Be Intentional

Keep a record

On a diet as rule specific as the hCG protocol, I found it was important, especially in the beginning, to record everything!  I had a notebook on my kitchen counter and every morning after weighing, I recorded how many days on the drops I was on, my weight, and the date.  Then throughout the day if I put anything in my mouth, and I mean anything, I recorded it.  When I drank a glass of water, I marked it down.  A piece of chicken?  A bite of apple, or a few strawberries.

This came in handy because I was able to mark trends.  I learned after a couple of weeks that I should not eat tomatoes because I didn’t lose on the days I did eat them!  Weird but true.  I learned that I had to vary my meals and not simply eat chicken and celery day after day after day .

Not only did I record what I put in my mouth, but what I put on my body.  If I baked cookies, I recorded it.  If I took a shower and used baby oil to moisten, I recorded it.  When I wore makeup, I recorded it.  This might seem a little extreme, but I didn’t spend very much time on it.  I simply jotted down a word or two to remind me of my actions that day.

This was helpful because I knew for certain that my makeup didn’t stall my weight loss, but that my  hand lotion did.  So, when my hands got too dry for me to handle, I understood the consequences of putting on just a tiny bit of lotion to help them out. 

I was intentional about it.

This is about long term success, not simply a quick and easy fix.  The rule to live by is to consciously chose and then accept the consequences of those choices.