Ok I know I took forever to post this, and I am really sorry to all that messaged me....BUT better late then never right? I am sorry if I didn't respond right away ect, I just really didn't feel like typing it out a bunch of times....so for those of you that are wanting to know what I am doing to lose weight....here it is.
I have always struggled with weight. Up and Down Up and Down. Within the past three years I have had 3 children and diagnoised with hypothyroid and PCOS. Both of which are linked to weight problems, and we all know having those baby's sure doesn't help! :) I have lost from time to time but it's never been easy and I always seem to hit a point, then it goes out the window. Once I stopped nursing the twins and the holidays hit BAM I gained a ton. I was very unhappy with my body and I said at the begining of the year I was going to try again. I am DETERMINED this time, and I think that's really the key to sucess.
As a disclaimer, I'm no medical professional. I am still in a trial and error phase trying to figure out what works best for me, and much of my info has came from friends and google! I am just in the begining of my journey, I am only posting this for all my crazy friends who are thinking I have some kind of diet secret! lol
January 2nd I said ok this is it! I am ready to change! Starting on that day I restricted my calories to about 1,200 a day. Not only did I restrict them but I also changed what I was eating. If you are eating things like fruits and vegtables your going to fill up on a lot less calories. Sure you can have chicken nuggets but then there goes half your calories! This is really bad with drinks, one thing I have learned from past diets is don't ever drink your calories! I also began to exercise with the Biggest loser on WII. (Love it) By the 18th I was down 15 lbs. Simply reducing calories eating better and working out. NO secret there, just determination. Anybody can do that!
I knew that the weight lose would begin to slow like always and I wanted difference results this time. I was ready to do anything. Well, a good friend of mine had just lost a good amount of weight doing the HCG diet. So while I have never done any of these crazy diets before I just had to look into it. (who doesn't want great results fast). After lots of research and asking my friend 100 questions this is how it works.
HCG is the hormone you produce when your pregnant. When your pregnant it makes your brain deliver nutrition to the placenta. However, when your not pregnant researchers have found that it actually causes your body to burn off stored fat. Note* I'm putting this in dummy terms here, and remember I'm no pro here so bear with me. You can google it to find more info yourself, but the diet is setup around research done by a Dr, that has evolved over 50 years. Basicly the protocol is set up around a very low calorie diet. You eat only 500 calories a day! Yes, I said 500 but NO I'm not starving myself. After the 500 calories are burnt up your body then takes from the stores fat due to the HCG, instead of going into starvation mode. It's suppose to keep you from being hungry and so far I think it works. You have to seperate mental hunger from actual hunger.
The first two days of the diet you do whats called a loading day! You eat anything and everything you want! Crazy I know but it's true. This is to stock your body up and prepare it for what it's about to go through. I really didn't want to do this since I had already been dieting, but I wanted to follow procerdure. So I did and I gained 5 lbs..then I lost it quick once restriction started. You take the HCG three times morning -before lunch- before dinner.
After the restrictions you begin the low diet calorie phase.
Twice a day I eat:
100grams of approved meat
1 serving of approved vegatbles
1serving or approved fruit
1melba toast
you may have as much water, tea, and coffee you would like
The catch is they give you a list of approved foods. I don't like many of the vegtables approved, but I am getting good at changing things up. The meat also needs to be cooked without added fats. The BEST way to do this is get a small counter top grill. We bought the griddler. I highly reccomend it, it is a panini press, flat griddle, ect. George foreman works great too. I've literatly used mine twice a day since I've got it. I also use a postal scale to weigh my meats.
I have read online that your body first burns carbohydrates, then sugars, then fats...so I believe what they are doing here is removing the first two so your body goes straight to the fats. Just a guess here.
The HCG I am taking is homeopathic and I have had no problems with it. Now I have read many things saying to only buy real HCG which has to be prescribed to you or imported from out of country (it's leagal for up to 3 months). BUT I have had no problems with mine and it seems to be working.
Basicly you can do a 26 day program (20lbs to lose) or a 40 day program (over 20 to lose)
After the diet phase is over you go into a maintenace phase, which is very important to stabilize you new weight.
The major con is the cost of the HCG. I got mine from the site my friend recommeded www.hcgdiet.com so you'll just have to decide if it's worth it to you or not.
So that's the main jist of this crazy diet for those of you that wanted to know! I have only been on it for just over a week but I have lost 9 lbs plus the 5 I gained from load for a total of 14 lbs in 8 days! I feel great! My My only side effects were headaches the first few days..which I have been told if from reduction of carbs and sugar, it passed just like I read.
Now, I think it's only fair to point out that my awesome friend took the HCG but stuck to her own low cal diet of around 500 calories. She just ate 500 cals or what she wanted not exactly what they said. She did great! But if your wanting fast results I would def stick to the protocol. For me it's easy cause I know exactly what to eat.
Overall, no this diet is not easy. BUT if you are determined and are absolutely ready to lose it is maintainable. My thoughts were I can stick to this for 40 days if I am seeing such great results, then go back to a regular diet. I would rather spend 40 days of a strict diet then months with small results.
I am now 23.5 lbs lighter then I was 27 days ago. Couldn't ask for better results! I lost several pounds each of the first few days, now I am losing a steady 1 -1.5 lbs day.
No matter what diet you do or if your just changing your diet the key is determination. You will do it if you truely want it. No matter what you do, you have to change the way you eat. Even if you lose 50 lbs and go back to the way you were eating, your going to gain it back. It has to be a life change, not just a diet.
Here are some tips and tricks I've picked up:
Somebody to keep you accountable. This was my reasoning for postin gon FB. If I was posting it out their to the world, I knew I had to keep it up. I knew people would be asking how the diet was going..I didn't however think it would strike such an intrest in my friends!
After drinking 17 oz of water you body burns calories up to 30% faster for a period of time.
You need to drink atleast half your weight in oz of water each day. Once you body is incredibly hydrated it will begin to flush out water weight
Every pound of carbs in your body carries 3-5 pounds of water
Pick up some stevia! It's an all natural low cal sweetner I use it to make baked apples, in my tea ct.
When you feel hunger in between meals drink water first
Cut back on salt as it makes your retain water weight
Drink water throughout your meal to help fill you up
Green tea! It has been proven to aid weight loss and it's all around good for you. I add stevia sweetner to it for my "sweets"
Make warm tea instead of a late night snack, it will fill ur tummy
Get a workout band for your tummy, this tip was from my diet buddy and I love mine! It gives your tummy a sauna effect to make you sweat when working out
Every time you workout for 20 minutes your body continues to burn far at an accelerated rate far after your done working out! So for this I have broke up my work outs into 20 minutes throughout the day
If you doing the HCG diet chart your weight each morning as soon as you get up to keep track of whats working and whats now as you figure it out.
Take your measurements! Often you can lose an awesome amount of inches and not the same great amount of lbs (maybe u turned fat into muscle?)
If your not doing the HCG diet eat small meals and healthy snacks throughout the day to keep your metabolism going
PORTION CONTROL!!!
And most importantly...I pray for strength each day. That God will give me the willpower and hope to keep going and make this a life change. I know that without him, I just can't do it!
Ok well you asked, and there it is! Once again..I have only begun! However, this is what I am doing and trying as well :) Good luck everybody. If you need any more info leave comments /questions in the comments box below...
sry for the typos...I am to tired to proof read!
1 Peter 1:13-16 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
