"I Can Make You Thin" on TLC

"I Can Make You Thin with Paul McKenna" is a really interesting show that's been showing on the TLC channel, and I think it has a lot of really great tools that we can use when we're on Phase 4. At first, many of his suggestions seem like "common sense", but really - I know I wouldn't be here if I was exercising common sense with my eating habits!

The first show focused on "4 Golden Rules":
1. When you are hungry, EAT

2. Eat what you want, not what you think you should be eating

3. Eat consciously and enjoy every mouthful

4. When you think you're full, stop eating

I've heard a lot of people be super-critical of this, saying "We already know that - this isn't new information to those trying to lose weight." And I would challenge anyone who says that by asking if they're really doing #3, which in my opinion, is the key. We get so distracted with TV, eating when driving, talking with other people, trying to get ready for work or meetings or appointments that I really think that this is the toughest of all of the points. I've been purposely trying to chew each bite 25 times. And I've also noticed that if I don't put my fork down, I'll try to put another bite in my mouth while still chewing the previous bite - literally "shoveling" the food in! And by stopping and thinking about each bite, I can stop when I'm "pleasantly full" instead of being "stuffed".

On the second show, he demonstrated "The Callahan Technique" described by Kevin Trudeau in "Weight Loss Secrets". I only saw this night before last, but have tried the tapping techniques on several occasions. Maybe it's my imagination, but it seemed to help somewhat. I'm not sure how, but all of the left brain/right brain exercises and then trying to remember what all to do certainly distracted me from any strong feelings I was experiencing at the time! Need to continue practicing this!

Tonight's show - episode 3 - focused on creating negative associations with the foods we crave so much. For me, that would be chocolate. We also created positive associations to use when we needed them.

These techniques may be "old news" to a lot of people, but I personally am thrilled to have any techniques in my toolbox that will help in re-learning how to eat after going through this protocol. After going through one round, I've discovered that old habits die hard - there needs to be some mental work in addition to the actual loss of the weight.

Things I Can't Wait to Do When I Lose Weight

I'm so excited about getting ready to start this protocol! My original pre-HCG Challenge order came in last week, so I'm planning on starting my injections on Monday, April 7, when I get back from Houston. During the time I've been preparing for this, I've been fantasizing about the things that are going to happen when I get down to my goal weight:

• Getting normal lab results from my endocrinologist
• Not being so afraid of getting diabetes, which runs on both sides of my family
• My family (whom I haven't seen since December) will be astonished when they see how much weight I've lost - I'll see them in mid-June. heeheeeheeeeeeeeeee!
• People I know walking past me because they don't recognize me
• Sitting in relative comfort in an airplane seat
• Being able to sit in the middle when there are 3 of us riding in the back seat of a car
• Being able to sit in a booth in a restaurant without having to move the table out
• Finding bones I forgot I had (hip bones!)
• Being able to comfortably cross my legs
• Skydiving!
• Being able to give myself a pedicure and paint my own toenails
• Tying my running shoes on the top - not on the side
• Never having to wear a "Just My Size" item again!
• Being able to buy beautiful lingerie
• Bras with only 1 or 2 hooks instead of FOUR!
• Being able to wear a swimsuit for the first time in years!
• Tucking my shirt into my pants
• Finding a pair of jeans that makes my butt look good
• Wearing a belt
• Getting back to race-walking
• Race-walking in a half-marathon
• Being able to sit in the bathtub without my body displacing most of the water in the tub
• Going to an ice cream parlor and ordering 2 scoops without people giving me the "do you really need that?" look
• Going to my 30th high school class reunion and looking young and fabulous
• Being "the tall thin one" in my barbershop quartet instead of "the tall heavyset gal"
• Being able to classify myself as "slim, slender, athletic" instead of "heavyset" on my internet dating profile
• Having the benefit of "being there" and not judging people because of their size

New Toy

I've been needing a decent food scale for a long time, and happened to see this one on QVC. I love that you can use the "tare" function to zero out the weight of the bowl or whatever container you've got the food in or on. But the best part is that you get the complete nutritional information on the food you're weighing, as well! The scale comes with a book that lists hundreds of foods; however, you can program in codes for your own foods using the nutritional information on the package. Plus, you can measure either in grams or ounces, which is handy for this protocol when weighing the meat. Really and truly, the best part? The fact that they delivered it to my door and I didn't have to get out and battle the crowds! :)

Can't wait to get started!

I've been out of town for the Easter weekend, and am really looking forward to getting started with my injections in a very few weeks.

Got an email notice this weekend that my hcg for the Challenge has been shipped! Woohooo!

Also, I was thrilled to receive the Cindy Cook's E-book, "Guide to Implementing the Weight Loss Cure", which was made available for free to those of us participating in the challenge. I don't know how long it took Cindy to put that together, but it had to be countless hours! I'm so appreciative of Cindy's generosity in donating this book - it will be invaluable in helping us along this journey. Thanks so much, Cindy!

I'm so appreciative to the other folks who are donating their products to allow us to participate in this challenge - drugdelivery.ca and hcgsupplies.com! Thanks so much, folks - I'm going to make you glad that you chose me to participate in this challenge!

Before Pics

Since I posted my stats, I might as well go ahead and post my "before" shots.

Here's the scoop on the weight and measurements.

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 232 lbs
BMI: 32.4

Neck: 14"
Upper Chest: 37"
Bust: 41.5"
Ribs: 36"
Waist: 38.5"
Hips: 47"
Upper Thigh (R): 25"
Above Knee (R): 19.25"
Above Elbow (R): 11"

Baseline Stats

Went to see my endocrinologist the other day, and was able to get some baseline figures to use for comparison purposes after I reach my goal. Things weren't really nearly as bad as I thought they would be, but I know they can be a whole lot better. Here's how it all shook out:

Blood Pressure: 124/70
Total Cholesterol: 181 (125-200 is the range - I'd like to get this lower)
HDL Cholesterol (the good stuff): 38 (should be above 40)
LDL Cholesterol (the bad stuff): 120 (130 is the top range for this - I'd like to get this lower)
Blood Sugar: 109 (65-99 is the range - with my family history of diabetes, this must get lower!)

I am currently taking Synthroid for my hypothyroid, and will continue to do so while on this protocol. My next follow-up visit is in July, and my hopes are to greatly reduce the thyroid meds, if not completely eliminate them.

I've also been prescribed Niaspan (niacin) to help raise the good cholesterol. I hate taking this stuff, because one of the side effects is a flush that really makes me crazy. If I take it during the day, I look like I'm breaking out in hives. If I take it at night, it feels like I've got prickly heat and I can't sleep. Taking an aspirin about a half hour beforehand helps, but I'm reluctant to do that while doing the injections.

So there you have it! By the time I have my next endocrinologist visit in early July, I should be very close to my goal, if not already there. I look forward to sharing the stats when I get back to my old skinny self!

Getting Ready!

I'm so excited about getting started with the protocol! There have been some communications with the DDCanada folks, and it's hard to believe that I'm really going to be doing this!

Depending on when the supplies arrive, I'm hoping to start the second week in April. Between now and then, I'll be leaving town for Easter weekend to visit family, and also going to Houston for our Sweet Adelines' Regional Competition. Neither of those two trips are too "Phase 2 Friendly", so I'll be raring to go as soon as the travels are finished.

In preparation for the protocol, I have a visit with my endocrinologist today to get some baseline stats on cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, thyroid levels, etc. I plan on continuing my thyroid meds through the injection phase, as it just doesn't make sense to just stop. When the weight has come off, then I'll let my doctor tell me when to adjust the dosage - it took too long for me to get my levels straightened out to start messing around with the meds.

Now for the "vanity" part of the preparation: I'm getting my eyelashes tinted, since mascara has been proven to cause stalls in weight loss. The cost is around $25, and is supposed to last around 6 weeks. My plan is to follow Dr. Simeons' "Pounds and Inches" as closely to the way it is written as possible. Therefore, it's Bare Minerals makeup, eye liner, and non-moisturizing lipstick/lip liner throughout Phase 2. Also, I've already begun using crystal deodorant - it's a lot more effective than I thought it would be! So, no worries about B.O. on during the injection phase!

Food-wise, I've pretty well got my list in place. For meats, I'll primarily be having halibut, organic chicken breast, and veal scallopini. Central Market is a great source for organic meat and wild caught fish. I'm thinking that for vegetables, I'll be alternating between cabbage, tomatoes, celery and lettuce. For fruit, it will mostly be organic apples and oranges, unless I can find some organic strawberries.

I have the George Foreman grill ready to go as the main way of preparing the meat. Sometime next week, I'll go to the grocery store and get everything. The plan is to take the time to go ahead and weigh out and pre-portion the meat - I'll vacuum seal it in the Foodsaver and throw it in the freezer. One of the challenges in any weight loss program is being prepared, so I think this will really help. That way, all I'll have to mess with preparing on a daily basis is the vegetables.

The other thing that I'm doing to prepare is the cleanses. I'm currently using FiveLac for the Candida cleanse, and am also getting ready to do a colon cleanse. It's amazing how the Candida cleanse helps with the sugar cravings - I think this will be a major help during the injection phase.

So - there you have it! I'll post my baseline stats from the doctor after I get them.

Introduction

I'm Susan, and I'm absolutely thrilled to have been chosen to participate in this challenge. At age 47, I've finally gotten my head in the right place to get back in the weight loss game - for the last time. I have a friend at work who has had wonderful results from using hcg, and this has given me hope of achieving a significant loss in a relatively short period. In the past, when I did other diet programs, I was what you would call a "slow loser". It would take me 6 months to lose 10 lbs. I know they say that it's healthy to do it that way, but it certainly isn't very satisfying!

So now, I'm prepared to dive right in and lose 80 lbs. Since I'm pretty tall - 5'10" - and have a medium-sized bone structure, my goal weight of 150 lbs puts me right into the middle of the recommended weight for my height. It will also put me back to the weight that I maintained for many years, before an underactive thyroid and stress from several "life events" caused me to pack on so much weight.

My motivation for losing weight? There are several things. First of all, I'm doing it for my health. My mother has been heavy for over half of her life. As she approaches 80, she has suffered from numerous illnesses and ailments that I feel certain are related to inactivity, unhealthy eating habits, and from the stress on her body of carrying so much weight. Is it fair for me to expect my family to go through the same thing with me? I think not! Especially when I'm in the position of doing something about it!

Other motivators: Let's face it - as much as we hate it, we live in a world that is really focused on appearances. People who are fat are treated differently than people who are thin. And frankly, I'm tired of people not being willing to look past my physical appearance to see that I'm very intelligent, have a kind heart and am generally an all-around "good egg". So when you're my age and wanting to date, it's virtually impossible to negate that first impression. And you know what? In my heart of hearts, I think I'm mad at myself for letting my health and appearance deteriorate, and am sick and tired of being "sick and tired".

So - this blog is going to outline my journey back to my former self - the skinny girl inside who has been screaming to get out for over 15 years. I'll be documenting my progress, and also putting in writing some of my thoughts and feelings about the process. I hope that you folks who read this will share your thoughts and feelings in the comments, as well.