Still here! October 23! A big journey!

I am ready to leave for my Lifestyle class.  Lifestyle is the continuation of my food journey after transition.  There is a weigh-in and then a class. 

Since I transitioned I haven't lost any more weight, which is what I expected.  My metabolism is so low normally I have a very hard time loosing weight.  I did get to 150 although I really wanted to get to 149, just to get in to the 140s.  I have been staying between 150 and 153.  Weigh in is a the end of the day and it would be more consistent if it was at the first thing in the morning.

I was very satisfied with the results of the diet to this point.  I still choose to have a shake for breakfast and morning snack.  It is so easy and I am a morning person so I can get going on whatever I am doing that day without any fuss.  I feel soooooo much better than I did.  I haven't had to do any shopping for clothes though.....I had saved clothes from back when and had lots of nearly new pants.  I did have to get a few tops though.  I have lots more energy and no hip pains!  I feel like I look good which is a nice feeling. 

I do plan on going back on the diet for a couple of weeks sometime in the future.  Right now I am just letting my body settle down, and it does feel like it does that.  It sort of does a reset.  I am learning how to eat differently and that is interesting.  I bought an instant pot and have been experimenting with recipes, most of them vegetarian and low cal but fun and tastey!

Time to leave!  Have a good day!

Ok, I've settled in!

It is now July 22 and since I started my transition twice! I have been doing fine with it.  I have been working on a huge gardening project and I have embraced it as a good exercise program.  We have had quite a bit of hot weather and I don't do well with that, but I get up early in the morning and haul tan bark or gravel or moving bricks and all is good!

I have modified my transition and so I am behind my class, which actually is pretty good.  I have more  time to prepare for what stage they are going through.  4th of July was a holiday so no class meeting.  That was kind of hard not checking in a weighing in.  We were 2 weeks on our own and in transition.  All was fine though.  I have lost at least a pound a week.  I was so worried about gaining when starting real food again.

So now I am on "week 19" for the second week.  I am doing each transition week 2 weeks instead of one.  And am starting "week 20" on Monday.  This is going to be quite an adventure in more than one way....I really am going on an adventure.  My eldest daughter, a sister and a friend and I are going to Glacier National Park for a total 10 day trip.  We are flying to Seattle, then on to Kalispell, Montana.  From there we will be renting a car, staying in St. Marys Lake, on the east side of the park, for 4 days then leave the park, working our way west to the coast of Oregon and down to home.

That will all be part one of the adventure.  Part 2 will be that I will be on "Week 20"  and it may be difficult to follow the perameters that are laid out.  We will be eating out every meal.  The restaurants are few in St. Marys, namely 2 that are owned by the same outfit and are basically the same.  I pulled up the menus and crossed out all the items I couldn't have...didn't leave much!  But I will try to deal with it, one way or another.  They have a little grocery store, who knows what it may carry.  It would be great if they had non-fat yogurt, I'm not holding my breath.  Yogurt and blueberries have been my wonderful dessert these past 2 weeks!

I have printed out several pages of our weight management handbook that may be of help.  I think that I, personnally, am ready to take on this challenge.  If I have items I can eat the challenge will be easy.

So, the list of daily intake for these 2 weeks will be:
units of:
2 meal replacements =  320 calories
6 proteins                  =  330
3 vegetables              =  75
2 fruits                      =  120
2 dairy                      = 180
2 fats                        =  90
1 starch/bread          =  80
                                 1195 total

It is really beginning to feel like this is a LOT of food.  It does feel sort of good to chew again but honestly it is hard to give up those meal replacements and going on faith that I will still be loosing.

starting MY transition week 1 (again)

Yesterday was week 1 day 1 and we were down in Pacific Grove for a couple of days away.  We always go down and plan on eating a late breakfast at Toasties.  Usually I am having their famous cornbeef hash and eggs and english muffin with jelly.  Well, this time it was the Veggie Omelette consisting of 3 eggs, spinach, peppers, onions, mushrooms.  Since 2 egg whites = 2 oz of lean protein, I ordered my omelette without yolks which is an option on their menu.  And the veggies took care of the 1/2 cup of cooked veggies that I am allowed.  Wow, that was easy.

When I got my omelette, I asked for a box right away, then divided the omelette in half and that was this mornings breakfast!  So all went fine.


I do have to say, once I start real food in with the products I get REALLY hungry.  Hope that means I am loosing!

week 17- Transition week 1 Update to this point!

To this point I have lost 28.5 lbs.  and I wanted to leave an update.


Several things I have learned, just off the top of my head:  First, it does not help anyone really to talk about food (what you have eaten, what you want to eat, what you are going to eat) in class unless it is the class work to help you change your eating habits.  Several of my classmates have relished telling all the things they were eating, that were NOT on the diet.  For the amount of effort and money we all have put into this, it is not helpful to those sticking to the diet... or the ones informing what they did.

--I have managed to get to this point totally following the diet and what it has allowed.  And, I feel good about that.  It proves to me that I do have will-power and it will not kill me to not eat what looks good and/or what others are eating.  And socially, it does not matter if you are not eating when others are.

The diet is nothing to hide, goodness knows, people can tell that you needed to loose weight.  I have found I about have to give a whole talk on the program, because people ask me when they find out and they WANT to know!!!  Friends and total strangers.  Well, we know there are a lot of people out there that need to loose weight, have tried and failed.

-- It has finally hit me that my body HAS changed... it really hadn't before I hit 25 lbs.  It was just numbers.  But now I can see, my body has really changed, and I have much more energy This diet has been very helpful and EASY.  Easy because I didn't have to do anything except eat what was on the plan.  No shopping temptations, no planning, and if determined to follow the plan, no last minute unhealthy choices.

-- And my 2 goals:  be a good example for my daughter, and help my hip pain which I had made an appointment with the doctor about possibility of a hip operation.

UPDATE!!
#1 goal - my daughter started the plan about 1 and a half months after me and she has lost 30 lbs!!!

#2 goal - My hip, when I went to Austin, Texas on May 11 for my grandson's graduation from University, my hip decided to be nice.  No pain the morning I left or when I got back!  I thought it was just a fluke, but it is now June 20 and still no pain!!!    So now I am learning how to walk normally because I had to take shorter steps and lean a bit forward because of the pain before.  This is such a blessing because it was really starting to impact on my life, in what I could and could not do.

So, I have made my two goals!

A minor goal that I had was to get down into the 140's.  The doctor put my goal at 150 for this plan but I did want to hit at least 149, on principle.  I am 157 now at week 17, and I plan to make this goal too!

Back to what I have learned:

I have found that why I couldn't do well on WeightWatchers or other diets is because I didn't understand how my body works.  On this plan, I had to drink a gallon of water a day and eat 6 meals of the diet products a day.  The rest of my time was doing what I normally would do.  I tried to exercise more but that really didn't happen, a very rainy winter, I just can't get myself to stay on the treadmill for more than 15 min at a time, my walking friend was out of commission a lot, and a hot spring!  So much for the excuses.

Anyhow, the body just goes at its own time schedule.  It looses, then it takes a break to regroup, then it looses and regroups.  When I was on weight watchers I had food on the mind so much and trying so hard but end up loosing .2 of a lb.  On this plan, I was loosing 2 lbs a week, then when the body regrouped I lost a half or a lb less.  On weight watchers I would not loose or gain on regrouping time.  The time period was so long on that plan that it was always like I was doing something wrong, or I cheated. With this faster, no change in food, plan I knew I was not "cheating", not doing anything wrong and I could see things were still going along fine.  On weight watchers I would "treat" myself or give up when those regroup times hit.  Anyhow, I am very thankful I discovered this.

Up to this point I have been wearing the same clothes for all weigh-ins, just because I wanted consistant numbers.  Last week I had to give up the pants I have been wearing.  They were light weight cotton pants like the ones hospital workers wear.  They had elastic and a drawstring at the waist.  They got to the point where they looked like I was wearing a balloon.  So, last week I wore a pair of twill type pants, not as heavy as some jeans be heavier than the cotton pants.  Now these will be my weigh- in pants.  They are already rather loose in the waist, The are supposed to be a bit lower on the waist than I usually wear.  I will probably have to put a couple darts in them soon.

I learned when trying to loose weight you want to use the big muscles, legs, thighs more than others because they use up a lot of energy.  The upper muscles, arms, build more muscle.  Muscle weighs more than fat.  And as time goes you want to use more and more of all of the muscles.

I have learned other things but will add them later......

This week we started transition, which for week one we have traded in one diet meal for a small low cal regular meal.  This has been kind of strange.  We had to make out our menus for transition week the week before and I had to go shopping for my groceries the day before transition, first time since I started the plan.  We are to have 4 oz of lean protein and 1/2 cup of cooked veggies (non-starch) for each of our substitute meals.  We are supposed to still be loosing weight because the regular food is supposed to be about the same calories as the diet products.  Remember we have been on 960 calories a day.

I had cottage cheese (low fat) and cucumbers, red peppers and onions (steamed) for Wed.
Catfish and diced stewed tomatoes and zucchinis for Thurs and Friday because I had leftovers.
Hamburger and stewed tomatoes for Sat.
Hamburger and red peppers and onions for Sun.
Catfish and red peppers and onions for Monday.
And I have leftover Catfish and red peppers and onions for tonight after class.

As you can see, a lot of repetition.  I just have been craving those roasted red pepper so much and after eating the same meals these months repetition does not bother me at all.

The real food is ok but frankly it is just food compared to how much I ate before.  Portion control was a big problem for me and I know I have to keep that in mind going forward.

Tonight is the start of Transition week #2.  We will be replacing 2 diet plan meals with regular food, 4 oz. of lean protein and 1/2 cup of steamed veggies for each meal.

Week 10 - no hunger - 1.5 down

It is weird how our bodies change.  My friend says I am deflating, just getting a bit smaller all over.  We have these places where we would just like to have them disappear.  This diet is working all over, my saddlebags on my thighs are gone, what I called my top stomach and gotten much smaller and is no longer a bench for my boobs, my bottom stomach is much smaller, my girls say my face is getting thinner and younger looking, and I no longer have the blobs under my bra in the back, the love handles are almost all gone, and I have a waist!  Oh, and my feet are getting smaller.  I'm going to need to get some smaller shoes, these are loose.

The hungrys are gone.  My hips are still acting up but there are times they aren't.  I can now wear 2 pairs of pants I couldn't before.

I am starting to think of some plans for what I am going to do as I transition.

My daughter started the program and last night was her first weigh in - 9 lbs down!

Week 10 I have gone down 1.5 lbs.

Week 9 - Hunger week - But 3 lbs down!

This week was a bit annoying.  I would eat a meal and immediately think of and look forward to the next one.  It was a pain.  I would be a bit hungry would be about a 2 of 10 being the hungriest.  It just wasn't what I was used to.  By the end of the week I kept telling myself that part of it was that I just normally never feel hunger, we are so lucky.  I also was telling myself that feeling hungry is a good thing, and it was....I lost 3 lbs! 

Week 8, Day 6 MMM, looks good

Not that I am craving anything but some food is looking interesting.  I think it is the texture.  Buttered toast popped into my head...I'm not hungry for it, I really can't imagine the taste, I just think the roughness on my tongue.  Isn't that weird?

I think my mouth, rather than my stomach wants to run things.

Smells are very interesting and I want to know what I am smelling, but it is not turning on the stomach for it.  I do get a hungry feeling right after eating and want more but I think it is a head thing. The hungry feeling only lasts for a minute or less actually.  It is like it lasts just long enough for me to think about it and realize how unrational it is because I just ate, then it goes away.  When I am busy I often don't even realize it is time to eat.  Yesterday it was 3 pm before I realized I needed to eat my 1pm lunch and my 3 pm snack.

Week 8 April 11 - Dreams!

Classmates are starting to have dreams of eating food this past week 7.  One woke up just after dreaming about eating eggs so she got up and made eggs, beans, tortillias.  Others woke up worrying that they had ate something other than what we are allowed and were happy it was just a dream.


A classmate tonight told how he just got back from a 2 week trip to Europe and stayed on the program the whole time!!  Uplifting to hear!

April 11     172.5     - 1.5      I have lost 14.5 lbs on the program so far.

Week 7, April 4

A couple are starting to struggle with the idea of actually giving up food, and are gaining!!!  I mean, what is a brownie that  you can't give it up???  This is an emergency step we are taking to get our knowledge, our head and new habits to turn around and do food correctly.  These 2 are young and having their parents pay for the program, I think that is the difference.  But, I did sort of want to shake them because I know what will happen if they don't "get on the program", and they are young yet.

I have been getting a bit hungry before meals, really looking forward to the next meal.  Hunger is on about 1 in 1-10 scale.  It seems to be mostly a mind thing because as I am eating the meal I am looking forward to the next.  After eating though I am not hungry.  I think I am going to need some hypnotism to tell me amount of food is not the equal to hunger or not because it seems to be the length of time eating that is sort of causing this.  Weird.

We are all on a proscribed food and we all are supposed to drink a gallon of water a day, these are not to change.  So the only variable besides how each body works is exercise.  So if you are gaining, you are not following the diet program.

Thought I would put down all my weight loss to this point.
                 189      Before the program started and when I decided to sign up!  My highest weight.
                              -5    I lost on my own (gained on a wonderful art trip to Pacific Grove with friends)
Feb 22  -  184                 Program starts but not the proscribed food but the water. They just said, "just watch what you eat this week and drink your gallon of water each day.
Feb 28 -   187        +3    My "last supper" tastes caught up with me.
March 7 - 181        -6
Mar. 14  - 180        -1
Mar. 21  -178         -2
Mar. 28  - 176.5     -1.5
April 4   - 174        -2.5

week 7 - The week of the Big Freeze

week 7 - The week of the Big Freeze...just kidding, mostly

This week most of our class experienced being cold.  I mean really to the bone cold, kind of the opposite of hot flashes, only cold.  It is supposed to be the result of loosing a lot of our fat insulation.  It really is like menopause in the opposite direction because sometimes it comes on quickly.  But I must say, it lasts longer that hot flashes did and doesn't do the on-off thing that often.  It is just that I feel cold, a lot.  Better than hot flashes though, I can always put on sweaters or coats.

Still going down!

Week 6, Day 4, April 8

Rain and hard to get out to do exercise much.

This week I have not been having craving exactly, but just the idea of eating certain things is interesting.  It is not than I am hungry, it is just like I am hankering for chewing more than the bars!

I am starting to feel like I am getting smaller in places, like hips, stomach.  Pants are fitting much looser and I am fitting into pants I couldn't before.  I had made a skirt for Ardenwood at the beginning of this program and had to take it in at least 2 ".

Week 6 April 4 - lost 2 lbs for week 5

2 lbs lost!  I thought for sure it would only 1.5 again.

This week I  had a bit of a struggle to drink all my water each day.  

Week 5, March 29 -hunger?

 Lost 1.5 lbs  and was full of water when I weighed.

Week 4 was the "hunger week:.  About everyone at the meeting said this was the first time they had any feelings of hunger.  For me it was just hunger just before the next meal  was due.  After eating the meal, no hunger.

Week 4 Days 1-3 A Busy Week

Week 4 Day 1, March 14th

(March 13 Tuesday) meeting night
Steps for the Day - 8,901


Day 1, March 14th  Wedensday

A day in Walnut Creek with my youngest daughter.  My youngest daughter was all concerned about eating in front of me, but there was no problem at all.

Steps for the day - 3,904


Day 2, March 16h Thursday

My daughter and I had an unexpected chance to go for a little overnight trip to Monterey with our youngest grandson.  Beautiful place to stay, wonderful time.

My oldest daughter was all concerned about eating in front of me, but there was no problem at all.

Steps for the day - 16,776

Day 3 March 17th Friday

Steps for the day - 7,400

Day 4 March 18th Saturday

Day 5 March 19th Sunday

Day 6 March 20h Monday

Day 7 March 21, Tuesday

Our meeting  - I lost 2 lbs this week!

Week 3 Day 7, March 14- Weighing-In Night

Tonight is our meeting.  I am a little nervous about it.  This is where usually I weigh in with no weight loss or even go up a bit.  I always blame it on muscle weight because I have kicked up exercise at that point.  But whatever it is really disapointing.  I actually stuck with it for a long time with Weight Watchers so it has brought on anxiety this time.  I always figured I had "cheated" somewhere" and sometimes that was true.  This time, there is no where to cheat.  I have eaten the food I get to eat and that is it.  So hoping it will be a good reading tonight.

I feel good and have been upping my exercise.  I feel like my stomach area and my "2nd stomach" are smaller and not as "solid" like something is leaving that area.  So who knows.

We went for a shorter walk this morning, only 3,971 steps.  And I am still trudging up that hill.  Can't wait until I can do it like last fall again.  

Week 3 day 6, Monday, March 13 "House cleaning" steps!

Today I spent cleaning house, not my house but the Patterson House at Ardenwood.

The house has been closed since Christmas Open House, December 2016.  Then the Christmas decorations were all taken down and put away...but all the Christmas tree needles and glitter hadn't been cleaned up.  The guys that do the floors won't be coming until March 31!  We are opening for this Saturday for Sheep Shearing Day so the house needs to be all cleaned before then.  

I managed to clean all of the downstairs except the Docent Kitchen.  It was good exercise though.  I put on 7,200 steps doing it.

Todays total steps are: 8,678

Week 3 Day 5, Sunday March 12

I was a bit stiff and my hip had ached a bit during the night.  Simone and I decided to walk in the afternoon instead of the morning.  The time has changed to Daylight Savings Time and we needed a bit of time to adjust.

The steps for today are 6,421.

Week 3 Day 4 , Saturday March 11 Stepping up the walking, Picture at this point

So this is where I am at this point.  I will have to have my husband take a photo that shows more so we can compare as the weeks go on.

I can feel the difference in the stomach area.  And my, what I call my 2nd stomach, the area just above my stomach.  The have both gotten lighter and tiny bit smaller.

The weather is beautiful and our walking has stepped up.  When I got home I had 8,283 on my fitbit.  I'm going to meet my 10,000 goal again today!

So far, this is the easiest diet I have been on, but then I haven't really had to DO anything.  I just eat the food at the time designated, drink my gallon of water a day and move.  At the same time though, I have a bit of anxiety on the time after the food replacement of this diet.  I am not lacking for anything now but if I am on my own I can get undone little by little.  I have failed from my undisiplined self so often.   And I don't want to do it again.  I would have no problem if someone just told me what I should eat, how much and when and give me the supplies.  Maybe if I have a very light breakfast, a  snack in the morning, Blue Apron meal and a very light snack in the evening, that would work.  I really enjoy Blue Apron but they are heavy on olive oil, butter.  The calorie count is usually between 550-600.

The steps for today was10.838.

Week 3 Day 3, Friday

Yesterday evening the eyes started acting up.  I was a tiny hungry and the eyes started really noticing food.  Hubby's tv dinner of macaroni and cheese leftovers....something I would never be tempted with, looked a little intriguing last night.  And smells were heightened.  It wasn't bad, but if  my food-alert wasn't on I would have probably been into something.

 This morning I woke up and felt quite hungry.  I didn't get up for about a half hour and by that time the hunger feeling was gone.

My first food is at 8am and since I was up at 7 I heated up some water, put in a slice of lemon and turned on the news.  When my Alexa alarm went off I wasn't really hungry but got my shake to save for about a half hour.

I have Alexa programmed for an alarm at each of my food times.  Sometimes I know she is going to send the alarm and it is a little annoying because I have to get up to tell her to stop, other times it is completely surprising it is time to eat.  I tell myself that getting up to tell Alexa to stop the alarm is good for the "steps" number.

I have been noticing that my new fitbit charge 2 does not sync as often as my fitbit one.  and this morning the dashboard on my phone really had yesterday's step number wrong.....it takes the app a while to get her act together in the morning!

Yesterday I did another walk at the Marsh alone.Simone and I walked which really brings up the steps.

Steps for today are: 10,852.

Week 3 Day 1, Wednesday March 8, 2017 Dealing with loss

This happens every time I would loose weight:  In my head somewhere I have this feeling that I can't loose, (even if I did!)  so I have to make that a reality.  My other self fights it but always seems to loose the battle.  I got so I just wouldn't look at the scale.  At Weight Watchers I wouldn't pay attention to the numbers.  This actually did help somewhat.

So we had weigh-in last evening and this morning I woke up kind of not believing that I did loose 7 lbs and then just not believing it will stay off.  This is really important to me to loose weight and feel better and I am nervous about when I am back on my own.  I have to have a plan ahead and am hoping the program will help with this.  I think I need some hypnosis or something!

I went for a walk by myself today, just a short one, 10 min.

We got this weeks food last night:

7 Chicken soup
7 tomato soup

7 chocolate shakes
7 strawberry shakes
7 vanilla shakes

7 peppermint chocolate bar
7 double berry bar

If you notice I have 7 extra servings for this week....that is because I got an extra box of 7 servings of soup.  That is because I will be trying out tomato soup tonight, if I don't like it I will not be stuck with a whole week with a soup a day that I don't like.

When I put in the order for next week I added more extra food for variety, not for eating extra:

7 Chicken soup
7 tomato soup

7 chocolate shakes
7 strawberry shakes
7 vanilla shakes

7 powdered vanilla shakes - for keeping in the car

7 peppermint chocolate bar
7 double berry bar
7 Fudge Graham

I will be going on a trip for 4 days in May so I will be stockpiling the powdered shakes and some soup and bars for taking on the trip.

My steps for today: 7178

Week 2, Day 7 Tuesday Weigh in!

Tonight was our weigh in and meeting!

Blood pressure much better.  Turns out I realized several days ago that somehow I ended up taking the med that the doctor has replaced the water pill and the potassium but had left out the blood pressure pill that I was still supposed to take.  It just hit me out of the blue one morning.  That is probably why my blood pressure had been up.  So, tonight the readings were 144/76/98

And the weight is 181.0, 7 pounds down from last week when it was so high.

BMI is 33.6

FAT % is 45.9 when it should be 24-365 lbs.

FAT MASS is 83. lb when it should be 31.0-55.0 lbs.

So all in all, I am doing good.

We got our weeks food, I ordered 2 new bars and a tomato soup to give variety.

My steps for today 5,500 steps at 8pm.

My outlook has been very good, but a bit bored with the rain.  I don't have a sewing project because if my weight is going to change so much I might not want to start one.....although I am thinking of a black 1900s skirt because I am working on a hat it would go with.  What I really need is to do a blouse for it.

The calendar is getting filled again so there won't be any boredom around here!

Week 2, Day 5, March 5, Sunday Test results! Not pre-diabetic any more!

The test results so far are:

One week on the food replacement program and I have gone from pre-diabetic to the top number of acceptable or "Normal High":

Well, that feels better than saying I am pre-diabetic.  One week in, not


I need to step up the water drinking today.  I started a bit late.

I did have a bit of light headenes this evening.  Momentary dizziness is listed as a possible side affect. It went away after I had my chicken soup at 8pm.

Week Two, Day 4, Saturday

 Today went fine.  I am now starting to feel some hunger before eating.
This hasn't really been happening till now.  Smells of food have become VERY pleasant, not making me hungry but really nice.  Today the eyes are kicking in.  I almost pick up a tidbit to put in my mouth.  So far, I have never gotten to the point of actually picking it up.  Grapes in the refrigerator is such a habit for me to take a few.  Julians Brussels sprout was asking me to pick it up!

But other than that, the stomach is starting to kick in and I am getting hungry for the next food time.  I have Alexa ringing an alarm whenever it is time to eat, maybe I will become like Pavlove's dog!

I went for a short bike ride but am not sure how that registers on my fitbit... as steps???

I have 3800 steps for today.

Week 2, day 4 Friday

We have to have labs this week for next week.  So I went to Kaiser for the labs and the gal at the desk asks if I am fasting.  No....because they didn't mention we should fast...how do we do all our meals on time if we are fasting and don't get to the lab first thing in the morning?

Well, it turns out that the lab tech said I only had one draw to be done and it didn't require fasting....so good thing I had decided to do it today and that way I found out, otherwise I would have to go back again tomorrow.

So far I haven't been hungry at all, although I have started to notice the smell of food yesterday was really obvious.  Today, I looked in my purse when I was at Kaiser and saw I had cash.  Right away I thought, oh, good, I can get a whooper on my way home.......NOT.  Interesting that it was just the sight of the cash that brought it on.  I wasn't hungry.

The other thing was that I figured I was a martyr and I deserved to get something, food related, of course.

So, the good thing is that I avoided those calories! And, I wasn't even hungry.I have noticed a continuing higher energy level, but my arthritis is acting up and I have some aches from falling in the puddle yesterday so I can't do all I would like to.  I did do a bit of weeding and cleaned out a couple more cabinets.

I walked this morning so I have over my 10,924 steps and it is only 6 pm.  I had my last shake and my snack tonight at 8pm will be my chicken soup.  I put it last today, but I really like it so much I think I will have it at 6pm from now on.

Next week I will have tomato soup instead.

Week 2, Day 2 March 2, 2017 Thursday

Well, it all started ok, but........

I started drinking my water and at 8am had my breakfast strawberry shake.  I packed water and a snack bar for 11am if I needed it.

I got a call from Cathy the Luke needed a ride to Ohlone this morning.  That was ok.  I was going to walk with Simone at 9 and we would make sure we got back to the cars by 10:40 and all would work.

I got over to Don Edwards at 9, Simone arrived about the same time.  We walked the marsh and then headed to the path on the east side of the hill.  Now we had done this a couple days ago and there is a huge mud puddle from the rain water seeping off the hill .  Along the edge of the path, in part of the puddle, someone has put down a rock, a 1' 4x4, a 2' 2x4, another rock, and a couple more 2x2s and another rock with brush on the side.  Simone in front of me was doing ok  and I was following her until I got to the 2nd rock.  The rock is really slanted and my foot didn't get high enough and...next thing I knew I was going down!!  Lucky for me I ended up on the path side of the puddle because the path is hard gravel, nicely packed with about 3" of water.  The other side of the rock is REALLY muddy!!  So I ended up on my side in the puddle, somewhat muddy but mostly wet!  So that ended our walk.  I had to get home to get cleaned up to go pick up Luke.

I managed to pick up Luke early so that was good and had a nice talk with him on the way.

I wasn't really hungry by 11am but I was driving home at that point and was really looking forward to a restroom!!  I did manage to get home in time and all was well in that respect.

I was rather achy from the fall, I put some ice on my knee which got bruised and the palm of my hand did and still does hurt.  It took the brunt of the fall.  I iced it the afternoon.  I did take a tylonal which is permitted.  I took a nap, that help.  I am going to look for some pieces of 4x4 in Julian's stash to had to that little "bridge" across that puddle for tomorrow!  Maybe I should throw in a change of clothes, just in case!!

The rest of the day went uneventful, thank heavens!

I have my 8pm snack to go and at this point I have 6.500 steps.  I will probably have another thousand on before bedtime.

Just a note:  I had soup for supper and was a bit hungry before making it.  That is the first time I have been a bit hungry so far.  Not uncomfortable on this diet at all so far.  Hubby did make a wonderful smelling lunch and delicious looking and smelling butternut squash.  The squash did make me want to take a spoonful! not because I was hungry but because it looked and smelled so good!

Week 2, Day One!!!!

Yesterday just before going to the meeting I remembered I had to eat so I would not get all rummy like I did last week.  By the end of last weeks meeting I just could not figure out how I should choose the foods to order.  So yesterday, at the last few minutes before I had to leave I had a Lean Cuisine fetticini meal.   I had finished all my water minus two glasses for when I got home.

I had left at 3:40 so I would get there on time although the traffic was way better than last time.  I sat in the car till 4:55 so I would arrive at 5pm when they had told us to arrive.  There were almost all the class there already so next time I will go in right when I get there. 

When I had my weight taken I was up 3 lbs from last weeks meeting.  The nurse said for the program they use the weight from the first meeting but in my head I could use the number of last nights weight so I will feel better next week with the amount I have lost. Actually I haven't even put either weight into my brain bank....I think I just want to hear the weight loss or even not register that either.  I have mind games my brain plays with me so for now I think I will just do the plan and not pay attention to the weight number or loss number.....I may change that plan as I go on!

My schedule:

8 AM           shake
11 AM         soup
1 PM            shake
3 PM            snack
6 PM            shake
8 PM            snack

I have Alexa giving me an alarm for each one.

This is what a "shake" looks like. Strawberry, Vanilla and Chocolate.  I think Vanilla is my favorite right now, Strawberry, the least favorite but then I don't really care for any strawberry flavored things.

This is what a Peanut Crunch bar is.  It is about the size of an energy bar and looks like one too.  I cut it up so I have little nuggets...lasts longer that way.

 

The bars are alway yummy...they gave us samples of all the foods except soups at our first meeting.

The Peanut Bar is the last food of the day.  The day went great.  After the breakfast Vanilla Shake I felt like I had a cup of caffInated coffee!  I had so much energy and get up and go....I wonder if they put something in the shake or was it one of those psych things and it was just my excitement to start this!

I felt like the day before my first baby was born!- I had decided to redo our library shelves and wash the CEILING.  Can't believe I did that...well, I didn't get too far on the ceiling.  I was due with a 9 pounder!

Anyhow, I weeded several times during the day and have a trash barrel full of weeds.  And I cleaned out 2 kitchen cabinet before I chilled.

By days end, I have finished all the food for the day, never was really hungry. I finished the gallon of water early and have 7,600 steps for the day.  So far, so good!

Week 1 2/27 Monday -Last day of week one

It has gotten easier and easier to drink 1 gallon of water every day.

Tonight, we got our food replacement products for week 2 after our meeting.

Before the meeting tonight we all had our blood pressure taken, our weight taken and paid for our week 1 food.  This will happen every week.

My blood pressure was down, my weight was up 3 lbs. but considering a gallon of water weighs 8.36 lbs.  I think that is why!    I visited the bathroom 2 times before I left tonight.

Then we went down to our meeting.

We first all received our food for week 2 and filled out our order for week 3.

We have some homework so I will talk about that tomorrow when I do it.


This will be my schedule for eating:

7:30 AM      shake
10:30 or 11  soup
1 PM            shake
3 PM            snack
6 PM            shake
8 PM            snack


Simone and I walked this morning and so today's steps are 10,300.

Week 1 day 3 Friday

 I feel like I spend all day drinking water.  Not that it is that hard, but it does take time and I am not getting much done.  It is constant remembering to do it.  Going and getting the glass, filling it and then actually drinking it, repeat.  I have 2 glasses, each with a rubber band on them to show they are my glasses.  That helps cut the number of times to refill by half.  I have my gallon jug that I fill in the morning and tells me how much I have to go.  The last three glasses are the hardest.  The jug looks so empty that I under estimate how much I have to finish.

Week 1 day 2 Thursday

I forgot to mention yesterday that I decided to drop my water pill and potassium pill.  I have been questioning the need for the water pill since I have been on it, about 16 years.  I will be watching for water retention, so far, 1 day in, I don't see any problem.  I decided to do this because I will be dropping them anyway next week when I do my med change per doctor when I start the "meal replacement".  By the way, the potassium goes with the water pill because as you use a diuretic  you can loose potassium as well, so the potassium pill replaces it.

So, since I managed to drink the gallon of water yesterday and I started a bit late I ended around 8:30pm and I was concerned I would be up many times during the night in the bathroom.  Nope. I got up only once and had a good sleep 8 hours 14 min according to fitbit.   AND I was thirsty at 1:30 when I go up, and I mean thirsty.  Also, in the morning I was thirsty when I got up and by 9am I have had 2 tall glasses of water!

I wasn't starving this morning and had breakfast, 1 egg and potato hash.
Lunch- small roast beef sandwich, mango
dinner - small chicken breast, seared with asparagus
snack - cantolupe

1 gallon of water - done
plus 1 cup of milk

5100 steps

Week 1 Day 1 Officially!

Last night we met for the first time all those that will be in our class.  There were around 30 people, pretty much half and half men and women.  The men are mostly heavy and look like if they don't succeed at this it will be really not good for their health.  The women are various weights, though none really really heavy.  I am probably on the thinner end of the spectrum.

We met upstairs first, registering and for each of us to have our beginning photos taken, front view and side view.  Then we each had our blood pressure taken.  Mine was higher than normal even though she took it twice.  I think I was anxious and excited about starting the program.  She said it was still ok. The first time it was 151/96, the second it was 150/90.

Then we were weighed.  They have a fancy scale that measures all kinds of things  with a printout.

I was nervous, I couldn't even remember how old I was. That is partly because I said I was 72 for a full year before I realized I was 71 so now I get another year of 72!

February 21, 2017

Body Type      Standard

Gender            Female

Age                 72

Height             5 ft 1.5 inches

Weight            184.0 lb

BMI                34.2

BMR              5892  kj

                       1408  kcal

Impedence      520

Fat%               47.3

Fat Mass         87.0 lbs=

FFM               97.0 lb

TBW              71.01 lb

Desirable Range

Fat%               24 - 46%

Fat Mass         30.5 - 54.5 lb

The last number, I would assume, means how much is acceptable loss.  My doctor set my goal at 40 lbs.

Then we went downstairs to our meeting room and met each other and the staff.  Our "Leader"  is a nurse/nutritionist that when through this years ago.  Her assistants are Karen, an Exercizoligist, who is also a pescatarian, a vegetarian that eats fish. And Junia, who is expertise at Natural Medicine, Hypnotheropy, and Stress Management. 

We went through paperwork signing, and our first payment.

Junia led us through a stress release exercise and then we got down to business.

This first week is a transition of mind and body to get ready for next week - liquid diet.

 1. We are supposed to start our water drinking - 1 gallon per day. In the water we can put lemon, Crystal Light (under 5 calories).

2.  We can have decaffenated coffee or tea - 2 cups max per day.  Nothing in it that has calories.  Once we are on the "product" we can use a bit of our vanilla shake to flavor the decaf coffee to replace milk or cream or chocolate shake to latte.

3.  This week we will be going back to basics on calories.  They didn't say just how much to cut back. 

4.  A chart was passed out of our schedule for the weeks of "Full replacement Meals", "Transition", "Maintenance".   It shows when we have our Medical Checkups and when Lab work is due.  We need to have the Lab work done several days ahead of the class & lab results.  We will be given a yellow card to present to Lab so results will be expedited to the program.

If we can't come to our Tuesday meeting we need to let them know 2 weeks before to order food.

So then we filled out our order form for our food for week 2.  We have to have 6 products each for 7 days =  42 individual items.

The products are:

Each in a box of 7:

Tomato Soup

Chicken Soup

Individual servings Ready to Serve Shakes:

Chocolate Shake

Vanilla Shake

Strawberry Shake

Each in a box of 7 Dry You-mix shakes:

Chocolate Shake

Vanilla Shake

Strawberry Shake

Each in a box of 7 each:  (forgot to copy all the names of the bars)

___________

___________

chocolate

peanut crunch

___________

___________

About this time I was zoning out. When I got home I realized I hadn't had dinner and I really was hungry.  That made me feel better because I had a heck of a time figuring out what I should order for next week.  A lady next to me had been on this program several years ago, did just the first 4 months, and she knew just what to order.  So I copied hers.  

So next week I will be picking up my order of:

7 Chocolate Shakes

7 Vanilla Shakes

7 Strawberry Shakes

7 chicken soups

7 chocolate bars

7 peanut crunch bars

Equals 42 total servings

I went out this morning and bought 2 1 gallon bottles of water.  I was going to do 16 oz water bottles but I think this will be easier to track.  So far I am through half the gallon at 2pm.  This is going to be

the hard part I think.  Though the water doesn't leave much room for thinking of food.

Our electricity was out all morning so I made a sandwich for breakfast.

For lunch I think I will have my breakfast, maybe oatmeal, that should be filling.

For dinner I have chicken breasts and veggies to figure something out.  I have lots of Blue Apron spices left over to season them with.

But for now, I have to go get on that treadmill, I have 2,800 steps so far.

PS: I didn't walk long on the treadmill, by bedtime I was at 5050 steps.

The Program Starts This Evening! Test results

This evening is the start of the weight program!  I am excited to get this on the road.

Tonight we will check in, get weighed and have a class with all the instructions for next week when the liquid diet starts

This is all the blood work I had done:

All of them were just fine except for the first time it showed that I am pre-diabetic!

What timing!  The doctor said this diet will take care of that!

My problems are:

Hyperlipidemia

Hypertension

Osteoarthritis of first CMC joint

Osteoarthritis of knee

She doesn't mention Osteoarthritis of the hip.

My meds are:

Indapamide

Potassium Chloride

Lisinopril

The first 2 are for water retention, Lisimopril is for high blood pressure

The doctor will have me stop the Indapamide an Potassium Chloride when the meal replacement starts and will a new medicine, amiodipine, will take the place of them. 

All vaccines are up to date.

Feb. 19, 2017 Getting anxious!

Everyone is waiting for me to get started on this diet, but I am more than anyone!

I spent time on the treadmill this morning trying to work off the French Toast I had for breakfast.  I am still working on the Madi Gras syndrome.

 I had bought a jar of extra chunky peanut butter about a week and a half ago and had eaten it down pretty darn low.  While talking to my friend, Simone, about the "fear" that I would not be able to eat these things for a long time, it dawned on me that I could just get rid of that peanut butter jar and not worry about getting into it again.  So she held on the phone while I ran to get the jar, fill it with water, empty it out and dump it in the trash.  Ahhhhhh!  I don't have to worry about fighting that any more!

I just get this thing that if I am eating something I shouldn't I should keep going to just finish it off.  So Psychy!

And there is the thought that I will never be able to eat certain things again so I have to have them all before this diet starts.  At least I don't feel like I really have to binge on them.

I am so ready for this program to start.  The first week will be lessons on how the whole thing works. Each week we have to have blood pressure taken, weight taken with a special scale and sign in before class.  The Dr will make sure we are doing ok, following the diet, and no problems.

 The "liquid" food consists of 3 kinds of shakes, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and 6 kinds of bars and 2 soups, a vegetable and a chicken.  We are supposed to have one of these items for each of the 6 times we eat per day.  The soups, we are supposed to keep to a minimum because they have salt in them. Plus one gallon of water per day.

Tuesday evening will be WEEK ONE,  when my meeting is so will be writing a follow-up on Wednesday.

Feb. 16 The psychology of going on a weight loss diet

I really would like to avoid the little games half of me plays when it comes to food.  So, I know I am going to be giving up the foods I have been eating so what does the little devil on my shoulder say? " "This is your last chance at this taste so do it now or you will just die!"

I know I could give up a lot of foods for forever and not die because of it.  It is just silly, but that is one of the head games played.

I did well on just a normal diet until evening.  I wasn't really hungry but the though popped into my head that for a snack I will have a sliced apple )
(REALLY healthy) and chunky peanutbutter, just beause.  I love the chunks in peanut butter.  All was good except a bit over the top on the peanutbutter.  I am going to have to toss that!

And then there is, you have to watch your health!  Well, if I had really been doing that I wouldn't be in the spot of having to go on this diet.  Since I will be having so many medical people keeping an eye on my health, I just have to let this one go.

That is the thing about the psychology aspect is that it is so one sided, against you.  I have to really spend time to think it out and push against what is not true.

I am hoping that at the end of the first 4 months (liquid diet) I will have it engrained in my brain, portion control and health food.  And the reward will be so many things: less hip pain and joint pain in general, more energy, clothes fitting better and feeling better about myself.

Right now I feel huge.  Looking forward to some good news soon.  I can't even imagine what 40 lbs off will look like....Oh, I am really believing in those 40 lbs right now!

I am writing this today because I know I will have hard times ahead and I will be able to come back to this to see where I was at this point!

February 14, 2017 The Date of the Start of the Program is Next Week - 2/21/17

I received by email the letter that meeting that starts week 1 of the program will be February 21.

These are the pertinent detail:



Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Time: 5:00 – 7:00 PM (check – in 5:00 – 6:00 and class is from 6:00 – 7:00 PM)

(Check-in includes: registration, weigh in, and blood pressure monitoring.

We will be using a special scale (body composition analyzer
goal setter) which requires standing on the scale bare footed.

Medical checkups and lab work are also done 5-6 times during the entire 30 week

program)

Photos will be taken during check-in time.


You will start meal replacement products on week two (Tue, Feb 28th).


So far I have gone through a couple of sessions of "Maudi Gras" and regretted it and felt foolish after a little binge.  I really can't wait until the program starts. The little devil and little angel on my shoulders are breaking out in battles every so often.  I would love to have a hypnosis session to curb a couple of my bad habits!

It just so happens that the weather has been great the last few days so a friend and I have been walking.  We hadn't really been walking since the beginning of Nov.  It is due to rain tomorrow evening so I am going to try to push myself on the treadmill.

 Blue Apron has been cancelled, last meals will be delivered Thurs, Feb. 16.

February 13th, 2017 The Doctor Appointment

Today I went to the Dr appointment to get the medical ok to participate in the program.

I really enjoyed the Dr.  We really hit it off.  Anyhow, all my bloodwork came back fine, except the glucose...  Well, what timing, I have crossed to line to pre-diabetic.  It is time for this diet.

She is discontinuing the prescriptions I have taken for years of a water pill and potassium that goes with it.  Because I will be drinking 1 gallon of water per day she doesn't want me to be on a diuretic.

She is discontinuing the prescription I have taken for years for high blood pressure and will be giving me another prescription that I am not to start until I start the diet food.

My weight was taken, with shoes and clothes  189
My height - 5'1"
A picture of me was taken.

We went over all the info  on the diet and the Doctor has given her ok.  She will be following me, along with another doctor through the whole process.  She has set a goal of 150 lbs to reach.  She said I should not have any problems reaching that goal and maybe more.  She will be monitoring to make sure I am not loosing too fast or too slowly as per my health.


I will be getting a card in the mail for the meeting that actually starts the diet.  One person mentioned will won't be starting on the diet food until the next week.  This meeting will lay out all the practical things we will need to do starting the next week.

February 9, 2017 Tests needed

They require that a whole list of blood work and an ekg done before seeing the doctor for an ok to be able to participate in the program.

After 5 vials of blood drawn and the ekg done I am ready for the Doctor Appointment on the 13th.

February 7, 2017 THE MEETING!

A couple weeks ago Kaiser sent me a letter on this Health Management Program.  I felt like it was time to try again because I was putting on weight faster than I had been.  It was out of control and I really needed to have someone beat me into submission....well at least to help me for a period of time. They didn't say how much the program cost, so I called them.

They said I should go to their meeting and I would find out all details there.  So, I signed up for the meeting.

The meeting, held at Union City Kaiser was rather interesting. It is an 82 week program, a year and a half.  It is medically controlled and the liquid diet part is a prescription.  The liquid diet lasts for the first 4 months, meanwhile you are being medically monitored and training starts for transition to normal food.

The little show and tell was rather interesting.  There are lots of health issued that can be cured or lessened. I was impressed by the amount of monitoring they will do.

The daily diet food is 960 calories per  day. plus 1 gallon of water per day.
The food consists of 3 flavors of shakes, many kinds of bars and a couple kinds of soup. They gave us samples of all the shakes and bars.  The bars were very good, especially the chocolate mint.   The shakes were room temperature and I think would be better cold.  I didn't try the strawberry shake but the vanilla was ok, the chocolate was rather tasty.

The cost is $90 per week for the diet food which is needed for 4 months.  Then the other fees add up to about $1200 for the year and a half.  It is expensive but so is the loss of health.

With the idea that this is going to be a big change in my life and if it helps the pain of the arthritic hip that will be a bonus to the weight loss.  Most all people in this program loose 40 lbs that first 4 months.  A few keep loosing for a while in transition.

 So, I signed up