The easy way out...

In my previous post I talked about how I got to where I am today.  Where am I? 10 days away from having gastric bypass surgery.
I went through this entire process in 2008 and when my information was submitted to my insurance, the insurance found a "flaw" and would not allow us to correct it so I would have started my whole process over.  I was so heartbroken and devastated but I understand today that it was best that I waited until this time in my life to have this surgery.
Today I am much more prepared for this life changing surgery.  I have a lot more knowledge of how my body works and how food affects me.  I feel I make much better food choices and I am much more active.
I know there are some who consider this type of surgery "the easy way out".  I guess in a way for a long time I kinda felt that if I went through with this surgery I would be giving up on myself.  Both of my parents have had this surgery and many friends who have had this.  Some have been extremely successful and I have watched others put the weight back on.  I see both sides of this and I have to tell you, it is far from the easy way out.
I am still pre-op so I don't have the "actual" experience" but let me share with you why this is not in any way the easy way out...
For the rest of my life, I will be limited to how much food I can consume at one time.
 I will most likely have certain foods I may never be able to eat again.
 I also will experience "dumping syndrome" which is very unpleasant.
I will have to take vitamins/calcium/iron for the rest of my life.
I cannot simply just go to a restaurant and order anything from the menu.
My stomach at first will be the size of a thumb.  Once it heals and the swelling goes down it will hold maybe 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food at a time.
My taste for food will constantly change.
Most people who have this surgery are unable to eat leftovers.
If I do go out I'll probably be sharing with someone lol
Our society of fellowship and hanging out is centered around food....so my life will be so different at these moments.  I have read people who are asked several times at restaurants if the food was ok because they could only eat a couple of bites.  I have also read of people who ate out and ended up in the bathroom having a "dumping" moment.
If the Lord allows me to become pregnant I will have to be closely monitored and have bloodwork done often to make sure the baby is receiving the appropriate amount of nutrition.
I will deal with lose skin....not just normal flabby skin but pounds of lose skin that I will most likely have to pay out of pocket to have removed.
I may lose a bunch of hair (not that I have a lot to lose :( ) in the first year.

I know this may not sound much of a problem but when you consider that I have to literally change the last 35 years of how I thought of food its going to be quite the journey!

As much as I am nervous and even scared of how this will affect me, I am looking forward to it all at the same time!
There will be something freeing about being able to kneel down on the ground, or squat down to reach something.  To not struggle to put a seat belt on or have to shop in special stores for clothes.  To not think twice about booking a flight on an airplane or even going for a hike and not having to worry about if I can make it.  I have many, many things on my "when I'm skinnier" list.  Some things most people take for granted, others are things I've dreamed of doing.

I know it will be a long and at times tough journey but so has living the life I have.  I think for me the hardest part has been dealing with people who judge me because of my size.  Even in the church.  I have had people watch what I eat and make comments to others about me.  If I have learned anything over the last few years its....Just because you may be skinny doesn't mean you are healthy.
On Tuesday I sat in my pre op appointment and the doctor said to me "So you have no issues other than PCOS, no high blood pressure, no diabetes, no high cholesterol,..." and my response was "I'm the Healthiest fat person you will find!"
The more I research, the more I change my diet the more I see changes.  This surgery is a tool.  Tim and I were talking about this on our way home from vacation and he made a really good point.  He said "People who have cancer go and have radiation or chemo.  People who have diabetes take insulin, people who have any type of issue go to a doctor and are prescribed medicine or therapy of some sort.  You have PCOS and weight is your problem so this surgery is just like those other things." That gave me so much more peace.  I don't care what others think of what choices I am making.  They have not lived a day in my life so they cannot make any type call of what I should or should not be doing.
I sat in the office of my surgeon and had to get him to understand that my weight is a reflection of PCOS not because I indulge in food.  Every other doctor I have been too has agreed with me and though my surgeon has not had to deal with many people with pcos he cannot group me in the same category.  I still chose him because he's one of the best.
My goal with this blog is to help others who have PCOS to have a voice.  There are many with PCOS who do not have the weight as a symptom but that doesn't mean they don't suffer.
I'm beyond thankful for the many who have encouraged me along the way.  In 10 days my life will be so different.  I'm looking forward to getting healthy and living.

Until next time...

Ann Marie

The Journey of a lifetime...Under Construction

In September of last year my husband and I had a conversation concerning my health.  As many of you know I have struggled with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome since puberty.  They didn't have a name for it back when I was 11 but as the years have gone by and more and more research is done they are starting to narrow down the cause of this.  A lot of it has to do with the types of food we eat.  As food evolves and becomes more and more genetically modified the more we, the people, will suffer with many new illnesses but that is for another post at another time...back to why I'm writing this.
I was a pretty healthy kid.  As a baby my mom found that I was lactose intolerant and allergic to chocolate (yes please feel sorry for me.  Go head...take a moment....just know I still eat it but I suffer with a burning throat and have to drink a ton of fluids to make it feel better lol) and in my early twenties I found out I also am allergic to latex! Explains why I had such sore and swollen gums for a week or two after every single dentist visit! Other than those moments I was pretty healthy.  Once puberty hit I began experiencing new things that were painful and would make me extremely anemic and tired all the time.
Nothing against my family, but we just don't talk.  I mean, we do now but growing up we just never really talked about how things change as you become older and what you will experience.  I did go to public school until 9th grade so I had the "sex education" classes and anatomy classes and such so I learned about a little about what girls will experience as they become a teen and such.  I also never really talked about that kind of stuff with my friends.  Really, I only had a couple of close friends growing up and we were boy crazy and into movies and being...well kids. So with all that said it wasn't until I was 13 or 14 that my mom realized I was having some serious issues.
After several doctor appointments and testing the end result was "well if your daughter would lose the weight then she would not have these problems."  Let me just say....teenagers are already going through one of the most difficult times in their life and when a doctor throws in there that they are fat and need to lose weight, any ounce of "self worth" is squashed.  It still brings me to tears when I think of those moments.  Moving on... what they didn't know at the time was my increasing weight gain was a symptom of something seriously wrong.  Due to female issues my doctor decided at the age of 14 that I should be put on birth control.  So here I am about 50 pounds over weight at 14 and my doctor puts me on a pill that will "help" with one area but will make me gain even more weight. The cycle just gets worse from there.
Here I am 21 years later and this past Wednesday I was approved for Gastric bypass RNY by my insurance. When we started this process I was determined not to share that we were going through this.  I have had many who have loved me no matter my size but I have had a lot who have judged me because of my size.  Of course I am guilty of the same thing and I always try to remember that people just are not educated.  Our society is all about looks and of course when they say a heavy person they automatically assume they are binge eaters and lazy.  Food is why I am heavy but not because I am a binge eater....
When one is extremely anemic, passing out and having to go in and out of the hospital it is extremely difficult to cook, clean and exercise as well as hold down a 40 hour job.  I remember in the very beginning of my marriage I would work, and sleep.  Literally. I was so exhausted I could barely move.  Tim and I struggled so much and in the end we just really had no idea what was wrong with me and the stress of bills, newly married and life almost ended us.
There was one doctor in Michigan who invested time in me and my situation.  I remember after several appointments he told me my husband needed to come.  He sat my husband down and explained that if we don't get control of this situation he would lose his young bride,  It was then Tim realized that things were really bad.
So here I am with 24 days before my surgery and I am having all kinds of mixed emotions.  This would explain my first post concerning this surgery being pretty scattered.
I want to start blogging so I can share my journey with those who may come before me.  I want to talk about some of the things I was scare of.  How I sorted things out in my head.  How it took me 7 years to finally make this decision.  As my new journey to a new me begins I want to be able to put into words what I go through, how I deal with those who are uneducated and how I overcome what some have called the impossible.
My goal is to blog at least once a week on a specific topic.  My next blog will be about how having this surgery is NOT the easy way out!
I'm looking forward to this journey....please pray for me, my family and my surgeon....God is so good to me!
With Love
Ann Marie

Just being real...

I'm just going to be real here...I mean...really...real....

When I started whole30 on May 5 I weighed in at 414 pounds....

There I said it...and it breaks my heart.....

A person who weighs that amount is limited by many things.  I knew I had limits but I guess I just wasn't willing to accept them...to be real with myself.  I wasn't willing because I knew if I was real I would most likely give up.  I remember at one point this past winter thinking "if I fall and break something (we had a lot of ice this winter) I am going to end up in a wheel chair..." I knew that couldn't happen but I had no idea how that was going to change...

I haven't worked in about 3 years.  Once we left Maryland and headed to Michigan for school I didn't really need to look for work because the church we were attending was in need of a full time secretary.  As my weight grew finding a job out in the secular world was going to be more difficult.  One, people judge you immediately by your weight. They think you are lazy, that you can finish a large pizza on your own and that you have some kind of food obsession.  There are people out there...I've met them...but I am not that person.  As the weight grew it became harder for me to do everyday things.  I struggle with other health issues so that would rob me of any ounce of energy I would come up with.  If I did the dishes I would be exhausted.  If I went up or down the stairs I was out of breath.  If i stood for a long period of time my back would be on fire and my feet would hurt.  These were all things I just...lived with....and then the most dreadful thing of all...going into a building and having to take a "seat" in a chair with arms...

I would get so nervous.  A lot of times I wouldn't even go places because I knew they wouldn't have seating for me and I was too embarrassed to ask for different seating.  Tim, being the most amazing husband there is, would go into a room ahead of me and look to make sure there was seating available for me.  That thought brings tears to my eyes.  My husband has given up so much so that I could be comfortable.  He really did mean "in sickness"...Thank you Tim.  Anyway, I would be terrified of going to an interview and not being able to sit in a normal office chair.  This is me being honest people... don't feel for me....just know the next time you want to make fun of a "larger" person...that they already struggle with insecurity...don't make it worse.

When I started whole30 I was desperate.  I needed something...anything to help me.  I wanted to live again.
So in the last almost 4 months I have enjoyed MANY non scale victories.  Clothes fitting, clothes becoming too big, going up the stairs with speed and not being out of breath, walking 5 miles without an ounce of pain, being able to put a seat belt on and have room to move. I mean the list goes on...

Today I had another non scale victory.  We went into a doctors office today and as I walked in I saw they only had chairs with arms.  Tim kinda looked at me and I just smiled.  I just decided I would sit on the end of I had too.  We walk over and Tim sits down...and then I sit down....like down...in the chair...like a normal person.  I look at Tim, he looks at me and we just smile.  It took everything in me not to show tears.

I am down 59 pounds.  I can fit in a chair.  Every single day the Lord shows me something else.  My life has been a whirlwind since the middle of July.  I haven't had a chance to breath, or focus fully on my health.  I have been doing the best I can to make wise choices but I will admit I have not been 100% whole30.  I plan to get back on the wagon come 9/1.

I don't share my weight with you because I want you to be shocked, or feel sorry for me, or be...whatever it is you might thing....I share it with you because there is someone out there who is struggling just like I have struggled....they need to know that if you put your mind to it, if you just start with something small, taking an extra trip through the house, parking a little further from the store, choosing fruit instead of candy, eating two helpings of veggies before having more protein.  If you just start with little changes and work your way up, you really can do anything...

Today I fit in a chair...that less than 4 months ago...wasn't an option....that is a victory for this girl....

Its not falling that determines you...its if you get back up or not....

Love always...
The Shrinking girl....

Every Step Forward is a Good Thing!

The picture above has been a HUGE encouragement to me of lately! 

Being a "heavy" person is not easy.  Even when you lose 56 pounds, pictures tend to bring into perspective the truth of the matter.....but the above picture reminds me that I've done something amazing in 12 weeks! I have changed my life! I am alive! 

Here are some pictures through my journey....some are painful reminders of who I was...and some are still painful reminders of how far I have to go...but that is ok! I'm making progress!

 

This is one is hard for me to look at.  Though I know I have lost weight and inches I'm still heavy...I can't wait until next year and see the progress I have made! 100 Pound weight loss here I come! <3 p="">

Here is the Lee clan! all 26 of us! 

This is picture is from Tim's graduation.  May of 2011.  It's probably when I felt the worse in my life.  I was completely stressed out.  My body hurt no matter what I did.  I have no idea what I weighed here but I know it was A LOT! I'm thankful that three years later I am almost pain free...losing weight and dress sizes!

This is Easter 2014...just a couple of weeks before starting my Whole30 Journey.  I am beyond thankful that God answered my prayers....

This is from the Lee Family Vacation! This is probably one of my favorite ones...as I can see the weight loss! But, it still reminds me how far I have to go! This day we did a hike....I wasn't able to go down to the swallow falls (to be honest I didn't try since I had hurt my knee on the stairs going down) but I kept walking on the trail and came to this pool and small waterfall.  My Sister in Law Kim took the picture and I'm glad she did....That shirt is a size smaller than what I had been wearing and I haven't worn those pants in years....My tummy is my biggest problem area but it is slowly melting away! 

I have had amazing support as I go through this journey! I will be making some changes in the near future but It will be whole30....just my protein will be a little different ;) 

Thank you to all of those who have been encouraging to me one way or another! I can't tell you how much your constant comments, private messages, text and phone calls mean to me!

I am blessed beyond measure!

With Much Love,

Ann Marie

Tears of Joy...

This picture, right up there, gives me pure tears of joy! Today I went and walked a path I have walked a few times this year.  Generally it included a lot of stopping to stretch my screaming back and a very slow pace and most of the time around a mile.

After yesterdays adventure I thought...I should go try this route and see how I do, maybe I can even complete the whole thing.  And that's just what I did! I walked the entire route today!

Normally I would give excuses for the "short distance" or the "slow time" but today...I will shout it from the mountains (cause I live around them lol) that I walked the whole way!!!! That is such an answer to prayer.  Such a relief.  No back pain.  I mean none, at all!

As I thought about yesterday and today, I realize just how much I have been missing out on life.  There is so much I want to do in life and I thought it would all just be a dream....today I know those things will happen! I know I have such a long way to go but I have started! I'm 20 days into my clean and healthy whole30 eating and I am inspired and as my husband has put it, stubborn enough, to keep going!

Once again, another non scale victory for this girl! <3 p="">
Here are the meals so far today! I know it shows a lot of fruit but I feel I need the nutrients from it.  It could be hormonal lol....just saying...

This is Red, Yellow and Orange Bell peppers and onions sauteed in coconut oil.  Scrambled eggs poured on top and bacon chopped.  Cook with a lid on for a few minutes until eggs are done.  Also a very small serving of fresh pineapple and walnuts

Lunch consisted of leftover roasted chicken, cucumbers and a small fruit salad of mango, strawberries, peaches, apricots, and fresh pineapple.  Very refreshing :)

Hope you are having a fabulous day! <3 p="">
Ann Marie

Confessions...

19 days ago...I made a choice that would change my life....and its only been 19 days...

You can read more about my life change here.

Today I've been a little extra emotional.  It could be some hormonal but I'm chalking it up to some new revelations about.....me.

Since the age of 13 (this is when I really remember my weight gain) I have struggled to be active.  I played sports in high school and actually was a somewhat of an active person.  As the weight piled on, being active, let alone, doing just normal day to day things became more and more difficult.  You never really realize how much you give up in your life until you start to gain your life back. Today I was on instagram I was looking for some inspiration and came across one of the ladies I have just recently started following.  Rya, you can find her instagram here, made a statement after completing 38 days on her whole30 journey that she feels ALIVE.  I started crying when I read that...that one word...ALIVE is how I feel!

Alive....thats a great word! As a Christian I know my Savior is ALIVE and that I am thankful for.  As a heavy person who has struggled with weight gain because of hormone imbalances no one really understands the struggle unless they have been there.  I have dieted several times in my 34 years of life and not one time have I felt this good! I either felt limited, starving, or still in great pain.....

And then there was today....

Please understand, I have had several non scale victories in just 19 days.  But this one....this one....has been a long time coming! This morning my puppy (13 year old lab) wanted to go outside so I went out and sat down while he sniffed and laid around.  It was such a beautiful day! Warm, sunny and with an amazing breeze.  I had decided I wanted to go to one of the state parks and go for a hike.  So I got on the internet and found Cunningham Falls State Park.  It has the largest waterfall in the state :) bonus...hike and your reward is a fall, I'm game! Of course I needed Tim to go with me for support.  So we ate lunch, and headed out to the park.  When we arrived there were two different paths to chose.  One to the left and the more difficult way and to the right...the "easier" one.  Well I saw a mom and her little toddler go the easy way so I knew if the kid could do it, I could! so we headed up.  There were some big inclines and it was a half a mile to the falls.  Other than being out of breath (yes I know its because of my weight but I'd like to feel part of it was because of my head cold as well lol) I did not have any back pain! I could not believe it! I kept walking expecting my lower back to start hurting! I was in tears by the time we got back to our car.  Happy, joyful tears! No back pain!

The falls were beautiful and nice to see.  I was glad I did it.  I was glad my husband who was tired went with me.  I am glad I captured some of the moments so that one day, when I look back, I will remember just how hard I fought to be healthy! One mile down....many....many more to go!

TruLee Amazed,

Ann Marie

Whole30 How its changing my life... (week one)

Well, as I type this I realize I am on day 8 of the Whole30 challenge.  I have had several people ask for the recipes for the foods I have been making and so I thought I’d put it together like this.  It all started because I found someone on instagram who had such an inspirational story.  She weight 350+ pounds and had lost 40+ pounds in a few months by doing the whole30 challenge.  So, I rolled my eyes, thinking this would be another one of those “you have to buy our pills, food and whatever else to do it” thing but went and looked anyway.  I am so thankful I did.  On the website www.whole30.com they give you everything you need to start the challenge.  The list of foods you can eat, some recipes and so on.  They share with you their experience and talk of a book they had written “It starts with Food”.  You don’t HAVE to buy the book…but it was VERY informative. I highly recommend it. 

So first I want to start with the “why did I do this”.  I have known for a few years now that the only way I was going to be able to take control of my hormones (I suffer with PCOS) was I needed to go the whole, natural way.  I needed to change my diet and start putting good things in and leaving bad things out.  Well it sounds easy….but it’s the hardest thing I think an American can do.  To not eat any dairy, sugar, gluten, fast food, processed food and so on you have to 1) be rich and 2) have self control.  I can assure you I am far from rich and self control was just a saying….

I have changed some of things I have been eating or where I get my food for a few years.  This year I had started substituting things in and making very slow changes not to interrupt my “brain” from thinking I was trying to take away its favorites.  Then I came across whole30.  At the time I was desperate.  I was bloated, my stomach, back, knees and every other part of my body hurt.  I was tired. All. The. Time.  I was out of breath going up 5 steps on our porch.  April was also a very busy month with several things planned and I was exhausted wondering where the energy was going to come from to finish the many projects I had.  Whole30 seemed like the answer.

So I set a date after all the big events (that always include the most amazing and unhealthy food) would be finished and shared with my husband what we would be doing.  Yes, I am making him do it.  I know, I’m a bad wife but its not because I think he needs to be healthy, its because I need him to be healthy with me, so that I can stay strong.  My husband about died when I said no dairy no sugar…of any kind…other than fruit.  He loves a little coffee with his sugar and cream. He whined, and cried and boohooed…but in the end he got back up off the floor and said he would do it.  And I have to say he is my hero! He has been strong, and trying to come up with different ways to sweeten his coffee….ummm he’s still working on that lol…

So day one came along and we jumped right in….the following will be the first 7 days of our journey.  Keep it simple, don’t over complicate and know that it is A LOT of work to eat whole but it is so WORTH it. 

Day 1:

            Breakfast: over med-low heat Saute Kale and onions with some Coconut oil, crack eggs in and scramble until done.  Small serving of Pineapple and banana

            Lunch: Romaine Lettuce, Onion, Tomatoes, Peppers, ham, pepperoni, red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar.

            Dinner:  Seasoned Chicken Thighs (Old Bay, Pepper and parsley) cooked at 350 for 1 hour.  Cut sweet potatoes to ½ thickness. Spread oil on both sides season with salt and pepper and cook at 350 for 30 minutes turning halfway through.  I used a papered chef stone and it does amazing things to sweet potatoes.  :)

Day 2: 

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, Sweet Potato Hash browns (chop sweet potatoes up into small cubes, and saute in coconut oil (or bacon grease) until done) and a small serving of Pineapple

            Lunch: Leftover chicken thighs from the night before, celery, tomatoes seasoned with old bay (it’s a Maryland thing) and a small serving of pineapple

            Dinner: Meatballs (ground beef, egg, salt, pepper, parsley.  Roll into small balls and cook on cookie sheet (or pampered chef stone) at 350 for 20-25 minutes),  salad with Romaine Lettuce, onion, tomatoes, pepperoni and balsamic red wine vinegar.

Day 3:

            Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with coconut oil, Sauteed sweet potatoes with onions, and chopped apple (I used one apple for the three of us).

            Lunch: Applegate Fireroasted sausage, fried in a skillet, on top of a salad of romaine lettuce, onion, tomatoes, steamed broccoli and topped with balsamic red wine vinegar dressing.

            Dinner: Roast from the crockpot (I just used the ribeye roasts (or really whatever is on sale) and season it with salt and pepper (I use sea salt and coarse pepper) and then add some onions and let the bad boy cook all. Day. Long. And tempt you because it smells so stinkin good.) steamed broccoli and steamed green beans topped with homemade ghee (ghee is butter without the dairy lol.  You just heat two stick over med to low heat and let it cook until all the dairy sinks to the bottom.  There are several videos on youtube that shows you what to do.  You do not want to burn it! But the end result if done correctly is this yummy nutty flavored goodness! That taste like butter…mostly)

Day 4:

            Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with coconut oil, sweet potatoes and some apple.

            Lunch: Leftover roast warmed and put on a bed of curly green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and some pepperoni with balsamic  red wine vinegar.

            Dinner: Caribbean seasoned Pork Tenderloin (used a seasoning I found at Mom’s organic grocery store, cooked it at 350 for 45 minutes) ontop of curly green leaf salad with steamed broccoli, onions, peppers, and balsamic red wine vinegar.

Day 5:

            Breakfast: Medium fried eggs with coconut oil, bacon and sweet potatoes fried in bacon grease (I’m not going to lie, it’s a whole new world when using bacon grease and sweet potatoes…amazing stuff)

            Lunch: Salad from the night before. 

            Dinner: Chipolte.  We got double meat (chicken) with onions and peppers, salasa and lettuce.  It was delicious!

Day 6:

            Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with coconut oil and bacon

            Lunch: Albacore tuna with some mustard and I put that ontop of cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes and dipped them in balsamic vinegar

            Dinner: Chicken in the crockpot (seriously I have been making chicken in the crockpot for YEARS but this recipe I found a year or so ago is AMAZING! Just put your whole chicken in the crockpot, season with whatever you like.  I used old bay (it’s a Maryland thing but you can find it in the seasoning aisle) coarse black pepper, and parsley. Add veggies if you’d like and cook on high for 4 hours it comes out perfect!), cooked green beans with ghee and a few chunks of pineapple.

Day 7:

            Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with coconut oil, cucumber slices and pineapple

            Lunch: Bone Broth (just take the bones from the chicken the night before (and skin and cartilage and so on) add veggies of your choice, I did carrots, onions and celery fill the crockpot to the top with water and cook on low for 12-24 hours (I just do it the night I made the chicken and let it cook until the next day) and you have yummy healthy bone broth) with chicken left over from the night before, kale and some mushrooms seasoned with salt and pepper.

            Dinner: Seared Steak seasoned with salt and pepper.  I sautéed mushrooms and onions in ghee.  Leftover greenbeans from the night before and sweet potato fries (Just cut the sweet potatoes into strips toss them in some melted bacon grease, season with salt and pepper, cook them at 375 for 30 minutes turning once or twice).

Here are some things I have learned or tips that may help:

-         * Organic is best but if you can’t afford all organic try and buy what you can organic mainly meat and veggies and fruits that do not have a peel.

-          *When you first start this, if you have not lived a “healthy” lifestyle, listen to your body.  You will be hungry more often, eat, don’t starve yourself.  There will come a time when you will start to feel full with less food and that is good. 

-          *Don’t eat just to eat.  Only eat if you are hungry.  You should try your best to give your body time to digest each meal.  I try not to snack between meals but at the beginning I was very hungry every 2 hours.

-          *We try to eat on salad plates.  One you eat less and two it looks like you are eating more

-          *Remember this is not a weight loss program.  You are trying to reset your body to do what its supposed to do and in the end you may lose some weight but right now I feel amazing and I’ll take that any day!

-          *Drink a lot of water.  If you are not a water drinker it may be tough at first but in the end it is worth it.  I have been able to work my way up to a gallon to gallon in a half of water a day.  I don’t force it in anymore.  I just am constantly drinking water.  Before I serve breakfast I have already had 40-60 oz of water! I try and stop myself early in the evening so I’m not up all night!

-         * Don’t just jump in starting this program.  Work your way into it.  Get a meal plan together for the first week.  Buy your food.  Prep it. Start making some changes a week or so ahead of time.  Get rid of the temptations.  This is not a diet it is a life style change.

 Hope this is helpful! I have a long way to go but I know if I keep making these changes it will be better in the long run :)