This blog originally was created to document my weight loss struggle and my considering gastric bypass surgery to doing it on my own. Through the years it's turned into my struggle of being healthier while I struggle with Fibromyalgia, severe arthritis, depression, & just dealing with life. My thoughts, feelings, ramblings on this fight to become healthier.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Diappointing week
How was your week? Those dieting/watching their weight, I hope you had a good week. If you didn't, don't lose hope.
My week was definitely frustrating to say the least. After my wonderful weigh in last Sunday, the scale was not my friend. By Tues, I was down two and by Wed, I was back up to Sunday's weight. It stayed that way until yesterday morning, when I discovered I gained a pound. Say Whaaaaa?
On Wednesday, I met with Gretchen (Dietician). She was really pleased with my results. I also discussed with her my frustration over not being able to eat all the wonderful items I've had thrown in front of me recently. It's just soooo maddening I have to say No and then the scale stalls.
We also discussed the goal we were trying to reach before we start the re-feeding process.
The results are this: First, she warned me that my weight loss will start to slow down. The quick lb a day thing was probably going to end and it would move slowly from then on (Yeah no kidding!).
Secondly, 20 more lbs. to go and we'll start weaning me off the diet.
It has been extremely frustrating to not see it move when I'm taking in as few calories as I have.
I guess I need to get more exercise in. I will try my hardest to achieve that.
Friday night and Saturday morning, we spent that time painting the family room. While there is no molding or carpet, this was the perfect time. I tried to put a little more into it so I could burn a few calories (not to mention sore limbs).
Last night we attended a wedding of some friends of ours. On the good side, I had yummy options: Asparagus, chicken and roast beef. Plus we started with a yummy salad. I was able to eat my fill and stay within the confines of my diet.
Additionally, I was out there on the dance floor for a bit.
Notables:
I could dance for a bit and there was no pain (aside from the hurting in my calves from the heels. No back or knee pain. A year ago, that would have been impossible.
My weigh in with the dietician put my OFFICIAL weight loss at: 68 lbs. (as of 5/28) Remember my official weight loss differs from my record keeping by 4lbs. It took 4 days to get me a scale before I started keeping track.
An outfit I wore on August 3, I wore again this week. The difference is surprising. What was once a long tunic, is now a dress on me.
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| August 3 2013 |
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| May 29 2014 |
The last thing of note that I have is as of this morning, the scale FINALLY moved!! I think between the painting and dancing, I finally got my system to kick start. From the 1 lb. I gained, I lost that and another, for a total of two. So from LAST week's total, I lost 1 more lb. Slow but steady.
I'm hoping to continue to have movement downward. I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to lose that last 20 lbs. I want to go back to just watching my calories and allowing myself a snack here or there.
Last night they had a cupcake table. DO you understand how good the cupcakes looked. They weren't boring ole flavors either. It was maddening. I want CUPCAKES. NO, I just want to have something with a sweet flavor, a change of pace.
Well, that's all I have. Until next time folks........Thank you so much for reading.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Sunday Weigh in & other thoughts
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
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Here we go again!
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!
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Happy Mothers Day
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.
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| DESPISE this picture. |
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| Same outfit. Just hangs--Very loose as well as the capris. |
Friday, May 9, 2014
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?
Thursday, May 8, 2014
More info PSMF
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.[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




