0 weight lost, but 4 pounds of fat gone

Because I'm in Chicago this week, I weighed in Monday. The scale didn't show a weight loss, but it showed that I lost 4 lbs of fat. This is still confusing to me. I was told that it means my body is reshaping itself.

I definitely feel better. When I compare the weight I lost (29 pounds) to the weight of my suitcase, which was about the same, I can't imagine carrying that weight around anymore. I look better, but I still have a long way to go. My pants are really baggy. I have to buy either a new pair of black pants or a dark navy blouse to wear a pair that fit well to the awards ceremony next Tuesday. An option is to wear the same top I wore at the 30-year awards. I really don't want to do that. I do have another couple of pairs of pants that I may be in by now. I'll have to try them on when I get home. But I'd like to have some black pants anyway.

I walked to Macy's last night and tried on a pair of size 16 slacks that fit, but they were too long. I found the Macy's claustrophobic (it was a small store with 8 floors), so I didn't stay to try on others. Once I get back to SA, I'll either head directly to the store from the airport or drop my son home and shop later. It felt good that I could wear those slacks for sure.

Except for a large cookie during the afternoon breaks, I followed the plan the best I could. I've been eating 2 scrambled eggs every morning with water. Lunch and dinner have been salads with chicken, no dressing. Today's lunch was pizza, rolls with sausage, and pasta with cheesecake for dessert. I headed up to the restaurant to get a cobb salad. I ordered it without dressing, but when I got back downstairs and started eating, I realized it had the dressing. A lemon vinaigrette that was absolutely delicious. I chose not to take it back. It was too good. I may have another for dinner.

I don't weigh in again until next Thursday. I hope I show a huge loss. I'm dying for a great big glass of almond milk. I haven't had milk all week, and I miss it. I usually add either sugar-free chocolate syrup or sugar-free vanilla. I like both equally.

I haven't used this trip as an opportunity to forget my weight loss journey, and I'm pretty proud of myself.

Halfway Between Thanksgiving and Weigh In

Today is Saturday, and I'm feeling pretty good about the choices I made Thursday. I ate a normal breakfast and a fruit before heading to my sister's for lunch.

I wore the jeans and a sweater, fully expecting comments about my weight loss. But I received none. I was really disappointed. Oh well, I'm not doing it for the compliments, I'm doing it for my health and because I want to. But it is nice to have some validation that I'm changing. Anyway, I didn't let it ruin my day.

The meal was delicious as usual. My brother-in-law makes an awesome turkey, and the rest of us brought sides. I took the layered salad, a fruit salad (which we inadvertently left in the fridge), and the bread pudding.

I served myself turkey dark meat, a tablespoon of dressing and green bean casserole (without the french fried onions), and a large portion of salad. I went back for another serving of salad. I skipped the pumpkin pie and opted for my bread pudding instead. I indulged in the bread pudding.

By the time everyone else got to the salad in the serving line, their plates were full, so there was LOTS of salad left. I'm so glad because that was all I ate Thursday evening and all day yesterday. I declared yesterday (Black Friday) meatless and ate only salad and fruit salad. I only ate them at meal time, so I don't think I overate.

This morning, I had leftover turkey and a baked apple for breakfast :O) YUMMM! My brother-in-law puts an apple at either end of his turkey, and I am usually the only one who'll eat them. They are always soooo delicious.

My salad was almost the perfect salad. It was a layer of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, more tomatoes and red bell pepper, more lettuce with celery, red delicious apples, a little more lettuce and it was topped with orange flavored cranberries. It was beautiful and it didn't need dressing. The fruit salad, on the other hand, looked awful because I topped it with frozen cherries that juiced as they thawed, so the salad took on a dark red color. But it was delicious also. It had apples, pears, oranges, strawberries, and the frozen cherries. Truly, the only thing NOT on my plan was the orange flavored cranberries.

All in all, I had a great Thanksgiving. I'm thankful that I have a diet plan that works for me. I'm thankful that my family was able to get together once again. I'm thankful that I have such a great, supportive group of friends that encourage and celebrate with me.

Preparing for the Holidays

I lost another 3.2 pounds this past week. Talk about a shocker! I've been following the plan very closely, and it's working. I'm so very grateful to my "that's not my truth" friend for suggesting Perfect Solutions to me.

Although it seemed impossible, my original goal was to weigh less than 200 before January 1. It looks like that will be accomplished the first week of December if I stick to my plans. So, my new goal will be to weigh 50 lbs less than my highest weight (242.4 when I joined Weight Watchers Dec. 22, 2009) by January 1. That means 12 more pounds. The only challenges I have are Thanksgiving, 4 days in Chicago, and Christmas. Other than that, I'm good.

I'm too excited to sleep - I just put on a pair of 16P jeans that fit like a glove! It won't be long, and I'll be out of Plus sizes! I can wear just about anything in my closets now. There are clothes that don't fit yet, because I couldn't give them away when I outgrew them. So, I will have something to wear while I'm transitioning. Of course, most of these clothes are way out of date. BUT, I'm not a fashionista, so it doesn't bother me.

Usually, while dieting, I would find myself thinking, "I can't wait to lose weight so I can get back to eating." Well, this time it's different. I don't think that way - much. I know this has to be a way of life. Besides the fact that I'm allergic to many foods like rice, pinto beans, and corn, I know that eating like a cave woman is the answer for me. I discovered almost 35 years ago that my body doesn't handle starches well, and this diet proves it.

Week after next I'll receive my 35-year award, and we'll be in a group photo. I'm so glad I've lost this weight because I think I look better than I did 5 years ago. I might even ask if I can stand in this photo instead of sitting like last time (before knee surgeries). There will only be 3 women with 12 men, so they'll probably try to have us sit front and center.

Then, in May, I'll cross the stage at the Spring Conference to receive my DTM award, and I hope to be at my goal weight by then. That would be awesome!

I'll try to post a photo of me at Thanksgiving tomorrow (before lunch) to show a "mid" shot.

I'm taking a salad, fruit salad, and PS bread pudding made with Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin bread to my sister's house for Thanksgiving dinner. The bread pudding smells delicious. I plan to have 2 bites of dressing and the pumpkin part of a slice of pumpkin pie.

I have green beans and cream of mushroom soup to make a sort of green bean casserole, a butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and another Ezekiel bread to make dressing. We'll probably have another Thanksgiving feast. If I don't bring turkey home, I have some thighs to broil. Honestly, the dressing and leftover bread pudding are the only things I have to be careful about. The others are allowed foods. Vegetables are practically unlimited because they are NOT starchy vegetables. Besides a couple of potato chips and corn chips, I haven't had anything starchy since Sept. 7.

Thanks for being here and being so supportive. It means a lot to have you in my corner.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Success!

Today was a rollercoaster for sure! I woke up with hives all over. I even had hives on my face! I think they're from all the lettuce and spinach I've eaten this past week. They are a couple of the foods that I'm allergic to. I'll have to pull out the list of approved vegetables to find something else to eat instead. I've taken the easy way out because pulling some salad fixings out of a bag and throwing some steamed chicken, balsamic vinegar and safflower oil on it has been easy, and I've been losing successfully. But, it's time, for sure.

This morning I was able to get those black jeans on, buttoned, and zipped! And I could breathe! Unfortunately, they came with a large muffin top ;O] So, it'll be a while before I try to wear them in public. The fashion police will probably have something to say about the condition of my jeans. They are Gloria Vanderbilts. Is she still alive? I think I bought them in 1989!

Well, the starvation was worth it! I lost 4 lbs! I was disappointed because I wanted to lose 5.6 lbs to make up for the gain and to get back on track. I've lost 26 lbs since joining Perfect Solution! Just 2.6 more pounds, and I'll be in completely foreign territory. I haven't weighed less than 205 in about 15 years!

Today was the Thanksgiving Dinner at SwRI. I joined a long-time friend for lunch, and I really enjoyed  the time we had together. I was scarfing down the delicious food when she said she was full. It dawned on me that I hadn't even come up for air, but all in all, I was pretty good! I swapped green beans for mashed potatoes, and I skipped the bread and desserts. I felt pretty good about my choices. Then when I got back to the office, there was a huge cheesecake in the coffee room. If I gained weight just by thinking and looking, I would have gained at least 8 lbs today. But, I didn't even take a taste!

Lynda from Jaguar called to let me know what was wrong with my car. She said that I need a water pump, new front brake pads, and a valve gasket seal (?). The total is $4,000! Well, I did some soul searching and considered selling the car. I went to the credit union and with some shuffling, I'll be able to get the repairs and pay less each paycheck because the rates have dropped so low. And, because it'll be a signature loan, the car will be released (I think) so I can buy a cheap used car the next time this one craps out on me.

All in all, it was a good day.

Getting back on track

The last few days have been torture for me. But, you know, I've learned something. I can stick with it even though it's tough. When I showed a gain last week, the nutritionists put me on a very strict plan for the week - egg white omelet, salad with lean protein for lunch and dinner, and 2 fruits. I didn't notice the lack of food Saturday and Sunday, but Monday, I was starving. I was hungry all day. I couldn't wait to get home to eat. I even had a sausage link with my salad instead of a lean protein, but other than that, I stuck with the plan.

Yesterday was OK. I was hungry at the usual times. When I got home I realized I didn't eat my afternoon snack. That's bad because I'm supposed to eat every 3 hours so my body doesn't go into starvation mode. This morning it looks like I've lost at least 3 lbs this week. Yea!!!

I'm on the back end of a cold. My head is still stuffy and I'm still taking Mucinex and Claritin. But I feel good. I guess this is the way my body handles the weather change.

Next week is Thanksgiving. I'm actually apprehensive. I'm taking a salad and a fruit salad. I'll put the fruit in the bowl and add the whipped cream after I get my serving of fruit. I'm thinking about a layered salad with lettuce on the bottom, then tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, red delicious apples, celery/lettuce, mayonnaise dressing, cranberries, cheese and bacon bits on the top. It's a version of the 9-layer salad I've made since in my 20s. It should be a green/red/white stripey look in a glass compote. I've even thought of layering the fruit so it'll be decorative before being consumed. And I'm thinking of taking a couple of the dishes we were served at the dinner last Friday. They were so good. I've studied all the recipes, and I am having a hard time deciding. I'm definitely taking the spaghetti squash dish and possibly the bread pudding if I can find Ezekiel bread. Is it at Sprouts?

My first gain ;O(

Friday I went to the Perfect Solution center feeling a little ambiguous. I knew I hadn't followed the plan to the letter, but I tried to undo my mistakes by drinking lots and lots of water. The scale showed a 0.6 gain. Considering all the things I did that were against the plan, that wasn't bad. But, now I'm 3.6 pounds behind (according to my time line).

They put me on a special diet to undo that week of Halloween candy and non-lean proteins. That's OK. I need to learn how to handle life's little ups and downs.

I've had a cold and sinus problems all week. A visit to the doctor at work helped me get better. I'm taking Musinex along with Prednisone, Claritin and an antibiotic and sugar-free cough drops.

I stressed out all week because of my cold and hoping I'd be able to do the wedding at church Saturday. By then, though, I felt much better, and I was blessed with 5 helpers who made my work much easier.

Yesterday after church, I took my meds and took it easy. My head is still full, and now my nose is running. I hope that's a good sign.

Perfect Solution had a Thanksgiving dinner for us Friday night that was delicious! They showed how we can substitute some of the high-calorie and high-fat foods with delicious choices. There was a dressing made with quinoa, spaghetti squash with zucchini, cauliflower potatoes, bread pudding made with Ezekiel bread, and we got all the recipes! Of course, they started with a 15-minute presentation (lecture) about high-fat, high-calorie choices and why should avoid them. It was fun meeting other people who have been "under the care" of Perfect Solution.

2 more down!

Last week I wore the lightest-weight clothing I had to weigh in. This week, I completely forgot about that and wore my "mom" jeans. It dawned on me the moment I stepped on the scale that I was probably wearing the wrong thing. But, I managed to lose 2 lbs even though I was wearing jeans.

According to their technology, I lost 6 lbs of fat because of the 2 days of no-protein detox.

I wasn't really prepared for no protein when I started Wednesday. All I really had to eat was baby carrots, apples and lettuce. But, I wasn't hungry, so it didn't really become an issue. I managed to get through Halloween and manning the candy bowl without having any candy. Then I went to bed early so I wouldn't be tempted to eat more than the tiny tootsie rolls I ate.

Yesterday I had more salad and apples. I bought some coleslaw mix at the store and had almost a whole package of my homemade coleslaw made with mayonnaise with olive oil, celery salt, and white vinegar. I love that stuff. Again, I went to bed early so I wouldn't be tempted to eat something I shouldn't.

A couple of things happened with the detox. I have to figure out what caused them - was it the vegetables or lack of protein?.

I didn't sleep well the two nights following the detox. I tossed and turned and I couldn't go back to sleep either night. This hasn't happened since I started this program. I've slept well the rest of the 8 weeks.

I itched both nights. My feet, hands, and arms itched during the night, and my back itched all day both days. I still had hives this evening. I don't think the itching was what kept me awake. I think it's the lettuce. Lettuce is one of my allergens, and I've been eating a lot of it lately.

Anna and Cecilia at Perfect Solution  want me to eat one vegetable at each meal to see if we can pinpoint what's causing the itching.

Another thing happened the first night after the detox --  I dreamed that I ate everything in sight. I woke up the next morning feeling like a failure. Then I realized it was just a dream and I actually did well.

My clothes are fitting so much better. My son said I look like I'm "sagging" my pants. I only have two pairs of slacks and my mom jeans that fit well. The others are either too big or too small (future). I'll have to look around to see if I can find anything else to wear. It's fun shopping in my closet.