VLCD #20: +/- 0

Injection Day #22: Odd stuff going on with the weight, but I maintain that it has to do with the monthly hormones. Because of the timing of my injections and the non-arrival of the cycle, I'm beginning to get a little concerned - primarily because I carefully planned the timing of my Phases and vacation so that I would NOT be on the VLCD while traveling. Ideally, tomorrow should be the last day of injections, but we'll see what happens. If things keep going as they are, then I will make tomorrow my last injection day; however, if the cycle starts up tomorrow or Monday, then I'll take 3 more injections after it finishes, and THEN bring this round to an end. Whew! I just know that I began this round during that time, and things really didn't go well, so I'd like to avoid ending on that bad note, too! OK - enough of the girlie hormone talk!

Plan for today is to try on the clothes in my closet and move the ones that are too big to another closet so that I can give them away. I've already been able to share some of the nicer things with friends, and am happy to know that the clothes are going to good homes.

I'm still not even halfway to my goal weight yet - still have 60 more lbs to go - and I've already had my first person say, "now you don't need to lose any more; you're looking good just the way you are!" God bless these people, because I think they think they're saying the right thing, but they have no idea that this really infuriates me. I love the fact that I'm looking better and that my health is improving, but I want to look my BEST and to have GREAT health, not just BETTER health. I've decided that if people question my losing so much weight that I will let them know that "my doctor is involved in this process and is working with me to pinpoint my goal weight." The next thing will be people saying, "Oh, but you just look so thin - you don't need to lose any more!" I'll keep the same response.

I guess people mean well - I like to think that they do, but sometimes I think it's jealousy talking, or that people are freaked out that MY changing is going to affect THEM in some way, which could very well be. I'm still the same person inside that I've always been, but people react to me so differently now. I get attention from men now, where I was virtually invisible when I was fat. That certainly changes the dynamics when I'm with my friends and have always been "the big gal" of the group. Some people are happy for me and really do embrace the change; some feel threatened and make comments like those above.

The next half of this journey is going to be interesting, because it's going to take as much work on my mental state as it is on my physical self.

Stats today remain the same: Today's weight of 209.8, makes a net total of 26.4 lbs lost during the HCG Challenge, with a grand total of 49 lbs lost on the HCG protocol in total.

VLCD #19: -0.8

Injection day #21: Today's weight was 209.8 - it's a whole new decade, and within striking distance of that new century I've been wanting to see for so long!

Also, I checked the BMI calculator for the first time in a long time, and my BMI is now 30.1, which is almost to another milestone: In less than a pound, I'll stop being "Obese" and slip into the merely "Overweight" category, which will send my doctor over the moon! It's going to take probably another 2 rounds to get my weight into the "Normal" BMI category, but that's OK!

So - these are some excellent reasons to celebrate today, and some excellent reasons to stay on the program and to not let that barbecue at work today trip me up!

Stats: Today's weight of 209.8, makes a net total of 26.4 lbs lost during the HCG Challenge, with a grand total of 49 lbs lost on the HCG protocol in total!

Random thoughts

I'm up late, once again, not able to sleep - took a couple of Tylenol PM caplets in the hopes that they'll kick in soon. In the meantime, this would be a great time to put some random thoughts down.

First of all, this HCG weight loss program has been a real journey, hasn't it? I have to admit that I was feeling pretty durned pleased with myself after having an amazing Round 1 before joining the HCG Challenge. I felt that I knew what I was doing, and that I had conquered my weaknesses and addictions, and that I could do this protocol for as long as it takes without bending or breaking. Boy, was I wrong! There have been a few days, like today, when I've been so hungry I could eat my own arm - but then I followed the advice of a wise friend and tried the EFT, and it worked. The key was making myself stop and think. However, I recognize that we are all vulnerable to slipping - I wish I could be as kind to myself (and mean it) as I feel toward my friends here who have had such challenges and struggles. Why do we talk to ourselves so harshly when we would never, ever talk to our friends that way?

I'm still hungry, but don't feel so out of control about it. I got some organic romaine lettuce leaves and snacked on them - they had enough body to them to satisfy that urge to chew on something. Since the hour is so late, I'm not sure how that's going to affect the weight in the morning. I still feel hungry, and am pretty sure that the impending monthly gig is the culprit. In the meantime, need to keep my wits about me and use the knowledge I've gained to stay the course.

Am wondering if some of the hunger could be dehydration? The temp here in North Texas has been in the 90's for the last week or so. I've been drinking the various teas like crazy, but haven't been able to make myself drink much water - I'm just really not crazy about water! Another thing that makes me wonder about dehydration is because I've been having some probs getting these contact lenses to be comfortable. I've never worn them before, so am not sure what is "normal" and what is a problem. Went back to the eye doctor today, and he's given me some solutions, but he did say that my eyes were very dry.

Next week, or whenever the cycle ends (if it ever starts!) will be my last injections for this round. I'll be leaving town on vacation on June 7th, and am really excited to see my family for my Mom's 80th birthday. Since I'm going to be on the Protein phase, I should be able to make wise choices most of the time. I'm a little worried because Mom wants to eat Italian the night of her birthday, and I know there's going to be cake. There have to be reasonable choices at an Italian restaurant, don't you think? I'm worried about the cake. Not so much having a little tiny piece of cake, but more that it could trigger a binge. This strikes terror into my heart!

I'm also torn on whether I should continue with the short Phase 3 round and then get back on the injections when I return to town, or whether I should go ahead and take the three weeks for Phase 3 and three more weeks for Phase 4. Or, should I just take the 3 weeks of Phase 3, and then start on back with the injections? One thing I know for sure is that my last round of HCG will be the full time frame to get back into "real life" mode.

Tomorrow is our company barbecue at work. I wish I could go, but if I'm sitting out there while they've got that grill fired up, I'll be done! I get so tired of having to be "good" sometimes. Certainly, the rewards are great, but I can't tell you how I look forward to the time when I can go into a social situation and not have to be so conspicuous about following a weight loss program. Thankfully, with the HCG protocol, I should be able to enjoy Labor Day without feeling like I'm being punished. And in my head and heart, I know this isn't "punishment", but it certainly feels like it sometimes!

Well - I think the sleep aid may be kicking in, so will draw this series of random musings to a close and try to catch some of those elusive Zzzzzs. Thanks for reading!

VLCD #18: -0.6

Injection Day #20: Insomnia was at its worst last night - I was still looking at the clock at 4:47 this morning, even after having taken Melatonin around 10:00 PM. Had come home from work on Wednesday afternoon, and napped for just a short time, but it was so intense that I was really disoriented when I woke up. Tonight, I'll use a sleep aid - these sleepless nights are killing me, and I know they're affecting my weight loss!

Current weight is 210.6. That new decade is right around the corner! Total net loss while on the HCG Challenge is 25.6 lbs. Total net loss on HCG protocol including the round done before the HCG Challenge is 48.2 lbs.

VLCD #17: -1.0

Injection Day #19: Another pound bites the dust! I'm really, Really, REALLY excited about entering the upcoming decade - the 20xs, because I haven't seen them in ages! I do remember when I reached them on the "upward swing", and wasn't happy about it. I did hover in that area for a long time, but hopefully will just be there long enough to say "seeya!" and then move on down into Onederland.

I can't tell you all how much I appreciate your comments on my blog. It really is encouraging to know that there are folks there who read, care and who help to keep me accountable.

Will post photos in a week or two, after I get through the monthly cycle and then finish with this round of injections. At that time, will go ahead and do measurements again, as well.

Current weight is 211.2. Total net loss while on the HCG Challenge is 25 lbs. Total net loss on HCG protocol including the round done before the HCG Challenge is 47.6 lbs.

VLCD #16: +/-0

Injection day #18: Checking in after the weekend, which historically has been a tough time for me, and here I am at the same weight from Saturday. Am not going to worry too much, because I'm positive that part of it is monthly water weight. Like everyone else has done, I'll just stay the course, and the weight will come off again.

Current weight is still 212.2. Total net loss while on the HCG Challenge is 24 lbs. Total net loss on HCG protocol including the round done before the HCG Challenge is 46.6 lbs.

NSVs - Non-Scale Victories (updated)

I think I'm going to begin keeping this running list of all of the good things that are happening as I continue to lose. The "non-scale victories", in my opinion, are every single bit as important as those that we see as the scales go down. As more good things happen, I'll update this list and add them to the top.

• UPDATE: My boss's wife, once again, said, "I think it's time for you to go down another size in your pants" - so I did!
• UPDATE: Was able to buy Land's End pants at Sears in a size 18, and that's a regular Misses size. This is down from a Women's Plus Size 22.
• UPDATE: Moved down 2 sizes in underwear, and was able to buy regular Hanes instead of Just My Size.
• My boss's wife told me, "I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I think it's time for you to buy some smaller pants"
• I suddenly realized that the driver's seatbelt in my car could be taken in a LOT.
• Sat in a booth in a restaurant the other day, and didn't have to move the table out - in fact the person on the other side had to move it out, and I still had plenty of room!
• I've been able to tuck my shirts into my pants without having to pull the shirt out so that it puffs out to cover up the roll.
• Not only can I wear a belt, but my 2X belts are way too big, and I need to buy some new ones.
• When jumping on the rebounder this morning, I was able to do more than just stand there and bounce - I was actually able to pump my arms and get my heart rate up some.
• I can get in the bathtub and my thighs don't touch the sides anymore!
• I saw our formal Chorus photo, and what little you could see of me (head and shoulders) looked like I was normal sized - my face looked oblong, my cheekbones and jawline were well-defined and the double chin was gone!

VLCD #13: -2.2

Injection Day #15: I heard a choir of angels burst into song this morning when I stepped on the scale and it showed a whopping 2.2 lb loss! Folks, I can't tell you the sense of relief that washed over me when I saw that number - have you ever been so happy and relieved that you felt like crying? Well I'm about ready to cue up the waterworks here! The last time I saw a loss that big was right around the time I had the colonic, which was before I finished the first short round. Hope springs eternal, and I'm really optimistic about the days ahead left in this round.

Today's loss puts my weight at 212.2. Total net loss while on the HCG Challenge is 24 lbs. Total net loss on HCG protocol including the round done before the HCG Challenge is 46.6 lbs.

It's going to be a great day! Hope you have a lovely one, too!

Vision, Diabetes and HCG

I was reading Dawna's post from Friday about blurred vision, and something hit me: When I had my eyes checked the other day, the doctor said that my vision has actually improved! Not enough to go without glasses or contacts, but at least enough to change the prescription up some.

Since I am at an extremely high risk for diabetes (family history on both sides), my endcrinologist has always kept close tabs on my blood sugar, which has hovered in the "prediabetes" area for several years. I had a feeling that my worsening vision was due to this condition and my steady weight gain, but I had no idea that it could potentially be reversed. So, this appears to be another unexpected benefit of the protocol. It would be interesting to see if anyone else has noticed this benefit, and also to see some "science" about this.

Thanks, Dawna, for bringing the subject up - this is amazing!

VLCD #12: -.4

Injection day #14: Down another .4 lbs this morning, and I'll gladly take it! You know, when I was on WW, it might have taken me two weeks to lose .4 lbs! So while I'd love to have a few more of those 1+ lb losses each night, .4 is certainly nothing to sneeze at! In fact, it's like losing almost 2 sticks of butter, which weigh .25 lb each.

So, when we put things into perspective, .4 lbs each day is pretty darned good! And I believe that Dr. Simeons even put the average weight loss at .5 lbs per day.

Just had a thought: I just got contact lenses on Wednesday, and the multi-purpose solution has propylene glycol in it - wonder if this matters?

Today's weight is 214.4, which brings me down to -44.4 total while on HCG, and -21.8 while participating in this HCG challenge! :)

VLCD #11: -.4

Injection Day #13: Even with "just" a .4 lb loss this morning, it's so gratifying every time I see my weight fall to a new digit! At 214.8, a new decade is in store sometime in the next few days, and I'm absolutely thrilled! Total net loss on HCG, 44 lbs; net loss on HCG Challenge, 21.4 lbs; in just 15 more lbs, I'll be in a whole new century that I haven't seen in close to 15 years!

VLCD #10: -1.2

Injection Day #12: Aaaaaah - it's a good day! This loss from this morning's weighing makes a net loss of 21 lbs for me since I've been on the HCG Challenge, and a total net loss of 43.6 lbs since being on the HCG protocol. Today's weight was 215.2, and I would absolutely be thrilled to pieces to see 199.9 by the end of this round!


The upcoming long weekend will be a good opportunity to re-group, set some new goals, restock the fridge, get rid of some old clothes, and try on some new ones. I'm still holding off on buying anything new for a couple of weeks, although my size 18 black pants are really starting to get baggy - may have to cave in and get some new ones, since I wear them so much.

Also, I haven't mentioned much about the fact that I've begun using a rebounder for exercise. It seems to be a good way to get some activity in without killing myself, and it's fun! I'll usually do it while I'm watching television, and depending on what kind of mood I'm in, can either just do a gentle "health bounce", or can really get the heart rate going by pumping the arms and "walking" or "running" on the rebounder. Until recently, I didn't feel like doing much more than bouncing, but lately I've been able to add some more motion to get a better workout. Hopefully, this will have a good effect on my losses, as well.

It's All Hard - Pick One

I just went back and re-read some earlier portions of my blog, and picked out this quote - I have a whole new appreciation for it now:

It's hard being fat, it's hard losing weight, and it's hard maintaining your goal weight; choose your hardship.

VLCD #9: Down below LIW at last!

Injection Day #11: It seems like forever since I've been down in untouched fat territory, so this morning's reading on the scale feels like an especially sweet victory! I think I've lectured, beaten, flogged and scolded myself enough for the setbacks - it's time to get back to business and continue onward and downward!

The good news, to anyone else who might find themselves facing the same problem, is that nothing is irreversable. It's true that this protocol is very unforgiving, and we can gain quickly if we don't play exactly by the rules as written; however, if we stick with it and get back on the program, then the damage can be undone.

Today's weight, an all-time low of 216.4 with a net loss of 42.4 lbs since I started on HCG in January. Since starting the HCG Challenge in April, I've lost a net total of 19.8 lbs (I'm not going to count the re-loss of the lbs that I gained between rounds).

VLCD #7: -.6

Injection day #9: The digital scale is being rather fickle today - normally if the weight loss looks "funny", I'll step on the scale again to verify that I have lost that much. Today, the numbers were all over the place, showing from a -.6 loss to a whopping -1.2 lbs (which would put me back to my LIW). Just to be safe, I'm recording my weight at the high end. Now that I'm back to a normal routine, things will be back to normal and I can get on with my weight loss!

The body continues to change - my size 18 black pants are fitting pretty baggy these days. In fact, someone came up to me the other day and told me it was about time to buy a new pair. I think I'll hang in there until I finish this round of injections, then head over to Talbots - a friend gave me a nice gift certificate that has been burning a hole in my wallet, but I wanted to wait until I could fit into regular sizes to use it.

Must head to the grocery store in a few minutes to re-stock my freezer with Phase 2 friendly fish and chicken, and also to pick up some more apples. Hope you all have a great day!

VLCD #6: traveling

Injection Day #8: Didn't take my scale to Houston with me, but I did weigh tonight when I got back. Things aren't looking so bad. This makes me really happy, because I really tried to make good choices in some really tough situations.

Last night, met friends for dinner at a Cajun restaurant, and I knew that I couldn't sit there and drink iced tea all night. Ended up ordering shrimp cocktail, which consisted of 6 shrimp with some cajun seasoning. Based on past experience with shrimp this size, a 100 gram serving would be 9 shrimp with shells, so I'm confident that this was an excellent choice. The glass of Heineken Dark probably wasn't such a keen idea.

This morning, had a vegetarian eggwhite omelet with strawberries for breakfast - another excellent choice. Lunch was a vegetarian sandwich - I picked the vegetables off and ate them along with the lettuce but without the big ciabatta bun - good choice! The bad part was the little dab of pasta salad and the mousse for dessert. It really wasn't much food - what was there was just bad stuff! By dinner, I was starving, and had some grilled chicken tenders.

In light of my recent setback, I'm hoping that this hasn't killed my progress. However, I'm home now, and don't see any other potential pitfalls lurking out there in the near future.

Let's keep our fingers crossed for tomorrow morning, and hope that the scale will be kind!

VLCD #5: -1.0

Injection Day #7: Down another lb, which is just 1.2 lb away from LIW, thank goodness! This protocol really does amaze me, in so many ways! I'm amazed at how quickly we can shed the weight; I'm also amazed how, if we don't stay on the straight and narrow path of the various stages, we can gain it back equally quickly. But it looks like if we get back on the program and do things the right way, then a little extra effort can get us back to where we need to be in a relatively short time. I'm thankful that it is only taking about a week of VLCDs to get back to LIW - I was beginning to think I'd never see that number on the scale again!

Many thanks to Cindy C for helping me with a "sanity check" on my mixing and for other helpful suggestions. Also, I was doubting the efficacy of my HCG, because I'm still on the 10,000 IU batch that I mixed before my last round (this was an ampoule that I had purchased before the Challenge). So far, it seems like it's still holding out. My very first long round of HCG was a 50-dose batch, and it lasted just fine, so I think I'll be good for the duration with this batch.

Like Joy, I'm not thrilled with the results of the short rounds. We all know that Dr. S. knew what he was talking about when he wrote this protocol, and I was being greedy in wanting to lose as much weight as possible in a short period of time. Consequently, it backfired on me, and I didn't have the reconditioning that I needed to carry on.

Today is the dreaded trip to Houston. The good news is that I'll be busy the entire time, and will only be gone for about 30 hours. The bad news is that lunch tomorrow is a box-lunch that's packed with carbs, but I hear that there will be apples. I have decided that an Apple Day wouldn't be such a bad thing - they're convenient, they'll fit in a purse, and best of all - they're on the protocol! So - I'll be incommunicado until Sunday morning. I hope you all have a great weekend!

VLCD #4: -1.2

Injection Day #6: Well, I'm down to 2.2 lbs above my LIW, so I've spent my first week of injections just trying to undo the damage that I did last week. The good news is that the damage CAN be undone, it IS being undone, and then I imagine things will really start rocking and rolling along after the weekend.

I have a real challenge on Friday and Saturday, and am having to do some strategic planning. Friday at noon, I leave to go to Houston for an overnight trip. Friday evening, will be in classes starting at 7:00 - so I need to have eaten by the time I get down there and checked into the hotel. I shouldn't have any problem eating lunch, because I'll leave work at noon and run home to change clothes and eat. I'll be driving down with another person, and it's a 5-hour trip, so we'll have to have dinner on the way down. I'm thinking that if I can grill some chicken in advance, put it in a ziplock bag in a cooler on the way down, put the bag in my purse and just order a lettuce-only salad, then I should be OK.

Saturday, we're supposed to have "boxed lunches" at the hotel and I have a feeling that I know what that means: sandwiches, potato chips and a cookie. Have been considering taking a bag of apples with me and making Saturday an Apple Day, simply for convenience purposes.

So that's where we are - I'm almost back to LIW, have a challenging weekend ahead, and am looking forward to getting down to VFT by Monday.

VLCD #3: -1.4

Injection Day #5. Wednesday morning, and I lost another 1.4 lbs. I'm grateful for that, but this still only makes 3 lbs off of the amount that I gained during the previous week. Was hoping it would come off faster once the injections resumed.

VLCD #2: -1.6

Injection Day 4: Not down to LIW yet, but should be there in a couple of days. I've been seriously thinking about what to do with this round, because I feel that the short round just wasn't for me. Certainly, it's convenient, but I see now that I need the longer time in between injection phases. This round that I'm in is going to have to be a short round, because of my vacation in June. May need to wait longer before starting back up again, though. We'll see as it gets closer to time.

Wow, I've been hungry today! Not just dehydrated, and not bored, but full-blown outright hunger that is so severe that I'm nauseus! Not sure what's caused that, but I brought an apple to work and ate that at 9:00 this morning, and have been sucking down the Yerba Mate tea like mad! I have a lunchtime teleconference, so brought some bagged lettuce to snack on during that time, then I'll run home and have my protein. Not the ideal way to eat, but at least I won't be starving all day!

Time for some positivity!

Today has certainly been an interesting day! It feels good to get back on the injections, get back to the familiar structure, and hopefully see some good losses in the next day or two. I haven't been blogging about how badly I've been browbeating myself for gaining while on the 8-day protein phase - then I realized that I would never in a million years talk to a friend the way I've been talking to myself. So, it's time for some positive stuff!

Good things that I've done:
* Spent 20 minutes on the rebounder last night and 20 minutes this evening. Not anything strenuous - just bouncing and getting the blood flowing.
* Did a fantastic job of toughing it out through the hunger today.
* Took my own advice and drank the Yerba Mate for energy and also to help the hunger
* Stopped by the Farmers Market on the way home, bought cabbages and celery and got them cut up, bagged and in the fridge ready to eat.
* Have my clothes laid out and ready for work, so won't have to get up early and rush around trying to figure out what to wear. Hence, more rest, and hopefully better weight loss!

Visualizations:
* I'm picturing what it's going to be like to walk in to my mother's apartment and see her face when I'm 50+ lbs lighter. She'll do a double-take and then give a delighted laugh and make me turn around. Then she'll quiz me about how I did it.
* I'm picturing going into Dillard's into the Clubhouse department, and being able to walk past the Plus-size section of the floor and try on regular slacks. That regular size pair of slacks is going to slip right on and fit like a glove, and is going to look fantastic. In fact, it's going to look so good that I'll have them bag up my old clothes and I'll wear my new outfit out of the store, feeling really wonderful.
* I'm picturing my endocrinologist's face when I walk into his office in July and am below 200 lbs. He is astonished that I've lost so much so quickly, and that I look so good. He'll tell me that my levels are all within the normal range, and that my thyroid meds can be reduced and possibly eliminated. My good cholesterol levels will be nice and high, and the bad cholesterol will be the lowest it has ever been. My BMI will no longer be considered "obese" and will be withing striking distance of "normal", if not already there. Instead of scolding me about the HCG protocol like he did the last time, he will ask for more information about it.
* I'm picturing attending one of my club meetings that I've been avoiding since I started on HCG at the beginning of the year. I'll walk in and a guy that I used to have a crush on, but who made it clear that he thought I was a great gal but too fat, will comment on how good I look. I will be nice, friendly and gracious, and then walk away and continue being friends with the people who have always been nice to me and have been oblivious about my weight.
* I'm picturing being able to get out and racewalk again. I'm able to take long, even strides, practice the breathing techniques, and get into "the zone". My joints are pain-free, I have an endless supply of wind, and my muscles enjoy being stretched and exercised. And for once, I can lose myself in the process, not worry about injuries, and be thankful for how resilient my body is.

VLCD #1: Here we go again!

Injection day #3: well, I knew I was going to put in a few extra lbs with loading, but I've packed on a total of 6.4 lbs over my LIW! Yikes! I did have a huge portion of salmon late in the evening last night, so that probably didn't help much.

Anyway, onward and downward - I'm looking forward to getting this round started, and will be doing a few things differently (better) this time.

Hope you all have a great week!

R3P2: Loading Day #2

Injection Day #2. So far so good today, but I'm finding that I get so full so fast! Had a grilled chicken breast this morning, and then went out for a late lunch with friend today to my favorite Mexican restaurant. Had chicken fajita quesadillas, and ended up opening them up and eating the chicken and cheese out of the middle. There's something about bread/tortillas/rolls that I just almost can't tolerate anymore - I have to chew and chew and chew and chew, and then they still give me heartburn and make my stomach hurt. Common sense would say to "don't eat that stuff", wouldn't it?

I think I mentioned before that I haven't suffered from GERD since sometime between my first and second rounds of HCG. That's not to say that I haven't suffered from an occasional episode of heartburn, and it can always be traced back to either a bread or starchy fried product, or a floury baked good like a cookie or piece of cake.

To sum up my loading days, I am not positive that I've eaten enough to adequately load for this round. I still have a few hours left, so will have a piece of fish and then also try to get some coconut oil in as well before going to bed.

The scale is looking pretty scary as of this morning, but I'm confident that the weight I've put on will fall right off, just as it did with the last round. This time, though, I'm not going to self-sabotage myself by being unprepared and by getting too hungry. Also, I am going to start rebounding again during this round. I used my rebounder on Round 1, and had pretty good luck getting some activity in without hurting my losses. Plus - it's just plain fun!

The next time I see you all, it'll be on a VLCD, and the countdown to Onederland will start anew!

R3P2: Loading Day #1

Injection day 1: well, here we go again! It sure seems strange to be starting back up again after just a week of Protein days, although I have to admit to being relieved at having more structure again.

Seems like this upcoming week is going to be fraught with challenges! Monday after work, I badly need to get with a friend who has been going through a lot. Naturally, it will be at a restaurant - but as long as I have my bottle of liquid stevia with me, I can drink tea all night long. And of course, there's always the option of just getting a bowl of lettuce and some shrimp cocktail. Tuesday night, I have a meeting with one of my chorus board members right after work, with rehearsal immediately afterwards, so will probably gobble something down before leaving the office. Friday/Saturday are the biggest challenges of all. Will be driving down to Houston at noon for a leadership conference on Friday night and all day Saturday, and then coming back late Saturday night. For the trip down, I can always take some chicken breast, cut up, and some celery and an apple. The overnight stay means I have to take one syringe with me, and then figure out what to eat on Saturday. I'm thinking I might just make Saturday an Apple Day to keep things simple - still need to think about it a little bit.

In the meantime, I'll be loading today and tomorrow. Haven't done too much today, because I slept really late. Had a huge steak for lunch and also the chocolate milkshake that I've been craving for ages! Tonight, am going to play cards with friends I haven't seen in a long time. They're all foodies and food-pushers, so this is the ideal time to be seeing them.

Tomorrow, am going to try to focus on mostly healthy fats - I have a great big salmon fillet in the freezer that would be perfect. I imagine I'll have one more of those milkshakes, though, since it's going to be a while before I can have another one.

This round will be the last one before I go up to see my family in June, so I am excited about hitting the <200 lb milestone! My sister knows what I'm doing, and has seen me, but my mother and brother (my two worst critics) have no idea that I've been losing weight. I've been visualizing their reactions, and that in itself is enough to keep me going through this next phase!

Hope you all have a Happy Mother's Day tomorrow - you moms certainly deserve a wonderful day dedicated just to you!

Thursday, May 8

Woke up this morning, and felt like a whole new woman! Still woke up in the middle of the night last night, but haven't had the nagging fatigue today that I normally have. Am wondering if it was just a particularly rough monthly cycle. Without going into specifics, I have to say that the one just ended is one of the worst and longest duration I've had in years - literally.

The scale is still up over my LIW, but since I start injections again in a couple of days, I'm not going to get too bogged down with worrying about it.

Noticed that my body is still changing, even without losing much lately. My thighs are definitely thinner, and the booty is smaller. The fat pockets that have always been at the tops of my hips appear to have melted away - I don't look so mis-shapen anymore. Best of all, though, the belly that has always been like a huge permanent "fanny pack" just keeps on shrinking! To me, THAT is one of the miracles of HCG. If I had just starved myself (which I now know that I could never do), and just lost a bunch of weight, I know the weight would have come off differently and I'd have hangy skin all over the place.

I'm excited about starting the next round, because the next stop WILL be: Onederland! :)

Wednesday, May 7

It's just past 6:30 am, and I'm already at the office - have a meeting at the ungodly hour of 7:00 am! Needless to say, the usual 2-3:00 am awakening wasn't particularly helpful this morning, and I predict a power nap at lunch - it's nice to live close to work!

The scale went down a little bit this morning, with a -.6. I'm still a little over 3 lbs over LIW, so am really working to get that last little bit off in the next couple of days. Injections start again on Saturday, and I'm ready to get back to the VLCD, believe it or not! There's a certain level of comfort in knowing exactly what to eat and when.

Tuesday, May 6

Ahhh - it's a new day, and I think I'm getting my mojo back at last! :)

I'm back to not sleeping again, even with the Melatonin or any OTC sleep aids. I've about decided that this is how it's going to be for a while, so might as well figure out a way to work around it. I've gotten a lot doing between 2-3 a.m. the last few nights, and just try to schedule my least important projects to coincide with when the fatigue is the worst!

Stepped up on the scale this morning for the first time in a couple of days, and am up 1.8 lbs more than the allowed 2 lbs over the LIW weight (in other words, 3.8 lbs over LIW!), so I really need to get after it and get back to where I need to be before starting injections again on Saturday. I don't foresee that being a problem, and began by having a little piece of salmon for breakfast this morning, and will probably have the same for lunch and dinner. Hopefully the scale will show a difference tomorrow, and I can get on with preparations for loading.

This morning, I started re-reading my Blog from the very beginning - mostly so that I could go in and edit and add labels for each post. However, there was an unexpected benefit from doing all of that reading - it made me sort of "re-live" what I've gone through thus far, and made me realize just how GOOD things are, and how well this protocol has gone this round! Certainly, there have been a few setbacks, but all in all, I should be singing and dancing to be this much lighter this quickly!

And that's why I say I have my "mojo" back - I needed an attitude adjustment and am thankful that I was able to find it within myself. All in all, I would count that as a pretty good day, wouldn't you?

Monday, May 5

Just a quick post today. Have been sick all weekend, am still not feeling well, and to be honest haven't even cared what the scales show. Hopefully can get some rest tonight. Shall return to posting when I'm feeling better and have a more positive outlook. Hope you all have a great week!

The Lost Day

Well - I woke up this morning, briefly at the usual time and checked email. Decided to go back to bed for a little while and woke up at 1:00 pm! Not sure what that's about, except maybe I just needed the sleep after being deprived for so long.

Made a trip to Whole Foods and got some organic meats, a new jar of coconut oil, and a few other things that I can use this week. Having the freedom to eat more foods, even though the list is still restrictive, is still a huge source of consternation for me. It would be so easy to slip up, as I did when I finished my first round. Should I continue eating the foods that I ate on Phase 2, and just allow myself more of them? That doesn't seem to be right, because then I'll just feel deprived and am more likely to mess up. Maybe if I just get things that I really love and have missed, like steaks and milk and almonds, and keep them on hand then it will help.

As you can see, there's a lot going on in my head right now, and I need to use the time this weekend to figure it out.

Last Day of R2P2: -.6

Good morning, everybody! Today marks my last day of this round of Dr. Simeons' injection phase, and the scale is showing me at 216. That's .6 below my last injection weight of 216.6, and there have been some minor fluctuations the last couple of days. So as of 7:00 this morning, I'm showing 42.8 lbs total, and 18.8 lbs for the round. I presume that I'm going to pop back up those extra .6 lbs to my last injection weight when I begin the protein and fat phase today.

One reason I may have lost is because I took someone's excellent suggestion to try Melatonin last night for my sleep. So, I took 2 as soon as I got home from the movie last night, and gave a couple of hours for it to work. Sure enough, I slept like a baby, and am feeling rested and revitalized this morning!

Am still thinking about ways to do visualizations to prepare for the rest of the journey, and will probably post some about that this weekend. I hope you all have a wonderful and successful day, and a weekend full of NSVs (non-scale victories) to keep your spirits lifted and motivation high!

VLCD #23: back to LIW + only 24 hours left in Round 2

Back to my Last Injection Weight of 216.6 this morning. Funny how this plan works just the way Dr. S. said that it would, if only we follow the directions! Also, I can tell that I'm holding onto some monthly water weight, so I'm sure that will come off when I start injections again a week from this coming Saturday, if not sooner.

One more day left until I begin the protein phase, and I really am looking forward to having more food. It certainly hasn't been unbearable, but I seem to be craving meat and fish lately - can take or leave the vegetables and fruit, but my body really seems to be wanting the protein. So - I'm going to listen to the old bod and give her what she wants.

Noticed yesterday that I seem to have "shrunk" again - funny how I can be going along losing weight, and not really be able to tell. Then suddenly, pants that I wear frequently have gotten baggy, my tops are hanging off of me, and it's time to go down a couple of size to keep my underwear from falling off! I have some really nice clothes even in the larger sizes, so have been trying to give those to friends who don't mind wearing nice second-hand stuff. I have a feeling that I'm about ready to transition back down from being a Women's Plus size to a regular Misses size. The day that happens, you won't have to read about it on my blog - you'll hear me screaming! :)

I really love Vonda's suggestion in my comments to try visualization techniques for being healthy, happy and excited about being at my goal weight. Funny, but my inner dialogue has always been really critical - I'm my own harshest critic and need to learn to become my own greatest fan. I think we'll work on this going forward. Thanks for the suggestion, Vonda!