VLCD 4

After 3 days VLC, I have lost 9.2 lbs. Fantastic! I am starting to feel boney parts again, specifically my hip bones. Right now I am really pear shaped, a total bummer because I used to be an hour glass shape, aka a really heavy Mae West (very sexy!). If I react the same way as I did before, I will lose the weight, but not the inches, until P3. I am OK on waiting. Since I am no where as big as I was before, I should lose inches while losing weight, but there is no guarantee. We are born with a set amount of fat cells, when our bodies store fat, the cells fill up. When the body releases fat quickly, the cells push out the fat, but add in water (hence the mushy feeling). In time, the water drains out, and the cells shrink. My concern is the loose skin I am have, which will only get worse. There isn't really much I can do about it, exercise will only do so much. Right now, I am at 219, hopefully, in the next 2 weeks or so I will be into "one"derland. I have been down to 191, so once I hit the 80's (about a month or so, depending on my losses), I will reevaluate my exercise regime to regain my strength and tighten my core. I have also been working on a Paleo plan to stay slim (for me) and not regain any of my losses. I am still 15 lbs. away from my ldw, then everything else will be virgin territory for me. This round, I find myself much more obsessed with food, specifically eating. I am combating this by keeping my eyes on the prize, namely, getting down to the 70's. Any diet, no matter how fast or slow, requires focus. hCG seems a bit of a cheat because it works quickly. The standard focal mantra is "you can do anything for 30 days", yes and no. Sure, you can go on any diet for 30 days, but what happens after? There are always going to be people who will encourage you to eat what you shouldn't. My dearest husband, The Colonel, has made mention of what a bummer it is to go out to dinner with me, because of my self imposed dietary limitations. While loading, he realized that my limitations take some worry away from him (about my health). We had gone to Der Wienerschnitzal, where I ordered their 5 chili dogs for $5.55 deal (no buns), then went next door to Carl's Jr. for a large sweet potato fry. He remembered when I would get something at one fast food place, then head over to another, then, sometimes a third. Not healthy. Delicious, but not healthy. It's my history that keeps me on track. Like so many obese people, I have stories that would make the skinny folks throw up. Pizza Hut now puts out a combo that's 2 pizzas, with an appetizer and a dessert. I call it the Fatty Special. I personally have ordered 2 Little Caesar's pizzas, bread sticks, chicken wings, and washed it all down with soda. Who's to say that I wasn't feeding my whole family? I wasn't, I was feeding me. Shameful behavior. And that was just dinner, it doesn't count the 2 Whoppers (with extra mayo) at lunch, or the Grand Slam breakfast, then there was the snacking in between. How did I get so fat? I wonder... The only way to break the food addiction cycle is to face it head on. The first thing I gave up was soda. I was never partial to diet soda, so my choices went from coffee, tea, water, or soda, to coffee, tea, or water. I don't sweeten my coffee or tea, so it was no biggie for me. Losing the soda helped, but it wasn't enough. The bread and sugar was next, but I didn't know enough about how to reduce or eliminate these. The AMA has set guidelines about how to lose weight safely, unfortunately, everything they promote makes me gain, and is so overprocessed that none of what they tout is actually healthy. Where they go is calorie restriction, which, although I am deep in the throws of a 500 calorie diet, doesn't work either. It's the food. Would anyone disagree that a sautéed chicken breast is healthier than a BLT? Surprisingly, it's not the bacon, it's the bread, it's the soy based mayo, the lack of nutrition of iceberg lettuce. What I really like about hCG is that I can scarf all the veggies I want. My meat is portioned to 100g, I can have 2 fruits, but veggies are a free for all. I fill my plate with mixed greens, or slice up a whole (large) cucumber, eat a pound of asparagus, and away melt the pounds. This has to be the basis for my return to real eating. Go as big on veggies as you like. Portion meats, portion fruits, portion fats (that's healthy fats). I have said all this before, and it's still true. Even if you aren't doing hCG, you will lose weight. Eating at 3 fast food restaurants daily, with convenience store stops in between is not only expensive, but wrong. You know it, I know it. Losing weight is just a side effect of eating healthy. Any type of eating is a diet. A diet is just how we eat. Some are good, some are not. Is pizza the end all be all of living? Will you die if you only have ice cream every couple of months, rather than every day? I can testify that NO you will not. I have gone years without soda, and lived, months without ice cream or candy, and lived. I haven't had onion rings in a year, and when I did, it was paleo-ized, but still a fried, not healthy food, but a treat. I know that in a few months, I can have some onion rings again, I can have coconut milk ice cream again, I can have chocolate again. The trick it to keep them in their places. Broccoli is a food that you can eat bunches of. Have all the romaine lettuce you want. Have a thick steak with a ton of asparagus, that's food. Cookies, cakes, ice cream, candy, these are not "food", these are treats, like a vacation is a treat, you don't do them everyday, but maybe only once or twice a year. A vacation wouldn't be a treat if you did it everyday, neither are sweets.

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!).