Down SIX pounds!

Woo-hoo! After one week of eating less than 1200 calories, I am down SIX pounds! I am so happy and feel like I have finally found something that works! My daughter is also joining me on this weight loss journey! I'm not sure how much she has lost....I haven't pushed her to weigh, but I can tell in her face that she is losing too! Yeah!

I am pretty much combining a bunch of cool weight loss ideas into one plan. I LOVE the Weigh Down Workshop, which is a Bible based program in which you eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full. The Lord designed our bodies so perfectly and the program teaches you to only fill your body when you are actually hungry...not just "heart hungry". I love the idea of waiting until I've "got the growl" (as my good friend, Kristine, says) however, I have a hard time with emotional eating and a hard time with stopping when I'm full.

When I was diagnosed as a Type 1 Diabetic over 16 years ago, I was put on a 2000 calorie diet. (I was six weeks pregnant at the time.) I was taught that every food had a caloric value and given a pocket chart to let me know how many calories to eat at every meal and snack. At first I lost weight. (I seem to do better when I'm told what to do....I don't think Aaron - my husband - would agree with that.) As my pregnancy progressed, of course, I gained weight. After my daughter was born, I was able to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight fairly quickly. However, my pre-pregnancy weight was high (190). After four more children, I am still in the 190s and still wanting to lost weight.

I think the Lord showed me a great way to have fun and combine all of the weight loss success I've experienced into one. I don't have a name for my program yet, but I'm thinking I may name it the Dollar Diet. I don't really like the word "diet" because I think that diets don't work and to have true success, you need to change your lifestyle. Maybe I could call it a food budget. I need something catchy. Email me if you have any ideas!

For every calorie you need in a day, deal yourself play money. (We're using Pokemon Monopoly money.) As you eat throughout the day, you "pay" for your food choices and when your money is gone, you brush your teeth and stop eating for the day. (The "brush your teeth to determine you're done eating for the day" is from Dr. Phil's book.) In order to determine your caloric need, just do a Google search for a calorie calculator. Email if you need help!

That's all for now....my Bojangles biscuit just arrived via my awesome husband. Oh yeah....did I mention you can eat WHATEVER you want? You just have to pay for it! :0)