The First 3 Weeks on the Program

When you weigh over 300 pounds it is really hard to find a good scale to use to see how much you weigh. Most common sacales only go to 300 pounds or maybe 325 so it puts you at a disadvantage from the very start. I was weighed in the hospital because the bed was set up to do it and then in the doctors office because they have a special scale since they have the HCG weight loss program there. So three weeks into eating low glycemic loaded foods I only had a few choices with regard to weighing myself. I could go to the doctors office and weigh in there, but I was worried that I hadn't lost enough weight. Since I was concerned about what I weighed I decided to go with my second option. The Lansing City Market has a scale that they used to use for weighing in items for market that goes to 500 pounds. That is where I decided to go to weigh myself. I was totally amazed to see that I had lost 23 pounds. I didn't think it was possible so I had my wife get on the scale because she had weighed herself that morning before we went to the City Market and the scale was registering correctly. So how did I lose 23 pounds in 23 days? I did it by following some very simple rules. I cut out all processed food. It does take some work to do this, but it is well worth it. I make everything from scratch now. There are no more boxed dinners full of things that you can't pronounce. I cut out high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup and suger. For sweetners I try to only use a supplement called Stevia which is all natural. I read labels now and if has stuff in it that it shouldn't I don't use it or buy it. I quit drinking carbonated beverages of all kinds diet or regular. I tried to drink 1 ounce of water for every 20 pounds that I weighed. This was by far the hardest thing for me to do. Since weighing over 360 pounds meant that I had to drink 180 ounces of water per day. Holy crap is that a lot of water. I made a list of foods that have glycemic loads of 10 or less and then used those foods in all of my recips when I cook. I eat 5 - 6 times per day, but the portions are small. Even though the portions are small I don't feel hungry because of what I am eating. Because the foods I eat have a low glycemic load they don't spike my blood sugar and then cause cravings. On a typical day I will eat 2 apples, a salad and two other meals. All three meals that I eat have protein in them as well. This helps your body to maintain muscle mass. When losing weight you want to keep the muscle and lose the fat so you need to have protein in your diet. I didn't exercise. I walked one time and that was it. It makes me a little annoyed because if I had then I would have lost more weight. I did go out to eat a couple of times, but I have had no fast food in my diet. My wife and I went to Applebee's a couple of times, but we made smart choices. We ordered the 7 ounce sirloin steak and split it so that it would be the right portion size for each of us. Then we both opted for steamed broccoli for our vegetable. Most people feel that a diet is confining and the truth is that it is. In this case though by changing what I eat it has been liberating. I eat a lot more variety of things than I did before. I am always looking for new things and recipes to try. There are plenty of things to eat that are healthy and taste great. Eating this way is almost like stepping back in time to the 1930's or so. Back then they didnt have processed instant foods. They had to make everyhthing that they ate. While what we call food today is more convenient time wise we have given up nutrition and healthfulness. it is because of this that Diabetes and obesity are so rampant in our society. It took me almost 40 years of my life to realize that there are better ways to do things than to just go ahead with what our society makes out to be normal.

Tips that I used for losing weight:

1) Drink 1 ounce of water for every 20 pounds that you weigh

2) Cut out all fast food

3) Cut out all carbonated beverages

4) Cut out high glycemic load foods such as pasta, rice and breads

5) Eat 5 - 6 small meals each day

6) Eat 2 apples or 2 grapefruit each day

7) Follow a list of Low Glycemic foods (I will share the list as a seperate post)

8) Use only naturally derived sweetners such as Stevia and Xylitol

If you follow these guidelines you will lose weight. Right now there are 3 people including myself that I know are following this lifestyle to varying degrees.

Weight Loss To Date Since October 27, 2009:

Aaron 23 Pounds

Tasha 9 Pounds

Michele 20 Pounds