Week 4 - or Weak 4...:)

Ok, this was a tough week for me, but great for Sam. I totally cheated and had a Diet Coke. Bad I know, but haven't had one for 6 days again. At the end of the week, I am still at the same weight which totally bums me out, but I have lost inches, especially around my waist and bum. Sam has lost 3 more pounds which puts him down to 19 pounds lost. We have started working out a lot more this past week, which may be my problem because I have done a lot of weight lifting, but still - don't you think that I would at least lose a little? This could just be my body, or it could be that I totally cheated last Saturday, not only with Diet Coke but some other bad food as well. Oh well, this week is another week. I am really happy because on April 6th, a representative from Ideal Protein is coming to my husband's office to train us on Ideal Protein. We are going to be carrying it in the office and so we need to learn all about it. We have the experience with it now, but we also need a lot more knowledge and understanding. If any of you are interested in attending the training, just let me know! Now, I thought that I would add a new piece to this blog called: Good idea - Bad idea. These are things that I have tried that worked out great, and others...not so much. So here goes:
GOOD IDEA: Crystal Light drink mix. It is 0 calorie, 0 fat, 0 sugar and 0 carbs so we can drink it and it is a really nice change from water and gives you a little different flavor throughout the day.
BAD IDEA: Well, I tried to take turnips, boil them and them mash them like potatoes. I added spices and stuff and thought that they would be a nice change. Yeah, don't do this. They are gross! I put them on my kids plate and acted like they were mashed potatoes. After one bite, and several gags later, we told them that they didn't need to eat the rest. I couldn't choke mine down either.

Week 3

Ok, well this week has been much better on the scales. I have learned that many things can come into play that affect weight loss - hormones, stress, exercise and being a woman at a certain time of the month. Men are so lucky sometimes. Also, I do take into consideration that I only wanted to lose 10-15 pounds and Sam only wanted to lose 15-20. So, basically, we shouldn't be so greedy and expect a 9 or 11 pound weight loss each week. So, at the end of week 3 here are our totals: Sam has lost 16 pounds and I have lost 12! Yee haw!!!

Week 2

This week seemed to go fairly well. The food was good, we tried some new recipes, and began exercising. We felt really good about our progress, but it didn't really show up on the scale at the end of the week. I have to admit I felt so depressed because I hadn't changed at all, and Sam had only lost 2 more pounds. Overall, I realized that our weight loss the week before had been incredible, and that every week could not be like that - so we should just hang in there. No matter what the scale says I can't deny that my clothes fit better, I feel healthier and I haven't had a Diet Coke since my 2nd day on the plan. Miracles can happen!!!

Week 1

I was very nervous to start this program because I love Diet Coke, chewy sweet tarts and all things chocolate. I was worried about being able to do this, but Sam had no fears. We were told that during the first couple of days we may experience some fatigue, headaches and even a little nausea. Sam had absolutely no problems at all. I of course, did not get off that easy. I did feel a little sick to my stomach for the first couple of days. I had been exposed to the flu, so I honestly didn't know if it was the flu, or my response to a diet free from sugar, fat and my beloved Diet Coke. So, I have to admit, I did cheat a little and had some Diet Coke and pretzels to try and settle my stomach. Basically, by the end of the 2nd day, I was feeling better and committed to stay on the program. For the rest of the week I was good, and was not hungry at all. I was amazed at how easy it was, and even more impressed at the results. On the average, women are supposed to lose 3-4 pounds a week, and men are supposed to lose 5-7 pounds. So, at the end of week 1, Sam was down 11 pounds and I had lost 9! Incredible! It was at this point that we decided that we were going to keep going - not only because of the results, but because we felt better, had more energy and it was not nearly as hard as we thought it would be...

Our journey so far...

Sam (Dr. Adams) and I (Juli) have been on the "Ideal Protein" program for three weeks now. Initially we heard about the program from our friends the Skaggs. Scott Skaggs is a chiropractor in Pleasant View and we have been friends with Scott and his wife Kadee ever since 1994 where we met in Iowa attending Palmer College of Chiropractic. They were the first to share with us the great results they were having with "Ideal Protein", so we thought that we would give it a try. In the beginning, we thought that we would just try the program for 1 week, but our results were so amazing and we felt so great, that we are still going strong. We wanted to share our experience with you - but don't expect any "before" pictures. We aren't quite that brave!