Back on track...?

Okay so I've been on this kind of on again, off again kick since Christmas.  I've gained back a good bit of what I had lost, which really sucks.  Of course, that's me reverting back to old habits when I've been off.  A major fear I have is what will happen once I lose the weight.  How will I possibly maintain the weight loss?  It's hard to do the right thing.  But in the end, this is important to me.  I know I want to do this and I know I need to make it a priority or it's never going to happen.  There is no such thing as the "right time" or even a good time to start.  It's about deciding that this is what I want and what I need.  I've also decided that I need a more specific goal.

So...

Yesterday was Day 1 of  Ideal Protein take two!  My morning weigh-in was 232.7.  The day went well and I had no problems.  Of course this is day two, which is always the worst!  I have been dealing with headaches so far, and even a little bit of upset stomach.

When I decided to start again, I knew I needed to address a few issues.  Planning.  I think one of my biggest problems is when I am too tired or stressed to make food.  So I decided that I had to have a plan.  I have committed to cooking my meals for the week in advance.  I did this yesterday, and it ate up a good percentage of my saturday.  I cooked about 5-6 meals altogether, freezing several of them.  I know we will eat at a restaurant at least once or twice this week so we should be good.  I also made all my jellos and puddings for the week.  We have a ton of little containers in the fridge--all ready to go!  I really, really think this will help me survive.

The other decision I made is that I am doing this.  Totally doing this.  Even though I have two weddings and a trip coming up in the next two months, this is my priority.  This is more important than eating cake or McDonalds.  My most important goal is to get below 200 pounds.  And it needs to happen by July.  I know that if I don't set a specific and attainable goal, then it becomes way too easy to let myself fall on my face.  Or stuff my face.  So there it is.  Written down and decided.  I know I can do this.  I lost a little over 30 pounds in three months.  I should be able to lose 33 pounds in three and a half months!  So that's my goal.

I will also start walking daily--especially during the week.  I don't have to drive anywhere or do anything during my lunch time at work, so instead I will go for a short walk.

So there you have it.  I am determined to make this year count.  I will turn 40 in December, and I really want to enter my 40s feeling great about myself.

Starting and Stopping

I definitely feel that weight loss is a journey.  The destination is ultimately what I am looking forward to the most, but it's a very long journey.  I have so much to lose.  It's pretty daunting.  I never had the expectation that I would make it through the whole process without any problems or backtracking.

My husband and I have had a couple of planned "cheats" and overall I think we handled it well.  We chose a single meal each time to splurge on.  We went in with a plan and tried our best to have no regrets.  I think that worked for us for the most part.  Sure, we lost a little less those weeks, but we had the satisfaction of a yummy, satisfying meal that we wanted.  I also think it helped us stay on track.

Well my husband started a new job a couple of weeks ago, and he is working crazy hours.  He was having a lot of trouble figuring out how to space out his meals.  And then the Thanksgiving holiday week was upon us.  We chose to take a full break from Ideal Protein--a week of eating whatever we wanted.  It wasn't as fun as it sounds.  We both had some major stomach issues for most of the week.  Some of our old favorites were very dissatisfying.  And of course, we gained back a little weight.  Hopefully, most of it will be water weight.

  

I was very eager to get back on track.  This weight won't lose itself, so I have to move forward if I ever want to see this through.  Of course, starting back was difficult, even though it is what I wanted.  I started fresh yesterday.  I planned and made sure I had everything I needed.  I found myself craving foods I couldn't eat.  I felt pretty miserable emotionally.  The good news is that I survived!  I had an extra IP meal to help keep me on track.  I also boiled up a couple of eggs to have in between meals to help tide me over.

Today I don't feel as hungry.  I'm worried about headaches because they were a major issue on day two for the beginning of the diet. I went ahead and took some preemptive Excedrin!  Let's hope that helps.  I'm drinking lots of water too.

I haven't officially weighed in yet.  I may just skip this week entirely and see what everything looks like next Monday.  When I weighed myself at home, it looked like I had gained back 4 pounds.  I'm trying to adjust.  It isn't easy, but this is so important to me.  

The experience has also really made me terrified of the maintenance phase of Ideal Protein.  How will I be able to control myself?  Because last week I wasn't in control of my eating.  It was way too easy to overeat.  It was way too easy to give in to my emotional impulses.  I am really going to have to figure out what I need to do...

Weight Loss Updates

Yes, I know I haven't kept up my blog.  I think I feel like I'm talking to myself for the most part, which is fine, but I tend to slip at keeping my records here.

I haven't weighed in for this week or last, but here are my weigh-ins to date:

Starting Weight:  254.2

Week One:  -3.4

Week Two:  -5.8

Week Three:  -3.4

Week Four:  -5.0

Week Five:  -2.2

Week Six:  -3.2

Week Seven:  -2.0

Week Eight:  -3.2

Week Nine:  -2.8

Week Ten:  -1.0

Week Eleven:  -2.6  (Total Loss: 34.6)

Week Twelve:  Cheat Week--No Weigh-In

Week Thirteen:  Back on Track--No Weigh-In  (About 4 lbs up)