Started phase 3 and I'm not sure I like the way things are going, it was much easier to manage 500 calories a day with out thinking about it.  I've tested the waters and  Halloween candy doesn't cut it. I had a couple pieces at my daughters school Halloween party and it just wasn't tasty.  Also had the first meal out and while I behaved (non-fried or sugar coated wings) it just wasn't like it used to be.  I'm starting to think that testing myself early in phase 3 is making me appreciate the foods that truly tastes good.

Day 46: A Little Bit Better

I was up past 2am with the stinkin' heartburn from our restaurant meal last night.  The wings were OK, but certainly not worth that much discomfort, so I don't anticipate eating out again anythime soon.  LittleGirl might have something to say about that, but hopefully I can convince her that my home-cooking beats anything she can get elsewhere.


On the bright side, I didn't gain weight this morning.  I made a solid effort to eat better today, but I didn't track my calories.  HS offered to make breakfast for me again, but I snacked on a small piece of cheese instead and had an apple later in the morning and some chicken salad for lunch.  We had a giant spread for dinner tonight...thick sirloins, fresh mushrooms cooked in butter and red wine with garlic, onions, and basil, steamed broccoli with peppers, and a giant salad.  The steak was good, but honestly, I was digging the veggies so much more!  I got full before I finished what was on my plate, but I finished everything but the steak.  I even snuck some leftover broccoli from the fridge a little while ago!  


I made it through Halloween without a single BITE of candy, and it took no effort at all.  I got the willies just thinking about the garbage the Littles picked up tonight.  Unfortunately, I learned that LittleBoy inherited HS's sweet tooth as I watched him chow down on candy.  I wish there was a healthier alternative to all of the garbage that was passed out tonight, but it's me against the world in that fight.  

Day 45: I'm not sure which I hate more...

Loading or Phase 3.  Ugh.  I ate too much yesterday, and I gained 1.1 pounds.  Fortunately, I continued to lose weight for a couple days after my last injection, and I'm still below that weight, but still....  I vowed to do better today, and relatively speaking, I suppose I did, but I still need to do better.  


HS made scrambled eggs and veggies this morning that were DELICIOUS!  And I don't even like eggs!  I had a couple slices of bacon with it, and honestly...it didn't really do anything for me.  I think I might be over pork.  I could have had another plate of eggs, but HS reminded me that we need to practice portion control now.  Oh, yeah.


I cooked more than 5 pounds of chicken breasts in an effort to "be prepared" with healthy choices so I don't turn to salami or friggin' cheese if I suddenly get hungry.  I used some of it to make Southwest Chicken Salad, which made a really yummy lunch.  


The whole family went shopping this afternoon and HS loaded up on new pants that he sorely needed.  I still have plenty to "shop" in my closet and I'm holding out until I can go a couple sizes smaller.  We decided to fulfill LittleGirl's wish for a dinner out with the family, and we hit up her favorite restaurant.  HS and I both stuck to hot wings, and we could have realistically split a dozen...but didn't.  While they tasted good, they weren't all I remembered them to be, and I was bummed to pay "eating out" prices again.  To top it off, I currently have a horrendous case of heartburn that is making me miserable.  So I feel just as crappy as I did before our six weeks of HCG.  


All in all, I had fewer calories today than I did yesterday and stayed close to the low end of my range.  I nearly doubled my protein intake today and landed at the high end of my suggested range.  I also cut my sodium intake by 75% from yesterday and landed within my range today.  Since I didn't have any fruit today, my carb intake was much lower than yesterday, but I'm happy about that.  Without an insane amount of cheese, my calcium intake was pretty low and my fiber intake was just as pitiful as yesterday.  My fat intake was much lower today than yesterday, but it was still too high.  And thanks to my eggs and fried chicken wings, my cholesterol intake was three times what it should have been.  So....back to the drawing board.  My plan for tomorrow is to try to mimic the HCG diet, but increase my portions.  I hope I can get back on track SOON.

Day 44 Update: I'm not so good at this

Phase 3 is going to be tough.  I had WAY too much freedom and WAY too little foresight today.  The lesson of the day: PLAN WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO EAT BEFORE YOU EAT IT!


I decided shortly before 10am that I was not going to do a 500-calorie day.  I got hungry and wanted to eat immediately, so I didn't want to take the time to cook something.  I ended up pulling out some of LittleGirl's salami...and I actually weighed it before I ate it.  It was nice to have a flavor I hadn't had in awhile, but it was too greasy for my taste, and the 2.6 oz of meat kept me satisfied for quite awhile.  


About 90 minutes later I decided to go for it on the cheese.  Since I've also been craving crackers, I decided to make crispy cheese in the oven--just throw some shredded cheese on a baking sheet and bake it until it's melty and starting to get crispy, cool, and eat.  I started eating it (and it was also too greasy for me) before I realized I hadn't measured.  I figured out how much I had used, however, by weighing an identical (albeit unopened) package and figuring the difference.  And I was shocked at how much of it I had eaten!  WAY too much.  And it wasn't nearly as satisfying as I had expected it to be.  I had a lot of trouble dealing with the greasy feeling on my tongue, so I cleansed my palette with some healthy grapes and decided not to eat anything else until dinner.


We decided to have sausage for dinner, so I made some pre-cooked Italian Sausage I got from Sprouts and made a large salad with creamy dressing.  We were already halfway done with dinner before I bothered to check the label on the sausage and saw that one link had 320 calories and 28 grams of fat!  Ugh!  Bad choices today!!  I think I will have an apple tonight, but otherwise I'm done for the day!


According to the goal ranges on SparkPeople,  I FAILED today.  I landed smack dab in the middle of my calorie range, but I had about twice as much fat as I should have today.  My carb count is much lower than SparkPeople calls for, but that's a good thing while I'm in Phase 3.  My protein was within the recommended range, but on the low end; I need to do better tomorrow.  Just for kicks, I also decided to track calcium, cholesterol, sodium, and fiber.  Thanks to the cheese, my calcium was good for the day, but my cholesterol and sodium were much higher than they should have been.  And my fiber intake was perfectly pitiful.  I'll be taking a fiber supplement tonight.


So I'm going to chalk this one up to poor planning and hope to balance out my numbers over the next couple of days.  Oh, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't gain weight overnight.

Under 170!

169.5

Damn I feel sexy!  Just kidding, but I am frick'n ecstatic that I'm finally under 170!  This will have to be a super quick post because I am swamped at work.  I just wanted to share my good news.

Day 44: Guess what I'm about to do!

I'm about to walk into the kitchen and have some cheese.

Day 43: Almost there...

I considered starting Phase 3 today, but I wasn't hungry, so I behaved.  Oh, and I finally lost some weight...I'm down another 0.5 pounds today!  We'll see how tomorrow goes, but I'm anxious to eat some stuff.  Momma brought over some beautiful steaks to grill this weekend (with sautéed mushrooms!), and I'm looking forward to having more than 100 grams of it.  Momma also brought over some yummy-looking cheese.  She really loves me.

I went to the store today, ready to load up on all the goodies we've been missing out on, but I came home disappointed.  I was really looking forward to expanding our vegetable horizons, but much of it didn't look very good, so I settled for yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli, red peppers and stuff for a big giant salad.  A nice MIXED salad with cheese and creamy dressing sounds WONDERFUL, but I had trouble finding salad dressing.  I was looking for something without added sugar (and especially without HFCS), and there was NOTHING--not Ranch, Bleu Cheese, even Italian--without added sugar.  I couldn't even find a mayo without added sugar.  No wonder we're all so fat!!  I've been fretting about what to do...am I really going to have to make EVERYTHING from scratch?  I read through the forum at hCGdietinfo.com to see what the heck other people were using and I found people saying that they will use dressings with up to 3 grams of sugar per serving.  Ugh!  I guess I'll try what I already have in the pantry and see how it turns out for me, but I expect that I need to start looking for some homemade recipes.  

I came across an eye-opening entry on Fooducate.com that lists all of the "aliases" for sugar hiding on ingredient labels.  Check it out: 

Aspartame – marketed as Nutrasweet (artificial, 0 calories)
Acesulfame potassium (acesulfame-K) / E950 -marketed as Sunett / Sweet One (artificial, 0 calories)

Brown Rice Syrup

Brown sugar

Corn sweetener

Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids

Crystalline Fructose

Dehydrated Cane Juice

Dextrin

Dextrose

Evaporated Cane Juice

Fructose

Fruit juice concentrate

Glucose

High-fructose corn syrup

Honey

Invert sugar (golden syrup)

Lactose

Maltodextrin

Malt syrup

Maltose

Mannitol (2.6 calories)

Maple syrup

Molasses

Neotame (artificial, 0 calories)

Raw sugar

Rice Syrup

Saccharin (artificial, 0 calories)

Saccharose

Sucralose – marketed as Splenda (artificial, 0 calories)

Sucrose

Sugar

Sorbitol (2.6 calories)

Sorghum or sorghum syrup

Syrup

Treacle

Turbinado Sugar

Xylose

It's inevitable that I'll have sugar again someday, but I'm definitely trying to stay away from the artificial stuff!

I still need to figure out how I'm going to get active.  My friend tried to talk me into trying an early-morning Zumba class, but I can't imagine that would go well.  Still looking for more ideas....  Does anybody have a suggestion for something I can ease into and still get a good workout???

Gotta Love That Tea!

170.2

First day of no shots.  I still want to track my weight losses and exercise status for the next few weeks, at least until I see the doc again in November, so I'll be blogging away still.  Showed a big loss this morning but I attribute that to SS's wonder tea.  I had been feeling a little off so I tried her tea last night and Elvis left the building this morning.  Sorry to share that but I wanted to make sure no one thought that the 2 pound drop was a miracle or anything.  Would have been a miracle if I had lost another 3 tenths and dropped under 170!  But I can say that I am on the last hole of my belt, shopping has to happen soon.

As for the exercise I started the push-up routine on Monday and on my last set I fell one push-up short.  Instead of cheating myself I'm starting it over again today.  Would have been easy to fudge the numbers but what's the point if I'm doing this for myself?  I had intended to start the sit-ups yesterday but my back was hurting, which is odd, so instead of aggravating it I decided best to put it off a day or two.  As for running I'm still going to stick with the plan of waiting until I have at least one week of full calories under my belt before I start.

I signed up for SparkPeople last night like the doc recommended and SS was right, the site is way too cluttered. After 15 minutes of trying to find the proper nutrition information for my height and weight SS and I realized that I signed up for the wrong program.  They have a lifestyle one for maintaining and a weight loss one for, well, weight loss.  I had to sign up for the weight loss one to see what my caloric intake should be as well as fat and carbs.  I'm to stay between 1600 and 1800 calories per day.  The lifestyle one had me maintaining with over 2000 calories per day which seemed way too much.  The food tracker on the site seems very intuitive and I'll use that to track my days for the next few weeks.

Last Shot

172.1

Of course, the day of the last shot I show a gain!  Oh well, nothing that I could have done about that and no, there was no cheating involved.  I went to the doc on Monday and I want to post my final results;

32.5 pounds (started at 204.6, down to 172.1)
31.25 inches lost (really have to buy some new clothes!)
1.25 inches from my left arm, 1.25 from my right arm
4.5 inches from my chest
3.25 inches from my ribs
4.5 inches from my waist
4 inches from my hips
2 inches from my left thigh, 1.5 inches from my right thigh
1 inch from my left knee, 1.5 inches from my right knee
1 inch from my left calf, .75 from my right calf

This diet is very impressive.  I wish I had stock in HCG or the ability to sell it myself.  I've recommended this diet to a number of people and I'm always willing to discuss it when people ask what I've done.  For anyone that has had trouble with diets in the past and they still want to lose this is definitely my recommendation.

Now, I went through a doctor, which SS has mentioned before is more expensive then self-medicating but in all honesty I think it was worth the extra cost.  I had the peace of mind that I wasn't doing things wrong and instead of having to research every move I had someone there to give me sound advise (and I'm not talking about SS).  So definitely weigh your options and decide what course you will stick with and what will make you feel the most comfortable.

And last but not least I want to thank my wonderful wife.  Not only did she introduce me to this idea but she has supported me through all the days.  It certainly is easier when you have someone doing it with you but it's even easier when you know that person your with really cares.  You did a great job babe, and thanks for everything.

Day 42: End of an Era

Perhaps that's a bit dramatic.  It's really only the end of Phase 2, and I'm stopping a day early.  I hadn't gotten around to do my shot this morning before I saw the doc, and after talking to her, I decided to forgo the last day so I can get onto eating a little bit sooner.  She agreed with me that my body is "done" for this round, and she said that happens sometimes and is one of the reasons that we're limited to six weeks in Phase 2.  According to her scale, I only lost one pound in the past week (two, according to my scale), and the only place I lost inches was in my hips (and I'm not sure I even trust that measurement, but whatever!).  She also confirmed that my blood sugar levels are still within the normal range--they're just lower than what I'm used to, which can make me feel icky.  The same applies to my blood pressure (which is, by the way, lower WITHOUT medication than it was seven weeks ago WITH medication!)--I'm not quite used to it being low yet.  We're going to do bloodwork when I return in three weeks to see how everything has changed.  


I was looking forward to getting detailed Phase 3 guidance from the doc today, but I'm actually going to have to put some thought into it.  Doc said to add back foods (except for sugar, starch, corn, and potatoes).  To determine my daily caloric needs, she advised me to register on SparkPeople, a website dedicated to health, nutrition, and weight loss.  The site has a lot of helpful tools, but there's almost too much going on there--charts, graphs, blogs, forums, fitness plans, recipes, food diaries, and some sort of point system that I still don't understand.  I did figure out what my nutrition goals should be for the next several weeks, and I'm sure it will be doable.  


I also spoke with the doc about my plan to add back one thing at a time, and she said that probably isn't necessary as long as I stay within the caloric guidelines.  She suggested I wait a week before I re-introduce dairy, but I don't think that's going to happen!  I'll either be returning to a "regular" diet tomorrow or Thursday--doc said I'll know when it's time to begin eating because I'll have hunger unlike I've had for the past six weeks.  So....back to the drawing board!


My totals for the six week protocol:


POUNDS LOST: 27 (or 30.4 from my post-load high weight)
ARMS: 2.5 inches each
BUST: 5 inches
RIBS: 3.5 inches
WAIST: 4.5 inches
HIPS: 5.5 inches
REAR: 4 inches
THIGHS: 3 inches each
KNEES: 1 inch and 2 inches
CALVES: 1.5 inches and 1 inch
ANKLES: 0.5 inches each
_________________________
40 inches lost!  (Doc says 39, but she added wrong somewhere)
Plus, my blood pressure is down from 132/80 to 120/78 and I'm off of the medication.


On to Phase 3!

Day 41: Tired

I'm tired.  My body's tired.  I think my hypothalamus must be, too.  I followed up yesterday's 0.1 pound loss with NO LOSS today.  I really think I'm just DONE for now.  I don't expect to lose anymore this round, and I'm OK with that.  I managed to average more than a half-pound lost each day, and I think that's respectable.  I guess we (my body and I) are just in need of a break.  


I'm not even wanting to change my diet drastically.  (OK...maybe a wedge of cheese here and there.)  I just don't have the same level of energy I had even a week ago, so I'm beginning to think that I need more protein.  So there you have it...I decided I need to eat more.  I'm actually AFRAID to add some foods back to my diet.  Pasta, bread, crackers....I'm afraid that once I start eating them I won't stop, so I'm not so sure I'm going to eat them at all.  


HS has been plotting his upcoming weekend breakfast menu, but I still haven't decided what I'll do.  I'm not a big fan of eggs, but they are a good high-protein option, so I may have to learn to get used to them.  I don't mind an omelet now and then...as long as it has a bunch of "stuff" in it, and that doesn't really fall in line with my "add-one-thing-at-a-time" plan, so I don't know yet what I'll be eating this weekend.  All I know is that LittleGirl is VERY excited for us to be done with Phase 2.  I'm sure it won't be too long before we indulge in a night out at her favorite restaurant!


Back to the doc in the morning for my end-of-cycle measurements.  According to my scale, I've only lost two pounds since last week, so I'm curious to see if I've lost any more inches.  Regardless of the outcome tomorrow, I'm still pleased with my losses.  Remind me of that if I'm bummed tomorrow.

Pretty Cool!

171.2

SS did a great job with the remodel!  I didn't login over the weekend so this was the first time I've seen the site, it looks great dear!

Had a good loss this morning, another pound.  So far I've lost 33.4 pounds, pretty amazing.  Still have a few more days left of the 500 calories and only one day left of the shots.  Can't wait for this to be over.  It hasn't been difficult or anything, I'm just impatient.  So impatient that I've already planned what I'm going to have for breakfast on the 31st.

Another thing, and I know SS has brought this up before, the saturation of poor food choices all around us.  SS talked about TV and how "events" tend to revolve around food, but today I really noticed all the ads on the radio for fast food places and how on every corner there was a fast food joint on my way in to work.  It was only when I was on the highway that I didn't see fast food places but their billboards where there!

Lastly, today I start day 1 of the push-up routine.  I'll let you know tomorrow if I survived.

An Important Public Service Announcement

Please, for the good of this country, lose weight! Jobs are depending on it!

Day 40: Foggy

I don't know what's up with me, but I've been in a fog the past few days.  Could be the flu that I never really got.   Could be the bump on my noggin.  Could be cheese withdrawal.  I was wondering if it could be hypoglycemia that caused me to faint the other night and has been making me feel crummy.  I've been monitoring my blood sugar, and while it isn't hasn't been TOO low, it's lower than what my body has been used to for the last several years.  (Yeah, I had gestational diabetes with LittleBoy and was also warned that I was close to pre-diabetes.)  I did a little reading today and found that Dr. Simeons had this to say in "Pounds and Inches (emphasis mine):"

Towards the end of a course or when a patient has nearly reached his normal weight it occasionally happens that the blood sugar drops below normal, and we have even seen this in patients who had an abnormally high blood sugar before treatment. Such an attack of hypoglycemia is almost identical with the one seen in diabetics who have taken too much insulin. The attack comes on suddenly; there is the same feeling of light-headedness, weakness in the knees, trembling, and unmotivated sweating. But under hCG, hypoglycemia does not produce any feeling of hunger. All these symptoms are almost instantly relieved by taking two heaped teaspoons of sugar.

In the course of treatment the possibility of such an attack is explained to those patients who are in a phase in which a drop in blood sugar may occur. They are instructed to keep sugar or glucose sweets handy, particularly when driving a car. They are also told to watch the effect of taking sugar very carefully and report the following day. This is important, because anxious patients to whom such an attack has been explained are apt to take sugar unnecessarily, in which case it inevitably produces a gain in weight and does not dramatically relieve the symptoms for which it was taken, proving that these were not due to hypoglycemia. Some patients mistake the effects of emotional stress for hypoglycemia. When the symptoms are quickly relieved by sugar this is proof that they were indeed due to an abnormal lowering of the blood sugar, and in that case there is no increase in the weight on the following day. We always suggest that sugar be taken if the patient is in doubt.

Once such an attack has been relieved with sugar we have never seen it recur on the immediately subsequent days, and only very rarely does a patient have two such attacks separated by several days during a course of treatment. In patients who have not eaten sufficiently during the first two days of treatment we sometimes give sugar when the minor symptoms usually felt during the first there days of treatment continue beyond that time, and in some cases this has seemed to speed up the euphoria ordinarily associated with the hCG method.

 I don't know if that's my problem or not, but I feel "off," so I'll give the doc a call in the morning to get her take on it.  Only two more days of injections!  I only lost 0.1 pounds this morning, so the "official" 30 pound mark is looking more challenging--and I'm definitely not going to push my luck.

Day 39: Why am I Still Up?

It's after 1am.  I've been up for 18 hours.  I got a little obsessed with the blog, I guess.  What do you think?  


Quick post to let you know where I am: I was down another 0.3 pounds this morning (or yesterday morning, I guess).  That puts me 26.9 pounds down from my Day 1 weight and 30.3 pounds down from my post-load weight!  Only a few days left, and I'm really hoping to lose at least 3.2 pounds so I can "officially" lose more than 30 pounds this cycle.  


Time for me to go to bed, but I'll leave you with a few links from one of my new favorite healthy food sites:


Good News! No reason to pretend to like this junk!



We're seriously supposed to feed this to our kids? What's wrong with these people!?!?



Is it OK to Eat That?

Don't be a tool!

173.5

SS learned the hard way, don't skip meals!  If you don't skip meals you won't be a tool.  Tough love baby, tough love.

Aside from SS's epic fail and LittleGirl having the flu all else is well.  Down just over 31 pounds and I still have 4 days of shots and 7 days of 500 calories left.  I should make it under 170 by the time this is all over.  I haven't figured out my running routine yet but I did smarten up a little bit.  I want to get at least one week of full calories down my gullet before I start running.  I have started the initial phase of my exercise routine though.

I believe I mentioned before that I want to start working out slowly, I don't want to go to the gym, I just want to do the basics at home.  I've always wasted money when I've signed up at a gym.  What could be more basic then running, push-ups, ans sit-ups?  I went to hundredpushups.com and I liked the routine, reminded me of doing pyramids in the Army, so I'm starting their push-up routine and sit-up routine.  I did my max on Wednesday which was pitiful and on Monday I start the push-ups, Tuesday I start the sit-ups.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Day 38: Safety Tip of the Day

I highly recommend not skipping meals on the Protocol...even if you're not hungry, go ahead and eat something. 


You may remember that I had an apple for dinner last night.  I felt fine, and went to bed around 10:30.  At 3am, LittleGirl got up with a fever again, so I got her some meds and took another dose of Oscillo myself.  Before going back to bed, I decided to check my email and Facebook.  I was standing at the counter with my laptop when I started to feel dizzy...and then I woke up on the kitchen floor.  I made my way back to my bedroom and woke up HS to tell him what had happened...and passed out again.  He brought me glucose tablets (every house should have some...they're much more effective than candy or juice for hypoglycemic episodes or sugar crashes), and I started to feel better right away.  I didn't check my blood sugar level until AFTER I took the glucose, but it was barely in the normal range, so I'm fairly certain I passed out from low blood sugar.  He also made me have some chicken at 3:30 this morning and had me promise to eat BOTH of my meals today.  My headache from bonking it on the tile floor will remind me that I need to eat.  


I was expecting to have a stall (or even a gain) today after 3 doses of Oscillo, 2 glucose tabs, and a 3:30am nosh, but I lost another 0.6 pounds this morning.  Let me be clear: THE LOSS WAS NOT WORTH GETTING SICK OVER.  I'm very lucky that, aside from a screaming headache and sore back and neck, I'm OK today.  I did not skip dinner to lose weight...I forgot about eating until it was "too late" to eat.  I know now that five hundred calories per day is not very much to eat, but two hundred calories is just plain UNSAFE.  

Day 37: Getting Sick

HS and I sat here 24 hours ago marveling at the fact that our house had remained cold- and flu-free so far this year.  "It's great," I said.  "I feel healthier than I've been in years."  So, of course, I woke up with sniffles this morning.  By 10am, I felt really run-down, so I ran out to get some of the Oscillococcinum that everybody's been talking about.  I took a dose, followed by an hour-long cat nap and woke up feeling a little bit better.  A couple hours later, LittleGirl broke the news that she wasn't feeling well, and I discovered that she had a fever, so I started her on the Oscillococcinum also and gave her some Motrin that reduced her fever right away.  She's sawing logs now and I'm hoping that she doesn't get any worse and that LittleBoy doesn't get it at all.  I still have an itchy nose, but I don't feel terrible.  Hope hope hope that the swine flu stays out of our house.  


As a result of running to the store and then taking a nap, I didn't manage to eat lunch today until after 2pm, and I realized at about 8pm that I hadn't had dinner, so I had an apple.  I definitely ended up far below 500 calories today, but my two doses of Oscillococcinum (don't even ask me to SAY that) had 1 gram of sugar each, so maybe I'll end up OK for the day.  I was down 0.8 pounds this morning.  Keep your fingers crossed for me tomorrow!

Day 36: I lost LittleBoy!

OK, I didn't lose the REAL LittleBoy (although if his attitude doesn't change....), but I've lost a LittleBoy's worth of icky fat.  My 0.3 pound loss this morning puts me over the 25-pound mark, which happens to be how much  my 21-month old monkey weighs.  I sure wouldn't want to carry him around all day everyday, and I'm certainly glad to not be carrying the equivalent of his weight around with me permanently!  

I had a rough day today, and I honestly had thoughts of eating bad stuff...and then I remembered how stupid it would be to punish myself and my progress for something that I was quite certain wouldn't even taste good (so I tell myself).  I dwelled a bit longer on the idea of drinking some wine, but I was reasonably sure that if he were alive, Dr. Simeons would not agree that skipping my evening apple would be a fair trade-off for a bottle of Moscato, so I refrained.  I realized today that it only takes a minute to talk myself out of a binge...if I try hard enough.  Two months ago, I would not have questioned IF I should have that box of crackers or last piece of pizza...I would have thought more about WHEN I would have them.  So another "gain" from the HCG Protocol...will-power!

A few days ago I listed a bunch of my "must-haves" for following the Protocol, and I keep discovering things that I forgot to include.  

Tea: It, along with coffee is an acceptable beverage while on the Protocol, and it definitely helps break up the monotony of so much water.  Thanks to its purported health benefits, most people are encouraged to consume at least one cup of tea each day.  I've personally found that my losses tend to be better on the days I drink at least 16 oz of tea.  Some people don't like tea, but there is such an astonishing number of varieties that, especially coupled with some good-quality Stevia, even the most ardent non-drinker would HAVE to find something tolerable.  (That means you, K!  Come over and try some of my teas!)  PLUS...added benefit of always having a couple kinds of tea in the fridge...you can cook with it, too!  I refuse to bathe my food while it cooks--no water for my chicken or beef!  When I use the pressure cooker, I can't reasonably use enough broth for liquid, so I use a bit of broth and some tea.  Yesterday I also made a new dish by poaching chicken and smashed garlic cloves in tea (Bigelow Constant Comment Green Tea) with Bragg's Liquid Aminos, a spoonful of Chili-Garlic Sauce, and some drops of Valencia Orange Liquid Stevia.  After the chicken was completely cooked, I removed it and let the liquid reduce to a thick sauce that was a little bit sweet, a little more spicy, and really delicious!  

Smooth Move Herbal Tea: Speaking of tea, the name of this tea says it all.  And it's much more pleasant than drinking a half gallon of Salt Water.

Apples: This is the perfect time of year to be on the HCG Protocol because apples are such a huge part of the diet.  Sure, we're able to have an orange, a grapefruit, or a handful of strawberries instead, but the Honeycrisp Apples that are in stores right now are too good to pass up...and so much more convenient than the other choices.  I recommend trying all of the varieties that hit the stores to find your favorite.  Prior to last month, I couldn't tell you the last time I had a whole apple...now I love two apples every day!

Support:  I can't believe I left this out before, but the most important thing to have while you're on the Protocol is a solid system of support from people who understand the what/why/how of what you're doing and HELP you with it.  I'm fortunate that HS is doing this with me right now, and another person who is close to me started just after we did.  Each one of us has gone through stages of frustration from small losses, but we're able to help each other through those.  I also know that this cycle would have been much harder if I was only cooking for myself, so if you're going to be on the Protocol without somebody else in your household, I suggest getting your whole family eating a diet similar to yours...it will be good for them, too!  Obviously, their caloric needs will be higher, and they have a wider range of foods available to them, but practice portion control with them, have them eat the same protein you're having, and really try to wean them from the "garbage food," too.  

I know I've got other gems in my daily arsenal, but my tired brain needs to go to bed.  I know we have some readers now who are considering trying the HCG Protocol.  Please...if you have any questions...ASK!  

So Close!

174.9

Only .3 pounds away from 30 pounds lost!

Late Post

175.3

Seems like my work days are getting more and more full!  Saw the doc after work today and things went well.  Lost a few more inches around the ribs, waist, and buttocks.  I still feel like I have a lot to lose but I have to remind myself that I've already shed close to 30 pounds in 6 weeks.  I'm so ready for this to be over though, I want to move on.

On to the running....

This is what I've researched so far; Chi running is a lot like pose method running which has been around since 1977.  Both methodologies focus on running with out injury, and they do so by stressing the importance of the bodies position while running.  Chi running tries to delve into the meditation possibilities of running while pose method is more concerned with posture.  My very brief explanation is only from reviewing both the Chi running and pose method websites, I have not had the opportunity to read the books or watch the videos yet but when I do will post more.

An important thing both mention is shoes.  Both styles stress that running shoes with a heal force the runner's foot to strike the ground heel first which is unnatural.  If you were to run barefoot you would notice that your forefoot strikes the ground first.  I checked and there are not a lot of shoes available like this and those that are available are not the most reasonable.  Newton shoes focuses on this type of shoe and New Balance has one in their inventory as well.  Nike has the biggest selection with their Free line but it still has a heel.  Then there's Five Fingers by Vibram.  This might get you the closest to running barefoot with out tearing up your piggies.  I keep telling myself that there is no way I'd wear these but I am a bit curious.  Realistically, if I already had a pair of running shoes I liked and an extra $125 laying around I might pick up a pair of their KSO Treks. Only live once and I'd hate to be missing out.

Another item I researched the other day was running logs/devices.  I had been leaning towards the Nike+ Sportsband mostly because I'm sure my iPod will eventually die and I don't plan on replacing it when it does.  Not that I don't want a portable media device but that's another story for another blog somewhere down the road.  So what Nike has is a device called Nike+ that you can connect to your shoe (or if you have a Nike+ shoe you place the little node in a slot made into the shoe) and if you have purchased the Nike+ device made for an iPod you can track your running stats.  Me, I wanted the Sportsband so I wouldn't be tied down to an iPod.  With Sportsband your stats are loaded onto a PC once you connect it via USB.  The Nike+ link takes you to what s tracked and also some online community info.

Luckily SS talked me out of it.  Some of her running friends use a Garmin Forerunner 305 to track their runs.  While the Nike+ is cheaper it misses out on a major item, GPS.  The Forerunner 305 has built in GPS so when you get done with your run you not only have your times and distance, you also have the actual run which uses Google Maps!  Altitude is also stored so you can compare how you did during inclines.  Definitely check out the Garmin site ad what their devices track, it's very impressive.  Although the Forerunner 305 is not the newest model I liked the fact that it tracks your heartbeat without an added peripheral.  Also, there is an accessory you can purchase to track your bike rides and another for indoor running.

Now here is the plan.  I want to start running immediately after my 6 weeks are up.  Unless Garmin and New Balance are so generous that they send me a Forerunner 305 and a pair of MR800s I'm likely going to start off with the NBs I currently have and an old IronMan stopwatch that's been sitting in my watch case for the last 10 years.  Unfortunately I have to refocus on revamping my wardrobe, the pants 3 sizes too big have to take precedence.

The Guest Blogger Returns

My new idea is mini tacos.It uses cucumber,spinach,tomato,lettuce,asparagus,onion,cabbage,celery.A different spinach cooked for a shell.Say yumieliseo!!!! :)

Day 35: Feeling Deflated

Yep, I'm feeling deflated today, but don't worry...I'm not feeling sad.  What I mean is, my body has deflated from last week's bloat-a-rama.  I saw the doc this morning and learned that I've had my best week yet.  According to the doc's measurements, I was down 5.6 pounds (which is about my scale showed this week, too).  The difference in measurements this week was HUGE--remember I only lost 2.25 inches last week.  This week I lost: 
ARMS: 0.5 inches each (2.5 inches each overall)
BUST: 2.0 inches (5 inches overall)
RIBS: 0.75 inches (3.5 inches overall)
WAIST: 2.0 inches (4.5 inches overall)
HIPS: no loss (4.0 inches overall)
REAR: 2.0 inches (4 inches overall)
THIGHS: 1.0 inches each (3 inches each overall)
KNEES: 0.5 inches in one (1 inch total for one knee and 2 inches total for the other)
CALVES: 0.5 inches in one (1.5 inches total for one calf and 0.5 inches total for the other)
ANKLE: 0.25 inches each (0.5 inches each overall)
-------------------------------------------------------
Total Inches Lost: 11.25 inches! (37.5 inches overall!!)


Did I mention that I was down 1.1 pounds this morning?  That puts my loss at 24.9 pounds (28.3 from my peak weight).  The 30 pound goal is looking reasonable again!  The doc even said I may lose more pounds (and likely more inches) during Phase 3.  She also calmed my fears about Phase 3 by telling me she's going to give us a lot of materials to guide us.  Whew!


More good news...doc cleared me to stop my blood pressure medication completely.  When I first saw her, my blood pressure was 132/80 with the medication.  Two weeks later (after a week of detox and a week of HCG), my blood pressure was down to 118/76, so we cut my dosage in half.  Now four weeks later, my blood pressure is 116/70, so I'm going to stop completely.  Only one medication left, and I'm working on that one, too.

Day 34: Exerwhat?

HS is currently obsessing about his post-HCG fitness plan, and he's already decided that he's going to be a runner.  He's found the shoes he wants, the gadgets he wants, and I'm sure he can already feel his muscles burning.  


I know that I'm going to have to undertake some physical activity myself, but that's not going to be such an easy leap for me.  I've never been athletic, but I have particular disdain for running.  Even as a kid, I would get headaches and side stitches running around the playground.  I just hate it.  


Cycling isn't any better.  I'm sure HS will jump in with all kinds of exaggerations, but that's not even necessary.  Yes, it's true...I fell off of a stationary bike.  I didn't get hurt seriously THAT time, but I've had plenty of other bike-related injuries to keep me off of them forever.  


So what kind of activity do I try?  I have too much pride for speed-walking or jazzercise.  It's going to be too cold to swim soon.  So what's an nonathletic girl to do?  I just read an interesting article that makes an interesting case for avoiding aerobic exercise.  Sounds good to me!  What do you suggest?  The best suggestion can have a box of my purged "garbage food."  :-)


Oh, and I only lost 0.1 pounds this morning.  Hopefully I'll be back to a big loss tomorrow...it's weigh and measure day at the doc!

Swamped

176.5

Just a real quick post, swamped at work.  Had a small loss but I'm happy with it.  Down just over 28 pounds now.  Today I've been hungry and wanting to snack.  A coworker brought in some pumpkin cake which looks awesome and I'm doing my best to resist it.

This morning I had a few minutes and I did some research on some running gear.  If I get a chance later on tonight I'll trow my findings on the blog.  For now though, back to the grind.

Day 33: I lied again!

I declared that I was too lazy to do any cooking besides adding different seasonings to chicken tenderloins or slices of beef, but I broke out the pressure cooker last night and made some tasty shredded beef.  It finally gave us an excuse to pull out the Boar's Head Horseradish that's been in the fridge for the past five weeks, and HS loved it so much he was eating it WITHOUT the beef.  I made two roasts last night, and I'm fairly certain that if we weren't being strictly portion-controlled right now, most of the beef would be gone already.  I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing more of that stuff after Phase 3 begins and we increase our protein portions!  It was so good, I was honestly worried that I wouldn't lose anything today, but I managed to drop 0.7 pounds.  


We had another delicious (and new!) meal for dinner tonight when my beautiful Mama brought us over bowls of HCG-approved chili.  The only thing that would have made the chili better is some CHEESE, but I'm not obsessed or anything.  I'm really hoping I can continue to put up big numbers for the next week and a half!


The first thing people ask about when they hear that we're doing HCG is, of course, the food.  While the food choices are limited, I think we've been able to inject enough variety into the diet to keep it from getting tedious.  I look at it this way: I was on the NutriSystem program before and had to eat the same crap all the time because their food choices didn't match well with my tastes.  At least with HCG, I get to prepare foods that I actually enjoy.  Sure, I don't get to eat everything I enjoy, but (besides the nasty Digestive Supplement I take twice a day) I don't have to eat anything that I don't like.  And, I've happily discovered some new ways to cook and ingredients to use that I'll incorporate into our post-HCG diet.  Some absolute essentials:


Vegetable Broth: Chicken or beef broth also work, but I've been surprised at how versatile (and tasty) the Pacific Natural Foods Vegetable Broth has been.  I use broth in place of oil to saute onion and garlic and to poach chicken.  I also love to reduce it down to a flavorful sauce for the meat. 


Bragg's Liquid Aminos: A wheat-free Soy Sauce substitute that has been instrumental in giving some of our dishes an Asian flair.  I've also mixed it with some Horseradish Mustard to thin it to a sauce suitable for topping chicken, and I've added a dash here or there to vinaigrettes, cooking liquid, and marinades.  


Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar: Another product that I use daily.  This is the only vinegar I've ever tasted that I would gladly take a shot of.  It's dark and full of sediment....and surprisingly smooth.  I pour a capful over my sliced tomatoes or cucumbers, and I add some to my salsa to give it some zing.  (If you check out the Bragg website, be sure to register for free samples of their products.)


Hefty One-Zip Fresh Extend Bags: I threw away far too many tomatoes before I wised up and tried these bags.  They work beautifully to keep the tomatoes looking as good as the day I brought them home.  They are supposed to work well for all manner of fruits and vegetables, but I've only used them with the tomatoes and onions so far.  They are well worth the money!


SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia Flavors: Instrumental in making sure I meet my daily water-consumption requirements.  I use the naturally-sweetened drops to sweet plain water and mineral water...and sometimes even iced tea.  I have even added Valencia Orange drops to add a hint of sweetness to soy-ginger chicken.  


An arsenal of herbs and spices: HS and I both enjoy spicy food, so we use a lot of cayenne pepper, cajun seasoning, and red pepper flakes.  HS is a fan of Frank's Hot Sauce (as he pretends to get his hot wing fix), and I'll occasionally swipe a bit of hot pepper sauce or chili-garlic sauce.  My go-to blend for all-purpose seasoning has been Spice Hunter Grill Shakers Hamburger seasoning, which is one of the few blends I've been able to find that doesn't have any added sugar or oil.  Check the labels in your spice cabinet!  You'd be surprised how many of them have added garbage.  I also have a fresh basil plant on my windowsill and use fresh cilantro whenever I get the chance.  When I pre-cook several days worth of food, I try for variety by using different seasonings; I'll do a batch of cajun seasoning, a batch with garlic, onion, and aminos, and a batch with jerk seasoning to keep it interesting.


Of course, there are other important items on the HCG Diet, but these products see daily use in my house.

Early Morning Post

176.9

Another decent loss, on the right track.  Didn't really exercise yesterday, unless you call bench pressing the kids or doing a few sit-ups with them across my chest exercise.  Maybe that will be a fun way to exercise and play with the kids at the same time. Hmm.

Made a deal with SS last night and it was my turn to get Little Boy when he woke up this morning.  How is it kids have no issue getting up early or staying up late?  Makes me feel old.  At least I get to watch R rated movies and they can't.  So there youth of the house!

Day 32: Looking Ahead

Woohoo!  Down another 1.1 pounds this morning!  I LOVE that!  I can't believe that we have less than two weeks remaining for the low-calorie diet.  The time has gone by much faster than I expected it to, and I'm really going to be sorry to see the 500 calorie days go away--mostly because I don't have to put much thought into what I'm eating.  I've been hearing and reading horror stories about people having trouble stabilizing in Phase 3 of the Protocol, but I keep dismissing those troubles as problems of people who don't continue to eat healthfully after Phase 2.  I certainly hope that by remaining vigilant about keeping artificial ingredients and processed foods out of my (and the whole family's) diet, stabilizing will be effortless.


When Phase 3 begins, we must drastically increase our protein consumption, but continue to stay away from sugar and starch.  I will likely continue to "pre-cook" a lot of food (albeit in larger portions) in an effort to prevent slip-ups.  Pre-HCG, I often "just didn't feel like cooking," which meant fast food or frozen pizzas.  If I can make sure that we have healthy choices quickly and readily available, perhaps I can keep from falling back into old habits.  


I am quite fearful of adding items back to my diet.  It's been easy to say, "No, I can't have ANY cashews," for example, but how easy will it be for me to say, "Yes, I can have a FEW cashews"?  (Notice I didn't say ANYTHING about cheese?!?)  I ate like crap before, and I felt like crap.  I've been eating better now, and I feel better.  What if I can't tolerate some foods anymore?  I've decided it's going to be absolutely essential for me to keep a detailed food diary so I can see exactly how my food choices affect my weight and my overall well-being.  I intend to add foods back slowly; I'm not sure how practical it will be, but I'd like to reintroduce foods one at a time so I can more accurately pinpoint the cause of any weight gain or adverse reaction.  


The plan is to finish up injections ten days from now, followed by three more days of the 500-calorie diet without the HCG injections.  Then we begin the three weeks of increased calories and food choices (without sugar or starches), before we can supposedly add those back to the diet as well.  That puts us right before Thanksgiving.  I want to begin another cycle, but I must wait at least six weeks in between cycles to make sure that I've stabilized and to help prevent immunity to the HCG.  Rather than begin again right before Christmas, however, I'm going to wait until the beginning of the year, which will put me into March before Round 2 is complete.  I haven't even finished this round yet, but I'm already anxious to get started on the next one.  I'll likely have somebody else going through Round 2 with me, but I think it will be much more difficult to not have HS doing it with me.  It's been really nice to have him injecting with me (did I ever mention that I had to give him his first shot?), weighing with me (and good-jobbing each other by the scale most mornings), eating with me (even if it's yucky burned chicken or the fourth beef day in a row), and celebrating newly-baggy clothes with me.  *sniff sniff*  I'm gonna miss that guy (although the hot one who took his place is alright, too, I guess.)

When will the madness end?!

177.4

I really must have read the scale wrong 2 days ago!  Had what I thought was a sizable loss then (supposedly) had a gain, now today I'm down another 1.4 pounds.  Just plain crazy!  So this morning, immediately after weighing myself I wrote down my weight, I didn't want there to be any chance that I forgot the number or wrote down the wrong thing after getting ready for the day.

Still extremely happy with the losses.  I would not have been able to lose 27.2 pounds in the 5 weeks I've been doing this protocol (I think it's only fair to count the week of detox in the equation).  SS and I have 2 more weeks to go and while I'm looking forward to starting to run again I think SS is more interested in cheese.  I should call her Wallace.  While she hasn't said anything else about making cheese she did post a link to my Google Reader about a cheese store that recently opened in the Phoenix area!  Luckily it's far enough away that I don't need to worry about her making daily cheese runs.

For the record the majority of my food related desires have gone away.  I'm not craving the after work (or during lunch) beers at all.  I am looking forward to buying a good bottle of bourbon but I have a feeling the nips will not be as frequent as they might have been.  I'm also not craving the sweets as much, candy just seems like a waste and cheap, factory made pastries just won't cut it anymore.  Same with the greasy fried food.  The state fair has been in town and every time I think about the Polish corn dogs I used to love I feel a little ill.

The only issue I'm having right now is figuring out when in the day I will be working out.  I want to start running in the mornings but I am a huge snooze button fiend, plus I go into work about an hour earlier than the rest of my team and I have close to a 45 minute drive in the morning, and when I get out of phase 2 I need to start preparing breakfast for myself.  If I try running in the morning I'll probably have to be out of the sack by 4:30 the latest.  I don't want to run at night because I'd rather focus on some strength exercises and I don't want to get my adrenaline up too much before I go to bed.

So what do you think? What are the pros and cons of running in the morning and/or night?  Am I thinking about this too much?  Advice is more than welcome.

Days 30 and 31: I'm Back!

I felt incredibly guilty that I didn't blog yesterday, but I just didn't have the time.  Our thousands of readers were undoubtedly distressed by my absence, but hopefully, I'll be forgiven thanks to my good news.  I'm de-bloating and back in the game!  Yesterday I was down 0.7 pounds and today I was shocked to see another 1.4 pound drop.  (That, by the way, puts me 25.5 pounds below my "high weight!")  I'm also seeing big changes in my clothes.  I have at least one pair of pants that are now officially unwearable (unless I want to do some time in the slammer for public indecency), and I can fit into a smaller size.  Another interesting fact: I'm down to only two chins.  


HS has been working hard and stressing himself out some more, but he's doing a great job losing (and did I mention he's looking HOT!?!).  He fell asleep on the couch well before 8pm last night, and I nearly woke him up and sent him to bed....until I realized something.  It was eerily quiet in here.  That's right.  Mr. Snore-and-Choke was absolutely silent for hours!  That's been a huge thing with him as long as I've known him, so it was quite a big deal for me to realize that soon we may be able to snuggle without me getting annoyed that he's snoring in my ear.  

?

178.8

Not sure what happened.  Yesterday I either read the scale wrong in my sleepy haze or recked havoc on the fridge in the middle of the night.  Honestly, I must have read the scale wrong, I didn't do anything yesterday that would have caused me to gain.  I did stay up too late but I doubt that was an issue.  Anyways, very busy day today at the office, hopefully this weekend will be productive AND relaxing.

Surprise, Surprise!

178.2

Big loss, 1.5 pounds!  For lunch yesterday I ate the full meal (meat, tomato, apple) but last night I wasn't in the mood to eat THE WHOLE 250 CALORIES so I had some meat at that was it.  Might have snuck in a yogurt raisin from little boy but that's it.  Very happy with the loss, hope it at least stays steady for the next two weeks and just maybe I'll drop below 170 by the time this is all done.

Day 29: It's Official!

I'm down 0.6 pounds today, hitting the 20 pound mark on the nose!  (Although, I'm down 23.4 pounds from my high weight, but I digress....)  I guess I'll quit being mopey now.  I can't believe there are only two weeks left!  My new adjusted goal is to lose more than 30 pounds during this cycle.  Yes, even 30.1 pounds will qualify!  


I've gotten a bit lazy with the cooking.  We're still eating what we're supposed to, but I'm not cooking every day anymore.  Instead I cook 10 or more servings of food and measure and bag them individually so HS and I only have to grab a serving and nuke it and select a vegetable to accompany it.  As a result, the Littles probably aren't having the quality meal choices they were having in the beginning of the Protocol.  I'm just really burned out on cooking every day, so the pre-cooking keeps me from slipping up and turning to garbage food.  I don't know if HS is super-annoyed with it yet, but I've given myself a pass for the next two weeks.  When we head into Phase 3, I'll do better about cooking a variety of foods AND include the Littles in our meals.  For now, I'm just going to concentrate on getting HS and I successfully through Phase 2--even if it means being bored with the food choices.  

179.7

Down 24.9 pounds since I first weighed in and happily under 180!  I can round to 25 pounds, right?  Doctor visit went well, lost 3/4 of an inch in my ribs, same with hips.  Lost another 1.25 inches in the rear as well.  Arms, legs, and chest stayed the same.  Doc sound it's all muscle which I already knew!  Doc also recommended I begin anaerobic exercise now, said that it will continue to help with the weight loss over the next 2 weeks.

I definitely think I'm going to get down to the 175 now and I'm hoping for at least 172.  That would put me with in 7 pounds of where I had hoped I would end (165) and I can manage that.  As for exercising after this is all done I did find a book that I will have to review after I read it.  It's called Chi Running by Danny Dreyer and from the review I read on boingboing it might just be what I'm looking for.  Only once in my life I really enjoyed running and it was when I was in great shape and could zone out, this might help me get back to that point.  I'll probably pick up the book this week and I'll let you know what I think about it.

...But...

I was hoping for some big "inches" losses, but that didn't happen either.


I lost 0.5 inches from each arm, 0.25 inches from my waist, 0.75 inches from my hips, and 0.25 inches from one ankle, but didn't lose anything in my bust, ribs, rear, thighs, knees, or calves.  


I had only 2.25 total inches lost this week, but coupled with my 3 pound loss this week, the doc is convinced I that I have major menstrual bloating.


I only lost 3 pounds this week, but that's still almost 0.5 pounds per day.


I'm frustrated and emotional, but I haven't seriously considered eating the whole bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in the pantry.  


I most likely will not meet my goal of losing at least 40 pounds during this cycle, but I will meet the holidays with a healthier, happier outlook.


I'm not ready for a shopping spree yet, but I've been able to "shop" in my closet for some things that were too small a month ago.


I've spent more money on groceries this month by buying "health foods," but I haven't spent any money at restaurants this month.


I cleared eight boxes of "garbage" food from the pantry, but my refrigerator is brimming with good stuff.


My diet has been severely limited for the past four weeks, but soon I'll be able to expand my (and my family's) horizons.


I don't weigh less than my husband yet, but he sure is looking hot.


I don't understand exactly how this diet works, but I'm glad I took a chance on it.

Barely Missed It!

180.1

I had a good feeling I'd make it under 180 for the first time in years but I just barely missed it. Today I go to the doctor and I'm anticipating big losses in my ribs and waist, probably chest too.  I have to admit that I'm really anxious to be done with phase 2.  Not that I want to start eating everything I see or that I'm having cravings, I just want the final results.  I just want to move to the next phase of my life!

Day 28: F****!

Nope, didn't lose that 0.1 pound to hit my 20 pound milestone.  I gained 0.5 pound. 

Day 27: Seriously?

So it's been a week since I broke one twenty-pound threshold (on Day 21, I dropped to more than 20 pounds below my peak post-load weight).  I haven't celebrated yet because I wanted to make it official by being 20 pounds below my Day 1 weight (which was 3.4 pounds less than my peak weight).  I figured that would only take a couple more days, but I still haven't hit it!  For the past six days, I've had THREE POUNDS to lose, and this is how my weight loss has looked:
Day 22: -1.3 pounds
Day 23:    0
Day 24: -0.9 pounds
Day 25: -0.2 pounds
Day 26: -0.3 pounds
Day 27: -0.2 pounds
---------------
  2.9 pounds!


I definitely have some pre-menstrual bloating going on, AND it's probably time for me to plateau a bit, but SERIOUSLY!  If my losses don't pick up again, I'm going to end up FAR from my goal, and that will be depressing.  


I'm already a little scared of "Phase 3"...that's the three weeks following the six weeks of injections.  For that period of time, I am to increase our calorie consumption with an emphasis on protein.  I am still supposed to avoid starch and sugar, but I don't have to limit fat or calories except to stay within two pounds of my weight on the morning of my last HCG injection.  If I go above the two pound limit, I am to have a "steak day" in which I fast all day until 4-6pm, when I have a large steak and an apple or raw tomato.  I'm dreading Phase 3 because I'll need to start worrying about what I eat again.  Of course I can't live on 500 calories for the rest of my life, but it's been surprisingly nice to not have many food options because I just don't want to have to put that much thought into it.  


So back to the doc tomorrow.  Hopefully her measuring tape will have better news than my scale does.  

181.0

Wish I could say things were going better but I'm back to small loses again.  From Saturday to Sunday I lost nothing and this morning I was down half a pound.  Didn't post yesterday because I had a cold and for the majority of the day I was sleeping.  Not sure what the deal is, hopefully tomorrow I'll hear some good news regarding inches.  Today I had move the belt down another notch.  One more hole left then I definitely need a new belt!

Day 26: Where's the Beef?

We broke the six-day chicken barrier yesterday and had burgers for dinner.  I had really been looking forward to som3 beef, but it actually tasted strange to me.  Once again, I don't know if our food choices make any difference at all, since first thing this morning, my weight was UP 0.4 pounds from yesterday.  I waited about a half hour for my Smooth Move tea from last night to work its magic and weighed again and ended up DOWN 0.3 pounds from yesterday.  So....whatever!  I haven't decided if we're having chicken or beef for dinner tonight, but I think I'm not going to worry about it so much anymore.  


I cleared another eight boxes of food out of the pantry yesterday, and realistically, there's more that COULD go, but I was afraid the kids would stage a coup if I got rid of much more.  We compromised, and I told LittleGirl we could keep anything that was already open, but all of the unopened stuff with HFCS or hydrogenated oils or stuff that I couldn't pronounce had to go.  She was surprisingly mature about that.  I think I'm going to have to add "dehydrating" to my list of post-HCG Things to Do so we can make some yummy fruit snacks without all the added garbage.  

Getting there

181.5

Happy with todays loss.  Almost back to the 5 pounds a week I anticipated 2 weeks ago.  I'm excited about seeing the 170s again.  For some reason I think I was about 178 when I married SS many many many moons ago.  Also today I took a shot and threw on a large t-shirt that never had the tags removed.  Happy to say the tags are gone and I've at least dropped one shirt size!

Since I'm not exercising yet I'm taking the time on the weekends to get more stuff done around the house.  Pretty easy to do now that I have the energy.  Hopefully SS doesn't try to take advantage of me.  At least not in a work related way (wink wink).

Day 25: Wacky Diet, Indeed!

I'm beyond even trying to figure out the weight loss anymore.  I'm only down 0.2 pounds today, and I have no idea why.  Although the food choices I make each day probably don't matter much, I'm ready for some beef.  If I was still seeing losses of a pound each day, I'd stick with the chicken indefinitely, but if it doesn't matter, I might as well have some bloody red meat.  Don't get me wrong...I'm not frustrated; I'm only bewildered, but that's OK.  I don't need to understand HOW it works as long as it DOES work.  


While the diet is "normal" for HS and me now, LittleGirl is counting down the days until it's over.  A day does not go by without her saying, "Ugh!  Why are you guys even on this diet?  I want to go to a restaurant!"  Apparently it has not yet sunk in that we're not going back to the old lifestyle (fast food and restaurants several times each week) again.  Even without going to restaurants, food becomes an issue with nearly everything we do.  I guess we never really noticed how deeply intertwined food is with everyday living.  Nearly all social situations involve food...movies, happy hour, parties, meetings.  Even for the kids, food is a major part of their social landscape.  Birthday parties and playdates obviously include treats, but even a backseat trip through the bank drive-thru nets a piece of candy.  And what better way to reward kids for a job well done at school?  Why, an ice cream treat, candy, or a pizza party, of course!  I don't expect to keep the Littles from ever having less-than-ideal food again, but it's difficult to convince them to appreciate a healthier diet with so many external influences tempting them with the sweet stuff.  

Day 24: I'm a Loser Again

I truly wish HS and I would both continue to have consistent losses, but it seems like it's usually one or the other of us who has a good day.  Don't get me wrong...I'm happy to be down 0.9 pounds today, but I wish he was, too.  So we're truckin' on with the chicken for now.  


I took the Littles to the Zoo today, and the walking around was the most physical activity I've performed in a LONG time.  Even a month ago, I would have been absolutely exhausted after an hour there, but we lasted upwards of three hours today.  I'm tired now, but I didn't end up with a headache like I used to and I managed to not fall into bed as soon as we returned home.  I don't know if that's a product of the weight loss or the healthier diet, but I'm curious to see how that affects my loss tomorrow.  


There was another small incident at the zoo today.  We sat down to eat lunch, and as I gave LittleBoy a piece of his PB&J, I licked some extra jelly of my fingers.  It wasn't until the cloyingly sweet stuff sent my taste buds a-screamin' that I realized what I had done and gasped in horror.  More than three weeks without cheating and I get a taste of something that's been missing from my diet, and it isn't even tasty.  I only wish I had made him a pesto, ham and fontina panini instead!  I will be seriously steamed if some stupid mindless finger-licking messes up my weight loss.  

Quick Post

182.1

Real quick post before I get swamped at work.  Of course the night after I say that the diet is wacky I lose only one tenth of a pound!  Guess I'll have to be nice an sweet to the dear old protocol here on out.  I'll try to post more later, have to get back to work.

Wow!

182.2

Down 22.4 pounds from my starting weight!  SS pointed out that I have lost more than 10% of my start weight.  This diet is wacky.  You do everything right for a few days and lose very little then the next day you drop over a pound.  When I went to the doc on Tuesday my measurements showed that I had lost another 6 inches total.  Biggest areas of loss came from my gut, chest, and waist.  My pants have become really baggy and I've notched up the belt another 2 holes.  A lot of people are starting to notice that I'm getting skinnier too.

The doc on Tuesday said I could start doing anaerobic exercise if I wanted to, which I really do want to do but I also want to see how much I will lose with out doing anything else.  Part of me wants to get to the next phase of my life but I think it's in my best interest to adhere to the protocol the best I can.  So over the next 3 weeks I want to create a basic work out strategy that I know I will keep.

Day 23: I lied!

I'm breaking my resolution to eat chicken until I stopped losing.  I'm disappointed today that the scale didn't move, but I can't say I'm surprised.  I've had HUGE losses this week, so my body was bound to need a breather.  A couple other things may have contributed to the stall: I don't think I drank a full gallon of water yesterday, I got less than five hours of sleep, and as I cooked three more days worth of chicken last night, I licked my fingers and tasted the onions and broth I cooked it in.  Oh, and I'm probably experiencing some monthly bloating as well.  So, despite the fact that I swore I would eat beef again the first time my weight loss slowed, I'm still stickin' with the chicken.  When the 12 servings (3 days worth) I cooked last night are gone, I'll reassess.  If I'm still stuck, I'll be lickin' the chicken.  


I have a couple other "good news" items today!  Last night, I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in awhile who told me I looked like I had lost weight.  To hear that from someone who had no idea I was dieting really made my day!  Thank you, friend!  


I'm also pretty sure I'm completely over soda now.  I've been craving cola and wishing I could find some cola-flavored stevia drops.  I had read about a stevia-sweetened soft drink, but I found that it was pretty pricey.  I saw a six pack on sale at Sprouts yesterday for 3.99, so I decided to splurge.  I tried one with dinner, and while it wasn't bad, I think my tastes have changed enough that I've moved on.  It never ceases to amaze me how much my tastes have changes in so little time thanks to the HCG!

HCG 101

I know that we have some new readers who aren't entirely familiar with the HCG Protocol, so I'll summarize for you.  This article, while somewhat skeptical of the diet, gives a pretty good overview.  The main points: 

• HCG, or Human Chorio Gonadotropin, is a hormone which is found in both men and women, though pregnant women have the highest levels of HCG in their bodies.  The HCG hormone can be made synthetically or extracted from a pregnant woman's urine.
• Daily administration of the HCG is usually through one of two methods -- either an oral supplement or a liquid injection.
• The HCG shots are said to command your hypothalamus to release fat from storage, which triggers the body to combine that fat (along with 500 calories from food) as energy, causing the body get rid of excess fat.
• The original HCG diet plan is quite restrictive and particular. For breakfast, you can have only tea or coffee without sugar.  For lunch and dinner, you can cook 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of lean meat or seafood and pair it with one vegetable from this list of 13: asparagus, beet greens, cabbage, celery, chard, chicory, cucumbers, fennel, green salad, onions, red radishes, spinach and tomatoes.  For lunch and dinner, you can eat one toast cracker and an orange, apple, half a grapefruit or strawberries.
• Combining the extremely low-calorie diet with the HCG hormone injections will lead to immediate weight loss without the common side effects of many restrictive diets, such as hunger pains, headaches and nausea. Dieters who follow the Protocol generally average weight loss of between a half pound and three pounds each day. 

If you are considering beginning the HCG Protocol, you absolutely must read Dr. A.T.W.'s Manuscript, "Pounds and Inches".  It's 43 pages, which seems long, but it details his research (going back more than 50 years) at his weight loss clinic in Italy, describes how the Protocol works, and outlines the exact details of the diet.  

Be aware that in recent years, other people have begun marketing versions of the Protocol, most notably Kevin Trudeau, an infomercial salesman and convicted felon.  Trudeau's protocol is much more complicated than the original Protocol, but many people have incorporated features of Trudeau's plan into their HCG weight loss plans.  

While HS and I are doing subcutaneous injections as outlined in the Simeons Protocol, many people receive their HCG via sublingual drops.  The formulations (and availability) are different, but most people claim to have similar (or even better) results with the drops as the injections.  

HS and I are under the care of a Naturopathic Doctor who supplies us with pre-filled syringes of the HCG.  Another person who is close to me purchased her HCG from an online clinic based in Colorado.  Her "consultation" with the doctor consisted of a conference call with other buyers.  She had to wait a couple weeks for her HCG to arrive in the mail (from a pharmacy in Florida) and then had to mix the HCG herself, but she paid about half of what each of us paid.  Many people purchase their HCG online from sources in Canada, India, or elsewhere overseas for about 25% of what each of us paid for our HCG, but they sometimes have their packages confiscated by Customs.  Many other people purchase "homeopathic" HCG to be used sublingually.  There are many sources available online, including eBay, for about 10% of what each of us paid.  

I've read A LOT about the Protocol and peoples' experiences with it.  If you have a question, feel free to ask.  If I don't know the answer, I probably know where to find it.  

Day 22: Cluck Cluck

Chicken it is!  I'm down another 1.3 pounds today, so I'm stickin' with the chicken as long as my losses are more than 0.5 pounds.  Honestly, I'm running out of tasty ideas, but I'll take boring old chicken for pound-per-day losses.  I tried to make a Protocol-friendly barbecue sauce last night.  I had it almost right, added more ingredients, and ultimately screwed it up.  It's time for me to make some more of my yummy pepper-free salsa and marinara.  I need to figure out a good chicken salad recipe without using mayo...if you have any ideas for me, please comment below!


HS and I are taking LittleGirl to the movies today, and I think I might need a duffel bag to smuggle in the bottles of mineral water, apples, and chicken we're going to need for the three-hour movie.  I'm usually not hungry until the afternoon, but I don't want to risk being hungry in a place without any reasonable food choices, so I'm going to be prepared.  Oh, and HS will be able to prove his commitment to the diet by avoiding the popcorn, hot dogs, and candy.  :-)  

Welcome Our Guest Blogger!

As you know my parents this is there daughter.If you want this will make me happy ask my parents to try jump rope.Oh'and watch out for the jump.Have fun!

You tell your children to try jump rope to.Do it!Ill see ya later!!!

Day 21: Halfway!

Today marks the end of our third week on the injections with only three more weeks to go, and I'm pleased with my progress so far.  Chicken Day #2 was successful, giving me another 0.9 pound loss.  That makes my total loss 17 pounds from Day 1 and 20.4 pounds from my peak post-load weight.  If I can maintain that rate of loss (which is supposed to be difficult to do), I'm looking forward to being 35-40 pounds lighter by the end of the month.  Too bad I don't have any control over the rate of loss!  


I saw the doc again this morning for measurements, and I lost a little bit all over this week.  Each arm lost another 0.25 inches (for 1.5 inches each), my bust is down another inch (for a total of 3 inches), my waist is down another inch (for a total of 2.25 inches), and I lost another 0.75 inches around my ribs (for a total of 2.75 inches).  My big ol' butt got another 1.25 inches smaller (2 inches total), each knee lost another 0.5 inches (1 and 1.5 inches each), and one calf lost 0.5 inches.  All in all, I lost another 6 inches this week for a total of 24 inches.  Many of my clothes are getting quite baggy, but I think the smaller items I have are still a little snug, so I'll go gangsta for awhile.  I'm NOT going to buy new clothes yet because I anticipate going many sizes smaller.  


Time to go make our 6th chicken meal in a row.  If we have another big loss in the morning, I'll be buying more chicken tomorrow.  If we don't, I'd really like a good piece of beef!  HS claims to not care what we eat tonight because he doesn't care if it tastes good anymore, but HS is full of BS.  

184.9

Sorry I haven't been posting.  While SS was correct, my eyes have been bothering me this last week (really dry), there's more to the story.  I've been a little frustrated and I haven't wanted to be negative on the blog.  My loses for awhile were not as big as I had hoped and then SS has been saying that she thinks I have food obsession issues because I talk about food a lot.

SS started doubting if I would continue to eat healthy after the protocol which really irked me.  I've been wanting to eat healthier for a long time now and this was the perfect way to start.  Plus I've already discussed with SS my intentions after the plan is done.  I had hoped to be within 10 pounds of my target weight when done but realistically I think it will be closer to 20 if my loses continue on the same path.  Still much more than I could have done on my own so I'm not complaining, honestly.

So to lose the additional 10 to 20 pounds I've decided that I really want to start exercising again.  I wish I could start now!  I have so much more energy already it's ridiculous.  Now I don't have big dreams of hitting the gym twice a day or being an American Gladiator or anything, I just plan to start running again and doing anaerobic exercises at home.  Push-ups, sit-ups, the kind of things I did while in the Army.  If I lose the additional weight great but what it really comes down to is if I feel healthy or not.  Sure I'd like to run a marathon someday, or join the 100 push-up/100 sit-up club, but those to me are longterm goals that I can't even see right now.  If I'm sticking to the plan, and I'm already discussing my intentions afterwards, why should SS care if I talk about food that sounds/smells good if I'm not eating it and why should she start questioning me?

See, exactly why I haven't been posting, coming across like an ass.  Hopefully now I'll get over it.  I've stopped talking to SS about food so this topic should not come up again.  Going to the doctor this evening so I'm sure my next post will be more upbeat.