Dealing with Cravings

I thought the first three days would be the hardest, but I would kill someone for a piece of cake.  Or a box of Nilla wafers.  I hope this eases up!

We had a Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts last night, and some sick person brought a chocolate cake.  With chocolate icing.  I adore chocolate.  My ex came since our Jared was receiving awards (the religious square knot and his 5th Arrow Point on the Wolf Trail) and kept offering that cake to me.

Or a hamburger.  With french fries. And fry sauce.  Or onion rings. 

Oh, well, I will hold strong.  I'm drinking lots and lots of water, some with Crystal Light, so I don't feel hungry.  I'm really not hungry, I just want to eat.  Since I can recognize the difference, I can tap on it and hold strong through it.  Sometimes it's just a matter of staying busy.  Sometimes it's a matter of just looking at the photo I have of when I was thin, and knowing that I just have 35 more days to go, and then I'll be at my goal weight. 

The thing to remember is that this is all worth it....

So: Lots of water, green tea, coffee, diet soda (or whatever other liquids work for you), and hold out just a little longer.  Reach out for support.  Hang in there.  Sometimes just getting busy for 15 minutes at a time will help.  EFT helps.

Stats: Weight this morning, 165.4, down 4.6 pounds in 4 days from start weight of 170.0.  Consistent loss of a pound a day.  GOAL: 135.

Day 3 VLCD

I weighed in this morning at 166.4.  That is down 3.6 pounds from my start weight of 170.  I'm pretty hopeful now that a 40 day round will see me to my goal weight of 135.  I am already seeing my tummy start to "deflate." It's exciting to see the changes so quickly!

One of the things I noticed before, is that if I allow myself a cheat -- even one -- it opens everything up and I might as well hang up the round.  I have to be really, super careful.  I'm like that in a lot of ways in my life - if I leave my savings account alone, I'm fine, but once I dip into it, it's open season.  If I allow myself a day to sleep in, pretty soon I'm sleeping in all the time.  It's like, once I cross that boundary, it becomes very difficult to re-establish that boundary.

Results from Day 1, how Day 2 is going

I began loading at a weight of 170.0.  After load, my weight was 172.4.  This morning, my weight was 167.4!  That's down 5 pounds from yesterdays, weight, and 2.6 pounds from my start weight. 

THIS is why I love this diet plan so much.  The hunger isn't too bad, and the results are outstanding - and immediate!

I'm preparing my lunch right now.  Salad with Waldon Farms dressing, grilled chicken, apple dusted with a bit of cinnamon.  Dinner will be the same, but with asparagus instead of salad.

Incidentally, for the "You'll gain it back" crowd, I began this in 2010 at a high weight of 189.  I have kept most of the weight off for 2 years.   Once this weight comes off it is staying off for good.  Part of the program is to weigh daily, so you can adjust your food intake, which I did.  Most of the time when the weight is re-gained, it is because the habit of weighing in is lost.  You can't manage what you don't measure!

Tips and tricks:
Weigh every day, whether you're on protocol or not. Then you can adjust your regimen if the weight begins to creep back on.

Waldon Farms dressing has no carbs, no fat, no sugar, no gluten, no calories.  If you can't stand to skip dressing, try it and see if it stalls you.

If you don't like/can't find Waldon Farms, try putting your salad dressing on the side.  Dip the fork into it before taking a bite of salad, you get just a bit of the salad dressing taste without the calories.

Have a mint if you are craving foods.  Even water tastes nasty after a mint.

Water, water, water!  Dr Simeon recommends a high fluid intake.  Pure water is best, but Crystal Lite, or lemon in your water, green tea, herbal teas, or black coffee will do as well.  I drink Diet Coke throughout, with lots of water, and that helps with the hunger.  The carbonation helps me feel fuller as well.

The first 3 days are the hardest.  HCG doesn't do much for hunger for me, it helps release the fat in the body.  The first 3 days, the stomach is getting accustomed to the reduced food intake.  After that, you'll be used to it and it will become easier.  My first round, I almost didn't want to quit because I was used to it!

If you're going to an event, plan in advance (if you can) how you will handle food.  For example, my son's Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts is tomorrow.  I'd forgotten it when I began the protocol.  We're having tacos.  So I will enjoy the seasoned ground beef with lots of shredded lettuce.  Voila!  Taco salad!

How to Deal With A Cheat Day

OK, so you've stuck to your protocol.  The weight has been shifting, coming off, you're so excited!  And then, something derails your plan.  (Like, oh, your son's birthday and your adult daughter's overenthusiastic purchase of a huge chocolate cake.) 

Dang it, now what do you do?

Well, the first thing you do is forgive yourself.  You're human!  It's ok, life moves on, keep moving forward, tomorrow is another day. 

And then - you have an apple day.  6 apples over the course of the day, with water only to drink.  For some reason, this will help you overcome your cheat.  And if you do what I do, and buy big apples, you'll end up eating plenty! 

You can also have an apple day when you've stuck to protocol and the weight just isn't coming off.  It jump-starts things again.

And then, keep moving forward.  A cheat day is a cheat day.  It's not the end of the world.  It's not an excuse to wolf down the rest of that chocolate cake.  Pick up right where you left off, and you'll be able to keep releasing weight with grace and ease.

Dealing with Special Occasions

Today is my youngest child's birthday.  He's 8.  Guess what that means, dieters?

Cake and ice cream.

(Dun, dun, DUNNNN!  Cure horror music.)


Let's face it.  food is at the center of most of our social occasions and holidays.  We really can't get away from it.  No one wants to hide in the closet.  We all want to have a social life!   How do you stick to your diet or P2 protocol when you're celebrating? 

Well, since I'm in charge of food, the first thing I'm going to do is make sure there are foods there I can eat.  Sliced apples, strawberries, celery sticks, grilled meat or a salad.  If you're attending a function where you're not in charge of food, ask if you can bring something.  Your host will appreciate it. 

At a restaurant, tell the server you're on a special diet, and they'll bend over backward to help you.  I had servers at Texas RoadHouse bring me an extra salad since I couldn't have any of the other sides on the menu - once I said "I'm doing HCG" the girl perked right up and told me she would take good care of me.  And she did, too! 

If you can, eat before the party so the tempting foods aren't so tempting.  Fill up on lots of water.

And, most importantly, if you do have a slice of cake, forgive yourself and move on.  It's not an occasion to eat the whole cake and all the leftovers.  Just accept the stall, and keep moving forward.  Really, it's not the end of the world.

You can stick to it with a little preparation!

Too Many Carbs!

I am going to pay for this meal tomorrow! 

My brother in law works as a chef at Brick Oven here in Provo, Utah.  Delicious food - very high carb, though.  Pizza, pasta, and bread.  My body loves carbs - so much so that releasing them is a challenge. 

I wouldn't have gone there at all except Brick Oven really is delish, and my parents are in town visiting me and my sister Denise - and Cody gets a discount. 

So tomorrow, it's high protein and apples.  And salad. 

Perhaps the trick is not to scarf down everything in sight, but to remember that it's one meal and not a sign of poor willpower.  Eating is a very social activity, and it would have been impolite at best for me to squawk about the food choices for this one meal.  Now that the meal is over, I'm back on my eating plan.

It Just Feels Good!

I love eating right.  I had a wonderful dinner tonight of a fresh salad, pot roast, and an apple for dessert.  The simple things are so good!  It was absolutely delicious, as well.  I don't feel deprived at all!

The other day I was in emotional meltdown and inhaled every carb I could find.  I felt so sick afterwards.  It's amazing how different eating different foods make you feel. 

Sure, a cookie or two isn't going to derail a healthy eating plan.  But fresh fruit is so much more satisfying.  I'd forgotten how much I like apples or pears with cheese for a snack - or even a meal. 

Another apple day tomorrow

My sister brought Starnes pit BBQ back from Kentucky.  This is heaven.  Of course, I have to eat it on a sandwich, toasted on my griddle (no butter though) and drenched with their BBQ sauce. 

I'm not sharing.  No.  I haven't gotten Starnes in a couple of years.  This is worth breaking the diet over. 

I'll do an apple day tomorrow to recover.