T + 5 Days

Another day, another 500 calories. Since it’s Saturday, I thought I might struggle a bit more with the random food cravings since I wasn't focused 90 miles an hour on work, work, work all day, but I did fairly well. I didn’t get out of bed at the usual 6:00 am because, let’s be honest, I don’t have to. Sleeping later put my pill and food schedules behind and I think that may have caused a slight disturbance in the force as I had a major energy dip around 4:00 pm and am now experiencing an upset tum-tum. I think I will get up at my normal work-day wake-up time tomorrow and see if that brings me back.

I wanted to take a minute to tell you about my friend, Elise, who is also working on some self improvement, albeit a different way. She is in the midst of a Boot Camp Fitness Training, something like what you see on “The Biggest Loser”. Here is an excerpt from the team blog, written by Elise:

“Basically, it was a "suicide" run between cones with certain exercises required at each cone (lunges, burpees, jump squats, skates, bicycles, push-ups, etc.) Each turn, you had to go to a cone, complete the exercise and return to the finish line (kettlebell swings) and then advance to the next cone. The kicker was that on the way up and down the line, you had to return to all previous cones and complete those exercises again (and again and again).”  

I am finding enormous inspiration from reading their blog, basically because what they are going through is just so much more difficult than what I am doing, at least right now. I know that next week I add exercise into my program, but it’s mild…none of the commando military drills my girl is suffering through. I am humbled by what a strong and beautiful woman she is (I always have been, though; this just makes me admire her more).

If you are interested in finding out what hell is like, check out their blog at gtokos.blogspot.com. 

T + 4 Days

I found a great application on my phone that really helps me chronicle my food intake, plan meals, journal and record my daily exercise. While stumbling through the app with those little bitty buttons I discovered, lo and behold, the app synced up to an actual website called FatSecret.com. My eyes have been opened and I am genuflecting to the great Gods of diet organization! I am a sucker for good organization and this site makes me want to succeed even more. The satisfaction I get from filling in the blanks and seeing the forms and fields fill up is delicious (not as good as, say, fudge brownies would be right about now, but satisfying in it's own OCD way).

Three days behind me...only 1500 calories consumed. Amazing! That is what I had for breakfast in my last life!

T + 3 Days

I was in the midst of packing it in to head for the snuggly warmth of my bed with the hubby and min pins when I realized I hadn't really posted anything today. I figured it was ok, then I got that evil voice in my head that always drives me to do stuff saying, "you need to go ahead and say at least something". I am tying this blog into my weight loss discipline. If I give up on telling everyone how it's going, I am afraid I may just give up on my resolve to pass on that one wafer thin mint, if you know what I mean. Which leads to another, and another, and another, then, before you know it, I'll be standing in the bushes silently waiting to mug the next unsuspecting Girl Scout that comes along of her Tag-Alongs (oh, yum).

Well, then, here it is! This is a blog post reminiscent of Seinfeld...a post about nothing. 

The day went by fast today with little time to think about the diet or food; too much work to do. I packed my 5 ounces of turkey breast into my purse at lunch and hauled it into McDonald's while my compadres chowed down on double-cheeseburgers and fries. Believe it or not, I did fine with that. I think mostly because I have a lot to talk about and when there is little to eat I can occupy my mouth with words. I'm sure I'm the delight of everyone who knows me. 

I have to admit, by the time I got home from work at 6:30ish, I was getting hungry. My darling hubby had hunted and gathered shrimp and salmon for dinner, most certainly with his bare hands in the frozen oceans and streams, so while I did my after work wind down, he fancied up boiled shrimp and grilled salmon with Old Bay and blackening seasonings. I was allowed 10 medium shrimp and 3 ounces of salmon. It felt like a feast and I was so incredibly grateful for the harvest bestowed on me. So much so, that when the "Cookie Of The Day" email that I get from the cruel and heartless Martha Stewart touting a recipe for Dark Chocolate Espresso Cookies came in, I was almost, but not quite, able to keep from whimpering like a child.  

Love Handles Save Woman

This story made me snicker (mmmmm, Snickers) and gives me food for thought (get it)  when I consider my weight loss goals. Maybe I shouldn't lose weight after all. Fat saves lives.
Love Handles Save Woman's Life | The FOX Nation

T + 2 Days

My butt is killing me! I went over to Mediweightloss for my second series of shots today after work. It is really nice; for the shots, you don't need an appointment, you just need to pop in, drop 'em, take the pain, pay the extra $10 bucks if you so chose to get the additional B1&B6 shot (which I do) and go. They call it a drive by shooting. For some reason, I think that's funny. 


A little background on the B1&B6 Injection: the combination is supposed to boost metabolism, increase energy, enhance the immune system and nervous system, keep the skin and muscles healthy and encourage cell growth and division amongst other things. This shot is not essential on the program and is therefore an "extra" charge. When I read up on all the benefits, I decided that all those things sound pretty good to me, so I am going to opt for them for a while. Of course, those are the shots that feel like really mean, nasty bee with Drano for venom is stinging my sweet tender bum-flesh, but hey, I had major back surgery and walked out of the hospital the next day, so I can manage this. No problem.


How did I do with the diet today? The itsy bitsy teeny weeny 500 calories? I am happy to report that I did just fine, thanks. I may have embarrassed my friends just a little, though. We all went out for a birthday lunch to a Mexican restaurant. I brought my 5 ounces of turkey in my purse, like I was sneaking popcorn into a movie theater or something. When everyone else ordered, I asked for a diet coke and a plate. I'm not all that sure our very ethnic Mexican waitress fully grasped what was up, but my girls gave me some mixed reviews of"that's rude" and "good for you". I look at it like, well, as long as I didn't walk in there by myself, ask for a plate and a glass of water, sit in a booth on a busy day for an hour then leave without buying anything or tipping, I'm still good. Right? 


The only downside that has come up today is that I had to deny Dexter his little table scrap treat that I usually give him from my dinner plate. I think I growled at him when looked at me for a bite of my 3.5 ounce pork chop. 

T + 1 Day

1:45 pm - Taking a quick break from work to fill you in on how I'm feeling today after those shots. Granted, I haven't started the diet yet, nor the appetite suppressants or vitamins, so I am technically not official, but I have to keep up this journaling for your and my experience on this weight loss journey. Anyway, I feel pretty darn good. Really! I am in a good mood...I mean better than usual for no measurably good reason that I can discern other than a couple of shots in the butt last night. This gives me great hope for the future of this diet. I am looking forward to tomorrow. I am ready to start this thing up!

9:19 pm - Just finished up getting my food for tomorrow ready after eating 1/2 of a pepperoni pizza. What? You got a problem with that? It was more surprising than I really expected. You would think that 500 calories would be like three peanuts and a wafer thin mint, but it is actually a lot more food that your mind can believe. For breakfast, I am slated to have a hard boiled egg (75 calories) and a piece of Canadian bacon (55 calories). This is actually more than I usually eat, so I feel like I am coming out on the plus side already there. I can still have my coffee, but I do have to sub the milk for that crazy powdery crap Coffee Mate - pffft. It is worth the sacrifice. I'm going to put on my big girl face and take it like a man..... er, or well, you know what I mean. Lunch is 5 ounces of turkey breast, which when weighed is more than I think I can actually eat (175 calories). Dinner is 3.5 ounces of lean pork chop (195 calories). Dessert? No, not chocolate mousse or cupcakes --  (Isn't cupcake literally the most delightful word in the English language? Say it with me...cupcake. Doesn't that just make you happy inside and out?) -- I digress, dessert: Jello. Yup. The great nursing home favorite. I'm guessing that by days end I'll be so bored with stuffing my face with meat that I'll be glad to eat it, though.

I also set my phone to remind me to take my medications at the proper times: Phendimetrazine, Fat Burner Supplement, Calcium, Omega Three at 8:00 am;  Phendimetrazine, Fat Burner Supplement, Calcium, Omega Three at 11:00 am; Phendimetrazine at 3:00 pm (apparently it might make me a bit jumpy (great, just how everyone want already hyperactive Miki to behave, right?) so we don't take it any later than 6 hours before bedtime; Fat Burner Supplement and Omega Three at 7:00 pm. Then I had to program the reminders to remind me to go back to get the MIC and B1&B6 Injections around their hours and my work hours. Sounds as complicated as it was to set up; next step is to find out if it is actually as complicated follow through with!

Wish me luck! Tomorrow is the real BIG DAY. I'm ready. Let's do this thing!

The Big Day

Today is the day.

10:00 am - I had a chocolate chip cookie for breakfast and washed it down with a diet coke. I have been thinking about lunch since I woke up. I am going to eat something big and fattening. It will be like the last meal before the executioner. My appointment is at 6:00 pm, so I am going to eat whatever I can between now and then. Carpe Diem!

1:03 pm - Had a pulled pork sandwich on garlic bread with fried corn on the cob and a diet coke for lunch. Washed it down with two Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - damn, those are good. I am saving my very last chocolate chip cookie for around 3:00 pm. I will indulge the critical munch hour today. No holds barred.

9:21 pm - Home, finally. I got a reprieve from starvation. Since I didn't get out of the initial consultation and doctors physical and dietitian review until 8:15 pm, there was just no way we could make it to the grocery store to get all the things needed in order for me to start this diet tonight or more honestly, in the morning. So, Panera Bread! I got a big ol' cup of French Onion Soup with extra croutons and a lovely Sierra Turkey Sandwich. Ahh. Satisfaction.

Anyway, I did go to the appointment, which was interesting. They weighed me in at 184 pounds, so see, I lost 3 pounds walking in the door! Since I recently had blood work, they are requesting it from my PCP but they did do an EKG and vitals, as well as measurements, which were mortifying. Once the vitals were done, they immediately gave me two shots: the MIC Injection and the B1 & B6 Injection. The MIC Injection is a combination of vitamins, minerals and amino acids designed to help lose weight, including B12. You get these shots 3 times per week. The goal overall, the doc tells me, is to keep me happy while I am losing weight. Apparently, these shots, coupled with vitamins, a prescription of Phendimetrazine, calcium and Omega 3 are supposed to keep me calm, give me a sense of well being and keep me happy all while encouraging weight loss. In fact, the doc says you can hardly help but to lose weight as long as you follow the directions.

So, off I go to plan the shopping trip for my food, or lack thereof, for the next week. 500 calories a day. Yeesh. I am looking forward to not looking like Michael Moore anymore when I put on a sweatshirt and baseball cap, though.

T - 1 Day

Pocrescophobia - Definition: The fear of gaining weight.

So, okay, for me it's not so much a fear, but a reality. I gain weight. I just do. Why? Well, there are so many reasons I can't really list them all, mainly because I can't remember all the health reasons at one sitting, but basically because it's boring. Mostly, I gain weight because I love to eat. I really do. It is my favorite fun time activity. When I want to celebrate, I eat. When I want to relax, I eat. When I want to create, I cook and bake, then I eat that. I love the way food tastes; I love the textures and the flavors. I love the spices and the herbs. I love the smells of breads and cakes and the way that icing melts on your tongue. I adore the way some foods are tasted on the tip of your tongue and some are tasted on the sides in the back. I love the differences between bitter and sweet. I swoon over chocolate and salt. Textures are seductive. Crunchy beer battered fried fish teases. Even celery can be tricky since it pairs so well with peanut butter. So, yes, I eat, I gain weight.

Exercise? I have all the best intentions, I do. My husband and I have a designated room for exercising with a Total Gym and a recumbent bike; it even has a television and stereo so you can't get bored. We have a Wii and it has Wii Fit. I stood on the balance board and it made a sad, sort of crying sound...the sound that your dog would make if you sat on him...and I put the damn thing away. I really don't need to be insulted by electronics, you know? Anyway, honestly, I am just not all that much in the mood most of the time to exercise. I have a lot of aches and pains from Fibromyalgia and I work long hours. When I get home from work, all I really want to do is eat for heaven's sake and maybe watch some Lost or What Not To Wear and get into bed. I feel like that isn't asking so much!

Which brings me to why we are here. Last week, dear hubby tells me he contacted MediWeight Loss for me and wants me to look into it. Not because he doesn't love me like I am (uh-huh) but because he worries about my health. I appreciate it and I know this costs a good amount of money, so I know he has put some thought into it. I have decided to go ahead with it, since the last time he was insistent on something like this, he managed to get me to quit smoking after 25 years.

Tomorrow night after work I have my first appointment. I am not 100% sure what to expect beyond what it says on the website:

www.mediweightlossclinics.com

I will try to keep up on how this adventure goes for me. I am looking forward to a "new" approach and am going into this with an open mind and outlook.

Todays weight: 187!!!