to be eating which is not good. And with thanksgiving a few days away I am worried that this is a bad omen for me coping on turkey day. I need to refocus myself and get back on track. I have spent a lot of time and money and effort to get where I am now and I do not want to go back.

Week 20 Update

Voila - I have lost 51 pounds in 5 months! The verdict was 168.2 pounds today. I was very happy because this was my first weigh in after starting the adapting phase of the diet. Hopefully this is sign of more good things to come. I had my first meeting with the rest of the Adapting and Outlook people tonight as well. They are not as lively as the other group, but then we had some real characters in the other group. I found out the other young person who was doing this at the same time I was has decided to quit and go on maintenance. She had started adapting and was only adapting for 2 or 3 weeks before just giving up. Which really sucks for her She said she was having difficulty making good food choices. Of course I am thinking to myself, then this is not the time for you to quit. But then I don't know what is going on in her head or her life. I know I have a wonderful support system and I have really enjoyed working out more. Plus as long as I plan ahead it has not been a big deal. I usually have to plan ahead anyway because I like to sleep late. So I know if I pack my lunch the night before I get to sleep in. That totally works for me. Plus I got a food scale which has made it a lot easier to keep track of my protein. I just put my meat on the plate first to weigh it, then fill the rest of the plate with veggies. Its a no brainer. Plus this week I get to have some fat and fruit so I have rediscovered my fav snacks of prunes as well as raisins and walnuts. I just have to measure it out first instead of just filling up a bag like I used too. And other than the prunes I found the measured portion is enough as long as I don;t go too long in between eating. I still have a weakness of prunes and will sit and eat a whole entire box if left to my own devices. But I digress. I am very excited to be in the 160's. I also made the wonderful discovery that I can fit into size 6 pants at the Gap. So next week I get to add carbs into the mix. I can't wait but I am also a little nervous. We shall see. Now that my hubby is back and I have finished working on his basement I am back into my regular work out routine. Wish me luck. 

A Few Days In. . .

Well it has only been a few days but boy is it good to eat real food. I found the most beautiful glass and stainless steel food scale at Williams and Sonoma to help me make sure I am having the right amount of food. The nutritionist said I do not have to be as exact when measuring out veggies. She called them my free-be's. So If I have more than I am supposed too its no big deal, which is nice because I like veggies. Plus measuring veggies can be a pain. So I mainly use the scale to measure out my meat. I am allowed to have 4 ounces per day. So today I just made a whole lot of chicken and just put 4 ounces worth on my plate. The rest I will measure out tomorrow for dinner. It was actually enough when I had that a half a plate full of broccoli. The weird thing for me know is getting back into the swing of cooking again. I have to remember to take out something to cook in the morning so that it is defrosted that night. Plus the dishes, yuck. But boy is food good. And the weird part is that I seem to be eating about the same or less calories as when I was on the shakes but I don't feel it. It must be the psychological aspect of having a plate full of food vs a drink. 

Week 19 Update

So today I start the Adapting Phase. I met with Lynn  the nutritionist to go over the requirements for the next phase. For the first week I do 3 beverages, 4 oz protein, 2 servings veggies, and 1 fiber supplement. It switches up a little every week. She gave me a really good outline of the progression from hear on out as well as a list of what counts as what. So I had my first dinner tonight - 4 oz steamed shrimp, and 2 servings of green beans. It was fabulous. I am going to miss my group members since I will now be attending a later group with the other people doing adapting. This week I lost another 2.2 pounds so I am now at 170.4 pounds. Although I think I am a little less than that. I had all my winter clothing on today for my check in which I swear at least counts for the 0.4. Anyway, I am going it alone this week since my dearest husband is in England without me. I stopped at the market on the way home to pick up some fresh veggies. I plan on having the beverages during the day as usual and then making myself dinner at night. I have decided my next goal is 160 pounds by the end of the year. Wish me luck. 

Fitness Assessment

Well I went and had a body composition analysis and fitness assessment done today at the hospital. I was very pleased with how I did. My vital signs were within normal limits and my VO2max was exceptional on the treadmill test. BTW- VO2max looks at your cardiovascular fitness. My flexibility was fair, which I already knew. I was fair on the sit up test and average on the bench press. So all in all I did pretty okay. The good part came with the body composition analysis. I am officially 5'9" and I weighed in at 171 pounds today (1.8 less than Tues I might add). My percent body fat was 25.3% (recommended is 18-25%). My lean body mass to fat ratio was 3:1 (recommended is 3.2:1). My recommended body weight range in 156 to 170 pounds. So according to this I need to lose 1 pound! Sweet. According to the tests he did he was able to tell me how much was water, how much was lean body mass (muscle, bones, connective tissue), and how much was fat. He was also able to roughly calculate how many calories I need per day to stay at the weight I am at. Also, based on how much exercise I do on average (30 min cardio 5x/wk and 30 min weight training 3x/wk), he was able to estimate my total calorie requirements. So currently I am almost 1600 calories under what I need to maintain my weight. Because I am pretty much at where I need to be as far as amount of fat is concerned, and considering the amount of calories under my requirement I am, he highly recommended that I start the adapting phase of the program. He was able to show me the research that shows once you drop 1000 calories below what you need to maintain weight, your body will start using muscle for fuel, even if you weight train. I currently need about 2560 calories to maintain weight at my current activity level and amount of lean tissue. In the adapting phase I will be taking in around 1500 calories to start which is still enough for me to lose weight, but do a better job of maintaining my muscle. I may actually be able to gain some muscle since I will be taking in more food. So, since I have already met my clothing goal (hello size 8 and 10), I set up an appointment for next Tues to start the adapting phase of the program. I had been waffling about when to make the switch but this just solidified it for me. Plus I will prob have lost the 1 pound I needed to be in my recommended weight range by then anyway. So I meet with the nutritionist first, then go to group, then get my checkup and weigh in. Can't wait. I am very proud of myself for making it this far. I also ran into a former patient of mine at the hospital and they almost didn't recognize me. My surgery wound is healing up. I get to go back to work on Monday. Life is good.

Week 18 Update

Another successful week clocked. I lost another 2.2 pounds. Which is pretty good considering my period was on most of the week. And considering I am still going stir crazy at home. I made my lemon meringue dessert and took it in tonight. Not a good night to do so considering no one was there. But the couple of people that did show up though it was very good, so that's a plus. I go to see the surgeon tomorrow so hopefully he will let me go back to work. I also set up an appointment with the exercise physiologist to do a body composition analysis. Part of me is very happy with where I am. I can fit into size 8 and 10 depending on the cut. I exercise almost every day, and I enjoy it. I got a wonderful compliment from one of my mom's coworkers who has not seen me since high school. He noticed my hair cut. And just to spell it out - The only difference he noticed was my HAIRCUT! But I am not where I need to be as far as BMI is concerned. And yes I know BMI is not perfect but its a starting point. Which is why I am doing the body composition analysis. It will give me a better idea of what is fat and what is not. As well as give me a rough guess on how bad a hit my metabolism has taken from doing this program. Plus there is nothing to say I still can't lose weight while in the Adapting phase of the diet. Plus it would be a lot easier on my wallet. So decisions decisions decisions. I also talked to the nutritionist and she said I just need to make an appointment with her when I am ready to take the next step. I guess I will be more able to make that call after the body analysis on Friday. The other part I need to acknowledge is the fact that being home all day makes this so much harder to hande. So who know, maybe when I go back to work I will be able to stick it out better until I get the last pounds off. We shall see. 160's here I come.

Week 17 Update

Hooray! I have met my second goal, although not quite in my original time frame, of getting to 175 pounds. Had my weigh in and doctor check up tonight and was very pleased by my results. I am still not working due to the surgery but I have been walking almost everyday and its starting to show. Hopefully I can keep up the hard work and keep this weight loss thing going before Thanksgiving comes around. I think my next goal will be 160 by Thanksgiving, at which point I will probably start the adapting phase of my program. I also think at that point I will make a final decision about whether or not to go down to 150 pounds. I also got my necklace tonight. It is beautiful. I need to set up another non-food goal for when I get to 160 pounds. Not sure what that will be just yet, especially since I have been buying clothing all along since my size kept changing. 

Week 16 Update

Well I had surgery and now it has caught up with me. These days of leisure have resulted in over 3 pounds gained this week. Yes, I know it is probably mostly water, but it still has kept me from reaching my goal of getting to 175 by my birthday, which is in two days. I have tried to do a little something most days, but to be honest, I'm tired and I hurt. This sucks big time. At least I'm healing up pretty good according to my nurse. I guess all the running around I do for my job really adds up. 

Week 15 Update

So I had surgery yesterday. I do not understand how people get addicted to drugs. The pain meds they gave me made me feel worse than the surgery! The surgery went well, although I was very thirsty. I have not done any exercise yesterday or today because I have spent most of my time asleep. But I think I get a pass this time. I did not go to group but I need get checked in. My BP is running very low and I lost another 2.4 pounds. So far I have lost almost 43 pounds since starting this program. And I am 1.6 pounds away from my next goal of getting to 175 by my birthday, which is next week. I have had some wicked cravings for pizza these past few days. I think its because I feel so yucky after surgery. My other good news is that I fit into a small top and medium bottoms for my favorite scrub brand. Yet another excuse to go buy clothing. Well hopefully I feel a little better so I can go for a walk or something tomorrow because, although I can't believe I'm saying this, I miss doing my exercise. 

Week 14 Update

So I lost 3.8 pounds this week. Very good stuff. We had a very boring group meeting tonight. Talking about making changes to your lifestyle gets old when nobody but the moderator wants to talk. But I had a good loss this week. Hopefully I will be able to keep this up for the rest of the month. I have to lose another 4 pounds to get my necklace. The exercise is going well. Been doing something every day again. I am really enjoying doing the bike while watching TV. I don't have much to say this week. Just glad I'm still making progress.

Week 13 Update

The final tally is 182.8 pounds. I have lost 0.6 pounds this week. Not too bad considering I am very bloated courtesy of mother natures monthly visitor. I worked out in some way shape or form every day this past week. I also completed a 5k walk/run in 43 minutes, thanks to a little jogging. Overall I am happy with how I'm doing. I had my first real meal over the weekend. We went to a fabulous place in Maryland and I had a crab cake (all crab meat - the real stuff too) some catfish, and lots of broccoli. I couldn't even finish the crab cake. No bread, no alcohol. I was very proud of myself. I also realize I got full off of that little bit of food. There is some hope for me after all once I go back to food full time. And on that note I am going to drag my very tired self to my bike so I can keep the tally of something done everyday going...

Week 12 Update

All right - back on track. I lost 6 pounds this week for a grand total of 183.4. I worked out everyday and it shows. Plus I met with the nutritionist this evening. She said it was okay to have an egg beater omelet. I can even have a piece of meat in the omelet. I just have to keep to no more than 10 grams of carbs per day. She said I can have the omelet on days when I work out or feel hungry but not enough to have a whole extra shake. I am so amped. Plus she said that if I have to eat a meal I can substitute 4 ounces of lean meat and lots of veggies without doing any damage. This weekend I am doing a 5k walk and then going out with coworkers, which is why I wanted to talk to her about it. She said since I'll be doing all that exercise that day I could have 3 to 4 shakes and a small meal that day. I am so happy with 6 whole pounds lost. Even if you negate the 2 pounds I gained last week that is still a 4 pound difference which is still mad good.

Week 11 Update

Well I had my first loss which was my first gain. I gained 2.2 pounds this week for a grand total of 189.4 pounds. Boy that really sucks. But it also reaffirms the fact I cannot slack off like I did this past week. Yeah, I was sick. But I really didn't need to have that shot at the club. I still could have gone for a walk or something. Well I paid the price. I finally got off my meds (which may also attribute to my gain since I'm no longer taking a diuretic) so I need to work hard to stay off my meds. Luckily my BP has stayed pretty low. Not as low as on my meds but still in an acceptable range. After I got the bad news I went to the gym with Kevin. No time like the present to get back in line. I also tried the sauna which was very relaxing, and hot. I only did it for like 5 to 10 min. Couldn't tell for sure because there is no clock in there. So back to work. I will lose that 2.2 plus some by next week!

No more BP meds! (for now)

So I had my two week followup with the doctor. Last time I saw him they cut my BP meds in half. This time, because my BP was still extra low he is going to allow me to trial going without all together. So far so good. I have been checking my pressure every morning and I have been coming in under 120/80. It been a rough week because I have been sick. Yet another sinus infection. But other than being a little bloated from not taking the water pill any more I feel pretty good. Went out on the town with my friends, had a good time. Enjoyed showing off my new figure. All in all, good times were had.

Week 10 Update

Well the final verdict is 1.6 pounds lost this week. I only had an extra beverage on 2 different days when I had a long workout. So it was a little disappointing but then a loss is a loss. I think I was too hyped up about the bigger initial losses that a small loss is a disappointment. But its still weight lost. I'm trying to keep it interesting with the beverages but its starting to wear a little thin. Discovered the mocha tastes better hot than cold. But other than that its more of the same. not to mention the fact I think I'm getting sick. Err.

Week 9 Update

So I have lost 30 pounds since starting this program. I had a long talk with the program coordinator tonight and I am going to have to make some changes from here on out. I have noticed that I have not been able to progress my weights at the gym (which she said was normal due to the low calorie intake) and I have noticed decreased muscular endurance in my arms at work. So the coordinator gave me several options and I have decided to stay on full beverage and just have an extra shake on the day when I do an hour or more of cardio/weight training. I am going to try that for the rest of the week and hope it does not set me back as far as my weight is concerned. I got back in the gym today. I felt a lot better after getting a good workout. This exercise thing is starting to grow on me. I have noticed I am just a nicer person when I do something, even if its just the bike for 20 to 30 min in the morning before I go to work. I hope the extra beverage on the big workout days helps. I definitely know I'm burning off the extra 200 calories. And I may need to reevaluate my goals for weight loss. Although I am 30 pounds off my goal weight of 150, I am already in my desired size 12. I think I may try to get down to a size 10. I also realize that doing this diet will result in me loosing lean muscle mass but I want to minimize that as much as possible. So I may not need to get down to 150 pounds if I am more muscular since muscle weighs more than fat but takes up less space. And considering I have a medium to large frame - around 160 pounds may be more realistic, and visually appealing. I have a lot to think about as far as my ultimate goal is concerned. And of course my health is paramount as well. My doctor decreased my BP meds and my blood pressure is still running pretty low, which is good news. It gives me hope of getting off them all together once I lose more weight. I look better, I feel better, and my health is getting better. Its a win win combo.

Frustration

So I am getting totally bored with just the beverage. I tried a few new favors which helped and the recipes are good. Egg whites are my new best friend. But I cant wait to get back to real food again. I am so bored its not even funny. At least I dont feel all bad when people eat around me anymore. I have been making crepes and faux omlettes and faux pies like there is no tommorrow, just so I can feel like I'm chewing something. Not to mention the fact I have had 2 weeks with like half a pound lost. Argh.

Week 8 Update

Sigh. So part of me is very happy because we went to New York and I didn't cheat. We stayed out over night and I didn't cheat. I walked, went to the gym, rode the exercise bike, etc. Even tried some of the recipes (the crepes rock). But I only lost 0.4 pounds this week. So the final weight is 192.8 pounds. I think I'll chalk it up to being bloated again. Grr mother nature, grrrr.

Week 7 Update

Hooray! 5.8 pounds lost this week. I haven't lost this much weight since like the first week. This rocks. I have lost 26 pounds since beginning the program in July and have I went from a size 16 to a size 12. At this rate I may even get into a size 10 one day. This is so cool. Group kinda sucked tonight - no one was really feeling the topic matter, which was self defeating behavior. But I got a certificate of achievement, which landed me a free box of supplement. I also got props for coming up with a recipe, although I still haven't heard back from the nutritionist to make sure I didn't break any rules or anything with it. And to top it off I only work half a week this week. Life is good.

Survivor

Well I did it. I made it through a BBQ at my own home without cheating on my diet. I made food, actually cooked real food, without cheating. I am very proud of myself because those hot dogs smelled SO good. But I also realize there are more important things right now. The BBQ went well, everyone loved the food, and I didn't cheat. I ended up giving my friend all of my pants that are now too big for me. Which ended up being a lot of pants. I have about 3 pairs of pants and 3 pairs of jeans that fit me, and all of the pants are loose. Meanwhile my very happy friend just walked away with almost 30 pairs of pants, jeans, and sweats. And yes, I did own that many pairs of pants. I am going to enjoy replacing each and every one of them at my new size. :-)

New Direction Chef

So I have decided to try out some of these recipes that they gave us for the new direction meal replacements. I tried the chicken omelet, which was pretty good but a little too salty for my taste. I also tried the strawberry chiffon which I will not be repeating. Jello and new direction should be eaten separately, and that my final verdict. I had a cook epiphany a couple of days ago. A few of the recipes allow us to add splenda and gelatin and egg whites. And I swear the lemon beverage tastes like lemon pie filling. So - I decided to make my own fake pie. I used mini pie tins, no crust (of course- the crust is ALL carbs) and the lemon beverage. I made the lemon beverage with half the water and added some gelatin and baking power to thicken it up. I made meringue with egg white vanilla and splenda. I wasn't sure the meringue would hold up but it did pretty well. The first pie was good but the filling didn't thicken up like I wanted it to. Also the meringue soaked up half the pie filling so I had lemon flavored meringue. So for the second trial I used lemon beverage, 3 ounces of water, lemonade crystal light (can never have too much lemon), splenda, 1/4 tsp cream of tarter, 1 egg white and gelatin. I mixed the dry ingredian well first, then added the wet. I also baked the filling first for 5 min on 350 (which I did not do the first time). Then I whipped up my meringue like before (1 egg white, vanilla, splenda) and added it on top, baked until brown. I let it cool to room temp and voila - fake lemon meringue pie. And it defintly worked out better this time. So I think a little less time in the oven, or a lower temp will do the trick. Also, no crystal light cuz it was mad tart. So after doing all this it dawned on me that I could have just put the lemonade crystal light in the vanilla pudding and then baked the merengue on top to finish it off. I'll have to try that way next time.

Week 6 Update

Sigh. I only lost 0.6 pounds this week for an offical count of 199. But I got my bracelet. So I still got some work to do. But on the bright side a loss is a loss and I shall consider this my down week. We are having a BBQ for Kevin's Birthday this weekend so I hope I can cont to stay on the straight and narrow and not pig out or something at the sight of all that food. The behaviorist at group was saying I need to have a plan and stick to it, even if my plan is to break the diet for a day. I am not sure if I want to risk breaking ranks for a day or not. I think I shall sleep on it.

I Love Clothing Again

So I wasn't not feeling 100% last weekend and ended up opting out of a family gathering. That part sucked because I missed a tea party - a real grown people tea party. But the flip side is I made a wonderful discovery. I was going to wear a skirt or something just to look nice. So I went to bowels of my back closet were I hide all of my special occasion and impractical for work wear and pulled out a skirt I had not worn in a year or two. AND IT FIT! I actually had some room around my waist. How cool is that. So of course I pulled out another skirt I hadn't worn in eons - and it fit loosely. I could even slide out of one skirt without having to unbutton it, and no it does not have an elastic waistband. So yesterday, a little birdy told me to try on some of the button up shirts I had been avoiding all season. And they fit, and fit well. No need for double sided fabric tape to keep the buttons from popping (except at my bust line), no marks on my arms from were the sleeves were digging it. This rocks. I cant wait to get a new wardrobe. I think I will start buying new winter stuff in Sept and I will hold off on new summer stuff until next year when I am hopefully at my ultimate goal. Even my husband noticed my things were fitting better. He keeps hugging me and feeling my sides - looking for the rest of me that is no longer there. Add all this to a new short haircut (that was 5 pounds lost from hair alone, ha ha ) and I feel like a new person. And this is only 20 pounds later. Watch out world when I reach my goal.

Week 5 Update

Ahh the sweet taste of success. The official count is 199.6 pounds. Just shy of 20 pounds since beginning on July 1st. I have been loosing around 5 pounds per week except the one week my period was on. If I keep this up then I will def reach my goal by the end of the year. Our group tonight was with the nutritionist and we had a taste testing session. She brought in the drinks and lots of different things we can mix it with so we could try it before we did it at home. She also gave us a lot of new recipes to try and keep things interesting. One of the other ladies and I in group made out own variety pack by switching out what we each purchased. That way we didn't have to buy a whole box and get stuck with something we didn't want. And I cut all my hair off. So the new thinner Ant has an all new look. Feels like a W.

Week 4 Update

4.8 pounds lost! Yeah baby. Watch out out world - I'm about to see the other side of 200 pounds for the first time in years. Been working out in the evenings for the past few days since the whole waking up early thing has started to fade. But I'm still going. They took my blood to run lab work and all that good stuff. Had group today and we talked about glycemic index. There were only 4 of us there today which kinda sucks, but it was the same group that has been there every week I have been there. So at least us die hard folks are sticking together. And my sweat pants are falling off. YES! I got to invest in some workout pant with draw strings so I don't have to keep hiking them up on the treadmill. I actually tried a little jogging. Wasn't that bad but I only did 1 min spurts. The verdict is still out on whether I will cont to try and jog or just stick to my power walking. My ankle is voting for the walking so far.

Back on Track

Man I hate my period. But I sure do feel good again now that its over. I;m back to doing something everyday again. And I feel good. Plus the weight on the scale is going in the right direction again. I glad that it was just a temporary set back. I think I'll be able to handle it now that I know it coming. I can deal with progress for three weeks then staying put for one week. New bracelet here I come.

Week 3 Update

Sigh. This was the worst week so far. It started with the crappy day I had last Tues where my pressure bottomed out. Then my period started. So here comes the cramps and boating and headaches and cravings. UGH. I didn't work out like I supposed too because I was being lazy because I felt like crap. And I had to work this past weekend. Of course the icing on the cake was this whole week we had a heat wave. So all of my gripping and excuses come down to no change in the scale at the official weigh in. I guess if anything I should be happy I didn't put on a few pounds - but I didn't lose any either. Sigh. Well, another week begins. I started by going to the gym this morning. I have to get myself back on track so I can make up for last week at the next weigh in.

Week 2 Update

Well yesterday was not a good day. Half way thru I almost passed out. My blood pressure dropped all of a sudden, which is not a cool feeling. I ended up calling in sick for the rest of the day. I drove home very carefully (I was still feeling a little lightheaded) and took a nap. The group meeting was good. We talked about motivation. And other group members actually talked tonight. Found out a few other people are early in the process like me, which was definitely motivating in and of itself. I had my labs done this week and got my monthly check up early since I was a little freaked out about what happened earlier that day at work. They think I need to have my blood pressure meds adjusted. It would be great if I could get off that stuff all together. And last but not least I had had my weight in. Official verdict - 209.4 for a loss of 4.6 pounds last week. That made a crappy day totally worthwhile.

Creating a habit

Well it has been said that it takes 21 days to make something a habit. So 7 down, 14 to go. I have done something active for the past 7 days. I have been to the gym several times, used my exercise bike, or taken a walk outside. But I did something everyday. I am very proud of myself because some of those days I didn't want to do anything. But then I would have to go to an ATM or mailbox - so I would walk instead of drive. 10 min here and there on the bike. But I did an extra 30 min worth of something active every day. I'm still checking the scale every morning, although I know I prob shouldn't. But it has been motivating me in the morning to do something. I like that every morning I have been getting a lower number. And I know that 10 min on the bike or taking the long way walking to the mailbox is what is making the difference. They tell you most people lose 3-5 pounds a week on this diet. Well I want the 5 pounds a week. I have the drive, I have the energy, I can do it!

Week One Success

Well I went to my first meeting and official weigh in tonight. I started at 219.2 and I was 213.6 per their scale, for a grand total of 5.6 lb lost. I have also been checking my scale at home but I do that totally naked first thing the morning so of course I get a lower value. But the main thing is I LOST WEIGHT!. So our meeting tonight was about goal setting. They need to be reasonable and measurable and attainable for them to work. They also suggested we have a non-food reward for meeting the goal. So I went to the mall across the street before my meeting because I had time to burn and I found a gorgeous diamond two tone bracelet and diamond heart pendant from Gordan's. I have decided that they will be my non food rewards for loosing weight. My first goal is to get under 200 pounds by my husbands birthday, which is at the end of August. When I get under 200 pounds I get to have the bracelet. My second goal is to get under 175 pounds by my birthday at the end of October. When I do that I get the heart pedant. I gave my jewelry purchases to my husband to hide until I meet my goals and can have them back. I think my goals are reasonable. I have about 6-7 weeks to meet the first goal and then another 8 weeks after that to meet the second goal. So as long as I'm doing what I am supposed to, and hopefully keep losing like 5 pounds a week I will be fine. But it still gives me some fudge room. Pretty things on a new pretty me - Here I come!

Waking up early is okay

So this whole week I have been beating the alarm clock. Go figure. I NEVER beat the alarm clock. I am the queen of the snooze button. My clock is set 11 min fast on purpose. And yet I have been beating the alarm clock. Have the nerve to be waking up around 6 am ON MY OWN. My husband does that all the time and I girl could get used to this. Especially since I am saving about 20 min in the morning since I'm not cooking breakfast. And I told me mom about the program I have started. Initially she was worried about me being on such a reduced calorie intake but she was okay with it once she saw how often I was being monitored. And she has pledged to stop asking me to dinner until I let her know its okay. I made it thru the forth sans BBQ safely. Luckily hunger has not been a major issue. Especially since I have my trustly suger free jello to satisfy my dessert cravings. My mom was also concerned about me getting bored with the food selections. I had to remind her that I am the same person who had mac and cheese with broccoli for dinner almost every day for a year at my great gransmothers house, and that I was still eating the same meal over and over for months on end for breakfast. It was just easier that way. The only time I would really mix it up was when we went out to eat. Which on hindsight prob didnt help my previous weight loss efforts. So as far as the meal replacements go - soup is out becuase its too salty, pudding is in because it gives me the illusion of having something solid, mocha is out, chocolate is in, as is vanilla and hot chocolate. Next meeting is on tuesday night. I decided to use the Virtual model to show my progress instead of posting up my actual pics (still taking the pics, just not sharing online). I'll keep the begining one up so I can remember where I started and I think I shall post a second with whatever my current weight is. So once I have my weigh in after week one on the program I can see how far I have come. BTW - staying off the scale until tues is killing me.

foggy

Well the long day is over and I feel foggy. Not particularly hungry though. I'm proud of myself for resisting temtation at work. My coworkers had a HUGE bag of gummi bears, which are my fav, and I didnt have any. I can do this. I WILL do this.

Extra Time Rocks!

So I had my first meeting last night. Met with a nutritionist which was short and sweet becuase all I can eat is the meal replacement drinks. Although she did give me lots of options for making it taste different and adding variety which was good. And I am allowed to have cool whip free on my fiber jello which makes it seem so much more like having a real dessert. Which I def think will help since I LOVE dessert. Its a nice compromise. And I had my first check up by the doc and picked up my food. Today is my first full day on just the meal replacement. First things first I didnt realze how much time making breaskfast took up in the morning. I have the time to sit and post becuase I'm not downstairs cooking food. I like it. Means I get to sleep in if I want and still not be late for work. Or even better, try to get some exercise in the morning without having to wake up too much earlier than I already do. My husband I and I cleared out all the bad food in the house that only I would eat and hid the stuff that he still wanted for himself. I have a shelf in the pantry just for my meal replacement stuff. I also made my pudding and jello for the week so I have it ready to go. Packed my meals up for the day since today is my extra long day at work. So far so good.

Welcome to Blogging

Okay so this is my first post on my new blog. I have decided to start this blog to document my latest weight loss efferts. So I shall start with a litle background info. Ended high school around 150 lb. I'm somewhere between 5'9" and 5'10". So lets do the math. 150lb + college + death of father - walking (got a car) + birthcontrol - tennis + multiple stressful jobs + college (grad school) = 220 lb. Which really sucks. So I got off the birth control (bye bye extra hormones), and got a new job (more flexability less stress). And to top it all off I am starting the New Direction medically managed weight loss program on July 1st. I had my intro interview today and I get my lab work done tomorrow. I start on July 1st with a check up by a doctor, and meetings with a nutritionist and psychologist. This is going to be a wholesale change in how I do what I do. The new direction program is a total meal replacement program, with weekly meetings for weigh in and education, bi-weekly lab tests, and weekly check ups by a MD or RN. Once I get to me goal weight I will start meeting with a nutritionist again to start bring regular food back into my life. My tartget is to get back to the 150lb I started at. The plan is to use this blog and a picture diary to help keep myself on track. Wish me luck.