In my last blog, I had completed several weeks of the HCG diet, lost 40 pounds and was going on vacation to Colorado.
Ok we go to Estes Park Colorado the last week of August and stay for 7 nights in a mountain cabin. I really didn't stay on a particular diet while I was gone, but I did try to watch what I ate. Had a great time but the sad part was I gained about 10 pounds during that 10 days of vacation. I knew I had worked too hard to get that 40 pounds off and was determined it wasn't coming back. So, I begin another round of the HCG diet the same day I returned from vacation. That was September 4, 2011. Five days later, I had lost those 10 pounds and by September 17th I had lost a total of 50 pounds.
So all in all, the HCG diet worked good for me. However, if you do not stay on the low-carb, 1,200 calorie a day diet after you get off the drops, the weight comes back almost immediately. Again after being off the diet for a little over a week, I had put back on 10 pounds. That was it for me! Even though I loved losing one pound a day on the HCG diet, the weight loss wasn't sustainable for me. If I wanted to experience long term weight loss, I would have to switch to a program that I could live with, afford, and not gain the weight back.
That program has turned out to be the new Weight Watchers Points Plus. I love it. I started on September 27, 2011 and have lost a total of 20.8 pounds. Of course 10 of those pounds are the ones I had already gained back from the 50 I lost on the HCG diet. Bummer!
I give you all these details so that you can make up your own mind about how you choose to lose any weight you need to.
My total weight loss as of today, Sunday, December 4th is 63 pounds. I still have a long way to go, but I'm taking it all the way this time. I've stayed legal so far on two camping trips and during Thanksgiving. That is such an accomplishment for me! I know that I still face getting through the Christmas parties, but all I have to do is look at my beginning picture and see how far I've come and it propels me to keep going. I truly believe I have God's help and know that I have a lot of family and friends cheering me on. Thanks so much!
Next blog I will share some of my non-scale victories.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Shaky start.
Hopefully you read my last blog that gave a little history of how I became morbidly obese. (when you're at least 100 pounds overweight) It ended with the realization that change was imminent in my life and it was up to me to make that happen.
The first thing I did before starting yet another weight loss diet was to go see a doctor. You always hear that you should do that, but I had always ignored that warning. I have a good friend that couldn't say enough about the doctor she was going to so I decided to try hers. First of all she was a female doctor and secondly she was older so that combination sounded great to me. I had a complete physical and a lot of blood work done. When the results came in, my doctor sit down and went over everything that was not balanced in my system. No wonder I felt horrible! She recommended several supplements that my body needed and also suggested the HCG diet for me to try. Honestly I had heard a lot about this particular diet and wasn't interested. The fact that it was a hormone that tricks your body into thinking it's pregnant was a big turn off for me. At my age, I really don't need anything messing up my hormones! I was confident that if my moods got any worse that me or Jerry one was moving to another country.
After visiting with my doctor, hearing that she herself had lost 50 pounds, and that it was helping a lot of her patients lose weight, I decided to give it a try. I was desperate!! She also told me that she had done research on the diet and it in no way affected the hormone levels that I was worried about. Knowing that she would be monitoring me medically, I started taking the drops this past June along with the accompanying supplements.
Amazingly, it worked for me! Just as the diet predicts, you really do lose a pound a day. IT'S NOT EASY and it's expensive! Hopefully you understand this. You only eat 500 calories a day for either 21 or 40 days. (I couldn't make it to 40, so I stopped at 21) The calories also come from a very small list of approved foods. However, seeing the results on the scales every single morning was motivation to keep me going.
By the end of the first week, I was so weak I could hardly lift my arms. I would walk to my truck, get in and then have to sit awhile before I could start the engine. I was extremely weak. Barely could function. I thought maybe it was just because my body wasn't use to only getting 500 calories. I finally talked to a nurse who suggested I take my blood pressure. It registered 83/56 which is extremely low for me. I've been taking blood pressure medicine for 8 years. I called my doctor who suggested that I try just taking half of my normal dosage. After a couple of days of still feeling lethargic, I cut the whole dosage. I am so thankful to report that I was able to totally get off of my high pressure medicine! Another side benefit of the diet. Sometimes after getting off the diet, your blood pressure will return to being high. Not mine! So blessed.
After you’ve done the drops for 21 or 40 days, you have to get off the diet for a short period of time but still stay on a low carb, 1200 calories a day diet. Ok, I’m off the diet, I’m down 23 pounds, doing great, feeling wonderful, and then we went on vacation toColorado
The first thing I did before starting yet another weight loss diet was to go see a doctor. You always hear that you should do that, but I had always ignored that warning. I have a good friend that couldn't say enough about the doctor she was going to so I decided to try hers. First of all she was a female doctor and secondly she was older so that combination sounded great to me. I had a complete physical and a lot of blood work done. When the results came in, my doctor sit down and went over everything that was not balanced in my system. No wonder I felt horrible! She recommended several supplements that my body needed and also suggested the HCG diet for me to try. Honestly I had heard a lot about this particular diet and wasn't interested. The fact that it was a hormone that tricks your body into thinking it's pregnant was a big turn off for me. At my age, I really don't need anything messing up my hormones! I was confident that if my moods got any worse that me or Jerry one was moving to another country.
After visiting with my doctor, hearing that she herself had lost 50 pounds, and that it was helping a lot of her patients lose weight, I decided to give it a try. I was desperate!! She also told me that she had done research on the diet and it in no way affected the hormone levels that I was worried about. Knowing that she would be monitoring me medically, I started taking the drops this past June along with the accompanying supplements.
Amazingly, it worked for me! Just as the diet predicts, you really do lose a pound a day. IT'S NOT EASY and it's expensive! Hopefully you understand this. You only eat 500 calories a day for either 21 or 40 days. (I couldn't make it to 40, so I stopped at 21) The calories also come from a very small list of approved foods. However, seeing the results on the scales every single morning was motivation to keep me going.
By the end of the first week, I was so weak I could hardly lift my arms. I would walk to my truck, get in and then have to sit awhile before I could start the engine. I was extremely weak. Barely could function. I thought maybe it was just because my body wasn't use to only getting 500 calories. I finally talked to a nurse who suggested I take my blood pressure. It registered 83/56 which is extremely low for me. I've been taking blood pressure medicine for 8 years. I called my doctor who suggested that I try just taking half of my normal dosage. After a couple of days of still feeling lethargic, I cut the whole dosage. I am so thankful to report that I was able to totally get off of my high pressure medicine! Another side benefit of the diet. Sometimes after getting off the diet, your blood pressure will return to being high. Not mine! So blessed.
After you’ve done the drops for 21 or 40 days, you have to get off the diet for a short period of time but still stay on a low carb, 1200 calories a day diet. Ok, I’m off the diet, I’m down 23 pounds, doing great, feeling wonderful, and then we went on vacation to
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Beginning
Totally new to this blogging stuff, but since I have a lot to say I thought this would be a good place to share it. Even though this blog begins my journey in April of this year (2011), my real journey started much earlier than that. As a teenager, I really wasn't considered overweight. However, I always thought I was, so I've always viewed myself as being fat. I got married at age 18 and that's when my weight begin to climb. Two years later, I had our first child. I gained around 60 lbs. during that pregnancy. I was able to lose all of that weight, but only kept it off for a brief period of time.
By the time our son turned one, I was well on my way to 200 lbs. I became increasingly unhappy as my weight soared out of control. I know that I used food for comfort and that habit has stayed with me for over 30 years. I can honestly say I've tried all the major diets around and really they all worked as long as I followed all the rules. I'm the one who failed, the diets didn't.
After the birth of our second child in 1985, my weight continued to climb. In 1988 I was considered morbidly obese and opted to have my stomach stapled in hopes I would lose 150 lbs. Again, it wasn't that the surgery didn't work. I'm the one who found a way to continue eating "comfort" food even with my stomach the size of a walnut. Needless to say, this did NOT solve my weight problem.
Now let's jump ahead 20+ years to 2011. I am extremely over weight, extremely unhappy and headed for some extreme health issues. Both of my kids are grown and now we have two grand kids. On top of all of that, I am now 52 years of age and not getting any younger. It's time for a change and I'm the only one who can make that happen.
In my next blog, I will share how my journey started.
By the time our son turned one, I was well on my way to 200 lbs. I became increasingly unhappy as my weight soared out of control. I know that I used food for comfort and that habit has stayed with me for over 30 years. I can honestly say I've tried all the major diets around and really they all worked as long as I followed all the rules. I'm the one who failed, the diets didn't.
After the birth of our second child in 1985, my weight continued to climb. In 1988 I was considered morbidly obese and opted to have my stomach stapled in hopes I would lose 150 lbs. Again, it wasn't that the surgery didn't work. I'm the one who found a way to continue eating "comfort" food even with my stomach the size of a walnut. Needless to say, this did NOT solve my weight problem.
Now let's jump ahead 20+ years to 2011. I am extremely over weight, extremely unhappy and headed for some extreme health issues. Both of my kids are grown and now we have two grand kids. On top of all of that, I am now 52 years of age and not getting any younger. It's time for a change and I'm the only one who can make that happen.
In my next blog, I will share how my journey started.
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