Full Disclosure

I didn't want to start this program for two reasons 1) it's expensive with a big start up cost and 2) it felt like a pyramid scheme. Here's where I stand on these concerns at this point.

Expensive: Yep. It is. But the money I'm spending on the pre-packaged food is money I would be spending on food anyway. As my friend (and now coach) said, I would pay it if it were a prescription I had to have. So I look at it as a short-term investment for long-term health. I also spent more at first on actual food, but some of that was just to start up. I spend more to buy healthier food like super lean hamburger and low fat dressings, but I feel good about what I'm putting in my body and that of my children.

I think the expense also helps keep me honest on the plan because I don't want to cheat and waste all that money. Since starting, I've made cookies and cinnamon rolls - without even licking the dough off my fingers. I've walked by chips and dip without eating a single one. My self control has been complete, probably also in part because I'm not hungry.

One thing I like about the program is that their end game is to get me off the program. Not exactly off, but to a place where I eat less and less of their food and more and more of food that I prepare, using healthy guidelines. They aren't trying to make me dependent on their food, but rather trying to teach me what healthy eating and living looks like.

Pyramid: On the program, you have a coach. That coach has a coach and so on. If people decide they want to try the program after seeing me have success, over time and with training, I can become a coach for them. There is money in this - hence the pyramid aspect. However, I was told I could try the program even without buying the food - but it would be difficult to do. Honestly, I don't care if I make money, but it would be cool if I could make enough to cover my own food. Since joining, I have realized that the coach is actually a valuable part of the program and not just a pyramid set up. I know a couple of people on the program and none of them have pressured me to try this. They have just shared their success and enthusiasm. While it is multi-level marketing, it's not a pyramid. I don't have to sell anything or recruit anyone if I don't want to.

In my case, my coach is one of my best friends. We've been friends since we were nannies together in Newport, Rhode Island, 33 years ago! Bottom line is, I trust this woman - with my life. I tried to find pictures of us together back then, but I couldn't find any. Here is one of us a couple of years ago when we went to visit her family in Seattle.

She has lost over 70 pounds and is now a size 8. I have been inspired watching her journey. She looks like this now. (Her husband is also on the program.)

It has been so helpful for me to be able to contact her when I have a question. She gave me a list of things to purchase to get started with recipes for the first week and helped me place my first order and also told me some changes to make to my second order. Her experience and success is the catalyst for my trying the program. If I can do that for someone else, then that would be cool.

Some of the stuff I found online made me doubt if I should do the program (I Google everything), but as I watched my friends drop more and more weight, I knew I had to try it. I trust people I know personally more than internet experts. I have been so happy to see the scale moving down and my energy level going up. I can't wait to see how far I can go.

One Month Mark

Not sure if I'm tracking weight loss or how quickly my gray hair grows in.

 Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 223

Total lost: 13.8 (73.5)

Inches lost: 8 1/2

BMI down: 3.2

It seems like it's going slowly, but then when I look at the overall progress, I realize it's going really well. I can see a difference in my face. I also have more energy and am not so achy in the morning when I wake up. My clothes are fitting better and I am hopeful about my future weight loss prospects, which hasn't happened in a while.

I walked on the treadmill this week and realized just how out of shape I am so definitely some room to improve there. 

I placed my second food order. It was a little nerve wracking because I wanted to make sure I had enough of everything. I'm trying out some new things. The sweet potatoes were great as were the lemon bar and the cookie dough bar.

Here's a peek at some of this week's food. This was a "pasta" with turkey sausage and broccoli. The pasta is actually a plant. I was surprised that even the kids liked it.

We also tried zucchini noodles with pesto. I thought it was amazing, but Baylie was not a fan.

I tried a couple of fueling hacks. This was supposed to be a moon pie, but I forgot and mixed in the peanut butter powder instead of waiting to put it in the middle. It was still pretty good.

These "donuts" were also pretty good.

I am excited to see where I go from here and hope to finally reach some of my healthy weight goals.

First Ten

Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 226.4

Total lost: 10.4 (70.1)

Today I feel discouraged. I shouldn't. I've lost over 10 pounds in three weeks. That's more than three pounds a week and that's amazing. I feel better and my clothes fit better, but when I look at pictures, I don't see much difference yet. Plus, other people doing my same plan have lost that much weight in just one week! But it's not a competition and as long as I'm moving in the right direction, I should be happy with that.

Plus, I just found this picture and I can see a difference here.

So I just need to keep things in perspective.

I keep wanting to take pictures of the food I eat because it's really good. It's really added healthy variety to our diet. Unfortunately, I keep forgetting, but I have taken a few. 

This is basil chicken.

This is quiche. 

The five pre-packaged meals I eat are called fuelings. Some of them I really like - the shakes, the bars - some of them are gross - the pasta, the biscuit. But there are some things called fueling hacks that can be done to spice them up a bit. So with the aforementioned biscuit, you can turn it into a bagel and eat it with an egg, which is actually a tasty option.

So onward and downward - slowly, but surely. One pound at a time.

Challenges of a Road Trip

Highest weight: 296.5

Starting Optavia weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 227.8

Total lost: 9 (68.7)

This weekend, I was very worried about going on a road trip. We drove from South Carolina to Knoxville to watch BYU play Tennesee in football (Go Cougs!). I was worried about being in a situation where I couldn't control all the variables. I wasn't too worried about temptations because my discipline and will power is usually strong when I have a specific goal in mind. Before going, I talked with my coach to walk through some possibilities and to make sure I had a good plan.

As expected, there were challenges. mainly due to the fact that I didn't have access to everything I usually do. But I prepared in advance, which saved me in the end. I packed a TON of my fuelings, especially the bars. I was pretty much sick of the bars by the time we got home, but I was able to take them everywhere - the game, church, on the road, etc., so that I never missed a fueling window. I also packed celery and cherry tomatoes to help me get in my vegetables. I packed lunch meat and cheese sticks so I could get in protein while my family ate fast food. 

During the tailgate party, I was able to eat some amazing pork tenderloin, which was so delicious since much of what I ate over the weekend was bland. I wasn't hungry so I was able to skip on the chips, 7-layer dip, cupcakes, etc. The biggest temptation was the popcorn my kids ate in the car because I love popcorn.

I wasn't able to use MyFitness Pal and I worried about how everything would work out, but I knew that I was sticking to the basic principles of lean protein, veggies and no carbs, plus eating every 2 hrs. and 45 minutes so that my metabolism stayed on track. 

In the end, the plan worked because I lost weight over the weekend and was able to get right back into my regular routine once we got home.

Plus - the Cougars won - so it was a fantastic weekend all the way around!!

Back Into the Fray

I no longer like looking at pictures of myself.

It has been five years since my weight loss surgery. I have never regretted that decision. Since then, I have definitely had a better-quality and healthier life. Since that time I have also gradually watched the scale creep back up. It has been slow, but it has been consistently in the wrong direction. At my very lowest, I got down to 205 lbs. - representing a total of 91.5 pounds lost. I swore that I would never let myself get back to the 210's, then the 220's and now I'm back in the 230's.

I still weigh less than when I got married, but seeing the scale move steadily in the wrong direction is scary to me because it's hard to know how to fix it. We all know about diet and exercise, but sometimes it is not that simple, particularly when I feel like I am fighting my own body all of the time.

Over the past year, I have watched a dear friend go through a dramatic weight loss. She started out heavier than me and is now much smaller than me. More than that, I have watched as she has posted about how much energy she has, how she doesn't have aches and pains anymore and I have seen an amazing transformation in her overall life. I have to admit that I have been very skeptical. I kept waiting for her to gain it back. When I asked about it and learned how much it cost and that it has a pyramid-type structure because people on the program become coaches, I was turned off. I kept telling myself I could do it on my own. But here's the thing - I can't. I've been trying for about 40 years and have not been successful.

My parents finally convinced me to try it. So - I am. I'm nervous, but very excited. I took the plunge and spent a small fortune on pre-packaged food combined with healthier food for the meals that I will cook. I also bought lots of new toys like an air fryer, mini waffle-iron, and a food scale.

The plan has me eating six meals a day! (Seriously, I feel like I eat all the time.) The pre-packaged meals are actually pretty good. Plus there are all kinds of ways to modify them and make them even better. I have only tried one thing I didn't like. Strangely enough, the second time I ate that one, I liked it.

The one meal I cook a day is a lean protein with vegetables. These receipes are AMAZING! My whole family is loving them. It has added variety to our diet and I feel like we're eating healthier. I've always wanted to know how to incorporate more vegetables into our diet.

And guess what? My energy level has been fantastic! I don't know if it's just the increased protein and lowered carbs or the fact that I'm making a real effort to go to bed earlier, but I have not had this much energy in a very long time. I've gone from needing a nap every day to never feeling drowsy.

So, here's the official data as of one week on the program.

Highest weight: 296.5

Starting weight: 236.8

Today's weight: 230.6

Total lost: 6.2 (65.9)

Not a Recommended Method

I hadn't lost weight in FOREVER. In fact, I got up around 220. It was discouraging. Well, almost six weeks ago I tore my meniscus tendon and had knee surgery. Since then, I've lost nine pounds! I don't recommend this weight loss method, but I'm happy with the weight loss. I'm currently at 211.8. I would love to get under 210 again and then keep aiming for that magic 200 lb. barrier.

I'm not sure why I'm losing weight since I'm pretty immobile - although I'm getting more and more active. Here are three things I think contribute.

• Sleep. I never get enough sleep and since getting hurt, I sleep A LOT. The body really does need good sleep.
  
• Even little movements take effort. Walking and doing normal daily activities are hard for me now so I actually get a work out just getting around my house. Plus physical therapy twice a week is a pretty good work out for me right now.
  
• No snacking. When it takes such effort to get to the kitchen and get a snack, it's usually not worth it.

Whatever it is, hopefully it keeps working for a few more pounds.

Merry Christmas!

In a Rut

I'm now at 212 pounds. I've been struggling with diet and exercise. Mostly because my life is so crazy right now. We are moving in a little over a week and lately it's been challenging to have any kind of a routine. I swore I would never get above 210 again, so I'm bummed about that. But I'm on top of it. I'm working to get back down again. I just want to get under 200 stinking pounds!!