I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but last month was a difficult and unusually stressful one for me. The middle of September, I found myself the lowest weight I had been in 10 years and paused to savor the feeling. I took time to note my success and discovered I, once again, liked the way I looked. Please remember I am only half way to my goal weight, but I had achieved all the goals I had originally set out to accomplish. I can now cross my legs, I can buy my clothes (at least the pants) in the normal size woman's store, I can walk a three minute mile without having to stop and catch my breath, I can fit into almost every piece of clothing I had been storing for the last 10 years (and much of it is still in fashion, well, maybe). What's more, my sister loaned me a large assortment of pants and I donated all my XXX Fat clothes to a local shelter. I am 40 pounds lighter and happy with me.
Except, once I made note of these, not so small, accomplishments, the diet wasn't as important to me and I faltered. For four weeks I struggled to loose 5 pounds. Then on, Sunday, October 10, 2009, my father became seriously ill and 3 days later, passed away. His funeral was the following Saturday. During that week there was 'no plan', 'no Medifast', 'no diet'. All my energy was focused on my dad and my family, and especially my daughter who took her Papaw’s death very hard. I missed my weight-in and by the next week I had gained 6 pounds. The last week of October was spent in Austin for a State Housing Conference and despite my desired to return to my weight loss, I lacked the discipline to do so. Then came Halloween and a house full of candy thanks to my daughter's trip to the grocery store and my grandson's trick-or-treating adventures. By Monday's weigh-in, I had lost 2.5 of the pounds gained the week Dad left us. But Monday's are my worst days and even though I knew I had no business doing it, I found myself dipping into my grandson's candy, just like when my kid's were little. The next couple of days I resolved to regain my control and began tracking everything I ate more strictly including calorie, fat, carb and protein amounts. Friday I allowed myself one piece of candy if I tracked the numbers and by the end of the day the 1 piece had turned into three then five before I again took control and stopped. The rest of the week was spent battling self discipline, concentrating on not lying to myself about what I was actually consuming and making sure I stuck to some sort of exercise every day.
This week I only lost one pound, but I did loose one pound. So I am headed in the right direction to get back on track. I wish my counselor had been as positive about my progress. You see I've been going to this same Medifast location for 21 weeks. I had been talking to the same two ladies who had been nothing less than encouraging no matter what my progress had been. When progress was slow I would talk about what plans I had made to get back on track and what was going on in my life and they had been kind, understanding and supportive. Mostly they had remained 'non-judgmental'. I can't speak for anyone else but this is extremely important to me.
But there is a new manager in town at my Medifast location and she sees things more by the book, I guess. Whatever the reason, I find it difficult to appreciate her methods. First, she went into the counseling room without having looked at my file, so of course she had no idea what I had been accomplishing to date. When she saw that I was struggling, instead of listening to me and moving forward from there, she feel back on protocol and began asking me questions that had long ago been discussed and resolved with Jamie and Janie. And when I mentioned that part of my problem revolved around dealing with the death of my father, she failed to acknowledge me but began questioning the support of my family. This was followed by whether or not I had gone through their little training notebook full of helpful tips for loosing weight. And despite telling her I had already gone through the notebook she decided I should bring it with me when I come next week. I agreed, got my food and checked out. I thought to myself, "I'll show her, I won't show up next week or ever!!! I'll just finish out the next 9 weeks on-line. I don't need her platitudes and condescending comments." This is why I hate going to weight loss clinics. So many counselors think they have all the answers, that loosing weight is some kind of magic trick. All you have to do is stay on track and follow their little rules to win. This is exactly what is wrong with the world today.
Dieting is not easy. It never has been and never will be. There are no hard and fast rules. That's why there are a million different ways to do it. Here are the only real truths in weight-loss: (1) Unless you are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to change your weight and keep it off, you won't; (2) You must determine, this is so important I'm going to repeat that, "You Must Determine" that you are going to do what it takes to achieve this goal; (3) It is up to you and you alone! People do not shove food down your throat. Take my three year old grandson, he will balk and scream when you try to make him eat something he doesn't want to. This is your own decision, it can come from no one else and I am not talking about 'will-power' I am referring to something much more powerful and that is plain ol' SELF-DISCIPLINE'.
That's right, "SELF-DISCIPLINE'. You know that thing that keeps you from doing the wrong thing. Surely you realize that when you break the law and you get caught, you pay the consequences. Well, when you overeat you get caught every time. That number on the scales doesn't lie and just because you don't show up for 'court' and check the numbers doesn't mean you won't find your self 'locked behind bars' of fat and condemnation. You are still guilty and you will be punished for your 'crime'. But I have only to look in the mirror to see my prison and I don't need diet counselors to point it out to me. If I needed help understanding why I had limited weight loss I would ask. When I know the answers don't change the subject. Don't treat me like I'm stupid and just don't get it. I get it, You don't get me!
For me there is no better evaluation than Self-Evaluation and I'm experienced enough to have a pretty good idea what the problem is. It's not that I don't know what to do, but that I don't want to do it and your judgments will only make me mad and rebellious. Don't think just because you've been through the training you know how to help people struggling to loose weight. Unless you've been there, you can't know what it is like! Prove to me you really know what I am going through first. Gain my confidence. Show your credibility. Then maybe I'll listen to what you have to say! You really should learn how to treat fat people better!
I'll loose the weight, but I'll loose it because I choose to. God bless you in discovering the secrets to acheiving your weightloss goals.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
All About Starting Over
Ok, I'm not really "Starting Over" exactly. You might say, I didn't completely fall off the wagon, but I sure have been dragging my feet a bit. Don't think this a good thing. Remember when you go completely off, you loose sight of your goal, you get a little hurt, and you stop progressing. In other words, you will most likely find yourself sitting on your rear doing nothing and getting nowhere. On the other hand, when you drag your feet, you may still be making progress and still have your goals in site, but its more painful to drag your feet for several miles than to just get off completely. I do have to admit that it is still easier to pull your feet back on the wagon than to jump back on board from a stationary position. In any case, you have to do what ever it takes to hang on.
For me, I had a couple of rough weeks personally, not diet related. I kept telling Jamie I was getting back on board, but each week I went in I just wasn't progressing and, well, I'm sure she was aware I wasn't doing all I could do. This all started at the beginning of a plateau. You know, that point where you're following the plan, but little or nothing is happening. Everyone tells you what a great job you're doing and you know it is true, but you just don't see the fruit of you labor and you wonder if it is really worth it. And everyone says, "Just hang in there. If you stay focused it will happen, but just remember, it will happen." My idea was to draft a new plan when the plateau came, like adding exercise to the mix. I kept telling Jamie, "I know I'm not exercising regularly, but I'm waiting for that plateau to get something going and really jump start this whole thing all over again." I think I almost had her fooled, or I at least I had myself fooled. The problem was that no matter what I planned to do, I just couldn't seem to pull it off. It seems everything comes down to timing.
Just as I was beginning to recognize the plateau, I went on a business trip with my husband. The medifast plan worked great in the hotel. I was even able to work that daily exercise in just as I had planned. But upon returning home, life hit me square in the face and I was struggling to work my plan or anything. The next week my grandson came to visit and I couldn't just up and leave for the gym. Then there was the house clean up that always comes when the baby goes home to Mom. And while it was tough, I was still close to the original Medifast diet plan of 5 Medifast meals a day and one lean and green. but without a real exercise plan, progress became almost nonexistant. It was obvious to me, when I exercised, even when it wasn't regular, I lost wieght. When i didn't, I didn't. So, I decided I was turning over a new leaf. I purposed to rise at 6 am and walk my block that morning and every morning following until it became not just a new habit but a new way of life, an all out lifestyle change. The Sunday afternoon before the execution of my plan, my sister-in-law called and less than an hour later I was standing with my sister-in-law, my brother, my husband, my step-mom and her brother waiting to hear what was wrong with my dad. The following Wednesday, the day after my father's 82nd birthday, I had the priviledge of standing prayerful by his hospital bedside as Jesus came to take him home. Many years of battleing diabetes had finally taken its toll. Now, he'll never be tired again.
Diet? Plan? What diet? What plan? None of that mattered during the time waiting and praying for my father, nor should it matter. Ok for one, maybe two full weeks I hopped off the wagon to concentrate on my father and my family. I needed it and Janie and Jamie understood. Thank you, Lord, for ladies with such understanding. Unfortunately I gained 6 pounds, ouch! It's funny how quickly we can revert to old habits, especially when others, like your family, are unaware encourageing you along. They don't mean to, but just doing what comes naturally for them is often the very things you work so hard to remove from your life and it is easier to go along to trying to explain it over and over again.
But that was last week and this is this week and while I spent a great deal of time thinking about giving up. I didn't. I've managed to get back on the wagon and begin a new. Maybe not as pumped as i was my first couple of weeks, or really months, but energized anyway. I've begun to loose the weight I gained and I've actually spent time at the gym and on walks around the neighborhood. the future looks good and I'm looking forward to next week's weight in. I'm 42 pounds down and trying to not think about the fact, I still have about 45 pounds to go. Oh, well. that's just a matter of time!
I have to remember, not to give up on my dreams of being skinny...er. And if you fall off the wagon, work hard and hop back on. If your dragging your feet, "Pick them up, you're going to get hurt!"
God bless you in your weight loss success!
For me, I had a couple of rough weeks personally, not diet related. I kept telling Jamie I was getting back on board, but each week I went in I just wasn't progressing and, well, I'm sure she was aware I wasn't doing all I could do. This all started at the beginning of a plateau. You know, that point where you're following the plan, but little or nothing is happening. Everyone tells you what a great job you're doing and you know it is true, but you just don't see the fruit of you labor and you wonder if it is really worth it. And everyone says, "Just hang in there. If you stay focused it will happen, but just remember, it will happen." My idea was to draft a new plan when the plateau came, like adding exercise to the mix. I kept telling Jamie, "I know I'm not exercising regularly, but I'm waiting for that plateau to get something going and really jump start this whole thing all over again." I think I almost had her fooled, or I at least I had myself fooled. The problem was that no matter what I planned to do, I just couldn't seem to pull it off. It seems everything comes down to timing.
Just as I was beginning to recognize the plateau, I went on a business trip with my husband. The medifast plan worked great in the hotel. I was even able to work that daily exercise in just as I had planned. But upon returning home, life hit me square in the face and I was struggling to work my plan or anything. The next week my grandson came to visit and I couldn't just up and leave for the gym. Then there was the house clean up that always comes when the baby goes home to Mom. And while it was tough, I was still close to the original Medifast diet plan of 5 Medifast meals a day and one lean and green. but without a real exercise plan, progress became almost nonexistant. It was obvious to me, when I exercised, even when it wasn't regular, I lost wieght. When i didn't, I didn't. So, I decided I was turning over a new leaf. I purposed to rise at 6 am and walk my block that morning and every morning following until it became not just a new habit but a new way of life, an all out lifestyle change. The Sunday afternoon before the execution of my plan, my sister-in-law called and less than an hour later I was standing with my sister-in-law, my brother, my husband, my step-mom and her brother waiting to hear what was wrong with my dad. The following Wednesday, the day after my father's 82nd birthday, I had the priviledge of standing prayerful by his hospital bedside as Jesus came to take him home. Many years of battleing diabetes had finally taken its toll. Now, he'll never be tired again.
Diet? Plan? What diet? What plan? None of that mattered during the time waiting and praying for my father, nor should it matter. Ok for one, maybe two full weeks I hopped off the wagon to concentrate on my father and my family. I needed it and Janie and Jamie understood. Thank you, Lord, for ladies with such understanding. Unfortunately I gained 6 pounds, ouch! It's funny how quickly we can revert to old habits, especially when others, like your family, are unaware encourageing you along. They don't mean to, but just doing what comes naturally for them is often the very things you work so hard to remove from your life and it is easier to go along to trying to explain it over and over again.
But that was last week and this is this week and while I spent a great deal of time thinking about giving up. I didn't. I've managed to get back on the wagon and begin a new. Maybe not as pumped as i was my first couple of weeks, or really months, but energized anyway. I've begun to loose the weight I gained and I've actually spent time at the gym and on walks around the neighborhood. the future looks good and I'm looking forward to next week's weight in. I'm 42 pounds down and trying to not think about the fact, I still have about 45 pounds to go. Oh, well. that's just a matter of time!
I have to remember, not to give up on my dreams of being skinny...er. And if you fall off the wagon, work hard and hop back on. If your dragging your feet, "Pick them up, you're going to get hurt!"
God bless you in your weight loss success!
Monday, September 28, 2009
An Unfried Diet Tip #2
Making a decision to loose weight is a big step. It requires more than just the decision to live a better life style. Obviously, that decision is an important one as well. But the decision for a healthier lifestyle represents small changes over a long period of time. And while each lifestyle choice has the potential for improving your life, the failure to implement a single aspect of the change may or may not have a significant impact on your daily activities. Adjustments are easy and the changes are far reaching. Dieting is a little different.
While it is true that many lifestyle changes can result in weight loss. The resulting weight loss will be minor and many times a slight misstep can result in weight gain rather than loss. I have known people who lost weight by making simple lifestyle changes and I have heard of some who lost a great amount of weight by making slight lifestyle changes, but that didn't work for me. I took more than just a few lifestyle changes; at almost 240 pounds I needed something much more dramatic than a few small changes. The realization of that is what brought me to make the effort to determine more than just how to loose weight but what it would really take for me to loose the weight and keep it off. I was 20 years old when I had my son and began to realize that I was always going to struggle with my weight. I also realized that my weight loss could not take a long time or I would get discouraged and loose interest. The weight had to come off fast because I was better at maintaining my weight but not too good at taking it off permanently. Unfortunately that meant that each time I stopped attempting to maintain my weight, I gained weight. Add thirty years and 120 pounds and you have me where I started the Medifast plan.
This brings me to my next weight loss tip. I believe it is the most important. It is in all likely-hood the number one reason I failed on every other plan I have tried for the last 30 years. PERSEVERANCE: The desire, and notice I used the word 'desire' not 'ability', to stay with it no matter what. That's why there are averages in your weekly weight loss. Frankly this comes from the fact that the first weeks on a diet the human body will easily loose weight . . . . in large increments. But then over time it begins to adjust and the weight loss slows. This is normal. Add to this the fact that the restrictive diet necessary to loose weight becomes more and more difficult to maintain. We just hate to deprive ourselves and look at all the goodies thrown at us both on TV and in the grocery store. So comes the need for perseverance.
Now that doesn't mean you have to torture yourself and strike yourself with pain to make sure you are staying on plan, though there are some known tricks in this area that I will try to remember to treat you with over the next month. It really means that when you mess up you pick yourself up and begin again. And do this as soon as possible. You can chastise yourself as much as you like but your will probably get better result is you lovingly give yourself a hug (you'll have to figure out how to do that by yourself, though you could get someone close to you to hug you instead, that's always nice!) then remind yourself you are only human. You must always remember to forgive yourself for your short comings and, once again, 'Decide' to return to the plan. Your body will rebel with hunger pains and maybe even refuse to let go of the next couple of pounds. Just remember you have the ability to choose and to act upon that choice.
Let me use this as an example. First let me say, "Sorry," to Jamie, "but I won't have a completed food diary for Sunday." She knows why, this isn't the first time this has happened. but Sunday I was tired and just plane hungry. I have no idea what my body was searching for but like Frankenstein’s monster all it could do was grunt and demand more. I tried all my little tricks to reduce the damage but I finally had to 'cut it off'. Monday when I awoke the first thing I did was get right back into my diet routine and begin again. I will pay the consequences of my actions but the day didn't result in a derailment.
I hope you don't let discouragement derail you and when you feel like you can't do it any more, just persevere!
May God Bless you and give his Holy Spirit to guide you and bring you through your weight loss journey. Amen
While it is true that many lifestyle changes can result in weight loss. The resulting weight loss will be minor and many times a slight misstep can result in weight gain rather than loss. I have known people who lost weight by making simple lifestyle changes and I have heard of some who lost a great amount of weight by making slight lifestyle changes, but that didn't work for me. I took more than just a few lifestyle changes; at almost 240 pounds I needed something much more dramatic than a few small changes. The realization of that is what brought me to make the effort to determine more than just how to loose weight but what it would really take for me to loose the weight and keep it off. I was 20 years old when I had my son and began to realize that I was always going to struggle with my weight. I also realized that my weight loss could not take a long time or I would get discouraged and loose interest. The weight had to come off fast because I was better at maintaining my weight but not too good at taking it off permanently. Unfortunately that meant that each time I stopped attempting to maintain my weight, I gained weight. Add thirty years and 120 pounds and you have me where I started the Medifast plan.
This brings me to my next weight loss tip. I believe it is the most important. It is in all likely-hood the number one reason I failed on every other plan I have tried for the last 30 years. PERSEVERANCE: The desire, and notice I used the word 'desire' not 'ability', to stay with it no matter what. That's why there are averages in your weekly weight loss. Frankly this comes from the fact that the first weeks on a diet the human body will easily loose weight . . . . in large increments. But then over time it begins to adjust and the weight loss slows. This is normal. Add to this the fact that the restrictive diet necessary to loose weight becomes more and more difficult to maintain. We just hate to deprive ourselves and look at all the goodies thrown at us both on TV and in the grocery store. So comes the need for perseverance.
Now that doesn't mean you have to torture yourself and strike yourself with pain to make sure you are staying on plan, though there are some known tricks in this area that I will try to remember to treat you with over the next month. It really means that when you mess up you pick yourself up and begin again. And do this as soon as possible. You can chastise yourself as much as you like but your will probably get better result is you lovingly give yourself a hug (you'll have to figure out how to do that by yourself, though you could get someone close to you to hug you instead, that's always nice!) then remind yourself you are only human. You must always remember to forgive yourself for your short comings and, once again, 'Decide' to return to the plan. Your body will rebel with hunger pains and maybe even refuse to let go of the next couple of pounds. Just remember you have the ability to choose and to act upon that choice.
Let me use this as an example. First let me say, "Sorry," to Jamie, "but I won't have a completed food diary for Sunday." She knows why, this isn't the first time this has happened. but Sunday I was tired and just plane hungry. I have no idea what my body was searching for but like Frankenstein’s monster all it could do was grunt and demand more. I tried all my little tricks to reduce the damage but I finally had to 'cut it off'. Monday when I awoke the first thing I did was get right back into my diet routine and begin again. I will pay the consequences of my actions but the day didn't result in a derailment.
I hope you don't let discouragement derail you and when you feel like you can't do it any more, just persevere!
May God Bless you and give his Holy Spirit to guide you and bring you through your weight loss journey. Amen
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Weight-Loss Tip 1
I've been trying to loose weight for more than 30 years Over the last 10 weeks, I have lost over 30 pounds and continue to loose each week. I still have another 60 pounds to go and do not believe this will be difficult. I've been loosing the weight on the Medifast plan and am excited about all the help and support I've recieved from Jamie and Janie at the Bay Area Medifast. The program has not been easy but I knew it wouldn't be. I started this at the age of 50 and a weight of 237 pounds. I think it was the fact I was about to hit 240 that made me feel so desperate. I felt I had lost control. (like I ever had control in the first place) But I did become desperate and decided to try something new. I always believed I could do this on my own, so spending money on a program seemed a waste. I have since reevaluated my thought processes that brought me to that conclusion and tried to figure out why each previous attempt failed. There were several reasons I decided on the Medifast Plan. The fore most was a hectic lifestyle which didn't offer much time for meal planning or calorie counting. I also needed quick results and a relatively short time frame for success. And last, I spent a great deal of time in prayer as I was do my soul searching. Anyway, I think one of the most important steps to successful weight loss is to take the time to find a program that works for you and don't be hesitant to spend money on a program if you are sure it is the right one for you.
God Bless You and I wish you success in your weight loss goals.
God Bless You and I wish you success in your weight loss goals.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Two-thirds of the way!
I am happy to say the diet is going great. I'm happy to say it, it's not true, but I'm happy to say it. I'm still hungry and struggling with the clock and waiting two hours for the next meal. The weight isn't coming off as quickly as I would like. And every time I pass a Starbucks I have to remind myself "I can't wait... till I get to order a White Mocha Latte." Despite all that I weighed in at 204.5 this week and that's a grand total of 32 pounds loss. Woo Hoo! I'm a third of the way to goal. Its been a hard battle but I am pumped......Now back to reality.
Jamie explained to me that several of the clients she is working with right now are struggling and she wanted to know if I had any tips or ideas for them. I told her what I thought was the secret to my success. This was after spending 30 minutes talking to Janie about everything under the sun, as well as, how I was doing on the plan. Jamie and Janie are both very sweet to let me rant about almost anything under the sun. I have begun to try to curtail my random thoughts and keep our appointments down to less than 30 minutes. Thank you, ladies. Oh, by the way, my number one tip for losing weight for the long haul is to keep at it, don't give up. Life is a struggle, we are never guaranteed an easy life. Besides, this is the consiquences of the lifestyle that brought about the excess weight we are trying to loose. In other words, let me sugar coat this a bit and say this: "Suck it up and do it anyway!" Ok, there's no sugar there, but what do you expect. Your on a diet and no sugar is allowed!
Good Luck and God Bless You as your work toward your own weight loss goals.
Jamie explained to me that several of the clients she is working with right now are struggling and she wanted to know if I had any tips or ideas for them. I told her what I thought was the secret to my success. This was after spending 30 minutes talking to Janie about everything under the sun, as well as, how I was doing on the plan. Jamie and Janie are both very sweet to let me rant about almost anything under the sun. I have begun to try to curtail my random thoughts and keep our appointments down to less than 30 minutes. Thank you, ladies. Oh, by the way, my number one tip for losing weight for the long haul is to keep at it, don't give up. Life is a struggle, we are never guaranteed an easy life. Besides, this is the consiquences of the lifestyle that brought about the excess weight we are trying to loose. In other words, let me sugar coat this a bit and say this: "Suck it up and do it anyway!" Ok, there's no sugar there, but what do you expect. Your on a diet and no sugar is allowed!
Good Luck and God Bless You as your work toward your own weight loss goals.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Diet Sabotages
I am now at day 48, what is that, 6 and a half weeks. It feels like an eternity. I have lost 26.5 pounds. You would think that would be enough incentive, but apparently its not. I don't want to do this any more. I want to be able to eat cookies, cake. a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or anything with cheese. I have managed to handle the frustrations of my family and friends. They try so hard to be supportive but this is hard on them too. But the hardest saboteur for me to handle is myself. Growing up I frequently heard, "Give 'em an inch and he'll take a mile" I never realized that would apply to me. It started with the real dairy whipped cream on my sugar free jello . Then there was a Rice Cake layered with Fat Free Cream Cheese and No Sugar added Preserves. Finally, I totally lost it and followed the jello and the rice cake with a bag of marshmallows. If you are careful you can roast them over the open flame of the gas range and by eating each marshmallow in blackened or browned layers, you can take up to 30 minutes to eat 4, or was it 5 . . . . or maybe 6. I can't remember. That was Friday and Saturday I had gained a pound. It was the first time since I began medifast that I actually gained weight. The worst part was finding myself hungry again, all the time. And I am reminded of all the things sugar does to me. The worst is the fatigue. Not much has helped today, but I am back on the plan. After what I paid for this, I don't dare tell my husband I've quit. I can't bear the idea of not reaching my goal of getting below 200 pounds when I have less than 10 to get to that point.
I told Janie last week that I was planning to go off the plan at 190 just because I needed to feel that this wasn't forever. Well, it doesn't look like I waited, so I won't be making any more plans like that. This week, "I can't wait until...." I'm back to losing weight again.!
God Bless You and Be With You as You Work Toward Your Weight-loss Goals.
I told Janie last week that I was planning to go off the plan at 190 just because I needed to feel that this wasn't forever. Well, it doesn't look like I waited, so I won't be making any more plans like that. This week, "I can't wait until...." I'm back to losing weight again.!
God Bless You and Be With You as You Work Toward Your Weight-loss Goals.
Friday, July 17, 2009
My Medifast Diet - Day 29
Yes, yes, yes, this has been my greatest length of time between posts. And despite the appearance that I may be loosing interest or worse yet,not loosing weight, neither assumption is true. If you have been following my entries you may have noticed the presence of the grandson. This is the actual explanation of the lack of posts. He is a wonderful child, but an active and demanding one, as most 2 1/2 year old are. Most often,he runs around until, beyond fatigue, he simply falls over and I, finally with time for myself, also fall over. I find this the case despite the fact that his daddy is actually the one looking after the little one.
He has also been my excuse for not beginning a formal exercise program. No wait, he is a formal exercise program. But I digress. In case you are wondering how the actual weight loss is going. Very well and thank you for asking. I weighed in this week at a total loss of 21 pounds after only 4 weeks. Another plus, I not only was able to wear a pair of shorts I purchased 3 years ago, I didn't mind being seen in public wearing them either. At the Medifast center you go into little offices to talk to your counselor and weigh in, then discuss your diet log and any questions you may have about the previous week. There's a door to the hall and directly opposite it a small desk with a chair next to it. When you are sitting in the chair next to the desk you'll see a digital scale against the wall to your right. A shelving unit of product samples stands in the corner just beyond and there, next to the door, and directly in front of you is a narrow, full length mirror. The first day I sat with Janie for my initial interview, I was so uncomfortable starring at myself in the mirror, I had to move. Today, I felt different about the lady I saw across the room. I was proud of her. Way to go!
this has not been easy, but it has definitely been worth it. I wish I could say this alone was enough inspiration for the next phase of my journey, but that would be too easy. Every day I have learned a little more about what it takes to get through this and what I have to do to change my attitude about eating and food. First is to understand that everything I put in my mouth is a choice and if I am going to make exceptions, I will pay the consequences of those decisions. There was day 19 and the Jello cup with whipped cream, then there was day 23, my first Service Organization Banquet since starting the plan. It was the Annual Rotary Instillation Banquet, which just happened to be at Brady's Landing, one of my favorite restaurants. I had planned ahead and eaten my 'lean and green' meal for lunch. I could eat the salad and that would be all. I had it all figured out. . . . . . . . Then the salad came. It was a Cesar Salad, dressing included, in a Parmesan cheese shell. So much for the salad. I manage to pick at it to give the appearance I had eaten some of it. When the dinner plate came I quickly ate the buttery green and wax beans and stared at the steak nestled in a pile of mashed sweet potatoes. I looked at my husband and watched as he cut into his juicy steak cooked to perfection, seared on the outside, dark grill marks, the inside a warm red. My mouth began to water. I stared at his steak as he stopped to comment to the gentleman sitting next to him. It didn't take long for me to throw everything away and make the decision to cut open my own steak. It too sported dark grill marks like my husbands. I drew the knife across the 2" thick medallion, laid back that first piece revealing a warm pink inside. Not even close to the red one on my husband's plate. Oh, nuts! I was not deterred. The decision had been made and I was not giving in. If you think I ate my medium-well steak you are wrong. My husband supports my weight loss 100%, but once he realized I meant business, he was more than happy to trade steaks with me and tell me how he really liked the look of my cut better anyway. I immediately began working on my meat, removing as much fat as possible and enjoying every bite I was able to glean from it. Not three bites into it I knew what I had been craving for the last three days. This was it and it was goooooood! I know there are some who thrive on a vegetarian diet, but I am not one of them. I read somewhere that there exist in the muscle of a cow an enzyme found nowhere else except the muscle of man. This enzyme can not be reproduced in some people and I have to assume I am one of those people. I immediately felt better than I had in days.
The consequences of this decision was two days without any weight loss followed by a new surge of greater weight loss. And while I know that not following the plan closely could have a negative effect on my weight loss. This time it worked out for the best. I know I can't always count on this, but I'm holding a few cards up my sleeves for then.
I hope this helps you on your journey to reaching your goals and God Bless You.
He has also been my excuse for not beginning a formal exercise program. No wait, he is a formal exercise program. But I digress. In case you are wondering how the actual weight loss is going. Very well and thank you for asking. I weighed in this week at a total loss of 21 pounds after only 4 weeks. Another plus, I not only was able to wear a pair of shorts I purchased 3 years ago, I didn't mind being seen in public wearing them either. At the Medifast center you go into little offices to talk to your counselor and weigh in, then discuss your diet log and any questions you may have about the previous week. There's a door to the hall and directly opposite it a small desk with a chair next to it. When you are sitting in the chair next to the desk you'll see a digital scale against the wall to your right. A shelving unit of product samples stands in the corner just beyond and there, next to the door, and directly in front of you is a narrow, full length mirror. The first day I sat with Janie for my initial interview, I was so uncomfortable starring at myself in the mirror, I had to move. Today, I felt different about the lady I saw across the room. I was proud of her. Way to go!
this has not been easy, but it has definitely been worth it. I wish I could say this alone was enough inspiration for the next phase of my journey, but that would be too easy. Every day I have learned a little more about what it takes to get through this and what I have to do to change my attitude about eating and food. First is to understand that everything I put in my mouth is a choice and if I am going to make exceptions, I will pay the consequences of those decisions. There was day 19 and the Jello cup with whipped cream, then there was day 23, my first Service Organization Banquet since starting the plan. It was the Annual Rotary Instillation Banquet, which just happened to be at Brady's Landing, one of my favorite restaurants. I had planned ahead and eaten my 'lean and green' meal for lunch. I could eat the salad and that would be all. I had it all figured out. . . . . . . . Then the salad came. It was a Cesar Salad, dressing included, in a Parmesan cheese shell. So much for the salad. I manage to pick at it to give the appearance I had eaten some of it. When the dinner plate came I quickly ate the buttery green and wax beans and stared at the steak nestled in a pile of mashed sweet potatoes. I looked at my husband and watched as he cut into his juicy steak cooked to perfection, seared on the outside, dark grill marks, the inside a warm red. My mouth began to water. I stared at his steak as he stopped to comment to the gentleman sitting next to him. It didn't take long for me to throw everything away and make the decision to cut open my own steak. It too sported dark grill marks like my husbands. I drew the knife across the 2" thick medallion, laid back that first piece revealing a warm pink inside. Not even close to the red one on my husband's plate. Oh, nuts! I was not deterred. The decision had been made and I was not giving in. If you think I ate my medium-well steak you are wrong. My husband supports my weight loss 100%, but once he realized I meant business, he was more than happy to trade steaks with me and tell me how he really liked the look of my cut better anyway. I immediately began working on my meat, removing as much fat as possible and enjoying every bite I was able to glean from it. Not three bites into it I knew what I had been craving for the last three days. This was it and it was goooooood! I know there are some who thrive on a vegetarian diet, but I am not one of them. I read somewhere that there exist in the muscle of a cow an enzyme found nowhere else except the muscle of man. This enzyme can not be reproduced in some people and I have to assume I am one of those people. I immediately felt better than I had in days.
The consequences of this decision was two days without any weight loss followed by a new surge of greater weight loss. And while I know that not following the plan closely could have a negative effect on my weight loss. This time it worked out for the best. I know I can't always count on this, but I'm holding a few cards up my sleeves for then.
I hope this helps you on your journey to reaching your goals and God Bless You.
Monday, July 6, 2009
My Medifast Diet - Day 20
I didn't realize I had let myself go so long without an update. Goodness, I've been busy. Nevertheless, I have made it through some really tough days. Day 18 was Saturday, July 4th and it was the first day I wanted to chunk my family's eating habits and maybe my family, too. I have tried diligently to stay on schedule with my meals, but this day I was at the total mercy of my family. They had decided to travel south to lovely Galveston Island for the fireworks display. I remember telling my husband what time I needed to eat dinner. I guess he didn't understand I meant that exact time, he thought I probably meant about that time or some time later, or whenever. What's more, being a special event, I wanted to eat somewhere nice, he suggested Golden Corral on the Seawall. Talk about a communication problem. Fortunately, I had brought my last meal replacement of the day, a packet of Cream of Broccoli Soup. Thirty minutes after I was scheduled to eat and only 20 minutes before the start of the anticipated event, we stopped at Kroger for snacks. My beautiful husband found a Starbucks inside. I love Starbucks, they are always so accommodating. When I made it up to the counter, and ordered a Tall Hot Water, the young man gave it to me at no charge. But here's a tip if you ever try the soups. Don't just dump them in water and stir, because they don't mix easily. The only way I have found to make the soups is to slowly add the hot water to the powder while mixing with a mini-whisk or fork. It works perfectly.
So, I spent Saturday evening sitting on the seawall sipping clumps of Cream of Broccoli Soup as it floated in hot water. The sky was filled with bright colors and loud sounds. Soon the cup was discarded and I joined my husband, grandson and daughter (the baby's aunt) in the oohing and ahing. What became my final meal was 7 out of 8 ounces of delicious grilled Mahi Mahi with steamed broccoli and a dry salad instead of the rice. Everyone at our table requested their vegetables dry and my husband and I had a side of Cocktail Sauce for Salad Dressing. A giant thank you to Landry's on the Seawall in Galveston, Texas for a meal not only prepared as requested but flavorful as well. And a very big thank you to our waitress, Tatiana from Romania, for all her efforts to make our dining experience so wonderful.
Sunday, day 19, was another difficult day for two reasons. While I had regained control of my eating schedule, I found myself hungry during the middle of the day. This was becoming a regular thing and it didn't matter what I had eaten or how long ago. Reading some of the materials Janie gave me when I signed up for Medifast, I found it was OK to eat your vegetables at different times of the day. And at our last meeting, Janie had suggested adding real broccoli to the Cream of Broccoli Soup. So I ate a serving of leftover broccoli and it helped to curb my appetite until my next meal. Later that evening I found myself suffering the kind of hungry that isn't caused by the 'rumbly in the tumbly'. It began as moments of pacing past the refrigerator. I had already eaten my one extra optional snack but I had visions of chips and dip or soft, sweet, delicate cupcakes running through my head. I wanted to try some of the snacks my daughter was eating, but they WEREN'T ON MY LIST!!!!
. . .ummm . . . . . . sorry. . . . . . .
So I paced and I prayed and I stuck my head in the frig and stared at its contents. Directly in front of me was a sugar free strawberry jello cup. It was on my list but not really what I wanted. I spied the can of whipped cream in the door and acquiesced. I heard a small still voice in my head, "If you give in this once it may be too difficult to go back." Acknowledging and ignoring the voice, I reached for the jello and whipped cream can. I peeled back the foil from the cup and looked at the front of the can as I picked it up. It didn't say 'lite' but then I knew that already. I tipped the can over and, beginning my circles along the outer edge, covered the jello cup with the white fluff, then, shoved the spout into the middle of the cloud on top of the jello and pressed the trigger again. The mound doubled in size. I lifted the can out of the pile on top of the jello and rinsed it under the tap (ri_i_i_ight). Thank you, Lord! That little guilty sin was all I needed to satisfy my rebellious nature and continue on the diet with renewed resolve.
The other problem that developed Sunday was a sense of all-over ill-feeling, probably why I so desperately needed the indulgence mentioned earlier. I was not only tired but also felt dizzy and lightheaded. It also marked the third day of irregularity. . . and a condition my southern ancestors would have referred to as '"tha' vapoa's". Actually, I didn't come from any kind of high society families so my ancestors would have called it what it is, but I will refrain from using that language personally, thank you very much.
Day 20, today, has been much better. I have begun to split my vegetables servings on a daily basis. I couldn't eat all those veggies in one sitting anyway. And thanks to Over the Counter Drugs, other things are better, too. I have had more energy, much needed since I have spent some of my time chasing my two and a half year old grandson. And I have not been as hungry.
I have added a few tips of my own to the advice of Miss Janie at the Webster Medifast Center.
The first is to make positive affirmations regarding God's assistance with my weight loss. For instance, I believe that God is rewarding my efforts toward self-discipline causing the fat stores in my body to melt away. I say this repeatedly through out the day and praise God for his faithfulness. You may think this doesn't have anything to do with my weight loss, but you have to understand I have done all this before and I couldn't do it on my own. Besides, I makes me feel better to believe He's rooting for me.
Tomorrow I go into see Janie and will report on my progress. I can't wait to tell you how it went.
God Bless You.
So, I spent Saturday evening sitting on the seawall sipping clumps of Cream of Broccoli Soup as it floated in hot water. The sky was filled with bright colors and loud sounds. Soon the cup was discarded and I joined my husband, grandson and daughter (the baby's aunt) in the oohing and ahing. What became my final meal was 7 out of 8 ounces of delicious grilled Mahi Mahi with steamed broccoli and a dry salad instead of the rice. Everyone at our table requested their vegetables dry and my husband and I had a side of Cocktail Sauce for Salad Dressing. A giant thank you to Landry's on the Seawall in Galveston, Texas for a meal not only prepared as requested but flavorful as well. And a very big thank you to our waitress, Tatiana from Romania, for all her efforts to make our dining experience so wonderful.
Sunday, day 19, was another difficult day for two reasons. While I had regained control of my eating schedule, I found myself hungry during the middle of the day. This was becoming a regular thing and it didn't matter what I had eaten or how long ago. Reading some of the materials Janie gave me when I signed up for Medifast, I found it was OK to eat your vegetables at different times of the day. And at our last meeting, Janie had suggested adding real broccoli to the Cream of Broccoli Soup. So I ate a serving of leftover broccoli and it helped to curb my appetite until my next meal. Later that evening I found myself suffering the kind of hungry that isn't caused by the 'rumbly in the tumbly'. It began as moments of pacing past the refrigerator. I had already eaten my one extra optional snack but I had visions of chips and dip or soft, sweet, delicate cupcakes running through my head. I wanted to try some of the snacks my daughter was eating, but they WEREN'T ON MY LIST!!!!
. . .ummm . . . . . . sorry. . . . . . .
So I paced and I prayed and I stuck my head in the frig and stared at its contents. Directly in front of me was a sugar free strawberry jello cup. It was on my list but not really what I wanted. I spied the can of whipped cream in the door and acquiesced. I heard a small still voice in my head, "If you give in this once it may be too difficult to go back." Acknowledging and ignoring the voice, I reached for the jello and whipped cream can. I peeled back the foil from the cup and looked at the front of the can as I picked it up. It didn't say 'lite' but then I knew that already. I tipped the can over and, beginning my circles along the outer edge, covered the jello cup with the white fluff, then, shoved the spout into the middle of the cloud on top of the jello and pressed the trigger again. The mound doubled in size. I lifted the can out of the pile on top of the jello and rinsed it under the tap (ri_i_i_ight). Thank you, Lord! That little guilty sin was all I needed to satisfy my rebellious nature and continue on the diet with renewed resolve.
The other problem that developed Sunday was a sense of all-over ill-feeling, probably why I so desperately needed the indulgence mentioned earlier. I was not only tired but also felt dizzy and lightheaded. It also marked the third day of irregularity. . . and a condition my southern ancestors would have referred to as '"tha' vapoa's". Actually, I didn't come from any kind of high society families so my ancestors would have called it what it is, but I will refrain from using that language personally, thank you very much.
Day 20, today, has been much better. I have begun to split my vegetables servings on a daily basis. I couldn't eat all those veggies in one sitting anyway. And thanks to Over the Counter Drugs, other things are better, too. I have had more energy, much needed since I have spent some of my time chasing my two and a half year old grandson. And I have not been as hungry.
I have added a few tips of my own to the advice of Miss Janie at the Webster Medifast Center.
The first is to make positive affirmations regarding God's assistance with my weight loss. For instance, I believe that God is rewarding my efforts toward self-discipline causing the fat stores in my body to melt away. I say this repeatedly through out the day and praise God for his faithfulness. You may think this doesn't have anything to do with my weight loss, but you have to understand I have done all this before and I couldn't do it on my own. Besides, I makes me feel better to believe He's rooting for me.
Tomorrow I go into see Janie and will report on my progress. I can't wait to tell you how it went.
God Bless You.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
My MediFast Diet - Day 17
Yesterday and today have been my worse days yet. And my best!!
I was hungry off and on for the first fifteen days. I expected to be hungry. You can't take a 1500 to 2000 calorie-a-day diet, change to an 800 calorie-a-day diet and not expect to be hungry. But the hungry was easy to manage. The tummy started its minor discomfort about every 2 to 3 hours. Since I was supposed to eat every 2 to 3 hours, everything worked out great. It was like having a built in alarm clock telling me when to eat next. And the shakes and bars were just enough to satisfy my hunger. They taste really good. But that was before Day 16.
Day 16 and Day 17 have not been so easy. The alarm clock has lost its timing and I find myself hungry much more often than every 2 hours. I used to eat my optional sugar free popscicle or sugar free jello cup just for something sweet after dinner, Lately, its become a way to keep from eating everything portioned out for the day in one sitting. The tips in the MediFast diet materials have helped me get through this. Tips like splitting my vegetable up. The diet allows three servings of vegetables a day. So I have taken 2 of the servings and created a additional meal. I eat this extra meal close to lunch, since I reserve my main meal for dinner with the family. But the hardest part of the last two days is going to bed hungry. My 22 year old daughter wants to spend July 4th in Galveston and I'm just not sure I can stand the heat and a 'rumbly tumbly'. We'll have to see.
I have also starting drinking more water. Today I had 6 half liter bottles of water and a 16 ounce glass of water at dinner. I normally try to keep my intake between 4 and 5 liters, but it has been unusually hot and humid here in Houston Texas.
But, . .all this said . . . . I just stepped on the scales to check my progress, something I do often to reasure myself the weight-loss program still working and that I am actually still following the plan (this is actually not recommended by by MediFast, I'm just sort OCD about this), and I was excited to find I had finally broken 220, wieghing in as 119.2. Oh, I think I forgot to mention that I started this journey at 234.5 pounds. The ladies at the MediFast office in Clear Lake, near BayBrook Mall, Janie and Jamie, have been so wonderful to me. I am grateful for all their encouragement.
Well, it's time to go to bed now, hungry but happy!
God Bless You and Be With You on your journey for self improvement.
I was hungry off and on for the first fifteen days. I expected to be hungry. You can't take a 1500 to 2000 calorie-a-day diet, change to an 800 calorie-a-day diet and not expect to be hungry. But the hungry was easy to manage. The tummy started its minor discomfort about every 2 to 3 hours. Since I was supposed to eat every 2 to 3 hours, everything worked out great. It was like having a built in alarm clock telling me when to eat next. And the shakes and bars were just enough to satisfy my hunger. They taste really good. But that was before Day 16.
Day 16 and Day 17 have not been so easy. The alarm clock has lost its timing and I find myself hungry much more often than every 2 hours. I used to eat my optional sugar free popscicle or sugar free jello cup just for something sweet after dinner, Lately, its become a way to keep from eating everything portioned out for the day in one sitting. The tips in the MediFast diet materials have helped me get through this. Tips like splitting my vegetable up. The diet allows three servings of vegetables a day. So I have taken 2 of the servings and created a additional meal. I eat this extra meal close to lunch, since I reserve my main meal for dinner with the family. But the hardest part of the last two days is going to bed hungry. My 22 year old daughter wants to spend July 4th in Galveston and I'm just not sure I can stand the heat and a 'rumbly tumbly'. We'll have to see.
I have also starting drinking more water. Today I had 6 half liter bottles of water and a 16 ounce glass of water at dinner. I normally try to keep my intake between 4 and 5 liters, but it has been unusually hot and humid here in Houston Texas.
But, . .all this said . . . . I just stepped on the scales to check my progress, something I do often to reasure myself the weight-loss program still working and that I am actually still following the plan (this is actually not recommended by by MediFast, I'm just sort OCD about this), and I was excited to find I had finally broken 220, wieghing in as 119.2. Oh, I think I forgot to mention that I started this journey at 234.5 pounds. The ladies at the MediFast office in Clear Lake, near BayBrook Mall, Janie and Jamie, have been so wonderful to me. I am grateful for all their encouragement.
Well, it's time to go to bed now, hungry but happy!
God Bless You and Be With You on your journey for self improvement.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
My MediFast Diet - Day 15
So ends day 15 on this journey. No one told me this would be easy, not that I every thought it would be, and it isn't.
For dinner this evening, I grilled a couple of split chicken breast for myself and my family. It was so nice to have everyone eating dinner together again. After dinner I was so tired. I had to lay down until I regained my strength, about an hour. I am also struggling with the balance of the immediate sacrifice for a desired end result and the immediate gratification of things of the past with no thought of the long term outcome. In other words, should I eat the cookie or not! I am proud to say I still haven't eatten the cookie. And actually it isn't really a specific cookie, its every cookie, every piece of cake, every ice cream bar, and every little peace of sushi. My daughter has been craving sushi and misses our lunches to resturants my husband doesn't care for but we love. Actually, I'm missing those lunches, too!
I did make a great discovery today. I found that, upon request, the Baristar at Starbucks was willing to add one of the MediFast Shake Packets to a Tall Iced Coffee and it was pretty good. Yeah! I have regained one of my previous pleasures, coffee at Starbucks, even if it isn't a 'Venti Vanilla Toffeenut Nonfat Latte'. This is a frequent family outing at my house, one I have avoided up until this evening. Thank you to all those resturants who are willing to assist all of us working so hard to lose pounds.
I am also learning which MediFAst products fit within my own lifestyle. In the end, I still feel that the MediFast Diet is the best thing I could have done for myself and my family. I am also happy to say some of my friends have also shown signs of the desire to make the changes necessary to reduce their own excess weight. That helps encourage me too.
I hope that you will also consider taking the necessary sacrifices to make a difference in your own life.
Until tomorrow. . . .
For dinner this evening, I grilled a couple of split chicken breast for myself and my family. It was so nice to have everyone eating dinner together again. After dinner I was so tired. I had to lay down until I regained my strength, about an hour. I am also struggling with the balance of the immediate sacrifice for a desired end result and the immediate gratification of things of the past with no thought of the long term outcome. In other words, should I eat the cookie or not! I am proud to say I still haven't eatten the cookie. And actually it isn't really a specific cookie, its every cookie, every piece of cake, every ice cream bar, and every little peace of sushi. My daughter has been craving sushi and misses our lunches to resturants my husband doesn't care for but we love. Actually, I'm missing those lunches, too!
I did make a great discovery today. I found that, upon request, the Baristar at Starbucks was willing to add one of the MediFast Shake Packets to a Tall Iced Coffee and it was pretty good. Yeah! I have regained one of my previous pleasures, coffee at Starbucks, even if it isn't a 'Venti Vanilla Toffeenut Nonfat Latte'. This is a frequent family outing at my house, one I have avoided up until this evening. Thank you to all those resturants who are willing to assist all of us working so hard to lose pounds.
I am also learning which MediFAst products fit within my own lifestyle. In the end, I still feel that the MediFast Diet is the best thing I could have done for myself and my family. I am also happy to say some of my friends have also shown signs of the desire to make the changes necessary to reduce their own excess weight. That helps encourage me too.
I hope that you will also consider taking the necessary sacrifices to make a difference in your own life.
Until tomorrow. . . .
My MediFast Diet - Day 14
Well, my coach at MediFast has requested that I journal my days on this diet. so I decided to take her up on that and add my comments here. So far everything on Medifast has worked better than planned. Forteen days into the Medifast diet and I have lost 13 pounds. Woohoo!!!
The great part about that is I lost 9.5 pounds the first week, and the down part is that I only lost 4 the second. I should note that I am still way above average for this diet program. I do get hungry off and on through out the day. And some times I am a little gittery, most likely becaust I am not yet at the point where I am supposed to begin exercising. My grandbaby comes next week to spend a little time with us, so that will most certainly change.
I remain up beat with a subdued sort of excitement. I've been at this place in a diet so many times before only to fail. I feel confident that Janie, my counselor at Medifast, will be able to help me through the tough times when they come. And I know they will come.
I jope you will follow along with me and you can offer ideas (for support only, please) and let me know if the journey I have begun might help you to begin your own.
God Bless You and Good Health Too
Lisa G. Unfried
The great part about that is I lost 9.5 pounds the first week, and the down part is that I only lost 4 the second. I should note that I am still way above average for this diet program. I do get hungry off and on through out the day. And some times I am a little gittery, most likely becaust I am not yet at the point where I am supposed to begin exercising. My grandbaby comes next week to spend a little time with us, so that will most certainly change.
I remain up beat with a subdued sort of excitement. I've been at this place in a diet so many times before only to fail. I feel confident that Janie, my counselor at Medifast, will be able to help me through the tough times when they come. And I know they will come.
I jope you will follow along with me and you can offer ideas (for support only, please) and let me know if the journey I have begun might help you to begin your own.
God Bless You and Good Health Too
Lisa G. Unfried
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