Your Body Needs Water

I started this weight loss focus again last week and for a few days I couldn't figure out why I wasn't dropping any weight and was even gaining on some days, even though I was eating cleaner and walking daily. Then I remembered to drink more water! I began drinking water and then the weight started to slip off again. Fantastic.

I really can't stress how much water plays a crucial role in weight loss and health. I drink about a gallon a day. I fill up a gallon jug from my Brita pitcher first thing in the morning, that way I don't have to try to count glasses or chug water in the evening.

You can feel the difference almost on the first day. Your weight loss plan will become MUCH more efficient. Your body begins to clear itself of toxins and junk (not the technical term ^_^) and you just feel generally better.

Drink more water, guys. Seriously.

I'm Back!

Hello!

I realized today that there really is no point in retiring this blog until I have really become who I want to be, right? What kind of weight loss blog would it be if you never got to see the end result?

So I'm back.

My weight is back up to 200 lbs, not because the HCG diet failed, but because I have blatantly gone back to my old lifestyle. I'm done with it! I miss what it felt like to be strong and for my body to feel clean and free of the automatic bloat that crappy food gives you.

I plan to finish this up and get down to 160 lbs the old-fashioned way, with a lot of work and habit changes. I want to change my lifestyle this time, not just lose a bunch of weight as fast as possible.

I started a video log of how far I've come, what I look like now, and what I plan to change in the next couple weeks.



Thanks for sticking with me and I'll update again soon!

Ladies, Don't Panic! HCG and Your Period

I'm going to be quite frank in this entry, though I realize for a lot of us ladies it can be an embarrassing subject.

The month after I did the HCG alternative drops, I had a late period. I was honestly a little freaked (as I'm sure you can understand, most of us have been there).

I began researching when I was a couple days late and came to the conclusion that it was not an unusual occurrence, even for women who are very regular. Losing weight as fast as you can on the HCG diet can cause you to not ovulate, or to ovulate late.

I started my period about two weeks after I was supposed to, so all is well in my orbit now. I wanted to write about this very personal topic for all of the women out there who want to do the HCG diet. I honestly had no idea about this side effect and I wanted to help prepare you guys, or at least ease your panic if it happens to you.

By the way, after doing the HCG diet over a month ago, I feel that my metabolism has been completely reset. I still eat quite reasonably and healthily, and I find that I just don't want a lot of junk food. It seems too rich and I just don't crave it. I have continued to lose weight slowly and I now weigh 192 pounds. Yay!

What has been your experience? Don't be embarrassed, we're all girls here! (Mostly) ^_^

A Week Later...

Hello, again! I'm pleased to say that I've been eating normally (about 1500 calories a day) and I haven't gained a pound back. I weigh 197.2 pounds.

I've been doing cardio a few times a week and riding my bike a lot. I got these fancy new shoes that make me feel awesome when I exercise... I've never had 'workout' shoes before really, and these feel so light on my feet. I love them!

New Balance Minimus... 

I haven't written lately because I've been trying to give myself a little rest from the whole 'diet' lifestyle. It was starting to make me a little crazy. I was very pleased to find, though, that I have no cravings for 'bad' foods. We went to a Chinese buffet for dinner last night and I didn't have a single piece of fried food. Plus, I ate one single layer plate of chicken, vegetables, and sushi with no noodles or extra rice. For desert, I had some fruit and cottage cheese. And it was easy. It wasn't a struggle. I wasn't fighting to convince myself not to have any egg rolls. I just didn't want any.

After all of the struggles I've had with food in my life, it feels wonderful to be able to happily make healthy choices. Or even to be able to say no after one if I slip. (One donut is much better than 6!)

I am very happy with my choice to use the Formula One diet drops, as difficult as it was at times. It gave me the boost I needed. Now that I can fit into all of my clothes and truly see a difference in my body when I look in the mirror, I am much more motivated and confident in my ability to get to my target weight range. I feel healthy and I'm loving it!

Anyone else using Formula One or any other type of HCG alternative drops? I'd love to hear about your experience!

HCG Before and After

Before.... Day One..... And Today

Finally the day is here! I'm honestly a bit embarrassed to show you these photos, but I think it is necessary to illustrate the difference the alternative HCG has made. Yes, I could have lost more weight if I hadn't cheated. Yes, that would have been awesome, but honestly, I feel great and I don't care.

I look great in my clothes, I feel better and stronger. My eating habits have changed completely and I exercise (and enjoy it!) every day. I really think I can lose the rest on my own, and I'll continue to log my progress. There are so many things I have been doing and will continue to do to improve my health. This isn't over yet, but so far this journey has been amazing. 40 pounds down, 28 to go!

Hey, remember that photo from Day 1?

Day 1

Here I am today!

Oh, yeh.

Day 28 and 29

I'm still going strong! And still losing. I weighed in at 198.6 this morning. It's about much more than the weight, though. It's about the fact that I can see and feel a major difference in my body. I feel stronger and leaner and I look MUCH better in my clothes. Speaking of my clothes, I can fit into almost every pair of pants I own now. It feels incredible. It's like going shopping in my closet.

I am still taking the drops, but it's more like an experiment at this point. I am eating about 1,500 calories a day now and still losing. I'm considering just sort of weaning myself off of the HCG alternative drops (keep in mind I am not taking true HCG drops, and I'm sure my case is not typical).

I've decided to take them until the bottle runs out. There is about 1/4 of it left. We'll see what happens.

In other news, I discovered the most fun exercise ever. I've caught it. Zumba fever. I am playing it on the Wii right now and it is so much fun I don't even realize I'm exercising. I seriously doubt I am any good. I probably look like an awkward dancing bear or something, but it's still awesome. I just don't do it in front of anyone.

I feel so much better and so much more me now that I am eating more food and exercising. Seriously.

Under 200 on Day 27!

Um, YAY! ^_^ I weighed in at 199.6 this morning. I felt fantastic all day, and I even rode my bike for like 4 miles! It was a good day.

I think I need to start going to bed earlier, though. I always seem to get all grumpy in the evening. I get very anxious about the next day's weigh-in. I'm seriously considering asking my husband to hide my bathroom scale after I finish this diet, at least for a couple weeks.

I think a break from constantly monitoring that stupid number instead of focusing on how I feel will do me good.