It could have been better. If I just hadn’t had that spoonful slurp of marinara sauce. We had our last class on December 13 and a then a three week closure. My first cheat was a spoon of marinara. It’s the best marinara sauce: White Linen from Costco. The next cheat was a very small plate of Christmas dinner fare. My sister buys her meals already prepared from the local grocery store and they only require reheating. To me, that IS NOT a Christmas dinner and therefore it offered very little temptation. On my small plate, I added a spoon of mashed potato, spoon of stuffing and a small finger length of turkey plus a heap of green beans. I ate the turkey and ½ of the green beans and only a small bite of potato and stuffing because it just didn’t taste that good.
Then came the week after Christmas. I tasted something every single day. All in all it didn’t add up to a lot of calories, but it was cheating. I chose wisely, for the most part, by eating steamed veggies. It's the cashews, Hershey kisses and then croutons added to my soup that did me in. I still have not regained control of my diet. My weight reflected the cheating. In the three weeks we didn’t have class I lost 6.5 pounds. It could have been more.
When I look at the overall picture of 25 pounds lost in 39 days, it feels good. If I look at how last year during the holidays I easily packed on 10 pounds, I feel good that this year I entered a new year with a weight LOSS instead of a gain.
I’ve started exercising again. It’s nothing too strenuous, but I’m getting out there and walking. At home I’ll do strength training and squats. It’s more than I’ve done in a long time so I’m feeling okay about that too.
Later this month I’m going to start attending a rigorous circuit training class at a small local gym. They make you feel like family – lots of yelling, “GET MOVING!” lots of discipline, “DO 10 MORE OR ELSE…” and lots of encouragement, “AWESOME JOB TODAY!” When I say, rigorous, it’s almost an understatement. This is a hard core workout and it feels extremely good when it’s over. When I did this circuit two years ago my Polar F6 heart rate monitor recorded over 600 calories burned in the hour. The owner/trainer commonly yells to the group, “HATE ME NOW. LOVE ME LATER.” And he’s right!
That’s where I am with the Optifast program. I’m struggling right now but overall still keeping my calories low. It’s difficult every single day for me, but my clothes are fitting better and my health is improving. I’m alert all day long instead of having a food coma every afternoon. I don’t sweat all of the time either. These reasons are what keep me on the program instead of quitting entirely. I need this weight loss for so many reasons.
*HAPPY NEW YEAR!*
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
19 pounds in less than 3 weeks!
Woo-Hoo. Last night's weigh-in yielded a six pound weight loss. The facility will not have classes for the next three weeks. There are optional ones you can attend if you need the support. I've got my shakes for the next three weeks including two boxes of 800 tomato and one of the 800 chicken. I cannot tell you how much I look forward to my nightly cup of soup.
I started the fast on the Friday after Thanksgiving, Nov 25. This Friday will be three weeks exactly. I'm so thrilled to have lost 19 pounds in less than three weeks.
I started the fast on the Friday after Thanksgiving, Nov 25. This Friday will be three weeks exactly. I'm so thrilled to have lost 19 pounds in less than three weeks.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Weigh-in #3 tonight
I'm struggling every single day. It's not that I'm hungry; it's the food I want for comfort. The weather is cooler and I want to eat warm casseroles and add melted cheese to everything.
Yesterday I wore a pair of dress slacks that I purchased for work approximately two months ago. They fit but were painful in the waist area when I sat down. They were incredibly loose yesterday. This makes me feel good and strong and gives me momentum to forge ahead. Unfortunately, that feeling doesn't last long.
The 800 product tomato soup was a freakin' lifesaver this week. I added basil and Mrs. Dash seasoning (table blend and garlic) to it. Tonight I hope to purchase another box of that plus the 800 product chicken soup to have an alternative.
Last weekend I baked all day long without sampling one little morsel. It was tough. I made peanut butter blossom cookies and magic bars--a chocolately, pecan, coconut delight. While baking I tried a new shake. Vanilla with apple pie spice and pumpkin pie spice plus a shot of white chocolate sugar free Torani syrup. Mmmmm....that was really good.
My naked weight this morning compared to my naked weight last Tuesday is 4.5 less. I'm actually going more by my Tuesday morning naked weigh-in than what shows at the clinic. The clinic weight varies depending on what I wear that day. And trust me...when you're not eating one tiny crumb, every ounce counts on the scale.
Next week's goal: E X E R C I S E
I'll post my weight later.
P.S. Welcome Jennifer! Thanks for the comment. Congrats on a successful start to the program. Awesome weight loss!
Yesterday I wore a pair of dress slacks that I purchased for work approximately two months ago. They fit but were painful in the waist area when I sat down. They were incredibly loose yesterday. This makes me feel good and strong and gives me momentum to forge ahead. Unfortunately, that feeling doesn't last long.
The 800 product tomato soup was a freakin' lifesaver this week. I added basil and Mrs. Dash seasoning (table blend and garlic) to it. Tonight I hope to purchase another box of that plus the 800 product chicken soup to have an alternative.
Last weekend I baked all day long without sampling one little morsel. It was tough. I made peanut butter blossom cookies and magic bars--a chocolately, pecan, coconut delight. While baking I tried a new shake. Vanilla with apple pie spice and pumpkin pie spice plus a shot of white chocolate sugar free Torani syrup. Mmmmm....that was really good.
My naked weight this morning compared to my naked weight last Tuesday is 4.5 less. I'm actually going more by my Tuesday morning naked weigh-in than what shows at the clinic. The clinic weight varies depending on what I wear that day. And trust me...when you're not eating one tiny crumb, every ounce counts on the scale.
Next week's goal: E X E R C I S E
I'll post my weight later.
P.S. Welcome Jennifer! Thanks for the comment. Congrats on a successful start to the program. Awesome weight loss!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
2nd Weigh-In tonight
Today is week #2 weigh-in. Let me back track first to write about my first two weeks on the program.
On November 25, the day after Thanksgiving I started the Optifast product. The first day I decided to have the shakes by themselves with nothing adding to get the full taste. Thanksfully, it was ONLY one day. The shakes are no where near as good as the HMR product. They were terrible, in my honest opinion.
I struggled a lot during the first few days with headaches and hunger pangs. Four days on the fast yielded a 9.5 lb weight loss bringing my weight down to an even 246. I was proud of that loss considering my entire class started on Wednesday the day before Thanksgiving.
Almost every morning I mixed two shakes with coffee and added either chocolate Torani sugar free syrup or hazelnut, raspberry, or white chocolate to it. When at work I took my shaker cup with the round whisk-like stainless steel ball inside and made my shakes. It's quick and easy and back to work. I've mixed orange and chocolate and also chocolate and vanilla. At about the third day they started tasting like milk to me. It reminded me of a very mild chocolate flavored milk I made as a kid when I added too little chocolate to the milk.
Tonight I weigh-in and this past week was the hardest. Yesterday I went to Disneyland and forgot how much I ate my way through the park. First smell is the bakery on Main Street, then the popcorn, turkey legs, french fries, clam chowder, corn dogs, etc. OH MY GOD. I was dying. I had five shakes by 3:00 just to keep me full. I also dealt with an all day work conference where I made three shakes in advance and carried a cooler with me. I haven't told anyone at work so I had to sneak my bottle outside the conference hall to drink it. It worked and I survived without having to answer any questions about my diet.
Hot and Slim. That's the way I want to describe myself when I'm done. Hot and Slim Chicken Soup is available for purchase. It's broth-like and a nice alternative to sweet shakes all of the time. I add Mrs. Dash seasoning to the water before I microwave it. I use the garlic, table blend, original blend, hot and spicy and sometimes add curry powder to it. Can I just tell you that I look forward to that soup every single day. It cannot be used to replace one of the five required shakes a day. It's an additional option and I highly recommend it.
I did ask the nurse practitioner if I could purchase the 800 Optifast product of chicken soup or tomato soup. The 800 product does count as 1 of the 5 required shakes. It has more calories than my 70 product. She approved me to purchase an extra box of shakes so I'm looking forward to having tomato soup tonight. The only thing missing will be a grilled cheese sandwich on the side. :(
It's tough because my husband still has to eat. The other night he made macaroni-and-cheese and I almost tackled him to the ground to get some. Are there calories in a wet sloppy kiss that might include a pasta noodle and cheese? Just kidding....I actually thought of that though.
Now that I'm at the two-week mark I need to incorporate exercise. They encourage moderate exercise and strength training using light weights with high repetition. That's next on the agenda.
My naked weight this morning is 5.0 lbs. less than last Tuesday's naked weight. I'm going by that number mostly because each week at the clinic my clothes and shoes are different.
More soon...
On November 25, the day after Thanksgiving I started the Optifast product. The first day I decided to have the shakes by themselves with nothing adding to get the full taste. Thanksfully, it was ONLY one day. The shakes are no where near as good as the HMR product. They were terrible, in my honest opinion.
I struggled a lot during the first few days with headaches and hunger pangs. Four days on the fast yielded a 9.5 lb weight loss bringing my weight down to an even 246. I was proud of that loss considering my entire class started on Wednesday the day before Thanksgiving.
Almost every morning I mixed two shakes with coffee and added either chocolate Torani sugar free syrup or hazelnut, raspberry, or white chocolate to it. When at work I took my shaker cup with the round whisk-like stainless steel ball inside and made my shakes. It's quick and easy and back to work. I've mixed orange and chocolate and also chocolate and vanilla. At about the third day they started tasting like milk to me. It reminded me of a very mild chocolate flavored milk I made as a kid when I added too little chocolate to the milk.
Tonight I weigh-in and this past week was the hardest. Yesterday I went to Disneyland and forgot how much I ate my way through the park. First smell is the bakery on Main Street, then the popcorn, turkey legs, french fries, clam chowder, corn dogs, etc. OH MY GOD. I was dying. I had five shakes by 3:00 just to keep me full. I also dealt with an all day work conference where I made three shakes in advance and carried a cooler with me. I haven't told anyone at work so I had to sneak my bottle outside the conference hall to drink it. It worked and I survived without having to answer any questions about my diet.
Hot and Slim. That's the way I want to describe myself when I'm done. Hot and Slim Chicken Soup is available for purchase. It's broth-like and a nice alternative to sweet shakes all of the time. I add Mrs. Dash seasoning to the water before I microwave it. I use the garlic, table blend, original blend, hot and spicy and sometimes add curry powder to it. Can I just tell you that I look forward to that soup every single day. It cannot be used to replace one of the five required shakes a day. It's an additional option and I highly recommend it.
I did ask the nurse practitioner if I could purchase the 800 Optifast product of chicken soup or tomato soup. The 800 product does count as 1 of the 5 required shakes. It has more calories than my 70 product. She approved me to purchase an extra box of shakes so I'm looking forward to having tomato soup tonight. The only thing missing will be a grilled cheese sandwich on the side. :(
It's tough because my husband still has to eat. The other night he made macaroni-and-cheese and I almost tackled him to the ground to get some. Are there calories in a wet sloppy kiss that might include a pasta noodle and cheese? Just kidding....I actually thought of that though.
Now that I'm at the two-week mark I need to incorporate exercise. They encourage moderate exercise and strength training using light weights with high repetition. That's next on the agenda.
My naked weight this morning is 5.0 lbs. less than last Tuesday's naked weight. I'm going by that number mostly because each week at the clinic my clothes and shoes are different.
More soon...
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
TGIF
Thank God it's Friday that I chose to start my Optifast diet. At the end of class last night we were given our Optifast shakes. Some have chosen to start tomorrow and others on Friday. I ordered two chocolate, two vanilla, one orange, and one hot-and-slim soup.
I'm nervous.
What if I hate the taste of the product? I find it odd that not once has Kaiser offered a sample. I'm guessing it tastes horrible and if they offered a sample no one would join the program.
The differences are many between the other fasting program and Kaiser's. The former being incredibly rigid with check-in, attendance, tracking what you eat and when you exercise. We had to check in mid-week (via email or phone call) and provide totals for calories eaten and calories burned and how much water we drank. I don't even have Lance's email address or direct phone number to call him with a question. It's just soooo different and much more lax at Kaiser. I think I might like that better. God knows I have too many meetings and deadlines to deal with my job to add that into the mix as well.
I'm nervous. I've been successful before on a liquid fast and now I'm hoping I don't have that "been there done that and now I'm bored" attitude. To my surprise I didn't gain week from all of my Last Suppers. It could still catch up with me.
I am not sure how I'll handle the work/food events I have coming up. Our department holiday luncheon, my regional meeting, and a leadership team meeting are all scheduled December 15. I don't feel like sharing with ANYONE that I'm on this program. Only Ryan and my best friend Lisa know at this point.
Side note: A coworker of mine was commenting on recent funny episode of Mike & Molly and a different coworker started groaning. When asked why the groan, she replied, "It disgusts me." Hmm...I was standing five feet from her and heard the exchange and wondered if she was referring to the two very large main characters that disgusted her. I'm sure she was. Let me just add that this woman is probably 5'3 and weighs 100 pounds soaking wet dipped in bread crumbs. So, how does she feel about me? 5'5 and a 255.5?
Sooo, wish me luck. Friday is the day my trip outta Fatburgh begins....
till next time,
J.
I'm nervous.
What if I hate the taste of the product? I find it odd that not once has Kaiser offered a sample. I'm guessing it tastes horrible and if they offered a sample no one would join the program.
The differences are many between the other fasting program and Kaiser's. The former being incredibly rigid with check-in, attendance, tracking what you eat and when you exercise. We had to check in mid-week (via email or phone call) and provide totals for calories eaten and calories burned and how much water we drank. I don't even have Lance's email address or direct phone number to call him with a question. It's just soooo different and much more lax at Kaiser. I think I might like that better. God knows I have too many meetings and deadlines to deal with my job to add that into the mix as well.
I'm nervous. I've been successful before on a liquid fast and now I'm hoping I don't have that "been there done that and now I'm bored" attitude. To my surprise I didn't gain week from all of my Last Suppers. It could still catch up with me.
I am not sure how I'll handle the work/food events I have coming up. Our department holiday luncheon, my regional meeting, and a leadership team meeting are all scheduled December 15. I don't feel like sharing with ANYONE that I'm on this program. Only Ryan and my best friend Lisa know at this point.
Side note: A coworker of mine was commenting on recent funny episode of Mike & Molly and a different coworker started groaning. When asked why the groan, she replied, "It disgusts me." Hmm...I was standing five feet from her and heard the exchange and wondered if she was referring to the two very large main characters that disgusted her. I'm sure she was. Let me just add that this woman is probably 5'3 and weighs 100 pounds soaking wet dipped in bread crumbs. So, how does she feel about me? 5'5 and a 255.5?
Sooo, wish me luck. Friday is the day my trip outta Fatburgh begins....
till next time,
J.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
OPTIFAST: T-L-S-S
Class numero uno occurred last night. It's a small group of seven counting myself ranging in age from 19-60. Our instructor, "Lance" informs us we are group #2941 at this Kaiser Permanente location that has served up the Optifast option since 1971. Wow.
I wasn't sure what to expect from class since I had already been comparing everything to the other hospital program I attended. Lance sat in a chair and casually went through the program. He kept us there for the entire two hours. It certainly could have ended after one.
I'm told Kaiser's Optifast program is more emotion-based whereas the other hospital was strictly exercise and nutrition focused in gestapo-like fashion. This should be interesting. I think I've pegged a 'talker' in the group already. During introductions she spent a good 15 minutes beyond the usual, "Hi. My name is Mary."
Next Tuesday we get our product after class. Lance gave us the option of starting immediately after class, the next day or even after the Thanksgiving holiday. Can you guess what day I'm starting? Yes, FRIDAY! I've been ready for this diet for about three weeks. Had I started on October 25 like I wanted to this holiday wouldn't be a consideration. But...starting two days before the holiday is the reason I will celebrate with my family. Christmas will be off limits and I'm trying to get used to that now. Not only Christmas dinner and New Year's celebration, but the entire month of December with chocolate and potlucks galore.
I am officially part of the TLSS Gang. The Last Supper Syndrome Gang. Yep. Is it wrong of me to already have a list of places I want to eat from now until next week? I gained 3 pounds from the initial assessment weigh-in back in mid October. Any die hard dieter reading this will think I'm doomed for failure with this pre-diet foodfest, but hopefully I prove you wrong.
Till next time...
I wasn't sure what to expect from class since I had already been comparing everything to the other hospital program I attended. Lance sat in a chair and casually went through the program. He kept us there for the entire two hours. It certainly could have ended after one.
I'm told Kaiser's Optifast program is more emotion-based whereas the other hospital was strictly exercise and nutrition focused in gestapo-like fashion. This should be interesting. I think I've pegged a 'talker' in the group already. During introductions she spent a good 15 minutes beyond the usual, "Hi. My name is Mary."
Next Tuesday we get our product after class. Lance gave us the option of starting immediately after class, the next day or even after the Thanksgiving holiday. Can you guess what day I'm starting? Yes, FRIDAY! I've been ready for this diet for about three weeks. Had I started on October 25 like I wanted to this holiday wouldn't be a consideration. But...starting two days before the holiday is the reason I will celebrate with my family. Christmas will be off limits and I'm trying to get used to that now. Not only Christmas dinner and New Year's celebration, but the entire month of December with chocolate and potlucks galore.
I am officially part of the TLSS Gang. The Last Supper Syndrome Gang. Yep. Is it wrong of me to already have a list of places I want to eat from now until next week? I gained 3 pounds from the initial assessment weigh-in back in mid October. Any die hard dieter reading this will think I'm doomed for failure with this pre-diet foodfest, but hopefully I prove you wrong.
Till next time...
Thursday, November 10, 2011
T-6 days
I changed my profile picture to better reflect my outward appearance. The only difference is that I have hair. And I'm female. My physical appearance, however, is just like good ol' Mr. Humpty Dumpty. I have skinny legs with a thigh measurement of 24, but a big hip roll and belly and arms and boobs. If I wear leggings or straight leg jeans, I look just like Humpty. I thought it was appropriate to make him my profile pic. I don't need a real picture of myself because I desperately want to remain anonymous. I want this Optifast journey to help someone else considering a medically supervised fast. My goal is to offer my experience with it all and hopefully it will assist someone else in the future.
My first Optifast class is scheduled for next week. What I'm told is that you go to that class and then WAIT......ANOTHER WEEK....before you can start the shakes. What?! I feel like I've waited too long as it is. In fact, this waiting game has given me time to contemplate joining. I've asked myself, "Can I do this by myself?" "Can I just exercise and watch my food intake on my own." "How will I get through the holidays or work meetings with food?" It's turned into a negative spin instead of a positive one.
It all comes back to this very important health issue: Uncontrolled diabetes with a 14% A1C result. I think I heard a resounding GASP from anyone who understands the world of diabetes. My doctor has told me for years that getting the weight off and exercising could potentially mean getting off diabetic meds. Has it worked? Nope. This is why I'm returning to a liquid fast. It's quick, medically supervised weight loss.
That's the scoop. I'll report back after class #1.
My first Optifast class is scheduled for next week. What I'm told is that you go to that class and then WAIT......ANOTHER WEEK....before you can start the shakes. What?! I feel like I've waited too long as it is. In fact, this waiting game has given me time to contemplate joining. I've asked myself, "Can I do this by myself?" "Can I just exercise and watch my food intake on my own." "How will I get through the holidays or work meetings with food?" It's turned into a negative spin instead of a positive one.
It all comes back to this very important health issue: Uncontrolled diabetes with a 14% A1C result. I think I heard a resounding GASP from anyone who understands the world of diabetes. My doctor has told me for years that getting the weight off and exercising could potentially mean getting off diabetic meds. Has it worked? Nope. This is why I'm returning to a liquid fast. It's quick, medically supervised weight loss.
That's the scoop. I'll report back after class #1.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)