The journey begins...

Welcome to my very first blog! This will serve as a chronicle of my weight loss as well as a communication tool to keep my family and friends informed of my progress. Why make my personal journey public you ask? The reason is because I want to succeed and you all have a part in my success. I need your encouragement and support, you're my cheerleaders!!!


I've been at my goal weight before so I know how fabulous it looks and feels to be there. I want to live a healthier lifestyle and there are so many reasons why I'm ready. I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired! I have very little energy these days, and those who know me well know that I am an active person. I love to get out of the house and explore! Hiking, biking, fishing, sports, parties, concerts, travel, you name it! I've reached an unhealthy weight that has slowed me down and I'm frustrated by that. I'm trapped in my own body and it's time to stop being a prisoner to this weight! I want to regain my health and live a long, active life. I want to get back to fabulous!!!


THE PLAN


I've been doing a lot of research over the past month and decided to follow The Fat Smash Diet by Ian K. Smith, M.D. (aka Dr. Ian) as seen on the popular reality TV series Celebrity Fit Club. I will be using excerpts from the book on occasion throughout my blog to better explain the phases and principles of the plan. I'm a big fan of the show and I've seen the celebrities succeed (and fail) on the plan, so I think I know what to expect from it. It's not a fad or crash diet - it's a sensible program designed to teach healthy lifestyle habits. I won't lose the weight quickly, but I will lose the weight and more importantly I'll be establishing healthy habits that will become part of my permanent lifestyle. The Fat Smash Diet is designed to be a forgiving program that is as much about helping people make the necessary lifestyle changes to lead a healthier, happier, and longer life as it is about getting rid of extra weight.


The program consists of four phases: Detox, Foundation, Construction, and finally The Temple.


PHASE I: DETOX


Yesterday I started the first phase: Detox. The name "detox" pretty much says it all. For 9 days I'll be eating mostly fruits and vegetables to clean my body and mind of impurities naturally without fasting or putting any toxins into my system. This phase is about purifying my body and blood and feeding it the nutrients, vitamins and minerals it so badly needs. This also means no caffeine during this phase. OMG this is the worst part of this phase!!! I felt so tired and groggy yesterday without my beloved coffee that I didn't even have the energy to get online and start my blog on the first day. I truly am dependant on coffee to get my motor running in the morning. Without it I never felt like I really woke up, not to mention the killer headache I had all day. I also discovered that I didn't have all the foods I would need to successfully get through the day, so I had to go to the grocery store to stock up on produce. Now I hate going to the grocery store even on a good day, so the fact that I didn't kill someone for being in my way was a miracle for sure. Thankfully my husband was willing to go with me and that helped keep me in check and get out of there in a timely fashion. For exercise I rode my mountain bike in the neighborhood for half an hour.

Today I felt much better than yesterday, though still not as good as a cup o' Joe would make me feel. I still have sort of a dull headache, but my energy level was better today. I'm finding it difficult to eat 4-5 meals per day. I'm used to eating 2-3 times a day, but it's actually better to eat every 2 hours to keep your metabolism going (3 meals and 2 in-between snacks). I'll have to set up reminders to eat more often! Sounds like an oxymoron when you're trying to lose weight, doesn't it?

Now I'm off to the high school track to do a fitness test. I'll post my stats next time I log on...

Y