Losing It - Confessions of a Mad Fat Woman, My Slimgenics Journey

Almost There

2010-05-17T11:23:00.002-06:00

I have returned to the 24th floor! 1/2 pound to go and those boots are mine! I am feeling so much better about everything today! Saturday's weigh in was exactly what I needed. Those night-time weights are always a big hit to my psyche, to one of the councelors told me to ignore the evening weigh ins and concentrate on what that scale says Saturday Morning!

I wish someone had said that to me a month ago. ~lol~

Now, for a quick product review:

If you really, really, really like chocolate, the double chocolate pudding may be right up your alley. If you are like me, and only like chocolate mixed with some other flavor...don't go there!

Have a great day lovely readers!

Not quite...

2010-05-14T14:17:00.002-06:00

I'm down a pound, but not quite back to bootville yet. I refuse to let this upset me however, instead I am concentrating on sticking to the plan and making good choices.

Let's play a little game shall we? Ask me anything you want to know about me, or the plan and I promise to answer.

Worth the effort

2010-05-13T12:30:00.003-06:00

Today I am struggling to stay on plan. Everywhere I look, someone is eating something sugary and sweet or savory and mouthwatering. The vending machine is calling my name, and I am refusing to answer.

Damn that evil thing filled with all that sweet and/or salty goodness. Why do you torment me with your siren's song?

I must have my boots soon, I will not be tempted! Whilst my co-workers enjoy icecream cake from DQ, I will comp my veggies and contemplate stoming in puddles with my new boots!

Weigh in tonight, wish me luck....

Back in the Saddle

2010-05-06T11:05:00.002-06:00

Last night’s weigh in was good news. I’m down to 149.75 lbs. - 1.75 pounds away from my 40 pound Milestone. That plataeu breaker must be working, I might just get those boots yet.

I am starting to feel better about myself and my journey too. I think everyone must get down on themselves occasionally, even Angelina Jolie, right?

I didn’t get up to exercise this morning, I consciously made a choice to stay in bed and give my body a rest from all the excitement yesterday, falling down hills and being squashed by elevators takes a lot out of a girl. ;o)

I did stay on plan during the day yesterday, but last night I fudged a bit. I forgot to get the turkey out of the freezer for our turkey burgers, so we had to eat out. I did pretty well considering we were in an Irish pub. I drank tea and had Roast Beef Au jus and fries. I ate every bite, so day I am doing a flush and omit, along with drinking a cup of detoxify tea last night, and another today. Tonight, turkey burger with NO bun and a few sweet potato fries from the health food store plus extra water.

I feel that today’s post is a bit lame, but I noticed on the days that I blog I do better with the plan. Unfortunately for my loyal readers, that means a few not-so-interesting posts to wade through. Please keep reading, and commenting, and asking questions. Remember, I’m here for y’all as much as y’all are for me.

Attitude Adjustment

2010-05-05T08:52:00.000-06:00

I am starting to feel a little better about myself and my journey today. I’ve hit rough patches before, but nothing quite like this. My willpower has completely disappeared, along with my self-confidence. I have constant cravings for junk, not just off plan foods, but literally junk! Chips, cookies, cakes, candies – you name it, I want it.

Every morning I wake up and tell myself that today I will stay on plan but it seems like something always happens to derail my train. I think I know what it is. I’m fairly certain that I am an emotionally eater; somehow my brain has been cross wired to think that food will make me feel better. I’ve learned that is a complete misconception. I may find temporary relief in that bag of Bugles, but when I get on the scale and the number hasn’t budged – or worse has gone up, then the only thing that snack accomplished was to make me feel worse in the long run. The only one I’m cheating is me, and I deserve better than that.

I have come too far to give up now. I’m not looking for pity or praise, I’m just trying to be honest with myself, and maybe help someone else along the way. I will stop focusing on the negative, and look again at the positives I achieve each day.

Weight loss is just one path on the road of life. If I can safely navigate this road, then I am sure to be able to do anything I set my sights on!

In conclusion, today I have accomplished the following positives –
Took all my supplements
Drank all my water
Choose healthy meals
Took Jasmine for a walk
I left my wallet in the car so that the Evil Vending Machine of Doom could not entice me to plunking my change into its maw.

Bumps in the Road…

2010-04-30T09:40:00.000-06:00

Well, really it’s a plateau, which is flat, but it’s a big old bump on the Weight Loss Highway. Either way, it’s annoying the crap out of me. So much to the point that Rick even said I could have my boots now, even though I haven’t reached the 40 lb Slimgenics milestone. I have, in the course of my entire journey, lost over 40 pounds, so I technically qualify, but taking the boots now seems like giving up. I feel like I’ll just be proving myself right, that I can’t actually do this.

The thing is, I KNOW that I can. I’ve come this far haven’t I? I feel better, have more energy, clothes are fitting better and my cholesterol is WAY better. So what if right now I feel like a human yo-yo, bouncing back and forth between 250 and 255? It’s a plateau, and I just have to plow past it.

Which is exactly what I am going to do, starting Sunday I will begin a 2 day plateau breaker. It’s not exactly going to be easy, nothing but protein, lettuce, snacks and an orange. But if it works, it will be more than worth it.

When I hit 248, don’t be surprised if I wear those boots every day for a month, rain or shine!

Oh, and one other thing, if you are not on Slimgenics, please eat some pasta for me this weekend…this craving is killing me!

Of Rain Boots and Waffle Irons...

2010-04-26T09:38:00.002-06:00

I am sad to report that I still do not have my rain boots. This, being my own fault, had greatly annoyed me. I was so very close, then lost all control of my self and gained back nearly 7 pounds! WTF??!! It’s ok though, I’m almost back there and those boots WILL be mine by Saturday!

I wanted to tell you about my little waffle adventure yesterday. I am one of those people that get bored eating the same meals day after day. I need variety, and sometimes I’m just too freaking lazy to “cook”. Yesterday, I should have cooked.

I decided that breakfast for dinner would be a nice change of pace, and since we had the Slimgenics pancake mix on hand I thought it would be simple to make some scrambled eggs and waffles for dinner. Having already tried, and failed, to make pancakes with the mix I decided to try waffles instead. Supposedly the waffles work better with the Slimgenics mix.

I grabbed my Slimgenics cookbook and mixed up the recipe for Strawberry Sauce (very tasty if a bit tart), scrambled up some eggs and set them in the oven to keep warm, then got started on waffles. While the iron was preheating, I added the water to the mix and gave it a good stir - so far, so good! I think poured the mix onto the iron, closed it up, and went about setting the table for dinner. When the light went off on the waffle iron, I stopped what I was doing and went to remove the waffles. That is where it all went wrong.

Armed with my trusty hot pad, I start to lift up the lid on the waffle iron but it won’t open. “Odd”, I say to myself and try again to no avail.

“What the?” I mutter as I grab a towel and hold onto the handle as I pull up on the lid…still nothing. I check for a latch or clasp of some kind and can’t find one. By now the waffle is starting to burn and it dawns on me that my waffle iron is glued shut.

“Help!” I call out, but mom has “Bye Bye Birdie up so loud that the neighbors are probably humming along to “One Last Kiss”, and Rick is tucked away in his man cave so neither of them can hear me. “Help!” I try again a little louder. No one comes.

At this point I pull the plug on the iron and go out into the hall, “I need help” I scream at the top of my lungs. This gets a response. Mom comes running to my rescue and between the two of us and I knife I use as a crow bar, we finally pry the dang thing open. By now Rick has come up to see what all the commotion is and I’m starting to wonder if maybe I should have just baked a chicken.

Once we have the plates cleaned back up and replaced in the waffle iron, I decide to start again. (Un)Fortunately, we are out of Slimgenics mix and I have to rely on good old Krustez mix.

I stir it up, pour it on and wait…and wait…and wait. Rick gets impatient and starts to lift up the lid before the light goes off. The waffles are not done so the lid goes back down. Eventually the light goes dark and we lift the lid. The waffles pull apart horizontally across the middle. “Crap!” I’m fixing to give up but Rick wants to try once more. We clean up the iron and pour in more mix and voila, five minutes later…perfect waffles.

The moral of this story? Make your husband cook the waffles.

Seriously though, I don’t recommend the Slimgenics Pancake mix. If you do use it, use lots of spray on the iron; otherwise get out your chisel.

Damage Report...

2010-04-21T09:33:00.003-06:00

Start weight and current....now I see a change.

On Friday, I was 1/2 pound away from my 40 pound milestone...then I went to a scrap booking retreat for the weekend and ate alot! Now I am afraid to go weigh in. I really really want those boots.

I also want, strike that, need some motivation to get off my arse and exercise. Anyone have any suggestions?

Pants on the Ground...

2010-04-14T11:04:00.003-06:00

A dear friend of me sent me a little snippet on Facebook today, after I commented about not being able to keep my pants up; he totaly made my day so I thought I would share it with you all.

"Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, looking really skinny with your pants on the ground."

That may have been one of the sweetest things anyone has said to me since I started this journey. I'm not sure why, but it really tickled me to read.

I still have 5 pounds to go to get my boots, but I think I will get there before the end of the week!

I guess this means I get to go shopping.

Snack Attack

2010-04-12T12:23:00.003-06:00

One of the nice things about Slimgenics is that the plan provides for snacking. These are one of those things you pay "extra" for, but in the long run it evens out (for me anyway), because I'm not buying snacks at the market. They have sweet and savory snacks both. The only thing I can't get are fruity candy type snacks. But there is chocolate...lots and lots of chocolate. In fact, my two favorite Slimgenic snacks are chocolate, which is a bit of a shock for those who know me well, because I am not a chocolate type person.

The first, is a chocolate pudding/shake mix. I love this stuff mixed with coffee and skim milk, its a very tasty treat. My other favorite is the Carmel Nut bar, tastes almost exactly like a Snickers, without the guilt.

All of the snacks are loaded with protien, so they keep you full longer which is a little bonus!

Now, if they would only give me some gummy bears or Starbursts I would be a happy girl!

In other news, there are no boots for me yet. I suffered a minor set back last week what with my seven pound gain and being sick, but I came out all right. My Saturday morning weight was 253.25, so I'm really only up 3 pounds for the week. Those boots are almost mine!

Paying the Piper

2010-04-08T07:16:00.002-06:00

Yesterday did not go well. I knew that little digital number would be telling how naughty I have been this past week, but I had no idea it would be yelling at the top of its electrodes.

I gained 7 pounds! OMG, that is the worst gain I have had since I started this journey. I'm disgusted with myself, and I have no one to blame but me. Jelly beans, ham, sweet rolls, cheeseburgers. I know all those things are bad, I know I should stay away from them, but I allowed myself to have no willpower over the last 7 days. Trust me on this one kids, STICK TO THE PLAN, it works!

I accept that, and I'm moving on. I wan't those boots! It's back to basics for me, on plan and on the Wii.

In other news, it appears that Blogger has eaten the approved comments y'all made on my last few posts. I promise I read them and approved them, but now I can't find them. Grrrrr!

Todays goal? Stay on plan!

Confession time....

2010-04-06T16:22:00.001-06:00

I ate an entire bag of jelly beans today. I feel sick and it's my own damn fault. Bad Chaney, no biscuit. I think I shall send myself to bed early - after a healthy supper.

Rain Rain Go Away

2010-04-06T15:14:00.003-06:00

come again another day!

Ok, so it's not really raining, but when it does, I shall be prepared! These, are my new rain boots, or they will be in 2.5 pounds. I promised myself something extravagant, that I would never have otherwise purchased when I hit my 40 pound Slimgenics Milestone. I've been rewarding myself with little purchases all along, but when I saw these boots, I knew I had to have them.

Here's hoping by the end of the week I'll be splashing through April Shower puddles with glee!

And now dear readers, let us go interactive on this blog. Answer me this, what do you reward yourself with?

Of Easter Eggs and Honey Baked Ham

2010-04-05T06:40:00.002-06:00

I love holidays! I love being with my extended family, sharing laughs and making new memories. What I don't love, is the never ending supply of off plan goodies that sit out on the table and lure me with their Siren Songs. My family loves to eat, and eat well and Easter Sunday was no exception.

Between sweet rolls, honey baked ham, bananna bread and waffles I went totally off plan. Right on the heels of a 5.5 pound loss too! I think I am going to have to skip family gatherings until I get this weight off.

Oh well, at least I had a huge loss, and now I am only 3.5 pounds away from my 40 pound milestone and new rain boots! Yay!

Wheeeeee!

2010-03-30T12:50:00.002-06:00

Man I love my Wii. I had so much fun last night geting a good 30 minutes plus of excercise, I had forgotten how much I love that thing durring my bored, tired, sick, feeling sorry for myself period.

Excercise is so much more fun when it's a game!

Oh, and I have a reward waiting for me when I get to 40 slimgenics pounds! I'm getting funky rain boots from Target. I can't wait, only 5.75 pounds to go!

Yep, I am down 34.25 slimgenic pounds, which is a total loss of 42.25 pounds. I do rock!

Veg out

2010-03-23T10:52:00.005-06:00

One of the few drawbacks (for me) with the Slimgenics program is the derth of fruit servings on Plan 2 of the weight loss phase. Fruit, has always been my go-to snack and now that I am limited to only 2 portions per day I find that I really really miss it.

This is not to say that I hate veggetables. I don't, I actually like most of them, I just get a bit bored with the same old veggies over and over again. I never got bored with fruit. Maybe it's because I love sweet tastes over savory ones.

Still, I have four portions of vegetables to consume daily, and I think I may become a rabbit before all is said and done. Seriously, what can one do to make veggies more exciting? Day in and day out, cellery, cucumbers, peppers, green beans, squash & broccoli. Toss in a tomato now and then and my menu resembles a garden.

Oh, and don't even get me started on the fact that I am starting to cluck.

I’m back on track.

2010-03-22T10:30:00.000-06:00

Weighed in on Saturday, and found myself at a loss of 32.75 since November 1, 2009. That is a total loss of 40.75 pounds from my heaviest weight. I have lost a Jasmine. (Jasmine is my dog for those of you who don’t know.) I am in awe of myself. Is it wrong of me to admit that in public?

I seem to have regained my mojo and few more followers too. It’s the followers that excite me most. I love the idea that my journey and my words can maybe help someone else struggling with weight loss to reach their goals too. I am so excited to have you all here, hopefully rooting for me as I root for you!

Another exciting note, I discovered today that if you Google Slimgenics, my blog pops up at number 3! Wow, how exciting!

A Nonny Mouse

2010-03-17T12:33:00.001-06:00

Hello, and Happy St. Patricks day to you all!

Today's post is not about food, or dieting, or anything else related to Slimgenics, other than this blog its self.

I have noticed that while I get several folks stopping by and leaving comments, the majority of you end up annoymous. So I am sending out a request to my readers - Please, please, please leave me a name. I like to respond to the folks that comment on my blog, but it's hard if I don't know who you are.

Thank you, I now return you to your regular weighloss blog...

The Author
Chaney

New Week, New Attitude!

2010-03-15T08:15:00.002-06:00

Thank god it's Monday!

There is something I never thought I would say, but it's true this week. Slimgenics starts it's weeks on Monday, and that means I've begun a new week. I can start fresh and get back on track. I went totally off plan over the weekend, got it all out of my system and am not ready to rock this program. I'm newly motivated and ready to go. No more sneaky snacking for this girl!

For those of you that are on Slimgenics and read my blog, I thought I would share one of my go to recipies for a yummy morning pick-me-up.

One cup of cold coffee
One cup of skim milk\
One package of Slimgenics Chocolate Pudding/Shake Thermosnack.
3-4 ice cubes

Mix it all together, shake it up and enjoy!

Don't Change the Plan

2010-03-12T14:45:00.003-07:00

...let the plan change you!

That, is the lesson I learned this week. Speaking of week, I was a very, very, very weak willed person this week. I at everything in sight and then some, and more than I care to admit was not on plan.

Trust me, don't do this to yourself. The plan works if you let it. Vending machines are brutally evil when it's "that time of the month", and I have to start leaving my walet in the car.

I'm ashamed of myself, and the only person I have to blame is me. I suppose everyone has setbacks. I just have to pick myself up by the bootstraps, take off the feedbag and get back to basics!

I have lost nearly 40 pounds, I can and I will do this.

I even have new motivation - a beach vacation with my honey!

Look out Key West, I'm on my way!

Finally!

2010-03-07T20:46:00.002-07:00

Hit my 30 pound milestone! Go me! Actually, I reached 31.25 pounds since November 1st; that's nearly 40 pounds since I started this journey.

I now know I can do this!

Inching right along…

2010-03-05T09:22:00.001-07:00

27.25 pounds down at last night’s weigh in. I also had her do my measurements again, and am happy to report that I have lost a total of 9.5 pounds from various points around my torso!

Woot!

Depression, a Diet’s Worst Nightmare…

2010-03-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

I am depressed. I have been since I returned from San Francisco in January, and I’m trying like hell to get over/past/through it. I know what many of the contributing factors to my depression are, and oddly enough my weight isn’t one of them. In fact, I’m feeling pretty good about my progress, although I have to admit I would like it to move faster. I just keep reminding myself I didn’t put the weight on over night, so I can’t expect it to come off that way either. You know the whole thing about eating that elephant right?

The biggest issue with my depression is that it’s starting to take a toll on my menu choices. I find comfort in food. There, I said it. Admitted out loud what I have known inside for ages. Sweet, chewy, gooey, sticky stuff makes me think that it makes me feel better. In all actuality, it makes me feel worse.

Not only is there the guilt of going off plan, but there are the actually physical side effects of the junk too. I get bloated and nauseas, my head starts to ache and I feel shaky, then there is the fatigue, that horrible sugar crash where all you want to do is put on your fat pants and go to bed.

All of this adds up to unwanted, unneeded calories and a lack of exercise. I feel as if I have fallen into a deep, dark cavern with only the tiniest amount of light showing way up at the top. I’m all alone, and beating the crap out of myself as I try to find an escape. I know I can do it, I can see the light, but I’m so afraid and confused I wonder if I’ll ever make it.

Sometimes, life gets in the way.

2010-02-26T10:23:00.003-07:00

Wow, so I haven't updated in a while. I just haven't been myself lately, no drive to do much of anything. This is a rut, and it's deep, but I know I can pull myself out, I just have to do it.

I'm down 27 pounds and I can't wait to hit my 30 pound milestone! It just seems to be taking so damn long. But then again, the tortise does teach us that slow and steady will eventually win the race.

I will be better, and I will hit the 30 pound mark...right?

Biogenics Day 3

2010-02-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

25.5 pounds down, 92.5 to go.

The first two days of this plateau breaker sucked. Never, I repeat, never do a plateau breaker when you are PMSing; the carb cravings alone may kill me.

However, I resolve not to give in to temptation today. I will stick to the plan, dust off the Wii and lose this negative attitude that has somehow affixed its self to me like Eeyore’s little black cloud.

Are you out there loyal readers? Can you hear me? Like Pink says, “Let’s get this party started!”

Biogenic Days, day 2

2010-02-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday didn’t go as well as I had planned. I want so badly to “be a good girl” and only eat what’s on plan, yet I constantly sabotage myself. I ate all my protein, and eggs, and grapefruit, two large salads and only two tablespoons of dressing (which isn’t nearly enough for two salads with 7 oz. of protein), but I couldn’t bring myself to each any cooked veggies, or a second thermo snack. Instead, I ate a deliciously decadent caramel, chocolate cookie bar, and then later 4 little vanilla sandwich cookies. I’m not even sure why I ate the cookies, other than the fact that they were there…calling me, taunting me from the back room. Four evil cookies wearing away at my willpower; egging me into eating them even when I knew I shouldn’t.

Oh how I hated myself as I lay down to sleep last night, sleep that was too long in coming as I sucked on a piece of hard candy. I am weak; I admit it, weak and possibly addicted to sugar. I need a 12 step program, because right now, cookies taste a lot better than lettuce.

Today is going marginally better. I haven’t “cheated”, but I’m dying for something sweet and gooey, or sweet and chewy. Gads, I’m killing myself here. I even had the hot chocolate thermo snack, which did very little for curbing this horrific craving. I just have to keep telling myself “you can do this Chaney”, and pray that I am right.

Weigh in tonight….I’ll keep you posted.

Getting off the fence.

2010-02-01T17:19:00.002-07:00

January, was a crappy Slimgenics month. I am not going to make excuses, I'm just going to get off the fence and get back to work.

I need this program. It keeps me accountable, lets me learn my own lessons, and never leaves me lying in the dust feeling alone and worthless.

Today, the Frist of February, 2010, I pledge to get off my arse and get busy getting health.

Last weigh in was 261.75 lbs. 91 some odd pounds to go. I can do this.

I am doing this. Today I start biogenic days plateau breaker...good thing I love salad!

Sweet baby Jesus, I have lost my mojo…

2010-01-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

I am in severe need of a motivation infusion, an IV drip of pep, a mainline of energy, something to get me out of this slump. I think it must have something to do with the weather in conjunction with the after effects of the flu, but all I want to do is lay down some where with a warm blanket and snooze. I don’t even want to participate in my normal “veg out” activities like reading, knitting/crocheting or watching the boob tube. I didn’t even feel like writing today, but didn’t want to disappoint my loyal readers.

Some thing somewhere has got to give. I need to push past this block, swallow my hubris (along with my water, veggies and supplements) and get to crackin’. I was on a roll that has coasted to a stop. Won’t someone please give me a little push to help me get my momentum back?

I'm back!

2010-01-26T10:57:00.002-07:00

Down 27.25 lbs sinced November 1!

Had a week in Cali with my best girl totally off plan and another week down with the flu and still lost weight.

Have actual followers! Go me!

Will respond to all your comments ASAP, but I just wanted to let you all know I am still here, and still LOSING IT!

This plan works!

.25

2009-12-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

Weighed in last night at Slimgenics, I am .25 pounds from my 20 pound milestone! This means, that I am down 24.75 pounds from my heaviest weight. Go me!

It costs how much to be slim?

2009-12-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

Last night I had my second major moment of sticker shock with Slimgenics. I never knew it would cost so much to loose weight. Every where you turn there is another reduction in size but it’s not only me losing weight; my wallet is getting skinny too!

The first shock was the initial price tag to “join” the program. I nearly choked on my lemon laced water, until I worked out the cost per week of it and realized that I am only really paying about $12.34 a week for the entire program including Balance and Weight Control Phases. Ok, not so bad, comparable even to W.W. weekly fee. Still, my reaction to the initial price tag went something like this:

“I have to pay it all at once? Oh, well, that could be a problem, no wait, I have a super hero coming to my rescue (thanks Mom!), here is the dough, and would you also like to have my first born child with that? No? That’s good, because I don’t have one yet.”

Then they tell you that you have to eat the snacks and the drink mix and stuff that they sell, another hidden little cost, but no more expensive really than W.W. snacks or stuff I would have purchased at the grocery store, it all balances out for the most part and I am still sticking to my weekly grocery budget.

Alright, 16 pounds down, doing good, getting into old clothes I haven’t worn in a while, no need to buy new pants just yet (but I know its coming at me eventually), maybe I should join a gym.

“I’m sorry, you want how much of my hard earned cash to come here and sweat? Maybe I didn’t tell you, but Slimgenics already has dibs on my first born, how about taking the 2nd child? First and Last months dues all at once, you are kidding me right? Wow! Um, I think I’ll go to Wal-Mart and buy a video.”

“This beginner yoga DVD, yoga mat and blocks cost what? Jeebus Cripes it’s a conspiracy! Forget it, I’ll just get a pedometer and walk it all off, never mind the fact that it’s currently -4 degrees outside and I’ll probably end up in the E.R. with hypothermia, it will likely be less expensive!”

Now I’ve been on the program over a month and I realize I am out of the recommended herbal blend, so last night I ask for a new bottle when I am purchasing my carb blockers and Omega Fish Oil blends. That’s when it hit’s me, the second major sticker shock of Slimgenics. Over one hundred and twenty dollars for some herbs, no freaking way! If this program wasn’t working so well, I would definitely think about giving up.

My mamma didn’t raise any quitters however, and so I asked my inside man to get them for me at their cost and now I’m off and running once again. I can tell you one thing, this is going to be a very expensive year!

Up hill, all the way

2009-12-07T15:03:00.004-07:00

Weightloss is an uphill battle, this weekend I fell down and nearly rolled all the way back down. Luckilly, I got stuck on the lemon tree branch and drowned my sorrows in lemony goodness, landing on a plataeu and not hitting bottom.

Onward and upward from here on out!

Virtually Me

2009-12-03T12:57:00.006-07:00

Everyone seems to have virtual images of themselves. I thought it might be fun to track myself with a virtual model as I loose the weight. Here are the first 3 images:

This is me one in September of 2008 at 293

This is me November 1, 2009 @ 288

This is me on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 @ 271.5

It may not seem like much to y'all, but its a ton to me!!!

One Month Down…

2009-12-02T10:09:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was my one month anniversary with Slimgenics. As of 5:00 PM, I was down 16.5 pounds!!! I feel good about my progress so far, even though it hasn’t been easy. I had my ups and downs, both on the scale and emotionally speaking. Staying on plan is much harder than I thought it would be, but I feel good about my accomplishments so far.

It’s still hard for me to get all the Morton’s Lite Salt in, and I still have days where I just don’t feel hungry enough to eat all the portions I’m supposed to get in, but anything worth doing, is worth doing well so I’ll just keep on keeping on.

I haven’t been as good about keeping this journal as I would have liked. I am so emotionally drained by the time I get home from work, all I want to do is veg out, but I really need to try and make a concerted effort to get more done at night. I need to start adding some more regular exercise to my days as well. My days of being a sloth need to come to an end!

This month, I pledge to take the stairs at work and do an exercise video every week night when I get home.

Temptation

2009-11-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

The first two weeks of Slimgenics was relatively easy when it came to resisting temptations. However, the holiday season has reared its festive head, and goodies have suddenly made an appearance in my world. Every time I turn around it seems someone has brought donuts, cookies, cakes and other assorted sweets into my sightline. I am a pastry junkie. I readily admit this. I could go years without a potato chip, candy bar or gum ball, but put a plate of brownies in front of me and I become weak with desire. Somebody save me from myself!!!!!

I’m down 15 pounds and I don’t want to ruin that, but the gods know I love a nice slice of cake or a chocolate iced donut. I have to find the balance, but first let me finish this cookie…

Lessons Learned

2009-11-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

Today is day four of my first official week of weight loss with Slimgenics. It’s been going well, although I must admit there have been a few rough patches. I’ve also learned a lot about myself and my body in the last eleven days. These, are the lessons I have learned:

1. Cheaters never prosper. In fact, in my case, cheaters get tummy aches and end up feeling like daub (that’s crap for those of you not well versed in Chaney-speak). On Tuesday I decided that I needed chocolate, I figured that one little piece wouldn’t hurt. Boy was I wrong. One little piece became an entire chocolate bar. After consuming said bar not only did I suddenly feel nauseous and head-achy, but I realized that I do indeed dislike plain old chocolate. To top it all of, at weigh in that night, I had gained an entire pound plus. Grrrrrr!
2. Salt, is not my friend. One of the main drawbacks (IMHO) to the Slimgenics plan, is the required consumption of ¼ to ½ a teaspoon of Morton’s Lite Salt daily. This amount is probably more salt that I would routinely use in an entire week. Like plain chocolate, I dislike the taste of salt! I have now resorted to doing a “Salt Shooter” with a Diet 7up chaser every evening just to get the salt in.
3. Vegetables are my friends, but green beans are not. I have long maintained that there are very few veggies that I don’t like, and that green beans are ok, but not my favorite. After a week of choking them down every other day, I revised my opinion of them. While still not on the “hate ‘em” list, those unfortunate pods have now slipped below cooked spinach on my ranking list. I would gladly trade them in for peas, but peas are not “on the plan”. Luckily, there are still some veggies that I will gladly eat every day, which is good since I have to have 4 portions of vegetables daily.
4. Eating out is very hard, if you plan to do it and stay on plan. Everything on the menu looks and sounds better than the one or two items that qualify on the Slimgenics plan. I did manage it though, thanks to Tracy. If she had not been there, I just know I would have given in to my cravings and had the Fish ‘n Chips.
5. I can go to an Irish pub, and not have a frothy Guinness with Fish ‘n Chips. In fact, I can go to a pub and only drink Iced Tea. If you know me, you know that’s a crazy idea; but believe me it can be, and has been, done.

Finally, the most important lesson – I CAN DO THIS! It’s not going to be easy, fast or very much fun. I that’s ok, it will all be worth it in the end. Besides, ten pounds in a week is quite the motivator!

A year ago, I was at 293 pounds, Tuesday, I weighed in at 278.5! Go me!

Motivation

2009-11-04T10:25:00.001-07:00

Motivation is the key to achieving any goal in life. The trouble is that I have a hard time staying motivated. I'm lazy and I admit that, it's a barrier that I have to work toward breaking down so that I can move ahead.

For fifteen odd years, my motivation has simply been "to loose weight". I never asked myself why I wanted/needed/should loose the weight, I just told myself that I had to and that was that. One thing I have learned on this as yet relatively unproductive journey, is that without proper motivation, I WILL fail.

So now, at the start of this new path, I ask myself what my motivation for loosing weight is. This is what I came up with so far:

I want to have more energy
I want to use that energy to live a more active lifestyle
I want to like what I see when I look in the mirror
I want to stop hiding behind things whenever someone takes my picture
I want to get pregnant (sounds counter intuitive doesn’t it?)
I want to be able to play with my kids
I want to walk up the stairs without having to catch my breath at the top
I want to shop in the Misses department, not the Women’s and have cute clothes
I want to make other men jealous of my husband’s hot wife
I want to ride a rollercoaster without feeling squished
I want to ride an airplane without a seatbelt extender
I want to wear a bathing suit in public without embarrassing myself
I want my friends to say “Wow, you look great!”
I want my friends and family to no longer be embarrassed by being seen with me in public

I am motivated, I can do this, I will do this!

Getting Ready

2009-11-04T07:42:00.005-07:00

The "Prep" phase of Slimgenics was deceptively simple. For three days all you have to do is eat all the raw green veggies and protein you want, drink 80oz of water daily, eat half an orange in the morning and the other half in the afternoon, take some vitamins and supplements and have two eggs with some skim milk for breakfast. My initial though was this was too easy. In a way, I was right.

By the middle of the first day, I was starving. Thankfully, Tracy told me the more you eat, the more you loose; so I just kept eating. I felt like a pig. A waterlogged salad eating pig. I was also suffering a raging sweet tooth.

This is the point where I would love to say I stayed the course and powered through the craving, but that would be a bald faced lie. Instead, I ate an M&M, felt guilty and tossed the rest of the snack sized bag in the trash. I even confessed my transgression to anyone that would listen. Apparently, eating only one M&M - it was blue - is not only hardly worth mentioning, but tossing the bag was a huge act of will power. Who knew?

Day two dawned with a whole new set of challenges. It was Monday, how the heck was I going to get 80oz of liquids down my throat while working? I started my period - hello Aunt Flo, and my partner was on vacation. The answers? Spend a great deal of your day in the restroom; peeing or hiding - it was all the same to me. Day two, was not easy, but I did it. I was, by the end of the day, no longer a fan of lettuce and I had a raging headache, but I made it through the day with no mishaps and even managed to fix dinner for my family without sneaking any "tastes" of baked beans or Fritos. Go me!

Day three of prep, was by far the hardest. My head was still pounding (I didn't learn until halfway through the day that I could have a 2nd orange to help with the headache)and I was utterly sick of green vegetables. Having never been much of a protein eater (at least not in the way of meat products), I was having trouble feeling satisfied after my meals and I was really missing fruit. The highlight of my day had become the diet 7up I would drink for my nightime snack. (It actually helped with the sweet tooth.) I couldn't wait for five o'clock to get here so I could go to the one required "class" and learn what foods I would get to start eating on Wednesday.

By the time five o'clock rolled around, I was tired, cranky, somewhat light headed (I hadn't had enough to eat, but my tummy told me it was full.) and my skull was threatening to split in two. I tried to pay attention in the class, but I'm really glad we got handouts because by the time I got home I couldn't remember squat!

I knew deep down this was all going to be worth it, the headache would eventually go away and so would the fat. I had made the right choice. Prep was definately not as easy and I thought, and yet easier than I make it seem when I read back over ths blog. I guess the question is, was/is it worth it?

Well, I lost 7lbs in three days, just doing the prep with no additional excercise. I'd say I'm on my way!

The Journey

2009-11-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hi, and welcome to my weightloss blog. I have been struggling with my weight for over 15 years, and I've tried alot of diets in that time, but nothing has seemed to work. I am bound and determined to loose 118 pounds, and I am hoping that sharing my journey with others will help.

On November 1st, I signed up for slimgenics. I have seen this program in action with my cousin "T", and as far as I can tell it really works. Not only has she lost a lot of weight, but she's gained more energy and more self confindence on her journey. She is one of my inspirations.

For the last 3 days, I have had 80 oz of water a day, 2 eggs for breakfast an orange and all the raw green vegetables and meat proteins I could stomach. It's been hard, but tonight we find out if it's been worth it.

I known one thing for sure, I won't give up!

I'll be posting my before picture soon, and a series of "after" shots along the way. Hopefully, we will be able to see a huge difference.

Watch this space....69 weeks of weight loss to come!