Back at it again, but this time I have help!

Once again - I'm at the beginning of the weight loss game.  I've been standing here so many times I feel like a classic joke.  But I can't remain complacent just because I've attempted and failed so many times before.  I have to fight for myself.  I have to fight for my life.  I have to fight for my happiness.  So, if that means allowing myself to be the punch line again, so be it.

I'm tire of being this way.  Of course, I've made myself this way.  I'm not denying that.  But I'm sick and tired.

With the help of my newly reinstated health insurance I think I've found the way.

Sure, everyone says, "this time it just feels different".  Well, I'm not going to say that.  I'll excuse myself from that weight loss cliche at least.  But this time I will say that I feel more supported.  I feel like this isn't just a way to loose weight.  I feel like someone is finally forcing me to realize that fads and quick fixes are not going to permanently change my life.  That only I can do that.

Sure I've been given some amazing tools, but to be quite honest I always had them in a sense.  I'm being forced to have structure and to inflict the discipline on myself that I wasn't willing to inflict.  It's not tough love.  It's common sense.  It's always been there. Staring me in the face.

But now I'm finally out of excuses.

So I've started a program called, "Ultra Lite" with my doctor.  It's me eating real food that I can buy and cook myself.  It's about portion control and a smart balance between protein and plant carbohydrates.  It's a distant cousin to Atkins really.  A smarter, cousin.  A cousin with boundaries and rules and good common sense.

I'm allowed carbs only from vegetables and minimal fruits.  However, being a former Atkins devotee I've thus far ignored the fruit list.  I'm allowed a very specific amount of protein per meal per day.  Which as you know differs from Atkins' unlimited protein.  This way, I'm learning.  I'm teaching myself what a correct portion of food is.

Like Atkins, I've put myself into ketosis, however it's a very mild ketosis.  I'm eating way more veggie carbs on this than I ate in three days on Atkins -- therefor it's keeping me in a light ketosis.  So I'm still burning my existing body fat for energy but not at the violent rate of  Atkins.

There are shakes.  4 a day.  Small ones around 4-6 ounces depending on your own tastes.  So far, I'm thinking they're just for appetite curbing.  They do help when I feel hungry and they are sweet so they're filling a void at least.  The only problem I have with them is it seems like they're mainly milk protein - and for personal reasons I feel like I'd rather they used a different source.  Ah well.

In a nut shell, I'm three weeks in and 19 pounds down.  Today begins the first day of week four.  My doctor says I'm losing weight faster than someone one with lap band surgery and in the end I'm learning how and what to eat instead of having surgery.  I'm not dissing people who get the surgery, I'm just aware that a lot of the people getting them aren't getting food counseling also.

Hopefully I'll keep this up during my journey.