VLCD #22: -.4

Another loss this morning, and I'm proud of myself for an astounding achievement last night! My chorus had an installation dinner for the Board of Directors that I had to attend, and it was at one of my very favorite Italian restaurants. I planned ahead of time to not eat and ate dinner before I came. Specifically, I ate a lot of protein yesterday to make sure that I wouldn't be hungry. At dinner, I was fine sitting there drinking tea, and even the smells of the fresh-baked rolls and cheese-covered garlic bread didn't get to me. So this morning, the scale is smiling, even though I'm thinking that my last injection weight from yesterday is really the one that I need to look at when I get to the protein phase on Friday.

Anyway, here are my stats: weight was 216.2 lbs this morning, with 18.6 lbs lost this round of Phase 2, and 42.6 lbs lost total. I do believe that if I behave myself on this next round, the 190's are withing striking distance! :)

VLCD #21: -1.4 Last Injection Day

Looks like things are looking up (or rather, down) here on my last injection day of the round with a nice 1.4 lb loss. To sum it all up, my last injection weight is 216.6, which makes my loss for this round a nice 18.2 lbs. My net total loss since being on HCG in January of this year is 42.2 lbs.

So - in 72 hours (Friday morning), I'll begin the protein phase for 7 days. Actually, I may make that 8 days, so that I can begin the next round of injections and loading on the weekend.

Things I've learned thus far that will help the next time:

• Don't get too hungry
• Get plenty of sleep
• Stay hydrated with plenty of water
• Yerba Mate tea is a great appetite suppressant
• No Diet Cokes
• Apples are better than strawberries, strawberries are better than oranges (for me)
• Fish is better than chicken, chicken is better than veal (for me)
• Rebounding (mini trampoline) can help (didn't do any this round, but had good results last time)
• Planning is the key!

VLCD #20: -.2

Looks like the scale is headed back downward again, with a tiny but welcome loss of .2 lbs this morning. My weight this morning was 218.0, which bring the loss for this round to 16.8 lbs. Total loss while on HCG is 40.8 lbs.

Tomorrow will be my last injection day for this round, followed by 72 hours of VLCD while getting the rest of the HCG out of my system. Then 7 days of protein/fat before starting the next round.

How Things Are Measuring Up, So far

With Friday's setback, I thought it might be time to do a sanity check on my measurements to reinforce the big picture, and how ultimately successful this weight loss program really is.

The "before" stats are actually from when I first started the program back on January 2, 2008. I also posted some Pre-Round 2 stats when I started this blog early on, but to get the full effect of the success, you (and I!) need to see how far I've really come:

Height: 5'10"
Weight: was 258.8 lbs, now 218.2
BMI: was 36.9, now 31.3!

Neck: was 14", now 14"
Upper Chest: was 39", now 36"
Bust: was 45.5", now 41.5"
Ribs: was 40", now 35.5"
Waist: was 43.25", now 38"
Hips: was 51.5", now 45.5"
Upper Thigh (R): was 25.75", now 25"
Above Knee (R): was 19.75", now 19.25"
Above Elbow (R): was 12.25", now 11"

It's interesting to see that the fat is coming off from where I need it most, and it's mostly in the upper body. My thighs are still really big, but I have a feeling that they'll be the last to go. I'm not complaining, because the rib, bust, waist and hip measurements are shrinking down enough where I'm less of an "apple" shape, and more proportionate.

Friday, I was actually able to buy one of those cute little 3/4 length sleeve woven stretch shirts that are fitted and cut to the mid hip area, in an XL (rather than the usual 2X or 3X). This is a huge victory, because I haven't been able to wear those types of shirts in the past because my stomach was too big.

VLCD #19: +/- 0

As I posted yesterday, I had a feeling that Friday's weak moment would come back and get me, and sure enough - another stall today. Plan for today: Stick with the plan.

My last injection day will be on Tuesday, and the seven-day Protein/fat portion of the diet will begin next Friday morning. This will be the first short round that I've tried, so am hoping that the 7-day break from the VLCD will be adequate to sort of jump-start things for the next round.

In the meantime, I think it's time to revisit some of my affirmations:

• "Wow! I've lost over 40 lbs! Now, instead of having 108 lbs to lose, I only have 68!"
• "I can do anything for 5 days...I can do anything for 5 days..."
• "I'm going to show (my worst critics) that they're wrong"
• "I have to publicly blog my results. There are a lot of people reading this. I have a responsibility to my sponsors and to the readers to show that this program works!"

VLCD #18: +/-0

Hmmm. Imagine my surprise at stepping on the scales this morning to find myself back at the weight I've been maintaining for the last 2 days! I know the scale works, because I stepped on it last night before bedtime and saw almost a 5 lb gain from yesterday morning. Either (1) I didn't eat as much as I thought I did (not likely), (2) I was getting ready to have a good-size loss since I hadn't lost any significant amounts in the last few days (maybe), or (3) I haven't seen the last of it yet and will eventually put some weight on or it will take forever to lose from the weight I'm at now (most likely).

Anyway, I'm thankful to have not totally cancelled out the progress that has been made. Another lesson has been learned here, and I'm going to do my best to not let myself get to the point that I'm so hungry that my emotions are able to get the best of me.

Boy! Did I Blow it Today!

Ok, folks - I really, really messed up today. They say that we're most vulnerable to overeating when we're: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, or Stressed. Well today I got hit with a triple whammy: hungry, tired and stressed. And it just happened to be on the day that we're having an office potluck to honor one of my employees who is leaving, and who has been a major part of my department for over three years. We made the theme for the potluck "Healthy Foods", but of course there was all kinds of stuff there. And you know what? All sense of reason, common sense and will power flew out of my head, and I filled my plate and ate every bit of it. Of course, I didn't eat as much as I would have in the past, because my stomach has shrunk so much, but I still ate some food that I think is going to really cause a setback.

So - don't be surprised if I post about gaining a significant amount of weight tomorrow, because I'm ready to face the music.

This whole episode also drives home the fact that, for me, food is an addiction. I don't know if I'll ever be able to completely rid myself of it. Planning really does seem to help - it's just when the emotions take over and the mental fortitude goes out the window that things seem to just avalanche. Hindsight tells me that the Callahan Technique/EFT might have been a really good tool to use today, but my presence of mind just wasn't anywhere near there. It almost felt like I was possessed by a really hungry being who wanted nothing more than just to eat and eat and eat, and to heck with the consequences! Then, of course, reality set in when the damage had already been done.

Oh well. Time to get back after it, drink a ton of water for the rest of the day, and then just plan on powering through the bad results tomorrow and getting back to the plan.

VLCD #17: -/+0

Today was one of the few times that I haven't lost at least a little bit, and I have to tell you that I'm not really surprised. Considering all of the chaos this week and the lack of sleep, I'm darned lucky. Although, I haven't cheated - so at 500 calories per day, I shouldn't be gaining at all. And I think that with the overall average of almost a lb per day, perhaps the old bod is just trying to catch up. I do know that I've been feeling pretty dehydrated the last few days, so am going to make an extra special effort to get in more Yerba Mate and water. We'll see how things are looking this weekend, and if the scales don't move a little bit, then I may need to get a pregnancy test and see if the HCG has lost its potency.

Also, I need to re-figure when my last injection day is for this short round. When I calculated before, I think I forgot the first 2 load days! So, here we go: I started my injections on April 7, and have to have 23 days worth. That means that I'll inject through Tuesday, April 29. Then I have to continue 72 more hours of VLCD, so if the last injection is the morning of Tuesday, April 29 at 7:00 AM, then I'll begin the next phase at 7:00 AM on Friday, May 2. So - I think I have it right now!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

VLCD #16: -.6

Ahhhhhhh - how good it feels to have gotten more than 2 hours' sleep! I caved in and took some OTC sleeping pills (Tylenol Simply Sleep) and, even though it took a while for it to go into effect, was able to sleep around 6 hours. Definitely an improvement over the 2-3 hours that I've been getting, and I'm sure my losses will begin to get better with more rest.

Even with taking the sleep aid, I lose .6 lbs, which is really, really encouraging. So now, I'm 16.6 lbs down for the round, and 40.6 lbs total.

I have to say that I'm glad that this is a "short round", and next Thursday will be my last injection. That means that I'll be able to start the next phase on a week from this coming Sunday morning - hurrah!!

For those asking how I've been learning about Phase 2, Toni - one of the other challengers - has done a lot of research, and I've been following her lead. Also, please read "Pounds and Inches" and you'll see where Dr. S mentions doing a minimum of 23 injections no matter how little weight there is to lose, followed by 3 VLCD days. Read Toni's blog - she has some good stuff there, and can provide the references to where she got the specific information on the short rounds.

VLCD #15: -.4

After yesterday's debacle with forgetting the injection and not having time to eat lunch, I have a new appreciation for getting back to the routine and eating on time! The scale showed me at 218.8, which is .4 down from the day before, and is 16 lbs down for the round, and 40 lbs down since starting HCG. I haven't been in the "two-teens" in ages, and this shows me that I'm just a few weeks away from entering "Onederland"! And that's plenty of motivation to stick with it through this round and another short round, then I can take a little bit of a break from the VLCD and stay in Phase 3 for a couple of weeks while I go on vacation.

VLCD #14: -.8

Well, today showed a pretty good loss, considering that I was flying by the seat of my pants, food-wise. Last night, I had to go out to eat with friends, and was originally going to eat beforehand; however, I got in a hurry and overcooked the chicken breast that I had prepared, and ruined it. I ended up ordering some plain shrimp cocktail and seasoned it with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Also ordered a plain garden salad with just oil and vinegar, and didn't use the oil. Then picked the lettuce out of all of the other cheese, croutons, etc. and managed to have a rather decent meal - I felt good about the choices I made!

Today, though, was another story. My insomnia is turning into a real problem - I woke up at midnight and didn't get back to sleep until almost 5:00 this morning. Called work and told them I'd be in late, but then in my rush to get ready I forgot my injection! But that's not the worst part - I was so busy at work that I never ate lunch, and was absolutely famished by the time I got home. So I had a double portion of halibut and an apple. Call it cheating if you will - I will never, ever, ever skip a meal again - especially on a day when I didn't take an injection!

So - stats for today: -.8 lbs makes a total of 15.6 lbs gone for this round, and a grand total of 39.6 since starting the HCG protocol at the beginning of the year. I'm loving these results!

VLCD #13: -.2

I think my body is trying to catch up on the quick weight loss, so today's .2 lb loss isn't a huge concern to me just yet since I've been following the program to the letter. We shall see what the coming week brings. Total now is 14.8 down for this round, and 38.8 lbs down total. My weight this morning was 220 - I'm excited to be entering a new decade soon!

Am beginning to feel some of the residual effects of the weight loss: insomnia was the main one I suffered from the last time, and it has reared its ugly head again. After visiting my endocrinologist, found out that my weight loss had affected my thyroid (in a good way) and my meds needed to be bumped down. I had gone from being hypo-thyroid to hyper-thyroid, and it was disturbing my sleep. As a result, I was exhausted from only getting 2 or 3 hours per night. Last night, I was wide awake and doing laundry up until about 4:00 am, and am feeling exhausted today. And that can't be good for the weight loss!

The other thing I'm noticing is that my hair is shedding...a LOT! Fortunately, it's thick enough where I can lose quite a bit and it not be noticeable, but still - I hate leaving long blonde hairs wherever I go. Everything I've read says that this will eventually stop, but I'm wondering how long it will continue, since I'm doing several rounds of HCG. Do any of you who have done this before have any experience with hair loss?

Also, I really need to make sure that I'm getting enough food. Haven't really been hungry, but I think that I'm not taking in enough to fulfill the 500 calorie per day requirement.

The good news, though, is that my clothes are starting to fit looser! I used to wear a Women's size 2X, and today I'm wearing a 1x that used to be tight, but is now pretty loose!

All in all, things are going well with just a few minor concerns. I hope you all have a great week!

VLCD #12: -1.2

Another good weigh-in this morning, but I think part of it can be attributed to the fact that I forgot to eat my fruit last night. Actually, I didn't "forget" - I had run out and didn't want to get out and go to the grocery store. This may come back and get me tomorrow, but we'll see. I'm now freshly stocked on organic apples and liquid stevia, so I can continue pressing forward.

So far, I'm at 14.6 lbs down for this round, and 38.6 lbs down total.

After reading Toni's post about the clarification on the short rounds, and then re-reading "Pounds and Inches", it looks like I've got more time left than I thought. As of today, I've injected for 14 days (counting the 2 load days), which means that I've got 9 more injections left. Then 3 more VLCDs after that before doing the 7-day "Phase 3". So with that many injections left, I feel pretty confident that I can get down to 215. Would love to see 210, though! I'm just never happy, am I? :)

VLCD #11: -1.4

The scale is being kind to me, once again! Today's loss takes me to 13.4 lbs down for this round and 37.4 lbs down total.

I'm still amazed each day that this weight is coming off so easily, and with seemingly little effort. However, I don't think any of us need to sell outselves short. Some of the detractors of the HCG Protocol have said that this is "taking the easy way out", but I don't consider injecting ourselves and staying on a regimented extremely low calorie program "the easy way out" at all. Certainly, we reap the rewards very quickly, but it takes dedication and perseverence to get there.

When questioned about how I'm losing the weight, it's hard to know what to tell people. Most, I refer to Kevin Trudeau's book. Many want to know more specifics anyway. And the minute you say the word "injection" is when their minds usually snap shut. And so now they'll just wait to see how long it will take for me to gain the weight back.

And that's why I'm so determined to figure out this "maintenance" thing - I didn't do Phase 4 right the last time and gained back 5 lbs. I'm sure it was because I started eating too many starches and carbs from day one instead of introducing them very slowly and gradually.

In the meantime, though, I'm so glad that things are working as well as they are! And after reading the other HCG Challengers' blogs last night, it looks like everyone else is doing really well, too! Hope you all have a great weekend!

VLCD #10: -1.6

Looks like things are finally picking up again, with a 1.6 lb loss this morning. I'm surprised it was that big, because I didn't get to bed until very late last night. In fact, now that I think of it, I've had some sort of activity every single night this week and haven't gotten to bed until after midnight on any night. This weekend, I have absolutely NO plans, so I'm going to have a snooze-fest!

Current weight is 222.8, so it won't be long until I'm in the two-teens! This brings the total loss for this round to 13 lbs, and 36 lbs total. With 9 injection days left, I'd love to get down to the 20xs for my Last Injection Weight. And so far, I've had absolutely no hunger - I love this diet! :)

Cheating revisited and Defining Moments

I'd like to follow-up on my post on cheating from the other day. A lot more folks actually read my Blog than I thought! Based on the comments, it looks like I touched some nerves - and that's why I really think we need to revisit this topic.

First of all, I've always been pretty sure that in the weight loss game, the biggest battle that we fight is the one fought between our ears.

There have been so many times when I've started a diet (in my case, Weight Watchers) when I just wasn't mentally prepared to do it. And as a result, I sabotaged myself by trying to re-write the program to suit me. For example, when calculating points I might use the higher amount of fiber when calculating points rather than limiting it to 4 grams, the way the program is designed. Or when adding up my points with a points calculator, I might round down rather than keeping those fractions of points. Or I might not count all of those little bites, licks and tastes that add up so much when we're cooking. There are a lot more examples, but you see what I'm talking about. And then, I'd be all ticked off and discouraged when I didn't lose weight the way the program said I was supposed to.

The scenarios I just described are what I call "cheating" - I was circumventing the program when I knew I shouldn't. Now in my opinion, there's a difference between "cheating" and "making a mistake". To me, making a mistake is when accidents happen. I made a mistake the other day when I went and got a colonic and didn't realize that some of the substances that they use in the process can cause a stall. Would I have done it had I known that? Certainly not! And I think I'm still paying the price for that mistake.

The HCG Protocol is not a Cheater's diet. In my experience, I have found that it is very unforgiving, and doesn't lend itself to playing fast and loose with the rules. If we deviate, we're gonna pay. However, if we DO play by the rules, the rewards are much greater.

Being mentally prepared is the biggest part of any weightloss program, in my opinion. Many of us have a "defining moment" that really cut us to the core and made us realize in our heart of hearts that "it's time, and I'm not going to mess around this time". I've had many defining moments over the years, but none with lasting effects, obviously. However, my last defining moment was when my mother, who lives 8 hours away, went into the hospital with a whole laundry list of medical problems that had been exascerbated by carrying so much weight. My brother (who lives in the same city) has taken on the responsibility of getting her to her doctor appointments, dealing with Medicare, doing research, etc. I don't want to be sick, and I don't have anyone to take care of me because I got sick and it was preventable. My test results from my doctors appointments were pointing in the wrong direction, and that's when I feel like I finally won that battle going on between my ears!

I love this quotation, which came from a friend on a weight loss message board: "It's hard being fat, it's hard losing weight, and it's hard maintaining. Choose your hardship."

What's your "defining moment"?

VLCD #9: -.4

Another .4 lbs gone, and I'll certainly take it! However, it's a little disappointing, after last weeks huge losses to be down fractions of a lb per day. I need to keep reminding myself that (1) it would have taken me two weeks to lose this much on WW, and (2) I'm right around a past "set point" that I maintained for several years. It may just take a little while to power through that. The scale is moving in the right direction, and ultimately that's what counts.

So my current stats are: -11.4 for this round, and -34.4 since I originally started HCG on December 30. Not bad!

VLCD #8: -.8 and some thoughts on "cheating"

I'm down to a new all-time low today at 224.8. This makes a net total of 11 lbs gone since my first VLCD! And that's 34 lbs gone counting my first round of HCG. Woohoo!

Today should be a fairly normal day, except I have a singing lesson right after work at 6:00, and it's going to throw my dinnertime about an hour and a half later than usual. Therefore, I'm going to have to plan how I'm going to handle that meal. I'm thinking that I'll have my fruit, an apple, right before I leave the office - that will get the "heaviest" food consumed and out of the way early. I'll have a "portable" vegetable that doesn't require cooking, like celery, for the drive back home (it's about a 45 minute drive), and then a piece of halibut when I get home. Past history has shown that if I have to eat later, it's best to do it with fish rather than veal or chicken. It's certainly not the ideal situation for a meal, but I'm trying to not have to eat anything after 8:00.

I'm reading a lot on the two HCG Yahoo boards about people "cheating" while on this protocol, and I thought I'd address my personal thoughts on cheating, which are pretty harsh: First of all, the only person being hurt by cheating is the cheater. Most of us who are doing this HCG protocol have tried every diet in the world and have failed. This is the only diet that I have ever tried where we are guaranteed to lose weight in a really short period of time if we can just follow the directions and have a little self-control for 3 to 6 weeks for the injections and then for 3 weeks for Phase 3.

Where's the discipline, folks? The program is pretty clear cut - it's easy to follow, and it's really not open to interpretation if we follow it exactly the way it is written. If we cheat, we're going to gain weight. And you know what? All of the people out there who have seen us fail before are going to say, "I knew (s)he couldn't stick with it!" There are a lot of people out there who think that fat people are weak, lazy, stupid, and have no self control. Why on earth would we give them ammunition to support that thinking? I'm all for showing those "fattists" that they're wrong. And I'm telling you - when you've lost 30 lbs, and people suddenly see the fat melting off and you have to start buying new clothes, there's just nothing like it!

Some of you are thinking, "Who does she think she is? Miss Perfect?" Well, I'm here to tell you that I'm certainly NOT perfect, and have my share of temptations, but have made too much progress to turn back now - after the taste of success that I've had, I have every intention of taking this all the way to my goal, which means I'm going to be at this through the summer. Period.

Here's the inner dialogue that goes on in my head:

• "Wow! I've lost over 30 lbs! Now, instead of having 100 lbs to lose, I only have 70!"
• "I can do anything for 23 days...I can do anything for 23 days..."
• "I've invested too much money in cleanses, doctors appointments, organic foods, etc. to throw it all away"
• "No more cholesterol and GERD medicines - it feels good to be healthy! Plus, now I can spend that money formerly spend on meds on a pedicure or a new top!"
• "I'm going to show XXXX (name your worst critic) that they're wrong"
• "If I have that piece of cake, the scale IS going to go UP. Is it really worth it for that 2 minutes that it took to eat it? Because it's going to take 2 or 3 days to take the weight back off."
• "I have to publicly blog my results. There are a lot of people reading this. I have a responsibility to my sponsors and to the readers to show that this program works!"

Anyway, you get where I'm coming from. Zero tolerance for cheating, and zero sympathy for those who do - when we fall down, we need to quit whining and get back on the program. We owe it to our sponsors who have generously set us up for success, we owe it to the people who are relying on our experiences to guide them through the process, but most of all - we owe it to ourselves to succeed and be healthy and happy!

Time for me to step off of my soapbox and get to work! I hope you all have a wonderful, successful day!

VLCD #7: -.4

Looks like the scale is on its way back down again, thank goodness! Today's itty bitty loss of .4 takes me to a total of -10.2 lbs for the seven days that I've been on the Very Low Calorie Diet. I would like to have lost more today, but will take anything that I can get! In the past when I was on Weight Watchers, it might take me TWO WEEKS to lose .4 lbs, so I really need to just hush up and be grateful! :)

I'm increasingly struck by how many times my supposed "hunger" is really boredom or thirst. I've been keeping water or iced tea at hand at all times, and have taken in a lot of liquid! At work today, I was particularly busy and never got a chance to even think about food.

All in all, I'm really pleased with the way things are going, and am looking forward to having some good losses by the end of the week.

No surprises on the menu today, but here it is anyway!
Lunch:
Halibut
Cabbage
Apple

Dinner:
Halibut
Cabbage
Apple

And now, a word to our Sponsors...

...and that's a great big THANKS to the folks who are making it possible for 25 of us to do this protocol:

Drugdelivery.ca for the HCG
Cindy Cook for sharing her brainpower in the form of her fabulous E-book
HCG Supplies for all of the syringes, bac water, alcohol pads, etc. needed to mix the stuff up

What a tremendous undertaking it had to have been to get this HCG Challenge going: Getting the information for 25 people! Setting up these blogs for 25 people! Figuring out how much HCG for 25 people! Figuring out what kind of and how many supplies for 25 people! Shipping the packages to 25 people! And answering Lord knows how many questions from 25 people!

Frankly, I'm amazed that everything came together relatively quickly - there were obviously a lot of people dedicated to making this project succeed, and I hope that all 25 of us will make you glad that you chose us for the challenge.

Thank you again, everyone! Now that everyone is getting their supplies, it looks like the Challenge is really on! Onward and downward!

VLCD #6: +.8 Yikes!

Well - I had a rude awakening this morning with a .8 lb gain! Current weight is 226.0, with a 9.8 lb. loss since beginning injections last Monday. Total loss while doing HCG is 32.8 lbs.

Immediately emailed my doctor to get her thoughts (she and her husband are experts on the program - both have been through multiple rounds), and she thinks that there are a couple of things that might be culprits:

(1) It probably wasn't a good idea to have a colonic during this phase because of the lubricant, and also because it would give a false large loss the next morning, leading to a gain and my system gets back to normal. Makes sense, and I've learned a lesson!

(2) I ate dinner later last night, and that's always a risk for a gain the next morning.

So hopefully, if I'm a good girl today and have an early dinner and get to bed early, I'll see some good results in the morning.

VLCD #5: -2.5 and in VFT!

Well, it looks like my good luck is continuing as the scale continues downward. This morning showed an all time low of 225.2, a loss of 2.4 lbs - I'm now officially back in "Virgin Fat Territory", which is fat that hasn't been lost in a loooong while! So overall, for this round, I've lost 10.6 lbs.

Obviously, the colonic didn't hurt my progress and very possibly helped, so I'm really pleased about that. Also, I notice that I can actually suck in my gut now! Certainly, there's a whole lot of fat still there...but not for long! I have another colonic scheduled for next month, so I will have finished this first short round by then, and can get rid of some of the toxins that may have been released by the fat loss. I've begun to believe that the whole thing about our bodies being full of toxins has something to it.

After being on the HCG for almost a week now, I am feeling somewhat more energy. Normally on a weekend, I'd be taking every opportunity to take a nap; however, today I'm feeling really motivated to get some things done!

One other measure that I've taken to try to keep from eating when I'm bored is to keep a list in my Outlook of "Things to Do". It's split into small tasks, so rather than "clean up the kitchen", I might have 5 or 6 things, like "empty the dishwasher", "wipe down the counters", etc. When I'm feeling like I want to get something to eat, and it's more out of boredom than hunger, I refer to this list. Not only has it kept me busy and not thinking about eating, it's helped me get some things done around the house, too!

Lunch:
Chicken
Tomato
Apple

Dinner:
Halibut
Cabbage
Apple

VLCD #4: -2.2

Only .8 more lb, and I'll be back to my Last Injection Weight! This morning, the scale was kind to me, once again, and showed me at 227.6 after a 2.2 lb loss. I'm thankful that the few lbs that I gained during Phase 4 and during this round's loading came off so quickly. By Monday, I should be in "Virgin Fat Territory" again and well on the way to Onederland, which is my goal for these first two "short rounds" that I'll be doing.

Found a place in Fort Worth to get a colonic, and decided to have one today. It was an interesting experience, and I certainly felt good afterwards. I was a little concerned that there would be some oily substance used for the reflexology part when she was massaging my feet during the colonic, but if anything she used a tiny bit of tea tree oil. I guess we'll see in the morning what the scale says about all this!

I have a memorial service to attend tonight for a friend's husband who died suddenly last month. Afterwards, she's having a gathering at her home. I'm telling you - this lady is a "foodie"! She's an awesome cook, and doesn't want anyone in her home to go hungry. So I think I'm going to take some celery to have in my purse, just in case. I'll make an appearance, say "hello" to everyone, and then head on back home.

So many of our social gatherings revolve around food - one has to have a lot of mental fortitude if they're going to stay the course during Phase 2. I just keep reminding myself of the progress that I've made, and the great rewards that are to be gained by just hanging in there through this short round. Then I'm going to make the most of my next 2 Load days! :)

Lunch today:
Chicken
Celery
Apple

Dinner:
Halibut
Celery
I forgot to eat my apple! :(

VLCD #3: -2.0

Another great weigh-in this morning. I lost 2 lbs, for a total of 6 lbs lost on this round. Today, the scale showed me at 229.8 - just 3 lbs above my LIW from last time. I'm hopeful that the weekend will push me into VFT (Virgin Fat Territory), and that next week will bring exciting new changes!

I did shampoo my hair today, so am hoping that taking care with the process will avoid any stalls. The good thing about having dry hair is being able to get by with washing it only twice a week.

On the menu today for Lunch:
Chicken
Celery
Apple

Dinner:
Halibut
Cabbage
Apple

VLCD #2: -4.0

The scale was smiling this morning when I weighed in 4# lighter than yesterday, showing my weight at 231.8 this morning! I'm still 5 lbs above my Last Injection Weight from last time, and I can only think that I did not introduce the starches and sugars gradually enough. A valuable lesson, since now most likely it will take 4 or 5 days to get back there. Since I'm doing a "short round" this time, I haven't done myself any favors.

Now I'm going to quit beating myself up and pat myself on the back for a job well done with the loading and for planning ahead this time. It has been so easy to just grab something out of the freezer for my meals that day. And if I forget, they're easily and quickly thawed in a bowl of hot water since they're individually portioned in Food Saver bags.

Had a sweets craving this afternoon, so put some Apple Cider Vinegar in some water and added a little liquid stevia - it killed the craving, and got me through until dinner time.

Lunch today:
Chicken
Steamed Cabbage
Apple

Dinner:
Halibut
Tomato
Apple

VLCD #1

Injection Day #3, the morning after my 2 Load Days, and the scales showed me at 235.8 this morning. I was pretty aggressive with the eating on Monday and Tuesday, so consequently packed on almost 4 lbs!

However, I think that helped me today with the Very Low Calorie Diet - I haven't been hungry at all, although I did drink a lot of tea and water.

Feelings-wise, I was pretty draggy. It was a little tough to focus at work - maybe it was from being so excited about doing this again. Also, I don't know how many trips to the restroom I made, but judging from the frequency, I had to have lost quite a bit of water weight!

Lunch today:
Chicken Breast
Celery
Apple

Dinner:
Halibut
Cabbage (steamed)
Apple

Day 2: More Loading

Wow - am I sick of eating! I've done my best to load lots of fatty foods today, since I had sort of a tough time yesterday. Also ate some things that I know I won't be able to have for a while, so now I'm mentally prepared to get with the program!

The injection this morning was fine, so no issues there. All in all, it's been a pretty ordinary day with the exception of the constant eating!

Tomorrow brings the first day of the VLCD for this round - I'm ready to start seeing the numbers on the scale go down!

Day 1: Loading

Today was my first injection day of my second round of HCG, and all went well! I have enough syringes left over from my first round of injections to last through a short round, and hopefully will receive my supplies for the Challenge before the end of the month. The HCG that I'm using is some that I had ordered before signing up for the Challenge and it arrived a couple of weeks ago. My HCG for the Challenge arrived today!

I'm doing my injections intramuscular, because that's what my doctor originally recommended. I think some folks are a little skittish of doing it that way because the needle is so long, but I've honestly not had any problems. Granted, the needle is longer, but it is so very thin that it just slips in with no problem. The key is making sure that the needle isn't dulled from going through the rubber on the vial. If I detect any resistance in the needle going in without my having to push it, I'll change it out.

Believe it or not, LOADING has been a challenge for me today! I'm having to force myself to eat, and am trying my best to choose fatty foods. Also have been drinking whole organic milk in the hopes that it will help with the loading as well. I'm really sort of looking forward to the VLCD days - they are so structured that it's impossible to mess up, as long as you follow the directions.

I'm just hoping that I'm loading well enough to stave off the intense hunger that I felt for the first week the last time. Even if I do get hungry, I sort of meditate to get my mind off of things. By the end of my long injection phase the last time, I got to where I felt comfortable with a certain level of hunger all the time. It was never unbearable, but I was always ready to eat. And I was always satisfied with the small lunch that I did have with the VLCD. I'm interested to see if it works the same way this time.

Time to get to bed so that I can get up early and start all over again. See you next time!

The Night Before First Injection Day

I just got back into town, and it feels like I've been gone forever! I came back to find a package notice from the post office, and the tracking info shows that it's my HCG Challenge shipment! I wonder if the supplies are included in the shipment? You can be sure that I'll be there first thing in the morning!

The last time I posted, I wasn't sure what was going to happen with the monthly cycle, which seems to have taken on a whole new timing. Thankfully, it started on Thursday night and appears to be a short one; therefore, I'll feel comfortable starting my injections in the morning.

I just finished mixing my HCG - I'm using an ampule that I had ordered before finding out about the HCG Challenge. Am also using syringes from my last round, which were very small "tuberculin syringes", only I switch the needle out to a 1" needle for IM use. Last time around, my doctor prescribed a dosage of 200 IU, so I'm inclined to stick with the same dosage, since I had some nice success with that. Once my HCG Challenge supplies come in for the next round, I may need to make adjustments for mixing, based on the instructions in CCs "Guide to Implementing the Weight Loss Cure". It's almost a disadvantage that I HAVE already been through this, because I know just enough to mess things up!

Also, for anyone who is interested, the trip to Houston went great! My chorus won 1st place for "mid-size" choruses in the region, and we won 2nd place for the entire region. I roomed with 3 other women, and we had a fantastic time. I haven't laughed that much in ages, so even though we worked hard, I feel mentally refreshed and ready to embark upon this weight loss journey.

I did great on the eating front while I was gone! We had dinner at Outback Steakhouse on the first night - I reminded myself to "eat consciously", and you know what? By slowing down to actually taste the food in front of me, I came to the realization that it didn't really taste very good at all. As a result, I ate less than half of what was on my plate. And frankly, I wasn't really hungry for anything else. The next day, we went to "La Madeline" for lunch, and once again, I left food on my plate - the serving of pasta was absolutely HUGE, and I know that if I had not paid attention to what I was eating, I would have shovelled it all in without thinking. Today, we stopped at an all you can eat buffet, and I had chicken fried steak. However, this time, I did NOT eat consciously. As a result, I was not chewing my food well, and had some real difficulties when trying to get it to go down. I thought I was going to have to go to the restroom to make myself throw up, since it seemed stuck! Thankfully, getting up and walking around a little helped to "unstick" it, and I made a mental note to be careful of breaded type foods. This isn't the first time it has happened, and it is a valuable lesson to keep in mind going forward.

So there you have it! I'm anxious to re-weigh in the morning to see what's going on with my weight. I've got my omelet ingredients, whole milk and some steaks ready for my load days, as well as coconut oil, salmon, and then some sweets that I won't be able to eat for quite a while. I think the key to not being hungry is getting plenty of fat in on the Load Days. We shall see if that theory is correct in a few days. See you next time!

It's Almost Time!

As I sit here typing this, I should be packing my suitcase! I'm leaving for a 4-day trip to Houston in the morning - my chorus will be competing in the Sweet Adelines Regional contest for this area, and there has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears that have been put into our entertainment package. I'm hoping we'll win 1st this year (we took 2nd last year), and then I can come home and get on with my life!

My plan is to start the injections (this will be my second round) on Monday, April 7; however, there may be some complications. It seems that my first go-around with HCG was so successful, and my hypothalmus is resetting so thoroughly that my durned menstrual cycle is out of whack! I was counting on it being ON TIME last weekend so that I'd be in the clear to start as soon as I got back into town. But - I'm still waiting and waiting, and I just know that it's going to start this weekend, and is going to throw my schedule off for several days...darnnit!

I may not have mentioned this before, but I started with HCG through the help of a friend of mine from work. Her son and his wife are both chiropractors in the area who have both been very successful with HCG. He's lost over 100 lbs, and I can't remember how much she's lost - maybe 50 or 60 lbs. Anyway, they got me started with Phase 1, and then helped me keep my sanity through Phase 2. All along, they've been advising me about what to expect along the journey, and we discussed the menstrual cycle thing today. Apparently, it's common for it to be somewhat messed up while the hypothalmus is resetting. And then once everything settles down, then the cycle becomes much more normal. So, like it or not, there I am!

I haven't received my supplies from the HCG Challenge yet, but I have enough syringes and needles to get me through a short cycle - I think I'm going to try that approach this time around. Suffice it to say, I'm so excited to get started again that I can't stand it! I've gained a few lbs. since my last round, and have to admit that because I knew I'd be on the injections again, I haven't sweated it too much. And this is where I see the biggest challenge of them all: maintaining! Heck - getting the weight off is NOTHING. Now KEEPING it off is going to be a whole nuther story. So while losing the rest of my weight, I need to really figure out how I'm going to keep those bad old habits from coming back.

Ok - I really do have to go pack! The next time I "see" you all, I'll be loading like crazy! Hope you all have a great weekend!