Good results

The steak day worked. I lost 2.2 pounds, which was more than my gain.

I'm still not ready to say how much I weigh, because it's more than I want to weigh. However, I feel pretty good about my chances of losing the rest of my extra fat. I'm dedicated in my exercise. I have a renewed determination to eat only the foods that are best for my body.

A quick fix like HCG wasn't quite right for me. I'm still grateful for the boost it gave me. But since I always felt hungry on it, I've developed a mentality where I can't stand to feel hungry. So when I start to feel deprived on my strict eating plan (meat, veggies, eggs, a little fruit), I go overboard.

I have an intolerance to wheat. I know this. It drains my energy and makes me feel slightly sick to my stomach. Yet this past month when I've gotten hungry and didn't have a good snack ready, I'd have toast or cereal. I didn't care what it would do to me, as long as it ended the hunger. (Plus I love cereal. I could eat it three meals a day if it was good for me.)

So now I have to balance good eating with keeping my sanity. "Occasional treat" doesn't cut it. I need structure or I'll keep eating the things I shouldn't. I'm thinking of going to free Sundays. I'll eat the way I should all week, but allow myself some freedom on Sundays. That way the restriction of my diet won't feel so endless. If I want something, I'll just tell myself I can have it on Sunday--I just have to wait.

Holding steady

I've been maintaining the same weight for nearly a month now. I'd like to be losing, but I'm happy I'm not gaining.

I've been eating like a normal person. In order to lose more weight, I'll have to go strict again. Every time I gear up to do that, something happens. My latest attempt at strict eating lasted 3 and 1/2 days. Last night I was sabotaged by my husband. A good friend of ours was in town and my husband wanted to take him out to eat. But the friend had a time crunch, so we did fast food.

All my progress of three days was wiped away. But today I'm doing a steak day to erase the damage. I haven't done one of those in quite a while.

Still here

I haven't checked in for quite a while. I just don't have much to say.

I was doing really well. Then came Easter. I brought my own sugar-free dessert, but my sister made peanut butter bars that I couldn't resist. And I sampled the Easter candy. How do you turn down an adorable 4-year-old, blonde haired, blue-eyed niece handing you a robin's egg?

So that threw me off track again for a little while. Food like that robs me of my energy. I felt so terrible, physically. But now I'm eating right again. My weight has been up down, up down. Heading down again now, and I need to keep it that way.

I go on vacation the first week of June. I'd like to be slimmer than I am now for that trip. We'll be heading to the East coast, and probably the beach. If that's not motivation, I don't know what is.

Small update

I'm still doing good. The cravings are gone for now. I'm eating healthy. I'm still having fruit, but I need to remind myself that with my blood sugar instability, I don't have to have fruit every day. I'm skipping it today.

I'm making progress with my exercise and gaining muscle. I feel pretty good.

I'm doing okay

The steak day was a good success. But I gained some back the following day. That's the way it's been--up and down. I was starting to get desperate with all the things it seems I can't eat. Then my husband gave me a bit of his wisdom.

He said just because a food makes me gain weight the next day doesn't mean I'm sensitive to it. It means my body hasn't had it in a long time, and it has to adjust. He told me to ride things out. See if a certain food makes me gain weight every day for a whole week. That makes sense.

Plus, I'm really focusing on exercise. I'm doing some more challenging routines to build muscle. Fat-burning muscle! Because unless I do something to rev up my metabolism, I'm afraid I'll never be able to eat anything but meat and green vegetables for the rest of my life.

So, my weight isn't looking real great right now, but my attitude is so much better. I know that some of the weight I've gained is lean mass. And every muscle in my body is sore! I'll try to remember to check in more often, but I don't think I'm going to report a daily weight for a while.

A go-ahead on the steak day

I need this steak day for many reasons. I've been eating when I'm not hungry. I can't leave the foods alone that I shouldn't eat.

I think the cravings are so bad because my body needs more than I'm currently giving it. Even though I'm taking an excellent multivitamin, I believe I'm still lacking something. I need more vegetables, probably. And I'll keep the fresh fruit in my diet once this steak day is over. Berries mostly because they're the lowest in sugar.

Okay, some of the cravings are old-fashioned "I want junk food" cravings. Nothing profound about those. I'm still an emotional eater when things aren't going well. I need to work on that. I have to turn this around. Those dreams I was having about a flat stomach? Last night I had a dream with a poochy tummy and I was trying to hide in my swimsuit. Mental shift. Not good.

That changes now.

So-so results

Yesterday I lost .4. But I had a not-so-good day, so I didn't make any more progress this morning. This weight is going to take longer to come off than I thought. That's kind of discouraging, and doesn't make my willpower any stronger.

I might do a regular old steak day tomorrow. When this weight came on, I wasn't in any shape to attempt a steak day, but I'm feeling better every day. It won't do as much good as it would have done the first day, but it should do something. Besides, if I go through with it, it will remind me that it's not the end of the world to go without food for most of a day. It might end or lessen my cravings. I hope so, because once they start, they're monsters.

Feeling better

So far so good today. I've been satisfied with just meat, eggs and vegetables. I think this flu is on its way out. I'm not 100%, but better.

Still frustrating. It seems like whenever I'm doing really well with eating and exercise, I get sick. When I get sick, I don't care as much about my goals. Although, with as strict as my diet is, if I don't splurge with something "forbidden" once in a while, I might go crazy. And if I go crazy, I might chuck the diet altogether. I've worked too hard for that.

I didn't mean to disappear

I've been sick. Again.

This time it was a fever with cold-like symptoms--the true flu. If only I'd had the stomach flu with throwing up, no appetite... all that wonderful stuff. I'd have lost weight then.

But noooo. I was a bottomless pit. So very, very hungry. So I gained. Meat--my staple--wasn't all that appetizing. I had some, but not my normal amounts. I craved peanuts and fruit. My willpower is great when I'm well and energized. When I'm sick... almost nonexistent. It makes me feel worse that I already discovered I'm sensitive to peanuts, and that's what I ran to.

I've been sick since Saturday. I basically had a four-day binge. And I was too weak to exercise. And my stomach didn't want much water. Okay, it could have been worse. I could have binged on ice cream and Doritos. My binge was peanuts, raisins and prunes. With some fresh fruit thrown in. I don't feel bad about the fresh fruit.

Scary number time. 138.6. Yes, it could have been worse. And most of this has to be water since I gained it so fast. But from my post-HCG low, I'm carrying an extra five pounds.

I'm still sick, but I was able to exercise today. I feel more able to resist the peanuts, but I can't promise what today will bring. All I can say is, I've had enough and I'm ready to lose these five pounds.

Help me be strong. I need some encouraging words.

Meh...

I wasn't feeling good yesterday and forgot to check in. The protein day worked. I lost exactly the 1.4 I had gained, bringing me back to 135.4. This morning I'm up a little at 135.6.

Remember when I was complaining about being stuck at 133.6? I'm an idiot.

I'll get there again.

Grrrr...

I'm growling because I had planned to eat clean yesterday (and by clean I mean meat and veggies). But I was still exhausted from my trip, and I had my kid's club last night. I ate fine all day, but I was so tired and so hungry when I got home that I had to eat something. I didn't have any meat ready to eat, so I had celery and peanut butter.

I weigh 136.8 this morning. I'd say I shouldn't have peanut butter. What do you think? I did not want to introduce new foods yesterday, but when I'm that tired and hungry, I don't care about anything.

This calls for a steak day, but my exercise is intense enough that I don't want to go hungry all day. And after that weight, I didn't want to skip my exercise this morning. So I'll do a protein day. All meat and eggs. If this doesn't work, I'll do a steak day tomorrow and won't exercise.

My goal is suddenly looking very far away. *Sigh*

P.S. I just saw your comment from yesterday. I still think I'm stable--in theory. But I must be sensitive or allergic to peanuts. That's a whopping gain from 1-2 Tbsp of peanut butter.

Home again

After Monday's post, I had to fly to get ready to leave. My dad was in the ER with chest pains (nothing new) and they were going to transfer him to a hospital an hour and a half away. That's the closest hospital that does angiograms. He was going by ambulance, and he didn't want my mom to have to make the drive alone, so I went with.

I packed a taco salad the first day for lunch, and I packed almonds and coconut oil for snacks. Other than that I had to rely on the hospital cafeteria for food. For supper that night they had pot roast and vegetables. The pot roast was very salty, and who knows what else they put in it. The vegetables were orange and yellow carrots--nothing else. I'd still been avoiding root vegetables, but this was my only option.

I had 3 eggs and 3 sausage for breakfast yesterday, and lunch was a chicken stir fry. I passed on the rice they served with it. But again, there was some sort of sauce with the meat and I'm sure there was something in it I shouldn't have had. But for being called away from home at the last minute, things didn't turn out too bad. I was home again for supper, where my wonderful husband had steaks thawed.

The worst part was water. I didn't have a water bottle with me, and I had limited access to water. I couldn't sit and sip all day like I do at home. I could grab a small cup here and there. Plus, the meat servings weren't as big as what I'd have at home. I always felt hungry. Almonds can't make up for that.

We did nothing but sit and wait. Things move so slowly in a hospital. The only reason we had to spend the night was that they got my dad in for the angiogram so late. But we were prepared. Then, he should have been released first thing in the morning, but we had to sit and wait for the doctor's final word until 2 in the afternoon.

Bottom line, I'm up to 135.4 this morning. I'm so dehydrated! I'm going to eat clean and drink lots of water today. And exercise! Wow, I missed it those two days.

Quick post

Yesterday I was up a little to 134.6. Today I'm the same. My period started this morning, so I've added more bloat to the bloat that was there.

I gotta run now, and I'm not sure I'll be able to post tomorrow.

Down a little

I lost .6 for a weight of 134.2 today. Better.

I don't like PMS

I'm up another 0.2 overnight. The only good thing about PMS gains is that I know they'll pass in several days. That is, if the cravings for energy foods don't get the best of me. Time to repeat: My body is more important than food. My goals are more important than a temporary craving.

Not good

overnight: +1.0
weight: 134.6
0.6 over LDW

Two possibilities: 1. PMS caused the gain; 2. Fruit caused the gain.

I was sick yesterday. A touch of the stomach flu, but no throwing up. Splitting headache, no energy. After supper everything in me was craving fruit. My no fruit during P3 rule was self-imposed, and yesterday was my last day of P3 anyway. So I had some blueberries. Less than half a cup. The energy from the fruit did make me feel better for the evening. But fruit isn't worth a pound gain.

I'm also PMSing, though. This morning I feel very bloated. I'm hoping that's the real cause. In any case, I'll wait a few days before having fruit again.

Again

No need for stats. My weight is still 133.6 and you know what that means by now.

I hope yesterday's impatience didn't sound like ingratitude. I'm so very grateful to have stabilized so well. Five days of being at the same weight--with one little upward blip in the middle--you can't get more stable than that. I set a goal for myself that I'll be at my ideal weight by June, just in time for swimsuit season. As long as I keep working at it, my body will respond when it's ready. That gives me just over 10 weeks to lose 8.6 pounds. Doable.

I was mistaken when I said my lean mass is still below what it should be. My fat scale says so, but the accurate calipers say I've regained every ounce of lean mass I lost. The fat scale can really only be used as a guideline, not an absolute fact.

I'm thrilled that I've lost just as much fat during P3 as during P2. The inches don't come out that way, but I guess I lost it where the calipers count. My energy is much improved, as is my mood. I'm very grateful for where I'm at.

This seems to be my new number

overnight: 0
weight: 133.6
0.4 under LDW

Tomorrow is my last day of P3. Not that it will make any difference to me, food-wise. But it's still a sense of accomplishment that I've made it this far with no steak day. I've stabilized just below my last dose weight.

Of course, I'm working my butt off with exercise, so I'll be ready to start losing weight any day now. My lean mass has been staying the same, although I'm still down from when I started the round. I was hoping my fat would continue to go down, but it's staying the same, too. By the way, the calipers read the same as they did last week-- 19.6% fat. Compare that to the 24% in the sidebar. This is a healthy percent of fat.

The only unhealthy reading I have left is my waist--31 inches compared to hips that are 36.75. A ratio of .844, when it should be under .8.

But that fat percentage is great. Truly, I'm happy with the way things are. There's just something psychological about continuing to see the number on the scale go down. And I'm still 8.6 pounds from my ultimate goal. I'll get there, though. I guess now is a time for my body to adjust.

Back down

overnight: -0.4
weight: 133.6
0.4 under LDW

P3 D17

overnight: +0.4
weight: 134
at LDW

A slight gain. There may not be a reason for it. But I did do more vigorous exercise than normal. My husband and I went snowshoeing in the woods. A lot of it was uphill, plus wearing heavy boots and snowshoes. I also didn't drink as much water as I'm used to. Either way, this is my LDW, so it's not a big deal.

P3 D16

overnight: 0
weight: 133.6
0.4 under LDW

This is the first time I've maintained a weight in this P3. And this is a good one to maintain. It proves that yesterday's big loss wasn't a fluke.

P3 D15

overnight: -0.6
weight: 133.6
.4 under LDW

I didn't do anything special yesterday and my weight came down. I felt good all day yesterday. Plenty of energy and my mood was up. I mean up. I used the energy to do some cleaning. The loss is going to stick this time, I know it. I'll keep losing until I reach my ideal weight, then maintain for life.

Two weeks of P3 and going strong

overnight: -0.2
weight: 134.2
0.2 over LDW

Last round I thought I was a failure. I thought HCG worked for everyone but me. On this day last round I was 139.4, which was 6.6 pounds over LDW. I never recovered from Thanksgiving. I just kept going downhill and ended up at 141.2 on my last day of P3.

My two weeks of going even stricter than Atkin's Induction are over. Today I'm introducing almonds. I want to wait at least another week before I have fruit. I suppose I'll eat it if I really feel the need for it. I was craving fruit last night, but it went away after I had coconut oil. But I think keeping my blood sugar more stable has been good for me.

I'll go slow with introducing one food at a time. Despite my strict eating, I'm amazed at how well I'm stabilizing. I want things to stay this way.

P3 D 13

overnight: +0.2
weight: 134.4
0.4 over LDW

Steady as she goes. This is wonderful. I'm continuing to release fat. I measured myself yesterday and I'm a bit thinner than most of the measurements in the side bar. My calipers told me I dropped so much fat I don't quite believe it. I'll post what it was next week if it holds true.

Hard work and dedication pay off in P3. I haven't had any food cravings, but once in a while something looks good. When that happens I tell myself, my body is more important than food.

I keep forgetting to take pictures. I'll take some as soon as possible and get them posted. I've got a ways to go, but I'm sure there's noticeable progress to be seen.

WooHoo!

overnight: -1.6
weight: 134.2
.2 over LDW

Snoopy dance, Snoopy dance. I wanted to be sure I wouldn't have to do a steak day today, so yesterday I did a protein day. Thanks for the suggestion. Even though (I think) you were suggesting it as a replacement for a steak day, I used it this way. I can't believe how well it worked.

I may have lost some of that anyway, but I don't think I'd have gone lower than 135 on my own. Now I have a feeling of being able to control things somewhat. I mean, I've been stabilizing just fine. But this way if I get too close to the line I know there's something I can do about it.

P3 D11

Sorry for the lack of a post yesterday. Saturday night I didn't get home from the youth banquet until 11:20, and didn't get to bed until midnight. Turn the clock ahead an hour and that's 1 a.m. Then I was gone all day yesterday, too. Today, I'm wiped.

I had two busy days in a row, away from home where it's harder to drink water all day. I was able to keep my eating in line, but I didn't take in enough water.

Sunday:
+.4 = 135.4
1.4 over LDW

Today:
overnight: +.4
weight: 135.8
1.8 over LDW

I'm confident I can turn that around with a day at home with no stress and plenty of water to drink. The scale still says that's all lean weight gain and I'm losing fat. So even if I gain enough tomorrow to have to do a steak day, it's not the end of the world.

All is well

overnight: -0.6
weight: 135
1 pound over LDW

I'm so relieved I lost again instead of gaining. No steak day worries today.

Too close to the line

overnight: +0.6
weight: 135.6
1.6 over LDW

Yipe! I know that's lean weight, but I still have to follow the rules and do a steak day if I go over 136. I'm only another .6 away from a steak day. And tomorrow would be a horrible day for one. I'll be very busy and away from home for supper.

About the lean versus fat... Today's results tell me I've lost .6 in fat since my last low calorie day (8 days ago), and gained exactly 4 pounds of lean mass. I like that ratio. But like I said, that doesn't exempt me from a steak day.

P3 D7

overnight: +0.2
weight: 135
1 pound above LDW

All right, that wasn't much of a gain, but I'm ready to see a loss again just to prove it's still possible. I'm not overly worried, but I enjoy seeing the scale go the other way. On the other hand, it's so nice to see and feel my muscles coming back.

Something else funny is happening. In my dreams, my body has always been accurate at whatever weight I'm at. So if I'm in a swimsuit, or the dreaded in-my-underwear-in-public dreams, I'm trying to hide my body. Since I've been back in the 130s, I've had a flat stomach in my dreams. In reality, I don't have a flat stomach--not even close--but if I'm seeing myself that way in my dreams, my self-image has shifted to the positive.

Last night I dreamed I was standing on a dock in a bikini top and cut off jeans. I was feeling a bit self-conscious at the time because someone was video taping the scene. But when I saw a playback of the video, I had a flat stomach with good muscle definition. What a fun dream! I can't wait until it's reality.

P3 D6

overnight: +0.4
weight: 134.8
0.8 over LDW

I'm gonna have ups and downs. I won't sweat it.

P3 D5

overnight: +0.4
weight: 134.4
0.4 over LDW

Not bad. While I'd like to stay under my LDW, just .4 over is nice stabilization. I'm back to my normal exercise, and I'm really enjoying it. Elliptical 6 days a week, resistance training 3 days a week. For now, the resistance training is only body weight. I'll move to something more challenging after about a month.

At last!!

Lets just say I took some fiber, things moved.

overnight: -0.8
weight: 134
At LDW

It finally happened. I lost weight on P3 without a steak day! I was beginning to think it wasn't possible for me. I'm eating nothing but meat and vegetables and a little bit of coconut oil. If I can't stabilize on that, I can't stabilize. The only thing I could take away is the coconut oil.

But today's loss gives me hope. Maybe I can stabilize, despite having more lean mass to gain back. Snoopy dance!

P3 D3

overnight: +1.2
weight: 134.8
.8 above LDW

I don't like that. Most of that was lean weight gain, but not all of it. I gained .3 in fat. Now, a scale can't measure fat absolutely accurately--it gives more of a guideline. But if I'm going to believe it when it says I lost fat, I have to believe it when it says I gained.

It could be as simple as the fact that I haven't had a good BM since I've been eating full calories. They've stayed small as if I'm still staying under 500 calories. So I'm no doubt a little backed up. That might also affect the fat % reading.

Or it could be that I ate cooked vegetables for the first time last night. I made stew. My body doesn't like cooked vegetables while on HCG, so I avoided them. My body could be reacting to reintroducing them. But I simply can't have all my vegetables raw. I get too sick of them.

I won't worry yet. I'm still not over 136 where I'd have to do a steak day. Last round on this day I gained 1.6, so I'm still doing much better this time.

P3 D2

overnight: +0.6
weight: 133.6
0.4 under LDW

That was a gain of .8 in lean mass and another loss of .2 in fat. I'm fine with gaining lean weight back. Despite the fact that HCG is supposed to preserve muscle, I lost around 7-8 pounds of lean mass of some sort in P2. As long as I'm still losing fat, that's all I care about.

Of course, I don't want to gain the lean back so quickly that I end up doing a steak day. But for now I'm still below my LDW, so I'm happy. I consider what I'm doing a success. Last round on this day I gained another 1.2, for a total of 2.4 versus 1.4 this time.

Phase 3 Day 1

overnight: +0.8
weight: 133
1 pound below LDW

Last time I gained 1.2 my first day, so .8 is much better than that. Plus, with my fat % scale, I know that I actually lost .2 in fat and gained 1 pound in lean mass. All in all, I'm happy with my first day's results.

VLCD 24 (and final)

overnight: -0.6
total lost: 18.8
weight: 132.2

1.8 under LDW

That makes me more comfortable. Today I start my Atkin's Induction style eating. The difference will be that Atkin's allows certain types of dairy, and I'll be avoiding that. I need to test dairy for reactions later. Also, I'm taking nothing for granted, so I'm avoiding eggs for the first 6 days. That way I will have gone without eggs for a full 30, and I'll introduce them next week. I don't think I have a problem with eggs, but I want to be absolutely sure.

I've got a steak cooking for breakfast as we speak. It's the only thing that sounded good, and I'm assuming I won't have to do steak days during P3. :o) *crossing fingers*

VLCD 23

overnight: -0.2
total lost: 18.2
weight: 132.8

Okay, I'd like to lose a little more. Tomorrow's weigh-in is my last chance to drop weight before P3. I'm bound to gain a little something just from eating full meals again, so I want more breathing room. I want to be more than 1.2 pounds under my LDW. I'm so sick and tired of being hungry that I don't want to have to do any steak days.

VLCD 22

overnight: 0
total lost: 18
weight: 133

It's fine that I stayed the same after that huge loss yesterday. I took my measurements this morning.

I thought of this round as a do-over, so I'm happy to come out just a smidge ahead in total inches, and one percent ahead in fat. This was 22 days, while the round 1 measurements were taken after 44 days.

VLCD 21

overnight: -1.0
total lost: 18
weight: 133

I'm stunned at a one pound loss this late in the game. I suppose I shouldn't be. I did have two days in a row of losing .2 because of PMS. But in the past, my body has never made up for little losses. This round has been different in so many positive ways. What a great start to a day!

VLCD 20

overnight: -0.6
total lost: 17
LAST DOSE WEIGHT: 134

A nice even number. I'm happy with it. I didn't expect that much of a loss since my period started this morning. I guess PMS affects me more than the actual thing. On this day of my last HCG doses, I have an average weight loss of .85 per day.

VLCD 19

overnight: -0.2
total lost: 16.4
weight: 134.6

Everything was right with my eating again yesterday, but I'm PMSing right now. My TOM will start any day. It's due today, but it varies by a few days even when I'm not on HCG, and HCG messes it up further.

I'm ending a round just when Simeons said not to--when my TOM is starting. I believe his reason was that the patient might experience hunger if they have the 3 VLCD without HCG at the start of their period. Imagine that! I might be hungry on the HCG protocol!

I may feel weak during those 3 days, but I don't care. It's time to end, so I'm ending. And due to my timing, I may lose another .2 tomorrow for my LDW, I may stay the same, or I may gain. Whatever. The phrase last dose weight is music to my ears.

VLCD 18

overnight: -0.2
total lost: 16.2
weight: 134.8

Oh, well. No biggie. Still happy to be where I am, and so close to being done.

VLCD 17

overnight: -0.6
total lost: 16
weight: 135

It feels good to be 10 pounds from my ultimate goal. The more I lose in the next three days, the more leeway it gives me to gain the allowable 2 pounds during phase 3, but I'm happy where I am. It's a good accomplishment for a short round. Of course, I'm hoping not to gain at all during P3. Unrealistic probably, but I can still hope.

VLCD 16

overnight: -0.8
total lost: 15.4
weight: 135.6

I'm glad I'm losing at a good pace because this rash I have is driving me insane. It spread much faster than it did the first time and it's 10 times itchier. All day long and all night long I'm itching in a dozen different places, trying very hard not to scratch, but sometimes I just can't help it. I'm losing sleep big time.

Eight days left. Eight days left.

To end on a positive note, my average daily loss is still just a hair under 1 pound a day.

VLCD 15

overnight: -0.6
total lost: 14.6
weight: 136.4

I took my measurements today. Another inch off my waist. One inch or half an inch off my other measurements, too. I'm happy about that.

I'm getting a little bit closer to a healthy waist/hip ratio. Taken together with BMI, it's a truer indication of healthy weight. In case you aren't familiar with W/H you take your waist measurement and divide it by your hip measurement. The number should be under .8. I've never been there in my adult life.

At my height, I was at a healthy BMI before I started HCG the first time. A healthy BMI for 5'7" is 159. But at that weight, my W/H was .899. Today, my W/H is .84. My waist is getting slimmer, but so are my hips, so that number goes down agonizingly slowly.

VLCD 14

overnight: -1.0
total lost: 14
weight: 137

That's better. Today starts my final week on HCG, so I want every day to count.

I'll take whatever losses come (as if I have a choice) because the real difference this time is going to come in phase 3. I'm going to limit my food choices, and really hit the exercise. I'm sure I'll have to continue with my low intensity and no resistance training for a few days until I get my strength back.

But then I'm really dedicating myself to working out for three months, and getting in shape in time for summer. Lots of protein and muscle-building is what I need to get rid of the fat I have left after HCG. I can't wait.

VLCD 13

overnight: 0
total lost: 13
weight: 138

Exactly the same. Even the fat percentage.

Maybe it was cabbage. I knew my body didn't like the cooked cabbage on HCG, but I thought raw was fine. I had it at both meals yesterday--only one serving the previous two days. If that's what's causing my weight to stay the same, I'm happy to say goodbye to it. Raw cabbage that isn't coleslaw isn't so great, anyway.

Here's hoping for some loss tomorrow.

VLCD 12

overnight: -0.2
total lost: 13
weight: 138

Not much of a weight loss, but once again it was a nice shift in the fat loss. I don't think it was anything I did wrong, just a natural balance happening in my body.

After yesterday, I have half my low calorie days behind me. 12 down, 12 to go. That's 9 days on HCG plus 3 additional low calorie days. Doesn't look like much on paper, but these last 12 days have been long ones. Mostly because I've done this before. I'm tired of it and I'm so ready to be done.

Not that I regret starting HCG again. I won't complain about 13 pounds in 12 days. :o) I just want it behind me.

VLCD 11

overnight: -0.6
total lost: 12.8
weight: 138.2

I'm happy with another good loss. But let me ask you this. How is it possible to drink 3 quarts of water a day and still retain water? For the past few days I've had red indentations from my clothing on my legs and stomach. I don't exactly try to drink 3 quarts of water each day, but I'm so dry and thirsty all the time. That's what it adds up to. If there were more hours in the day, I'd probably drink more.

Does the extreme dry mouth happen to you guys? It happened to me last round, too. It's something that makes the low fat meats and low moisture vegetables like spinach hard to eat. It's just plain hard to swallow them with my dry throat. I drink water all day long. And I still go to bed with a cottony mouth. I don't get it.

VLCD 10

overnight: -0.8
total lost: 12.2
weight: 138.8

Happy dance. I'm getting spoiled here. As hard as I try not to speculate, it's in my nature to check the numbers. Last round from days 9-21, I averaged .6 lost per day. If I did that again, it would put me at 133 for my last dose weight. Not too bad. Last time my LDW was 132.8. I consider this round of HCG a do-over anyway.

I could gain more ground by going longer, but I won't be able to last more than the shortest allowable time. My hunger is getting a little bit worse. I've had hunger all along, just very tolerable. The type of hunger a normal person feels when it's time for lunch, not starvation hunger. It's gotten a little sharper in the last two days, and comes a little earlier. Still tolerable, but not for a longer round.

The huge difference this time is that I'm not obsessed with food. Last time, by day four I was drooling over TV commercials with food. I started looking up recipes I could have during phase 3 after my first week of low calories. I daydreamed about them, reread the recipes and imagined how they'd taste.

This time, I could hardly care less about outside food. Either it's because the hunger is so much less this time, or because I know my phase 3 is basically going to be Atkins induction. Whatever the reason, I'm glad.

VLCD 9

overnight: -1.0
total lost: 11.4
weight: 139.6

In the 130s again!

Yesterday I ate roast beef, so it's not red meat that makes me stall, it's only hamburger--well, Monday's hamburger. And I found another reason. We recently got beef from a farmer friend of ours. I took for granted that the hamburger was one pound, like the butcher said it would be. (The packages aren't marked.) Before I made my husband his separate supper last night, I decided to weigh the hamburger. A pound and a quarter.

So instead of getting the 4 oz serving I thought, I was probably getting 5 oz. 10 oz for the day. A high calorie meat like beef isn't a good one to increase the portion that much. I doubt I'll have hamburger again for the rest of the protocol, but if I get desperate for a change, I'll weigh the portions first. Two 3.5 oz servings. That's what I do best on.

But I can relax now that I'm in the 130s. I'd like to see at least .4 gone each day. But truly, if that's all I lose, I'll be content.

VLCD 8

overnight: 0
total lost: 10.4
weight: 140.6

What a letdown! I was prepared for things to slow down--I'd have been happy with a .4--but not to stop. I had hamburger yesterday. I won't have that again for a while, if at all. When I make hamburger, instead of measuring 100 grams--3.5 ounces--for a serving, I split a pound of hamburger into four servings. 4 ounces.

So I'm not only eating a fatty kind of meat, I'm getting extra protein. I rinse away as much fat as I can with hot water, but still.

But the good thing about having a body fat scale is I can see that even though the weight stayed the same, the fat went down .6% in one day. A loss of some sort happened. Plus I took my measurements this morning, and I had some very good losses. 2 inches from my waist was the best.

So a disappointing weigh-in, but great results overall when I look at the last week.

VLCD 7

overnight: -1.0
total lost: 10.4
weight: 140.6

One week down, 10.4 pounds down. Incredible! I'm so happy. Last round, counting my load weight, I lost 8.4 pounds in the first week, so I'm doing 2 pounds better this time. I'm going to take my measurements tomorrow. I'm excited to find out how the inches look.

VLCD 6

overnight: -0.8
total lost: 9.4
weight: 141.6

A late check-in today. I don't always have access to the computer on Sundays. But my hubby just left, so it's mine, all mine.

Not a lot to say. I'm hoping for another couple of big losses before things slow down. I can't wait to see the 130s again.

VLCD 5

overnight: -1.2
total lost: 8.6
weight: 142.4

That makes me happy.

What am I doing for exercise? I have an elliptical machine. My normal--non low-calorie--workout is 20 minutes alternating low intensity with high intensity bursts that last 1-2 minutes. I've gentled that down for HCG. It's mostly low intensity, not getting my heart rate up very much. For now I'm still doing a few 30 second bursts of higher intensity, but not getting my heart rate as high as normal. And if that gets to be too strenuous on such low calories, I'll cut back to all low intensity--basically walking on the elliptical.

I still haven't had fruit. I'd like to be able to stick to that, because I have such problems with blood sugar. But I won't hold myself to it if I really want fruit. I looked back at my journal and I know my hunger isn't as bad this round as last. Is it because of not having fruit? I don't know.

VLCD 4

overnight: -1.4
total lost: -7.4
weight: 143.6

I'm so happy for another big loss. Last time I only counted net loss in my total. This time I'm including the load weight in my total. It was still weight that had to be lost.

My detox rash came back yesterday morning. I looked back and sure enough, it started day four last round. I was hoping to avoid it this time, but I got frustrated and abandoned my detox program in January. So I'll just have to put up with being itchy again.

This is definitely my last round, no matter where my weight ends up. The results are wonderful, but the side-effects for me are tolerable only so many times.

By the way, I've been faithful with my exercise every morning.

VLCD 3

overnight: -0.6
total lost: -6.0
weight: 145

I expected that, and I'm fine with it. I've hovered right around 144 for several weeks, so I knew the big losses wouldn't continue.

VLCD 2

overnight: -2.0
total lost: -5.4
weight: 145.6

I think these big losses are happening because I gained so much recently. Like I said, I treated the week before I started HCG practically like a load week. I didn't get stuffed or focus on fat, but I ate whatever I wanted. But here's my menu for the last two days.

Monday:

Lunch--100 grams chicken breast, 1 cucumber
Supper--100 grams chicken breast, celery (maybe a cup and a half?)

Tuesday:

Lunch--lean hamburger rinsed of fat with Mexican spices, 1 cucumber
Supper--same meat with celery

I haven't felt the need for tea yet. Though I should drink some. Green tea is good for fat loss. I've had hunger, but mild so far, and it comes and goes.

The only thing different from last round is that I haven't had any fruit yet. Plus I'm taking a multi-vitamin. There's nothing in the vitamins that should interfere with weight loss, and my losses show that they aren't hurting so far.

VLCD 1

overnight: -3.4
weight: 147.6

Whoa! All my load weight plus .4 gone in one day. I wasn't expecting that. That's the biggest loss I've ever had. I hardly ever use the word, but ... awesome.

Third Loading Day

current weight: 151

I gained 1.4 overnight, for a total load gain of 3 pounds.

Beb, you're absolutely right. I can't get caught up in numbers. So what if I'm starting almost from scratch? I'm not up against a deadline where someone's going to tell me, "Too late." I know what went wrong and I know what to do this time.

I don't have an end number in mind, either. It would be nice to get back to where I was, or a little bit lower, but I'll do the round and simply observe my results. If I have hunger like last time, I'll do a 24 dose round. If I'm not hungry, I might go a little longer. Maybe not.

The first round of HCG got me out of the habit of exercising every day, because I was so weak during phase 2. And I didn't pick up the habit again in phase 3 or 4. I'd exercise a couple of days then quit for a week or two. So I can't blame the entire gain on food sensitivities, because I wasn't doing all I could to maintain my weight.

This phase 2, I'm determined to exercise. I want to get on that elliptical every day--no matter how weak I am, no matter how slow I have to go, no matter how short a time I can last. I plan to climb on the elliptical and move the pedals just so it's a daily routine again.

In fact, I'd better go do that right now before I start my work day.

Second loading day

I'm up another .6 pound after my second loading day. That brings me to 149.6. I dread tomorrow, which will probably bring me into the 150s. When I got into the 130s, I never thought I'd see the 140s again. Now 150 is looming.

But it should only be for one day.

Loading

In my last post, I was getting set for a steak day. I had okay results with that, but the rest of the week was family get togethers. The day I wanted to start HCG was the first day of my TOM. This past week has been just short of a week-long load.

I knew I was going to say goodbye to a lot of foods I like for a long time. So I went ahead and ate them. And I didn't weigh myself all week.

As a result, yesterday morning my starting weight was 148. I started HCG and loaded. My weight this morning was 149. It's not where I want to be, but it's where I am. I just have to move forward.
I'll do a third load day tomorrow.

The countdown begins

I change my mind so many times it's not funny. "If I don't get down to 137, I'll wait to start HCG." Remember that? Now I think that if I don't start HCG, I'll never see 137 again. Not without lots of time and difficulty.

My husdand's two sisters are here, so we got together yesterday. I stayed away from the sugar, and with 3 kinds of pie to choose from--apple, pumpkin and chocolate--that was tough. I made the best choices from what was available and brought my own snacks. My reward? Up 2.6 pounds this morning. Man, I shoulda had that pie.

Of course lunch was ham, with leftovers for supper. Way too salty. Most of that weight is water, I'm sure. I'm doing a steak day today, so that should knock most or all of that weight off. Still ... time to fess up ... I'm at 147.4 this morning. I'll be lucky to be 143 by Friday--10 pounds over my last dose weight.

Holidays and my birthday messed me up--just like Beb. That won't be an issue this round.

I'm going to start HCG Friday--doing 3 load days instead of the 2 I was planning on. My sister's birthday is Sunday, so I'm keeping that as my final load day. We might go to a Chinese buffet, so I'll have my choice of plenty of fried foods.

Oh, for crying out loud!

How many foods can one person be sensitive to?

I can't keep my weight steady. I've regained almost everything I've lost in the last 10 days. Because I haven't yet eliminated everything I'm sensitive to. Because I keep discovering new things.

Latest on the list. Chocolate.

And I'm a person who has to seriously consider if life is worth living without chocolate. Hmmm... don't we crave what we're allergic to? Sigh. I'll adjust. I'll move on. But I have to do some serious grieving over this one.

Another reason I can't wait to start HCG. I can get all these foods out of my diet, and then reintroduce them one by one--I'll wait until after P3--to see if I'm truly sensitive to them. My list of suspects so far:

Grains. All of them.

Sugar

Dairy

Peanuts

Chocolate

Plugging away

I'm happy to be eating again. Fasting wasn't too bad until the evening hours when hunger really hit. I couldn't have lasted more than two days, though. I was lightheaded this morning.

I dropped 3 pounds, but that wasn't really the point of the fast. I'll gain some of that back because half of it was lean mass.

Now I just have to continue eating carefully and continue the other things I'm doing to detox. As I said before, I'd like to be 135 before starting HCG again. And I decided that if I'm not at least to 137, I won't start HCG on the 24th. Besides, it looks like that date will be right around the start of my TOM. So what's another week to get things started right?

Juice fast

It's hard to say how my detox is going. I've lost some weight, but not any amazing amounts. Wasn't expecting amazing, just something. But how can anyone tell if their body is really detoxifying? (Unless I get my detox rash again.)

I'm going ahead with a juice fast today and tomorrow. Vegetable juice--namely celery and cucumber. Not my idea of a taste sensation, but it's not the worst. I've done a five-day juice fast in the past. I'll never do that again. The hunger was intolerable by the end. But two days I can handle.

Giving your digestion--and your liver--a break with fasting is an excellent way to clean out the toxins. And the vegetable juice ensures that you're getting nutrients. The food I ate over the holidays was pretty shameful. This isn't quite a redo button, but it's close.

My HCG arrived on Monday, the 5th. It's so tempting just to go ahead and start, but my body needs this cleansing. Plus I want to lose the weight I gained before I start--or as much of it as I can. That way I'm making forward progress, not just re-losing the same weight.

Starting my detox

I didn't gain any weight during my overnight trip, which really surprised me.

I chose to have dessert that night. It was a buffet with dessert included in the price, and I couldn't resist the tempting display. I kept it small, though. The next morning I didn't have a choice but to eat a donut and a small bowl of cereal. My sister and I were very hungry and we knew that a real breakfast was a couple of hours away. So we hit the motel's continental breakfast.

I did a steak day Saturday that brought my weight down a bit. Yesterday I started with the routine I already mentioned that will help my body detoxify. I'm avoiding sugar, dairy and wheat. Otherwise my diet will be normal. I'm playing with the idea of doing a two-day juice fast Thurs and Fri. That would really detoxify and help with weight loss.

I'm putting a lot of time and effort into this detox, so I hope it pays off. I want my weight back down to where it should be by the 24th.