1st Weekly Weigh In Report! Yahoo!!

[Jewel]

Well I won't lie to you, I didn't sleep much last night. I was so terrified to weigh in this morning after this first week on the 'Restricted Turbo Diet' (what DH calls it). You know that the first week you lose the most on any diet. Half of it might be water, but you still get the biggest numbers, and it helps keep you motivated from that point on. I don't care if it's water...I don't care if it's hair off my legs or belly-button lint, if the scale's going the other way, I'm happy! This 30-day diet has been so restricting, even though I'm eating all the time! It's just restricting because I'm not able to eat what I would call normal things, or cook them in a normal way. Woke up this morning, took a deep breath, and got on my expensive, industrial strength digital scale. I laugh now, because I actually stared straight at the wall in front of me for a few seconds and didn't look down. When I finally looked down, I was shocked...I had to get off that scale, move the darned thing, and get on again. I've lost 10 pounds!!! That's right, 10 whole pounds in seven days. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif It's funny now, because I started yelling for my husband. He was in the kitchen mixing up my egg whites at 5:15 in the morning, my two dogs crowded around him thinking that egg whites were something they'd be interested in. I ran in the kitchen stark naked, tripped over the dogs, trying to grab onto my husband to hug him while he's got an egg shell in each hand, the yolk still hanging perilously in one of them! He put the egg in the sink, quickly wiped his hands, grabbed me and kept asking what was wrong. I stood there dancing with my husband bare-butt naked in the kitchen singing "I lost 10 lbs! I lost 10 lbs!" Dogs must have thought we'd gone over the edge, let alone the neighbors across the backyard fence if they were able to see this crazy naked woman dancing with her husband at 5:00 in the morning! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif All I can say is Who Cares?? This program works. Goes back to what I said in the beginning...
I can do anything for a month. Thanks for all the support everyone!! Three more weeks! My goal is 16 more pounds in three weeks, but I think that's pushing it. I'll keep plugging along, but won't get discouraged anymore.

So if anyone has any more ideas on how to spruce up chicken, turkey, fresh tuna, green beans, asparagus and potatoes without salt, sugar, oil, canned or bottled products, let me know! I'm on a roll!!! Yippee!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by Jewel (edited 04-23-2001).]

[Missi]

Jewel,

YEAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy to hear that your eating plan is working!! Your story made me CRACK up!!!!!! Now anytime you get discouraged, come back and read your post and remember how this diet is worth it. Keep us updated!

[ebobbitt]

CONGRATULATIONS!

[Wendy w]

Way to go Jewel!! I have to say is that your attitude is great!! Keep it up, we are here for you!

[sneezles]

OUTSTANDING! Will keep looking for more ideas for you!

[Pat]

Congratulations!! When will you see your doctor again so that he can brag on your success?

[Mbart]

AWESOME NEWS!!!

Your post made me laugh and tear up and the same time...I just love that we can all share our successes with each other!!! I don't even know you, Jewel, but I am very proud of you...and so happy for you too!!! Please keep sharing your progress!

Keep up the amazing work!!!

[Searcher]

Congratulations Jewel! I've been following your progress very closely. All of you have inspired me to try losing and to start exercising.

As far as the restrictive diet goes, can you use fresh or dried herbs? How about dried spices in jars?

[Terrytx]

LOL, I sit here with you pictured in my head, doing your little naked dance!! Keep up the good work. I bet you can do it.

[Jewel]

Thanks for the Atta-Girls everyone! I faxed my Weekly Diet Diary into the clinic in LA like a good girl, and got a call from the man himself a few hours later to check on me and give me a Contratulations. He said not to change a THING about my eating plan, so I can't add brown rice. But, on the other hand, as long as I've got potatoes I can live without rice. Still no sodium at all. Do you believe I have to use Equal instead of Sweet 'N Low because SNL has sodium in it? Had no idea. Anyway, he says if I keep up the program exactly as outlined (aka: don't cheat!) and keep up with my hour a day on the treadmill five days per week, I can expect a loss of 2-5 lbs per week. I'm on for three more weeks, until surgery. So, doing the math, even if I do really poopy and only lose the bare minimum, that's still a 16 lb month, and I can't ask for much more than that...well, I can ask, but a body can only do so much!

I don't want to starve myself, and there is that tendency to want to skip a meal to lose quicker. What this program is teaching me could benefit anyone out there trying to lose weight: you have to eat, and you have to eat often. I'm eating every two to three hours. My lunch cooler looks like I'm off to an all-day picnic when I leave in the morning! I've learned that you simply have to keep the metabolism going, and eating is a way to do it, it's just WHAT you eat, and how much.

Ironically, I used to manage a nationally-known Weight Loss Center right after I lost the initial hundred. When I was trying to get clients to understand that they had to eat regularly, the only analogy I could come up with was that your metabolism was like a blender. When you're asleep, it's close to being on 'off'. Maybe 'mix', tops. When you get up in the morning and get moving, it moves to 'chop'. It'll pretty much stay that way until you put something in your stomach or exercise. Either will immediately put that metabolism on 'whip'. KEEP feeding that metabolism all day long with little mini-meals of good-fo-you foods, and add exercise into the schedule, and your little blender will be on 'puree' all day long, even when you're sleeping. I'd forgotten so much of that until I started this 'mini-meal' thing again.

Anyone out there trying to lose weight, I know how hard it is. Taking diet pills to keep you from eating is actually defeating your purpose. All not eating will do is make your metabolism slow down back to 'mix' again, and you'll be at a standstill. Eat all day long, but pick as unprocessed a food as you can get, and limit the salt and sugar. You'll be less likely to gorge on a meal if you've just had an apple and 2 oz of chicken two hours before! When you're grazing all day, you cannot say you're hungry.

OK, lecture over! I just know that a great many people out there are in the same situation I was in...there's hope and there's success. Grab it! Anyone can email me with questions about what I'm doing specifically. Thanks again! I've got three more hours of work then I can go home and dance naked with the dogs! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

[This message has been edited by Jewel (edited 04-23-2001).]

[MrsReber]

Good for you Jewel!! I hope my pregnancy weight comes off easily, too. I agree, many small meals instead of a couple of big meals. I went from three meals a day to five smaller meals/snacks during the day. I wasn't as hungry, I didn't get that tired feeling in the afternoon and I lost almost 20 pounds. You just have to choose the right foods- lowfat healthy things like fruit and wheat crackers with some lowfat string cheese.

Good luck with losing the rest. Sure sounds like you'll get there with no problem! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[maizeyoats]

Jewel,
I know you have to lose the weight before a tummy tuck repair but I was wondering exactly what diet you are on. If you mentioned this in a previous thread I can't find it. I wondered if this is something your doctor made up or if you are following the Pritikin diet or Dr. John McDougall's diet.
I took out a subscription to the McDougall newsletter....he is supposed to have the cure for everything; but after the first issue I cancelled because it was so restrictive and sounds suspiciously like the diet you are on (sort of). Well, I think maybe a month OK but a lifetime NEVER! No dairy, no oils, no meat, no fish. At least you are eating fish and meat.
I have to admire your perserverance.

[maizeyoats]

P.S.
For some reason I couldn't scroll down any furthur and I just wanted to ask you one more thing. Once you have this surgery will you be at the weight you want?

[Jewel]

Originally posted by maizeyoats:
Jewel, I know you have to lose the weight before a tummy tuck repair but I was wondering exactly what diet you are on.

Because this is a fee-based program, I don't want to give the name of the place and be accused of spamming! Email me if you're interested in learning about it, and I'll give you a link or two. It is supposed to be a 6-week program, but when I found out about it I only had 4 weeks till surgery, so I'm condensing! Chances are, the two weeks after surgery I'm not going to feel much like porking out anyway, and will probably continue to lose a few pounds.

As for will I be at goal weight? How many women can truthfully say they're happy with their weight no matter what it is! I am 5'2" tall. The doctor's charts say I should weigh around 110. I would dry up and blow away at 110! At age 22 I ballooned up to 270 and stayed there until age 34. I dropped down to 160, then gained 30 lbs when I stopped smoking. I was around 185 when I had my surgery in January. Thinking back, I felt the best weight for me was 155-160. Sure, according to the charts I'm morbidly obese, but I'm not a chart! That's a weight I feel comfortable at, and I feel I look good. It's also MAINTAINABLE for me. I have to be realistic in my goals and what works for me!

Right now, at my newly christened weight of 176, I'm in size 12 Petite Gloria Vanderbilt Jeans, and a size 14 blouse...(darned boobs) and I figure that once I finish the next 10-15 lbs AND have the surgery, I may be in a size 12 up above too! Maybe a 10 below. To me it matters more about how I feel in my clothes (and out of them!) than what the label says. I have one pair of jeans in my closet that says size 8 on the label and they fit. I KNOW it's misprint, but I don't care! Never worn 8's in my adult life! I've also got 16's in there because Kathie Lee's idea of 16 is most designer's idea of 12! I'm through with getting hung up on sizes!!

The most important thing for any of us is to be healthy and to feel good about ourselves. That's the main reason I had the surgery. I had lost a heck of a lot of weight, but didn't have much to show for it since I had so much skin left over! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[kwormann]

YEA JEWEL!

ALso for chucking the charts! I am 5'1 and have been the "chart weight" and looked awful...am 15 or so lbs over what I would like (120), but at least Im healthy!

YOU GO GIRL!

Kim

[Mamasue]

Way to go Jewel!!! I am proud of your accomplishment and have faith that you will reach your goal. I believe you are a disiplined person and will make it! I wish I had the will power you have. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif Keep up the good work.

BTW....you had me almost P....ing my pants and visualized your bare dance! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I would put a graphic here, but it would be way out of context and I may be banned from the WWW. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by Mamasue (edited 04-23-2001).]

[Zinnia]

Way to go Jewel!!! Congratulations to you, and I wish you continued success with your journey. You are truly an inspiration to me, and I am so proud of you! Take care, http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Zinnia