The Importance of Accountability

There are few things in life that are as helpful in getting over the hard hurdles we sometimes must go through, as a good friend or mentor who can hold us accountable for our actions.  I learned this great lesson while serving a mission for my church.  In an attempt to lose weight and eat healthier, I went on an ‘eating contract’ with my mission leader.  Since that time, I have gone on a handful of other contracts, each with a different person, different contract perimeters, and different success rates.  Consequently I have learned quite a bit about what encourages success and what can hamper it.  In this blog I will attempt to map out the best road to success in using this great tool.

 

Set an Attainable Goal

1.  Your goal should have a defined start date and a defined end date.

2. Your goal should not be dependent on reaching a specific weight, or in any way associated with something that could possibly not happen even while being strictly obedient to your contract.  If I set my goal as, “Reach x weight by August 31.” It is very possible that my goal could not be reached even if I am as faithful as a hound dog to my contract.  Then I would be a failure, even if I succeeded.

Instead, make your goal dependent on actions and progress.  A good goal might be, depending on level of goal keeping, “Complete one day without cheating.” OR “Exercise three times a week.”

Which leads to tip #3

3. Be specific on what your goal and restrictions are.  When I was on certain eating contracts, I cut out all desserts, while on others I simply stopped eating after 7:00pm.  What is your goal?  Do you want to maintain?  Do you want to live healthier?  Do you want to exercise?  Do you want to overcome an addiction?  Create or break a habit?  Learn a new skill?  What?

If you are wanting to live healthier and not eat dessert, then what foods apply?  Do Juice popsicles?  Or frozen yogurt?  Or strawberries and milk?

BUT DON’T OVERDO IT.  It is very possible to give yourself too many restrictions, then the goal is impossible to keep.  Below is the wording of one of my most successful contracts. (success being that I completed the contract, lost weight, got into better habits, and felt wonderful while doing it)

-Some form of exercise every day (this could be as simple as taking a walk, or doing 100 jumping jacks.  If at the end of the day I forgot to exercise for that day, I would do 100 jumping jacks then go to bed.

-No desserts (this did NOT include juice popsicles made with real juice and no sugar.  It also didn’t include frozen yogurt sweetened with fruit juice.  So when I wanted a treat, I could have one.)

-No eating after 7:00.  (Juice popsicles didn’t count as eating because they were all juice.)

4. Hold yourself accountable.  Find someone whom you respect greatly and get them involved.  It is best if they are wanting to reach certain goals as well.  After your contracts are written, they are exchanged.  This way the other person knows exactly what you attend to do and what your goals are. 

5. Incentive.  If you break your contract, you owe your partner something.  With me, it was $100.  That’s a steep number that I would much rather spend on something else, so when I was  tempted to cheat, that $100 kept me from it. 

Accountability is so important in helping to attain goals.  Try it out, see what you think.

It’s a CHOICE

I used to think that people who were skinny were simply naturally skinny.  People who were strong were naturally strong.  Same thing goes with those who were smart, talented, witty, crafty.  The list goes on and on.  I had the erroneous idea that in order for these things to happen to me, I needed to get to the place where I would naturally eat healthy, exercise, or pick up the skill of piano playing.

This is sooo nott truueee!

Skinny doesn’t grow on trees

I used to think that it was immoral or wrong to have to work at things.  Does that sound silly?  Well, it is silly. 

For example, I felt that if ice cream was being served, I would be a stick in the mud, or a pansy, if I didn’t load up my bowl just as much as I could and chow down with everyone else.  And the people who didn’t eat to their hearts content were people to secretly feel superior to.  After all, I knew what was really important.  I could let my hair down a little bit and enjoy the company of my fellow man, rather than restrict myself and not fit in like those others who chose not to eat the ice cream.

This mindset is completely false.

We become who we become one choice at a time

I see now that it is not wrong or immoral to work for things, and in fact it is only through working for things that success occurs.  It is the piano player who practices hours and hours and hours on end every day, day in and day out, that one day becomes the concert pianist.  It is the athlete who wakes up every morning, no matter what, and goes to work at running, or weight lifting, or exercising, who has the body that is strong and healthy.

And it is the person who intentionally choses to eat smaller meals, forgo dessert, and not snack through the day, that is successful at keeping weight off.  I cannot continue at my same old habits and expect to maintain a slim physic. 

People want to eat whatever they want and be slim

But that is what everyone is wanting.  When I talk to people about hCG, they ask me if they will be able to eat exactly how they want to after finishing the protocol.  They ask me if I am back to eating normal.  The fact is, I do eat plenty of food during the day, believe me, but I conscientiously try to keep my choices healthy.  Sure, there are days that I overindulge, but most of the time, I chose to hold back and it is only through holding back that I maintain my weight.

Success requires work

At times I have to fight really really hard to resist my urge to snack.  Sometimes the only thing that keeps me from snacking is the simple fact that I don’t have it in my home.  But the fact remains that if I were to go back to eating exactly how I ate before, I would eventually gain all my weight back.

I have to make the choice every day.  I also have to allow myself to slip every once in a while and not think of it as a failure, but instead as another step along the road.  I truly believe that this is a key to success, not just to physical health, but to everything.  If I want to play the piano as well as my neighbor, then by golly I better be willing to put in just as many hours working at it as she does.

Same thing goes with my physical appearance.  If I want to be sexy, I need to work at it, and there is nothing wrong with having to work at something in order to … make it work.

And that is how one eventually finds success.  Don’t you agree??

Success VS Failure

 

Persistence. 

That is the difference between success and failure.  Someone who is successful in life has simply learned that failure is only a bump in the road to success.  It isn’t failure if you pick yourself up and keep going, is it?

This is something I only recently learned.  One of my greatest stumbling blocks was my misconception of what failure was.  I thought that if I didn’t do things ABSOLUTELY PERFECTLY then I was a total yucky failure, and then I would go into crazy mode and make a lot of bad choices. 

Life Can’t be All or Nothing

In the past when I was trying to eat right, I would expect perfection in everything I do.  When I was unable to achieve perfection, (because after all, none of us is perfect) instead of just taking a small bite of ice cream, I would consider myself a failure and then eat the whole gallon, plus a chocolate bar, plus some chips because, hell, I was a failure so I might as well fail with a bang.

What silly nonsense.  So much of success depends on our mindset!!!!  And with my all or nothing mindset I was setting myself up for failure. 

Success starts with choosing now how to continue on. 

To Stumble does not mean to Fail

Stumbling does not determine success or failure, it is determined by your mindset; by your willingness to get back up and continue on.  Since finishing with hCG I have had a few stumbles along my road, but I am learning to continue on, and not allow myself to give up because I have, in essence, fallen down.  Success will be measured in the long run.  Years from now, how will I be living?  Am I making slow improvements or allowing myself to slip?  Every day, every moment, every second, I chose where I will be in 10 years from now. 

NOW is the time, not Tomorrow

No more.  I will no longer ‘start tomorrow’ in living right.  Even if I messed up this morning, I can still be successful this afternoon!  Does that make sense?  I love this idea of continuing the race one step at at time.

So, continue on!!

Feeding your family while on hCG

 

One of the hardest things I had to deal with was feeding my three little children and husband while I was on hCG.  I couldn’t even lick my fingers for goodness sakes and sometimes it made me mad!  ‘Just one lick!’ I would think.  But then I would trudge to the kitchen sink and wash my hands off.

Gosh.

Separate meals worked best

But that is what you need to do.  I still ate with my family, I just didn’t eat the same things as my family.  I didn’t even try to make that combination work.  I wanted to keep my meals simple and to the point, so why subject my family to such … blandness.  The few times I tried to combine our meals, it didn’t really work out.  Not only did I spend more time on the meal, trying to season it just so, but the end result was lots of leftovers.  At least I was able to eat the leftovers though!

You can do anything for 21 days!

It is drudgery at times, being on the very restrictive hCG diet, but what I kept telling myself was ‘YOU CAN DO ANYTHING FOR 21 DAYS.  ANYTHING’  And the end result is worth it. 

Bottom line, it is worth being strict about it.  It is worth it to not lick your fingers, or cheating just a little.  Do you want a leaner, more beautiful you?  Then, do it.  Pay the sacrifice necessary for success.  You will be happy you did in the end, I know I am.

This is Me

I took a small break from blogging in order to get our website up and running!  YES!  We have a website.  It is, believe it or not, www.hcgmomma.com and I think it is pretty darn cool.  Do you wonder why?  Well, I realized that I believed in the hCG product so much, and spoke with so many people about it, it only made sense to market and sell my own hCG product.  SO – there you go.  It’s a great product and I am super excited to share it with others and share in their successes. 

I think that weight loss has always been, and will always be, a tangible thing that women worry about.  We want to look good.  It is such a simple concept and it is wholly and wonderfully woman.  Woman want beautiful things, want to see beautiful things, and want to be beautiful.  “The woman’s touch” is not some random idea that was thrown out for no reason, but instead a real and deep rooted thing that rests inside each woman’s breast.  The desire for beauty.  And there is no more important type of beauty, than that of feeling beautiful.

I am not saying we need be supermodels.  True beauty comes from finding our own true selves.  We cannot maintain true beauty, and be at peace, unless we develop who we are and not who someone else is whom we admire.  This is one reason I believe in hCG.  I believe that hCG has helped me harness my own true beauty.  It is my responsibility now to keep and develop it, but hCG got me there … along with God.

Here’s to woman.  A celebration of true womanhood, and one of the steps that got me closer to my ideal.  Check it out: www.hcgmomma.com Let me know what you think.

Do you believe, as I do, that the desire to be physically beautiful is a wonderful and feminine trait that, as long as its importance is not put out of proportion, helps us develop ourselves to reach our true potential?

Steak Day

Yum. 

But due to the nature of the beast, while on the HCG Maintenance Phase, consuming that delectable slab of meat is preceded by the unwelcome discovery that you’ve gained over 2 lbs. since your last HCG drops weigh-in.  And that is never a fun discovery.  But it is fixable as long as you have the guts to weigh every morning

What is a Steak Day

A Steak Day is simply to drink lots of water throughout the day then for dinner consume a large steak along with an apple or a tomato. 

I know that part of the science behind it is that the protein helps your body release excess fluids, but for me I have also found a healthy mental aspect to it as well.  It reminds me that I am in control of my body and not the other way around.

Often times I can get a little carried away with snacking, I allow myself to give into temptation and become very self indulgent with my wants vs. my needs.  This inevitably leads to the need for a steak day.  Steak days have a balancing effect on me; making me overcome that ever present ‘natural man’ and it puts me back in control over my eating, which is a vital place to be!

After my steak day I lose 2 lbs. and go back to eating normal (minus the unhealthy snacking). 

What about a Double Steak Day

I’m embarrassed to admit that sometimes the damage I do in one day cannot be undone in one day.  Meaning that even after losing 2 lbs. I still have one or two more lbs. to go in order to reach my last HCG drops weight. I’ve never read about doubling up on steak days, and I am in no way giving medical advice here, I am simply sharing my own experience of what I have found works.

I double up.

I know that some people, for health reasons, cannot go long without consuming calories.  I am not one of those people.  I also know other people who feel really crappy on their steak days.  They lose energy and feeling fatigued.  Fortunately, I am not one of those people either.  I feel great most of the time, have energy even in the middle of my steak days, and feel satisfied afterwards.  Heck, I like steak.  So when I realized that I still needed to drop another pound after having just participated in a steak day, I boldly did another one the next day.

It worked.  Preferably, I never want to be in such a position of losing such control over myself that I overindulge to such an extent, but the truth is that sometimes I do exactly that and I have been grateful for the effectiveness of ‘steak days’.

Good luck!  Has anyone else experienced this?

Life After HCG

You’ve finished the drops … now what?

Maintenance.  It is a simple enough word, but its implications pack a serious punch.  What do you need to do to keep the weight off?

Dr. Simeons rules are simple.  He states that you weigh every day and stay away from starches and sugars.  To some, this might be a little too simple, too vague.  It is a scary thing to be given so much freedom when you want to be sure to keep the weight off, so I have compiled a list of tips that might help out with adjusting to maintenance!

Tips To Live By

1. Relax.  This should be the beginning of the rest of your life.  Live and eat the way you plan to for years to come (minus starches and sugars).  This phase of the protocol is a time for you to learn to listen to your body.  Learn to feed it when it is hungry, and not feed it when it is full.  Only you can decide those points.  As long as you continue to monitor yourself through daily weighing you can easily adjust your intake accordingly.  So, take things a day at a time and don’t stress out.
2. Don’t feel restricted!  From personal experience, I know that when I feel restricted, or deprived, I tend to freak out and there is no telling what the consequences will be.  Just recently, I had to deal with this little monster of mine once again.  I tried to do too much, tried to expect more from me than was fair.  I felt an incredible pressure to eat perfectly, and whenever the expectation of perfection is included in ANYTHING, failure is imminent!  And failure did happen, leading me to a feeling of defeat.  THIS IS NOT GOOD!  So, don’t expect perfection.  Don’t bind yourself down.  Allow a little wiggle room and allow for a few mistakes without feeling guilty.  As long as you weigh DAILY, and adjust your intake accordingly, you are golden.  This is life!  Enjoy it.
3. Weigh Daily.  This is so important.  In everything we do, we must learn to be intentional about it, and we have no power over our weight if we do not know what it is.  So, inform yourself.  Empower yourself.  Don’t be afraid.
4. Don’t be afraid of a steak day. If you have done much reading about HCG, you have probably heard of a ‘steak day’.  If you haven’t, I will explain it briefly.  Dr. Simeons advises that after finishing HCG, if you gain more than 2 lbs. you should partake in a ‘steak day’, meaning that on the day you weight more than 2 lbs over your end weight you drink plenty of water, skip breakfast and lunch, then have a huge steak and an apple for dinner.  This typically will drop you down a pound or two.  It works.  Don’t be afraid to try it.
5. REGULAR MEALS!  I cannot stress this tip enough.  I know it works for me.  When I make sure to have regular meals throughout the day, then I feel fulfilled and satisfied.  On the other hand when I snack all day long, I am never really hungry, but never really satisfied.  This leads me to my final tip…
6. Do not snack.  Snacking is murder on diets and weight maintenance.  You should have 6 regular meals throughout the day.  That’s it.  NO SNACKING.  NO SNACKING. NO SNACKING.  If you happen to want a ‘snack’, then analyze your feeling.  Are you really hungry, or just wanting to entertain yourself.  If it is the former, then for goodness sake, make yourself a small healthy meal.  If it is the latter, then learn to control that impulse, for after all, you will be able to have your small meals at very regular intervals through the day.

Life is good, and success is possible.  Take things one day at a time and if you goof up, all is not lost!  Simply pick yourself up and continue on.  As someone I used to know said, ‘Just keep on keep’n on!’

Here’s to lifetime success!

Tip of the Day

Most Common Errors #2

Are you eating too much American beef?  American beef is significantly more fatty than other beef and can stall your weightloss.  Veal can be used to replace beef, if you have access to it.  Buffalo has also been used as a replacement as it is less fatty than American beef.  Trader Joes has been known to carry Buffalo burgers so take a look if interested!

Don’t give up…

Happy Eating.

The Day After The Holidays!!

Holidays are a struggle for most people on any strict diet such as the hCG protocol.  Anyone who is in the middle of any diet dreads the holiday get-togethers which are so often laden with candy, chocolate, dessert, creams, pies, fatty foods, and all the social pressure to … just have one.

So, did you?  Did you give into temptation?  Did you think to yourself that, what the heck, you only live once?  Or did it sneak upon you?   Did you turn around and suddenly realize that not only did you eat what you probably shouldn’t have, but that you went back for seconds?  And thirds?

Are you dreading stepping on the scale?

Or were you strong willed enough to turn away the succulent desserts and stick to the ever impressive hCG menu? (Sarcasm intended).  If you did, GOOD FOR YOU!  Congratulations!  Way to go!  You just made and kept a promise to yourself and that makes you stronger. AWESOME!

To Those Who Cheated

I understand.  Really!  I do!  I’ve done it myself, ohh, too many times to count.  I know the feeling of shame, or regret.  The put-on bravado attitude of in-your-face I’m not ashamed of my actions so back off me and don’t judge!  I’ve been in both places.  I’ve judged, and I have also been in a place to be judged.

Neither places are good, I have found.

But I want to talk to those who cheated.  Are you wondering if all is lost?  Thinking that you need to quit the hCG protocol and start again later when you will then for sure do it perfect and not cheat?

I tell you now that we are all human and we will always make some mistakes.  It is very true there can be a large variance in the severity of the mistake, but however bad you were yesterday or today, DON’T GIVE UP.  I think the worst thing you can do is quit right in the middle of the program because that means you have given up on yourself and  that your expectations are off.

In order to become able to keep promises to ourselves, we must … keep promises to ourselves.  So?  So what, you cheated.  Get up, brush yourself off, and move on.  Tomorrow is another day.  Don’t wait for the first of the month, or the first of the week (although we do happen to be on a Monday ), or even tomorrow to begin again and make better choices.

This is where true success lies!  FINISH THE PROGRAM.  You might have set yourself back a few days but as long as you believe in yourself and don’t give up, then YOU WILL SUCCEED!  This is one of my life lessons that has literally changed my life.  Just because I failed at something, doesn’t mean I am a failure, as long as I don’t give up.  As long as I don’t give up, then I will eventually succeed.

It’s a beautiful concept.

Tip of the day

Common Errors

Change up your portion of protein.  It is a mistake to continue to eat the same protein for both lunch and dinner.  Mix it up!!  Especially if you notice yourself stalling.

Look here tomorrow for another ‘Common Error’

Happy dieting!