Preface: This is a wordy post but please hang in there with me if you can! I'm in no way offering any medical advice or promoting or advocating any weight loss program. This is simply my experience.
I've been debating writing this post but I want to be open and honest with my fellow bees.
It is no secret that I am a plus-sized gal. I've struggled with my weight most of my life. My weight gain really started my freshman year of high school. Having the freedom to buy whatever I wanted for lunch and the fact that I no longer played sports (I was a cheerleader, played volleyball, softball and was a dancer in grade school) was a dangerous mix that resulted in way too many calories consumed and hardly any being burned.
I was still under 200 pounds when I started college, but each year, more and more weight was added. I went to school full time and worked a part time job and left no time to take care of myself. My senior year, I lived in an apartment with three other girls. One of those girls, D, was super into eating healthy and exercising. We started working out together (Tae Bo!) and soon enough, I had lost some weight and really toned up. I was so happy the day I could make it through the entire tape without stopping for a break!
After moving to South Bend and getting my own place, I fell off the exercise wagon and started eating poorly again. As much as I enjoy cooking, I just didn't see the point in cooking a wonderful, nice meal just for myself. Looking back, that was a super ridiculous way of thinking.
Around 2005 or 2006, I had ballooned up to my highest weight. I was sick of feeling like crap and my clothes not fitting so I started a Biggest Loser type challenge in my office. It was a huge success and I lost a lot of weight in the 3.5 months of the challenge. My confidence shot up and I enjoyed my slimmer look for almost a whole year.
I put on some of the weight after that year and had accepted that maybe this was the weight my body was supposed to be. I met Mr. Ball Cap and couldn't have been happier. We both got way too comfortable with one another and got a little lazy in our lifestyle choices. We both have gained a lot of weight over the last 2 years - about 30 pounds for me. I knew he would love me no matter what, but I stopped loving myself as much as I should. The number on the scale was the biggest I had ever seen.
After our engagement, I really wanted to get back in shape for the wedding. I'd do great for about 2 weeks and then would stop exercising. I couldn't seem to stick with anything I tried and I wasn't seeing results fast enough. Even though I didn't gain the weight overnight, I wanted to see overnight results (unrealistic obviously!).
Then something shocking happened. My dress came in and it didn't fit. That's right - it was WAY too small. The sample I tried on in the store was a tad loose on me and I figured I would drop 15 - 20 pounds before the wedding so I ordered one size down. Nothing too crazy or aggressive - just one size down. Little did we know, Maggie Sottero's dresses have a 3 inch difference per size. 3 inches! That is quite a bit. The back panel of my corset back was just about 3 inches short of reaching the other side to close. Surprisingly, I didn't cry. I just knew I had no other choice and this was the wake up call I had been needing.
I started eating gluten free and exercising with Jillian Michael's 30-day shred. I lost about 7 pounds but it came off SUPER slow. I also wasn't losing any inches. I was feeling lost and didn't know how to get the weight off more successfully.
In late September, MOB e-mailed me about a program she had heard about. A lady she works with knows a woman who went on the Ideal Protein program and has lost a lot of weight quickly and safely. My mom's co-worker only had positive things to say so I figured I had nothing to lose (ha ha - pun) by doing some research and checking it out.
Per the website, "The Ideal Protein Weight Loss Method is a medically designed protocol that results in fat loss while sparing muscle mass. The Ideal Protein Weight Loss Method is an easy 4-phase protocol which helps stabilize the pancreas and blood sugar levels while burning fat and maintaining muscle and other lean tissue."
I found a chiropractor's office in my area that served as a center for the program. Every Monday, they have a seminar to educate people on the program, so I signed Mr. BC and I up. I explained to him that even if he wasn't interested in doing the program, I wanted him to hear and understand exactly what I would be doing.
The Dr. talked us through the entire program, how it works, and what we could expect. The program is an extremely high protein, low carb diet that essentially causes your pancreas to rest and stop over producing insulin. After reaching 90% of your goal weight, you slowly start waking the pancreas back up, re-introduce healthy carbs, and teach your body how to process sugars more effectively, rather than storing them as fat. By the end of the seminar, I was ready to commit and signed up on the spot. Mr. Ball Cap signed up three days later.
We started the Ideal Protein program on Friday, September 30th and to date I have lost 12.6 pounds and Mr. BC has lost 17. That is only in two weeks! I also realized that since June, that is a total of 20 pounds gone. What is even more impressive is that you can clearly tell we have lost the weight. The inches of fat have already started melting off. That is what I love so much about this program - your body uses your stored fat for energy. Mr. BC's face and belly show the most difference and I am getting my neck back! The support team at the Dr.'s office is amazing and both the Dr. and his sister have successfully completed the program and have kept the weight off for years.
I wanted to wait a little while longer before trying my dress back on but I was at my parent's house this weekend and MOB said I should give it a go. IT FITS! It is just a tad more snug than I would like but another 5 - 10 pounds will take care of that. If I stay on track with the program, I could lose over 30 pounds by the wedding which would mean actually taking the dress in!
Mr. BC will likely already hit his goal weight by the wedding but I have a more long-term goal I'd like to hit. While our successes so far have been amazing and motivating, it also is no cake walk. It is an extremely strict diet and if you cheat, you will absolutely sabotage having a good weight loss for the week. It can take up to 3 days for your body to get back into fat burning mode should you cheat with high carb, high sugar foods. But what keeps me going is the results and knowing this isn't a program you stay on for life. You lose your weight and build healthy eating habits for the future.
Our showers are coming up and I plan on staying on program. This means missing out on cake and other goodies, but it will be worth it in the long run. Not only has my body improved, but so has my attitude and overall mood. I'm finally doing something just for me. I've also had to start a pile of clothes that are too big and sloppy to wear!
Thanks so much for hanging in there if you've made it this far! I plan on posting some before and progress pictures in about a month or so. I'm well on my way to becoming the healthier person I've always wanted to be.
I know most brides want to lose weight before the wedding. Are you and what successes have you had?
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