Over the last several months, I had the joy of watching a friend of mine transform himself into a healthier, happier, more amazing person.... I mean, after all, he had found a non-surgical solution to his major health problem. He has now lost in excess of 100 pounds.
Like most Americans he fell prey to a preventable disease, as well as I did, the disease is obesity.
After several months of watching him literally melt away, I decided that he must have something that I should try for my own journey towards health.
So I tried it, and found out that it works, and it's amazing! When you find something amazing, you want to share it with everyone you know!
A blurb about my story: recently I was diagnosed with bile reflux disease, this disease prevents its victims from feeling when they are hungry, so often times I went days without eating. Because of this, I would go days without eating, and then when I did feel hungry, I would eat everything in sight. Unfortunately this causes weight gain because my body went into starvation mode and would hang on to everything I consumed. Three days after I began this program, I no longer needed my medications. At my most recent doctor's appointment I asked my GI doctor "if I lose enough weight, will this condition go away?" Her response was: "I don't know. Nobody knows the answer to that. Try it and find out." I was determined to find this out, for myself, and for other people who are in the same boat as me, being faced with having to take distasteful medications for the rest of my life. I am happy to announce that I am medication and pain free, thanks to this program. Equally amazing, my husband, who has diabetes, was completely free of all of his medications, one day after starting this program. His blood sugars stabilized, and they were in the range they need to be...for a non-diabetic.
Because I found something that truly works, I want to share it with everyone, and I'm really concerned about obesity and how it has bulldozed the health of Americans. I decided I wanted to do something about it!
I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I am now a health coach! My job is to assist people in transforming themselves into healthier, happier people. The job of people who sign up under me (which hopefully is all of you who are reading this! :) ) is to eat! Yeah, you read that right. You eat food and see the pounds vanish, and it doesn't require exercise. We all know that that is time consuming, and that no one has time in between taking care of kids, Christmas shopping, homework, you name it, I know that there is something you would rather be doing than running on the treadmill in the basement.
Now the reason this program works so well is because the food is specifically formulated by doctors. It is a low calorie-high protein, low sugar diet. Because of this, recipients of this awesome program are consistently in a fat burn state. This program requires the recipient of the program to do very little. They are required to: eat, display self-discipline, and weigh in (in the privacy of your own home, unlike other weight loss programs where you have to weigh in in front of a group of perfect strangers) once a week. It requires no exercise, no counting calories, no tracking of points, none of that, because lets face it, all that requires work, math skills, and time.
Now with this health coach gig, I am supposed to cold-call people whom I think might be interested in losing weight. Let's face it, the holidays are over, we all gained a pound or two after indulging in the feasts of the season. But, I do not want to cold call people and ask them if they want to lose weight. I want people to come to me and ask me about this program first. And the reason for that is: people need to have several things first, they include:
Self-realization: people need to know when they are overweight, or even obese. Everyone knows what their weight level is, they might not have a scale to tell them, but how their clothes fit, how their reflection looks in the mirror, and their energy level definitely tells them.
A Desire: People need to desire to change for the better for themselves. Cold calling people and selling them a product is not going to light that fire for people. That fire automatically ignites within people when they are desiring a change for the better.
Determination: People need to have a desire to succeed for themselves. I don't believe that cold calling people is going to ignite this fire for them.
Now, I'm going to point out something blatantly obvious: 2013 is nearly wrapping up. The holiday feasts with family and friends are now in the past. We are staring at the new year. With the new year always comes the "New Year's Resolutions" and most often times this includes weight loss.
If that is you, and you don't have the time or the money to throw at a gym, give this program a try. It's easy, cost comparable to your current grocery bill, and you will see results.
I know many of you may have questions: will this work for me? We have programs to fit everyone's needs. From teenagers, to nursing mothers, to diabetics, to overweight and/or obese adults.
Some perks that this program comes with completely free: total access to a health coach, total access to nurses and doctors, we are all just a phone call away.
Now, don't be weary: this is not a program that clients are expected to be on for the rest of their lives. There are three stages of this program: fat burn, transition, and maintenance. Everyone lives by their own timeline. Some people have fewer pounds to lose, while others have hundreds to lose. You stay on the program until you reach your own desired goals, however long or short of time that might be.
If you are interested (or determined) in trying something that is time tested (it's been around since 1980), is easy, and it works, please feel free to contact me in anyway. I can be reached a variety of ways. You can call or text me at 559-355-8444, email me at tiana.vernooy@gmail.com or message me on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tiana.vernooy at which point I will discuss this program further with you, answer any questions you may have, and if you decide this program is right for you, I will direct you to place your food order through my co-branded website and we will jump start your journey to an optimal weight!
It only takes one person to decide for themselves to change their lives for the better.... are you that one?
(Feel free to share this information with your friends and family members, let's all work together to reclaim health in America!)
Friday, December 27, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
Its Monday...
It's Monday!
That means its time for me to check in with all of you!
Last week I encountered another 4 pound loss in weight. I am now UNDER 210!!! That would put me at getting rid of 22 pounds in such a short amount of time!!!
I'm feeling very good, healthy, confident, and happy, yet melancholy feelings are ambushing me at the same time.
I took my dog for a several mile hike/run yesterday, without feeling one ounce of fatigue.
We will be out of MediFast food by the end of the week. The estimated date of our return to this awesome diet, is January. I guess its good because it's now time for the holidays, and I want to enjoy them with family, complete with all the feasts.
But, I really don't want to gain any weight back.
Our plan to combat the yo-yo cycle of weight return, is to continue to eat a high protein diet, with lots of fruits and veggies. And of course reading all the labels on everything we consume, in order to make better food choices. And continuing to check in with our health coaches, and blog about our progress.
The update in regards of me becoming a health coach, that still will happen! As soon as I find $200 dollars from the tooth fairy under my pillow. I desire to enter this next stage of my life within the next couple of weeks.
The funny events from this past week in regards to my weight loss:
I am now always cold. My thought process behind this: I no longer have (as much) fat as I once did, and therefore I don't have enough insulation.
I once again took a kid to the park. They continually told me I should swing along side them. There excuse was that I would be able to fi into the swings since I am "skinnier" now.... by the way, they were talking about what I refer to as the baby swings.
The only time I had to pause while on the hike/run with Lucky yesterday was.... when I had to pull my pants back up.
Lets talk about clothing sizes. I am now swimming in my 2XL shirts.
Yesterday, just for kicks and giggles I tried on an old pair of shorts of mine (that I haven't been able to fit in for years) they fit perfectly.... Size 18 (regular)!!! When I started this journey just a few short weeks ago, my pants were awfully snug, and they were size 24WP.... WP stands for Wide and Petite. That is one large non-scale victory, in my opinion!
That means its time for me to check in with all of you!
Last week I encountered another 4 pound loss in weight. I am now UNDER 210!!! That would put me at getting rid of 22 pounds in such a short amount of time!!!
I'm feeling very good, healthy, confident, and happy, yet melancholy feelings are ambushing me at the same time.
I took my dog for a several mile hike/run yesterday, without feeling one ounce of fatigue.
We will be out of MediFast food by the end of the week. The estimated date of our return to this awesome diet, is January. I guess its good because it's now time for the holidays, and I want to enjoy them with family, complete with all the feasts.
But, I really don't want to gain any weight back.
Our plan to combat the yo-yo cycle of weight return, is to continue to eat a high protein diet, with lots of fruits and veggies. And of course reading all the labels on everything we consume, in order to make better food choices. And continuing to check in with our health coaches, and blog about our progress.
The update in regards of me becoming a health coach, that still will happen! As soon as I find $200 dollars from the tooth fairy under my pillow. I desire to enter this next stage of my life within the next couple of weeks.
The funny events from this past week in regards to my weight loss:
I am now always cold. My thought process behind this: I no longer have (as much) fat as I once did, and therefore I don't have enough insulation.
I once again took a kid to the park. They continually told me I should swing along side them. There excuse was that I would be able to fi into the swings since I am "skinnier" now.... by the way, they were talking about what I refer to as the baby swings.
The only time I had to pause while on the hike/run with Lucky yesterday was.... when I had to pull my pants back up.
Lets talk about clothing sizes. I am now swimming in my 2XL shirts.
Yesterday, just for kicks and giggles I tried on an old pair of shorts of mine (that I haven't been able to fit in for years) they fit perfectly.... Size 18 (regular)!!! When I started this journey just a few short weeks ago, my pants were awfully snug, and they were size 24WP.... WP stands for Wide and Petite. That is one large non-scale victory, in my opinion!
Monday, November 11, 2013
Well....
Well, another week has come and gone....
I am very happy to announce that I have now lost a grand total of 18 POUNDS since starting this journey!!!! I can honestly say that I can't remember the last time I was this "light."
You know those soccer pants that I mentioned last week? Now they are way too loose. Even though they are equipped with a drawstring, I tie it tight, and they still feel way too loose. I guess that's okay.
Maybe even good I guess.
Dean has lost a total of 13 pounds now. And his blood sugar levels are still low. Right were they should be. That is the best news of all.
As I have mentioned before, I also have a medical condition called Bile Reflux Disease. At my last G.I doctor appointment I asked the doctor if I lose enough weight, will my condition go away? Her response was: "I don't know. Nobody knows the answer to that. Try it, and find out." Well, since I have been on this diet, I have chosen not to take my medications. I have not needed them. The unbearable pain that I have felt all year, is no more.
This past week has been hard. I found myself very, very hungry a few times. I tried to ignore the mumbles and grumbles of my stomach, but Saturday night, the hunger pains became unbearable, but it wasn't near feeding time yet. So, I divulged in a crown of broccoli (split with my husband). It was also a very emotionally trying week. I got news that my best friend here in Vegas, unexpectedly moved away. In a way, I guess that's good, cause every time we get together, we always end up eating out. Some of our rituals became Smash Burger, the Crepe place inside the Bellagio, and Donuts. Without him here, there is no reason to eat out.
Also, we came to the realization that are home is crumbling. We need to move. And the sooner the better. All of our floors are soft, and cracking. Our water heater is leaking. We can smell mold in our home. We strongly suspect we have leaking pipes under our home. Our toilet has been running a marathon for months. It finally stopped flushing all together, a problem I repaired with what appears to be a paperclip, and a rubber band. But all of the other problems, cause us great concern. We fear that it will crumble to the ground, at any moment. Because of this we want to move.
We want to purchase a house.
But this diet is super expensive. For the both of us to continue, it is a high cost of $600 a month. That is all the money I make in one month. Right now, we are torn in half.
Do we moth need to loose weight: YES.
Does Dean need, easy Healthy options to take control of his blood Sugars: YES.
Do we need a lot of money for a down payment: YES.
It the diet working: YES.
Will we save money by not continuing it: YES!
Do we like the diet: YES!
Has it been successful for us, thus far? YES!
Do I want to become a health coach for this company? YES!
We are just torn completely in half. We are torn between good health, and a safe place to reside.
We have been discussing the possibility of putting this diet on hold, and saving this money for a down payment. And then starting it back up again once we are in a new home.
Now, lets talk about the light hearted items:
If we do discontinue the diet, we both feel that we have learned a lot about modifying our own behaviors, and can continue to live a healthy lifestyle. But I still have 72 pounds to go, in order to me at my healthy weight. And this is really great way to get there.
I know a few of you have inquired about progressive photos. I am debating weather to put them on here, or just reveal our new healthier bodies during the holidays!
I am very happy to announce that I have now lost a grand total of 18 POUNDS since starting this journey!!!! I can honestly say that I can't remember the last time I was this "light."
You know those soccer pants that I mentioned last week? Now they are way too loose. Even though they are equipped with a drawstring, I tie it tight, and they still feel way too loose. I guess that's okay.
Maybe even good I guess.
Dean has lost a total of 13 pounds now. And his blood sugar levels are still low. Right were they should be. That is the best news of all.
As I have mentioned before, I also have a medical condition called Bile Reflux Disease. At my last G.I doctor appointment I asked the doctor if I lose enough weight, will my condition go away? Her response was: "I don't know. Nobody knows the answer to that. Try it, and find out." Well, since I have been on this diet, I have chosen not to take my medications. I have not needed them. The unbearable pain that I have felt all year, is no more.
This past week has been hard. I found myself very, very hungry a few times. I tried to ignore the mumbles and grumbles of my stomach, but Saturday night, the hunger pains became unbearable, but it wasn't near feeding time yet. So, I divulged in a crown of broccoli (split with my husband). It was also a very emotionally trying week. I got news that my best friend here in Vegas, unexpectedly moved away. In a way, I guess that's good, cause every time we get together, we always end up eating out. Some of our rituals became Smash Burger, the Crepe place inside the Bellagio, and Donuts. Without him here, there is no reason to eat out.
Also, we came to the realization that are home is crumbling. We need to move. And the sooner the better. All of our floors are soft, and cracking. Our water heater is leaking. We can smell mold in our home. We strongly suspect we have leaking pipes under our home. Our toilet has been running a marathon for months. It finally stopped flushing all together, a problem I repaired with what appears to be a paperclip, and a rubber band. But all of the other problems, cause us great concern. We fear that it will crumble to the ground, at any moment. Because of this we want to move.
We want to purchase a house.
But this diet is super expensive. For the both of us to continue, it is a high cost of $600 a month. That is all the money I make in one month. Right now, we are torn in half.
Do we moth need to loose weight: YES.
Does Dean need, easy Healthy options to take control of his blood Sugars: YES.
Do we need a lot of money for a down payment: YES.
It the diet working: YES.
Will we save money by not continuing it: YES!
Do we like the diet: YES!
Has it been successful for us, thus far? YES!
Do I want to become a health coach for this company? YES!
We are just torn completely in half. We are torn between good health, and a safe place to reside.
We have been discussing the possibility of putting this diet on hold, and saving this money for a down payment. And then starting it back up again once we are in a new home.
Now, lets talk about the light hearted items:
- My rings are too big. They now spin and spin around my fingers.
- My glasses are too loose. Although I need new ones anyway, going and getting them adjusted seems like nothing more then a chore.
- I'm supposed to measure my hips. Last week, and this week during measurement time, I have made the comment: "I don't know where my hips went! I can't find them."
- My pants are too loose. And I don't have the money to replace them. It also feels like such a waste to go purchase new clothes when I plan on continuing to lose, even if we do discontinue the diet. Yeah, I know that the obvious answer is to go to a thrift store, or to buy a belt, but because I am still in the "plus size" clothes, these items are impossible to find.
- My institute teacher, behind my back, asked Dean if I have been loosing weight. Brother Fotheringham stated to Dean that I looked "skinnier." That was before he knew I was doing this diet.
- When I chatted with the daytime janitor at the institute, he saw me making my medifast food, and he asked if I was doing the diet too. I replied that yes, I am! He said that everyone is doing it. And that the reason that he knows that everyone is doing the diet, is because when he empties the trash cans, there is nothing but medifast packages in the trash bins.
- I was able to have a few outing days at work. We went to the park, I was able to slide down the slides, without getting stuck! An old worry of mine.
If we do discontinue the diet, we both feel that we have learned a lot about modifying our own behaviors, and can continue to live a healthy lifestyle. But I still have 72 pounds to go, in order to me at my healthy weight. And this is really great way to get there.
I know a few of you have inquired about progressive photos. I am debating weather to put them on here, or just reveal our new healthier bodies during the holidays!
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Update
I am now down 15 pounds!
And I was able to a shirt on that I have never been able to wear before (XL) that my friend gave me as a Christmas Gift several years ago. I have been wearing XXL shirts for a very long time.
I was also able to comfortably wear my "soccer" pants. They are no longer a little too tight like they used to be.
I have lost several inches from all parts of my body. This is one of the things that can be tract using the medifast app.
As for the update regarding Dean, he has no lost a grand total of 10 pounds. But, his blood sugars are being incredibly steady, and not-high. (About 110) That is the best news of all.
Halloween was this week, and I was very good and did not indulge in ANY CANDY!!! At the institute on Thursday was: Donuts, Candy, homemade root beer, and ice cream. I was very good, and didn't sample anything. It helped to have multiple people there doing the same diet as I am. There was strength in numbers, and no one broke diet! Amazing!!
Its almost time to order new food, and I am excited to try the new stuff. Including soft serve ice cream!
And I was able to a shirt on that I have never been able to wear before (XL) that my friend gave me as a Christmas Gift several years ago. I have been wearing XXL shirts for a very long time.
I was also able to comfortably wear my "soccer" pants. They are no longer a little too tight like they used to be.
I have lost several inches from all parts of my body. This is one of the things that can be tract using the medifast app.
As for the update regarding Dean, he has no lost a grand total of 10 pounds. But, his blood sugars are being incredibly steady, and not-high. (About 110) That is the best news of all.
Halloween was this week, and I was very good and did not indulge in ANY CANDY!!! At the institute on Thursday was: Donuts, Candy, homemade root beer, and ice cream. I was very good, and didn't sample anything. It helped to have multiple people there doing the same diet as I am. There was strength in numbers, and no one broke diet! Amazing!!
Its almost time to order new food, and I am excited to try the new stuff. Including soft serve ice cream!
Saturday, October 26, 2013
One Week Down
Well, one week has come and gone....
I am happy to announce that I have lost a grand total of ELEVEN POUNDS!!! (*can I get a zillion woot woots?! )*
Snap shot of this week: trying the new foods has been fun. I have now tried all of the foods that come in the starter pack, and I am happy to announce that there is only one meal that I absolutely can not palate. Eating the "lean and green" meals were not bad either. Its basically what we do eat, just more portioned controlled, and minus all the carbs.
We went to a "party" Thursday night with some health coaches, and other potential clients. I don't know if there were many other clients there, but we were able to come in contact with health coaches in our area, who are not pregnant, and who are warm and inviting people, yes, these people are also Mormon.
We spoke to them about wanting to change health coaches, today Dean and I both submitted our paperwork to change over to them this morning. So we should be officially hooked up with them by Wednesday at the latest.
Before the party, we were told, via the "I'm healthy and I know it" Facebook page, that we would have the opportunity to trade our disliked items for more desirable items. I was disappointed when this didn't happen at the party.
But when we spoke to our new health coaches last night (the people who hosted the event on Thursday night) they have a stash of MediFast foods at there house that we can stop by anytime and trade out anything! Perfect, that way I don't have to pay for return shipping.
Today in the store we ran into someone who used to be in our ward here in Vegas, I affectionately named her "Funny" ( I have no idea what her real name is...) commented regarding how much healthier Dean and I look. (AND ITS ONLY BEEN ONE WEEK!!!)
Also at the party, we learned about becoming health coaches, if we so desire, and how much it pays, etc. I have decided that I am going to become a health coach for this company. Its basically free money, as it requires very little time, you call your clients once a week, and get paid. So Dyanna, when you come over to Take Shape for Life powered by MediFast side in January, I can be your coach and we can get healthy and stay healthy together! ;)
In regards to an update regarding Dean's progress on this lifestyle change: He has lost a total of seven and a half pounds. But what is even more rewarding is that his blood sugar levels have been steady, consistently between 116, and 124. That is without him taking his diabetic meds, which is a huge milestone, because his blood sugars, one week ago, were well over the 200 mark, which is very dangerous, that will lead to an early death.
Now things that I have struggled with:
Eating every two to three hours, as recommended on this plan. Since I can't tell when I am hungry, I can literally go days without noticing I am hungry, which is the last thing you want to do when loosing weight.
Holidays. Last night, and today, we have had Halloween parties. It's been kind of depressing wanting to go to these parties and that contain , but knowing that you can't eat the food is really depressing, to some extent. Last night for our ward Halloween party, we went with high hopes that there would be some sort of healthy foods, to find nothing but meat based chili, cornbread, and cakes, lots of cakes. So we decided to leave to abolish the temptations. Who knew that one day I would walk out of a church in order to avoid the temptations?! Highly ironic.
Also, I continue to struggle everyday with having to eat at work. Although I have lost a phenomenal amount of weight during this week, I still feel a tad bit guilty for "cheating" every time I am at work, but man do I really not want to be offensive to the people who offer me these items. And its very tasty food as well.
In short, even though we have faced a few struggles, we are definitely enjoying our journey to becoming healthy people!
I am happy to announce that I have lost a grand total of ELEVEN POUNDS!!! (*can I get a zillion woot woots?! )*
Snap shot of this week: trying the new foods has been fun. I have now tried all of the foods that come in the starter pack, and I am happy to announce that there is only one meal that I absolutely can not palate. Eating the "lean and green" meals were not bad either. Its basically what we do eat, just more portioned controlled, and minus all the carbs.
We went to a "party" Thursday night with some health coaches, and other potential clients. I don't know if there were many other clients there, but we were able to come in contact with health coaches in our area, who are not pregnant, and who are warm and inviting people, yes, these people are also Mormon.
We spoke to them about wanting to change health coaches, today Dean and I both submitted our paperwork to change over to them this morning. So we should be officially hooked up with them by Wednesday at the latest.
Before the party, we were told, via the "I'm healthy and I know it" Facebook page, that we would have the opportunity to trade our disliked items for more desirable items. I was disappointed when this didn't happen at the party.
But when we spoke to our new health coaches last night (the people who hosted the event on Thursday night) they have a stash of MediFast foods at there house that we can stop by anytime and trade out anything! Perfect, that way I don't have to pay for return shipping.
Today in the store we ran into someone who used to be in our ward here in Vegas, I affectionately named her "Funny" ( I have no idea what her real name is...) commented regarding how much healthier Dean and I look. (AND ITS ONLY BEEN ONE WEEK!!!)
Also at the party, we learned about becoming health coaches, if we so desire, and how much it pays, etc. I have decided that I am going to become a health coach for this company. Its basically free money, as it requires very little time, you call your clients once a week, and get paid. So Dyanna, when you come over to Take Shape for Life powered by MediFast side in January, I can be your coach and we can get healthy and stay healthy together! ;)
In regards to an update regarding Dean's progress on this lifestyle change: He has lost a total of seven and a half pounds. But what is even more rewarding is that his blood sugar levels have been steady, consistently between 116, and 124. That is without him taking his diabetic meds, which is a huge milestone, because his blood sugars, one week ago, were well over the 200 mark, which is very dangerous, that will lead to an early death.
Now things that I have struggled with:
Eating every two to three hours, as recommended on this plan. Since I can't tell when I am hungry, I can literally go days without noticing I am hungry, which is the last thing you want to do when loosing weight.
Holidays. Last night, and today, we have had Halloween parties. It's been kind of depressing wanting to go to these parties and that contain , but knowing that you can't eat the food is really depressing, to some extent. Last night for our ward Halloween party, we went with high hopes that there would be some sort of healthy foods, to find nothing but meat based chili, cornbread, and cakes, lots of cakes. So we decided to leave to abolish the temptations. Who knew that one day I would walk out of a church in order to avoid the temptations?! Highly ironic.
Also, I continue to struggle everyday with having to eat at work. Although I have lost a phenomenal amount of weight during this week, I still feel a tad bit guilty for "cheating" every time I am at work, but man do I really not want to be offensive to the people who offer me these items. And its very tasty food as well.
In short, even though we have faced a few struggles, we are definitely enjoying our journey to becoming healthy people!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Update.
Update over the last two days. Yesterday I had a hard day. Dean and I got into yet another one of our fights, he made a scene at the store, I wanted organic chicken, he wanted the frozen stuff. I think if we are going to change out diet, we need to do it completely, to have more success. Which of course that warranted him yelling at me in public. Nothing new I guess. Because he made such a scene which point I wanted nothing more than some ice cream to cope, but I did good, and didn't divulge.
But before this event, I had quite the adventure with my dog Lucky. We were out in the community all day. We went to a Halloween costume party at Petsmart, and then a Furry Friends Festival clear across town. I thought we both could use some fresh air, and meet other furry friends, so we went. It was so much fun. As soon as Lucky saw other dogs racing, she wanted to run to. She ran, and ran, and ran. Of course she was on the leash, so I had to run with her. If I could guess, I would say we probably ran a mile. It felt so great!!! I didn't get out of breath, my knees didn't hurt or anything. Something I am definitely not used to, but I could easily get used to doing. We just both enjoyed the fresh air and some exercise. While at this festival they were giving away free samples of vegan pizza, so I sampled that. I thought it mustn't be bad, It was gluten free, dairy free, etc. I think it was a healthy snack.
I have now tried just about all the foods now, there is only one soup left for me to try. I like all the food, except for the oatmeal, the texture was just off, I am sure with some butter, brown sugar, and milk it would be just fine. :) But the Tomato Basil Bisque Soup was nothing sort of nasty. It nearly induced vomiting. I tried with the spoon, didn't like it, and thought if I use a straw I can bypass some of the taste. Nope. That caused an upchuck reaction. No good. Not eating that again. Now, I can return the unused portion, but there might be an event where you trade unwanted items for wanted items in my local area. I know they just had an event in Utah for this purpose. Since several people at the institute are doing this diet, I strongly suspect that we will have an even like the one in Utah did. Or maybe we can just do trade offs.
Dean started his lifestyle change yesterday. Last week his blood sugar was high, it was 240. Yesterday, without taking his diabetic meds and eating the MediFast way for one day, it was at a reasonable 120. I call that great success.
Dean made a lean and green meal yesterday. It was Tilapia with Tomatoes, and spinach, all baked. I didn't like the way my spinach and tomatoes tasted. I tried squeezing fresh lemon on them, but that made everything taste too sour. So instead I had a small side salad with fresh spinach, fresh arugula, and a few cherry tomatoes, lightly dressed with light balsamic dressing. All of these things are in the approved diet plan, so I don't feel like I cheated one bit.
Today, we obviously had bread during sacrament. Bread is not in the diet plan, I just shrugged it off, and ate it anyway. Kind of feeling goofy that my new diet restricts bread, yet we eat bread to think of the Savior. The bread caused my stomach to growl like a roaring howling hurds of dogs. I think it was just because it wanted more carbs.
I have also been giving a lot of thought lately to changing health coaches. Just because a friend recommended me to the current one I have, does not mean that she knows what is best for me. Only I know what is best for me. A pregnant lady who takes weeks to answer me, is not good, nor better, nor best for me. I feel like I need to go with Sister Strobelt. I am planning on talking with Brother Strobelt tomorrow and ask for her information. I hope this doesn't offend my friend, but I need to do what's best for me to succeed.
I have also given a lot of thought to the holiday celebrations coming up. We don't have exact plans on what to do in regards to the holidays. Only three family members know what we are doing, and I don't want to offend people by not chowing down all the holiday goodies.
Also with the holidays comes two more things: people posting a zillion unhealthy but delicious looking recipes on facebook. They make me want real food so bad. And my desire to do food art. I really like to do food art, but most of my ingredients for my art are not recommended for the MediFast program. I just don't know what to do in regards to food art, I don't want to give up a hobby I only get to do during the holidays. Maybe I will just do the food art at the conclusion of my weight loss journey.
Today I have felt pretty good. I'm really tired, with a dull headache but that probably has a lot to do with being in the sun all day yesterday. I did, however, weigh myself today. I am down 7 POUNDS!!! For our lean and green meal we are having spicy garlic lime shrimp. And for our final MediFast meal today, I plan on eating a brownie. Loosing weight while eating chocolate, has got to be on the favorite list of things girls like to do.
I've been overcome with feelings of thankfulness. Thankful that I have been able to watch our friend at the institute use this program, see it work, and him introduce it to us. I am grateful that doctors and dieticians saw the need for this program in 1980, that's when this program was created. And so very grateful that Dean and I are in the position to afford this right now at this time in our lives. It truly is life changing.
But before this event, I had quite the adventure with my dog Lucky. We were out in the community all day. We went to a Halloween costume party at Petsmart, and then a Furry Friends Festival clear across town. I thought we both could use some fresh air, and meet other furry friends, so we went. It was so much fun. As soon as Lucky saw other dogs racing, she wanted to run to. She ran, and ran, and ran. Of course she was on the leash, so I had to run with her. If I could guess, I would say we probably ran a mile. It felt so great!!! I didn't get out of breath, my knees didn't hurt or anything. Something I am definitely not used to, but I could easily get used to doing. We just both enjoyed the fresh air and some exercise. While at this festival they were giving away free samples of vegan pizza, so I sampled that. I thought it mustn't be bad, It was gluten free, dairy free, etc. I think it was a healthy snack.
I have now tried just about all the foods now, there is only one soup left for me to try. I like all the food, except for the oatmeal, the texture was just off, I am sure with some butter, brown sugar, and milk it would be just fine. :) But the Tomato Basil Bisque Soup was nothing sort of nasty. It nearly induced vomiting. I tried with the spoon, didn't like it, and thought if I use a straw I can bypass some of the taste. Nope. That caused an upchuck reaction. No good. Not eating that again. Now, I can return the unused portion, but there might be an event where you trade unwanted items for wanted items in my local area. I know they just had an event in Utah for this purpose. Since several people at the institute are doing this diet, I strongly suspect that we will have an even like the one in Utah did. Or maybe we can just do trade offs.
Dean started his lifestyle change yesterday. Last week his blood sugar was high, it was 240. Yesterday, without taking his diabetic meds and eating the MediFast way for one day, it was at a reasonable 120. I call that great success.
Dean made a lean and green meal yesterday. It was Tilapia with Tomatoes, and spinach, all baked. I didn't like the way my spinach and tomatoes tasted. I tried squeezing fresh lemon on them, but that made everything taste too sour. So instead I had a small side salad with fresh spinach, fresh arugula, and a few cherry tomatoes, lightly dressed with light balsamic dressing. All of these things are in the approved diet plan, so I don't feel like I cheated one bit.
Today, we obviously had bread during sacrament. Bread is not in the diet plan, I just shrugged it off, and ate it anyway. Kind of feeling goofy that my new diet restricts bread, yet we eat bread to think of the Savior. The bread caused my stomach to growl like a roaring howling hurds of dogs. I think it was just because it wanted more carbs.
I have also been giving a lot of thought lately to changing health coaches. Just because a friend recommended me to the current one I have, does not mean that she knows what is best for me. Only I know what is best for me. A pregnant lady who takes weeks to answer me, is not good, nor better, nor best for me. I feel like I need to go with Sister Strobelt. I am planning on talking with Brother Strobelt tomorrow and ask for her information. I hope this doesn't offend my friend, but I need to do what's best for me to succeed.
I have also given a lot of thought to the holiday celebrations coming up. We don't have exact plans on what to do in regards to the holidays. Only three family members know what we are doing, and I don't want to offend people by not chowing down all the holiday goodies.
Also with the holidays comes two more things: people posting a zillion unhealthy but delicious looking recipes on facebook. They make me want real food so bad. And my desire to do food art. I really like to do food art, but most of my ingredients for my art are not recommended for the MediFast program. I just don't know what to do in regards to food art, I don't want to give up a hobby I only get to do during the holidays. Maybe I will just do the food art at the conclusion of my weight loss journey.
Today I have felt pretty good. I'm really tired, with a dull headache but that probably has a lot to do with being in the sun all day yesterday. I did, however, weigh myself today. I am down 7 POUNDS!!! For our lean and green meal we are having spicy garlic lime shrimp. And for our final MediFast meal today, I plan on eating a brownie. Loosing weight while eating chocolate, has got to be on the favorite list of things girls like to do.
I've been overcome with feelings of thankfulness. Thankful that I have been able to watch our friend at the institute use this program, see it work, and him introduce it to us. I am grateful that doctors and dieticians saw the need for this program in 1980, that's when this program was created. And so very grateful that Dean and I are in the position to afford this right now at this time in our lives. It truly is life changing.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Victory!!!
We also met with our primary care physician to inquire if this diet is safe and effective for both of our dietary needs. He said yes, and is backing it. He says that this program works. He also asked me how long I am planning on being on this diet for. I told him until I lose 100 pounds, this startled him and asked him why and I said because I need to. I will then be in normal weight limits according to the BMI calculator. He covered his eyes and shook his head and said "no no no" he doesn't think I should go all the way down to 130. He said I will look anorexic, a disease that I have had in the past, (there is the first secret, the url of this says there are secrets in this blog.... lol) for my height and build. So I guess I am closer to my optimal weight than I thought since I have a new target goal. I think a compromise is in order and I will get down to 140. That seems reasonable to me. The doctor said if I get down to 130 the health insurance companies would love me because I would be at great risk for other health problems, which escape me at the moment, but my premiums will skyrocket.
Dean's MediFast food arrived today, so he will be starting his program tomorrow.
A few of my readers have asked about the food. Most of it is pretty tasty, and pretty filling, for a couple of hours. The idea of this lifestyle change is to get you used to eating 6 small meals (like we are supposed to) throughout the day.
Some readers are concerned regarding the nutritional value of these meals, so I have taken photos of the nutritional facts in some of the packages for your viewing pleasure.
This one is of the Mac n cheese, which was amazing!
The third one is for s'mores crunch bars.
As you can see, all servings of everything have just about the same nutritional value when it comes to calories, and vitamins and minerals. If you eat 5 servings of them a day, as the program states, you should be getting 100% of a bunch of vitamins and minerals, listed in the photos, Not a bad plan.
For an update regarding eating at work, I ate there again last night, because it is super-duper-offensive in their culture to not eat if they offer it to you. I remember my mom always telling me to accept things that are offered to me. It is kind of cool now to see why my mom always said that. It really makes me feel close to her. We had rice, potatoes, and green peppers. I could tell that this food just bogged me down. It made my stomach hurt, and caused me to be very sleepy.
Also when one of the kids came home she handed me two loaves of bread and said "Happy Birthday" the kid got me these when a community event was giving out free bread. Sweet kid, but I feel like I am living a double life right now. Eating healthy on my days off, and eating healthy when I do work, except for whatever they feed me. I don't know what to do. I want to tell them no more feeding me, but at the same time I want to continue my non offensive-positive relationship with these people. We can't eat the bread on this plan, so I am thinking I will donate the bread to the institute, all college kids love free food, right?
Funny story of yesterday: as I was playing games, the game pieces were red and yellow, making the game look like pepperoni pizza, and then those little gelatin-hamburger things. Oh it made me so very hungry.
As for the health coach, I think I am going to change to the wife of one of the institute teachers in my area. I'm sure she is plenty old enough to not be in the child bearing ages, which will illuminate my pregnancy problem, and it's someone local who is LDS. Perfect fit... Or so I hope.
I am thinking of emailing the other local gal back and stating something along the lines of "I'm sorry, but at this time you have proven to be someone who will not be effective for my needs, and I have chosen to go with someone else." Some people have asked what the purpose of the health coach is, and I'm not entirely sure on that one yet. I know they call you once a week to check your progress, all the health coaches either have been, or are on the program. I also know that you can contact them anytime for questions/concerns/complaints/emotional support. Who knows, you might even be able to throw cupcakes at them, or dump ice cream on their heads. I know that people are more successful with a health coach.
When I got home from work last night, there was a bunch of free items on our neighbors yard. A ton of games, and some clothes. The first clothing item I saw appeared to be my size now, so I grabbed a bag of clothes, when I got home, we discovered that it is not my current size, but will be my size once I shred my weight, it will be my size! That's one of the things that we were worried about, the cost of more clothes. Well, I just got a ton of my new hopeful size clothes for free!
Tomorrow's a new day, and Dean and I are excited to do this together.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Defeat
It's been rough the last 24 hours or so. I had sloppy joes at work yesterday, so I decided to take my dog on a jog. I thought I could burn the calories off by doing that.
But before work, I got my first email from the local health coach here in Vegas. She stated that the reason that she can't respond within in a timely manner is because she has three kids, and just found out she is pregnant with a fourth. I felt defeated. I can't. I don't. I won't. Associate with pregnant girls, family, professionally, or whatever. It is to protect my own emotional health. Also, I want someone that will get back to me in a timely manner. It took this lady over a week to get to me. I don't find that humorous.
I haven't decided what I am going to do. I can keep the one in Oregon, transfer to the one here, or request a different one all together. I am thinking that a gay guy will be best.
I also thought about responding to her email, and tell her what my expectations of her are. Namely, no pregnancy talk. She is getting paid to help me, not tell me about her ailing pregnancy symptoms.
I woke up starving again, so I had some MediFast waffles. They burned pretty quickly but they weren't bad.
For a morning snack I had parmesan chees puffs. My disclaimer: I HATE parmesan cheese, but I ate them, but my dog was much more interested in them than I was. I think Dean and I are going to make a switch. I will give him my parmesan cheese balls, and take his pretzels!
For a snack at noon I had pizza bites. They were pretty tasty, and really filling! I felt stuffed half way through the bag. The funny story about this is I was eating mine, and the institute director came and asked if I wanted some of his. He was eating the same thing I was, but his was BBQ flavored! I didn't know he was doing the diet too, but I noticed he has been loosing weight this week. He has lost 10 pounds since starting a week ago! Second funny part of this story is that I was sitting with two friends from Econ when the teacher commented about my bag of food. They then went to the snack counter trying to find the same thing that we had! Of course, there was none there for them.
For an afternoon snack I had vegetable sloppy joes. Not too bad. Again, could use some pepper. I am not sure if you are allowed to use seasonings or not. I am sure adding salt is out of the question.
As I am sitting here at the institute typing this, a couple of the teachers are talking about it. They are saying that this diet plan is contagious cause everyone is doing it! And every one is loosing weight!
I just wish I knew what to do in regards to my situation about the pregnant girl.
But before work, I got my first email from the local health coach here in Vegas. She stated that the reason that she can't respond within in a timely manner is because she has three kids, and just found out she is pregnant with a fourth. I felt defeated. I can't. I don't. I won't. Associate with pregnant girls, family, professionally, or whatever. It is to protect my own emotional health. Also, I want someone that will get back to me in a timely manner. It took this lady over a week to get to me. I don't find that humorous.
I haven't decided what I am going to do. I can keep the one in Oregon, transfer to the one here, or request a different one all together. I am thinking that a gay guy will be best.
I also thought about responding to her email, and tell her what my expectations of her are. Namely, no pregnancy talk. She is getting paid to help me, not tell me about her ailing pregnancy symptoms.
I woke up starving again, so I had some MediFast waffles. They burned pretty quickly but they weren't bad.
For a morning snack I had parmesan chees puffs. My disclaimer: I HATE parmesan cheese, but I ate them, but my dog was much more interested in them than I was. I think Dean and I are going to make a switch. I will give him my parmesan cheese balls, and take his pretzels!
For a snack at noon I had pizza bites. They were pretty tasty, and really filling! I felt stuffed half way through the bag. The funny story about this is I was eating mine, and the institute director came and asked if I wanted some of his. He was eating the same thing I was, but his was BBQ flavored! I didn't know he was doing the diet too, but I noticed he has been loosing weight this week. He has lost 10 pounds since starting a week ago! Second funny part of this story is that I was sitting with two friends from Econ when the teacher commented about my bag of food. They then went to the snack counter trying to find the same thing that we had! Of course, there was none there for them.
For an afternoon snack I had vegetable sloppy joes. Not too bad. Again, could use some pepper. I am not sure if you are allowed to use seasonings or not. I am sure adding salt is out of the question.
As I am sitting here at the institute typing this, a couple of the teachers are talking about it. They are saying that this diet plan is contagious cause everyone is doing it! And every one is loosing weight!
I just wish I knew what to do in regards to my situation about the pregnant girl.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Photos and Day 1
So here you go:
This photo is an entire month worth of food!
So today I tried some food items.
I did cheat a little. Before I even had my first medi fast meal I woke up in the middle of the night starving, I wanted a healthy snack so I ate an apple with a dash of peanut butter.
I tried my first three medi fast meals today. For breakfast I had a chocolate shake.
It wasn't too shabby. My first sip was iffy, but I was able to drink it all. its much easier to get through it with a straw. It was quite filling. I wasn't hungry for several hours. Calorie content: 100 calories.
I'm supposed to eat every two to three hours in this diet plan. So I later had some vegetable chili.
Here is a photo of the chili:
For snack I had a brownie.
I think if I pay attention better to the instructions on the packet, they will turn out better next time. I read the the instructions as mix with 3 teaspoons of water. It was really 3 tablespoons of water. Wasn't too shabby, but wasn't filling, at all. Total calorie count: 100.
I will eat at work tonight, and there's no telling what it will be, so we shall see about this.
I was finally able to get in touch with the local health coach, and she will be putting a health profile together for me.
So far, I'm liking this! Losing weight with chocolate! Not a bad thing!
So far I have had a total of 300 calories today, and I feel great! I'm not even hungry.
However, I am thinking of adding a spiritual twist to this blog to add another component of improving myself.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Food Delivered
Well, my food (an entire months worth!) was delivered today.
I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning, so many new and exciting things!
Because Dean has also decided to do this with me, I thought a good way to organize all this food was to set up the table in such a manner that half of the table would contain my food and supplies, and the other half of the table will contain his supplies. Well, there is so much food, I don't think that is a much of a possibility. For a dinner table we have a card table.
Well anyway, I talked to the health coach that I was assigned to, I am still trying to change to a local, LDS woman. When I spoke with the assigned health coach, I asked her about drinking options for my diabetic husband, she said to have him drink coffee or tea. I told her by no means were any of those options for us. Her reply: "Then this is going to be extra hard for ya'll". Yeah, I really want someone with my faith and values.
So, my reviews thus far on the food and supplies is as follows:
The photos of the foods look decadent (yeah, I know it's a selling mechanism), I have not yet tried any foods though.
I was disappointed with the following items:
The first thing I pulled out of the boxes was some round canister, that looks just like those cups doctors make you pee in. I still have no idea what those are for.
The free blender bottle. I already have a blender bottle (I purchased one at whole foods, and it holds 20 plus ounces) The one that they sent is half the size of the one I have. I am sure there is a purpose for this, I am just not sure what it is. In fact, there was no instruction for any of the random non-food items. Namely, a miniature blender bottle, the round thingamajig, and a mug.
I saw meals planned out day by day on the website, and I expected to receive the same list in the mail. Nope. I have to do all the guess work of what I need to eat and when. The only guidelines I received was to eat every two to three hours. I think I am going to go with every two and half hours.
I was disappointed with my assigned health coach. She couldn't answer specific questions. She refused to understand what I was saying. She couldn't understand cultural differences.
And some of the food (I only looked intently at a couple before I had to dash back to school) doesn't come with any instructions. One of the foods is a cereal, and I wonder if I am supposed to eat the cereal plain like a nursery aged kid, or add milk, if so, how much.
I asked the health coach about my concern with eating at work. Her response was don't eat at work, and I told her I had to because of respect and cultural awareness. My idea was to not eat one of the medi fast meals earlier in the day, thus I save calories, and go ahead and eat at work, and then when I get home from work, take Lucky (my dog) for an extra long walk. This made perfect sense to me, but dumbfounded the coach lady. This situation should be changing soon, but no telling when, and I really don't want to wait to get started until the situation changes.
I am not sure when I am going to start this. The debate is either tomorrow, or Monday, which would be after Dean receives his food.
Regardless of everything. I am ecstatic for my transformation.
I have decided that determination will determine my success.
Photos of everything will be posted at a later time. Once I figure out how to do that with the new really annoying windows.
I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning, so many new and exciting things!
Because Dean has also decided to do this with me, I thought a good way to organize all this food was to set up the table in such a manner that half of the table would contain my food and supplies, and the other half of the table will contain his supplies. Well, there is so much food, I don't think that is a much of a possibility. For a dinner table we have a card table.
Well anyway, I talked to the health coach that I was assigned to, I am still trying to change to a local, LDS woman. When I spoke with the assigned health coach, I asked her about drinking options for my diabetic husband, she said to have him drink coffee or tea. I told her by no means were any of those options for us. Her reply: "Then this is going to be extra hard for ya'll". Yeah, I really want someone with my faith and values.
So, my reviews thus far on the food and supplies is as follows:
The photos of the foods look decadent (yeah, I know it's a selling mechanism), I have not yet tried any foods though.
I was disappointed with the following items:
The first thing I pulled out of the boxes was some round canister, that looks just like those cups doctors make you pee in. I still have no idea what those are for.
The free blender bottle. I already have a blender bottle (I purchased one at whole foods, and it holds 20 plus ounces) The one that they sent is half the size of the one I have. I am sure there is a purpose for this, I am just not sure what it is. In fact, there was no instruction for any of the random non-food items. Namely, a miniature blender bottle, the round thingamajig, and a mug.
I saw meals planned out day by day on the website, and I expected to receive the same list in the mail. Nope. I have to do all the guess work of what I need to eat and when. The only guidelines I received was to eat every two to three hours. I think I am going to go with every two and half hours.
I was disappointed with my assigned health coach. She couldn't answer specific questions. She refused to understand what I was saying. She couldn't understand cultural differences.
And some of the food (I only looked intently at a couple before I had to dash back to school) doesn't come with any instructions. One of the foods is a cereal, and I wonder if I am supposed to eat the cereal plain like a nursery aged kid, or add milk, if so, how much.
I asked the health coach about my concern with eating at work. Her response was don't eat at work, and I told her I had to because of respect and cultural awareness. My idea was to not eat one of the medi fast meals earlier in the day, thus I save calories, and go ahead and eat at work, and then when I get home from work, take Lucky (my dog) for an extra long walk. This made perfect sense to me, but dumbfounded the coach lady. This situation should be changing soon, but no telling when, and I really don't want to wait to get started until the situation changes.
I am not sure when I am going to start this. The debate is either tomorrow, or Monday, which would be after Dean receives his food.
Regardless of everything. I am ecstatic for my transformation.
I have decided that determination will determine my success.
Photos of everything will be posted at a later time. Once I figure out how to do that with the new really annoying windows.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
New Journey
Welcome to a new blog. Yes, I know I have many blogs, perhaps too many. But too bad. It is a way for me to cope, to share, and explore.
You are probably thinking I have tried this type of blog before, that's true, but I don't have any clue what the password is to that one, much less the email to access it.
You are probably thinking why will it be this different. I will explain everything.
There is this guy at the institute that I am acquaintances with, and over the last few months he has been making a healthier, astonishing transformation in regards to wait loss. I have spoken with him several times and he has explained to me what he has been doing. He is not the only one doing it either, several people are at the institute, and they all are making amazing transformations.
How everyone is accomplishing this? One word: MediFast.
I have given this diet a lot of thought over the last few months. I have been wanting to lose weight for quite some time now, with obviously no success.
I have a couple of theories of how I have gained this weight:
1.) My husband buys (and prepares) boxed crap for dinner. Things such as chicken/hamburger/tuna helpers.
2) I am an emotional eater. When my husband criticizes me I eat. When I have a bad day, I eat.
3) I actually can't feel when I am hungry. I have bile reflux disease, and thus I rarely feel when I am hungry, and when I do feel hungry, I end up overeating.
I have given lots of thought to gastric bypass surgery. I have been desperate. But, my insurance does not cover it.
I used to be the person that ran a 5 minute mile. I used to be the person that swam competitively without getting sort of breath. I used to be able to go to Target and pick out normal sized clothes.
Now, I can't walk to my car without being short of breath, and I have to shop at plus sized clothing stores. These clothes cost more, because, there is more fabric. Economically it makes sense.
I miss being that person of health. I miss being on the soccer field and running like mad.
I miss being able to breathe without labor.
I miss just being healthy.
I believe I hit rock bottom a few days ago. I had a very grave thought come to me. A scary, unwelcomed thought. It was: I wonder if I am a diabetic yet.
I can't be a diabetic, I won't be a diabetic. I am obese, and I don't like it. I refuse to die like my Mom did. That is torture that can be avoided. That is not for me. Today is a good day to start change.
I want to be the person who is healthy and doesn't look like a super-sized oompa-loompa.
I want to be able to drive my car, without my breasts being in the way.
I know that I am at risk for terminal things such as: heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer. I know it, and I am not okay with it. It is time for a change, and a desperate change at that.
I am not doing this because a doctor a doctor has told me to loose weight. No doctor has ever told me to. I am doing this because I want to. To feel healthy. I have the motivation, determination, and drive.
I joined the MediFast community, and ordered my first order a food (an entire month's worth!) Because I can't feel hunger, this plan will work for me, because it has food planned out for me. It tells me exactly what to eat, at what times and days. It takes all the guesswork out of it. Hopefully, it will be my saving grace.
I thought I would have to hide this from my husband, knowing that he would complain about me doing this, but as we were watching the Dr. Phil show this morning, and someone was on the show that has lost 100 pounds, I told Dean that that will be me in one year. This began a conversation with Dean that I have already ordered this diet, and guess what? Dean signed on too! I thought for sure he was going to criticize my move, but nope. He is standing behind me, and is doing it with me! :)
My food should be here this coming Thursday, and Dean's should be here next Monday, and Monday is the day that we will start our journey!
What is MediFast you ask? It is a 5-in-1 meal plan. Where you eat five of the Medi-Fast a day, and one Lean and Green Meal (from the Medi-Fast cook book) it is a protein based diet, with approximately 1,000 calories a day. I know that is few, but it is to get your body to burn the fat you already have stored up. I got a lot of that, that needs to go!
MediFast also has a health coach to help you along. I was randomly assigned to someone in Oregon. I told one of the secretaries at the institute about my new journey, and a few people in her ward are health coaches for Medi-Fast, she got me in contact with one, and now she will be my health coach. She is a lady, LDS, and Local. What more could a girl ask for? What is also cool is that they hold local support meetings, with lots of people also in their journey. I really think it will be a great addition, and a way to make new local friends.
Now, of course this journey has me worried about a few things:
1) The taste of the food. I am the daughter of a chef, which means that I like rich, tasty foods, with lots of seasonings. I am worried that all the food will be bland, and that I won't want to stick with it.
2) The holidays are coming up. I am worried about keeping this diet during the holidays. I think Dean and I should have our Thanksgiving Dinner this week, before we start this diet. After all, we have everything for it. Why not? I mean, we already have our Christmas trees up.
3) That my friends and families won't support me in this. Some people (namely my husband) don't want me to lose weight.
4) That it won't work for me. I eat at work (three times a week) and I have absolutely no control over what I eat those days. But the kids' home environment should change in the next couple of weeks, which means this will no longer be a problem. Then I have no doubt it will work.
I am excited for my own transformation. It is estimated I will probably be on this diet plan for at least 6 months, and then I will transition to the maintenance phase of this diet. Eating whole foods again.
Who is ready to support me to a journey of health and success? I am planning on blogging about my thoughts about the food, the support groups, photos, and all things related to weight loss!
You are probably thinking I have tried this type of blog before, that's true, but I don't have any clue what the password is to that one, much less the email to access it.
You are probably thinking why will it be this different. I will explain everything.
There is this guy at the institute that I am acquaintances with, and over the last few months he has been making a healthier, astonishing transformation in regards to wait loss. I have spoken with him several times and he has explained to me what he has been doing. He is not the only one doing it either, several people are at the institute, and they all are making amazing transformations.
How everyone is accomplishing this? One word: MediFast.
I have given this diet a lot of thought over the last few months. I have been wanting to lose weight for quite some time now, with obviously no success.
I have a couple of theories of how I have gained this weight:
1.) My husband buys (and prepares) boxed crap for dinner. Things such as chicken/hamburger/tuna helpers.
2) I am an emotional eater. When my husband criticizes me I eat. When I have a bad day, I eat.
3) I actually can't feel when I am hungry. I have bile reflux disease, and thus I rarely feel when I am hungry, and when I do feel hungry, I end up overeating.
I have given lots of thought to gastric bypass surgery. I have been desperate. But, my insurance does not cover it.
I used to be the person that ran a 5 minute mile. I used to be the person that swam competitively without getting sort of breath. I used to be able to go to Target and pick out normal sized clothes.
Now, I can't walk to my car without being short of breath, and I have to shop at plus sized clothing stores. These clothes cost more, because, there is more fabric. Economically it makes sense.
I miss being that person of health. I miss being on the soccer field and running like mad.
I miss being able to breathe without labor.
I miss just being healthy.
I believe I hit rock bottom a few days ago. I had a very grave thought come to me. A scary, unwelcomed thought. It was: I wonder if I am a diabetic yet.
I can't be a diabetic, I won't be a diabetic. I am obese, and I don't like it. I refuse to die like my Mom did. That is torture that can be avoided. That is not for me. Today is a good day to start change.
I want to be the person who is healthy and doesn't look like a super-sized oompa-loompa.
I want to be able to drive my car, without my breasts being in the way.
I know that I am at risk for terminal things such as: heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer. I know it, and I am not okay with it. It is time for a change, and a desperate change at that.
I am not doing this because a doctor a doctor has told me to loose weight. No doctor has ever told me to. I am doing this because I want to. To feel healthy. I have the motivation, determination, and drive.
I joined the MediFast community, and ordered my first order a food (an entire month's worth!) Because I can't feel hunger, this plan will work for me, because it has food planned out for me. It tells me exactly what to eat, at what times and days. It takes all the guesswork out of it. Hopefully, it will be my saving grace.
I thought I would have to hide this from my husband, knowing that he would complain about me doing this, but as we were watching the Dr. Phil show this morning, and someone was on the show that has lost 100 pounds, I told Dean that that will be me in one year. This began a conversation with Dean that I have already ordered this diet, and guess what? Dean signed on too! I thought for sure he was going to criticize my move, but nope. He is standing behind me, and is doing it with me! :)
My food should be here this coming Thursday, and Dean's should be here next Monday, and Monday is the day that we will start our journey!
What is MediFast you ask? It is a 5-in-1 meal plan. Where you eat five of the Medi-Fast a day, and one Lean and Green Meal (from the Medi-Fast cook book) it is a protein based diet, with approximately 1,000 calories a day. I know that is few, but it is to get your body to burn the fat you already have stored up. I got a lot of that, that needs to go!
MediFast also has a health coach to help you along. I was randomly assigned to someone in Oregon. I told one of the secretaries at the institute about my new journey, and a few people in her ward are health coaches for Medi-Fast, she got me in contact with one, and now she will be my health coach. She is a lady, LDS, and Local. What more could a girl ask for? What is also cool is that they hold local support meetings, with lots of people also in their journey. I really think it will be a great addition, and a way to make new local friends.
Now, of course this journey has me worried about a few things:
1) The taste of the food. I am the daughter of a chef, which means that I like rich, tasty foods, with lots of seasonings. I am worried that all the food will be bland, and that I won't want to stick with it.
2) The holidays are coming up. I am worried about keeping this diet during the holidays. I think Dean and I should have our Thanksgiving Dinner this week, before we start this diet. After all, we have everything for it. Why not? I mean, we already have our Christmas trees up.
3) That my friends and families won't support me in this. Some people (namely my husband) don't want me to lose weight.
4) That it won't work for me. I eat at work (three times a week) and I have absolutely no control over what I eat those days. But the kids' home environment should change in the next couple of weeks, which means this will no longer be a problem. Then I have no doubt it will work.
I am excited for my own transformation. It is estimated I will probably be on this diet plan for at least 6 months, and then I will transition to the maintenance phase of this diet. Eating whole foods again.
Who is ready to support me to a journey of health and success? I am planning on blogging about my thoughts about the food, the support groups, photos, and all things related to weight loss!
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