I've had a blog here on blogger for years but I never convinced myself to start an actual blog about my journey towards getting in shape. I know I was too scared I would fail. Even if I was talking the talk and sounding like I was really in the game, I wasn't. I knew there was something missing and I finally figured it out.
I know that medicine/health/fitness/diet is a true industry and there's always a new fad coming out. I was convinced more than once to buy something 'as seen on TV' in hopes of losing that 20 lbs or whatever the goal was. I have bought more exercise CD's than you'll ever know. (I intend to seriously use them though! Really!) I can't get over how many diet books, self-help books I have bought over the last 20 years convincing myself I would lose the weight.
I have belonged to many gyms but my interest would wane dependent upon what was going on in my life. I have had my share of distractions and struggles and they managed to become my excuse to stop. I used to go to the gym religiously and was maintaining my weight for years. But the problem was: I wasn't eating clean and then treating myself once in a while. I was drinking diet sodas, eating sugar, super fatty foods, etc. I was managing to burn off what I was eating but nothing beyond that. It was so frustrating to be a size 10 (occasional 8) and not break the barrier. I could not be convinced that eating clean 90% of the time was really important because I hate being deprived.
Well, considering the fads that have come and gone I am surprised it took me this long to finally come around to the Ideal Protein way. I know that lots of folks have great success on WW, Nutrisystem (total disaster for me), Jenny Craig, Atkins, South Beach, as well as medical programs like Medifast, and other home-based businesses like Herbal Life, Advocare, Body By Vi or Amway. I have done my research though and it comes down to what you eat first. Exercise is important and supplements are too but if you eat poorly it does not matter.
I had a physical a year ago and I was unhappy with my results. I was 40 lbs heavier than I wanted to be. I had high blood pressure, pre-diabetic, and feeling generally crappy. I did go to a acupuncturist and managed to get rid of many issues but inevitably the diet part of that plan failed. I just wasn't committing to eating right!
A year ago I also saw a friend of mine looking a lot thinner and I went right up to her to find out what the heck she was doing or if she was sick! Seriously, I thought that might be the case because the loss was so dramatic. She told me about IP, encouraged me to go to an open house just so I could hear about it. She warned me it was expensive. Well, my heart just sank right then and there because I just didn't have the spare cash lying around. She still encouraged to go to the free session, just to find out about the plan so I did. I learned all about ketosis, resetting the pancreas, the huge success of the program, met some current as well as returning clients and tried some of the 'foods'. I was convinced it was a good program but I wasn't ready to commit. It was probably more about the money but I really wasn't ready to go for it. It went into my mental file cabinet.
We had friends that had some success on Nutrisystem around this same time and so we thought we'd try it. We managed to do it for 2 months but I'm sorry, the food is awful. The 13 lbs I lost on that plan came back with a vengeance this year when Mark was laid off from work. We ate at home during his time off and we were not being super active so we both gained everything we had lost. I gained an extra 4 lbs too I had to buy clothes in the next size up and I had always sworn to myself I would never be this big. I tried to pacify things by buying cute clothes and shoes and thinking 'I can look beautiful no matter how big I am". I almost had myself convinced until I consistently saw how awful I looked in photos. I know, I know....I don't look awful BUT I looked distorted and bloated. It was obvious I was uncomfortable too. I no longer looked like the 'me' I remembered. It took a little while after that to really decide to get the guts to ask my husband to let me try this last ditch effort to get back to my healthy self. Not get skinny or cute, folks but healthy. I knew I had to do IP. It was the most medically sensible thing I could do for myself despite the expense. I like the discipline of eating specific types of foods at a certain time and being held accountable by having to maintain a food journal and come in for weekly weigh-in's. I also have a coach that works with me and answers any questions I have and supports me when I feel down. The big plus is I still get to cook or go out to dinner so my creativity is currently being used in making low carb, low fat dinners that I can eat that taste great enough for both me and my family. Taste, look and texture is super important so I'm working on this.
My husband has been a huge support and my biggest fan. I want him to be able to do this diet too but it's already pushing us past our regular budget. Hopefully, I can continue to research and find the right foods, protein powders and other things that can help him trim up in the meantime. Men do luckily lose almost double what women do so I'm thinking he can lose some weight just from my cooking healthier.
The cool thing about IP is that this diet isn't permanent. Once you lose the fat/weight you want the you switch to maintenance forever. It's a doable plan too with normal everyday food. You don't have to keep doing 'packets' and protein drinks! I'm looking forward to having a cheat day every week where I can eat anything and not feel guilty because I can go back to my Phase 1 ways for a day or so to re-tune myself. Getting my health back is finally the priority it needs to be. I'm really excited about this journey I'm embarking on. I hope you enjoy it as well!
IP started: 8/5/13
Goal: 23-25% bodyfat or approximately 40-45 lbs.
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