Week 15: Down, Down, Down

Well, this week I did not lose a bunch of weight, only 1 pound, but since it's been a tough week, I'll take it!  I've been very sick with an incredibly bad cold, so eating and keeping my shakes down has been a great struggle.  You would think that I could lose more weight because of my illness, but when you can't get fluids or calories in your body, then your system just grabs on to whatever you do get in there and holds on for dear life!  I hope to see a much more reasonable loss next week, but it might take me a few weeks to recover.

Week 14: Better Late Than Never

So week 14 was a few weeks ago, but I did well overall.  I lost 4.2 pounds over the weeks of the DC Trip and Spring Break!  This was especially good since I did have a few items to eat during that time period!  It was very strange to eat again, but for the most part it was uneventful.  The only item that I truly LOVED came from the Rustic Leaf Bistro in Milford, NH.  They have a great selection of vegetarian foods and I tried a risotto dish with spring peas, asparagus, and mushrooms.  It was FANTASTIC!

Week 13: MIA

Interesting title?  Well that is because this week, I missed class for the first time since I started the program. I was in Washington, DC with my students all week and was unable to go to class!  I have to admit, I really missed being there.  It was sad not to see my friends and get the encouragement and support from the group.  The good news for me though, came in the form of my blood work.  My darling husband picked up the test result from the doctors, and low and behold, my glucose tests (fasting and A1C) all fell in the normal, non-diabetic range!!!!!  What could be more thrilling!  So while I do not know my actual weight loss for the week, I still got great news!

Now I will just have to see how next week's weigh in works since I have actually had some food over the past few weeks.  Not much, mind you, but with the combination of the trip and a visit from my brother, I did eat a little bit. It has been really weird to eat, and I can't say that I like it all that much.  I remember food tasting much better than it really does.  My shakes are just that satisfying.

Week 12: Three Months Down!

This last week's weigh in was great for several reasons. First, I have officially been in the program for three months now.  I lost another 3.8 pounds this week bringing my total to 48.6 pounds lost!  Second, my goal was to hit 50 pounds by my Spring Break (which is next week) and unless I really mess up in Washington, DC next week, I will meet that goal!  Third, I had my monthly measurements taken again, and have made some great losses there as well.  Overall, I have dropped 16 1/4 from my entire body!  I can't believe it! Finally, I have my next round of blood-work, and I hope that any concerns about diabetes will be gone with this round.  The are doing the A1C test again (it only happens every 3 months) and it looks at my blood over the past three months.  Hopefully my blood sugar was not to high at the beginning of the program to skew my results.  In the end, I am very happy with my results and it just keeps moving me forward! I have no idea how much longer I will be on the program, but I have at least another 50 pounds to lose.  My next goal is to have those gone by the time I go back to Kansas City this summer to visit my family!  They will be shocked!!!

Weight: 325-276.6 = 48.6
Breast: 54.25 inches - 50.5 = 3.75
Waist: 53 inches - 48 = 5
Hip: 61.25 inches - 57 = 4.25
Neck: 17.75 inches - 16 = 1.75
R. Thigh: 33.75 inches - 31 = 2.75
Total Inches Lost = 17.5

Week 11: Still Going Strong

So this week was great for me!  I exercised less than last week, but still hit around the recommended 2500 PA mark.  All in all, I lost another 4.6 pounds!  I cannot believe how well this is going!  It is becoming part of my everyday life to exercise, drink my shakes, and really move more! I still look in the mirror everyday and see the same old face, but other people are really starting to notice.

I did have an interesting reminder of where I started when the yearbook editor for my school showed me a picture from the beginning of the school year.  My face looks swollen and bloated!  I cannot believe that EVER let myself go that far!  It's crazy!!!

Week 10: The Big 4-0!!!

So this week, I hit exactly 40 pounds of weight loss!!!  Yeah go me!  I am obviously very excited!  That means that I have lost an average of 4.0 pounds per week over the course of the program. Is it always easy?  No, but I keep plugging away! I have just a few weeks before I go to Washington, DC with my 8th Grade students and then it's Spring Break!  My goal was to be 275 pounds by Spring Break and I actually have a shot!  I have 10 pounds to lose in those few weeks (I believe that it's 3 total), but I think I can do it!

Exercise is also coming along nicely.  I hit 3000 PA last week which is my new high.  I'm not trying to out-do myself each week, but I am trying to really focus on the consistency of exercise.  Somedays, I feel like I really need to go, other days, not so much.  At this point, I'm really trying to tone my muscles as well.  Weight lifting should bring a whole different set of challenges to my game.

Weeks 8 & 9: Physical Activity Here I Come!

Sorry about missing last week's post, but it was a fairly uneventful week.  I was frustrated and sad that I only lost 1.9 pounds!  But this week was even worse!!!!  I lost a total of 4 ounces!!!!  WHY??????  Well after speaking to the great dietician and the nurse, both of them agree that the major leap that I have taken into the world of physical activity the past two weeks certainly played a part.

Let me explain: Almost two weeks ago, I joined a gym.  It's not expensive (around $20 a month) and it's not fancy,  but it has several different cardio machines including treadmills, ellipticals, stair steppers, bikes, and the like.  There is also a full set of weights that I can use.  As part of my membership, I can tan for free, and they have massage chairs that I can use for free as well.  Last week, I went to the gym 6 out of 7 days! This week it was 5 out of 7 days.  I am working up to 45 minutes of interval training on the treadmill which is giving me some awesome physical points for the week!  Basically I have doubled my activity for the past two weeks.  My dietician and the nurse both have said that my activity increase is likely challenging my body, and that after a few weeks, it should settle down and I will see a big loss again.  In the meantime, I am building muscle and strengthening my heart.

I was a little disappointed about the lack of weight loss, but I feel really good about the exercise!  Plus, people have begun to notice that I am down almost 40 pounds!!!!  Several people at work stopped me this week to comment about the physical changes I am going through.  Wish me luck!

Week 7: Still Going

I cannot believe that I am still on this plan after seven weeks!  I know that I am posting a little late, but better late than never!  This week, I was down another 2.4 pounds which was a little disappointing, but my hubby reminded that ANY weight down was a step in the right direction.  My blood-work came back really good this week, although my fasting glucose was a little higher.  I am still fighting that dreaded diabetes diagnosis, so I really need to be careful.  This week, I am going to really focus on my exercising.  I'd like for my physical activity (PA) to be closer to the 2500 I am supposed to get each week.  I've been doing good, between 1200 - 1500 each week, which is a far cry from the zero activity I was doing, but I could be doing better.  Maybe the increased activity will help speed the weight loss.  We shall see!

Week 6: Tough Week

So this week, I only lost 3.2 pounds, bringing my weight down to 292.7.  I know this seems like quite a bit, but not at the pace I've been keeping.  I'm feeling bloated, and yucky all over, so I think that my overall health was a contributing factor.  Next week I hope that things are improving!  I only need to lose 4.7 pounds to reach my next weight loss goal!  I really hope that I can meet it this week!  That would be great!!!

Week 5: My First Goal!

I reached my first short term goal!  In case you were wondering, I am now officially under 300 pounds, which I have not been in two and a half years.  My actual weigh-in tonight was 295.9!  I lost another 5.3 pounds this week.  I am so thrilled with the progress that I have made so far.  I am exercising about three times per week for 30 minutes each.  I notice that it is becoming easier and easier to work out, the more time I go on.  I still have some problems with my knees and hips, but even they are doing better overall.  My next goal is 288 pounds.  That might seem like a strange number, but it is the initial weight that I was when I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting back in 2004.  Once I hit that goal, I will be smaller than I have been in 6 years!

Week 4:Wow!

So after one month on the HMR program, I am officially down 23.8 lbs!  I could not be more pleased with my progress!  This week I needed to eat 6 shakes per day due to some elevated liver enzymes, but I still managed a 4.1 lb loss for the week. I have a blood test again this weekend, and hopefully my sugar levels are still down.  I listed my new stats since they take them every month! Not much else to report!  See you all next week!

Weight: 325 - 301.2 = 23.8 lost

Breast: 54.25 inches - 53.5 = .75 inch

Waist: 53 inches - 51 = 2 inches

Hip: 61.25 inches - 59.25 = 2 inches

Neck: 17.75 inches - 17 = .75 inch

R. Thigh: 33.75 inches - 31.75 = 2 inches

Total inches lost = 7.5 inches!!!

Week 3: Blood-work

Part of my medically supervised weight loss program is to have blood-work done every other week for the first 6 weeks, and then every six weeks after that.  If you know me, you know that I hate this requirement!  I went last Saturday to have my blood drawn, and got my results yesterday at the meeting.  Overall, I look really good!  My fasting glucose levels are at 110, which is way down from the 160 that they were before starting the program.  This also begs to question if I really am diabetic, or if I just had a funny blood test before starting the program.  They only concern is my liver enzymes, which can shoot up with a drastic change in diet.  So this week, I have to drink another shake each day.  I can do that! I also lost another 3.8 pounds which brings my total loss to 17.3!  I am thrilled!

Week 2: Down Again!

Week 2 was better overall!  It was a very difficult weekend as the down time seems to send me to the edge. After getting over that hurdle, I'm happy to say that I lost another 7.2 pounds this week bringing my grand total to 13.5 in just two weeks!  I'm starting to notice that my clothes feel looser, which is really nice.  I really hope that I can keep this up!  For me it is such a mental game and I need to keep my focus!  It is such a blessing that Jason is going through the process with me.  It makes all the difference in the world!

Day 7 and 8: A day in the life

I'd like to say that things are getting easier, but really, it's a mind over matter game.  I find that it is much harder for me to keep focus when I'm at work than it is on the weekends.  When I'm at home, it's not so bad.  So last night I had the opportunity to go to a friends house to scrapbook.  I really debated on going because I knew that there would be food around.  I really enjoy munchies!  I went back and forth and finally decided that having a life was part of the reason I was doing this diet plan in the first place, and if I kept myself from going places simply because there might be food there, then I was denying myself the life that I wanted.  So I went and took my soup with me.  My friend Karen was great about me having my own food, and we had a wonderful time!  Everyday it gets easier.  I keep reminding myself that the plan is not the hard part. Truly it is not.  I can honestly say that I am not hungry drinking only shakes.  They are very filling.  In case you are wondering what my eating schedule looks like, I thought I'd post a list of what I've been eating this past week.


Breakfast:
1 Chocolate HMR 800 Shake
1 Vanilla HMR 800 Shake
1 Tbsp. Sugar-free fat free instant chocolate pudding
1 Tbsp. Sugar-free fat free instant vanilla pudding
3 Tbsp. ground flaxseeds (Good to aid in digestion and gallbladder health)
16 oz water
6-8 ice cubes


Mix everything in a blender until the ice is crushed and the powders are well mixed.  I pour half of the mixture into my Starbucks brand insulated cold beverage cup so I can drink it through a straw.  The rest I pour into a blender cup and keep in my lunch-box where it stays cold. I finish all of this by about 9:30 am.


Lunch:
1 Chocolate HMR 800 Shake or Vanilla HMR 800 Shake
1 Tbsp Malted Milk
12 oz water


Place in a shaker bottle and shake until dissolved.  It's great!


DInner:
1 Chicken Soup HMR 500 packet
1 tsp organic chicken bullion (low sodium)
10 oz water


Simply heat the water with the bullion, then add the packet of soup.  Whisk together and drink.  I make mine in a mug.  To the soup you can add seasonings as long as the are calorie free.  My favorites are curry powder, onion and garlic powder, and an MSG free spaghetti spice that I got at Sam's Club.  It has bits of onion and garlic, so soak it in water first to soften, then heat the water and enjoy.  I have this soup once when I get home, and a little later as well since 2 packets of soup = 1 shake serving in terms of calories on my plan.


Dessert or Snack:
1 Vanilla HMR 800 Shake
1 Tbsp. Sugar-free fat free instant pudding (any flavor)
6-8 cubes ice
2-4 oz water


Crush the ice in the blender until you have little chips.  Add the Shake packet, pudding, and then the water.  Mix until well blended.  It's really creamy and yummy!  A little mini dessert!


In addition to those items, I take my daily vitamins that come with the shakes, omega 3-6-9, which I buy separately, and I drink 2-3 quarts of water.  It's a lot to take in, but I get it done! 138 of 147 days to go!

Week 1: My First Weigh In

So tonight was the big night and I learned several great things.  First, my beloved soups that are really helping with food cravings have always been limited to replacing one shake per day, but because of the calorie count, I get 2 packets!  That means I can have soup at lunch and still have a soup for dinner!  Woo-hoo! Second, the dietician thinks that I'm doing great, and is not concerned about the diabetes, which she says will change over the course of the plan.  Third, I am doing great with my blood pressure which did come down from the initial time. (I still think the initial was a fluke.) Finally, I lost 8.7 pounds!!!!! Go me!  I am so excited because this has been a very hard week, not on the hunger side, but on the emotional connection to food side.  I am such an emotional eater, but the classes, encouragement from friends, and the fact that my hubby is along for the ride are making it a bit better.  Here's to next week!

Day 5 and 6: This is tough!

So you can tell by the title that this has been tough for me.  On Tuesday I went to Pat's Peak with the ski students after school and I so wanted to eat a grilled cheese like I usually do at the lodge.  I was really struggling when I happened to see the nurse who runs the program I am doing.  Just seeing her face made me think "I can do this!"  I was very good, and came home and had soup instead.  I realized that I needed to eat more shakes earlier in the day, since I am struggling to get them in at night.

On Wednesday, I made a double shake for breakfast.  It seemed to help!  I wasn't hungry at my "normal" lunch time, so I had my third shake right after school, a soup for dinner, and a shake for dessert.  I got on my home scale today since my official weigh in is tomorrow and I wanted to see how things looked.  It seemed good on my scale, but the one that matters is the one at the office, so wish me luck! I'll post numbers when I get back from my meeting.

Day 4:Soup to the Rescue

Well day four is finished and it has been tough.  I still have no problems feeling full, so that is a big bonus!  My darling hubby made an early morning run to get the chicken soup that we needed, and that combined with a late start day at school meant that I could eat something other than just shakes today!  That first taste of soup was divine!

I am still struggling with the idea of food.  I don't think I was ever aware how much time I spent during my day, thinking about food, planning my next meal, or looking up food related items such as new recipes or different cuisines.  It has been a MAJOR adjustment for me to not think about these things.  I find that when my mind wanders, I think about food!  It's no wonder that I am as big as I am!  I think that the reality is that even when I was doing great with food, it took up so much of my time that I really wasn't doing a great as I thought.  Does that make sense?  So my challenge today was to get past the food that I was dreaming about.  I started by writing down a list of the things I was missing as I though of them and it was a real eye opener.  Every single items that I eventually wrote down are food that I would typically put in my "emotional eating" column.  They are my comfort foods.

Here is my list:
Kraft Macaroni and Cheese with Tuna (Sounds gross, but is totally yummy!)
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy (notice the lack of meat here?)
Baked Chicken and Rice

All of these are carb heavy, fat filled foods that I have been eating since childhood.  I think I have too strong of an attachment with food.  I'm beginning to understand that my weight loss success is going to be entirely mental!  I have to relearn everything about food and the body, which will be a challenge for me.  But I can do this!

Day 3: Something Savory

Okay, so I'm still on plan, and still not hungry, but I have decided that I officially miss food.  I think that all of the sweet shakes are getting to me.  If I could just have something savory, I think it might get better.  Today, my energy levels seemed to improve.  Yesterday I was sluggish and irritable, but today, it seems a little better.  Here are my challenges so far:

1) Getting in all of my shakes.  I feel like I have to many at the end of the day.
2) Getting something savory.  I'm missing cheese right now, so I know I want salt!
3) Water, water, water...but it is getting better too!
4) Exercise!  I did take another 30 minute walk today, so that is a big improvement.

I am nervous about going back to work tomorrow.  I'm sure it will be interesting to be on plan!

Day 2: Mind Games

Today has been much harder than I expected.  I have not been hungry, as the shakes really fill me up, but I have noticed so many more cravings.  What I really want is cheese!  I am craving cheese like nobody's business.  I think that it must mean I need some savory items in my diet.  One if the items I can purchase is a chicken soup, but it's not recommended on the first week due to the sodium content.  This is definitely something I will be purchasing next week!

One thing that did help yesterday was my ability to mix up some of the shakes into something other than a shake.  Sounds funny right? I can make muffins, cookies, and puddings from my shakes and that seemed to help.  Yesterday, I made cinnamon muffins that were great!  They were a little more dense than normal muffins, but it was nice to chew something.  Plus, one side effect from a liquid only diet is that your gallbladder becomes under used.  If I make muffins, I can add flaxseed, which aids my diet in so many ways, and gets my gallbladder working.

For dinner, I made a chocolate cheesecake pudding.  I did this by adding 1-tablespoon of instant sugar-free cheesecake pudding mix to my shake along with crushed ice, and a little water in a blender.  Yummy!  It was just like eating dessert.

I did better with my water today, but I slept a lot more today as well.  I think my body is getting rid of all of the bad things that I have been putting it through for years.  I keep reminding myself that this is a process.  One step at a time.

The last thing I did today was to track out how many days I think I will be on the decision-free plan.  This is the shake only part of the plan, before transition and maintenance.  I have just been telling myself, since before I began the program, that I would probably be on the decision-free plan until the end of my school year in June.

Day 1

Today was my first day on the shakes, and I have to say that the chocolate ROCKS!  With just water, it tastes like a creamy chocolate milk.  I like it with more water than suggested, it says 7 ounces, but I like 12 ounces.  I'm using a blender bottle from GNC to mix up my shakes.  It has a little roller whisk inside that dissolves the powder quickly.  I did try a vanilla today as well, but I'm not a fan of plain vanilla.  Luckily, I had some sample shakes before I purchased them, so I knew what I was getting.  I ended up mixing my vanilla into a 12 ounce cup of hot coffee!  It was yummy!  I got my morning caffeine fix, sweetened my coffee, and had a shake all at the same time.  I think that this will probably become my breakfast from now on.

The other only program requirements for the day are to exercise and drink water.  It is recommended that you exercise enough to burn 2500 calories each week.  That is roughly 350 calories to burn each day.  I went for a 30 minute walk with my hubby around the mall.  It's funny to be a mall walker, but it's to cold to walk outside, and it exercise component was stressed as essential to weight loss.  Besides, I don't want to pay for exercise if I can help it.

As for water, it's been a bit tricker for me to get my water in.  I have always struggled to drink enough water, but I never realized how bad it was until today.  I have to drink at least 2 quarts, and the more the better.  It was really tricky for me.  It's something that I will have to pay attention to as the weeks progress.

My Starting Stats

So today I went to my first meeting, which is actually called the initial screening.  This is where my starting data is taken, my final questions are answered, and I purchase the first set of shakes that I will consume for the week.  The great part about today was that I got to meet some of the other participants in the group.  Just for those who are wondering, here are my starting statistics:

Weight: 325
Breast: 54.25 inches
Waist: 53 inches
Hip: 61.25 inches
Neck: 17.75 inches
R. Thigh: 33.75 inches



Now to begin!  Tomorrow, I start by drinking my shakes. I get to have 5 per day to start. I can have more if I feel hungry.  The most important thing is for me to remember to drink plenty of water! Here's to tomorrow!

Tomorrow it begins....

Tomorrow I complete the final step of the process that takes me on my weight loss journey.  For the next several months, I will completing the Decision Free Weight Loss Plan from HMR through my local hospital.  This means several things for me: 1) I will be on a very low calorie, medically supervised diet, 2) I will not be eating "real" food for several weeks, 3) I will be losing weight very quickly, and 4) I will be changing my life!

For those who do not know me, here is a brief glimpse into my life.  I am 33 years old.  I have been married for 10 years to a great, albeit also overweight guy.  I am a teacher, but do not have children of my own. For several years, I have tried to lose weight, but always seem to fail.  I get to around a 20 pound loss, and my body seems to quit.  At this point I weight around 325, and on my 5'6" frame, this places me in the morbidly obese range.  At my age, I don't want to live this way any longer!  I desperately want the weight to come off, and feel that this is my last resort.  I have been diagnosed with PCOS for around 9 years, and recently I was told that my blood-work show a pre-diabetic trend. I refuse to take medicine for the rest of my life simply because I did nothing to help my body out.

So here is the plan, I will be working with my doctors to complete the HMR decision Free Plan.  This consists of meal replacement shakes and soups for the first several weeks (usually around 12 in total).  There is also a daily exercise requirement.  I plan on using my Wii Fit during the winter months and simple walking/running as it warms up. After that, depending on my blood-work, weight loss, and overall health, we will decide if I need to go on maintenance or continue on the program.  My guess is that I will be doing this for the rest of my school year which ends in the middle of June.  I plan to post daily/weekly how I am doing on the plan (the eating part), what exercise I am getting (the physical part), and how I am handling my issues with food (the emotional part).

Tomorrow after my initial screening, I will post my weight, BMI, measurements, and pictures so you can see my transformation.  Please feel free to ask questions as you follow along with me!  I am very nervous, but excited to be starting this program!