Sunday Weigh in & other thoughts

Good Morning!   I hope you are enjoying your weekend.   Please remember to stop this weekend and remember those who've given up their lives for our country.    Ironically, over a Memorial Day weekend, we lost a dear friend who we now remember. 

I had a busy weekend and many thoughts flying through my head.  So you may just get a long post out of me.

First, let's start with the weight update.  Sorry, I forgot what I weighed last weekend.   I think it's down another 3lbs.  So according to MY tracking, I'm down a little over 64 lbs.  According to what my medical record will say, that's 68lbs.   Yikes!!!  I check in with both the Biggest Loser AND my dietician this week.  Should be interesting.    

Since I started this diet, going on 5 weeks, I've lost 28 lbs.  I don't know when I'll be getting off this, something I need to talk to the Dr & dietician about. 

At this point in time, I'm about 70 lbs away from my acceptable goal. 

Second thought:
This weekend my parents are visiting. Yesterday we headed to the islands for the day.   It is just so weird for me to think about. A year ago I would not have been able to have done this.  I would not have been able to walk anywhere. I would not have been able to stand for any significant amount of time.  

One of the places we visited was a cave.  There was a lot of climbing of stairs, crouching down, slouching and other physical activities to view the cave that I would never have been able to have done last year.    It blows my mind, just how far I've come.

Also at the same time, I'm so disappointed.  I've told you all about this weight loss, but the only place I see it is in the scale and my clothing. I do not see it.   Others say they can, but I still can't. I still see the same overweight girl.

Another thing that makes me sad, I'm near having lost 70 lbs.  While that number is impressive, the last time I lost 70lbs, I was skinny.  Now, I'm just starting to make a dent.   I can't believe I ever got that big.  It's depressing.

Third, along those same lines. There was a woman on the boat yesterday.  She was big.  Tall and overweight.  I asked my mother, was I that big?  I never saw it in the mirror, but I saw it in photos.   I wanted to know what other people saw.   While I wasn't quite the size of that woman I saw, apparently, I was BIG.    It was shocking to see what others may have seen.   

I still have a hard road ahead of me.  I need to buckle down and get moving.

Well, I think that's enough for now. I'm sure I'll have more to share later this week. 

Again, enjoy your weekend, Thanks a veteran, & remember those who are no longer with us.

XO

Here we go again!

Hi there! 

 

Fyi,  I'm starting this part on Tuesday evening. Not sure when I'm posting yet though.

 

Weighed in for Biggest Loser on Monday.  I normally do Tuesdays and I should have waited.  They say nearly 2 pounds, but it should have been closer to four.

 

This morning I woke to a big shock. I can officially say that I now lost all that I gained between December and April. Additionally I would like to report that I lost an additional pound.  So I will now to back to Sunday weigh ins.

 

I also have to start going through my closet again.  Some items are feeling very loose. 

 

On Monday I arrived at work early enough to work out in the gym.  My bike workout at home is on hold.  Due to storms in our area and LOTS of rain,  my basement is a bit water logged. 

Thursday I'll have 2 work outs,  the bike at the gym and aqua zumba. Did I mention I need a new swim suit? Mine is getting a bit loose.

 

I'm in week 3 of my diet and have lost a total 16 or so pounds. Yay.

Maybe I'll reach my 30 lb goal by Vegas?  Fingers crossed.

 

Thursday:

Basement update. Lost the carpet, padding & moulding. We're waiting on the status of the drywall.

My bike is kept down there so we're going to have to figure something out.   Maybe it's ok for now as my knee has been really bad. Weather related? We'll see.

 

Weigh in this morning : down 57 lbs.  W00t W00t. 

SUNDAY

Well if you haven't looked at the number, I am now down 61 lbs. As a reminder, in November I stopped at -52.  So I have now lost all that I gained PLUS 9 more. We're back on track.

I do have to say the HARDEST part of this diet--I miss peanut butter.  I  miss it so much. Rich loves peanut butter and it kills me to smell it.

Last night, I had a bit more of salsa and 'dip' than I'm allowed and it knocked me from moderate to trace in ketones.  I need to make sure I get back up.   Not good.  
I'm not too upset because I know I can do it.   

 Since starting this diet, I've lost 25 lbs.    That's in three weeks in case you lost track. I start week 4 tomorrow.

So let's celebrate!
 

 

Happy Mothers Day

Welcome and Happy Mothers Day to all you Moms out there.  

SO my week has had some progress.  I'm none too happy about the past few days, but after significant progress and then a slow down, I usually am not.

So I don't know if I mentioned, but for my weigh-in with the biggest loser, I lost 12 lbs.   I am just lbs away at where I was.   SO I need to step in gear and lose some more!!

BTW, lbs away means 2.    So yay.   

I also decided it's been awhile since you've seen any progress pictures.   I decided to do something I was dreading, but it's important to show how long I've come.

The picture I'm about to share was taken last June by my uncle.   This is just two months before I started all this.   I cried when he sent me the photo.   I look awful. It was soo hot and I'm sooo big.   How did this happen?  (I KNOW how it happened).

The other two photos are 1) me in the same outfit.   and 2) a picture of my face. Now this photo is BEFORE I lost the 12 lbs. But the point is, there is still progress.   I don't have any photos of my face currently that I'm willing to share, so this will have to do.     
These are IN PROGRESS photos, not the final result.   I have tons more work to go.



DESPISE this picture.

 

Same outfit.  Just hangs--Very loose as well as the capris.



12 pounds ago. Taken last month. That's a dear friend of mine btw.

The Struggle

Hi.  Welcome back and hello to anyone new joining us.

I wanted to take a moment to talk about something I am sure everyone can comprehend, struggle.

Since I decided a year ago to do something about my weight and go to that consult, my life has been nothing but struggle.

I bet the average person goes through the day without even thinking about their caloric intake or how much they weigh.  I'm sure it comes up, but I highly doubt they think of it as often as someone like me does, especially now.

Every day since Aug 18, when my eating habits officially changed and I began to work at losing weight, my weight and or food choices have been on my mind-Even more so now.   I have to plan out what I am having long before I make it. I need to either make sure I don't have too many ounces of meat or just enough to eat.

I am made aware of my weight by how my clothes fit. Are they too tight? Are they getting tighter? Are they starting to get too loose?   Here's a real issue I'm having right now. Tomorrow I am getting together for lunch with my cousin and Sunday with the family for mother's day. Both are taking place in a restaurant.   I've spent the past two days going over the menu's trying to determine what I can eat.   Luckily I have more choices at the lunch with my cousin than with the family.

I feel like I'm always hungry. Even now on this new diet.  I think about food. I think about my diet. I think about my weight.  I think about what I can have. I think about what I can't. I wonder how long it will take me to lose. Last night at dinner, after I measured out my portion and ate it, it took all I had to not get up for more.   I so badly wanted to eat more. I was hungry AND it tasted so good.

I made my cauliflower casserole this week. Under normal circumstances, I could have had more than 1 helping. However, this is not a normal circumstance.   I am only allowed 2 vegetable servings a day.   I already had one earlier, so I could only allow myself one piece.  It was sooooooooooo good.

I never appreciated being on 1900 calories as much as I do now.

I'll be honest though. As much as I'm hungry, I'm not starving.   I do get filled up on certain meals and I do not feel weak or dizzy or anything else associated with malnutrition or lack of food.

Yesterday, I knew I had to work out.  So I made myself go to aqua Zumba.  I find it hard to want to work out or do most activity after months of NOT doing it. This winter was brutal and very detrimental to my success.

I'm just looking forward to the day when food,  calories,   or weight do not cross my mind.   Those of you losing or trying to,  do you feel the same?

More info PSMF

Hi! Hello.

Before I go any further, I am going to share with you more info on my diet.   It seems people I talk to in person get confused about it , so I can only imagine readers getting confused.

This info comes directly from Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_Sparing_Modified_Fast

"
The Protein-Sparing Modified Fast, or PSMF, is a total fast modified by the intake of a bare minimum of protein, fluids, vitamins, and mineral supplementation.
PSMF was designed in the late 1970s as a diet for a rapid weight loss for the morbidly obese.^[1][2] PSMF is a type of very low calorie diet with dehydration being a health concern, hence fluids, vitamin and mineral (potassium and sodium) supplementation is necessary and doctor's supervision is recommended. PSMF diets consist in foods that are naturally rich in good-quality protein and particularly low in fats (chicken breast, egg white, ham, cottage cheese).
PSMF as a diet recently became popular due to the French Dukan diet. It is also used by professional bodybuilders.^[

Complete fasting produces the largest possible calorie deficit of any diet. Long-term fasting, however, introduces multiple health risks which can lead to death. Even if major health problems are avoided, a complete fast results in the loss of muscle, organs, and other lean body tissue, while most dieters are only attempting to lose excess fat. This muscle-wasting effect is a natural consequence of a diet deficient in both calories and in protein.
A Protein-Sparing Modified Fast attempts to spare the dieter the health risks of a complete fast by introducing the minimum amount of protein necessary to prevent muscle-wasting effects, while still eliminating fats and carbohydrates. Protein beyond this minimum amount is also eliminated, as the body would use it for energy.
Any calorie-free fluids are permitted, including water, coffee, tea, and diet drinks.
The amount of protein consumed varies by individual. It is generally calculated based on lean body weight and adjusted based on activity level, but generally results in a net daily intake of well under 1000 calories.
In addition to lean protein, people on a PSMF consume supplements to avoid the nutritional deficiencies inherent in such an extreme and low-calorie diet. These include essential fatty acid supplements, vitamins, and minerals. A general multivitamin supplement, designed to augment a healthy diet, is inadequate - for example, someone on a PSMF needs significant amounts of minerals such as sodium and potassium, which would otherwise be supplied in the diet.
A long-term PSMF diet undertaken carelessly and without the care of a physician may lead to serious health risks.

PSMF is a rapid fat loss protocol. In one study given over a six-week period, 15 obese patients were found to have lost 31.8 lb (14.4 kg) of body fat on average, while maintaining lean body mass.<sup>[4]  "

SO Yes, I am in taking very few calories. I average 600-900 depending on what I eat. Yes, it can be dangerous if you're not under the guidance of a doctor. 
You have to remember that I am strictly monitored and on supplements as well.   

Is the diet working for me? 
Did my weigh in for the Biggest Loser contest on Tuesday.   I lost 12 lbs in a week.  Since I log my weight daily, I can verify that I still continue to lose.

So there, you have more info on the PSMF.   I hope now that you understand more, we can move on :)

Until next time......

additional info:  http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/obesity/hic_psmf_diet_program.aspx</sup>

Knee

So, remember me mentioning the Biggest Loser work out? So my knee was swollen and hurt the first few days after.

The walk we took? I didn't mention 1) it was harder than it use to be as I was in pain and 2) I was out of practice not having walked it all winter.  My knee still aches.

I'm not happy about that.  I do not need to be out of commission!

Grrrr

7 days in

And I'm getting sick of the smell of coconut extract.

This week has been challenging.  I've been hungry but have ultimately made it through.
I also visited my bmi doctor.  

Good Things:
Blood pressure was excellent.   I'm losing weight again.  I'm about 5 pounds away from the original 52 llost. My ketones  are going up.  I'm finding ways to enjoy my meals.

One failure,  I tried adding coconut extract to my cottage cheese.  1) I over did it and it was awful.  I need to figure out how much to add to a 1/4 cup and not feel like my mouth is melting.  2)I accidentally spoiled the bottle of extract all over the counter.  So the kitchen and me smell of coconut.   Too much of it.

I think the closer I am to going into ketosis, the less the hunger pains appear. 

I am quite thirsty most of the time, but I was told that could happen.

Things are slowly getting better.

I'll keep you updated as always.

Day 4

Hello. Let's Get right to it.
This AM. I haven't lost any more weight. Ketones are still present, but nothing more than yesterday.

Hunger is still present, but not as severe.

Today I worked out for the biggest loser. 0h Dead lord, it was awful. I'm definitely not in shape. Not at all.

My bronchitis seems to be finely going away. I'm hoping to Walk the dogs again,.