188.3
Not a stellar loss, only .3 pounds but my doctor visit went well. Measurements had me down another 5 inches total with the losses mostly coming from my chest, ribs, waist, hips, and rear. The guns are still there but there was a small loss in the arms, tape measure must have been wrong. Should have flexed. Since starting this process I have lost 16.3 pounds (home scale) and 11.5 inches (doc's measurements). Can't really complain.
Another positive change, I'm not as hot (temperature wise, 'cause lord knows skinny or fat I'll always be HOT!) as I used to be. Just the opposite, due to the lack of protein I actually get chilly at times. Used to be I'd wake up sweaty at night and I'd have to have a fan on all day long at work just to sty comfortable and this is no longer the case. Nice side affect when the temperature is still hovering around 100.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Day 15: Little Things
Another 1.2 pound loss this morning! I've had some decent drops this week, so I was expecting today to be 0.5 pounds or less. Gotta love the unpredictability of the HCG!
HS and I have been noticing little changes taking place in the past couple of weeks. I know it's gross, but pre-HCG, I was ALWAYS hot and sweaty---even while I slept. I realize the weather has cooled down a couple degrees, but the thermostat has actually been cranked up a few degrees, and I've started using a blanket at night. We think that's probably a result of our decreased blood pressure, but maybe it's just because we have less blubber.
Pre-HCG, I was having a lot of trouble sleeping. I had a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep, and an even harder time getting up in the morning and making it through the day without a nap. Now I go to sleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow, I stay asleep all night (unless my bladder wakes me up), and jump out of bed in the morning to see what surprise the scale has for me. Oh, and I don't think I've had a nap since the dreaded "load" days. I'm fairly certain that the HCG isn't giving me the extra energy; I think the food I was eating before was sucking the life out of me.
That brings me to my next "little thing." I was a HUGE soda drinker. Even as a kid, I used to love drinking an icy cold Pepsi. As I got older and my tastes changed, I started to favor icy cold Coke, and then in an attempt at compromise between my tired, caffeine-fueled brain and my squishy, high fructose corn syrup-fueled body, I switched to Coke Zero--and lots of it. It never made sense to me that I weighed even more after I made the switch, but I get it now. I've been hearing about the dangers of artificial sweeteners for years, but politely ignored them. Now I can say that I feel the difference in my body after stopping them. I don't have headaches. I'm not tired. I don't feel hungry (and as a result, I don't snack) all the time. Here's a website that breaks down some of the dangers of artificial sweeteners (Aspartame and Acesulfame Potassium are both in Coke Zero). My point here? I realized today that I don't want to drink soda anymore--even when I'm "allowed" to. I've become a huge fan of the flavored stevia drops in my water or mineral water and iced tea tastes even better with stevia than it did with Splenda (make sure you check out the dangers of that one, too). Surprisingly, I'm not even missing the caffeine that I was sure my body needed. I drink about 16 oz of iced tea per day now, but that's mostly for the benefits my body gets from the tea.
Another thing (kind of a big one for me) is that my back pain has decreased significantly. Perhaps that's a product of the weight loss, but maybe my diet played a part in the pain as well. Maybe I've had food allergies to all of the garbage I've been eating my whole life. (Yeah, that's it...I'm not fat. It's only an allergic reaction.) Maybe it's just my imagination, but LittleBoy's Buddha-belly seems to be shrinking along with mine.
HS and I have been noticing little changes taking place in the past couple of weeks. I know it's gross, but pre-HCG, I was ALWAYS hot and sweaty---even while I slept. I realize the weather has cooled down a couple degrees, but the thermostat has actually been cranked up a few degrees, and I've started using a blanket at night. We think that's probably a result of our decreased blood pressure, but maybe it's just because we have less blubber.
Pre-HCG, I was having a lot of trouble sleeping. I had a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep, and an even harder time getting up in the morning and making it through the day without a nap. Now I go to sleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow, I stay asleep all night (unless my bladder wakes me up), and jump out of bed in the morning to see what surprise the scale has for me. Oh, and I don't think I've had a nap since the dreaded "load" days. I'm fairly certain that the HCG isn't giving me the extra energy; I think the food I was eating before was sucking the life out of me.
That brings me to my next "little thing." I was a HUGE soda drinker. Even as a kid, I used to love drinking an icy cold Pepsi. As I got older and my tastes changed, I started to favor icy cold Coke, and then in an attempt at compromise between my tired, caffeine-fueled brain and my squishy, high fructose corn syrup-fueled body, I switched to Coke Zero--and lots of it. It never made sense to me that I weighed even more after I made the switch, but I get it now. I've been hearing about the dangers of artificial sweeteners for years, but politely ignored them. Now I can say that I feel the difference in my body after stopping them. I don't have headaches. I'm not tired. I don't feel hungry (and as a result, I don't snack) all the time. Here's a website that breaks down some of the dangers of artificial sweeteners (Aspartame and Acesulfame Potassium are both in Coke Zero). My point here? I realized today that I don't want to drink soda anymore--even when I'm "allowed" to. I've become a huge fan of the flavored stevia drops in my water or mineral water and iced tea tastes even better with stevia than it did with Splenda (make sure you check out the dangers of that one, too). Surprisingly, I'm not even missing the caffeine that I was sure my body needed. I drink about 16 oz of iced tea per day now, but that's mostly for the benefits my body gets from the tea.
Another thing (kind of a big one for me) is that my back pain has decreased significantly. Perhaps that's a product of the weight loss, but maybe my diet played a part in the pain as well. Maybe I've had food allergies to all of the garbage I've been eating my whole life. (Yeah, that's it...I'm not fat. It's only an allergic reaction.) Maybe it's just my imagination, but LittleBoy's Buddha-belly seems to be shrinking along with mine.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Day 14: Whew!
I'm soooo glad that HS had a decent loss this morning, or I'm afraid I would have lost my cooking privileges! I was down 0.4 pounds myself, so that puts me at -4.6 pounds for the week or about 0.66 pounds per day. According to the docs measurements, I actually did better this week than last week, which she said is somewhat unusual.
Last week most of my lost inches were in my arms and legs. Those didn't change much this week, and I finally saw some big losses where I need to most. I lost another inch in the bust (for a total of 2 inches), an inch around the ribs (for a total of 2 inches), 1.25 inches in my waist, 2.75 inches in my hips (for a total of 3.25 inches!), 0.75 inches in my big ol' butt, an inch in one thigh and 1.5 inches in the other (for a total of 2 inches each), and 0.5 inches in one calf. That means I lost a total of 9.75 inches this week (and 18 total inches since 9/8/09).
It seems my home blood pressure monitor is not functioning properly because my reading have consistently been about 20 points higher than the readings at the doctor's office (not just this doc--all of my docs). I've been on a half-dose of my blood pressure meds for a week now, and my blood pressure today was only 6 points higher than last week. It doesn't seem out of the question that I may be able to stop my blood pressure medication completely by the time this round of injections is over. I've turned into such a hippie in the past few weeks, that I'm excited to be "drug-free!"
One more weird thing about my experience: ever since I did the Sea Salt Cleanse, I've been feeling hungry. Not like I'm going to pass out from hunger, and not just the "mental" hunger...I've actually had the stomach-growling hunger pains. The doc said she's never heard that before, so perhaps it's just coincidental. Regardless, I don't think I'll do another cleanse unless, uh...it's necessary. For now, I just keep drinking water and trying not to think about it.
Last week most of my lost inches were in my arms and legs. Those didn't change much this week, and I finally saw some big losses where I need to most. I lost another inch in the bust (for a total of 2 inches), an inch around the ribs (for a total of 2 inches), 1.25 inches in my waist, 2.75 inches in my hips (for a total of 3.25 inches!), 0.75 inches in my big ol' butt, an inch in one thigh and 1.5 inches in the other (for a total of 2 inches each), and 0.5 inches in one calf. That means I lost a total of 9.75 inches this week (and 18 total inches since 9/8/09).
It seems my home blood pressure monitor is not functioning properly because my reading have consistently been about 20 points higher than the readings at the doctor's office (not just this doc--all of my docs). I've been on a half-dose of my blood pressure meds for a week now, and my blood pressure today was only 6 points higher than last week. It doesn't seem out of the question that I may be able to stop my blood pressure medication completely by the time this round of injections is over. I've turned into such a hippie in the past few weeks, that I'm excited to be "drug-free!"
One more weird thing about my experience: ever since I did the Sea Salt Cleanse, I've been feeling hungry. Not like I'm going to pass out from hunger, and not just the "mental" hunger...I've actually had the stomach-growling hunger pains. The doc said she's never heard that before, so perhaps it's just coincidental. Regardless, I don't think I'll do another cleanse unless, uh...it's necessary. For now, I just keep drinking water and trying not to think about it.
Saboteur!
188.6
Just kidding! The food was so good I didn't even notice it was too much. Not a huge loss today but 8 tenths of a pound is better than no tenths. About to get too personal but since this is supposed to help people (and be a little entertaining) I should tell all. I'd rather be a little embarrassed if it's going to help someone else down the road. BMs have changed to every other day. I don't know if this is normal so I'm going to check with the doc when I go in today. I am taking fiber supplements so I'm surprised this is the case. I'll keep you all posted.
Another thing, while I noticed days ago that my belt is between holes, today I noticed that my pants are noticeably loser in the waist. Should be interesting to see what the measurements look like today.
Just kidding! The food was so good I didn't even notice it was too much. Not a huge loss today but 8 tenths of a pound is better than no tenths. About to get too personal but since this is supposed to help people (and be a little entertaining) I should tell all. I'd rather be a little embarrassed if it's going to help someone else down the road. BMs have changed to every other day. I don't know if this is normal so I'm going to check with the doc when I go in today. I am taking fiber supplements so I'm surprised this is the case. I'll keep you all posted.
Another thing, while I noticed days ago that my belt is between holes, today I noticed that my pants are noticeably loser in the waist. Should be interesting to see what the measurements look like today.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Day 13: Uh oh
I screwed up. We ate too much meat for dinner, and it's all my fault. I got sloppy, and I miscalculated when I was figuring out portions, so instead of having 70 grams of cooked beef, we had 93 grams each. Sounds like next to nothing, but on a day when we both realize that the only obligation we each have is to eat within Protocol, it could be significant. Oh, yeah...and tomorrow's weigh-in day. Keep your fingers crossed that I don't get my ass kicked in the morning!
Well Then...
Of course, as soon as I'm done crunching the numbers and about to advise the world that it's impossible to predict how much you will lose since the numbers are so erratic SS posts her revelation first! At least if I wasted time with my chart and graphs and analysis it was at work. :)
Still I will tell you the things I have "discovered" whether redudant or not.
Still I will tell you the things I have "discovered" whether redudant or not.
- The numbers are way to erratic. The loses clearly show that they will vary everyday but they don't follow a clear-cut trend. Without knowing the trend it will be impossible to predict the rate of future loss or to apply an accurate curve to future results.
- My only way to judge my proposed future progress, which I know is flawed, is to take the average lost each day and apply that to the previous days weight. Doing so shows that I will lose on average 1.2 pounds per day (currently averaging 8.4 pounds per week) and meet my expected goal of 165 on 10/19, a week and a half early. It also shows I will end on 10/30 at 152 pounds. I don't expect this will be the case by any means.
- If I tried to apply the difference between the first and second week and average that across the next 4 weeks I would only lose about 5 pounds more than I've already lost so that won't work either.
Day 13: Revelation
I'm down 1.5 pounds today, so I feel better about yesterday's gain. That puts me down a total of 11.3 pounds from my Day 1 weight, but I'm still a little bit bummed because, unless I lose 3.9 pounds overnight, I'm not going to meet my 1 pound per day goal for the week. It looks like a 0.5 pounds per day is a more reasonable goal. As for the other goals, I have been having all of my water this week, and with the exception of the weekend, we had family dinners throughout the week, so 2 out of 3 goals are successes.
My major revelation of the day is probably a fairly obvious one, but it hit me like a ton of bricks this morning. On the HCG Diet, I have no control over my weight loss. Of course I have to eat within Protocol to see a loss, but it's not like another diet where I can eat less or workout harder to burn more calories. I'm eating essentially the same thing every day and likely burning the same number of calories each day, but the fat loss is different every day; all I can do is weigh myself and see the result. It's an absolutely bizarre feeling to have so little control over what's happening inside my body, but it's also somewhat liberating. As long as I do my part by eating what I'm supposed to, the weight will come off. I can't predict HOW or WHEN it will come off, but all of the 0.5s and 1.4s and 0.2s will eventually add up to larger numbers, and I just need to let it happen. I may have been disappointed that I gained 0.6 pounds yesterday, but when I look at the big picture, I've lost almost 15 pounds in 10 days (from my peak post-load weight). The last time I did that, I got a baby in return!
No Loss
189.4
No loss today. I think I followed everything; ate both meals, had my apples, drank the water. I'm not going to stress about it though. Seems like my body tends to take a day to rest from time to time.
I haven't gone through my numbers and charted them out yet but I'm going to set a goal of 5 pounds this week. On Sunday morning I would like to be down to 184.4. Ultimately, if I lose 5 pounds for the next 4 weeks I'll be with in 4 pounds of what I expect to end at and It would be very close to my weight in high school.
No loss today. I think I followed everything; ate both meals, had my apples, drank the water. I'm not going to stress about it though. Seems like my body tends to take a day to rest from time to time.
I haven't gone through my numbers and charted them out yet but I'm going to set a goal of 5 pounds this week. On Sunday morning I would like to be down to 184.4. Ultimately, if I lose 5 pounds for the next 4 weeks I'll be with in 4 pounds of what I expect to end at and It would be very close to my weight in high school.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Last Minute Post
189.4
Sorry, should have posted sooner. Got tied up with the Dad stuff and football and what not. Anyways, I hit my first personal goal, I'm under 190 lbs. After Tuesday's weigh in I set the goal to be under 190 by the time I woke up on Sunday and sure enough I met it. It's been at least 3 years since I was under 190. I'm going to chart out all of my loses tomorrow and see what might be attainable for the upcoming week.
Now I'm heading to bed. Sorry for the short/late post, I'll be sure to add more to the blog tomorrow. Good night.
Sorry, should have posted sooner. Got tied up with the Dad stuff and football and what not. Anyways, I hit my first personal goal, I'm under 190 lbs. After Tuesday's weigh in I set the goal to be under 190 by the time I woke up on Sunday and sure enough I met it. It's been at least 3 years since I was under 190. I'm going to chart out all of my loses tomorrow and see what might be attainable for the upcoming week.
Now I'm heading to bed. Sorry for the short/late post, I'll be sure to add more to the blog tomorrow. Good night.
Day 12: Aw, Crap!
It doesn't seem possible, but I actually gained 0.6 pounds this morning. The only explanation is last night's cleanse. Am I retaining water from the salt? Whatever is going on, it's completely unexpected and not at all the result I was hoping for. I better see AWESOME results tomorrow.
Day 11: ...Continued
WARNING: We're hovering right around the threshold of TMI here, so I'll try to be as modest as possible.
The doc recommends that we engage in a weekly Sea Salt Cleanse in which we add two teaspoons of sea salt to a liter of lukewarm water and drink the resulting concoction. Another HCGer who is close to me tried it out this morning and reported back results that sounded similar to a two-hour flu, so I approached the process with some trepidation. I took about 5 minutes to drink all 32 oz, and felt a bit queasy when I was done, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. I armed myself with a big fat book and parked near "home base" while I waited for the inevitable. Nearly an hour later, there was a little...um, movement, but nothing earth-shattering. I downed another 16 oz of plain water, which "moved" me a little more. And then it was over. Pretty uneventful. Guess that week of detox before the injections really paid off! I'm curious to see how it affects the weight loss tomorrow.
I was down 1.2 pounds this morning (the terrible chicken was worth it!), bringing my total loss to....well, what is my total? There's been some confusion as to what my starting weight was: was it my weight the first time I was weighed at the doc before I started detox? Was it my weight the first day of injections? Was it my first day of the low-calorie diet? Psh...I don't know. What I do know is that I gained 2.6 pounds in the week between starting detox and starting injections. I gained another 3.4 pounds during my two "load" days. So...I've lost 7.8 pounds from my pre-detox weight, 10.4 pounds from my first-injection weight, and 13.8 pounds from my post-load weight. I suppose that since the day of my first injection is called "Day 1" here, that's what I'll call my starting weight, so I'm now officially down 10.4 pounds in 11 days.
We had a great dinner tonight. HS enjoyed his smelly fish while I had a cajun-seasoned steak and a sliced tomato, and I was completely stuffed. I also have a new treat: my great Mama brought me some Chocolate Raspberry Stevia drops that I added to some mineral water...TASTY! I've always been a huge soda-fiend, but I don't think I'll be going back to that when this is all over.
Since HS and LittleGirl hit the ballet instead of the movies, Mama and I are taking her tomorrow. A movie all about food...shouldn't be too bad. I just need to bump my lunch a couple hours earlier than usual and take lots of water and an apple to snack on if necessary. Should be fun!
The doc recommends that we engage in a weekly Sea Salt Cleanse in which we add two teaspoons of sea salt to a liter of lukewarm water and drink the resulting concoction. Another HCGer who is close to me tried it out this morning and reported back results that sounded similar to a two-hour flu, so I approached the process with some trepidation. I took about 5 minutes to drink all 32 oz, and felt a bit queasy when I was done, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. I armed myself with a big fat book and parked near "home base" while I waited for the inevitable. Nearly an hour later, there was a little...um, movement, but nothing earth-shattering. I downed another 16 oz of plain water, which "moved" me a little more. And then it was over. Pretty uneventful. Guess that week of detox before the injections really paid off! I'm curious to see how it affects the weight loss tomorrow.
I was down 1.2 pounds this morning (the terrible chicken was worth it!), bringing my total loss to....well, what is my total? There's been some confusion as to what my starting weight was: was it my weight the first time I was weighed at the doc before I started detox? Was it my weight the first day of injections? Was it my first day of the low-calorie diet? Psh...I don't know. What I do know is that I gained 2.6 pounds in the week between starting detox and starting injections. I gained another 3.4 pounds during my two "load" days. So...I've lost 7.8 pounds from my pre-detox weight, 10.4 pounds from my first-injection weight, and 13.8 pounds from my post-load weight. I suppose that since the day of my first injection is called "Day 1" here, that's what I'll call my starting weight, so I'm now officially down 10.4 pounds in 11 days.
We had a great dinner tonight. HS enjoyed his smelly fish while I had a cajun-seasoned steak and a sliced tomato, and I was completely stuffed. I also have a new treat: my great Mama brought me some Chocolate Raspberry Stevia drops that I added to some mineral water...TASTY! I've always been a huge soda-fiend, but I don't think I'll be going back to that when this is all over.
Since HS and LittleGirl hit the ballet instead of the movies, Mama and I are taking her tomorrow. A movie all about food...shouldn't be too bad. I just need to bump my lunch a couple hours earlier than usual and take lots of water and an apple to snack on if necessary. Should be fun!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
A Good Loss
190.5
A good loss. Either I really need to stick to the diet 100% or I have a 2 day loss cycle. Today I stuck to eating all the right things, MIL even brought me some halibut! Thanks MIL! Yesterday, instead of the movies, LittleGirl and I went to the Ballet in the Park event. Before I left I told SS that I was really craving a hot dog, so of course everywhere I turned there were hot dog places. At the park, Weinerschintzel, Ted's Hot Dogs. I was able to resist. I know that my cravings aren't due to hunger, it really is all in my head. Also passed up the pretzel that LittleGirl couldn't finish and the coffee cake she fell asleep in the car eating.
For anyone interested in doing this diet I want you to know that you will more than likely not be physically hungry and you will have more energy. I have been surprised by both of these things and I want others to know that they shouldn't worry about it. Granted, I haven't completed my 6 weeks of injections yet but I am very happy with the results so far. I don't think I would have been able to lose this much this quickly, will power or not.
A good loss. Either I really need to stick to the diet 100% or I have a 2 day loss cycle. Today I stuck to eating all the right things, MIL even brought me some halibut! Thanks MIL! Yesterday, instead of the movies, LittleGirl and I went to the Ballet in the Park event. Before I left I told SS that I was really craving a hot dog, so of course everywhere I turned there were hot dog places. At the park, Weinerschintzel, Ted's Hot Dogs. I was able to resist. I know that my cravings aren't due to hunger, it really is all in my head. Also passed up the pretzel that LittleGirl couldn't finish and the coffee cake she fell asleep in the car eating.
For anyone interested in doing this diet I want you to know that you will more than likely not be physically hungry and you will have more energy. I have been surprised by both of these things and I want others to know that they shouldn't worry about it. Granted, I haven't completed my 6 weeks of injections yet but I am very happy with the results so far. I don't think I would have been able to lose this much this quickly, will power or not.
Day 11: To Be Continued...
Yep...I'm about to begin a Sea Salt Cleanse. I'll check back in later. Hope it all comes out OK!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Day 10: More Good News/Bad News
To all the naysayers out there who say the diet is sham because "of course you'll lose weight if you're only eating 500 calories a day," I say this: Not necessarily!
I'm down another 0.5 lbs today. Again, I'd like to see a larger loss, but I'll take it. HS is, as you know, down 0.2 lbs today, and I'm not-so-subtly being accused of sabotage, and I feel like I just can't win. I've been doing my best to make "flavorable" food to keep HS happy, and I don't know how to be anymore vigilant about the ingredients than I am already.
Last night, I made beef and broccoli by cutting all of the visible fat off a steak and cutting it into thin slices. I meticulously measured out 500 grams of the meat (we had another HCGer join us for dinner, who did not lose any weight this morning) and cooked it without any added oil. I even put the meat in a colander and shook off the fat that cooked out of it halfway through cooking and again at the end of cooking. I then steamed 2 chopped broccoli crowns in a bit of chicken broth and seasoned both with garlic, red pepper flakes, onion powder, and liquid aminos (a soy sauce substitute with no nutritional values to mess up the protocol). I eyeballed the broccoli and divided into equally across 3 plates (the Littles had different Asian mixed vegetables and brown rice), and I measured the meat to get it's total weight after being cooked. That came out to 390 grams, so I measured out 78 grams for each of the 5 plates. I've thought about it all day, and I can't figure out what I could have done so wrong with that. Of course, I feel terribly guilty that I may have unintentionally screwed up the diets of my two favorite adult people.
I made up for it by making a truly craptacular dinner tonight. I officially do not know how to grill chicken without leaving half of it stuck to the grill and burning the other half. I couldn't argue when LittleGirl said, "This chicken doesn't even taste good," as it was even worse than my yucky cinnamon microwave-baked apple. Oh, well...it will be nice if we're both compensated for the horrific chicken by way of a HUGE loss tomorrow morning! If not, I have a feeling we'll both be trying out the Sea Salt Cleanse. (I wonder if it can remove sticks!)
I'm down another 0.5 lbs today. Again, I'd like to see a larger loss, but I'll take it. HS is, as you know, down 0.2 lbs today, and I'm not-so-subtly being accused of sabotage, and I feel like I just can't win. I've been doing my best to make "flavorable" food to keep HS happy, and I don't know how to be anymore vigilant about the ingredients than I am already.
Last night, I made beef and broccoli by cutting all of the visible fat off a steak and cutting it into thin slices. I meticulously measured out 500 grams of the meat (we had another HCGer join us for dinner, who did not lose any weight this morning) and cooked it without any added oil. I even put the meat in a colander and shook off the fat that cooked out of it halfway through cooking and again at the end of cooking. I then steamed 2 chopped broccoli crowns in a bit of chicken broth and seasoned both with garlic, red pepper flakes, onion powder, and liquid aminos (a soy sauce substitute with no nutritional values to mess up the protocol). I eyeballed the broccoli and divided into equally across 3 plates (the Littles had different Asian mixed vegetables and brown rice), and I measured the meat to get it's total weight after being cooked. That came out to 390 grams, so I measured out 78 grams for each of the 5 plates. I've thought about it all day, and I can't figure out what I could have done so wrong with that. Of course, I feel terribly guilty that I may have unintentionally screwed up the diets of my two favorite adult people.
I made up for it by making a truly craptacular dinner tonight. I officially do not know how to grill chicken without leaving half of it stuck to the grill and burning the other half. I couldn't argue when LittleGirl said, "This chicken doesn't even taste good," as it was even worse than my yucky cinnamon microwave-baked apple. Oh, well...it will be nice if we're both compensated for the horrific chicken by way of a HUGE loss tomorrow morning! If not, I have a feeling we'll both be trying out the Sea Salt Cleanse. (I wonder if it can remove sticks!)
Downer
191.8
Today was my first day with a truly sub-par loss. I put the blame on myself 100%. I was rushing out of the house last night and didn't eat my evening apple. Don't know if this caused such a small loss or possibly SheSchraders' delicious sabotage.
So today it's exactly by the books. Already more than half a gallon down and I expect to have my gallon done before I leave work in a few hours. If more comes to mind I'll grace all of you with a second post. If I don't please have a healthy weekend.
Today was my first day with a truly sub-par loss. I put the blame on myself 100%. I was rushing out of the house last night and didn't eat my evening apple. Don't know if this caused such a small loss or possibly SheSchraders' delicious sabotage.
So today it's exactly by the books. Already more than half a gallon down and I expect to have my gallon done before I leave work in a few hours. If more comes to mind I'll grace all of you with a second post. If I don't please have a healthy weekend.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Day 9: Slightly Disappointed
I lost a half pound this morning, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit disappointed. I keep telling myself that that's a half pound less than I weighed yesterday, but numbers like that are going to make it tough for me to hit my pound-per-day-average goal. Even though the numbers on the scale are creeping down and some of my measurements are about the same, it's pretty bizarre to watch my body changing shape. I need to see about snapping some pics this weekend so I can compare, but I know my floppy belly looks different than it did 2 weeks ago. I noticed tonight that HS's face is looking thinner already (he's tried to get me to feel the moobs, but I've politely declined).
I went to the grocery store today to pick up a few things and found that none of the "garbage food" even sounds good to me right now. Even my favorites--pasta, pizza, Italian bread, cheese, potato soup--just don't sound appealing. I can't think of a single food that's worth being fat for. I wish that I could really crunch into something, but I'm not craving any particular foods or flavors, so I feel like I'm making some progress with my attitude towards food.
When I was done shopping and went to check out, I was behind a woman with a full cart. I could tell from the items in her cart that she was a coupon shopper taking advantage of the weekly advertised specials--something my friends and I are wont to do. (Well...not me so much anymore because there aren't many coupons for lean meat, veggies, and apples, but I'll get back to that.) I watched with interest as her items were scanned and bagged and then her coupons were deducted. I couldn't see what her pre-coupon total was, but after coupons, she paid just over $15 for a full cart of groceries. I'd guess that she probably saved around 80% off her order. My first instinct was to congratulate the fellow-couponer for a job well-done, but then I thought about what I had just seen her buy. DiGiornio Pizzas. Oreos. Ritz Crackers. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Diet Dr. Pepper. All Garbage Food. She paid $15 for a cart of crap. I looked more closely at the shopper. She was built like me. She had a girl around LittleBoy's age in the cart, and I felt bad that they were going to go home and eat crap. It truly sucks that so many of us these days HAVE to watch every penny we spend and shop the specials at the grocery store, and it sucks even more that the most affordable stuff is the stuff that's the worst for us. Why does it have to be so expensive to feed your family good, healthy stuff? I didn't have half as many groceries as the shopper in front of me, but I spent $75 to bring home milk for the kids, some turkey to replace the salami LittleGirl has been taking in her lunch, sparkling water, natural peanut butter, lean beef, and lots of fruits and veggies (and of course there wasn't a single coupon for anything in my cart). It stinks that I have to spend five times as much to feed my family good food, but for the sake of our health, I can't afford NOT to.
I went to the grocery store today to pick up a few things and found that none of the "garbage food" even sounds good to me right now. Even my favorites--pasta, pizza, Italian bread, cheese, potato soup--just don't sound appealing. I can't think of a single food that's worth being fat for. I wish that I could really crunch into something, but I'm not craving any particular foods or flavors, so I feel like I'm making some progress with my attitude towards food.
When I was done shopping and went to check out, I was behind a woman with a full cart. I could tell from the items in her cart that she was a coupon shopper taking advantage of the weekly advertised specials--something my friends and I are wont to do. (Well...not me so much anymore because there aren't many coupons for lean meat, veggies, and apples, but I'll get back to that.) I watched with interest as her items were scanned and bagged and then her coupons were deducted. I couldn't see what her pre-coupon total was, but after coupons, she paid just over $15 for a full cart of groceries. I'd guess that she probably saved around 80% off her order. My first instinct was to congratulate the fellow-couponer for a job well-done, but then I thought about what I had just seen her buy. DiGiornio Pizzas. Oreos. Ritz Crackers. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Diet Dr. Pepper. All Garbage Food. She paid $15 for a cart of crap. I looked more closely at the shopper. She was built like me. She had a girl around LittleBoy's age in the cart, and I felt bad that they were going to go home and eat crap. It truly sucks that so many of us these days HAVE to watch every penny we spend and shop the specials at the grocery store, and it sucks even more that the most affordable stuff is the stuff that's the worst for us. Why does it have to be so expensive to feed your family good, healthy stuff? I didn't have half as many groceries as the shopper in front of me, but I spent $75 to bring home milk for the kids, some turkey to replace the salami LittleGirl has been taking in her lunch, sparkling water, natural peanut butter, lean beef, and lots of fruits and veggies (and of course there wasn't a single coupon for anything in my cart). It stinks that I have to spend five times as much to feed my family good food, but for the sake of our health, I can't afford NOT to.
192.0
Followed the diet 100% and I lost 1.4 pounds. Like I said yesterday, I don't know what led to me not losing as much yesterday but I definitely like seeing that "1" in front of the decimal place. I'm hoping to be below the 190 mark by Sunday morning. There will be some temptation this weekend besides football snaking and drinking; I'm taking LittleGirlSchrader to the movies Friday night. Our normal Daddy/Daughter date involves a fun dinner (burgers, dogs, pizza, you name it); a movie with slushies, candy, AND of course popcorn; and afterwards a healthy dose of ice cream or boba. And if you don't know what boba is you are surely missing out. It's a wonderful concoction created by boiling tapioca. Once boiled it turns into a slightly smaller than a marble black chewy bead of yumminess which is then added to any iced coffee, tea, or fruit slush you like. Very tasty but very unhealthy.
I can avoid the dinner, just eat at home before we leave. I can avoid the ice cream or treat afterwards, that's not my biggest concern. The true test will be can I avoid the popcorn? How can a person go to the movies and not partake? This is going to be the first real test I'm going to encounter.
Health wise, feeling just fine. Occasionally I get a hunger pain but I still believe it's more mental, I'm having a harder time coming to terms with what I shouldn't eat ever again. I've been trying to convince myself that I can treat myself afterwards in moderation or on special occasions and that I won't have to turn down every slice of b-day cake or cookie that comes across my desk. I'm trying to come to sometime of agreement with myself or system that will work but I haven't figured it out yet and I really think this will be a big part of me staying slim for many years to come.
Followed the diet 100% and I lost 1.4 pounds. Like I said yesterday, I don't know what led to me not losing as much yesterday but I definitely like seeing that "1" in front of the decimal place. I'm hoping to be below the 190 mark by Sunday morning. There will be some temptation this weekend besides football snaking and drinking; I'm taking LittleGirlSchrader to the movies Friday night. Our normal Daddy/Daughter date involves a fun dinner (burgers, dogs, pizza, you name it); a movie with slushies, candy, AND of course popcorn; and afterwards a healthy dose of ice cream or boba. And if you don't know what boba is you are surely missing out. It's a wonderful concoction created by boiling tapioca. Once boiled it turns into a slightly smaller than a marble black chewy bead of yumminess which is then added to any iced coffee, tea, or fruit slush you like. Very tasty but very unhealthy.
I can avoid the dinner, just eat at home before we leave. I can avoid the ice cream or treat afterwards, that's not my biggest concern. The true test will be can I avoid the popcorn? How can a person go to the movies and not partake? This is going to be the first real test I'm going to encounter.
Health wise, feeling just fine. Occasionally I get a hunger pain but I still believe it's more mental, I'm having a harder time coming to terms with what I shouldn't eat ever again. I've been trying to convince myself that I can treat myself afterwards in moderation or on special occasions and that I won't have to turn down every slice of b-day cake or cookie that comes across my desk. I'm trying to come to sometime of agreement with myself or system that will work but I haven't figured it out yet and I really think this will be a big part of me staying slim for many years to come.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Day 8: In the Groove
Woohoo! Down another 1.1 pounds today, bringing my total net loss to 5.6 pounds.
The diet protocol is coming more easily to me now. I'm not having as much trouble resisting nibbles of this or that, and I still don't feel hungry most of the time. To keep HS satisfied, I've been trying my best to come up with new meal ideas, and I've been proud of some of my creations! The salsa I made for dinner last night was especially yummy. Remembering the pepperocini debacle, I left out peppers and opted to spice it up with black pepper, cayenne pepper, and crushed red pepper. I cheated slightly by adding a bit of yellow and green onions to the tomatoes (we're not supposed to mix vegetables), but I don't think that had an impact on our weight loss. Tonight I made Italian meatballs, and while they were missing my favorite parts--seasoned breadcrumbs, lots of cheese, and al dente pasta, they turned out fairly well. I made a sauce from canned organic tomato sauce and canned organic diced tomatoes, a little bit of chicken broth to thin it out, fresh basil, chopped garlic, and dashes of this and that from the spice cabinet. With both the salsa and the tomato sauce, I HAD to taste as I was cooking to make sure the flavors were right, but I was careful to only take the bites that were absolutely necessary. (I wonder if I've proven to HS yet that I don't want to eat bland food?)
Dinner was also a success tonight because it was the closest we've come so far to everyone eating the same meal. The kids got the same mini-meatballs that we did, but had some pasta, carrots, and milk along with them. I expected LittleBoy to throw the meatballs on the floor like he does with most everything else, but he thoroughly enjoyed dipping them in the carrots' ranch dressing and scarfing them that way.
Goal #1 for this week is to have at least half of this week's dinners be family affairs like tonight's was. I'm trying to retrain all of us, so why shouldn't the kids eat what we're eating?
Goal #2 is to increase my water intake. I've been having about 96 oz each day, and I need to have at least 128 oz. The more water I drink, the more fat I can flush!
Goal #3 is to average a loss of at least a pound per day this week. According to the doc, we'll see the biggest numbers in these first two weeks. Of course, I'd like to see bigger drops, but I'm trying to be realistic.
OK...off for the night to go let my fiber pills do their magic!
The diet protocol is coming more easily to me now. I'm not having as much trouble resisting nibbles of this or that, and I still don't feel hungry most of the time. To keep HS satisfied, I've been trying my best to come up with new meal ideas, and I've been proud of some of my creations! The salsa I made for dinner last night was especially yummy. Remembering the pepperocini debacle, I left out peppers and opted to spice it up with black pepper, cayenne pepper, and crushed red pepper. I cheated slightly by adding a bit of yellow and green onions to the tomatoes (we're not supposed to mix vegetables), but I don't think that had an impact on our weight loss. Tonight I made Italian meatballs, and while they were missing my favorite parts--seasoned breadcrumbs, lots of cheese, and al dente pasta, they turned out fairly well. I made a sauce from canned organic tomato sauce and canned organic diced tomatoes, a little bit of chicken broth to thin it out, fresh basil, chopped garlic, and dashes of this and that from the spice cabinet. With both the salsa and the tomato sauce, I HAD to taste as I was cooking to make sure the flavors were right, but I was careful to only take the bites that were absolutely necessary. (I wonder if I've proven to HS yet that I don't want to eat bland food?)
Dinner was also a success tonight because it was the closest we've come so far to everyone eating the same meal. The kids got the same mini-meatballs that we did, but had some pasta, carrots, and milk along with them. I expected LittleBoy to throw the meatballs on the floor like he does with most everything else, but he thoroughly enjoyed dipping them in the carrots' ranch dressing and scarfing them that way.
Goal #1 for this week is to have at least half of this week's dinners be family affairs like tonight's was. I'm trying to retrain all of us, so why shouldn't the kids eat what we're eating?
Goal #2 is to increase my water intake. I've been having about 96 oz each day, and I need to have at least 128 oz. The more water I drink, the more fat I can flush!
Goal #3 is to average a loss of at least a pound per day this week. According to the doc, we'll see the biggest numbers in these first two weeks. Of course, I'd like to see bigger drops, but I'm trying to be realistic.
OK...off for the night to go let my fiber pills do their magic!
Not too Shabby
193.4
I lost another .8 pounds, not exactly the results I wanted (I've been hoping for a pound a day) but it might be that I deviated a little yesterday. I didn't have any fruit yesterday and I doubt that I had enough water. Both of these I believe led to no bm which I feel caused me not to lose as much as I had hoped. And I had a Dellalo breadstick, first snack I've had so far and it was because Big D brought in cookies to work and Vanopolis brought in Moustokouloura which I can't believe I turned down.
The not so shabby news is that The Doc confirmed that I am losing my moobs! I've lost 6.5 total inches since my initial weigh in, with 3/4" from the moobs, 1.75 from the waist, 1.75 from the rear, and the rest from the legs. Nothing from the arms which I take to mean that the guns are for real! Blood pressure went down too, had been 126/80, now 110/70.
Funny thing at The Doc's, my appointment was at 5:45 and I had already eaten dinner as well as lunch and my water so I expected to weigh more than I had in the morning, which was the case. And of course clothes contributed to the extra weight but I was surprised by my "necessities". I hadn't taken out my keys, phone, or wallet for the initial weigh-in. When I mentioned that to The Doc she told me to empty my pockets and weigh-in again. ONE WHOLE POUND! I was flabbergasted! I don't carry a big wallet and my phone isn't huge but the keys made a big difference.
So the goal today is to focus and stick to the protocol 100%. Need to get back to a pound a day.
I lost another .8 pounds, not exactly the results I wanted (I've been hoping for a pound a day) but it might be that I deviated a little yesterday. I didn't have any fruit yesterday and I doubt that I had enough water. Both of these I believe led to no bm which I feel caused me not to lose as much as I had hoped. And I had a Dellalo breadstick, first snack I've had so far and it was because Big D brought in cookies to work and Vanopolis brought in Moustokouloura which I can't believe I turned down.
The not so shabby news is that The Doc confirmed that I am losing my moobs! I've lost 6.5 total inches since my initial weigh in, with 3/4" from the moobs, 1.75 from the waist, 1.75 from the rear, and the rest from the legs. Nothing from the arms which I take to mean that the guns are for real! Blood pressure went down too, had been 126/80, now 110/70.
Funny thing at The Doc's, my appointment was at 5:45 and I had already eaten dinner as well as lunch and my water so I expected to weigh more than I had in the morning, which was the case. And of course clothes contributed to the extra weight but I was surprised by my "necessities". I hadn't taken out my keys, phone, or wallet for the initial weigh-in. When I mentioned that to The Doc she told me to empty my pockets and weigh-in again. ONE WHOLE POUND! I was flabbergasted! I don't carry a big wallet and my phone isn't huge but the keys made a big difference.
So the goal today is to focus and stick to the protocol 100%. Need to get back to a pound a day.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Day 7: Bad News and Good News
The morning started with a bit of bad news...OK, maybe not BAD news, but mediocre news: I only lost a half pound overnight. Yeah, I know...it's a half pound less than I weighed yesterday, but those bigger numbers are nice to see. I've reviewed my day, and I have some ideas about what may have gone wrong:
- I didn't drink enough water yesterday. Between being busy yesterday and the ice maker being on the fritz, I just didn't get around to drinking as much as I should have...probably only had about 72 oz or so. The downside to drinking so much is the added trips to the restroom, but I'll take the increase in the TP budget in order to flush out all of the extra fat my body is burning!
- I messed up and ate something that wasn't on the protocol. I was rifling through the fridge looking for some pickles without added sugar to go with my hamburger when I spied my favorite pepperocinis. "Ha!" I said to myself (really...I said it out loud. I felt stupid afterward, but I really did say it). "Pepperocinis don't have any sugar. I'll have those instead." The problem with that is that peppers aren't allowed on the protocol. See, pickles would be OK because they're made of cucumbers, vinegar, and spices--all items which are allowed. According to nutritiondata.com, the caloric difference between peppers and cucumbers is small, but the carb content in peppers is triple that of cucumbers, so it makes sense that they aren't allowed. I just didn't even consider that fact before I ate them. According to the doc, though, that was a better "cheat" than most that she hears and fortunately, it didn't do a whole lot of damage.
- My yucky apple could have also been a problem. I haven't been eating my second fruit some night because I haven't been hungry. I decided to try the baked apple thing last night after the kids went to bed, so I didn't have it until about 8:30, which is probably too late to be eating anyway. I'm also kicking myself for eating it since it didn't even taste good. I should have just pitched it, but some habits (eating everything on your plate) are harder to break than others (for me, skipping breakfast has been pretty easy).
- I've read a lot about the role that sleep plays in weight loss, so I've been trying to get to bed at a decent hour. I got caught up in doing some things last night and didn't head to bed until about midnight, which cut my sleep down by about 2 hours. I don't think that was my primary mistake yesterday (I would say the high-sodium/higher carb pepperocinis, coupled with my decreased water intake are probably to blame for my slower weight loss), but I want to try to do better about my sleep schedule so I don't end up sluggish during the day.
So, besides all of the diet lessons I learned today, I made a quick visit to the doc to be measured. The good news is that I've lost a total of 8.25" in the past two weeks. I fit into some old pants today, so I was surprised that my waist and rear didn't change at all, and my hips only went down 0.5". I lost 1.0" each around my bust and ribs, 1.25" around each arm, and between 0.5" and 1.0" around each thigh, knee, and calf. More good news: my blood pressure has gone down 14 points, so she told me to cut my blood pressure medication in half!
I need to figure out dinner for tonight. It's been challenging feeding the Littles and the Bigs, but it's worked out OK so far. (Although I might have to eliminate pork products completely because HS is creeping the Littles out by sniffing their bacon and sausage.) I haven't been tempted to eat any extra foods or taboo items, but cooking has been tough because I'm a taster. I hate not knowing if something tastes right while I'm cooking it, but that's just another habit for me to break. I'm trying to keep things "flavor-able" for HS, so I might try some "safe" Salsa Chicken tonight. I'm being extra-vigilant about foods today, so HOPEFULLY I'll have bigger numbers to report tomorrow!
194.2
Getting measured later today; so far I've lost 10.4 pounds since initially seeing The Doc two weeks ago. While my pants still seem a little tight around the waist I think my moobs might be shrinking. The Doc said that for men the first noticeable change will be in the chest and I think she was right on the money.
Yesterday was funny, SS's pants were falling down due to the loss. She's doing a great job and I'm sure The Doc will say the same. A friend of mine that did the protocol with his wife told me last week not to be surprised if I lose the weight but SS loses the inches during the first week and that seems to be the case so far. I haven't noticed that my clothes are any looser but I'm sure that's coming. Then I can start wearing those leather lederhosen to work on casual Friday!
Toughest thing (besides last weekend) has to be not eating breakfast in the morning. Used to be every morning I'd get to work and would have a bowl of oatmeal with honey and raisins. It would pretty much start my day. Now I come in and I feel hungry but I know I'm not, it's just habit. I never considered my morning eating ritual to be bad and I still don't which makes it even more difficult to break.
Getting measured later today; so far I've lost 10.4 pounds since initially seeing The Doc two weeks ago. While my pants still seem a little tight around the waist I think my moobs might be shrinking. The Doc said that for men the first noticeable change will be in the chest and I think she was right on the money.
Yesterday was funny, SS's pants were falling down due to the loss. She's doing a great job and I'm sure The Doc will say the same. A friend of mine that did the protocol with his wife told me last week not to be surprised if I lose the weight but SS loses the inches during the first week and that seems to be the case so far. I haven't noticed that my clothes are any looser but I'm sure that's coming. Then I can start wearing those leather lederhosen to work on casual Friday!
Toughest thing (besides last weekend) has to be not eating breakfast in the morning. Used to be every morning I'd get to work and would have a bowl of oatmeal with honey and raisins. It would pretty much start my day. Now I come in and I feel hungry but I know I'm not, it's just habit. I never considered my morning eating ritual to be bad and I still don't which makes it even more difficult to break.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Day 6: My Stomach is Shrinking!
No, really...somehow today, despite the fact that I was too busy to eat until after 2pm, I couldn't finish my lunch. A leftover hamburger patty dipped in horseradish mustard, 8 garlic-dill pepperocinis, and an apple were too much for me--crazy!! If I hadn't known HS was hungry, I wouldn't have even been concerned with eating dinner when I did, but I went ahead and grilled steak and threw together an oil-free vinaigrette to drizzle over some salad greens. I also just finished an apple that I sprinkled with Stevia and Cinnamon and microwaved for a couple minutes, and I must say...that was the yuckiest thing I've had so far. I need to work on that recipe, because despite what HS thinks he heard me say, I don't want to eat food that doesn't taste good...I just don't want to spend three days talking about what we could be eating!
Oh, and I was down 2 more pounds this morning for a net loss so far of 4 pounds. LittleGirl tells me that my belly is just as squishy as it used to be, but my pants are already getting loose. I'm not sure how much my gut is shrinking, but I see the doc in the morning and will be re-measured then. I hope to see some good numbers!
Oh, and I was down 2 more pounds this morning for a net loss so far of 4 pounds. LittleGirl tells me that my belly is just as squishy as it used to be, but my pants are already getting loose. I'm not sure how much my gut is shrinking, but I see the doc in the morning and will be re-measured then. I hope to see some good numbers!
195.2
Not bad, 1.5 pounds in 24 hours. Too bad it's not 40 pounds in one day but you still have to eat the 500 calories for the next 6 weeks, I really want the final results now! So about yesterday, I was in a bad mood most of the day. No particular reason, just everything was getting to me. And yes, I was thinking about food a lot. SheS and I have very different opinions concerning the flavor of what we eat during the next 5 weeks. I want flavor-able food, if I only get to eat a tiny portion each day I want it to taste awesome. And since we are both eating the same food each meal it only makes sense to talk about what we are going to have. SheS on the other hand just wants to get the eating over with, the flavor doesn't matter, it's only part of the process.
Honestly though, which train of thought is better? Flavor vs. Necessity? I understand what SheS is saying, flavor can lead to temptation but isn't now the perfect time to find that balance? Where eating a small amount of something healthy but tastes great teaches you to do the same after the protocol is done? It would be more tempting to me to eat delicious bad food after this is done if I was stuck eating healthy bland food a month and a half.
So even if SheS decides to cook bland food (which she hasn't so far) I always have hot sauce to save the day.
Not bad, 1.5 pounds in 24 hours. Too bad it's not 40 pounds in one day but you still have to eat the 500 calories for the next 6 weeks, I really want the final results now! So about yesterday, I was in a bad mood most of the day. No particular reason, just everything was getting to me. And yes, I was thinking about food a lot. SheS and I have very different opinions concerning the flavor of what we eat during the next 5 weeks. I want flavor-able food, if I only get to eat a tiny portion each day I want it to taste awesome. And since we are both eating the same food each meal it only makes sense to talk about what we are going to have. SheS on the other hand just wants to get the eating over with, the flavor doesn't matter, it's only part of the process.
Honestly though, which train of thought is better? Flavor vs. Necessity? I understand what SheS is saying, flavor can lead to temptation but isn't now the perfect time to find that balance? Where eating a small amount of something healthy but tastes great teaches you to do the same after the protocol is done? It would be more tempting to me to eat delicious bad food after this is done if I was stuck eating healthy bland food a month and a half.
So even if SheS decides to cook bland food (which she hasn't so far) I always have hot sauce to save the day.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Quick Post
196.7
Just a quick post, first chance I've had to get on the computer today and I'm not intending to stay on long. I don't know if the diet influenced my poor attitude or if it rests solely on the shoulders of LittleBoySchrader but I was off all day long. Had plenty of energy but was in a sour mood. Had a few hunger pains but nothing uncontrollable. All around I'm pretty happy with where this is going. I'll post more tomorrow.
Just a quick post, first chance I've had to get on the computer today and I'm not intending to stay on long. I don't know if the diet influenced my poor attitude or if it rests solely on the shoulders of LittleBoySchrader but I was off all day long. Had plenty of energy but was in a sour mood. Had a few hunger pains but nothing uncontrollable. All around I'm pretty happy with where this is going. I'll post more tomorrow.
Day 5: Making Habits and Breaking Habits
I woke up again sure that I somehow screwed up yesterday (or that HeSchrader had somehow secretly sabotaged my lunch or dinner), but I was down another 2.6 pounds today for a net loss of 2 pounds! It feels really good to see the scale going the other way.
For the first time since Wednesday, I was hungry this morning. I could have had an apple or an orange, but every other day, I've waited until noon to have any food, and I'm trying to stick with that schedule. Instead, I drank 48 ounces of water and felt better by mid-morning. It wasn't long after I was feeling better, however, that HeSchrader started asking about lunch plans. My philosophy so far has been to not put a whole lot of thought into what I'm going to eat because I think about food entirely too much, which causes me to ultimately eat too much. Instead of looking for good recipes or thinking about what I'm going to have to eat for the next couple of days, I have tried to minimize that part of my thoughts so I don't start feeling "mentally hungry." HS says that is stupid. He thinks that if we're only going to be able to eat a tiny bit each day, it should be delicious and enjoyable. Of course I don't want to eat anything disgusting, but I've spent years eating seconds or thirds of the stuff that tastes good at dinnertime...I'm trying to break that habit.
I ended up making taco salads for lunch with a handful of mixed herb salad greens, seasoned ground beef, and seasoned chopped tomatoes. We're not supposed to have more than one vegetable type at a meal, so hopefully that won't have a negative effect on our progress.
While we ate lunch, HS was brain-storming more meal ideas until I blurted out that I was looking forward to him going back to work. OK, probably not the best approach, but I was trying to tell him that all of his talk of food gets me thinking about food, which then gets me thinking about eating more food. I don't feel deprived or tortured by this diet, but it's only Day 5 with a long road ahead of us. Of course, HS is mad at me now and is doing his best to not talk to me about food or anything else. Come to think of it, he's been unusually intolerant of LittleBoy's mischief today...maybe the diet's getting to him already. Hopefully we can figure out a way to make this lifestyle work for both of us.
For the first time since Wednesday, I was hungry this morning. I could have had an apple or an orange, but every other day, I've waited until noon to have any food, and I'm trying to stick with that schedule. Instead, I drank 48 ounces of water and felt better by mid-morning. It wasn't long after I was feeling better, however, that HeSchrader started asking about lunch plans. My philosophy so far has been to not put a whole lot of thought into what I'm going to eat because I think about food entirely too much, which causes me to ultimately eat too much. Instead of looking for good recipes or thinking about what I'm going to have to eat for the next couple of days, I have tried to minimize that part of my thoughts so I don't start feeling "mentally hungry." HS says that is stupid. He thinks that if we're only going to be able to eat a tiny bit each day, it should be delicious and enjoyable. Of course I don't want to eat anything disgusting, but I've spent years eating seconds or thirds of the stuff that tastes good at dinnertime...I'm trying to break that habit.
I ended up making taco salads for lunch with a handful of mixed herb salad greens, seasoned ground beef, and seasoned chopped tomatoes. We're not supposed to have more than one vegetable type at a meal, so hopefully that won't have a negative effect on our progress.
While we ate lunch, HS was brain-storming more meal ideas until I blurted out that I was looking forward to him going back to work. OK, probably not the best approach, but I was trying to tell him that all of his talk of food gets me thinking about food, which then gets me thinking about eating more food. I don't feel deprived or tortured by this diet, but it's only Day 5 with a long road ahead of us. Of course, HS is mad at me now and is doing his best to not talk to me about food or anything else. Come to think of it, he's been unusually intolerant of LittleBoy's mischief today...maybe the diet's getting to him already. Hopefully we can figure out a way to make this lifestyle work for both of us.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Day 4: It's Working!
Despite worrying all day yesterday that I was going to do something wrong, it seems I did everything right because I lost 5.4 pounds overnight! That was HUGE validation for me that I'm doing everything OK. And not to gloat or anything, but I lost more than HeSchrader, which made me really happy.
I encountered my first critic today, but I think I held my own pretty well. I intentionally only told people I thought would be supportive before I started taking the HCG, and waited until today to tell somebody who I knew would think it was a bad idea so I was prepared.
"It's not healthy," she said.
"Being overweight isn't healthy. I want to be able to stop taking blood pressure medication and resolve my back pain," I replied.
"It's all in your head. Of course you're going to lose weight if you only consume 500 calories," she countered.
"I realize that, but the HCG makes the very low calorie intake bearable and burns the body's extra fat instead of the important fat that protects the body's organs."
"You know, I lost 90 pounds by doing Weight Watchers. What you're doing isn't addressing your relationship with food," she continued.
"I feel great about this decision. I am, in fact, addressing my relationship with food as I'm recognizing my bad habits and resolving to change them. I'm paying attention to what, where, and why I eat. I'm disgusted by the garbage that I was eating a couple weeks ago, and I don't ever want to eat like that again. This diet is making me see all of that like no diet has before."
"I'm just worried about your health," she said.
"I'll keep you posted," I told her. "You'll see...it's going to be great." I'm really looking forward to showing her that I made the right choice here.
I felt great yesterday until about 3pm, when I got a headache and felt pretty tired, but a couple Tylenol and a glass of iced tea helped me through those troubles. I've had the same problem today, and I'm still trying to figure out if it's diet-related or just coincidental. I caught myself almost grabbing one of LittleBoy's all-natural Cheddar Bunnies, but that was out of habit rather than hunger. I wish he'd quit leaving his snacks all over the place!
I let HeSchrader cook for us today, and he got creative with some chicken--Lemon Chicken and Spinach for lunch and Ginger-Chili-Garlic Chicken Lettuce Wraps for dinner--and both meals were pretty good. LittleGirl was critical of the family having separate dinners tonight, but seemed to take pleasure in tempting HeSchrader with her BLT.
I encountered my first critic today, but I think I held my own pretty well. I intentionally only told people I thought would be supportive before I started taking the HCG, and waited until today to tell somebody who I knew would think it was a bad idea so I was prepared.
"It's not healthy," she said.
"Being overweight isn't healthy. I want to be able to stop taking blood pressure medication and resolve my back pain," I replied.
"It's all in your head. Of course you're going to lose weight if you only consume 500 calories," she countered.
"I realize that, but the HCG makes the very low calorie intake bearable and burns the body's extra fat instead of the important fat that protects the body's organs."
"You know, I lost 90 pounds by doing Weight Watchers. What you're doing isn't addressing your relationship with food," she continued.
"I feel great about this decision. I am, in fact, addressing my relationship with food as I'm recognizing my bad habits and resolving to change them. I'm paying attention to what, where, and why I eat. I'm disgusted by the garbage that I was eating a couple weeks ago, and I don't ever want to eat like that again. This diet is making me see all of that like no diet has before."
"I'm just worried about your health," she said.
"I'll keep you posted," I told her. "You'll see...it's going to be great." I'm really looking forward to showing her that I made the right choice here.
I felt great yesterday until about 3pm, when I got a headache and felt pretty tired, but a couple Tylenol and a glass of iced tea helped me through those troubles. I've had the same problem today, and I'm still trying to figure out if it's diet-related or just coincidental. I caught myself almost grabbing one of LittleBoy's all-natural Cheddar Bunnies, but that was out of habit rather than hunger. I wish he'd quit leaving his snacks all over the place!
I let HeSchrader cook for us today, and he got creative with some chicken--Lemon Chicken and Spinach for lunch and Ginger-Chili-Garlic Chicken Lettuce Wraps for dinner--and both meals were pretty good. LittleGirl was critical of the family having separate dinners tonight, but seemed to take pleasure in tempting HeSchrader with her BLT.
First Weekend
199.3
Losing is sweet! Yesterday was my first day on the diet while at work, wasn't too bad. I'm noticing that I'm not hungry but I want the taste of things. Someone within a 40 cubicle radius had a pizza which smelt awesome but I got over it pretty quickly. Lunch was 100 grams of lean steak, cucumber, and an apple. Dinner was another piece of steak with some tomato and another apple. Tasted good.
I noticed today that I snack a lot on the weekends. This morning I was busy running errands with LittleBoySchrader and I didn't think about food but once we got back home and I started watching football I wanted to snack. As long as I stayed occupied I didn't crave anything. For lunch I made SheSchrader and me some lemon chicken with spinach. Dinner I made some spicy chicken which we rolled in lettuce. Apples after each meal.
Biggest lesson of the day, don't make bacon while on the diet! MiniSchraders had BLTs and I kept wanting to lick my fingers while putting the sandwiches together. And I thought I was going to be tempted if I went to the fights with the boys! Altogether though, it was a positive day, a few temptations but nothing too bad.
Losing is sweet! Yesterday was my first day on the diet while at work, wasn't too bad. I'm noticing that I'm not hungry but I want the taste of things. Someone within a 40 cubicle radius had a pizza which smelt awesome but I got over it pretty quickly. Lunch was 100 grams of lean steak, cucumber, and an apple. Dinner was another piece of steak with some tomato and another apple. Tasted good.
I noticed today that I snack a lot on the weekends. This morning I was busy running errands with LittleBoySchrader and I didn't think about food but once we got back home and I started watching football I wanted to snack. As long as I stayed occupied I didn't crave anything. For lunch I made SheSchrader and me some lemon chicken with spinach. Dinner I made some spicy chicken which we rolled in lettuce. Apples after each meal.
Biggest lesson of the day, don't make bacon while on the diet! MiniSchraders had BLTs and I kept wanting to lick my fingers while putting the sandwiches together. And I thought I was going to be tempted if I went to the fights with the boys! Altogether though, it was a positive day, a few temptations but nothing too bad.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Day 3: No more Miss Piggy!
Like MartyrSchrader, I'm relieved to be done with Gorging. I should have done better yesterday, but I couldn't stomach the thought of having meat, so I ate a cheesecake (2100 calories, 110 grams of fat) throughout the day. By afternoon, I felt tired and weak and realized that I probably needed some protein, so I "made a run for the border," and grabbed 2 of the most fattening burritos on the menu. I finished the day around 4000 calories, and went to bed worried that I didn't eat enough (ridiculous, I know). The scale moved up another 1.5 pounds this morning, putting me at a total of six pounds above my official starting weight.
I've been very nervous about being hungry on these "Very Low Calorie Days." As it turns out, I'm not physically hungry, but I've been wanting to eat out of habit. I've been saying for years that I don't eat "that much," but now that I'm really paying attention, I realize that most of my calories are unintentional calories--things I don't PLAN to eat, but do anyway. I caught myself today just before I unthinkingly licked the lid to LittleBoySchrader's yogurt and realized that I do that all day long--munching as I pack LittleGirl's lunch, "sharing" LittleBoy's snacks, tasting as I cook. As an ex-smoker, I'm also realizing that I eat out of habit. I haven't needed food today, but I just want to chew something because, well...apparently that's what I do all day. I have to start being very conscious of what I'm doing so I don't end up with a mouthful of the LittleSchraders' food that I don't even want.!
Breakfast today was a shot of HCG in the belly and a handful of supplements, followed by a half-gallon of water throughout the morning. I didn't eat anything until noon, when I reheated a 3.5 oz piece of steak I grilled last night and sliced up half a cucumber with some dill and salt and pepper for a total of 160 calories. It didn't make me puke like I thought it might, but it wasn't especially tasty to me either. Today I feel like I'm not getting anything out of my food except nutrition, and that's the attitude I want to keep for the rest of my life.
I've been very nervous about being hungry on these "Very Low Calorie Days." As it turns out, I'm not physically hungry, but I've been wanting to eat out of habit. I've been saying for years that I don't eat "that much," but now that I'm really paying attention, I realize that most of my calories are unintentional calories--things I don't PLAN to eat, but do anyway. I caught myself today just before I unthinkingly licked the lid to LittleBoySchrader's yogurt and realized that I do that all day long--munching as I pack LittleGirl's lunch, "sharing" LittleBoy's snacks, tasting as I cook. As an ex-smoker, I'm also realizing that I eat out of habit. I haven't needed food today, but I just want to chew something because, well...apparently that's what I do all day. I have to start being very conscious of what I'm doing so I don't end up with a mouthful of the LittleSchraders' food that I don't even want.!
Breakfast today was a shot of HCG in the belly and a handful of supplements, followed by a half-gallon of water throughout the morning. I didn't eat anything until noon, when I reheated a 3.5 oz piece of steak I grilled last night and sliced up half a cucumber with some dill and salt and pepper for a total of 160 calories. It didn't make me puke like I thought it might, but it wasn't especially tasty to me either. Today I feel like I'm not getting anything out of my food except nutrition, and that's the attitude I want to keep for the rest of my life.
Finally, 500 calories!
202.6
I'm actually excited about the 500 calories. The last 2 days were horrible. Load day 1 made me feel disgusted, load day 2 went a little smoother, which worried me for a minute or two, but by the end of the day I did not want anything else to eat. Load day 2 consisted of a double bacon and egg Crosandwich AND a double sausage and egg Crosandwich from BK. Lunch was a Chipotle steak burrito with sour cream, cheese, and guacamole. Dinner was some left over wings and pizza.
It's funny, even though SheSchrader and I are both doing the diet at the same time our experiences are going to be so different, and it's not just because She is a she and I am a He. SheSchrader is a stay at home mom with the temptations of a readily available pantry, fridge, kids (and I always joke about the Bonbons and soap operas); I work M-F and have to deal with food brought into work, friends wanting to go out to lunch, cocktails after work. Oh, and of course the co-workers that expect this to fail no matter what. I'm under observation by more than just my doctor, a lot of people here think this will not work or if it does it will be unbearable. But I expected this.
And if you're wondering why would I even tell anyone at work if this was a concern, why would I even agree to blog about this stuff, I assure you, I am not a masochist. For anyone that works in an office, call center, etc for a long period of time they will know what I mean by "Cubicle Butt". Might not be the proper medical term but when you sit at a desk day after day, year after year a person's arse begins to expand. It's rough, there's birthday cake everyday, burrito runs in the morning, lot's of bars for happy hour right around the office.
So, what I'm hoping is that by being vocal about this process and keeping my composure at work no matter if the process is difficult or not I might help influence others to take this initial step to improving their health. I don't consider this diet to make my health perfect but I do consider it to be a chance to restart. Gosh, I am such a martyr.
I'm actually excited about the 500 calories. The last 2 days were horrible. Load day 1 made me feel disgusted, load day 2 went a little smoother, which worried me for a minute or two, but by the end of the day I did not want anything else to eat. Load day 2 consisted of a double bacon and egg Crosandwich AND a double sausage and egg Crosandwich from BK. Lunch was a Chipotle steak burrito with sour cream, cheese, and guacamole. Dinner was some left over wings and pizza.
It's funny, even though SheSchrader and I are both doing the diet at the same time our experiences are going to be so different, and it's not just because She is a she and I am a He. SheSchrader is a stay at home mom with the temptations of a readily available pantry, fridge, kids (and I always joke about the Bonbons and soap operas); I work M-F and have to deal with food brought into work, friends wanting to go out to lunch, cocktails after work. Oh, and of course the co-workers that expect this to fail no matter what. I'm under observation by more than just my doctor, a lot of people here think this will not work or if it does it will be unbearable. But I expected this.
And if you're wondering why would I even tell anyone at work if this was a concern, why would I even agree to blog about this stuff, I assure you, I am not a masochist. For anyone that works in an office, call center, etc for a long period of time they will know what I mean by "Cubicle Butt". Might not be the proper medical term but when you sit at a desk day after day, year after year a person's arse begins to expand. It's rough, there's birthday cake everyday, burrito runs in the morning, lot's of bars for happy hour right around the office.
So, what I'm hoping is that by being vocal about this process and keeping my composure at work no matter if the process is difficult or not I might help influence others to take this initial step to improving their health. I don't consider this diet to make my health perfect but I do consider it to be a chance to restart. Gosh, I am such a martyr.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Day 2: Ugh...Loading Again
I've figured out HCG's secret powers. It's not this "resetting-your-hypothalamus" hoohah. It's actually some kind of "become-disgusted-by-the-nasty-stuff-you-used-to-crave" voodoo that keeps you from ever wanting to eat again. I never thought I'd look forward to the day I only have to eat 500 calories!
I woke up early this morning with severe heartburn and stomach cramps. After a week of "detoxing," it seems my body concurs with my new aversion to junk food. Hopefully that makes the next six weeks a piece of cake (or, um...a 100 gram piece of grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast). I gained 1.9 pounds since yesterday, which is what I'm supposed to do. I absolutely don't want anything to eat today--especially the fatty meats that I should have. I'm working on some of the cheesecake that HeSchrader brought home last night, and I have some brats in the fridge that need to cooked, but the thought of them makes me want to hurl.
My goals for the next six weeks:
I woke up early this morning with severe heartburn and stomach cramps. After a week of "detoxing," it seems my body concurs with my new aversion to junk food. Hopefully that makes the next six weeks a piece of cake (or, um...a 100 gram piece of grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast). I gained 1.9 pounds since yesterday, which is what I'm supposed to do. I absolutely don't want anything to eat today--especially the fatty meats that I should have. I'm working on some of the cheesecake that HeSchrader brought home last night, and I have some brats in the fridge that need to cooked, but the thought of them makes me want to hurl.
My goals for the next six weeks:
- Don't deviate from the Protocol at all. At this point, I can't even imagine wanting to, but consider this: in the next 40 days, I am to consume a TOTAL of 20,000 calories. Yesterday, I had upwards of 5,000 calories.
- Blog every day. This is my journal of how I'm feeling, what my body is doing, and how the family is coping with everything. If it also serves to entertain or inform, that's great, too, but I'm really blogging for me.
- Change the eating habits of the 2LittleSchraders. LittleGirlSchrader is already resisting the "Natural" Peanut Butter, but LittleBoySchrader is digging the Greek Yogurt without high-fructose corn syrup. If I can change their tastes and habits now, maybe they'll be healthier adults than HeSchrader and I are.
- Clean out the pantry and donate all of our processed food to the local food bank. True, it's not good food for anybody to eat, but it's better than nothing for somebody who's hungry.
- Lose at least 40 pounds. I know HeSchrader is going to have an easier time dropping the pounds, but I'm going to stay motivated anyway. I'm certain I'll need to do at least two more rounds to get to where I ultimately want to be, but if I can go into the holidays 40-50 pounds lighter, it will be much easier to avoid the normal Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year's pitfalls.
el día dos
There's a burning in my throat, hate saying the words; SheSchrader is right. Loading sucks. After yesterdays injection I had the plan to eat all kinds of crazy fat food, I was secretly hoping the fair was in town so I could take down some Polish sausage corn dogs and funnel cakes, but I just wasn't hungry. I eventually made a burrito run around 10am but felt ill afterwards. I snacked on some almonds and for dinner ate some pizza, wings, and a piece of cheesecake, none of which I wanted to eat.
This morning I had dropped a pound. 199.7
Everyone is telling me that I shouldn't be losing on the load days. So to make sure things go properly I have to eat even more fat today then I did yesterday. I stopped at BK on the way to work and grabbed a Double Bacon Crosandwich and and a Double Sausage Crosandwich and scarfed them down as quickly as I could.
This morning I had dropped a pound. 199.7
Everyone is telling me that I shouldn't be losing on the load days. So to make sure things go properly I have to eat even more fat today then I did yesterday. I stopped at BK on the way to work and grabbed a Double Bacon Crosandwich and and a Double Sausage Crosandwich and scarfed them down as quickly as I could.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Day 1: Loading!
So HeSchrader throws down the gauntlet and posts his actual numbers...CRAP! I'm absolutely mortified at the thought of putting my numbers out there, but it's for the greater good, right? Um...maybe later.
When I was reading about the HCG Protocol (after I stopped making fun of all the stupid people injecting themselves with pregnant-chick hormones because I realized they were SKINNY stupid people), the Load Days sounded like a fat girl's dream come true! Seriously? I need to eat as much fatty food as I can for two days? Um, OK...are you sure we can't make that four days?!?! Should be simple, right? I didn't get this way by eating rice cakes and celery!
The reality of the situation, however, is that loading SUCKS! The skeptics say there's no way a person can survive on 500 calories a day; the reality of HCG is that you don't even want 500 calories a day. I have read about this stuff A LOT, and learned that not loading properly not only leaves you seriously hungry for the first week of the very low calorie diet, but also causes your body to burn the good fat rather than the bad fat that you're trying to eliminate. So, despite the fact that I wasn't even hungry, LittleBoySchrader and I hit the drive-thru one last time for a Sausage McMuffin, Hash Browns, and a delicious shake for breakfast. No, not Slim Fast....a great big giant chocolate shake that was embarrassing to even order! That meal weighed in for 1680 calories and 58 grams of fat (1160 calories and 27 grams for that shake!), and made me feel absolutely disgusting. I didn't even think about food again for hours, but around noon I realized I should be eating more, so I had a couple servings of cashews--one of my favorites that just doesn't taste good right now.
HeSchrader and I were comparing notes this afternoon and realized that neither one of us had the stomach for the garbage we're supposed to be eating. We reminded each other to eat more, so I choked down some salami and provolone (the fattiest food I could find in the house), and ordered a Meat Lovers' Pizza for dinner while HeSchrader picked up a cheesecake on the way home. I feel so gross...I can't wait to not think about food anymore.
When I was reading about the HCG Protocol (after I stopped making fun of all the stupid people injecting themselves with pregnant-chick hormones because I realized they were SKINNY stupid people), the Load Days sounded like a fat girl's dream come true! Seriously? I need to eat as much fatty food as I can for two days? Um, OK...are you sure we can't make that four days?!?! Should be simple, right? I didn't get this way by eating rice cakes and celery!
The reality of the situation, however, is that loading SUCKS! The skeptics say there's no way a person can survive on 500 calories a day; the reality of HCG is that you don't even want 500 calories a day. I have read about this stuff A LOT, and learned that not loading properly not only leaves you seriously hungry for the first week of the very low calorie diet, but also causes your body to burn the good fat rather than the bad fat that you're trying to eliminate. So, despite the fact that I wasn't even hungry, LittleBoySchrader and I hit the drive-thru one last time for a Sausage McMuffin, Hash Browns, and a delicious shake for breakfast. No, not Slim Fast....a great big giant chocolate shake that was embarrassing to even order! That meal weighed in for 1680 calories and 58 grams of fat (1160 calories and 27 grams for that shake!), and made me feel absolutely disgusting. I didn't even think about food again for hours, but around noon I realized I should be eating more, so I had a couple servings of cashews--one of my favorites that just doesn't taste good right now.
HeSchrader and I were comparing notes this afternoon and realized that neither one of us had the stomach for the garbage we're supposed to be eating. We reminded each other to eat more, so I choked down some salami and provolone (the fattiest food I could find in the house), and ordered a Meat Lovers' Pizza for dinner while HeSchrader picked up a cheesecake on the way home. I feel so gross...I can't wait to not think about food anymore.
Let me introduce myself...
I'm HeSchrader, didn't realize this until I read SheSchrader's post but I can dig it. A little about myself. I grew up a husky boy, at least that's what was on my corduroys, and while I never was particularly proud of that moniker I never did too much to change it. When I was 19 I joined the Army at a chunky 168 lbs, not great for a 5'6" boy. Within 3 months I was down to 142 lbs, and looked odd. My perfect weight stayed around 155 lbs which is what I'm hoping to get back to after this diet is done.
So once I was a civilian again I found a lovely bride, had a few MiniSchraders and ballooned to the heaviest I have ever been. When SheSchrader and I first met the doc I weighed in at 204 lbs. During the detox week I lost some weight (amazing what no fast food and especially no beer can do for you) and as of this morning's first injection I weighed 200.6. I anticipate that during these first two load days I will gain much of the weight back, which I'm really not looking forward to. Trying to eat fatty foods today was tougher than I thought it would be. I just wasn't hungry.
So here's to hoping I stay not hungry.
So once I was a civilian again I found a lovely bride, had a few MiniSchraders and ballooned to the heaviest I have ever been. When SheSchrader and I first met the doc I weighed in at 204 lbs. During the detox week I lost some weight (amazing what no fast food and especially no beer can do for you) and as of this morning's first injection I weighed 200.6. I anticipate that during these first two load days I will gain much of the weight back, which I'm really not looking forward to. Trying to eat fatty foods today was tougher than I thought it would be. I just wasn't hungry.
So here's to hoping I stay not hungry.
Ready!
HeSchrader and I decided at the end of August that we were actually going to do this, and I wanted to get going right away. Unfortunately, it took a week and a half before we could get into the clinic. We expected to start right away after visiting with the naturopathic doctor, but she instructed us to "detox" for a week before beginning injections by increasing our water intake, eliminating processed foods, and starting some supplements. *sigh* OK, so we had to wait another week.
I spent the first few days VERY concerned about what I was eating. I looked in our pantry and fridge and realized that 99% of the food we had is processed, packaged "convenience" foods. I made trips to "natural food" stores and avoided the bad stuff. I felt extreme guilt about the garbage I've been feeding the 2LittleSchraders and vowed to not lead them down the road to weight problems and health issues, and it felt pretty good.
And then over the weekend, PMS hit me, and I got a bad case of the munchies. The 1.5 pounds I lost in the first few days of detoxing came back (and brought another pound to visit). It probably didn't help that I've been obsessing about what I'm going to eat this week. Days 1 and 2 of injections are "load days," in which we're supposed to eat as much fat as we can to keep from feeling outrageously hungry for the first week of the Protocol. I've been trying to decide what to have for this "last hurrah," what I'm going to make with my limited food choices for the next six weeks, what I'm going to feed the 2LittleSchraders for the next six weeks (and beyond!), and how I'm going to change my habits when this whole thing is over. Stress from LittleBoySchrader's pantsless antics and LittleGirlSchrader's hysterics pushed me over the edge yesterday, and I finished the detox week by treating the 4HealthySchraders to a dinner of Six-Dollar Burgers and Hand-Scooped Milkshakes. Oh, and I had a bottle of wine before I went to bed feeling bloated, bummed, and a little bit drunk. I'm so ready to go!
I spent the first few days VERY concerned about what I was eating. I looked in our pantry and fridge and realized that 99% of the food we had is processed, packaged "convenience" foods. I made trips to "natural food" stores and avoided the bad stuff. I felt extreme guilt about the garbage I've been feeding the 2LittleSchraders and vowed to not lead them down the road to weight problems and health issues, and it felt pretty good.
And then over the weekend, PMS hit me, and I got a bad case of the munchies. The 1.5 pounds I lost in the first few days of detoxing came back (and brought another pound to visit). It probably didn't help that I've been obsessing about what I'm going to eat this week. Days 1 and 2 of injections are "load days," in which we're supposed to eat as much fat as we can to keep from feeling outrageously hungry for the first week of the Protocol. I've been trying to decide what to have for this "last hurrah," what I'm going to make with my limited food choices for the next six weeks, what I'm going to feed the 2LittleSchraders for the next six weeks (and beyond!), and how I'm going to change my habits when this whole thing is over. Stress from LittleBoySchrader's pantsless antics and LittleGirlSchrader's hysterics pushed me over the edge yesterday, and I finished the detox week by treating the 4HealthySchraders to a dinner of Six-Dollar Burgers and Hand-Scooped Milkshakes. Oh, and I had a bottle of wine before I went to bed feeling bloated, bummed, and a little bit drunk. I'm so ready to go!
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