Dr's Follow Up Appt Coming Soon...

I have my follow up appointment with my Doc on Novemeber 4th. Really excited to share my weight loss results with him. Really not feeling any bad side effects from the Phen. Do notice that since it dehydrates you it also constipates you. I have tried hard to keep increasing my water intake but I think the last time my Husband went to the water and ice store their filters may have needed to be changed. Not sure!!! With that said I need to guzzle some water.

When I went to the store today I picked up some lemon juice so I was going to start making my night time hot lemon juice water alixir. Just to balance out the digestive track. Really do not want to become dependent on laxatives. Maybe with the increase in my exercise that will help get the pipes going on a regular basis.

Food Journal 10/29/2009

Journal - Lori Johnson - 10/29/2009 - Weight: 228

Took Phen @ 0730

Today was a stressful day at home with the kids. No cheating, no snacking all in all I handled the stress without binge eating. Thank God!!! Tomorrow starts my weekend at work.

Finally! ... Posting My Food Journal

Think I have managed to figure a system that will Blog my Food Journals!! Yah!! As you will see I am sticking around 1000C a day either over (by a smidgen) OR under. I will continue to add my Food Journal on a daily basis. Just click on the link below.

Journal - Lori Johnson - 10/28/2009 - Weight: 228

Took Phen @ 0530

Normal morning getting kids ready for school (ripping my hair out).
Went to the grocery store after dropping off my little one at Pre-School. Restocked freezer and fridge with healthy choices for the whole family. Trying to figure out different options for my daily meals as the tried and true are starting to get a little old. Checking Calories on everything I pick up to keep myself on top of watching what I buy these days. Seeing that I am staying on the outside aisles at the grocery store. I have heard many times that when shopping if you stay on the outside aisles you will get healthier choices. Tried and true!!

After shopping came home and prepackaged all the meat for the freezer. Found some awesome deals on meat at Walmart, so I stocked up. Pays to go shopping first thing in the AM. I started writing the Calories on the outside of the freezer packages (from the Nutrition Label on the meat) so when preparing food I have a better idea of what I am instore for. Feels good to prepare myself and knowing these tools will help me continue my weight loss (or maintain when I get there).

Food Tracker....

I'm still trying to figuire out how to add a Food Tracker on my blog. So bare with me as I experiment with applying different applications to my message board.

They Just Keep Dripping Off....

I can't believe I have officially lost 21.6 lbs since 9-7. I know the scale keeps telling me I am loosing but I am just not really feelin it quite yet. I'm not sure IF it's all in my head or why I haven't really felt a difference. The only thing I can equate it to is my normal average every day clothes include yoga pants and a tank or tshirt. On the weekends when I work I can really tell a difference because my scrubs are fitting quite loose these days. He! He! He! This past weekend I had to actually tie my pants on before they fell off and my tops actually fit over my hips WITH pants on. Prior to my weight loss my tops would ride my hips and butt. Not anymore!!!

I have offically kissed 21.6 lbs good bye. I am sooo happy to say that those 21 lbs are in my past and I will never see them again. I know most people worry about gaining them back but I DON'T!! I have learned healthy life long lessons that will stick with me forever.

Weigh In Day!!

Weight: 228.6

BF: 38.7
H2O: 44.7


Down 4 lbs as of last week and 22.8 since 9-7
BF down .4
H2O up .3

Getting Close....

I am about 2 lbs away from breaking into the 220's! I can not remember the last time I was in the 220's. I am averaging 2-3 lbs a week with just watching my Calories and portion sizes as well as taking my Phentermine on a regular basis.

This week I have added exercise to the program and so far... Monday I rode my bike with my youngest DD to school and after dropping her off took a 30 minute bike ride home. It was a beautiful day and since it was my first day adding exercise I only did a 30 minute ride. Tuesday was school day (BIG test) so I spent most of the day at school studying before the test and made sure I parked in the farthest parking spot to add extra walking into my day. Then today after dropping my DD off I went for a longer bike ride (45 minutes). It was another beautiful morning so it was easier to push myself a little farther.

I feel really good this morning and I'm hoping adding exercise will increase the amount of lbs I am loosing weekly. Every ten lbs that comes off makes me MORE motivated to keep up the life style change.

Doing about 2L of water a day so far and really need to increase that to 3L. Maybe with the exercise it will be easier to fill up those water bottles and chug-a-lug!!!

Visual Goal...

Here I am at 250lbs as of 9-7-09. I created this Virtual Model at My Virtual Model so I could have a visual reference of where I WAS and where I WANT to be. Notice the frumpy, non form fitting, loose clothes. "But there comfy!" Yeah right!! How can you be comfy being overweight?

Here is my Virtual Model of me at 175lbs. I know that either one of these aren't exactly ME but I have not a moment to spare in adding actual photos of me. Although I do want to add them when I can free up some time to scan an old photo of me that I took when I thought I was ready to start a "Diet" program that did not go anywhere. Then update them with actual pictures as time goes on and my weight loss continues.

Adding Exercise...

As I stated in my "Penny for My Thoughts" post I am finally adding exercise into my regime. I wanted to get a good grip on food/Calories and portion size before jumping in ALL at once. Baby steps!! I have a tentative goal to get some kind of extra exercise in daily. Yup!! 7 days a week. The weather has taken a turn for the better here in AZ and all the Zonian's finally come out of hibernation after a HOT summer. So NOW is the perfect time to add some kind of extra exercise.

First Tentative Weekly Goal:

Monday - Bike ride (scenic route home) after dropping DD off at Preschool
Tuesday - Farthest parking spot at school, extra walking to and from class
Wednesday - Bike ride (scenic route home) after dropping DD off at Preschool
Thursday - Farthest parking spot at school, extra walking to and from class
Friday - Play Wii with DD (no Preschool on Fridays), Wear Pedometer at **work
Saturday - Wear Pedometer at **work
Sunday - Family Bike Ride Day

I belong to Sparkpeople.com so my plan is to track my exercise and water intake on my Sparkpage. As a means of keeping it real!

**I work the night shift as a CNA and we pretty much run all night long.

Penny for My Thoughts...

I know 230ish is nothing to be proud of BUT today I realized I am down to my wedding day weight (8 years ago). Then my next thought was I am NEVER gonna be that weight again!! The scale keeps going down and at this point there is no turning back for me. I have done A LOT in the past few weeks since 9-7-09 to finally make permanent changes in my life.

Since I have been journaling my daily food, 40+ days now, I have seen major changes in my eating habits/choices/portions. I now never endulge in large quantities, can say NO to temptations and feel really good about it instead of beating myself up about it. Realize I can have a day where I "Live" a little (key word is a little) and not feel guilty about it.

I now know I never want to go back to what I WAS!!! I want to set a good example for my kids, make better choices, be able to play with my kids without feeling crappy afterwards, say YES when something comes up instead of making excuses, and ALL the other good stuff that comes with being healthier.

Now that journaling my food and Calories is like second nature for me I am going to add exercise into the regime. In hopes that it will bump up my weight loss. I wanted to take the time to really get a good grip on my food/water intake before adding anything else to my schedule. Plus a few schedule changes happened recently (Fall Break, Husband going to PT Tuesday's and Thursday's) that through me OFF schedule. So now that school (for the kids) is back in session and we are kinda back to what I call "normal" I can fit exercise into the daily grind.

I am looking forward to watching the weight drip off of me.

Weigh In Day....

Not disappointed! I was hoping for more but I am happy with my results. Been kinda stressed lately (school) so this does not surprise me. I have got to get some cardio in to relieve this stress.

Weight: 232.6

BF: 39.1
H2O: 44.4

Down 2.8 since last week and 18.8 since 9-7.
BF down .1 (not surprised)
H2O up .1 (not surprised)


**BF = Body Fat
**H2O = Hydration Level

Monday is Right Around The Corner....

I am anxious/nervous about Monday's weigh in. I had to work this weekend and OMGosh did I have temptations around me like no tomorrow. First a patients family brought in a Chocolate Raspberry cake for the night shift because they really appreciated all our hard work. 1 slice (1/8 of the cake) was 340 calories. I did NOT eat one bite!!! I am so proud of myself. Then later that same night I did a late food run for some of the girls who wanted Jack in the Box and I tell you what the smell of the greasy french fries and burgers was sooo tempting but after a while it almost became sickening. Really glad I packed my own Calorie safe dinner and ate that. The cake was still there last night and one of the girls finally cut into it and was not very impressed with the cake so I'm glad I passed on the temptation. So being able to pass on those temptations really makes me proud and now I can't wait to step on that scale.

I do have to confess that on Friday before I got ready for work I stepped on the scale and it read 232.8. IF this is true then I am down 17.4 lbs as of 9-7. I normally do not weigh myself in the evening... so to even see that I still lost is remarkable to me. Even with my splurging this week (Fall Break for the kids) I am still going down the right track!! So I am anxious/nervous to see what Monday's results will pan out for me.

Wish me luck!!

Wednesday Night!

2 of the 3 kids are back home and I am in no mood to go out to dinner for a long time. At least if the opportunity comes up I am gonna make better choices then I did the past two nights.

I am recovering from a miserable migraine that I woke up with this morning. Not sure if it was the food or just bad luck. I pretty much did absolutely nothing ALL day (not in the plans). So after some good rest I was able to crawl out of the bedroom and face lunch. I had to eat something so I made 1/2 of a sandwich with 2 slices of turkey and 2 slices of ham, topped with provolone cheese and 1 Tbsp of mayo. On the side I had 8 green olives (weird craving lately). Luckily lunch stayed done. Then with some more rest I had to face dinner. I had already decided I was going to have a large green salad (love green leaf lettuce) with red peppers, carrots, green onion, avocado (good fat), boiled egg and 1.5 Tbsps of dressing. Totally hit the spot and that's all I had to eat all day. Not sure I could handle much more then that.

Today I am feeling much better. Really watched my Calories close and was right at 1035 Calories for today.

Monday is coming around the corner (weekends fly by for me) so I am anxious to see my Weigh In results. Not confident about a big loss maybe even a maintain weight. I guess I will see!!

Bleh!!

My children have been spending the past two night's with my Mom and Dad camping. So my husband and I decided to go out to eat for the past two nights. I was very good at watching my portions and making somewhat healthy choices. I "Lived" a little but am paying the consequences now. I guess my body is not use to all that grease in a juicy hamburger (only ate half, 1st night) and hot wings (12, 2nd night). With my hamburger came french fries (did not order, did not touch) so I asked the server if I could get the steamed broccoli and carrots on the side. Then with my wings I ordered a dinner salad with dressing on the side (dipped the tips of my fork in the dressing instead of pouring it over the entire salad). I am sewing the "reapings" of the past two nights with feeling absolutely miserable. I am pretty sure my body after 35 days of watching my food is not use to greasy fried foods anymore!

So now it's time to get back on track!!

Not Terribly Sad!!

I am relieved I am still getting weight loss results but since I have this other issue with regularity I do not feel like I am loosing. This has caused some metal torment on my end but after weighing in today and seeing that I am still loosing then I guess I am on the right track.

I refilled my prescription and will be picking that up today as my Dr wants me to continue for another two months. I am excited about the prospects of continuing this to see how far I can go before the next two months are over.

Weigh In Day

Another week later -

Weigh in 235.4

BF 39.2
H20 44.3


Down 14.8 almost 16 lbs
BF down .2 (not suprising)
H20 up .2 (that is suprising bcause I have not been that good with water lately)

New Relief Remedy

After taking the Colon Clenz I have decided to try the Phillips Colon Health Probiotic. The Colon Clenz was a little more abrassive then I wanted and took two days for the unpleasant results (more like a laxative). My original choice was the Probiotic formula because it helps promote digestive health. Normally when taking something (yogurt, drinks, etc) with probiotic supplements it does take some time (week or so) for the digestive tract to experience relief. So I am continuing to take the PCH while taking my Phen in the AM.

Will post results later.


** UPDATE 10-12
I am not to sure how well this Phillips Colon Health is suppose to work because I have been taking it regularly for 1.5 weeks now and I am NOT getting any relief as of yet. This kinda discourages me because I think if I would have been more regular I might have lost some more weight. So with that said I am going to the vitamin store today and talk to one of the gal's there and see if they can recommend something. I know biologically I am designed for disaster because my Mom has the same problem. BUT a week without relief is too much!

Day 31 Wednesday 10/07

Food Journal:

Took Phen @ 0645
Took CH @ 0730

Breakfast: 450 Cal
1 C Kix 73
1/2 C 2% Milk 60
1/2 M Banana 53
Total 186

Lunch: 450 Cal
6 Triscuits 120
2 Slc Ham 30
2 Slc Turkey 30
1.5 Slc Chdr Chs 120
8 Grn Olives 50
Total 350

Dinner: 450 Cal



** CH = Phillips colon HEALTH PROBIOTIC
** Nutrition Facts found @ everydayhealth.com

Yeah For Me!!

I have been dreading that dumb scale in the Dr's office because I'm pretty sure it is more accurate then mine. I know loosing 11 lbs should make some kind of a difference but I am really only feeling the loss when I wear my scrubs. Guess I should wear my scrubs everyday, HUH??? LOL! So I jumped on the scale with no shoes, no purse, no sunglasses (didn't need the extra ounces, LOL!!) just my clothes and I weighed in at 237.0 lbs!!! OMFreakinGosh!! I knew I was down to 239 on Monday on my scale.... so to see I was down 237 at the Dr's office was fabulous!

I brought my food journal with me so he could see how committed I was to making this life style change. He was so excited for me BUT did remind me that what we are doing is just a tool and that after the 3 months I will need to do this with out the Phentermine. I figure at that point I should (IF I don't now) have a good grasp of what I need to do and have lost enough weight to make exercising easier for me and my family. He did add he would like me to work on eliminating the Diet Soda and I totally agree with him. I would like to be at a point where soda is not a staple in our house. He also liked my creative ways of getting some sort of exercise in: Riding bike's Mon, Wed and Fri in the mornings to drop my daughter off at school and Tue, Thur finding the farthest parking spot at school so I walk farther to class and after class.

I'm really proud of my progress!! I know I get plenty of comments about my scale/weight just being a number and I completely understand that. I use it as a tool to gage how I am doing. So far the only clothes I have noticed a difference in are my scrubs and well I don't want to wear those everyday as my gage. So the scale is my next option. I don't stress if I am up but I am pretty happy when it goes down (who wouldn't be).

A random thought crossed my mind about how someday I will be able to shop in the Average size clothes instead of the womans size clothes. Most womans size clothes can be very matronly looking so actually having a choice in my fashion is becoming exciting to me.

Follow Up!!

I have my 30 day follow up appointment on Wednesday with my Family Dr. I have been anxious about this appointment because I think he will be pleasantly surprised how well I have been doing. I really want him to see how serious I am about getting healthy for my future. I'm not sure what is to come from the appointment but I will be back to post after the appointment. I plan on bringing my food journal so he can see what I have been up to and hopefully he will guide me in the right direction IF I'm already not there.

Weigh In

Today is weigh in day and I have been sooooo nervous.

Weight 239.0


BF 39.5
H2O 44.1

So all in all my BF went down and my hydration level went up. Not to mention down a whole 12.4 lbs.

Weekend Test

Back to work this weekend! After last weekends camping trip and ALL the birthday festivities I am ready to get to normal life. I have successfully recovered from the 2lb gain and already lost them this week. Probably because I took some "bloat" relief this week. Have to be careful how I remedy that (bloat).

My two challenges on the weekends especially when I work are:

- When to take my pills???
During the week I take them early in the AM as prescribed but on weekends I work the night shift and if I took them in the AM I would have NO energy/willpower for work.

- When to eat??
During the week I am pretty scheduled for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (sometimes snacks). On my weekends when I work I have to account for sleep time during the day hours so I am rested for work. So sleeping messes up my scheduled meal times.

So my thought process is on Friday and Saturday I eat Breakfast as normal, have a small snack (especially on Friday) mid-afternoon, take a nap (Friday's), sleep (Saturdays), take my pill right when I wake up, eat lunch for dinner (at home) 30 minutes after I wake up, then eat a light dinner at work to get me through the shift. Crossing my fingers this may work!! XX

Any suggestions I will truly appreciate!!