Saturday, November 6, 2010

Day 7

Weighed in this morning at 169.  Haven't seen that in a year.  Maybe 2 years.  169!  Wow.  BMI 29.5 

7 lbs in 7 days.  Holy cow.   How is that possible when I'm eating all the time?  Salad, dairy, meat, vegetables and yummy protein snacks.  The only thing I'm doing really differently is eating just oneone serving of grains a day and having protein snacks instead of carb snacks.  It's crazy.  I can't quite believe how dramatically this is working.

If you're reading this blog, you may be wondering whether I am selling this program or being paid to write this.  I'm not.  I'm just shocked and awed at the amazing results of making a couple of small changes.  I expected this blog would have a lot more angst and a lot less success.  That's the way weight loss has gone for me before.  Months of effort to drop three or four pounds, only to have it come back.  If it comes back now, I know just how to get it off.  I'll be having lessons on how to stabilize eventually.  One month of following the plan 2 weeks of stabilizing, 2 months of following the plan, 2 weeks of stabilizing until goal is reached. 

I didn't dare believe it would,  but it's working. 

Wow.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Wow

Day 6-
I have been following the Healthpoint plan reasonably well.  I have some trouble getting everything I'm supposed to eat in during the day.  I tend to miss an "Optional" or a "vegetable" at some point during the day, but I'm not hungry, and I'm losing like crazy.

I have an official weigh in each week at my TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meeting.  The last three weeks of October I weighed in at 176 lbs.  Nice consistent 'turtling.'  This week I was 173.5 lbs.  Down 2.5 lbs in on Day 3 of the program.

This morning, day 6, I weighed in at 171 on my bathroom scale which is usually the same as the official TOPS scale.  171 is a great number, because it means that the BMI is 29.8.  Which means I'M NOT OBESE ANYMORE!!!!!

I got an order in from Mountain Equipment Co-op today.  I ordered a pair of pants and a skirt for our trip to Mexico in 6 weeks.  I ordered both a size smaller than I was wearing last week.   Hopefully they will fit next month, but seriously, if this loosing continues, they might be too big!!  I would not complain...

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Day 2 the BMI

The Body Mass Index is a way to calculate healthy weight for your height.  The water displacement test that checks your buoyancy (i.e. your fat) is a more accurate measure,  but few of us have giant pools of water with all the equipment necessary to measure the displacement, so the BMI will have to do.

A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is normal
                25 to 29.5 is overweight
                over 30 is obese

I'm 5 feet 3.5 inches tall, so my current 176 lbs puts me at 30.7.  I am obese by this scale.
I will reach the normal range when I hit 143 lbs.  My goal of 140 will put me at 24.4.
Just for interest, to reach the lowest range of normal, I would have to weigh 106 lbs, which I did for about 3 months when I was 16 and so crazy over a boy that I couldn't eat for the butterflies in my stomach if I was going to see him, had seen him, or thought about seeing him!  I am pretty sure there is no risk of me falling off the bottom end into the underweight category.

If you want to calculate your own BMI here is an online calculator:

Saturday, October 30, 2010

#1 The journey begins

It is Oct 30.
And so it begins.

I don't want to be in this place, and I don't really want to be doing this. 
But I have to.

The BMI says that I am obese.

I look in the mirror and I see an attractive, curvy, slender girl.  She looks healthy and great!
Apparently I have the reverse body image to an anorexic, because when I see photos of myself, I am shocked at how fat the girl captured by the camera is.  I know that I don't look anything like that. 

Except the girl in the photo is me.

So I am on a journey to make the girl in the photographs match the girl in my head.

I am using Healthpointe 2.0.  I have a coach who is there for any advice and encouragement.  I understand nutrition and exercise, but apparently I need a professional nag to make sure I do what I know I'm supposed to do, so that is Marie's job.  I already hate Marie.

I'm going to need a lot of accountability, so that is why I'm blogging about this experience.

The system so far has cost me $140 in material and Marie.  Apparently that is all I have to pay her, however long I need her.  She will make more money if I buy her nutrition products, but so far I have my own vitamins and such to use up.  I am not good about remembering to take pills and potions.  I have a lot to use up.  (I wish buying the products gave you all the benefits, without having to remember to do anything else.  Buy a gym membership and instantly be buff.  Buy your vitamins and instantly be healthy.  Reality sucks)

The Healthpointe program is very basic.  It seems to follow the standard diabetic exchange.  Nothing faddish.  Nothing I haven't heard from health professionals for years.  That's why Marie likes it.  She used to be a nurse, and she knew when she discovered the program that it was a healthy system that was bound to work. 

I weigh 174 lbs at the moment.  I'm 5'3".  This means the BMI says I am obese.   I wear a size 14.  I am aiming to weigh 140, so I can fluxuate from 135 to 145 and  my BMI will be at the high end of normal. 

Today I looked through the manual, made a list, and bought the groceries to make the meals on the plan.  I also bought 16 little 1/2 c storage containers so I can divide food into portions.  I am going to have to make all this ridiculously simple, or I'm not going to be able to follow through. 

My grocery list was as follows:
  • unsweetened apple sauce
  • pineapple chunks
  • 2 cans of tuna in water
  • 2 cans of diced tomato
  • dozen eggs
  • frozen peas
  • sprouted grain whole wheat bread with sunflower seeds
  • frozen filets 2 each of cod, tilapia and haddock (I don't like fish. This is a sacrifice)
  • 3 kgs of frozen chicken breasts (I expect to eat a lot of chicken breast)
  • 2 kgs of lean ground beef
  • cantaloupe
  • green pepper
  • red pepper
  • onion
  • broccoli
  • 2 bunches of Romaine lettuce
  • acorn squash
  • carrots
  • mini cucumbers
  • mandarin oranges

The bill came to $105 and should cover at least a week for my breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and hubby's dinners as well.  (He'll prepare his own breakfast and lunch).

Oct 31 I will portion out meals and put things together for my meals.  I am particularly concerned about breakfasts and lunches, as I have some issues with mornings, and things need to be ready and easy.  I am not thrilled about all the lettuce.  I'm not fond of salad.

Monday November 1st is the beginning of the weight loss adventure.  I am scheduled to jumpstart with an all protein day. I will don my pedometer, fill my water bottle and set my mind to the new reality. 

Wish me luck.