Week 1: 90 Day Challenge & 30 Day Diet Supplement Review & My Recipes.

Recipes of the week & Monday 30 DayDiet Review

Clean Eating, Slow Carb Meat Loaf

So last Tuesday, I started my 90 Day challenge.

The biggest challenge was taking photos and measurements.  Seriously.  I was incredibly depressed after seeing those pictures.  I have never been this big before.  I've been close... especially after the last few babies... but my youngest "baby" turns 12 this month!  I can't use that as an excuse!

Summer 2011 I was still comfortable in a bikini, for heaven's sake.  After gaining 50 pounds in about 7 - 8 months, I started with the doctor and the tests once everything else failed to show results.  I gained another 20 over the course of taking tests and being repeatedly told that "everything is normal!  You're fine!"

This is me LAST AUGUST... after gaining 20 pounds in 3 months, I was still OKAY with myself... but definitely didn't think it would keep creeping up!

I've since gained ANOTHER 50 pounds and I can't even LOOK at the photos I took last week.  I want to get back to a weight I can be comfortable at.  I want to be able to look in the mirror without cringing.  I want to be able to sit without feeling my rolls.  

After 4 very long months, I FINALLY found a doctor willing to look past the test results and let me try Armour thyroid.  Ups and downs (ran out of my prescription and had issues getting it refilled/they filled it with the wrong prescription), but I finally feel like a somewhat normal person!  I can get out of bed in the morning and have at least some energy.  I am getting things done around the house, I'm having far less bouts of tears and depression, my constant itchiness is down and I've actually started going on walks with my husband in the evenings.

These are the supplements I take every morning.  I am adding my 30 Day Diet supplements to this stack.  I find that my mood and energy PLUMMET if I don't take my Ionix and B12 daily.

All of this gives me hope that I am finally ready for a change for the better. 

Day 1: Anyway, off topic (what a surprise)... Day 1 wasn't hard.  I was busy with stop motion animations for Bean's Monkey Business, and when I'm busy, my biggest challenge is remembering to even eat.  I felt a bit on edge, something that I tend to have when I'm taking any type of dietary supplement.  I'm majorly affected by supplements of just about any type.

So, grocery day isn't until Friday, and money is tight.  Thankfully, we already had some foods in the freezer that are acceptable.  It is kind of pushing me into the "Paleo" diet, though, because most of it is beef from a bulk package of meat we bought last month.

I finished off the last of our eggs, had a T bone steak and a chopped steak.  I also had 1/2 of an onion, some spinach, and because we have no "acceptable" vegetables in the house, I had an Isagenix meal replacement shake.  All in all, not an ideal nutrition day, but I have limited resources until Friday.

Day 2:  This stuff really curbs my appetite.  I didn't think I had much appetite before, but this is crazy.  I find myself kind of forcing myself to eat.  Of course it helps that I can't feed my carb addiction!

Day 3:  This is really easier than I thought it would be.  I'm making my grocery list for next week.  I plan to bulk cook up some of the recipes from this week and the ones I'll be blogging this week and freezing/refrigerating them in portion sizes so I don't have to think about it too much.  I find I'm looking forward to not having to try and figure out what to eat each day.

I'm feeling really down about my weight.  Yeah, I'm shallow, whatever, I feel really unattractive and its depressing.  I thought doing this weight loss challenge would make me feel instantly hopeful or something, but I just am more depressed from having to take photos.  That, and being blindsided by photos of myself from the wedding.  I hate this.

Day 5:  I'm taking Saturdays as a "cheat" day ala "Four Hour Body Slow Carb Diet" so that my metabolism doesn't plummet from the low calorie diet during the week.  These supplements REALLY curb your appetite.  Dang.  I thought I was just lacking appetite because my diet was so restricted, but even today, when I can eat anything I want and I'm supposed to be eating a LOT... I can barely force myself to.  I went and bought some of my favorite things and its just... not... I'm forcing myself to eat PIZZA for heaven's sake.  I think I'm going to have to go drink a shake.  I feel stuffed and I've not eaten that much today.  Huh.  I didn't expect that.

Day 6:  STILL not hungry.  I have to force myself to eat.  I have never had a supplement curb my appetite so completely without ALSO making me feel jittery, anxious and honestly, pissed off at everything.  Anything else I've tried has me biting everyone's heads off.  Before you get too excited, I AM more snappish than usual, but its not overwhelming like it has been with other things.  I'm hoping that part levels out for me.  I'm thrilled with the controlled appetite.  I'm wondering if I should measure this week or not.  I'm also thinking that I might do a weekly vlog review.... What do you think?

Next week I'll do another measuring session as well as pics and posting my progress.

Disclosure: I will be receiving product as a participant in the 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge. All opinions are my own. 

Green Beans with Sesame Seeds