hmmm...

This diet DEFINITELY makes you step outside the box, and get creative. It's somewhat rewarding to see what you can concoct, and takes a little more planning & effort when preparing a meal.

Since the shrimp I had yesterday were cold, and plain and not so tasty. I decided to warm them up in the toaster oven after sprinkling them with chili powder. Then, I tossed them inside my spinach salad & drizzled with lemon juice. It was actually a nice combo- the spice of the chili & sweet/tart of the lemon. I am sure I will make that one again. I tried to make a dressing of cider vinegar, bragg's liquid amino's, garlic powder & mustard powder- uh, not so much. It was way too salty and the cider vinegar just didn't cut it. I'll have to get some wine vinegar, I enjoy that much more. I wonder if my taste buds will change through this process, and become more ALIVE!!

I'm pretty confident I might need to invest in a lemon orchard, as I am going to use them QUITE liberally these next few weeks. It was interesting to discover that limes are not allowed, because they are actually sweeter & contain more sugar. I did not know this!

Having spent the day in solitude, has been somewhat relaxing yet lonely at the same time (after dropping the kids off this morning). I miss Bry and the kids. Tomorrow I have my SBDC appointment in the morning, then I'm going to make my Whole Foods run for buffalo & fish, among other things.

There are so many snacks abound in this house, that peer out at me when I don't want to see them!! I have to say though, I'm sticking to my guns. Going to print a photo of our resort in Maui, as the clock is ticking and our dream vacation will be here before I know it, and that is my end in sight :)

success so far

I woke up to a 2 pound weight loss, which isn't surprising. I'm sure it's mostly water at this point. But I have to tell you something, my stomach has never felt better. No sign of bloating or gas or discomfort. Hope this lasts!!

I will admit that I did get a little hungry around 3-4:00 pm yesterday, which is a time in the day when this normally occurs. Dinner was actually good- I love cabbage & the smoked paprika really gave the chicken some good flavor.

I'm going to make a whole foods run today to get some fish & buffalo (yikes). I'm thinking I can make salad dressings by blending up some lemon juice, vinegar & fresh herbs. I'm sure I will become very close to my herb friends these next few weeks, just to spice things up and make things taste different.

I will be home alone all day & night, today & tomorrow- BOO!!! Kids just headed off to Wild Rivers for the first time. Cooper hasn't stopped talking about it since he found out they were going, and Dylan cried again. I am confident, once she gets there she will have a blast though. Wish I knew what was affecting her lately :(

I need to take a quick nap, Coop woke me up at 1 am, and Dyl @ 6 am. TIRED!! Plus, the more I sleep, the less I think about food- unless I start dreaming about it. LOL!

Day 1 is done

Well, it's 6 pm, and I survived my 1st day!!!

Let's recap what I ate:
7:30 am- Jay Robb Whey Tropical protein powder w/ h2o + 2 T ground flax (this will be my breakfast daily)
10 am- 1/2 cup strawberries
1 pm- 3 oz cooked shrimp(7 to be exact) + 1/2 cucumber
3 pm- Gala apple
6 pm- 3.5 oz chicken grilled indoor w/ garlic powder & smoked paprika + steamed cabbage

Deb's 50th luncheon was today,and it was awesome!! I thought it would be harder to resist the amazing Mediterranean spread catered by Zov's. I felt a little silly sitting at this beautiful table with my meager lunch, but I ate it very slowly and it was all good in the hood.

Back in a flash, time to bathe the 2nd half...

BEFORE shots 6-28-10

the day is almost done

Ok, so it's now 5 pm, the day is almost done! I tried my hardest to eat fat- bagel & cream cheese, coffee and half & half for breakfast. Quiche for a late lunch, and another small coffee with sugar and half & half. No idea what's on tap for dinner, will decide after I get the kids from karate, see what they are in the mood for. At least my late night snack can be the INSANELY delicious Ben & Jerry's Boston Cream Pie ice cream, and YES, you heard me correctly!! Got it the other night for the "fattening up" process. And wow, it's definitely up there as a top fave.

Tomorrow is Deb's 50th (yay!), but she is having a catered luncheon on my 1st day of my insane diet. Therefore, I need to PLAN and eat or bring food with me. And just hope no one asks questions, as I am trying to keep this under wraps, for the most part (aside from publicly writing about it online- LOL).

Ugh, Bryan just had to land in Oklahoma City, instead of Dallas because of weather... REALLY??? Why does he have to do this silly travel stuff. Just want him home safe & sound where he belongs. Grrr.

1st day of injections

I did my 1st injection this morning. The needle is SO tiny, you don't feel a thing. And today is the last day of "fat loading". Took some "before" pictures too, and all I can say is WOW! This could not come at a more perfect time... it is beyond necessary. Shocking, but a good reality check at the same time. I mean, it is what it is. At least I am doing something about it. Getting a little anxious about starting the "diet" phase tomorrow, but am hopeful it won't be too difficult.

Ok, more later, Bryan is getting ready to head to the airport ... my main support system!! AAAAGGGHHH!!

fat load

Today, tomorrow & Monday are my "fat load" days, which means I am to eat high fat foods to get my body ready for my 1st injection on Monday. Not sure how successful I was. I really don't enjoy eating too many foods that are high in fat. I can eat "healthy" fats, such as avocados, coconut oil, etc.

We went to Sol for dinner, and right now all I feel is major heartburn. Ick!

Tomorrow we have an event all day, so again, not sure how successful I will be then either.

I was really pumped up after meeting with Dr. P for almost an hour on Thursday. We went over all of the details, which included some meal ideas. I think I might try buffalo steak for the first time, just to mix things up and so I don't get bored.

Bryan leaves again on Monday, which might be a good thing ONLY because who knows how grumpy I will be upon starting this. Plus, I don't want him to "suffer" and not be able to eat as he normally would. His love & support is really important right now- and I have it 100%.

My main motivation- Maui in less than 3 months!! Hoping to be swimsuit ready by then... we'll see.

It has begun...

Oddly enough, I'm SO excited my period has arrived right on time!! This means, I can start my HCG injections in a few days. Wow. There IS an end in sight! Yes, I'm super happy right now.

Tomorrow afternoon I meet with Dr. Purcell for the first time. I am really looking forward to getting the entire low down on what my life will be like for the next 21-28 days on my journey. For some reason, I'm not freaking out about the minimal amount of food I will be consuming. I am freaking out more about the fact that I cannot wear ANY lotion on my body- anywhere!! The thought of dry skin, well, makes my skin crawl.

I really, truly am beyond ready to get this extra "junk" off my body, once and for all. Again, not a huge amount, but if I can lose 20 pounds, and then from there start back up with my half marathon training. Get back into yoga once a week. Even try one of the new classes I learned about from Treva- I will be good to go, and then some. I feel then, I won't want to put the occasional "white" bread back into my "clean", and lean body. I'm also looking forward to getting my energy back. It's pretty life-sucking to be in a constant state of "I'm completely grossed out by my body".

I will officially weight myself tomorrow morning, first thing. Take a few photos for the typical "before" and "after" images. And away we go.

Deep breath... I can do this!!!

Brief history...

As with most women, I feel I'm never 100% happy with my weight. I have struggled with every "diet" out there- Weight Watchers, The Zone, Atkins, Body for Life... and the list goes on. I may lose the initial 5 pounds that most people lose- then after that... nothing!!

This has been the case for the last 7 years. I did 2 rounds of In-Vitro Fertilization, and ever since then, my body just likes to "hold on" to the weight I need to lose. Since I began seeing my Naturopath, Dr. Purcell, back in 2006, she has said that there is a connection with my inability to lose weight, and all of the hormones I had to inject myself with during my 2 pregnancies.

Yes, I am 10 months away from turning 40, and am well aware that our bodies just change with age. But this time, I just really need to do something that will "shake up" not only my metabolism, but truly last.

I eat healthier than most. Once I lost my 56 year old father to pancreatic cancer, my twins were born 9 weeks early (after I had spent 49 days on hospitalized bed rest), they then spent 4 weeks in the NICU, and I enrolled in massage school, my whole outlook on health and well-being changed. I truly understood the mind/body connection. I became a crusader, educating family and friends on alternative medicine (since conventional medicine couldn't save my beloved Dad), and also about how the food we eat GREATLY impacts our health.

That being said. I do not drink soda. I eat fast food MAYBE twice a year. I'm not a big "junk food" eater. I eat organic fruit, dairy & protein as much as possible (and as much as I can afford). I drink tons of water. Heck, I even ran a half marathon last February. So what's the deal??

I'm 5'8", so most people claim they don't notice the 12+ pounds I have gained since this time last year, and cannot, for the life of me LOSE!! "You're tall", they say. But to me, 12 pounds is enough for me to feel extremely uncomfortable in my clothes. To stay as far away from the beach & pool as possible. I mean, I'm going to Hawaii in September with my LOVE... and there is no way I will be putting on a bathing suit looking the way I look.

So here I sit. Waiting for the process to start of medical weight loss with HCG. As soon as my period arrives, the fun begins!!