Friday, January 27, 2012

Take Shape For Life Diet - Kara

This blog has not really been used for what it was meant for. However, I just started a diet, and I'm supposed to keep a journal or blog and because this one is already made, I'm going to use it! YAY!

It's been 3.5 years since my cancer diagnosis, and I've stopped drinking soda, and cut my portion sizes, but it still hasn't help with any weight loss. Bummer. A year ago, I made some plans to take back my health. Part of the plan involved my stomach. Stomachs are difficult to get rid of. And, abdominal fat is lethal, so I had a tummy tuck! Got rid of all that yucky fat, and had my damaged stomach muscles sutured back together. What a relief. After waiting for nearly a year for swelling to go away, I had liposuction done on my stomach to finish up. That was 3 weeks ago.

And now, I've found a medical diet that will help me lose the rest of the weight/inches that I need to. This plan is a little bit drastic, but I'm ready. I'm fed up, I'm tired, and I feel just too much despair that I'll never be able to be healthy again. So... Take Shape For Life - here I come!

So, I started the eating plan (diet is a stupid word - so I'm tricking my body/mind into thinking this isn't one - hah!) yesterday. This plan is LOW carb, HIGH protein, soy-based, LOW glycemic. I have to stay completely away from fruit (too sugary right now), pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, and dairy products. Oh, and right now, I can't have high carb veggies either (like carrots, peas, corn, etc.) Phew! This might be a little bit tough...

I weighed myself (in the morning, before breakfast, naked), and took my measurements. I'm not putting that info here, though. I might reveal it someday, but only when I'm not that size anymore. :-)

Take Shape For Life is a meal replacement - you eat 5 of their meal replacements, and 1 Lean & Green meal that you prepare yourself.

Pros: the meal replacements are easy to prepare, most of them can go into your purse to take with you anywhere (no being caught hungery with nothing but fast food to eat!)

Cons: the meal replacements aren't that great tasting, most have a weird consistency

Yesterday, I ate:
Breakfast - Strawberry Creme Shake (mixed in my Bullet with crushed ice)
Snack - Caramel Nut Bar (this was pretty good - just a hit of cardboard taste, but I'll get used to it)
Lunch - Beef Vegetable Stew (Mmmmmm.... yummy. I was surprised by how good this was. I mean, there was still a weird underlying taste, but it still tasted good. I think the weird taste in everything is soy.)
Snack - Chocolate Crunch Bar (yuck. Nuff' said.)
Dinner - Lean and Green - I marinated 8 oz. of chicken breast in balsamic vinegar with some garlic powder, cracked pepper, and a tiny sprinkle of salt. I then grilled it on my George Forman. It shrunk up - I'm hoping it went to 6 oz., which is what I'm allowed to have, but I forgot to weigh it after it cooked. Geez. I could have 3 servings of veggies, so I chopped up some leafy green lettuce - 1 cup. Put it in a big bowl, along with 1/2 cup of chopped tomato, and 1/2 cup of chopped cucumber. I can use salad dressing, if it's low carb, so I used 2 tablespoons of Paul Newman Light Balsamic dressing (only 2 carbs). Oops. I just realized with the chicken breast, I should have only have 1 healthy fat, not 2. Hmmmm. Oh well - I'll remember next time. I chopped up the chicken breast, and then tossed it all together with the dressing. This is what it looked like...

It was SO good (maybe that's because it was the first "real" food I'd had all day, but still... yummy!)

My late night snack was banana pudding. I like the taste ok, but I really didn't like the consistency. I have to figure out a way to get the lumps out before it sets up (it gets thick REALLY fast). Maybe I'll go and get one of those small hand held blenders - that might work.

So, I stuck to the food plan almost exactly, but my biggest accomplishment for the day is that I drank ALL of the water that I was supposed to. This might not sound like a big deal, but I had to drink 118 oz! That's 15 cups! I was water-logged by the end of the day. I love the water bottles my parents gave me for Christmas - they are 24 oz. and they have a built-in straw, which makes drinking the water so much easier.

By half way through the day, I felt weak and dizzy (I guess this is to be expected for the first 3 days). It felt like I had taken a Percocet, but without the pain relief! Hopefully, after 3 days, I'll start to feel better. It's probably just my body saying "HEY! Where are my carbs and my milk???!!!!"
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Weight Watchers - The ABCs of Weight Loss

I read this in the Weight Watcher magazine July/August 2008, and thought there were some great suggestions here. These were all contributed by successful WW members)...

A - Ask questions (when dining out, don't be afraid to ask your server how a dish is prepared - and request it without sauce or oil).

B - Budget for snacks - you don't have to give up all of your favorite treats, just plan ahead.

C - Cancel the pity party - when you're down about your weight, remind yourself that everyone struggles.

D - Distract yourself - If you're hungry, call a friend, go for a walk, write a letter or email, etc. You'll notice that the hunger usually passes in a matter of minutes.

E - Eat slowly - put the fork down between bites, be more aware of how much you're putting in your mouth.

F - Focus on the presentation - arrange your food creatively, use a larger plate and spread your portions more artfully, it will help you feel more satisfied.

G - Give the new habits time - make a commitment to stick to your new regimen for at least 6 months, it often takes that long for revamped eating or exercise habits to feel natural.

H - Hang out with optimists - The can-do spirit is contagious.

I - Inspire yourself - brainstorm a list of activities you've been putting off because of your weight - it will provide a built-in incentive to slim down.

J - Join up - exercise with others - this often provides a sense of accountibility.

K - Keep your focus - as you lose weight, notice what you're gaining - a healthier diet, slimmer profile, or a new love of exercise.

L - Lighten up your favorite - Use cookbooks that can show you low-fat, healthier versions of your favorite dishes.

M - Make over your kitchen - get rid of trigger foods (those you often overeat) and restock your kitchen with healthy items.

N - Navigate out of your comfort zone - try a new exercise once a week.

O - Opt for the 10-minute rule - Even if you don't feel like it, get moving for at least 10 minutes.

P - Push yourself to try at least one new fruit or vegetable each week - expand your culinary repertoire in a healthy, low-calorie way.

Q - Quit the clean-plate club - stop eating once you're satisfied, and you won't eat tons of extra calories.

R - Reward yourself - if you are looking for a snack after dinner, give yourself a manicure or pedicure instead!

S - Stand up to food pushers - if a host pressures you to eat something you'd rather avoid, tell her you'll try something else on the table - compliment her, and she'll be distracted.

T - Treat your body like a temple - exercise and take care of yourself as if you were an athlete.

U - Use your lunch break wisely - spend half of your lunch break walking.

V - View sweet treats wisely - if you want to shed pounds, you can't eat sweets whenever you like. Find a low - calorie substitute that you can have every day, or limit rich desserts to once a week.

W - Write a gratitude list - each day, jot down 3 to 5 things in your life that you're grateful for.

X - Xerox your exercise moves - find exercise routines you'd like to try in books and magazines, and make copies, then refer to these when you need new moves.

Y - Yearn to accept where you are now - when you fell discouraged by your rate of progress, try to accept and appreciate yourself at your current weight. This might help you hang in there until you start losing weight again.

Z - Zero in on your body - Don't wear big baggy clothes - wearing clothes that fit well to remind yourself of your diet and fitness goals - and the slimmer body your are striving for.

GOOD LUCK!