Thursday, May 31, 2007

110 Pounds Gone!

Yes. Very exciting. I've been teetering between 100 and 109 lost for awhile now, so to finally reach 110 lbs lost is a wonderful milestone for me. I officially only have 38 more lbs to go to goal. For any of you awesome newbies out there, be encouraged. It is doable. But it does take time and patience, like any good thing. And quite a bit of hard work, the hard work being resisting temptation and trusting the program.

If you'd like to know how I did it, it is simple. Use the bars sparingly, begin to exercise 3Xweek when you are able and start easy and gentle, working your way up as you get stronger. I don't spend more than 30 minutes a day exercising, for me it becomes counterproductive. I do 30 minutes of cardio and that is it. Just last week I began doing it every day if I can. I also do one "long" run a week, of about an hour and 15 minutes.

I don't get stressed when I'm not losing consistently, because if I'm on a plateau I know that I'm losing inches. (That is, if I have been honest with myself an am on program). That's what allows me to weigh every day, because I have that fact ingrained in my head. Therefore, I'm not discouraged if the scale isn't moving down EVERY SINGLE DAY.

The "couch potato to 5K in 9 week" program podcast really helped me focus on something else while doing MF. It honestly got me ready for a 5K after 9 weeks (3.1 miles). I ran it at the end of the 9th week...I couldn't have planned it better. This Monday I'm in a 10K.

Exercise aside, talking about the program, I don't do many extras. I don't do much doctoring, although the doctoring is fine for those who enjoy it. I had to take the focus entirely off food for awhile or I would obsess about it. I do have my cup of coffee with 2 TBSP real half and half in it every single day, and a packet of splenda. I drink 1-2 (sometimes more if my cravings are bad) diet pepsi's or coke zeros every day. I couldn't do the program without my diet soda. I space my meals out every 2 1/2-3 hours, and drink my water.

I put myself first. When I go to a restaurant, I immediately look on the salad page, and either order a house salad with dressing on the side, or house salad with chicken or salmon, with the dressing on the side. If I see a salad I really like with all sorts of other things, I'm not afraid to tell them what I don't want on it. For example, my favorite salad is at the Med in Boulder, and is a Salmon Salad Nicoisse. It comes with cucumbers, tomatoes, 5 or 6 olives (I eat 2), potatoes, goat cheese, and asparagus. I always ask them to take off the potatoes and cheese, and put the dressing on the side. They never look at me funny. They are there to serve me, not the other way around!

I enjoy watching those I am with order and eat their dessert. I don't lament the fact that I "can't" have any. Because the truth is, I can. But I choose not to. And because it is MY choice, it becomes a lifestyle choice and not a restriction. I feel stronger and happier afterwards, knowing I have chosen what is best for me and my body.

I know I sound like a broken record to all of you veterans out there whom I know and love! But for the new ones, you need to know that I started this program at 266.5 lbs and this morning I weighed 156 lbs. I have lost a full 18 inches off of my WAIST alone, not including any other body part! That is a foot and a half of raw girth, gone. Forever. I started out at a size 26 (tight) or 28 jean size, and Now I comfortably wear a size 8 or 10. I have size 6 jeans that I can also get on, but I can't wear out of the house yet. If 12 lbs = 1 dress size, I will be in a size 2 by the time this program is done. My goal is to be there by the end of the summer. It WILL happen. I know it.

So be ye cheered, all ye new Medifasters. Your day will come. You will arrive. You will succeed. Start thinking about what style of clothing you will want to wear and start assembling your "goal closet." I did that last summer, I began buying a few really nice designer pieces off e-bay in a size 8. Now I'm wearing those pieces. And loving it!

Have a great Memorial Day, and besides saying a prayer for and remembering our Troops, pray for self-control and perseverance for ourselves and that we would pass up any tasty treats at any Memorial Day BBQ's on Monday.

***After-note: I know I said in one sentence not to do cardio more than 30 minutes at a time, and then in the next I said I do run for an hour and fifteen minutes 1Xweek...what I meant was for "weight loss purposes" it is counterproductive to do cardio (for me anyway) for more than 30 mins a day...however, for "endurance purposes" in that I'm training to eventually do a half marathon, I have to get that longer run in once per week....

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