Saturday, August 30

VLCD #13:

Another .4# gone, so now I'm 2.4# above LIW. Let's hope that the Labor Day Weekend will bring me down to unexplored fat territory.

Nothing exciting to tell today. I'm getting my hair highlighted today and going to a play tonight, then the rest of the weekend will be free for snoozing and lollygagging. :)

D'oh!

You are not going to believe the mistake I've made! I was just assessing how much hCG I had left in my vial, and realized that there's a lot more remaining than there should be for a 5000 UL ampule.

Previously on some other rounds, I've been mixing 10,000 UL ampules with 10cc of bac water. That would theoretically get me 50 doses for a long round. Well I mixed the same amount of water for just 5000 UL of hCG, and was using the SAME amount in the syringe as I had been for 10,000 UL. That means that I've been taking 1/2 the dosage that I should be for two solid weeks!

I'm not sure what the effect has been on my weight loss, but I can tell you that I corrected things this morning! Let's keep our fingers crossed that the scale will show a difference!

Friday, August 29

VLCD #12:

Down another 1# today, and just 2.8# above LIW. I'm relieved, because I thought the lean ground beef I had was going to cause a stall - thankfully, that doesn't appear to be the case.

Yesterday was action-packed and stress-filled all the way up through the evening and until time to go to bed; however, I did get a decent night's sleep and am ready for today, which promises to be the same. This weekend, I have a packed schedule and conflicting events on Saturday, so it's looking like Sunday and Monday will be my days to sit back and just relax and do nothing.

I just know that the scale is going to be kind to me this weekend, and that I'll slip down into unexplored fat territory by Labor Day. I'm planning on hibernating and getting plenty of rest, so by this time next week I really hope to be ready for Onederland!

Hope you all have a great long weekend! Thanks for reading - see you tomorrow!

Thursday, August 28

VLCD #11:

The scale crept down another .2# today, so I'm at 3.8# above LIW. I tried something different last night: lower fat organic ground beef, browned with what little fat there was rinsed out of it after browning. However, it was around 7:45 when I ate, so I can't what the real effect was on my loss. Other folks seem to have had success with beef, so I'm really hoping that this is something that I can incorporate into the meal plans to add some variety.

Busy and most likely stress-filled day today - I have a big quarterly meeting at work tomorrow that will take a lot of preparation, in addition to the regular weekly meeting for my department today, and then a board of directors meeting for my chorus tonight. There's no rest for the wicked! :)

Wednesday, August 27

VLCD #10:

Scale remained the same today at 4# above LIW, so nothing exciting to report. I'm trying to think of anything I might have done yesterday or the day before to cause a stall, but am at a loss. The one thing I did do differently was try a little bit of Bragg's Amino Acids on some cabbage that I cooked - that stuff really tastes salty, but added some nice and different flavor. However, I didn't have much at all - just a few drops - so surely that's not the cause? I did get to bed later than I had hoped, so that might possibly be the case. In any event, I just need to keep drinking lots of water like I did yesterday and not get discouraged. The body is probably catching up.

With the 10# that I have re-lost have come comments that I'm losing more weight, which is a good thing - positive reinforcement is always welcome! So let's keep fingers crossed that today's +/-0 is just my body gearing up to drop those last few lbs so that I can get back into unexplored fat territory very soon!

In reading everyone else's blogs, we can see that this journey is not an easy one and we all have had our setbacks. The good news, though, is that we can always get right back on the path and continue the descent to our goal weight. It's not easy to publicly admit to a gain in a public forum like this, but I'm convinced that we're showing everyone that we're human and that we can still succeed in spite of the life events and setbacks that occur. Thanks to everyone for their comments and encouragement, and thank you so much for reading.

Tuesday, August 26

VLCD #9, back to injections again

The scale showed a 1.4# loss this morning, so I'm just 4# above LIW now. By the weekend, I should be back in Virgin Fat Territory and getting ready to slide down into Onederland around the end of next week!

Not much else to tell just yet. As soon as I hit the 190's, I'll take some new photos so that you can see the progress. Hope you all have a great day! And as always, thanks for reading and for the comments.

Monday, August 25

VLCD #8, No Injection:

The scale continues downward with another 1.6# loss yesterday, so I'm now just 5.4# above LIW (compared to last Monday's horrific 14#). Once the monthly cycle is out of the way (hopefully tomorrow), then it should be all smooth sailing for a while.

Got a great night's sleep last night for a change! I took some potassium in the hopes of alleviating the leg cramps, and it seemed to work. This week, I'm going to challenge myself to get to bed by 11:00 every night - even chorus night, when rehearsal ends at 10:00.

That's about all I have to say this morning. I'm just going to stay on the straight and narrow and get back to LIW as soon as possible. As always, I appreciate you reading and welcome your comments.

Sunday, August 24

VLCD #7, No Injection:

I made good choices yesterday, as far as the foods that I ate, but was trying to guess the portion sizes. I may have eaten a little more than I should have, because I am up .4 lbs as of this morning. Not sure, though, because the monthly cycle could also be adding some water weight, as well. I'm drinking tons of water today in the hopes of flushing out anything I can.

Also, I took a sleep aid last night, so am not sure if that could have had an effect. It was nice to get to bed well before 10 and, with the exception of waking up with leg cramps, getting a nice long sleep in this weekend. I know I haven't been getting enough sleep, so am going to do my best to begin being in bed by 11 at the latest each night while I'm doing the VLCD and injections.

Am headed to the store to find a potassium supplement in the hopes that it will alleviate the leg cramps. The Cal-Mag supplement works for other things, but isn't helping with the cramping I've been experiencing each night.

Saturday, August 23

VLCD #6, No Injection:



Didn't take an injection today because monthly cycle started yesterday. I'm hoping this will be a short one! The VLCD is working, and I've got just 6.8 lbs to get back to LIW. At the rate things are going, I should be back to LIW by this time next week, I hope, and then I'll be really really close to finally getting out of the 200s and into the 190s.

Nothing new or different about the diet this time. I have been a little bit hungrier this go-around, but nothing unbearable. Staying hydrated has been the key, I think.

Today will pose a bit of a challenge as I'll be away from home all day and most of the evening. I'm going to go ahead and eat part of my lunch this morning, and then take as much "packable" stuff as I can to eat during breaks. If I do have to go into a restaurant, I want to be able to just drink water and/or iced tea and not worry about being hungry. This is one of those "mind over matter" situations, and I just need to get my mind made up to not sabotage myself.

So that's about it for today - nothing exciting! Thanks for reading and for your comments. See you tomorrow!

Friday, August 22

Injection Day #7, VLCD #5: Well, it's been a good week so far. Stepping on the scales on Monday was quite a shock because between the pizza-and-ice-cream-fest and two big loading days, I had put on 14 lbs. This is what happens when we don't put new batteries in the scale and weigh every single day! Another lesson learned: the scale should be my best friend, and if I don't befriend it, it will turn into my worst enemy!

The good news, though, is that I've been able to slip back into the weight loss routine very easily, and am down 7.5 lbs now, and should be at LIW before the end of next week.

One thing that has struck me this time is how thirsty I've been. Seeing that it's summertime in Texas, common sense would tell me that dehydration is a danger. And of course, on the days when I've consumed more water or tea, I've had better losses.

This weekend is going to be activity-filled, literally! I have coaching with my Sweet Adelines group tonight from 7-10, and tomorrow from 9:30-5. We will be doing a lot of singing and dancing, which takes a lot of stamina. I'll have dinner before I go tonight, which won't be a problem. Lunch is going to be a challenge, because we have to leave the facility at lunch and go out to eat. If I can bag up some apple slices, celery and maybe some chicken, I think I should be OK. If I end up in a restaurant, I can always have a dry salad and maybe bring some vinegar for dressing. Then we have another dinner meeting after the coaching, which will also be in a restaurant. I just need to be really careful about making sound choices and not sabotage myself like I did the last time.

So as you can see, I started off quite a bit above my LIW, but am going to take it one meal at a time and should get into "new" fat territory within a few days. Thanks for your comments and encouragement, and thank you so much for reading!

Sunday, August 17

Injection day #2, Loading day #2:

As the VLCD days approach, I have mixed feelings. I'm excited about getting back on the losing track, but sort of dreading leading the spartan existence again. So many of our social activities revolve around food, and while I resisted for a while, I fell right back into that trap.

The good news is that it's only for 7 weeks, and "I can do anything for 7 weeks". I think that once I see the scale moving down again, I'll settle down and get into the routine quickly. Have to go to the grocery store for some cabbage today, and then I'll be set for the week.

Also, I noticed that my leg cramps started back up last night, which reminded me that I need to get some supplements, as well.

Saturday, August 16

Injection day #1, Loading day #1: Well, here we go again!

I have to admit, I've been a bad bad girl over the last two weeks, and haven't even stepped on the scales, so I'm certain I'm above LIW. We'll see what the final number is on Monday when I begin the first VLCD.

Good news on the health front! I went to my endocrinologist on Wednesday, and my blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol were all well within "normal" range, and that's without taking ANY medication at all. My liver enzymes are still a little bit high, but they had gotten a lot better, as well. Before the weight loss, they were dangerously high. Also, I've noticed that my GERD has completely disappeared. It feels so good to be healthier! And I'm looking forward to things getting better and better through this next phase.

Tonight, some friends and I are going to "The Melting Pot", which is a fondue restaurant in Dallas - it's one of my favorite places! Tomorrow will be dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant. In addition, I'm trying to get in a lot of healthy fats so that the hunger the first week isn't so bad.

So - away we go! I'll be posting more regularly through this 46-day round, and am always happy to have your comments. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Sunday, August 10

I haven't dropped off the face of the earth! Honest! :)

My original plan was to start injections back on Tuesday, August 5. Then I realized that I have 2 big events with food coming up next weekend, and decided those would be perfect load days. I really want to set myself up for success for this round.

I have to admit, though, I've been pretty out of control this last week with pizza and ice cream - am hoping to get them out of my system! Haven't stepped on the scale to see what sort of damage I've done, so will have to bite the bullet and do that today. Even if I've gained a little, I know I'll be able to get it off this week with just a little bit of effort.

There's just one issue that I'm having during this round that is more of a nuisance than anything else: hair loss. I did go through this before, but not to the extent that I am this time. The lady that does my hair even commented on it when she was shampooing me. Then we started talking about how when you're pregnant, the body "holds on" to hair, and that many times it will "let go" after pregnancy is over. The good news is that I have enough hair for 3 people - it's just annoying to be leaving blonde hairs wherever I go, no matter how much I try to brush it.

This week, I'll be gearing up to begin injections on Saturday! This round will take me into the 190s, which I haven't seen in well over a decade! Also, I have a visit with my endocrinologist, so it will be interesting to see what he has to say.

As always, I appreciate you reading. See you in a week!