Becca is losing it!

Maybe I'm back....

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:44:00 +0000

Hi all,

It's been a while since I've posted but I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm doing great. Life after HCG is sweet! I have been maintaining about 6 or 7 pounds over LIW and am very happy with my results. However... since I never quite got down to my goal of 136 I always had it in the back of my mind that I would do another round some day. I was holding out for when I finally got my husband on board to do a round with me. And now it looks like he is actually ready to do one. Don't know when we'll start. Maybe later this month, or maybe we'll wait until after the holidays. The start date will really depend on his schedule and we're looking a when he will have a good three weeks to dedicate to the plan. It would be a short round since he only wants to lose 20 pounds or so and I've just got 10 to lose. So it should be a breeze after losing 58 pounds on my previous three rounds. I'm just hoping that my DH finds it as easy to stick to as I did. And that he doesn't have any unplanned trips to Atlanta that seem to pop up unexpectedly these days. He's taken on a new role in his job and that means more travel. So we have discussed that possibility and he thinks he can manage to stay on protocol somehow if he can't get out of a trip.

So if anyone out there still checks up on me... Stay tuned. And I'll blog about our experiences...

Thanks for being here...

Life after Protocol

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 03:39:00 +0000

Hi to anyone out here who may still stumble across this blog. I haven't posted in a while because I've been really concentrating on negotiating my final P3 after the HCG protocol. I stopped the protocol just 3 pounds shy of my written goal due to several factors that were indicating to me that my body was done losing abnormal fat. I still think that I may have some lurking around, but I really believe that I needed to end the diet when I did because I wasn't losing anymore and I was experiencing occasional weakness and lightheadedness. So I continued until I had completed 21 effective injections AFTER my last break and then did the 72 hrs of the VLCD and stopped.

I've been enrolled in Biz's P3 bootcamp since then. This is a forum group that Biz monitors where the members who join are all trying to do a successful P3 in order to stabilize their weight on the break from the protocol. Some are planning to do additional rounds and don't want to put on weight that will just have to come off again once they start their new round. And some of us are completely done with the protocol and want to stabilize our new weights so that we can maintain our goal weights for life.

In bootcamp, you fill out a form in which you state you will follow the guidelines of the bootcamp including eating the correct P3 foods, drinking the right amount of water, staying away from sugar, starches, sugar free products and processed foods. You are required to look up your BMR and calculate your proper daily caloric intake and keep within the resulting window. Biz helps you figure out what percentage of fats, carbs and proteins you should be eating. And you have to post your daily menu and your weight each day. Then you can report whether you lost or gained and what you did that may have caused a gain. And if you go over the 2.o above your LIW, what corrective action you have taken.

So all in all, it just helps to keep you accountable to someone and makes you aware of what you're putting into your body. For me, it mean that after so many months of working to reach my goal, I wanted to get serious about maintaining it as well and it was so great having others who were going through the same phase with me. And it was also nice that my daughter and I did our last rounds together and went through boot camp together too.

And after all that long drawn out explanation, I am proud to report that there was only one day during my 21 days of P3 that I was more than 2.0 over my LIW. And I was planning to do an egg day to bring it down but was unable to complete it the same day. But I woke up the next day back within the "legal" range. And I ended P3 at 1.6 over my LIW!

So I'd like to thank those of you who read my blog and supported me during my journey and I hope to be able to continue to check on other people's blogs periodically as well.

Just know that the HCG protocol works. It's a real miracle to have discovered it. And if I can do it... Well, anyone can!

FINAL P3 - DAY # 5 LIW + .6

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:51:00 +0000

LIW date (6-24-2008) 139.4

Today's weight 140.0

Okay, so far so good. I'm at day 5 and not too bad. My biggest challenge is that I'm in a training class all week at work and they keep putting out goodies on the table. So far the only thing legal is a small selection of fruit and some mixed nuts. The oatmeal cookies have been calling my name though, so I'm trying to ignore them. I've joined Biz's P3 bootcamp which has been very helpful. I login everyday and check in with my current weight. And I post my previous day's menu by giving my sparkpeople link. I tried both fitday and sparkpeople and decided sparkpeople worked better for me. It's a fun site with a tracker for nutrition, exercise, and your fluid intake, etc. It also has lots of forums for different interests and on your home page, you can put your pictures and keep a daily blog. There is a forum there for HCG dieters so if you want an easy to use forum, I would recommend this. But it's no replacement for the HCG forum where all of our blogger friends are located.

So take care people, I will post pictures as soon as I can get my daughter to take some for me...

-------------------

Mary, don't worry... I'll keep checking on you and will give updates when I can!

Thanks Shelly! I'm so excited to go on to this next phase of my life. I'm loving how I look and feel! I still check on you all the time so please update your blog when you get a chance!

R3-P2- Final 23 Days - DONE and DONE...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:14:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Tuesday (6-24-2008) was LIW = 139.4
Wednesday's weight 140.0
Yesterday's weight 140.4
Today's weight 139.4
Overnight Loss -1.0 lbs
Today I am exactly at my LIW

Today is my first day of P3. I really felt like saying "Today is the first day of the rest of my life"! LOL! But I resisted... (or maybe I didn't!) This is my final round. I did not make it to my "number" goal of 136, and I thought about extending it to lose a few pounds more, but it seemed like I wasn't losing but gaining so I decided to hang it up. And of course, today I wake up with a one pound loss which puts me back at my LIW! Cool! And I look and feel just fiiiiine! I get compliments daily and people who have never spoken to me before at work are coming up and saying how good I look. One of the hairdressers at my daughter's salon saw me when I came in for a trim on my sassy new haircut and he said "That diet doesn't just make you lose weight, it makes you look younger and prettier every day!" Isn't that just the best compliment? I love male hairdressers because they really notice stuff! LOL!
So I'm off to check in on Biz's P3 bootcamp. If anyone is interested in seeing what that's all about, it's on the HCG forum at this link: http://myhcgjourney.com/forums/
Thanks to everyone for following me in my weight loss adventure. I will continue to post about my stabilization phase but as you can tell, I'm now posting just about every other day instead of daily. It just takes too much time and now that I'm thin and healthy and alive again, I've got a lot of living to do!

-----------------------------

B, you have been such a great source of support for me during the protocol. I appreciate having you as a P2 partner for a while and I wish you the best of luck! Love you girl!

Vic, I thank you for sharing all your valuable lessons and helping me to avoid the pitfalls that you experienced with the end of the protocol. Your tips about continued reshaping is very good news to hear since every little bit helps! Thanks to both you and Bill!

Mary, you have been the most reliable person and I always knew that even if no one else was around, you'd always be here saying something funny or sweet or just plain nice to me. So I thank you so much for that. And good luck to you in making your goals. You can do it!
Love you girl!

Liz, you're making me blush with all those compliments. But I guess I better get used to it huh? LOL! Thanks for your support and I'll be watching your progress too... Good luck with the protocol...

R3-P2- Final 23 Days - INJ #23/skip day.... Maybe one or two more...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:55:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Monday's weight 139.4
Yesterday's weight 139.4
Today's weight 140.0
Overnight Gain +.6 lbs

Stalling and gaining... I'm not doing things right...
Probably because of my indecisiveness. I can't decide if I need to keep adding in the 300 calories or if I should stick with the 500. So although I am keeping strictly to P2 food choices (other than boiled eggs) I am continuing to go over the 500 but am not going fully to the 800 either. So I've decided today to be strictly on the 500 calorie diet and as long as I feel NO weakness I will follow the plan. That being said though, I don't intend to sacrifice my health either so if I do feel weak or shaky I will go ahead and up my calories again. But will try to go the full 800 instead of being wishy washy and stopping at 650 or 700 like I have been doing. I think it's really hard to get your head around the fact that you need to increase the calories that high after months of thinking the exact opposite. I've got it programmed into me now. But it's really interesting to note that this is really a direct result of the HCG because when I was on my breaks and the HCG was out of my system, I was able to go to a much higher caloric intake without too much effort. The big difference being that I still craved mostly the healthy types of foods that I have been eating for so long. It was just such a relief to be able to not be so careful about how they were prepared or whether you were mixing veggies or not. And to have cheese and milk and salad dressings and butter... But while I'm still on the HCG, it's hard to increase to 800 for some reason... So I'll just do it one day at a time and if I don't make any progress, I'll just call it quits. I actually skipped an injection today so I could do one tomorrow and Friday if I need to. But I'm still going back and forth about it. I could actually make yesterday be my LIW if I wake up tomorrow with still no loss... So just call me miss ambivalent, or miss crazy can't make up her mind person... Just don't call me late for dinner...

-------------------------

Vic, if I could just make up my mind, I think we'd all be able to rest easy. I'm just using my women's perogative to the extreme right now! LOL!

Well Mary, I guess I can't even make my foray into the new decade stick. I'm just messed up here! But give me one more day and I'll have my decision!

Liz, Thanks... I really hope I make it back to the 130's! LOL! Still sending WARM wishes your way...

R3-P2- Final 23 Days - INJ #22/1 remaining - Into the next decade...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:44:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Saturday's weight 140.4
Yesterday's weight 140.0
Today's weight 139.4
Overnight loss -.6 lbs

Woo Hoo! I'm in the 130's now, baby! I've been feeling fine and no problems with weakness or hunger. I started adding in 300 extra calories by eating 3 or 4 boiled eggs in addition to the VLCD every day so I'm sure that's what's keeping me going. I have just one more day to make the 21 effective injection days after my last break. I'm debating going through the end of the week though, so I can get a few extra days in. My DD is going to do the P3 boot camp with me and we want to start on the same day, but since she's going to Vegas this weekend and won't be able to actually start boot camp until Monday (although she will be following P3 while she's gone) we figure we can both start together on Monday and this will give me a few more days on injections to see if I can go a little lower on my weight. I'm really trying to pay attention to how my body is feeling and not go overboard with wanting to get to a certain number, but there really is no doubt that I could comfortably go to a lower weight without depleting critical muscle mass. So depending on how I'm feeling, I may do one or two more injections than I originally planned.

-----------------------------------

Thanks Mary, I'm getting so close!

Lili, Thanks for stopping by. It's been a while since I've heard from you and lots has been happening. I am still hanging in there for a few more days and so far so good. I'll have to go check up on you now!

R3-P2- Final 23 Days - INJ #20/3 remaining - Will I make it?

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:24:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Thursday's weight 140.8
Yesterday's weight 140.8
Today's weight 140.4
Overnight loss -.4 lbs

I've got 3 injection days left to go and I'm very close to the 130's. I'm wondering if I will make it or not. I have given up on believing I will make it to my "number" goal of 136 so I'm fine with that, but being in the 130's would mean my BMI would be in the 121 range. So that would be good. I've only got .4 to go to get me there so I'm thinking it's quite possible. I have been continuing to add in the extra 3 eggs for additional protein each day and I've been feeling just fine. Makes me wonder if I really needed to do it or maybe for just the one day I wasn't feeling so good. And my weight loss has not improved much although I have lost a little since then. So today, I'm debating whether to add the eggs or not. So I'll let you know tomorrow...
It's just after noon here in AZ and I've had tea and grapefruit so far. And I'm starting to feel hungry so I'll go have a little lunch now. So stay tuned for the next installment!

--------------------------------------------

B, you're lovely! And I'll get some pics as soon as I can!

Victoria, Thank you for your comments on the number thing and the abnormal fat. I do see some fat left, but it's not necessarily a bad thing since I really don't want to be skin and bones. I just haven't seen the sculpting like Jennifer got which made her muscles more defined. But then again, it might be the age thing! I've got a good 20 years on her!

Thanks Mary... I'm doing okay now...

Jenn, It hasn't really hit me yet. I still have the fear that I'm quitting too soon. But the timing is right so I'm sticking to it. And as long as I manage the stabilization phase the way I want to I WON'T be doing another round in the future. Although I hope someday to get my husband on the program and then I'll have to post about HIM! LOL!

R3-P2- Final 23 Days - INJ #18/5 - Extra protein...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:30:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 141.4
Today's weight 140.8
Overnight loss -.6 lbs

Okay Peeps,

I feel great after my episode yesterday. I added in 3 boiled eggs on top of my regular P2 menu and felt stuffed all day long. I decided to see if that would result in two things... One, clearing up my symptoms of weakness and nausea and two, getting my weight back down after yesterday's gain.
It helped on both issues so I'm going to try it again today. Only problem is that it really does make me feel uncomfortably full all day. So stay tuned and we'll see how I do tomorrow!

--------------------------------

Thanks Liz, I think I'm almost there!

Mary, no headaches and no light headedness. So a little different than some... I'll keep monitoring it and keep you all posted!

Jenn, Yes I'm getting close I think! But not quitting yet... 5 more days to go! Will I make it to 136 by then? Doubtful, but WHO CARES! LOL! I'm going to be happy just getting into the 130's.
E is doing just fine. At her lowest weight right now and is going to continue until she has completed the 21 days, which is the same ending day as me. So 5 more for her too! And we are both going to join Biz's P3 boot camp so that we can reset/stabilize properly. I'm very happy about the outcome! I'll post pics next week...

R3-P2- Final 23 Days - INJ #17/6 - Something going on...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 05:07:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 141.0
Today's weight 141.4
Overnight loss/GAIN +.4 lbs

I woke up to a small gain this morning after a strict day of protocol food. So what could be happening? No swelling in my fingers and I don't have TOM issues to worry about. Hmmm, then while I was drying my hair my arms started feeling so heavy and I could hardly hold the brush and dryer over my head. I was feeling so tired that I just wanted to put my head down and close my eyes. And then I started feeling nauseous. So I sat down for a minute and finished styling my hair and just pushed through the feeling and got ready for work. I considered staying home, but decided to just go ahead and go in to work. Once there, I emailed Biz to tell her that I thought I needed to add some protein. I wasn't sure if this meant I was nearing the end but that was what I was beginning to think. She suggested adding a few boiled eggs to my daily intake to bring my calories up around 800. So I took her advice and added the eggs to my menu. Once I ate the first egg, I started feeling better right away. And after two more eggs and my grapefruit, I was pretty stuffed. That feeling has stayed with me all day, but the weakness and nausea have disappeared completely. So I am going to see what happens in the morning. If I've put on weight that may be an indication that I should NOT be upping my calories and I'll try to just go back to the VLCD. If my weight is fine, and I feel hungry, I will continue to add the extra protein.

I am struggling a little with the decision mostly because I am still about 5 pounds over my goal and also because my BMI is still 22.1. And I know they're just numbers and I shouldn't be too attached to them so I'll be open to what my body is telling me. And I will not allow myself to get malnourished if I am at the end of my abnormal fat reserves.

I still intend to finish the last 6 injections because I feel that it is important to have 21 days of effective injections from the time of my last break. But I will raise my calorie level to 800 or higher if needed to maintain a healthy energy level.

I'll try to post early tomorrow with my stats and a little update...

----------------------

Mary, as you can see I've decided to share the POSSIBLE news that I may be done! Can you believe it? Tomorrow will tell...

R3-P2- Final 23 Days - INJ #16/7 remaining

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 01:16:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 141.0
Today's weight 141.0
Overnight loss -0- lbs

Nothing lost but nothing gained! So I'm not unhappy about that. I was expecting a loss today because my nighttime weight was lower than the night before and usually that is an indicator that I will be down in the morning as well, but the nighttime weigh-in doesn't count as we all know...

So two things might be off, not enough water and a couple of those little 20 calorie creamsicles that I had instead of my evening fruit.

So today I'm drinking up! And I'll have an apple instead for my evening snack!

---------------------

Ed and Jenn! Making an appearance... So good to hear from you. I want to hear all about the crazy activity going on at your house now that it's just FULL of kids! Hope you're having fun...
But don't stay away too long or you might miss my big announcement. But I'll probably not be able to resist emailing you if I actually make it!

Mary, it's supposed to reach 113 here today. No WAY am I going to exercise outside!

Liz, YOU'RE back! I'll have to go look at your blog to see how you did on your trip! Welcome home!

Biz, yes it's true... I FEEL the love! LOL! You'll be one of the first to know!

R3-P2- Final 23 Days - INJ #15/8 remaining - Any loss....

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:20:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
weight 141.2
Today's weight 141.0
Overnight loss -.2 lbs

Yes, at least it's a loss. After two good days in a row, I'm not too disappointed in a .2 loss. I have been sticking to plan very closely and have not deviated at all. I went to a Father's Day celebration at my sister's house yesterday and brought a chicken breast to cook alongside the burgers and hot dogs the rest of the group was eating. Then I just picked my favorite veggies off of the veggie tray that I brought to share and I was just fine. My Dad is diabetic so we didn't have a cake or anything that might have tempted me so that was cool...

My daughter has been cooking a little for a friend who is on P2 right now. The friend doesn't eat veggies and isn't much of a cook so my daughter has been cooking and giving her different soups and meals to see what she will eat and then she will teach her to cook the ones that she likes. So she's been bringing me extra servings of what she makes. So far she's shared some very good chicken chili and some chicken and onion soup. And her friend is really enjoying all the things she thought she didn't like! So it's working out great for all of us... Today I had a bowl of very spicy chicken chili and it was yummy! Thanks Erica!

----------------------------

B, Thank you! I haven't checked on you yet today but I'll go over pretty soon! Take care doll!

Mary, we may just have to forget the outside exercise for a few months. No sense getting heat stroke!

R3-P2- Final 23 Days - INJ #14 - Whopping losses!

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:46:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Friday's weight 143.2
Yesterday’s weight 142.4 (down .8)
Today's weight 141.2
Overnight loss -1.2 lbs

Okay! Now that's more like it! Two pounds in the last two days! I haven't been doing anything differently, just sticking strictly to protocol. And there you go. I am just thrilled to have such good losses two days in a row so close to goal! It's like a big bonus for work well done or something!

We ended up not going on our hike yesterday morning. Bill had a restless night's sleep which means I did too. He has restless leg syndrome and just keeps thrashing during the night which will wake me up over and over during the night. So when the alarm went off at 5am, we turned it off and just kept on sleeping.
Last night we had a party to go to with people we just see every couple of months. some of these people have seen me during the weight loss process but a couple haven't and I got a lot of questions and compliments. I ended up having to explain the diet several times over. I was kind of sick of talking about it and I was felt like I was talking about myself way too much. I would have just evaded the questions but so many of these people really would benefit from the protocol and seemed genuinely interested. So I just kept patiently repeating the information. I don't know if they will be inspired to give it a try, but I made an open offer to help anyone who wants to make a change.

I've got just 10 days left to go. Will I reach my goal with 5.2 pounds left to lose? Even though I am a fairly slow loser, I'm still holding out hope that I will make it. And if not, I'll be happy with wherever I end up...

------------------------------

Mary, as you see, I didn't get up in time for a hike. I'll have to find an alternative exercise as soon as I'm done with protocol. I will want to work on my fitness level so I guess it'll be back to the gym...

R3-P2- Final 23 Days - INJ #12 - early rise tomorrow...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 04:13:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 143.4
Today’s weight 143.2
Overnight loss -.2 lbs

Hello all, I'm down a teeny .2 today. So I guess that's how it's gonna be, huh? But I'll keep on doing what I'm doing because I'm sticking to protocol, it just seems to be going slow right now. I will probably get up early this morning to go on our weekend morning hike. It's always tougher when I'm on P2, but I'll see how I do. That is, if we can get up early enough. Because it's so hot here now that we need to get on the trail pretty darn early to beat the heat. Like 5 or 6 am. Yuck! So if we can't get up that early, then I won't even go. I have no desire to get heat stroke just for the sake of a little exercise. So we'll see...
That means I need to get to bed soon or I'll never make it. So ta ta for now...

-------------------------------

Thank you Mary!

And B! It's getting closer! Only 12 days huh? That's so cool. I'll have to go see how you're doing... I bet you can't wait!

R3-P2- Final 23 Days - INJ #11 - Not much longer...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:49:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 144.0
Today’s weight 143.4
Overnight loss -.6 lbs

Okay, so I'm still moving in the right direction... I'm running short on time tonight but I just wanted to get my stats up. I've got 12 more days before I'm done!

Thanks Mary and Jan! Take care....

R3-P2- Final 23 Days - INJ #10 - Little Blip, and New Plans...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:17:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 145.2
Today’s weight 144.0
Overnight loss -1.2 lbs

Hi All,

I didn't post yesterday because I was just kind of unsettled by the strange gain I had. 1.2 pounds overnight after a day that I thought was a typical menu day. But when my daughter and I reviewed my food choices from Monday, we figured that it was a combination of too much salt, an extra few bites of leftover chicken and a couple of no sugar added creamsicles. Now these were only 20 cals each and I've had them before in place of a fruit but I'm guessing that I shouldn't try that again if I want to get to my goal... So yesterday I was very concsious of every morsel that I put into my mouth. And I got rid of that 1.2 pounds just like that. And I really believe that if I had eaten at a reasonable time instead of a 8pm I would probably have lost a little more. Today I am following my example from the previous day and I will eat dinner before 6pm and try to get to bed early. I want a NICE loss for tomorrow! We will be going to a pool party this weekend so every little bit (of weight loss) helps when you're wearing a bikini! This is a group of friends who are all in their 50's like us, and many have become overweight and starting to have health problems. I have talked to some about the protocol and have offered to help them but although several are interested, nobody has "signed up" yet. Maybe my example this weekend will convince them to give it a try. I'll be bringing my own food to the party so they'll see that part of the diet. The next hurdle for many, is the injection part (although I've told them about sublingual) and then they have to commit to being disciplined enough to stick with it for 6 weeks. But I'm not pressuring anyone because you have to really WANT to make this change.

I also want to mention here that I read a post on the new forum yesterday about a compounding pharmacy in Texas somewhere that is formulating their HCG in a cream form. I assume it's similar to the method I used for a while when I was taking progesterone in cream form. You just rub a little bit into your skin once a day and it is absorbed that way. I asked the person who posted it to see if they could find out more about it. Mainly what they mix it with and how do you measure the dose. Wouldn't that be a wonderful alternative to injecting? No more needles to worry about, just squirt a little dot out and rub it in. So this is a very exciting possibility to me. Even though I'm almost done with the protocol and wouldn't benefit from it myself, I can't help thinking about how many people I've told about the protocol who were turned off by the idea of the injections. I'm sure we would get a lot more interest if it was in a cream form.

One more thing I've decided. I plan to do a full 23 days of injections counting AFTER my last break. This is to make sure I have a continuous 21 days of effective injections so that there can be no doubt that I have rested and properly re-set my hypothalamus gland. I don't know if I will be to my goal yet by then, but that is still 13 days away and with my loss rate it is a possibility. There is also a possibility that I may not get to the point where I have lost all of the abnormal fat. But you know what? I am so thrilled with what I have accomplished so far with the protocol and I am really in a good place with how I feel and look that if this is how I will be for the rest of my life, I will very happy with it. And after being on the protocol off an on since October, I think I'm ready to be done. I will join Biz's P3 boot camp to make sure that I do a proper job of stabilizing my weight during this final P3 and then I will see how the summer goes. At this point I don't think I will do another round, but I can't entirely rule out the possibility of doing another short round someday. So IF I don't get to goal, or IF I feel that there is some abnormal fat that still needs to be gone, and IF I think I can handle going through the whole protocol process again I may be back. Another possible reason to go back on may be if my husband finally decided he wants to try the protocol someday. So come the end of summer, who knows? But for now, I'm on the home stretch and counting down the days....

----------------------------

Victoria, I'm just so excited that you made it to the end! Not about how hard it was on you though... I am watching your progress. Congratulations again!

Thanks Mary... I went shopping last night and tried on some more size 6's to see if it was a fluke and although they don't all fit yet, I'd say about 70 % of them do!

Jenn, yes it is surreal to think that I made it this far. I'm finally fitting into the smallest clothes in my closet and I still wear the larger sizes but it's like wearing pajamas because they're so loose. I love it! And I'm chugging down the track to my final destination! Almost there...

Yeah Biz, can you believe it? Losing weight on a camping trip. Maybe I should do it every weekend between now and the end of my protocol!

Jan, I suspect you meant that you're glad I enjoyed my "break" not my "bread"! LOL! I just love it when I get a typo that makes a joke! I'm just cracking up over here!!! So thanks for the congrats and for the funny typo!

VLCD # 48 - ONLY 8 pounds to go!

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:56:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Friday's weight 146.0
Today’s weight 144.0
Loss over weekend -2.0 lbs

Okay! two pounds lost over the weekend. I'm very happy with that. Not quite 2 per day, but I'll take it! If you look at my ticker, you will see that I'm only 8 pounds away from my goal so I'm really getting excited to be so close. I believe that I'll be in size 6's and 8's by the time I'm done. I already bought a pair of cargo cropped pants the other day and the 6's looked like they would fit so I bought them and when I got them home they fit great! I have not worn that size since I was a teenager, even when I was at this low weight before! So it's all due to the sculpting that this protocol does to our bodies. It's just incredible to me that at 5'7" tall, I will actually be wearing size 6! Too cool!

Okay, gotta go for now. Take it easy peeps!

------------------

Thanks Mary! Glad you enjoyed the hot dogs while I was enjoying my CHICKEN!

VLCD #47 - Home from the North - Doing great...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:39:00 +0000

I will not post official stats until tomorrow morning's weigh in, but I couldn't resist weighing in this evening before I jumped in the shower after 2 days without weighing (or showering - yuck!) and I got a pleasant surprise. Friday morning's weight was 146 and this afternoon I weighed in at 144.2. Now this was before dinner, but WOW! I think I'll have a nice loss to record tomorrow morning.

The camping trip was fun. We went to a campground near a lake so my two 8 year old grandsons could go fishing and exploring. They had a great time and only complained about being bored a few times. They are cousins and only five months apart in age. They are best friends and get along great, but have the same rivalry and dynamics as siblings. The older is the boss but the younger often will exert his rebellion loudly but the ensuing fights usually only last for a short time. And I'm glad we have been able to introduce them to camping and fishing because they probably wouldn't have much chance to go with their parents since both of their mom's are not the outdoor type. But hopefully they will always look back on these time with their grandparents fondly and will pass the experiences along to their children some day.

And for us, the best part of the weekend was getting out of the heat. We went from 100+ temps to the nice pine forests of northern Arizona where the temps were in the low 70's during the day and COLD for us, in the 50's at night...

I stuck to the protocol completely with the exception of a taste low fat caramel dip that the kids were dipping their apple slices into. I just dipped a little taste and it was enough to satisfy that craving, which was really more like an impulse to taste. I'm hoping it won't have an effect on the morning's weigh in...

Well I'm still doing laundry from the trip, so I'll sign off for now. Have a good night peeps and happy losing!

--------------------

Marygirl! How did those hotdogs taste? I was pretty bored with my food choices this weekend, chicken, chicken and more chicken... blah!

Thanks B, the trip was fun... And you are doing great with the English!

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 21:34:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
LIW for Break 146.0 (5-19-08)
Yesterday's weight 147.0
Today’s weight 146.0
Overnight loss - 1.0 lbs
AT - LIW - All downhill from here...

No time to post. We are trying to get out the door for our camping trip but I wanted to post my stats. I'm hoping to lose another couple of pounds this weekend so wish me luck!

I'll try to pop in on Sunday evening just to check in...

VLCD Day #44 - going camping

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 05:04:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
LIW for Break 146.0 (5-19-08)
Yesterday's weight 148.0
Today’s weight 147.0
Overnight loss - 1.0 lbs
1.0 lbs OVER LIW

I’m down another pound and only one over my LIW now. I can’t wait until the weight I’m losing is new(old?) weight that I haven’t already lost once on this round! That is the only downside to taking a break during a round, but I just look at it as the price we have to pay to keep our sanity. Because what good is being thin and gorgeous if you lose your mind doing it? LOL!
Nothing new to report but my DH and I are planning to take our two grandson’s camping this weekend so I have to figure out what to take that will keep me out of trouble on food choices. The boys always want smore’s and hot dogs so they’re easy to please, I will just have to bring enough legal treats for myself so that I won’t be tempted. So I’m making my list now and will do my shopping tonight… Wish me luck. I don’t know if I’ll have time to post tomorrow so if not, I’ll catch up on Sunday.

Have a good weekend peeps!

-------------------------

Monica, The beef and green bean stew, well it's basically just beef chunks simmered in (low sodium) beef broth for a couple of hours. I add italian seasonings and some onion for flavor. And I don't know what is legal to use as a thickener, but I had some low sodium beef stew seasoning and I used a packet for my stew for flavor and thickness. But I was making about 6 servings at a time so it was a very small amount per serving. You would have to decide if you wanted to risk that or not. Others on the forum might know a "legal" thickener to use. Or just make it soupy. I use frozen or fresh beans and I don't add the beans until the last half hour. To tell how much a serving is, I weigh and count the beef chunks before cooking and then spoon just the right number into each container after it's cooked and then just divide up the green beans and broth evenly between the containers. This freezes really well too.

Hi B, I actually found some baby lotion that uses mineral oil so I'm going to try that. I'll let you know how it works!

Hey Maryg. I will have to find some Jergens cold cream and try that too!

Ha Ha Jenn, you don't want your Wii fit age to be 16 cuz then Ed would get arrested! LOL! And yes, I think my DH is a hunk too!

VLCD Day #43 - Back to Business...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:35:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
LIW for Break 146.0 (5-19-08)
Monday's weight 149.2
Yesterday's weight 148.6
Today’s weight 148.0
Overnight loss - .6 lbs
2.0 lbs OVER LIW

Don’t know how it happened but I managed to pick up another pound over the weekend, so I ended my break more than 3 pounds over LIW. I started injections on Monday, but I didn’t do great on my first two VLCD days. I was hungry during the day and I just ate extra protocol foods when I felt like I needed it. I’m sure it was because of not having enough HCG in my system yet. With all that, I still am down 1.2 pounds since Sunday so I can't complain about that. It should be better tomorrow if I can stick to protocol and so far today I’ve been just fine, without any hunger which should help me to stick to protocol. I cooked up a batch of green bean beef stew yesterday so I’ve got some portions frozen to take to work for my lunches. I find it so much more convenient to do a soup or stew and freeze them to take to work. Then there is no hassle with finding the right vegetables or measuring the protein. And I’m all for the easiest way when I’m at work. I’ve still got cabbage chili and broccoli chicken soup in the freezer for a little variety.
Another issue I’ve got right now is the dry skin thing. I have a little residual flaking from my sunburn last week and now that I’m back on protocol I can’t slather on the lotions like I was doing before. I can’t quite bring myself to NOT use any lotion at all with the flaky skin the way it is, so I’m trying to reduce it to just a bit in the morning before I leave the house. And I had to quit using the Jergen’s Natural Glow for now too. I’ll get by somehow though.
So not much else to report. Hope everyone is doing well…

---------------------------------------------------------------
Hey Marygirl… Thanks for stopping by! I can always count on you!

Ed and Jenn, can you see me blushing?!!! Thanks, I needed that... I am still doing this round and trying to go for the last of the abnormal fat. I just started again after my last break. And I plan to finish strong and be done with it forever! I'm gonna be just like Jenn! (Just a few years older! LOL)

Break Day#9 - This is Friday's post, just didn't get it posted in time...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Sat, 31 May 2008 18:02:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
LIW for Break 146.0 (5-19-08)
Yesterday's weight 147.6
Today’s weight 147.4
Overnight loss - .2 lbs
1.4 lbs OVER LIW

I’m very pleased with how well I’m maintaining my weight. I’m only 1.2 above my LIW and not really having any issues. My book club met last night and the hostess chose an Italian restaurant which is one of the hardest to negotiate for P2 and for P3. They put a basket of yummy looking bruschetta on the table when we sat down and that was my biggest temptation. I successfully resisted it though. I had a salad with grilled chicken for dinner. Those huge plates of pasta that my friends were eating looked so delicious. I had a big twinge of wishing that I was finished with this protocol so that I could dig into a big bowl… Seriously though, I don’t think I’ll ever look at pasta and bread the same way. In the future I’ll try to think of starches as a condiment which should be taken in small doses.

Okay now I’ve got to tell you about the Wii Fit that my daughter got this week. She’s been telling me to come over and try it out so yesterday I stopped by to see what all the fuss was about. It comes with a DVD for the program and what looks like a large bathroom scale for the participant to stand on. When you step on it it has you set up your profile. You choose an avatar and enter your age, and height info. It weighs you and tells you if you if you are Normal, underweight or overweight, or obese. It was gratifying to see that I was in the normal range. Then it checks your posture and balance. It has you try to stay balanced and keep a bar on the screen within a color range. Each time you do this for a specified amount of time, it then gives you a smaller target to go for. You just stand on the platform and shift your weight until the bar is in the right zone and try to keep it there until the timer goes off. This tells the machine how good your posture and balance is. Then it calculates your Wii Fit age based on all the info entered and your test results. I managed to get through all of the screens on the first try and ended up with a Wii fit age of 37, 17 years younger than my actual. My SIL came through when it was displaying my results and said that his first time his Wii fit age was 44! So now I have that to tease him about! LOL! Then I tried some of the exercises on it and I can see that it would be very effective. I will have to go over there and use it often. So let me know if anyone else has tried it. Too fun!

---------------------------------------

Shelly, you sure did stop by at the right time! Got to see the trip report! Good to hear from you girl...

Monica, Thanks for the compliment! And you already to look great too! We are all getting hotter as the protocol goes on because we're making it work for us...

Thank you Jan! Now I just need to get finished with the protocol so I can start taking better care of my skin... My daughter is an esthetician so I want to take advantage of that.

Thanks Mary, I was nervous about posting the bikini pic, but where else could I show it and not feel too self conscious? At least you all realize how hard won it is!

Thanks Liz, it seems to be working for me this time!

Break Day # 7 - Trip report....

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:21:00 +0000

Here are just a few pics of our trip. I'm waiting for our friends to send the ones they took of us on their camera...
City Walk in Orlando. DH's company was staying at the Hard Rock Hotel.
Waiting for our dinner reservation
Okay, keep in mind that I've still got a few pounds to go, but not bad for a 54 year old grandma huh?

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2

LIW for Break 146.0 (5-19-08)

Yesterday's weight 148.6

Today’s weight 147.4

Overnight loss - 1.2 lbs

1.4 lbs OVER LIW

I managed to make it until dinnertime doing the egg day yesterday and then I caved and had a big taco salad for dinner. But I’m please to see that I still had a nice loss this morning so I’m within the two pound range of my LIW. I am still going to go higher on the protein today to see if I can get it down a little closer, but I’m not too worried about it. I have a few days to work on it before the weekend and then I’ll be going back on HCG on Monday.

I didn’t get much chance to talk about my trip yesterday and just in case you’re interested, I’ll give you a few highlights today…

I took the red-eye from Phoenix to Orlando on Wednesday night so I was kind of wiped out for my first day in Florida, but that day was spent traveling towards our destination on the gulf. We were staying at a little hotel on the beach on Treasure Island. It turned out to be a nice location and it had a teeny kitchen so we were able to eat our breakfasts and lunches there. I made scrambled eggs with sautéed onions every morning so I got a good start on the day. Then for lunch, while the other three were having sandwiches, I had a huge salad with lots of veggies, cheese and chopped turkey meat. And RANCH dressing! So good after eating mostly dry salads for the last month.
Thursday after we checked in we went for a long walk down the beach to see what was there. They were in the midst of setting up a big stage on the beach with several other concession trailers. We found out that they were having their memorial day concerts and art fair there for the weekend. So we had that to look forward to! Dinner was a nice seafood meal at a place called Crabby Bill’s. That’s my hubby’s name so we had to get him a t-shirt of course! (see below) Oh and my hubby introduced our friends to the wonders of Key Lime Pie. I had a tiny taste.

Friday we spent on the beach people watching and gathering shells. The water in the Gulf was such a comfortable temperature that we could swim without getting too cold and it was just sunny enough to dry us off, but not enough to make it really hot. Unfortunately, it felt so cool that we didn’t re-apply our sunscreen often enough and we all ended up with sunburns on our first day! Shame on us, since we are Arizonians and we know how important it is to use sunblock. All I can say is that the cool ocean breezes had us fooled! Dinner was at Sculley's on the boardwalk at John’s Pass, down the road from Treasure Island. I indulged in crabcakes, yummm! Desert for the other three was Key Lime pie again. I had just a taste of my hubby’s.
Saturday we did a little shopping and then headed over to John’s Pass again to rent a couple of wave runners. The other couple we were with had never tried them before but ended up just having a blast! It was different riding these in the ocean waves and I laughed so hard each time my husband launched us into the air on the top of a 4 foot wave. Once we hit it just right and were probably 10 feet above the water before crashing down! After we got back, our friends got directions to the bakery where all the local restaurants got their key lime pie from and we decided to go find it. 30 minutes later, we were on our way back home with a fresh pie in tow and even better, I scored a slice of SF chocolate cream pie! We ate our treat by the pool once we got back. Dinner was actually pizza that night since our friends wanted to try a place across from our hotel. Luckily they had a low carb crust version which had a whole wheat crust about as thick as a tortilla. I had two small slices and a side salad.
Sunday was our last day and we decided to go to Fort De Soto which was named the nations #1 beach in 2005. And it was a very nice beach although on Memorial weekend it was naturally quite crowded. We wanted to take the ferry to Egmont key so we could go snorkeling but we didn’t realize the last one left at 11am. We missed it by 20 minutes. So then we decided to rent kayaks and take the self guided tour of the mangroves. That was quite enjoyable and we saw several manatees and once were close enough to reach in the water and touch one. Unfortunately none of my pictures turned out. All you can see is churning water! We had to head back to Orlando to check into our hotel. Then we hit the Universal City walk for dinner at Bubba Gump’s Shrimp factory. Very touristy, but fun. The food was okay, but could have been better. I had salmon but should have tried to find a fresh local fish for my meal. The rum drinks were really good though!
Monday was an early trip to the airport and back home to AZ. On the way home from the airport we stopped at my fave Mexican food restaurant, Macayo’s, for dinner. Sure was glad to sleep in my own bed again!

----------------------------------------------

Jan, I was happy to see the small gain for the week. I would have had a heart attack if I had seen 10 pounds!

Victoria, yes I think the exercise was helpful. We did a lot of walking each day in addition to the fun stuff. And the weather was so wonderful it wasn’t hard to keep moving…

Jenn! thanks for stopping by!

Mary, yes, I see that you've been a naughty girl again!

B, so I gave you some more details. I am going to try to post some pics too!

Break Day # 6 - Back from the beach

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:34:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
LIW for Break 146.0 (5-19-08)
Today’s weight 148.6
2.6 lbs OVER LIW

Hi peeps! I'm back from Florida and will post more about the trip later, but I wanted to do a quick post with my stats. I did a pretty good job of following P3 during this time except for a few times when I was coerced into sharing a slice of key lime pie or when I indulged in some fruity alcoholic confections! So I'm happy with such a small gain. I'm doing an egg day today and will probably wait until next Monday to go back on P2 since I haven't had any time to shop or prepare for the VLCD since returning. So details of the trip will wait until tonight or tomorrow! Hope everyone is doing well, and I'll catch up later!

VLCD Day # 39 - Moving down again...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Wed, 21 May 2008 03:41:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Total loss for all 3 rounds 52.0 lbs.
Loss this round 13.2
Yesterday's weight 146.0
Today’s weight 145.0
Overnight Loss of 1.0 lbs
LIW for 5 day break is 146.0
1.0 lbs Under LIW

Okay, back on track. Just in time for a 5 day break. I have one more day of VLCD then 5 (or maybe 6) days of P3! I've been a little stir crazy this week since my DH is already in FL. I keep wanting to go shopping and then I end up returning most of what I buy. I really don't need anything since I have quite a few things that I've bought in the last month that are new, cute SMALLER tops to go with all of the shorts and capris that I pulled out of "used to fit and now do again" storage! I have only bought a couple of pairs of bermuda shorts and the swimsuit. So I'm really all set. And I'm sure I'll pack too much! I'll be able to post to my blog tomorrow before I leave since I'm not leaving until late Wednesday night. But after tomorrow's post, I will probably not be able to go online while I'm gone. I'll miss you all, but not that much! So see you tomorrow...

------------------------

Biz, unless I'm sound asleep, you can be sure I'll be waving. I'm taking the red eye so you'll probably be sleeping too. I'll wish you sweet dreams and a good loss!

Thanks Jan, that's funny though, saying "don't sweat it" when I'm going to humid Florida! You're cracking me up!

Yes B! I love the cheese too! So I won't tempt you too much by talking about eating it on my break! And yes I do love that these little gains are gone just as quickly as they come...

VLCD Day # 38 - LIW for break - and I gained!

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Tue, 20 May 2008 07:04:00 +0000

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Total loss for all 3 rounds 52.0 lbs.
Loss this round 12.2
Yesterday's weight 145.2
Today’s weight 146.0
Overnight GAIN of .8 lbs
LIW for 5 day break is 146.0

Oh *#$&#!*^& darn! I must confess to a couple of small deviations which I didn't think were that bad, but as you can see... I was making my grandson breakfast and he doesn't eat the crusts from his toast so of course I didn't want to waste food! LOL! But just a couple of crusts, jeeeze! And I skipped the grissini that i usually have with my lunch. But then I had a glass of wine before bed last night and it was probably (no, surely) too sweet. Actually it was the sweetest wine I've ever had. It was Lambrusco. And if you've ever had it, you know what I mean. So yes I was bad and yes, it shows!
This just means that my LIW is higher than it needs to be. But it is what it is. I'm going to continue on the VLCD for two more days which will be a total of 72 hours since this morning was my last injection. Then I'll be taking the red-eye to Florida on Wednesday night. And I'll be gone for 5 days, returning on Monday. I will probably start up again the Wednesday after memorial day unless I really feel the need to go right back on Tuesday.
Thanks for everyone who stopped by my blog today. And I'm sorry I've been spotty about visiting other blogs and I've completely neglected the forum. But I'll try to do better...

-----------------------

Jan, yes most of my grandkids live close, within 5 miles or so, except for the three in North Carolina. I have 8 all together!

Liz, so we won't cross paths after all! Oh well, hope you have fun! And good job on the grouting. It's hard work I know!

Biz, thanks for your vote of confidence, but I kind of blew it yesterday... Oh well I did good today so I should have a good loss in the morning.

Mary, you're too funny...

Wendy, yes the sunscreen is mandatory here. It's just a necessary evil! And dang it was hot today wasn't it? Hope you have a good week too.

Monica, the pool was only about 76 last week but this hot spell put it into the 80's so it's nice now! Especially feels good on these 100 plus days!

Jenn, yes I've got 8 of those little rugrats! I'm going to be gone for 5 days, but might take a 6 day break from VLCD...

B, Oh Florida is going to be HOT then, and so will you! Your DH is going to be so happy to see you!

Thanks Victoria!