Week 18 - Christmas is Hard!

For the first time in 18 weeks, I gained weight - two pounds. While I am disappointed, I am actually looking at the bigger picture, which is that in the past I would have gained much more. I am also comparing what I looked like last Christmas to what I look like now. This perspective is so helpful.

I am also realizing just how addictive sugar is. Even though I knew it made me feel sick and my body didn't really want it, my mind wanted it so badly! That's the nature of an addiction - you crave something even though you know it's bad for you and the consequences won't be good.

It feels really good to be back on track. My body is so ready for healthy eating again. I'm really focusing on getting more water. I haven't been drinking enough so I'm trying to get in 64 oz. a day, which I'm finding to be very difficult!

This will be a great week!

Week 17 - Temptations all around me!

 Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 191.6

Total lost: 45.2 (104.9)

This was my hardest week so far. I have been 100% faithful to plan - until this week. It started with one piece of divinity, then one piece of English toffee and then it was just one thing here and one thing there. I still lost half a pound, but I feel sick from sugar. I can tell that my body is no longer used to it. Crazy thing is that even though it makes me feel sick, the sugar cravings are real. I'm going to have to be very careful over the next two weeks while I am home from school. It's so easy to just walk by and pop a piece of candy in my mouth, but it is so not worth it.

I really had fun dressing up at school and I don't think I would have done it if I hadn't felt so much more comfortable with my body.

One intereting thing to note is that I am having a lot of new hair growth. I had lost a lot of hair, but since going on Optavia, it seems like my hair is growing back. I have a lot of new growth where my hairline was receding. So that is cool!

Week 16 - FOUR MONTHS OF CHANGE!

Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 192.2

Total lost: 44.6 (104.3)

Inches lost: 20 (34)

BMI down: 8.3 (17.3)

I have been on this Optavia journey for four months now and it is amazing how much change I have seen in such a small time. I feel like a different person. At times it feels like the pounds are creeping off, but when I look at the big picture, it's incredibly how quickly the weight has come off - basically 10 pounds a month. 

I feel comfortable in my own skin. I'm not self conscious and I'm happy with the way I look. Things fit when I try them on. I am almost 100% pain free. I no longer have hip or back pain. I have slight pain in my knee, but that is in part because of the cold, wet water. I sleep through the night and only use one pillow. I have so much energy. I like what I see when I look in the mirror - even if it sometimes catches me off guard.

The biggest change is probably my belly.

I even decided to have a Bitmoji makeover.

This week we had dress up days at school. It was so fun and I was way more comfortable getting into it than I would have been 40 pounds ago.

My favorite fueling hack of the week was strawberry muffins made from an Optavia shake. They were tasty and filling.

I am so grateful to have found this program that is changing my life in such positive ways. I hope I can share this journey with others because I know it can bring joy to others as well.

Week 15 - 100 Pounds Down!!

Another major milestone this week! I crossed the 100-pound mark. It's hard to believe. I feel so different, so much more comfortable in my own body. I am still caught off guard by my reflection. My face looks and feels so different.

Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 195.4

Total lost: 41.4 (101.1)

I think I need a new before and after outfil. This one is just not very flattering, especially since I always manage to wear awesome footwear - please note my Christmas socks. I have a hard time seeing a difference in the before and afters and I think some of that is the outfit.

I do see a difference in the side by side of the side view. 

I am so happy with the changes in me. 

ONEDERLAND!!!!

This was an amazing week! I finally crossed the elusive 200-pound barrier! Something I have been trying to do for almost 30 years. It's crazy, but I actually feel different. I feel so much better about myself just being in the 100's. My next goal is 180.

I also no longer hate pictures of myself. I'm happy with the way I look and know it will continue to get better. I didn't take my usual weekly picture because this Thanksgiving has been so crazy.

Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 198.6

Total lost: 38.2 (97.9)

I also totally rocked Thanksgiving. I cooked TONS of food, but I only ate turkey and green beans. I did have a bite of stuffing, a bite of fruit salad, a bite of sweet potatoes, and one bite of pumpkin cheesecake each day for the past three days. But that was it - a small bite. It was all very controlled and intentional. No grazing or losing track of what I was putting in my mouth. I felt great and never got bloated or uncomfortable. So different from previous years.

I also signed up my first client. I'm not in Optavia for the business aspect of it, but I'm super excited that one of my dear friends is joining me on this journey. I hope she enjoys the same kind of success that I have experienced.

Week 13

This was a great week. I lost a little over a pound and am soooooo close to leaving the 200's forever. I have wanted to get under 200 pounds for almost three decades. No matter what I tried, I have not been able to achieve that goal. I am now a mere .2 pounds away!! Any day now, the scale is going to say 100-something and that will be an amazing day in my life.

Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 200.2

Total lost: 36.6 (96.3)

Another great thing this week was that I got school pictures back. We took school pictures back in September - just a couple months ago. I can't believe how different I look in such a short period of time. (I also realized that I have the same nose as my brothers.)

I love looking at this graph.

This was my favorite meal of the week - chicken cordon bleu - made with cauliflower. It was really good and the whole family loved it.

Another cool thing this week was that while at Costco I saw a woman who was pouring an Optavia shake mix into a bottle. I approached her to tell her that I was doing the program too. She shared that she has lost 175 pounds in the last year and a half! That is so amazing. This program definitely works. I'm so grateful to have found it because I have tried so many things. 

I am even lower now than I was after bariatric surgery. My mom asked me if I wished I had done this instead of surgery. If I had found this program five years ago, then that would have been awesome, but I have no regrets about the surgery. It gave me a quality of life for the past five years that I would not have had. It may have even saved my life. But the surgery could only take me so far and then I was stuck. I couldn't get any further. Finding this program has let me continue and I can't wait to see how far I can go.

Three Months

Two pounds down this week! Three months in and I'm really happy with the results. I feel great. My body feels so different. My clothes fit or are loose. I had to buy a new bra! I sleep through the night without waking up. I only use one pillow instead of two. (I used to feel like I was suffocating if I only used one.) I don't think I snore anymore. My lower back pain is so much better. Other than stiffness first thing in the morning, I don't have pain at all. My right knee and left thigh still hurt though and I still have shoulder issues. I guess Optavia can't cure old age!

I don't have a full body comparison shot today because it's cold and raining and I'm not planning on getting dressed today. But here are a couple of pictures.

Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 203.6

Total lost: 33.2 (92.9)

Inches lost: 16.5 (30.5)

BMI down: 6.5 (16.5)

I haven't weighted under 200 pounds since I was in my early 20's. I'm really hoping to hit that goal in the next two weeks.

Week 11

Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 205.6

Total lost: 31.2 (90.9)

I didn't take pictures of any food this week. My clothes are definitely fitting much better which is awesome. Another non-scale victory this week was that I could fit between the refrigerator and the water heater in the garage in order to reach the breaker box. I haven't been able to do that up until now. So... awesome!

Week 10

 Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 207.6

Total lost: 29.2 (88.9)

I didn't even lose a full pound this week, which seems so unfair since I didn't even eat a single piece of candy! I think my body is still recovering from the water weight lost in prep for my colonoscopy. Hopefully this week will go better.

Here's a picture of one of my favorite meals this week - zucchini with crumbles.

Regardless of what the scale says, my clothes fit so much better and I feel so much better. I'm definitely headed in the right direction!

Week 9 - 28 Pounds Down!

 Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 208.4

Total lost: 28.4 (88.1)

I think I should have chosen a different outfit for my before and after pictures because I just can't see much of a difference in this outfit. BUT, I've lost almost 30 pounds. I have lost more than a 25-pound bag of sugar! As I hold this bag, I can't even imagine carrying it around all day.

I have a bad back and a bad knee. I love this graphic that shows I have taken 100 pounds of pressure off my knees. Wahoo!

I used to have to sleep with two pillows because otherwise I felt like I was suffocating. But over time, sleeping this way has caused a lot of pain in my neck and shoulders. I now only sleep with one pillow and I can feel a huge difference. I'm getting a chiropractic adjustment on Monday and I'm hopeful that with that and my weight loss I'll be almost pain free.

I had a colonoscopy this week and lost five pounds overnight. The next day two of those pounds were back so that's the weight I went with. Hopefully the rest of the pounds stay off.

Two Months

Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 213.8

Total lost: 23 (82.7)

Inches lost: 13 (27)

BMI down: 4.7 (13.7)

This week the weight loss was slow. I haven't lost a pound for four days. When I look at the before and after photos above, I don't see that much change. My butt still looks huge! But as I reflect back on the past two months, I am amazed at how much I have changed in such a short period of time. I look better, I feel better, my clothes fit better, and I have hope for even more changes in the future.

This is what I looked like in 2014 before having bariatric surgery.

This is what I looked like this summer.

This is what I look like now.

And while I only lost 1 1/2 pounds this week, this is what my weight loss looks like over the past 90 days.  

This week's favorite meal was cheeseburger bites. They were fun and yummy. The whole family loved them. And five of these was just one meal!

And my fueling hack for the week is the chocolate pudding combined with ice and unsweetened almond milk. It tastes just like a Wendy's frosty. Summer yummy!

I haven't been getting enough sleep and I think that is affecting my weight loss. So this week that will be a focus. This will also be a weird week because I'm getting a colonoscopy on Friday so I won't be able to follow the diet. I'll probably loose a few pounds due to only eating clear liquids the day before and not being able to eat the day of, but it will probably come right back. Hopefully I'll be able to get back on track quickly.

Week 7

Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 215.2

Total lost: 21.6  (81.3)

This week's picture is a little different because I took it at the beach! It makes it hard to see a comparison, but that's okay. (Looking at these pictures, I realize that I wore my hat backwards all day. AWESOME!)

I'm trying to eat more fish, which is hard because I don't really like fish. But this week I made a fish soup that turned out pretty good. I forgot to take a picture.

Healthy Heart!

Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 217.2

Total lost: 19.6  (79.3)

I only lost 2.4 pounds this week. Really, that is great. Any loss is great. I still want to lose 5 pounds a week...every week. Not realistic, but it would be awesome.

One high point this week was at a doctor's appointment, my blood pressure was 116/77. I cannot remember the last time my blood pressure was in the normal range. This is an amazing thing!!

Here is a picture of tonight's dinner - spaghetti squash jambalaya (the stuff in the pan will be served over spaghetti squash).

I have some ideas for this week so we'll see how it goes!

Week 5

Another week with an almost 3 1/2 pound loss. It seems so slow, but as long as the numbers are going in the right direction, that's okay. It seems like some people lose so much faster, but I'm trying not to focus on that.

Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 219.6

Total lost: 17.2 (76.9)

I decided to look at my loss by week.

Week 1: 6.2 lbs.

Week 2: 2.8 lbs.

Week 3: 1.4 lbs.

Week 4: 3.4 lbs.

Week 5: 3.4 lbs.

That averages out to 3.4 lbs. a week, which is great. The lowest week was the week we went to Tennessee and I was just happy to have a loss that week because traveling was a challenge.

Here's a peek at some of my food this week.

My family has tacos every Monday. I still eat a taco, but now I leave out the tortilla and I also use the leanest ground beef possible (95%).

I bought a kale salad from Costco for my family. I dished out some of the greens for me, not including the nuts or dressing, and added some grape tomatoes. Then I used some light Olive Garden salad dressing (which is so good) and air fried some chicken to add protein to it. It was yummy.

I really like the Honey Sweet Potato fueling. I made it into a waffle and added sugar free syrup and it was delicious.

My favorite fueling hack of the moment is a mixture of the chocolate chip pancake mix and low fat Greek yogurt. It is delicious and really filling. I have to be careful though because the yogurt does have more calories than most of my fueling hacks. (I didn't take this picture - it's a recipe photo.)

I can now take off my size 18 pants without unzipping them so I bought a pair of 16's today. I haven't tried them on yet. Hopefully they fit. If not, they will soon!