Keep on trucking

I think I've finally gotten into the groove with this diet :)

I discovered that xylitol (one of the two approved sweeteners I can use) and I do not get along. It has been fairly cold out recently, so I needed some nice warm tea. The one day I used the xylitol, I gained a pound back! O_O Not to mention, my stomach did not like it at all. So, no more of that for me!

I even managed to go out with the boy last night and have a dinner at a real restaurant (that, even better...I didn't have to cook!). We went to Outback Steakhouse, or as he mistakenly called it, Outhouse *facepalm* I had grilled mahi mahi with the tomatoes and artichokes on there, but nixed the sauce and seasonings, and had steamed broccoli and green beans. Very tasty! They did bring the bread to the table before we could tell them no, so I had to sit there drooling over it for about 15 minutes before we could get them to take it away. I am proud of myself that I didn't give in.

When I looked at my weight tracker today, I shocked myself that I'm already on day 10! Eleven days more, and I get to start adding a little more into my diet, and hopefully I won't be sensitive to some of my favorites! We will see, though.

So, as an update, I'm down 10.8 lbs :) The loss has slowed a little, but that is okay! Smaller increments are more sustainable in the long run. As long as it keeps going down, then I have no complaints, and so far, the only thing that has caused me to gain has been the xylitol. So, now, I have to try to find this brand of stevia they recommend, because a lot of the others (like truvia, I've come to discover) have fillers in them.

I also wanted to say thanks to those who have given me such positive feedback on my blog. It is helping me to stay on track, but in a small way, I am hoping it will help anyone else who is struggling or has struggled with weight issues, or for someone hoping to gain a different perspective. Thank you guys for your support!

Success!

I have to admit...the first few days of this program have been fairly rough.

Friday was my first day on the restricted diet. Because I didn't eat enough veggies, I ended up feeling very hungry and having a horrible headache.

Saturday went a little better. I made sure to have a good breakfast before work which definitely helped. I made myself a mini frittata with spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes. Quite tasty! :) I ended up having to take a few minutes off of work and go eat an apple because I started feeling my energy drain because everything was so hectic at work. Other than that, everything worked out okay.

Yesterday was very tough, though. Being a holiday, especially one where so much chocolate is consumed, it was a VERY tempting day to give in and cheat. I'm so proud of myself that I didn't. I treated myself to a little extra fruit and some extra chicken, though...lol. I had gone over to Mark's aunt's for dinner with the rest of his family, and we did a cookout. I had a little grilled chicken and a slider-size sirloin burger, with lots of grilled goodies-- pineapple, sweet peppers and zucchini. It was tough seeing the other things get passed around (potato salad, hawaiian salad, key lime pie, cookies, bbq ribs), but I am very proud of myself for putting me first and not giving in.

It is truly paying off. Since starting the restricted part of the diet, I've lost 11 lbs! That gives a net loss of over 7 lbs, as I did gain a few during the binge days (as expected). I had to weigh myself 3 times this morning to make sure the scale was reading right...lol.

I also feel like I am getting the hang of the system finally. Yes, there is a lot of planning surrounding it, and if you can't or won't do that, then it is going to be pretty difficult for you to have success-- and I think that goes with any program. That was one of my biggest downfalls for me with Weight Watchers-- I never allowed myself the time for the planning and the tracking.

That is the key-- you have to take time for YOU in order to be successful.

Day 3

So, under the new program I'm on, the first two days include eating higher fat foods to "train" the amino acids I'm taking. I had stuff that I hadn't allowed myself to have for a while-- fried chicken, pizza, german chocolate cake...yum :)

Now, today is day 3. This is where I start eating a restricted diet, very much like paleo, but a little more strict. 2 meals, which can be spread throughout the day (grazing), consisting of a protein and 2 cups of veggies, along with 2 servings of fruits at some point. I decided for my early day meal, I would do plain greek yogurt with strawberries. Sounds good, right? Yeah, not so much. I discovered plain greek yogurt tastes NOTHING like any other greek yogurts I've ever had. It is bitter and bland, and not even the strawberries could salvage it. I may throw some stevia in the mix next time, because there's no way I can have the plain greek yogurt, well...plain.

I am going to cook some chicken in salsa for dinner, and have some brussel sprouts on the side. The kicker is, I can't use any oils for the next 21 days...no olive oil, no grapeseed oil, nada. So I'm going to have to get very creative with spices and condiments! I just have to keep telling myself-- it is only 3 weeks of the restricted diet, then I get to start reintroducing a wider variety of foods.

(I decided to go with chicken tacos, and put the chicken that I cooked in salsa on some boston lettuce leaves. Quite tasty!)

I do want to mention one thing-- I am doing this program under the supervision of a doctor. If this sounds like something you want to do, you should find a local chiropractor who does the "Shape ReClaimed" program. I am taking an amino acid that pulls the calories I need for energy from my own system-- under normal circumstances, the amount of food I am eating would not be enough, and my body would go into starvation mode, thereby holding onto my body fat and causing me to gain weight. Please do not do this on your own!

I feel like this disclaimer is necessary. I don't want to see anyone trying to eat such a little amount and wonder why they're not losing weight. The starvation mode is what will trip you up if you try it without the supplements.

Anyway, until next time!

New Challenge

So, the 30 day paleo challenge at school is over. I definitely had some successes, and had many learning experiences. I won't call them failures, because through my slip-ups, I've learned things.

First of all, I learned I don't like eating frozen veggies anymore. I used to eat them all the time, especially those boxes of Green Giant veggies that you just poke holes in the plastic bags and pop in the microwave. Yeah, not so much anymore. After eating fresh for even a few weeks, the difference in taste is absolutely astounding.

Second, I learned that I have to find other outlets for stress. I can't let what one or two people do or say completely derail my efforts. If I'm tempted to get off track, I need to call Mark and vent. I need to get dressed and go for a walk. I need to go down to the gym at school and just punch the crap out of the bags there. Anything to get my frustrations out, other than binge eating.

Third, I learned that I can't let one slip-up derail me. I don't have to say, "well, I'll do better next week." It has to become "I'll do better next meal!" Or even better than that, "I am not going to let myself down!"

But, I have to celebrate my successes, as well. Over this past month, I have majorly increased my water intake. I decreased my soda intake to practically nil (unfortunately, I have to count my bad days in there). I ate much healthier, and felt much better overall. On those days where I faltered, I felt horrible, physically.

Oh, and I lost 11 lbs over the month...even with the slip-ups and the trip to Vegas, I still managed to do pretty well.

Now, the question is...what's next?

Well, when I was in Vegas, I became friends with this great doctor and his super-sweet wife. I truly feel that things happen for a reason, and I'm glad I decided to go to Vegas even though things before the trip were shaping up pretty horribly.

These two people have to be a couple of the most genuine, generous, and selfless people I've ever met in my life. Words cannot describe how thankful I am to have met them.

They also brought up something that they use in their practice that they thought I would benefit from. It is a homeopathic amino acid therapy that is used to help decrease inflammation, and basically help my body get out of its own way of losing the weight. So, I told them I would give it a shot. Over the next month, I'll be taking the amino acids and eating a more strict paleo-style diet. After the first 3 weeks, I go into reintroduction of other foods into my diet. Overall, this is meant to reset my metabolism. I know it is going to be tough, especially because I have finals and vacation coming up. But, I need to make the committment. I'll have a friend at school doing this program with me, and Doc and his wife have made themselves available to me 24-7. It will be good to have a solid support system!

So, here's to the next challenge!