Starting Week 1 - Weight Loss

Last year I lost a lot of weight. I was down 41 pounds with only about 30 to go. Well, I've packed on about half of that back. Bad girl! What I did was for almost 8 weeks, I didn't eat any bread or sugar. None whatsoever. It was HARD, and it's not something that is easily done unless you're extremely determined. I was very determined. I did it, I was healthier for it, but where I live, bread and sugar is like air. It's just there and it's so tempting.

So today I'm starting over again. I've got 60 pounds to lose altogether, and while it seems daunting, I know I can do it because I made such great strides last year. *grin*

Ok, so I know you're dying to know what I'm going to do. Well, there's a book that I had checked out at my library two years ago. It's a low-carb idea, but it's not as strict as Atkins. It's called "Crack the Fat-Loss Code" by Wendy Chant. I was successful in losing a good deal of weight while I was on it. The first week is tough, because carbs are depleted. Carb allowance for each day is under 20 grams. If you're not big on carbs, though, it may not be hard for you.

The first week is where you will find your largest weight lost. Naturally, some water weight is lost, but also during the Carb Deplete week, your body is being taught how to grab from your fat stores.

Since this is my first week on the program, I will be doing the Carb Deplete all week. In my experience, it's not so fun. But when you're ready to lose the weight, you'll jump on board. I hate the energy shakes, I hate eating a whole cup of broccoli a day (though I love broccoli), and I hate the headaches that are there until my body has gotten used to the fact that this is the way it is going to be. But all in all, the plan is not bad after the first week. Next week I'll talk about Week 2. :)

I'm not a fan of exercise. Let's just get it out there: I hate it. But when you've got spare tires in your way, you're going to hate it. It's no fun to feel out of shape, and the battle is fierce when you attempt to correct that issue. I've regularly done Leslie Sansone's Walk videos. This is great for me, and the videos aren't boring. They're low-impact (you won't put someone's eye out or damage your TV), and for me that's great. I've learned that I'm not coordinated enough (nor do I have room) for videos that require violent kicking and punching. I'm sure my kids value their lives. *grin* Anyway, Leslie has many walking videos, so you can choose which one's right for you. And not only that, you'll feel great afterwards!!

Besides getting a good cardio workout, I've got a problem area that needs specific adjusting. My tummy. After two kids and two cesareans, then a gall bladder removal, I've got this extra flab that is just there. It's not going to go away quickly. It WILL go away slowly if I just adjust my diet and exercise, but I want to go beyond that. I want to try something that I've never tried before.

I love Dr. Oz, and I know some of you do too. He's always got some interesting tips for bettering  health, and this week, I found this dude on Dr. Oz's site named Brett Hoebel who I'd never heard of before. He has a 5-minute flat belly workout. It caught my curiosity really quickly, and I clicked on the video link and watched in amazement. "I can do that!" I said out loud. Thankfully, only the dog witnessed my talking to myself. It looks like a pretty intense workout, but hey, if it works, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. There's nothing worse than losing 40 pounds and knowing that you SHOULD be able to fit into a size 10 pants but because you've got this extra donut attached to your gut, you're wearing a 14. Baaad news, and no girl wants to sport that atrocity. So, I figure I'll do this for a few days a week and see if I'm able to whip that gut into shape.

The bad thing with the Carb Deplete week (or maybe it's a good thing--I dunno, I might change my mind) is that Wendy doesn't recommend exercise that week. If my memory is fresh, I don't think I would've wanted to exercise that week the last time I did a Carb Deplete. The detox from carbs produced headaches for a few days, and I'm not sure I could've dealt with trying to exercise too.

So, that's my story for the week. I'm anxious to see how much weight I lose this week. Most people lose around 5-15 pounds during the first week on this program. The last time I did this, I think I lost either 7 or 8 pounds that week. We'll see.

Stay tuned for my report on Sunday. I'll let you know how much weight I lost and how I've done this week.


I've not been paid to try these products. This is a personal journey, and my opinions are my own.