Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Day 5 P3/LRx

Almost a week, and I am doing all right!  I am down to 261.4, 4.2 below LDW.  We are supposed to use this time to "stabilize", but since I am not actively dieting, just eating the LRx (3 meals, including the BAB!). 
Yesterday, I had a bit of a binge attack.  Fortunately, I managed to hang on til dinner (no snacking on the LRx), and then raided the pantry for some sunflower seeds and some Paleo Krunch (yummy!) www.stevesoriginal.com.  Delish and decadent, oh, and a square of Trader Joe's Organic 73% dark chocolate.  Then had to process my guilt feelings.  But, instead of continuing to eat, I stopped, accepted my "cheat", and moved on about it.
As I was walking into my room, I thought about how much more happier I am with myself and the weight I have lost.  I love the feeling of my body (I hate how it looks, but I knew that saggy skin was coming), I DO NOT want to regain at all!
I have stayed this same weight for 2 days now, but am hoping for a couple more pounds to "disappear" before I go back to HCG.  I would love to be in the 50's.  Now I am also wondering if I should do another long round.  If I find that HCG does work for me still, I am thinking about doing P2 to 200 - 225 lbs.  It seems that keeping it off is fairly simple, staying within the boundaries of P3 and Paleo (Paleo 3, LOL).  I am having no trouble adjusting to no grains or no dairy.  Sugars (sweets of any kind) can come from fruit (especially strawberries, yum!), although I did enjoy the sweetness of the Paleo Krunch (and can see why folks would eat it as a cereal!), which uses honey.  But I am in no hurry to eat pseudo Paleo foods (Paleo pancakes, muffins, biscuits, cakes, etc.), although I have no reservation for making them for the family.  To me, it's opening a door that I may not have the strength to close.
Once I am down to a reasonable weight, I may have one day every couple of weeks to indulge in the pseudo goodies, but not now!
I am hoping to get my kettle-bells and DVDs this next week, so that I can start up a exercise program.  The cool thing about losing weight, I love shopping around Big 5, for weights and tennis gear.  I want to get a solo practice tennis ball (and tennis ball on a string attached to a weight).  My FIL says he enjoys tennis, so if he doesn't complain too much about his back (gee, exercise would help that!), maybe he'll come out to play.  The Colonel will play with me, but his knees are chewed up, and tennis is super hard on the knees!  I am fairly sure that Grok didn't play tennis, but that is my fun!

Friday, April 20, 2012

First Day on LeptinRx!

The day went smashingly!  Because my calorie count is up, I had plenty of energy (used up to paint a bedroom).  But more than that:  I feel good.  I physically feel good, emotionally feel good, I just feel good about me!  That never happens.  My body my look like a science experiment gone horribly wrong, but overall, I am a better me!

Here's my ending HCG/beginning LeptinRx photos (different clothes, for different program):
60 lbs lighter at 265
My boobs are hedging out my belly!

Total losses:
Neck:  -5.5"
Shoulders:  -10"
Bicep:  -3"
Chest:  -3"
Bust:  -6.25"
Waist:  -3"
Hips (which is mostly belly):  -9"
Thigh:  -3"
Calves:  -1.5"
Total inches lost:  44.25

Yep, pretty freakin' awesome.  I am no specimine of beauty or grace, but I am getting there!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

I Made It!

Today is day VLCD 70.  I woke up to a 1.2 lb loss, which puts me that much under my Last Drop Weight (LDW).  I made it to 60 lbs lost!  60 lbs in 70 days is almost surreal!

Tomorrow I start a leptin reset (LeptinRx).  Leptin is the driving force in the hypothalamus (which controls weight).  I have all the signs of being leptin resistant (LR), which explains why I have absolutely no control when it comes to food.

The signals that should tell me to stop eating are being blocked by years of bad health.  So, I could eat a big dinner, and still eat afterwards.  The Colonel is also LR, going by his behaviours, but this is too new agey for him, and he is in the "I'm not fat" camp "so I am healthy".  Unfortunately, he is wrong.  Lord willing, I will be able to be an example. 

I want to be healthy so bad!  Weight loss being a side effect, but I want to be strong and secure in who I am, not continue to be tied down to food.

I will start my day with a BAB (big ass breakfast), I have to get in between 50 and 70 grams of protein, and make sure I use healthy fats (coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, etc) to keep my body burning fat for energy, not sugar.  So, for the next 6 weeks, I will be eating my standard P2 diet, just more of it and adding fat.

Tomorrow I will be posting the results of my 70 day journey (with pictures - ugg).  Which will also be day one of my 6 week reset, before diving back into HCG!  Healthy, here I come!

Monday, April 16, 2012

This is My Last Day with HCG

Looks like today is it.  I have enough HCG to finish up today, and I will begin my 3 days of 500 cals/no HCG tomorrow.

I will have been on VLC for 70 days total.  Then 6 weeks of P3/4, but since I am doing a Leptin Reset, I will not really go into P4.  I am looking forward to BABs!  I miss breakfast.  I am also looking forward to avocados (and they are just about in season, yea!)

I am going to spend some time this week making Paleo ketchup and BBQ sauce, both of which I truly miss.  I may also attempt to make Paleo mayo, but all I have is olive oil.  I need to find some avocado oil!

With the family already Primal (I will be a staunch Paleo), everyone will be on the same page, which will make it easier for me to stay on the path to health.

Let's see how my transition days go.  I am not expecting too much trouble, but will get the urge to snack, which I have to fight.  On Friday I can have a BAB, and see how that carries me.  I am thinking a couple of eggs and some steak, maybe a veggie omelet?

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Getting Close to Transition

Day  66 for me, and transition is looming.  Part of me is ready to stop being so restrictive, another part says if I am left to my own, I will just balloon up. 

What I am hoping is to lose that 10-13 lbs that I am away from 250, so that when I go back in May, I can just shoot for 200 (50 lbs lost).  This is completely off protocol. My thought is this, if someone has weight loss surgery, they don't take a break, they can't.  So why should I? 

I am going to study more about the Leptin Reset.  I get no sugar AT ALL for the next 6 weeks, but, it's a small price to pay for becoming lean and mean (mean because I don't get no sugar).  So I am formulating my game plan, yes, still.

Anything worth doing, is worth doing well.  Fail to plan, plan to fail.  Both axioms, both truer than people know.  So many go into any diet or scheme, with no idea what they are going to do after.  Since I am dieting, dieting will be my focus.  When America entered into to war, the liberals touted that the President didn't have an exit strategy, true enough, but of course, the libs didn't either.  It was just a way to slam the President.  Looking into the future is imperative.  If I return to my ways BHCG (before HCG), all I have lost, I will gain, plus plenty more (interest per se!).  It doesn't matter what diet plan someone uses.  Low cal, low fat, low carb, pills, surgery, whatever.  It all affects us the same.  That's why I was so hesitant to try a "miracle" diet.  Most taut that you can eat the same and loose weight, if you take their "wonder" pill.  I have yet to see any of those statements quantified/qualified.

So, right now, I have about 3 days of HCG.  Then 3 days no HCG, but stay on the 500 cal. diet.  Then I am going to add eggs first, again, for 3 days, then coconut oil, 3 days.  I am probably going to avoid most dairy, except for butter.  Cheese will be like a treat, not so much a regular in my diet.  I have gone 2 months with no dairy, no sugar (except for fruits), no bread.  My energy level has stayed up (granted, the HCG helped bunches), no upset stomach, no bowel issues.  All HCG?  No. 

Once I add those items, my world will open up.  I am not worried about about more veggies (no starchy stuff, at least for a couple of weeks, sweet potatoes/yams, not standard potatoes), broccoli, zucchini, squashes of all kinds, mixing veggies!  All good, and good for me!

A new, healthier world will be opening up!  Yea!!!! 

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Day 61

I don't have many more HCG days left on this round.  Part of me is kind of sad, and part kind of glad, and part a bit scared.  My plan for P3 is to stick to P2 protocol, just with breakfast.  I am going to study up on a "leptin reset".  Leptin was only discovered in the 1990's.  I am still studying, but leptin is responsible for helping the body to maintain weight.  Most fat people have non existent leptin, hence the added weight.  Added weight, thru the inability to stop eating, even when full.

Anyway, I am down 1.4 lbs this morning, which puts me at 267.8.  I am hoping to break into the 50's before my HCG is gone, but since I have been losing 4 to 6 lbs every 10 days, it probably won't happen, but I will get as low as I possibly can.

Well, let's see how I am doing:

267.8

The saggy skin is easy to see.  I am anxious to start exercising again, it probably won't help pull up much, but at least I will be toning the muscles underneath.  I will probably do Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred to start.  Then I have have another Jillian, but since I only have 6 weeks, I will fit as much in as I can before I have to stop in P2.  Hopefully, with exercise and maintaining a healthy diet, I will see a bit of weight loss (although Jillian is notorious for adding muscle quite quickly, which usually means a bit of a weight gain before any loss is seen).  I don't think I will be exceeding 1,000 calories.  I know P3 is supposed to be about stabilization, but I still have so much to lose, it doesn't make sense to "stabilize" at a weight that I want to shrink from.

On my next round, I am hoping to lose 25 lbs (that's pushing it a bit).  As of now, I am planning a standard 43 day round, but part of me would love to go long.  I really like being in  P2, that's why P3/P4 is going to look very similar to P2.  I just don't have the fortitude to let lose and since I am off grains indefinitely, I will always be in a P3 mode (that's why I have been studying Paleo/Primal eating).

Update about my measurements.  hey were a bust.  An inch on my biceps and 2" across the shoulders, gone.  4" around my waist up!  Crazy.  I am sure that will change, but I hate ending up bigger when I am supposed to be smaller!!

That's about it for now.  Today is a skip day, which usually stalls me out for a couple of days.  Maybe, by the end of the week, I will see 265!

Monday, April 9, 2012

Goals Met

Well, today dawns on VLCD 60.  I woke up to a 1.6 lb loss with my latest goals met:  I broke into the 30's for my BMI and also broke into the 260's!  I am at 269.2, that's a 55.8 lb loss total! 

I have about 10 ish days left of HCG, so all my up coming losses are icing on the cake!

I am developing a game plan for P3.  Mainly, I will just be doing P2, but slowly increasing my protein servings, and adding breakfast.  My first week, I am going to add a "omelet" of 1 egg and veggies (using a scant bit of coconut oil).  By week two, I may increase to 2 eggs and veggies, plus a small steak. 

Easter went well, I ended up not having any dinner, 'cause I got caught up in making dinner for the family.  The ham turned out well, and looked delicious!  It also brought into focus about snacking and portion control.  On Paleo, portion control is not to be a big deal, but for someone like me, portion control is absolutely necessary.  Plus, the ham was covered in brown sugar and pineapple, so I couldn't of had any anyway.

Lot's happening in my life right now, In-laws moving in, my 45th birthday coming up, Pin-A-Go-Go, camping for the Pooker's b-day, and the Fourth of July blow out. 

I am looking forward to finishing up this round and getting started on the next.  I like losing this weight!  I wish I would lose more belly fat, but I'll take what I can get.  I think that I will hop on the Wii and see what it says.  Since it weighs me less, it has the better numbers.  But since I bought a very nice and fancy scale, I might as well listen to what it says for the real numbers.  I was a bit bummed at the doctors, 'cause their scale was 6 lbs off (higher) than my scale.  Since my scale only weighs me, I am going with mine and not the one at the doctors office.

Tomorrow is measure/picture day.  For once, I am really interested in seeing some great losses on the tape!  I am hoping my picture reflects how much thinner I feel!  I have been feeling ribs, seeing my collar bone, and even felt my sternum!  This is very exciting, and I don't want to give any of it up!!!