Week 1: Weigh-in

It's now been one week since I got back on track (sort of) on the diet. It was a rough week. I didn't prepare properly nor did I stay committed. However, there is some good news. I lost a tiny bit of weight. I am down 1.2 pounds. YAY! Despite cheating a bit most days, I still managed to do some good.
Here's what I learned: As long as you are good most of the time, you'll see some success. Is it what I was hoping for? No, of course not. But, at this rate I will lose close to 16 pounds before my trip to Scotland. I do believe I will lose more than that. I'm all in now. My goal is to drop two pounds a week - which would be about 26 pounds before my trip. Not too strenuous, but enough to get me back (comfortably) into all those clothes I bought earlier this year.

Weight: 224.4
Loss: 1.2 pounds

Preparation!

My success this time around is mixed, so far. I didn't clear out all the food in my house like I did the first time, so it's easy to go into the kitchen and cheat. Even if it's not too bad.
For example: Yesterday I went home for dinner and had a tamale instead of the lean & green meal I was supposed to have. I hadn't gone to the store, so didn't have the ingredients for a salad, so instead of cutting up and cooking some other veggies, I went to the freezer and ate a tamale. Not terrible, but still nothing near that lean & green meal it was supposed to be.

Lesson learned: Preparation!

• Clear out old, unhealthy foods
• Always have healthy foods on hand
• Prepare those foods ahead of time for easy eating

Interesting Article on Weight Loss and $$ from Reuters & Fox News. See the whole article here.

As weight loss becomes more about health than vanity, insurers might increasingly be footing the bill for non-surgical reducing methods, researchers say. And they'll want to know which ones are the best investment.
In a new analysis, the popular Weight Watchers program and the drug Qsymia were the most cost-effective strategies to lose weight. If a third-party payer didn't cover the high cost of Jenny Craig's food, that would be the most effective plan, the study found.
The researchers found that the average cost per kilogram (2.2 pounds) lost ranged from about $155 for Weight Watchers to about $546 with the Roche drug Orlistat, which is available by prescription as Xenical or over-the-counter as Alli.
The second most cost-effective strategy at about $204 per kilo was Qsymia, a drug from VIVUS, Inc., which provided some support for the study.
The Vtrim program was the third most cost-effective strategy per kilo of weight lost, followed by Jenny Craig, the drug lorcaserin – marketed as Belviq by Arena Pharmaceuticals GmbH. Orlistat was the most expensive per kilo.
Insurers and policymakers often prefer to consider treatments based on their cost per quality adjusted life year gained, and typically interventions are considered effective if that cost is less than $50,000.
The researchers found that Weight Watchers, at $34,630, was the cheapest program per quality adjusted life year gained. It was followed by Qsymia, which is more effective at fostering weight loss, but more expensive at $54,130 per quality adjusted life year gained.

Workout App

I heard about the Pact app a few months ago, but didn't think much about it. Last week there was a segment about it again on Good Morning America and I was intrigued. Essentially it fines you for not going to the gym and pays you if you go regularly. You choose the amount, but the minimum is $5 for a missed workout.
It could work if you're the kind of person that needs negative stimulation to go the the gym. Might work for me - I wouldn't want to lose any money.

Meal Plan Information:

• On the 5 & 1 Plan® you must eat 5 meal replacements per day. I am using a mix of Optifast, Medifast and leftover WMP replacements.
• Every day you eat one "Lean & Green" meal which consists of 5-7 oz lean protein plus three servings of vegetables and up to two servings of healthy fats.
• You can also have certain condiments, a pre-approved list of herbs and spices that you are allowed.
• There's also a very limited list of snacks. It's pretty basic; popsicles, jell-o and a few nuts. That's about it.

Arrggh!

Day 1 is now more than 50% over and so far so good.
Except, I'm HUNGRY!
This isn't a body hunger, it's all in my mind. If I really think about it, I'm actually not hungry at all I'm actually kind of full. However, it's trying to get my head to get on board with my stomach.
I'm trying to just move on and not think about food, but as we all know, that can be difficult. I just keep thinking about my goals and, hopefully, this will become easier. Heck, I know it will become easier, I've done it before.

And So It Begins ... Again

Just six months ago I was about 25 pounds shy of my goal weight of 175 when I thought, eh, I can do this on my own and quit the weight loss phase of the Weight Management Program and went on Maintenance.

I failed.

Not only did I stop losing weight. I gained weight. About 20 pounds. In six months. Yes, that's a lot. But, I'm no longer looking back. I'm looking forward. I was able to do this through sheer willpower last time. I can do it again.

Weight: 225.6

Measurements

Waist: 35.5

Hips: 48

Arms: 13