Good news everybody!

Ahhh any fan of Futurama knows that when Professor Farnsworth says the fateful words, "Good news everybody!", some dastardly game is afoot. However, I would say a net loss of two pounds is ACTUAL good news, especially as it was a harrowing week weight-wise.

The transition from Optifast to real food has been challenging, as it is difficult for me to eat as much as a I should on a regular schedule. I did well, enjoying my fresh strawberries quite especially. (I live in sunny California, the land of the largest, juiciest strawberries on the planet!) In fact, yesterday I hit my local farmer's market for the first time since going on this crazy diet! The nectarines and peaches were so fragrant and juicy! It was wonderful to be able to taste a bit without worrying! (Yes, I did keep track and include the tastes in my food journal.) They were selling rhubarb, so I think I am going to try to make a low-cal rhubarb/strawberry compote. If I am successful, I will post the recipe here!

I have been trying this new challenge to run a ten minute mile. So far I have been unsuccessful, but the challenge has gotten me motivated to get up early and walk/jog two miles at my school's track every morning! It is pretty wonderful getting my exercise done with in the morning (I guess that's why morning exercisers have been shown keep off weight and be healthy longer.) More time for lounging after work!

I decided to write some FAQ's about the program I am on, since a few people have sent me questions.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Are you nuts?

Yes.

2. What kind of diet are you on?

I am on three stage diet. The first stage is a medical fast, which is limited to 960 calories a day of Optifast products only. The second stage is transition, which is a blend of whole foods and Optifast. The third stage is a 1200 calorie diet of whole foods. The progam is 82 weeks, 30 of which are the weight loss stage, 52 weeks is the maintence stage.

Right now, I am in week 2 of 4 of the transition stage.

3. Is it hard?

Yes and no. The first month of Optifast only is hard, but you learn coping skills fairly quickly. You need to be honest with people and yourself about what you are doing and why.

So far the hardest part is reincorporating food into my life. Everyone is so excited that you can eat, they want to make you food. They don't realize that you cannot have any food that has sauces or butter on it. Plus you can only have a little bit. So, eating at others' homes is tragically difficult. My mother in law was a GEM the last time I went to visit, as she called me before hand to discuss the menu. I can tell you I was extraordiarily grateful that she did so.

4. Do I have to exercise?

Yes, but I don't exercise like a demon. I literally do 30 min of cardio and 10 minutes of light weight training 3-5 days a week. That is not much in the grand scheme of things.

5. Can I order this stuff online and do it myself?

Yes, but that choice is pretty dangerous. My plan is medically supervised. I get routine check-ups and blood work done. I would not do a medical fast without medical supervision. I did the program through my local hospital, because it was recommended by my personal physician---not a doctor whose sole purpose is to sell Optifast.

You can lose weight by looking up your BMR, sticking to that number of calories a day, and exercising 4-5 days a week. My husband lost a lot of weight that way.

The numbers:

Starting weight: 224
Current weight: 174
Goal weight: 160 (my doctor and I revised this down to 140 recently)

Outer goal: Honesty? A bikini!
Inner goal: staying motivated to exercise!

See you next week!