A long overdue update

I am now a little over three weeks into the program and I have lost 12lbs.  I am happy with this, however, when I read how much others have lost in a month I tend to get discouraged.  Some have lost over twenty pounds.  I have to remind myself I have cheated here and there which ultimately has resulted in falling out of fat burn and not losing as much weight as I would have if I would have stayed on plan. This quote that popped up on Facebook today could not have come at a better time.

I believe God has lined everything up perfectly for me to succeed on this journey.  I have received so much support.  I am part of an awesome Facebook support group, I have a coach who calls me several times a week, my aunt, who cooks most of our dinners, is always making sure she is making something I can eat, my mom has just recently decided to start the program, she starts on Monday, my coworkers are extremely supportive and the list just goes on. It all comes down to ME and the fact that I am my own worst enemy.  I have to quit saying to myself it is ok to have a little of this and a little of that and stick to the plan.  The time will come when I can enjoy those things again, but for now, I need to learn to refrain. 

I am also focusing on all the positive changes that have already occurred in the past three weeks.  I already feel so much better physically and mentally.  I have succeeded in ensuring I drink plenty of water, oh boy does this make a world of difference.  I was literally dehydrating myself every day before I started this journey, all because I was too lazy to get up and get the water, and did not want to have to go to the bathroom every five seconds.  I can't believe how embarrassing it is to admit this and how much better I feel just by drinking more water.  I have not been to a fast food restaurant in weeks, where as I used to go to one almost every day.  I have more energy.  This new way of life is becoming my new habit, and it is just as easy to stay on plan as it was to eat crappy.  This week I have found I am not as hungry as the previous weeks.  To the point where I have to force myself to get up and eat a meal.  This is super encouraging to me as I finally feel my stomach is shrinking.  This plan works, it is all up to me.  So if anybody reads this blog, and has any advice on how to beat the mental demons I have been battling, please share.  I could really use some help in this area.

I am not being realistic

I have had a couple of tough days mentally this week.  I had the Stomach Flu on Sunday, so I ate nothing.  Then when I finally did eat, I gained two pounds.  What???  I was devastated, but after talking with my coach, I realize this is the bodies natural reaction after you go an entire day without eating.  I need to remember to be realistic.  I need to be patient, and realize this transformation is not going to happen overnight.  I need to realize I am going to have bad days, I am going to give into temptation on occasion, but if I do, I must pick up where I left off and continue to work toward my ultimate goal of becoming healthy again.

I have also found that my stomach is somewhat sensitive to all of the soy in the products.  I also have an acid reflux issue which I have had for a long time.  The small amount of food is not enough to absorb all this acid, so I have been constantly left with a nagging hunger feeling.  I am now taking Prilosec and Lactaid to aid with these issues, and felt improvement today.  I cannot stand the hunger feeling, I know it is more mental than anything and realize it is going to take sometime to adjust the way my brain thinks.  I am currently reading the book The Hunger Fix by Pam Peeke and it offers a lot of good insight into how the brain works when is comes to overeating and food addiction.  It is going to take at least three weeks maybe longer for my brain to learn my new routine.  I just have to be patient. 

It took a long time for my body to get this way, so ultimately it is going to take a while to get it off, and to adjust my life and thinking processes about food in general.  I can't say enough positive things about the support I have been getting.  I appreciate all of you. 

With that being said, I leave you all with this. Words I need to learn to live by.

Week One Recap

Well, I have successfully completed week one on the Medifast plan.  It was not easy, but the results have been extremely motivating.  I lost 9.4lbs Whoot Whoot!!!!  Every day I watched the scale creep down a little more.  It was so exciting. 

I have so many people supporting me, it is amazing.  Because of my work schedule and my long commute, my Aunt cooks dinner for us most nights   She has been so kind to make sure there is always something I can eat and I am very thankful for this.  My coach followed up with me every day and my mom, who I am with almost every day, talked me through many cravings and temptations.  Thank you all so much for your support.

The first day on the plan was a breeze, but by day three, I was starving.  By day five I was in fat burn, and I am loving the renewed energy I have been feeling.  I like most of the food I have tried, but a lot of it needs some doctoring to help with the flavor.  Thankfully, there is a lot of information that can be found on ways to improve the flavor on the internet.  I especially love the bars and the shakes.  The brownies are awesome with a little bit of Almond Milk.  The eggs must be cooked on the stove, they are not good when made in the microwave.  The honey mustard pretzels and parmesan cheese puffs were also good, but I did not like the chili cheese puffs.  I also was not very fond of the oatmeal, it has a weird texture.  I found that adding a few sautéed veggies to the soups is the way to go and make sure to add your hot water a couple of hours before you are going to eat it so the dehydrated vegetables have time to soften up.

I am excited to see what week two will bring. 

Here it is Folks.....

Well, I have officially started my Medifast/Take Shape for Life journey.  I am excited and nervous, but looking forward to making a change for the better.  I BELIEVE I can do this and I have an awesome support group to help me along the way. 

Ok, now to record my weight and before photos. Yes folks, you are going to get to see my double chin!!!

Weight: 289.8
Height: 5' 5"
BMI: 46

So far today I tried the Strawberry Lemonade Calorie Burn Infuser and the Southwest Scrambled Eggs.  I really enjoyed the infuser and it helped me get down 20 ounces of water already.  The scrambled eggs were a bit bland, so I am going to ask around to see if there is a way to spice them up a bit.  I had my usual cup of coffee, but this time used one Splenda packet and 1/4 cup up Almond Milk, and it was ok.  I don't like my coffee too sweet anyway, so I think this will work for me.  I am going to try a shake in a bit and have the chili for lunch.  I will post my thoughts on what I have for the remainder of the day tomorrow. I am on my way to a new me!!! 

Out for Delivery

My food from Medifast will be delivered today!!!!!!!!!!!!  I will be starting the plan on Sunday.  I am even going to post my weight and before photos on the world wide web for the world to see.  Very scary and brave in my book.  More to come.

Medifast & Take Shape for Life

The plan I am following to help me lose weight is Medifast.  I have actually ordered the product through the Take Shape for Life Program which provides me additional support and tools to help me develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

How the Program Works

Through the Take Shape for Life Program I have been given a weight loss coach to support me along this journey.  I have also been connected with an awesome support group through Facebook.  The Take Shape for Life Program is fueled by Medifast.  With the Medifast plan you choose 5 Medifast Meals and make 1 Lean and Green Meal each day.  This program has been around for almost thirty years and was at one time  exclusively sold to physicians for their patients.  There are so many food choices to choose from and from the research I have conducted they have spent a lot of time improving the taste of their products. An example of some of the products I ordered are pancakes, brownies, shakes, bars, soups, oatmeals, puddings, pretzels, eggs, chili, and soft serve ice cream.  I have found many of these items can be spiced up a bit with your daily allowed condiments and healthy fats to make some pretty tasty meals.  The Lean and Green Meal consists of 5 - 7 ounces of lean protein (Beef, Fish, Eggs, Chicken, Cheese, Pork, etc) and three full servings of vegetables.  I have found several helpful charts and recipes that I will share as I go.   

Here are some of the charts I have printed off to keep close by, especially during the first few weeks on the program:

Lean Meal Options
Green Options
Condiments & Healthy Fats

If you have days where just cannot seem to beat the hunger cravings, you can also choose a snack from their snack options.

Snacks

You also have to make sure you are drinking plenty of water.  At least 64 ounces per day.  My coach has said that many people who say they are not losing much weight are often not drinking enough water.  I am going to have a very hard time with this.  I tend to drink my coffee in the morning, my diet soda with lunch and then maybe 16 ounces of water the rest of the day while at work.  By the evening I am dehydrated and my body demands water, so I drink a lot in the evening, but still not enough.  Honestly, part of the reason I know I do not drink enough water is because I am lazy and do not want to have to stop what I am doing to go to the bathroom all of the time.  I am realizing very quickly lately,  I am very lazy person, and really need to find a way to break this habit. 

The Take Shape for Life Program offers weekly conference calls which provide all sorts of information you use to stay successful on the program.  You can attend the live conference call or listen to the recorded version later. Funny this weeks topic was on water consumption. 

If you are interested in this program you can view their website Take Shape for Life or get in touch with me and I will connect you with a great coach. 

So, I am starting my program on Monday. My food is supposed to arrive on Friday.  I have also ordered some condiments recommended on Sandy's Kitchen.  Seriously, if you are going to do this program, you must bookmark her webpage.  She has so many recipes and recommendations.  I will post about the foods I like and dislike as I try them.  I am excited and nervous to get the food.  This program is fairly expensive, so I am really hoping I like the food and it works.  Please note, many people receive free items from Medifast to blog about their products.  I am not affiliated with Medifast or Take Shape for life, although I wouldn't mind getting free product, I have created this blog as a way to document my journey, and maybe even inspire others along the way.

Four more days of crapping eating and then my journey begins.  Pray for me, send positive vibes my way, I CAN do this, but a little reassurance along the way will certainly help.

Expectations and Goals

I know it is important I set realistic goals as well as have realistic expectations during my transformation.  Many times in my schooling and career I have been taught to use the SMART acronym as guideline when setting goals.  When trying to lose weight I have also been taught to start with a first goal weight that is a percentage of the entire weight you hope to lose. 

If you have not heard about the SMART theory of goal setting,  they have a good explanation on  Wikipedia which is comparable to any text book explanation I have ever read.  These guidelines are good to use when setting any goal, personal or professional.

With this in mind, here are my goals for my journey

• Lose 90 pounds in one year.
• The initial weight I hope to lose is 40 pounds so I weigh what I weighed when I got pregnant almost three years ago.  I WILL reach this weight loss total within six months of starting the program.
• Retrain my brain and body to seek healthy food alternatives instead of the fast food or processed food I eat and crave now.
• Exercise at least three days a week for a minimum of thirty minutes each time.
• Continue to educate myself in order to facilitate the maintenance of my lifestyle change.
• Continue to grow my support group and ultimately become an inspiration to many others seeking to achieve a healthy lifestyle as well.
• Overcome my emotional eating tendency by finding other ways to cope when times are tough.

I expect challenges along the way.  I expect to give into temptation on occasion.  I expect this to be one of the most difficult things I have ever done.  I expect others will not believe I can do this.  I expect there will be times when I believe I cannot do this.  Above all, I expect I CAN change my life, I have too, or I can expect to live a life with health issues and sadness.