DogMa

[DogMa]

Edited to add intro, finally:

Most folks here already know me, so I'll keep it short. I'm 44, and I've been overweight since basically puberty. My first real, full-on diet was Weight Watchers at 18. I made it almost to goal, but not quite, and immediately gained everything back plus about 30 pounds.

Next diet: Atkins, when I was about 26. Made it to goal, maintained for three years. Then I listened to all the people saying how unhealthy it was and how low-fat was the way to go. I ate bagels with nonfat cream cheese and pasta with nonfat sauce all the way back to where I started. Plus 30 pounds or so.

Next came a series of low-fat diets, none of which worked. Followed by a blur of Weight Watchers and some others. The lowest I got was on WW, to about 140 (15 above goal). Then my mom died, and I went on the Supersize Me diet. Somewhere in there I also tried fen-phen and a few other more extreme things.

Back to Atkins. Lost maybe 15 pounds, then things stopped and nothing budged. Gained it back trying low-fat diets again (including the Subway diet, which was totally fun for a couple of weeks). Back to Atkins, only now it didn't work at all, and I couldn't lose more than a couple of pounds on it. Added lots of exercise - nothing. Switched to Weight Watchers - gained 5 pounds in a month.

This is when I pretty much gave up. I went back to low-carb and didn't lose weight even though I was averaging under 1000 calories a day (thank you, ketosis), but at least I felt better without the sugar. I saw a series of doctors to try to figure out what the problem was. Three recommended Medifast, but I thought it was too extreme and not a long-term solution.

Then one day, I'm not sure what happened. I looked it up on the Net out of desperation, and thought maybe it COULD be a long-term solution if I just committed to basically sticking with it for the rest of my life. I liked that it was at least reduced carb, so I'd been in a mild form of ketosis, even if it wasn't as low as I was used to. So I ordered a month's worth of food and told myself I'd give it a month and see what happened. Honestly, I didn't think I'd last a week without getting bored silly and giving up.

First few days: pretty hungry, but no other problems because I was so used to being in ketosis. The main issue for me was the sweetness of most of the products, and the saltiness of the soups. I wasn't used to having much of either. But I started losing weight right away (5 or 6 pounds the first week, 2 a week after that for the rest of the month). I stuck mostly with the soups and chili because of the sweetness issue, but oddly enough, I really didn't get as bored as I had expected.

After that first month, I had a lot of traveling to do because I was interviewing for jobs around the country. I stuck to the plan as best I could, but had a few questionable meals - no WAY was I going to tell a prospective employer I couldn't eat at a certain restaurant because I was dieting. The thing is, though, I kept losing. Slowly, but losing.

So here I am. It's a year later (well, it will be in a few days). I accepted a job and moved halfway across the country, from Southern California to Texas. And then I just moved again, because I bought a house here. I still lose slowly, but I LOSE, which is still something of a miracle to me. I've gone from a size 18W or 20W to a size 8 (or a 6 in some brands), one size from my goal (I think; I'm still toying with the idea of going down another size after that, but I'll have to think about it because I know my body image is out of whack). According to mybodycomp, I'm no longer overweight; I still have about a pound to go on the other BMI calculators, but I think mybodycomp is probably more accurate because it requires a lot of measurements rather than just height and weight.

Side benefits? I haven't been sick in an entire year, other than something that was either shingles or (as I think) just some sort of pinched nerve. And I've made some new friends here (some of whom I get to meet in person at the end of the month - yay!!). And I've learned that I'm stronger and more patient than I thought I was.

End of book.

[DogMa]

I still need to write some sort of intro, I guess, but right now I'm too excited. I'm FINALLY in the 60# club today!!!!

OK, here's the other thing I wanted to do here: keep track of eating and exercise.

Today:
Pilates/flexibility with Sharon Mann

Oatmeal
Broccoli soup w/half package of crackers
Stacy's soy crisps (shhh, it seems to be working)
Spinach-feta pie, pickle
Pudding
RTD
Pudding

[Vicky]

Message Deleted

[DogMa]

Wow, Vicky, thanks. And you are one of the very few people around who was here when I first started and isn't in maintenance yet, either. Talk about patience!

We are BOTH going to get there, and I truly hope we'll be able to enjoy it together!

[lauradr]

Robin, Wtg I am so happy for you!!

[DogMa]

Laura, happy to see you online!! You know we have another person from San Angelo here now, right?

Anyway, another day, another date with the scale. And of course, after yesterday's 137.2, I'm a whopping 138.8. Guess that's what happens when you eat pickles two days in a row. Sigh. (Lesson to any newbies reading this: Do NOT freak out about scale fluctuations. They're part of life.) The workout might have had something to do with it, too. This, too, shall pass. Literally.

Anyway, no pickles for me today, but unfortunately I have to eat dinner out tonight, so there might be some extra salt there. I don't even know where I'm going, and I won't have much control over it, so I'll do the best I can.

I'll post my whole day later on, so I can keep track. Thanks to everyone for the cheering. I needed it this week!

[DogMa]

OK, not SO bad today, considering.

Oatmeal, 2 bottles water
Broccoli soup w/ half a pack of crackers, 2 bottles water
About half a bar
Broiled chicken breast with broccoli and green beans (and unfortunately, Diet Coke instead of water; I'm trying to make up for that now that I'm at work)
Still to come:
Soy crisps, 2 bottles water
RTD
Pudding, 1 bottle water

Not stellar, but coulda been worse. I'm glad I only had half the bar, since dinner wasn't long afterward. I had planned to grab a quick RTD in the car on my way to my meeting/dinner, but they were still too frozen.

[DogMa]

Another challenging day, but it hasn't been so bad. Was 138.4 today, so still hanging onto some water. Today I had matinee tickets to "The King and I" (with Lou Diamond Phillips!). But of course the timing was ALL wrong for food. Plus it's the anniversary of my dad's death. But with everything going on, and letting myself get way too dehydrated because I didn't want to have to leave the performance for a potty break, I passed all the fast food places on my way home and wasn't even tempted for a change. Yay, me.

Anyway ...
Oatmeal (two bottles of water)
RTD
Half a bar
Bottle of water

With the plan for the rest of the day:
Steak and green beans (two bottles of water)
Soy crisps (I'll try for two more bottles, but I don't know)
Pudding (bottle of water)
Soy crisps (oops)

The good news is I wore a pair of size 8 gauchos and a kind of sexy top. And didn't feel fat. Felt a little slutty because the top was lower-cut than I thought. But not fat.

[DogMa]

138.8. Sigh. But some sandbox issues, plus more salt and water issues the past couple of days (and those half-bars). I'm afraid I might have to give up the non-plan soy crisps, but I'm giving it a couple of days before I change anything, now that I'm back on my regular routine. Still could be the workouts, too, since that always slows or stops me. But I tried on the next-size-down Aura jeans, and they're getting awfully close.

Food:
Oatmeal (2 bottles water)
Broccoli soup, half pack crackers (2 bottles water)
Soy crisps (bottle water)
Still to come:
Spinach pie (bottle water)
RTD (bottle water)
Oatmeal or cocoa (just realized I miscounted and didn't bring as much to work as I should have, but hopefully I can find a bowl around and make some oatmeal later)
Pudding

[DogMa]

Almost forgot. It's my one-year Medifast anniversary today. Yay! I guess.

[FORMOMMY]

Happy MF Anniversary Robin!!!

[jump4joy]

[Vicky]

Message Deleted

[DogMa]

Thanks, guys. I meant yay, for sticking with it, but I really had hoped to be in maintenance by now. So not yay for still being on Medifast after a whole year.

So where's my cake made out of shake mix with pudding frosting? Hee.

[Vicky]

Message Deleted