Changing my Life through Accu-weight Loss

As I predicted, my weight stayed the same this morning =[.
That’s amazing. A couple pieces of chocolate and I couldn’t lose a pound..
It’s okay though, I will update with the stuff I ate today and the exercise I did (def. working out today)

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So I had two small peaches today and a small apple.. (the fruits weren’t as big as the servings allowed)
but then later, there wasn’t really any vegetable I could eat.. so my stepdad picked up a  salad from BK on his way back.. it had chicken in it and cheese.. the chicken was separate.. but I ended up grubbing on 3 small pieces.. yeah I know it is bad.  Plus he brought apple pie for my mom.. grr… Also the tiny pieces of cheese aren’t allowed. I know it won’t affect me very much but this is why my weight loss was so slow last time.. I kept cheating on little pieces here and there..
But it is okay, tomorrow is milk.. and I will buy sugar-free candy. usually when I want to eat something I’ll just pop in a sugar-free candy ( a craving) but I ran out.
Today I worked out on the treadmill for about an hour.. 2.8 miles and 300 calories.. Not bad.
I won’t trust tomorrow morning’s weight but we’ll see on Monday if I lost.

I weighed in this morning.. down another pound! yay! 170! 11 days.. Hmm… So I might be able to lose another 10 in the month-span. I’d be happy losing just 15 a month but I haven’t been cheating, and I’ve been drinking tons of water and following this diet to the word so far.. I can’t believe I freaked out over a couple extra sugar-free candies…
Sooo.. I might hit 160 either by 6/12, though I doubt this rate will keep going.. especially around period time, BUT.. a month would be 6/20.. Soo.. there is a good chance I’ll lose another 10 lbs by then. I’d be so happy! That would mean I really could get to the 150’s by the Fourth of July.
But I won’t get myself super-excited b/c the rate is especially fast b/c it is still within my first couple weeks. Still, if I work out consistently, at least 30 min each day or 5 days a week, I just might get there.

Yay, I’m so happy~
Okay, I’ll update what I ate today later tonight. =]

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BAD!
There wasn’t really any type of raw vegetable to eat, except for tomatoes, and usually I wouldn’t mind having pieces of a tomato but I wasn’t in the mood, so I had the rest of the soup that was there.. which was like less than half a cup.. and I had a peach and two baby banana’s. Not terrible.
Ugh I’m so mad though, if I had just stuck with that!
I had tons of water, I didn’t work out today like I should have, but still I lost a pound and I was feeling pretty good and energetic, I cleaned and stuff..
Well Darlayne called and I haven’t hung out with them in a while (theyre twins), not since the first week I got back from college, which is before I started the diet up. Okay, well I’ve known these girls since first grade.. I go over to their house a lot, they always have food, and they love junk food.. except that they are athletic and thin from swimming their whole lives.. on the team and stuff… Grr.. so.. that’s like a habit.. I’d go their house, theyd have snacks, we’d watch movies, or just hang out…
There’s that certain expectation you know? Well I went there n there was nothing on TV so we watched the spelling bee and made fun of people, mainly we thought the kids were cute but still it was soo hardcore and serious, and boring, of course we were making jokes. And I let them know I was dieting.. but they snack a lot.. and so they were sitting there eating these sour pretzel type things.. oh man.. and kept passing it to each other in front of me. I know they didn’t MEAN to, its like a habit, esp whenever people are over… So i let that go. Then for some reason I just had cravings for sweets.. I think its because when we were younger we always used to bake stuff and whenever i go there they usually have something like brownies or chocolate truffles.. you know.. So.. I fought it off for a good two hours.. then finally I gave in and I had this thing of chocolate.. its like.. a reese’s peanut butter cup except it has peanuts as well and its bigger! and i had these 3 tiny balls of white chocolate. AH.
Now, if this was any other diet, stuff like that might be forgivable.. but in THIS diet.. noo..
and it all tasted good.. I was hoping it would taste too sweet but that doesn’t go away until you are later in the diet.. AHH!

SO! this means I probably won’t lose a pound until.. maybe.. sunday?
In the meantime, I’m drinking tons of water to  help flush it out.. and I’m going to work out tomorrow too..  I’m so mad at myself, I broke the rate of loss I was having! I was doing SO well too. I’m going to bring sugar-free candy w/ me next time to help calm the cravings.. I had gum but the flavor was lost. Oh well. An “oops” day for me. At least the cheat wasn’t at home, that gives me peace of mind. in fact.. I had more cravings to eat more chocolate.. and I just remembered that we have all those kit kats at home, but I don’t feel at all like I want any. I think it is just the social stigma attached to being at their house.

Anyway, I’ll weigh in tomorrow, but I won’t count it until Sunday b/c that is probably when I’ll lose again.. or maybe Monday, who knows.. b/c I’ll be working out.
Alright then.. we’ll see what happens.. end of the week is Monday anyway so yeah.

I am down another pound! 171. yay. =]

I’ll update later..

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Had:
-One 8-ounce glass of milk with a drop of vanilla  extract and some sweet n low
-One 8-ounce cup of heated up milk w/ 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa, a dash of salt, sweet n low, and a drop of vanilla extract (hot cocoa).
- Definitely more than 6 pieces of sugar-free gumdrops.. probably  around 14..   I’m worried that I had high-fructose corn syrup b/c I bought it from the port authority and it doesn’t have nutrition info.. and we’re not allowed corn syrup since it messes up the diet.. But it’s OKAY, even if my weight-loss is slowed by a day b/c it wasn’t a HUGE cheat or anything.

This morning I had lost a pound, and it was like that the whole afternoon.. but then I had a few more sugar-free gumdrops than I should have ( I bought them from the port authority) and my stomach has been reacting badly =[ so I filled up on water.. my stomach feels pretty bloated.. So my weight is up a bit but I know that is not fat gain or anything, it is just water weight. I didn't work out today b/c my knees hurt yesterday and I decided to take a break since I haven't really been working out prior to this week. I will work out tomorrow though. I hope I drop a bit more tomorrow.... but my real weight probably won't show until Saturday. I'll be happy to be in the 160's again.. starting around 165 is when it becomes really manageable and when the weight loss shows. 20 more lbs til I am at 150, which is sort of a mini-goal for me b/c that is my comfortable weight and my face really starts sharpening.

My boyfriend has been trying to diet and lose weight the way he did before.. but he isn't having much success and it really isn't his fault (when you're living on your own and money is tight, and the food your dad drops off once in a while is lasagna.. well you get the picture). He just needs stability right now, he's trying to get some stuff paid off.. But he still wants to lose weight and eat healthier..  Anyway the point is.. that I talk mention my diet to him all the time and he doesn't want to talk about it. I can understand though, b/c he isn't feeling that great about his weight and I.. kinda mention my diet a lot lol. I can't help it! It's that this diet is so different but works so well, and I see results the next morning or the day after that (unless I cheat). So it's exciting to lose so fast and know you'll be done by the end of the summer and once you transition properly and just maintain, you don't gain. It.. is exciting. So I need a weight-loss buddy. I wish I knew someone else on the program but since I'm doing it on my own it is hard to meet other people who are on the Accu-weight loss diet. Meh. That's why I have this blog I guess, to get all my feelings out there. I think it's b/c its the summer and I'm waiting for responses on my job apps.. plus that everyday I get excited knowing I'm a pound lighter.. So it's constant. Also, this blog is really helping me not stray and cheat. Now that I am over the first week, there is no way I am going to slow down my weightloss by cheating!
Oh yeah! I finally got a ticker =]

I weighed myself this morning.. I went down to 172! Yay. =] 8 lbs in 9 days, with my period AND a cheat day. That’s pretty damn good. I’m beginning to look thinner already. Woot.

I’m so tired. I woke up early because I’m going to Time Square..
My friend just called and told me she can’t go til after 3:30.. So I guess I woke up and showered early for nothing! It’s okay though, I tried to get to sleep earlier last night but I couldn’t fall asleep til like 3:30, or 4!! So.. waking up early today is going to help me get to bed earlier each night. I think I’m going to try to get up by 9 am everyday whether I have stuff to do or not. At least I won’t feel like I wasted a chunk of the day, especially in the summer.
Anyway.. I’m aiming to lose another 5 lbs this week.. so hopefully by June 3 I’ll be down to 168.. then I’m hoping to lose another 5.. to 163/162 hopefully. If I keep it up after that.. I SHOULD be down around 148 by July 4! That would be amazing.. b/c.. 148 is the thinnest I got last time, and when I’m in my 150’s, I start wearing a size medium on top and a snug 11 on the bottom.. and people don’t regard me as “fat” and I don’t feel fat.. I feel a little chubby but that is when I start to feel comfortable with my body overall. Also my face gets way thinner around then.

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So I got back from NYC.. SO exhausted.. I’m pretty sure we walked at least 2 miles.. probably 2.5.. which is what I do on my treadmill but this is a lot more satisfying of course! except I had on flats.. so my feet are aching but hey it was worth it. I met up with Svetlana on 14th street.. we took a subway there.. then we walked around Union Square and some other parts… and went to Joe’s. I had an iced coffee with some whole milk (today is my milk day) and a bunch of splenda. We spent like half an hour there just relaxing and talking.. then we walked around a bit more.. and ambitiously decided to walk back to 42nd street… 28 blocks. Went into H&m.. Svetlana bought a couple items for Cancun.. I didn’t really like anything there.. I noticed that the quality of the fabrics in the trendy summer clothes were.. TERRIBLE. They would last maybe a year or so before you could tell its old. I’m very picky and my mother made clothes since she was 14, and she used to own a clothing factory.. so I’m pretty experienced in knowing how much it costs to make what they make, and the quality. Well.. it was terrible, the quality was atrocious — each summer top should be soldfor $5-7 in my opinion, that’s how cheap it was, but they charge like $14-$18. I mean, come on!

Oh yeah, Food-wise.. MAN is it tempting to buy pizza or ice cream or any food really when you are in NYC. Buuut, i resisted, even in the coffee shop, the pastries looked so good. Another good thing is how pricey things were lol so that deterred me even more. Also, when we were in the Port Authority, Rocio was hungry b/c she didn’t eat.. so she went into.. Au borin, or.. something..  idk lol but there is a lot of food there, especially pastries and bagels, sandwiches.. now THAT was tempting. She bought a cheese danish and she felt bad and offered me a tiny piece.. But I find in this diet that when you have little cheats here and there, it makes it VERY hard mentally b/c that taste stays with you and you crave more. You start to think, well a little won’t hurt.. but this isn’t a ketotic diet..  those really affect you..
Anyway, the urge and temptation to eat was certainly not enough, and I didn’t feel THAT deprived.. after you stay on this diet and followthe foods exactly.. your cravings for sweets subside.. and well I LOVE sweets. But losing weight is more important and I didn’t feel that huge of a craving.
On another note..

Well I need a job, I applied to a few places and I’m waiting on these two banks to call me back.. I’m going to call them up to let them know I submitted a resume online.. that’s what I had to do in Walgreens to be noticed. I want a jooob.. so i can have something to do and make money.. and be able to have a shopping spree in August when I’m done losing weight and I’m on transition mode (assuming I follow everything).
Anyway, I’m beat, it was a great day, we’re going back again sometime to go to the Met, I actually have never been there and it’s a shame because I live 15 minutes away from Time Square!
I’m going to unwind and then call the boyfriend =]

I weighed myself this morning.. kind of disappointing.. I only went down like less than a pound. I’m around 173.5 - 174. Not terrible but on this diet, I should have gone down at least to 173 solid, probably to 172. But, I DID cheat once with rice and chicken, and a second time with smaller tidbits. So considering all that, the 6-lb loss was still pretty good. I’m going to work out later again today, and try to eat some fresh veggies.

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So today I did 200 cals on the treadmill, less than the other day and only 1.8 miles.
I actually think I rushed into the workout.  First, I haven’t worked out in a while, second, its still the beginning of the diet and my body is still adjusting…
I know because I’ve been feeling light-headed all day… I couldn’t figure out why because I never really got light-headed to this point.. but I remember reading that on my diet, you should expect it the first week and maybe a little longer.. And if it happens, drink tea with a spoonful of honey. Well I DID do that, but when I started to feel better I had an energy drink and then I hopped onto the treadmill. Well… later I started feeling so light-headed again.. On the Accu-weight loss diet, you don’t NEED to work out to lose the minimum of 15 lbs a month (assuming you are very strict in following it, but we all have our cheat’s once in a while).. BUT they support exercising in that it will help you be fit in general (no weight-building though b/c that requires a protein diet, but definitely cardio and tons of walking).
Well.. I guess I got waaaay too excited about doing this diet again, and knowing that I have 3 months more to lose 45 lbs, (15 lbs a month, well you do the math) and if I do work out AND follow everything, I could probably lose 20 lbs in a month and save the August time period as the start of my tranisitioning.
Oh yeah I also haven’t taken my vitamins in a couple days so that added on.

So.. I’m not going to work out tomorrow.. I estimate that I will probably be well-adjusted enough by Friday to start working out. Anyway, tomorrow I’m meeting up with a friend from college and an old friend from high school and we’re going window-shopping in Time Square. I haven’t been there in a while. So the walking will be leisurely enough and I’m going to make sure I take my multivitamin before I go. The weather is supposed to be in the 60’s so it won’t be uncomfortable.

Today I remembered that I bought these two Roxy sleeveless tunics from Tjmaxx a while back. One is a size medium, the other is large, but the large is a small large. Now, I LOVE clothes. Especially when I was working and making money… in combination with being thinner than I’d ever been.. well you get the picture.. I LOVED buying clothes. Welllllll.. another plus to this diet is you really SEE the weight going.. you lose inches really fast. Last time I was on this diet, I would go shopping with a friend and I would hold back but if  I saw something really nice I would buy it in a size medium, as motivation for when I get down to that size. I went from XL to medium.  These two tunics are SO cute. I tried them both on, the size medium one is the kind that is tight at the sleeves and it tapers out.. I wore it but you could tell it was too small. I admired it though.. I used to do that too.. after I’d bought the item, I would try it on.. sometimes it wouldn’t even go over my head! Then.. after I lost enough weight, I’d try it on and be ECSTATIC! it would fit really well and look really good….
So that’s what I’m doing with that item.
As for the other tunic.. well that one is longer and it is very cute.. it’s cotton and strechy. When I tried it on at tjmaxx, it couldn’t fit over my hips very well. I tried it on today and it did. It fits.. but I didn’t like my stomach. Well.. I don’t wear sleeveless items alone anyway (part of culture) so when I tried it with this light-fabric blazer I had, it looked really good. One thing I always liked about my body is its proportions. I have a large chest, full hips, and a shapely butt. Even when I lost weight, I kept the proportions.. I like how my stomach is shaped too.. my body is evenly distributed. So.. the look I put together looked really well.
I’m debating whether I want to wear it or not tomorrow.. Even though I’m still losing weight, it doesn’t mean I have to look like a bum! But I KNOW it’ll look good even 10lbs from now, and even better at 20. The good thing is that its stretchy.. if I wash it, it’ll shrink.. and at a looser fit, it’ll look even better on me.

Hmm. I think I will wear it. I don’t want to look like a bum..

Today is so beautiful!

For the past few days I’ve been working at my room, cleaning, dusting, throwing out old paperwork n clothes (I’m really bad with holding onto old things for its sentimental value). I realize how much clutter that causes, especially all of my high school paperwork and notebooks. When am I ever going to look at them? I threw away most of them, I kept a couple but most of it is gone. Anyway, so that was kind of.. my work out I guess you could say, sweeping, cleaning, dusting, mopping. Spent HOUUURSS each day.

Well, the result is GREAT! I spent yesterday putting up posters and decorating/rearranging stuff. It feels wonderful. Helps me stay organized mentally as well.
Having a neat, clean room is SO important I think, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. If I had just cleaned as I went along and put things back, not letting it build up, I wouldn’t have had to work so hard to get everything neat and clean the way I like it. Now I’m enjoying my room, my private space.
Kind of like weight loss.. Actually, it’s JUST like weight loss! If I had just controlled myself before, I wouldn’t have had to go on this diet and work so hard. Keeping a neat room is really helping me in my weight loss actually, because before I would look around, see the clutter, and it would make me depressed because your room.. that is your private space, your sanctuary, that’s how you.. EXPRESS yourself. I would take comfort in food. Now, I enjoy my room… it helps me stay focused with EVERYTHING.
Keeping my room neat and clean is a daily reminder of my weight too, and how great I will look and feel at the results. It keeps me focused of my diet and reminds me that as easy as it is to pick up that piece of chicken or that piece of chocolate, it is not worth throwing away the whole week for.

Oh yeah, last night I was putting up posters and blasting music. I went downstairs to see what my parents were up to and to see if anything was on TV and I see my rents eating away at this big bag of Kit Kats!
My mom was like “SORRY! uhh.. it tastes bad, theyre SO disgusting..” it made me laugh, it wasn’t a big deal. Any other day and I would have eaten maybe 5 or 6 of those mini Kit Kat packs. I thought it over and I realized how much easier this diet gets when you DON’T cheat. When you DO cheat even once, it gets SO much harder and easier to get off of it and gain weight. I read this interesting article online about how instead of AVOIDING the foods you can’t eat, it’s better to have them around and practice restraint, because in real life, unhealthy food SURROUNDS you and it is SO EASY. So, having the Kit Kats there help me actually. Last night there was a stray on the kitchen table, I can’t tell you how many times I passed by, eyed it, and almost picked it up. It’s this little piece of chocolate, what could it do right? Then I remember how strict my diet is, how MUUUCH that one little piece will affect me, and I give it up. I tell myself, yes, I realize there is chocolate and I am FREE to have a piece, but that I AM FREE, I am FREE to say NO, and lose weight.
These tiny accomplishments get me through the day.

I woke up this morning, had 3 glasses of water, looked around and smiled at my room, at the light coming in through the windows. Before, I would keep my curtains closed in my room and my door, now I leave the windows open, I let the light in, and I enjoy it. It has become the personal space I always wanted and it reminds me of how weight-loss is a total change, a TOTAL improvement. I want to lose weight, get in shape, CONTROL how I eat, and it will help me CONTROL other aspects in my life. It is working so far, I am slowly getting to be the person I want to be, I am thinking positively and being who I am.

Today I finally went on the treadmill around 1ish, I usually do interval training where you walk at a leisurely pace, then you jump up to running and push yourself to sprinting at high speeds. Then you go back to liesurely… you do these for a while and it helps keep your metabolism up for the rest of the day.
I did about 2.5 miles, in about 45 minutes, not bad considering how long its been, (about a month n half).
I have to say that, the first time I was trying to lose weight, when I had gotten down to the weight I am at, I could only do maybe.. 1.5 miles, 2 at the most. Today I could have gone to 3 miles but I didn’t want to push myself that far. During the semesters I worked out too, even as I was gaining, not VERY often like first semester but still I did work out a couple times, and I would do 3+ on the elliptical in 40-50 minutes. It made me realize that even though I gained weight, I am SO much better than the first time as far as health-wise and fit-wise. Before I started working out, I HATED physical education because I couldn’t run that far in that little time and I wouldn’t do as well in a team. AFTER I started losing weight, I love phys. ed. and my instructor and those around me all complimented me in how much weight I’d lost, and I no longer tried to blend into the background, I tried to stand out!

So, I may have gained weight back because I never transitioned or tried to, and it may be my second time, but I still learned a lot from the first time around, and after doing it, I KNOW I am capable, and I had a taste of what it feels like. NOW I’m striving to lose the weight this summer and go to college, cook healthy meals even after I transition so I can maintain, and BE HAPPY and CONFIDENT.

So today, I saw the Kit Kat’s again, didn’t think twice about not getting some, and headed straight to the fridge for this organic crushed red pepper and tomato soup. I read the ingredients and it is all veggies and a small amount of milk. I don’t know if it is approved by my diet, but considering that V8 drinks allowed and that milk is the only other ingredient, I had a cup of it. It is AMAZING and delicious, about a month ago when I was trying this diet again during college, I had this soup every veggie day, only about a cup n half though b/c we are allowed about.. 1 1/2 lbs of fruits and veggies, and it takes about that much to make one can of V8, so I used the measurement and applied it to the soup. When I did the diet for about a week in college, I still lost about 7 lbs that week so I did not see any slowing of the process, I thinkt he soup works with this diet, so I’m going to keep eating it.. but not a lot though b/c V8 is discouraged itself b/c the doc wants you to allow your body to chew some solid food since the other two days are milk, and it can affect you mentally. So when there aren’t veggies around, or stuff I like, I’ll have the soup. For fruit today, I limited myself to a few grapes, about a handful. I think that is the allowance for the day.

AGAIN this diet is amazing. Even after I worked out I did not feel hungry, in fact I have a lot of energy. I still don’t feel hungry, I keep massaging the beads and filling up on water and if I have an intense craving, I have a piece of sugar-free Jolly rancher  or a sugarless piece of gum. We are allowed up to 6  of sugar-free hard candy or gum anytime, and for the hard candy, it can’t be more than 10 calories a piece. So I had around two pieces today and I’m saving the rest for later in the night.

Anyway, I DID cheat this week so I am not expecting the 8 lb loss I was hoping for during the first week, but I still lost weight and I accepted that I cheated and did not continue, when you accept what you have done but keep going, it makes you stronger and helps you not do it in the future.
I’m going to weigh myself tomorrow as that marks the end of the week, to see how much I lost.

Anyway, until tomorrow…

Down to 174.5….
I stalled in between because I kinda cheated a couple days before.. I had a couple pieces of chicken with rice (my mom had jsut cooked and it was amazing) and then yesterday I had those sugarless pudding cups on my milk day but I had a few and after 6 pm.

Anyway.. I still lost a pound n half so whatever, a loss is a loss!
I’m going to start working out today.. I feel like I can. I’m going to have a cup of tea with honey first and since I haven’t worked out in like a month, I’m going to just walk first on the treadmill and break that ice.

Another milk day!

Haha, okay so I decided to weigh myself today. Happy to say that on my 3rd day I’m down 4 lbs. at 176.  Yay me!I’m predicting at least another 3 lbs. lost by next Tuesday..   

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So today I tried following a recipe… keyword is tried..  We didn’t have fresh vegetables in the house really, at least not the kinds I eat when I’m on this diet. We only had mixed.. so I tried this recipe which involves lemon juice, ground pepper, parsley, garlic, onions and then your vegetables of choice.  I am no cook. I need to learn though, but the meals I HAVE cooked involve oil, rice, potatoes and some kind of meat. My family is Bangladeshi (next to india) so you could imagine the types of food I’m used to.. at least like flavor wise. The recipes on the site are.. well… not the type I’m used to. Everything ends up tasting so bland to me.  This recipe is really good though, except that the veggies I used were from a mixed bag so it was carrots, peas, corn and lima beans. I had to pick the lima beans out because I can’t have them.. no starchy vegetable allowed (no potatoes =[ )

For “dessert” I followed a recipe where you blend 4 bananas (I only had 2 and also 2 servings of fruit a day), blend it with the Walden Farms 0 calorie chocolate syrup (I used unsweetened cocoa), a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of walden farms 0 calorie pancake syrup. Then you pour it into a bowl and leave it in the freezer for a bit. The result.. well it was pretty delicious actually. Tasted REALLY good. I’m going to do that again maybe tomorrow if I get some more banana’s… 

Okay while this all sounds fine and everything.. I DID cheat today! Bad bad bad. BUUT, it wasn’t an extreme cheat like I would do before which would mess the whole week up for me.. this one just slowed it down for the week. So I may only lose like 2 more lbs. for the week. I had 4 cream puffs.. really tiny ones though.. My mom brought them back b/c at her workplace they had allll this food given to them by corporate.. (ice cream cake, cakes, fruits, pizza) 

Also.. I ate this all before 6 pm… if you’re going to cheat on this diet, at least cheat between the hours  and drink tons of water. Well I drank a bunch after that. I DO feel it though.. the small effect from that one cheat. But it’s okay the important thing is I stuck through the rest of the day. 

I’ve been staying up so late ever since the semester ended.. I’m going to wake up early tomorrow so I can go to bed early and try to get my sleep system back in check..

My dad called me from work and I found out that my uncle on his side passed away today. He’s younger than my dad, and like my dad, he has a lot of health issues relating to diabetes and his heart. I know my dad is really torn up, I couldn’t go see him today because he got home at around 8 and I couldn’t get a ride, plus I was feeling pretty sick… I am going to sleep over there this weekend though. I feel really bad, he died a couple weeks after my grandma died.. So my dad is.. going through a lot. I wasn’t close with either one, as heartless as it sounds, I sympathize but I haven’t cried. I know once I see my dad I will though..It’s another reason why I’m getting in shape.. my dad’s side has health issues, my dad is pretty sick himself from diabetes and he was legally blind at one point.. His side has a habit of not really taking care of their health. I’ve been healthy my whole life.. my doc always told me that despite me being overweight, I was healthy, but b/c of the diabetes that plagues my dad’s side of the family, I need to lose weight to lessen the risk. All of them got it later in their lives. Well, I am taking control.. again.. but that is the main reason why I want to lose weight.. I want to be fit so I ca live long and healthy.

Well, this was day two. Today was a milk day.. I had under the 20-ounces and had 16 (2 cups) but the doc says you need to intake at least half of what is prescribed. I made the most of what I had and made mochachino’s. I blended together a cup of milk with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of decaf coffee, a spoon of Hershey’s Unsweetened Powdered Cocoa, a few packets of splenda, and some ice. The result - a mochachino customized to my liking with probably a tenth of the calories found at Starbucks. - amazingI had two of those. 

When I woke up today I felt pretty crappy… first day of period.. for me.. my period means constant cramps the first couple days, sore breasts the days before, and just getting really tired and bummy. Usually, I would just stuff my face with sweets the days before… I crave junk food a lot before my period. I didn’t give in though, I had my two cups of milk and the rest of the day I just drank tons of water and took my vitamins. Proud of that! Last time when I was on this diet and stuck with it, my periods became less painful and lighter too. I would just take an ibuprofen but I’d have energy to do things.. So I’m looking forward to that again.. haha.

It’s only been two days but I already feel the difference. I know I’m retaining water right now so I can’t wait to weigh myself  on monday to see my progress. I would weigh myself earlier but I’m going to stay at my dad’s for the weekend.. He needs me and I haven’t seen him in a while. Tomorrow is fruits and veggies. I have a bunch of grapes and some apples. We’re allowed up to 2 lbs. of fruits/veggies more veggies than fruit (up to 2 apple-sized worth of fruit). Sucks b/c veggies are what kill me.. We can’t use oil so it’s hard to make something that tastes good. There’s a bunch of recipes on the site though. I think I’m going to take it easy tomorrow and just cook some frozen veggies with a spray of Pam (we’re allowed a spray or two).  I’m not sure, we’ll see.I’m going to start my workout regimen again on Monday, by then I won’t be feeling so sore and my body will have adjusted enough to the diet.

Today I felt a hunger pain.. you usually feel it the first week. Doc says to rub your beads and drink water, and if you feel weak, drink tea and a spoon of honey. Well I rubbed my beads, and drank a glass of water.. and wow it really worked. When I say hunger pain I mean my stomach felt like it would eat itself, but when I did the bead and water thing, I felt content again. What can I say, I love this program. I mean even though you are deprived, you don’t feel the hunger, it’s all mental. In fact, that it is all mental makes you so aware of how you eat a lot not because you’re hungry but purely out of psychological reasons. I mean we drink milk for the fat and the protein to help get through the day and veggies and fruit for the vitamins and minerals.

And you don’t feel weak…  I’ve had to fast during Ramadan and I would really FEEL hungry… but on this diet I don’t FEEL hungry or tired. That’s why I love it. And the diet itself is simple because there’s only so few things you can eat but you can do a lot with it at the same time.Anyway enough of this, I am going to sleep and I will wake up earlier so I can fix my sleep pattern.Day 2 over. 

Well, I’m 19 years old and I’ve always been overweight. Every birthday meant another 5-10 lbs gained since the year before. I couldn’t understand why I kept gaining weight, I looked around and people my age ate the same amount and usually more. It took me a while to accept that sometimes that is just how we are built. I had a shape, and muscle from playing tennis a lot, but I stopped playing it as frequently. So at 5′ 3″, I looked less than I weighed.. but still overweight.

Anyway, so my sophomore year of high school, my mom heard about this diet called the “Accu-weight Loss” system or something. It’s holistic, and combines western and eastern teachings. At the time that my mom heard about it, she only knew that the person had lost 30 lbs. in about 2 months. At this point in time, I had tried dieting and it failed… she told me that the program was near my town… but I had lost faith and motivation to lose weight at that particular point in time. Finally, later that year when I was a junior, I became pretty motivated and decided to give it a shot. Orientation.. was amazing.

In fact, the diet and the program itself is amazing. I met people who lost 70+ lbs. and kept it off for a year.. (one had come back to lose a quick few lbs. before a wedding)..  Anyway, so its this program where you combine Chi Gong breathing with 2 accupressure beads that are attached behind the ears. You rub them every 2 hours, and it kinda works like an on/off switch to your hypothalamus.. By rubbing them, your body thinks you’re full and you don’t feel hungry. Sounds good right? Well the part that is the hardest is the diet… the diet is very restrictive in order to work with the chemistry of the program.. You can only eat veggies/fruit, no starch, for 2 days, and then the next 2 days whole yogurt/milk. Also you can only eat between 12 - 6 pm.  Here’s the website for anyone who wants to check it out.

www.accuweight.com

 I know it sounds crazy but it worked… the first week is the hardest b/c your body is still adjusting.. There is a lot more that goes into this program that makes it actually sound sane.. Orientation explained a lot of it but I don’t want to go too into the details. You will lose at least 15 lbs. a month w/o having to add in exercise, though you should. This, however, assumes you follow everything to the word. Mentally though, it is very strict and hard to give up those chocolate cravings or food at a social gathering.

So now that we’ve established the diet, here is what happened. I was on it, lost 8 lbs. the first week (some is water weight),  and then another few after that. But then I started cheating.. cheating is a no-no on this diet. You cheat and you get setback. When you eat foods that don’t work with the diet, even a piece of bread, it disrupts the chemistry and your body realizes it is not full and goes into starvation mode (slows down metabolism to soak up calories and gain weight back). The good news is that if you cheat that day, accept that you won’t lose as much weight that week depending on how much you ate, and then get back on track the next day, then you can still lose it. Well I became very on and off and it became expensive. Finally, I went back, got the beads in place, and then when I missed an appointment… instead of becoming discouraged (b/c you need to change them every 10 days or so), I just continued rubbing the beads and doing my diet.I realized that I could still lose weight. 

Senior year, I found a site that sold the beads online and I bought them myself. By this time my weight had gone down from 192 to around 175. I used the beads myself..  after 2 months of furiously dedicating myself, and having some cheats/setbacks here and there, I went down to 148.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that this diet does not make you tired, in fact it made me more energized!  I took a daily vitamin, drank tons of water, and I slowly started walking on the treadmill. Working out along with the diet made me twice as energized and helped me lose weight faster. My goal was 135. Now, at 148, I was at that place where I was pretty comfortable with my body, I just had a little gut and a little excess around my arms that I wanted to get rid of.At 148, I looked transformed! I could wear all these clothes that actually looked good on me. I received compliments left and right, and I felt confident too. 15 more lbs. and I would be perfect…. Unfortunately.. I told myself I would lose the remaining 15 during the first month of college and then go back to the doctor to do the transition phase since I didn’t know how to transition off of it so I would not gain back the weight. 

Well.. Freshmen are required a meal plan in college, and as hard as I tried, I started to gain back the weight. I struggled to diet here and there but it is next summer and I am back around 180..!All my cute clothes.. are waiting. I tried dieting during the semester, but the lack of food that suits my needs… combined with the social aspect where your roommates who are stick-thin are grubbing 24/7… not to mention how stress makes me wanna eat.. well it was all too much. I got out of school last Tuesday.. and told myself I would start on Monday.  

Well. Here I am again. at 180. I have about 3 months to lose 45 lbs. (15 lbs. a month + working out). If I really commit myself.. I can do it. I realize I may have to finish up in the beginning of the semester again, but this time we get apartment-style suites with kitchens.. so I can make the most of my diet and follow the recipes that are up on the site to avoid failing.

Also, I found out how to transition off, so this time I’m going to do it right. Today is day 1.. I’m also near my period so I’m bloating up a lot right now. That’s another thing, you lose less weight around your period because of the water retention… so I’m probably not going to lose a lot this week, but it’ll make up for itself next week. I’m going to weigh myself in another 2 days and keep updates on how this goes!

I want to be down to 155 in July because that is when I felt comfortable enough to wear a lot of clothes I couldn’t wear.. So I could be comfortable during the summer. Also at 155, my shirt size dropped to a medium (I think its largely due to my bust size dropped from a tight 38D to a snug 36D). My pant size had dropped to 11 (from 13), not as much as I wanted, but appearance-wise I didn’t look “fat”. My goal, 135 and hopefully size 9…  This is a big step for me.

I know I can accomplish it because it is the summertime, I’m at home, and the temptations that were too much for me are no longer there. Also, my boyfriend of 3 years, 3 months and counting.. he is dieting too, not the same diet though.. he is sticking with one that worked for him before he met me.. Well anyway so we are supporting each other, and well it’s amazing to know your bf finds you sexy at any weight.. In fact, part of his family’s culture in Spain is that “bigger” women are looked upon as more classy, elegant and beautiful.. While really thin women are looked at in a “whorish” sense. At least that’s what he told me.. haha.. well either way this weight-loss is for myself!

By the end of this summer we are going to be one hot couple ;).  

So here’s to the summer and my goal! I know I can do it! And for those of you who are reading this, and have read this, thank you! Whether you’re at a low-point with your weight, are dieting, or have lost weight, I support you! Weight-loss requires a lot of mental commitment and awareness… It’s tough but the results are so worth it. Here’s to the summer!