VLCD 1 was a smashing success....

I woke up this morning 4 lbs. lighter! Goal #1 is to get back to my ldw of 204, which is only 20 lbs. away. I had steak, cucumbers, and an orange for lunch. For dinner I had chicken tenders on mixed greens with salsa and strawberries with stevia. The meals were satisfying enough. I am feeling hunger pangs, which I don't remember from my first 2 rounds. Fortunately, I have done intermittent fastings, so I don't freak out when my tummy rumbles. Eventually, my body will adjust to the lower calorie regime. Plus, it encourages me to drink more water. Winter time makes drinking water a chore, especially when I want to chug down a few pots of coffee. I am keeping my eyes on the prize, and totally locked into my plan. Soon, I will be comfy in my 16s, then I can shoot for size 14, 12, or maybe even a size 10. Because of my apron (hanging belly skin), I don't think that I can get into anything smaller. And with Obamacare kicking in, there is little opportunity for getting an elective surgery like excess skin removal for less than a fortune. But, I love me, and my hubby loves me, and we are the only two that count, since we are the only 2 that has to see me naked (scary, right?). I will chalk up my hanging skin to battle scars, and just live with it. I am off to guzzle down a pot o'coffee, then switch off to good ole h2o.

Back in the Saddle Again

I'm baaaaaaaack! After a wonderful Disneyland vacation, I came home and ready to lose!!! Today is very low calorie day (VLCD) one. My loading days went well, I only gained 1.4 lbs., which is OK, I would have rather lost, but c'est la vie. My main goal is 54 lbs. My first goal is the 1.4 lbs. I gained. #2 is 225. Then, down from there. I am hoping to be back into my regular clothes in 2 weeks. The main build up of fat I have on my body is around my waist and belly. I don't have a lot to lose at the top (shoulders, neck, head), my whole torso needs slimming. It looks like a long round of about 60 days. I am thinking about adding some light exercise. Kickboxing (DVD) and learning to use a kettleweight (15 lbs.). Nothing too outrageous, just something to keep me moving and strong. My next task is to steamline my Paleo eating. I have not been eating enough veggies, and having way too much processed meats.

Excited to return to hCG

Hey all! I came through hardcore Paleo with no damage, no improvements either. I think my old body is stuck in a rut. I did manage to remain sugar free for 30 days, which is good, because other than ketchup and BBQ sauce, I am not really into sweet stuff much. On March 1st I am starting another round of hCG. I have a goal of 50 lbs., 25 of them are the original pounds I still needed to go when I stopped hCG, and the other half is what I picked up. I am planning on going the distance again with this round. I am thinking 60 ish days, possibly more. On my first round, I was losing about a pound a day (totally rocks!), and my second, not so well, it took 103 days to lose 56 lbs. I am hoping that I have been away long enough that everything old is new again, and I will get the excesses off. My main issue is the weight gathers at my belly, and just hangs on for dear life. I am telling you, I have that cool looking 6-pack under all that blubber. I am also very excited about an upcoming trip to Disneyland. Last time we were there, I was well over 300 lbs., and not comfortable in the rides. This time I am a hundred pounds lighter and 72" smaller. The Colonel needs the 'puter, so I am off to start my day.

OK gang...

I have gone Hardcore Paleo, see day one here. I will be blogging about all my exploits and share my experiences going Hardcore Paleo and doing my "getting strong" exercising. Come on over to Primal and Paleo, Parenting and Passion for a look. Happy New Year!!!!

Christmas, but the cookies look so good....

Yes, Christmas time is here again. Time for family, friends, maxing out the credit card, and a huge amount of goodies just begging to be eaten. How do you get through without having to moving up one wardrobe size? Since hCG and subsequently going Paleo, I tend to lose on those holiday feast days. Thanksgiving gave me a 2 lb. loss. How? Easy, I don't partake in anything that has grain. Yes, that means I miss out on the Stove Top stuffing, biscuits, the pie, the cookies, and the like. It doesn't mean that I don't get to eat, enjoy my family, or have a treat. It means that I do my best to choose wisely. My Thanksgiving plate had turkey, mashed red potatoes, honey glazed sweet potatoes, and southern style green beans (green beans, bacon, onions, and lots of butter). I even had some cranberry sauce (which did have HFCS, yecch). Our Christmas dinner this year will be Tri-tip, baked red potatoes, steamed broccoli, salad, and for the family, gravy, rolls and apple pie. Does this sound like I am denying anyone a grand Christmas feast? No, of course not. Am I anywhere near depriving myself? No, not even close. For me, Christmas is family coming together to celebrate the birth of the Christ. It's about loving and giving. It's not about cookies, cakes, or any other food, healthy or otherwise. I hope everyone has a happy Christmas. May God bless you all so that the best of your past will be the worst of your future.

Back to the Drawing Board

Hello all! I have been lax on my postings, mainly because I am being lazy and flighty. I did not manage to come through the Thanksgiving season unscathed. In fact, I find myself 30 lbs. over my best weight of 191. I am still down 100 lbs., and have no desire to gain and lose THOSE pounds again. My biggest problem is not sticking to a stricter Paleo eating plan. I have been far cozy with sugary stuff. Mainly dark chocolate. I am still very careful that it contains no soy or dairy, but candy is candy. I have been researching Paleo meals that I will be terrorizing the whole family with. Everyone has been eating bread, pasta, cakes, cookies (not me...but I am letting the Littles and not being a good Mommy). Not to mention all the processed meat products. So, starting Jan. 1 we will be having wonderful Paleo stuff, with some minor addendums (my hubby has to eat on the road, so lettuce wrapped sandwiches are a no-go). I will be focusing on homemade meals, prepping and freezing, and the odd Paleo snacky. My poor children will be stuck eating healthy meals and snacks (awwww poor babies...). I just whipped up a batch of Paleo mayo which came out well with an immersion blender, my preferred way of making mayo without using the "slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly, add the oil, drop by drop, slowly, slowly" method, which is time consuming and well, frankly, sucks. Take your favorite mayo recipe, put it all the ingredients into your jar of choice (I use 1 quart mason-type jars, my stick blender barely fits in it...), then put in your immersion blender, set it on the bottom of the container and let it whirl until the emulsification process starts (you will see the eggs and oil start looking solid, like mayo), then you can start the up and down movements to blend in the rest of the oil. Here's a tip to make sure you get good mayo, all the ingredients should be a room temperature. Once you put all the ingredients into the container, let them sit together for a few minutes so that everything is at the same temp. I am not promising perfect mayo every time, but definitely most of the time (sometimes you just get oily scrambled eggs, yecch...). I am starting my strict Paleo plan now, and will keep everyone posted on how things are going. If sticking Paleo shows me some good results, then I may just strict Paleo my way back down, if not, I am contemplating doing hCG again in February. Well, I am off to start some meatloaf (an old family recipe that improved by being converted to Paleo!).

Naughty, naughty me

I would love to post about being in One-derland, or being a comfortable size 14, but, alas, this is not the case. My naughtiness took the form of black forest bacon (which has plenty of sugar and corn), sausage links, and far too many sunflower seeds. Did I happen to mention chocolate? Yep, my (and many others down fall) sweet tooth was going for broke. I have been indulging in Theo's dark chocolate (almond and sea salt), and Heavenly Organics mint patties. I really tried to stretch them out, but still ended up scarfing up way too much junk. I made the choice, and I paid the price. Right now, I am making plans to be prepped for a zombie invasion paleo style. I will be storing some grains (rice) and some legumes (beans, usually pinto), but I am also planning on canning some meat (when I find good deals, I stock up), making some jerky, and getting the veggie garden going in the spring. Being prepared for whatever the future holds is important, especially since I have kids, a husband, and an elderly FIL to care for. Just because it's the end of the world as we know it (TEOTWAWKI) doesn't mean that we still can't eat healthy. You will hear about having to have tons of carbs (in the form of grains) to maintain your physical activities. This is not true. Looking back through time, Noah didn't step off the Ark and have pasta. He had to start his garden, not only for himself, but for 7 other people. But, Noah and his family did have to continue to eat what they had left in the stores of the Ark, and I bet you that Noah's sons went hunting (God made the animals afraid of people once they landed), for some fresh MEAT. The only thing that holds us back from being able to live off the land is knowledge. NEWS ALERT: Information is available at your local library, and it's FREE!!!! Everyone can have a garden of one sort or another, some will be HUGE, others as small as their balcony. If you don't have a garden, start one, if you don't know how, learn. Can you hunt? Learn. Skin an animal, learn. Just remember, when it comes to hunting, use the animal nose to tail. So, along with my health, these thoughts are consuming me. I don't want to rely on bread, crackers, and pasta to keep going, even in the event of a disaster. Prepping also includes getting more physically fit. I can hold my own body weight for a few seconds (about 20) while hanging from a bar, but still can't pull my body up. My upper body strength is pathetic. I can do 15 push ups (real ones, not girly ones), and hold a plank for a minute (with enough arm shaking to start an earthquake). I really need to practice running sprints. My leg strength is pretty good, I can lunge and deep knee bend with the best (of course, having legs used to holding up 300 + pounds, then losing 100 of those makes it a bit easier), but although I can run, I can't go too long (still too much jiggles on me), and in an emergency, I need to be able to haul ass possibly carrying two 40 lbs. kids. On the horizon, we have a Disney trip planned in February, and Disneyland is very similar to a Zombie invasion, and the same amount of strength and determination to survive will be needed. Do you find yourself wondering about this kind of stuff? Steps must be taken, and there is no time like the present. Whether you are planning for the Apocalypse or a family vacation, health and strength are vital!