Not Giving Up!

Hey there! For people that are tuning in, I've not given up!! I took a temporary pause on my goals because of the incredibly busy month I've had. Between a trip to Michigan, a birthday party, hosting family that came for that, and MOVING across the country, I'm lucky to still be breathing. I'm encouraged though in two ways. 1) want a huge motivator?? Walk into a gym that has walls of endless mirrors. That's what I did. 2) Sat down with my husband (a powerlifting fanatic (<-- in a good way)) and came up with daily/weekly goals of how my time will be spent in the gym. That's right, I said gym! Finally it's my turn to get back into one! Got a great deal on a family price and it's only 3-4 miles from where we'll be living in Colorado. I call that a win-win my friends!

I may have missed this Summer to get into "swimwear shape" if you will, but that only gives me LONGER to beat out ALL the weightlifting and weight loss goals I will be setting by the time next Summer comes. Next Summer I'll have a 2-yr old to keep up with!

For those of you wondering, I have managed to maintain my previous weight loss, though I have gained about 3-4 pounds back. I'm not worried about gaining it all back, because I WILL NOT LET THAT HAPPEN, and so while I'm slightly discouraged about the 3-4 pound fluctuation, I pause to remember, oh yeah, I'm female...I hear it's normal, lol. 

Stay tuned for my layout of my weightlifting and weight watching!

My end goal is a long ways off (like years), but I ULTIMATELY would like to compete. Ha ha, and to clarify, I want to compete in LIFTING, not bodybuilding, ha ha. 

THE RESULTS ARE IN!!!

OK, the numbers are finally in!! I will be including pictures below. After much deliberation, and being embarrassed of how I look/looked, I'm biting down and posting Before and After pictures. This diet was rough and it's not completely over yet. I fully intend to do another 30 day detox cycle once we get settled in Colorado. The reason I'm waiting is because I won't have a solid 30 days to myself for this diet until then! Busy times ahead, but I'm getting off topic. 

Let me say, I'm very sensitive about my pictures, mostly because I'm that disgusted with myself. Though I may not have had much control over how wacky my hormones and sugar got, I have to take responsibility for not acting sooner!! I'm not where I want to be BUT I am 1/3 of the way there and that makes me happy! 

My husband was very kind and helpful during my 30-day cycle. Though his compliments had the grace of a baby elephant stumbling around a china shop, his heart was in the right place and his words made me smile and feel better.

My initial weight loss goal was 50 pounds, expecting to lose 30 during this cycle. I came up numerically short about 11.5 pounds :-(

Here's the numbers:

18.5 pounds lost

(including a total of a 10 day weight stall)

AND

23 inches lost

Not too shabby if you include my 10 day weight loss stall. So essentially I lost 18.5 pounds in a little more than three weeks.

**Sorry folks, for some reason it REFUSES to let me post pictures. Every time I try it freezes up and errors on me, I will try in another blog, stay tuned!!**

Almost done with Phase 1!

What started out as an amazing journey has become a slow Monday at a boring job, ha ha! With that being said, I am still making progress though it is with the speed of a 100 year old tortoise. I have only lost an additional 6 pounds since my last post, but I'm still sticking with it. In five days I will have the final results of my 30-day detox. 

I feel so much better and I look better too! My husband told me yesterday that he could really see a difference and that I was "shrinking". The last comment made me laugh. I decided to take them both as compliments :-) I'm glad I'm "shrinking" even though I have SO much further to go. I want so desperately to be healthy and active for my very quickly growing baby. Combine that with my fear of diabetes and I have a very potent reason to get and keep my butt in gear!

 I have found new ways to cook foods in a much healthier manner. Instead of using butter or olive oil, I steam most of the meats I cook with water and seasoning. I fully rely on garlic, onion powder, and black pepper, ha ha! When I make steak (and yes that's an approved food!!!) I enjoy it with 1/2 tsp of mustard (not an officially approved food, but shows no negative effect on weight loss), because I can't stand a steak without something to dip it in, lol. 

Breakfast is simple for me and doesn't seem to get boring (which is what I was expecting). I have 2 large eggs, 2 cups of fresh Spinach, and a 1/2 cups of grapes (any color, but I like the black grapes because they are sweet). the eggs I scramble and pour into the pan in omelet fashion. then I toss in the Spinach and cook them together. I top it with 1Tbsp of Salsa. 

After that it's a 5 oz snack of chicken, ground beef, or steak with a diet approved veggie. Than lunch is a freshly made chicken salad (lettuce is a "free" food) topped with 1/2 serving of olive oil as my dressing. then it's another 5 oz snack of some meat and a serving of fruit. Dinner, another Chicken salad, NO oil this time, salsa instead.

I know it seems repetitive and sounds like it may get boring, but it doesn't. You can play with the diet approved foods. Mix things up, just so long as you are eating the appropriate amounts of veggies, protein, fruits, and the 1 good fat.

But enough of that nonsense it's time for the updated stats (these are a couple days old, I'm waiting until May 3rd to do the new measurements)

17.2 pounds down

and

22 1/2 inches (whole body)

This is not where I wanted to be pounds wise, but it's comforting to see the numbers of inches lost still steadily rising! I had hoped for the full 30 lost in 30 days, but I'll settle for 20 pounds lost. This means I have 4 days to lose 2.8 pounds, I think I can do it :-)

I fully intend to continue on a lower calorie diet once I am done with the drops (4 more days), and I fully intend to see continued weight loss. My initial goal was 50 pounds lost, if I remember correctly, and I'm close to 1/2 there already!! I know my weight loss will slow dramatically without the assistance of the drops, but that's ok, I'm determined to continue!!

Changing Stats!

I was hoping to post earlier, but I ran into a snag. A three-day long snag. I plateaued at 8-9 pounds lost, gained a little bit, lost a little bit, etc, etc, with no real change in weight lost. Talk about depressing! But I pushed through, did what I needed to do and got past the plateau! Obviously the weight loss has slowed down due to the fact that my body has adjusted to the lower calorie intake, but I'm still making progress, just slower. 

I cheated on my diet and that's what caused the problem. It was literally 1 meal and WHAM, a 3-day weight stall! That'll teach me, that's for sure. I've been back on track for a few days and FINALLY making more headway. Note to self, 30 days isn't that long, so STOP cheating, you're only hurting yourself!!!

Anyways, moving on. I'm still feeling great, actually, I'm feeling better every day. The weather is beautiful and I've been taking my baby girl on walks during the day and doing weight exercises in the evening (my only uninterrupted "me" time). My favorite part is when I measure myself every 3-4 days and I find I'm shrinking!!

New Numbers:

11 Pounds down

&

18.5 inches smaller

Personally, I'd say for 11 days completed (including 3 days of no changes), those are good numbers! Still pressing on towards my goal and I'm almost 2 weeks into my diet.

!!!!!CHECK OUT MY PROGRESS!!!!!

AMAZING!!! That's the only word I can use to describe my success! I realize that I will hear "it's not good for you", "it's not healthy the way you're doing it", "you're just going to gain it all back when you're done", etc. I've heard it all people and I appreciate those that are genuinely looking out for me, but the negativity and pessimism is so draining! Why not be happy with me for my achievements thus far? There are so many ideas/plans/strategies when it comes to weight loss. My theory, if it works and you're staying healthy and/or getting healthier keep it up!!

And to answer a question, NO I'm not starving myself. I wouldn't do that, that's just ridiculous. Am I eating a way lower calorie diet than I'm used to?? Of course, but that's where the supplement comes in!! If you want to see results, you have to be willing to change! Once my body becomes accustom, which starting day 4 my body's hunger needs have radically changed, I will than incorporate light-moderate forms of exercise. But for those moms out there, having a mobile infant is exercise in itself! ha ha. 

Now that I've cleared the air on any doubts people who read this may be having it's time for my current results. I won't be giving precise numbers, because, I'm hate to admit, but I'm ashamed of my weight, so pounds lost and inches lost will have to suffice, sorry. But, to reassure, there are no stretching of the numbers and no rounding up or down, these are legitimate losses people!!!

As of this morning on Day 4 (equals 3 completed days) I have lost:

7.8 pounds

AND

11 inches off my body

I'm not kidding people!! Oh and by the way, I FEEL AMAZING!!! My energy level has increased already, I can start to see a difference in my body (double thumbs up for that!!!!!), and I just overall feel "cleaner". I've been eating cleaner and it has made a tremendous difference! I can't wait to start exercising too!!

Now don't worry, I know how these things work, I realize that my numbers lost will slow down as my body becomes more adjusted to it's new lifestyle. I'm fully prepared for that to happen, and as a matter of fact, it already has. It's ok! The point is the end goal, and yeah there are going to be smaller steps taken on one day and bigger steps on another, but it's the big picture I'm focused on!  

 

 

Creating My Meal Plan

I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed as I look upon what I'm about to take on. I'm making a weekly meal plan, that I will simply use and repeat. I figured it would save on time and stress with trying to figure out what to eat each week. So far...I've got Monday done, ha ha. This is definitely not as easy as I was expecting it to be. I mean, it is only meal planning! Not only am I looking at portion sizes, I'm also counting calories to make sure I'm within the appropriate range for my 30-day detox. It took me about 15-20 mins to get the Monday menu right. I think I'm going to have to pace myself for the next menus ahead. 

Just when I think I have all the information I will need to start this journey, I read the book that comes with the "trip". Needless to say, I no longer feel adequately prepared. It is similar in ways to a previous endeavor, but I feel certain that I will prove more successful on this current route I am taking. I'm not expecting a miracle, but I AM expecting a change. As I have said in previous blogs, my blood sugar has been erratic during and since my pregnancy, and I'm ready to win that battle! Also, in conjunction with moody sugar levels, I'm just plan moody. My hormones have yet to balance. Come to find out, how your body deals with insulin, sugar, etc., has a direct affect on your hormones, which in turn affects weight gain/weight loss, emotions, sleeplessness, irritability, depression, etc. Who'da thunk!

A while back when my husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I said "This, I want this!" He thought I was insane. Ha ha, I can't blame him though, who in their right mind wants to do what I'm doing...as a birthday gift? He tried his hardest to convince me to do/get something else, but I said, "you asked me what I wanted, this is it." So he conceded and here we are.  Tomorrow marks the day I prepare my body and my mind for this transformation. Starting April 1st I will officially be in detox mode! And I'm stoked! Stay tuned, I will be giving an update on April 4th of progress!!!!

Officially Making it Official

 I've decided to wait until after my birthday to officially start my intense plan. March is both mine and my husband's birthdays and tends to be a month of weekend dine out meals. There's nothing I detest more than the guilt of cheating on a diet meal plan, so I've decided to wait until the festivities are over. This eliminates the temptation of cheating and the affects of guilt if the temptation is sated.

After further research, I've settled on what I need to do. It will involve weighing and portioning meals. I will probably pre-cook my meals at the beginning of each week and then freeze them. This way I will have all my meals ready for me and there will be NO excuses on the days when cooking isn't a feasible option. My caloric intake is going to reduce greatly, which is where the Liquid Amino will come in and help me. This liquid supplement I will be taking is hormone free and is designed (and medically approved) to aid your body in restoring proper metabolism functions, liver detoxification, and also helps maintain appropriate energy levels. 

The initial phase of this diet/lifestyle change is a 30-day detox type process. During this 30-day process I will be on a very low calorie(as previously stated) and low-glycemic diet, taking liquid amino, and drinking tons of water and unsweetened tea. Post phase 1, I enter phase 2 (go figure, lol), and during this phase I will be slowly reintroducing certain foods/food groups, and other foods will NEVER be introduced again; ie, fast food, heavy starches, soda, etc.

On top of weighing and portioning my food, I will be weighing and measuring myself. I am going to create a chart that will help me keep track of EVERY pound and inch lost. I know alot of people say not to obsess about the weight scale, but on this diet they suggest that you not only track your weight daily BUT also track your measurements. I will be measuring chest, waist, hips, legs (thighs and calves), and arms (bicep area). More often than not people see a change in the way their body is shaped before they actually see the pounds "fall off". Considering the fact that I will be weightlifting (low weight/high rep) I will more than likely see a bigger shift in inches than pounds. BUT REMEMBER: a loss is a loss!! Whether inches, pounds, or a tenth of a pound, it's a victory nonetheless! 

Some people wonder why I don't just dive into my plan. I don't know if I can adequately explain it, but I need time to mentally prepare myself. No, that's not code for stalling; I literally have to mentally prepare myself for this. I've tried extreme diets before and was extremely successful, but I lost my focus and justified my shortcomings, and now here I am post-pregnancy, battling more than just unwanted pounds. I don't think you realize, but I'm preparing for a LIFESTYLE change, not just a fad, but an overhaul on how I eat/cook/shop. I'm battling with the mentality that I "deserve" a type of food. I'm battling with justifications of poor health choices. I have approx 15 days to battle this all out and prepare myself. 

I'm going to need an army of supporters once I start this. Being female, I'm prone to lead with my emotions/feelings, and I'm sure that the ladies out there can agree with me on the fact that discouragement is the BIGGEST enemy in something like this. My husband can't understand why in the world I need someone encouraging me (in a positive way) and supporting me. and while his response of, "If you want it so badly, than just do it!" has a lot of truth to it, I need more. So I'm hoping that my "followers" or the people that happen upon this blog entry, will be willing to encourage me and keep me accountable!! 

**more information on weekly meal plans and exercise goals will be in the next blog**