Down 70 lbs and counting...my weightloss journey

The ratio of calorific contributions from food components of four diets (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ok so I guess it was time for an update on the weight loss. For those that may just be reading this, I have been on a weight loss journey since March of this year. It's been a fantastic experience, but not an easy one but it could be a lot worse. I could have had a relapse and gain some back, or hit a dreadful plateau. Because I don't weigh every day and I don't recommend anyone do that while dieting, if I did hit a plateau, it may have been only a short lived one.
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The way the diet has been is this, I might go two-three weeks with no change and then just when I think I'm making no progress...boom, 5-10 lbs. gone. Just like that. I have not indulged in any real sweets but I have broken down a few times and had a few handfuls--and I mean handfuls of raisins and a few scoops of peanut butter. It was delish! LOL..
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Ok, so here's another thing, and it goes against what everyone in the diet field would say but I never eat breakfast, never have. I just don't have an appetite in the morning, (except for coffee) so I say if I am not hungry, don't eat. Part of the problem with getting overweight in the first place is eating, out of habit, at certain times, whether you're truly hungry or not. I don't see the advantage in that, because you're basically training your body to ignore your natural hunger signals. I am not recommending anyone follow my lead here, but just sharing with you what I have done and what has gotten 70 pounds off of my body. So instead of eating at breakfast I do make sure most days to have a snack a few hours before supper.
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I know I say I do low carb and for the most part I do, but for my snack, I have a small bowl of celery stalks, cut into 4 inch sections, a few pieces of cheddar cheese, and maybe a little thin sliced ham, and some light ranch dressing with a few wheat thin crackers. I have a bowl I make myself use, and it can only hold up to a bout a cup or so of food but its an easy way for me to control the portions without thinking too much.  At supper, one piece of meat and some vegetables. Usually squash, zucchini, maybe roasted sweet potato.. I do not allow myself to go back for seconds except if it is soup.  I try to never ever eat past 6 pm either. If I have to have something late night I might have a cup or two of broth, or a few more stalks of celery.
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Well that is the update for now. I will be returning to dr. for my regular check up October 13th? I am not sure at this moment..but I dread going to the Dr. but I do like getting weighed and seeing her face light up from the progress :D

Remember, it can be done, it's not going to be easy, but its not the hardest thing in the world to do, at least not from my perspective. I'd rather give up too much food than to give up not living enough of my life. Ya know?

Weight Loss Progress

Weight and height are used in computing body mass index, an indicator of risk for developing obesity-associated diseases. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Well Im down a total of 45 lbs. and it has not been easy, birthdays, Mothers Day, Fathers Day all call for cakes, and cookouts etc. It can be hard for the person trying to lose weight especially doing low carb.
I only take Phentermine when I can remember. I know that sounds crazy but remembering to take my thyroid meds and blood pressure meds is about all my mind seems to want to allow for. I know it is supposed to be considered "addictive" but this just hasn't been my experiment. My theory is, if it is addictive, I'm sure I'd remember to take it every day without fail. Perhaps for others it is addictive..I can only relate my own personal experiences.

I am still employing overall reduced portions, and following the low carb plan..which for me is a simplified version, more veggies, less carbs, but I know Im headed for a plateau so I have to prepare for that strategy. Two things I have learned is 1. I don't need as much food as I thought I did, 2. It doesn't necessarily get easier as time goes by.

The Low Carb/Portion Control Project update: My progress

Well this is the first week of the third month of my dieting experiment, which I'll call the Low carb/Portion control Project. Thus far total weight loss has been 33 lbs. My daily regimen thus far has been to increase my water intake. Diet Soda has been kicked to the curb. I still drink coffee and that will just have to be my vice, as I am not prepared to give that up too.

What jump started this new journey in my weight loss was my Dr. finally agreeing to give me something to help. The pill is called Phentermine. Now because my weight was at a crisis point, she decided that the benefits would outweigh the risks.

What was the risks? Well for some people with high blood pressure Phentermine can cause it to raise, and also additionally in some people heart palpitations. However I will say my Dr's strategy has proven correct and my personal case, my blood pressure has steadily gone down since losing some weight. The last reading was 129/76. I'll take it. At the beginning my bp was around 130/86 so it was going in the wrong direction. I currently take medicine for my blood pressure so the diet has been a good thing.

Side effects of Phentermine- Well in the first week, I did feel a little "wired" more energetic, but by the second week that subsided. I suspect though that my sleep patterns are still a little off, but I can't be sure since I have never been a great sleeper not since I hit my forties anyway.

Now I have only three months left on Phentermine, because my Dr. will not prescribe it for longer than six months because it is supposedly habit forming. I personally haven't found that  to be the case, since I often forget to take it. You are supposed to take it one hour before you eat in the morning and it is supposed to curb your appetite. Even though I've lost weight, I can't be sure that this pill is the reason, since I go to a lot of effort to eat low carb and smaller portions. Am I still hungry sometimes? Oh yes!
What do I do? I try my best to fight through it, I gulp down some bottled water and I find something productive to do. My weakness is wanting to eat at night so the sooner I can get to bed and fall asleep the better. Challenging for a chick that doesn't sleep well.

The other challenge is that I have a thyroid condition so this weight loss thing is even more tricky. Why? Because lots of foods I love that are low in carbs are also not necessarily ideal for thyroid, inasmuch as they can interfere with my thyroid medicine working properly. I will get blood work done probably the next Dr. visit at the end of this month and I will find out what the scoop is then.