round 3, june 2-june 27

so, i am on my last day of vlcd for my 3rd round and i am only 3.4 pds away from my goal of 140 pds. not to shabby.............here's the run down of round 3:

june 2: 154.0 loading
june 3: 156.8 loading
june 4: 158.4 loading
june 5: 161.2 loading
june 6: 162.0 first day on vlcd--mini steak day
june 7: 158.0
june 8: 156.2
june 9: 154.6
june 10: 152.4
june 11: 151.6
june 12: 150.4
june 13: 149.6 mini steak day
june 14: 148.4
june 15: 147.8
june 16: 147.8
june 17: ??
june 18: ??
june 19: 146.8
june 20: 146.8 mini steak day
june 21: 145.8
june 22: 144.8 mini steak day
june 23: 145.2
june 24: 143.8 last day on hhcg
june 25: 143.8
june 26: 143.2
june 27: 143.4 mini steak day

i gained a lot on loading..............8 pds to be exact. i was determined to eat everything that i craved during last round, and believe me, i did! it was worth it to me though! i did a mini steak day every sunday this round. i think it makes a huge difference. i also continued using the dreamin adrenal supports this round. i feel like they really helped me to keep going and keep losing. i was anticipating this round being a slower round because i was so close to my goal weight. i didn't know how my body would react since it has literally been years since my body has seen this weight. i don't know my body below the 180's! to be at this number right now is a huge success for me now. my focus is to do maintenance as close to the book as i can so i can make this my new official weight. am i done? in my minds eye i would like to be between 138 and 140 pds. is that obsessive? maybe! i will not do another round until january if i need to. i am not planning on putting all of this weight back on so hopefully i can learn to "be" the person i want to be in my new body.

whats next? my problem area is still my stomach and hips. they are smaller then what they were when i started but they are not where i want them to be, yet! so, i ordered the Brazilian butt lift workout dvd's and am waiting for them to arrive. these dvd's work your bottom, hips, and abs! so excited! i'm going to see if i can learn how to exercise and maintain.............i'm clueless on this stuff!

ok, i got off track. this last round i continued to chew gum. i also didn't eat vegetables again. oh well, what does one do?

total loss: 18.6 pds. after loading pds were lost, i lost 11.6 pds! i will take every ounce!

happy losing!

update!

april 21: 160.2
april 22: 159.2
april 23: 158.8 (photos and measurements done)
april 24: 158.2 mini steak day
april 25: 157.6
april 26: 157.4
april 27: 156.8
april 28: 156.4 apple day
april 29: 156.4
april 30: 155.8
may 1: 155.4
may 2: 154.4 mini steak day
may 3: 153.8
may 4: ?
may 5: 153.2
may 6: 152.6

so, this round was interesting! i craved so many sweets and junk..........i took 3 sips of diet dr pepper one day! i know that doesn't seem like very much............i knew that 3 sips would end up drinking a whole one and them eating chocolate, and then it would be down hill from there!!!! yikes! i made the decision to chew sugar free gum. i know that is against the rules but i had to do something. i chewed and smacked and blew bubbles and had a huge stash of gum to keep me from falling off the wagon! it was the best i could do!

another thing that i didn't do this round was eat vegetables! the thought of putting one more stem of asparagus in my mouth made me gag! i couldn't do it! i ate my protein and my fruit and a grissini or Melba toast when i needed it, otherwise, i was did fine!

maintenance:


may 7: 152.0
may 8: 153.4
may 9: 154.8 steak day
may 10: 154.6
may 11: 154.4
may 12: ?? period
may 13: 154.0
may 14: 153.2
may 15: 152.8
may 16: 153.6
may 17: 153.6
may 18: 154.2 steak day
may 19: 153.8
may 20: 153.6
may 21: 152.0
may 22: 153.6
may 23: 154.0
may 24: 153.6
may 25: 153.6
may 26: ??
may 27: 154.o
may 28: 154.6 steak day
may 29: 153.3
may 30: 153.3
may 31: 153.6
june 1: 155.2 steak day

this round i lost 21.4 pds on vlcd and gained 2.6 from my last vlcd on maintenance.

other drama this round..........a girl at church actually approached joseph and told him that she needed to do an "intervention" and questioned him to see if he knew what i was doing to myself. joseph informed her that he knew exactly what i was doing because he had done this diet too. he also advised her that if she had questions, she needed to speak directly to me about her concerns. funny, this person has yet to approach me and speak to me about her concerns. she has spoken to everyone around me but not directly to me..............i feel like i'm in high school again sometimes. people can be so hurtful and claim it to be "concern".

sometimes you have to put your thick skin on and keep on doing what you feel is best for you.

round 2, day 10 on hhcg, day 7 on vlcd

march 25: weighed 161.2 pds
march 26: ?
march 27: weighed 163.4 pds-steak day
march 28: weighed 160.8 pds
march 29: weighed 161.4 pds
march 30: weighed 162.4 pds-steak day
march 31: weighed 161.2 pds
april 1: weighed 161.4 pds
april 2: weighed 160.2 pds
april 3: weighed 161.2 pds
april 4: weighed 161 pds
april 5: weighed 161 pds
april 6: weighed 161 pds
april 7: weighed 161.8 pds
april 8: weighed 163.2 pds-killing me....can't do a steak day! feel defeated due to circumstances
out of my control! AAAAHHHHH!
april 9: weighed 164.6 pds
april 10: ?

so, as you can tell, my weight started going up! we traveled over 2 1/2 weeks and i did really well maintaining my lowest weight and then........i lost it! i didn't have the time to do a steak day due to wedding preparations! i lost it and i know i lost it because i didn't do my maintenance correctly! bottom line! my metabolism wasn't reset like it should have been and i gained! thus...i lost 19.9 pounds on my first round of hhcg. i gained 7.1 pounds from my lowest weight on maintenance, 3.5 pounds over my last day on vlcd!

round 2!!!!

april 11: weighed 170.8 pds-loading
april 12: weighed 172.2 pds-loading
april 13: weighed 174 pds-loading
april 14: weighed 174.8 pds-first day on vlcd
april 15: weighed 170.4 pds
april 16: weighed 167 pds
april 17: weighed 165 pds
april 18: weighed 163 pds
april 19: weighed 161.8 pds
april 20: weighed 160.8 pds

i am so excited to be back on vlcd! i feel more relaxed this time around! my goal for this round is to at least lose 8.5 additional pounds to the 14 that i already lost. it really doesn't count until april 19 in my mind! at least it is all off again! so excited to see what the next 17 days hold!

i think i will do a third round in june and then wait until the end of september to do another round (if i don't lose it before then)!

i am having cravings for junk this time around, that i wanted to eat during loading but didn't. my headache was a beast! i feel a bit more hungry this round then i did last round! other then that, all is well!

happy losing!

don't know what day it is or what day i am on........

so, i have all of the numbers upstairs and i am feeling lazy at 113 in the morning, so i am not going to go and get them...........i will have to post all of that later!

i am ready to get back on vlcd. i have done really well keeping myself in check everyday with my weight. i do know that last week i had to do 2 steak days, i think?! i am learning that my body is not a carb liker..................i love carbs but my body doesn't and that makes me very sad.

however, i was introduced to jimmy johns sub shop and they have what is called an "unwich"! what's an "unwich" you ask? everything you could possibly want on two pieces of bread BUT (and this is the best part for us hcg people whose bodies hate carbs), it is rolled up in LETTUCE! just perfect to eat on maintenance and FOREVER! i had it twice while i was in idaho this week and then joseph went to renton tonight to get me another! can't help it! when i find something i enjoy eating AND it is good for me to eat, i am all over that! you should try it!

i also found that planters peanuts with sea salt are a good little snack! we had those while we were driving home yesterday and my body liked that! out of all of the peanuts, the planters were the ones with the lowest carbs and sugars and calories. i would tell you what all of that is but the can is in the car STILL and, like the book, i am not going to get that at this moment!

so, i read the hcg book i posted about getting recently. the only thing that i really learned from the book is that mini steak days are good to do on vlcd, according to this hcg user. i also learned that i have not done maintenance as i should have been doing. yes, i have read all of the material, but i think that i am prone to brain farts and i have forgotten some of the stuff i have read! i was reminded that i shouldn't gain over 2.1 pounds without doing a steak day and that i shouldn't lose more than 2.1 pounds without trying to fix that. i think i have lost 5, 6, or maybe close to 7 pounds on maintenance...............once again the book is upstairs! i fear that when i "load", i will be in big trouble because my metabolism has not been able to reset itself due to my losing! make sense? we will see!

my parents are doing really well on the hcg. my mom has lost 21 pounds in 29 days and my dad has lost a bit more then that! i can't wait to see them! mom will be here tomorrow..........i'm excited to SEE how she has done!

i picked up some more of my hhcg while i was in idaho. i also picked up the adrenal boosters that the drs recommended and plan to use those everyday while i am taking the hhcg. i will be interested to see if it makes a big difference in my lose! i have already figured out that i will do this round in april and then start my 3rd round in june and hopefully i will be at my goal of 135 to 140! it's only 20 to 25 pounds, right? i fear that these last pounds will be difficult to get off, so i am preparing myself mentally for the 3rd round. if i lose all 20 to 25 pounds in this next round, i will be so pleased! then the next time i do hcg will be IF i gain over the holidays..........that is the only IF i can rationalize!

i have to say that nothing taste as good as being thinner feels. tonight i was able to get into my size 8 jeans. they actually FIT! i don't know what to think of that! i had to show joseph when he got home to make sure i wasn't losing my mind with this weight. when i started i was barely in a size 16 and, i must admit, i did squeeze into those!

have i mentioned how grateful i am for this program????? i can not wait to see what the next round holds! bye, bye baby body............................i'm not looking back!

phase 4 (eating normal)

march 18: weighed 163.2
march 19: weighed 163.2
march 20: weighed 162.5
march 21: weighed 164.8 steak day
march 22: weighed 162.6
march 23: weighed 162.3 did measurements, photos
march 24: weighed 161.4

so, tomorrow is the day that i begin to slowly add sugars and starches back into my eating! i am nervous about that! i REALLY like starches...............it reminds me of my diet dr peppers. i feel like when i am off of them, i will never drink them again but when i have a taste, i can't get enough! joseph keeps telling me to stay away from starches all together. how can you eat normal if you have no starches? i will learn i guess.

i figured up some interesting stats today about myself............this is my blog so i can do that right?

since november 3, 2008, i have lost 93.6 pounds
since january 1, 2010, i have lost 35.3 pounds
since february 1, 2010, i have lost 24.9 on hhcg
since february 1, 2010, i have lost 37 1/2 inches total body!

i have 21.4 to 26.4 MORE to lose!

this stuff is amazing! i can not wait to start back on vlcd in april! i can't wait to see how my second round goes! i hope that i don't gain very much between now and then! yikes!

phase 3 (maintenance), day 14

march 12, 2010: weighed 165.4
march 13, 2010: weighed 166.6 steak day
march 14, 2010: weighed 164.4
march 15, 2010: weighed 164
march 16, 2010: weighed 163.2
march 17, 2010: weighed 163.6

i did my first steak day on march 13. what a steak day is, if your morning weight is 2.1 pounds above your weight the day before, it is recommended for you to drink plenty of fluids that day and then have a large steak for dinner with an apple or a tomato. it is supposed to drop your weight back to where it was the day before so that you can continue to maintain it! so i did just that. i drank a lot of water on the 13th and then had a steak and apple for dinner. before bed i drank some "smooth move" tea to get my body in "BM" mode (since it had been awhile.........tmi)! the 14th i got up and had a "BM" but only lost .8 or something like that. i was a little bummed. when i came home from church, i had another and by 100 pm, i weighed 164.4.....total lost, 2.2! it worked! what a relief!

have i mentioned how thankful i am that my sister has introduced this product to me! it has and will continue to change my life for the better, as far as weight is concerned! i don't care what people say, if you don't feel like you look good, you are not truly happy with yourself. i know because i have struggled with this since 2001 on and off! i feel so much better. i eat better. i drink better (as far as staying away from consuming 6-8 diet drinks a day). i sleep better!

my mom and dad are on day 15 or so. dad has almost reached 20 pds and mom is at 14 pounds! i am so impressed!

eating and staying on plan is so difficult. there is NO room for cheating. ultimately, if you cheat, you will not achieve your potential results!

currently, i know 10 people who are in the process of doing this diet or who are in maintenance, including myself. i know of 5 people who are about to start their first rounds. it is so nice to have a support system and to know that you are not in this alone. every one's successes are your success! everyday is a small celebration when that scale moves down! it is a step closer to a healthier and happier you!

if you don't know all the details, don't judge. if you are interested, ask! if it is not for you, don't offer your opinion, especially if you weren't asked for it! everyone is doing the best that they can to achieve their individual happiness. some can do it by exercising, some can do it by having fantastic genes, and some can do it by dieting.............however, i am a full believer that some can't do it at all. no matter what they do and how many pounds they initially lose, they can't keep it off. whether if be because of falling off the wagon, not knowing how to eat and count calories, or not being able to reset their metabolism, it is all the same. with the hcg, that person can make a difference in themselves and not look back! i feel like i have been given the tools. i have tested it and continue to test it. i will eventually be at my personal goal..........if not by june 2 then shortly there after, and i will continue to do exactly what i am doing now, have a new normal if you will, to never go back!

that is all i have to say about it!

happy losing!

ps: the ups man just dropped off my latest order from amazon, "the hcg diet for latter-day saints" how to physically and spiritually conquer your weight by joyce williams. interesting eh? i'll read it and let you know what i think.........next order should be my new "hcg tracker" for round 2! can't wait to start it in april!

phase 3 (maintenance), day 8

march 5, 2010: weighed 166.4
march 6, 2010: weighed 166.6
march 7, 2010: did not weigh
march 8, 2010: did not weigh
march 9, 2010: weighed 165.3
march 10, 2010: weighed 164.4
march 11, 2010: weighed 164.6

so, as you can tell, i have not gained anything after my last vlcd day............in fact, i have lost 1.8! that is not what is supposed to happen! you are supposed to maintain! trust me, i have been eating! i have enjoyed bacon, cheese, eggs, ribs, steak! i have enjoyed it!

i must say that i am about ready to start losing again! i am ready to shed another 20 pounds! once april hits, it will be time!

happy losing!

phase 3 (maintenance), day 1

March 4, 2010: weighed 166.4
total weight lose on vlcd: 19.9 lbs *my goal was 20 lbs *
total inches lose on vlcd: 28.25 inches

i am pleased with that! so, today is the day where i can EAT other foods. i am currently waiting for my hubby to get off a work call so he can take me to breakfast! i started my bodybugg back up last night to help me maintain this current weight so we will see how that goes.

wish me luck!!

day 31, day 29 on vlcd

march 2, 2010: weighed 167.8
march 3, 2010: weighed 167.3

i have officially been off hcg for 3 days now. tomorrow i start phase 3 of no sugars no starch. i am very nervous about that! i haven't eaten meals in many weeks and now i have to eat as much as 2000 calories. how sad is that statement................i'm scared to eat, im scared of gaining the weight back.

joseph is taking me to breakfast in the morning. i have omelet and bacon on my mind, actually i am pretty excited about that! i have been for warned to follow phase 3 protocol to the dime because the weight will creep on and quickly! i am craving meat though and i can have as much of that as i want!

i am putting my bodybugg back on before i go to bed and i am going to keep it close so it can help regulate me! we will see how it all goes. wish me luck!

i am looking forward to the break but then i will be ready to get back on for 23 days to lose 15-20 more pounds! i'll keep you posted!

day 29 on hhcg, day 26 on vlcd

march 1, 2010: weighed 168.4

not sure how or why i gained .8 yesterday but i did. i know that in my last post i was saying how determined i am to stay on the diet for the full 40 days. today i am not so sure. i took my 800 dose this morning and didn't take anymore. i think i am done people! if you look at my record over the past 2 weeks, there hasn't been much change. i am going to finish my 2 more days of not taking the hhcg and then i will start maintenance on thursday. i think i will be able to do maintenance for 3 wks, eat normal for 2 and then start back on april 12 on a second round. next round will only be for 23 days.

a few things i am feeling right now.

i have lost 30 pounds in the past 2 months. people have noticed, which is nice; however, i still feel like i look like i did 30 pounds ago. i am not sure how to change that within myself.

i am concerned that i will not reach my goal weight of 140 pounds by june 2, my goal date. if i do not reach it, will i look like a slacker or a failure..........more importantly, will i feel like that too? i want to do this right and be healthy about it and i feel like my body is in need of a break, but what about my goal?

will i be able to maintain this current weight without gaining it all back over the next 5 weeks? i think this scares me the most!

so there you have it. my thought process in a nut shell. i wish i were one of those stick thin woman who can eat anything and everything and not gain an ounce. sometimes i get so tired of thinking about what i am eating and how it will effect my overall weight. it can become an obsession............especially if you want it badly enough! that said, i will not stop until i reach my goal, even if it is after june 2!

i need to post my measurements and do a new picture (i have slacked terribly on that) and then i think i will only do weekly posts of my weight until i start back up on april 12.

so glad i tried this though! i wish i would have known about it way before now!

day 28 on hhcg, day 25 on vlcd

february 23, 2010: weighed 169.3
february 24, 2010: weighed 168.9
february 25, 2010: weighed 168.7
february 26, 2010: weighed 167.8
february 27, 2010: ???
february 28, 2010: weighed 167.6
total weight lost: 18.7 pounds

moral of the story..............cheating on hcg did not jump start my losing back. i gained 1.8 from eating things that i didn't even enjoy at the time and it took me 5 days to lose 1.8 pounds! how sad!

i started taking adrenal supports and probiotics which hasn't done very much for me either. what i have decided is that my body is done giving up the fat at this point. i have 15 days left to reach my 43 days (3 of that coming off of hcg and still doing the vlcd) and i am going to stick with it. every ounce counts and if i lose 1.8 times every five days then i will have lost 5.4 more pounds. i will take that!

my next round will only be 23 days...........i hope that will be enough!

day 22 on hhcg, day 19 on vlcd

february 22, 2010: weighed 167.6

thats right folks, no lose today! my husband pointed out that i have only lost 3 pds last week! i did not sign up to lose 3 pounds, i can do that on my medifast! so, i called the drs to ask for the miracle cure for why i have stalled so bad this last week. it is now 233 my time, 333 their time and i have yet to hear from them! my friends are feeling the same as i........what is the answer?

i took things into my own hands, whether it be right or not.............i went and ate 2 grilled cheese sandwiches, 3 piece ckn tender w. honey mustard, and a big mac! (can you believe that?).....it didn't taste as good as i remember it to have at one time! really starchy! no, i wasn't hungry.....my hhcg is working in that area. i thought that maybe my system needed a kick in the pants to get moving again! so there it is...............we will see what the out come is in the morning! whats for sure is that my system did not like it very well. the minute i hit the door step, i had to go straight to the bathroom! i have 18 more days til im at my 40 day mark and i can not go by losing a couple of ounces a day! bottom line!



UPDATE:

so now it is 500 here..............i spoke with dr crook about 430................i told him my situation. he first asked if i had a yeast infection, i told him no, he said that sometimes that can slow down your body. he then asked if i was eating oranges or tomato's, i told him no and that i was eating a grissinni bread stick every 3 or so days (all of that can slow down your weight loss). he asked if i was eating all of my foods of which i am. he asked how many drops i was using, i told him 45. he then told me that i should start taking probiotics and drenamin. that is adrenal gland support and will help with absorption. i then told him that i had lost 30 pounds since january 1 and asked if my body might need a break. he said if the drenamin doesn't work then it is time for a break. he said sometimes the body will not let go of stored fat with such high weight loss in a short period of time. i can live with that. i have decided to give it until sunday and re-evaluate where i am and then if no progress has been made i will go into maintenance until april 12, 2010 and pray i can get the remaining weight off by my goal date of june 2.

day 21 on hhcg, day 18 on vlcd

february 21, 2010: weighed 167.6

I AM SO TIRED OF ONLY LOSING .2!!!!! what is the issue? i can not do another 19 days with only losing .2!!!!

total pounds lost to date on hhcg: 18.7 pounds

day 20 on hhcg, day 17 on vlcd

february 20, 2010: weighed 167.8

yesterday i decided to do an apple day to make sure that i had gotten over my plateau........an apple day is where you start at lunch and end right before lunch the next day and all you eat is apples. you can have a max of 6 apples and only water to quench a terrible thirst. so, i had 2 apples yesterday and a couple of sips of water. can i tell you how cranky i was...........talking about anxiety! i felt like my insides were slowly trying to squeeze their way out of my body! i had to lay down and take a nap about 230 because i was so agitated!

the result to my day of agitation: -.9. i will take that! i guess that my plateau is broken. 2 pds in 2 days is pretty good! i am so thirsty...............i just want to drink, drink, drink.

the scary thing is, i stood on my wii scale this morning and it said i gained 3.3 pds! WHAT! i about had a heart attack! when i stood on it again, it was back to normal. joseph changed the batteries and all was well!

moral of the story, don't play with a dieting woman's emotions! that is not good!

day 19 on hhcg, day 16 on vlcd

february 19, 2010: weighed 168.7
total weight lose: 17.6

yes, my friends, it is a small victory in my world...........i lost 1.1! is the plateau broken? not sure yet. my last attempt came at about 11:00 last night (i should have been in bed, i know). i pulled out the "smooth move herbal tea" because i haven't had a bowel movement in about 4 days. the tea worked a bit this morning but getting it down last night was a pure act of congress! IT IS NASTY!!! that is all i have to say about that!

when i weighed myself on the wii, my mii person had a celebration because i went from the overweight category to the normal category with my bmi! i am officially normal with my weight! i think the last time i was in the 160's was when i was pregnant with gracie about 8 1/2 yrs ago! i am happy with that!

today, i have a little extra boost to get me through!

day 18 on hhcg, day 15 on vlcd

february 17, 2010: weighed 170.2
february 18, 2010: weighed 169.8

ok, so here we are........i have lost .6 in the last 3 days! sooooooo discouraging for me! i'll tell you one thing, when the scale doesn't move first thing in the morning, it is hard to stay on track! i started thinking, what can i eat and when can i get to it and eat it the fastest? can we just say that is considered EMOTIONAL EATING my friends? no, i didn't cave but was so very tempted! i have hashed it out with my friends who are doing the diet, i have read and re-read the "bible" of this diet, i have talked with my sister who has friends doing this diet, and i even called the dr's office this morning to see if this is considered a plateau.........i have been reviewing and re-reviewing everything i have done over the past 3 days.............

*the drs office told me that in the middle of the diet that most people do plateau and that that is not uncommon. i was told to up my drops by 5 and if i wanted to try an apple day then i could. i asked if the apple day will re-start the weight lose and they said it would.

*the book says that if you still haven't lost a significant amount of weight by the 4th day then to do the apple day. it also says that the apple day is fully psychological and that your body will re-set itself with or without it.

*i have reviewed everything that i have eaten and touched (product wise) and there is nothing that stands out.

*i am being "INTENTIONAL" as the book states..............if i do not lose in the morning, i will have a stroke and then do my apple day!

so there it is in a nut shell...............i'm barely hanging on. i will not cheat and i will not stop doing this until day 40. that leaves me 22 days to at least lose 9.8 pounds.....no pressure right?

to a better tomorrow................

day 16 on hhcg, day 13 on vlcd.......

february 15: weighed 170.4
february 16: weighed 170.4

yes, those numbers are the same and i am not pleased! i'm trying to figure out why i have stalled today...........i am so close to that next set of 10's i can taste it! it is frustrating not to see the scale move DOWN!

what did i do different? i had an orange yesterday for breakfast.........i have read that oranges are one of those items that slow you down. i had lobster for the second day in a row? i started walking on the the treadmill twice a day, burning about 210 cal each time. i wonder if my body is stalling because it feels like it is starvation mode because i am burning about as much as i am taking in?

the funny thing is, this morning before i even weighed myself, i could tell i hadn't lost anything. i had an apple for breakfast. that is as far as i have gotten.

joseph lost another pound this morning. he is down 20 pounds on hhcg! he was a little disappointed that he only lost a pound. yesterday, we both lost 1.8 and he was not pleased with that either............i'm pleased with anything!!!!

tomorrow is a new day!

14 days on the drops, 11 days on vlcd

february 14, 2010: weighed 172.2

the kicker is this......joseph decided yesterday that he was going to do the diet to the T! he even walked on the treadmill for an hour or so. he said he wanted to at least drop 5 pounds by today............yes, i said 5 POUNDS! that man got on the scale this morning and lost 6.3!!!! i am sick about that! what do i do with him! he lacks .7 from where he was a week ago and will lose that plus some tomorrow morning at weigh in! not me..............i feel like i can barely get a pound a day!

i started my drops back this morning.............

i've decided that i am going to do some moderate walking on my treadmill for 30 min twice a day beginning today. the drs recommend that on the hhcg and say you can lose up to 2 inches more a day if you do it! we will see!

my sister-in-law started last week and is doing really well! my brother starts tomorrow.........my mom and dad have decided to take the plunge as well! my sister is thinking about it, so we will see! i am so excited for my family! no one will recognize us come christmas! lol!

another perk that i read for the hundredth time and it didn't stick out until now is that on the hhcg, you can do maintenance for 3 weeks and get right back on the drops. between the 2nd and 3rd cycle you wait 4 weeks! on regular hcg you have to wait 6 weeks before doing cycle 2 and then between cycle 2 and 3, you have to wait 9 or 12 weeks (i can't remember right now)! i'll take it!

still not feeling good! oh yea, happy valentines day..................

measurements..............

well, i just did my two week measurements a day early and i have lost 20 3/4 inches total! i am pleased with that!

february 13, 2010: weighed 173.5

i am not feeling good at all today! i have had a strawberry slushy and that is it but food is really the furthest thing from my mind with the way i am feeling today.............i even went to bed at 8:30 pm last night because this menstrual thing does me in the first couple of days.

not much to report, other than that.

uggggg!

this morning i woke up and weighed myself and only lost .2.............yes, i said .2!!! not pleased! i did start my period (may be too much info for some people) yesterday so i am going to just chalk it up to that. i did not take my hcg today and will not take it tomorrow (in the manuscript it says for women to not take it for at least 2 days of their menstrual cycle). i hope i am not starving by sunday!

february 12, 2010: weighed 174.4

today i have eaten an apple and a melba toast............i did take a bit of the pizza hut cheese crust pizza that my husband ordered for the kids and that i have such a hard time resisting. i chewed it and chewed it and chewed it and then i spit it all out!!! that is so sad! i could devour the whole thing right now.........grease and cheese sound good to me! i will make it though! i need to fix some REAL food!

i on the hcg website that i bought the drops from, there is a place where you can ask the drs questions and they will respond to them..........i have really been wondering why i am not registering on the ketostix as burning fat. i called the office yesterday and spoke with a lady and she said that she didn't know very much about the ketostix. i was not satisfied with that answer, so i emailed the drs. just got my answer back:

i asked, "i have friends who are doing hcg injections and who are testing to see if they are burning fat instead of muscle with ketostix. when i have tested, i have always come up negative.....is that normal on hhcg or do i need to be doing something different? i have lost 11.1 pounds in 7 days, so i know that it is working. just wondering.............."

the reply, "not sure why if they are showing positive, you are showing negative. we know that when we've had patients calibrate their body fat percentage and lean body percentage before starting, and measure after, they always lose significant amount of fat percentage, and gain about one percent lean body mass. as long as you are losing and feeling good, keep going, you are burning fat."

so.......................what does all of that mean? i'm still not sure! as long as i am losing i guess i am doing the right things, right?

the results.....so far....

well, i started the hcg protocol on february 1. the first 2 days are referred to as "loading days". you eat anything and everything high in fat like breads, french fries, donuts, etc. while doing the hcg. with the homeopathic drops, i take them 3 times a day, 6 hrs apart, at the same time everyday.

february 1: weighed 181.7

gorging the first 2 days was very hard. any other time i could have stuffed my face and not thought a thing about it but for some reason, it was so difficult to do this. however, i ended up doing a third gorge day prior to starting phase 2 i think because i was so worried that this wouldn't work for me. did i make the right decision?

february 2: weighed 183.2
february 3: weighed 185.0
february 4: weighed 186.3
total gain: 4.6 pounds

phase 2, the very low calorie diet (VLCD)= 500 calories a day. this was kindof refreshing after gorging for 3 days. i had an orange smoothie for breakfast, grilled chicken and grilled asparagus for lunch, and grilled shrimp, steamed cabbage with pepper, and 10 medium size strawberries sliced with 2 packs of stevia. i also had a ton of water! that night the headache set in........i thought i was going to die! i went to bed without taking anything thinking that it would go away while i slept....that didn't happen! the next morning i ended up taking aleve! i am sure that the headache came from the lack of caffeine and junk........it didn't go away until day 5! if you can make it through that...you are home free!

february 5: weighed 184.1
february 6: weighed 181.4
february 7: weighed 178.8
february 8: weighed 178.4
february 9: weighed 177.0
february 10: weighed 176.1
february 11: weighed 174.6
total lose: 11.7 pounds

i would say that isn't too shabby for 7 days! i have found that i am not very hungry at all. if i am not hungry i don't eat as much as i would otherwise. i have found that i have stayed home a lot more than normal. i think it is out of fear that i will cheat!!! there are so many good things out there........."nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" right? i feel good, i have energy, i am going to bed at a decent hour and waking up a lot earlier and EASYIER in the morning. my husband, joseph, is doing it with me. he has a difficult time with managing entertaining clients at work with staying on the vlcd. he has lost 10 pounds so far!


i have decided to do 40 days instead of 23. i skipped my first day of hcg yesterday and was glad that that wasn't to bad! today i uped my drops by 5!

so far this is the best choice i have made for myself! i am more concerned about phase 3 now!!! 40 days isn't very long when i think about the weight i could shed! we will see! this diet my not be for everyone...........everyone may not agree with it.......we all have our own opinions! however, it is working for me and i am excited about it! can't wait to see how much i lose and maybe, just maybe, i will be close to my 140 pound goal weight!!!!

ok, so here it is..........

i thought i would create a blog about my newest "tool" in losing weight! a little history......married for 91/2 yrs, mom of 6 kids ages 15mo to 7 yrs (yes, i had 6 kids in 6 yrs---last 2 were twins!) and i decided to challenge myself to lose all of this baby weight that i gained over the past 7 yrs and get back down close to what i was before all of this...........by my 35 birthday, which is june 2! i am 5'11"! i have been dieting on and off since i started having kids....i have done LA weight lose and most recently medifast. both have worked wonderfully! in the month of january on medifast i lost 16 pounds!!! i was thrilled! anyway............enough about all of that!


so, my sister called one day in january and told me about a couple of her girlfriends who were doing this hcg diet.....one is doing the injections and the other is doing homeopathic oral drops. she gave me a website to look at (http://www.hcgmadesimple.com/) and wanted to know my thoughts. i checked it out and then went back to my old resolve that what i am doing is good and i will keep on the same track. not 2 days later, a couple of my girlfriends told me about another friend who had done this hcg diet and they were going to talk to her and see her photos and see what the diet was all about and invited me to go along............how ironic. so we 3 went to see what this was all about................needless to say, she sparked an interest!



i obsessed over trying to figure out if i should try this or keep going with my medifast. i sat on the computer for hours, reading other peoples blogs, looking at hcg websites, and constant phone calls with my friends and my sister! i made the decision..........i was going to try it........23 days, what can it hurt! thank goodness i made the first decision and now the second one was which form of hcg to try.............injections, sublingual, or topical all raw hcg -or- homeopathic hcg. my girlfriends decided to do the raw hcg and mix it and inject it. i was a little nervous about where the hcg was coming from and how to mix it so i decided to try out the homeopathic version. now for the diet!!

i ordered the recommended books
*hcg weight lose cure guide by linda prinster
(considered the "bible" of this diet)

*my hcg tracker by tiffany prinster
(for me to keep track a little better-- note
there is a daily tracker worksheet in the
weight lose cure guide)

*101-worry free hcg diet recipes
(you can also find recipes on line)

*pocket guide to the hcg protocol
(smaller version of the weight lose cure guide)



i ordered the homeopathic hcg















and i bought the necessary "gear"
*george foreman grill


*a mail scale (to weigh food)


*small cup and syringe


*stevia (all natural suger)


*blender

i went to the grocery and loaded up on all of the food that we will need. i weighed it all out to the right proportions and then bagged it all and put it in the fridge and freezer ready for us to pull out and fix.

next step pictures and measurements..........do i dare show?