Honesty is the best policy. So, in all honesty, I haven't done what I should have this week and the scale is up because of it. I didn't do what I planned to do. My plan was to eat no carbs and no sugars, but because I didn't plan ahead, I didn't follow through. That and because I found a new favorite food, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), which isn't carb-less though it is good for you. My birthday was Friday, so I let my son and his friend make brownies, and I bought ice cream (telling myself, after all, it was my birthday). So, I ate brownies and ice cream! (Did you notice the excuse?)
Last night was our annual bonfire (and it was quite a party!) I didn't overeat but I did have more sugar (that seems reasonable, right?). I have deprived myself a lot these past 6 months (another excuse!), so I gave myself permission to eat 2 sweets. I wasn't even going to have a hot dog but at the last minute a friend roasted 2 and asked if I wanted one. By then, I wanted one and I ate it without a bun (reasoning that I was making a good choice by not eating a bun!).
Hmmm....how many excuses did I come up with that allowed me to go from bad to worse? It wouldn't have been so bad if I had made a poor choice here & a poor choice there over the course of a couple weeks but I made these over the course of a couple days...even after I had planned to shape up. And now I pay the price. Today I'm doing a Correction Day (CD) to try to regain some lost ground, or should I say ungain some ground that I regained! I am up 7.4 pounds from my LDW (5.4 pounds above my allowed 2 pounds). I am cringing at those numbers because I had worked so hard to get where I was! I hope to lose a couple pounds by tomorrow, eat clean for a couple days and then do another CD.
I really believe that poor planning in the midst of a busy week had a major role to play in my poor choices. I didn't set myself up for success, and by not doing so, I essentially set myself up for failure. I am learning from my mistakes and I am making a meal plan for the week...today!
Before I sign off, I did do something good last week. :) I made some Lara bars. I decided to google it and found several websites/blogs that gave instructions. If you would like to try them, I would suggest this Cashew Cookie recipe. It's very simple and basic (2 ingredients). I am planning to try Hot Fudge Brownie next (but not for a while)! Perhaps I should have tried it last week instead of eating real brownies...hindsight is always 20/20!
Now, I'm off to plan my meals!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Phase 4 again!
So, here I am, in Phase 4 again! Today is day 4. I am up a couple pounds. I didn't have a wonderful Phase 3 like I should have, but the reality is that it was my own doing. I wasn't as careful in Phase 3 this time around as I was the first time. So, I didn't start Phase 4 within 2 pounds of my LDW though I was close. Today I am 3.3 pounds above my LDW (1.3 pounds above where I should be).
During Phase 4, you kind of test the waters without overdoing it, which is easier said than done in most cases. I was actually down a bit today, which was a miracle because I ate something yesterday that I haven't had for several months....fried chicken! And not just any fried chicken. I had Gil's fried chicken! 3 pieces! I can't even tell you in words how good it tasted. And I don't feel guilty about eating that chicken for several reasons:
1. We rarely eat out any more.
2. I know I won't be eating fried chicken again anytime soon.
3. I desire to put good, nourishing things into my body rather than junk "most" of the time.
4. Eating something not-so-good-for-me once in a while isn't going to kill me but I know that eating that way most of the time very well could.
My plan now is to eat clean for a couple days to see if my weight will naturally get back in "the zone", and if it doesn't, I'll do a correction day. I am pretty confident that it will if I stay away from the carbs/sugars.
I have to tell you about a wonderful "treat" that is good and is good for you! Lara Bars. As often as I can, I plan to keep one in my purse for a special treat when we go places and everyone else is consuming sugar. They are tasty, naturally sweet (from dates), are made from just a few natural ingredients, and they come in a variety of flavors. My favorite is probably Apple Pie, but they have a Banana Bread that is quite delicious too. If you haven't tried them, you should (as long as you aren't in Phase 2)! You can find them at most grocery stores in the health food section where the snack bars are located.
During Phase 4, you kind of test the waters without overdoing it, which is easier said than done in most cases. I was actually down a bit today, which was a miracle because I ate something yesterday that I haven't had for several months....fried chicken! And not just any fried chicken. I had Gil's fried chicken! 3 pieces! I can't even tell you in words how good it tasted. And I don't feel guilty about eating that chicken for several reasons:
1. We rarely eat out any more.
2. I know I won't be eating fried chicken again anytime soon.
3. I desire to put good, nourishing things into my body rather than junk "most" of the time.
4. Eating something not-so-good-for-me once in a while isn't going to kill me but I know that eating that way most of the time very well could.
My plan now is to eat clean for a couple days to see if my weight will naturally get back in "the zone", and if it doesn't, I'll do a correction day. I am pretty confident that it will if I stay away from the carbs/sugars.
I have to tell you about a wonderful "treat" that is good and is good for you! Lara Bars. As often as I can, I plan to keep one in my purse for a special treat when we go places and everyone else is consuming sugar. They are tasty, naturally sweet (from dates), are made from just a few natural ingredients, and they come in a variety of flavors. My favorite is probably Apple Pie, but they have a Banana Bread that is quite delicious too. If you haven't tried them, you should (as long as you aren't in Phase 2)! You can find them at most grocery stores in the health food section where the snack bars are located.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Back in the Zone
I'm back in the zone! I lost 2.8 pounds from my correction day yesterday, and am officially back on track. Yay! Now I just need to stay that way. :)
I really enjoyed the steak correction day but the greek yogurt correction days are my very favorite! I love the Greek God's brand that I purchase at Kroger. I have tried several others including Fage, but Greek God's is my personal favorite. I find the Fage is too thick for me.
If you're looking for alternative correction days, you can purchase the ebook here. It's definitely worth the money!
I really enjoyed the steak correction day but the greek yogurt correction days are my very favorite! I love the Greek God's brand that I purchase at Kroger. I have tried several others including Fage, but Greek God's is my personal favorite. I find the Fage is too thick for me.
If you're looking for alternative correction days, you can purchase the ebook here. It's definitely worth the money!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Stabilization
I had little to no trouble stabilizing in Round 1, however, that has not been the case since finishing Phase 2 of Round 2. It has taken me almost a week to get back on track, and I am not quite there yet, but I sure hope to be by tomorrow.
Here's where I went wrong: I was just a few ounces over my alloted 2 pound mark and instead of doing a correction day right then & there, I decided to wait. I was careful eating that day, thinking that would be enough but it wasn't. The next day I did an egg correction day. The scale still went up and let me just say now, the egg correction day is not my favorite and I have always been a fan of eggs! I was clearly disappointed that the egg day did not work. The next 2 days were busy with events, and I remembered reading that doing corrections days in a row didn't seem to work out too well, so I ate clean and figured I'd do another correction day on Sunday. I did a steak day as outlined in Dr. Simeon's protocol. It was good (I love steak!) and it yielded a 3 pound loss. I had read though that sometimes a steak day can produce a bounce back effect where you see a loss the next day, but likely gain again the following day, so I was very careful yesterday. I ate 2 eggs for breakfast, homemade chicken soup and salad for lunch, and for dinner I had tomato soup, celery with peanut butter & an apple (I was a little afraid of eating the apple, but I decided it was worth the risk). Today I was down a little more than a pound. Whew!
So, today I did the greek yogurt correction day in hopes of being within my 2 pound range of my LDW again by tomorrow. We shall see! *fingers crossed*
By the way, a few days ago I read in the Protocol where Dr. Simeon's specifically says to correct as soon as you are the slightest bit over the 2 pounds because if you wait, you will have a hard time getting back to where you need to be. Wish I had reread that before I finished Phase 2!
Here's where I went wrong: I was just a few ounces over my alloted 2 pound mark and instead of doing a correction day right then & there, I decided to wait. I was careful eating that day, thinking that would be enough but it wasn't. The next day I did an egg correction day. The scale still went up and let me just say now, the egg correction day is not my favorite and I have always been a fan of eggs! I was clearly disappointed that the egg day did not work. The next 2 days were busy with events, and I remembered reading that doing corrections days in a row didn't seem to work out too well, so I ate clean and figured I'd do another correction day on Sunday. I did a steak day as outlined in Dr. Simeon's protocol. It was good (I love steak!) and it yielded a 3 pound loss. I had read though that sometimes a steak day can produce a bounce back effect where you see a loss the next day, but likely gain again the following day, so I was very careful yesterday. I ate 2 eggs for breakfast, homemade chicken soup and salad for lunch, and for dinner I had tomato soup, celery with peanut butter & an apple (I was a little afraid of eating the apple, but I decided it was worth the risk). Today I was down a little more than a pound. Whew!
So, today I did the greek yogurt correction day in hopes of being within my 2 pound range of my LDW again by tomorrow. We shall see! *fingers crossed*
By the way, a few days ago I read in the Protocol where Dr. Simeon's specifically says to correct as soon as you are the slightest bit over the 2 pounds because if you wait, you will have a hard time getting back to where you need to be. Wish I had reread that before I finished Phase 2!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Another Milestone
It's official! I have entered ONEderland, as they say on the Yahoo group...this means I weigh less than 200 pounds! 199.3 to be exact! :) ONEderland. What a GREAT feeling it is! This is a HUGE milestone for me! It's been many years since I have seen these numbers on the scale. I would guess it's been at least 16 years or BK (before kids)!
Today is day 43 of VLCD and this is my last dosage weight (LDW) for Round 2. 2 more days of VLCD and then I move into Phase 3. I was planning to go a little longer but my real goal was to have my LDW under 200 and since I'm already past 40 days, it's time to move on. I've lost a total of 57 pounds since starting! Yeehaw!
So, I had this plan to cut my Phase 4 short after this round so I could complete another full round (40 days) before Christmas (with a short interruption at Thanksgiving) but I am going to reconsider this plan. While I am anxious to continue losing, I need to remember that I don't need to be in a hurry (but it's hard to be patient)! I need to trust that Dr. Simeons had a reason for extending Phase 4 by an additional 2 weeks after each round. I know his Protocol works just as he wrote it. Why do I think doing it my way is more important than following the Protocol? I have done things my way for far too long and the results have been less than desirable.
Instead of doing a 40 day round before Christmas, I could do a 21 day round between Thanksgiving and Christmas, take a planned interruption for up to 2 weeks then go back to Phase 2 for the remaining 19 days. Now, that sounds like a good plan and one that Dr. Simeons would approve. :-)
Today is day 43 of VLCD and this is my last dosage weight (LDW) for Round 2. 2 more days of VLCD and then I move into Phase 3. I was planning to go a little longer but my real goal was to have my LDW under 200 and since I'm already past 40 days, it's time to move on. I've lost a total of 57 pounds since starting! Yeehaw!
So, I had this plan to cut my Phase 4 short after this round so I could complete another full round (40 days) before Christmas (with a short interruption at Thanksgiving) but I am going to reconsider this plan. While I am anxious to continue losing, I need to remember that I don't need to be in a hurry (but it's hard to be patient)! I need to trust that Dr. Simeons had a reason for extending Phase 4 by an additional 2 weeks after each round. I know his Protocol works just as he wrote it. Why do I think doing it my way is more important than following the Protocol? I have done things my way for far too long and the results have been less than desirable.
Instead of doing a 40 day round before Christmas, I could do a 21 day round between Thanksgiving and Christmas, take a planned interruption for up to 2 weeks then go back to Phase 2 for the remaining 19 days. Now, that sounds like a good plan and one that Dr. Simeons would approve. :-)
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Let's Talk Clothes
Can I just say that I am really enjoying clothes shopping again! While I still have many pounds to shed, I am finding it easier to find nice clothes that fit well. And I am finding shirts in the regular clothing section rather than the plus sizes...granted they are XL, but, as any woman knows, that is a huge step in the right direction! There are so many more options in the regular section and they are generally more stylish. My friend, Amy, also passed along clothes that don't fit her any more. What a blessing it is to recieve clothes for FREE!
As I said before, I also really enjoy shopping at Goodwill. You just never know what you will find. I have to be careful and be very selective when I shop there because it would be really easy just to buy a bunch of clothes without really loving them just because they are cheap! Today I found 2 sweaters that were 1/2 off ($1.75 each) and 2 really cute corduroy jackets for $4.99 each. I love a bargain!
As I said before, I also really enjoy shopping at Goodwill. You just never know what you will find. I have to be careful and be very selective when I shop there because it would be really easy just to buy a bunch of clothes without really loving them just because they are cheap! Today I found 2 sweaters that were 1/2 off ($1.75 each) and 2 really cute corduroy jackets for $4.99 each. I love a bargain!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
50 POUNDS GONE!
I am more than a little excited at the fact that I have lost 50 POUNDS!!! Something that seemed impossible for so many years, is now becoming a reality in my life...and I am ecstatic!
I finished my 2 week planned interruption when I began the drops and Phase 2 again last Thursday (9/8/11). I had gained some weight during my vacation, but by the time I went back to Phase 2 I was only 3 pounds above my LDW, which I thought wasn't bad considering I had to eat out a LOT during vacation. And while I mostly ate no starches and no sugars (mostly!), my weight was still creeping up here and there. The fact of the matter is you can only control so much when you eat out. You have no idea how foods are prepared or what kinds of spices are used (and many spices have sugar in them these days...I can't understand why!) So, I was happy to be only 3 pounds above my LDW.
In my last post I referred to a plan that I was considering that is unconventional, or should I say, off protocol. My thought was basically to do an extended Phase 2 but taking a planned interruption every 3 weeks, so basically I would be following Phase 2 for 3 weeks then Phase 3 for 2 weeks (the interruption), then back to Phase 2 for 3 weeks and so on.
I have a friend who read Kevin Trudeau's book. From what she told me, he says you can do Phase 2 for 3 weeks, Phase 3 for 3 weeks, then back to Phase 2 for 3 weeks followed by a longer break. I just figured that since a planned interruption should only be for 2 weeks or less, and since I don't have to load again (and gain weight before losing) after an interruption, that I would just follow Phase 3 for 2 weeks instead of 3 weeks.
I also like the idea of the break from the 500 calorie diet for at least 2 weeks. While I don't think the VLCD is dangerous short term, it's not something that I think I should do long term. Honestly, I really like the idea of taking a break after 3 weeks! I think I can do anything for 3 weeks! It isn't hard to follow the Protocol, but after 3 weeks it begins to drag on and the weight loss tends to slow down the longer you are on it.
My plan right now is to complete 3 weeks of Phase 2 (from my planned interruption), which would be a total of 46 days rather than 40. Then I plan to spend 3 weeks on Phase 3, and a little less than 2 weeks on Phase 4 because I want to get started on Phase 2 again the first of November. At that point, I am planning to do 3 weeks of Phase 2, take a 4 day planned interruption for Thanksgiving, and then complete another 3 weeks of Phase 2, for a total of 42 days on Phase 2. That allows me to complete another whole round before Christmas. Then I plan to take a full Phase 3 and Phase 4 break before starting a new round. At that point I should have a good idea about how many more rounds I will need to complete before reaching my goal.
I am confident that I will be exactly where I need to be by next summer! YIPEE!
I finished my 2 week planned interruption when I began the drops and Phase 2 again last Thursday (9/8/11). I had gained some weight during my vacation, but by the time I went back to Phase 2 I was only 3 pounds above my LDW, which I thought wasn't bad considering I had to eat out a LOT during vacation. And while I mostly ate no starches and no sugars (mostly!), my weight was still creeping up here and there. The fact of the matter is you can only control so much when you eat out. You have no idea how foods are prepared or what kinds of spices are used (and many spices have sugar in them these days...I can't understand why!) So, I was happy to be only 3 pounds above my LDW.
In my last post I referred to a plan that I was considering that is unconventional, or should I say, off protocol. My thought was basically to do an extended Phase 2 but taking a planned interruption every 3 weeks, so basically I would be following Phase 2 for 3 weeks then Phase 3 for 2 weeks (the interruption), then back to Phase 2 for 3 weeks and so on.
I have a friend who read Kevin Trudeau's book. From what she told me, he says you can do Phase 2 for 3 weeks, Phase 3 for 3 weeks, then back to Phase 2 for 3 weeks followed by a longer break. I just figured that since a planned interruption should only be for 2 weeks or less, and since I don't have to load again (and gain weight before losing) after an interruption, that I would just follow Phase 3 for 2 weeks instead of 3 weeks.
I also like the idea of the break from the 500 calorie diet for at least 2 weeks. While I don't think the VLCD is dangerous short term, it's not something that I think I should do long term. Honestly, I really like the idea of taking a break after 3 weeks! I think I can do anything for 3 weeks! It isn't hard to follow the Protocol, but after 3 weeks it begins to drag on and the weight loss tends to slow down the longer you are on it.
My plan right now is to complete 3 weeks of Phase 2 (from my planned interruption), which would be a total of 46 days rather than 40. Then I plan to spend 3 weeks on Phase 3, and a little less than 2 weeks on Phase 4 because I want to get started on Phase 2 again the first of November. At that point, I am planning to do 3 weeks of Phase 2, take a 4 day planned interruption for Thanksgiving, and then complete another 3 weeks of Phase 2, for a total of 42 days on Phase 2. That allows me to complete another whole round before Christmas. Then I plan to take a full Phase 3 and Phase 4 break before starting a new round. At that point I should have a good idea about how many more rounds I will need to complete before reaching my goal.
I am confident that I will be exactly where I need to be by next summer! YIPEE!
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