Monday, November 14, 2011

Freedom!!!

I officially have no diet restrictions anymore! I have to say, it's not nearly as exciting as I thought it would be. I thought the first thing I would do once I was free was guzzle a Coke. Didn't happen. I thought I might top it off with some sweet, sugary snack. Didn't do that either.

Part of me is VERY paranoid about gaining the weight back. That's not to say that I haven't had carbs or sugar, I definitely have. There were some Little Debbie Star Crunches in my cabinet from way back when. I've had a few of those. I've had some Coke. I haven't had more than maybe 20 ounces since Thursday, but I'm drinking it.

What's really shocked me is just how filling carbs are. I eat them, and I'm set for HOURS. It's kind of wild. I got really hungry the last couple days, so I've had breakfast sandwiches from this great bread company near where I work. They are AMAZING. They also make it so I don't eat anything after that until I have lunch. And my lunches come later in the day than they used to. I don't ever remember feeling so full from carbs before. Perhaps it's just that I'm now listening to my body and only eating when I'm hungry, rather than when I just feel like I'm eating.

I am still trying to make sure I'm not eating past 7pm. I ate after that last Monday and I definitely saw that my body prefers to have more time to digest my food. I'm still drinking a shitton of water. Trying to make sure my body doesn't start storing it. I don't have to get on the scale every day anymore, but it's become a habit. I don't freak out when I see that I've gained a little. As much as a two pound fluctuation can be normal. I just like to make sure I'm not slipping.

So far, I haven't. My weight spiked last week after I ate late one night, but it corrected the next day. I stayed steady at 205.5 from Day 47 until yesterday. This morning I got on the scale and was pleased to see a 1.6 pound drop, bringing my total loss to 28.2 pounds! HOLY CRAP Y'ALL!! ALMOST 30 pounds since September 24. That's less than 2 months!

I like how I view food now. It's not a crutch for me now. It's something I enjoy. I'm taking care with ingredients still. I'll spend more if it contains less crap that isn't necessary. I'm eating healthier. I know my body will revolt if I go for the fast and fried foods. It's not even worth it.

HOORAY!!!

Updated Measurements (Day 50):
Upper Arms: 15.25" (-1.25" overall)
Upper Thighs: 26" (-3" overall)
Hips: 41.25" (-3.25" overall)
Waist: 35.75" (-6.25" overall)

Day 48: 205.5
Day 49: 205.5
Day 50: 205.5
Day 51: 205.5
Day 52: 203.9

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Days 44-47: This is it!

Today is my last day with dietary restrictions! Tomorrow I'm supposed to start introducing starches and sugars into my diet slowly. Obviously I've already had some carbs (Bagel Crisps are deceptively good, well, except for the cinnamon raisin ones) and a bit of sugar.

I'm trying to figure out what this is going to be like for me. I don't really have the urge to binge on sweets and breads and pasta. I would like a slice of pizza, and I'll be glad to have a sip of Coke without feeling any guilt. But all that Halloween candy that's still everywhere? Eh.

I was sure even a few weeks ago that I would be diving in with reckless abandon, but I'm just not interested. I suppose we'll see how I do when I'm actually put in the situation to choose!

I've spent some time recently trying to figure out what my body shape is. I have no idea why I have a minor obsession with this, but I do. I found an interesting article that outlines 12 shapes instead of the usual six. The article shows people in workout clothes so you can easily see their shape. I realized the best way for me to figure out my shape would be to take a picture of myself, from the front, and see which model it was closest to. So I did. Even after all this weight loss it's still not flattering, but I got a good look at my shape this way.


Though I clearly have some pounds to go, one thing struck me: I like my shape! I like the curves! That is a huge victory for me. 

My weight's still going down (with a quick spike from eating late at night - 8pm - okay late for me), and I'm okay with the progress. I'm still eating just when I'm hungry. A novel idea, I know.

Day 44: 207.0
Day 45: 205.9
Day 46: 207.7
Day 47: 205.5 - 26.6 pounds down from my initial weight!

Wish me luck as I venture into the lands of temptation. Cupcakes, though I love you, you will NOT defeat me!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Hooray for Unflattering Pictures!

Here's a comparison of Weeks 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7:


And just Weeks 1 & 7:


I'll take it.

Weight:
Day 44: 207.0 (down 1.1 pounds from yesterday, 25 pounds overall)

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Days 40-43: Loving food vs. Eating

They say it can take up to three weeks for your body to stabilize after you go up to 1500 calories. Until it does, you're not supposed to eat starches or sugars. They can upset the balance that your body is trying to develop and stop it from finding its stride. I'm pretty sure my body is telling me it's stable. 

I haven't gained or lost since November 1 - I've been steady at 208.1 since then. What's odd is that I feel like I'm still getting smaller. My pants feel bigger than they did even a few days ago. My chiropractor told me that I need to be doing exercises to strengthen my core to help support my back, so I've been doing crunches and also using a weighted exercise ball for my arms. I've walkId downtown to go to the movies a few times as well (about 1.1 miles each way). 

According to the plan, I'm allowed to start re-introducing starches and sugars back into my diet on Thursday. Everyone I work with who's also been on the diet has already been doing it - pizza, chocolate, bread, pasta and beer. I've been jealous, especially since their weight hasn't really been affected. It seems like they're bouncing around a little bit in terms of weight, but nothing serious.

I don't even know what I want to eat that's a starch/sugar. I like pasta, but it's a filler. I was looking at the nutritional information on Halloween candy and I was stunned just how terrible it can be. I had some Coke on Thursday, and I have to say, it seemed like 2 ounces was enough for me. I don't think I'll be downing it the way I used to. I think I would like a slice of pizza, but I'd be shocked if I could eat more than a slice, maybe 2.  

After my reaction to the Coke the other day, I'm wondering if I'll love other things the way I used to: French fries, cupcakes, Cold Stone ice cream. I don't think my body is going to react well to french fries. I had some pan fried chicken the other day and the grease on that (using EVOO) was not pleasant. I can't imagine what eating something that's been DEEP FRIED is going to do to my stomach. The cupcakes and ice cream will probably be way too sweet.  

My mom's also on the diet and she asked me if the other day if I've noticed that nothing really tastes good anymore. I can't say that I agree with that, but I think I do taste a lot more now than I used to. I had some roasted garlic bagel chips the other day (yes, I was cheating - my stomach was upset), and I could REALLY taste the garlic on those. I know I've had them before and never really noticed it. I feel like I ate a lot before, but never really tasted anything. 

I used to say that I loved food, but that isn't the truth. I just liked eating. There's a BIG difference between eating and loving food. I had no appreciation for the taste of what I was eating. It was a way to pass time and feel comforted. No more!

Updated Measurements:

Upper arms: 15.5" (down 1" from start)
Upper thighs: 26.25" (down 2.75" from start)
Hips: 41.5" (down 3" from start)
Waist: 36" (down 6" from start)

Weight:
Day 40: 208.1
Day 41: 208.1
Day 42: 208.1
Day 43: 208.1

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Need to NOM NOM NOM

When last we spoke I was finally back to losing some weight. The next day I didn't drop anymore pounds. I wasn't bummed, 2 pounds is a lot to drop in this part of the diet. However, I got on the scale Monday morning and I was down another 2 pounds (head scratch) Huh?

I get on the scale this morning and I'm down another 1.1 pounds. My net loss is now 23.9 pounds! HOLY CRAP.

I'm thinking I need to eat more during the day. Problem is, I'm not really hungry. I don't want to stuff myself when I'm not hungry enough since I don't want my stomach to expand a bunch again. I'm really not supposed to be losing weight like this though...

Also, be proud of me...I had NO candy yesterday. Where did I find this willpower? And where was it for the last year and a half when I was stuffing my face???

Anyway - I'm rocking this!

Day 37: 211.2
Day 38: 209.2
Day 39: 208.1 

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Days 33-36: FINALLY (and updated measurements)

I saw no weight loss from Days 32-34. I have a sneaking suspicion it has to do with a certain unwanted monthly visitor. I have never paid any attention to what my body is going through when the bitch is in town, but I had no choice now. That sucks! Remind me again why women have to bear children. Oh wait, if men had to do it  the population would never survive. Whiny bitches, they are.

Anyway, yesterday, Day 35, I saw a .6 pound drop and felt a bit better. I was getting very concerned that I wasn't doing a very good job watching what I was eating and was somehow eating like 2000 calories. I knew that probably wasn't the case, but I couldn't be sure. Especially since I'd been gaining or staying steady from Day 29 on. ACK!

I got on the scale today (Day 36) and I was down TWO pounds. Holy jeebus! My total net loss is now over 20 again.  I'm not really supposed to go outside of two pounds - either way - of 212.5. Part of the problem I have with that is that I was at 210.8 the day I stopped the drops, then somehow jumped up to 212.5 the next day. 

Also, I'm not particularly hungry. Most days I have some Naked Juice for breakfast, three slices of deli turkey for lunch with 2 chunks of cheese, and for dinner something chicken related or maybe my sloppy joes. I'm not eating large quantities of everything. 

I absolutely refuse to force myself to eat if I'm not hungry. Eating when I wasn't really hungry is how I got myself into this mess in the first place and I am NOT going to get back there again. The idea of going  through the 1st 500 calorie day and being stuck with bland chicken for weeks on end is enough to make me cry. 

So yeah, if I keep losing beyond the 2 pounds that I'm supposed to, I'm going to be okay with that.

And oh yeah, I forgot. I cheated yesterday. I really wanted some Coke, so I had it. I didn't have much. I filled a cup with ice and poured maybe two ounces into the cup. It may not have been much, but HOLY HELL IT WAS DELICIOUS.

MEASUREMENTS

Upper Arms: 15.75" (no change)
Upper Thighs: 27" (no change)
Hips: 41.75" (.25" down)
Waist: 36.25" (.25" down)

Day 33: 213.8
Day 34: 213.8
Day 35: 213.2
Day 36: 211.2

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Days 31 and 32: Less cheese???

Rather than bore you all with the day-by-day stuff, I figured I'd post a couple days at a time, or when something particularly interesting happened.

I've been either stalled out or gaining weight for the last few days and I may have discovered why. In doing some research (read: Googling like a mad woman), I discovered a few things:

1. I was supposed to slowly work my way up to 1500 calories.
2. Cheese is supposed to be eaten in limited quantities or not at all.
3. I can have things that contain starch/sugar, but only when it's a VERY small amount.

The important one here is obviously #2. I've been eating TONS of cheese! TONS!

I've been drinking water like it's my job. And I will tell you this, I'm back to peeing like it's my job. Adam Sandler has a skit called The Longest Pee. That's me.

Also, I'm not really supposed to be losing weight right now. I'm supposed to stay within two pounds either way. So, I guess as long as I'm not over that mark and forced into a steak day I'll be okay with this.

Monday's Weight: 213.6
Tuesday's Weight: 213.8

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Day 30: More energy

This is the first day in a while that I haven't been completely wiped out by 8pm. I assume I was just tired because I've been eating so few calories throughout the day. Nice to not feel like an old lady for once.

I'm feel like I'm getting a little stronger. Going up my stairs hasn't been killing me like it was a week ago. Good since I make regular trips on the stairs. I want to get out and exercise more, just walking, but I want to wait another week or so. I figure that's enough time for my body to get used to eating 1500 calories per day. I can't believe I've only been on this phase for four days. I almost don't even remember what it was like only eating 500 calories a day! (Thank God.)

I made a new chicken dish tonight: Chicken slathered with pesto on one side, rolled up and wrapped in prosciutto. Yum! I think it's the first meal I've made in a while that wasn't drowning in cheese. Mmm...cheese.

I think the pictures show that I'm making progress, slow as it might be. I'm hoping that the slow pace of the loss will help me sustain it. I do NOT want to re-inflate myself after all of this hard work! (Okay, it hasn't been THAT hard, but you know what I mean. Come to think of it, depriving myself of Coke for this long IS hard work!)

I'm pleased with my progress and how I feel. Even if I did gain today...

Today's weight: 213.6 (up .6)

Yet another set of unflattering photos

So, I skipped last week. Shame on me. I had lighting issues. Laundry issues. Blah blah blah.

Here's a comparison of the 4 weeks I did take photos. I couldn't get the zoom right this week, but I don't think it really matters.

Comparison of Week 1 to Week 5:

I still have some work to do :)

Day 29: Updated Measurements

So, things are moving along. Nothing exciting. However, here are the latest measurements. No change in anything except my waist.

Upper Arms: 15.75"
Upper Thighs: 27"
Hips: 42.5"
Waist: 36.5" (-1")

Today's Weight: 213.0

Friday, October 21, 2011

Day 28: 1500 calories is a LOT

Do you have any idea how hard it is to eat 1500 calories after eating only 500 per day for weeks? Especially when you can't have any starches or sugars? Pasta would get me there pronto. Cookies. Cake.  COKE. All of it would get me there quickly. Can I have any of it? No.

I made some important observations today. I can only have so much cheese in a day. I'm lactose-intolerant, I've known that for a while. One glass of regular milk and the stomach pain is almost intolerable. I used to have cereal for dessert at night and I was constantly waking up at 1:30am with gut-wrenching pain. Once I figured out milk was the culprit, I switched to lactose-free milk and my stomach was fine. I don't love milk anyway, so it's not a big deal. For the most part, I'm fine with ice cream, milkshakes and cheese.

Or so I thought. I used to eat all kinds of whatever before and I often didn't feel particularly well. I constantly had headaches, my stomach would get upset, I was tired, etc. Once I got into this diet, my headaches disappeared and I only occasionally had stomach issues. I've been a bit tired, but I think that has something to do with the amount of calories I'd been consuming and the fact that I don't believe I'm really much of a morning person.

So now, when I get a headache or a stomachache, I can trace it back to what I'm ingesting. Earlier this week we learned that I can't have prepackaged lunch meat. The stuff from the deli is okay though. I had cheese with two of my meals today and ended up with a stomachache. I guess I'll be limiting my cheese intake a bit now. Sort of sucks since cheese is an easy way to get more calories, but I'd rather not be sick. I could probably also live without all the fat it comes with.

I also noticed that unless forced, I don't tend to eat fruits on my own. Tonight I forced myself to have an apple for dessert. Not a bad call since I can't dip into the box of Star Crunches I have (Damn you, Little Debbie), and I do like to have something sweet every now and then. Oddly enough, Naked juice satisfied my desire for something sweet yesterday.

Lord, I'm a whole new person now! Using FRUITS to satisfy my cravings for sweets! Who am I?

This morning I fortunately saw a dip in my weight as well. I hope the downward trend continues!

Today's Weight: 213.0

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Day 27: Now the real fun begins!

So now the true test begins. I have to stay within two pounds of my weight on Monday. Which will be challenging since I'm not free to eat anything except starches and sugars.

Today's highlights:
1. Went to Red Robin for lunch and had a bacon cheeseburger.
2. Ate dinner out while playing cards.
3. Had something other than water to drink!!

Today's lowlights:
1. Did not get to have french fries.
2. A burger really goes best with a Coke.

I miss my Coke.

I loved being able to drink something other than water today. I still had loads of water, but it was nice to slide something else in there as well.

I think I ate right around 1500 calories today, I hope I don't see weight gain like I did this morning. That would make me sad.

Today's Weight: 213.4 (up .2 pounds)

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Day 26: Norm

Today was a pretty easy day. I wasn't nearly as hungry as I'd been yesterday. I had an apple for breakfast, string cheese for a snack, turkey heated up with cheese and a couple pickles for lunch. Later on I had a breadstick and cheddar cheese stick.

I made myself a pretty decent dinner of thin-sliced chicken breasts rolled with prosciutto and muenster cheese and baked. Very moist (okay that word is just gross to describe food) and delicious. Strawberries and cheese for dessert.

I'm sure I ate more than 500 calories today, but I have no idea how much I went over. Tomorrow is the first day I'm supposed to be trying for 1500 calories in earnest. Shouldn't be too hard since I'm heading to Red Robin for lunch to celebrate my food freedom, but I doubt I'll be able to eat everything I order. I suppose we'll see.

My weight stabilized and I weighed in at 213.2. No change from the day before, which is excellent. I'm working on taking in more water than I had been and I believe my body is responding favorably.

Today's Weight: 213.2

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Day 25: Uh oh

So, I'm on my second day of no drops and I feel like I'm going to be in some trouble. My weight went up...again. I totally don't get this since I know I'm not even eating anywhere near 1800 calories per day, which is about what my body burns just to keep me going.

I'm concerned about this and I'm not sure what I'll do when it goes up again tomorrow. I could do a steak day like they recommend, but I was hella hungry today. I can't imagine what it'll be like to go until DINNER with nothing but water! That's just craziness!!!

I suppose we'll see what happens when I get on the scale in the morning...

Today's Weight: 213.2

Monday, October 17, 2011

Day 24: No drops!

Today was my first day without the drops. I had a righteous headache all day, but I think that's probably related to my consumption of turkey and chicken that came from packages and their preservatives, rather than anything that had to do with the diet. I guess time will tell.

I added cheese to my diet today. I like knowing that it's not upsetting my stomach. I don't care that it's not supposed to be part of my diet right now. I doubt it's making much of a difference. I'm still eating well under 1500 calories. My guess is that it's under 700. It's amazing how little I've been eating.

Not sure what's been going on, but I'd gained 1.7 pounds when I got on the scale this morning and it currently reflects an additional 2 pounds on top of that. From my understanding of the diet, this is a critical period. My weight can't increase by more than 2 pounds in a day, so that my metabolism gets reset at the right level. How I'm gaining ANY weight eating the way I am is beyond me. The drops are supposed to prevent me from losing muscle mass and are supposed to encourage my body to burn fat for energy. In theory, it should still be coursing through my system.

I don't think I've had enough water recently, so I'm going to make sure my body has enough of that as well. Perhaps it's a water weight issue. I suppose we'll see.

It was nice not having to worry about remembering to take drops. I hope the rest of the transition off the drops is as smooth.

Today's Weight: 212.5

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Day 23: Almost there!!!

After what has seemed liked forever, I'm at Day 23!!! This is my last day for drops and I'll spend the next three days without them on the same 500 calorie diet I was supposed to have been on for the last three weeks.

Obviously I've cheated a bunch in the few days. Today I stuck mostly to it, but I had pickles instead of cucumbers. I had a little snack of cheese at one of the Costco sample counters as well. I'm okay with all of that.

I don't know what happened yesterday that got my body into losing mode, but I actually managed to drop 1.3 pounds yesterday after stalling out - finally making it over 20 pounds lost!

I owe y'all some unflattering pictures, and you'll have them. Just as soon as I get the light over my bed replaced. You won't be able to see anything in the photo without it!

WOOHOO!!!

Today's Weight: 210.8

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Day 22: Holy Cheating, Batman!

Not going to lie, I cheated. All day today. For lunch I had chicken and apple sausage and an egg scrambled with mozzarella cheese.  I had a pickle as a snack. Then, for dinner, I had PF Changs - Ginger Chicken with Broccoli.

I went to bad movie night with some friends, and I had some potato chips. And a tater tot. And it was glorious.

I'm so over this diet :)

Today's measurements!
Upper arms: 15.75" (.75" overall)
Upper thighs: 27" (2" overall)
Hips: 42.5" (2" overall)
Waist: 37.5" (4.5" overall)

Today's Weight: 212.1

One more day of drops!!!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Day 21: See Day 20

I was a bit surprised when I got on the scale this morning and saw no change. I was sure my good behavior day would make up for the cheating. Apparently not.

Oh well. I don't really care right now. Just want to get to the end of the 500 calories and move on to MORE!!

Today's Weight: 212.1

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Day 20: Nothing unusual

Today was more of the same. As I suspected, my cheating kept me from losing weight, but I also didn't gain any, so I'm going to call that a victory. The cheat was worth it. Mmmm...chicken and apple sausage.

I went with meals of chicken (shoot me now) and shrimp (still yummy) with cucumbers as my veggies, so I should be back on the losing track tomorrow. That's how it's gone in the past anyway. 

As much as I've been whining and complaining lately, it's amazing that I only have 3 more days of drops.  I'm excited about that. I'm that much closer to an expanded set of foods (I've been shopping online so I know where I'm going first for more exciting foods) and also that much closer to going for a few days without my mouth tasting like crap (quite possibly literally, but I can't know that based on my own experience).

A lot of people have told me how impressed they are that I've stuck it out with this diet. It's weird to hear that since it hasn't been that hard. Sure, I miss cheese, Coke, breads, pastas, other meats, going out to eat, ice cream, candy, etc. I craved TACO BELL. That's just gross. It's not even real meat. But really, this isn't HARD to do. I haven't even been tempted for a big cheat. I don't crave the Coke anymore. I read a lot of blogs and stories where people were saying that this is the easiest diet they've been on. In some ways, that's very true. You know what you can eat, you don't really have to count calories every day since you're eating the same thing over and over. You just run with it. In some ways, it tests your will. You hit a plateau or you have YET ANOTHER piece of chicken and it's just UGH and you don't want to continue on. (Then you read the packaging that says you HAVE to and you're like, "Fine. Be that way."

What I'm curious to see is what it's like to go back to an expanded diet. I was hopeful about salads (quite unusual for me), but I probably won't be having many of those since my dressing options are limited to what I can make myself (at least initially since they all contain sugar). I'm thinking my breakfasts will consist of an egg scrambled with cheese and a fruit of some sort (likely apples since I have a gajillion of them). Lunches are probably going to be simple with lunch meats and cheeses to go with them - essentially Lunchables without the crackers. Dinners will be more interesting, with me experimenting with recipes I found on allrecipes.com. I'm sure some of that will make its way into my lunches. I'll just be glad I'm not cooking something for every meal. That's a bit tiresome.

All in all, this is my last weekend of what I expect to be the most awful part. Three more days of low cal and drops and then three days of low cal. I CAN DO EET!!!

Today's Weight: 212.1 (That is kind of a cool number)

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Day 19: So so good

I enjoyed my cheating very much, thank you. It felt good to eat something not chicken. Of course, I'm not sure how much my body enjoyed it. I felt a little sick after I ate, but I'm still glad I did it.

I'm curious to see how this will impact my weight loss. As expected, the ground beef put a halt to any loss I might have had today. Good thing I was planning on that or I might have been a bit upset.

I'm just so over this. If I weren't eating just 500 calories per day of the same stuff I've been eating over and over, I wouldn't care if I lost another pound on this phase. Almost 20 pounds is a big accomplishment, but I'm bored with it now. It's like the challenge is gone. And the benefit now too. Other than my 2 pound drop the other day, I'm not really losing much. I could do that just eating a modified diet. Certainly more than 500 calories and with a wider variety of foods.

Oh well, only 4 more days with the drops, then three more with the low calorie diet. Here's to well-deserved endings and exciting new beginnings!

Today's Weight: 212.1

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Day 18: Ready to Cheat!!!

I don't know what this says about me, but I actually PLANNED to cheat on this diet. A lot of people, when they cheat on a diet, it's sort of a spontaneous thing, an impulse thing. Like at Costco, you're walking around and those damn free samples are everywhere. How do you turn that down? Or, you're at a party and there are snacks... I get it.

I, on the other hand, am PLANNING to cheat. I made the lunch with the contraband in it. I have been planning it since yesterday. I have given it thought. Worked it out. Weighed the pros and the cons. And still decided to do the "wrong" thing. I'm thinking it can't possibly set me back that much. I had my sloppy joes from Saturday night - the delicious beef ones - for lunch today because I couldn't tolerate the idea of more chicken. Pretty sure the scale will show me what a bad idea that was tomorrow morning.

I think I just don't care anymore. I'm down 19.8 pounds. That's a lot of weight in 16 days. I've done SO well. I ate a little extra last Friday since I felt sick, but I haven't gone off the listed foods yet at all. I'm losing weight pretty slowly now, and I just don't see how sticking at my current weight for a couple days is going to kill anything.

On the other hand, if I have to have chicken tomorrow, *I* may kill something. Best to just have the delicious chicken and apple sausage tomorrow for lunch and ensure everyone else's safety. See what a good person I am?

Today's Weight: 212.1

Monday, October 10, 2011

Day 17: Goodbye Plateau and I'mma Cheat

Well, I woke up this morning down two pounds. I doubt I'll have the same experience tomorrow, but only time will tell.

I am sick of this diet. My mouth tastes like what I imagine ass tastes like. (No, I don't actually know.) I want to eat other food and I'm pretty damn sure I'm going to be cheating in the near future. I'm down almost 20 pounds and I think that's pretty good. I've been told I'll continue to lose even after I get into maintenance.

I have to keep the drops up with a low calorie diet until 23 days are up. I can't exactly find anything that says why, but I guess I'll keep it up. I do see some chicken and apple sausage in my near future.

I'm so close to feeling physically sick thinking about eating the same food over and over and over again. I realize I don't have that much time left with this, but right now, it seems like FOREVER. Of all of the people I'm working with who are doing this, I've lost the most. I don't even know that I'm supposed to lose as much as I have.

When I get like this, I try to focus on the "one day at a time" mantra, but that stops working after a while. Perhaps if last week hadn't been so rough this wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it would. Who knows. We're all about ready to be done with this. I do appreciate what I've learned about cooking and varieties of foods, and I'll take that forward into the next phase. It's not like things get WILDLY better once I go there. Still no sugars or starches. But cheese, glorious cheese!

I'm going to try to hang in there...

Today's Weight: 212.3

Day 16: Hello Plateau

I woke up this morning excited to get on the scale. Not sure why, SINCE I DIDN'T LOSE ANY WEIGHT. AGAIN. Today is my THIRD day at 214.3. UGH. I'm feeling so much better, I just assumed the scale would cooperate.

Spent some time reading up about plateaus and have decided to exorcise ground beef from my diet for a while. I'm doing everything else right, so I can't see what else it might be. Hopefully this works. I'm not keen on having an "apple day." Yes, that would be a day where you eat nothing but 6 apples. As good as the honeycrisp apples are, I will have to pass on that.

Otherwise, I'm doing fine. I don't feel sick at all anymore. My energy levels seem to be back up. What I did notice though is that I am having trouble getting all the way up my stairs without having to stop for a break. I live on the 3rd floor of a building with no elevator. It's legitimately three flights of stairs. My legs are ready to give out somewhere around the second floor. My arms also got really tired while I was flat ironing my hair. I read that this will happen to your muscles after a while since the fat that was living between them is gone. I hope it's not my muscles that are going. I would be displeased. The whole point of this is that the muscles DON'T go.

I'm eating only chicken and shrimp today, along with my cucumbers, apple ans strawberries. Hope that kicks the crap out of the plateau.

Today's Weight: 214.3

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Unflattering Photos: Round 3

It's Sunday so you know what that means! FOOTBALL!! Oh, and unflattering pictures!!



 


















The last two photos are both from today, but the red shirt was hanging a little loosely, so I threw on the pink one to give a better idea of the real shape.

Looks like progress...

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Day 15: I'm alright plus measurements

I woke up feeling much better today than I did yesterday. No stomach queasiness at all.

I ventured forth for sustenance, my sights set on the honeycrisp apple. I left my last orange and work, and frankly, I'm tired of my hands smelling of citrus all day. Those apples are AMAZING. So crisp and juicy.

I decided to change things up a little and acquired some strawberries as well. Apples and strawberries will now be my fruits of the day. I'm also abandoning tomatoes for a while. I think I've had too much. I'm not sure how much I love cucumbers anymore, but right now they're better than strawberries.

I downloaded an app for calorie counting so I'll be prepared for the next phase of this diet. (Yes, I realize I'm jumping the gun a bit since I have 11 more days of a 500 calorie diet to complete. Today I also bought the chicken and apple sausage for the first breakfast in the next phase of the diet. CANNOT WAIT.) What dawned on me is that I probably haven't been eating enough. I believe I'm consistently coming in under 500 calories. After a while, I imagine that would wear on my system.

I also read that it'll stop the diet from working properly. You have to eat at least 500 calories, obviously not many more, but at least that many. Oops.

So, I'll be upping the amount of meat I eat during the day. Speaking of which, I made some delicious sloppy joe like meat tonight. I used tomato sauce (which isn't technically allowed, but tomato paste is, and that's pretty much all tomato sauce is - tomato paste, water, citric acid, and onion powder. I figure it'll work.) I added some garlic powder and a lot of chili powder (which totally impressed me, I always thought chili powder would kill me. Turns out, it's really quite useful).  Anyway, it was fantastic and made my tummy happy!

All in all, today I was just feeling so much better. No nausea, no serious aversion to food like I had for a while yesterday. I had leftover chicken for lunch and I was wary of it. I think I just might be sick of chicken...

I feel pretty good even though I lost NO weight today. Not even a tenth of a pound. Apparently this isn't uncommon. I just hope it doesn't continue for days.

Anyway, on to the measurements! (Current (change from last week/change from beginning))

Upper Arms: 15.75" (.25"/ .75")
Upper Thighs: 27.5" (.75"/1.5")
Hips 43.5" (1"/1")
Waist: 38.5" (1"/3.5")

So, despite not losing any weight today, I'm pleased with the measurements I saw.

Tune in tomorrow for another unflattering picture!!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Day 14: Blech

I felt sick for the majority of the day today. A sort of nausea that was near vomit. I'm not sure what it was, something I ate yesterday, 500 calories per day, who knows.

I ate a bit more than I'm "allowed" at lunch to try to help - extra meatballs. I had some extra shrimp with dinner. I'm skipping the apple and most of the tomatoes.

All around, today was SUCK.

Today's Weight: 214.3

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Day 13: Back on Track...ish

Despite all of my earlier ramblings about how important sleep is while you're on this diet, I decided last night to have a lengthy conversation with my dad and to read several chapters of a book. DID NOT GET ENOUGH SLEEP.

As a result, I was pretty tired by the afternoon. Which made later events less enjoyable than they could have been. First, I left the drops at work. It took me no time to get home from work today. Total breeze. So, having to travel back during some of the nastiest rush hour traffic wasn't any fun. Then, I went to a bar to play cards with a group. The french fries there are AMAZING. I wasn't particularly hungry, but damnit, I love french fries. I obviously didn't order any, but the fact that they were there and that I couldn't have any was just irritating. I really only get like this when I'm tired. Had I gotten enough sleep last night, it wouldn't have been an issue.

Now I'm just tired and grumpy and in desperate need of a french fry.

However, today's weigh-in made me feel like I'm back on track. I hope it keeps up.

Today's Weight: 214.5

Day 12: Better

Finally felt like I was getting back to normal today. Hunger pangs subsided. I was still a bit tired, so I had an easy night at home.

I discovered my love for garlic salt. Drowned my shrimp in it before putting them in my George Foreman. They were SO good. And I'm still having a love affair with my seasoned chicken. So moist, tender, juicy. And flavored just right for me.

I think one of the keys to doing this successfully is identifying foods you aren't going to get sick of and repeating them, over and over. It's not a hard diet, but it will challenge you. We're so used to being able to go out and grab whatever we want to eat (even those of us with some diet restrictions), and now it's like, "Oh, that's what I brought for lunch...okay." Hard to go out and change your mind.

Today was a low weight loss day which was sort of a bummer, but given that I weighed like 2 pounds more when I got home than I did when I woke up, I'll take ANY loss. I hope to get back on track soon.

I'm also pretty excited about the team potluck tomorrow and my coworker's delicious balls! (Meatballs of course...)

Today's Weight: 215.8

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Day 11: SO DAMN HUNGRY

No idea what was going on, but DAMN I was hungry today. So much crazy hunger. I ate. A lot. All within what I was allowed, but holy junk.

In good news, my taco seasoning was delicious on my chicken. The chicken I had was killing me. I just couldn't eat it anymore. Since there's no taco seasoning I can eat (all has starch and/or sugar), I bought all the herbs and spices and made my own. I was SHOCKED to find that I'd done it right AND that it didn't taste like utter crap! Even used it on my shrimp tonight. I am SO relieved to have my chicken work for me. I have a ton of it left and haven't had enough good experiences with ground beef on my own to make that a good substitute for chicken.

I spent a good portion of the day looking at food porn. By that, I mean I looked at allrecipes.com and found recipes for things I want to make once I've moved onto other phases of the diet. Baked potato soup, chicken tortilla soup, chicken and dumplings, meatballs, BLT bacon bowls, YUM. I'm not going to do that today lest I make myself crazy with hunger for things I can't have.

I was pretty wiped out for some reason so it was an early night for me.

Today's Weight: 216.8

Monday, October 3, 2011

Day 10: Bleh

My weight loss wasn't as exciting this morning as it has been other mornings. I hear that's the case when a lady's least favorite visitor is in town, but I hope it picks back up soon.

I was up too late reading an Amish romance novel last night (you'd be surprised how good they are) and I didn't get enough sleep. I'm totally wiped out now, ready to go to bed, and it's just after 7pm. I can't say enough how crucial sleep is on this diet. I don't drink coffee or tea, so I have no caffeine pick-me-up. I know it's artificial and probably bad for you, but there are days when I miss it.

I got so desperate for a new way to make chicken that I actually went out and bought the spices to make my own taco seasoning. I forgot the onion powder, but I have to say, the chicken came out damn well. I'm actually excited for my chicken lunch tomorrow! Too bad I can't have it with rice... Or in a flour tortilla... With cheese...

We're doing a potluck at work on Thursday and one of the guys on my team who's also on the diet is going to make meatballs!! He uses the melba toast and spices and onion to make them. It had occurred to me that I could those for some kind of breading or something, but I had no idea how on earth to do it. He's also made his own sort of ketchup/cocktail sauce thing. It was surprisingly good. He'll bring that to the potluck as well as a BBQ sauce he's working on. Should be delish!

Anyway, I'm wiped. Until tomorrow.

Today's Weight: 218.7

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Day 9: Resisting Temptation

I baked. All day today. I made three batches of cupcakes, two pans of brownies, and 5 batches of cookies. Not once did I succumb to temptation. Not even a little. I didn't have any of the cake batter (which I LOVE) nor did I sample the frosting when I iced the cupcakes. I didn't even lick it off my fingers (though I almost slipped...twice). I desperately wanted to taste the cookie dough to make sure it was right (had a brain fart and couldn't remember how much flour I'd added...), but I didn't. So, good luck to the people who eat those cookies tomorrow!

Honestly, the struggle was made easier by the fact that I've felt like shit all day. I'm not sure what's going on, but I don't think I'll be having any more hamburgers while I'm on this diet. I have never particularly loved making hamburgers at home. Perhaps it's the "hamburger seasoning" that they add at McDonald's or just the fact that I can usually throw some ketchup on it, but I really only like burgers when a restaurant has made them. Or really, anyone but me. I haven't enjoyed the burgers I've had this weekend. I'm going to be happy to go back to the chicken (never thought I'd say that).

Anyway, things are still going along well though I am (still) looking forward to eggs, cheese, salad, etc.

Today's Weight: 218.9 (1.3 pound drop, 13 pounds total)

P.S. I REALLY can't wait for the day I can have a cupcake!

P.P.S. Tomorrow I'll use less parentheses. (Maybe...)

More unflattering comparisons...

Something seemed off about that last picture I took, so I took another...



















That seems a little better...

Unflattering Picture - Round 2

Comparison photos!

 

And...I don't see much of a difference...

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Day 8: One week down!

So, I've made it through a week of the HCG diet. Of course, it's only been 5 days of the low calorie diet, but I think this is an accomplishment. If you'll remember, the two days of fat-loading almost killed me.

I went to watch my Gators get destroyed at a bar called Spitfire in Seattle, and the call to fries and a Coke was strong. I resisted, and pretty easily. Tomorrow is going to be a lot harder in terms of challenges. I'm going to be baking up a storm and I love cookie dough. But I shall be strong.

A few observations:

1. This is the longest I've gone without a soda since I started drinking soda regularly.

2. This is the most consecutive number of days I've had healthy meals.

3. May be the longest I've gone without fast food in a while.

I am VERY excited about moving into the maintenance phase, I'm looking forward to some chicken & apple sausage, some eggs, some cheese. You get what I'm saying. I'm excited about having more food.

Anyway, on to the numbers!

Measurements
                                    September 24, 2011          October 1, 2011         Change
Upper Arms                          16.5"                                   16"                       .5"
Upper Thighs                        29"                                   28.25"                   .75"
Hips                                       44.5"                                  44.5"                      0
Waist                                      42"                                    39.5"                     2.5"


Today's Weight: 220.2 (down 11.7 pounds!)

Going forward into this week, I don't plan on making a lot of changes to what I'm doing. I had a hamburger today, because I couldn't deal with more chicken. Fro some reason, I'm not sick of the shrimp yet.

Here's to another week of success!!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Day 7: A croissant and a taco, please

For some reason today, I had some cravings. First, a vision of a croissant popped into my head. My grandmother got me hooked on them when I used to go visit her for the summers. A total treat since it's not something my mother would buy (rather like the Froot Loops). She also taught me the best way to enjoy a croissant. Little pat of butter on the top, microwave for 30 seconds, and you have a warm pile of deliciousness.

Then, inexplicably, I had a craving for a taco. They're one of my favorite things to make, mostly because they're so easy. It's been a while since I had one, so I had no idea what made me even think of it. Especially since I wouldn't ever want to eat them together. Sadly, I won't be having either the croissant or the taco any time in the near future.

My liquid Stevia came in today. I order the Mixed Berries flavor. It's not bad. Definitely has a bit of an aftertaste,  though I could have gotten more of one since I probably squirted too much into my water bottle. It will be nice to perk up my water some. I was about done with plain water yesterday.

My order of Miracle Noodles came in yesterday. I have to tell you, they are NOT what I was expecting. I was thinking of a hard noodle. These are limp and come in a bag filled with fluid. I once saw an episode of ER where a man had been to some African country and had gone wading in some river and ended up with some sort of worm IN HIS LEG. They could only pull it out inch by inch or it could break off and end up trapped in him forever, causing all sorts of damage. THAT is what the noodles remind me of. Additionally, there's the bonus (or so I've read) of them smelling like rotting fish when you open the package. I gave a couple of my coworkers the noodles to try. Gonna wait to hear back from them before I go ahead and open one up.

The weight loss has started to slow down, as I was told to expect it would. I lost 1.1 pounds today. (I always find it intriguing that we say that we "lost" weight. That sort of implies that we'd like to find it again.) It's probably good that it's slowing down since the loss I'd been experiencing was pretty drastic. But, in a way, it's a bummer. It's so much fun to see those pounds just dropping off. However, as long as it keeps coming off, I'm a happy girl.

Today's Weight: 222.4 (9.5lbs total)

Day 6: Headache...GONE!!

I got to work this morning, took ibuprofen from the bottle and set it on my desk. I didn't want to take it on an empty stomach (nothing worse than having a headache AND an upset stomach), but I had it out so I wouldn't forget.

I ate my orange and went about my business. It wasn't until hours later when I got an instant message from one of my coworkers who is also on this diet that I even thought about a headache. He messaged to say how great he was feeling and how the headache was gone...WAIT! I need to take my ibuprofen for my...what? No headache? NO HEADACHE!!

I want to say something about hunger. I've gotten a lot of questions about whether I feel hungry and whether there's an appetite suppressant in the drops. To my knowledge, there isn't. And I do get hungry, about the same times most people do. The difference is that it takes a lot less food to make me feel satisfied. My stomach has realized it's going to get fed less, so it's just smaller now. I know that I was overeating before, and if I'd just taken time with my food, I wouldn't have been eating half as much as I had been.

I played cards at a bar in Seattle. I thought it would be a lot like when I went to the movies, but aside from a quick craving for french fries, it wasn't a big deal. I pretty much had to force myself to even eat my apple.

Today's weight: 223.5 (down 8.4 total)

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Day 5: Please don't toy with my emotions like that

In terms of food, today was even better than yesterday. I think my body's catching on to the fact that I'm not going to feed it as often as I used to, and it's savoring the food I do feed it. I drank a lot more water today than I did yesterday, and thus made more trips to the bathroom. I am seriously considering Depends. Of course, according to my mother, I didn't much enjoy diapers the first time around, so I don't think I'd enjoy them much now.

I went to the movies tonight with a friend (50/50 is an incredible movie, by the way. You should go see it), and she needed to eat beforehand. I have to say, being around restaurants was tough. I love to go out to eat, though I do realize that restaurants are part of the reason I'm on this diet now. Okay fine, it's not the restaurants and their oversized portions, it's my lack of control. Blah blah blah.

Almost worse than her delicious chicken chimichanga aroma was the popcorn. I love going to the movies and getting a Kid's Pack - just the right amount of soda and popcorn for me, not to mention the fun candy treat! It sort of kills me to know that I'm about 6 weeks from that. I guess I'll appreciate it that much more when I can have it again. In moderation, of course...

What kept me from getting my own chicken chimi are the results I've seen so far. Yesterday I went down 2.8 pounds, so I figured today couldn't be nearly as good. I know the weight can't keep coming off this quickly, so I assumed it might be a pound. This morning, I was at 226.0 - which is a loss of 3.1 pounds from yesterday!!! I've lost 5.9 pounds so far.

Even if I lose only ("only") a pound a day for the rest of this, I'll have lost about 28 pounds. A-mazing!

Today's Weight: 226.0

Who's coming with me when I get my freedom chimi???

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Day 4: So. Much. Better.

I have no idea what happened overnight. Today was just so much easier than yesterday. I haven't been nearly as tired or as cranky. I wasn't even as hungry as I was yesterday. Could just be the shock of going from such an unholy and awful amount/type of food to almost nothing. Could be that I saw the 2-pound drop in weight and I was more motivated. Either way, I'm thankful. If today had been like it was yesterday, I might have hurt someone. Or, I might have stopped at McDonald's on the way home (vomit).

I had my orange around 10am, my chicken around 12:20pm and then I waited until 2pm to have the tomatoes. I think eating actually made me hungrier than I would have been, so I ended up having 2 Melba Snacks crackers around 3.

I got home and didn't rush right in and eat. I chatted on the phone, got in the shower, and then made my dinner of shrimp. My sugar-free Jell-O is still in my (coughcoughDisneyprincesscoughcough) lunch bag. I'll bring it tomorrow just in case I need it. Shortly I'll enjoy my apple.

What was weird was that sometime this afternoon, probably around 2, I got this rush of energy. It was like I was on a sugar high, but we know that wasn't the case. I read on several blogs that sometime around Day 8 or 9 people all of a sudden felt incredible clarity and energy. Just felt totally great. I'm definitely looking forward to that!

All in all, today was a better day, and I hope this is the beginning of a trend. One thing I'm not digging is the headache. I have had a righteous headache all day, but it wasn't as bad as yesterday, which ended up requiring Advil. I hope it goes away in the coming days.

I would also like to stop peeing so damn often. Seriously, I woke up TWICE last night to pee. I don't need a preview of what my old age is going to bring. I hear the peeing super often thing goes away after a bit, but I'm skeptical.

Looking back, if I were going to do this all over again (and I might), I'd have my fat-loading/binge days be Friday and Saturday, that way I'd have Sunday to just kick back and rest rather than trying to go to work like that. Pretty sure I can sit at a keyboard and shove my face at work as well as I can at home.

Anyway, to sum up, today has been SO MUCH BETTER than yesterday. I don't know that I could have gotten through another day like it. The really nice thing is that so many people at work are doing it. We're sharing the misery, and since some of us started earlier, I can see that they're still surviving. As with any diet or other challenging experience, it's nice to have people around who understand what you're going through and can help you cope. And who will steer you away from other friends and coworkers before you start gnawing on their limbs.

Today's Weight: 229.1 (-2.8lbs!)

I'm still craving Coke, and so you know how hard it is for me to give it up, I'll share a picture from a few years ago...

Yes, that is me kissing a bottle of Coke.


Monday, September 26, 2011

Day 3: Holy Crankypants, Batman!

Alright, some people who know me might insist that I'm a bit of a crankypants all the time. But there's a difference between being a general bitch and a total crankypants. By about 4:30 today, I was losing it.

I got to work this morning around 7:30am and I was already hungry. I downed some (read: a lot) of water and was able to avoid eating my orange until 9:30am. But, it was that kind of hunger where you don't feel so great even when you do eat, it took me an hour and a half to eat the one orange.

Around noon I was totally starving, so I microwaved my chicken nuggets. (When I call them chicken nuggets it makes me feel like I'm eating something way cooler than microscopic mounds of grilled chicken.) I managed to over-season them, and the pepper was kicking my ass, so I ended up drinking 24 ounces of water with the nuggets. Which didn't help the fact that I was already pretty water-logged. I  peed 4 times that morning.   

I held off on eating my tomatoes until a bit later. I wasn't super-hungry just then, and I figured I should save them for when I was. Recognizing that my hunger had ramped up a bit, I went to QFC with a colleague and obtained some Grissini breadsticks and Melba snacks. I hoped adding a little carbs in there would help with my energy levels.

Not long after I started chomping on the breadsticks that I was MAJORLY hungry. I ate the tomatoes - one at a time - but was still done by 2pm. At a minimum I was looking at another two and a half hours before I could eat. And I knew even then that I was looking at 11 tomatoes and 7 shrimp. 

On the way home I decided some of the "free foods" would be necessary for my survival. I was SO irritated with everything around me - the rain pouring down, the people who couldn't drive - that I knew I had to get another snack in. Sugar-free Jell-O tops my list of  "How is that a food?" but if it was going to stop me from wasting away or eating someone's arm, I was down for it. 

We're also allowed Miracle Noodles, so I googled for them and learned that the Whole Foods store near me sells them. I can tell you this: When you are wild with hunger, attempting to locate a store that is hard to find on a good day is NOT a good idea. It took me forever to get there. Not only do they not have the noodles, they don't have sugar-free Jell-o either. I picked up some broth (to make sure that someone would validate my parking) and I left in a huff. I took myself to QFC and bought some Jell-o. I almost opened it right in the store, but thought I'd look ridiculous trying to eat Jell-o from the container with the thin lid.

I got home, almost unable to make it up my three flights of stairs. My body was totally ready to give out on me. I made it in, peed for the umpteenth time that day, and went to the kitchen to have Jell-o and start my dinner. 

Turns out, frozen shrimp weigh a lot more than raw shrimp. I was short about 26 calories on them for tonight's dinner. I corrected for tomorrow, but that didn't help me tonight. Around 5:30pm, I settled in and ate my shrimp and tomatoes, and after I finished watching an episode of Psych, I passed the hell out took a little nap.

I woke up around 7:15pm, freaking out about missing an appointment (which I hadn't) and then realized I'd decided I would have my "dessert" - an apple with cinnamon - at 7pm, which I missed by a little bit.

I sincerely hope tomorrow is better than today. I know there are some good benefits just around the corner, if I can get there. But damnit, I'm hungry and I am wiped out. FEED ME.

Weight this morning: 231.9 



Sunday, September 25, 2011

Day 2: Warning! 100 grams is less than you think!

Waking up at 3am with screaming stomach pains pretty much hits the bottom of the list of things that are fun to do. I never want to see another french fry again.

After getting myself settled sometime near 4am, I managed to get some sleep. I groaned at the idea of spending another day eating crap, so I decided to gorge on foods that I know are high in fat but haven't been cooked in a fryer. Turns out, that wasn't much better.

Breakfast: Candy and three eggs scrambled with cheese. Barely finish eggs as they just sort of slosh in my mouth, not wanting to go down.

Lunch: 2/3 of a small sausage pizza. Nearly vomit as I finish my last pieces.

Dinner: I have utterly given up on gorging myself tonight. I refuse to wake up at 3am again, dying of stomach pain. Settle for two bowls of Apple Jacks. And a crap ton of candy.

Totally bummed that I missed out on Cold Stone. But I'm pretty sure it would have been the death of me and I like Cold Stone. Don't want to put them out of business because I exploded all over their place like a water balloon you've overfilled.

I spent time today getting my food ready for the week. It would be an understatement to say that I was shocked when I saw how much food 100 grams is. To give you an idea, below is my lunch for tomorrow - cherry tomatoes and chicken breast:





Um, wait. WHAT???

That food scale in the picture is brand new, just for this. My mom told me I didn't need it, that 3.5oz/100g of chicken is about the size of my fist. Guess what. It's not.

As I was adding the tomatoes to the scale, I expected I'd get at least 20 tomatoes out of it. So I slapped a bunch on it. Then had to start taking them off. A lot. I cried as I dropped ELEVEN cherry tomatoes into a plastic bag for my lunch. Yes. ELEVEN.

It only got worse as I moved onto the chicken. At least then I knew it was going to be worse than I'd originally anticipated. It's like the warning on the side view mirror of a car: Warning! 100 grams of food is smaller than you think!

Because I know myself and know that if I'm not proactive about this I will just have candy for dinner, I also packaged frozen shrimp into 100g baggies. Want to guess how many shrimp it is? No? I'll tell you. SEVEN. Yes, SEVEN shrimp. That's what I'll be having for dinner. Oh, that and my ELEVEN tomatoes.

Commence weeping.

This morning's weigh-in: 230.2

Just a thought: If you see me tomorrow afternoon or evening, and I look at your arms funny, I recommend you step back a few feet. I'm not saying I'd actually rip them off an fry them up like chicken, but I am saying it's probably better we don't take the chance.

Unflattering Picture

As promised, here is my unflattering picture:

They say a picture says a thousand words. The words that come to mind right now are: Ugh. Ew. ACK. Lord, what happened here? Put the donut down!

On a positive note, nowhere to go but up!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Day 1: Gross

My mission, which I chose to accept: Reach an unbelievably high level of disgust with myself eating as much disgusting, fattening food as I can handle. Today's the first day on the drops and it's a fat-loading day.

Did I find success? Yes, I did. And, as the overachiever that I am, I did it at breakfast.

Today's Meals:
Wake up snack: Funsize Snickers, Funsize Twix, and a small bag of M&Ms.

Breakfast: McDonald's Sausage Biscuit, hashbrown, and small Coke.

Breakfast wreaked complete havoc on my digestive system, so I had to have a...

Post-breakfast snack: Package of Hostess donettes (powdered).

Lunch: McDonald's - two hamburgers, small fries, and a Coke.

Dinner: Mini chicken quesadilla, an order of fries, and several Cokes.

Post-dinner snack: Hostess donettes (chocolate), Snickers peanut butter candy bar.

I have spent many a day eating utter crap, but NEVER this gross. I actually had a CRAVING for vegetables. I ran to the closest mirror to make sure I was still myself.

I acquired all my needed supplies today, which means I got on the scale and took some measurements. And then immediately wished I hadn't. The numbers were...downright embarrassing. I have to say, once you know the numbers, you can't deny the need for diet any longer. A friend of mine told me I was brave to share the numbers, but I think honesty is a big part of any diet. Can I have the envelope please?

Weight: Fat 231.7
Arms: Ham hock 16.5"
Thigh: Double ham hock 29"
Waist: Used tire 42"
Hips: Small satellite 44.5"

Pudge was excited about these fat-loading days. Pretty sure he's not so excited anymore.

Until tomorrow...

Oh, if you see me rolling down the street and I look like I'm going to hit something, divert me.




Friday, September 23, 2011

Battle ON!

I'm not a big dieter. I went on Weight Watchers a couple years back. I lost 60 pounds...but I found most of it again. I feel like I'm in better shape now than I was when I started that, but I still gained a lot of weight and Pudge is still hanging around. (Pudge being the tire that lives around my midsection. It's time that Pudge and I stopped being friends.

A guy I work with went on the HCG drops diet with his girlfriend and holy smokes! They look TERRIFIC! He's lost 13 pounds in 13 days. He's been talking about it while doing it and I was a bit skeptical. His girlfriend checked it out with her naturopath and the naturopath signed off. I did some more research and got on board.

The diet is broken down into a few phases: You binge eat to build up fat for 2 days while taking the drops. You continue taking the drops and eating a very low calorie diet of limited foods for up to 43 days. Then you stop the drops but continue eating a very low calorie diet for 3 days. You move into maintenance next, eating at least 1500 calories, but no starches or sugars for three weeks. After that, you start to slowly introduce starches back into your diet.

I'm going to blog the hell out of this experience so that anyone looking for a resource on it can have one!

Currently on my To Buy List:

  1. Food scale
  2. People scale
  3. Measuring tape
  4. Baby oil - lavender
  5. Herbal Essences shampoo
  6. Mrs. Dash
  7. Chicken breasts
  8. Shrimp/prawns
  9. Lean ground beef
  10. Apples
  11. Oranges
  12. Tomatoes
  13. Cucumbers
To Do:
  1. Take unflattering pictures of myself to document progress.
Every day I'll update with my weight (ugh), what I ate, and how I felt. Weekly I'll update my measurements (ugh, again).

Goodbye Pudge and good riddance!