Experiment Update

Update: I've lost 5 pounds since Day One...

With all the traveling we've been doing its been hard to stay on any kind of a routine. But being back home and starting this experiment I've been able to drop the 6 pound weight gain and am back to where I was at this darn plateau! This morning I weighted and I was down a half of a pound and officially on the downside of the scale. If I can keep this up... that means the plateau is shattered and I'll be losing pounds and inches one again. Of course the lesson here is consistency! You don't have that when you are traveling, especially when you are traveling by air. You really are at the mercy of the airlines, airport, times zones and flight times. At a later time I'll figure out how to stay consistent while traveling, but right now I'm focused on this little experiment while I'll be home for 21 days straight.

I'm very encouraged. I'm not hungry (and when I am I eat) and I am feeling great. A couple things I have noticed...

1. I know we've all heard this time and time again... DRINK MORE WATER! I've started chugging slightly chilled water, 6 oz (Juice glass size) every hour. Its actually been easy... I start around 9:00 and continue all through the day. Brining a water bottle everywhere I go. If I am home I just fill up my juice glass right from the fridge with filtered water. So far so easy.
2. When on the HCG its recommended that you don't do any strenuous exercise. But walking is good. So I walk... but I found its been better to walk in the evening rather than in the morning when I've not taken in a lot of calories during the night and the morning, with only coffee for breakfast with 2 tab. cream. So an afternoon walk it is! Feeling awesome!
3. Craving fruit or peanut butter. Not together but sometimes yes. Apple with 1 small tablespoon of peanut butter has been afternoon snack of choice. Sometime I do switch it up and have celery and peanut butter tho. I need to top eating the peanut butter every day tho.

Other than that its been pretty easy dropping those 5 pounds. Now lets see if I can keep those last 5, I call em "travel pounds" off for good and stay on the downhill of my weight loss.

One thing that I am doing differently... Because its hot here is blending my fruit in my NutrabulletRX. (No, Im not affiliated with NutrabulletRX, I just wanted to show you this amazing machine) So I peel an orange cut it up... pop it into a blender with 1 cup of water, about 6 ice cubes a couple of fresh or frozen strawberries and let the Nutrabullet do it things... YUM! A cold refreshing juice, totally healthy because I am using the whole fruit and filling because I'm getting the fiber, plus all those frothy bubbles that fill me up. I count that as one of my daily fruits. I have it before or after my walk. (Its too hot here in Arizona to walk outside now so I've been on the boring treadmill) Its really good too. (Sometimes I do put in some Truvia if the orange is particularly sour or I'm making this with a ruby red grapefruit.) Here's a photo of my orange strawberry drink I call the "naked pink lady". If you are not on the HCG diet you can add some protein powder or yogurt for a more nutritious drink, but then its a smoothie. 

 Here's a photo of yesterdays "Naked Pink Lady"
Smooth, frothy, filling and refreshing.

Here's the NutrabulletRX its pretty amazing! 

Ok I'll update soon...

Progress!

Since my last post November 12th I've made some huge progress! I'm so excited that I've finally found the problem and have adjusted my eating and workouts accordingly. And I finally know that I will be able to reach my goals by this summer!

After a bumpy start with some side effects to the new meds. I persisted and have added exercise into my weekly routine. Walking, riding my bike and doing T-Tapp. Something everyday! I also use the Weight Watchers online program to keep track of my food and activity! Finally everything is coming together and working for me!

From November 11th to December 8th I've lost 12 pounds and 3 inches off of my waist in 4 and a 1/2 weeks!

Plus I am feeling so much better. I'm finally able to do a workout and not need 2 days recovery time. I'm able to stay awake all day if I need to... (But still like to take a little afternoon nap sometimes)

I've been eating Low Glycemic meals and its been SO EASY!

Here are some of the meals I've been having these past 4 weeks:

 Some of my breakfast meals

Watermelon Smoothie

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt and smashed strawberries with Truvia

Eggs florentine with 2 oz Spicy V8 juice

Here are some of my Lunches:

1 cup of cottage cheese with fresh diced tomato and green onion

Chicken salad and crackers

A large salad (with homemade Ranch) with a lean beef patty 

Tuna Salad stuffed tomatos 

Chicken Taco salad with homemade cilantro dressing

Here are some dinners I've been enjoying! 

Balsamic glazed lean pork chop and cut green beans with slivered almonds and dried cranberries

Sautéed chicken sausage with steamed carrots and cabbage

Sautéed pork chop with Dijon sauce and Fancy green beans

Lean beef stir fry with snow peas, carrots and water chestnuts

Roasted chicken breast with steamed and buttered broccoli and cauliflower.

Boiled shrimp and crab with 2 tab. catchup and horseradish and field green salad with fresh ginger dressing.

I'm not one bit nervous about the approaching holidays either! I lost those 12 pounds and 3 inches over Thanksgiving and a 10 day vacation in Newport Beach and Disneyland! 

I know I CAN do it!

Its been a while...

I am going to be honest here... I gave up for a while. I had been watching what I eat... Eating clean. Low carb, working out on the treadmill and doing the T-Tapp MORE workout. I tried HCG and lost a few pounds but they came right back with a vengeance. And NOTHING. I couldn't lose weight no matter what I tried. I was frustrated, unhappy and confused. Why can't I lose weight?

I went to my cardiologist because my my blood pressure was getting out of control, and even with meds its still hard to get down. I went to two naturopaths for a couple of years. One put me on HCG and the other just had me monitoring my calories. I kept telling my doctors "I'm so tired." They both checked my thyroid (because I've have had hypothyroid for 10 years and I'm on Naturthroid) And said my T3 and T4 is fine.

So I gave up.. deciding to embrace my "curvy" body and just accept the fact that I'm fat. I'm a Gramma after all... I need that cushy tummy for all my lap sitting grandkiddos. But alas... I wasn't happy. I was getting fatter too... My Daddy passed away from a heart attack a year ago and I gained 20 pounds! I really was sick and tired... Literally. I'd get on the floor with the kids and need help up. I'd go to Disneyland with the kids and rested more that I ran. I got winded doing my work out. Then I got scared. Then I was done "embracing my curvy body".

Through the help of my daughter in love I found a new doctor. Something was wrong and I needed to know what. It's not that I didn't want to be fat anymore but now I was getting sick from my weight. My knees hurt, my blood pressure was very high (even on meds) my lower back hurt and would occasionally spasm to the point that I needed bed rest. Yeah, I was DONE with being unfit and over weight.

My new doctor actually specializes in healthy hormones and weight loss. My first visit was brief, she weighed me (cringe) and we talked about symptoms... ALOT... Then she ordered a blood test and I made another appt. to go over the tests. When I went to the second appt. she told me that her suspicions were correct after my first visit. I have PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome) and Insulin resistance. (Which usually go hand in hand.) My Insulin Resistance numbers were so high that she put me on a medication right away. Metformin. My free insulin was 47 and my total insulin was 61. She wants it down to 5 or 6!  She said no wonder you are so tired. The carbs you eat are not turning into energy! They are being stored in fat cells! Oh Jeeze... She also put me on a progesterone cream and a new drug called Belviq.

She also told me to get the book The GI diet for Dummies.

She dislikes the name of the book... but she said its to be my bible for the next part of my life. Understanding the Glycemic Index will help me not only lose weight but get to a more healthy place with my body.



Okay I'm in!

Sigh me up!

I've been on the Metformin, progesterone cream, and the Belviq faithfully for a week now and I have lost 7 pounds and 1 inch off my waist! However there are some disagreeable side effects to the Metformin and Belviq that I'm struggling with... None though that are going to make me quit taking it. Not with these results!

So join me on this continuing journey to be fit for the rest of my life! Especially if you are having trouble losing weight and are so terribly tired.
I'll be posting meals with low GI numbers and my progress with the PCOS and Insulin resistance. With blood tests and how I'm feeling. And inch and pounds lost. How my energy levels are and what work outs I've been able to do.

Let's 

Together!