Closing in on Week 2!

My apologies for dropping the ball on blogging for the remainder of Week 1 and for all of Week 2. However, I have great news! I went in for my first weigh-in (before the start of Week 2) and I had lost 6.3 lb.! This may not seem like a significant number, but for me, I was ecstatic! I have often read the importance of losing a slow, steady amount of weight when dieting healthily. This is usually only 1-2 lb. per week. I can't remember where I read it exactly, but I remember Medi mentioning that the average person loses approximately 7 lb. the first week. 

Since I have missed a number of key things that have happened these first 2 weeks, I will break up this blog entry to keep things organized. 

Remainder of Week 1
I had mentioned on Day 1 that I was hungry. Well, let's be completely honest: I was hungry...for the first 3-4 days. Many people report that the appetite suppressants help decrease their hunger a lot, but I think for me, my body was really adjusting to eating only 500-700 protein calories a day, and not eating, well, junk. The 2nd evening, I got an awful pounding headache and I ended up staying in bed all of day 3. It wasn't pretty. However, I am happy to report that after that day (toward the evening), I was beginning to feel a lot better and haven't felt like that again. I tested for ketosis a day early, and found that I was at the wanted Moderate (40) 4.0 level a day before I was expected to be! This was exciting to me, because I knew from my Week 1 packet that the way ketosis helps me lose weight is by inducing my body to use fatty tissue as a source of energy. They explain that "restricting calories and carbohydrates will induce the body to use fatty tissue as a source of energy. When the state of ketosis is combined with a protein-rich diet, fat is burned, and muscle tissue is protected." 

Here is a picture of the back of the Ketone Test Strips bottle. The underlined mauve colored box is where they want me to be. Getting any darker may indicate that I am dehydrated and need to drink more water.

I did find myself really thinking about food a lot--and I still am. At first, it was thinking about the food I couldn't have. Then I began thinking about the food I could have, and what I would eat the next morning. Then it changed to what I can make to spruce up my options. I found the Medi Signature Patient Website (which provides online tools and education for members) to be very helpful. It tracks your progress (weigh-ins), and also provides nutritional and fitness information. The nutritional section is great; it has recipes (divided into phases of the diet, such as Acute, which is the weight-loss phase I'm in now), as well as a food nutrition database.

Here's a glimpse at the Signature Patient Website.

The week did get easier as I went on. I found it really helpful to check online for advice and nutritional info. It was difficult on the weekend since my dad was visiting me from out of town, and one thing we always like to do (as a family) is to go out to eat. It's actually really interesting to see how much of my social activity with my friends, family, and boyfriend, seemed to scale down when I am not allowed to go out to eat or get drinks! This is where the internet has come in handy! I didn't want this to spoil my time with my dad, but I didn't want to ruin my diet plan either. I have been on a mission and have refused to cheat, even for one night. I realized that many restaurants had at one point bought into the Atkins craze, and started searching for "low-carb" menu options. What I've found is that many chain restaurants do provide nutritional information online now. I have yet to find one that actually carries a handout at the restaurant to look at, but this is where your iPhone comes in handy! There are also a number of message boards where people share info and advice on menu options: where to go, what to ask for, what to stick to, what to avoid, etc. We ended up going to a very fancy restaurant (much more fancy and expensive than I had expected or planned!) and I was able to eat filet mignon and grilled shrimp. Oddly, this expensive restaurant's entrees do not come with sides--you have to order them (family style) separately. This worked out for me, since I didn't have any delicious sides staring at me on my plate that I couldn't eat. However...that bread...it was a killer! I settled by staring at it, smelling it, and knowing that by not eating it, I was losing weight! I actually went out the next evening with a friend and very much enjoyed some sea scallops and shrimp as well.

One thing to keep in mind about restaurants is that they try to follow diet and nutritional crazes...meaning, since the Atkins craze is not as popular as it was earlier in the decade, many menus are focusing more on other crazes now. This can be frustrating when you're specifically looking for low-carb options. There are menus that provide "Points" that go along with Weight Watchers, and menus that are basically catered toward "lighter" or "healthier" fares. It's important for any diet to look at the nutritional menu to make sure the foods you are considering fit into the diet plan you have. For me, I was looking for lean protein sources (low in saturated fat, high in protein, low in carbs, low in sodium, low in sugars).

How about beverages?
I am a Diet Coke drinker...as in addicted...but the diet asks that you restrict your servings of carbonated beverages to 16 oz. a day. (This is about a can and a half.) This has been easier than I thought, as we are required to drink so much water (the more water, the better), and 32 oz. of sugar-free electrolyte-enhanced beverages as well. I found it easiest to get those large bottles of Smartwater, which takes care of those electrolytes (and is also water). I'm not much for flavored un-carbonated beverages or sports drinks, but do like the Vitamin Water Zero in the Squeezed (lemonade) flavor. I also enjoy those Crystal Light On the Go packets that you can add to your regular-sized water bottles. (I'm boring though, and stick to lemonade and tea flavors.) Actually, the first day or two, I was cutting out soda completely and found that I needed that little bit of caffeine (to offset incoming headaches) and had to force myself to have a Diet Coke one night while watching a movie with my boyfriend. (I am hoping to wean myself of the caffeine habit eventually.)

Blood test results...dundundun
I was surprised to get a call from my P.A. during the middle of the week, a few days after the blood test. She told me not to be alarmed, but there were a couple levels on my test results that were slightly above or below normal. The first one (and biggest one) for me was that my thyroid (TSH) levels were high. To me, this was somewhat of a relief. When you have high TSH levels, it can indicate hypothyroidism, which can explain why you may have a lower metabolism (i.e., difficulty losing weight; unexpected weight gain), and also why you are often tired. (There's a number of other symptoms, but these two are the ones that hit home for me.) My levels are not significantly out of the normal range, but enough for her to suggest that I follow up with my primary care physician, who felt that I should try taking a synthetic thyroid hormone. I am currently taking it and will follow up with blood work in about 6 weeks. (We'll see how this helps!) I have 2 friends who found out this past year that they had hypothyroidism as well. They've both had significant improvements to their well-being with the addition of thyroid hormones (and one has lost a significant amount of weight).

I also discovered that my Potassium levels were low (which will need to be re-tested again in 6 weeks) and can explain why I sometimes get muscle cramps or Charlie Horses. I also found out that my Triglycerides and LDL Cholesterol were a bit hight. We are hoping that I can solve these three issues by eating healthier foods. I am trying to incorporate more foods with Potassium (such as fish) into my diet, and also cutting out on those fatty foods (of course).

Who turned on the air?
One thing that my boyfriend and I both noticed within the first few days is that I was starting to feel cold! I have definitely been very hot natured these past few years, and always have my AC on (even in the winter). I also tend to sweat a lot (more than others). I've found myself to be turning the temperature up, wearing sweatshirts, turning off my ceiling fans (which seem to be on permanently), etc. My boyfriend is enjoying this because he was always freezing in my apartment. I looked this up online and saw that others have experienced this as well during ketosis. It was suggested that your body is burning energy more efficiently, which may result in the cool feeling. Not sure, but I'm okay with not sweating and being hot all the time! It's much easier to just put on a layer, rather than take one off and still be HOT!

I do remember being cold a lot as a child and as a younger, thinner me. I was always shivering and freezing in restaurants, always asking friends for blankets when having movie nights. Maybe all the weight I gained, and all that unhealthy food I ate, contributed to my "hot" period. I'll be glad to be rid of it forever! I much prefer feeling normal, and not sweating to death in the southern heat.

Week 1 conclusions and suggestions

• It sucks at first--but stick to it! It does get easier as the week goes on, and Week 2 (when you begin to add 2 servings of vegetables) really is so much better!
• Ask your family, friends, coworkers, etc. to support you! I asked my boyfriend to encourage me throughout this process--text messages, notes--and to discourage me from cheating or making unhealthy choices.
• Ask questions! The girls at my clinic have been wonderful and helpful. The P.A. I work with has always returned my calls in a timely manner and has been more than willing to answer my many questions.
• Don't weigh yourself! As tempting as it may be, it's much better to weigh yourself once a week (same time of day, same day of the week, same scale). I am leaving this to my clinic! They have that awesome scale that gives me my Tanita results...plus, the scale is a lot nicer than my scale at home (confirmed by family and friends who have had unpleasant surprises when weighing themselves here). 
• Get a sweater! I have been wearing my favorite hoodie A LOT!
• Go shopping! Make a grocery list of foods and ingredients you will need, and make sure your fridge is stocked so that you have options and are not tempted by unhealthy foods. (I cleaned out my fridge and cabinets of expired and unhealthy foods. I gave the stuff that was still good to my boyfriend who really enjoyed it since his fridge and cabinets are always empty. My clinic also has an option where you can bring in a bag of food for donations, and receive a discount on your visit that day.)
• Last but not least, be excited about your first week's weight-loss achievement! Your hard work really does pay off!!!

I will write more about my experiences during Week 1-2 in my next entry so as not to bore anyone. Right now it is 6:43 on a Monday morning (my next weigh-in is tomorrow at noon), so I will try to get my entry about Week 2 in this evening!

Cheers,

D