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

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!

Getting Ready!

I'm so excited about getting started with the protocol! There have been some communications with the DDCanada folks, and it's hard to believe that I'm really going to be doing this!

Depending on when the supplies arrive, I'm hoping to start the second week in April. Between now and then, I'll be leaving town for Easter weekend to visit family, and also going to Houston for our Sweet Adelines' Regional Competition. Neither of those two trips are too "Phase 2 Friendly", so I'll be raring to go as soon as the travels are finished.

In preparation for the protocol, I have a visit with my endocrinologist today to get some baseline stats on cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, thyroid levels, etc. I plan on continuing my thyroid meds through the injection phase, as it just doesn't make sense to just stop. When the weight has come off, then I'll let my doctor tell me when to adjust the dosage - it took too long for me to get my levels straightened out to start messing around with the meds.

Now for the "vanity" part of the preparation: I'm getting my eyelashes tinted, since mascara has been proven to cause stalls in weight loss. The cost is around $25, and is supposed to last around 6 weeks. My plan is to follow Dr. Simeons' "Pounds and Inches" as closely to the way it is written as possible. Therefore, it's Bare Minerals makeup, eye liner, and non-moisturizing lipstick/lip liner throughout Phase 2. Also, I've already begun using crystal deodorant - it's a lot more effective than I thought it would be! So, no worries about B.O. on during the injection phase!

Food-wise, I've pretty well got my list in place. For meats, I'll primarily be having halibut, organic chicken breast, and veal scallopini. Central Market is a great source for organic meat and wild caught fish. I'm thinking that for vegetables, I'll be alternating between cabbage, tomatoes, celery and lettuce. For fruit, it will mostly be organic apples and oranges, unless I can find some organic strawberries.

I have the George Foreman grill ready to go as the main way of preparing the meat. Sometime next week, I'll go to the grocery store and get everything. The plan is to take the time to go ahead and weigh out and pre-portion the meat - I'll vacuum seal it in the Foodsaver and throw it in the freezer. One of the challenges in any weight loss program is being prepared, so I think this will really help. That way, all I'll have to mess with preparing on a daily basis is the vegetables.

The other thing that I'm doing to prepare is the cleanses. I'm currently using FiveLac for the Candida cleanse, and am also getting ready to do a colon cleanse. It's amazing how the Candida cleanse helps with the sugar cravings - I think this will be a major help during the injection phase.

So - there you have it! I'll post my baseline stats from the doctor after I get them.