JULY 31,2011 144.6 lbs. Maintaining

Long time no post. It has been an eventful month. Was planning to go on vacation three weeks ago and just hours before my plane was to take off, I had to have an emergency appendectomy instead! Had wanted to drop a few more pounds, but I don't think it is a good idea to try and lose while my body is trying to recover from surgery. I was right at 144 - 145 lbs at that point, so I have been eating around 1500 - 1600 calories a day and maintaining very well. I walk about a mile, to a mile and a half, on the treadmill 5 days a week. Not fast...2.5 mph is all I can do right now. As soon as I am stronger, I will kick up the exercise and try and drop back down to 130 - 135 which has been my goal. I am all about KEEPING it off this time. As I said in earlier posts...2010 was a killer year and I just didn't care about my weight. I am back on track now, mostly following a South Beach style eating pattern. Lots of veggies and fruit, lean meats, dairy. For the most part - avoiding sugar, white flour, rice, potatoes, and pasta.

JUN 25, 2011 R7 VLCD13: 147.75 (R7 TWL 7.25 lbs)

Nice Drop! I didn't post yesterday because for some reason I was back up to 149.0 again. I knew it wasn't fat because I had stayed on plan. Figured it was water retention from exercising in the heat, and it would drop off soon. And it did this morning! It is more fun to post when I have a loss of course. It is so fun to see a new number in front of the decimal when I report! I walked a mile on the treadmill yesterday and this morning. Not fast...just about 2.5 mph but since I never get any exercise otherwise, it did get my heart rate up a little. I don't want to overdo it, especially on 500 calories per day.

JUN 23, 2011 R7 VLCD11: 148.4 (R7 TWL 6.6 lbs)

Ha! I got a good night's sleep last night and was down 0.6 lbs this morning! That was enough of a boost to keep me going. I have a rule (that I forgot about last night) that I will never make an important decision at night before bed when I'm really tired! So many times, things that seem impossible at 10:00 at night, become do-able in the morning after I've had some rest. William Waite says "Fatigue makes cowards of us all!" Boy, that is so true. I felt pretty good today and even went for a walk around the block after I got home from work although it was 108 degrees outside! Thanks for the encouragement Karen. It helps to know there is someone out there who cares!

JUN 22, 2011 R7 VLCD 10: 149.0 (R7 TWL 6 lbs)

Well I'm thinking about quitting this round. I have been hungry almost 24/7 and the scale hasn't budged in 3 days. I have a dr's balance beam scale so I know it's accurate. I am not constipated. I drink plenty of water. I am not cheating. But I just don't feel good. I have no energy, and usually I have extra energy on hcg, and usually I don't even care about food on hcg. I ate a little extra chicken today, and had a grilled lean burger for dinner. Also ate 4 Triscuit crackers today. (I never eat the grissini at all, so I didn't have any on hand.) I'm really discouraged. (I have to admit, I didn't sleep hardly at all last night. My daughter just delivered our 17th grandchild around 3:00 this morning so I'm exhausted. She lives 2500 miles away so I couldn't be with her, but we were on the phone every couple of hours. (Update: I just went back and read some of my posts from earlier rounds, and on Round 2, I stalled for 7 days at this point, but then started losing again. Maybe I'll try and get a good night's sleep, and just hang in there a bit longer and see how it goes...)

JUN 20, 2011 R7P2 VLCD8: 149.13 dn 1.2 lb. (R7TWL dn 6 lbs)

Got to 149.9 on Saturday, so that helped me be "good" on the weekend. We had the kids over for Father's Day yesterday and I baked a double layer chocolate cake with whipped creme icing. I was REALLY good and only ate a tiny bit - it would have fit in a 1/4 cup measure. I swear I could have eaten whole thing - it tasted so good! Other than that, I stuck to the diet. Only have a net loss of 4 lbs after 7 VLCD days. That is not as good as other rounds, but I didn't load as much this time and I didn't do P4. This round seems harder and I don't know which one of those things is affecting me...maybe all together! Last round I was down 10 lbs after the first week, but I must add that I gained 5 lbs loading last time, and this time only 2 lbs. So my net loss is only one lb less than last time, so I guess I shouldn't complain. I haven't seen the 140's in a long time! My husband ditched this round a couple of days ago. But he is so close to his goal weight, I think he'll make it on a regular program of healthy food and exercise. That never seems to work for me!

JUN 17, 2011 R7P2 VLCD5: 150.4 dn 0.6 (R7TWL 4.6 lbs)

Down just over half a pound today. I guess I can't complain since that is "average" for a woman. If I can do it one more day, I'll be in the 140's tomorrow morning! Yeah! I need a boost like that to get me through the weekend. Need to have the family over for dinner for Father's day so I will have to COOK but not eat! UGH.

JUN 16, 2011 R7 VLCD 4: 151.0 dn 0.5 (R7 TWL: 4.0)

Just down half a pound today. For some reason, I felt really bloated this morning even though I am down 4 lbs total. I was hoping for a little more loss this early in the round so my willpower was wearing thin throughout the day. I hung in there but it was harder, especially since they were having a party at work today and had tons of delicious smelling food there. I think it would have been easier to tolerate if I had a bigger loss this morning! Oh well, I still hope to get to the 140's by Saturday. I could still do it if I can eek out just over one pound in the next 36 hours!

For Karyn -

Hi Karyn, good to see you posting again. I've been reading your blog and have tried posting comments to you about a dozen times, but it just keeps sending me back to the login page! Frustrating! I think there is some setting on my computer preventing it. I can't even comment on my own blog right now unless I use a "Post." I'm curious to see how your Un-HCG works. I read a bit about it, but it was confusing, and so far, I'm not really convinced. Going to stick with true HCG injections this time. I just started R7 with my DH. He is doing the HHCG Pellets. He’s down 5 lbs already. I'm about 6 lbs heavier than you right now. Maybe we can help keep each other going! Good luck on your experiment. I hope it works for you!

JUN 15, 2011 R7 VLCD 3: 151.5 dn 3.5

Starting day 3 of VLCD. Didn't load as much this time and was a little hungry yesterday, but I am down 3.5 lbs and only gained two lbs loading, so have a NET loss of 1 1/2 lbs after 2 VLCD days. I'm good with that. I hope to be in the 140's by Saturday. (Friday would be even better! LOL) My dear hubby is already down 5 lbs NET from last week! He's looking awesome! The past two days I've done just two meals a day as Simeon's recommends. It was harder than breaking it up into 5 meals. I did eat just a few bites of celery and apple for breakfast this morning so I could take my vitamins. Be sure and take Biotin while on this diet to protect your hair, skin, and nails! It helps a lot. Also, supplement with magnesium, start with 500 mg up to 1500 mg per day to stay "regular." Good luck!

JUN 13, 2011 R7 VLCD 1: 155.0 (LIW 152.0)

My husband and I are starting Round 7 today. We loaded Saturday and Sunday, though not as much as other rounds. I gained 2 lbs loading this time. (I usually gain 3 or 4) I maintained at 153 for P3 and P4, but cut P4 short to start this round. (Some people call this cycling.) I haven't cycled before so am curious to see how this round goes. I am doing HCG injections, DH is doing HHCG pellets. He had an upset stomach yesterday from eating junk we aren't used to eating while loading on Saturday, so he didn't eat much yesterday. He is already down 1 1/2 lbs! The scale actually said 155.25 this morning, but I rounded it to 155.0 for the sake of doing easier math during the round. My new balance beam scale is accurate to 1/8th of a lb so I am excited to be able to trust whatever the scale says this round. With the digital scale, I never knew for sure. My son opted out of this round although he's had very good success in the past. His schedule wasn't conducive to starting a round right now. Another thing I might try this round is just eating 2 or 3 times a day as Dr Simeons recommends. All other rounds I broke it into 5 times a day. I'm trying it today to see how I feel this way, but will go back to the 5 x day schedule if it doesn't work out. Even Dr S says you can break it up if you want. As usual, I will skip the grissini 90% of the time. I don't really miss it. I'd like to hit 140 this round, but will probably end up around 142 if past experience with short rounds continues. I still plan to do another round to reach 130-132 and will probably just stay there and maintain at that. I felt good at that weight before. Here's to a new round! Anyone else out there starting at this time??? I'd love to hear from you!

Jun 7, 2011 R6 P3 D23: 153.0 lbs (LIW 152.0)

My body seems to like 153 lbs. I've been here for days no matter what or when I eat. (within reason of course!) I have my new scale and LOVE IT! It detects even 1/8th of a pound. If I drink an 8oz glass of water after weighing, it weighs exactly 8 oz heavier! It is so nice to finally have confidence in the number on the scale. I found when I got it, that my personal scale was (on average) weighing about a half a pound lighter than the new one. I am just going to suck up the difference and use the new weight from now on. I'm glad it wasn't more than that! My husband and son and I are planning to load for Round 7 this coming weekend and start the VLCD on Monday June 13th. They will both be using the Homeopathic HHCG pellets, and I will be doing the injections again. Anyway, that is the plan for now. I am anxious to get another 10 lbs off! Yes, I know, I'm kind of skipping most of P4, but I've read about others who have done it successfully. They call it "cycling." We'll see if it works!

JUN 2, 2011 R6 P3 D18: 152.8 lbs (LIW 152.0)

Still within 1 lb of LIW. This has been a great round. I am so excited today because UPS is delivering my new PHYSICIAN'S SCALE! You know...the old fashioned kind in your doctor's office that just works on the balance beam system. My sister has one and loves it. We have 3 bathroom scales at home and none of them read the same, and I'm tired of trying to figure out which one is right. This SECA 700 is accurate to within .2 lbs EVERY time. It is the most accurate one out there. Got it at www.wholesalepoint.com for $249 delivered!(All orders over $75 are free shipping!) Definitely worth it. They also have the Healthometer physician's balance beam scale for $149 delivered. That is what most doctors and gyms use. This one got a little better reviews for cast iron construction and 0.2 accuracy (the Healthometer is accurate to 0.25 which is 1/4 lb which is still very good) We just opted for the heavier duty one. They are both very accurate. Since a gain or loss of 1/4 lb seems to be able to make or break my day, (although it shouldn't) I figured it was worth it. Now I am very curious to find what my actual, for real, weight is! :-) Whatever that is will be my new starting point, and it will be accurate every time after that!

May 30, 2011 R6 P3: Day 15 153.0

Completed another week of P3. Hanging in there. Was over the 2 lb limit for a couple of days, but it was probably due to "digestive" issues. Lol. I do watch what I eat and am staying within about 1300-1500 calories per day. Still really craving carbs though! Hubby is maintaining beautifully! He looks fantastic!

May 22, 2011 R6 P3 Day 8: 153.0 (LIW 152.0)

Have been on P3 for a week now, and stabilizing pretty well. Up or down a pound from last injection weight, but no big problems. This has been a great round so far. I lost 15 lbs in 26 days for a net loss of 12 lbs from starting weight. Sorry to say though that the pre-HCG aches and pains are back, so it has to be something I'm eating, but haven't been able to isolate it. I was too anxious to add back in the foods I'd been missing. Will have to do an elimination diet I guess.(sigh) I hate that. I always feel better when I'm on HCG. I was completely off ibuprophin, and today I had to take 4 at once so I could sit through church, and still suffered most of the day. I plan to continue P3 at least a couple more weeks, and then may start another round. PS: My sweet hubby lost 18 lbs this round too! :-)

May 9, 2011 VLCD 22: 152.8 dn 1.8lbs TWL 14.2 lbs

Sorry I haven't posted. Have been so busy. Was really getting discouraged with no losses for a couple of days. My husband and son talked me into taking a break on Mothers Day. My son made a wonderful lasagne dinner with french bread and huge chocolate chip cookies...like a half cup of dough each! I had a small portion of lasagne, two crusts of french bread, small salad, some watermelon, and one cookie and a banana! I was prepared to be up this morning, but lo and behold - I was DOWN half a pound from yesterday. Maybe I should eat lasagne more often! I think it has been so long since my body had that kind of food that it didn't know what to do with it! LOL anyway, that break gave me a second wind to keep going a few more days. I don't think I'll make it to 150, but my goal was to get below 155, so I am already there. This is my 6th round and it has been my best one so far. Pretty cool!

May 5, 11 VLCD 18: 154.6 up 0.4. TWL 12.4

I was perfect yesterday, and I gained? Where is the justice in that? Our bodies do the strangest things! Not very motivating on Cinco de Mayo when everyone is going to be eating Mexican food today, but I'll hang in there. (my hubby caved yesterday for chips and salsa at work. They were having a "salsa challenge" and he couldnt resist!) Only have a few days left to get a couple more pounds off so I can't afford to waste them.

May 4, 2011 VLCD 17: 154.2 up 0.6 TWL 12.8

I knew it was coming today. Yesterday was so messed up. I'm back on track today with my shots and my food except I didn't get supper until 8:00 tonight. I worked till after 7:00 again. I was so busy that I wasn't even thinking about eating so that was good. I'm hoping to be back down again tomorrow. We'll see...it goes on a lot faster than it comes off!

May 3, 11 VLCD 16: 153.6 dn 0.2. TWL 13.4

All good things must come to an end, and so has my "losing streak." lol. Only down 0.2, but at least I'm moving in the right direction. I decided to test out the possibility that eating all my food in two meals instead of five meals and snacks was responsible for the accelerated losses, so yesterday I did that. The result was just a 0.2 lb loss, so I guess that wasn't the secret! Had kind of a weird day today. I forgot to do my shot on Sunday, which wasn't a big deal, but I went to work this morning and forgot again! Around 9:30 I was starving and couldn't figure out why till I realized that I forgot my shot again. Grrrrr! I ended up driving the 24 mile round trip home at 11:00 am to do it. Hate that. Then I cheated and ate 5 big strawberries. Not too bad of a cheat. Around 1:00 I was kind of in a fog, staring at my computer screen and just not able to focus on my work. I ended up taking half of a no-doz tablet and ate two grissini (which I never eat otherwise) and within about half an hour, I felt fine again. Had 69g of steak, some asparagus, and an orange when I got home tonight and I feel stuffed! I have a feeling that the scale won't be my friend tomorrow. I'm going to have to put up a big bright sign to remind myself to do my shots in the mornings. You would think with all the focus on eating the right foods and packing my lunches, it would occur to me that I need to do my shots too!

May 2, 2011 VLCD 15: 153.8 dn 1.0 TWL 13.2

Can't believe it. Down another pound in one day! This has been my most successful round so far. 13.2 lbs in 14 VLCD days, and 2.6 lbs in the past 3 days. It's very unusual for me to lose this much so fast, this late in a round. Once again, I ended up eating all my food in just two meals instead of breaking it down into 5 meals and snacks. I wonder if that had something to do with it. Happy Day!

May 01, 2011 VLCD 14: 154.8 dn 0.6 TWL 12.2 lbs

Double reward! Extra good losses the past two days. Sure put a smile on my face this morning. I am down 20.2 lbs since January. Going for 130 now. Almost to my halfway mark of 152.5! Two more short rounds should get me there. That's exciting! After this round, I'm tentatively planning to do 3 weeks of P3, load for two days, and then jump right back in for another 3 weeks of P 2. I know I'm taking a chance by not doing P 4, but I'm going to give it a try this time and see how it goes. I'm not real big on messing with the protocol, but I've read of others who have done it successfully. Always after a loss like this, I am nervous to get on the scale the next day...afraid of a bounce. Again, I will be happy if I just maintain today's weight. I actually forgot to do my injection this morning and didn't remember till afternoon, so I figured it would be like a skip day, although you don't need to do them on short rounds.

Apr 30, 2011 VLCD 13: 155.4 dn 1.0 TWL 11.6

Woo Hoo! Reward at last. Down a whole pound this morning. I was beginning to worry that I wouldn't be able to get below 155 this round, but I'm only 0.4 away and still have at least 10 VLCD days to go. I'm so glad I hung in there and didn't give up. I'm curious to see what tomorrow will bring...scared to get on the scale. Sometimes when I drop like that, I "bounce" up a little the next day. For now, I will be satisfied if I just hold onto the loss tomorrow. Thanks for all your words of support! It really helps. You are all an inspiration to me.

Apr 29, 2011 VLCD 12 156.4 Again! TWL 10.6

Ok, I'm still waiting for "all the good things that come to those who wait!". No change this morning. I ended up working a 13 hr day, which means I didn't get off work till 9pm, and then had to go to Walmart because we were out of veggies. Didn't get home till after 10:30 so I had nothing to eat from 3:00 till almost 11:00. That's probably going to mess with my loss for tomorrow because I ate so late. Didn't cheat though, so I'm proud of myself anyway.

Apr 28, 2011 VLCD 11: 156.4 dn 0.2 TWL 10.6

Down 0.2 Hmmm...not much of a reward for passing up P F Changs Chinese food and gourmet double layer chocolate cake yesterday, but what are ya gonna do? At least I didn't gain, and I know I would have if I had given in. Maybe tomorrow will be a good loss. All good things come to those who wait. The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese! Lol!

Apr 27, 2011 VLCD 10: 156.6 dn 0.8 TWL 10.4

What a day! Woke up with almost a one pound loss and that was great after yesterday's measley 0.2 loss. Also broke the 10 lbs barrier for this round! It really motivated me today. And it's a good thing, because my boss took the entire office out to lunch at a classy chinese restaurant. I had to decide between staying at the office alone, or taking my celery, chicken and apple slices with me and watch everyone else eat awesome food! My sweet hubby said I deserved a "cheat" day since I've been doing so good, but I told him I don't WANT to cheat! I paid $75 for this round and I don't want to waste any of it. He said, "Well maybe you could eat a little of it just to be social." I said "I am not going to put food in my body just to make someone else happy!" I am glad I went. I actually had a good time with everyone and tried to be as low key about the diet as I could. When someone said something about it, I just said "I've lost 18 pounds since January 1st, and I'm not going to blow it now!" They said "The statistics show that the HCG diet is unhealthy." I said "Being overweight is also unhealthy." That was the end of the conversation, and we moved on. Afterwards, we all went back to the office and a double layer chocolate cake! I did beg off on joining them for that, and just went back to my cubicle and had a warm cup of herbal tea. I am very focused on doing this right. This has been one of my best rounds so far. Yes, it was hard to pass up the wonderful smelling food, but I know that I will be able to have it again (in moderation) in the future. It's not like it's the last Chinese food or chocolate cake on earth! This is my time to be good to my body and get healthy again.

Apr 26, 11 VLCD 9: 157.4 dn 0.2. TWL 9.6

Only down 0.2 today, but I'll take what I can get. I know from experience that I probably won't be skipping numbers on the scale anymore after the first week. It has been a great round so far though. I feel really good most of the time and have been able to stop taking so many painkillers. I usually need 4 to 8 ibuprophin a day to get by, and now the constant aches and pains are about gone! I've noticed this on other rounds also. I don't know why, unless it is because when I'm on the HCG my diet is really pure...no dairy, no sugar, no glutin (I don't eat the grissini or Melba toast.) I really need to try to figure out what I'm eating that causes the inflammation as I add foods back in during P3 & P4. The difference this time is quite dramatic. Just before this round, I was hobbling around like an 80 yr old, and now I'm not on any medication, and I can go up and down stairs with almost no problem.

Apr 25, 2011 VLCD 8: 157.6 dn 1.0 TWL 9.4

Down almost 10 lbs in one week. I love it! So glad I was passed up all those Easter goodies this year! This may be the best Easter yet. Since I wasn't focused on FOOD, I could spend more time and thought on the REAL reason for Easter...it was a great day.

Apr 23, 2011 VLCD 6: 158.6 dn 1.8 TWL 8.6

Good news! Hello 150's! Didn't make it yesterday as I had hoped. Only dropped 0.6 so I was at 160.2. I decided to change up my diet and had some steak instead of chicken, and cabbage for dinner instead of spinach, and one orange and an apple instead of two apples. This morning I was down another 1.6 lbs! I don't know if the change made a difference, but I'm just glad to be back in the 150's which unfortunately is where I started my first round. But thinking positively, it only took less than 4 months to reach my goal from there, so that is good news. I should be able to make it in two rounds if I'm good - and lucky! May you have a happy Easter, celebrating the gift of eternal life given to each of us by our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ. And that is the REALLY good news!

Apr 21, 11 VLCD 4: 160.8 dn 1.4 TWL 6.2 lbs

I just LOVE skipping numbers on the scale! Sailed right past 161 this morning without even a glance. I know my losses will slow down now after the first few days, but it would be GREAT to be in the 150's again. I'm hoping it's tomorrow! I've looked over past rounds and find that on a short round I lose anywhere from 13 to 15 lbs. I will probably have to do two more short rounds to get back where I want to be. On Jan 1st this year, I weighed 175. I want to get back between 130 and 135. That's do-able. I didn't feel like I was losing much today. Didn't feel hungry though. Walked right past all the Easter candy at Walmart tonight (right before dinner even!) and it didn't bother me very much because I just feel GOOD about what I'm doing for my body right now. That's why this diet is so powerful for me. You have those big losses early to get you motivated to keep going!

Apr 20, 11 VLCD 3: 162.2 dn 2.4 TWL 4.8 lbs

When I got on the scale this morning, I figured anything under 164 would be great, because that is where I started before loading. Surprise! Skipped right past 163 and on to 162.2! It really made me glad that I stayed in control...even though I was "hangry" last night. (see yesterday's post) This was a great reward. Had a great day today. Did not feel hunger at all. Had to make myself eat a couple of times even though I wasn't hungry, just so my blood sugar would remain stable. I eat a tiny bit of chicken, and apple slices at 7am, a little more at 10am, lunch at noon - more chicken, apple and celery. I eat a snack (chicken and apple) at 3pm and dinner around 6 or 7 depending on when I get home from work. I usually have spinach for my dinner veggie because it is so healthy and I love it. (It's also a natural diuretic - did you know that?) Just finished dinner and I feel stuffed! How silly is that? Maybe part of the reason I don't have an appetite is because I eat the same stuff over and over. Not much to look forward to! I throw in an orange or some beef occasionally. Actually that works well for me. If it tasted better, I'd want to eat more. What's great about this diet is that you're only in the VLCD phase for about 3 weeks. That is such a short time to get such great results. You can do anything for 3 weeks, and seeing the scale drop is a wonderful motivator. It's easy to keep telling myself that it's just a handful of days. I just couldn't get excited about eating 1200 calories a day, and being good, and exercising all week, and "hoping" to lose a pound. (Which didn't always happen.) At that rate I'd be dieting for 9-10 months! It's HCG for me!!!

Apr 19, 11 VLCD 2: 164.6 dn 2.4

Nice loss for the first day on VLCD! I should be below my starting weight tomorrow - I hope. No cheating today, but it was hard. My bank made me mad and I just wanted to shove food in my mouth! I told my son "I'm not hungry- hungry... I'm MAD HUNGRY!" he said "You must be HANGRY!". I guess that's a perfect word for it.

Apr 18, 2011 Round 6, VLCD 1 Starting at 167.0 lbs

I'm finally back on the program! Started loading at 164.0 on Saturday. We are doing the injections again this time, like we did on the first rounds back in 2009. That really worked well for us. My husband and I loaded Saturday and Sunday and we're doing our first VLCD today for this round. Gained 3 lbs loading this time. Hunger isn't bad so far (it's only noon!) Had a couple of bites of apple and chicken for breakfast. Doing two apples today, with celery for lunch and spinach for dinner. Chicken both times. Will probably do 80-90% chicken for the protein this round. I'm not that fond of red meat anymore, although I ate a small T-bone for loading last night. Figured to give myself a good boost of red blood cells before I started the diet. Never have liked fish very much either, so that leaves chicken for the protein! I know some people like a lot of variety on the plan, but I usually eat pretty much the same stuff over and over. It doesn't bother me. I just don't focus on food while I'm on VLCD. That's what's so great about this diet. We baked up a whole pan of chicken breasts yesterday, and bagged it up in 60-65 gram portions (cooked and cooled weight)and now my protein is done for the week. I don't have to cook anything but my veggies. I usually like a raw veggie for lunch and cooked spinach for supper. Other diets, you have to spend so much time figuring out what you are going to fix, and then cooking it. Shopping is a breeze too. This frees up so much time! Drinking lots of water. 5 glasses so far. Would love to hit 150 for a goal, but doubt if that will happen in 3 weeks. I'm sure I'll get close to it though. Under 155 for sure! Labels: HCG DIET, HCG Diet Blog, HCG Diet Journal

March 30, 2011 162.5 lbs

Hi Everyone. Thank you for your kind comments on the loss of my Mom. Today has been my first really good day for a long time. I felt good and got a lot done at work. I've not been "dieting" but just trying to eat sensibly and maintain. I'm doing ok with that. I plan to start another round of injections, loading on the 10th and 11th of April. My kids and grandchildren are coming from Utah for a visit and I promised to cook Sunday dinner and go to the zoo with them on Monday. I don't want to be dieting while they are here. I could do it, but just figured I might as well wait a week or two so I won't have to be a "party pooper" when I see them so rarely. That means that I will be on the HCG for Easter though. I don't think that will be a real problem. I may try to do an early Easter dinner for the whole family on the 10th. The married kids will probably like that better anyway so they don't have to try and visit us and the in-laws all on the same day! Thanks for hanging in there with me during my ups and downs. I really am excited about starting in again. I felt so GOOD while I was doing the program right, and I really miss all the cute clothes I bought when I was a smaller size! They are packed away and I hope to be able to unpack them again soon!

March 17, 2011 164.0 lbs

Had a setback this week. My mother passed away on Friday the 11th. I flew to Wisconsin to be with her as she slipped away. She would have been 97 in two months. It seems that no matter how old they are, you still hate to see them go. Anyway, with all the traveling and staying with relatives, I didn't have as much control over what I had available to eat. I was gone a week and it was stressful, but I only gained one pound, so I consider that a success. I think I will wait until the 19th to start loading. I am just not prepared emotionally or physically to deal with the adjustment this week. Thank you all for hanging in there with me. Good luck to all of you!

Feb 22, 2011 163.0 lbs

Well, I'm back. I've been doing the 1200 cal diet and exercise for almost 4 weeks now, and I'm down 2 lbs from when I quit the HCG. Have to say, I'm not thrilled! I was at 165, then gained 2 lbs, and now down to 163. Not much to show for all the deprivation and hard work of exercise. I just logged on to www.whenhealthmatters.com and ordered more HCG from Bob and LaRainne (which is where I originally got the HCG injection kits.) I don't know for sure whether the homeopathic pellets work or not, but I DO know the injections work, and I didn't mind them at all, so I'm going to go that route again. (They are more expensive than the pellets though!) The service at WhenHealthMatters has always been very good and I've sent a lot of people to them for ordering and haven't gotten any bad reports back. I just called LaRainne and she said the order will go out tomorrow. I don't plan to start it until March 12th as I have a short trip planned and I don't want to bother taking all that on an airplane. In the meantime, I will continue with the 1200 calories and exercise. Maybe I can lose another whole pound in the next couple of weeks! LOL By the way, I heard Dr Oz is going to do a segment on HCG tonight. I figure he will probably trash it since he has his own diet to push...

Feb 9, 2011 167.2 lbs

Well, some of you have asked me to keep posting even though I'm not on HCG anymore. I did join Weight Watchers, but cancelled my membership two days later. I really wasn't interested in going to the meetings. I KNOW all that stuff. I used to teach those classes for Jenny Craig about 15 years ago. But knowing and doing are two different things. I analyzed their new "point system" and figure it is roughly 1200 calories a day plus 2000 calories a week that you can either use daily or all on one big day, or however you want to split that up. It is weighted towards encouraging fresh fruits and vegetable choices. I thought the online and android tracking systems would be state of the art for a company as old and large and popular as Weight Watchers. I planned to do most of my diet through the online stuff, but was VERY disappointed with their online tracking software and phone apps. I found it a nuisance to calculate and count points, and figured it was just easier to count calories...which I have been doing religiously. I write down everything I eat. I've stayed at 1200 - 1300 per day. (One day I did an extra 200 calories worth of Jordan Almonds I was bagging up for a wedding.) That's it! I've passed up every treat and fattening thing in the world. I've been on the treadmill for 30 min at least 4 times a week, and did my first strength training workout on Monday. And what is my reward??? I'm 2 pounds heavier than when I started two weeks ago!!! What's up with that? I have two fruits and about 5 servings of veggies a day, 1% Milk, Whey Protein Powder, 3 oz fat free chicken breast, and air popped popcorn with 1 TBS olive oil daily. A few times I had 1/2 C Fiber One cereal for breakfast. A few times I had 6 oz fat free light yogurt. I never drink any kind of soda. I drink LOTS of water. My thyroid was tested recently as a little low... 3.7 but still in the normal range. I am so frustrated, I don't know what to do. I am trying to hang in there, but it's really hard when I KNOW I'm not cheating, and I'm gaining weight.

JAN 26, 2011 165.2 LBS DOWN 10 LBS MOVING ON

Well the good news is, I'm down 10 lbs from my Load Weight. But some of you will be disappointed to learn that I joined Weight Watchers today. My sisters are doing that, and my daughter-in-law lost 75 lbs with Weight Watchers last year. The truth is, the last day or two, I've been feeling kind of weak...like just lifting my arms to curl my hair. I gave in to pressure from my sisters and daughter to switch over "to the dark side." LOL. The HCG did work for me in the other rounds, and obviously I was losing this time, but I just didn't feel as good. I don't know if it is because it was the Homeopathic pellets instead of the injections or what. My husband wants to stick it out a few more days and see how it goes for him, but I think it will be hard for him to stay with it if I'm not doing it with him. I hate to disappoint you all, but just want to be honest here. I'll check back in from time to time to let you know how it's going with the Weight Watchers. Thanks for all your support in the past!

Jan 24, 2011 VLCD4: 166.8 DN 1.0 TWL 8.2 lbs

Another whole pound gone this morning. I'm loving this!

Jan 23, 2011 VLCD 4: 167.8 lbs DN 0.6 TWL 7.2 lbs

Well, I was only down 0.6 lbs today. That is still a good day, but you get spoiled by those first few days when the scale drops like a rock! Had another cheat-free day, but I'm glad to go back to work tomorrow. Weekends are always harder with the kitchen just a few steps away. When I am working, I am too busy to think about food!

Jan 22, 2011 VLCD 3: 168.4 lbs DN 3.8 TWL 6.8 lbs

Big Surprise! When I got on the scale this morning, I was down to 168.4 lbs. I couldn't believe it. That is 6.8 lbs in two VLCD days! Weekends have always been the hardest and I wasn't looking forward to getting through this one, but that really motivated me! That is what is so great about this diet. I am already 1.6 lbs lower than my pre-load weight. How can people say this doesn't work? By the way, my husband is also down 7 lbs.

Jan 21, 2011 VLCD 2, 172.2 lbs DN 2.8 lbs

Ok, it's nice to start seeing the scale go down instead of up for a change. Still have 2.2 lbs of load weight to shed before I'm really making progress. Had jury duty today. I packed my chicken (cut into bite size pieces and frozen) with a small container of blue ice, and took along a baggie of bite size pieces of apple and celery. It all fit in my purse. No problem staying on track. Just finished dinner of chicken, spinach and 1/2 an orange. I was ready to eat when it was time at 6am, 10am, 12pm, 3pm, and 6pm, but I was never feeling "starved." I find the pellets are pretty convenient, and I've never tried the drops, but it seems like pellets would be so much better...easy to measure, no refrigeration, and they take longer to dissolve so more of it gets into your system instead of your stomach. I'm really hoping to be back down to 170.0 by tomorrow morning. That's asking a lot for two days...but I put it ON in two days! We shall see...

Jan 20, 2011 VLCD 1, Final Load Wt: 175.0 lbs

Evidently my body has become more efficient at storing fat! I've never been able to gain more than 3-4 lbs on my load days. This time I gained 5 lbs, and I don't think I even ate as much as other times. I hope it is mostly water. Well, I guess 175.0 is a nice round number to start from (if you can call that nice!) It will make subtraction easy at least! :) It's lunchtime and I'm doing ok so far. Not starving at all. My husband says he is doing great today too. For some reason, I am not too keen on eating the chicken this time. I'd just as soon eat the celery and apples and forget the meat, but I'm eating it because I know I need to. I'm not eating the grissini though. I rarely do. I usually just have it if I need to take an aspirin or something so it isn't on an empty stomach. Dr Simeons says you can skip that if you want to. I went to the health food store today and bought some sublingual B-12 tablets. It's always a good idea to take B-12 when doing this diet. It helps keep your energy up. I usually feel great while I'm on the diet. People just don't believe that you can feel great on 500 calories a day, but I do. Prepare yourself to get a lot of flack from negative people. You just have to ignore them. If you need positive motivation, go look at the Before and After photos on the link I provided under "Helpful Links." (Scroll down on the left side of the screen and you will find it, but I just realized you have to have a yahoo account to view it. You can set one up for free though.) There are dozens of albums with photos of people who lost using HCG. This diet WORKS!

Jan 19, 2011 Load Day 2, 174.0 lbs, up 4 lbs!

Well apparently one thing I'm good at is loading! Four pounds in one day? Has to be a lot of water. I've been really thirsty, and drank about a gallon of water today. Seriously! Ate a big breakfast and lunch, and just finished a big steak and an ice cream bar. Almost time for bed now. I think that's about it for my loading. I'm ready to get on with the "unloading!" Everyone thinks that loading will be such a wonderful experience...Eat anything you want, as much as you want! The thing is, once you aren't hungry anymore (which happens pretty quickly) the stuff you thought would be so good, really isn't all that great. Besides, you are feeling stuffed and uncomfortable, and all the fat and sugar kind of makes you feel terrible. You can really see what junk food does to your body! Tomorrow will be my first VLCD day. I sure hope these HHCG pellets work or I'm in big trouble! I'm really anxious to see how it goes. My goal for this time is a net loss of 15 lbs. (That is, to lose all of the load weight plus 15 lbs.) That would put me at 155, which is where I was when I started on my very first round of HCG two years ago. I don't think I ever put on more than 4 lbs loading before, but I will be surprised if the scale isn't up even more tomorrow morning. That will make it pretty hard to hit my target, but I'm going to try!

MEAL PREPARATION SUGGESTIONS:

For those who are just starting...this is the meal plan I used in the past. It worked great for me. I would divide up all my food portions and put them in baggies on the weekend. I used half chicken breast, and half 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. (If you dip the apples in a bowl of water with about a teaspoon of salt for one minute, they won't turn brown!) 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 or radishes (or 2 large tomatoes,) 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 cooked 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 found this menu quite satisfying, and I hardly ever suffered from hunger. When you aren't starving, it is a lot easier not to cheat!

Jan 18, 2011 R5 Load Day 1, 170 lbs

Wow! I just posted a few hours ago for the first time in months and I already have some new diet buddies! I am so excited for you, because I know this really works. Just stick to Dr Simeons method and don't cheat and you will have amazing results. I am glad to be back on track and in control again. I wish I hadn't thrown away all the progress I made, but that is now in the past, and at least I KNOW that I can do something that works. A couple of weeks ago, I decided I would try and lose the weight "naturally" with diet and exercise. I did 1200 calories a day and exercised for a week and then pulled a muscle in my back and had to quit the exercise. Looking ahead at losing about 1 lb per week, I would have to stay on 1200 calories for about 10 months! I just don't have the patience to count calories for that long. I would just rather do a few rounds of HCG and I can lose about 5 lbs a week. THAT is a lot more motivating to me! It is so easy to prepare the food ahead of time, and take it with me. For you new people, I went into a great deal of detail about food preparation on my Feb 14, 2009 post. I'll copy it and repost it here. That seemed to work the best for me. Keep in touch and let me know how you are doing. Good luck!

Jan 17, 2011 170 lbs Starting Over

All right, it's time to get serious! I hesitated to post again because I've put on 35 lbs in the last 7 months, and I don't want to discourage anyone. Not very smart. I had a blast making and eating all kinds of delicious goodies. I love to make gourmet candies and homemade breads and rolls, but now I'm paying for it! The HCG diet worked for me better than anything I've ever done. I just didn't eat sensibly afterwards. I'm going to try the Homeopathic HCG Pellets this time. There is a lot of debate about whether HHCG actually works, but some people swear by it. My first rounds were with the shots. I didn't mind that at all, but the Pellets are a lot cheaper and more convenient, so I'm going to give them a try. I hope I haven't discouraged anyone by my huge relapse. It was NOT the fault of the HCG. I was just eating really terribly, and didn't care. I was enjoying it! My Mother in law lost 25 lbs two years ago and has kept it all off. It's going to take me a few rounds to get back down to 130-135, but I'll get there!

Aug 1, 2010 149.6 lbs

Well, I've been avoiding posting because I don't want to discourage anyone. I'm a stress-eater, and have eaten way too much in the past couple of months and undid all the progress I made on the last round. All I can say is, this diet works when nothing else did. You CAN maintain your loss IF you eat correctly and reasonably after you reach your goal...but if you overeatyou will gain it back. Duh! I think my two biggest mistakes were: First - going 6 weeks instead of 3 weeks on the first round. (I lost 88% of the weight in the first 3 weeks, and the last 3 weeks were very hard without the motivation of seeing the scale drop!) and Second - trying to get down too low. I was doing good and looking good at 130. I was able to maintain it pretty well. Then I decided to do a round with my husband and see if I could get down to 120, and by the time I got to 123, I could see it was too low for me. I started eating to gain back 5-7 lbs...and just kept going from there. After getting up to 150 again, I did another successful round, but got impatient and didn't finish out the 3 week P3 like I should have. I'm sad that I let myself get back up here again, but not mad at myself. It is what it is, and we all do the best we can at the time. I know I will lose the weight again. I felt so great at 130-135 and I miss that, but I'm going to give myself a break from dieting right now and just try to eat really healthy and start exercising (another mistake...I never did any exercise and sit at a computer all day.) When I'm up to it again, I may do another round of HCG if I need it. I know it works if I follow it correctly. My mother in law lost 25 lbs last year (she's 74) and has maintained the loss perfectly! I highly recommend the diet to those people who are willing to follow the very strict protocol. It does work! Just don't overdo it. Another bit of advice: DO take before and after photos and measurements, even if you never post them. It is extrememly helpful and motivating! Just looking at mine again makes me want to do better and get back there!

May 3, 2010 136.6 LIW 135.5 on Tues Apr 27

Decided to stop at 135.5 since my body seemed to stick there. Have maintained within 2 lbs of that this week. I'm ok with where I am. I did want to lose those last 5 lbs, but I think it would have taken another two weeks, and I just wasn't up for that. Maybe with sensible diet and excercise, I can shed those lbs! I'm back into most of my clothes, and that was my motivation. It's hard being careful, but I'm really trying to be good so I don't bounce back up.

R4 VLCD 20 136.0 lbs (down 14 lbs!)

Hi, just checking in. This has been a great round so far. I'm on day 20 and just 6 lbs from my real goal. I figured 135 would be as far as I could get in one round, but I really wanted to get to 130. I don't know if I will make it all the way to 130, but I'm feeling great and still losing 2-3 lbs per week, so maybe I'll get there. Anyway, I'm happy to be down this far. I haven't been near as hungry this round as last time. Maybe because it has been about six months since I've done a round. It just doesn't seem as hard this time. Feeling really good about being able to go to my closet and find clothes that actually fit again! Lovin' it!

Apr 9, 10 R4 VLCD 5 142.2 (-0.6)(Dn 7.8)

WOW! This has been my best round ever. The other times I only lost about 6 lbs at day 5 (4 days on VLCD) and this time I'm down 7.8 lbs. I'm trying to think about what I might be doing different this time. All I can think of is I am not taking any vitamins except a strong B complex, D3, and magnesium. I think I took some others during other rounds, can't remember. Anyway, I feel GREAT! I haven't been as hungry this round as I was last round either, but as I said, last round, I think I was trying to go too low, and Dr. Simeons said if you've lost too much you will get hungry. It's 130 as a final goal for me. I really don't think I'll get there in one round. I figure I'll plateau soon after such a big loss. When I do, I hope it's in the 130's instead of the 140's. Lol! Notice I said "when" not "if." Most people plateau at some point so I've got to be realistic. Other rounds, I lost 13 to 15 lbs in the first 3-4 weeks. I'll have to look it up but that is what I recall. So if I started this round at 150, I'll be lucky to get to 135. (That's still way better than 150!)***Just a note to "anonymous" who left a comment yesterday***Thanks for the encouragement. We must be on the same wavelength! I do want to caution you though, you said you were using injections left over from the last round. You need to know that the HCG is only good for 30 days once it is mixed up. And it is imperative that it be kept in the fridge at all times except when filling your needles. It will keep for about two years unrefrigerated in the powdered state. I have heard some people say the sublingual is not as effective. You get hungrier. My son says it is more trouble - you have to use it a few times a day and can't eat or drink within an hour or two before or after, so you have to carry it around with you. He says he prefers the injections - one shot and you are good for the day. I agree. The sublingual is a lot cheaper though, and it can be done successfully. Anyway, I hope this helps. Good luck to you. Let me know how you are doing!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010 Another Round

Well, I kind of just let my eating get out of control for a while and indulged in too many consecutive meals of burgers and fries and Dairy Queen (who is no queen but an evil witch!) I know I can enjoy those things occasionally, but not every day. My weight got back up to 147. None of my clothes fit anymore and I did not want to see 150 again. I tried a bit of self control, but I'm too impatient for results. I'd rather get really strict on the HCG diet for a month and get the fast results and then go back to being good! So, my sweet hubby and I just started another round. After loading for two days I was up to the dreaded 150. We started the VLCD days on Monday and after just two days, I've lost 5 1/2 pounds! I love this diet. I feel great...better than ever and haven't hardly been hungry at all. The shots hurt more this time. I think we must have gotten some needles that weren't as sharp or something, because the last rounds never bothered either one of us. It's still worth it though.

Jan 9, 2010

I suppose you are all wondering how things are going after all this time. There have been ups and downs. I maintained at 130 for a few months, then my husband wanted to do another round so I decided to do it with him. I ended up at 123 lbs, but it was probably too low for me. Even my size 4 jeans were getting saggy! Can you believe that? I also had to watch what I ate so closely, that I figured it wasn't worth it to try to maintain that low of a weight. I figured I would go back to 130, which was plenty easy to do! Trouble is...about that time, it was Thanksgiving, and then Christmas... I really indulged a LOT more than I should have. I sailed right past 130 and now I'm at 140! I have stayed there for a couple of weeks and want to get back down to 130 again. I felt pretty good there and it wasn't that hard to maintain. We all kind of fell off the wagon over the holidays, and several members of my family are starting another round this month. I'm going to try to just start exercising, and getting the eating back under control, and see if I can lose these 10 lbs "naturally" first, but if that doesn't work, I will probably do another round of HCG to get back there. I KNOW that will work! Considering that a year ago, I weighed 164(I lost some before starting the HCG)I'm pretty happy to still be at 140.

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!