Sun Jun 28, 09 R2 4 Wks after LIW (130.0 +/- 0.0)

Just checking in. It has been 4 weeks since my last injection weight, and I am at the same exact weight I was then. I have fluctuated a pound or so either direction, but that is about it. Most days it has been between 130 and 131. I can live with that! I am enjoying lots of fresh fruit and veggies. Still careful with the starchy carbs, but indulge in moderation. The cravings aren't like they used to be. The family is all pretty stable as well. This stuff works! I'm very happy with the results.

Tues Jun 16, 09 R2P3 Day 17 131.4 (LIW + 1.4)

Well, I thought I'd better check back in. Haven't posted since I reached my goal. I am almost through P3 and have stayed within the 1.6 lb of my LIW so far. I went on a 4 day business trip last week (without my scale.) I stuck mostly to scrambled eggs, Chicken Ceaser salads (no croutons) and limited amounts of fruit, nuts, and beef jerky. Had a delicious Ribeye one night. After getting home, I was pleased to find I didn't gain the whole time. The final phase, P4, will start on Saturday. Since I am at my goal weight, this is the beginning of "the rest of my life" phase. I plan to start working out to build up a little more muscle and tone up a bit. Will do both strength training and treadmill. I haven't exercised the whole time I've been on the plan. It's amazing to be able to lose that much without exercise! In 4 weeks, my husband ended up losing 26 lbs, daughter 21 lbs, and son 50 lbs in 55 days! (He started his P2 before we did.) They have all maintained their losses, and are now almost to the end of P3 as well. I'm sorry I haven't posted, but there really isn't a lot of news when you are just maintaining! Thanks for all your encouragement that helped get me through. I'll keep posting every now and then to let you know how it is going. Hang in there...it's worth it!

Sat May 30, 09 VLCD 28 AT GOAL WEIGHT 130!

Goal Weight 130! Posted new "After" photos. Have another day or two of HCG left so I will probably use it up, but I'm happy with the results, and to finally reach my goal. This is definitely the easiest and most effective diet I've ever been on. I've lost 28 lbs from my original R1 Load weight. Round 1 in six weeks lost 17 lbs. Went from Load weight of 158 down to 141. Maintained for six weeks. Round 2 started at 141 and added 3 lbs load weight, did 4 weeks and ended at 130. My husband did R2 with me and is down 23 lbs (but doesn't want to share his photos - even though he looks great!) My daughter lost 20 lbs in 4 weeks, and my son who has been going continuously since April 8th has lost 46 lbs! (From 210 to 164 lbs.) One really great thing about the HCG diet is that, unlike other diets, the fat comes off at the waist and hips, and not all off the bust like other diets. Maybe it's because it is a pregnancy hormone and we all know that our bust increases then! I feel like I wound up with a much more balanced loss with HCG than on other diets I've used. Yes, I lost 4 1/2 inches off my bust, but I also lost 4 1/2 inches off my hips! And 6 1/2 inches off my waist, and 7 1/2 inches off my abdomin! Dr Simeons says the HCG diet "sculpts" your body, and he wasn't kidding. Even though I lost 4 1/2 inches off my bust, it ended up looking bigger, because of having a much narrower waist and giving it more definition. You can count my ribs! Although I lost 3 1/4 inches off each thigh, they still look pretty big to me. It's my German heritage! I'm never going to have slender hips and thighs. Final stats are 36 - 27 1/2 - 38 1/2. Can't complain about that after starting out at 40 1/2 - 34 - 43. I used to wear a size 14-16 and now can go in and buy size 6! They fit in the waist and hips, but some styles are still a bit snug in the thighs. Again...chalk it up to German genes! I do plan to work out when I finish the diet to tone up and build a little more muscle. All I can say is this diet works if you stick strictly to Dr Simeon's protocol and DON'T CHEAT! A few weeks of deprivation is a small price to pay for a new body. No surgery! No chemicals! HCG is a natural hormone and seems to me like that is a much safer, healthier option. There are other protocols out there, that allow more calories and a larger variety of foods, but I doubt you would get the same results as quickly as Dr Simeons tried and true plan. The clinic I started out with allowed that stuff, but I found Dr Simeons plan online a day or two after I started, and decided to follow his eating plan instead, since it sounded like it would be more effective. (I didn't tell the doctor at the clinic that I wasn't following their plan!) For Round 2, I just ordered the HCG and supplies from Bob at www.whenhealthmatters.com and got enough HCG for 8 weeks for $150. I split it with my husband and we each did four weeks this time. My son and daughter also got their supplies from WhenHealthMatters. I don't know if I would have ordered online the first time, since I was really unsure about this stuff. Before I started, I didn't even know you could get it online! The online chat forum at http://hcgdietinfo.com/hcgvanillaforum was a huge help. I asked a lot of questions there, and everyone was so helpful. You can look up all kinds of questions there. The clinic I started with was run by a doctor, and included blood tests, and two "Before and After" full body scans, and some B-12 shots. But knowing what I know now, I would skip the clinic and just order the stuff online and do it myself. (And save money!) It worked just as well.

Wed May 27 R2 VLCD Day 25 130.6 (LIW - 10.4)

About 1/2 lb from my goal! I am so amazed to be here! It seemed like such a long shot at the start. I feel fantastic! I really wish I had known about this diet years ago. This last round has gone by so quickly. I'm down 13.4 from my R2 load weight. I have enough HCG for a few more days and I'll go until I use it up. It would be nice to get to 127 for my LIW so even if I gain 2 lbs in P3, I'll still be in the 120's! My son has lost 45 lbs, my husband is down 20 lbs. They look GREAT! I haven't talked to my daughter for a few days, but she has been averaging a loss of a pound a day! My friend at work lost six pounds this week. I've had people say to me that it is "unhealthy" to lose weight so fast. Well, being overweight is unhealthy too. I'd really like to know what is unhealthy about getting to your correct weight quickly so you can quit "dieting" and eat a normal, healthy amount of food to maintain. They say you aren't learning how to eat "normally", but dieting for months isn't eating "normally" either, and is so discouraging, and so slow, that most people quit without ever reaching their goal. Bring on the HCG! I can't believe it has been a secret for so long, when it could help so many people.

Wed May 20 R2 VLCD Day 18 133.6 (LIW -7.4)

Down 4.2 lbs from last Wednesday. This late in the round, that is a great loss for me. Total loss this round 10.4 from Load. Yesterday was my one year anniversary at work and we traditionally take everyone to lunch on someone's hiring anniversary. They all wanted to go to lunch anyway, so I grabbed my chicken tender, 2 tomatoes, half an apple, and went with them and watched them all eat pizza, wings, calzones, bruchetta, and luscious looking salads! Great celebration, huh? That's ok, I was there for the companionship, not the food. I just told myself (and them) I only have another week or two to go and I can eat out with "real" food again. (Probably not pizza and wings though!) I was rewarded when I got on the scale this morning with a 0.8 lb loss which I'm absolutely SURE I would NOT have had if I had indulged even a little bit! It is so worth it to stay strong. I haven't been this low since I was 39! (16 years) A friend at work started her first load day today. She's been so scared to get the shot. She tried to do it herself yesterday and just couldn't. She brought it in to work today and I did it for her. She laughed afterwards that she had been afraid of that. She said she didn't even feel it!

Sat May 16 R2 VLCD Day 14 135.4 (LIW -5.6)

Happy day! Another new number in front of the decimal point. Within a half pound of my original goal. I wasn't sure I would get here, but now I have re-set my goal to 130 which is where I really wanted to be...or maybe a pound or two lower so I have a cushion. Lost a full pound since yesterday. Husband is down 13 lbs from load, and I'm down 8.6 from load, so second round is still working. I was worried after stalling last week. I was at the grocery store last night and found some hot house tomatoes on sale and bought some. I hadn't eaten any because they often give me canker sores, but I couldn't resist them because they were so beautiful. As a child, we always ate them sliced with sugar on top. I had two of them last night with a sprinkle of Splenda on them and they were SOOO delicious and satisfying, that I just skipped my apple after dinner! Everyone goes "EEEWWWW Gross!" when I tell them I put sugar on my tomatoes, including my husband, but I convinced him to try a bite. (Don't give me grief about Splenda...I rarely use it. A spoonful won't kill me.) He immediately grabbed the Splenda and sprinkled the rest of his plate of tomatoes with it! Don't knock it till you've tried it. It's like having dessert! Since it's Saturday, and I had more time, I took my measurments this morning. Then, just for fun, I wrapped the tape measure around me and set it to the size I used to be. Oh my gosh! It blew me away. What a motivator! Try it! Have a great weekend everyone.

Thurs May 14 R2 VLCD Day 12 136.6 (LIW - 4.4)

Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement. It really is nice to hear from you. I thought about doing an apple day if I wasn't down today...but waHOO! Down 1.2 lbs since yesterday! My husband was also down today after a stall. So far, he is down 12.8 lbs, and I am down 7.4 from our Load weights. It pays to hang in there. Seriously, what other diet would let me lose that in 12 days? (This close to my goal) I try not to let the scale make or break my day, but it sure is nice when I see a new number in front of that decimal point! Thanks again for all your support.

Wed May 13 R2 VLCD Day 13 137.8 (LIW -3.2)

OK, not very happy. I am down 1 lb in the last seven days! No cheating! That means I plateaued after just 1 week and 6 lbs. My body is just STUCK here. This is how the week went: Last Wed: 138.8, Thurs: 138.6, Fri: 138.0, Sat: 138.0, Sun: 138.0, Mon: 137.4, Tues: 138.0, Today: 137.8. Considering I'm eating less than 500 calories per day (I don't eat the Melba Toast) I'd sure like to see more progress than one pound in a week! I'm happy with the 20 lbs total loss (R1 and R2) but it is really frustrating when I've been so strict and the scale still isn't moving. I'm 5'5" so it's not like I'm at my perfect weight or anything. I still have at least 10 lbs to shed to be at my normal, healthy weight. I used to average around 125 when I was younger. I've double checked everything I eat or use, and can't find a cause for the stall. I drink a ton of water. I waited six weeks between rounds and did not gain at all between rounds. I skipped a day last week, and should not be immune this early in my second round. I really wanted to get to 130 this round (4 weeks) and it isn't going to happen at this rate! All right...I've vented. Don't mean to bring you down. Hopefully the scale will start moving again soon. Just goes to show - Mother Nature is still in control and we have to accept what we get after all we can do.

Mon May 11 R2 VLCD Day 9 137.4 (LIW -3.6)

A little over half pound loss after a 3 day stall. Been mildly hungry over the weekend, but I think weekends are just harder than weekdays in general. The routine is off, and I am shopping for groceries, working in the kitchen, and watching a little TV with evil commercials full of food, etc... I'm down 6.6 from my R2 load weight, my husband is down 10 lbs and is very happy! Seems like R2 is a little harder than R1, but it could just be my imagination. I do have to say this week went by fast. I've still had a nice loss this week, just anxious to get to my goal and get on with normal food again - healthy normal food that is!

Thurs May 7 R2 VLCD Day 5 138.6 (LIW -2.4)

Sorry I haven't posted this week. Been really busy. Have had a nice loss this week, although down only 0.2 from yesterday. My husband is down 6.2 lbs, and daughter down 5.8 lbs. (She started a day later than we did.) My son has lost 30 lbs in the first 4 weeks and he is continuing on with us. It has been more fun having other family members with me this time. I'm only planning to do 3-4 weeks, depending on how the loss goes. I'd really like to get to 129, but that is just a number on the scale...psychologically in the 120's! But in reality, I would need to go a little below that to have a cushion. I'm too cautious to believe that I can do that much on round two. It would be a 15 - 17 lb loss in 21 to 28 days. In round one, I did 15 lbs in 4 weeks, but now that I am that much closer to my goal, I think the losses will be slower.

Sun May 3 R2 VLCD Day 1 Load Weight: 144.0 (LIW +3.0)

My hubby and I decided to start a day early this time and began loading on Friday and Saturday...so today, Sunday, was our first VLCD day. I gained 3 lbs from my LIW with the loading for R2. Hopefully that will be gone in a day or two. Got comments from my hubby and daughter that loading is not as fun as it sounds. I agree. After eating healthy for so long, putting all that garbage in my body felt terrible! I'm glad to back on P2, and really happy to have my husband, son, and daughter starting with me. They both said the injections are a piece of cake. Like I said, after the first one, they will never worry about it again. They are very excited to see what will happen for them. Me too!

Wed Apr 29, 09 P4 Day 21 140.6 (LIW -0.4)

Good day! Down almost half a pound from LIW. I've been feeling great lately, and I'm really looking forward to starting R2 this weekend and dropping those pesky last 10 lbs. My daughter has decided to take the plunge with my husband, son, and self, and she will be loading with us this weekend. It will be fun to have 4 of us on it together. My son has already been going for 3 weeks and is down 23 lbs, and has stalled the last few days, but he is hanging in there. His best friend who started at the same time has lost over 30 lbs! (He weighed more than my son to start) Note to Kate: No I haven't had any hair loss. I did take a good multivitamin and also B-12 sublingual. That may help.

Mon Apr 27, 09 P4 Day 19 1414.6 (LIW + 0.6)

Same ol' same ol.' Hanging in around 141. Plus or minus a pound here and there, but always come back around 141.0 to 141.6 Today is 6 weeks since LIW, so I am very happy with the way I have stabilized. Will be re-starting P1 with my husband this Saturday. Looking forward to taking off the last 10 lbs!

Thu Apr 23, 09 P4 Day 15 141.0 (LIW +/- 0.0)

Boring stuff to read, but happy to be stable. Yesterday was 0.2 below LIW, today I'm exactly at LIW, which is a good thing. I've been pretty steady. I watch what I eat. I do indulge in sweets, but in moderation, and try to keep everything in balance. Seems to be working, but not too exciting to write about! My son has been on the VLCD for 14 days and is down 21 lbs. Now that's exciting! He is 21 and living on his own and preparing his own food and injections and everything. I'm really proud of him.

Mon Apr 20 P4 Day 12 141.4 (LIW +0.4)

Not much going on. Less than half a pound over my LIW which is a good thing. It has been almost 5 weeks since LIW so I'm hanging in there ok. Got up to 143.0 once this week, but came right back down the next day. Just trying to eat healthy most of the time. My son has lost 17 lbs in 11 VLCD days so far. He's very excited! My husband and I will be starting another round on May 2nd. (His first, my second round)

Thu Apr 16, 09 P4 Day 8 141.6 (LIW +0.6)

Fairly steady. Was 141.4 yesterday. Ate a huge bowl of air popped popcorn drizzled with 1 1/2 TBS of olive oil for supper last night. I've missed popcorn so much. I figured with all the salt and carbs I'd be a lot higher today, but managed to stay in range. Felt really good all day today. Worked 11 1/2 hours, but the time just flew by. Had lots of energy...don't know why. Maybe my body was just so thrilled to have popcorn again!!! lol On another note, that E-Book you mentioned sounds great. I went to the HTA website a few weeks back and registered, but could not figure out how to work my way through the tangled web of stuff there. It probably is a great site, but way too complicated for me. I went back again and thought I'd give it another shot since you all speak so highly of it, but it is just so complicated. I tried to go to Biz's Boot Camp, but it said I didn't have "authorization" or something. I did find the book under Products, and I'd probably get it, but I'm afraid I won't be able to figure out how to access it!

Tue Apr 14, 09 P4 Day 6 141.6 (LIW +0.6)

The Steak day worked. I was down 1.6 lbs this morning. Right where I should be. I ate healthy things today, and all is good. I did NOT enjoy the steak day. I didn't like not being able to eat anything all day. That will be motivation for keeping on track!

Mon Apr 13, 09 P4 Day 5 143.2 (LIW +2.2)

First Steak Day! Just 0.2 lbs over the upper limit. I enjoyed myself yesterday, and indulged in whatever candy I wanted. Mostly, I ate Peeps! I probably had about 15 or 20 throughout the day! (5 Peeps is about 150 calories) Also had two slices of angel food cake with fresh strawberries. Fortunately for me, those two cravings are both fat free! I did have a few pieces of chocolate though, as well. I'm not feeling guilty at all. I planned to eat the things I wanted...within reason. (OK, maybe YOU think 20 Peeps is unreasonable, but I don't!) LOL!!! My husband can't stand Peeps and thinks I'm crazy. He loves to tease me about it. I'll do a steak day today, and should be happily back on track with my healthy choices tomorrow. I hope you all had a wonderful Easter.

Fri Apr 10, 09 P4, Day 2 139.6 (LIW -1.4)

Today, I am officially in the 130's for the first time in years! Yesterday was my first P4 day. I had 2/3 c Fiber One cereal with 1% milk some slivered almonds and dried blueberries for breakfast...those were my first starches in over 2 months. The rest of the day I ate mostly regular healthy foods, except I ate 5 "Peeps" in the afternoon. I have a weakness for them, and was out buying Easter candy for the family, and allowed myself to indulge in one pack. I ate all 5 in the car before I even got home. LOL! For dinner I had 2 oz of chicken breast and a huge artichoke with 1/4 c butter. Also half of a grapefruit. I know all that butter is not a great idea, but I don't eat artichokes very often so I figured it would be ok now and then. Evidently it didn't hurt me too much considering the huge drop in weight today. Down 2.2 lbs since yesterday! I was at 141.8. I took the day off yesterday and had a massage and a chiropractic adjustment to reward myself for getting through all the accounting stress this month. Maybe that was the reason for the drop. Anyway, it was exciting to see 139.6 on the scale this morning! Sure wasn't expecting it. I doubt I'll stay there over the Easter weekend. I am serving a healthy dinner...grilled chicken breasts...but I will allow myself some slack to eat a little candy and my daughter's pasta salad. As long as I stay under 143.1 I'll be happy! I think some planned indulgence is a good idea. I set limits and keep them. That is better than just going to the breaking point and binging. Plus, if I plan to allow myself to indulge, I won't feel guilty! Monday...back to normal healthy fare. Happy Easter everyone!

Tue Apr 7, 09 P3 Day 20 140.8 (LIW -0.2)

Kind of funny...this morning when I stepped on the scale, it still said 141.0 (It has been there a few days) so I said to my husband, "I'm afraid this thing is stuck and I've actually gained weight." So I had him come over and get on the scale to "unstick" it, and when I got back on, the first thing I saw was the .8 and I said "See, I'm up!" Then I looked at it again and saw it was actually 140.8 not 141.8! I just assumed it would be bad. I was offered homemade choc chip cookies at my daughter's house last night and passed, so I guess I was nicely rewarded this morning! Not that 0.2 is such a big loss, but after 20 days in P3, it feels really good to know that I have not gained an ounce! I start P4 on Thurs, and that will be harder, but I'll just have to stay on top of it to make sure I stay within 2 lbs. Then on May 2, on to Round 2 with my sweet hubby! (Round 1 for him.) He was going to start today with my 21 yr old son and his best friend, but decided to wait 3 weeks so we could do it together. It will be so much easier for both of us as we can support each other. I'm very blessed to have such a supportive husband. I know that he has been a big part of my being able to be successful. He's been cooking his own meals (or eating fast food) all this time so I don't have to cook food that I can't eat. He even helps with the dishes, laundry, cleaning, holds my car door, etc. I can't believe how lucky I am to have found him. Sorry ladies...he's definitely taken forever!

Sun Apr 5, 09 R1, P3, Day 18 141.0 (LIW +/- 0.0)

I definitely think it is harder to stay on track on the weekends when I am home with the refrigerator - or away from home and at the mercy of foods prepared by others. At home, at least all the stuff is healthy...it's just that I want to eat every 5 minutes because I'm out of my routine, and more relaxed, and ALL the goodies are right there. (Like I could eat fruit and nuts all day long!) At least at work, I only take a limited amount with me so there is only so much damage I could do as long as I stay away from the stuff others bring in. The other problem is when we were out shopping all day yesterday, I got hungry and didn't want to do the fast food route. Fortunately, I had some almonds and beef jerky in the car so I was able to tide myself over, but it's just harder without my planned snacks and foods. That's real life though so I need to adjust to it. Thursday will be my first P4 day and I know one of my first carbs to add back in will be popcorn! I've sure missed it. The way I fix it is not that unhealthy. I mix the regular yellow popcorn seeds together with some white popcorn seeds, and air pop it. Using the two colors makes it look like it is buttered (sort of...use your imagination!) Then I drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over it, add salt, and toss it around. Yum! Not all grocery stores carry the white seeds. You may have to look around for them. They are a nice change from the yellow, and the kernals are smaller and more tender. Popcorn is a great snack because you can eat it one kernal at a time to make it last longer! (or not!)

Thu Apr 2, 09 P3 Day 15 140.2 (LIW -0.8)

Been working till 8 or 9pm all week. It's Month End for accounting, and that is lots of extra hours in our business. (Too bad I'm on salary!) But I'm thankful to have a job in this economy. Not a lot to report, except that it has been over 2 weeks in P3 now and I am still below my LIW! I've gone a few ounces up and down over the last couple of days, but staying pretty close. Today is the lowest I've been for a while. I don't keep anything but healthy snacks at the office, and I'm trapped here for 10 to 12 hours a day, so that helps. Although everyone brings in treats. Right now there is a luscious Costco Chocolate cake and some Easter candy in the kitchen. I just stay away from them. It really does help to have my own snacks handy, so I have something I can nibble on. Last night I did cut some cake to take home for my sweet hubby and my stepdaughter. Got some frosting on my fingers but didn't lick it off. Just washed my hands. P3 is easier than P4, because I still know I can't have that stuff. In P4, it will be an option occasionally. The trick will be to keep those "occasions" far enough apart!!! Ordinarily I would have eaten a piece of cake and would grab a chocolate egg (or three) every time I wandered back there. Got to change those habits!

Mon Mar 30, 09 P3 Day 12 141.0 (LIW +/- 0.0)

What a roller coaster! Yesterday morning after Applebees, I weighed 143.0. Yikes! One more ounce and I would have had to do a steak day. I knew it had to be water though, because I had eaten pretty sensibly. So yesterday, I just had an apple for breakfast, 2 Hard boiled eggs and two small clementines for lunch, a 2oz bag of peanuts for a snack, and 2 chicken tenders and salad for supper, and two more clementines for dessert! I would have posted yesterday, but we were busy with church and family. This morning I was down 2 lbs...exactly at my LIW! I'm guessing I'll be back to 142 again tomorrow. That's how it usually goes. Sorry I can't stay and chat tonight. It is already 11pm and I get up at 5:30am. Just didn't want to go to bed without posting, since I missed yesterday. Good luck to all of you. You are so supportive, it helps me stay focused. Hang in there, and thanks so much for your comments. PS: No, I'm not a UCONN grad. A friend gave us tickets to the game!

Sat Mar 28, 09 P3 Day 10 141.6 (LIW +0.6)

Yesterday, I was preparing for Month End, and didn't get out of the office until after 8pm. Around 7pm, my boss ordered pizza for the three of us there. I didn't even touch it. (But I did polish off about 1/2 cup of peanuts, and I know that was a lot of calories!) When I got home, I had a light dinner of 3oz turkey breast wrapped in romaine lettuce leaves, and one small clementine. I figured between the extra fat and salt in the nuts, I would probably be up this morning. Surprise! I was actually down a little today. Didn't think I would be, as I lost track of my calories yesterday and figured I went over. Today, my sweet hubby and I went to the UCONN/Missouri College Basketball finals today (UCONN won!) That was fun. I avoided all the snacks there, and just had water. We went to Applebee's for dinner, and I had the 7 oz sirloin, with steamed veggies, and a side salad. Again, it was after 8pm by the time dinner was served and I was so hungry, I ate it ALL! We'll see what damage that did to the scale tomorrow! PS: To AppleBottomBlues - thanks for the additional info about the calorie calculations. That makes me feel better. That would put me around 1575 per day. That doesn't sound so bad.

Fri Mar 27, 09 P3, Day 9 142.0 (LIW +1.0)

142.0 my favorite number. NOT! I guess I better get used to seeing it. My body sure seems to like it! I really thought I'd be a little lower today, as I had a good "visit" to the bathroom, and only ate 1300 calories yesterday trying to help it along. At least I'm still within range, and I have to remember, that just a couple of months ago, I would have been ecstatic to see that number on the scale! Gotta keep things in perspective. I feel great. Lots more energy. Hopefully, since my body likes this number so much, it will also work in my favor if I overindulge sometime. They brought in all kinds of muffins and pastries and juice at the office today and it sure looked good. I stayed at my desk and ate 2 dried apricots and 8 almonds and drank two cups of hot tea to try to make myself feel "full." I'm just telling myself that those things can be part of my future (in moderation) but they just can't be part of my present! I don't want to blow P3 after working so hard in P2 to get here. Thanks for all your encouraging comments! PS to AppleBottomBlues: I did go to the link for the BMR and it said my BMR should be 1311, that's even lower! I don't know which one is right, but I hate to think I've got to live on 1300 calories to maintain 140 for the rest of my life! (Unless I start exercising like crazy!)

Thurs Mar 26, 09 P3 Day 8 142.2 (LIW +1.2)

Remember how long I was stuck at 142, and I said my body must really like that number? Well I'm baaack! I wasn't going to post today, because I really didn't want to post that number (even though it is still in the "safe" range of my LIW.) But I decided to just be real. That's what it is. I'm eating right and drinking a ton of water. *TMI Alert* I figure it is mostly because I've not been "regular" since Sunday. I took some extra magnesium last night, and it seems to have worked, so I hope to be back under 142 again tomorrow. I'm lactose intolerant, and I wonder if the whey protein drink (90 cal, 23g protein, no carbs, no sugars) I've had a couple of times is messing with my regularity. P3 has been a little harder than P2. I get hungry more often now than I did on 500 calories. Kat asked about whether 1500 cal is enough to maintain. I've been told that you multiply the weight you are (or want to be) by 11 for someone who is fairly sedentary. That would be me - at the computer at least 12 hours a day. 140 x 11 = 1540. If you are more active, then you can raise the number to accomodate the extra calories burned by exercise. Thanks everyone for your comments. We're all in this together!

Tues Mar 24, 09 P3 Day 6 141.6 (LIW + 0.6)

Phase 3 is going pretty well. It's been 6 days and I'm within about half a pound of my LIW. I've been eating around 1500 calories daily, which is what I am supposed to eat to maintain my weight. My boss took the whole office out for Mexican food for lunch today. I went along and just ordered a chicken mango salad. Grilled chicken pieces and cubed mangoes on lettuce with red bell pepper and a green chili dressing. I forgot to ask them to serve the dressing on the side. It was quite sweet, so I just picked around it as much as possible, ate the chicken, lettuce,red peppers and about half the mangoes. Picked off the croutons, and avoided the tortilla chips completely. It is the first time I've eaten out since I started the protocol! I thought it went pretty well. To me, P3 is a lot like the South Beach Diet's first two weeks, except I still get to eat fruit every day!

Mon Mar 23, 09 P3 day 5 141.4 (LIW +0.4)

Just a little over my LIW. Been eating very healthy foods, but maybe a little too much. I was really hungry today. Lots of stress, and that always gives me the munchies. At least I grabbed an apple and some raw almonds instead of the giant cookie they were serving at the office today! I'm sure I hit about 1500 or 1600 calories today. Theoretically, I shouldn't gain on that...but the scale is always playing tricks. I'll just deal with whatever it says tomorrow.

Sat Mar 21, 09 Day 3 P3 140.0 (LIW -1.0)

Actually down 1.0 lb from LIW. I took Thurs and Fri off work as vacation days, and I'm glad I did. The transition from Phase 1 to Phase 2 was a little more difficult than I had anticipated. I ate carefully as I had planned, all healthy foods, and not too much, but my intestines kind of rebelled at the notion of having fat again, and they were not used to having a larger portion of protein in one meal. And my blood sugar was all over the place. It's weird...I felt fine on Wed, my last 500 cal day, but when I started eating again, I was getting light headed, and started getting "the shakes" from low blood sugar (I think?) about every 3 hours. I felt very weak. I wanted to do some cleaning, and had to stop after 30 minutes and lie down. Whenever I ate, I had to lie down for a while because my intestines were aching. That is SO not like me. I took some sublingual B-12 and also a protein drink and started feeling better and stronger yesterday afternoon and evening. I was able to get some cleaning done, and feel pretty good this morning. I ate close to 1500 calories my first P3 and I was afraid to weigh in yesterday, but I was down 0.4 lbs to 140.0. Go figure! Still the same this morning.

Thur Mar 19, 09 - Day 1, P3, 140.4 (LIW -0.6)

Last Injection Weight (LIW) 141.0 on Monday. I wondered how I would do on day 3 of no HCG, but it really didn't bother me. It was pretty much another day. Fortunately, I was so busy at work, I really didn't have time to think about food very much. Weighed in at 140.6. Didn't get to write yesterday. I worked a 12 1/2 hr day at the office and didn't get home till 9pm. Ate my last little tiny meal last night. Phase 3 begins today! When I woke up this morning, first thing before I ever got out of bed was to put lotion on! I'm loving it. My hands have been so cracked and dry. Then my sweet husband fixed me scrambled eggs in olive oil (2 whole eggs + 1 egg white) and brought it to me in bed! He is so awesome! That was the first bit of fat I've had in six weeks. Going to have a salad with chicken breast, assorted veggies and avocado for lunch. Dinner will be grilled steak and mushrooms, broccoli, and probably more salad. For a fruit, I will have 1/2 of a Pummelo. They are like gigantic grapefruit with a really thick skin and tough membranes. You peel it apart and eat the sweet pulp...kind of like eating a pomegranate. It takes time and effort to eat it, so it is a good diet food. I love them. P3 is kind of scary after being told what to eat for so long. Also, it is scary to add more calories when I wasn't even losing on 500 calories, but Dr S says do it, so I'm going to give it a try. I need about 1500 calories a day to maintain at 140. I'll work up to that, but not do it all right away. We'll see how it goes.

Tues Mar 17, 09 39th VLCD day 140.6 (LIW -0.4)

Down 17.4 from load weight. Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm surprised to see a loss today, but I'll take it. Yesterday was my last injection, so I'm on my own now without any more shots. I just consider this another skip day, like always, but we'll see how I do tomorrow when the HCG is nearly gone from my body. I had my final body scan done today. I've lost 14 lbs from my start weight (before loading.) The scan showed that 11 lbs were fat, and 3 lbs were muscle. I have mixed emotions about that. I don't know if that's good or bad. The clinic told me to eat more protein so I wouldn't lose muscle, but I kept strictly to Dr Simeon's protocol instead (and didn't tell the clinic.) So, I don't really know if I would have kept more muscle if I did it their way, or if I would have lost as much fat - because I would be over the 500 calorie limit per day. I'm glad to get the fat off, and I know how to strength train to build the muscle back up. With the scan report, I can do some calculations to figure out where the muscle loss came from, but I'm too tired to do it tonight. When I figure it out, I'll let you know.

Mon Mar 16, 09 38th VLCD day 141.0 (LIW)

Down 17.0 lbs from load weight. This is it! Today I had my last injection. As I predicted, the scale did not move since yesterday, so I guess 141.0 is my LIW. I highly recommend this diet to anyone who has the willpower to be very strict and not cheat. I've done that with other diets too, but never got results like this! Seeing the scale drop so quickly really helps you stay motivated. The last two weeks were harder because I stalled and only lost 2.2 lbs. I still stuck to it. When I started, I vowed that if I didn't lose weight on this program, it wouldn't be because I cheated! And I'm proud to say I didn't. So I know that this is just the best my body could do, and I accept that. Apparently, my body likes to weigh 141-142, and if that is true, it will be easier to maintain for the next six weeks till round 2.

Sun Mar 15, 2009 37th VLCD day 141.0 (dn 1.0)

Down 17.0 lbs from load weight. Well, everyone, I decided to be brave and lay it all on the line (like Kat did.) Please don't laugh. I doubt I'll lose a pound or so before tomorrow...my last injection day, so I decided to do my "after" photos today, since it is Sunday and I have more time. The photos show that most of the weight was lost exactly where I wanted to lose it - around the waist, abdomin, and hips. I also noticed that I lost some fat off my back too! It used to pooch out over the edge of the swimsuit. I've got to admit, that I was a little surprised at the "After" photos. I thought I'd look slimmer than I do. I feel thinner than I look. It may not look like all that much on the photos, but I can really feel a big difference. I'd still like to do another round in six weeks to see if I can get rid of the abdomin fat, and a little more off the hips and thighs. These are the stats as of this morning: (Measuring tape is not pulled snug - just to point of contact) Feb 7th to Mar 15th (5 weeks of VLCD) Bust: 40 down to 37 1/2 Waist: 33 down to 29 (at smallest point) Abdomin: 35 down to 32 (across belly button area) Hips: 42 1/2 down to 40 Thigh: 25 1/4 down to 23 3/4 I'm sorry that chart looks kind of weird. I had it in neat columns in the draft mode, but it all ran together when I previewed it. In all, it was definitely worth the effort to complete this...even if the last two weeks weren't all that productive. I wore my "little black dress" to church today and had a couple of people tell me "You look great in that dress!" I didn't mention the weight loss, and neither did they, but it was a good feeling to know someone noticed a difference.

Sat Mar 14, 09 36th VLCD day 142.0 (up 0.2)

Down 16.0 lbs from load weight. WhatEVER! Remember when I said "I think my body just wants to stay at 142?" I guess that's the truth. In the last week, I've only lost 0.2 lbs. Looking back, I was down 13.8 in the first 3 weeks of VLCD days, and just 2.2 total in the past 2 weeks. I haven't done anything any different, so I am assuming that my body has adapted to the HCG and VLCD diet (as Dr Simeons says happens sometimes) and just isn't responding to it anymore. (Although I haven't had a BM since Tuesday, so I'm sure that has something to do with it.) It's just messing with the numbers on the scale. I am sipping some Smooth Move tea as I write. I know if I drink a couple of those today and tomorrow, I'll be cleaned out by Monday, my last injection day, and that will be the weight I'm supposed to maintain for the next six weeks after that. Problem is, that will be my weight with nothing in my intestines, so as soon as I start eating anything, I'll gain some. (I don't want to overdo the tea because it has Senna in it, which can make you become dependent on it, but I'll feel more comfortable when I'm regular again, no matter what the scale says.) I've resigned myself to just let the numbers be what they will be, and not worry about it. To keep my spirits up, today I went through and tried on everything in my closet, and pulled out everything that is too big to wear, and we are hauling it to our church's thrift store to donate it. I don't want to have a stash of comfortable clothes to fall back on if I start to put any weight back on! I tried on stuff even if I KNEW it was too big, just for the fun of seeing the difference. My sweet husband ooohed and aahhhed appropriately. He's so good! Actually, I guess I should save ONE pair of jeans I used to wear, just for motivation not to go there again. I also tried on everything in a box I forgot that I stored away over three years ago - thinking I'd probably never fit into them again. There are just a couple of things a bit tight...but they were too tight to wear back then also. I'll look forward to getting into those in the next round...if not before. My closet is now full of stuff that all fits. I guess I'll postpone my shopping spree till after the next round. Then I will truly have nothing to wear. I appreciate your supportive comments so much. You are all doing great too, and it keeps me motivated! It is so nice of you to take the time to write. Thank you.

Fri Mar 13, 09 35th VLCD day 141.8 (UP 0.8)

Down 16.2 lbs from load weight. Hey, the scale is supposed to be moving the other direction! That's a mean trick when I'm being so good. I made so many trips to the bathroom yesterday that I was sure I'd be down today. Maybe I should chalk it up to Fri the 13th. You know, I'm just going to stay focused on following the plan, and let my body do what it's going to do. I know I'm not gaining fat. A pound of fat would require an extra 3500 calories, and I don't even eat that in a whole week! It's got to be the water. I'm running out of time to hit my goal. I know I will not hit 135 this round. Even 139 is starting to look like a distant dream. I have 3 shots left. I've only lost 3 lbs total in the last two weeks, (with no cheating) so that makes me think that a couple of shorter rounds would be a good choice for anyone within about 20-25 lbs of their goal. Well, at least for me! You know the saying: Experience is what you get right after you need it! LOL I'm hoping I'll still make it to somewhere in the 130's. I'm pretty sure I'll do another short round after I get through Phase 4. It will give me time to save up for some new clothes! Hang in there everyone, and thanks for your notes.

Thurs Mar 12, 09 34th VLCD day 141.0 (up 0.6)

Down 17.0 from load weight. Well, I saw it coming...I felt it, you know? It is very reassuring to know without doubt, that it is just water, not fat. No way could I gain over half a pound on less than 500 calories! I'm not letting it get to me. I pulled a skirt out of my closet to wear today - one that I couldn't zip up in January. Today I could zip my whole ARM in with my body! I'm wearing it anyway. It feels good to remind me of how far I've come. I walked up six flights of stairs today. I used to do that for exercise. All the while I was taking the steps today, I pictured myself holding a couple of 10 lbs bags of flour, and thinking about how much harder it would be then. My sister who lost over 50 lbs with Weight Watchers many years ago, used to keep a suitcase full of magazines matching her weight loss right next to the refrigerator, and would lift it before she would eat. It helped her to make good decisions. I thought that was a great idea. I haven't done that - no room in my kitchen, but I use the flour bags image in my head, or sometimes picture those 5 lb hamburger "chubs" (rolled up in plastic tubes) and that works very well for me. I'm having a GREAT day, and I hope you all are too. It is so great to do this together! Thanks for your support.

Wed Mar 11, 09 33rd VLCD day 140.4 (dn 0.6)

Down 17.6 from load weight. Very satisfying! I kind of figured I would have a loss today since I could still feel that I was retaining water yesterday - even after the 1.2 lb loss. Tomorrow may be a different story, since I am down 1.8 lbs in the last two days. I'm bracing myself for a zero and hoping I don't bounce up again. I'm so close to the 130's. Just 5 shots left. My last VLCD day will be a week from tomorrow. I know everyone has talked about planning their first Phase 3 day, but I really haven't thought too much about it. Just focusing on the present...although there will probably be an avocado on the menu sometime next Friday! Looking back, it seems like the time went by really fast, although now that I know you can buy this stuff online instead of paying huge bucks to a clinic, I would probably do a couple of 3 or 4 week protocols instead of 6 weeks at once. When I started, I figured I was only going to get one shot at this, and I wanted to get the most out of it that I could. I'm pretty happy with the results overall. It's WAY better than a regular diet.

Tues Mar 10, 09 32nd VLCD day 141.0 (dn 1.2)

Down 17 lbs from load weight. Well, looks like the plateau broke...although I think it may have had more to do with the Traditional Medicinal Smooth Move tea that Kate suggested, than the apple day I just completed. (Thanks Kate) I had it, but didn't think of using it on an apple day. Either way, I'm down an "even" 17 lbs, which is way cool, since that means I have still maintained an average 1/2 lb per day loss, even though it has come in bits and spurts! I wasn't too crazy about the apple day. I missed drinking a lot of water more than I missed the food! I drink at least 3 Qts a day. I think if I were to stall again, I'd try the tea first, and see if that took care of it. I might do both again on my last day, just to get my ending weight as low as possible. Thanks for all your helpful comments and suggestions!

Mon Mar 31, 09 31st VLCD day 142.2 (UP 0.4)

Down 15.8 from load weight. Well, I guess I spoke too soon about how good 16.2 sounds! As if it isn't bad enough to see the scale stick for almost a week, it actually went UP today for the first time! I know it's GOT to be water weight, since I haven't cheated at all, and I feel all "bloaty." I stopped having a TOM a few months ago. Maybe my body is still in the PMS mode a little, although I have no idea when I would be due anyway. I finally decided to do an apple day today, so I'm hoping for some positive results tomorrow. I don't think I am immune after all, because I've only had 3 small to med apples so far today, and I'm not famished. (It's 12:30pm) I know Dr. S said "large apples" but I don't have any, and he said not to substitute 2 small ones for a large. See I'm trying to be very good! I will eat one later this afternoon, one for supper, and the last one for breakfast tomorrow morning. I think that is how it is supposed to work. Thanks for your comments everyone. I appreciate it so much. It really makes a difference to me. I've decided to just stick it out and follow the plan to the end, and deal with whatever comes from it. My last injection will be a week from today. Thanks again for your support.

Sun Mar 8, 09 30th VLCD day 141.8 (dn 0.4)

Down 16.2 from load weight. Not quite half a pound, but I'll take it! Why does 16.2 sound so much better than 15.8? LOL My sweet husband announced last night that he is thinking of doing the HCG too. I have a 50 day supply on order, and it should be here the end of next week. (I was ordering for my son, and I got it just to keep on hand, for myself, or family, or a friend. It keeps 3 years.) I've been thinking of maybe doing a short (23 day) round six weeks after this one, since I still have another 10+ lbs of fat to lose. I thought about several options: stopping injections now and going into phase 3 for 3 weeks and then doing a short round with him. At HTA, a gal was saying you could go off the injections for up to two weeks and get right back on without loading. That sounds pretty handy, so I looked it up in Pounds and Inches. Dr. S does mention an "interruption" of up to two weeks. Since my weight loss has slowed, I wonder if I'm becoming immune to the HCG. Maybe a two week break would kick start its effectiveness again. I doubt my husband will want to wait for me to finish this round (8 days to go) and then wait six more weeks to start. It would be easier for both of us to be on it at the same time. I know someone who did injections 3 months straight without a break, and lost 36 lbs. Decisions, decisions...

Sat Mar 7, 09 29th VLCD day 142.2 (zero)

Down 15.8 from load weight. AAAAAAAAARGH! This morning I was trying to figure out why I've only lost a half pound since TUESDAY (4 days) Been eating 420 calories per day the whole time. I drink at least 3 qts of water a day. I've been "regular" if you know what I mean. I just received the 101 Worry-Free HCG Diet Recipes book by Mennemeier and Prinster in the mail, and was reading about spices. She says if it dissolves in water, it's a spice, if it doesn't, it's a vegetable. The only spices I have ever used were salt, (minimal) pepper, and Mrs Dash Table Blend. (Yes, I know that is boring, but I didn't care.) I just got the Mrs Dash bottle out and read the list of ingredints: "Onion, Spices (Black Pepper, Chili Pepper, Parsley, Celery Seed, Basil, Bay, Marjoram, Oregano, Savory, Thyme, Cayenne Pepper, Coriander, Cumin, Mustard, Rosemary,) Garlic, Orange Peel, Carrot, Lemon Juice Powder, Tomato, Red Bell Pepper, Citric Acid, Oil of Lemon." It doesn't dissolve at all. Not only does it have Orange Peel and Lemon Oil; according to her, I've been "mixing vegetables." I should have read that BEFORE I started. I'm so mad. I think I may have sabotaged myself. I only used it on the chicken, but that was probably enough to do it, do you think? I've mostly been eating chicken because it is leaner and lower in calories than beef. I've been trying so hard to be good, and have been shooting myself in the foot the whole time! I guess I'll be cooking up a new batch of chicken today...sans Mrs Dash. Unfortunately, I have only 9 injection days left.

Fri Mar 6, 09 28th VLCD day 142.2 (dn 0.2)

Down 15.8 from load weight. Those numbers just keep teasing me this week...142.8, 142.4, 142.2! I'm getting kind of tired of seeing 142! I've got to remind myself how happy I was to see that number the first time. I felt so skinny! I have 10 injections left, and it doesn't look like I will be able to lose 7 lbs in 10 days, especially since I only lost 2.6 in the last 7 days. It kind of bumms me out. It really shouldn't matter if I weigh 135 or 138, except I'm somewhat obsessive compulsive and I need an "even" number, like 135. I would then have lost an "even" 20 lbs. Sometimes I am so silly, I just have to laugh at myself!!! I also have to line up all my envelopes according to size with all the stamps in the upper right corner before I throw them into the big blue mailbox (where they become all jumbled up with everyone else's!) LOL

Thurs Mar 5, 09 27th VLCD day 142.4 (dn 0.4)

Down 15.6 from load weight. Half a pound today (almost). I'm happy with that. I was hoping for 141 something, but half a pound is still good. When I think of the other diets that I've been on...and was happy to see half a pound a WEEK! I picked up a few more bloggers to follow. It really helps to see others with the same goals and experiences. My son and one of my daughter-in-laws have each decided to give this a try after seeing my success. I stress that it is NOT for everyone. Some personalities just aren't wired for this, but it sure works great for me! I'm so glad I found it. Good luck to you all!

Wed Mar 4, 09 26th VLCD day 142.8 (zero)

Down 15.2 from my load weight. No loss today. How can I complain after 1.4 yesterday? I am just loving being at this lower weight. I'm still going after those last few pounds, hoping to get rid of some of the remaining stuff on my abdomin...every woman's trouble spot! Felt good today. Thanks for all your supportive comments. It helps keep me going.

Tues Mar 3, 09 25th VLCD day 142.8 (dn 1.4)

Down 15.2 from load weight. Can you believe it? 15 lbs in 25 days! I drank 2 cups of "Smooth Move" herbal tea yesterday, and it really worked. Guess I needed it since that broke my plateau! I did the math, and if I just continue to do the 3 1/2 lbs loss per week, I will hit my goal of 135 right at the end of my six weeks. (The 130 was a wish - not a goal.) The way this diet works, I really don't need to get to 130 like I thought I did. Kat, I've been trying to post to your blog, but can't get it to "take." I just wanted to congratulate you for getting back in your range again. You are doing great! Thanks for the comments Julie. Do you have a blog too?

Mon Mar 2, 09 24th VLCD day 144.2 (zero)

Down 13.8 from load weight. OK, so I guess I lied yesterday...the scale didn't go down and I was disappointed! Two days in a row. I only ate about 300 calories yesterday too! I know I shouldn't complain...all my size 10's fit just fine, and that's what I wanted. I can wear everything that was in my closet. It's just so fun to see the pounds drop off!

Sun Mar 1, 09 23rd VLCD day 144.2 (zero)

Still down 13.8 from my load weight. No loss today, but totally expected. I don't even care. There was a little black dress in the back of my closet that I used to wear, and felt really great in. That was kind of my "goal dress." I wore it when I weighed 140 a few years ago. It was a bit tight in places, so I figured I would have to weigh 135 to have it fit the way I wanted it to. Well, I tried it on this morning, and it fit better than ever, and I'm still 9 lbs from my goal! It seems this diet is taking the fat from all the "bad" areas instead of the "good" areas, and is reshaping my figure. I'm all for that. I still have a couple of weeks to go, but from now on, I don't really care what the scale says...I'd be ok with where I am if that's all I lost. I could probably still stand to lose a few pounds, but I'm not going to have to reach 130 to look the way I want...just because of the way the fat is being used up. I'm going to keep doing the protocol till the end since it really is pretty easy to follow anyway. If I lose a little extra, it may give me a bit of a cushion if I need it.

Sat Feb 28, 09 22nd VLCD day 144.2 (dn 0.6)

Down 13.8 from my load weight. What a welcome surprise! A little over half a pound gone today. Yesterday was a terribly stressful day at work, having software problems while trying to get the month-end reports ready. Nothing was going right, and for once I was actually hungry! That has hardly ever happened to me since I started. There were more doughnuts, Mexican food, and someone next to me got a hot sub sandwich on fresh garlic bread!!! It smelled so good, I was dying. I put some extra perfume on my wrist and just kept sniffing it to try to block out the garlic bread aroma! Made some herbal tea and drank it and a bunch of water to fill my stomach up. I ended up staying at the office till after 9:00pm trying to get the paperwork completed. Fortunately, I had enough extra chicken and celery and apple at the office so I was able to eat dinner there and not have to wait till I got home. I came home in a bad mood, and plopped into bed immediately. I had to explain to my sweet hubby, that I was not upset with him...just totally frustrated with the day. He has been SO supportive of me, cooks his own food, and tells me often how great I am doing. Is he a Prince or what!

Fri Feb 27, 09 21st VLCD day 144.8 (dn 1.0)

Down 13.2 lbs from load weight. Thanks for all your encouraging comments. I look forward to hearing from you all. It really helps to have your support. Lost a whole pound again today. That is just so amazing to me. I dieted all during January and lost only 5 lbs, and this week alone - I'm down 4 lbs. How cool is that! I've been thinking about how fun it would be to get back into my "skinny" clothes...problem is...it's been so long, that most of them are out of style! LOL Today was "Jeans Day" at work and I had nothing good to wear. Guess I'll have to go shopping! Poor me... After 2 good days, I don't expect to see the scale move tomorrow, but I'm cool with that. It seems to go in a pattern... two days of loss and then a zero. I can live with that.

Thurs Feb 26, 09 20th VLCD day 145.8 (dn 0.6)

Down 12.2 from my load weight. Was very stressed at work the last two days. Getting close to month end paperwork and reports. When I get stressed, I usually self-medicate with M&M's but I'm proud of myself for not giving in, so I was happy to see the scale go down again. It keeps me motivated. I needed that since someone brought 2 boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts in to work again today! This morning, I tried on a pair of slacks that I couldn't get zipped up in January...they are BAGGY on me now! I love it!

Wed Feb 25, 09 19th VLCD day 146.4 (zero)

As I predicted, no loss today. No big deal. Since I lost on the last two days, I didn't expect any loss.

Tues Feb 24, 09 18th VLCD day 146.4 (dn 1.0)

Down 11.6 lbs from my load weight. Afraid to get on the scale this morning because I felt really stuffed last night before bed, and I lost almost half a pound yesterday, so I wasn't expecting any loss today. Surprise! Another pound gone! I can really see a difference, and I am starting to get comments from people who are noticing the loss. That feels way better than cheating ever could. PS: I have not ever cheated! I feel great! This is the easiest diet I have ever done. It's definitely not for everyone, but it suits me perfectly. I like the strictness. I hate making decisions about what to eat. This is very, very simple, and the weight comes off so much faster than on other diets. That really keeps me motivated.

Mon Feb 23, 09 17th VLCD day 147.4 (dn 0.4)

Down 10.6 from my load weight. Always hoping for more, but looked back and realized that last Monday, I weighed 3 1/2 lbs more than this morning. Right on track! It just seems weird because there are a few zero days in there. I got to wear a new dress to church yesterday. I had bought it on New Year's day, and it was just a bit too snug for me to feel good in it. Now it fits great! Also able to dig out a couple of pairs of pants/jeans that didn't fit before, and now they do. The next 10 lbs will be even more fun! Everyone around me seems to be getting sick, so I'm taking extra vitamins and hoping I can dodge that bullet! Someone at work brought in a Boston Creme Pie, and a cheesecake today. It really doesn't bug me as much as I thought it would. I just told myself when I started that the next six weeks are NOT about food. I'm just eating to fuel my body. Six weeks isn't that long.

Sun Feb 22, 09 16th VLCD Day 147.8 (zero)

No loss today. Kind of figured on that. Cooked and cut up all my meat for the next two weeks. I'll freeze it. Cut up my fruit and veggies for this week. I'm set to go. Family had McDonald's hamburgers, fries, Filberto's, and baked homemade brownies this weekend, but I stayed strong. Cheating is NOT an option!

Sat Feb 21, 09 15th VLCD Day 147.8 (dn 1.0)

Total Weight loss so far is 10.2 lbs in 14 VLCD days. (Counting the 3 lbs load weight) But even if I don't count the load pounds, I'm still down 7.2 lbs in 14 days. Not bad at all. I'm lovin' it! Was down a whole pound this morning. Just goes to show that you can't guess what is going to happen overnight! I still have 25 days of VLCD and shots left. If I can keep losing 1/2 lb a day average, I can get to 135 by the end. I was hoping to hit 130, but I did the math and that is stretching it, so I try not to think of that because I don't want to be disappointed.

Fri Feb 20, 09 14th VLCD Day 148.8 (dn 0.2)

Ok, 0.2 is a disappointment, especially after the last two days being stuck, and I was drinking a LOT of water and going to the bathroom all day. Figured I'd wash out the fat! Nothing I can do but hang in there. I was bummed this morning when I got on the scale, but I had a couple of extra minutes before work and I went and visited Kat's blog and watched her "Victory Video" on her blog, and it really helped me stay positive. If you haven't visited it, you really should. She and her sister are great! And Kat and I started at about the same weight. She was 1.6 lbs lower than me at day 14, but I'll get there too. (I'm doing the six week protocol, and she did one month.)I'm older and have a slower metabolism!

Thur Feb 19, 09 13th VLCD day 149.0 (zero)

Well, the scale didn't move today, but I can't complain. I lost two pounds in the previous two days. The whole universe was out to get me today. Someone brought in a big box of assorted dunkin donuts at the office. Then someone popped a bag of buttery popcorn (big weakness of mine!) Then went to the mall to get my hair cut after work, and had to walk by Cinnabon (another big weakness) and then to get to the bathroom, had to walk past the ENTIRE FOOD COURT! Everything smelled so good. But I stayed true, and didn't have a bite of anything...so I better see a little reward when I get on the scale tomorrow! Anyway, I hope so!

Wed Feb 18, 09 12th VLCD day 149.0 (dn 1.2)

WaHOO!!! I'm in the 140's! I would have been happy even to get to 149.9 but the scale dropped all the way to 149.0 (I weighed myself 3 times to make sure!) Yesterday was my skip day for the week, so I didn't even have a shot of HCG to help. I skipped half an apple last night. I think I will do that again tonight. Also, I have been drinking one or two cups of the Everyday Detox again each day. I stopped for a couple of days because I thought it might be holding me back, but then I got constipated, so I started drinking it again. (Sorry if that is TMI!)

Tues, Feb 17, 09 11th VLCD Day 150.2 (dn 0.8)

Nice loss this morning, but I really had to wing it yesterday. I packed my lunch and snacks for work, but ate my last snack at 3:00 and ended up working till past 9:30pm, so I didn't have any dinner with me since I was expecting to be home for dinner. About 7:00 I broke down and had a packet of Whey protein. It has 12g of protein, no carbs, no fats, 45 calories. That's all I ate for dinner, so I suppose that is why I am down nearly a pound today. Ate normal today. 60g chicken, 60g beef, 1 1/2 apples, celery for lunch, spinach for dinner. It was my second skip day, but I felt fine all day. My treadmill was kind of tough this morning, but I hate to give it up. It only burns 200 calories per workout so it's not that vigorous. I feel really stuffed right now after eating dinner. If I can see that scale go down just 0.3 tomorrow, I will be a very happy camper! Not likely since I lost so much today, but I'm hoping for the best.

Mon Feb 16, 09 10th VLCD Day 151.0 (dn 0.2)

Well, it's not much, but I'll take it. I was hoping for more. Just a little over 1 pound to go, and I'll be in the 140's, which I haven't seen for a long time!

Sun Feb 15, 09 9th VLCD 151.2 (dn 0.4)

Well, I was down almost half a pound this morning. Not as much as I had hoped, but a realistic loss. I really wanted to break 150 before Monday morning, but I'd have to be down 1.3 lbs to make it, and the scale hasn't been that friendly since the first couple of VLCD days. I have not cheated. If I don't lose on this thing, I am determined that it won't be because I cheated! I don't ever even eat the Melba Toast! I was hungry several times today. I'm kind of glad to go back to work. I don't think there are as many "food cues" there as there are when I am at home and out of my routine. I had to go about 4 1/2 hrs a couple of times without eating, and I know that's not good. Tomorrow I'll be back on schedule. I feel kind of stuffed right now, even though I ate properly. I don't have a good feeling about the scale tomorrow...

Sat Feb 14,09 8th VLCD 151.6 (zero)

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! No weight loss today, but I'm hanging in there and hoping for the best tomorrow. Tonight I cooked and "baggied" all my meat for the week. Half is chicken breast, and half is beef. I actually like the chicken better. I divide all the cooked meat into 100g (raw weight) lunch or dinner servings. (After they are cooked, the 100g is down to about 60g.) Then each day I can pick either all chicken or all beef, or one of each, for my day. For each day, I cut up two apples, and put one whole apple (sliced) in one baggie, and the other apple, I slice and divide into two snack size baggies. For breakfast I eat half an apple, and half a baggie (30g) of meat, and save the other half for supper. Then I take the other meat baggie (60g) and a bag with a whole apple sliced up, to work with me. Around 9:30 or 10:00 I eat 15g meat plus 1/4 sliced apple. At noon, I eat 30g meat, 1 C celery, and 1/2 apple. Around 3:00 I eat 1/4 apple, and 15g meat. Then for supper, I have the other 30g meat, and 1 C spinach or asparagus, and 1/2 apple. That way, I am eating every couple of hours, and getting some protein along with the carbs which slows digestion and helps keep the glycemic level down. I find this menu quite satisfying, and I hardly ever suffer from hunger.