Becca is losing it!

Maybe I'm back....

2008-10-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-06-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-06-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-06-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-06-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-06-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-06-18T22:07:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-06-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-06-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-06-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-06-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-06-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

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!

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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!

2008-06-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

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!

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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...

2008-06-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

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…

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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...

2008-05-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

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!

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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....

2008-05-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

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!

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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

2008-05-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-05-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

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...

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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!

2008-05-20T00:04:00.000-07:00

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...

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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!

VLCD Day # 37 - Quiet moment...

2008-05-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Total loss for all 3 rounds 52.8 lbs.
Loss this round 13.0
Yesterday's weight 145.6
Today’s weight 145.2
Overnight Loss of - .4 lbs

Yes, any loss is a good loss and I am thankful for it. After yesterday which I spent running around after the grandkids I'm just glad I didn't gain. I don't think I ate enough during the day and then I had a LARGE chicken breast at about 8 pm with a few handfuls of raw veggies from the veggie tray. Tomatoes, cauliflower and broccoli. This was at our neighbor's house where we were invited to go swimming and hang out for a while. So I took the two grandkids that were still with me, the 8 year old boy and Sofia, the 9 month old. She loved watching the kids splashing in the pool and I took her in for a while which she also enjoyed.
Today I've been cooking for the g-kids and cleaning house. And the other set of little ones are coming over to go swimming in a few minutes. So I'm going to put on a swimsuit and go get some sun. Sorry Dr. S, but I HAVE to use sunblock. I have some that is oil-free though so it should be protocol friendly.
I just have one more day of injections left before stopping for my Florida break. I'm taking a red-eye Wednesday night so I'll have Thursday through Sunday there, and then we're both coming back on Monday, which is Memorial day.

I better get this post finished before the troop arrives....

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Liz, I bet you're going to be sore! We did all of our own tile for the house we're in too. About 1500 sq feet of it! So I feel your pain! LOL! Well here's hoping we both have a great trip next week.

Yes Biz, I guess those guys do have their uses don't they? He is really great with all the grandkids and they just adore him.

Shelly! How's it going girl? I'll stop by your blog later today after the troop goes home! And yes, I've been shopping. I think I return more stuff that I actually buy, but I really can never tell if I truly like something until I try it on at home. And the swimsuit is pretty good. I'm going to keep both for a while and hope that the one that my daughter gave me for Mother's Day will fit in another week or so. It's just like Jenn's in her Mexico pics. And get this, the brand name is "Becca"! I think I almost HAVE to keep it don't you!

Oh Mary, now I really have to go see your blog. But I AM afraid! LOL!

VLCD Day # 36 - Still losing...

2008-05-17T22:59:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Total loss for all 3 rounds 52.4 lbs.
Loss this round 12.6
Yesterday's weight 146
Today’s weight 145.6
Overnight Loss of - .4 lbs

I'm posting really late tonight. I had grandkids at the house all day long and they kept me hopping. DH is gone to Orlando so I didn't have any help... But now it's quiet and very late so I'm taking the time to post my stats. But that's it for today... Hopefully I'll have more to report tomorrow...
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Marygirl, I'll have to talk about my shopping here pretty soon. Sorry I haven't been by your blog in a while. But I'll catch up tomorrow... Love ya!

Biz, so you're a flower child huh? Very cool, or should I say, Groovy!

Jan, yes, I think I'm in the zone. And it's about time!

VLCD Day # 35 - Another Great Day...

2008-05-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Total loss for all 3 rounds 52 lbs.
Loss this round 12.2
Yesterday's weight 147.4
Today’s weight 146.0
Overnight Loss of - 1.4 lbs

Okay, peeps! I've had good losses for three days now so I'm just tickled about that. And I found a swimsuit... Not as stylish as Jennifer's, but it works for me. So I'm getting closer to being ready for my trip. My husband left this morning to attend the show that is the main reason for the trip. He will meet his company president and vice president to represent their company and to do some training. He will probably still have some business to take care of when I get there next week so I may have some time on my own before he's free. Oh, my, what shall I do with the time? lol! But really I won't be completely on my own since the wife of one of his co-workers is going to be there and she and I always have fun on the few occasions we've gone on trips together. She's from PA and is a little petite thing. We will have to hit some of the shops in Orlando before we head on over to the Gulf on Friday. Then, it's beach time! Woo Hoo! Can you tell I'm excited about this trip? What a difference to be able to plan a trip like this without the anxiety of being overweight. Imagine trying to find clothes that look good and would disguise my size if I hadn't found HCG. Not to mention having to wear a swimsuit in front of our friends. EWWW! I will probably still be a little self conscious but then again, maybe not so much! HaHa! Yes, it's a treat to be able to look forward to it instead of dreading it...

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Thanks Mary... You always make me feel good, even when I'm not doing so great. You're an awesome cheerleader! Love you too!

Biz, we're the retro girls. I have a reason though since that really is my era. You couldn't actually remember wearing that stuff because you're not old enough! But it is a cool look and I'm glad it's back in style! And thanks for the pep talk. It's taken me longer to get this far than I was hoping for, but I'm getting there. And giving up is NOT an option!

VLCD Day # 34 - It's all downhill from here... Thank goodness

2008-05-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 148.2
Today’s weight 147.4
Overnight Loss of - .8lbs
LIW for Break: 147.8 (5-4-8)
0.4 lbs UNDER LIW FINALLY!

Okay, it took me 4 days to get that 1.8 lbs off, but now I'm back Under my LIW from my break last week. So add that to the time I took for the break and that's about 10 days of weight loss lost! But don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, because I know that I really needed that break and it helped me to come back to the protocol with a different outlook and resolve. So now I'm trying to make the most of the time I have left before my trip. I still have to find a swimsuit and figure out what fun skinny clothes I'm going to take. So that's going to be almost as enjoyable as the trip I guess! I still haven't needed to buy many pants or shorts since I'm fitting into the very smallest sizes that I've had in the closet for a few years. Some of them have been thrown out or given away because they are really NOT that flattering and somewhat dated, but many are old favorites that I'm really enjoying being able to wear again. And my daughter has given me a few pairs of her capris and jeans that are now too big for her. And they're really cute. Probably not stuff that I would ordinarily buy but I really like them. The biggest splurge has been buying cute tops in all the geometrical patterns and colors that are out right now. The retro look is great for me because it reminds me so much of the 70's styles that were popular about the time I was graduating from high school.
Well my DH is saying it's time to leave so I'll stop for now, happy losing to all you losers out in protocoland...

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B, You'll do great afterwards I'm sure. And during pregnancy, just eat healthily and you can't help but lose weight with all that HCG surging through your bloodstream!

Hey Liz, are we going to be in Florida at the same time? Probably not at the same beach though. We are going to start in Orlando and then go over to the Gulf side for a few days... So that's weird about your bathroom scale disappearing. Do you think it was hiding from you? LOL!

Yes Biz, we are so lucky to have found HCG! It probably saved our lives!

Jan, yes it's not just the physical body that needs to change, we still need to change our mental outlook too. I'm hoping that this will help us learn new habits that will stay with us for our whole lives...

VLCD Day # 33 - No THAT's more like it!

2008-05-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 149.4
Today’s weight 148.2
Overnight Loss of - 1.2 lbs
LIW for Break: 147.8 (5-4-8)
0.4 lbs OVER LIW

After a STRICT day of VLCD, I’m doing a bit better with the weight loss this morning with a 1.2 loss. So that’s a relief. I was worried that I wasn’t going to have any losses after my little break. I have 5 more days of injections before my upcoming trip to Orlando. My LIW will be on Monday the 19th and I’ll be leaving on Wednesday the 21st so that will be my last day of the VLCD. I’m pretty sure that I won’t be at my goal by then because I still have 12 pounds to lose, so this still won’t be the end of my round. I will just count it as another interruption and will go back to the HCG/VLCD when I return from my trip on the 27th.

I am so happy to be close to the end of the protocol. And although I’m worried about whether I can really stabilize and eventually go back to eating “normally” without worrying about putting on weight, I am sure that I will never let my weight get out of hand again. I enjoy being thin way too much to let it pile back on as I did in the past. And now I have the tools and knowledge to keep my weight close to my final “set point”. I am confident that I can do this by weighing daily and correcting any small gains as they appear. I will strive to treat those little gains seriously because we all know how a few of those in a row can put us right back on the road to obesity. It is my strategy to treat each small gain as a problem to be tackled immediately and I will use the tricks and techniques that this group has taught me to correct each gain as it occurs so that I can enjoy a healthy life at my proper weight. I believe I can do this without ever having to resort to doing the HCG protocol again, but it’s nice to know that it will always be there if I ever should need it again...

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B, I'm working on catching up but I still have a way to go...

Mary, they'll just have to call us the gila monster girls, with our dry skin...

Jan, I just had to get strict with myself, and it worked!

Biz, yeah I don't know what I was thinking! LOL! And thanks for the compliment! So what do you think, did we not only find a way to lose weight, but the fountain of youth too? Because I sure do feel younger too... Aint' it grand?

VLCD #32 - Slow start

2008-05-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 149.6
Today’s weight 149.4
Overnight Loss of +.2 lbs
LIW for Break: 147.8 (5-4-8)
1.6 lbs OVER LIW

Hmmm. Only lost .2 this morning. Yesterday I ended up doing kind of an egg day, but used about a 1/4 tsp of olive oil for eggs in the morning and had a salad with my eggs in the evening. I probably had too much fat because of the 8 eggs I had, I ate all of the whites and 4 or 5 yolks. That's what I get for not being prepared. I stuck to protocol to the letter today so I'm planning on a bigger loss tomorrow.

I wasn't the least bit hungry today. Which is great for me since I'm usually hungry the first few days of VLCD. I am missing the lotion though! I was really slathering it on during my break and it was so nice to have my skin hydrated again. It is such a dry climate here that it's a real struggle to limit the lotion. I do have the Abba oil free moisturizer that I use during P2 but I don't care for it as much as my regular lotion.

I've gotta tell you guys that I'm really glad I posted that picture of Sofia and me yesterday because you people really made me feel good with all the compliments! And that was Sunday morning, no make-up, just rolled out of bed hair too! So thank you all... And Sofia thanks you too.

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Biz, I guess 1.8 isn't too bad. But now I need to start getting rid of it again! I will definitely have to try the aspirin before trick!

Wendy, when we're both at goal let's celebrate at Macayo's together! Maybe we can keep each other from blowing our P3! LOL!

Thanks B! I'm sure you'll do great too, getting ready for hubby to come home...

CB, yes it's me. And I just looked at my arms since you said that and they actually do look skinny!

Thanks for the compliment Jan... And I know 1.8 isn't bad, but here I am having to lose it again!

Liz, I get headaches with wine too! It really stinks, so I'm glad I've got the pickle juice cure now!

Yes Mary, the fun is over for a while! And I'm working on that 1.8...

Crystal, Thanks for stopping by... And your time will come to have those sweet little bundles of joy! She's a sweetheart... And I check for your posts all the time! So please keep posting!

Jennnnnnnn! There you are! I missed ya gal! I guess the great swimsuit search is on again! I'm going to Orlando in a couple of weeks so I'll have to hustle and find something soon... I'm also going to try to get down a few more pounds between now and then. The egg day didn't help much. So I'm back to strict P2 today...

VLCD #31 - Back to basics

2008-05-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 149.0
Today’s weight 149.6
Overnight Loss/Gain of +.6 lbs
LIW for Break: 147.8 (5-4-8)
1.8 lbs OVER LIW

Hi all! So today is back to the VLCD after a wonderful week of food variety. I didn't do too badly, but I still can't help but feel a twinge at being over my LIW by almost 2 pounds. To compensate I am doing my first VLCD as a higher protein day than I normally do. I had eggs for breakfast and will eat higher protein for lunch and dinner with just a small veggie for each and no fruit. I'm hoping this will work as a protein day or steak day would on P3 and put me down a little more than just the VLCD alone. I know it may not be necessary since I started injections today, but I also feel that I ate so much yesterday that I need to do penance! But the day didn't start out that way...

I had a piece of toast and peanut butter to fuel my energy for our hike. We stopped by to pick up two of our grandkids to take them hiking but the 8 year old changed his mind and stayed in bed. So we bundled up Sofia and off we went to the trailhead. She just loves to go with us and coos and hums as she is being bounced along in her comfy seat. She charms all the other hikers we pass along the way with her bright eyes and sweet smile. Here is a pic of Sofia and Grandma (me!) on our hike yesterday...

The hike went fine and when we got home my daughter came over with her two so she could give me my mother's day gift and they could go swimming. She gave me a new bikini! No pic here, because it didn't fit. She was trying to find the same suit that Jennifer has in her Mexico pics because I was telling her how much I liked it... so she found it at Macy's and get this... The brand name is "Becca"! So it seems like it's fated that I should have that suit right? But sorry to say the suit doesn't fit. I have a little too much "back" to fit in the size "L" bottoms. So it will be returned... And the search will go on...
So after they left, my DH and I decided to go to the movies. We figured we could go to the afternoon showing and be done in time to meet the family for dinner at 5. But we didn't eat lunch so we were hungry at the theater and just wanted a snack to tide us over. So I had popcorn! My weakness.
Then dinner was delayed until 6:30, so we had to find something to do for the hour and a half after the movie so we did a little shopping then went to Macayo's early for a margarita in the bar. And I was still kind of hungry so we ate chips and salsa. And by the time our kids got there at 6:30 I was feeling no pain from the 1 1/2 jumbo margies! So as you can see, my diet was pretty much blown for the day. So no wonder I was up a bit this morning.
So that's the reason for the gain... And now I have one more thing to say about headaches. I have a problem with headaches when I drink alcohol. It usually limits me to one drink at a time. Well, recently I heard of a remedy for headaches so I thought I'd give it a try after my margarita escapades last night. So after we got home, I took two asprin and followed it with a shot of pickle juice! And this morning I have just a faint trace of a headache. MUCH different than the usual pounding headache that lasts all day. So I've found a new remedy! Hurray! I understand that just the pickle juice alone may help with regular headaches but for hangover type headaches, take the asprin as well...

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Hey Liz, we'll be VLCD buddies for a bit huh? Good luck to you!

Biz, Yes I'm eager to read the rest of what Shelly comes up with too... Interesting stuff.

Mary, yes I do like the hiking...

Thanks B, my mother's day was fun as you can see!

Monica, I plan to get back into a more complete routine once I'm done with this last P2. I want to be a fit and healthy grandma so I can keep up with the little ones...

R3P2 VLCD Break Day #4 - Holding steady

2008-05-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 148.4
Today’s weight 148.6
Overnight Loss/Gain of +.2 lbs
LIW for Break: 147.8 (5-4-8)
.8 lbs OVER LIW

Weight is not fluctuating much thank goodness. I'm eating sensibly and avoiding sugars and starches, although I did have a margarita yesterday. But the biggest difference that I've noticed since I stopped the VLCD is that our morning hike today was much easier for me. I hiked a lot faster than I normally do and felt noticeably stronger. Part of it may be that we've been doing it twice every weekend for the last month and I'm building up my hiking muscles again, but a big part of it is that I'm taking in more calories and than means easier access to the energy I need to do that sort of strenuous exercise. So it's nice to know that even though I'm a little slower and more tired when I hike when I'm on the VLCD, that I'm still gaining endurance and once I start eating normally I'll have the benefit of being a little stronger than before.

We're getting ready to go to our potluck part tonight so I'll talk to you all tomorrow! Happy Mothers Day to you all!

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B, I've been enjoying the break but will be ready to get back to work and finish this round! So yes the race is on! Have a good first VLCD day!

Biz, yes I feel good! And ready to start again on Monday!

Mary, the things I do for my grandchildren! I would never have chosen Peter Piper, but that's where they were, so I had to go! Someday we will be able to eat guilt free pizza again, but never again will we eat a half a pizza in one sitting! Those days are gone forever!

R3P2 VLCD Break Day #3 - Same as yesterday...

2008-05-09T16:51:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 148.4
Today’s weight 148.4
Overnight Loss/Gain of 0 lbs
LIW for Break: 147.8 (5-4-8)
.6 lbs OVER LIW

I toned down yesterday's menu by eating just when I was hungry. I had lunch at Boston Market though, which I couldn't do when on P2. It was really good and I skipped the bread! Dinner was at Peter Piper Pizza with the grandkids, I ate the topping from one piece of Pizza and had a chicken salad. So it was a good day and my weight stayed the same...

I will be going out to dinner with DH tonight but I don't know where. Tomorrow is a party at friends house. It's a potluck and the main dish is BBQ! But I'm bringing a veggie platter so I can eat my daily servings of veggies! And Sunday is the Mother's Day at Macayo's. So I have some yummy days coming up! I think I'll be ready for the VLCD again on Monday though...

Have a good weekend everyone!

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Biz, yes, I guess I was thinking of P3! But Dr S does say "at least 800 cals" so I must have squeaked by okay. I'm glad I didn't gain too much with that first day! Yesterday and today have been much better...

Thanks Monica. I can imagine that it's a little harder for you because you're trying to keep Nakia happy too. And Men can be a little picky sometimes can't they? JK!

Oh Liz, I know what you mean about Vegas. I went there on my last P3 and I'm telling you it wasn't pretty! Too many choices and all of them fattening! I'm glad to see you're back though. I'll pop over to your blog in a bit to see how you did!

R3P2 VLCD Break Day #2 - Food Obsession - A necessary evil?

2008-05-08T21:49:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 147.0
Today’s weight 148.4
Overnight Gain of 1.4 lbs
LIW for Break: 147.8 (5-4-8)
.6 lbs OVER LIW

Yesterday’s menu:
Breakfast: Two scrambled eggs with sautéed onions and 1 oz of cheddar cheese. 2 slices of watermelon, 1 slice of cantaloupe.
Snack: 1 oz almonds
Lunch: Huge mixed veggie salad w/grilled chicken and creamy lime vinaigrette. ½ slice of crusty bread w/ butter.
Snack: 1 oz almonds
Dinner: Large Taco salad w/ cheese! (No tortilla)
Snack: Orange Creamsicle pop. (no sugar added)

148.4 is up .6 from LIW. 1.4 overnight gain. Not terrible, but more of a bounce than I’d like to see. I ate a lot yesterday. I ate more than what I was actually hungry for, partly because I could, and partly because I had devised a menu beforehand and was trying to stick to it. And that ended up being much more food than I actually wanted to eat. So today I’m going to try to get a few extra calories in by finding higher calorie foods and just not eat quite as much. I really felt too full a couple of times yesterday. Or maybe I'll just try eating when I'm hungry and just what sounds really good! Oh what a concept! LOL!

It’s funny when we stop and think about how much of our blogs are about food. That’s only natural because we are, after all, trying to lose weight and food is the main way to make that happen, but sometimes I just feel that food is what it’s ALL about right now. When instead, my goal should be to move away from obsessing so much about food. So I have to stop and remind myself that this is just a temporary thing, this food obsession. It’s a necessity right now because I have to get to a certain goal and this is not only the path to that goal, but it’s the learning process I have to go through to be able to deal with these issues once my weight loss goal is achieved. This is the education I’m giving myself so that I don’t HAVE to obsess about it in the future. This will become second nature to me so that all my choices are based in what I am learning now. And it’s really not so much learning which foods are good and which are bad, because after years of dieting and reading all kinds of books about nutrition and exercise, I already KNOW that! But it’s more about learning how my body responds to what I put into it. And maybe it’s also trusting that what I’ve learned in the past is really going to work for me. And it’s going to work for me now even though it may not have always worked in the past. And the reason it’s going to work for me now, is that I’ve found this wonderful protocol and I’ve followed it through to completion and now that I am nearing the end of this process, I’m finding that this protocol has changed me mentally as well as physically. It has not only helped me to rid my body of all that unhealthy fat but has healed the part of my brain that controls the body’s metabolism and tells it how to store fat. So I can see that this food obsession will be around for a while longer. I will have to keep it in the forefront of my mind during the last few weeks of the P2 part of the protocol and then for another 3 weeks of the stabilization part of the plan. Then yet another 3 weeks while I test my body’s tolerance for the starches and sugars that it has been shielded from for all this time. But once I’m past the next couple of months, I will begin to loosen the grip that food has held me in for so long. I will take the lessons learned and put them in the background, constantly monitoring but no longer in my face. I will trust my body to do what it has re-learned how to do and my body will trust me to NOT put it in danger of ever becoming obese again…

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Marygirl! Yes, I'm enjoying the freedom and the extra food options. But I will be ready to go back and finish this thing by Monday!

Biz, She had her LIW yesterday so it looks like she's done... I'll mention bootcamp to her again. Maybe I better play the Mommy card and TELL her to do the bootcamp! LOL!

Jan, Ohhh, that stinks having to do a steak day that soon! I'm wondering if it's just a little bounce! And have you ever tried an egg day instead of a steak day? It's worked for me in the past...

Pax, I went to your blog and left you a comment explaining how to add your ticker! Welcome to Blogburg which is a community inside of Protocoland...

R3P2 VLCD Break Day #1 - For your dining pleasure...

2008-05-07T20:54:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 147.0
Today’s weight 147.0
Overnight Loss of 0.0 lbs
Total loss this round 11.2 lbs
-.8 UNDER LIW

My weight is the same today as yesterday, which is good. Yesterday’s was .8 below LIW from Sunday. So I’ve got a good start for my break. And this morning………… P2-er’s beware, I’m going to talk FOOD! This morning I had eggs with sautéed onions and cheese sprinkled on top. And some cantaloupe and watermelon slices too! Besides my trip to Macayo’s on Mother’s Day, the breakfast is what I’ve been looking forward to the most. And yes, it was delish. I plan to have basically the same types of food that I’ve been eating on P2, except that I’ll have more of it, and mix the veggies and have salad dressing on my salads! And the nuts! I’ll try not to go nuts with the nuts… But ya gotta love ‘em as a great source of healthy fat and a way to keep calories high enough to meet your daily calorie needs. Which for me, is 1864. I’ve gone down in the number of calories needed for two reasons. One, of course is because I weigh less, but the other reason is that during P2, I have a lower activity level so I multiply by BMR by 1.375 instead of the 1.55 I use for a higher activity level.

You can use this site to figure your BMR: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ and this one to find your activity level multiplier: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/.

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So Lili, That’s where you’ve been. I just took a minute to go read your blog so I could see what you’ve been up to! Glad the break worked for you. I’m hoping to be at goal by the time I go to Orlando on the 23rd. But if not, I’ll just take another break!

Mary, I’m so glad I don’t have to worry about that big lug TOM any more! You have my sympathy…

Biz, if I wasn’t almost done with the protocol I would totally try out your cycling plan. It makes a lot of sense to me. And my daughter reached her goal last week but kept on protocol to try to get all the abnormal fat gone. She still sees a little on her tummy. But the weight is not going down any more. She’s basically just sculpting now, but she is quitting this week. I’m trying to get her to do your bootcamp for P3 to help her stabilize at this weight/size…

Jan, OMG the crab legs sound great too! You can have butter with them! Mmmmm. Maybe we should do that on Saturday since I didn’t really get a special birthday dinner… Any excuse, right? And yes you posted yesterday. It’s still there… The comments for yesterday stay under yesterday’s post… Works a little different than the forum…

B! You're starting on Sunday! Cool, I'll start up again on Monday and the race will be on AGAIN! I'm so close to my goal I can hardly contain myself! This last 11 pounds is going to just melt away!

R3P2 VLCD Day 30 - looking forward...

2008-05-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 147.6
Today’s weight 147.0
Overnight Loss of 0.6 lbs
Total loss this round 11.2 lbs

Thanks for all of the great support for my decision to take a mini “sanity” break. Just making the decision has already relieved a little of the stress. I'm not sure if there is a correct way to count your days when you take a break, but I think I will just count the VLCD days and not change the number while I'm on the break and then just start counting again when I start the VLCD on Monday. I have flown through the last couple of days on the VLCD and am ready to have a big P3 breakfast of eggs with sautéed onions tomorrow! I have to plan my menu more thoroughly though so that I’m not tempted to go off the P3 allowed foods. I am planning to have one off plan “cheat” on Sunday when I go to Macayo’s, my favorite Mexican restaurant, because I really want a margarita. So as long as I’ve maintained for the few days between now and then, I think I will go ahead and risk it. After all, I’ll be right back on the VLCD the following day.
I haven’t given you an update on my friend LO for a while. She is doing the sublingual and is on her second short round. Her first round she struggled a lot and lost very slowly. Her total loss for the first 21 day round was 10 pounds. This round, she actually took a one week break before the 21 days were up when she went to Mexico for a week. During that time she gained 6 pounds and when she returned, she went right back to the VLCD and lost the weight she gained within 3 days! Now she is down a total of 14 pounds for this round and considering her break, she is just thrilled with that. She has just started getting attention for her weight loss and is very happy. Her round is just about at an end and she won’t start another until probably July, due to her busy schedule.
My other friend, MM, is also ready to start a new round. She did a round earlier this year and lost about 15 pounds down to her goal. She maintained that for several weeks but also put a few pounds on during a trip to Hawaii. Now she wants to do another short round to lose the 5 pounds plus continue down to when she feels she has lost all of her abnormal fat. I think she will achieve that before the 21 days are up so we will have to monitor her carefully and make sure she ups her calories when she gets there…

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Thanks Biz, sometimes you just need to go with what your body wants and mine wants a break!

B, yes, I’m also hoping that will kick start the weight loss too. That would be a welcome bonus!

Thanks CB! I need to post some more recent pics… Thanks for the encouraging words. It really means a lot!

Jenn, yes this is the restaurant with the queso I love! My husband was joking on my birthday that this was the first year we haven’t gone there for my B-day. He told his daughter that they would have to go without me! And let me tell you that THAT wasn’t happening! LOL! I am going to risk ONE real Margarita but if I have any other occasion for drinking, I will definitely try your mixture!

Shelly, yes that’s ONE of the things I love about this protocol, you can take a break and not throw all your progress out the window. It’s just awesome!

Amie, Thanks! I agree about the stress inhibiting the weight loss, so why do it to ourselves!

Monica, maybe “worry” wasn’t quite the right word, but I love all the concern that my blogging buddies have for each other. It’s what keeps me going some days!

Thanks Jan, I’m sure just the few days will give me a great jump start!

Mary! You’re breaking too? Cool! I’m sure you needed it…

R3P2 VLCD Day 29 - Just need a rest...

2008-05-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 147.8
Today’s weight 147.6
Overnight Loss of 0.2 lbs
Total loss this round 10.6 lbs

That little .2 of a pound is just tetter-tottering back and forth. I just checked my measurements and there is no change. So it seems that I am just kind of stuck here. And I really just want to take a break. I think a little sanity break is just what I need to be able to keep going. So I didn't take an injection today. I'll eat the VLCD today and tomorrow and then on Wednesday I'll go on a break through the weekend. This will let me have a treat for Mother's Day and then Monday I'll take an injection and go right back to the vlcd. I talked this over with my daughter today and she is happy about it because she wants to take me to my favorite Mexican place, Macayo's for MD. I will not have a problem sticking to P3 foods except for the chips, which I think I can resist and the margarita's which I will have a HARD time resisting. Maybe I can ask them to do a SF margarita for me! Just making this decision has already cheered me up immensely. I think that I'll be able to go back to P2 on Monday and stick to it until my Memorial weekend trip to Orlando. If I'm not at my goal by then, and I'm pretty sure I won't be, then I'll just do an interruption for that weekend and go back to the VLCD when we get back.
So I hope I'm doing the right thing, but I've been battling my temptations for a week now and I'm afraid I'll cave in and do more harm than I will do by taking a short break. So wish me luck and I'm hoping this will get it out of my system so I can get back on track!

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Shelly, thanks for the compliment! It took me a while to get used to it, but I love it now! And no sculpting unfortunately...

Mary, you're right, it could have been worse... I could have gained 3 pounds like YOU! LOL! But I'm happy now that I decided to stop for a bit. I want to eat BREAKFAST!

Monica, don't worry, I'll get right back on next Monday, but I really would rather do this than to cheat... Thanks for the encouragement!

R3P2 VLCD Day 28 - Up not down...

2008-05-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 147.6
Today’s weight 147.8
Overnight Gain of 0.2 lbs
Total loss this round 10.4 lbs

Hiked again this morning. I'm not sure what happened with the gain, but it may be the glass of wine I had last night. It probably put me over on my calories. I think I'm beginning to get burnt out on the diet. I want to get the rest of the weight off, but I'm losing steam... I'm thinking about taking a break but since I have a trip to orlando at the end of this month I was going to try to keep going and take a break for the trip. I may have to re-think that plan unless I can get myself in the right state of mind again. I may just be having a blah day, so don't mind my ranting. I'll work on the attitude and hopefully do better tomorrow.

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Mary, Holding steady is better than going backwards. I'll have to go over to your blog to see what your "oops" was!

R3P2 VLCD Day 27 - No loss today...

2008-05-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 147.6
Today’s weight 147.6
Overnight Loss of 0.0 lbs
Total loss this round 10.6 lbs

No loss this morning. I was up a little early since we went hiking this morning and we are finding that we have to go pretty early or the heat just drains us, or to be more specific, it drains me. DH doesn't seem to have as much trouble as I do. But with the weather hitting the high 90's, I can't do a midday hike without having problems with overheating. So we hiked early and it went just fine. Afterwards we went to shop for hiking boots to replace my last pair that blew out a couple of weeks ago. I've been wearing a cheap pair that I usually just use for casual wear and they don't have great traction. So after looking over all the selection, we decided to send my old pair in to be re-soled and then we just bought a pair of good light trail boots to use as backups. These will be fine for the short hikes we do up south mountain on the weekends. I'll still have my old comfy broken in pair to use for longer more rugged hikes. So they won't be all shiny and smooth like new ones would be but I know they'll fit right and do the job!
I still don't know if the hiking really affects my weight loss because low losses on the weekends could be attributed to other things too. I try to keep my water intake high and I usually have an extra mandarin orange when I hike just for energy purposes. And the hike we do is really not a long hike although it is steep so I do get a good cardio workout for the uphill portion. But the uphill takes less than 1/2 hour, so it's not that intense. At any rate, I plan to keep these up for the time being since we really do enjoy it.
I hope everyone is having a good weekend and is losing like crazy!

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CB, I'm so glad you let us know what was going on. We were beginning to think you didn't like us anymore! LOL!

B, you are so right about getting support from people we've never even met. I really don't know what I'd do without you all! You're the best. And I hope you'll join me in the 50 club very soon!

Liz, Than you for the nice words. Yes I am so lucky to have met you all. It's great to have online sisters! And I've inspired you?! Oh that's wonderful! Because it is completely mutual!

Marygirl, you better hurry up and join B and me in the 50 club... And we are doing the happy dance, YES!

Jenn! I'm so honored to have a famous person stop by my blog! LOL! You are a celebrity, ain't it grand? Yes, we should have a 50 club on the forum. YEAH! I know, that 11.6 is not that much more to lose, but with these stalls it seems like forever! I'm going to go back over that email you sent me a while back with the strategies you gave me for losing at the end of the round! I asked the questions for Erica, but now i will be able to use your words of wisdom too!

R3P2 VLCD Day 26 - Milestone! And Downward Trend Continues...

2008-05-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 148.2
Today’s weight 147.6
Overnight Loss of 0.6 lbs
Total loss this round 10.6 lbs
And a total of 50.4 pounds lost since beginning my first round in October!!!

I'm very happy with the fact that I've had losses two days in a row. I have been adhering strictly to the protocol and have NOT had any wine for several days. I'm not saying that it was the wine that was the problem, but I may not have cut out enough other calories to compensate for the wine. And since I did not want to give up any veggies or BOTH fruits (I was only giving up the evening fruit), I decided to stop it for a while. Then I may try again later if the situation calls for it. Okay so the BIG news is, drum roll please......................... I am now down to the 50 pound lost mark! I'm a member of the 50 club! Is there such a club? Well if not, there should be and I'll be the newest member! Yes! So when I started this journey last October, I had high hopes, but no firm expectations of where this would be taking me. Now with just 12 pounds left to goal, the end is getting near. And the wonderful thing is, that this is a revised my goal since what I originally was aiming for once was a higher number. But once I saw that I really could get to the goal that I wanted instead of what I though might be possible, I revised it down to what the charts say I should be for my age, height and frame size. And truth be told, I feel so good already, at just under 150, that if I stayed this weight the rest of my life, I would be perfectly happy here. I feel slim and healthy, I have energy to do the activities I enjoy, and I not only look thinner, but I look (and feel) younger than my 54 years... Isn't that just incredible?
So I'd like to say thank you to all of you who have stood by me during this process and who continue to do so through the final weeks of my journey. I'd like to think that I would have done this even without the support of this online community and maybe I would have, but having all of you to give feedback, encouragement and friendship through this time has made it a true adventure and not just a chore. You've given me laughter and praise and hope and determination. And that is invaluable and will always be remembered. I LOVE you guys!

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Amie, I am really concentrating on getting in my fluids these last few days and that is making a difference I think. Plus getting back to basics for my food choices. I probably won't be posting the bikini pics until the end though, so don't be in too much of a hurry! And as far as the McD food. OMG, you are such a naughty girl! And you got away with it too! LOL!

And B, thanks a lot and thanks for the B-day wishes too. I miss having the race with you. You're keeping up even NOT on the protocol though! Good for you!

Monica, I'll be happy to talk if you want to email me! But there is no big secret. I either get a steak and broccoli (no butter or oil) or a grilled chicken breast. And if broccoli is not available I have a garden salad no dressing or cheese. Sometimes I will just have a huge salad with grilled chicken. And occasionally I will even put on a teeny bit of diluted dressing if I'm feeling deprived.
I miss having the huge salads with cheese and lots of dressing. That's what I'll go for first when I'm on P3 again!

Wendy! Thanks for stopping by. Next time you're in town and have time for lunch, let me know and we can meet. I'd love to meet you. I work right near the Chandler Mall. And we could have a salad at the Wildflower cafe...

R3P2 VLCD Day 25 - Quick update, maybe more later...

2008-05-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 149.0
Today’s weight 148.2
Overnight Loss of 0.8 lbs
Total loss this round 10 lbs

I’m just popping in to put in a little update so I can report on my stats from this morning. I’ll probably update the post later unless there’s nothing new to add. But I’m feeling better now since I’m going in the right direction again. I’m going to keep up the extra water and tea to keep flushing out my system. Maybe I’ll see you later!!!

R3P2 VLCD Day 24 - Birthday bounce!

2008-04-30T21:37:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 148.4
Today’s weight 149.0
Overnight GAIN of 0.6 lbs
Total loss this round 9.2 lbs

Wow! I didn't think I went that overboard for my b-day, but evidently... I had two glasses of wine and they didn't have anything except mixed vegetables so I had a garden salad instead and I did have a bite of bread. But I was very thirsty last night and today, so I think the chicken seasoning had quite a bit of salt and I may have been a little dehydrated from the wine. So today I've been drinking lots of tea and water and have stayed on protocol. Skipped the grisinni tonight too. Tomorrow should be a better weight.

I had my daughter take a few pictures of me in a bikini today. These will be the "last 15 pounds to lose" pics. To compare with the end photos where all the final sculpting will occur. After seeing Jenn AND Shalom's pics, well... You know I thought that I may not have quite as good results as Jenn due to the big difference in our ages, but Shalom is closer in age to me and if SHE can do it, well so can I. And she looked just awesome! Almost like one of those pictures at the mall where you put your head on a model's body! That's how much contrast there was. So Now I've got the pics to use as the "before". And to tell you the truth, I don't look too bad in these. I'm not crazy about the back view, but I look 100% better than I did this time last year. Last year, you couldn't have PAID me to have a picture taken in a one piece suit let alone a bikini. So that is how much more confident I feel.

I just LOVE my HCG!

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Hi B, Hope you're still doing well... I'll stop by your blog in a bit!

Mary, thanks for the b-day wishes. Those inches are still going down!

Liz, I agree with you about the show and I went to their web site and left them an email saying as much. We should all flood their email box with messages!!! But I have seen that there are lots of people interested now so it must not have turned them off, quite the contrary I'd say...

Thanks Shelly! I think I'll be doing better weight wise tomorrow!

R3P2 VLCD Day 23 - Today is my birthday, happy birthday to you....

2008-04-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 148.4
Today’s weight 148.4
Overnight loss of 0.0 lbs
Total loss this round 9.8 lbs

Okay so I would have liked to see a loss for my birthday, but no, it just wasn't happening for me today. But there's always tomorrow. Although I don't know how well I'll do tomorrow either. We went out to eat and I have a Cajun seasoned chicken breast with a side salad, glass of wine and a bite of bread. I shouldn't have had the wine because I had already eaten some fruit from this wonderful fruit bouquet that I received from my DD for my birthday. Thank you Erica!!! It was so beautiful and the fruit was all fresh and delicious. She even had them replace the chocolate covered apple slices with orange slices so it would be more protocol friendly. I now wish that I had taken a picture before digging in, but I was so excited that I forgot...

But the other excitement for the day was the morning show with ED AND JENNIFER... Forget about Mike and Juliet, Ed and Jenn were the stars for the day. They were both very articulate and heartfelt and I thought they laid a great case for the protocol. It would have been nice if they had allowed enough time for answers to the rebuttals from the Doctor against the protocol and if they had given a little more time to the other guest, Shalom. Who was also very good. But it seems as if they didn't allow her to finish her story. Time crunch I guess. So you can go to this link to see the segment... http://www.mandjshow.com/videos/the-hcg-diet/
I'm not sure if it's the whole think but it has the part with Ed and Jenn on it.
Way to go you guys!!! You were just awesome! I'm sure this will create a lot of buzz about HCG. I'm glad I got my order in to dd last week! But we should all be prepared to answer some questions and get some backlash...

Happy losing to all of you in protocoland...

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Lili, I'm close but stuck. I may have to resort to some of Jenn's tactics to get any further...

Mary, yes the inches are doing just great! I measured and everything has gone down!

Thank you Erica, you're the best!!! Love you...

B! Thanks for the B.day wishes! And WOW! you're at 200 on the nose! That's so awesome... You're almost there. I'll go check out your blog right away!

R3P2 VLCD Day 22 - Monday Night late...

2008-04-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 148.4
Today’s weight 148.4
Overnight loss of 0.0 lbs
Total loss this round 9.8 lbs

No loss today and I'm so late posting today that that's all I have time for. Sorry folks! Mary and Monica, thanks for your comments...

Watch the show tomorrow!

R3P2 VLCD Day 21 - Nice Sunday

2008-04-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 148.8
Today’s weight 148.4
Overnight loss of 0.4 lbs
Total loss this round 9.8 lbs

I hope that everyone plans to watch the Morning Show with Mike and Juliet on Tuesday. They are going to have a segment on HCG and someone we all know through our blogging community is going to be on it! Ed and Jenn are going to be TV STARS! I'm so excited. I've got my daughter TiVoing for me and I'll be watching avidly. Here is the link to their show schedule just in case you're interested: http://www.mandjshow.com/where-to-watch/

Another small loss. Nothing to sneeze at though. At least it's continuing down... I have about two weeks worth of HCG left in the vial. It's beginning to look like that won't get me down to my goal weight, but it's going to be pretty close. Within 5 pounds. I will have to see if I have the will power to continue with the program at that time. I may be so sick of the VLCD that I will need a break by then. And the great thing about this program is that there are so many options. I could stop and do a 3 week P3 and then continue to another short P2, or I could do an interruption of up to two weeks, which might just give me the break I need to go back and stick it out to the end... Or I could just suck it up and keep going until I finish. I have a trip to Orlando planned in late May so if I'm not down to goal by then, I may just do a short break... So since I don't have to make that decision yet, I'll just keep hoping for better losses as I go on...

Well, it's late Sunday and we'll all have to get back to work or whatever tomorrow, so I'll say goodnight. And HAPPY LOSING!!!

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Hi Mary, I think just walking should be fine as long as it's not too strenuous. My problem with hiking is that it's pretty hot (in the 90's) and it's a steep 1 1/2 mile climb. So it's pretty strenuous. Not as bad as the 8 mile hikes I do with my hiking buddies, but still gets me dehydrated. So don't give it up unless you have problems with it...

Liz, Glad you like the new 'do! And funny how those kinds of headaches can disappear when you kick the cause of the stress out the door! My headache finally went away on it's own. Just had to get enough fluids in my body...

B! So you decided to give me a chance to pass you by? We'll see tomorrow...

Monica, the headache is gone thank goodness. And it feels really good to be so close, but it's also a little nerve wracking. I just want it to be done, but I'm so immersed in it, I can't quite fathom how I will manage once I'm done! What a dilemma! LOL!

Biz, I had already put the link up when I saw your vlog. So yes we're watching and TiVo'ing it! I'm so psyched! I can't wait to see it... But I'm not nearly as hyper as you! Calm down girl! You are just going ballistic with excitement! LOL!

R3P2 VLCD Day 20 - All day headache

2008-04-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 149.2
Today’s weight 148.8
Overnight loss of 0.4 lbs
Total loss this round 9.4 lbs

Looks like the 150's are truly in my past now. I am always worried that I'll bounce back since I was stuck there for so long, but not this time! I went on a 3 mile hike this morning and it was kind of hot so I think I got a little dehydrated because once I got home, I had developed this pounding headache. I've been trying to compensate all day by drinking extra water but the headache is hanging on. I may turn in early tonight and take a couple of aspirin before I go to bed. I was really hungry all day today too so I hope I didn't eat too much... I didn't have any forbidden foods, but may have had a little more taco meat than I should have on my taco salad tonight. I hope I feel better tomorrow...

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

B, I'm pulling for you to beat that hunger. I know it's an awful thing. I'm glad it doesn't happen that often on HCG, or we'd never be able to stick to it! Don't worry, you'll be down in the 190's real soon!

Lili, Those 160's are getting closer for you every day! I hear you about the errors on that website. It does make you think he's a flake or a quack. Too bad because he will only hurt HCG's reputation...

Thank you marygirl! It sure does feel good. I'm happy for both of us!

Amie, I'm with you... I'll stick with Dr. S too!

Hazel, YES! That's how excited I feel too! YAY!

R3P2 VLCD Day 19 - lopsided but happy...

2008-04-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 150.0
Today’s weight 149.2
Overnight loss of 0.8 lbs
Total loss this round 9 lbs

Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about! Finally broke my stall. Not a whole pound, but very close and it put me into the 140's. I'm a happy woman today. Walking around in my size 8 capri's with my new top on and my new haircut, just all bouncy like... I'm just way too full of myself today! LOL!
I'm drinking lots of extra water to flush out the empty fat cells. Because there must be a few strays that haven’t been flushed out yet… this morning I was looking in the mirror at my shrinking hips and noticed that my left side pooched over the top of my pj's a little more than the right side. Wardrobe adjustments didn’t seem to help the problem. So I grabbed the fat on both sides and it’s weird but there is fully an inch more on the left side. Weird, weird, weird… But with the way HCG rearranges everything, I’m confident that it will even it all out.
Oh, another weird thing I happened to read… I still get the batch email from the old forum I used to read regularly before our blogging buddies switched over to the new one. And I usually just delete them without reading, but I opened one by accident yesterday and saw something that caught my eye and I stopped to read it. It was talking about this site where this doctor is prescribing the HCGfast diet. And they were talking about how he told one of his patients to inject the HCG into her breast tissue to firm and enlarge her breasts… And I’m going EEEWWWW! Is that for real? But why does that gross me out any more that putting it into my tummy fat? I don’t know, but I don’t think I’m planning to find out! I think he is just one example of a doctor who is taking the diet and changing it without thoroughly testing it first. And I am worried that there are going to be more and more of them turning up everywhere.
But if you are curious, here is the link for that... http://www.drwlc.com/. I would be very sceptical of trying anything like this. Any opinions?

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

Regina, I had a good time at the book club meeting. I ate 1/2 of a spring roll (bad girl!) but nothing else. Luckily I had some extra food in the freezer at work so I had some of my homemade soup before I left. I knew there wouldn't be much I could eat there.

B, glad you liked my pic. I haven't been by your blog to see if the apple day worked yet, but I'll be there soon.!

CB, that 150 is all yours to do with what you will. I am done with him forever! LOL!

Monica, you might have to tussle with CB over that 150, but I think there's enough to go around!

Mary, I kept the X-rated stuff to myself!

Jenn, Thanks, I'm glad you like it. I did not go the straight iron route. I use a big round brush. In the pic though, it had been styled by my stylist. But I'm getting pretty good at it now... I'm glad you're back! And a restraining order for that 150 is a good idea, but I think he's not going to be bothering me anymore! I am so over him!

Amie, so funny that you mention the fat redistribution after what I wrote in my blog today. I need some more even distribution!!! And I like the idea of filling in those little fine lines! Tell me if it works for you!
OMG Amie, I just read your blog about your gall bladder surgery and had to come back and add this... THAT's what you meant about the "stitches" comment! It all makes sense now... Hope you recover quickly girl.

R3P2 VLCD Day 18 - Dear 150,

2008-04-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 150.0
Today’s weight 150.0
Overnight loss of 0 lbs
Total loss this round 8.2 lbs

I’m telling you, this is a set point for me! This 150 has been staring back at me for the past three mornings… And I don’t hate it yet, I’m just giving it a little more time to say goodbye. Because once it finally says goodbye, I don’t plan to ever see it again… So I’ll let it down gently but firmly. Can you hear me talking to the 150 on my scale?
“It’s not you, it’s me. I’m just not the right person for you. I’m too short for this weight and since I can’t grow an inch or so, I am ready to move on. So don’t be sad my 150, there is someone else out there who will be thrilled to have you. You will be just perfect for them. But for me, I am going to keep searching for that perfect number. It may be the 136 that I have in mind or it may just turn out to be a perfect stranger that I haven’t even considered before. But believe me when I say that the time I spent with you was for the most part happy, but I always knew that there was another weight out there that I was destined to be with for the rest of my life. So please wish me well and let me go. It is the best thing for us and in the end, we will both be happier this way.”
Will this do the trick? Tune in tomorrow to see…

I have a challenge tonight since I’m meeting my book club group at a Thai restaurant. I plan to eat some soup before I go and will just stick to a dry salad if I can. And maybe a glass of wine. But I’m becoming a pro at eating out within protocol and it doesn’t faze me any more. I was invited to participate in a breakfast potluck at work today. Half of the office is out this week on a trip to Puerto Vallarta that is sponsored by our company. It’s for the top sales performers and for a small group of people that are nominated for something spectacular that they did. Unfortunately I wasn’t one of ‘em! So the losers that were left behind (you know I’m saying that jokingly so don’t get down on me for calling myself a loser!) decided to have a potluck. I considered bringing something in just to be sociable, but I ended up just saying thanks, but no thanks. I didn’t want to be put in a position where someone would be offended if I didn’t just try a little bite of their super special egg and potato casserole or some such thing. I don’t think I’d have trouble turning the food down, but didn’t want to deal with any hurt feelings. So I stuck to my two tiny little clementines for breakfast today. And tea, tea, tea…

I’m posting early since I’ll be out late due to my book club meeting tonight.

Happy losing!

B, One more day for you to keep the lead, then look OUT! I'm kicking that 150 to the curb! Maybe I ought to introduce the two of you. From what I hear, you'd be perfect for each other! LOL!

Lili, I will check it out. I know that Erica has some really great treatments and I plan to take advantage of having a daughter in this line of work too. I just have to wait until I'm done with P2 so I'm not putting the extra oils and lotions into my system. I'll ask her if she uses the Obagi or something like it.

Mary, I think that heart to heart with my soon to be EX 150 will do the trick, don't you?

R3P2 VLCD Day 17 - Going Nowhere

2008-04-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 150.0
Today’s weight 150.0
Overnight loss of 0 lbs
Total loss this round 8.2 lbs

No worries since this isn't unusual for me. I usually have slower losses this far into the round and I have no reason to think this time would be any exception. As a mater of fact, because I'm so close to my goal and 150 is a set point for me, I was kind of expecting to have trouble getting past it. But I was still hoping to be able to push through it and that is the plan. I'll just keep on with what I've been doing and it will eventually have to start moving again. I'm going to quit for now and get to bed early for a change. Maybe the extra sleep will help with my weight loss!

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Mary, Hmmm, so if KT was right about the HCG do you think he could be right about a skin cream? Did you get the number? LOL!

CB, yes I'm really getting close now. I am really planning that this will be the last round for me. I am already so happy with how I fit in my clothes that I'd be okay stopping at this weight but I want to keep going and try to get rid of all the abnormal fat. So I'll keep it up!

Well B, we both stalled for a day! But no doubt we'll be on the downward move again tomorrow. I'm planning to be in the 140's when I wake up!

R3P2 VLCD Day 16 - Bit by bit...

2008-04-22T22:25:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 150.6
Today’s weight 150.0
Overnight loss of 0.4 lbs
Total loss this round 8.2 lbs

Still going down albeit slowly. I'm not complaining, because I'm noticing more and more how much better I am fitting in clothes and I'm getting compliments every day. I have started thinking more about how close I am to my goal and what life will be like when I finally get there. I just hope that I can appreciate every day how lucky I am to have found the solution to my weight problem and that I never take that for granted. I am so looking forward to this summer and all the thin clothes that I'll be able to wear. And even swimsuits! Now if I could just find the miracle cure for aging skin!

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B, I am hoping this will be my last round so I'm going until I'm done. I may try to go until I lose all the fat or just until I reach my goal of 135 lbs. I don't have anything that will interfere until the end of May so I will try to be finished well before then. It would be nice if I could even be on P4 by then, but that is doubtful at this point. How long are you going?

Shelly, I'll email you as soon as I get a chance. I do have questions!

Thanks Marygirl! I love the dress but my legs are too white! I'll have to wear panyhose cuz I can't use the self tanning cream yet until I'm done with P2... And I'll be so happy if my DH does the protocol. He's taken too long to decide though so it won't be until after our trip in late May. But we'll see!

R3P2 VLCD Day 15 - Just the stats m'aam

2008-04-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 150.6
Today’s weight 150.4
Overnight loss of 0.2 lbs
Total loss this round 7.8 lbs

Just a little loss and nothing much going on today. I skipped the wine tonight so we'll see what that does to my losses for tomorrow. (I kind of hope it doesn't make a difference! :-) )

Oh wait, I almost forgot to say that my DH gave me a hint that he might still be interested in doing the VLCD with me. He asked a couple of questions and then dropped it. I just answered him and didn't press any further. He'll have to ask for it if he wants to do it. But I'm still hoping!
And I bought a really cute dress today. Don't know why I did it other than I went into a store for something else and saw it hanging there and the price was right and it was very cute. And I thought that it had a chance of looking really nice on me now that I've lost weight. Didn't even try it on, just grabbed the size 10 and bought it. Came home and tried it on for my husband and it's really cute. And although it could be worn by a younger woman, I don't think it looks inappropriate for me. I love it! I'll wear it to my book club meeting this week! Not that we dress up or anything, but it might be fun...

Take care to all and happy losing!

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B, such a small loss, and I haven't looked at your blog yet, but here I go!

Thank you Mary...

R3P2 VLCD Day 14 - Wine one more time...

2008-04-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 151.4
Today’s weight 150.6
Overnight loss of 0.8 lbs
Total loss this round 7.6 lbs

Okay, so since I had a decent loss today, I went ahead and had the last glass of wine from the bottle that I've been working on all week. I will then skip a few days and see how it goes. This last loss put me under (finally!) my LIW from last round. Now I'm going into fresh weight loss so I can see myself inching closer and closer to the goal that I have set. I have a feeling that this is going to be a pretty accurate goal for me and I'm hoping it will be reached without having to mix a new vial of HCG. I had 40 doses for this round and I've only skipped one day, so I should have around 25 doses left. Maybe or maybe not enough to lose 15 pounds. We shall see...
My husband and I turned over our babysitting responsibilities this morning and spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon on housework, then went to the movies! We don't go very often so it was a nice treat. I took a bag of cucumber slices to munch on during the film and since popcorn is a big weakness of mine, I avoided the snack bar. My husband though, decided to have a hot dog and I had a small bite of the hot dog sans bun before he put any condiments on it. I know it was loaded with all the bad stuff, but the one bite tasted pretty good to me. And it was just enough to take the edge off and stick with the cukes after that. We saw the movie "21", which was not bad... I love to play blackjack and it was about some college students who count cards to win big money in Vegas. So there were some pretty unrealistic parts but it was overall a fairly entertaining movie. Supposedly based on a True Story, but I'd say it must have been pretty loosely based on fact. Made me want to go visit a casino though!
Well folks, that's it for me tonight. Hope you all have a great week and happy losing!

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Yes Lili, I'm sure being near to goal is partly responsible but I can't help comparing my losses to Jenn's when she was so near goal. I'm not ready to try such drastic measures as she did just yet though. Maybe only if it slows to a crawl later on...

Mary, oh can't I keep it a least TWICE a week, pleeeeeeease! LOL!

B, yes I know what you mean and I'm certainly happy for the losses I'm getting. But I just checked your stats and girl, you're pulling ahead! Look at your losses this weekend! WOW~!

R3P2 VLCD Day 13 - Any loss...

2008-04-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 151.8
Today’s weight 151.4
Overnight loss of 0.4 lbs
Total loss this round 6.8 lbs

Hello all, another small loss and that means that it is time to bid adieu to the wine protocol for a while. I had a glass tonight, but if there is not a bigger loss by morning, i will go back to my regular routine and start having fruit instead of the wine at night. I will miss the nightly glass though, since it has been very relaxing and has made me sleepy and willing to go to bed earlier. That should make for better weight loss since I'm getting more sleep, but no evidence of that yet. So this is the last night of the trial. I will save the wine for special occasions in the future. Since maybe it will still work on an occasional basis.
I'm glad to hear all the nice comments about my post yesterday. I was feeling a little sentimental yesterday and so many things have changed for me since beginning the protocol that sometimes you really do just have to stop and take it all in. It makes it easier to put up with a piddling .4 loss per day when you take the time to remember that with WW or other diets, you'd be fighting for that much of a loss for several days or even a week. And it wouldn't be unusual to go a whole week without a loss at all. So we are blessed, and I really think most of us realize it.
Today was spent with my two youngest grandchildren. Sofia is 8 months and Heath is 18 months. And my husband and I both are now exhausted and relieved that one is asleep at last and the other is back with his mother... How do people handle two little ones on a daily basis? I guess that is why it's best left up to the young. Because one day of it is just about our limit! We sure do love 'em but are glad we aren't responsible for them full time!
So now that Sofia is finally down for the night, I think I'm going to turn in too. Have a good night and good Sunday tomorrow...

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Yes, B. I'll be happy with the little losses too. At least it's not a gain! I am glad you found this cure so early. You'll be able to enjoy being slim for the majority of your life! And yes, the skinny pics will be fun huh?

Lili, I agree about the fat prejudice and hope I can keep all my grandchildren from ever treating overweight people badly.

Shelly, yes! People will ignore fat people and not look them in the eye... It's a shame. And we will have to remember to always be kind to overweight people once we are no longer in that category.

Liz, I can't even imagine snow right now! It was in the 80's here again today! And I did wear shorts...

Mary, isn't it grand when you can see a space between your legs?

Biz, thank you for your kind words! And yes, please tell JPS not to give up hope. I don't think I even noticed when it first happened. It just seemed like all of a sudden it was gone! Woo Hoo!

R3P2 VLCD Day 12 - HCG at any age...

2008-04-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 152.2
Today’s weight 151.8
Overnight loss of 0.4 lbs
Total loss this round 6.4 lbs

Hi all! I’m still chugging along here… A little smaller loss for today but I’m happy with it. Getting a little closer to my LIW from last round so I can finally start working on weight that I haven’t lost once already! LOL!
I went to run some errands at lunch earlier this week and stopped by SteinMart on a whim. I am still avoiding buying pants and shorts, etc. because I have lots and lots that have been stored up in my closet that fit me perfectly right now. And I vowed I wouldn’t buy any more until I reached my goal weight. But I ended up buying a few new tops. I just love the styles and patterns on the clothes this season. The bold colors and patterns remind me of when I was young but they’re all so updated and stylish. I am trying to keep everything age appropriate and luckily there is plenty to go around! And you know how I just mentioned all the pants and shorts that are now fitting me? Well I haven’t worn a pair of shorts in probably 4 years. Mostly because I just hated how my chubby knees looked. Even the last time I lost weight for a cruise two years ago, they still didn’t look good enough for me to feel comfortable in shorts. Well last week when I was trying all this stuff on, I came across a pair of old favorite shorts. I put them on and went to look in the mirror and lo and behold, they looked fine! My knees have finally lost enough fat to get rid of that lumpy puffy look that they had before. So yesterday it occurred to me that I hadn’t done measurements in a while. And although my stomach and hips haven’t changed too much, wow! My knees have lost two and a half inches since the last measurement and a total of 3 ½ from when I started. Funny how that knee fat just clung on so long and then just finally whooshed away all at once. So now I just need to look into spider vein removal and I’ll be all set for summer! LOL!
I know that this HCG protocol is an exciting thing for all of us, but I’m just not sure if you younger girls (and guys) know how lucky you are that you found this at your age. This is going to save you countless years of worrying and working to lose and keep the weight off. It will save you ridiculous amounts of money from trying fad diets that don’t work. It will save you from having to keep 3 different sizes of clothes in your closet for when you start to gain back what you lost from that fad diet you just tried. It will save you countless trips to the doctor for illnesses that are caused or made worse by being overweight. It will save you from feeling constantly down on yourself and from hurtful things people say and do to overweight people. It will save you from turning down opportunities for functions and activities that overweight people just can’t or won’t do for fear of failure or ridicule. It will save you from camera phobia, where you constantly avoid having your picture taken and then when you do, trying to hide behind anybody or anything before the shutter snaps. And it will save you from wondering whether your loved ones feel embarrassed and ashamed to be seen in public with you even when they would never actually think it… And most of all, it will allow you to go forward through the rest of your life with a positive and realistic body image and the knowledge that you are at the perfect weight for your height and frame. And you have the tools to keep it that way forever.
I’m not going to be sad that it took more than half of my life to discover this secret. No, I’ll just take it as the gift that it truly is that my middle and senior years will be spent as fit and trim as I could possibly hope for. Just 6 months ago I was trying to resign myself to the fact that I’d be spending those years as and increasingly overweight grandma. Gradually adding weight related health problems as I put on the pounds, and giving up more and more of the activities that I was no longer capable of doing. But now that is all reversed and my future is infinitely brighter. I feel younger and more vibrant and so much more attractive than I did six months ago. So I know that now I will be going into the next phase of my life healthier, more active and so much happier than I ever thought I could be. And I’m so glad that you have all been a part of, and joined me in this transformation...

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Thanks B! I'm so glad that you posted a pic on your blog and with your profile. Nice to see you finally!

Mary, just keep an eye out to see if I keep having good luck with it. And I'll keep buying the cheap stuff as long as I don't know any better!

Biz, thanks, the one pounders are the best! And yes, I'm really happy to have these friends on protocol with me and I hope to get more as time goes on.

ericrystal, welcome to round 2! I waited a week or two to get brave enough to try the wine since you always lose a little better the first few days anyways. I wanted to see if it would work once my losses started slowing down and as you can see, it did! Thanks for stopping by!

R3P2 VLCD Day 11 - Triumphant

2008-04-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 153.2
Today’s weight 152.2
Overnight loss of 1.0 lbs
Total loss this round 6.0 lbs

Today, when I got ready to post my blog, and I was down a pound for the second day in a row, I kept thinking of the title that Shelly used for her blog yesterday. “Phenomenal woman triumphant.” It's the title of a Maya Angelou poem. It just stuck in my head and I thought it describes how it makes us feel when we are doing well with the protocol and feeling good about ourselves. So it is apt for what I am feeling today today.

Here is the link to her post since I think you will all enjoy reading this: http://smacmolina.blogspot.com/2008/04/phenomenal-woman-triumphant.html

I stuck to the protocol very well yesterday with the intentional exception of substituting my dinner fruit serving for a glass of wine. I have been drinking the remainder of a bottle of Pino Grigio that was leftover from a long ago party and has been stuck in our back fridge for months. I usually drink much sweeter wines such as white zin or white Merlot. Or the sweetest ever, Riunite Lambrusco. Cheap, yes, but oh so good. I’d never make it as a wine connoisseur. The real wine snobs would surely turn their noses up at me, but I cannot be swayed from my lowlife tastes! But since I know that I need to drink the less sweet wines, I’m at a loss. So any suggestions would be appreciated. Because I am surely going to keep it up. I really think it is partly responsible for these good losses. I have been really strict about the eating part of the VLCD but on previous rounds I would stick to protocol religiously for weeks and only average .5 daily losses. So one pound a day is really terrific for me! I could be at my goal in two weeks if I can keep it up.

I heard from another friend who was doing the protocol through her doctor before I helped her figure out how to do it on her own. She is on a P3 break and gained weight on a family reunion trip. But once she got back she knuckled down and got right back down to her LIW in about a week. She’s very happy with her progress and has helped two of her friends start too. I love how that works!

LO is doing okay but has had a few no loss days here and there. Mostly due to some stress from having to get her plumbing fixed in her house. She goes all day without eating and then tries to catch up with her last meal. Not the best scenario for eating and we all know how stress contributes to weight gain, etc. So now that it’s just about over, she has to stop taking the HCG for a bit and take an interruption. She won’t have a full 21 days under her belt for this trip so she’ll be in some uncharted territory but it turned out to be the best option available for her. She will stop her dosage and do 72 hrs on the vlcd then, about a week of eating P3 then right back on HCG and the VLCD. So this is a question that Biz has been asking lately... Has anyone tried this and been successful? I think MaryG might have. Mary? But at any rate, she's going to do it and I will report on her progress when she returns. I'm hoping that she will do fine during the break and then when she returns, be able to continue the protocol to successfully complete the re-setting of her hypothalamus gland.

It's 9pm here in AZ and I'm thinking of hitting the sack early tonight and get some much needed beauty sleep... so nitey nite all you happy losers!

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Mary, I just had a glass of bedtime wine so I'm counting on another good loss tonight! More on the walking later...

Lili, it isn't actually a soup base, but a gravy packet. I found a low sodium version of McCormick's brown gravy and the store brand from Fry's, maybe it's Kroger's that was also low sodium. I've tried the brown gravy for beef soups and the chicken for chicken soups. so just check the labels!

B, I would love it if we BOTH had the good losses every day and were tied! So catch up! And as far as the walking goes, I don't think I'm doing enough to really affect it either way, but I'm sure it can't hurt!

R3P2 VLCD Day 10 - Woman on the move...

2008-04-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 154.2
Today’s weight 153.2
Overnight loss of 1.0 lbs

Oh yes, it's good to be moving in the right direction again. I had that glass of wine last night and maybe it did the trick or maybe it was just a coincidence. I will have to try it again to see! I wasn't brave enough to try it on my first two rounds but I guess this time, I've seen it work for enough people that I'm thinking there may be something to it. I'm replacing my second fruit with the wine and I'm skipping my evening grissini to compensate. So we will see...

I've also tried to stick to a short daily walk. Usually around the lake behind the building I work in. There is a nice man made lake with a path that goes around it. This time of year there are many ducks with newly hatched ducklings swimming behind them. I've notice a funny thing about the duck behaviour that I want to write more about, but it will have to wait for another day, when I have more time to write the post.

I'm babysitting tonight and Sofia is crying for attention so I have to cut this short. So goodnight all you happy losers you!

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Shelly, I try to get two liters in, but sometimes I fall short. I'll work harder at it!

Liz, It's nice to have someone on the board who knows about this stuff! I think I'll just have to try it for the novelty of it. But I'm sure I won't be willing to spend the $$$ on it as a regular part of my diet. I will stick to Fuji, or Gala or Empire when I can find them...

Mary, you're too funny!

Biz, my soups are not that different than what Renee and Tammy do. Except that I found a really good gravy mix that has low sodium and low carbs an no sugar and I have been using that in my chicken soup. It only adds about 5 or 10 calories per serving but it thickens it up a bit and gives it a nice flavor. I made a chicken broccoli soup that was sooooo good!

B, hope you're right behind me now!!!

R3P2 VLCD Day 9- Wrong Way Woman...

2008-04-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 153.6
Today’s weight 154.2
Overnight gain of 0.6 lbs

I gained .6???? OMG. I guess I did a little too much taste testing when I was cooking this weekend. I feel really bloated today though and feel as if I'm retaining water. No real deviations but I did taste the food I was cooking a few times. So NO WORRIES. I am sure it will even out tomorrow and that I'll be down again.

Oh and check this out, I'm at Trader Joe's today buying apples and a lady next to me said "have you ever tried grapples?" And I'm like WHAT? Evidently they are a cross between apples and grapes. She said that when you cut into it, there was an immediate aroma of grapes and it tasted just like them too. She said they were heavenly and addicting! But expensive too, from what she said. Okay sounds interesting, but is this something that is actually safe to eat? How messed up could it be? So has anyone else tried them or do you know anything about them?

LO is still doing great. Another 1.5 down! She is cooking with gas! She told me today that she feels that me helping her with her meals has made a big difference for her on this round. She was struggling last round and I don't think she was getting the right amount of protein or calories. So my pre-made soups have been making it a lot easier for her. I'm glad I could be of assistance. Now I should just be doing so well! I think she's down about 9 pounds now and is going to be going to Mexico in a week or so. Hurray for her!

I'm going to try something different tonight and have a glass of wine instead of my apple. Wish me luck!

I'll let you know how I do tomorrow. Happy losing to you all!

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Marygirl, yes it was yummy. I'll definitely have that again!

Biz, I'm not sure what you're saying. Are you just saying to watch for any symptoms that might indicate we need to stop? Because that's what I was trying to say. We'll be watching for extreme hunger, weakness or dizziness, headaches or any other signs that seem like something isn't right. After what happened to Jennifer, I think we are all the more vigilant for any out of the ordinary occurrences... (And she still does have some excess fat on her tummy area, so she may not keep losing weight per se, but she still has some contouring and redistribution to do...)

Hey B, it looks like I'm giving you another chance to catch up! We are teeter tottering around each other! So go, go, go! And make me catch up to you!

R3P2 VLCD Day 8 - Monday, Monday

2008-04-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 154.0
Today’s weight 153.6
Overnight loss of 0.4 lbs

Today was my telecommute day so I worked from home. But it was pretty busy. I managed to make a pot of stew though and it was delish. Beef and green beans and after it cooked I separated a few servings out for my husband and added some extra veggies. He loved it. I know that he would do just fine on the protocol if he ever decides to give it a try. He likes most of the things that I cook. So maybe someday...
Nothing new to report with me. LO is still losing well. She is down 7.5 so far in one week. My daughter made her weight goal and is now continuing on the HCG to get rid of the remaining abnormal fat. I will give a full report when that happens. We are watching for all the symptoms that Dr. S. describes plus what Jennifer went through at the end. So I'm excited for her. It's late here so I'm going to call it a night. Have a good one you HCG losers!

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Mary, the hike was fun and I'm sure we'll do it again soon. I haven't actually had a picture taken with my new haircut. So I'll do it soon...

Lili! yes you're on P2 so cool. We need a new pic of you too. Although I do love the one you have on your blog page...

Awwww Biz, thanks... I really do hope the grandkids will remember these times fondly. We are trying to instill a sense of wonder and joy with the outdoors for them. Somehow we must have been too busy to make it stick with our own children. They are not that into it. But we hope the little ones will love it and remember us for it!

Liz, it was actually a little too warm for the hike this week. We didn't get started until around 10:30 am and it was in full sun and probably around 90 degrees. We will have to get going a little earlier in the future. Don't worry you'll be getting more of those 70 degree days pretty soon!

R3P2 VLCD Day 7 - Party Survival

2008-04-13T22:11:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Thursday's weight 155.4
Yesterday's weight 154.0
Today’s weight 154.0
Overnight loss of 0.0 lbs

No loss today, but I'm glad I didn't gain because I went to a party and had one and a half glasses of wine. I skipped the fruit for the evening meal since that's what I've heard some other people do when they drink wine. Funny thing was, the first glass made me a little tipsy which is unusual. But I've also heard that you can get intoxicated easier when on HCG so it's evidently true. In my case anyway. I also had a small slice of honey baked ham which was probably a lot worse than the wine and that's what probably made me not lose anything, but like I said, I'm lucky that I didn't gain. Today I ate a little extra because I went hiking. It was not a long hike, but it's fairly strenuous since there's probably 7 or 800 ft of elevation gain. So I had an extra apple and some melba toast to give me a little more fuel for the hike. We took our 8 year old grandson who is a great hiker and goes with us frequently and at the last minute decided to take along our 7 month old granddaughter. We didn't have the right kind of backpack with us for her though since we didn't plan to take her so all we had was this sling type one that goes on the front. And it was a little hard on the back to carry her in that position. So my husband and I took turns and I ended up not doing the whole hike, partly because of that but also because the sole of my boot separated and I had to pull part of it off. These are my 5 year old well used boots that have been glued together once before. Now they'll either need to be re-soled or replaced.
But both of the kids enjoyed the hike a lot. Sofia was very excited to be outside and she cooed and laughed the whole time. We will have to take her again, but we'll remember to bring the frame backpack to carry her in.
I feel like I'm doing well on the protocol this round. I'm still not back to my LIW from my last round but I'm starting to feel slimmer and my clothes are getting a little looser again. I got a lot of compliments at the party last night. My haircut and the weight loss were just part of it. Several people mentioned that I just seemed more content and happy with myself. One more benefit from this protocol!

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Thanks Mary, I'm loving this zone...

Amie, I am getting pretty good at ordering for the protocol when we go out, but you can't always think of everything. So we just have to improvise sometimes... Good for you with getting more Michigan people signed up. When are you and Brandi starting?

Regina, that is so nice of you to offer to pay for your kids to do the protocol. It is an investment in their health for life. I am so happy to be able to help who ever I can. The group of friends that were at this party are all trying to lose weight right now, but they are all using other methods and although I've tried to get them interested, so far no luck. But someday, maybe...

B, okay here's another chance for you to catch up! I'm down 4.2. Could be better but not bad!

R3P2 VLCD Day 6 - Best laid plans....

2008-04-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Thursday's weight 155.4
Yesterday's weight 155.0
Today’s weight 154.0
Overnight loss of 1.0 lbs

I fully intended to post yesterday but our kids wanted us to meet them for dinner and then we ended up taking a couple of our grandkids home with us so that kind of shot the evening. But lookee here! Even after going out to dinner I still lost a pound! We went to Red Robin and they have this chicken meal there that my friend LO always gets. It's got this great spice mixture rubbed all over it and then grilled with no oil. Comes with a side salad and is really good. I remembered to ask them to leave the cheese off the salad but didn't realize it had tortilla strips all over it so I had to pick them off. And it comes with two chicken breasts so I've got a leftover for lunch today!

I heard from another friend who I met through my blog. She contacted me because she had started the HCG diet through her doctor (to the tune of $1200!) and wanted someone to talk to about it. She started around the same time LO and MM did their first round. She's been doing great, I think she's down about 30 pounds and has started two more of HER friends on the diet. One has lost 24 pounds in about 3 weeks and the other 7 pound in one week. WOW! Isn't that terrific? My friend LO is doing really well this time. Her losses are much better than on her first round. As of Friday, I think she was already down 5 pounds. We are losing here in Arizona! And now I'm hoping to meet up with a couple of ladies from the new forum that Biz and Regina and Jenn started. It's so awesome that HCG has not only helped me to lose weight but has brought a whole new circle of friends into my life. Some that I can meet face to face and many others that I communicate with online and couldn't do without! You're all the best!

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B, I'm on my way to check your losses. I bet we're pretty close still!

Mary, I think I'm back in the zone now so no worries!

Liz, yes isn't that mug just the cutest? I heard about the cabbage chili from Biz I think. And I just make it the same way I do the tomato chili just use cabbage instead. You can use a lot too because it doesn't have many calories! It's very filling and yummy. And I just buy the grissini at my local grocery store. It is located on the top shelf in the pasta aisle. So try checking there in your store.

Thanks Biz...

Hazel, everyone has their own pace but the great thing is, that it works for everyone regardless! And goodness is relative. You are GOOD because you didn't eat the whole bunny all at once! So he had a slight reprieve the poor unlikable guy...

R3P2 VLCD Day 4 - Conversation hearts...

2008-04-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 156.8
Today’s weight 155.4
Overnight loss of 1.4 lbs

Now THAT's what I'm talking about! I'm quite satisfied with today's loss. Looks like a few days of sticking to it finally overcame my opening day cheat. So yes, I'm a happy camper today. And I had another good day on the VLCD. It seems like my hunger is under control. But let me tell you I have many moments during the day when I see something that looks good and it takes me a minute to realize that oh, I can't have that! My first and second round I was quite good at putting on the blinders and not letting the forbidden foods even tempt me. Maybe I'll just have to work at it a little harder this time and being so close to my goal you bet that's just what I'll do!

I don't usually give a day by day menu, but here is a typical day for me on the vlcd: Morning, cup of vanilla caramel truffle tea. (yes it's caffeinated and has a hint of caramel in it, but it's awesome!) Mid morning. One or two Cups of Yerba Mate Chocolatte Tea. One large apple, sliced. Lunch, cabbage chili and grissini. Afternoon snack, 1/2 orange. Dinner tilapia grilled on the George foreman and steamed broccoli. Dessert, 1/2 orange and grissini. See above for the pic of my favorite tea mug. It came with a bouquet of flowers for valentines day and I've used it every day since. It makes me smile whenever I fill it. What a way to start the day...

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Mary, I sent her the info on Paul McKenna. She has TiVo so maybe she can tape if for both of us since I still haven't seen it! I think she'll be fine though. She was just having a down day or so.
Biz, yes the second can be bad, but man I think I'm having trouble adjusting on my 3rd. Maybe my break was too long! I'll be fine too though. I'm just getting back into the swing of it...
Yes Jenn, I think you're right. The first 7 days are the hardest. I'm almost through them myself. But Erica has actually been on her round for three weeks now. She's probably ready to quit again already! You asked how much she gained and I think it was over 10 lbs. I will have to sign her up for boot camp when she finishes this round so she won't make the same mistakes again!
Yes B, even a little loss is cool. And maybe after today there is still hope for me to keep up with you!
Hazel, that is some great advice. I will be sure to share that analogy with her. I think it will be helpful. She really does listen to my advice which is very gratifying to me so I'll make sure to find the time to sit down with her and talk it out. I'm sure she'll do fine. And she really looks great! She is in the beauty industry as an esthetician and an owner of a salon and spa and let me tell you she has generated a lot of interest in the HCG protocol! Thanks for the helpful suggestions!

R3P2 VLCD Day 3 - small loss...

2008-04-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 157.2
Today’s weight 156.8
Overnight loss of .4 lbs

Yesterday was much better as far as hunger goes. I drank lots of tea and water during the day and tried to space out my food so that I wouldn’t get too hungry. I was a little hungry when I first got home from work but I ate my fruit then and that seemed to tide me over until dinner which was grilled chicken and broccoli. I didn’t eat the grissini for dinner and planned to eat it for a snack but then forgot. So I’m surprised that I didn’t have a better loss this morning. I’m thinking that it was a little holdover from my cheat on the first day. So I’m not sweating it. I’ll just look for a bigger loss tomorrow.
LO was down another .5 for a total of 3.
My daughter has been having some cravings and she called to say she was worried that she is sabotaging herself by cheating and then just going on a binge. The initial cheat isn’t that big of a problem but she says that once she cheats she figures she’s already blown it for the day so she might as well eat what she wants. And then she gains. If she stops at just the first cheat she’ll usually not gain, just stall. So I advised her to first of all, NOT CHEAT! LOL! But that if she does, and then she feels like binging on other bad stuff, to try to delay it. Tell herself that she can have that candy if she really needs it, but just wait a half an hour. And then go try to distract herself. Then maybe the craving will be gone. Use that tactic as much as possible and maybe you’ll get through it without bingeing.
She is also concerned that the bingeing will continue when she is off of the HCG. And I really don’t think it will. I think right now, she’s just feeling deprived and is giving herself permission to cheat. Once she’s eating normally again she should be able to try listening to her body again and just feed herself what she needs or really wants at that moment. There is no reason to think that she won’t be able to control herself just because she’s having some trouble now. I also sent her the info on Paul McKenna so she can check it out and see if there is something that can help her… I still haven’t had a chance to catch one of his shows. But I’ll keep trying!
I'm going to call it a day. Happy losing!

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Mary, Yes the mental challenge is the biggest I think. But I'm working on it...

Biz, no I'm sure it was real hunger. My stomach was growling, or as an ex-boyfriend used to say. "The coyotes were howling!" I could have made a better choice though. Maybe another apple or something. But it is what it is...

Hi Jenn, I'm trying to make the P2 stuff as good as it can get. I guess I'm just trying to get r dun, as you say!

Thanks CB, I'm so glad we have each other for support too! I sure makes it less lonely!

B, I hope you did better than I did today. And maybe you will get some feedback about the shakes. I'll have to check it out too...

R3P2 VLCD Day 2 - My cheating heart...

2008-04-08T20:58:00.000-07:00

(Last round LIW on 2-21-8 = 151.0)
R3 P2 Starting weight on 4-7-8 158.2
Yesterday's weight 158.2
Today’s weight 157.2
Overnight loss of 1.0 lbs

So what is going on with me? I'm usually so good at this part of it... I actually cheated on my first day of vlcd… And I am NOT one to cheat on the protocol. So this is weird for me… But here’s what happened…
On Mondays I telecommute so I was home for my first day of vlcd. I had cooked all that great food so I was prepared, but I woke up really hungry in the morning. I tried to wait until around 9am to eat my fruit but even after two cups of tea, by 8am I just had to have it! So that seemed to tide me over until around 11am when I heated up my beef and green bean stew. I was so hungry that I ate my grissini while it was heating up. So that’s kind of how the whole day went. I ate everything early and then didn’t have anything left for the evening. I went to bed and tried to sleep but my stomach was just growling. So I got up and ate a piece of toast with peanut butter. And that’s another thing that is just so unusual for me. I never get up at night to eat. Once I brush my teeth and go to bed, that’s it! So for me to do this was very weird. I was able to sleep after that though and I was still down a pound this morning. I’m really hoping that this crazy hunger doesn’t continue. I will try to think of other strategies to deal with it and if I have to cheat I’ll prepare some cucumbers or something to snack on. So far today I’ve been doing a little better. I made it until 9am to eat my apple and noon for my lunch. I am only injecting 125IUs this time though so I’ll keep an eye on the hunger for the next few days and if it continues, I’ll up the dosage a little bit to see if it helps.
My daughter is on her second round of HCG after gaining a bit back during her P3/4 break. She had made it to her goal during her first round, but quit when she made it to the weight she wanted. Now she believes she should have kept going or planned another round because she feels she hadn’t lost all of her abnormal fat. She still had some on her tummy that she couldn’t get rid of. So after gaining some back she’s on the protocol again. So when I saw her this weekend I gave her a bowl of this green bean stew that I made and she just called me to say it was delish and that it sure didn’t taste like diet food. So I guess I will have to make another batch. I’ll try to make a note of exactly what I use so I can write up the recipe for those of you who eat green beans even though they are NOT on Dr. Simeons list. (thanks to Biz for experimenting and finding that we can still lose with them!)

Later the same day...

So now it's the end of the day and I've done just fine with the protocol today. And I still have my fruit for a snack this evening! So maybe I'll be okay after all...

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Mary, prep is my middle name! An I wasn't even a boy scout! LOL!

B, thanks for the good wishes! And the shakes, I think were EAS, but I'm not sure. I remember this being discussed on the HCG2 forum so maybe you can search there...

Shelly, I'll have to post a "less of me" Pic someday. just like Jenn did!

Biz, Thanks! I'm excited too!

Liz, I'm so glad to be starting again and I'm happy to have so many fun people supporting me! Thanks!

R3P2 VLCD Day 1 - On my way...

2008-04-07T12:11:00.000-07:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Yesterday's weight 157.6
Today’s weight 158.2
7.2 lbs over LIW
Starting weight for R3 158.2

Woo Hoo, first VLCD of my last round. I cooked all day yesterday and I now have 8 servings of roast beef with broth, 6 servings of tomato chili, 8 servings of cabbage chili, 3 servings of beef and green bean stew and 24 meatballs. Looks like I'll be working on cooking some chicken meals in the next few days. Most of these are going into the freezer in individual containers. About half of them will be shared with my friend LO, who is doing another short round with me. She bought the meat and I'm doing the cooking. She tells me that she is culinary challenged and even though she follows my instructions on how to cook these meals, they never quite come out tasting the way they should. So if it helps to keep her going, I'm more than happy to share. And since she's buying for both of us it works out just fine... She also really HATES chicken so I'm trying to find a way of cooking it that will make it palatable for her. I'll probably make it into a soup and shred it since the texture is partly what she doesn't like.
This weekend when I started my injections, I didn't intend to load but just eat normally, but how can you resist the chance to get in some of your favorite foods before giving them up for 6 weeks? So we went out to a mexican restaurant, an Italian restaurant and then had some homemade manicotti for (my final non vlcd) dinner last night. I also had strawberry shortcake for dessert. So I can feel as though I indulged but I don't feel as though I went overboard. I did however, put on a little weight. So the first five or six days will be spent getting back down to my LIW from the last round. I'm thinking I can lose 7.2 lbs in the first week without a problem. But if all goes well, by this time next week I'll be inching down into the 140's again!
So all my blogging buddies... Who started this weekend along with me?

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

Lili, the woman who does a round every year has found a way to actually KEEP her new year's resolution to lose weight. I guess it's not a bad solution. I just hope I don't need to even do it once a year! Did you start yet?

bohemianblue, that is a good point about the food we eat having so many additives that we will always have to watch our weight. I just hope that this protocol will have corrected my metabolism problems enough so that it will be easier to keep to the weight I should be at. And I have seen evidence that I'm getting back on track. I would have gained a lot more if I had been eating like this after going off of a diet in the past!

CB, yes it's my FINAL! I know you'll get there someday soon. You are so close to my weight and we are working towards the same weight for our final goal. So you're right there in my slipstream!

LIW 151 on 2-21-08 - Thinking ahead...

2008-04-03T23:37:00.001-07:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Yesterday's weight 156.6
Today’s weight 157.0
6.0 lbs over LIW

Looks like I had a little bounce back from the previous loss. Not too bad though...

Yesterday Biz said something to me in response to a comment I left on her blog that really made me think... When I said that I felt that I would have trouble with the "strict dieting" that Dr. S. recommends when you can't do the steak day right away, she asked if that meant I would just keep on using HCG to control my weight in the future. And that made me just think "whoa!" Because that really hadn't crossed my mind. And it made me start thinking about the future in terms of finally being at my proper weight and how much attention I would have to pay to that for the rest of my life, because of course I wouldn't want to keep having to go back to HCG every time I gained a little weight. But it is obvious that I have had problems controlling my eating habits in the past so what if it's just hopeful thinking that makes me think this time it will be any different? And maybe it is comforting to know that we have a solution in HCG and that it will always be there if someday I may need it again. But that really isn't my intention... I plan to do P3 the right way once I've lost all the abnormal fat. I may choose to use an egg day instead of a steak day because I have too hard of a time waiting all day to eat. (I've never finished a steak day for just that reason!) But I really feel that if I can succeed in eating correctly on P3 that I will just automatically stabilize and won't fluctuate much. I take full responsibility for the fluctuations I've had because I DIDN'T follow P3 the last two rounds. But that's because I didn't have the right mindset about it. I wasn't very serious about it because I knew that I'd be going back on HCG again. But when it's the final round and I've made my goal, I really feel that I will have a different attitude about it. I am going to treat it just like another part of the protocol and I will mentally prepare myself to keep eating the same way I have been but just bring up my calories and fat intake to the correct amount for my BMR/daily calorie needs level. And the three weeks of P3 when I'm following it to the letter will help my body get used to functioning without any abnormal fat to weigh me down. So do I think I can really do it? Well, hell yes I do! It is only three weeks out of the rest of my life and it will be one of the most important three weeks of the whole protocol for me. So I have no doubt that I can do it. I won't let myself believe anything else. So just watch me! Tomorrow morning, I'll be taking the first injection of my final round and I'm going to make this thing work for me!

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

Jenn, I will have to make the egg days my corrective action on my next P3 because I have such a hard time going the whole day without eating. I also might try the protein shake day too as an alternative. So I do have a plan!

Biz, we're going to have fun on our final rounds aren't we? I'm excited!

Aime, your friend Brandi sounds like lots of fun. I hope she does start a blog! Hope your stuff comes soon!

B, maybe you should try the protein shake day instead. Just find a good shake that is high in protein and low in sugar and mix them up with water or milk and have several over the course of the day. And I think you can actually have the steak for dinner too!

Thanks, Shelly!

Liz, too bad you can't start with us. Did you consider just doing an interruption for your Vegas trip?

LIW 151 on 2-21-08 - Success with Eggs...

2008-04-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Yesterday's weight 159.2
Today’s weight 156.6
5.6 lbs over LIW

No time for a real post but I'll update later in the day. I just wanted to post my stats so I popped on before going to work. I did an egg day yesterday and it worked. Brought it down a little closer to LIW! Today all fruits, veggies and protein...

LIW 151 on 2-21-08 - Fond Farewell

2008-04-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Yesterday's weight 158.0
Today’s weight 158.0
7.0 lbs over LIW

It was very sad to see our visitors pass through the security checkpoint at the airport today. We really feel that this may well be the last time that my MIL will be up for the long trip from Ohio . She is 84 and although her health is pretty good, it really takes a lot out of her to travel this far. It was so great to have her here though and fortunate that she missed some of the cold miserable weather that they had in Ohio while she was gone. The weather here was almost too hot at times, reaching into the high 80’s on some days. But now we can get back to our normal routines. And part of that for me, is getting ready to start my next P2. I will probably take my first injection on Saturday, April 5th and continue through to the 26th and take a short break during my birthday on the 29th. Then back on track until all the abnormal fat is “gone baby gone”! So depending on how stubborn those last few pounds are, I should be done by mid May! And hopefully done for good. I will be looking forward to taking a trip this summer that requires swimwear because I plan to go shopping for a new bikini or two!

----------------
B! Is Monday your first VLCD or first injection day? We'll be on the same P2 schedule! Good for you that TOM decided to make his appearance now instead of later!

Liz, yes I'm hoping I can get settled down pretty quickly now. not much time to work on getting back to my LIW so I'll just get it off on my first week of this round I guess. But I know it'll be gone soon...

Mary, yes I can't wait to get started!

Biz, yes they're gone. :-( now back to normal...

Shelly, don't be jealous of us. We'll be jealous of you and what you're eating! And you'll make an awesome poster child!

Hey Jenn! Good to hear from you girl. OOOPs is right! And at least I'm doing another round soon to help me get it off. I hope you can do it without HCG! Just follow Biz's plan and you'll do great!

LIW 151 on 2-21-08 - Settling down

2008-03-31T16:21:00.000-07:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Yesterday's weight 158.6
Today’s weight 158.0
7.0 lbs over LIW

Things are settling down a little and we've tried to stop going crazy with the feeding frenzy around here. Our guests are leaving tomorrow and the past few days we've been eating lighter. Steaks and a rice with vegtable dish for dinner. I 'm going to be starting my R3P2 this week but I don't know what day yet. I haven't prepared anything and haven't gone shopping, so it depends on how much time I need to get ready. I may just try to have a few days of eating sensibly and then go for it this weekend. We shall see...

-----------

Liz, I planted some flowers and they look very cheery. I'm hoping I can keep them looking pretty for a few months before it gets too hot and they burn to a crisp. I can't even imagine seeing snow this time of year, even though it has been known to snow in Phoenix in April before. Not very often and it doesn't stick but wow!
I hope you manage to get some sun and warmth when you go to CA. Have fun!

B, I think I'll wait to do any cleanses when I'm on P3 or P4 again. I don't want to risk anything affecting my losses on the HCG.
Isn't this weather just the best? We are loving it and so are our guests!

Biz, yes I'm not sweating it for now. I'm going back on P2 soon! So no worries here... Dr. S really knew what he was talking about when he prescribed the 6 week break. Just long enough for us to start looking forward to it again! Go figure...

LIW 151 on 2-21-08 - No worries...

2008-03-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Yesterday's weight 158.6
Today’s weight 158.2
7.2 lbs over LIW

I am still having too many obstacles to eat the way I want to and need to right now. I don't have any spare time to prepare food to take to work and this is our quarter end when the management always treats us with lots of extra food. Yesterday I did pretty good at work, eating a boiled egg for breakfast, some almonds and a protein shake for snacks and soup for lunch. Then I had a little tiny cup of sorbet from a gourmet place that they brought in for us. But then I got home and had a request for spaghetti for dinner. So of course that means garlic bread and wine. But I was still down a little this morning. But today, oh my... Huge flaky filled croissants from a wonderful local bakery for breakfast, then catered Chinese food for lunch, then happy hour at a Mexican place and then I had to meet my family for dinner. By which time I was so full I just had a tiny garden salad and tea.
Oh please! I can't keep this up. It's killing me... No, just kidding. I'm trying to be reasonable and just have a little of whatever is offered. But I want to go back on P2 so bad right now.
Tomorrow we are taking my in-laws to lunch with my Dad and he always wants to go to Bill Johnson's Big Apple. I'm not overly fond of the food there so I can be confident I won't overeat there at least! I plan to come home and plant some flowers in the afternoon. It's been so warm here the past few weeks and there are beautiful flowers just everywhere you look. I've got some that survived the winter and are blooming again, but most didn't survive and need to be replaced. Lots of pruning and trimming to do too. I really love this time of year when everything seems to grow so effortlessly. Then the summer comes and everything just wilts and dries up into shrivelled twigs. So I try to enjoy it while it lasts... And then replant the stuff that will survive the summer. Which is either strictly desert plants or lantana or bougainvillea. Not much to choose from. But it is what it is and I'll work with what I've got...

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

Mary, yes it's not that easy when you're trying to keep everyone happy. I certainly don't want to be a stick in the mud and not join in all the fun!

Shelly, I am trying to get in more water now. It think I haven't been getting enough...

Biz, I was stressing too much, but you're right, it is a social thing and it is temporary so I'm just going to try to go with the flow and then get back to what I know I need to do once they head back home.

B, yes I'm working on the water. I am not sure what type of cleanse to try or if it would be practical in this circumstance. What would you suggest?

Hazel! Thanks for stopping by and for the hug. I needed that! The funny thing is that the out of towners don't eat like this at home either! It's all the social thing like Biz says.
LIW is Last Injection Weight. So when you stop the HCG you record the weight on the day you take your last injection, then do 72 more hours of the VLCD verylowcaloriediet. And even though you may lose a few more pounds on those last three days, you use your LIW to try to maintain within 2 pounds... Easier said than done as I have shown. But I know that it is possible to do if you follow the rules and eat enough for your total calorie needs.

LIW 151 on 2-21-08 - Not so stable after all...

2008-03-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Today’s weight 158.6
7.6 lbs over LIW

Why is it that when we have guests around we just eat so dang much?! Yesterday at work, management brought in Einstein bagels with all the good stuff to go on them, so that was my breakfast instead of the usual scrambled eggs with onions. Then I had a small "Empire" apple for a snack and soup for lunch. Now if I had just kept that up, I might have been okay, but no... I left work a little early because my husband had given me a ride to work while our other vehicle was in the shop. He and our visitors had gone to pick up a honeybaked ham and then we went to pick up the tundra at the dealership. Unfortunately it wasn't ready yet so to kill a little time we went over to Cold Stone Creamery! Before I went in, I decided I wouldn't have anything, maybe just a bite of my hubby's but that lasted about 15 seconds. I ended up having a scoop of banana mixed with strawberry and a little fudge syrup in a waffle cone. So good! It was like a mini banana split. Then we went home so full that we weren't going to eat dinner. But then our daughter came over with her two kids and said what do you have to eat, so we got out the ham and ATE again! OMG! So you'd really think we'd be done for the day but an hour or so later, and I'm so ashamed to admit this, but we had this village inn french silk pie in the fridge that my brother-in-law wouldn't let anyone eat until I could have some. So he says, you have to have some now, or we'll never eat it! So I did. ArgggH! Yesterday was the biggest disaster of all of my P3 and P4 days combined. I feel so disgusted with myself today. I've been eating boiled eggs and protein shakes today. That's it. I'm afraid to go home today though. Who knows what's in store for me...

So to all of my commenters who thought it was great that I stabilized, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Maybe tomorrow will be better. I'll probably not be able to work on getting back down until they leave next week though. I plan to go on P2 again then. Maybe I should start injections on Monday so that I can go right into the VLCD on Wednesday after they have gone back home.

But the good news? The weather is still great so I can still take my walks around the lake behind the building I work in.

See you all later... Time to turn in...

LIW 151 on 2-21-08 - Checking in

2008-03-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Today’s weight 156.0
5.0 lbs over LIW

Hi everyone. I had a few minutes to spare today so I thought I'd post a quick update to all you bloggers in Protocoland. I am on P4 now and although I am still over my LIW, it seems to have stabilized and I am basically eating whatever I want. We have had Italian food, Mexican food, and lots of other fattening foods and my weight is still staying in the same range.
My mother-in-law and brother-in-law are visiting from Ohio and we've been going out to eat a little more than we normally would be. They're having a good time even though we haven't been doing too many exciting things. My DH and BIL went camping at a prospectors camp this weekend so they did some gold panning and other things. I stayed home with my MIL and we went shopping and I took her to my DD's salon to get her hair done.
Then she helped me re-cover a little kid's stuffed rocking chair for my grandson. We used a grey camo fabric and it turned out really cute.
We're going to a dinner theatre tomorrow that does a "Grand Ole Opry" style show. should be fun...

They are loving the weather which has been in the 70's and 80's. They are getting calls from Ohio saying that it's snowing. So they're happy to say, "Well it's 78 degrees here!"

So, not much else going on. I'm sure I'll find more time to post once things settle down. I plan to start on P2 shortly after they leave. Which will be the first of April. My friend LO is planning to do another short round with me then as well, so I'll have some company on this one too...

So thanks for everyone who continued to check in on me while I was AWOL. I'll try to be better about posting updates.

Bye to all you protocoland losers!

LIW 151 on 2-21-08 - Still kicking

2008-03-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Today’s weight 156.4
5.4 lbs over LIW

Our visitors have arrived and are enjoying our 80 degree weather. It's spring training season here in AZ. We are hoping to go to a game but I went to one with my co-workers and it was actually too hot. We all got sunburned and were just baking in the sun!
I have been neglecting my blog lately and hope that I'll be able to sneak in a chance to post every now and then. Until then, I'm trying not to add any more weight to my LIW, but since I'm not really doing steak days, I think I'll just have to worry about that when I start my next round. I'll try to keep reading other blogs as often as I can and I'll post when I find the time. We are probably going camping this weekend so I won't be online then.

So everyone hang in there and good luck maintaining and working the protocol. Until I post again. Hasta la vista baybeee!

Oh, I forgot to mention. I cut my hair this weekend so I need to post another pic soon...

Thanks for all the comments.

P3 - Day 21 - Last day on P3 - Sorta

2008-03-12T22:39:00.000-07:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Yesterday's weight 153.6
Today’s weight 154.6
3.6 lbs over LIW

So this is day 21 of my P3 unless I choose to not count all the NON P3 meals and snacks that I ate. Because if I subtracted all that time that I wasn't adhering to the P3 plan, I'd probably still have at least another week to go. But I'll cut myself some slack and enjoy P4 for a while. Except that I really should get down to my LIW before I start enjoying the P4 foods. So that's what I'll attempt to do now. I'll work at getting back down to within 2 lbs of my LIW and then start adding in the forbidden foods and try to stay within the acceptable limits.
I spent the evening shopping for window coverings for our two rooms that we are getting ready for guests. I was going to make the curtains, but couldn't find any reasonably priced fabric that I really liked and ended up finding some panels at Lowe's that were less expensive than what I could make myself. I bought three panels and will use one to drape as a sash over the rod. We just have one more weekend to finish getting everything ready and since my DH is out of town, I will have to do most of the work myself. But getting the bed downstairs to the basement (where one of the rooms is) will have to wait until he gets home on Saturday. My pics didn't turn out because I was trying to use my cell phone camera. I can't find the digital. DH must have taken it with him on his trip... The room that has the teal squares will have a chocolate comforter and shams with teal accent pillows. The curtains are panels of chocolate and a slightly darker shade of teal. We need to find a bedside table and lamp and a little clock or something. I bought a couple of mirrors at Ross too so there's at least something to hang on the wall, although I'm sure I can scrounge up some art that we have stored around the house. I'm having fun with it but I wish that I could do it with a "money is no object" attitude, but unfortunately, money IS a limiting factor!!!
So time to get to bed. It's late here. We are now three hours different from the east coast since they just went to daylight saving time. Here in AZ, we don't change our clocks. Less daylight is what we need when the temps hit 115 in July...
Oh one more thing, I watched this video of a little 17 month old girl who could actually read sentences. As a grandmother of an 18 month old, I was just blown away that this was actually possible. So I'm sharing the link with you guys just for the WOW factor!
http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=&vid=400a8dd5-902a-4d71-882c-7da7b8b7cc1f
Sorry I don't know how to get it without the commercials...

Thanks to all my commenters! I'll be sure to work towards the bikini goal on my next round. I am going to try Lili's dry brushing method to firm everything up a little more too... If anyone else has had good results with that, let me know...

Happy losing to everyone in Protocoland!

P3 - Day 19 - Jennifer did it!

2008-03-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Yesterday's weight 153.8
Today’s weight 153.6
-.2 loss
2.6 lbs over LIW

I am just so happy for Jennifer that she made her goal. You know that she is the first person I've heard of who has done this diet that has gone the whole way and lost all her abnormal fat just like Dr. Simeons said it would happen. So congratulations to you Jen. You're our pioneer and our fearless leader! So cool! It's (almost) making me want to go back on P2 early just so that I can achieve it too. Not that I'd be looking quite as good as Jennifer does in that itsy bitsy flame bikini. After all I got 20 plus years on her. But I'm hoping to look good enough to NOT have to shop in the "super spandex, old lady skirted, holding it all in girdle swimsuit" section either! I want to wear a bikini. Maybe a little more conservative than Jen's but a bikini nonetheless. And maybe that's asking a lot of a 53 year old grandmother of 8, but hey, if I can pull it off, why not. And with this protocol, I've got a definite advantage!

So I plan to do another round at the beginning of April, after our house guests go home. I believe I have less than 20 lbs to lose since I'm aiming for around 136 and my weight right now is hovering around 153. I should be able to get to that goal with a 30 day round and maybe even lower if it seems like I'm still losing abnormal fat.

I'll have to cut this short tonight since I got a late start, but I'm hoping to be finished with the touch up painting in the LAST room tomorrow. Then I'll be working on sewing some curtains, but those are easy. I'll try to remember to take a picture of the walls I just finished. I did a pale sea blue color base in a satin finish then taped off 20" squares on two of the walls and did a checkerboard design in a shade darker. I was worried that it would be too blue and too much for the room, but I think it turned out nice.

So take care all you losers! And Jennifer... I am just so stinking proud of you!!!

P3 - Day 17 - Painting, and Grandkids...

2008-03-08T22:51:00.000-08:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Yesterday's weight 153.8
Today’s weight 153.2
-.6 loss
2.2 lbs over LIW

Still trying to get down to my LIW. We painted and worked on the house today and have still been helping our kids with the grandkids... Then we had a party to go to tonight. So no time to do a proper post tonight, and I probably won't have time tomorrow either. So Monday I will take the time to do a nice long post and catch up on everything...
Until then, hope everyone maintains or loses LOTS!

P3 Day 15 - painting and re-decorating what fun...

2008-03-06T21:55:00.000-08:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Yesterday's weight 153.2
Today’s weight 153.6
+ .4
2.6 lbs over LIW

I haven’t been working too hard to bring my weight down closer to my LIW and it’s starting to creep back up there, so today I’ve been towing the line and cut out the extra nuts and cheeses. I’ve been drinking lots of water and have stuck to raw veggies and protein today. So let’s see how my weight is tomorrow, and if necessary I’ll do an egg day to bring it down.

I checked out the new forum that Biz and Jennifer were working on. And who are all of those people that signed up? They must be from another forum that I’m not familiar with. It’s amazing to me to think that there are possibly hundreds of other groups out there that are all trying this protocol and are already in their own small support groups or even trying it on their own or through clinics without the support of a virtual community. I like that we have our own small community that is linked through our blogs, but I am also excited about the new perspective and experience we can gain from a whole new group of people who are using HCG. So once I get familiar with how the new forum is set up, I think it will be fun. My biggest concern will be finding the time to read and participate.

Because time, hmmm. Where does it all go? In addition to all my recent traveling, we’ve been doing some re-decorating on our house to get ready for a visit from my husband’s mother and brother in-law. In December we got a little closer to being empty nesters when one of our adult children moved out with her two kids and we suddenly had two empty rooms! So we are repainting, cleaning and trying to furnish those rooms to make our guests comfortable during their two week stay. So that’s one of the reasons that I haven’t had much time to spend on my blog (or yours!)

So thanks for being patient and checking in even when I just post a line or two...

Happy losing!

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

To my commenter's from today and yesterday:

Mary, so you used to snore and wake yourself up? LOL. I bet your toenails always look pretty now...

Biz, I'm glad you're back and posting. And I actually like to paint. I've even done some pretty successful faux painting in some of our rooms and in the treatment rooms at my daughter's spa. I'll have to send you some pics sometime...

Marlene, I'm glad you liked my post from Tuesday. As you know by know I did find your blog. Good for you! You're doing great with a whole new spin on the HCG diet.

Jenn, you and Biz have been busy girls haven't you? You'll have to give me all the inside scoop on the new forum! And you're right, when I think about having to CARRY an extra 45 lbs with me where ever I go, well no wonder I was always huffing and puffing and struggling to get anything done!

Hazel, where did you go skiing this year? We went a couple of times in Arizona in addition to our Utah trip. And there are some fun things to do with kids in Vegas but unless you bring along a babysitter you won't get much adult fun stuff in. Kids are NOT allowed in the casino gambling areas. And chicken broth, try to find fat free and low sodium.

Monica, believe it or not, my hair is paint free. My husband and I have a system, he paints with his electric paint roller that sucks the paint right out of the can and I go around and do the trim which actually takes longer than it does for him to do the walls. Then he cleans up... Works for us!!!

Thanks B! I like painting too. I'll let you know how it all turns out...

P3 Day 14 - No time for a post...

2008-03-05T20:45:00.000-08:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Yesterday's weight 153.0
Today’s weight 153.2
2.2 lbs over LIW

So sorry that I don't have time to post anything but stats tonight. I've been painting rooms in our house and the time got away from me. So I will post and answer comments tomorrow...
Happy losing to all.....

P3 Day 13 - What I've noticed...

2008-03-04T22:25:00.000-08:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Saturday's weight 153.2
Sunday's weight 153.0
Today’s weight 153.0
2.0 lbs over LIW

WOO HOO! I’m still over my LIW, but at least now I’m “Legal”! Meaning I don’t have to stress over trying to do a steak or egg day. Now I will just concentrate on eating good fresh foods and lots of “good” fats and I’m sure I’ll keep inching back down towards my LIW.

Wow people, I’ve had a busy couple of weeks here. I really feel as though I’ve neglected my blog, but I’m so gratified to see that people are still hanging in with me and checking everyday even when I haven’t been able to post. I just love all you HCG peeps! I think part of the bond is that we are all working so hard at the same goal and having such varying degrees of success. And we’re always able to go through the blogs and the group posts and find someone who is going through the same problems or having the same feelings as we are. And on the other hand, we can see many who have already survived the rough times and are coming out the other side with their success stories and they are giving us inspiration and hope, they’re our light at the end of the tunnel and we are keeping them in sight as we struggle down the same path.
There are a few things that I’ve noticed during all my adventures in the last few weeks that I’d really like to share with those who read my blog. All things that have something to do with just how much HCG has improved my quality of life.

The first was actually before my ski trip, when I was able to take my old size Large (Men’s!) ski bibs and throw them on the discard pile that has been steadily growing in my closet. I found a stylish pair of size 10’s that look pretty good with my ski jacket (which is also getting kind of big) and they fit just fine. My husband told me several times how nice they looked on me.
Then, I noticed that the trip to Utah, in and out of the airport, lugging all that gear… Well, it just wasn’t as exhausting as it used to be when I was 45 lbs heavier! And imagine sitting down in the airplane seat and needing to adjust the seat belt SMALLER!
Then ,when we get to the ski resort, it used to be that by the time we carried our gear to the lockers, struggled into the ski boots and then stomped up to the lifts all bundled up in our winter clothes, I’d be sweating and exhausted and feel as if I needed to rest before I even got started. But this trip… it wasn’t until I’m bending down to tighten my ski boots just before getting on the lift, I realized that, WOW, it’s so much easier to bend over and I’m not even breathing hard… What a huge difference that lost weight has made for me.
And my stamina on the ski runs was so much better too. I am glad that we got a few short one day ski trips in before this 3(ski) day to Utah because my muscles were waaaay out of shape after my two rounds of HCG with little to no exercise. My first trip I only lasted about four hours and my legs just wouldn’t stand for ANY MORE SKIING! The next trip I made it about five hours and then it seems as if I finally regained most of my strength and was able to go a full day without getting too tired. I skied better than I have in years and it brought so much enjoyment back into the activity for me. Going from thinking, “I’m too old and fat to ski anymore” to “WOW! Now I remember what I love so much about skiing”, is just such a wonderful gift!

Then the next event that came up was the baby shower for one of my favorite nieces. She lives out of state so we don’t get to see her often and everyone on that side of the family is THIN! So when I went to visit before losing weight, I always felt so self-conscious of my weight. It got so I didn’t even want to show up because I felt so conspicuous. This trip I had none of those worries. And although no one remarked specifically on my weight, (probably too polite to comment) many people told me how good I looked and some guests who didn’t know who I was thought that I was my grandkid’s MOM, not their Grandma! Gotta love it when that happens!

And then, going to Vegas with my daughter was so much more enjoyable now that I’m happy with my weight. Instead of feeling uncomfortable and not having anything to wear that didn’t fit too snug or look like a tent, I was able to wear stylish clothes and feel good about myself. When someone called us sisters, I just laughed about it because before I would have been thinking “yeah right, you big brown-noser!” But this time it was just fun.

So each of these accomplishments are a product of finding this “cure” and taking the huge leap of faith and try it for myself. Because the risk of this being just another fad diet that I would try and fail, or just some scam artist trying to make a quick buck, or something that worked for others but not for me… Well those were all big concerns for me as I’m sure they were for many. So how wonderful it seems to me when I look at where I was just 6 months ago, that something so risky and scary could turn out to be such a genuine miracle…
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To my commenters:

Mary, Vegas was fun, just too bad I lost $$$!

Marlene, So glad you stopped by to check out my blog! Newcomers are always welcome. Are you blogging? Are you on HCG? C'mon gimme details!

Hazel! Another Utah ski bunny! Hey as you can tell from my post today, I felt the same way as you did just last season! I was afraid I’d split my ski bibs when I bent over and I felt like the stay puff marshmallow man in my ski jacket. So just know that you can follow in my footsteps and be skiing skinny next season! You’ll have to give me some more info on your stats too! Do you have a blog?
And don’t be afraid to go to Vegas. You can do it and stay on plan, it will just take a little planning ahead. Email me if you want some advice… beccabetts at hotmail dot com

Hey Jen, I know, how rude of me to go off and have fun! The worst part is that I missed your birthday. The e-card was supposed to be sent on Friday and I was going to send a Bday card on Saturday, but I totally screwed it up! I’m so glad you had a good time anyway! Party on!!!

Monica, we stayed at Harrah’s and went back and forth between the Mirage, and Mandalay Bay to the boutique shows we were there for. We then lost our money playing “Crazy 4 Poker” and “Blackjack Switch” and roulette. We had fun anyway, but just didn’t get on a good run of luck… Maybe next time…

CB, Thanks for the compliment! It’s never to late for those!

Biz, So glad you could stop by yesterday for a bit! Sorry to hear about the dial-up-from-hell!!! That explains why no posting from you for so long. Everybody is just jonesing for a post from you. But yay that you stopped by some of our blogs to say HI. I’m so glad to hear how well your sis is doing! It gives me hope for my friend.
So I gotta say I MISS YOU TOO! Did you and Regina get a chance to meet up? I haven’t checked her blog yet, so if she has posted it will totally answer this question. So I hope you get a chance to get connected soon!

No Stats, just a little update

2008-03-03T22:25:00.000-08:00

Hi Peeps, I know I left a little abruptly, thought I'd have time to post a little before I left on my overnight trip to Vegas, but I never made it to the computer before I had to rush out the door.
I'll post stats and updates tomorrow in a longer post, but just wanted to post a little note to tell you where I've been for the last couple of days!
So until then, Happy losing you big losers!

See you tomorrow...

P3 Day 9 - Still over LIW

2008-02-29T21:55:00.000-08:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Yesterday's weight 155.0
Today's weight 153.6
2.6 lbs over LIW

Okay, it's coming down a bit so I'm much happier about that. I'm back to the no sugar and starches routine and I feel better too. Tomorrow I'm driving to my SIL's for a baby shower for my neice and I'll be taking 4 of my grandkids with me for the trip. I'm borrowing my daughter's car with a 3rd row seat and a DVD player to keep the occupied. My Dad and sister are also along for the ride so it will be a carful! I don't know what kind of food will be served so I'll just have to hope for the best. Maybe I should bring something along just in case there's nothing I can eat. I will just have to stay AWAY from the cake...

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Mary, I didn't think it was too expensive. It was really good though! I LOVE the lettuce wraps!

Lili, thanks for the compliment. And yes I did come back down today! Woo Hoo!

Monica, I'd say it was worth it. Very yummy!

I didn't exactly eat eggs all day, I had eggs for breakfast and lunch and then STEAK for dinner. Not too shabby. And I DID send you an e-card just now. It's not for your B-Day though, I'll send another one for that. This was just a Happy Friday one...

I will have to figure out how to let everyone see the funny card... hmmm... I have one for Monica too about donuts! LOL!

P3 Day 8 - Egg day, bagged...

2008-02-28T21:18:00.000-08:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Yesterday's weight 153.6
Today's weight 155.0
4.0 lbs over LIW

Yes, I know that yesterday was supposed to be an egg day, and I did have eggs for breakfast and then eggs for lunch, but I also had a salad for lunch and then when I got home last night, my husband asked me to go to dinner with him and some managers from his East Coast office and how could I say no to that? We ended up going to PF Chang’s which is a trendy Chinese restaurant in Tempe, AZ. The food was delicious and we shared several dishes that all included rice. And I sampled just about all of the dishes. So I wasn’t surprised to see a gain this morning, and I’m working on the egg day again today. Hopefully I’ll be able to follow through and get back down closer to my LIW.
So not much else to report...

Happy losing!!!

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Monica, Oh I wish I could have taken an extra vacation day. My last job I had worked there 27 years and I had 6 weeks of vacation a year. Now I have just two and let me tell you, It's killing me!

Hey Mary, no, I'm not a hot little momma, I'm a hot GRANDMA! LOL!

Okay Jen, You and Ed need to get on a plane and meet us in Vegas. Were going to a gift boutique show so that my daughter can get some ideas for her new retail area of her Salon/Spa. So I'll probably get some cool freebies too! FUN!

P3 Day 7 - Home again ...

2008-02-27T16:24:00.000-08:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Today's weight 153.6
2.6 lbs over LIW

This ski trip was right up there with the best ski trip ever! Our first two days were spent skiing in light to heavy snowfall. But not a problem since we were properly equipped. The third day, we took our scheduled break from skiing and I actually worked from the condo. This was planned in advance so that I could not only conserve my precious vacation days but also gave us a needed break from the physical exertion of skiing. Once I finished my workday, we spent the afternoon wandering the downtown district, stopping in all the wonderful shops and art galleries that line Main Street . We also made a stop at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory where my husband bought some fudge and I got an assortment of sugar free treats. My favorite was the English toffee. But each piece was about $1 each so I had to make every little bit last as long as possible!
Then it was time for dinner and we had been checking the menus of all the restaurants we passed and somehow, we ended up eating at a place that I remembered as being my favorite from past visits… Get this, “ Main Street Pizza and Noodle”! And I started out great with a garden salad and followed it up with PASTA! It did contain broccoli and chicken, but there was definitely pasta on that plate. I split the order with my husband and chowed down without a qualm. Later, I did experience a few guilty pangs but I quickly decided to let it go and just live with the consequences.
The next morning was our last ski day and we awoke to a beautiful sunshiny day! It was just about the most perfect ski day you could ask for. Beautiful weather and lots of fresh snow. You could choose either a soft powdery run or a smooth freshly groomed run from the many mountains to ski down. Plus no lift lines on the high speed 6 person chair lifts made the trip up the mountain a breeze. Park City also boasts a 3.5 mile ski run that goes from one of the back mountains all the way down to the base and we took that one once at lunch time and again at the end of the day. So I’m telling you, we were in heaven! Our flight out was not until 7:45pm so we skied the whole day and then went back to the condo to shower and finish packing. We made it to the airport in plenty of time and arrived back in Phoenix at 9:15pm. No luggage mishaps, the car started right up and home to bed by 10:30. The only downside was that I had to get up at 6am to go back to work! Dang don’t you hate when work interferes with your life like that? LOL!
So this morning, I stepped on the scale with a small amount of trepidation, expecting a gain, but not knowing if it would be one pound or 5 pounds (or more!) So the 2.6 pounds over LIW is not a big concern to me. I’m confident that I can take care of that small of a gain with a single steak or egg day. So today I’m trying the egg day and I’ll let you know tomorrow how it works for me!

Update on my friends: MM is on P3 and at 1.0 over LIW. She’s been doing a great job of sticking to the P3 protocol and is happy with her results.
LO has struggled with slow losses all through the protocol and has decided to extend her 23 day course a few days. She just found out today that she has low thyroid function and her doctor is likely to put her on medication. I’m suspecting that this may have accounted for her slow losses. We had reviewed her diet and never could determine why she was losing so slowly. Does anyone have any advice for her on this subject? She did tell her doctor about the HCG diet and she sounded familiar with it and while she said she would have advised her NOT to do this if she had been consulted beforehand, she didn’t actually forbid her to continue. She said there was not enough evidence of its safety and of its effectiveness. But I think that just knowing that the doctor didn’t forbid it gave LO a little peace of mind. She plans to stay on it another day and then transition to P3 this weekend.

----- To my commenters:-----------------

Mary, the storm was scary but also kind of exciting. The worst part was skiing back in very low visibility and our two friends weren’t wearing goggles, just sun glasses so they were just miserable. They ended up getting on a lift that was taking some skiers back down the mountain. My husband and I skied on down and we were saying later that it was actually fun skiing through the blizzard like that with dozens of fellow skiers all headed back to the base together, hunched over and just slowly swishing along.

Jenn, I sure did follow that “NO DIET” rule! But we never did make it over to Wingers. L We were too hungry to find the shuttle and make the trek over there. But as you see, I did have some other forbidden foods! LOL!

Monica, since it doesn’t look like I did too much damage, I’m hoping to get right back on track. But ooops! I just remembered I’m going to Vegas with my daughter this weekend so MORE chances to splurge!

Hi BB, you know the SOUTH is all across the country and I live in the South too! Too bad your south doesn’t have any mountains like ours does! LOL! And I love your P3.5 version. It fits exactly what I’ve been doing! That will have to be added to our HCG terminology!

P3 DAY 4 - Snow, Snow and More Snow...

2008-02-24T21:32:00.000-08:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Today's weight ???

Wow did it ever snow today. The news tonight said it was only 9 inches, but it sure seemed like more than that. We skied at Deer Valley today which is an awesome ski resort, but the winds were so high that they had closed some areas of the mountain. It didn't keep us from enjoying our time on the slopes though, and although it snowed and was VERY windy all day, we just had an incredible day of skiing. Great powder, beautiful long runs and absolutely breathtaking views of the Utah mountains. Our day was cut short though because late in the afternoon, in addition to the heavy snow that had been falling all day, we got caught in a thunder and lighting storm as well and they closed off the section of the mountain that we were skiing and routed us all back to the base. (This is the second time I've seen thunder and lightning during a snow storm which is not that common of an occurance.) And by that time the snow was so thick we couldn't see more than 30 feet in front of us. So we struggled back down with hundreds of other skiiers and decided it was time to call it a day. Some brave souls were still going up the remaining two lifts that hadn't been shut down but we retired to the lodge for some hot buttered rum by the roaring fire...

Folks I have to admit that I have fallen off the P3 wagon again. I tried to be good the first day but had a hard time working with the choices that were available. So I caved and started going with what the group decides. And then just choosing as healthy as I can. So I've been eating lots of soups, salads and sandwiches. I'm just hoping that the bread will be burned off with the extra excercise that I've been getting. But tonight I had the most difficult time when the restaurant choice was Thai food. So I had broccoli chicken over rice. And just tried to go easy on the rice.

So it is what it is. And I feel like I gained a little. And I will have to work on it when I get back because I'm too busy having fun to worry too much about it now.

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Biz, I'm glad to see a comment from you. So I guess that means you made your destination okay. I'll try to catch up on blogs in the morning...

Mary, I'm glad nobody has a video of me going down some of these heavy powder runs today because it wasn't always pretty believe me! But it was fun...

Jennifer, Thanks for the recommendation. We will have to give that a try tomorrow night. We know where the WalMart is because one of our friends keeps saying she wants to go there. So far we've managed to avoid it... But maybe now she'll have her chance!

Shelly, it sure is a blast...

And Monica, my stress is long gone!

And thanks for the vote of confidence B. I just hope I can live up to it after this trip!

P3 DAY 2 - Snow Day

2008-02-22T21:26:00.000-08:00

LIW 151 on 2-21-08
Today's weight 151.8
.8 OVER LIW

I had a bounce back from my Wednesday weight, but I guess that's why it's good to have a little cushion because a little weight bounce is pretty common when coming off of the HCG. Unfortunately I won't be able to monitor my weight during the next 5 days so I will be just trusting that the HCG has done it's job and I will be able to maintain as I should. I am eating lots of protein and veggies and some cheese and fats. I have also had a few crackers with my chili today but I figure it's similar to the melba toast or grissini so I hope it didn't do too much damage. I went out for mexican food last night and they brought me the wrong salad. It was supposed to be a fajita salad with a salsa dressing, but they brought me a chicken avocado salad and there was some pretty sweet strawberry vinagrette on it. So I tried to avoid it and just eat the chicken. I am trying not to stress too much about what I'm eating and have stocked our condo with lots of fresh fruits and veggies along with nuts and cheese for snacks.

So here I am in beautiful and snowy Park City Utah. It's supposed to dump 18 inches tonight and I think we got at least 6 inches during our walk around Main Street tonight. But skiing tomorrow should be great!

I'll try to check in periodically and I'll post when I can. Have fun all you losers!

VLCD #34 R2P2 - Last day on R2 VLCD!

2008-02-20T21:24:00.000-08:00

(Starting weight first round: 198 10-5-7)
(R1P2 LIW 160.4 12-18-07 )
R2P2 Starting weight 167.8
Weight lost this round 16.8 lbs.
Monday's weight 151.0 (And LIW)
Tuesday's weight 150.8
Today's weight 149.8
Loss of 1.0 lb

You know that it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind, so when I woke up on Tuesday and was only down .2 lbs from my weight the day before, I made a snap decision not to inject, but to use the previous day’s weight as my LIW. So my last injection was on Monday and my LIW is 151.0 lbs. I was holding out hope that I would be able to end this round under 150 but realized that I was fixating on a number and I needed to listen more to my body and go with what felt right. I had been feeling more hunger in the past week and had started thinking more and more about the P3 foods that were coming up in the near future and since I had gained .6 since Sunday and then only lost .2 of that on Monday, it just made me realize that I wanted to be done. So it’s a day earlier than I was planning, which gives me the day before I leave on my ski trip to be able to eat P3 foods. And I’ll be able to get my mind and body ready for keeping to plan on P3 so that I can sail through it without the gains that I had on the last one. I know it’s possible to do it, since I maintained successfully the first time I went to P3 during the middle of my first P2 round when I did a planned interruption so that I could travel to Ohio for a funeral. On that trip, I didn’t take my scale, I didn’t stick religiously to the “no sugars no starches” rule and I also didn’t really spend too much time thinking about how and what I should be eating. I just tried to get plenty of protein and fresh fruit and veggies every day. And then I ate whatever anyone else was eating and just tried to leave the breads, pastas, potatoes and desserts alone. There were some mornings that we didn’t have time to cook breakfast and I ate toast with peanut butter and other times I sampled things that were no no’s, but stopped with just a taste. And I came home within the allowable 2 pounds over my LIW. I was surprised and pleased that it went so smoothly since I didn’t have the time or emotional bandwidth to devote any energy to the maintenance effort and although I did monitor my weight on my MIL’s old analog scale, I really wasn’t sure how that would relate to my actual weight once I was back home and using my own scale again.
Now the next time I went on P3, it was an entirely different story. I planned it to land during the Christmas holiday so that I wouldn’t feel deprived and like many of us, I completely fell off the no sugar and starch wagon during this time and ended up 4.0 lbs over my LIW. I did everything wrong on this P3. Eating the wrong things and then NOT doing a steak or egg day on the day I experienced the gain. So my first week on R2P2 was spent losing that and the load weight again! And I consider that a big waste of especially valuable HCG time because the first week is when you experience your greatest losses and having to RE-lose what you had already lost the first round is just NOT the right way to go. So lesson learned and noted for the future…

So this explains why I’m on my final day of VLCD today and will you just look at what the scale had in store for me this morning? I’m actually in the 140’s today! Just like Biz says, a watched pot never boils. So when I gave up the idea of that NUMBER that I needed to be, then presto! It just naturally happened in its own time.

So I will be sure to keep posting during my P3 so I can continue to keep myself accountable and have a record of what I'm up to...

Update on MM: She did a 23 day round and had lost 12 pounds as of this morning. Her goal was 15, but she says that all her clothes are fitting great and she even fits into a size 4 now! She's very happy with her results.

LO is having a more difficult time. She is not a cook and has struggled with finding things to eat that she doesn't have to literally choke down. She gained 6 lbs on her load days and although she lost them within the first two days of her VLCD, her losses since then have been slow and erratic and she has gained on a couple of occasions. She still hasn't noticed any changes in how her clothes feel on her either. I have been trying to get her to eat more protein and veggies since I don't think she's been getting her full calories in and have been trying to share my soups and chili with her. I'm very impressed that she has stuck it out and seems determined to follow through. She will be finished with P2 next week and I'll give you an update on her total losses at that time. But please send her all the losing vibes you can!

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Biz, I knew to check for fillers, but I had to buy them at the grocery store and there wasn't much selection. Plus I was not feeling to great so I just grabbed the ones that weren't chewable. So it's not your bad... it was my bad, but I survived and the Vitamin C flush did the trick, I have no signs of a cold today whatsoever... So I'm happy! And since I quit my injections a day early we're only one day apart... Scrambled eggs with sautéed onions and a sprinkle of cheese for breakky tomorrow! Mmmmmmm...

Yes Mary, P3 again and I plan to do a better job of it this time, I promise!

Monica I'm thrilled with how good I feel now. It will make the trip much more pleasant! I bet you can't wait for this round to be done! Hope you make your goal...

Shelly, yes don't forget next time you feel a cold coming to start that flush right away. It's the best!

VLCD #32 R2P2 - not to worry, I'll be fine...

2008-02-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

(Starting weight first round: 198 10-5-7)
(R1P2 LIW 160.4 12-18-07 )
R2P2 Starting weight 167.8
Weight lost this round 16.8 lbs.
Yesterday's weight 150.4
Today's weight 151.0
Gain of 0.6 lb.

Okay, so the good news is, I'm feeling better today. The vitamin C flush combined with my strong immune system seems to be fighting this cold bug off very nicely. Not much congestion or sneezing today at all. I kept up the vitamin C flush even after discovering that the tablets that I bought had corn starch in them. I figure that was really the lesser of two evils and I DO NOT want to be sick this week. Not just because I'm going skiing, but also because I have lots to do at work this week since I'll be gone for several days and I can't afford to miss work or not be working at 100%. So even though that may have been what caused this little gain, I continued to do the flush today. I just skipped the evening grissini to make up for what little calories that might come from the corn starch. So it is what it is and I'll take whatever consequences come with that decision.
I was hoping to be able to post some pics since my daughter took a couple of me today, but she hasn't sent them to me yet so it will have to wait until tomorrow. And incidentally, tomorrow (that's my Tuesday since it's still Monday night here in AZ) will also be my last injection. I want to be on P3 by Friday when we leave for Utah. I'm so looking forward to this trip and it will be great to be eating almost "normally" again!

I will update on my friends tomorrow after I find out all the details of how they did over the weekend...

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Monica, yeah it took us two years before we painted any of our rooms and my husband had to keep nagging me to finally choose some colors. Once we did, we were just floored at what a difference it made. I used to like just plain white walls, but no more! My problem now, is that I've run out of color schemes that I like...

Lili, is buffered C better for your stomach? How is it working for you?

Biz, I'm laughing because I ALWAYS jinx myself when I start anticipating that next decade. I should just keep my mouth shut and let it happen and THEN celebrate! So I'll just take whatever happens because tomorrow is IT! I'm done... and just two days behind ya!

Hey BB! I wonder if the vitamin C flush will work for alzheimers too! LOL! Did the air filter help with the cold? haha...

CB, we took our two 8 year old grandsons skiing when they were six and they hated it, but this year we took them and enrolled them in all day snow board lessons. One of them did great and the other said he liked it but sat out the second half of the day in the instructors hut taking a nap! So the next time we went we didn't take him, just the other one. NOW, he says he wants to go again so I guess we'll give him another chance. But NOT this trip! This is just for the grownups! We're going to have a good time! And I guess I'm just one day behind you on the P3! So have fun and I'll think of you when I'm swishing down the slopes!

Jen & Ed, yes you have me pegged as a "green" gal! My brother used to call me a "tree hugger" because I recycled! Haha, I sure do miss the big lug... And you know I am feeling better today, so maybe it wasn't the Vitamin C flush. Maybe it was the new "paint fumes" cure! LOL!

Hey B, I knew your hubby was in Iraq. I must have been having a senior moment to have forgotten that!!! And you know he is going to be so surprised to see how much you've changed and how HOT you are that I'm sure you'll both be busy for quite some time... ;-)

VLCD #31 R2P2 - Vitamin C for me...

2008-02-17T21:16:00.000-08:00

(Starting weight first round: 198 10-5-7)
(R1P2 LIW 160.4 12-18-07 )
R2P2 Starting weight 167.8
Weight lost this round 17.4 lbs.
Yesterday's weight 150.6
Today's weight 150.4
Loss of 0.2 lb.

I'm giving the vitamin C flush a try. Several people suggested it and Biz was kind enough to put the details on her blog for me so I bought some and started it today. So far, I'm still congested and sneezing but I'll keep going and see what tomorrow brings. We had all 5 of our grandchildren (the local ones, we have 3 more who live in NC) for part of the weekend but today they all left and my husband and I got some painting done in our basement. It's a finished basement (which is actually pretty rare in Arizona) where all of our kids bedrooms were and now we've only got one kid still living with us so we're working on getting a nice guest room set up as well as a sewing/office/exercise room for me. It also has a very large family room down there that we are repainting. So picking colors for paint and fabric for the curtains has been my challenge lately. I love the color green, but am very conscious of how easy it would be to overdo with too much of a favorite color, so keeping that in mind and trying to come up with slightly different color schemes for so many different rooms has taxed my creativity to the max. I did some faux painting upstairs and it looks nice so now my husband wants me to do some more downstairs. But there again, I don't want to overdo and end up with too much of a good thing, so we'll play it by ear and see how each room comes together.
My ski trip to Park City is coming up fast, we're leaving on Friday, so I just have a few more days on P2. I haven't decided yet when I will stop, but it will have to be no later than Tuesday to be able to be on P3 by Friday. I would love to be in the 140's but I won't stress about it if I don't make it, because as we all know... Stress causes slower losses!
Happy losing all you losers!

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Yes Biz, I'm so close I can taste it!

Thanks Mary, I'll let you know if I make it tomorrow!

Thanks Monica...

And Jen, I just had to stop for a bout of sneezing, so I hope I can shake this thing quick too... At least before Friday!

VLCD #30 R2P2 - Just the stats, M'am

2008-02-16T21:44:00.000-08:00

(Starting weight first round: 198 10-5-7)
(R1P2 LIW 160.4 12-18-07 )
R2P2 Starting weight 167.8
Weight lost this round 17.2 lbs.
Yesterday's weight 151.4
Today's weight 150.6
Loss of 0.8 lb.

This is a good loss for me so I'm pretty pleased. I only have a few more days of injections left and I was hoping to get into the 140's for my LIW. Now it looks as if I will make it. I'm still not feeling to great and on top of that, we're babysitting grandkids most of the weekend. So sorry for the short post but I need to get some sleep. Thanks to Biz for the vitamin C flush info. I only have the chewable kind in the house so I'll have to wait until I can get to the store tomorrow, but I will definitely give it a try. So thanks to all of my commenters, and good night!

VLCD #29 R2P2 - Feeling a little blahhh

2008-02-15T20:59:00.000-08:00

(Starting weight first round: 198 10-5-7)
(R1P2 LIW 160.4 12-18-07 )
R2P2 Starting weight 167.8
Weight lost this round 16.4 lbs.
Yesterday's weight 152.0
Today's weight 151.4
Loss of 0.6 lb.

Well I'm still losing but have been feeling like I'm starting to get sick. I'm normally very resistant to the little bugs that get passed around at work and actually I don't think there's been a lot of people sick around me. So I'm not sure where I might have picked this up from, but woke up feeling congested. So any suggestions would be appreciated...

Update on my friends:
MM was down .5 but LO actually gained .5 and is pretty down about it. I really think she hasn't been eating enough calories, so I asked her to try to log her food intake in fitday and see if she can track what she's eating. I want her to try eating more protein and veggies and see if that helps. She said she'll give it the weekend before she decides if she wants to give it up. I'm hoping things really turn around for her.

I'm going to turn in early tonight and see if I can sleep this bug off...

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Thanks to all my commenters... I'll write more tomorrow. Love ya!

VLCD #28 R2P2 - Hungry day today

2008-02-14T20:21:00.000-08:00

(Starting weight first round: 198 10-5-7)
(R1P2 LIW 160.4 12-18-07 )
R2P2 Starting weight 167.8
Weight lost this round 15.8 lbs.
Yesterday's weight 152.4
Today's weight 152.0
Loss of 0.4 lb.

I forgot to mention yesterday that I never did get to experiment with the green peppers since they served the fajitas with green chilis and although it seems as if it would be similar, it just didn't work for me, so I stuck to the chicken meat and onions. Oh well, I'll have to try the green peppers some other time!
But I'm trying to figure out why I was so hungry today. I didn't eat my fruit last night and it was too late when I realized it. So I went to bed a little hungry, then woke up this morning hungry and was hungry off and on the whole day. The albondigas soup was very filling but by the time I got home, I was hungry again! So I don't know what's up with that. I'm trying to get in some extra water and maybe get to bed a little earlier tonight.
Valentines day was very low key this year. DH had flowers delivered to me at work the day before and I left a card and a bottle of cologne for him this morning. We didn't go to dinner because we were out the previous night and I couldn't face two nights in a row eating out. Maybe we'll try to go this weekend. I'm going to read a few blogs and get to bed now, so hope you all have a good day tomorrow and happy losing!

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Mary, you're right, if this has taught us anything, it's to appreciate the taste of "real" food and to not rely on processed food so much. And I'm passing this on to my grandkids too...

Biz, I'm eating the green beans practically every day now! I just love 'em. I stopped by "My girlfriend's kitchen today to see how the whole thing works and I'm so excited to go with her next week. My DH is going to love it too, cuz I'll buy some meals for him too. I haven't been cooking for him much unless he's willing to eat what I'm eating. I'll let you know how the first one goes over. DD loves the idea too (and so does her husband!)

Jen, you are so sweet! And our daughters may not have been born on Vday, but they're still our sweethearts aren't they? Funny but mine was due on 2-15 but came two days early...
Have you tried one of those places yet? I can't wait! And I'm also going to have queso as soon as I hit P3!

Monica, thanks for stopping by! I handled last night okay, but didn't think I could handle two restaurant nights in a row! Only so much resisting one girl can handle! Hope you get a chance to try that place too! Let me know how it turns out if you do...

Regina, I will tell her! And THANK YOU!
I can't stand to see people pigging out anymore either. I kind of have to look away. Then I remember that I used to do that!!!!

B, thanks to you too!

VLCD #27 R2P2 - Happy Birthday DD

2008-02-13T21:19:00.000-08:00

(Starting weight first round: 198 10-5-7)
(R1P2 LIW 160.4 12-18-07 )
R2P2 Starting weight 167.8
Weight lost this round 15.4 lbs.
Yesterday's weight 152.6
Today's weight 152.4
Loss of 0.2 lb.

It was my daughter's birthday today and she chose my favorite mexican restaurant for dinner. So I had to be strong and ignore the chips and spinach con queso, and practically everything else on the menu. I settled on some chicken fajitas and they cooked them with no oil for me.
But before making the final decision to go to Macayo's for dinner, my daughter checked in with me to find out if I thought I could handle it. And I told her it would be fine. And it was. Because I know that once I'm done with this protocol that I'll be able to eat there again without fear of gaining weight. And not because I believe I won't gain weight when I overdo it, I know that I still can, but now I have a strategy for dealing with the gain. And I plan to stick to it. And that's why I won't be afraid anymore. And it feels wonderful to know that I'm free of that one big fear that's been a constant in my life for as long as I can remember. Hard to believe, but it's true!
Oh and I have to tell you all what I'm doing for a birthday gift for my DD. She is a working fool, owns a salon and spa and is in the process of expanding. So she's really busy but has been trying to be more experimentative with cooking. And has recently been trying new recipes. So I bought her a gift certificate for a place called "My Girlfriend's Kitchen", where you can go and assemble all the ingredients to make these wonderful meals and take them home to cook. Everything is pre-chopped and measured and the sauces are already done. You just choose which meals you want from the menu and then go and put them together. You have to make reservations to go and you bring in your own laundry basket to take home your choices. I think it's going to be really fun! Here is the address if you want to check it out: https://secure.mygirlfriendskitchen.com/site/home.php
And I must have been in the mood for cooking myself tonight because tonight when I got home, I whipped together a batch of Renee's Mmmm Meatballs so that I could use them in some Albondigas soup. I used cabbage as the main vegetable for the soup but since it was going to be a large batch of 6 servings, I went ahead and used two roma tomatoes for a little color and an onion for a little additional seasoning. So this is another experiment to see if small amounts of additional vegetables used for seasoning or color will make a difference in how the food works on the protocol. The soup smelled and looked wonderful and I plan to take a few servings in to work to share with my two friends who are on the protocol with me now. One of them, is having a tough time with slow losses and I believe it's due to not getting enough calories in each day. I think she is underestimating her portion sizes so we had a talk today about trying to increase her protein and to not be afraid to eat more vegetables. I may see if she wants to start tracking her food intake on fitday or spark people. I don't track mine consistently, but I have done so extensively in the past and I think I have a pretty good handle on portion sizes to get along fine without it. I do weigh all my meat raw so that I'm pretty close on that, but I don't stress about it if I'm not exactly right on 100 grams. So lunch tomorrow will be fun!

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Thanks to Mary, Shelly and Biz for your encouragement!

And Jennifer, no those weren't Uggs on my mini-me, but if i could have found some they would be on those feet for sure! I had trouble finding anything that even looked this close to ski clothes but they'll do for now! I was shopping for a swimsuit for her but thought I'd wait till it's closer to spring to show that much skin! LOL!

VLCD #26 R2P2 - Down, Down, Down

2008-02-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

(Starting weight first round: 198 10-5-7)
(R1P2 LIW 160.4 12-18-07 )
R2P2 Starting weight 167.8
Weight lost this round 15.2 lbs.
Yesterday's weight 153.2
Today's weight 152.6
Loss of 0.6 lb.

Yes! Another .6 gone by the wayside! And I won't even miss it one little bit. Now that I am getting close to the end of this round, even if it's not the end of the protocol for me, I'm becoming more focused on making sure I get the best mileage out of my last few days on the VLCD. I'm paying strict attention to the protocol and making sure I get in all my protein and water. I want to maximize the losses. Then whether I start up again after a 10 day break or whether I wait and do another short round, I'll be so close to my goal that it will be very doable. I can't help but make it. That is, if I do P3 right this time... Because I didn't follow the protocol exactly during that last P3 and I regret the results that I had because of it. So this time, I plan to do it right and make a concerted effort to maintain within the allowed 2 lbs from my LIW. There are so many delicious things that we are allowed to have while on P3 that I really shouldn't feel as though I have to have the few things that we aren't allowed. I can live for a few more weeks without bread and pasta. I do love 'em but I love my new figure much more!
So I think I'm going to stop my injections on the 19th so that I'll be on P3 for my trip on the 22nd. And after that I'll just have to play it by ear. But I'm really pretty happy with the way I look right now and maybe I just need a little time to get used to being thin again. I know that I still have some abnormal fat left on this ole bod of mine and I will surely work on getting it flushed completely away before summer hits, but I can deal with the way I look right now just fine! And yes, I know, I owe some pics. Just haven't had a chance to get all gussied up and have someone snap 'em for me. Soon though...

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Mary, you, weird??? Now, what would make you go and say a thing like that!!! LOL!

Jen, my P3 will be starting on the 22nd... And hey, I take it you guys ski too? I gotta ask you a question, so I'll go over to your blog.... Oh and I'll have you note the .6 loss today, thank you very much!

Biz, the green beans did just fine for me. So I had them again tonight. And I shared them with my 16 month old grandson who now has a new all time favorite green veggie, well next to the broccoli I'm always feeding him I guess! He's a veggie eating machine!

VLCD #25 R2P2 - The end of the tunnel?

2008-02-11T20:07:00.000-08:00

(Starting weight first round: 198 10-5-7)
(R1P2 LIW 160.4 12-18-07 )
R2P2 Starting weight 167.8
Weight lost this round 14.6 lbs.
Yesterday's weight 153.6
Today's weight 153.2
Loss of 0.4 lb.

It seems like this round has barely started, yet it's been speeding by. Possibly because I've been so busy lately and partly because the protocol has really become kind of second nature to me now. I am probably not doing as much preparation and as much cooking as I did last round. I'm relying more on my George Foreman grill for my evening meals and just using my pre-made frozen soups for lunches, since they're so easy to take to work. And it's obvious from my deviations on my ski trip that I'm relaxing my strict "no cheat" rules when it seems appropriate. But I'm still a strict protocol girl by heart. That said, I must admit that I did try green beans for lunch today. An interesting difference in the way I post and the way the other "early" bloggers post, is that they're talking about their food choices for the previous day, but for me, it's usually the same day's choices since I'm posting so late. And today, I worked from home so I was able to cook lunch in my own kitchen, so I had a tilapia filet with a side of green beans. Now I'm NOT a big fan of canned green beans. I like 'em fresh, or next best thing, frozen. So I keep a few bags handy at all times. But those poor little frozen bags of green beans have been just collecting ice for quite a while. So I rescued one of 'em today. And they were very, very good... So good that I was tempted to repeat the feat and finish that bag off for dinner, but I thought I'd wait to see how they worked first. So that part of my report will have to wait until tomorrow. And that is the disadvantage to posting today's food choices, because the results won't be known until the following morning...
So I can't tell you about those results but I can tell you what's been on my mind for a few days. I'm trying to decide what to do about ending this round. Because it doesn't look like I'll be making my goal before my Park City ski trip since I still have 17 pounds to go. We're leaving on February 22nd and I am sure of one thing, and that is, I want to be off of the HCG for the trip. So I now need to decide if I will do a planned interruption or just end the round and do another short one in a month or so. There are lots of things to factor in, so I have much to think about. I'll keep you posted on what I decide to do. Maybe I'll just continue to throw out my random thoughts on the subject since that seems to be a helpful part of the decision making process for me. So all thoughts would be appreciated!

I will update you on MM and LO tomorrow, but I heard from the other woman who contacted me after finding my blog. She's local and I met with her right before she started the protocol through a local doctor. She is losing like a crazy woman and is thrilled with her results so far.

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Yes, Mary, I am guilty as charged. I quit after just a few though because they weren't all that great. They're going to have to be pretty fabulous to get me to eat more! LOL!

Biz, you always make me feel better about my little "cheats". Like they didn't really happen! But we KNOW that they did! LOL!

Jen, so that's how you judge whether it's a cheat or not? Oh, yeah, I almost forgot who I was talking to here... Oh, I'm such a smart ass!!! LOL! And yes, I've been to Park City once years ago for a ski trip and then once in the summer. I loved both trips. The town is just oozing with charm and I can't wait to share it with my husband! And I will definitely get some pics of me in those cute size 10 ski pants. Too bad my ski jacket is two years old and I bought it when I was trying to hide my behind. Now I need a new jacket that will show it off too! Don't think my pocketbook will stand for that right now though... :-(

CB, Oh I'd just love to pass them on to a fellow HCG loser! And no charge, just the shipping! I'll be sure to keep that in mind...

VLCD #24 R2P2 - Nothing broken... All is good

2008-02-10T21:30:00.000-08:00

(Starting weight first round: 198 10-5-7)
(R1P2 LIW 160.4 12-18-07 )
R2P2 Starting weight 167.8
Weight lost this round 14.2 lbs.
Friday's weight 154.0
Today's weight 153.6
Loss of 0.4 lb.

The snow was great and we had a wonderful time. My grandson took his second snowboard lesson and he really is picking it up quite well. He's going to be a good snowboarder. I managed to stay with all protocol food for the most part with a major exception of several swigs of, get this, Peach Schnapps! Yes my husband brought along his little flask and I guess I figured with all the exercise, I could burn off a few extra calories. I also had chili for lunch from the lodge restaurant. It didn't have any beans but was a little greasy. I stopped at half the bowl but then I threw all caution to the wind and sneaked a few french fries from my husband's plate. Funny since this is really the first time that I cheated while on protocol. I guess I just decided to give myself permission. I think that I was justifying it with the fact that I was going to be so active that I'd burn it off and it didn't make me gain so I'm okay with it. No more cheats for me though! I'm done with that for the duration.
It was fun skiing with our friends that we don't get to see that often. I talked with my girlfriend about the protocol and we'll see if she decides to give it a try. I know she really wants to lose weight and is impressed with my results. But as we all know, you really need to be ready to commit to this for a couple of months and although it's a miracle at how well it works, it's not entirely a piece of cake!
I went shopping today and bought a new pair of ski pants in a size 10 so that I'd have something that fit for our upcoming ski trip to Park City later this month. They're really cute and it'll be nice not to be swimming in my huge ski bib anymore, but I don't know if I should have bought them because they aren't cheap and I may need a smaller pair next season! Oh well, I'll be looking good anyway so I'll just suck it up and buy new ones again if I need to!
I can't give updates on MM and LO until tomorrow. It's late here so I'm calling it a day.
Happy losing!

VLCD #22 R2P2 - 3 ft of snow! Going skiing!!!

2008-02-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

(Starting weight first round: 198 10-5-7)
(R1P2 LIW 160.4 12-18-07 )
R2P2 Starting weight 167.8
Weight lost this round 13.8 lbs.
Yesterday's weight 154.4
Today's weight 154.0
Loss of 0.4 lb.

Another .4 down the tubes. Good riddance. I have to report on the show last night. It was 'da BOMB! Yes even funnier in person and then you get to see how all these people look that you've only heard on the radio before. Carl Kassell looked just like he sounds. Older balding guy who never cracked a smile. Peter Sagal didn't look like I imagined, but not bad. The panelists change all the time, but Kyrie O'Conner who has a screechy fingernails on the chalkboard kind of voice was just a tiny little blonde thing. The celebrity guest on the show was our Governor, Janet Napolitano. She's a no-nonsense "non-feminine" looking woman who is very popular here and I'm a big fan, so it was great to see her in person too. She was quite funny too and traded quips pretty well. We're afraid that they are going to edit out one of the funniest bits though, that had her correcting the host when he counted the questions wrong. All in all though a very entertaining evening. My husband loved it too which is great because he doesn't listen to the show and was just going along for my sake. He said it was so much fun he'd like to do more things like that in the future! Cool huh?
So more fun is in store for me in the near future. We are packing to leave for northern Arizona where they received 36 inches of snow early this week. We'll go up and spend the night, get up early and hit the slopes. We're meeting some friends that we don't get too see too frequently so that will be fun too. Who knows, I may even be naughty and have a sip of wine! So no posting for me until Sunday probably. See you all then...

Update on MM down another .4
LO is down another .2

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And to all my commenter's thanks for stopping by and checking up on me! Have a good weekend!

VLCD #21 R2P2 - "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me"

2008-02-07T15:08:00.000-08:00

(Starting weight first round: 198 10-5-7)

(R1P2 LIW 160.4 12-18-07 )

R2P2 Starting weight 167.8

Weight lost this round 13.4 lbs.

Yesterday's weight 154.6

Today's weight 154.4

Loss of 0.2 lbs

Hey, I'm trying to get a quick update in since I won't be able to do a post later. Tonight is the night of the taping of the NPR (National Public Radio) show called "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" that my husband bought tickets for as a Christmas gift to me. It's my favorite NPR show. Kind of a funny, silly quiz show that airs on Saturdays. I gave him the hint way back in October and he actually bought me tickets and put them into a christmas card for me. So tonight's the big night and I'm going to have so much fun!

I'll post a quick update on my friends, MM and LO:
MM is on VLCD day 11 and is down 8.6lbs!
LO had a rough start and was worried about her 6 lb load gain but is on VLCD day 4 and down 7 lbs!
Since my daughter made her goal I've missed having someone on protocol with me so it's fun having buddies again.

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Thanks for all the encouraging comments, you commenters, you!

VLCD #20 R2P2 - Don't sweat the "small" stuff...

2008-02-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

(Starting weight first round: 198 10-5-7)
(R1P2 LIW 160.4 12-18-07 )
R2P2 Starting weight 167.8
Weight lost this round 13.2 lbs.
Yesterday's weight 155.0
Today's weight 154.6
Loss of 0.4 lbs

Yes! I'm on the move again. I love seeing a downward trend and I don't mind if it's just a little one. Little increments don't bother me a whit. I love it at the beginning of the round when it's bam, bam, bam a pound or two every day, but I know it's going to naturally slow down and that's just what's happened to me. I've noticed that some people are really fast losers, yes, you know who I'm talking about! But some of us are just slow and steady and we just keep plugging away. No use getting discouraged as long as I still see some progress, and I've come such a long way and am so happy with my success so far that I'm going through the days with a serene and content resolve that keeps me from stressing the small stuff. (forgive my "little" pun.)
I did the blog rounds tonight and am out of time so I'll say goodnight to all...

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Regina, Yes please feel free to post the recipe. I just hope macayo's doesn't find out and sue me!!! LOL!

Mary thanks for the tapping link...

Wendy, let's meet at Macayo's when we're both at our goal weight! You bring your sis and I'll bring my daughter and we'll celebrate!!! This summer for sure...

Thanks Biz, I'll keep it in mind. I just wish I was a lady of leisure and could while away the hours just writing my heart out!

Jen, Never again will I say that nasty "J" word. I'm sure that's what did it... And you know I always love to read your blog. I gotta laugh at your little tattle tales on Ed!

Monica, I sometimes peek at the blogs at work but am too paranoid to actually post something. So it's all late nights for me. My hubby misses me these days!

VLCD #19 R2P2 - I keep my promises...

2008-02-05T20:59:00.000-08:00

(Starting weight first round: 198 10-5-7)
(R1P2 LIW 160.4 12-18-07 )
R2P2 Starting weight 167.8
Weight lost this round 12.8 lbs.
Yesterday's weight 155.
Today's weight 155.0
Loss of 0.0 lbs

I guess I fell prey to the self fulfilling prophecy when I said I was afraid I would jinx myself because look at that big double zero up there today! LOL! No, I just didn't get in enough water I think. So today I worked on taking care of that problem.
I don't know if anyone has noticed or not, but I've been having a very hard time keeping up with writing my own blog and making the rounds of all the other blogs and commenting on them as well. And forget about trying to read the posts on the forum. There's just not enough time to get it all done. Having to work for a living really gets in the way of LIVING sometimes doesn't it? Oh well, just know that I'm trying to read all the blogs even if I don't always have time to add comments and I try to catch up when I can. Today, I took the extra time to type up the Spinach Con Queso recipe. Keep in mind that I usually just start adding stuff to the pot until it looks or tastes right so if you're making it and it seems like a little more of this or that should be added, well go for it. This recipe is based on the dip that is made at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Macayo's in Ahwatukee, Arizona. It's the best I've ever tasted and I get it every time I go there (for the last 15 years or so!) So when my stepdaughter took a job there about 8 years ago I asked her to see if she could get the recipe for me. Well, the closest she could come was to just give me a list of the ingredients and then I just experimented until I have a darn close match. It gets raves at any party I take it too, but if you just want to make it for the family, you'll probably want to cut the batch size in half at least! So here goes:

Oh wait, I have to remind everyone it's for P3 ONLY!

"Becca's wannabe Spinach Con Queso"

Ingredients
24 oz cream cheese
12 oz velveeta
1/2 cup of half and half
1 four oz can diced jalapeño peppers
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced cucumbers
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions:
In a medium size sauce pan,
Melt the cream cheese and pour in half and half in small increments to create a creamy
sauce. Use as much half and half as needed to make it pourable but not runny.
Add jalapeño peppers to taste (whole can will be quite spicy)
Cut the velveeta into small cubes and melt into the cream cheese mixture until smooth.
Add tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and spinach and mix well.
Top with grated cheese as a garnish.
And serve immediately.
Normally served with tortilla chips but use celery (or other dipping veggies) for P3.
Serves a whole superbowl party!

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Here is an update on MM (sorry but I'm telling on you!) She had a little cheat that involved a slice of PIZZA on Friday and gained a pound, but went back on the wagon on Saturday and lost it the next morning and then another pound this morning. She's down a total of 7 lbs! Way to go MM!
And I have another friend who just started so I'll see if she will let me give updates on her too!
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Instead of addressing each person who commented on yesterday's post, let me just say THANK YOU!!! to you all for the great suggestions and ideas you gave to help those who might be struggling with the protocol right now. Mary brought up tapping, which is the Callahan technique I've heard about but never tried. If anyone has a link to this, it may be helpful. Lili, Biz and Jen were so generous in their responses, sharing personal experiences and insights. And CB is such a great cheerleader. And it made it especially worth the effort to hear Wendy say that it helped her at just the right time. I'm so glad to know that it was of some help to you! So I also hope it will help any newbies who are wondering if they're doing the right thing by starting in this protocol. If we all can do it, you can too! Just keep coming back with questions and concerns and there is always someone here who can help!

VLCD #18 R2P2 - Where does the will power come from?

2008-02-04T15:02:00.000-08:00

(Starting weight first round: 198 10-5-7)
(R1P2 LIW 160.4 12-18-07 )
R2P2 Starting weight 167.8
Weight lost this round 12.8 lbs.
Yesterday's weight 155.4
Today's weight 155.0
Loss of .4 lbs

I'm still on a losing streak! I'm really happy with how this round is going. I don't want to jinx myself by saying it out loud (or on the page) but with the exception of one day that I had a small gain, I've lost every single day this round! My last round was mostly stairstepping. two or three days at the same weight and then down a pound. So I must say that it's a lot more fun to see the consistent losses even when they are just .4 at a time.
I'm having a little more trouble with trying to explain the ability to stick with the protocol and how to have the will power to resist cravings. And how do you say to someone, yes it's only 3 weeks that you have to remain on this strict eating plan, but then again, there are another 3 weeks that you still can't have the things you really love the most? I've explained that the HCG will actually help you feel not hungry, and that it will reduce most cravings significantly. I've pointed out that you're still eating a very balanced food plan even though it is very small quantities and that you will usually feel quite satisfied if not actually "full". But what about those people that just equate the carbs and the sugars with their entire social and activity outlet and have a hard time believing that they can get by without occasional indulgences? I know that these things were issues for lots of people who have successfully managed the protocol and I know that this support group has provided a lot of the emotional and practial support that is neccessary to succeed, but I guess I just don't know how to tell someone to just go for it and make it work for you. I can do it for me, and I don't think I have any superhuman willpower by any means, but how can I assure someone that they will be successfull too? I want to say that you just have to make the decision to do it and then just tell yourself every day when you wake up and see that loss on the scale, that all you have to do to see that same thing tomorrow, is to stick to it one more day. Just turn away from the things that are tempting to you. Don't look at them if they're calling your name. Turn to the things that you ARE allowed to have and learn to enjoy them and look forward to them. Use the recipes on Renee's recipe blog. Find the things that fill you up and suit your taste buds. Read other people's blogs to get new ideas for foods to try. Make the protocol your LIFE for a while. And yes, I'm sure that doesn't sound very appealing to someone who just wants to give it a try for a short while, but you kind of do need to immerse yourself in the protocol for a while so that it starts to feel kind of natural to you and that you don't feel like you're struggling against it anymore. And the biggest reason to work so hard at it right at first is so that you can start seeing the daily reward that comes to you when you step on that scale every morning and see it going down every single day. And when that starts to happen, you don't really need to work at it that hard any more because you will be so thrilled and happy with that daily step down on the scale that you just get into what Biz calls the "Zone" and you just go with the flow.
But then, what happens after the round is over? This is the most frightening time for so many people who are going through the losing part of the protocol. The fear of not maintaining or not knowing how to eat correctly. And after 3 weeks (or more) of very strict dieting, how do you keep from completely blowing it and going hog wild in the opposite direction? And what about those who just want to go back to what they did before? Going out to dinner and having pasta and a glass of wine? And you can't do it for another 3 weeks! So no, it isn't really just a 3 week diet. It's 3 weeks and then another 3 weeks of stabilization and then another 3 weeks of maintenance. So will you have wasted the first 3 weeks and gain back all the weight you lost if you stray during the stabilization period? Well that depends on whether you can stray for a day or so and then go back to the program because people who have been on Phase 3 have experienced over and over again that straying a little doesn't necessarily hurt them that much, but continuing to stray once you start seeing some gains will! And each person will have things that will make them gain, and also things that they can tolerate very well. Most people can tolerate alcohol to a certain extent. Some people can tolerate a little bread. But even those who cheat and gain, are able to get right back down to where they need to be by doing a steak day or an egg day as soon as they see a gain. And it also seems easier to diet back down to your LIW after the protocol. And it seems to be harder to put the weight back on than it was before doing the protocol.
So I apologize if this post seems a little rambling, but I think I'm asking for some help from all of the people who may pass by and read this...
Help me out here and give some advice to those who are unsure or struggling or just need reassurance... Anyone who posts a comment today, just give them an example of how the diet may have changed your ability to lose or gain weight during the P3 or even P4 phases? And any other suggestions for keeping the motivation to stick with it?
Thanks!

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Mary, So you're saying I didn't cheat! Woo Hoo I'll take it!

Regina, yes the citrus is a plus in our climate. And I have actually gone from HATING grapefruit before the protocol to LIKING it now! So that's a plus! And the food was EVERYWHERE! It looked delicious but I kept telling myself that I can have it next time, just NOT today!

Biz, I think you must be right because I lost in spite of it! I don't think I'll risk it every day though!

Thanks Lili, I surely do love the fruit right off the tree...

Jennifer, I'm waiting one more day to post the recipe. After my post today I just thought it might not be appropriate. But tomorrow I'll talk about P3 and the GREAT things we can eat!