My Diet-Day 5

Today is Day 5 of my new diet. Oh, you haven't missed any previous notes. I didn't write any. Today is the first time I've felt like blogging about it.

I wanted to look and feel better, not only short-term, for the holidays and an upcoming family wedding at the end of December, but long-term too.

I have a bit of a gut, but my worst issue ( at least to me) is a "baggy neck,
 or "turkey neck " ( think Mitch McConell0. I hate it and it has only started to appear within the last several years. I finally decided to do something about it.

I have a full, round face too, and a little definition there wouldn't be a bad thing. But mostly I want to lose ( or at least reduce) the neck thing by the wedding.

I have never been a big eater, so I wouldn't call myself a "porker" but I do need to look and especially feel better.

Not only that but since i transfer myself with my upper body from place to place ( into bed, the car, etc..) being too heavy isn't good. It's a strain on my back and arms.

My girlfriend's doctor has a sign posted on her office door about a program called "Optivia. It is a weight-loss program, but it also strives to teach you about better life habits overall, from exercise to a clear mind, to health finances. They strive to teach you how to improve yourself and keep those good habits all through your life. The diet part may end but the learning and maintenance never ends.

My goal is to lose 10 pounds in a month. I currently weigh 109 pounds, but for me, that's too much.  My girlfriend is on the program too, and it does help to do it as a team, to encourage each other as well as remind each other when it is time to "fuel up."

That's what they call their little "snacks"- fuelings. You body is a machine and needs to gas up to run more efficiently. Or so they say.

The program starts with weight loss, as they feel a healthier, more confident you will better respond to the rest of their life-long plan. Optivia also has a website, a so-called "community" for support, and everyone gets a "life coach." Our coach is the doctor 9 who is actually leaving her practice to get more involved with the Optivita stuff.

I just want to lose weight. Maybe I'll get into the other aspects later. Or maybe not. Kiddingly, I refer to this "community" as a "cult." They send numerous daily  texts or emails, asking how you are doing, etc.. It's great if you need support.

Anyway, for something like $250, they send you a box of "food" for the month. Probably programs like Nutra-System and Weight Watchers do the same thing. Their power bars are good, quick and easy. They also have things like biscuits and special pancakes, and many things you merely make with water and the microwave.

Speaking of water, you drink tons of it. They want you to do at least 8 glasses of water every day/ I'm only a small guy, and on Day 1 I felt a little light-headed, so, with permission from the life coach, I backed of to between 4-5 glasses daily. I do pee a hell of a lot all day and night.

So, they recommend you eat every 2-3 ours, and try to stick to a routine schedule. Eating 6 healthy meals a day is key. We make 1 Lean & Green meal daily, consisting of protein ( chicken breast, turkey or fish), veggies ( lettuce counts) and 1 or 2 "fats,' depending on your meat ( anything from a spoonful of salad dressing to between 5-10 olives).

Portion control is also a key, so you weigh your Lean & Green food. You can have healthy snacks, like their version of popcorn. I find myself not hungry so far to eat any snacks at all.

No sugar. No bread. No pasta. No drinks other than water. I flavor my water, which is okay, as long as it is sugar-free. No desserts.

If it sounds hard, it is. But you get used to the routine. Like I said, I've always been a light eater but an unhealthy eater. I got heavy consuming potato chips and crap like that. over time it adds up. A former dietitian I knew had a catchy phrase "Once on the lips, twice on the hips." And as you get older it's even tougher to lose.

So, my typical day starts at 6am. They want you to eat something within an hour after you wake up, so at 7 I usually have a breakfast bar. It goes every 2 hours with the fuelings, so I generally end up around 5-5:30 pm. Then nothing but water until the next morning.

So far, so good. I haven't much difference, even though Day 4 was supposedly the start of  the "fat-burning phase."  I hoping to see some success soon, which will only encourage me more.

 I know in the spring and fall, when the leaves change, they do so overnight, when conditions are cooler. So maybe i will wake up some morning, look in the bathroom mirror, and see no neck!!