Where has Average Girl Been?

MIA. . .

Soooo much has happened over the last year and a half.  I remarried in December of 2010.  I started gaining weight because we eat out too much and I've gotten re-addicted to my sugar filled coffee shop coffees.

My guess is that I've regained most (if not all) of what I previously lost. . . and I know this is completely my fault for not sticking to what I know works.  We shall blame it on the new marriage... and the fertility drugs.  Oh, yeah... did I forget to mention that?  We've spent the last 15 months actively pursuing pregnancy with ZERO luck.  So, there is that.

Then there is the whole Celiac issue. . . I've been gluten free for a year now. . . and even though I can't grab a donut or a PBJ sandwich, I've continued to gain weight.  My thought was that maybe I entered starvation mode when I took an entire food group out.  Who knows, really. 

I keep saying I'm going to take the pounds back off. . . then Dutch Bros sneaks back in with a delicious sugary mocha. . . (and 400+calories/day!).  I tried Medifast. . . that lasted four days.  I was SICK.  It is obvious to me, with these low low calorie plans, I get too ill to continue.  I need enough calories of the right foods to sustain me.

So. . . I'm back on my 1200-1600 calorie plan starting with my first meal in the morning (it's almost bedtime now).  I will journal every morsel that goes in my mouth and I will only consume calorie free beverages (with the exception of fresh juice made at home, once a day).  I will avoid Dutch Bros like the plague.  I will not give in to my chocolate cravings (which have returned since I'm eating sugar again).   And the big clincher is. . . I will eat every 2-3 hours throughout the day.  These meals will be a combination of clean foods and a good combination of lean proteins, healthy fats, & complex carbs in addition to lots of fresh veggies (and fruits).

If I discover that this fertility cycle has failed (meaning the monthly visitor), then I will start back on Alli for two weeks (until ovulation) to help kick start things.  I find that I cannot take Alli for more than a couple weeks anyway or I get side effects even on the proper diet.

Guess I better update the weight loss clicker. . .  sigh. . . I loved watching it tick away.

Long Plateau & HCG Protocol

There has been so much going on in my crazy world, that weight loss took a backseat.  The good news is, I managed to maintain my August weight over the last four months with no gain.  I continued to weigh weekly to make sure I was within a pound of that weight.  

Overall, I'm much less hungry and much more aware of portion sizes.  I'm not snacking and I'm not eating junk.  On the occasion that I want a treat, a very small portion does the trick.  I have no doubt that if I had continued to eat only clean meals of lean protein + complex carb + veggies, I'd have lost quite a bit more weight over the last four months.  That said, I've been enjoying my Dutch Bros mocha's a bit too much.

I decided drastic was called for in order to get my brain back into the full functioning/weight loss mode.  So, I started the HCG Protocol.  The first two days are known as "gorge days" and I tell you, I couldn't eat half of what was suggested (probably because I'm not used to high fat/junk foods).  Day three was my first VLCD (500 calories) and I did okay.  I'd been sick over the weekend (because of gorge + hcg start or flu, I don't know) so the first VLCD was pretty easy.  However, today finds me starving... I'm thinking about food nonstop.  It's physical hunger and a psychological battle over WANTING to eat.

My biggest fear (other than hunger) is boredom... on the HCG diet the following foods are avaliable with NO exceptions.

2 servings of 100 grams lean protein (one each at lunch and dinner)-chicken, fish, lean beef, shrimp
2 vegetables (not mixed, one each at lunch and dinner)- spinach, chard, chicory, beet-greens, green salad, tomatoes, celery, fennel, onions, red radishes, cucumbers, asparagus, cabbage.
2 fruits (one each at lunch and dinner, or if needed, have the lunch one at breakfast) apple, half grapefruit, orange, or handful of strawberries.
2 Melba Toasts (one each at lunch and dinner or use as snacks between).
1 Tbs milk
Stevia
Juice of one lemon
Pure spices (check for sugars, starches, etc...)
Black coffee
Tea (no fruits added)
Water

Today's 500 calorie line up:

Breakfast- cup of black chai tea + 1 Tbs milk + 1 stevia packet with a Melba Toast 45 cals
AM snack- I enjoyed four strawberries sliced, sprinkled with a bit of stevia    30 cals
Lunch- 100 grams tilapia cooked w/lemon slices, black pepper, salt, garlic + asparagus 125 cals
Dinner- 100 grams chicken + 1/2 cup chicken broth + 1/4 head cabbage seasoned with black pepper, garlic, + salt.  Melba Toast and a sliced apple. 265 cals + 15 cals juice of one lemon
daily total= 480cals

In between meals, I've enjoyed 3 glasses of lemonade because my queasy tummy isn't liking plain water (1/3 of the lemon, squeezed, 1 packet stevia, iced water).  I'm not a big tea fan, but found spiced tea to be palatable when I add stevia to it. 

Here's to staying positive... and winning the mind battle over food. 

*Side note* When I fully implement the Eat Clean Diet, I am NOT hungry and have no issues with portion control or cravings.  This HCG diet is more of a test than anything, plus I'd love to see if it really does help target that belly fat I can't seem to get rid of!

*I've met my first weight loss goal, so I've updated my ticker to my final goal weight.

30 lbs Lighter and a Whole New Me

Sorry I've been MIA... There's been a lot going on in my world including a move.

I'm down 30lbs... But I've hit my plateau for the last four weeks, likely because I'm not making the best food choices.

My body has also found it's way back to a size 10 (even in jeans, yay!). I even bought a dress in an 8/10.

I won our group Biggest Loser competition for the last three months... The group decided to take a month or two off so everyone can break their plateau.

Today I'm back full force on my eat clean program... With the move I've skipped meals, enjoyed a little too much sweet coffee and had a few burgers and (real) homecut fried French fries. Yikes!

I've shifted my size goal to a 6... With the way my body is restructuring, I'm pretty sure that's a reasonable goal. I may need a breast lift, but that's life. :)

Determining My Eating Philosophy

I stumbled across the Eat-Clean Diet (Tosca Reno) and thought, hmmmm... this looks relatively close to the nutrition philosophy I subscribe to.

I finished The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged! a day and a half after finding my amazon box at the post office.  What I love about this eating lifestyle...

• The combination of protein and complex carbs w/ healthy fats to keep you feel and energized
• Frequent small meals (5-6/day) to keep blood sugar level and hunger at bay
• Focus on natural foods, even for those who really can't cook (I cook... and am good at it but not everyone is!)
• Honesty... Tosca shares her story including what our bodies really look like after significant weight loss and how she made decisions regarding cosmetic surgery after weight loss. 
• The fact that Tosca is 51 years old and looks STUNNING... but 10 years ago she was a frumpy, overweight housewife.  She's lost 70+/- lbs!
• The website and forums (FREE!)
• Tosca explains how we sabotage our metabolisms (too few calories = starvation mode) and hit weight loss slumps

Tosca also emphasizes the beautiful body formula 80% Nutrition, 10% Exercise, 10% Genetics.   She goes on to say that working out isn't necessary to weight loss when you eat clean, but if you don't work out/tone then you will just be a smaller (soft, squishy) version of your former, chunkier self.  (My wording, not hers here).

What I'm not on board with:

• The emphasize on low fat dairy (dairy fat is essential to health)
• The focus on egg whites (the yolk of free range eggs is healthy)

So, I'm going to combine Tosca's Eat-Clean Diet with the standard Mediterranean diet (minus white carbs) and a Traditional (WAPF) diet.

Tosca says there is no need to count calories and fat... that by eating clean foods we are fueling our bodies efficiently and that foods are not equal in our bodies... we might be able to lose weight on 2000 cals/day of clean foods but gain on 1600 cals/day of junk foods. This makes sense.  I'll still be recording what I do eat and drink so that if I'm not losing, I can look back and figure out why.  

Here's my menu for today:

Breakfast (7am): GF oatmeal (1/2 cup oats + 1 cup water), 1/2 cup mixed frozen berries, 1 scant handful raw almonds + 1 heaping teaspoon of palm sugar (I can't go sans sweetener yet).
AM Snack 10am: 2 eggs scrambled w/ 1/2 cup sauteed mushrooms and half a sliced apple
Lunch 1pm: chicken breast (palm sized) + 1 cup brown rice + large garden salad
PM Snack 4pm: 1/2 sliced apple + 1 Tbs natural almond butter + drizzle of local raw honey
Dinner 7PM: Tilapia fish + 1/2 baked sweet potato + zucchini and mushrooms sauteed w/ coconut oil
Before Bed snack (if needed) 10pm: kefir smoothie