I WILL Do It! LuvTigger's Quest for Ultimate Health

[LuvTigger]

Before I forget, comments are more than welcome. I was too busy trying to come up with a clever title that there's no room for welcoming comments there!

I was going to label my title, "I CAN Do It," but that doesn't really help me with my goal. I already know I can do it...the problem is that I haven't stuck to it! So I changed it to, "I WILL Do It!"

I've been in and out of WISH for several years now, on the same program which is called Health Pointe. It's not a "trendy" health program, but it can probably be compared to something like South Beach. It allows lean protein, fruits, veggies, and very limited grains (carbs), although part of the program is to reintroduce the body to be able to tolerate carbs without weight gain. I've lost up to 20 pounds doing this before, so it will definitely work for me, if I didn't sabotage myself.

In my youth, I was always slightly overweight, but comfortably. I'm 5'3", and when I graduated from high school, I weighed 140, but I looked 120 --- even the nurse who weighed me at the doctor's office had to look twice at the scale because I was heavier than I looked. Then, over the years, the pounds crept up and I ended up in the 180s. The past few times I started my health program, I was in the 190s. So what made me start up again suddenly yesterday? I weighed myself over the weekend, something I hadn't done in a while because I was CERTAIN I had lost weight, and I was 200.5 pounds!!! I couldn't believe my eyes! But when I thought about it, I was in denial. Some of my clothes don't fit as nicely as they used to. While I'm not afraid to eat healthy, I don't always do it, and I tended to try to finish what was on my plate even if I wasn't hungry anymore -- just because there are starving children in China.

So now I WILL do this. My ultimate goal weight is 125, which requires me to lose 75 pounds. I know I will have quite a journey ahead of me, and I know it will take some time, so I'm trying to figure out a way that's best for me to start in bite size chunks. I'm certain I can lose 10 pounds in the first 6 weeks of my program (it goes in 6-week cycles), but I'm aiming for 15 by being very good about sticking to it and not giving in to temptation. Additionally, I've decided to use this opportunity to let go of my daily coffee routine, which is there simply as a habit, and not so much because I "need" it or particularly love the taste. I love the taste of tea more, so that will be my drink of choice.

Yesterday and today I ate all proteins, as I will do tomorrow, which will get me into ketosis (similar concept to Atkins) and prepare me for weight loss. On Thursday I can add in fruits, lettuce, and veggies. I am keeping a daily journal logging my weight, exercise, and food eaten, but I hope to add to my WISH journal at least twice a week as well. Reading everyone else's stories is a great motivator!

 

[LuvTigger]

Day 4

Today I'm 197.5, resulting in a loss of 3 pounds so far. The past 3 days, I have only eaten proteins. The first day was 14 g, 2nd day 20 g, and 3rd day, 21 g of carbs.

Today I can start eating things like fruits and vegetables. Not unlimited portions, but usually, I have a hard time finishing the portions I'm allowed to eat. Today is a little bit of a challenge because a coworker is taking a couple of us out for lunch. However, it is a nice place with healthy options, and a buffet (need to control myself). My plan is to pile on the salad on a big plate, and eat a small plate with lean proteins. I will stay away from the desserts and starches. I need to control the dressing portions too.

As for exercise, I am wearing a pedometer to measure steps. The goal on my program is to get to 10,000 steps per day. On day 1, I did 8,000; day 2, 6,000, and day 3, 11,000. Yesterday was great because BF and I carpooled to work, and I walked to meet him afterward (maybe a mile or a little more away), so that added about 4,000 steps to my count.

Another unknown factor is that TOM starts today. I'm hoping that means that I may have a whoosh when it ends early next week, but we'll see! My weight loss will not be as rapid as the first 3 days since I was only eating protein, but I'm hoping that with added exercise (I am going to walk to meet BF today and tomorrow), I will have lost 5 pounds by Monday.

The next few weeks, my weight loss will not be as rapid either, since I will only be doing one protein day a week. However, I think I can safely lose 2-3 pounds if I follow my program and get in the exercise. I will be happy with a 10 pound loss in the first month, but I am going to strive for 15, which I think is attainable given the amount of weight I have to lose. I know that as I lose weight, it will take longer to lose, so I want to get off to the best start that I can.

To serve as a motivator and progress tracker, I had BF take a picture of myself on the first day. I plan to have a picture taken at the start of each 6-week cycle of my program, so I will have something visual to measure my loss.

 

[LuvTigger]

Well, boo...I went back UP to 199.5 this morning. But, I'm just glad I'm still under 200.

While I did cheat a little at lunch yesterday (I shouldn't have had the tempura), I am actually very proud of how I handled the buffet. I made conscious decisions that I wasn't going to touch anything at the dessert counter or the sushi counter, and I stayed away from the crackers to go with the cheese, which I wasn't supposed to eat, mainly because it's so high in fat. But I did eat very small portions of 2 cheeses (even though I wanted a lot more). I think the tempura was probably a no-no though, with the batter, but that was my one weakness at the buffet.

I joined SparkPeople yesterday, thanks to the recommendation of a DISer, and I totoally love it! It's a great tool that reinforces my written food journal in terms of adding up carbs (and other things too). It also served as a big reality check for me, especially with fat count of the tempura and cheese.

I decided that I'm going to use SparkPeople to keep track of my food, but the DIS will be the place I keep my journal, that will probably be more of my thought process about food, fitness, and health.

So, while I gained from yesterday, I learned some valuable lessons, and I'm not beating myself up at all. I've chosen to be solution-oriented about this, just as I am with other aspects of my life. This morning I only ate proteins, but for lunch I ate my prepared meal, Asian lettuce wraps, that for the most part fits within my program (I added some water chestnuts and hoisin sauce that aren't on the list, so I'm taking a chance there). When I go home, I'm going to see if I'm still in ketosis, since this morning the strip was very light pink and not as dark as it was yesterday. If I am in ketosis, I'll go ahead with a regular meal that fits with my program. If I'm not in ketosis, I'm just going to have a protein.

Another factor is TOM. I haven't figured out what that does for my weight yet. I'm hoping when it goes away, so will the weight!

This morning I also went to the doctor for a physical. She told me everything looks pretty good, but I still have to do some lab tests to check cholesterol, etc. I'll probably do the test in about a week. I told her that this is the heaviest I remember being in a long time, and that I was working on eating better and exercising. She was also impressed by my pedometer! So far I've only hit 10,000 one day this week. I seem to be averaging 8,000 steps per day. Today I will definitely hit it though. I walked to the doctor (not too far away), and I will be walking after work to meet BF at his job.

 

[LuvTigger]

Yay, I lost one pound since yesterday! So I'm at a net loss of 2 pounds.

Last night, I checked if I was back in ketosis. Since I was, I ate my regular meal consisting of a green salad, baby bok choy, swordfish (which I got from Sam's Club and came w/ a really yummy sauce!), and cantaloupe and strawberries.

Yesterday was the second day that I walked over 10,000. I think I might make it today too, but I'm only about 1/2 way there so far.

Today is the first weekend day since I've started my program, which can sometimes be a little tricky since we spend a lot of our time away from home on the weekend. For lunch I was able to find something almost perfect for my program, Hawaiian chopped steak. Steak w/ tomatos, celery, onion, carrot, and bell peppers -- it had a little bit of sauce that may have had some kind of thickening agent in it, but I'm not too concerned about it. I asked for no rice, and it came with tossed salad.

I think we'll be going out for dinner too, so I need to choose wisely.

 

[LuvTigger]

Woo hoo! I'm down 2 pounds since yesterday, for a net loss of 4 pounds!

I feel like I made up for my boo-boo with lunch on Thursday. I still have to work on a few things, like making sure I have my fruit (especially when eating out -- that's always a challenge for me). And today I forgot to make sure I had lettuce to make a salad for dinner. But other than that, I'm proud of myself for not going overboard with oils and sauces, which can add a lot of carbs.

Yesterday was the first day since I re-started my program that I went out for meals, and I was able to stay strong. Dinner was a little tough, but I made it, and BF was very supportive (he could stand to lose a few pounds, so when we eat together, he tries to stick to the program too). We went to a favorite spot of ours that we go to about once a week. Fortunately, we have gotten to know one of the guys there pretty well, so it made ordering easier. I ordered the rib eye, which comes with broccoli and some pasta, so I asked him to leave off the pasta and not to bring me any rice. Then he asked me if I was doing low-carb, and when I said yes, he said he was also trying to. What's REALLY difficult with this place and carbs is that they have wonderful breads, and usually bring a bread basket with several types in it. He asked if we still wanted the bread basket, and BF actually said no! So that made things a lot easier for me, since I didn't have to look at the bread. I also skipped the ice cream that comes with all meals, but BF still ate his and I managed to watch him eat it without becoming tempted.

Another thing I really need to work on is getting up to 10,000 steps a day. Today I only did 3,000 since we didn't really go anywhere. I did spend some time on an exercise bike, but it's at a house that we're housesitting until tomorrow. Last week I did great on the days I walked to meet BF at his job. I'm planning to do that more often. On Mondays and Wednesdays, we have a standing "walking date" with a friend, so I shouldn't have any problems then. I'm thinking that on the other days of the week, I will carpool w/ BF and walk to meet him after work. And if we leave the house early enough, I can walk to work from his workplace as well.

I am totally loving SparkPeople. Finding ways to earn points is great motivation, and I also end up learning things as well. And I especially love the nutrition counter.

 

[LuvTigger]

I maintained my weight loss since yesterday, so I'm still down 4 pounds net. I'm hoping I will go down one more pound tomorrow so I can get my next clippie, and also to obtain the goal I hoped I would reach today.

I did pretty well eating today, even considering that I ate lunch and dinner out. I'm a little concerned about the sauce on my fish at dinner, since it was butter-based, but it seemed relatively light since it had lemon in it. I also exercised today and did 11,000 steps.

Tomorrow is going to be a protein day, so I should see some weight loss on Wednesday morning, if I don't see it tomorrow.

 

[LiteBrite]

Hi LuvTigger

Congratulations on the 4 lb. loss! It sounds like you're doing really well, especially when you went out to dinner.

I've only been at my current weight loss attempt for a couple of weeks, so it sounds like we have that in common. I have to go to a cookout at my church tonight, which I am dreading because there's going to be tons of chips and home made ice cream to go along with the burgers. I don't know how I'll do in those circumstances.

I am also following a program with carb limitations, although yours sounds a little different, and I have a journal going as well. Come visit if you like.

 

[LuvTigger]

LiteBrite, thank you so much for the words of encouragement! And thank you for the invite to your journal -- I will visit in a few minutes when I finish my journal for today. I hope you did okay with your church cookout!

So today I am down another 1.5 pounds, for a grand total of 5.5 pounds lost, and a new clippie gained!!! Yesterday was a protein-only day, so I was kind of expecting a loss today. I do not anticipate such a big weight loss by next week -- the first week on my program is always the most because there are 3 days of protein only. After that, there is only 1 protein day a week. However, my goal is to lose another 2 pounds in a week's time.

LiteBrite's comments actually lead me to one of the topics I wanted to write about today, regarding the social pressures of eating. In the past, at one point or another I would give into momentary lapses of pressure, but this time I'm doing quite well. Someone even gave me something that was definitely a no-no (she didn't realize I was watching what I'm eating, but she is one who tends to offer anyway), and I managed to politely thank her, but I snuck it and gave it to someone else!

I've noticed that planning ahead is really a key. So when I know I'm going to be out, I try to think ahead of where I can eat, and what I can eat at those places, and I stick to it. This Friday, a friend and I are cooking dinner for another friend who recently had a baby. I told the friend that I'm cooking with, and insisted that I could not even have a little bite of dessert, and she understood, and is even making an effort to bring a dish that's allowable on my program. Even though I was already pretty vocal, sometimes I would be a little embarassed to admit that I was doing something low-carb, but now, I'm not afraid to talk about it. Most people respect my decision, and I even told one guy who waited our table tonight that he could actually promote his meals as a low-carb option! The only thing I asked him to hold back was the rice -- the rest was meat and veggies.

So I guess the two things I've learned and am implementing a lot better this time around is: (1) planning ahead; and (2) communicating my needs with others, without being embarassed about it. At this point, I feel that my health is more important than any very minor embarassment I might have (which I really don't anymore).

In any case, I'm happy with my progress so far and will be challenged this weekend with some gatherings and such! But I will make it!!!

Off to visit LiteBrite...

 

[LiteBrite]

Thanks for the kind words, LT! The social eating thing is a bear, isn't it?

I also agree with you about planning ahead, even (maybe especially) in my own kitchen. Planning my meals ahead of time so that I shop for the right stuff makes eating right much easier, because everything's right there when I need it. Also, when I plan ahead, I have a chance to research and find tempting new recipes that give me something to look forward to. It's all about finding some enjoyment in what you're eating. Otherwise I know I'd give up.

Hang tough at those gatherings this weekend!

 

[LuvTigger]

Well, I have been holding steady at 195 for the last 4 days. I'm glad I haven't gained anything, especially since I think I ate a little more fat and/or carbs than I should have the last couple of days. However, I need to adjust my eating a little to make sure I don't overdo it with the fats. I'm still eating way less fat than I was prior to starting Health Pointe again, but to lose weight, I need to reduce it further.

I think I remember reading somewhere that dairy might hinder weight loss. I've been eating Babybel cheese (low fat), so I cut that out today and will also cut it out tomorrow and see if it makes any difference. I also decided not to do bananas as often because the portion size I'm allowed is kind of akward (1/2 a small banana), and I'm pretty sure I've been eating more than I'm supposed to.

Tomorrow, I'm going to a retirement party for lunch -- I assume it's a buffet. So I'll have to stay strong there. I'm starting to figure out that carbs aren't as much of a weakness as fats are. I was never really a huge sweets/dessert person, so that doesn't really bother me. The carb I probably miss the most is pasta, but even that's not so bad, at least for now.

Last night I made dinner for a friend who recently had a baby, and another friend made some really yummy asparagus and mushrooms, but it was cooked in lup chong (a very fatty, but very tasty, Chinese sausage). I tried not to take too much of the lup chong, but it's so good! And to make things worse, my friend's mom puts some sliced up salami on the table that I couldn't stay away from. While these things have very little carbs, they are extremely high in fat. What made me stop eating the salami was a story my friend's mom was telling us, about someone she knew who actually got really sick (something about the pancreas being clogged up) because he ate a LOT of sausages and other processed foods and his pancreas couldn't keep up with the processing. So I started to think about that, and how the fat in the salami would not help me even if it had no carbs because my body will burn that fat first before the fat that's already on my body.

Today I did much better, although I made a minor boo-boo in ordering dinner. I usually order a rib eye that has a ginger sauce on it, but tonight they asked if I wanted to try one w/ garlic butter instead, so I just said "okay," not thinking about how it's probably not as good an option as the one with the ginger sauce on it. Our favorite waiter didn't take the order either, so they kinda screwed up when I asked them to leave off the pasta and rice. Our favorite waiter actually remembers what we like to drink, and he remembered that last time I told him I was doing low carb!

Anyway, while I am slightly disappointed that I haven't lost any weight the last 4 days, I am glad that I've stuck very well to my plan and have not gained anything. My goal is to lose at least one more pound before Wednesday (the day after my protein day, where I will probably see a bigger loss than other days).

 

[LuvTigger]

Down to 192 -- yay! I'm very happy with my progress so far.

The day after my last post, I went down to 194. This morning was really strange -- I got up around 6:30, used the bathroom and weighed myself, and it started out as 194 (but at one point it went down lower, then settled back into 194 - moody scale!). I went back to sleep and got up a couple hours later and weighed myself again, and I was down to 192! And I weighed myself again just to be sure! I know my scale is pretty accurate because when I go to the doctor or weigh myself on a friend's scale (which is one of the fancy-schmancy ones), the weight is the same. Strange, but I'm not going to complain!

I've managed to stick very well to my program. On Sunday, temptation was staring me in the face again since I went to another party where there was a buffet. I was so proud of myself. I went in the line and grabbed one big plate, and one small plate, but I used them in the opposite way -- I used the big plate for my salad and fruit, and I used the small plate for some protein and mixed veggies. Didn't take any starch or dessert, even though everyone was raving about how good the dessert was! After my "tempura incident," I'm not taking any chances again, especially since I'm so proud of my success so far.

My motivation is that in a couple of weeks, I will be able to reintroduce some whole grains into my diet. One of the goals of the program I'm on is to "retrain" the body to be able to accept carbs and process them normally, rather than storing them as fat.

Oh, and another thing that happened on the day of the buffet...afterwards we went over to BF's mom's house and they were going to order pizza for dinner, which is a no-no for me right now. I explained to mom and dad, and they found some leftovers I could "legally" eat, and I also went to the store and bought some poke (raw fish mixed with onions and other things) to eat as protein.

Yesterday morning I went to take a blood and urine test as part of a routine physical. I hadn't gone for a physical from this doctor in two years. Back then, my cholesterol was 196, which is still in the acceptable range and my doctor said everything looked good, but I personally want to get it lower than that. It'll be interesting to see what my results are. This time I'm going to ask her for a copy of the results. I see her again on Friday the 13th .

I think that's it for now. Today I ate breakfast and lunch at home, and may be over at BF's moms house again for dinner, so we'll see how that goes! While BF is sometimes not totally aware of what I can and can't eat, at least he's supportive and is willing to take me to pick up something I can eat if it's not available wherever we are eating at the moment.

Happy 4th to everyone!

 

[goldcupmom]

Just trying to catch up with everyone. You're doing AWESOME!!!!!

Congrats on the losses!

Have a great weekend!

 

[Jaime]

You are doing Great!!! Keep up the good work!

 

[LiteBrite]

Hey, LT - congratulations on reaching 192!

Good job at the buffet - those are the worst, aren't they? I haven't had to face one of those babies down yet.

 

[LuvTigger]

Okay, I'm kinda slacking on the journals here! However, I have managed to stick with my program, so that's the main thing!

The last time I was talking about my possessed scale. The day after that weigh in, I went back up to 193.5! And I know I didn't do anything to gain weight. I really believe my scale is playing tricks on me because it would keep doing this thing where it'd switch back and forth between 192 and 193.5. So I'd keep weighing myself and go best out of three. In any case, I succumbed to the scale and let it have its 193.5 for the last few days. But this morning, back to 192! Hopefully it will stay at 192 tomorrow.

Tomorrow is a protein day for me, so I'm expecting a little bit of a loss by Wednesday.

Anyway, gotta keep this short -- battery on my laptop is dying!!

 

[Kelsie]

Just wanted to stop by and say 'Good Luck'! You are doing great!

 

[LuvTigger]

Just wanted to stop by and say 'Good Luck'! You are doing great!

Thanks for the encouragement! And congrats on your weight loss too -- I just got my 10 lb clippie today, so hopefully I will be taking that 15 lb clippie from you while you grab a 20 lb clippie!

On to business...I'm slacking on the journal again, but I've been keeping my SparkPeople log current, and when I weighed myself today, it said 190! I actually find that a little hard to believe. After my whole scale incident last week, I stabilized at 192, then went down to 191. However, on Sunday and Monday, it went back up to 192.5! I chalked it up to maybe having more fatty things than I should have over the weekend. Also, I'm not really supposed to be having nuts, although I've gotten away with it before, but I probably over did it. Then all of a sudden this morning, a sudden drop to 190! And the scale didn't even do the fluctuating thing it does sometimes when it's possessed, and I weighed myself 3 times just to make sure.

So we'll see how this goes. I'm expecting "Aunt Flo" (term borrowed from LiteBrite) this week, so I'm not sure how that's going to affect things.

A couple weeks ago, my pedometer broke. It still works, but the clip broke off, so I have no way to wear it other than putting it in my pocket. I'm really bummed because that was one of my favorite pedometers (I've gone through many) and BF even bought a new battery for it recently. It was accurate and comfortable to wear. I bought another cheapy pedometer from WalMart (the cheapy ones seem to work fine for me, usually), but this one's kinda junky and inconsistent. I have to wear it in EXACTLY the right spot for it to register all my steps, and I noticed that what I'm wearing can affect it too. Like if my pants are a little on the snug side or I have my shirt tucked in, it won't register as well. As a result, my pedometer counts have been all over the place.

But I did get 18,000 steps on Friday, which I'm fairly sure is accurate since I walked a lot that day. I walked to and from the doctor from my office, plus walked around a bit at lunch to run some errands and check out the open market, and I walked to meet BF at his work place after I finished work.

I'm now entering the phase of my program called "metabolic adjustment" where I can basically add more food, including some carbs beginning next week, to my meals. The purpose is to train the body to be able to accept more food and carbs without regaining weight. So my goal over the next two weeks will not be to lose weight, but to simply maintain my current weight, within a range of 1 1/2 pounds (I think -- I need to check on that). I still have to do a protein day every week, so today is my protein day. I am trying to plan my carb meals wisely, since after metabolic adjustment is over, I go back to my low-carb ways for another 4 weeks.

I think after my second 6-week cycle is over, I may "rest" from the program because I am going on vacation. However, I realize that it does not give me license to go hog wild and eat whatever I want. I'm trying to figure out a strategy and some guidelines to keep me in check while I'm away. (I'm going on two back to back trips, so I'll be away for almost a month total!)