Weight Med: Friday Update

Happy Friday!  Today I am down one pound. That makes my total weight 217.8.  When I started on Sunday I was 220.8...so I was up a little yesterday and back down a bit today.

Where am I going wrong?  Well, I succumb to break room temptations of pumpkin bars and cheese. 
I hope to do better at not being tempted by those foods next week. 

There is one other thing slowing my progress:  I am not exercising enough.  I have been so tired and sluggish that I have not had the energy to do anything remotely close to exercise.
I will have to do something about this.

Yet to come:  menus for the first and second week. 

TTFN

Amy

Comfort Food Discomfort

It is that time of year when we start to feel chilly and snugglie, and what goes better with chilly and snugglie than good, warm, comfort food?  Nothing...that's what!

And here I am doing this weight med program and finding myself fixated on all the delicious treats that are all over the place.  Hot cocoa, cappuccino, pumpkin bars and delish crock pot stew, soups and chili! 

I am stuck!  I really want to lose weight, but I am also finding myself annoyed that I can't just live a "normal" life and eat those delicious foods without gaining three pounds back.  You see, Sunday was the start of the program and I was steadily going down about 2 lbs a day.  I had detoxed my body from all the caffeine and sugar and dairy that had been stored inside.  Then the break room happened....I am surrounded by yummy comfort food all over the place. 

Today I started thinking about Christmas cookies...if I can't eat them I ask myself, " the why bake them".  I know me, and if I bake them, I will eat most of them myself.  I think that I am coming to the conclusion that I am a compulsive eater.

I am also a working mom, as most of us are.  It is really difficult to make good, sugar free, whole food meals when you are short on time and just need to get dinner on the table.  I know this is an issue that seems to plague many of us working moms.  So I succumb to using bottled marinades and sauces, which are filled with sugar and any other sugar substance with various names.  I am finding how these are preventing my weight loss from happening. 

So today I am annoyed and discouraged and feel, frankly, pissed that I have to do this to lose weight, be healthy and like the way that I look. 

Oh yeah, and real kicker...the hubby eats just as bad as I do and ends up losing 2 lbs a day no matter what! 

Thanks for letting me gripe, and I promise to put those menus and shopping lists up for you before the end of the week.

Weight Med- Update

I wanted to share with anyone reading the success that I have been having with the weight med program.   Not only is it weight loss, but it is also a system detox which has flushed my body of sugar and caffeine and all the Excedrin I eat like tic tacs.

I will soon share with you  the menu for the week and how I have been doing and what was tough, but for now I want to share that I am down 4 lbs.  Yesterday was a set back because I gave in to break room temptations, but altogether, down 4 lbs. 

I really only had a headache on the first and second days.  By the third day I was feeling better.

Today is day 4 and I am hoping for an even easier day today.

This program is really forcing me to take a look at when and more importantly WHY I eat.  I can find myself wanting something, even though I am not hungry.  So really looking into those feelings will help in the long run.

I have also found that I have had no pain in my pelvis...that's right NONE!  Pelvis pain for me is related to my PCOS and the oversized ovaries I sport...but I have not had any of the debilitating pain.  Before I started this program, my chin was full of really gross acne, and painful.  By the third day, my acne was disappearing.  This might be the secret to controlling my PCOS.  (I emphasize MY PCOS-since this might not work for everyone)!

I will post more soon!

TTFN

Weight Med Program

Here is how I hope to lose 30 pounds:

Name of the game:  Weight Med Program

Duration: 60 days

Weight Loss Goal: 0.5 lb per day.  

I purchased Weight Med Homeopathic Solution from www.evitaminmarket.com.  Click here and see to what product I am referring.  I have the support of my chiropractor, who endorsed this product.  Disclaimer: It is important to get the support of a medical professional before starting any diet.

Here is the list of foods I will eat over the next 60 days:

Fruits: Apples, apricots (fresh), Bananas, Blackberries, Cherries, Cranberries, Grapefruit, Guava, Kiwis, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Papayas, Peaches, Plums, Raspberries, Strawberries, & Tangerines   

Veggies: Asparagus, Bean Sprouts, Beet Greens, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Lettuce, Radishes, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Brussels Sprouts, Kale, Onion, Peas, Green Beans, & Tomatoes. 

Protien: Chicken (organic), Fish (cod, tilapia, walleye, halibut, flounder, shrimp, crab), Beef (organic grass fed), Turkey, Cottage Cheese, Eggs, Almonds, Walnuts, Pistachios. 

Beverages: Water (filtered), Coffee (black), Green Tea, Oolong Tea, Yerba Mate Tea, Chamomile Tea

Sweeteners: Stevia.

The nice things is, there is NO limit to the number of calories for intake so long as I eat only what is on this list. 

The plan:  1/2 dropper of solution (under tongue) 30 mins before Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Aside from those three main meals, I will eat an afternoon snack, and a evening snack.  If need be, I will add a morning snack between breakfast and lunch. 

The Meal Plan:  Breakfast- Fruit and tea and water plus vitamins.

Lunch: Protein, Veggie, and Water or tea.  I also added a fruit to balance out my carb intake. 

Dinner: Protein, Veggie, Water

Afternoon snack: Nuts and Fruit and LOTS of water

Evening snack: Protein (Egg or nuts), Veggie and water or Chamomile Tea.  

You should drink half your body weight in ounces of water!  This will help tremendously. 

Exercise Plan: 15 mins of yoga (lite) in the morning, and 30 min walk daily.  I will add in more when and where I can. 

I will also take a multi vitamin, Omega 3, Vitamin D, and a B-12. 

Be watching, as I will share my menu plan and shopping list!

READY.  SET.  GO!

Malfunction Junction...How do I fix what's not working?

As I have shared many times, I have PCOS.  Polycycstic Ovarian Syndrome.  If you don't know what it means or what it does to a woman's body, just ask me.  You can google it too.  I have spent a lot of time researching the ways that my body doesn't work like that of a "normal" functioning female.
You can also search how to treat PCOS.  A doctor will give you medications that combat or cover up the symptoms.  I have been given oral contraceptives, Metformin, and Levothyroxin (thyroid med).  The Metformin never worked for me and neither did the thyroid medication   I was still gaining weight and loosing my hair (on my head), while growing thicker and more masculine hair on the rest of my body.  
After having "M", the pill stopped working for me.  I experienced nothing but chronic pelvic pain every day of every week of every month I was on the pill.  Plus, I was afraid of getting cancer from the pill...so I took myself off of it.

Since the time I have taken myself off I have done very little to try to combat my PCOS.  It is recommended that women with PCOS maintain a healthy weight and BMI.  The irony, a lot of us with PCOS can't loose weight worth a darn.

I have a great friend who has introduced me to different holistic medications and supplements.  I completed a couple of liver cleanses and found that after each one I had less cravings, less stomach trouble and that combined with chiropractics and supplements, I was menstruating.

In May, I tried the HCG diet through the Chiropractor so that it was done with good guidelines and support. It did not work.  If you look back at this post, you will see that this diet was not the way to loosing weight for me.

So now I share with you that I am embarking on a new attempt to take off some weight so that I am comfortable with more vigorous exercise and increasing the health and wellness of my "girl" parts.

This new plan is called Weight Med.  It is done using a homeopathic solution three times a day and eating fruits, veggies, and lean meats/seafood for 60 days.  There are no calorie limits like that HCG diet.  I can use good oils, like Omegas, and eat nuts.  Just like the HCG, there can be no sugar, except the fruit and Stevia, and no starches like bread & pasta.  I will also have to cut out my dairy except fate free cottage cheese.  I don't expect this to be easy, but I am willing to try so that I can regain control over my health and wellness.

I would like to share with you my progress and my experience so that if you find yourself facing "last resort" times with your weight and wellness, you may find support in what I have to say.  Not to mention, if I am sharing with all of you, I am more accountable to the plan.

Please feel free to use the comment section for questions or words of support.  No need to comment about being careful with my body or making a harmful choice, as all risks have been considered and accounted for.

Thank you for taking this journey with me.

Delayed

Sorry for the lack of updates.  It has been long and difficult couple of days.
First, the 500 calories a day has made me very tired and very hungry and very crabby!
Second, I was not able to keep my blood sugar high enough to feel well through this process.  My blood sugar got as low as 55 and only as high at 87.  It was dropping after I would eat, which is the wrong direction!

I knew there was a chance that my PCOS and insulin resistance would complicate this process, but I didn't know how much.  I also did not loose any weight.  On the up side, I did however, successfully cleanse myself of soda and caffeine.  Until I can decide what I am going to do now, I will remain caffeine free!

My apologies for those of you who might have been looking for a great result, I know that I am bummed!

Amy

Here Comes the Hard Days

Today was day 2 of Gorging and HCG drops.  It was tough for me to gorge today as I was not as planned as I should have been.  Hubby and I spent a lot of money on fast food for these 2 gorge days as we knew these items had a high fat content.  I am just hoping that we did enough to prevent us from struggling tomorrow.
Start weight today for me was 215.  Might be a fluke, but it was down 2 lbs.  Hubby's weight was a mistake yesterday.  His initial weigh in was 252.  He weighed in today at 250, also down 2 lbs.  We shall see is this trend keeps up.

So the rest of this week's meals are as follows:
Wednesday: Breakfast-none & drops.  Lunch: 100grams Chicken breast (cooked on forman grill), Sliced cucumbers, strawberries.  Homemade dressing for the cucumbers. Drops & lots of water.  Dinner-Taco salad a la HCG regulations. Drops & lots of water.
Thursday: Breakfast-none & drops and water.  Lunch: Asian Salad (with chicken and orange), drops & water. Dinner: Bunless burgers, cucumbers, & Apple Salad.  Drops & water.
Friday: Breakfast-none & drops. Lunch- Apple Cobbler, Celery Sticks & 100 grams steak.  Drops & water.  Dinner- Chicken fajitas with celery and grapefruit. Drops & water.

I will post my recipes when I have more time.  Right now I need to prep for tomorrow's meals.  I am pre-cooking the chicken breasts and pre-measuring out the beef so that it all matches the regulations.

Thanks for the support!

Amy

Day 1 (Gorge Day)

Today was day 1 of the HCG diet.  Stats: Me: 217 lbs, Bust: 49 '',  Belly/Waistline 45 3/4'', Hips 45''.  Hubby: Wt 257#, Neck 18'', Chest 48 1/4'', Belly/mid-section 49 1/4 inches, Waist 46 1/2''.

Gorge day is the first day of HCG drops and we are supposed to gorge ourselves until we are full.  The more we gorge on, the less hungry and cranky we will likely be the rest of the week after the gorge days.  It was actually tough to gorge for me, because as a result of the drops, I had no appetite.  Here's what we ate: Fried egg and cheese sandwich, cereal bar, almonds and walnuts, popcorn, choc. chip cookies, Chipotle for lunch with lots of sour cream and guacamole, hot dogs, mac and cheese, doritos, red velvet cup cakes and peanut better toast.  YIKES!!  Not to mention, I almost drank half my weight in ounces of water today.  OY!

Tomorrow is more of the same, as it is the last gorge day until we start the VLCD (very low caloric diet) portion of the HCG plan.  Now that I don't feel like I am hungry or have an appetite, I think I can manage this for 30 days.  Check back with me and forgive me if I have changed my mind at the end of the week.

I will be posting our beginning photos and our menus plus shopping experiences, so stay tuned....



Amy

What it is

In my last post I explained that the hubby and I were beginning the HCG diet/cleanse very soon.  Well, it struck me that there might be people who do not know what the HCG diet is.
Basically, it is taking natural Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and eating a 500 calorie diet for 26 days.  There are no refined sugars, no sugars, and no cheating.  We are supposed to stick to a very strict menu of food items and cannot eat anything processed {hence the cleanse portion}.  There is no working out during this 26 days as we will be burning far too many calories to eat only 500 calories and exercise on top of it.

After the 500 cal 26 days with the drops, for 26 more days we eat an increased diet, without the drops.  We should only increase our intake by a tiny bit, but still keeping processed foods and sugars out of our diets.  It has been found that through this process the Hypothalamus {which is in the brain} resets what it thinks is your base weight.  The hypothalamus also helps regulate other stuff too.  I can actually reset my Thyroid through this process and get it to work properly again too.  When those two things are working properly for me, guess what, so will my reproductive organs.  I might for the first time since high school, have a normal/regular menstrual cycle.  As a result, when the time is right, Hubby and I may not have to use fertility treatments in order to conceive.  While the thought of getting pregnant is both thrilling and scary, that is NOT the driving force behind starting this diet/cleanse.  I know that I am not healthy enough at this time to even support and growing fetus.

For anyone out there who is thinking that I am insane for doing this and that I am making a big mistake, you should know that I have done so many other things to try to get my weight back to a normal weight and normal BMI.  I have been 220 lbs since I stopped nursing is 2010.  I was 220 lbs when I conceived Little Man through infertility treatments.  I lost weight while I was pregnant {how does that happen} even though I was not sick one minute of my pregnancy.

I have done my research and I have tried many many other things.  My endocrinologist suggested I have Gastric Bypass.  NO THANK YOU!!  So I am doing this instead!

I will share my progress and my experience through this 26 days.

Amy

Goal #1(Not supposed to be a PCOS Blog)

In my last post I wrote about the goals that I have for myself.  The first goal that I shared is that I would like to lose weight.  I mentioned that I have this pesky disorder called PCOS.  Now I could do a whole blog about PCOS, but that is for another day.  The main point about this for now if that the PCOS makes it much more difficult for my to lose weight. 

My doctor, whom I think is fantastic, wants me to take prescription medications to "control" the symptoms of PCOS.  Medications like Metformin to make my insulin more effective, Levothyroxin to stimulate proper function of my thyroid, and birth control bills to regulate my period.  None of these medications cure PCOS, they just make the "cogs" of my endocrine system work together better.  The problem is, when you take one medication for one thing, you most likely will have to take another medication for another thing and the cycle continues.  Metformin's side effects are horrendous, to put it lightly.  I do not know anyone who would want to take a medication that makes them do what this med does.  The Thyroid medication does not seem to have many side effects that I can tell.  I just usually experience hot flashes, which could really just be the PCOS.  The birth control side effects are often unknown.  I have been reading that the pill has been linked to breast cancer.  AND I HAVE BEEN TAKING IT FOR YEARS!  Not to mention, the moment I stop taking the pill all of my symptoms come right back. 

I have known that I have PCOS since I have been 18 years old.  My weight was not an issue back then, but has my body changed and I wanted to have a baby, I began reading books and articles online about "curing" PCOS.  It all comes down to one thing-LOSE WEIGHT.  So where does that leave me?  For years I have limited/minimized my fast food intake, measured my food, limited my grain or simple carbohydrate intake, and for two years I was caffeine and soda free.  I may not go to a gym, but I do walk and stay pretty active.  All to no weight loss.  Talk about insanity!  Wasn't it Einstein who said "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results?" So I ask again, where does that leave me in dealing with my issues.  Weight loss is the obvious start, but what can I do differently to enhance any results, or even get results?

Well, this wasn't supposed to be about PCOS, but in the end I feel that my PCOS is the home plate of my issues, fears, concerns, and emotions!  Next time, I promise to be less rambly...

Amy