UnspeakableJoy's 1PD Journey

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day One - Monday, August 25 2008

[taken from my journal]

I've come full circle. Or maybe I've been running around in circles. Either way, I'm here now, and ready to forge a new path in my life.

I have had so many amazing opportunities that led me to this point ... I won an extreme makeover, went to a Biggest Loser casting call, and made it to the semi-final round of auditions for Season 4, then teamed up with my amazing friend for the Biggest Loser Million Pound Matchup and was selected as a top team, then totally chickened out and buried my head in the sand, leaving just enough room to self-medicate myself with food off and on for the past 2 years.

[My friend] told me time is what we have least of in life, so I shouldn't dwell on the what if's and should have's. I did what I did to get me to this point in my life, and sure I have excuses and reasons, but I won't waste time blathering them all.

Today, I take charge of my future, and will not let opportunities pass me by. With a lot help from my friends, I'm changing my life. Little by little, step by step, pound by pound.

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Two - Tuesday, August 26 2008

Yesterday went amazingly well. Maybe it's because I'm still in the honeymoon phase of 1PD, but everything went well. The only thing I won't do again is to have cucumber for breakfast. It really didn't agree with me that early in the morning.

Today went well too, better than yesterday, and I'm still a 1PD honeymooner. Breakfast today was a scrambled egg with stir fried veggies and it was SO GOOD! Much better than the hard boiled egg and cucumber yesterday.

I'm anxious for tomorrow ... I've read multiple times on the 1PD forum that Days 3 and 4 and the hardest ... it's been so easy, but it's only been 2 days. Bring on tomorrow!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Three - Wednesday, August 27 2008

I'm scared. Today was another amazing day. The only "bad" part was that I realized I don't like to eat raw spinach. It's too bitter. Maybe tomorrow will be doubly bad because today went so well ...

[pumbza]

Yeah UnspeakableJoy YOU are who YOU are and thats JUST GREAT and YOU are right TIME is a wasting and the TIME is NOW and TODAY is GOING to be the BEST TIME of YOUR life and YOU may struggle for a couple of MONTHS but YOU will feel LIKE a NEW YOU and YOU will be SUPER CHARGED and YOU are GOING to have a GREAT TIME and YES YOU CAN DO IT!!!Have a NICE DAY!!:innocent3:

[Sexymama]

Great job Joy!! Keep up the good work! You can do it!!!

{boing}

Julie

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Four - Thursday, August 28 2008

I woke up feeling different. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something was off. After my shower, for whatever reason, I didn't reach for my usual black or grey slacks. I reached for a skirt. Hmmm ... it looked okay, but I couldn't find the top that I wanted to wear with it. Had a crazy thought, and reached for another skirt (that didn't even fit when I bought it, but I bought it anyway). Weird ... I still can't zip it up, but I can now step into it and pull it up over my hips (instead of having to pull it on over my head. I may just be able to wear this for the bachelorette party next month after all ... moving on ... hmmm, should I try the capris? The capris I bought 5 years ago, and haven't worn since because I can't button them and they cut off the circulation to my lower body when I attempt to sit in them?

I can't believe it.

This can't be possible.

What in the world ....

THEY FIT! As in they zip, button and I can sit in them, and they fit. OMG!!

Dr. Cohen, I love you! lol

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Five - Friday, August 29 2008

Today has been yet another great day on 1PD! I wore another pair of capris that I haven't worn in about 2 years and they were so comfy - not tight or unbearable at all. WOW!

My "hardest" part of 1PD so far has been the timing of my meals. I have been 100% so far (and will continue to be, no matter what!). I used to do errands after work, but with the timing of my meals, I now come straight home to cook and eat dinner. It's actually turning out to be a wonderful thing, because I'm not taking the kids and galavanting all around town after work, and am spending some wonderful time at home together. Each day, as I've thought about the things I had planned for that day, I have to start at the END of the day to figure out when I'll be able to eat dinner, then count back 5 hrs for lunch, then another 5 hrs for breakfast. It really isn't hard at all, and if this continues to be my only challenge, so be it!

I was hungry this morning after breakfast ... it was too early (in my mind) to have my crackers and fruit, so I drowned my hunger with a liter of water (and consequently walked the 126 steps from my desk to the women's restroom four times in the next 90 minutes).

I looked back at my food journal to see what I did differently yesterday to possibly cause hunger ... lunch on the first three days were my chicken allowance and a tossed green salad. Yesterday, lunch was my fish allowance and chopped celery and cucumbers with my mayo allowance. I also had Kame rice crackers as my evening cracker instead of my usual Nabisco Premium saltines. I had already planned my fish/cucumber salad for lunch today, so I'll stick to my saltines tonite and see how I am tomorrow. I also had honeydew (which was AMAZINGLY sweet, I don't ever recall eating honeydew that sweet before) for my afternoon snack for the first time, so I'll see if it makes a difference tomorrow too.

Ugh .. tomorrow ... my first challenge on 1PD. I am originally from Hawaii, and moved to Wisconsin in 2002. I found a great group of former Islanders in my area, and we are having our annual Labor Day Luau tomorrow. I always help in the kitchen, starting at 10am and work in the kitchen until 6pm, preparing, cooking, and serving all the food. ALL of my favorite home foods will be there ... we do an actual inground imu to cook the pig, and fly in poi and other treats.

But it's okay. This luau occurs every year, and I will be able to "enjoy" (in moderation, of course) next year. Not focusing on food will also me to focus on my friends and enjoy their company.

I've already let my friends know I will not come over until 1pm, as there's no sense in putting myself in that crazy position. This way I can eat my breakfast, morning fruit/cracker, and lunch at home before I go. Then I'll be able to bring my afternoon fruit/cracker, dinner and evening fruit/cracker with me to keep me satisfied. That's my plan, and I'm sticking to it!

[Rachinnj]

Joy
Great Posts. I don't know if it will be the same for you but if I have somethind sweet like melon or an apple that causes me to be seriously hungry. So that might of been your trouble.

Rachel

[Lauren]

Great journal, Joy! I'm loving this! Good luck today at the luau--it sounds like you're mentally prepared. Wow--you must be there right now! I'm thinking about you! You're going to lose a ton of weight this week--that's so cool you're already fitting into clothes you couldn't wear before. Isn't that the best feeling? And it's only just begun... Are you going to be good and not weigh yourself this whole month? Just curious...

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Six - August 30 2008

I SURVIVED! I'm just back from the luau, and I did it! Not one single deviation! Yeeaahhhh baby! :)

I won't say it was easy, but it wasn't overly hard either. I stuck to my plan of eating breakfast, am snack, and lunch at home, and brought my pm snack, dinner, and "dessert" with me. I basically worked in the kitchen for about 8 hrs straight, and didn't cheat at all. I was a maniac about washing my hands - I caught myself just in time, almost licking sticky rice off my hands lol It was so eerie how unconscious it was!

There were about 300 people at the luau, and there were about 100 dishes in the buffet. Seriously. Between the pupus (appetizers), salads, main entrees, and desserts, it was amazing. I think the hardest temptation was the kalua pork (the pork that's cooked in an imu in the ground), but I knew there would be many future opportunites for me to have some, and that it wasn't the end of the world.

Except for two friends, no one knew I was on a diet, and I didn't make a big deal about it (to avoid drawing any attention to myself). I was very careful about keeping my eye on the clock to eat my snacks and dinner on time.

It was nice focusing on all of my friends instead of what I was going to put into my mouth next. By the end of the night, I was pretty weirded out that it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. I'm pretty darn proud of myself!

I have a few photos I'll attach to tomorrow's post (i'm ready to just take a shower, drink another 16 oz of water, then go to bed), so you can see all the amazing foods we served, and a few photos of my friends dancing hula. I actually let myself be talked into dancing hula - next year, after I reach my goal! Now that's scary. lol

Rachel - thank you for the tip! I was afraid that the honeydew would mess me up today, but I think I was so busy and so focused today on sticking to my plan, that it didn't really affect me.

Lauren - Yes, this is the BEST feeling!! I am SO TEMPTED to weigh-in, but I actually don't own a scale! We do have a scale at work (we used to have Weight Watchers at Work meetings), but I'm not planning to weigh in until September 22nd (my 4 weeks). I'm afraid if I weigh in, I'll get addicted to the scale. I have to admit with fitting into my old clothes, I'm super curious, but I'm gonna stick to my guns and hold out for 4 weeks. I've already decided to reward myself with a pedicure!

Have a great night everyone!!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Seven - August 31 2008

I am a huge fan of the reality show The Biggest Loser. I'd have to be in order to stand in the frigid Wisconsin winter in January for 5 hours at a casting call :) But that's an old story, and to sum it up, I made it to the semi-final round of auditions, then chickened out. I can barely stand to see myself in a sports bra and shorts - there was no way I was going to do that on national television lol

This past season, I was simply thrilled to see Ali Vincent win the title of The Biggest Loser. From the start of the show, I identified with Ali ... we were close in age, had the same starting weight, had similar interests and other commonalities. Watching her come back to the ranch and kick serious bootie was overwhelming, and lit a fire deep inside of me, of yearning and desire to lose this weight and get healthy.

I recently googled Ali, and one thing she says over and over is "Believe it. Be it." She says from the very start, she envisioned herself at the finale, being weighed one final time when she WINS. She envisions the confetti falling, throwing her hands up in the air, WINNING. She even envisions the outfit she'll wear, knowing that it will be custom made, every single detail and stitch of her outfit, all the way down to the rhinestones on her high heeled shoes.

I am a firm believer in positive imagery and thinking. It has helped me overcome and achieve so much in my life thus far.

But (you just knew I had to throw a but in there, right?)

BUT ... when I try to envision myself at my goal weight, FINALLY shedding this weight and fat off my body once and for all, I simply can't see myself. I mean, I see a generic healthy, slim person, with cut biceps, proud posture, and legs to die for, but I don't see MY head atop this body. It's just this shadow person ...

The majority of my life up until now has been living to make others happy. I learned at an early age that it was easier to pretend to be what my parents wanted me to be, than to exert my own opinion or thoughts. Don't get me wrong, my parents were the very best and loved me dearly. I just made this assumption on my own, and began to apply it to everyone I met. So and so liked this music band, so I did too. So and so didn't like to watch this show, so I didn't either. I lived the first 32 years of my life like this, not really even knowing I was doing it.

My casting director for The Biggest Loser opened my eyes to this during our one-on-one interview. He asked a simple question ...

"Who is Joy?"

I gave the usual answers ... I'm a divorced mom, domestic abuse survivor, my life revolves around my kids, I'm originally from Hawaii and moved to the Midwest in 2002, I like this, I like that, I love the Biggest Loser, blah blah blah ...

And he shook his head, and asked again ...

"Who is Joy?"

It's been 1.5 years, and thanks to Dr. Cohen and 1PD, I'm slowly figuring out the answer to that question. Up until this point, I had no idea who I was. I lived my life liking what other people liked. Disliking what they liked. I had no real clue what it was that I liked/disliked. I mean, seriously, I know I like chocolate and dislike cauliflower. But deeper than those superficial things, who am I?

I've been really focusing on this for the past several days. Anyone that knows me, knows I avoid mirrors at all costs. I mean, I'll look at myself as I brush my teeth or do my hair, but I avoid having to look at the rest of me unless I absolutely have to. Why? Well, duh, because I really don't like to see what I see when I look in the mirror. lol

But lately, I've been looking. Really looking. Trying to see who this girl is that gazes back at me. I try to look into her eyes and really see her. See her like my children do. See her like my true friends do.

I don't really know what I'm looking for, but I think it's a start. Because as I look in the mirror, I see glimpses of me as I want to be ... I'll sometimes see a leaner face, without the double chin and chubby cheeks. Or I'll see a flash of the future strength and victory in my stance. And after just a few days of 1PD, I feel thinner.

It's really kinda cool. Kinda weird and freaky. But cool.

[Shasha]

{hi} there UnspeakableJoy

I love what you’ve done with your Journal :bighug:
It is so nice reading your posts... I think you are a truly beautiful lady - both inside and outside... and that you are going to go on a most interesting journey to discovery the true new you! Believe me, SkinnyJoy is in there and she can't wait to get out! {wave}

I saw that you wanted to move your Journal across to MY PROGRESS this evening and so I’ve move the posts for you – I trust that you will be glad to find everything right here where you want it…
Stunning photo!! I can't wait to see your AFTER picture!!! {cheerleader} and I hope that you will post some inbetween photo's as well!! It's going to be a most wonderful journey!!! Remember: YOU CAN DO IT!!! Well done on staying so strong at the luau!! I am very proud of you!!!

[happytmo]

Joy- I have loved reading your journey. We are the same stats (age, height, starting weight). I know you can do it b/c I'm doing it. I agree with you on not being able to see myself skinny. I'm slowly getting there.
Good luck and look forward to reading your progress.

[Lauren]

Wow, Joy!!! You are BEAUTIFUL! I only wish you could see that yourself, but you will. It's all about self-esteem, which is one of the major rewards that you'll get from this diet. You will not be able to get enough of yourself in the mirror by the time you're done. You're going to love to go clothes shopping. You can't get a clear picture of it now, but it will come as you get closer. You're just in the beginning of your journey. Be patient--you'll see. I promise. You'll be so amazed! I can't wait to see what you'll look like when you're done--you're so pretty already!!! WOW!

[SPDeRosa]

Joy - you're such a great writer! You write with such insight, thought and emotion. It's truly a "nice read". :)

Congrats on surviving the luau!!! Isn't it amazing at how strong we feel when we resist so much temptation?! And it really isn't as hard as we think it will be! It only becomes hard when we deviate --- one taste of sugar is all it takes to send us on that downward spiral. So congrats on staying strong! Looking forward to reading about your progress as you continue on with 1PD!

~ Shawn

[MIMI]

BEAUTIFUL, you are beautiful already, you'll really be a beauty when you finish the program. MIMI

[lfingers11]

Joy,
First, I wanted to let you know that I think your pic is so beautiful. Think how amazing you will look when you take off all the weight. Wow, we will have to beat those admirers away with sticks!! :party1:
It is so nice to read your story and get to know you a little better. I would love to do a journal but it seems like I do the same things everyday and it really would not be that exciting:hypnotic: Having a 2 and 3 year old makes a schedule around here a must.
Well, I just wish you luck and I will be watching to see your progress. I can't wait till you weigh in! What a great day that will be for you!!
Pam

[Mei Mei]

Joy,
You really are a joy :)
Mary

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Eight - September 1 2008

OMG ... did you see that right up there? Yeah, right over there ... today's Day EIGHT! I survived one week on 1PD with no deviations! Yaaay me! :) Hmmm ... I wonder what my weight is ... no worries, I won't weigh myself until 4 weeks are over, but I'm still a curious cat!

Everyone is right - the longer I go, the easier it gets. I had another Non-Scale Victory (NSV) today by surviving the mall and it's den of sin aka the food court. The kids wanted to spend part of their last day of summer at the mall, so I made sure I ate breakfast and had my am snack at home before we left, and packed my lunch, pm snack, and two water bottles with me.

We had a grand time, I had alot of fun window shopping, scoping out the fall fashions, reveling in the fact that next year, I'll be able to walk into stores like White House Black Market, Ann Taylor, NYC & Co, H&M, etc and just buy oodles of clothes off the rack, without really worrying if they have my size. I had no embarrassment or shame when I pulled out my saltines and nibbled away as we shopped for shoes, nor did I think about anything except my tuna, celery and cucumber as we sat in the food court for lunch.

The different aromas - pizza, chinese, chicken teriyaki, roast beef melts, cinnabons, and the fresh baked bread at Subway - went straight to my head, but I made myself imagine they were like candles from the Yankee Candle store. I mean, Yankee Candles have some of the most divine scents, but you aren't going to grab a spoon and start scooping out the wax for lunch, are you? I know, I know .. it's kinda odd, kinda weird, but I'm really trying to change my entire perspective of food. Yes, it's important - we do have to eat every day - but there are so many other things that are far more important in life.

So all in all, it's been a good day. I'm done with dinner, and am looking forward to my saltines and some honeydew before bed. Yummmm .... honeydew .... lol

Shasha - yaay!!! Thank you SO MUCH for moving all my posts over! And thank you even more for your kind words! You have no idea how excited I was to read your comment! You are like a celebrity in my 1PD world!!! Hmmm, SkinnyJoy ... I like the sound of that! :)

happytmo - Ooo, I love the Gilmore Girls (your profile icon). Congratulations your weight loss thus far!! 36 lbs is AWESOME! May I ask when did you start? And what's your favorite recipe?

Lauren - how I love reading your posts :) Thank you SO much for your compliments! One thing I'm trying to get into the habit of is thanking people when they pay me a compliment. I always say no, or turn it into a self-depricating remark, but I'm really trying to keep a positive attitude with all that I do. Congrats today on your awesome weight loss!!! You rock!!

Shawn - thank you so much for your kind words! Before I forget, I totally love your new updated kitchen. Any time you wanna remodel mine, you're more than welcome to :) I really want to try your smoothie recipe, but am saving it for a really "hard" day. I don't want to get spoiled too early in the game!

Mimi - you're going to make my cry! Thank you!

Pam - you really should start a journal! You don't have to post in it every day, but I know we'll all love reading what you have to say, and it'll be a great testament to all of your hard work and effort when you reach your goal! I also admire you for having a 2 and 3 year old! I can only imagine how busy they keep you!

Mary - You are such a sweetheart!! Thank you!!

Have a great night everyone! Bring on Day Nine!

[Lauren]

Good for you at the food court! Yes, you should definitely get used to just saying "thank you" when you get compliments. My mom taught me that at a young age because I never knew what to say, and sometimes I get complimented on the way I take compliments! Even if I don't believe them most of the time, it does help to just accept it and not argue. Otherwise, people will stop complimenting you, and you don't want that! :)

[Shasha]

{hi} there Unspeakable(Skinny)Joy

Well done at the mall!! :clapping3: WELL DONE on staying STRONG in your mind!!

I just love your candles from the Yankee Candle store idea – now, that’s what I call genius!

I once heard it said that the mind believes what it is told the most… re-programming and changing the way you think about food is very important, not just for your diet but for the remainder of your life…

Always remember you diet food is like your medicine - your course of antibiotic’s – which are there for a limited time only in order to make you healthy and well again and please keep up the pretty positivity or shall I say Joy Unspeakable {wave}

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Nine - September 2 2008

Another day bites the dust. I have nothing too remarkable to report today - I made my third trip to the market since starting Cohen's - with all the fruits and vegetables we eat, I know I can't get a whole bunch at once because it won't last. Today's market goodies included lettuce, cabbage, celery, cucumber, apples, balsamic vinegar, chicken breasts, and an onion. Doh! Just remembered I wanted to get some fresh garlic. Darn!

Oh! I did have a "breakthrough" of sorts this evening ... as soon as we came home from the market, I immediately started weighing/portioning my chicken, cleaned all the veggies. Being around the food made me want to eat, so I portioned out some fresh honeydew. I made myself wait until I was completely done with portioning my chicken - I want to make a point of sitting down for each meal, and focusing strictly on that meal. I've found in the past that if I eat while reading, watching tv, driving, standing, etc I don't truly appreciate the food, and in the past, always eat way more than necessary.

So when it was time to sit down and enjoy my honeydew, I did a little happy dance and started eating. After 2 pieces, it hit me. When I was surrounded by the food, I wanted to eat. WANTED. Not NEEDED. I literally did a double-take and shook my head. Sure the honeydew was yummy - oh so sweeet! - but did I need it? No.

So I put the rest in a baggie and will take it to work with me tomorrow. I think this is a very important habit for me to strengthen, and I believe it will help me with Life After Cohen. Knowing when I NEED to eat, versus eating when I WANT to eat.

This is just all so mindblowing to me ... I will no longer give up what I want the most for what I want right now.

Lauren - I'll always think of you now whenever thanking someone for a compliment! :)

Shasha - you are the absolute best cheerleader and I am so lucky to have you in my corner (as we all are!) I totally believe that the mind believes what it is told the most. And it applies to everything in your life - not just food! Positive thinking rocks!

Have a great night everyone!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Just remembered I forgot to upload photos from the luau! Enjoy!

From left to right:

1st row: everyone at the luau, my friend Bua dancing a tahitian number

2nd row: my nieces (in the middle and on the right) dancing another tahitian number, two photos of the buffet table

3rd row: two photos of the dessert tables (yes there were more than one!)

[Nightshift]

Just getting caught up on the board and read your posts and want to welcome you and let you know I really enjoy reading your journal. The luau looks like a great time and you will be enjoying it with everyone else in no time.

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Ten - September 3 2008

Today was a day. And boy am I glad it's done! It wasn't that it was a day filled with temptations or cravings, but I think the devil threw everything he had at me, to push me to deviate, and I stood firm and stuck to the plan.

My day started with my car not starting - I actually drove it to work, but parked crooked, so when I tried to start the car to repark it, it wouldn't turn over. Fortunately I have road side assistance, so the tow truck was free. I wish I could say the same for the mechanic! $363.21 later, I have a new starter for my car :) That's on top of the $300 new brakes I put on over the weekend lol I have owned 3 different cars in 6 years and each one has cost me a fortune. But I am the first to say, as many times as I've had issues with my cars (each one had it's starter replaced, or the alternator, water pump, radiator, spark plugs, countless tire issues, dead battery, etc) - every single time I've had a problem, I've always been lucky enough to have it either die at home or die at work. lol And each time, it could have been so much worse - I could have been stuck on the highway, far from home, etc. Even this time, I was "happy" that it died when it did (when I first got to work). If I had been lazy and not reparked the car, I would have not known about it until after work, and it would have taken longer for the tow truck to arrive, PLUS the mechanic shop would have been closed, and I'd be without a car tomorrow. So this was irritating, but not a big deal.

Then at work, well, work is work. It was just the usual stuff, but because of the stress of my car, it seemed like more than it was. I've been basically working two full time positions at the office since February 1st. Our sales and research coordinator resigned, and I asked (and received) her position (a promotion of sorts) but have also been doing my old job all these months. I'm fortunate in that I can take work home and have remote access from home to our work server, and even though I'm salaried, my boss is paying me overtime. The only way I've been able to survive at work is by working about 7 - 10 hrs overtime from home each week. The overtime pay is really nice especially as I'm the sole provider for my family. So I look at this time as a blessing, a way to really grow my savings account. Plus I really do enjoy what I do, and for the first time, in all the jobs I've had, I really feel appreciated, valued, and honestly believe what I do is important to the firm. I don't want to do this forever, but for right now, it's ok.

So all in all, I'm really lucky, and can't complain!

Weird/crazy thing is that not once today did I ever think about deviating or turning to food for comfort. I did get very impatient for dinner time to roll around this evening, because I couldn't eat until 8:51pm. With the car issues, I didn't eat breakfast until 9:45am, then couldn't eat lunch until 3pm at which time three different people wanted three different things from me and all I wanted was to be left alone to eat my lunch, which meant I didn't finish lunch until 3:50pm. That of course led to the very late dinner, in which I had just 9 mins to scarf down my food before the 9pm deadline.

Oh well, in the eternal perspective of things, this isn't even a hiccup in the road of life. I'm very lucky to have the "problems" that I have!

George - thank you very much for your kind words! The luau was so much fun, and what kept me going that night was the knowledge that next year, I will finally be THIN. And that the food will always be there!

Have a great night!

[Bronwyn]

Joy you are darling. What a positive way to look at a pretty crummy day. You seem to take these challenges and make them work FOR you not against you. That is a huge part of why you'll succeed on this diet. You are really making the best of everything. Keep it up sunshine and please keep sharing. You are a good reminder of why we should count our blessings, not sweat the small stuff, and take each problem in stride.

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Eleven - September 4 2008

Today was a great day, I ate breakfast before I left the house which helped me stay on track for decent meal times for Meals 2 and 3. Up til today, I've been eating breakfast and lunch at work, but it's just not working - as soon as I step in the door, I'm off and running doing a thousand different things and don't really look up to breathe until noon or so.

Quick post tonite - I let the kids talk me into going camping with our friends this weekend, so I'm going to be up late tonite getting everything ready. I've worked out my meals so I will stay on track while camping, and basically, I'll be preparing all of my meals before I leave tomorrow. Think lots of salads :) We leave for the campgrounds tomorrow afternoon, so I won't be posting again until Sunday. I'm bringing my journal with me tho' so I'll be able scribble things down for all posterity :)

Oh ... Saturday night at the campgrounds is a big luau (they're expecting 400 people. We had 300 at ours last weekend). Thankfully I'm not involved in any way with the meal except as a spectator LOL We originally were only going up for the luau, but now the kids want to stay the weekend. I only agreed because we will have a cabin with beds. And flushing toilets, with private showers. And electrical outlets in the cabins. And the cabins have ceiling fans lol I'm such a baby!

Bronwyn - thank you again for your kind words! I have gone through SO much in my life already, if I didn't have this positive outlook on life, I'd be in trouble! It really is a conscious decision to look at things in a positive light, and when I do, I realize how much better life is, like you said, counting my blessings, not sweating the small stuff, and looking at each problem as a stepping stone, not as a brick wall. How are you doing back on 1PD? I have complete faith you'll get everything under control in a blink of an eye!

Have a great night everyone!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Days Twelve through Fourteen - September 5th, 6th, and 7th 2008

The campout.

My biggest challenge on 1PD to date. :sadeyes:

It was hard. Not because I wanted to cheat or deviate, but not being a good cook in the first place, trying to prepare your foods while camping sucks. LOL I stuck to yogurt and a fruit for breakfasts (my first time having yogurt for breakfast - it was okay, but I'm not willing to use a fruit - or crackers - with my meal. I'd much rather save it for a snack), chicken salad for dinner, and chicken with celery stalks for dinner. Not very imaginative or flavorable, but I survived. :party1:

I wound up getting called to help with the luau buffet, but didn't really crave any particular food, I was happy to meet everyone (about 350 people), and it was nice being at a function where I wasn't obsessing about food and what I was going to eat for once!

All in all, it was a long three days, but conquering overnight camping on 1PD is something that I'll always look back on when I have a hard day.

The campground was on Lake Beulah in East Troy, WI and it was absolutely gorgeous! I did a TON of hiking, and my calves are still sore!

Oh! The best part of camping was that my shorts kept falling off! :) I kept having to hike them up all weekend long! And several friends who I haven't seen for awhile asked me if I lost weight :) So my hard work and diligence is paying off!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Fifteen - September 8 2008

Wow, Day Fifteen! Where has the time gone? I can't wait until I get to type "Day Eighty-Four" but until then, I'll enjoy the journey while it lasts!

It was great to get back to civilization after camping all weekend, and it was good to get back to work too. Work has been crazy, and I'm actually thankful to 1PD because it's one of the few constants in my life right now.

My boss was on vacation in Miami since August 29th, so when she saw me today, she screamed and gave me a hug :) She kept saying how skinny I looked and how I have a babyface now. I felt REALLY good, but got embarrassing because everytime someone walked by her office she'd call out to them that I look really great and have lost weight lol

I tried some balsamic vinegar in my stirfry tonite and can't say I liked it overly much. I did add a 1/2 packet of Stevia but it didn't really do much. In fact, it made me miss the natural flavors of the vegetables. So I guess I won't be using much anymore, and will be bringing it to a friend at work :)

I'm so tempted to weigh in, especially now that people are noticing, but I'm going to stick to the program 100% and not weigh in until my fourth week. Still, I'm so happy I don't own a scale at home because the temptation might overwhelm me!

Have a great night friends! I missed you over the weekend! The next time I go camping, it's at a campground with WiFi! {rofl}

[lfingers11]

Great job staying 100%. I couldn't even imagine trying to that. I don't really like camping anyway so it would be complete torture:)
Isn't it nice when people start noticing you have lost weight. I get comments daily now. I have no idea what they will say when I loose another 25-30 pounfd. I can't wait till you weigh in. I am totally excited for you.
Well, I hope you have a great night and I am glad you are online again. Keep up the great work.
Pam

[Mei Mei]

:party1:Joy,
Glad to have you back. Great job this past weekend. Please don't tell us you cooked your food over a campfire? You will be so successful on this diet. I can't wait to see your progress at weigh in. :)Keep it up!!!
Mary

[Lauren]

Hey Joy!

Good to have you back! I LOVE camping!!! My husband and I are planning a trip October 6th for our two-year wedding anniversary. I can't wait!!!!! But I can't imagine being on the diet while camping. You are a ROCK STAR! And I'm so glad it was fairly easy for you not to miss other foods so much. You're doing so great! You're an inspiration to us all! I can't wait to find out what you've lost too, but we'll just be patient. Then we'll get a big SURPRISE! :)

[Bronwyn]

Great job Joy!!! I'm so happy for you. You are conquering so much on this journey. Enjoy the compliments. I know it's hard, especially when you're not used to getting them, but we all need to learn to love ourselves and compliments are part of celebrating you. My boss was also VERY complimentary every day and it was overwhelming at first. Now she's quit and I miss her... she was very good for my ego!! Keep it up!!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Sixteen - September 9 2008

Just a quick note tonite as I'm not very uplifting and positive at the moment lol I'm in a seriously pissy PMS mode, and the world will be alot safer if I just go to bed early ;)

Ok ok, you've twisted my arm ... on a positive note, I haven't had the usual PMS cravings, so that is a blessing! :praying:

Good night friends! I will respond to everyone's comments tomorrow - thank you for your support and encouragement! {grouphug1}

[Lauren]

Oh, poor Joy--I feel sorry for you. I HATE PMS! Go get some well-deserved rest and hopefully you'll feel better tomorrow.

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Seventeen - September 10 2008

Whew ... another day bites the dust. I'm still PMSing but now it's just the super fatigue that comes on for about 4 - 5 days prior. I'm still counting my blessings that I haven't had any of the usual cravings or cramps - I'll take the fatigue over those two anytime!

I'm such an overachiever - now that I've conquered two luaus and a 3-day campout, I now have an overnight Bachelorette party in Chicago next weekend to contend with. We're driving down early Saturday, so lunch will most likely be in the car on the way down. We're watching a 2pm showing of Wicked, so I'll keep my crackers and fruit in my purse for a snack after the show, then eat my dinner in the hotel room before we hit the town. The bride is a very good friend of mine - she actually came camping with me this past weekend and was a huge part of my success at the campout as she was so supportive and encouraging, so I know she'll make everything as easy as possible for me, and I won't have any pressure to partake in anything off plan. It was kinda funny over the weekend, because I forgot my watch, so I gave her a dose of what it'll be like when she has children because I was constantly asking her, "What time is it?" Or "How much longer until I can eat?" lol

I know Rachel and others mentioned this before - that it's far easier on this diet to just hole up in your house and avoid all social situations, but I think it's really giving me an edge on life after refeed, and each success makes me believe in myself more and more and more!

Pam - thank you! Thankfully I don't plan to go camping again while on 1PD, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. You're doing so well too (I read your update in another post!) Congratulations!

Mary - I actually cooked my foods at home and made little foil packets that contained each meal, then threw the foil packet on the grill to heat up. They weren't the greatest, but it was the easiest way I could stay 100%.

Bronwyn - I know I need to be gracious and accept the compliments, it's just so weird having all the attention on me :) How are you doing back on plan?

Lauren - You are going to have such a beautiful 2nd anniversary! Please share photos!

Have a good night my friends!

[Lauren]

SURE! I'll post photos of our camping trip! We're going to Big Sur which, if any of you have never been there, is one of the most beautiful places on Earth--where the ocean meets the forest & mountains. Sadly, they just had some major fires up there a couple months ago, but it was caused by lightning so it's just nature's way. We're going to check out the damage.

You are doing so amazing, Joy, and I just love how you're able to confront these social situations and make the best of them and use them as lessons for post-dieting. I'm doing the same thing this time around, as far as planning for post-dieting in my mind. It's so great to be in this place of lifestyle change for good. I'm so excited because I'll never weigh that much again! And I love the way I feel in my new body. I can't wait for you to experience that as well! :)

Wicked is AMAZING! You're going to love it! I've seen it twice--once in NY and once in LA. I can't wait to find out what you think.

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Eighteen - September 11 2008

Just a quick post because I forgot to post last night and don't remember much of the day lol but what I do remember is feeling hungry most of the day. I don't know if it was because of PMS or what, but I stuck to my plan and drowned those pangs with water.

I'm also wondering if these "hunger" pains are actually a symptom of something else? Life prior to 1PD revolved around self-medicating myself with food. Now that I'm faithfully on 1PD, I'm forced to face life without my "drug", and I think the old me is calling up those hunger pains to avoid the stress instead of dealing with it.

I must say I've been a B*tchzilla this week, and it's not all due to PMS lol Before, if someone at work ticked me off, I'd go to the vending machine for some chocolate or run downstairs to the coffee shop for a large blended drinkie with lots of whipped cream :) Not anymore! Now I'm actually standing up for myself and have been saying NO, which is freaking out some of my coworkers who are used to passing their work off on me. Not anymore!

I love my new strength and assertiveness, but I think some people around me don't ... but too bad for them! :weights:

Lauren - Big Sur sounds beautiful! I really want to try to travel more and see the world! And I'm very excited to see Wicked! I actually started reading all of the Oz books to prepare myself :)

[lfingers11]

Joy,
Are you taking your vitamin(s)? When I don't take mine I am a little hungier during the day and I am definately grumpy. The consultants and shasha have also recommended that you take two vitamins a day until things get better. You just need to make sure the dosage for one of the ingredients is under 5mg. Just check in your plan and it will tell you. I hope this helps and I am off to take my vitamin:)
Pam

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Nineteen - September 12 2008

The fatigue is going away, and here comes the cramps, but they are so much more manageable than before. Another 1PD side effect to celebrate!

I've realized that while on 1PD there is NO room for error, especially when trying a new recipe or way of preparing your foods. Because if it turns out bad, once you've had that first taste, you have to finish it anyway!

I struck out with a yogurt/nectarine smoothie for breakfast. I added too much water and forgot to peel the nectarine. I'll let your imagination run wild about how it tasted and what the texture was like ...

But I finished it. It took me almost 45 mins, but I gulped it down. I'm trying it again tomorrow, so I'll let you know how it goes!

Pam - You're right! Looking back at my paper journal, I forgot to take my 2nd vitamin those days (I've been automatically taking a 2nd vitamin to avoid feeling hungry). You can bet I took 2 today!

[Lauren]

Yeah, that's one of the things I don't like about this diet--if you drop something you measured on the floor, you pretty much have to eat it. One time I made one of the recipes from the "recipe book" that suggests you marinate your beef in (a lot of) vinegar and water overnight (and I'm not a huge fan of vinegar) and it was SO bitter and horrible, I could hardly eat it without gagging, but that was my dinner! So I had to choke it down. I will never forget. Ugh! :)

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Twenty - September 13 2008

Today was exactly the kind of day I needed after the past two weeks at work - very relaxing, yet productive on the homefront. I cleaned my house top to bottom, went grocery shopping, and have my protein and vegetables all prepared for the coming week.

My daughter is just thrilled with my progress so far - she's a very lovey-dovey girl, and this morning, when she gave me her good morning hug, she looked up at me in astonishment and said "My hands can touch each other!" It was a glorious moment! Of course the little imp demanded I exhale as she thought I was sucking my tummy in, but it didn't matter, she could still reach all the way around me and have her hands touch!

Lauren - I had to laugh at your statement about dropping food and having to eat it anyway lol That happened to me on my first day on 1PD, I dropped a piece of celery, and reverently picked it up, washed it off, and ate it. :laughing:

[lfingers11]

Joy,
That is so wonderful about your daughter. You haven't even been on this a month and look at the great results. How organized you are to have everything done for the week. That has never happened here.:( Well, have a great day! I am off to work which I like because I don't have time to think of food. :party1:
Pam

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Twenty-One - September 14 2008

Wow, twenty-one days on plan with no deviations. I don't think I've ever made it this far on ANY diet plan I've ever been on, without cheating. It feels pretty good!

Pam - I like going to work too, the time flies much quicker there than at home. Hope you have a good day!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Days Twenty-Two and Twenty-Three - September 15 and 16 2008

I actually had to force myself to eat ... it's so crazy that I'm just not hungry! But I'm taking my medicine, just as the doctor has prescribed because he knows best!

I've started making a faux milk for my breakfast - I blend 6 oz of yogurt, 2 oz of water, and add a little stevia. It's not exactly milk, but it's close enough :) And it's easy to just pour into a glass and drink while I'm getting ready for work. I guess I could add a fruit for some flavor, but I'm still not ready to use my fruit (or cracker) allowance with my meals, and prefer to save them in case of an emergency :)

Hope everyone is doing well!

[Lauren]

Yeah, isn't it great to not be hungry? I think it really helps when we're having cravings to ask yourself if you are hungry and if you really need whatever it is you want. I always feel like no, my stomach doesn't want it. Just my taste buds do. I think it's good practice for after the diet as well. We should always ask ourselves (like Shawn has been doing) if we really NEED whatever it is. Chances are we don't.

I also had a cognition about CONTROL. There are so many things in life we can't control. One thing we do have control over is what we put in our bodies. And if we put in healthy things that give us energy and make us feel good, that will help us deal better with the things in life we can't control. Just a thought...

Keep up the great work, Joy! You're doing so awesome! I can't wait until your four-week weigh-in! :) (Next week, right?)

[Shasha]

Hi there JoyUnspeakable & Buddies of course!

Loved your luau photo’s – will you be dancing a tahitian number with Bua next year???
{wave}

I don’t think you were lucky or fortunate with your cars etc – I think you were being looked after! See Isaiah 65:11 & 12… in various versions, maybe the Amplified if you have or can find one.

{goodjob} with staying on track!!! I loved the bit about your shorts falling off!! YOU GO GIRL!

Nice about your boss noticing! That must have felt so encouraging – well done!!! Just learn to enjoy the compliment, smile and say thank you... I know it can be hard to have all the attention, but, the sooner you get use to it, the better... cos, you're only going to get slimmer and more compliments as you go along!

When you go through PMS, please do take a second vitamin at lunch time – this REALLY helps! (Double check the vitamin B6 must not be more than 5 mg per day.) If you know it’s that time of the month and you feel hungry, rather avoid the yogurt option – egg and veggies is more filling… if you are not hungry, the yogurt is fine… try it with some cinnamon and sweetener… Mmmmm :P I was glad to see you are no longer hungry!

[QUOTE=UnspeakableJoy;8964] My daughter is just thrilled with my progress so far - she's a very lovey-dovey girl, and this morning, when she gave me her good morning hug, she looked up at me in astonishment and said "My hands can touch each other!" It was a glorious moment! Of course the little imp demanded I exhale as she thought I was sucking my tummy in, but it didn't matter, she could still reach all the way around me and have her hands touch![QUOTE]

This was my favorite post!!! :bighug: to your daughter!!!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Days Twenty-Four and Twenty-Five - September 17 and 18 2008

Sorry for the combined post again! Just a few thoughts ...

... I feel thinner, but can't see it yet (but that's just me)

... I have eaten more spinach in the last twenty-five days than my entire life

... I really don't miss chocolate as much as I thought I would.

Okay, maybe I do miss chocolate just a little, but I refuse to give up what I want right now for what I want the most!

Lauren - I totally agree with what you said about control!! I constantly have to remind myself that I'm not the General Manager of the Universe :)

Shasha - Hmmm, me do a tahitian number? I just might! :) Doh! I totally forgot we can have cinnamon - that sounds yummy with my yogurt! I will bring out my customer guide and give myself a little refresher!

[Shasha]

{hi} there JoyUnspeakable

Always a great idea to read through your guide again…

I think that you may enjoy the cinnamon and sweetener yogurt desert… :P Also nice if you crumble up some crackers in there for a bit of crunch! The longer the crackers are in, the mushier they will become…

Remember that you can swop your meals around… sometimes it is nice to have a bigger breakfast ie: Meal 2 and then have a light yogurt lunch from Meal 1…

Happy Slimming! {cheerleader}

[Mei Mei]

Joy,
You are doing so well. Keep it up! Good for you. It is amazing what we have in us when we set our minds to it isn't it??
I'm glad your darling little girl can hug you properly now too!
Mary

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day Twenty-Six - September 19, 2008

I SURVIVED MY FIRST MEAL IN A RESTAURANT!

:party5:

We had our annual office picnic today - it wasn't your typical picnic, we had lunch at a restaurant right on the river, then went on a 2-hr boat ride on Lake Michigan. The choices for lunch was beef, chicken, or crab, and I had tuna. :innocent4: Yes, you guessed it, I brought my own lunch. I really didn't want to risk ANYTHING, so I just brought my own meal. I wasn't embarrassed or ashamed or anything - everyone at work knows I'm on 1PD and are EXTREMELY supportive and understanding. When lunch was served, I simply asked the waitress for a plate, and dumped my tuna salad on a plate and ate with my friends. I actually got a couple of catcalls from coworkers at nearby tables, cheering me on for sticking to the program. I was so proud of myself :)

Our boat ride was nice, I actually have never been on Lake Michigan before and it's soooooo beautiful. I can't believe it's a lake, it's like an ocean to me!

I won't be posting again until Sunday - my girlfriends and I are going to Chicago for an overnight Bachelorette Party - we're leaving at 11am tomorrow as we're seeing WICKED at 2pm - I'm so excited!!

I have my meals all planned out - I will mix around my meals as Shasha suggested and have Meal 2 at home for breakfast. Then I'll have my crackers and an apple on the drive to Chicago, and Meal 1 (yogurt) when we reach the hotel. I'll have crackers and another fruit when we get back to the hotel after the play, then bring Meal 3 (tuna salad) and a fruit with me to the restaurant for dinner. Finally, I'll have my final crackers in my purse for something to nibble on as we head out to a couple of different bars and clubs. I don't drink alcohol, so I'm happy to be the mother hen and keep an eye on my girlfriends and keep them safe. There are 13 of us, so I'll have my hands full lol

Mary - congratulations on reaching your goal! I'm so proud of you!

Shasha - you are so amazingly, wonderfully, over-the-top terrific with your suggestions!! We couldn't do this without you!

[happytmo]

WOW! Have fun. How can you not with 13 women. I would love to see Wicked.
You are amazing to stick with the plan and bring your food with you. Good luck.

[UnspeakableJoy]

Days 27 and 28 - September 20 and 21, 2008

I'm so tired. I had an AMAZING weekend in Chicago with my girlfriends. I am PROUD to say I stuck to the plan 100% - no deviations at all! Despite the amazing tapas restaurant (I brought my own food), and the many bars we went to, I stayed on plan.

I felt myself explaining myself alot, and some people just couldn't get why I didn't want to eat anything or have a drink, but my girls supported me and backed me up. I had 3 drinks purchased for me in the bars, but just passed them on to my friends. I particularly loved this bar called Martini Park - our hotel gave us comp coupons for no cover at the door, and I could have stayed their all night long - completely sober, without a drop of alcohol. It was such an interesting mix of people, and the most divine eye candy I've seen in my entire life. :love4:

Now for some soul bearing confessions ... with my weight loss thus far, and the compliments I've been receiving, I felt pretty darn hot last night :laughing: I got all dolled up, and had an amazing time, but, you know, I still couldn't completely eliminate that negative and self-doubting voice in my head ... like there were several guys that my friends caught looking at me, and when I looked over, they'd smile, come over to talk, etc. And I'd be smiling and laughing on the outside but on the inside, I'm thinking "There's no way a guy like that would be interested in a girl like me." Stupid, dumb, and ridiculous, I know ... but it was still there, in the back of my mind.

Then of course, when we get back to the hotel, I go through the photos we've taken, and I can't but start to feel bad - as good as I felt, that amazing feeling of "thinness" - I hated the pictures with me in it. I know I'm doing amazingly well, and I know I've lost weight. I just can't explain it ...

So this is something I'm going to work on over the next four weeks - continue to stay 100% with no deviations, but really do alot of positive self-talk and try to work on improving my self-confidence. I know as the lbs come off and the physical changes get greater and greater, so will my self-esteem. But I also know being skinny won't make all the problems magically disappear, so if I start to tackle them one by one as I go, hopefully there won't be any left when I reach my goal!

Here are two photos from our weekend - first is the small group of us that went to see Wicked, and the second is me with my friend at Martini Park :)

Have a grand night everyone! Thank you for your support and encouragement!

[MIMI]

I'm so proud of you for staying 100%. I know that had to be tough, but you did it. Yipee!!!!!! Great Pictures and i'm so glad you had a great time. Keep on going strong girl you'll be at your goal before you know it. LOL MIMI

[Lauren]

Joy!

You didn't tell me what you thought of Wicked!!! :)

No wonder guys are coming over to talk to you--look at you! You are not only gorgeous (about to be even moreso by the time you're done here), but you really have a beautiful glow from within that some people don't have. I agree with you that your self esteem will rise as the number on the scale goes down--you have no idea how much! And I also agree that will not solve your self esteem problems--you'll still have to work on that because that is coming from within and is something you've been used to for a while now, so it won't magically go away. I am SO proud of you for staying on plan 100% and eating out and partying with your friends! That's one of THE HARDEST things about this diet--especially when people are questioning why you aren't eating with everyone else, but you're facing these challenges head-on and SUCCEEDING! I knew you could do it! I can't wait to see how this all plays out. You're going to be one hot number when you're done and I can't wait to see the pictures!! :) I'm also really happy to hear you've got a lot of supportive people around you. That's really important on this diet as well!

Lake Michigan is beautiful, isn't it? It does seem like an ocean, it's so big. Especially when it's stormy and it actually gets little waves going! :) When you're done with this diet, I'm going to talk to you about some of my favorite restaurants out there. I won't bring it up now, though. :)

[Mei Mei]

Joy,
Well done! Lauren is right; you do have a beautiful glow! great job this weekend, being with all your friends is what is most important. I'm so glad they support you. I love chicago too! My hubby lived there for over six years, so we gt to visit,and he know all the places to go. My favorite is to sit on the beach with the amazing city behind me and lake Mich in front of me. I also love all the museums. So how was Wicked? We have tickets for here in Austin in the spring. Can't wait.
About self esteem. I know what you mean. I jsut have to keep reminding myself that I am God's creation, and he really knows what he is doing. Who am I to question, as I am "Fearfullly and wonderfully made" Psalm 139:14 Keep reminding yourself of that.
You are beautiful!
Mary

[PhyllisRis]

Way to go Joy!!! You are so pretty now...and if you think the guys are interested NOW....just wait til you're at goal....you'll have to carry a frying pan (cooking..get it?) with you in order to beat them all away!!!! Down boys!!{pan}
My husband is in Chicago right now attending a railroad conference!! AND....he took the Amtrak train from Ann Arbor, Mi to Chicago....that was neat!
I noticed that today is your 4 week weigh-in.....sooooooo....how'd you do????
Phyllis

[UnspeakableJoy]

Day ? - September 22, 2008

Hmmm ... somehow I messed up a little. According to my count, this should be Day Twenty-Nine, but according to Dr. Cohen and my personal page, this is Day Twenty-Four. :eyebrow: I emailed my consultant, and I must have started before Dr. Cohen officially started my program, so I won't be weighing in until Friday. I thought our program started as soon as we received it, but apparently they gave me 5 extra days before my start.

I'm a bit relieved in all honestly ... I'm almost scared to weigh-in. :sadeyes: I know as long as that number is lower than 230, I should be happy, but let's face it. We all want that BIG number to show up. And I'm worried that no matter what it is, I'll wish it were more. I know, I know, it'll be an amazing number, and never in my life will I have lost that much weight in a mere 4 weeks.

So I'll positive self-talk myself until I'm blue in the face and embrace that number with delight and excitement!

MiMi - thank you!! I know when I'm finally at goal and look back, it'll seem like it went so fast, but right now, I just want the outside to catch up with the inside lol

Lauren - I LOVED WICKED!!! OMGosh, it was simply fantastical as Ga-lin-daaaah would say lol I am definitely seeing it again with my daughter, possibly in the spring. I've already ordered the book from Amazon.com and am deciding whether to buy the soundtrack on CD or from iTunes. Whodathunk I'd cry at a play about two witches!!! My new mantra for life is Defy Gravity! :flying: And actually, with my pity-me post yesterday, the song "He's that boy, but I'm not that girl" kept playing in my head lol I wish they'd put it on DVD so I could watch it again and again! I was blown away by the costuming, and the singing, and dang, those monkeys are freaky!! lol

Mary - I just LOVE the Chicago skyline. Actually I love all city skylines from the vantage point of the ocean/lake. I would move to Chicago in a heartbeat if I were single. The city is just so ALIVE! I'm hoping to go back before the end of October, just to walk the Mile and do some window shopping and people watching. See my response to Lauren about Wicked - it was the BEST!!!!! You will surely love it! I hope I didn't spoil anything in my response for you!

Phyllis - Thank you so much! I have this photo of me and my college sweetie, back when I was 135 lbs. I just look at it and marvel how happy I look and how my face looks - I can't believe that I will be there shortly!! I just need to keep that picture in the back of my mind and bring it to the forefront when those thoughts creep in! Hmm, I think I have that photo saved, and will try to attach it to today's post! I chickened out of weighing in today :chicken: and my official weigh-in will be Friday! How cool that your hubby is just 90 mins from me right now lol I haven't tried the Amtrak yet, but have taken the Metra (light rail). I wish we had light rail in the Metro Milwaukee area - right now I have to drive pretty much to the WI/IL border to catch the Metra, but it takes me right to Union Station, and it's just $5 roundtrip on the weekend. Chicago is just a cool city, I love it!

[Mei Mei]

Joy,
You will be back there soon--Chacago and the small size! Thanks for the pics.
Mary

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Four, Day Two - September 23, 2008

Well, I needed to take a break from work to save my sanity (it's been a crazy day), and read these words from Lauren on another thread ...

Four weeks on the plan is four weeks on the plan

Or something like that (sorry Lauren, I'll have to check the exact quote) ...

And with that said, here's my official four-week weigh-in!

(drumroll please)


22.8 lbs!

Yes, I rock. :party1:

I'll weigh-in again on Friday to enter my info on my personal page, so it makes sense there too. I'm happy with my progress, never before have I lost 22.8 lbs in a mere four weeks! In fact, from November 2007 to my 1PD start date (August 25 2008), I've lost 25 lbs (for a grand total of 47.8 lbs!). And this was far easier!!

I'm so excited, I can barely sit still! :rolling2:

[Blondie4life]

Love it... love it... 22.8lbs! Awesome job... all your hard work and dedication is paying off! Stick in there and you'll be at your goal in no time!

[Lauren]

YAY!!! Oh happy day! I'm so excited for you! I knew it would be a big number--you're doing so great! The time is flying by! I can't believe you've been on it a month already! I'm glad you went ahead and weighed in because I was going to tell you to if you didn't find that other post. :)

I love it how you cried at Wicked--me too! My mom and sister & I were a mess, and we looked around and everyone was just like, "Okay, let's go to the bathroom." We thought we were just super sentimental, but I guess you're one of us! :)

Anyway, back to the big news--CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WEIGHTLOSS! You must feel a huge difference from the first of the year! I'm so happy for you! Your picture from college is amazing--you should be a model! :)

[Big Pun]

Great job on the weight loss....with me being a newbie you are an inspiration!!!!

Big Pun

[Mei Mei]

Joy! What a joy!!! Yeah you:) That is awesome progress. :weights2:You must be so, so, well, Joyful!!! ok, I'l leave your beautiful name alone, just trying to be punny. What do you think Big Pun?
Wow, has the first month flown? It's like raising kids, while it is happenig, it goes kind of slowly, then all of a suden you look back and think, wow! I did it! or they are really growing up!
Mary
YAHOO!!!

[lfingers11]

Congrats!! Refeed will be any day for you now!! I am so excited for you. Keep up the great work!!
Pam

[Big Pun]

Mary....

Notnig wrong with being a little PUNNY!!!!!

Pun

[lfingers11]

I was just rereading the post and realized I didn't get all my postive notes in. that is why I should not reply late at night.:)
Blondie~congrats on a great job and you will be there anyday now. How much fun for you!!
Joy~I am very excited for you. That is an awesome 1st month for you and what you have lost since last november that is even better. Isn't it funny how we can loose so much more weight on this. You have had so many challenges and you are hanging in there with grace. Keep up the great work and I will continue to watch how well you are doing.
Pam

[SandyH1414]

Hello Ladies,

I just have to say I have been reading these posts for a few weeks now and finally started my program yesterday. I have been waiting to see your results Joy.. I'm so thrilled for you. YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION TO ALL! :party1:

I can't wait till I'm on my 4 weeks and weigh in. I told my boyfriend to hide the scale, because the scale controls my moods. :( And I don't need any extra stress to set my mood in the wrong direction.

Well ladies.. Good Luck! I'm glad to be here and feeling and looking better and better each day going forward..

PS. I'm Engaged and I want to look like a million bucks for my wedding in May 09.. Being on this diet I know there is actually going to be a light at the end of the tunnel, and it won't be the train coming to run me over!

Sandy :bighug:

[Lauren]

Welcome, Sandy!!!

How exciting you're getting married! Well, you've come to the right place! You won't even believe how sexy you're going to be at your wedding! You know all those wedding dress magazines? That will be your reality, so start adjusting your mind--you WILL look like those girls in the pictures! And believe it because it's true! I'm so happy for you! Now that you know about this diet (and this goes for everyone), whenever we have a big event and we want to lose 10lbs fast or whatever, this works! So exciting! Good for you hiding your scale--you're absolutely right--you don't need an emotional roller coaster on top of everything else. Congratulations on a healthier you and your engagement! I can't wait to see wedding photos!

[Mei Mei]

Sandy,
Welcome. How exciting, a new diet, a new marriage, a new life! You will make it for your big day, and you won't beleive it except that you lived it!!! How exciting!
Mary

[lfingers11]

Congrats on the upcoming wedding but there is one thing! I hope you did not buy that wedding dress yet because you are going to get a lot skinnier!! :party1:
Pam

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Four, Day Three - September 24 2008

It was a normal 1PD day today - I love love love it!

Blondie - thank you so much!

Lauren - thank you! I'm very pleased with my weigh-in! It's just amazing to me to see that number on the scale! Of course I immediately started crunching numbers for the next weigh-in but made myself stop - there's no sense to get myself all worked up. As long as I follow the plan 100%, I know that number will be lower in 4 weeks! I would be delighted to be considered in the same company as you, your mom and your sister! I can't WAIT to see Wicked again one day! How are you doing on refeed?

Big Pun - thank you so much! I contribute my success to amazing 1PD-ers that came before me and are so wonderfully active on this message board! You're going to be great on 1PD too!!

Mary - Thank you! I was just commenting that 1PD is like being pregnant, but in reverse! When you're pregnant, you get a beautiful baby in the end, and on 1PD, I'll LOSE the equivalent of a person in the end! In fact my son is 103 lbs, so I can't even imagine losing "him" by the time I reach my goal! It's unfathomable!

Pam - Thank you! You are doing so great too!! Every day on 1PD just gets easier and easier!

Sandy - Welcome to 1PD, the last diet you'll ever be on! Thank you for your compliments and kind words! I LOVE 1PD and am so happy with my results! I know you will too! Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Like Pam said, don't get your dress yet! I'm in a wedding next Saturday (Oct 4th) and will finally order my dress tomorrow! I'm a little freaked out that I'm ordering a dress 1 week before the wedding (which leaves no room for error), but my body keeps changing and I had no idea what size I'd be by the wedding.

[Lauren]

Hey Joy!

You're doing the right thing waiting to buy that dress, because you're right--your body is changing SO rapidly! I wonder what size you'll be able to get! I bet it's smaller than you think! And I can't wait to see pictures!

Refeed is going well. Saturday it will start to get fun because I get to add new proteins (like lean pork or lamb), but Monday is when the fun really begins because I get new vegetables and carbs!! By next Thursday, I can sub out wine for my bread if I want, and I get a cookie for dessert! Then Friday is my last day and I'm DONE! Of course, all I can think about is the countdown--how many days? How many hours? What will I be eating between now and then? It's quite an obsession, but I love how this diet made me realize that IF my weight is up a bit, I CAN plan meals and still eat healthy, even if there is a special occasion going on, so I think I've got maintenance covered. So many valuable lessons in this diet...

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Four, Day Four - September 28 2008

OMG OMG OMG!!!

I had the BEST day ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was getting anxious about not having a dress for the wedding I'm in next week Saturday, so I decided to go dress shopping after work. I was very apprehensive because I typically do not like shopping for clothes for myself.

I was really worried because they didn't have my normal size in any of the dresses in the color I was looking for. They didn't even have the next size down. But I figured what the heck and took the next-next size down.

Miracles of miracles, I was actually able to step into the first dress and lift it up over my hips, but the zipper was along the side, and the girls wouldn't cooperate (if you know what I mean) and I was unable to zip it up. The second dress was too snug around my hips for my liking.

But the next two dresses fit like a dream. I just stared and stared at myself in the mirror :) I was just flabbergasted! I twirled and turned and tried to look at myself in the dresses at all angles. It was simply mind-boggling! And the best part - I liked what I saw in the mirror. :)

So of course, I bought both dresses :party1: I'll eventually bring one back to the store before the wedding, but the novelty of having two cute dresses FIT and LOOK GOOD was such an amazing high.

I'm so excited, I'm going shopping again tomorrow LOL I don't plan on buying anything, I just want to try things on that I haven't worn in a long time :) And check out a few other stores for dresses. I finally feel like there's hope for me - I'm not destined to wear horrid prints anymore! Heaven help me when I finally reach my goal. I will probably single-handedly turn our economic crisis completely around! LOL

Lauren - I'm so happy to hear everything is going well! I'm so proud of you for coming back to 1PD and seeing this through to the end! You are such an inspiration!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Four, Day Five - September 26, 2008

I read a great article on Yahoo Health today - basically it said being around temptations (and surviving them) are better for you than avoiding them altogether, because as you continue to resist them, your will becomes stronger and you are more likely to succeed. There was more to it than that, but it made sense to me - as I've triumphed over the many temptations and social situations, I feel stronger and more confident in my ability to stick to the program 100%.

I hosted a bridal shower at work today for my friend (the one that's getting married next week). I had all of her favorite foods - carrot cake, chips and salsa, lemon bars, a fruit salad (apples, pineapple, walnuts, chopped Snickers bars, and cool whip), and a veggie tray. YES, I wanted to just have a lick of the cream cheese frosting on the carrot cake, but I didn't. YES, I wanted to pick out all the Snickers pieces in the fruit salad, but I didn't. I'm not a saint, nor am I anything special. I'm just tired of being fat, and finally have my eyes set on the goal, and nothing's going to get me off course!

I have three more social events in the next week - I swear, I've had more social events while being on 1PD than I have in the past 2 years combined :) - all three events are wedding related. The groom's parents purchased a suite at the Cubs vs Brewers game on Sunday. We're meeting 3 hours prior to game start for tailgating and I've been informed there will be brats, burgers, and hot dogs. Then the suite will have all kinds of ballpark food too. Gah, this may be my hardest one yet as ballpark food is one of my favorites!!

Then the wedding rehearsal dinner is on Friday evening, which is being held at my favorite Irish pub, and then the wedding is on Saturday. I wish I could say once the wedding is done, I'll go back to my hermit-like life, but there are several more social events, plus the holidays, and of course, my Mom is coming to visit for about 10 weeks, and it's going to be hard to ignore her amazing homecooked meals for the kids.

I wish I could fast forward through the next 4 months or so, and skip all these events! But I will no longer give up what I want right now for what I want the most, and I want to be healthy and thin, once and for all :) Is that too much to ask? lol

[Lauren]

Joy!!!

Your post from yesterday about the dresses almost made me cry! I'm so ecstatic for you! And you've only just begun! I can't wait until you see how far you can go! You'll be so amazed, and your determination is SO inspiring! You are going into these events with a good outlook from what you read today, and I totally agree with it. When I did the diet last year, I avoided all foods that weren't on plan. I didn't want to see a picture of food, I didn't want to look at it, smell it, whatever. Towards the end of the diet, though, when I knew it wouldn't be too long, I indulged myself in visuals of food (letting myself watch the food network, etc.) and I found that I got some satisfaction in really SMELLING good foods. Let me ask you this. You say ballpark food is one of your favorites. Is that because it's DELICIOUS? Like, is it even comparable to your mom's home-cooked meals? Or is it just because it's FUN to order food at a ballpark? For me, it's the experience of ordering food at an event like that that's fun--it's not necessarily that it's my favorite food or the best food I've ever had--the opposite, usually. So pack yourself something you really love and look forward to, and you won't feel too deprived. Oh yeah--and can we see some pictures of you in those dresses?! :) Congratulations! See--I told you you'd be surprised what size you could fit in. :)

[PhyllisRis]

Way to go Joy!! And stay strong, girl!!!
Lauren is right on.....usually it's the thrill of the hunt that outweighs (sorry, no pun intended) the actual taste of the food....so go ahead and "hunt" for food at the ballgame, smell it even and then eat what you've brought along to the party!!! Stay on plan and on your road to skininess!!!:elmer:
Phyllis

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Four, Day Seven - September 28 2008

Just a quick post tonite - we just got home from the ER - my son was bitten by a dog! @(#$#(* dog!! When we got home from the ballgame, my kids went to play at the neighbor's house, and less than 10 minutes later, my son came home shaking like a leaf with his hand munched on. My son is ok, no stitches (thank God), but he's on antibiotics for the next few days to ward off infection. It's late, and I need to get the kids bathed and put to bed - our trip to the ER took longer than the actual ballgame!

The ballgame - I'm proud to say I stuck to the program 100%! It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, I was pretty satisfied just breathing in the different aromas - it's amazing how strong my sense of smell has become since starting 1PD. For some reason tho', I had M&Ms on the brain the entire game. LOL

I'll post some photos tomorrow! Have a great night!

[SandyH1414]

Hello Joy,

It's never a dull moment with kids now is it! Glad he is doing ok and no stitches were needed. I'm sure it was a scare for all.

Good job at not straying at the game.. Congrats on another weekend completed!

{goodjob} {bighug}

[Big Pun]

Way to go...I know it was tough at the Ballpark....I am a huge sports fan and nothing like going to a game a getting Nachos and a Hot Dog....and a nice cold beer for me...but none of that is worth getting off track of the big Goal!!!! Great Job.

Pun

[SPDeRosa]

Joy,

Sorry to hear about your son's dogbite --- the story reminded me of my brother who was bitten by a dog when he was about 10. But rather than rush to the hospital to get it checked out, my mom took a picture of him crying and showing the bite. I have to find it -- it's so cute!

Glad to hear you had fun shopping for dresses. When I try on clothes now I'm like a kid in a candy store. I'm so excited to fit into a small and to have the clothes actually look good, that I just give in. Of course, I have a lot to return because I don't need all the shirts I've purchased, and the money I spent could be used to pay bills rather than buy clothes.... but it sure was fun!

Best,
Shawn

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Five, Day One - September 29, 2008

Whew, I'm just happy yesterday is done :) Thank you all so much for your thoughts and kind words about my son! He's feeling much better today, but one of the wounds looks like it's getting infected, so I'm keeping a close eye on it.

Today was a hectic day at work, I keep hoping things will slow down, but it's only getting busier and busier. On the positive side, being as busy as I am, the day flies by so quickly I haven't been eating my mid-morning fruit and cracker until lunch, then my mid-afternoon fruit and cracker until dinner.

I'm also experiencing something kinda weird ... I'm getting squishy. :eyebrow: I used to be pretty "solid", and am now just, well, squishy. My arms, my tummy, and my thighs. It's kinda weird, but I can't help squishing myself ... okay that just sounds wrong lol It's all good though because I know that means the fat is moving out!

Here's a funny - my coworker and I were talking about where exactly does the fat go, I mean, I know where it goes, but she was saying it's so weird that it just leaves you, and wouldn't it be funny if as the fat leaves us, it goes off into the cosmos to find someone that we don't like, and sticks to their thighs or butt or something ... :laughing:

Lauren - I will definitely post a photo in my dress! I've already returned one of them, but absolutely love this one! It has a ruched waistline and a taffeta skirt. It has a rather plunging neckline, so I'm hoping to find a longish multi-layered necklace to cover up a little lol

Phyllis - you're right! Half the fun is in "hunting" down the food at the ballpark!

Big Pun - OMG, the nachos were so calling my name yesterday! I kept telling my friends - wow, those nachos look goooood lol I finally made a friend buy them and eat them himself so I could live vicariously through him. :innocent4:

Sandy - YES! Another weekend down! Now I just have to survive this weekend - a wedding rehearsal dinner and the actual wedding reception!

Shawn - um, I have a confession to make lol It's so funny that you mentioned your mom stopping to take a photo before going to the ER because I kinda sorta did that too. My camera was still in my purse because of the ballgame, so when we got to the ER, I stopped my son in the parking lot and took a photo of his hand. I was thinking more along the lines of documentation for the police/incident report and insurance, but of course, I emailed it to all of my family this morning lol I am SO EXCITED to go clothes shopping, it's so hard to hold myself back from splurging now! I've gone from a 22 to a 16 and can finally shop in the "normal" section again!

Have a great night everyone!

[SandyH1414]

whaaa hooooo Joy, dropping sizes is awesome!

Don't spend to much on new clothes because you won't be in that size for very long either!!! :party6:

Oh such a great feeling isn't it!

Keep it up! Love the new picture of you!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Five, Day Two - September 30, 2008

My highlight of the day - in a meeting with business partners at work this afternoon, as I walked to my seat at the board table, I smiled to someone I haven't seen since the beginning of summer, said hello and got a huge smile back. After the meeting, my boss came up to me laughing, saying that person asked her who I was! He totally didn't recognize me! {rofl} 1PD is making life so much fun!!

Sandy - it's so hard not to spend money on clothes right now!!! I'm just so excited about being a 16 again :) I plan to follow Gail Stout's advice and go to a thrift store after church on Sunday to get some in-between clothes, because I'm starting to look a little ridiculous with my baggy 20/22s.

Have a great day my friends!

[LiLNightShift]

I swore to myself to only by pants for work! I'm such a shop-a-holic it's silly! WOW, down to 16's?! GREAT JOB

[lfingers11]

Joy,
That is so funny that he did not recogize you!! You are doing such a great job!! Keep up the great work!!
I went and shopped thrift store for inbetween about a month ago. They were tight then and now they are loose!! Hopefully the same will happen for you super quick!!
Pam

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Five, Day Four - October 2, 2008

OMGosh, time sure is flying by! I feel like I'm saying the same thing over and over, but work is just insanely busy, and I'm doing well, staying 100% on program.

The wedding is finally here - the rehearsal and dinner is tomorrow night, and the ceremony and reception is Saturday. Everything is going to be so beautiful and I know my friend will be the most beautiful bride the world has ever seen :) My only regret is that I won't be able to wear the dress I originally purchased in the spring for the wedding - I deliberately bought it in a size 10 to try to motivate me to lose weight, but nothing really happened until I started 1PD. It's okay though, because another really good friend is getting married next year, so I'll have this dress to wear. However, I could be much smaller than a size 10 in a year!

How cool is that? :)

Thanks Mandy and Pam! I'm thinking I may actually wait until my next weigh in on October 18th before I buy some clothes. I think I can get by until then, it's only 16 days away. I'll just have to wear a belt for the first time in my adult life!! I've always hated them because my belly was so big, I felt it just brought more attention to it.

[LiLNightShift]

You'll have to let us know how that belt makes you feel this time!! xoxo Much love to you!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Five, Day Five - October 3, 2008

A tough day! I survived the wedding rehearsal and dinner. Everyone was very accepting of my diet - even the groom's grandmothers :)

Here's a quick photo of the bride and I at the restaurant. I bought this top 2 years ago (and it didn't fit then, but boy does it fit now LOL). I was going to wear a different outfit, but decided on this instead, I knew I better wear it before it gets too big!

[LiLNightShift]

I can't wait to see the photo!!! You made it Joy!!

[Big Pun]

Good job joy...it must have been tough!!!!

Big Pun

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Five, Day Six - October 4th, 2008

I can sum up the day in the following words ...

I wore 3-inch heels for 11 hours, an impossible feat prior to 1PD.

The entire day was simply amazing! I was the unofficial wedding planner and the bride's personal attendant, so I was busy from start to finish. I brought all three meals, fruits and crackers with me, and stayed on plan 100%!!!!!! It wasn't easy ...

Meal 1 was eaten in the bridal suite, in the middle of assisting with everyone's hair, makeup and getting into their dresses. Meal 2 came towards the end of the wedding ceremony - at the point where I had to discreetly leave the ceremony and go to the bridal room to gather the sparklers to pass out at the end of the ceremony. It was the perfect opportunity to scarf down my lunch. It wasn't pretty lol but it had to be done. I had my crackers and fruit on the trolley as we rode around town to the different photo locations. Meal 3 was hastily eaten in the bridal suite during the reception, on one of my trips of delivering the gifts from the ballroom to the bridal suite. I tried really hard to get my water in, and was successful there too.

During my 30 mins of "downtime" during the buffet dinner, I sat with friends at our table and talked. I admit the thought of just giving in and eating the tossed salad crossed my mind, but just as quickly came this epiphany - taking the easy way isn't always the right way. So I ignored the salad and scrumptious buffet.

The food will always be there. This is MY time to make myself a priority!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Five, Day Seven - October 5, 2008

My feet hurt from those darn 3-inch heels. Heck, my quads hurt too! It takes alot of muscles to manuever in those things! lol

Today was a nice quiet day at home. My daughter and I put our summer decorations away and put out our Halloween decorations on our front porch. I'm so excited to say my social calendar for the rest of October is completely EMPTY! lol Finally!!

I'm debating whether or not to boycott Halloween this year. I really don't need all that junk in my house, and neither do my children. I'm thinking of starting a tradition and going for an overnighter at a waterpark resort instead. We always go to the same one, so they send me specials via email from time to time, and they have a great Halloween package put together - a costume parade for the kids, arts and crafts, Halloween story telling, etc. I could use a little fun and relaxation!

Thank you Big Pun and Mandy for your kind words! I'm so happy to have survived the wedding!!!

[Big Pun]

Joy You Rock!!!!!!!!

[LiLNightShift]

Wow, you are soooo pretty! I'm proud of you! I know how you must have felt the day after in those heels. I wear 4" to work everyday -- haha! I'm already 5'8", I just think stilletos are THE sexiest thing ever (and I love shoes.. like a lot.)

I am so proud of you sis! Much love!!!!!!!

[CohenInAz]

Keep going Joy!

3 and 4 inch heals? You people are crazy :)

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Six, Day Two - October 7, 2008

I wanted to share a great blog with you - Morgan Gets Thin. She's an amazing gal that has lost 103 lbs (not on 1PD, tho') - be sure to read her journey!

In one of her posts, she says "When will I finally learn that food will NOT reverse any negative emotions I'm having?" I think that is so crucial to most of us obese folks. We can follow a diet, exercise like mad, but if we don't fix what's in our head, we will always struggle with food!

Over the past 6 weeks, I've been actively working on refusing to use food to self-medicate myself. It's pretty easy to do whilst on 1PD as we must stick to our programs and never never never deviate. It was difficult at first, but it's getting better day by day.

I think what's happening is that I'm finally finding my voice, and am learning to speak up for myself, instead of letting everyone walk all over me. I used to keep everything bottled up inside and when I got to the breaking point, I'd self-medicate with food. Not anymore!

Now that I've had such good results, I refuse to give up the amazing feelings of accomplishment and success for mere food. I believe alot is tied into our self-esteem and how we see ourselves. I'm finally beginning to feel pretty and am starting to like myself. I also constantly remind myself that everything happens for a reason, and it's all part of God's master plan for me. I tell myself that how I react to situations is a direct reflection on my love and trust in Christ. If I cave in under pressure and eat like a pig, I feel like I'm telling God He isn't good enough, and that I don't believe Him. And I don't want to do that at all!!

Mandy, how the heck do you wear 4" heels every day to work??!! Wearing my heels made me feel reeeeeaaalllly good, but I don't know if I could do it every day. Maybe when I reach my goal and am lighter on my feet - pun intended? :)

[LiLNightShift]

You know, I've been wearing shoes like that for so long -- that I have no idea. I'm obsessed with shoes. I'd go broke over my shoes if I didn't have my boyfriend. He's INSANELY sensible with money, so even though we don't share our finances -- he's always in my head.

I get cracks all the time, "Weren't you the President of the Philippines?". Stuff like that because I have so many shoes.

Anyway, on to your wonderfully insightful blog. I find myself already starting to speak up. I find that I'm really fed up with how I let people treat me. I always told myself, "I won't respond -- I'm better than he/she is." In reality, it's just built up into a feeding frenzy. If I don't say something, then it will continue.

I LOVE YOU SIS! xoxo

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Six, Day Three - October 8, 2008

Let the games begin. Or the PMS, I should say! I'm definitely getting crabbier and hungrier by the second, a sure sign TOM is around the corner. I'm already taking a 2nd vitamin at lunch, so I'm drowning my hunger with water. Knowing I'm a crabby pants helps me keep my smart alec remarks in check here at work. I'm still pretty frustrated that I've been doing two fulltime jobs for 10 months without any help, and the projects keep piling up.

I'm getting more and more compliments, they're coming almost daily lately. I'm following Lauren's advice, and am graciously accepting them as they come. I'm wearing clothes I haven't worn in a few years, but even then, am running out of clothes to wear. It's the weirdest thing! I think a trip to the thrift shop this weekend is definitely in order as I have no cold weather clothes at all. I'm very excited to buy a few sweaters as I usually stay far far away from them. In the past, I'd wind up looking like a huge marshmallow in a sweater, but I'm getting my hourglass figure back and think I'll look pretty darn good in them this season!

Mandy - or shall I say Imelda Marcos? lol I have alot of shoes but as I got heavier, just wore the same boring, comfortable ones over and over. My little girl is the same way with shoes, in fact one of her nicknames is Imelda as she's a shoe fanatic and wears my dressy shoes more than I do :) I'm so proud of you for speaking up! For me, I think it was part of my culture too - asian women are quiet and keep their opinions to themselves. I hate confrontation, so it was always far easier for me to swallow my feelings and opinions, and just nod my head and go with the flow. Keep up the great work!!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Six, Day Four - October 9, 2008

Well, naughty 1PD'er that I am, I'm finally having my 4 week blood test done tomorrow. With the wedding last week, I didn't have any spare time to drive over to the lab as it's a bit out of my way (but not terribly far).

I requested a complete metabolic panel as I'm very curious to see how much the results improve. I was diagnosed with a fatty liver in Spring 2007, and while my liver enzymes were in the normal range at the beginning of 1PD, they were still in the high-normal range.

I'll be sure to share the results with everyone as soon as they arrive!

Have a great night everyone!

[LiLNightShift]

I'm so excited to hear about your results sis! I can't wait to see you in your old SHOES! haha! Seriously though, you are fantastic. I think I am obsessed with shoes so much cause my shoes never changed size like my clothes did.

Remember ladies!! Moccassin look is in! Along with the Oxford! Animal print with a non-vibrant outfit is also back! For you shorties out there, the platform made a comeback!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Six, Day Six - October 11, 2008

Ho hum, just another day in the Cohen way of life. :) Life has gotten to be very routine, and I can pretty much prepare my meals with my eyes closed - after I weigh everything of course lol I'm pretty mundane with my meals, same breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. It's just easier for me to keep it simple right now, with my hectic life!

I've been thinking alot about life after refeed. It's still quite a ways away, but with so many of our friends on refeed right now, it's hard not to contemplate what life will be like.

Mandy, you are now my shoe consultant - I will never buy another pair of shoes without consulting with you first! lol

[LiLNightShift]

LoL! I'm so bad :x I'm totally happy just window shopping though!

[Marjorie]

Way to go GIRLLLL!!! It is hard to go to these functions and not be tempted. My husband is Filipino awsome food and I bring my own food to the gatherings. Im on day 7 so far so good. Way to go!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Seven, Day One - October 13, 2008

Where does the time go?? I can't believe I've been on 1PD for seven weeks, with a weigh-in a week from today! I'm super excited with my results thus far - the way I feel, what I see when I look in the mirror, and how my clothes feel are far more important to me than what the scale will say (I can probably say this with confidence because I only weigh-in every 4 weeks).

When I stepped out of the shower this morning, I was shocked by what I saw in the mirror - my shoulder bone!! lol it was so alien and foreign looking. It was so nice to reacquaint myself with my shoulder bones lol they've been covered up in layers of fat for, geesh, I can't even remember when I last saw my shoulder bones ... 8 or 9 years ago???????

[PhyllisRis]

Yea for shoulder bones....I've been noticing mine lately too....
But...will my "angel wings" (saggy upper arms) ever go away??? Now I'm starting to refer to them as dewlaps (that's the saggy fat that hangs from a cow's neck!!). My arms are starting to look thinner but the dewlaps don't.....please tell me they'll go away, too!!
Phyllis

[LiLNightShift]

It's possible to have "loose" skin could exercise help with that?? I have this little pooch thing thats like spongey like loose-ness.

Joy - HOO RA! Go sis go!! I'm so happy that you feel wonderful. Tell your shoulder bones that I say hello and can't wait to dress them! ((LOL))

[CohenInAz]

It's possible to have "loose" skin could exercise help with that??

I believe excercise helps and time. It takes awhile for the body to bounce back.

I heard from my pharmacy that increasing Chromium Piconalte (sp?) would help with skin recovery.. not sure how true that is, but they recommended that.

I've also done the "Egyptian Secret" wraps before, and I will say it worked really well. I had done it the last time I lost weight and had to fit into my dress for graduation. I did it and got into the dress and kept the inches off until I started gaining the weight back. I noticed it helped the areas that had sagging or were lose, which is where most of the "inches" were lost.

During the process a little bit of my leg skin "popped" out of the wrap during the workout portion, and I didn't say anything and then she came into check the wrap and fixed it. I asked if it would be an issue and she said no, as long as I miantined weight.. I can tell you now that I gained weight, you can see the section that 'popped' out fairly obviously.

I'm going to be going to get it every 20 lbs I lose this time around. It should help with the skin and it also helps flush toxins from the skin.

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Seven, Day Two - October 14, 2008

Another good day. TOM arrived with little fanfare, and right on time. I'm astonished that although I still have the crabbiness and hunger prior to TOM, the horrible cramps and fatigue are gone. Those were always worse than the crabbiness and hunger.

I'm a bit drained after watching Biggest Loser tonite ... I can identify with several of the contestants, and I get so caught up in the weigh-in's and subsequent vote-offs. lol It's pathetic, really!

Phyllis - I think you just need to give your arms some time to bounce back. I've heard that you should really give yourself 12 months from reaching goal for your skin to really get back. At least that's what they say if you're interested in a tummy tuck, etc.

CohenInAz - great idea about the wraps! I've always wanted to try them, maybe I'll treat myself for my 12-week weigh-in?

[lfingers11]

Hi. I am glad that everyone is doing so well. Just wanted you guys to know I was very dissappointed with my wrap a couple months ago. I had been on Cohen for about a month or two so I was NOT gaining weight. I think I ended up loosing 12 inches which was cool but within 4 days all the inches were back. It did NOT stay and I was upset I lost my money. Maybe you guys will have better luck than me:)
Pam

[LiLNightShift]

I have never even heard of the wrap things before. Today I'm going to take pictures -- even though I'm 3 weeks in.. thats ok right?

[CohenInAz]

Yay for little TOM issues.

I think this is a "skip" month for me so I will have to see!

I haven't watched the biggest loser since season 4 I think?

It's awesome how you are feeling in your clothes! It's such an achievement! Yay for Joy!

Lfinger11 - Ouch! Sorry for the experience... did you go back, I know the Egyption Secret here gurantees the inches as long as you don't gain back weight.

As a disclaimer, the inches come from ALL the measurements which include, forearms, upperarm, bust, waist, hips, upper thighs, and calfs and then both sides... so you might lose an inch on your right and left theigh and it counts as 2 inches.

I'm going to go in a week or two... so I will let you know what happens.

[SPDeRosa]

Joy - you're doing so well on this program! You'll have to show us a photo of your shoulder-bone so we can all say hello :) hehehehe Keep up the good work!

Pam et al: What's this secret wrap thing? I'm not sure I buy into anything that claims to shrink your size by just wrapping you up tightly. Your body is a closed system -- water, fluids and fat in the body can't be squeezed out. So unless they just move stuff around somehow or sweat it out of you somehow I can't imagine anything like that really working. To me it seems like a corset: it makes the waist really small by pushing everything else up. Once you take it off, everything is back to normal.

I"m a little disappointed to hear that it might take 12 months for the skin to tighten back up. I know I have some tightening needed. I hate to take minerals (e.g. chromium) to help but maybe I'll consider it. Time for more research! :)

Shawn

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Seven, Day Three - October 15, 2008

Okay ... this is an official TMI post ... beware ... read on at your own risk :innocent4:

Oh, TMI -- Too Much Information ...

So, I've always been a regular girl, with no issues in that regards. And that stays true on 1PD. My 1PD definition of regular is every 3 - 4 days.

So yesterday, right before I was supposed to go into a meeting at work, I was almost doubled over with stomach cramps. They were pretty bad, and I made my way as quickly to the bathroom as possible. It was HORRIBLE! I don't wear a watch, so I can't say how long I was in the bathroom, but it felt like FOREVER.

Well, I won't get into all the gross details, but let me tell you, it was the biggest poo EVER. {rofl} And I immediately thought to myself ... wow, that's like 2 lbs ... {rofl}

So when I get back to the office, my coworker - the one who lost 95 lbs in 7 months on 1PD (and has been off refeed for 3 months) ask me if I'm okay and I start telling her what happened. So right when I get to the part "biggest poo EVER", she goes "Wow, that must have been at least 2 lbs!"

{rofl}

Okay ... so that's my story for today. It was just too funny to not share lol ... kinda gross, kinda embarrassing, but just too darn funny!

P.S. This has never happened to me before - both before 1PD and while on 1PD.

[lfingers11]

Coheninaz ~ I know they take the inches from all over. I went home after the wrap and measured my tummy legs and hips and a couple days later I was up alot in inches. I was not happy and I know I was not off that much in inches. Maybe in Ohio they just don't know how to do them correctly.

Shawn ~ I did the wraps to just see if some firming happened. You strip all the way down except for your underwear and they wrap in you warm bandages all over your body. They then put something on you that kind of looks like a jump suit. Pray that you don't have to pee because you are stuck in this for an hour. No easy way to go to the bathroom. did not help that they were playing ocean music and I am currently drinking a ton of water. As you sit there they start to dry out a little and they tighten alot!! There is stuff in the warm bandages that makes your skin really soft (which was nice) and draws out toxins. You can google body wraps and pickerington ohio and where I got it done should pop up or just look in your home town.

I think that I am going to luck out with the loose skin thing. I have about 13 more pounds to go and even my tummy is getting better. I think when I start the gym everything will go back to how it was when I was in high school. Hehe!!

Joy ~ I had that same experience the third day I was on the plan. I was in the car with my boys and I thought I was going to die. I thought when I got to work that I was going to have to have them call the emergency squad. It was horrible. It took about 1 hour to start to feel better. They said I looked extremely white. Has not happened since which I am so happy about!! Joy, at least you cleaned out some extra that did not need to be there :innocent4:

Pam

[SPDeRosa]

LOL Joy, I now call that a Pumbza poo :)

(referencing one of his earlier posts)

[CohenInAz]

Wow! Not had that yet!

Oh.. and a picture of a wrap:

[SPDeRosa]

Oh, perfect! I can get a wrap AND a halloween costume at the same time! ;) hehehehehe

[LiLNightShift]

Sis, that is TOO funny -- seriously. I've actually been having issues with it. I'm not eve close to being regular on this diet. Every now and then I just hurt so friggin bad and I go.

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Seven, Day Five - October 17, 2008

Time for a little rant ... lol

So I've been getting alot of questions lately asking me what diet I'm on, what pills I'm taking, or if I've had gastric bypass surgery. It's kinda funny, kinda insulting, but I guess I can't blame folks for being curious.

Why oh why must people automatically think I've done something drastic because I'm losing weight?? Is it because they think that's the only route I'm able to have success?????

I pretty much want to throttle them, but I don't. I simply reply I'm on a medically supervised diet, with NO pills or weird concoctions whatsoever. I then go on to say I feel better, my skin is clearer, my acid reflux is GONE, my insomnia is GONE, my aches and pains are GONE, and shortly, I'll be completely off my blood pressure medications.

When they reply with skepticism, I basically tell them bring it on - I'm pretty competitive, and VERY hard-headed, so if they think I can't do it, I will go out of my way to prove them wrong. Of course, with 1PD, it'll be simple!

I know with every fiber of my being that I will NOT revert to my bad habits and let the weight creep back on. Following my prescription has forced me to deal with the myriad of issues that cause me to turn to food for comfort. I compare this to a junkie in rehab. I WANT the crap, don't get me wrong. I still think about eating M&M's or having a caramel iced coffee from McD's. But I never give in. I REFUSE to give in. Because I know what the results will be if I give in, and it's simply not worth it!

Instead of using food to relax after a stressful day, I play with my kids or knit. When I get pissed off at work, instead of going to the vending machine, I grab a coworker and take a walk around the block (and throw them into the river. Nah, not really, but I think about it sometimes lol).

I think this is the vital part of my diet - so much more important than what I'm eating or doing for exercise. If you aren't "there" mentally, this will never last. I'm finally "there", and I'm never going back!

I hope everyone has a great weekend - we're going to a pumpkin farm up north tomorrow, and will see Clinton Kelly from What Not To Wear on Sunday! It's standing room only, so I hope I get up close, he's such a cutie!

Pam - I'm sorry to hear about your wrap experience! I personally haven't tried it before but have been curious! It makes good sense to check out the spa and their reputation before going in!

CohenInAz - when I first saw the wrap photo (before I read the text), I thought, is she dressing up as a mummy for Halloween? lol Do they truly wrap your hair and everything too?

Shawn - even as adults, poo is funny lol I'll have to search for Pumbza's poo post and compare! lol Your shoulder photo comment triggered a memory - in the spring, my best friend and I applied for the Biggest Loser, and took some really, err, hm. What's the word I want to use ... icky comes to mind - but anyway, we took some really awful photos of us in sports bras and workout pants, ugh, it's like when you see roadkill while driving, it's totally hideous, but you have to look anyway. So that's what the photos are like. I looked at it again last night and couldn't believe the difference between then and now. I'm not sure if I have the guts to post it online just yet, but maybe one day ... or not. lol

Mandy - I'm sorry to hear about your troubles!! Have you emailed your consultant? I know Shasha has recommended fiber - can't remember if they were the shells/husks, or something like that? I'll search the forum for her post for you! Are you eating your apple every day?

[CohenInAz]

People are.... well annoying.

If you get heavy, fat, overweight...

The immdiately assume your lazy and out of shape.

If you were any of the above and get skinny...

People think you had surgery, lipo, have cancer or did something crazy!

Just be happy in knowing that we are re-training our brains.

I've never ate this healthy... I've never ate 3 veggies a day and 3 fruits a day even when I was a kid.

This is our new begining... so they can just... hmm... well use your imagination!

You can always trying cooking at work... that's worked well for me! Ha... you should see people follow the yummy smell to the breakroom when I make my lunch!

I think you should take some pictures NOW and them post them. You know you're going to lose a lot more from this point... it would be a great benchmark!

[LiLNightShift]

Sis! Apples are all I eat. I just bought kiwi's to help mix it up. I don't really know what the problem is.

When I tell people that I'm going to be losing 50 lbs, they look at me like I'm anorexic. I even tell them it's a medically supervised diet and they still think that ***I'm*** taking to to far.

Then I get pissed and say, "You are just used to this fat society to think what I look like is normal. Do you really think --A DOCTOR-- is going to make me unhealthy? Be supportive or shut up, I'm really proud of what I'm doing."

It's like I revert to being 8 years old again, I swear. I still have to post pics of me now too. xoxo.

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Seven, Day Six - October 18, 2008

Thank you for commiserating with me on yesterday's rant! It really just got to me, and I needed to get it out of my system. I have to stop listening to the critics, and just keep on keeping on.

We had a grand day today - we drove about 75 miles north to our favorite pumpkin farm. There are several closer ones, but we really like this one. There's nothing over the top about it, it's just way up in the country, and it's so beautiful out there!

We rode the tractor out to the field, and the kids immediately spotted their pumpkins. It was somewhat of a miracle as they typically take forever, and we hold up the tractor. We also picked out a few decorative gourds and baby bear pumpkins. They also have a little petting zoo area and a corn maze, which was alot of fun.

On the drive back home, we stopped at Trader Joe's for our weekly groceries, and they had a little fall fair there too. The kids did a scavenger hunt through the store and each won painted pumpkins. I'll have to take a photo of our front porch for you because it's pumpkin city out there! :)

All in all it was a great day - it's become second nature to make sure I always bring water, fruit, crackers, and a meal with me when we go out. I've never gone this long on a diet before without "forgetting" to pack my lunch. Yaay me!

Here are a few photos from our day!

[LiLNightShift]

Your kids are adorable!!! That looks like so much fun! I wonder if there is a pumpkin farm near us so I can take Lili on such a fantastic adventure.

I'm so glad you had a positive day!! You are gorgeous!

Much love!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Eight, Day One

G'morning!!!

Well, today is my second weigh-in, and I've lost an additional 14.4 lbs, for a total of 37.2 lbs in 8 weeks! And 62.2 lbs since my heaviest weight! That's simply amazing to me! I still need to figure out how many inches, but as far as sizes go, I've gone from a 20/22 pants and 1X shirt to a 14/16 pants and 10/12 shirt!

Here's to another 4 weeks (and however long it takes!!) :party6:

[lfingers11]

Joy,
What wonderful progress you are having!! You are doing wonderful job!! Your pics of you and the kids are just wonderful. They are cute and look so happy!!
Try to ignore the negative comments about your weight loss. I get all the time that you are skinny enough. You don't need to loose more. I then throw at them I am going by my body fat and that usually shuts them up. Even though I am around 134 my body fat is between 28-29 pounds which is still not good. I won't be happy until it is between 18-20%. Why do this if I still am not going to be healthy?
Keep up the great work and I can't believe you have been doing this 8 weeks already. Time flies!
Pam

[LiLNightShift]

*claps* I am so proud of you Sis! a LOSING MACHINE!! xoxox COngrats on your fabulous results so far!

[CohenInAz]

Joy I'm so proud of you!!

You look fantastic and are doing such a great job!!! Your kids must be really proud of you too!

Keep up the good work; I can only hope to be as successful on the program as you have been so far!

[Big Pun]

Joy...keep up the great work...you are doing great!!!!

BP

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Eight, Day Three - October 22, 2008

I just started a thread in the Photo section - there's one horrific photo and one not-so-horrific photo posted :)

It's so crazy - now that I'm at this point in my weight loss journey, I feel like it's happened overnight. I know it hasn't, but it feels like it. I feel like I'm finally living the life I always wanted, and I am. I'm exploring everything and no longer sitting on the sidelines watching and wishing I were someone else or doing something else. It's pretty cool, and I can't wait for it to get better and better!

Mandy-sis - I would email your consultant and see if they have any suggestions for you to help you out! Thank you too about the kids' photo comment. They're such good kids, I proud to call them my own :)

Pam - thank you! I'm concerned about what you said - about being at goal, but still with a "high" body fat amount. I've been thinking about adding yoga and pilates a few times a week, just to keep me strong and maybe even build muscle, ever so slowly. The only thing holding me back is worry about getting too hungry!

CohenInAz - I have no doubt you'll be successful on 1PD! You're already doing so well!

BigPun - thank you so much! You're doing a great job as well!

[PosterGal]

Joy - Wow - what great pictures! And amazing progress. Good for you - keep it up - You GO GIRL!

[LiLNightShift]

Joy - I don't even remember what I was having a problem with. I feel great again. The sweet tooth was definately temporary! Thank god!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Eight, Day Four - October 23, 2008

So, I posted my progress photos on another social networking site, and when a friend saw them, she sent me a private message asking me "You look so great - who's the new guy?"

At first I was confused, like - what new guy? There's no guy in my photos? Then it dawned on me - she's assuming that a new guy in my life is the reason I'm losing weight and starting to take care of myself again.

I admit, at first it made me ANGRY {explode} why can't she believe I'm doing this for ME? But then the middle child in me that is cursed for always having to see both sides of a story makes me realize she's only basing that assumption on ME.

I'll admit it - in the past, a new guy was immediate inspiration to start working out. I'll admit it - there was a time that I felt like having a guy was the only way to prove to myself that I'm lovable, I'm wanted, I'm worthy of (fill in the blank).

But I'm waaaaaay past that now, and really truly know that I matter. I'm worthy. I deserve (fill in the blank). And that's why I so strongly feel 1PD is "easy" for me. That's why I am so determined to stick to the plan and see this through to the end with no deviations.

I'm worth it.

[PhyllisRis]

Wait a minute.....you DO have a new guy in your life......Dr. Cohen and he's making all of us healthy!!!!
YEA Dr. Cohen!!!
Phyllis

[LiLNightShift]

What the heck!!! Dr. Cohen is MY man.. all y'all better back off!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

[CohenInAz]

I'll admit it - in the past, a new guy was immediate inspiration to start working out. I'll admit it - there was a time that I felt like having a guy was the only way to prove to myself that I'm lovable, I'm wanted, I'm worthy of (fill in the blank).

I'm worth it.

That is so well put and I have the same issue. The weird thing is, is I don't change anything... there is just a euphoria that takes over... like I met that guy in New York and I lost 5 lbs while I was there... I was drinking a lot of alcohol, eating pizza and horrible food and managed to lose 5 lbs in 4 days.. just because some guy took an interest. I can totally identify with the I'm worth... or rather the happiness factor that kicks in.. it pisses me off! I'm happy being single it just seems to be something else... grrrrr.....

You are right though, we're worth it.

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Eight, Day Five - October 24, 2008

I almost fit into a size 12 dress! lol It was a bit snug around my hips, so that's why I almost fit into it. It's so weird how I'm definitely moving through sizes quickly, but it doesn't seem to make much sense with the pounds lost.

Today was a pretty good day, I'm so happy the weekend is finally here! I went clothes shopping for the kids and almost lost control and bought myself a new wardrobe. But I put it all back, knowing it would be a waste of money.

It sure was fun trying on all the cute clothes in the normal section of the store!! :party1:

[lfingers11]

Week Eight, Day Five - October 24, 2008
It's so weird how I'm definitely moving through sizes quickly, but it doesn't seem to make much sense with the pounds lost.
:

I found your comment very interesting. Here is my realization.
When I got married I was 137 pounds and in a size 6/8. When I was 137 a few weeks ago I was a size 4. I believe Dr. Cohen's plan takes that extra fat off somehow. Not really sure how but I can tell you it works!! I can't wait till I can see your super skinny pics!!
Pam

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Eight, Day Seven - October 26, 2008

TMI POST!! Read on at your own risk lol

I am perfectly miserable. I was somehow constipated, and wound up with a hemorrhoid. Who would have thought something so small would hurt so much??

It started Friday night and flared up badly yesterday. I tried OTC products and they've helped minimally. I emailed my consultant who gave me the ok to take oral pain medication, and urged me to choose alcohol- and sugar-free meds if possible. I already have an appointment with my regular physician on Tuesday for my annual visit, but I think I'm moving it up to tomorrow.

You can take all my challenges thus far - camping, Chicago, the wedding ... all of them combined have NOTHING on what's going on right now. Each time I would shamble into the kitchen, all I wanted to do was sit on the floor right in front of the cupboards (on a pillow of course) and slowly proceed to eat everything in sight.

Of course, I didn't, but the urge was there. I know now physical pain is my worst challenge. The only thing that saved me was my newfound knowledge that the comfort from the food would be temporary, and would do nothing to take away the pain. But how easy it would have been to succumb to the siren call of food!

This morning is better, but I'm going to make sure to keep off my feet as much as possible. We did yardwork all day, and I think that made things worse for me.

Oh well! Bottom line - life will go on, and I will not deviate.

Hope everyone has a great Sunday! Don't forget about changing back your clocks tonite!

Pam - you're right! The majority of the weight lost must be fat, and that's why my clothes are fitting better. Can't wait to add some muscle and tone up the jiggly bits!

Mandy - don't worry sis, I won't take Dr. Cohen away from you lol

CohenInAz - you're worth it too!!

[LiLNightShift]

Sis, don't we change our clocks Nov 2nd this year? I'm pretty sure that's when it happens. I am so sorry you are in physical pain right now -- that's absolutely miserable. You are soo strong it just amazes me. Thanks for being my sis <33

[lfingers11]

Sorry to hear you are in pain. What really helped me was the warm sitz (?) baths. I did a ton of them after delivering the boys and it helped everything down there so much. Usually 2 out of 3 servings a day of fruit is kiwi and that seems to really move things along. Hope this helps.

[PhyllisRis]

daylight savings time ends Nov. 2 this year.....
Joy....I hope you start feeling better soon. Lesson to all....do not strain when trying to "move things".....if you get my drift. You may want to try stool softeners instead.
Phyllis

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Nine, Day One - September 27, 2008

Thank you everyone for your kind words! Yes - please use my experience as a warning for everyone out there, just as Phyllis says! That's one of the beautiful things I like the best about this forum - everyone that's here and actively posts about their journeys automatically pays it forward by helping anyone that reads your post. This forum was the 2nd to the most important "pro" when I decided to start 1PD. :)

It actually snowed for a little today! As this is just my 6th winter (with the first 5 being relatively mild Wisconsin winters), I simply can't wait for the snow to fall. This is the first year I feel confident in my weight and will be buying my first pair of snowpants! I was always too embarrassed to even SHOP for snowpants in the past because I was afraid I'd have to look in the Men's section for pants that would fit.

Hope everyone has a grand day!

[LiLNightShift]

Sis,
I just want to tell you that today we have a high of 76 degrees!! We may have had snow first, but I'm sure ours we'll be more mild!

[CohenInAz]

We have a high of 90! I think a low of 60 something... which is better than the high of 90 and low of 53 we had last week!

Yay for snow!!! You're going to have so much fun in it this year!!!

I hope everything is going better on the other end of things... cough.. ok pun intended :)

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Nine, Day Two - October 28, 2008

I visited my doctor this afternoon, and am SO CLOSE to getting off my blood pressure medication! I'm now at 131/81 without meds (my prescription ran out 6 weeks ago and I kept forgetting to renew it). With my family history, my doctor wants to keep me on my meds for now, and we'll check again in another 30 lbs or so. But still, my blood pressure has gone from 155/99 to 131/81 thanks to the 64.4 lbs total lost so far! Woot woot!

The kids and I are boycotting Halloween this year - neither they nor I need all that crud in the house. We're going to the Wisconsin Dells instead, and will stay overnight at a waterpark. I let the kids each pick a bag of their favorite candies (in miniature size) since they're not getting their huge haul as usual. They are so better behaved than I, and have self-limited themselves to 1 piece per day. Me? That bag would have been eaten in one sitting LOL

Mandy and CohenInAz - it's so crazy that we can be so cold over here and you guys are so warm over there! The weatherman said we should warm up to 60 by the end of the week, but that's so weird too lol

Have a great night everyone!

[Big Pun]

Joy...glad things are going better for you....

Big Pun

[lfingers11]

Joy,
That is so great about your blood pressure!! You must be so excited and hopefully it will go down more for you soon. The reason I had to loose weight is because I have PCOS pretty bad. (tons of cysts in my ovaries) Don't ask how I had three boys so easily. Maybe the pregnancy hormones made it kick in. Well anyway, I have been having more pain when I ovulate which is kind of strange. My doctor thought it would go away if I lost weight since it was so easy for me to get prego. I will go in and see him after I have lost all my weight and started working out!!
That sounds like so much fun for halloween. I wish we could get away for a night but hubby works 6 days a week!! We are going to take the boys out for halloween but they don't make it to many homes since they are 2 and 4. Short little legs don't walk to fast.
Well, can't wait to see how your next blood pressure reading goes. Take care,
Pam

[LiLNightShift]

SIS! FANTASTIC NEWS! Your blood pressure is fabulous! Well.. almost fabulous, but much improved!! I'm so so so happy for you!

I'm taking my daughter (only 3) to like 3 parties and trick or treating. If I can resist chocolate fondue, I can resist ANYTHING.

xoxoxo

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Ten, Day One - November 3, 2008

I had the best weekend - it was soooo relaxing! As you know, we boycotted Halloween and went to a waterpark resort. My children are now old enough that while I still keep them within my eyesight, I can let them go on the slides and pools without having to actually hover around them constantly.

I had a bit of a wardrobe malfuntion after the first slide I did - my swimming suit is TOO BIG! LOL I didn't want to splurge $75 in the resort gift shop for a swimming suit that wouldn't fit in a month from now, so I opted out of the bigger slides and was content to relax and people watch.

I had a bit of a struggle with all the food! Going into vacation mode triggered some cravings, but I stuck to the program - I brought all my food with me, and didn't deviate at all.

I'll be back later tonite to add a few photos to my post. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

[jenn]

great work! i bet that feels fantastic! :applause:

[lfingers11]

Great job at sticking to plan and keep up the great work. I am glad you had a nice time.
Pam

[LiLNightShift]

Way to go sis! Way to keep the hard work going! I can't wait to see pictures!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Ten, Day One Continued

As promised, here are a few photos from the waterpark!

PIC 1:

This is in the lobby, this tree clock comes "alive" and tells stories at bedtime. It's really cute - all the kids sit on the carpet in PJ's and listen/watch the storytime

PIC 2:

This was the kid's favorite thing at the waterpark. It's kind of like king of the hill, all the kids try to get onto the log which is tethered to the ground by a cable, but it can still move around and flip over.

PIC 3:

This is like a huge 2 story playhouse. There's a huge bucket at the top that fills with water, then this bell starts clanging to let you know the bucket will tip over, and all the kids run there to get pounded on with the water. It hurts! lol

PIC 4:

This was my girl's favorite slide, and the one I liked the least because it's just freaky lol You climb up like 3 flights of stairs, then lie on your tummy on the foam mat thingy and slide all the way down - the last drop is the worst!!!! I would actually "catch air" on the way down. LOL

[LiLNightShift]

Cute pictures!! xoxoxo

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Ten, Day Two - November 4th, 2008

Did you vote today?

That's my little attempt at social responsibility :)

Well, today was a horrendous day at work, and tomorrow looks like it will be worse. I'm totally at my limit with juggling two full-time positions and am tired of being pulled into a gazillion directions all the time.

I was totally going to come here and rant my butt off, then realized that writing about all the crud that happened today would only give power to them, and I refuse to let that happen. Negativity only begets negativity, and I need a good dose of positivity to prepare me for tomorrow lol

I'm now happily at home, snuggled up in my pj's, marvelling at the fact that I can tuck my legs under me in my computer chair. Just 10 weeks ago, I couldn't even cross my legs - I'd have to lift my leg up over the other one, then hold onto my knee to prevent my leg from sliding off the other one lol

Life is good :)

Thank you Mandy, Jen and Pam for your kind words!! I really missed you guys while on vacation :)

[PhyllisRis]

the other thing we need to remember is that whatever is written here on this forum is public....if you Google yourself you'll see these forum entries as hits...so, caution about rants and raves.....

[LiLNightShift]

Hey, regardless if it builds or not -- you can always PM me for a rant. It isn't that great to let it fester either!

[PhyllisRis]

private messages are good!!!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Ten, Day Four - November 6th, 2008

Hmm, I seem to be skipping more days here in my journal. Don't worry - it's not because I'm deviating or have gone crazy in the kitchen, but because life on 1PD while AMAZING, is also pretty mundane, and there's nothing much to report, 1PD-wise :) I've tried since Day 1 to keep this journal pretty clean of non-1PD related subjects because as Phyllis said, this is an open forum and ANYONE can come and read it. And I still believe putting rants, etc into print just gives it power.

So, no news, is good news!

I'm very simple when it comes to my meals, I eat the same things for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. I've been reading through some of the older posts here as well as on the unofficial boards, and a common thread of thought has been those who don't really mix things up while on 1PD struggle more when off re-feed. I don't know how much truth there is to this, but wanting to avoid any problems life after 1PD, I've started to add a few new fruits and veggies to my meals - asparagus, yellow crookneck squash, and kiwi fruit. I must admit it has made my meals "exciting" again {rofl} I'm even thinking about having a tomato for the first time in 2.5 months! Wheeee! :)

Hope everyone has a grand day!

Mandy-sis - thank you so much! I will DEFINITELY PM you if I need to - or just to bug you :)

Phyllis - thank you for that reminder to everyone! I'm always astounded to see who's online - there are always more guests than registered posters!

[CohenInAz]

Ha.. Joy you and I are so the same.. I added Squash the other day and it was like :party6:

Little treats make it better...

Actually TODAY I added cinnamon to my yogurt and thought it was amazing.

Ha.

Glad you are doing so well! :)

[Sharon]

Hi Joy,
It has been so long since I have touched base with you and I see you are going great guns,{congrats}. I must say I've been sitting on the intro site, I think my study on top of my work has kept me somewhat blinded to the peripheries.The photos on the water park are so cool, my boys would have a ball (me too).
Must admit I'm not mixing my veges up much recently as I am making the most of the seasons asparagus and a zucchini (when one is ready in my garden). I find the tomatoes are so heavy I don't feel I get enough bang for my buck, and the out of season salads often had that 'unfresh' smell. But my vege garden is coming on great guns and looking forward to my own fresh salads soon.
Hope you are not right about the struggle after refeed. Maybe in refeed it may be worth using the lesser used veges etc as the added old vege extra. I do wonder about the validity as during refeed you do add new stuff frequently anyway that is not 'good' food to challenge you body, and we are talking about variety with good food. Maybe they would have struggled anyway or their choices were not the best, they also may not be weighing their food anymore and it would be easy to misjudge your portions. (Where are you Shasha).

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Ten, Day Five

Wheee - how times flies when you're having fun!

My mom arrives in town tomorrow, and I spent the entire weekend cleaning, cleaning, preparing my food, and more cleaning. Every single nook and cranny, closet and cupboard is CLEAN! My children are pack rats (I'm not), so we went through EVERYTHING and either donated it to Goodwill, or threw it away. I felt SO BAD for my garbage guys, they have quite the haul for them this upcoming garbage day!

The next week should really set the tone on how my mom supports me in my 1PD endeavour. She either will, or she won't. She's not a middle-ground kind of woman. No matter what though, I'm sticking to my plan. That's why I got all my food prepared for the next 2 weeks or so (at least all of my chicken and protein have been measured and portioned away). My veggies are washed and chopped, and ready to be stir-fryed (or is it stir-fried)? lol

I have no idea what I weigh as I only weigh in every 4 weeks (coming up next week!!) but I wonder what she'll think when she sees me? I obviously still have alot to go, so it won't be as dramatic as if she saw me at goal, but I've got to be half-way there by now ...

Oh well, we'll see how it goes tomorrow!

Hope everyone is having a grand day!

[lfingers11]

Joy,
I can't believe she is coming already. Time really flies. I hope she supports you 100%. I have found that many people just don't believe because nothing else works so remember that you need to make her a believer (I might take a year or two of you keeping it off).
I wish I had time to clean this house like that. That must feel wonderful. We did that with the family room this weekend and I am finishing up the computer room today.
Can't wait till your next weigh-in and let us know how it going with your mom. You are doing great.

Pam

[LiLNightShift]

Sis!~ You must feel so accomplished about the clean house! I'd feel so nervous if I had doubts about my family supporting me 100%. If your nervous, I'm here for you during any frustrating days of her visit! Honestly, you've melted away so much -- I don't know how she couldn't be super proud!

xoxo

[Sharon]

Hi
Some people don't do well with change, especially in those around them - even more in the ones they love. Be strong and know that it is not YOUR problem, it is something she will have to work through herself, - its not about you cos you are doing "aboslutely fantastic darling".
My mother had issues when I started really showing my weight loss (and she lives just down the road) but now she supports me 100% as she knows this program is healthy and understands the principles of what Cohen is after when he puts us on them.
Hang in there.
And when your Mum has gone home can you come over and clean my house????

[CohenInAz]

Moms are moms... and they can be wrong...

So if she doesn't support you.. he is just wrong!

:) Be a teenager and rebel :)

[PhyllisRis]

Ok you guys...I suggest you be thankful that you still have your Moms! Mine's been gone for 3 years now. But I know she'd be supporting me 100%....and she'd be very proud of me!
Joy....I think your mom may, if she seems unsupportive, partly be trying not to get her hopes up too much and doesn't want to see you fail and get hurt. No Mom likes to watch their daughter be hurt. I think after seeing you and getting to know and understand the diet better, she'll come around!! She may surprise you!! smile....
And...if she doesn't support you 100%, it doesn't matter! YOU know that you are doing the absolute right thing to take care of yourself and your family. YOU are the only one who has to support you!! Don't get too wrapped up in finding approval from others..be confident and assertive! YOU CAN DO THIS!!
Phyllis

[Mama Lake]

I am thankful for my mother. She lives across the country, and we only get to see each other about 1 time a year or less, and it is usually for a few days or less at a time. We talk on the phone and email all the time. My mother is my biggest supporter. She is paying for my plan and keeps tabs on me all the time.

Joy, your mother may hold back, like Phyllis said, just to see that you do not get disappointed. But, I agree, that when she sees you being more healthy, active, alert, and enjoying life and your family, I bet she comes around. She will be there for a while, so just let it ride and see how she is reacting in a week or so.

Best wishes, and give her a long, warm, loving hug. I miss my mom, so enjoy her no matter what.
Cindy

[Sharon]

I agree about mums guys and I am very thankful to have mine and spend alot of time with her. And Phyllis I am very sorry you lost your Mum 3 years ago, and I am sure she would be very proud of you and your progress. Sorry if you took offence. I wasn't being negative with regards to "mums" but just saying its something she may have to work through and that Joy should try not take it to heart which may cause more problems and just give her time. (my response was in concideration to a statement Joy had said very early on in the program) My apologies for discussing you in the third person Joy)

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Ten, Day Six - November 12, 2008

Hey everyone :bighug: Thank you all so much for your support and kind words! I think I was holding onto such intense memories of how things used to be, that I couldn't imagine things could be different. Mum arrived last night and has been surprisingly mellow. There were a bunch of things I was waiting for confrontations on, but they weren't issues at all.

Mum hasn't really said anything about my weight loss - no "OMGosh" comments or anything like that, but I attribute that to the fact that I'm more or less the weight I was when I first moved away, and I've only seen my mom twice since then, so I haven't really changed. I think I'll get that "OMGosh" reaction when she sees me at goal.

Please don't get me wrong - as much as my mum and I have issues, I love her dearly. It's because of her age and health and my realization that I may not have much time left with her that I find it easier to just conform and make her happy. I don't want to spend the time we have left fighting all the time.

I lost my dad in 2000, and miss him every single day. As crazy as it seems, my mum and I have gotten closer since he passed away. Our love for him, which actually drove us apart when he was alive has actually brought us together since he passed away.

Another thing ... my mum is who she is because of the life she has lived ... she was born and raised in Taiwan and is the eldest of 12 children. Children learn from their parents. She treats us the way she was treated, and doesn't really know any other way. Bottom line, I know what she does is out of pure love, and she only wants us all to succeed.

I have a really good feeling now about our visit, and think it will be one of our best times together ever :)

Thank you all so much :)

[Sharon]

Joy,
I am so happy for you and your Mum that her visit has started so well. Never doubted you loved your mother dearly, it showed in your concern over her visit, Will be thinking of you, have a wonderful time with your Mum.

[LiLNightShift]

Yay! Much love to the great start! I can't wait to hear more!

[PhyllisRis]

I, too, am happy things are going well....never doubted your love for you mom. You sound like you have a really good understanding for where your Mom's coming from...good job! Enjoy her visit....glad you're bonding!
Love ya....
Phyllis

[Big Pun]

Joy...hang in there, Mom's can be tough, but we would not be here without them. Glad things are going well.

Pun

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Eleven, Day One - November 14th, 2008

Hi friends {grouphug1} I missed you guys!

I just wanted to pop on here really quick - I'm wrapping up an intense 2 day conference that my company sponsors with the 15 top movers and shakers in our industry. They're from all over the country, and I last saw them in November 2007. I consider myself to be pretty low on the totem pole, so I was blown away when 5 of them came up to me and just gushed about how great I looked. It really truly made me feel like a rockstar! I shared the 1PD website with 2 of them, 1 of which filled out her application right there on her Blackberry :laughing:

Mandy - sis, you're going to be so proud - I've been wearing my heels to work every day and dang, they sure do make me feel sassy! In fact, I'm going shoe shopping before I go home tonite, I want to see if I can finally wear those cute knee-high boots. Wouldn't it be darling with a cute skirt and top??

Big Pun - YES! Without our Mommas, we wouldn't be here!

Phyllis and Sharon - thank you both so much for your understanding and support! I think Mum and I have both grown since we last saw each other, and are getting really better!

Hope everyone has a good day today! I'm going to try to get one of my coworkers to snap a photo of me today because I'm looking pretty good, if I do say so myself! :flirt:

[PhyllisRis]

I sure hope you share that picture with all of us!!! Congrats on an exciting day!
Phyllis

[LiLNightShift]

DANG! I was looking at a pair of knee high boots today! In a lovely shade of gray! Wow, do I sense another Ms. Marcos?! Are the heels more comfortable for you now? I can't even imagine wearing flats to work honestly.. lol.

[CohenInAz]

Just thought I would check in and see how the visit was going?

[Sharon]

I am sooo pleased the visit went so well with your Mum.
And the movers and shakers, well done, you go girl and knock their socks off.
Look forward to your photo, bet you look fantastic
You have an awesome day.

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Eleven, Day Seven - November 20th, 2008

Roughly 100 days ago, I sent in my application for Dr. Cohen's 1st Personal Diet, hoping and praying to be accepted, wishing so desperately that this diet would change my life.

Today, as I sit here in my cute black high-heeled boots and new size 14 slacks, it hits me. My life has been forever changed.

Physically, I have gone from a size 22 to a size 14 in the past 84 days. My insomnia and GERD have been cured. My skin glows. My hair shines (without products!!) My nails would become talons if I didn't give myself a mani every Sunday :)

But more important and meaningful than any physical change in the world, I've changed on the inside. I've finally found my voice. I know my self-worth and I have gained self-confidence.

Food no longer maintains its hold over me. I know food will always be there. I face whatever problem, issue or social situation head on and deal with it. Then I move on, stronger and better than ever.

I have officially signed up for my second 12 weeks. There is NO way I will stop until I reach my goal. A whole new life awaits me, and I wouldn't give up this opportunity for anything in the world :)

P.S. I'll share my official 12-week weigh in tomorrow!

[Sharon]

You are just so awesome{boing}{boing}{boing}{boing} I am just jumping for Joy for you. As I read your thread I have a huge smile on my face just for you.

[CohenInAz]

You've done such an amazing job! I can't wait to see what the next 12 weeks holds!

[PhyllisRis]

Joy.....I am so proud of you!!! You are a beautiful person!! We WILL make it to our goals!!
Great job...enjoy the ride!
Phyllis

[LiLNightShift]

Go Joy, Go Joy, It's your birthday, Let's go shopping -- o/`

[jenn]

wow that is amazing joy!!! big congrats to you on your success and all your hard work!

[CohenInAz]

{uhm}

SO?!?!?!?

We're all dying to know!!!!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Twelve, Day One - November 21, 2008

I am sitting here in almost disbelief, and keep wanting to step on the scale to doublecheck that the results are correct. In fact, I put a 5lb dumbbell on it to make sure it's accurate, and OMGosh, it was!!

My official 1PD 12-week weigh-in is 175.4 lbs or a total of 53.6 lbs lost!!! WOW!!!

I was going to take a photo with my "fat" pants when I reached my final goal, but my mom's going to take them in for me, so I figured I better get a photo done right away.

I am in SHOCK when I look at this photo!! It's amazing! I look so exhausted in this photo, but I went to see the midnight showing of Twilight and got less than 3 hrs of sleep :)



Thank you Dr. Cohen and all my 1PD friends for your constant support, inspiration, and comaraderie!

[CohenInAz]

You've done such a great job and FANTASTIC on losing even more in your 3rd minth than your 2nd!!!


Did you change or do anything different?

I can't wait to see you at the end!!!

[jenn]

wow! you are such an inspiration! congrats on all your hard work! you're beautiful!

[Sharon]

Oh my gosh, absolutely fantastic news, You deserve a huge mexican wave.
:{bouncing}{bouncing}{bouncing}{bouncing}

[PhyllisRis]

JOY!!!! YOU ARE AMAZING!!! WAY TO GO!!! RAH, RAH, RAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you sure you can't wait to take in your pants until you've reached refeed??? Your picture is awesome but it will be even awesomer when you're finished!!! Come on girl, they're only pants!
You are such an inspiration to all of us.....keep up the good work and you'll be at refeed before you know it!!!
Phyllis

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Twelve, Day Four - November 24, 2008

Thank you all so much for your kind words!!! :love7: I am still so excited and in awe of how amazing the changes 1PD has helped me to achieve!

I'm now at the weight I was when I officially found out I was pregnant with my daughter (who is turning 8 next week!) I'm just so shocked that I've basically rid myself of 8.5 years of FAT. Forever!! I'm a little worried that I'll now hit the dreaded plateau in the upcoming weeks because I've been carrying this last 40 or so pounds since 1998. Thankfully, I only weigh in every four weeks, so if I do hit a plateau, the scale won't be able to taunt me!

CohenInAz - I couldn't believe my 3rd weigh-in was more than my 2nd! I've been doing the exact same things all along ... I'm kinda simple that way :)

jenn - thank you!

Sharon - thank you! I love doing the wave at sporting events :)

Phyllis - it's ok! I still have a pair of fat jeans I'm keeping for my final goal photo :) Thanks!

[CohenInAz]

Did they change your program at all? How does it work going into your 2nd 12 weeks? Blood test again?

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Twelve, Day Four - November 24th, 2008 PART 2

CohenInAz - as a matter of fact, I just received an email from my consultants saying Dr. Cohen would like another blood test. I just had one done about 3 weeks ago through my normal doctor, and I received the "good girl" email (the email without the checklist). :angel: They did not change my program at that time.

I requested the "initial blood test" versus the "follow-up blood test" from DLS because I'm kinda geeky and want to see how each item changes throughout this journey. It's the same price for either test thru DLS, so I may as well get the most bang for my buck!

P.S. The email from my consultant kinda freaked me out - she (I'm assuming it's a she) said I have just 34.4 lbs to go before I can request re-feed!!! That is so very cool!

[Sharon]

That is very cool news,
I'm so happy for you, I have a big smile on my face as I write this to you -:applause:See:clapping3:See:jumping2: See
Way to go.

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Thirteen, Day One - November 28, 2008

Did anyone hit the stores this morning? My mom and I did, awaking at 4am to hit WalMart, Target, Burlington Coat *******, and the mall. Believe it or not, I only bought 3 things at Walmart. I really want to be financially healthy this year and stick to my kidlet's lists. I always get suckered in by the cheapazoid junk that my kidlets don't even want, but I can't pass them up because they're cheap. This year, I walked right by all the junk and stuck to my list. While walking around Walmart - or at least trying to walk around Walmart - I felt like I was in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" with the Who's running here and there, piling their carts full of stuff, exclaiming with delight at the $18 vacuum or the $2.99 fleece blankets. I don't know ... I guess I've changed this year. In years past, I'd get up super early and buy up toys like crazy ... I'd wait in line for hours before the store even opened, then would run through the store to grab up all the deals. Heck, I'm somewhat proud of the fact that when my son was 4 years old, I was threatened with trespassing at Walmart because some lady falsely accused me of line jumping for the $29 boys bicycles. LOL

So, anyway ... do share your great Black Friday finds with me :) I'd share mine, but my son reads my blog and I can't spoil the surprise :)

On MySpace this afternoon, Coleen from Biggest Loser: Families shared her link to her appearance on the Today Show with Jillian ... it was really cute! Two phrases that were said during the clip that lit up the lightbulb above my head were ...

"Refuse to be ordinary" - Coleen Skeabeck

"Practice being healthy in all aspects of your life." - Jillian Michaels

Both phrases just speak to me and make me feel good knowing I'm on the right track with the changes that I'm making in my life. I think Jillian's quote is really important - we really need to focus on making our entire lives healthy - physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and even financially!

I hope everyone is doing well and accomplished their Thanksgiving goals! I did! Not one deviation :)

Take care!

[PhyllisRis]

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT~~
(Gal 5:22-23 NLT) But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

I think we are all learning self-control through this diet....not only self-control with food, but also in other areas in our lives! And you guys are kind and good....that's evident by the support you all lend to one another through this forum.

Peace....

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Thirteen, Day Three - November 30, 2008

Woe is me ... my son ate the last of my crackers yesterday afternoon. Life is tough without my precious crackers :gurney:

I could have run out to get some today, but we're in the midst of our first severe winter storm of the season and I'd rather sit in my front room looking out at all the pretty snowflakes floating down from the sky. Well, actually, they're flying horizontally across the yard because the wind is so strong, but you get the idea ... with TOM right around the corner, I'm also ravenous as usual, so not having my crackers is a blow ...

I've been keeping myself busy, to take my mind of the PMS hunger and lack of crackers by reading and knitting. I made great progress on a cabled scarf for my daughter. It's my first time attempting to knit cables, and I love it!



Another fun thing is that even though I knew I was gonna be holed up inside all day, I still got my butt in gear and prettied up. The old me woulda sat in my pj's all day and maybe woulda run a brush through my hair lol My, how times have changed!



Hope everyone is doing well!! I'm hoping to get a family photo out in the snow tomorrow - the weathermen are saying we'll get 8 - 10 inches!! Whee!!!

Thank you Sharon!

Phyllis - I love love love the scripture you shared!!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Week Thirteen, Day Four - December 1, 2008

My baby girl turns 8 years old today!!! {bdaycake}

She's getting an ice cream cake from DQ, and she's determined to keep a small piece for me tucked away in the freezer until life after refeed. I really don't want to hurt her feelings, so I'm letting her do it, but am secretly hoping she'll eat it way before I hit life after refeed :innocent4:

I had a funny thing happen at work this morning - I've been a bundle of energy lately, so I've been sending my print jobs to the copier that's the farthest away from me (I actually have a printer right on my desk so my boss thinks I'm silly). On my way back from the copier, a coworker stopped me and was so incredibly sweet - she said she thought I was a new employee and came over to introduce herself (there was an email sent out last week that a new staff member was starting this week), and only realized it was me when she was a few steps away. She was so darn sweet, she gave me a hug and said how proud of me she was. She totally brought tears to my eyes!!

It is so amazing to feel the way I do!! All the more reason to stick to the program and see this through 'til the end!

I hope everyone is doing well!

[Zee]

Hey Joy,

What a lovely story, definitely one to tell us would be loosers, how amazing, you are becoming a whole new person in some peoples eyes.

You are doing so well, congratulations.

Enjoy the party.

Zee

[PhyllisRis]

Cool Joy....that was amazing!
I had a co-worker decide to sign up for Cohen's today. He's not real computer literate and he needs to set up a GMail account first, but I think I'll be able to help him along the way. He has a lot to lose but will be so much healthier in the long run....I told him about Pumbza and that men tend to lose the weight much faster than we girls do. IF he can be strong and 100% I think he'll succeed.
Phyllis

[Big Pun]

Joy,

Great job...you are such a great person and an inspiration to us all.....I am so excited about your continued success nd wish the best for you and yours during this holiday season. Thanks for sharing all your insights.....I really enjoy them!!!!

Big Pun

[UnspeakableJoy]

Hi everyone!

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted! I haven't fallen off the bus or anything - I just got really busy living the life I always dreamed of!

I'm doing very well, stayed 100% on plan with NO deviations over the holidays and anticipate starting refeed in 4 - 6 weeks. I feel amazing, I love how I look, and it's amazing how I see the world so full of possibilities now - these possbilities were always available to me, but I finally believe enough in myself to go out there and grab them :)

Can't wait to catch up on everyone's journals!

[Bronwyn]

Hi Joy! So glad to hear you are still going strong and doing so well! How about some updated photos when you can make the time in your busy life? You're getting so close!! It must feel so good and you must be so proud of yourself!!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Hi Bronwyn! How I've missed you :) How are you doing?? And ditto on some new photos of you and Lauren as well!!

Ok, you twisted my arm (heeheee) - I just posted some pics from my trip to LA the week before Christmas in the photo thread!

[lfingers11]

I was so worried about you. I am so glad you were just busy and stayed on a 100%. I am so excited that you only have 20 pounds left to go. Awesome job!

[CohenInAz]

Hi everyone!

I haven't fallen off the bus or anything - I just got really busy living the life I always dreamed of!

I feel amazing, I love how I look, and it's amazing how I see the world so full of possibilities now - these possbilities were always available to me, but I finally believe enough in myself to go out there and grab them :)



I don't think you could have put it any better!!! I've been thinking of you and just hoped life had gotten busy! You look amazing and I am glad you feel that way too!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Hi everyone,

Just checking in again - I survived a buffet last night for my Mom's birthday :) The crazy, weird, amazing thing is that all the food did NOTHING for me. I wasn't tempted in the least!! In fact, I was kinda grossed out! Hahaha!

Our office is having a late holiday party this afternoon, and they've catered from my favorite Italian restaurant. They have the most amazing italian nachos in the world, but even that isn't enough for me to deviate. I want this (getting healthy) more than all the italian nachos in the world lol

I hope everyone is doing well, I really can't wait until I've completed refeeding so I can start going to the gym again! :weights: I'll be in Florida in August and want to look my very best. Ever!

[happytmo]

I know what you mean about the gym. I have this new found motivation to want to run and workout. Another month or two, I can wait.

[CohenInAz]

Hey Lady!

Have you hit re-feed yet? You must be really close!

[UnspeakableJoy]

Hey everyone!

Well, here goes ... I hit my goal, finished refeed, maintained for 2 weeks, then BAM ... my bad eating habits have slipped back and snowballed into a huge weight gain. It's not the diet that didn't work. I didn't work. I didn't follow the rules. I let stress get the better of me, and fooled myself into thinking the chocolate, chips and salsa, burritos, ice cream (you name it, I ate it) would make me feel better. I have excuses galore to justify my weight gain, but they just that - excuses.

I woke up this morning, looked in the mirror and hated everything I saw.

It's unbelievable how quickly (and how much ) weight came back. I'm digging my heels in, and will not give in another inch.

So as of today, I'm back on 1PD. I've (hopefully) learned my lesson. Once I made the conscious decision to follow the rules, all the chaos and anxiety seemed to fade away. I feel such clarity and calmness right now.

My official restart weight is 170 lbs. I hate typing that!! :sadeyes: But it is what it is. It's time now to focus on doing what I need to do. Hope you'll all help me along the way - I need you guys and missed you!!

xo
Joy, this time, I'm here to stay!

[Key]

Unspeakable Joy - welcome back! We're here for you. More importantly, you seem to realize that you're here for you, too!

Key

[PhyllisRis]

Joy.....but, isn't it wonderful to know that you can go back on the diet and get back to that goal weight again? NEXT time you will be more careful, I'm sure of that!
I'm jealously happy you're back cuz I missed you....I just wish you didn't have to go through the dieting stuff again. THIS time, once you reach goal, come back occassionally for those little pep talks we give each other and maybe you won't slip up so badly again!!
Hang in there....love ya
phyllis

[UnspeakableJoy]

Thank you Phyllis :hug: and Key (nice to meet ya!) :hii:

Yep, I'm back on track and FEEL SO GOOD! I had just enough food in the 'frig for today's meals, and will be stopping at the market after work to stock up on my 1PD staples: eggs, chicken breast, tilapia, salmon, tuna, spinach, asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash, napa cabbage, mushrooms, apples, kiwi, and grapefruit! You have no idea how exciting it is! :laughing:

[4MAMA]

Welcome back Joy! Kudos to you for making it all the way through the first time!

We're all here for you, always. I've felt the same way you described, too.

We WILL be 100%!!!!!!!

K

[UnspeakableJoy]

Thanks again everyone :) I appreciate the warm welcome-back and PMs :)

I've checked my schedule for the next two months, and other than 3 events coming up this weekend through next week, I have absolutely no social obligations to survive whilst on 1PD through the end of June. I know that I can handle them (having survived camping, an overnight Bachelorette party in Chicago, and a trip to LA in December on my first go 'round), but still, having no social obligations whatsoever will help me focus on the job that needs to be done ... namely 100% on plan with NO deviations.

So, this time around will be different, primarily because I'm actively working out. I workout with a personal trainer 5x a week, and am also in training for the Trek Women's Triathlon on July 12th. I'm back to taking a 2nd multivitamin with lunch as it really does give me an extra boost of energy for the afternoon and curbs my hunger pains. I'm also taking my coral calcium again to prevent leg cramps. Thanks Shasha for recommending these items to me so many months ago! :)

It's great to see so many new, excited Cohen-ites here - I can't wait to follow up on all of your progress thus far!

[PINKED]

Welcome back, Joy! You know what to do.....kick it back in gear and those 40 will be history again!!! Cheering for you and running the race along side you. Starting session 2 tomorrow (5.1.09).

[Mama Lake]

Joy,
So nice to see you here again. Sorry you have to come back. I know how you feel. Getting back on program after surgery, and maintaining the loss, then was just an excuse every few days to cheat and the yo-yo effect it has on a person is horrible. I have been back in the swing about two weeks and YES I feel soo much better. The cravings go away and the sense of pride and accomplishment about myself is wonderful.

Do not beat yourself up. Life has a way of getting in the way and we just have to learn how to deal with it. I have 40 to go myself so I am with you sister.
Cindy

[CohenInAz]

Joy!

Like Mama and Phyllis said I'm crazy happy you're back...

I'm really sorry that it came back so fast but trust me I know when you say that this is a lesson learned.

You blew through and life caught up. Sometimes it goes so fast that we don't realize the issues that got us here in the first place.

I know this will be it for you and me too. I haven't gotten to re-feed yet because I've been putzing around hoping on and off and back and forth. I'm also back on and working my way down.

We're all here with you and we can do it together!

HugZ!

[Dayanira]

Welcome back Joy!
I love your "restart" attitude! Now, you DO know what to do! Be a 100%! Keep the hard work! Kick those pounds away!