Happily Maintaining

Its been awhile since Ive checked in. Dont take my lack of posting as a sign that I have given up or fallen off the wagon. Mostly I am just incredibly busy trying to reorganize my life post-holidays. That being said, I am proud to say that I am happily maintaining! I ended my 3rd round of HCG at 206 pounds and about three weeks into maintenance I am still 206! Though I have had some points where I ate too much, I continue to recommit myself to my weight loss journey every morning.

I really want to emphasize that I am HAPPILY maintaining. I love the maintenance phase of the HCG Diet. My body loves it, too. This is the stage of the HCG program where I focus on eating low-carb and I slowly start incorporating healthy fats back into my diet. This means more options! Ive successfully added several foods including pistachios and cheese.

Each morning I wake up and get butterflies as I step on the scale. Its an overwhelming feeling knowing that something as simple as a crescent roll can make that number go up. But this is also teaching me to be more conscious about what I eat. Maintaining is a challenge, but its a welcome challenge. The habits Im developing in this phase are ones that will carry me throughout the rest of my life!

Speaking of habits, yesterday I was on my way to an evening class at the University of Utah. I parked and started the short walk to class. The building I was going to was up several flights of stairs. Last January I literally dreaded going to this same building because of all the stairs. I would take elevators whenever possible, sometimes going out of my way to find one. Last night, as I was heading up the first set of stairs I thought, "Its not to late to take the elevator."

Thats when it hit me... This urge was definitely the old me talking, the 285 pound me talking. I dont need to take the elevator. Stairs dont hurt anymore because there are 80 less pounds of pressure on my knees.  I no longer need to live in fear of stairs. I quickly quieted the old me and continued step by step. I worry though, what would have happened had I given in to that urge to be lazy. I honestly think that giving in to that small thought could have opened the door to other small temptations to be unhealthy.

We all have habits that the old us is scared to give up. For me its taking the elevator. Once I recognized this as a habit of the old me, the new me made the decision to choose the healthier option of taking the stairs. Dont live your life in fear. Your body is capable of facing physical struggles. The roadblocks you encounter are mental ones and they can be overcome. Losing weight is about more than eating right. You need to change your life by changing those small habits that are preventing you from being the healthiest person you can be.

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6 Months Later Still Maintaining

Its been over six months since Ive finished doing the HCG Diet. In the last six months Ive moved, started a new relationship, gone through counseling to address my emotional eating, and started school again. Despite all the stress, late nights, and emotional ups and downs, Im maintaining my weight loss within a reasonable threshold of about 5 pounds. :) Wooohoo. 

There have been times when I have a rough week, a long trip, too many dates to Olive Garden, or too many last minute stops for food, resulting in a gain that puts me past my 5 pound threshold, but no matter what happens. I get back on track, whether its the next day or the next week I always get back on track..I have to do it. Partly out of pride but mostly because I never want to go back to the girl I was. 

Who was that girl? Well, it is throw back Thursday.... so let me refresh your memory. 

Wasnt a fan that this got taken...

An awkward photo shoot with my cousin hahaha oooh college fun

Senior Year Dance in High School

Roommate Photo Shoot

At my heaviest weight (at least to my knowledge) I weighed 285.6 pounds. To put that in perspective I weighed more than most NBA power forwards. In fact, I weighed what Andrew Bynum weighs and hes  seven feet tall. Me? Im 54 on a good day.

 I was completely stubborn about my weight. I shut down all conversations about it with concerned family members, I avoided going to places that it might come up. I put on a front and decided to take on the role of that funny fat friend, and even though I was laughing externally, I wasnt happy. 

Looking back on photos is definitely strange. I know its me, it just doesnt fee like it. It doesnt feel like I was ever that big, or even that unhappy. But when I really look at the pictures, and I look in my eyes in the photo Im reminded of how insecure I felt. How incomplete. For instance, in the bowling picture, I was going through a rough time living away from home. I was lonely and homesick and entertaining two friends from high school who came to visit. I was so nervous for them to show up that I spent half of my check on new clothes but was still worried that when they saw me, their first thought would be, "My God, shes gotten fat." 

Eventually, feeling insecure got old.

It took me nearly 10 years to decide to lose weight, but it only took me 293 days to lose it, and when I say "it" I mean 100 pounds. I went from 285.6 pounds and to 185.6. Now, 6 months after losing 100 pounds Im still sticking with the healthy habits Ive learned. When I stepped on the scale today I weighed in at 187.2. :) Only 1.6 pounds up from my ending weight of 185.6. As long as Im within the 5 pound threshold (or under it), Im happy.

I maintain my weight by eating mostly fruits, veggies and protein. Ive been running 3-6 times a week to help keep my metabolism going. When I do have those weeks where I gain too much, I always remind myself  that whatever happens today, tomorrow is a fresh start. 

This whole experience has been amazing. Ive loved how the HCG Diet has taught me how to eat healthier. Ive loved how Ive learned to love my body. Ive loved learning to enjoy running (I never saw that coming). 

I only have one regret when it comes to my weight loss journey: I wish I had started it sooner. 

Thanks for all of the support and the love! Heres to six more months of maintaining. 

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Maintaining Weight Loss on the HCG Diet My 5 Tips for Success

It has been awhile since Ive updated all of you on my progress! Not too long ago I finished my 4th round of the HCG Diet.  My four rounds on the HCG Diet were an incredible success; I lost 100 pounds in 293 days.

Losing this weight has been a tremendous blessing in my life. But now that the weight is gone, my next goal is to maintain. I started the maintenance phase at the beginning of March. And I am finally adding carbohydrates back into my diet successfully after 8 weeks of transitioning.

I am so proud to say that 8 weeks after finishing my HCG Diet I have maintained my 100 pound weight loss!

The thought of maintaining can be intimidating. After all, you go from eating hardly anything to doubling your caloric intake overnight.  I have gotten several emails from people who are terrified to gain weight back after finishing their diet. The transition seems impossible and frustrating. I completely understand this feeling, but after doing maintenance 4 times, there are some things Ive learned that I feel are worth sharing.

 Here are my 5 tips for maintaining weight loss after the HCG Diet.

1. Take it day by day
It is incredibly easy to get overwhelmed by maintenance. When you start maintenance, dont take it month by month or even week by week, take it day by day. If what you eat one day makes you gain weight, you dont eat it the next day. The weight you gained will come off if you just re-evaluate your diet. One bad day of weight gain does not mean youre going to gain everything back, it just means you need to make adjustments. Your overall goal is health, so take each day as the opportunity to nourish your body. Each day your body needs nutrients to function properly. Make sure you are getting in the best nutrients so you feel the very best! Your body isnt going anywhere. Youre not in a hurry to be healthy. It is a day by day process. Rushing will only add more pressure to an already difficult situation.

2. Develop a routine
Know what youre going to eat the day before you eat it. For me, I know that if I skip my 10 a.m. protein shake, Im more likely to get hit by a 2 p.m. snack attack. If I schedule out my food ahead of time it is easier to avoid tempting situations, plus I can trend my weight. I know that if I eat certain things at certain times I am going to maintain better than just eating whatever I want whenever I want.

3. Avoid feeling Guilty
So there have been several instances where I give into emotional eating. At one point I ate Chinese food and Del Taco simultaneously. And the next day I gained. I wasnt proud, I knew better than to eat those greasy foods, but it happened. After a binge day, the best thing you can do for yourself is recognize that your behavior led to consequences and recognize that youre human, and youre capable of getting back on track. Guilt will not lead to health, in fact dwelling in guilt after a binge can lead to dangerous behaviors like more binging, skipping meals, or purging. Thats not healthy. You will have bad days, you are not perfect. All that matters is that you make the day after a bad day a really good one!

4. Learn to love exercise
When I was 285 pounds, I HATED exercise. But now that I am not carrying around as much extra weight, I am actually enjoying exercise. It has been one of the biggest helps in maintaining my weight loss. Its helped me get my metabolism going again and its a great release for me mentally. Maybe running and walking isnt your thing, but you can try Zumba or swimming, bike riding or kickboxing! There are so many amazing activities that will help you get in shape and avoid gaining weight back.

5. Give yourself some breathing room
The original HCG protocol suggest a two pound window for gains. For me, I give myself a 5 pound leeway. If I gain more than 5 pounds, I know I need to adjust what Im doing. There will be times where you gain, there will be times where you retain water or eat something bad, so dont stress. This is not the end of the world. Just be proactive about the situation and recognize for every thing you eat there will either be a positive or negative consequence. As long as you are willing to live with the consequence and overcome the negative effects of it, youll be just fine.

Maintenance has taught me that healthy is not a destination. Healthy is an everyday effort! If you do maintenance correctly, you will learn healthy habits. Hang in there. You are more than capable of maintaining your weight loss. Im doing it, so can you!

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Life After the HCG Diet Whats to Eat

Life is kinda strange now that Ive finished all of my phases for my final round of the HCG Diet. While Im not holding myself to a strict list of very specific foods like I did on Phases 2 & 3, I still try to be pretty cautious of what I eat.

I realize what Im about to write may seem like bad news for some, but its true: Even after doing the maintenance phase, I still dont tolerate carbohydrates well. Its just a fact of life. I seem to do fine with more complex carbs like wheat bread and quinoa. However,  I cant eat rolls from Texas Roadhouse without seeing a slight gain the next day.

Basically Im learning that what I once that was normal (enriched, white flour) isnt normal when it comes to my body. My brain thinks its normal because thats what the American culture has taught me. So when I do eat carb-o-loaded foods, my mind registers this as fitting in with the culture I was raised with, but my body registers those tiny carbs as enemy invaders that need to be put into maximum security fat cells.

Bummer.

Im learning to live with this. And while I still allow myself to have the occasional candy bar or the occasional bag of baked chips Ive developed somewhat of a post-HCG eating routine that is helping me maintain.

Heres my diet on a regular clean-eating day:

Breakfast
Apple

Snack
Carrots

Lunch
Protein shake
- 2 scoops Triumph Slim
- 1 frozen banana
- 2 T. peanut butter
- Spinach
- Ice & water

Snack
Zucchini

Dinner
Grilled Chicken, Green Peppers & Onion
Salsa
Avocado

So if you noticed from the list above, I dont eat a lot of diary or a lot of grains. Before I started my weight loss journey, I used to drink a lot of milk and load almost every dish with cheese. But when I started counting calories, I realized that the amount of calories dairy adds isnt worth it. I try to eat six servings of veggies each day and a few servings of fruits. I stick mostly to chicken and protein powder because they are pretty lean and easy to prepare when Im short on time!

 When I follow the diet above I do really, really well maintaining my weight loss. Even if I slip up and eat junk for a day or two, getting back on this system usually helps me drop any weight I may have gained.

Now for a short little update on my goals: I want to lose about 30 more pounds but Im hesitant to do the HCG Diet yet. I dont think Im in the right mind frame mentally. Im not sure if I will do another round, but as of right now Im going to do form healthy eating and exercise habits before I worry too much about losing weight. I try to maintain a weight of 185 pounds but I give myself about 5 pounds of breathing room. So far Ive been able to stay within that threshold and Im looking to continue that streak! It feels amazing.

Are you nervous for life after the HCG Diet?

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8 Negative Thoughts Ruining Your Weight Loss

Staying positive while youre on a diet is hard. Especially when you have, what I like to call, a Bad Body Day. You know, the days where your clothes dont seem to fit right, you feel 10 pounds heavier, and all you want to do is lay in bed and spend some quality time with your good buddies Ben & Jerry.

Remember the dressing room scene from White Chicks where Lisa has a complete meltdown? Yeah,  thats a Bad Body Day.

What happens when you have a Bad Body Day in the middle of your diet? If you let it go too far, your negative frame of mind can wreck your progress.Theres no room for negativity in your life if youre trying to lose weight and get healthy. A body transformation comes from self love, not self hate. Here are 8 common thoughts that are ruining your weight loss.

Im starving - Are you starving or are you sad? Theres a big difference. If youre truly hungry, cut up some celery. If celery doesnt sound good, youre not hungry. Youre trying to feed your emotions. Emotional eating leads to indulgence and, often times, overeating.

I cant have that. - Well you can, but you know that its not going to help your diet. Instead of saying, "cant," try saying, "I dont want that." Seriously, try it. Remember that if you really slow down and think about it, you want to be healthy more than you want a cupcake. So dont tell your friends you cant have it. Tell them you dont want it.

I am so fat. - No youre not. Plain and simple. What does that even mean? How can you be fat, youre a

person. You may have some fat, yes, but you also have skin, and bones, and a soul. Instead of, "Im so fat," try, "Im a work in progress. Today is a new day." You still acknowledge that you have room to improve but you dont use any terms that society has created to deem you less of a person.

I cheated, the day is ruined. - If you slip up, it doesnt mean the day is ruined. Just get back on track as soon as you can and  drink a ton of water! Dont dwell in guilt, just move on. You cant undo it, just do better.

I wish I looked like her - Comparison is the thief of joy. Stop comparing yourself to other people. Youre not that person, you have different body types, different genetics. You are your own person and you dont need to be anyone else. When you compare yourself to some unattainable figure, youre setting yourself up for disappointment. Instead of wanting to be someone else, try naming off one thing you like about your body and one thing you can improve. "I like that I have long legs. Im working on toning them."  Do this every time you find yourself wanting to look like someone else.

I cant do this - With a bad attitude, its hard to accomplish anything. So if you think you cant you wont. Never say cant. You can. You will. Repeat that daily, "I can do this. I will do this."

Im never going to reach my goal - Reaching a goal takes time. It wont happen over night. Set a timeline for yourself. If you know youre losing two pounds every week and youre trying to lose ten pounds, you will reach your goal in 5 weeks. 5 weeks isnt long at all. You can totally do that! Never is a strong word that can be discouraging. Be patient with your weight loss.

I should just give up - No you shouldnt. Youre doing this because you want it. So dont give up on yourself. Ever. You deserve to be happy and you deserve to put effort into being healthy. Instead of giving up, say, "I had a bad day today. Tomorrow will be better. I deserve to be happy and healthy. I deserve to have my dream body."

Bad Body Days happen. Dont let negative thinking get the best of you and your goals. Change those negative thoughts into something positive. Move on. Give yourself some credit for the beautiful person you are and the beautiful person you are trying to become. Youre may be under construction, a work in progress, but you are NEVER a failure.

Are you guilty of saying any of the Bad Body Day phrases?

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