Weigh-in Wednesday

So, on many social media outlets (FB, Instagram, Twitter), Wednesday is "Woman crush Wednesday."  OK, let me say right here that I'm not quite sure who made up all of these theme days, but I think they've gotten a little out of hand!  LOL

For this blog, I will be doing WEIGH-IN WEDNESDAY as a way of keeping myself accountable and keeping you updated. Without further delay...
     - started this journey on June 30 at 292  (I hate that number- but, I'm "keepin' it real!"
     - had my first appointment with my weight loss doctor on July 11- officially weighing in at 287
     - Today is July 16 and the scale says 282.  FIVE POUNDS SINCE SATURDAY!!!  SHUT.THE.FRONT.DOOR!!!!!

   Doin' the happy dance!!

I have been asked quite often, "How do you do it?  You must be so strong and have so much will-power!"  I really don't have a lot of will-power, but I do have some tricks I'd like to share and I'm going to tell you what has worked for me.  Now, it is important to remember: I am not a doctor.  Before you actually start a weight loss program of your own, you need to consult with your physician.  As you will see in what I am about to tell you, I am closely monitored by doctors and have regular blood tests.  

"How do you do it?"- In January of 2012, I began my journey with a consultation with a weight-loss doctor in Plano, Dr. Obi Chukwuocha who has a practice called Worthy Weight Loss. (www.worthyweightloss.com) When I say that I see a weight loss doctor, a lot of people think that I am talking about a surgical doctor or that I've had weight loss surgery.  I have not had, nor do I plan to have weight loss surgery.  While that is an option that works for many, many people, it is not an option that I wanted to consider.  (I have a healthy fear of surgery and high medical bills!)  So, back to "how I do it"- I see Dr. Obi once every 6 weeks.  He monitors my weight, vitals, measurements, body composition (% fat vs % muscle), etc.  He does not have a prescribed 'diet' that I have to eat or a list of required foods, which is probably why this works for me. The program is basically this: high protein, low carb, no white carbs.  That means no rice, no pastas, breads, etc.  Now, there are some low-carb tortillas and breads that can be used and he provides a list of those, so it is not like I don't ever get to have bread!  

Here is the big key:  breakfast must be a minimum of 30 g. protein and no more than 5 carbs.  Try that!  It is HARD!  I'm all about the protein part, trust me, but you'd be surprised what had carbs in it!  Want milk with your breakfast?  Check the carbs.  You'll be surprised!  Even soy and almond milk are high in carbs.  Juice?  All sugar, so high in carbs.    Read the nutritional labels of the products in your home just to see the carb amounts.  It will shock you!

So, after the 30 g. protein/5 g. carb breakfast, the rest of the day can be spent how I want to get to these totals: 100-110 g. protein and 70-75 g. carbs.  We try to stick to 1,000-1,200 calories, but Dr. Obi encourages me to focus more on the protein and getting every single bit of it in, so sometimes, calories may go over a bit, and he's OK with that.

This is what works for me.  It has worked in the past and it is working now. I'm not kidding you- it is NOT easy.  There are times that I get really sad because I really want to eat something "carby" that someone else is eating.  While I know that "all things in moderation" is a good rule of thumb, I honestly don't know when to stop, so for me, I just have to deny myself these super carby treats.  I have found some great substitutions and hope to share some of them on this blog in the future.

Please leave comments, questions, encouragements in the comment sections.  I really hope there are people actually reading this!

Have a good one-

Erin