Day 63...I'm stuck :(

I cannot seem to get this last 5lbs off. It COULD be that I had a marathon baking day on Sunday where I created the following:

• Toffee Bark
• Cream Wafer Cookies
• Fudge
• Reese's Pnut Butter Cookies
• Pecan Sandies
• Pecan Tarts
• and the piece de la resistance (said with a profound french accent) SPICED ALMONDS AND PECANS.

I will admit... I did indulge on Sunday- I didn't crave the sweets at all. I just wanted to eat ALL the pecans I could get my hands on. You start off with a table spoon of butter in a 9x13 pan and melt it in the oven at 325. Once melted you pour the pecans or almonds into the pan, and then sprinkle with a dash of ginger, salt, garlic powder, and 2 tsps soy sauce. Mix them up and bake for about 20 minutes and voila - YUMMY!!!! Anyway- I'm stuck at 120 - have gone down a tad bit in measurements but not enough to note here. I did notice that my chest measurements have finally evened out with my hips so I'm happy about that!!! Wish me luck this week- I don't want to get hit with the curse of the sweet tooth with all these goodies stored at my house!

Day 59... another 12 oz gone!

Oh this has been the best week of the entire diet! I have not had ANY stalls- which is amazing to me. I think that cutting out one portion of fruit per day has really helped. Also, I alternate each night between smooth move tea and Lacey Labeau's super diet tea- and that might have something to do with it too. Keeps things moving!

I went out today to try and find something snazzy to wear to Dan's company xmas party tomorrow night. I went to the MALL of all places, and I typically avoid that place at all costs. Why does everything look like it's made for a pregnant person? Flowy, not form fitting- empire wasted, with tie backs? I didn't just lose almost 30lbs to look like I'm trying to cover up a baby bump at the age of 40. OR what is it with those stupid little attached belts that are right underneath your boobs? What a way to make your @$$ look HUGE!!!! Ugh, I guess I'm just totally OUT OF FASHION. I came home with nothing... but oh well, I'm 120 lbs and for that I'm thankful even if I have to go to the party in a toga. HA!

Day 58... another 14oz down!

Oh Joy! The end is near! Now if I can only make it through this weekend without screwing up - I think I will be done by christmas!! Measurements tomorrow- I have not weighed 121lbs in a lifetime it seems!

Day 57 - another pound gone! Wahooo! 25lbs GONE!

Scale says 122lbs today :) My goal of 115lbs is finally approaching!!!! Yesterday, I drank 3 liters of water, and didn't eat the fruit portions of my meals and I think that was the kick I needed - the hcg forums mentioned that this might help toward the end of a round when things slow down, so I'm going to just have ONE fruit portion today...

My husband told me last night that I look just as good as I did in college when he met me... I was 18 years old. That was 18 years, 2 C-Sections and a Hysterectomy ago...

Day 56 - recovered from severe blond moment!

Ok, because I woke up on Sunday 1lb heavier after my dinner on Saturday night- I decided to do an apple day. I woke up yesterday and hopped on the scale and was up another pound. I think I about had a heart attack. I got off the scale, then gingerly stepped back on... praying that my eyes were playing tricks on me. NOT. No such luck. WHAT IS GOING ON???? I racked my brain all day, was in a FOUL mood - and then it hit me... I have two cinnamon sugar cups in my cupboard. One is mixed with sugar, the other I mix with stevia. I think I was sprinkling real cinnamon and sugar on my apples all day long on Sunday! WHAT AN IDIOT!!!

Anyway, I did a bad thing :) I did ANOTHER apple day yesterday... I know I know, probably not a good idea however, I was desperate. I got on the scale today and was down to 123, a loss of 2.5 lbs since yesterday- I'm back on track THANK YOU GOD.

I have to say I LOVED eating my steak lunch today. After two days of apples, I needed some protein!! So, yet another lesson learned! I have 7lbs left to go to hit my goal weight!

Day 55... Storytime Sunday

Yesterday, woke up to no gain no loss, but expected that due to my lack of caloric/water intake on Friday. Yesterday was Ali's birthday celebration... here is what I ate:

Elements Tapas Bar
8 Green olives
5 Grapes covered in blue cheese and Pistachios
1 Bacon Wrapped Fig
Mojito

Four Daughters Pub
Chicken burger with avocado and bacon (no bun, no condiments)
Sweet potato fries and a lil' bit o ranch dressing
John Daly Drink
When I got home... 2 chocolate chip cookies. I figured HECK why not I did myself in already!

Guess what I woke up to on the scale, a ONE POUND GAIN only! I feared the worst, and after everything I ate I figured I'd be in a world of hurt! Apple day for me to day to shed the pound, I had a great time though and after 55 days of VLCD I figured what the heck, I'm going to enjoy this time to go out with the girls!

Day 53 down 14oz from Wednesday!

Today was a GREAT DAY. Down .75" in chest, .5" in thighs and .25 in my left arm :) Everything else has stayed the same. Today I've hit the 124lb mark and it feels great!

I went shopping today, to try on jeans... I still have 9lbs to lose officially to hit my goal weight so I wasn't exactly shopping to buy, but to give myself motivation. I was at the mall with Jacki (who has lost 32lbs now, the same weight as her youngest child!) and decided to go into the Buckle Store. A gal I go to church with had on some jeans the other day that I just loved. We pulled some size 28's just to try them on, and the little salesman told me that they were to big. Some of those jeans he pulled for me were SO LOW RISE that I knew if I were to bend over, you'd see some things you don't want to see! I don't think he realized that I'm pushing 40, and don't think it's appropriate to walk around with my cheeks hanging out of my jeans :) Regardless, the ones I liked the best were $145.00 which I would never dream of spending on a single pair of jeans in a million years- however, I was amazed at how much my thighs have shrunk. I didn't look like a pear for the first time since I can remember. After that nice ego boost, I headed to Fred Meyer to try on some Levis... a little easier on the pocket book, and lucky me- they were on sale. SIZE 4 if you can believe that! Off to Old Navy I went with my $10 off coupon, and bought another SIZE 4 jeans. I'm so happy right now, I never thought I would EVER EVER EVER wear this size again - THANK GOD FOR HCG!

Day 51... Down a whole pound!

I'm officialy 125 lbs :) I will do measurements tomorrow - and see if I notice a big drop, gosh this gets painfully SLOW at the end!! Not to mention HARD especially around the holidays... did an apple day yesterday hoping to get things moving again!

Day 49... measley 2 ounces

DANG DANG DANG... only 2 ounces!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! And that was with taking smooth move... hm. I guess I'll see what tomorrow morning brings.

Day 48 - down another pound!

I'm almost there... I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! I am SO HOPING to be down to my 115lb goal weight by the 20th of December. I have BIG PLANS for phase two. Jacki clued me in on something, if she is finished with her daily meals by 5pm at LATEST, she loses more. So I tried that yesterday, and was down 12 oz today. So- to test this theory again I'll make sure to have my evening meal by 5pm and be done. Last night was kinda hard- had a Christmas party to go to, made lemon bars which I HATE - but there were so many other yummmmy things to eat there. I didn't touch a thing. WATER WATER WATER... I keep reminding myself that I'm ALMOST done with this- don't blow it now!!!! It's not worth it, remember the eggs Melissa! Remember the eggs!

Day 46 - finally measurements!

Ok, been busy busy at work- so I've slacked on posting! Sorry! Here are the measurements for this week!

Start Start Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5
Chest 39.75" 36.5" 36" Same 35.75" 35" down 4.75"
Waist 32.25" 29.5" same 27" 28" 26.5" down 5.75"
Hips 38" 37" same 35" 35" 28.5"(?) down 3"(?)
Thighs 42.75" 41" 40.75" 39.75" 39" same down 3.75"
R Arm 12.5" same same same 11.5" same down 1"
L Arm 12" same same same 11.25" 11" down 1.25"
Weight 147 140 136 133 130 127 down 20 lbs

I'm not sure about the hip measurements... I need to recheck those I don't think I could have gone down from 35 to 28.5" - that would be ridiculous! So, as it stands I'm down 20 lbs and somewhere around 20". Will update with the correct measurement in the morning!

Day 43... oops, forgot to measure!

Ok, I'm going to be honest with you all... last night after going to Amy's house to pick up my my new shipment of HCG - I had a bit of a breakdown. I got home and started dinner for the boys late, I was famished and in a very bad mood. Before I could use proper good judgement, I proceeded to shove 4 deviled eggs into my mouth in rapid succession. After this temporary lapse in judgement, I decided that I'd better not eat anything else or I'd totally regret it in the morning. Within an hour, my stomach hurt SO BAD I thought I was actually going to get sick. After complaining to everyone under the sun who would listen to me- I decided a good dose of Pepto was in order. My stomach has not hurt that bad in a very very long time! Thanks to the Pepto, I was able to make it through the night. I guess I cured my craving for eggs- because I don't think I'll ever eat another deviled egg as long as I live. I woke up this morning, and grudginly stepped on my scale, preparing myself mentally for huge gains only to find that I was down 2 ounces! Thank God for small miracles!!!! Didn't measure this morning, ran out of time- so I will do this tomorrow :)

Lesson: DO NOT EAT 4 DEVILED EGGS on a SEVERELY EMPTY STOMACH - while taking HCG phase II!!!!!

Day 42... down 6 oz.

Not much to report! I measure again tomorrow, so this should be interesting. I am down to one pair of pants that fit... 10 lbs to go and then I'm on to phase III where I can start adding different foods again. Yesterday was hard for me, I am getting REALLY tired of eating the same food - some days are harder than others especially when I see my whole family eat the things I LONG to eat again. Last night we had real macaroni and cheese, you know - the homemade kind? I LOVE THAT STUFF. But none for me, so depressing. I keep reminding myself that it's all worth it in the end! Soon, very soon, I will be able to eat those foods again and not worry about gaining my weight back... so, I'm buckling down for the home stretch!

Day 40! Back to where I was on Thursday!

Well, Thanksgiving I took the day off- kind of. Woke up at 3:30AM to go shopping, 1.5 lbs heavier! Apple Day on Friday- and 3 lbs lighter, wahoooooo!!!! Still have a little bit to go... but I'm back on track and feeling good today.

Day 37 - down another 12 oz!

128!!!! Wahooooo! I'm getting there! Didn't get to check in yesterday, on my measurement day- however I'll give you a quick run down! Down 3/4" in chest, 1 1/2" in my waist, 3/4" in my thighs and 1/4" in my left arm :) Yesterday was a no drop day for me in weight, I think it was that DARN Safeway Grissini that does me in... so, I'm going to be eliminating that food all together just to be safe. Tomorrow is the BIG DAY! Thanksgiving, and I have a so much to be thankful for!

Day 35... crazy crazy weekend!

Friday was New Moon, only lost 4 ounces! Ate normal until dinner time... then after much planning, decided to eat a phase III meal at Red Robin with all the girls. This consisted of a Spanish Coffee :) a lettuce wrapped chicken breast with guac & Monterrey jack cheese with no condiments, and them some sugar free Swedish fish at the movies. Saturday morning I was 10oz heavier :( Because we were traveling to Eugene on Saturday- I decided to do an apple day. This was my plan to not have to drink a ton of water and end up having to go to the bathroom all day- AND I wouldn't have to worry about trying to pack a bunch of HCG friendly foods. So- apples from noon to noon on Sunday. I didn't have a scale with me on Sunday to weigh, however today I am 2.2lbs lighter than I was on Saturday morning so I'm VERY HAPPY WITH THAT!!!

Traveling is NOT fun with this diet! We ended up going out to dinner last night at OutBack, I had a single chicken breast and a green salad with no add ons. BOR-ING, but at least I didn't gain- I know I didn't get enough water in yesterday either!!!

Day 31... down another 8 ounces!

I AM OFFICIALLY IN THE 120's!!!! I put on a pair of jeans today that I haven't fit into since before my hysterectomy :) a SIZE 6 Old Navy!!! I am so happy!!!! I still have a little ways to go- but this has been the most exciting month to watch fat drip off my body so quickly. I truly is amazing!

Day 30... down 6oz

Why is it that when I'm on a diet, all I want to do is look at recipes and dream of cooking food that I can't eat? My husband is trying to watch his weight as well, and keeps asking me why I'm making all this stuff when he doesn't want to be eating it either. Well who am I gonna cook for????

You know what I'm most excited for in phase 3 and phase 4? Trying out Elena's recipes to see if my husband and children will like them so I can make this a total lifestyle change that incorporates my entire family. I am already making different choices at the grocery store when it comes to what my boys are eating. I always thought they were good eaters - I've never purchased "sugar cereals" unless it was a special occasion like a camping trip, they get oatmeal or raisin bran, stuff like that- and have been fine with it. Now I realize that even though I'm thinking these aren't "sugar cereals" they contain a heck of a lot of sugar!!!!! I just don't want my boys to end up like me, totally addicted to caffeine, sugar and JUNK!!!

Day 29! Down 15 ounces and lots of inches!

YAY! I went over on my calories yesterday by 47, thought for SURE I would gain today and instead I'm down one ounce shy of a full pound! Here are my inches, I cannot believe how much I have lost since last Tuesday!!!

Start Start Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Chest 39.75" 36.5" 36" Same 35.75" (yay!) down 4"
Waist 32.25" 29.5" same 27" 28" down 4.25"
Hips 38" 37" same 35" 35" down 3"
Thighs 42.75" 41" 40.75" 39.75" 39" down 3.75"
R Arm 12.5" same same same 11.5" down 1"
L Arm 12" same same same 11.25 down .75"
Weight 147 140 136 133 130 down 17 lbs

SO! A total of 16.75" lost and 17 lbs so far!

Day 28... no loss no gain :(

BUMMER. BUMMER. BUmmmmmmmmer. No loss today! I think I drank the appropriate amount of water yesterday, however with all the running around we did I'm just not sure. Yesterday was CRAZY. Kasey's football team won the Rogue Valley Championships and are off to state championship game in Autzen on Sunday. Aside from freezing my butt off yesterday, I did my best to drink water and even brought my lunch to the game with me. The only thing I added yesterday was the grissini... so today, I will try and make it through the day without it. It will be hard though, because I LOVE IT. I could eat the whole box at one sitting I'm sure!
Below are pics from the game yesterday, Kasey is #2! Had a GREAT GAME!

Day 27... down 3oz

Slow and steady wins the race right? Well, yesterday without being able to drink water until noon- and then spending the entire afternoon at a birthday party- there is no way I drank enough water. So, again today- STRICT! I'm gulping the water down! The only problem with that is I have to sit through a 2 hour Championship Football Game my son is playing in and I will NOT have time for potty breaks!!!!! I have to make sure I go right before, during half-time and hopefully it won't go into overtime like it did last Sunday where I ended having to sprint for the bathroom!!! Wish me luck ;) GO RAIDERS!

Checkin' In...

Well, I emerged from the birthday party unscathed! I had 4 raw shrimp with a squeeze of lemon- and that was IT. I am so very proud of myself!!! Went shopping today, and Brady helped me pick out some tops. I'm proud to say I'm back into a size small. Didn't try on pants because I still have 15lbs to lose so I realize that would be a waste of money. I've gone down one jean size in the past week already and luckily I have size 6-12 in my closet to choose from! I can't fit into a size 6 just yet, maybe another week :)

I have to say, shopping with Brady was a kick in the pants. If you need a shopping advocate- he is the guy for you. He informed me when certain tops were "too low down to there" meaning they were too low cut, which ones were "grannyish" and which ones would make me look VERY pretty. He asked that I come out of the room to show him each time I changed, and fortunately for me- he loved them all. He told me promptly that I should buy every one of them! I asked him if he had any money he could loan me because that would be very expensive and he told me I could have his $15. Needless to say, I came home with 4 new tops- and Brady got to keep his $15 - but my oh my what a sweet little boy I have!

Day 26... 1.6 oz down! Stall-Be-Gone! 15lbs mark!

Well! I made it through my first apple day! Yesterday, if you can believe this- I started eating my apples at 12pm. By the end of the day, I had only managed to consume 4 apples! Was I hungry? NO! Isn't that weird! The best part of apple day is not having to drown myself in water. It's 9:30AM now, took my HCG about an hour ago and will go in for my last apple and then resume my normal eating at noon today. I have read mixed reviews on apple days- I guess I will see what happens tomorrow with weight loss to see if this truly broke my stall! I sure hope so! I have to go to a brunch today to celebrate a birthday with tons of wonderful food so wish me luck. I'm praying that I can stick to my resolve of absolutely NO CHEATING!

Day 25... and I'm stalled out!

Well, it happened folks. 3 straight days at the same weight! Today I'm going to do an "apple day". This consists of nothing until noon, then 6 large apples after that until tomorrow noon. Little or not water, unless I'm terribly thirsty. I have to say, I'm relishing the idea that I don't have to load myself down with water today!!! I'm praying that this will alleviate the stall, this stinks!!!!

Day 24...

Well, yesterday - I drank OVER 3 liters of water - and had a hard time shoving down my dinner... I tried something new. We have ground elk meat that I made tacos with for the family, and reserved a little bit for myself to mix with my own seasoning. Tossed that with lettuce, and voila- taco salad. Took smooth move tea before bed, and was up 3-4 times last night!! It was badly needed though. I was shocked to see the scale only go down one ounce today. On a good note though, I fit into a pair of jeans that I've not worn in YEARS so I am SO STINKING HAPPY ABOUT THAT! 2 JEAN SIZES DOWN in 24 days!!!

YUM!

Apple Crisp:

3.5 oz. peeled apples
1 plain melba toast ground
1/2 pkg stevia (mixed in with melba)
put in mug, sprinkle with some lemon juice and pour the melba mixture over the apples. Bake in microwave at med. for 3 minutes. YUM-MYYYY!

Day 23... and you know what they say!

Well, yesterday I was having a GREAT DAY! Drank my 2 liters of water by my deadline... got off work, had NO time to eat my dinner so I figured I'd eat when I got home. Picked up boys to go to a football pizza party after dropping off some things at a friends house. By the time the kids got their pizza I was positively FAMISHED. I drank 1/2 of a diet coke - and munched on the ice while I watched children and adults gorge themselves on ooey gooey pizza. One of my favorite foods...

Kasey finally got served his mini pizza. Sitting next to him while he waited for it to cool off, I watched my hand- moving of its OWN volition mind you, reach over and steal a piece of pepperoni. Before I could stop my rogue hand from completing this dastardly deed- the pepperoni was in my mouth and I was chewing vigorously. My brain then caught up, and before I could swallow this evil piece of meat- I spit it out into a napkin :) That is gross, but that is the truth and I promised when I started this blog that I would be brutally honest with my ups and downs and that was definitely a DOWN moment for me! I got home, scarfed down my shrimp and cucumber mean with some apples sprinkled with cinnamon. This was around 8pm by that time, and eating that late is never a good idea. Also, I conked out on the couch by 9:30 so I was unable to drink additional water like I normally do all evening. So- why did the scale not move today? Was it that rogue piece of pepperoni that never made it to my stomach? I will never know!!!!!

Day 22! OH HAPPY DAY!

I'm down another 1.2 lbs overnight! AND, the smooth move tea I drank yesterday afternoon hasn't even kicked in yet. Wow, when that happens I ought to lose at least a pound :) Today is also my measuring day and I'm so happy with the past weeks results! Here it is:

Start Start Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Chest 39.75" 36.5" 36" Same (yay!) down 3.75"
Waist 32.25" 29.5" same 27" down 5.25"
Hips 38" 37" same 35" down 3"
Thighs 42.75" 41" 40.75" 39.75" down 3"
R Arm 12.5" same same same
L Arm 12" same same same same
Weight 147 140 136 133 down 14lbs

So this means as of today, I am 14 lbs lighter and a total of 15 inches! Jacki, is down 16lbs in 2 weeks and 2 days! WAY TO GO JACKI!!!

*&^%#@$ I did it again!!

How many blond moments can a person have in one day? I was reading on the forums about a cola called zevia, that is sweetened with stevia. Supposed to stay away from artificial sweeteners like aspartame and saccharine... I made a special trip to the store today at lunch, picked up a sick pack of zevia ginger ale and cola, crack one open only to find that it has 13g of carbs! WHAT? REALLY? I MEAN COME ON! NOT AGAIN!!! When will I learn to read the labels before I get to the check out stand!!!!

Day 21...

Ok! So... didn't log in over the weekend 'cause I was BUSY BUSY BUSY. Saturday morning I was down a couple ounces, and then Sunday I was down NOTHING. Today, I'm down 10 ounces, so I can live with that!!!

Saturday I had a tough time... had a football game in the morning, didn't drink enough water FOR SURE. Didn't get to eat lunch until around 2pm. I scarfed down some chicken and bypassed eating all the lettuce because I was in a hurry and again didn't drink enough water. That night was Twilight night at my house, so I had a nice spread of shrimp kabobs, tomato salsa and melba toast. A little baked apple for dessert, oh- and a couple of sugar free jello shots :) Needless to say, I was worried about Sunday morning weigh ins and was happy to at least not see a GAIN. Yesterday I was strict, and made sure I had enough water intake, hence the drop today. Tomorrow I measure... so be sure to tune in, I'm hoping to see some results with the inches!

As I sit here at my desk, my partner in hcg-crime (Amy) reminds me that I only have 20 more minutes to finish my mandatory 2 liters of water... I have a set time. All mandated water intake must be completed by 3pm, so I know that I've consumed the required amount and the rest of the day I can just SIP. I HATE WATER. So... I'm sitting here, supposed to be working- staring at the last 8oz of my required water intake. Why is this so hard for me? Is it mental? I think it is because for the past few years my fluid intake consisted of Dutch Brothers frozen coffees, regular coffee, Monster Energy Drinks, and if those weren't available... Diet Coke with Lime. I'm surprised my insides work at all!!!

Day 18... no drop, no increase

Is this a stall? Not sure, I went over on my calories by 36 yesterday. I was supposed to have shrimp for dinner, but didn't have it prepared in time to leave - so I had to go with what I had which was STEAK. Not sure if that's the reason, other than that there was no deviation from original protocol. WHO KNOWS. We shall see in the morning! I could sure go for a diet coke today... all this water is going to be the death of me!

Day 17... down another 10 ounces, for a total of 12 lbs :)

Now that I've tweaked things a little bit, it's nice to see the the scale continually DROP each day instead of go up and down like a roller coaster! Tips for those of you to consider:

• Do NOT drink Crystal Light or drinks with the artificial sweeteners (Sobee LifeWater)... they still contain sugar alcohol, which is still SUGAR
• Do NOT chew trident gum, or sugar free gum. Why? Because they ALSO contain sugar alcohol.
• Check your B12 vitamin drops if you are using sublingual... mine had SUGAR!!!
• Do not use balsamic vinegar unless you KNOW that it is absolutely void of all sugar
• Do not mix your veggies. That means, if you are going to eat lettuce- just eat the lettuce, don't add radishes or other veggies. That is considered mixing.
• I have found that sugar free jello does not affect me
• Weldon Farms products caused me to either stall or gain... probably due to sugar derivatives
• Be careful experimenting, read your food labels- sugar is hidden EVERYWHERE
• weigh your fruits. Apples are high in sugar, make sure you are eating 3.5 oz - to much more might hinder results
• Don't go under your 500 calories. I found that really hindered my weight loss, and mine was by accident! Watch your calorie intake food log closely!

Last night while my family was eating, my son Brady said "Hey mom, looks like your booty is getting a lot smaller... that means you'll take up a lot less room on the couch!" I think Dan almost spit out his food. Don't you just love the candor of little people! I thanked him for noticing!

another one bites the dust....

Well, Erythritol - also another form of sugar alcohol - is in the Sobee LifeWaters I've been drinking! AHHHHHHHHHH!

OMG. I COULD KICK MYSELF.

I just read the ingredient label on my sublingual B12 drops, and guess what I find? FRUCTOSE AND SORBITOL aka SUGAR. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH. When am I ever going to get this right??? I cannot believe it, sugar is EVERYWHERE disguised as all sorts of interesting names, that all mean the same thing... SUGAR HINDERS WEIGHT LOSS ON HCG. Be careful folks, read your labels before you put anything in your mouth!

Day 16... YAY! IT WORKED!

Down a pound today! I think that cutting out the Crystal Light and gum did the trick!! Will try the same thing again today, and see if tomorrow I lose another whopping 1lb over night again. And as for Fitday.com- I'm no longer considered "overweight" my BMI is at a normal level! WAHOOOOOO! YAY ME!

Ok, finished with today...

Well, I have to say I stuck to protocol today. PRAYING that the scale will move tomorrow! Here is my fitday log of food:

Breakfast: coffee
Mid Moring: 3.5oz grapefruit
Lunch: 4.0 oz Chicken, Melba & 3 oz tomato with cilantro & garlic
Dinner: 4.0 oz Steak, 3 oz Cucumber, 3 oz Apple
1/2 c. sugar free Jello

3 liters of water, one sobee lifewater

Total of calories: 518

Why did I up my meat portions? Because I cannot ever seem to reach the 500 calorie mark, so I'd rather be a tad bit over, than under and stall because I didn't eat enough. So, what did I cut out today? Crystal Light and gum. We will see what happens with the scale tomorrow. Wondering if stress might be a factor. I tend to stress out about stuff, even when there is nothing to stress out about :) If scale doesn't move tomorrow, I will cut out melba- and see what happens. I have to figure out what my body is not liking!

2 weeks down... and a bummer morning.

Ok. I don't get it. I had a good day yesterday, drank over 3 liters of water... was pretty much in the bathroom ALL DAY thanks to the smooth move tea I drank the day before, and I am up by 8 ounces today. Why me???? Could it be my salsa? My mustard dressing? Could it be the Crystal Light? Am I retaining water? I am boggled by this. I did however decide to take my measurements... take a look. At least I'm down a bit in a week.

Start Week 1 Week 2
Chest 39.75" 36.5" 36" down 3.75"
Waist 32.25" 29.5" same down 2.75"
Hips 38" 37" same down 1"
Thighs 42.75" 41" 40.75" down 2"
R Arm 12.5" same same same
L Arm 12" same same same
Weight 146 140 136 down 10 lbs

just a quick note...

I LOVE MY SALSA CHICKEN!! I didn't want lunch to end today!!!! I felt like I was eating REAL food again - YUMMY!!!

Salsa:
1 Roma Tomoto (3.5 oz)
2 Tsp. fresh cilantro chopped
1 clove garlic minced
a splash of balsalmic (calorie free/sugar free)
salt to taste

Chicken:
Sea Salt Melba Snacks, ground
3.5 oz raw chicken
coat chicken in melba, and bake as usual :)

Day 14... WAHOOO! 10lb goal!

I'm officially 10 pounds lighter today than when I started 2 weeks ago. Not necessarily a pound a day like I wanted- however with my chicken debacle, I can understand why and am back on track. GOTTA MAKE SURE YOU EAT ENOUGH CALORIES FOLKS!

Today I get to eat my melba salsa chicken for lunch :) Sure hope it tastes as good as it looks!! I am also tracking the exact amount of water I drink today. I'm aiming for 3 liters...

Day 13...

Down 14 oz. today! I was really worried because I was so low on my calorie intake yesterday I ended up eating another meat portion at 8pm to make up for some of the calories. I wasn't sure what would happen with that!

Today I got REALLY creative with my food prep for this week. I measured my apple portions to 3.5 oz, sprinkled them with a stevia and cinnamon mixture and then baked them at 375 for 20 minutes. YUM. Another idea given to me by Amy, was to crush up the melba toast and coat your chicken in it- then bake. I cannot wait to eat my chicken for lunch! I chopped up my tomato portions, with a little cilantro, lemon juice and salt and voila - salsa crispy chicken for me!!!

I have come to realize that doing this diet over the weekend is hard. On the go- have to drink SO much water, not a lot of opportunities for the 3 THOUSAND potty breaks I have to take and inconvenient times of eating my funky meals! Today I decided to make banana bread with Brady. OMG it smelled SO GOOD! Everyone else enjoyed it, and I got the enjoyment of watching them eat :)

Day 12... and a major revelation.

I'm down 2 measly ounces today. And I know why now :( My friend Ali- my HCG HERO- checked out my fitday.com food log to see what could be causing my issues and found that the program is calculating the calories of my chicken portions incorrectly. It figured 189 calories for 3.5 oz. of raw chicken when in fact, it is only 110 calories. So, everyday that chicken was one of my meals, my calorie count for the day was just barely over 400. Good way to send my body into starvation mode, preventing weight loss... I cannot believe that I was surviving on 400 calories a day. Anyway- hopefully this will help and I will see the scale start moving again. I'm 30 calories short again today due to the chicken issue, so we'll see what tomorrow brings.

ON A GOOD NOTE- last night was the fire department Halloween Party. I dressed up as an old lady, and Dan dressed as an old man- I will post a picture here shortly. Although I was the only female there NOT showing an ounce of skin, I WON THE COSTUME CONTEST!!! YAY ME! Guess what I won? $25 in dutch bros. bucks. NOT YAY ME. Oh well, I guess I will have a lot of money to go spend on plain black coffee :)




You would not believe the amount of food available at this party. All of my favorite candies... and I couldn't have any of it. The final straw was when I sat down at the bunko table next to a little canister of gumdrops. I about cried. But, knowing that I had to get up the next morning and weigh myself, I toughed it out. I ate a total of 3 cucumber slices and a can of diet soda the whole night and I am SO very proud of myself! Trick Or Treating was quite easy tonight too. The boys came home, and Kasey kindly showed me a small bag of Swedish Fish that he received, and said "Hey look mom, your most favorite candy ever!" I politely thanked him for reminding me. I just went into the cupboard to get my tea supplies, and there was the tiny bag of Swedish Fish in the location where I keep all of "my" things. I asked him what he left them there for and he said "so you can eat them when you are done dieting!" Isn't that sweet??? Well, kind of anyway? He meant well. He tells me all the time that I don't need to be on a diet, and that makes me feel happy :)

Well, wish me luck - hoping the digital scale Gods will be kind to me in the morning! After all I even cut out Melba Toast today!

WAHOO FOR JACKI!!

She started the VLCD (very low calorie diet) on Saturday and is ONE OUNCE SHY of losing 10lbs in 6 days! WAY TO GO JACKI :) Now I have to talk her in to letting me post before and after pictures, and her measurements.... also, a shout out to Nicole, who is starting her first day of loading today! Good luck Nicole! It is SO MUCH FUN to have friends to go through this with!

Day 11... down 14oz

Well, at least it was a drop... I think I'm becoming OCD over this whole thing! In my mind, there is no reason why I should NOT be losing 1lb per day right? Unfortunately my body isn't agreeing with me. I think that when I finally hit the 10lb mark I will be happy. But then again, once I hit that mark I will start obsessing about the next point I want to reach which will be the 15lb mark.

I need to remind myself, that if I were doing this on my own- I probably would have lost about a pound of real weight int he 11 days I've been doing this. So, I should be very happy with my results so far!

Day 10... and up 5 oz.

Oh the joy... up 5oz since yesterday. Total loss so far 8lbs. I WANT TO HIT THE 10lb mark dangit!!!! I think I found the culprit after reading some posts on an HCG forum - I used Walden Farms dressing on my dinner last night, which has sucrolose in it. SUGAR. Booh. Not sure if this is the reason- but I find that everytime I try to be sneaky and add something to the original protocol, I end up going up instead of down. SO... As you are my witness, I'm sticking to the protocol - no additions, no subtractions!!! So far today, my menu is as follows:

Coffee for breakfast
Medium Size Orange
1C. Lettuce
3.5 oz. Steak
3 Melba Toast
1 tsp. mustard (which I found might not be a good idea unless you prepare it yourself)
3.5 oz. Shrimp
3.5 oz. Tomato
3.5 oz. Strawberries
2 + liters of water
Total of 496 calories

So, I hope with being as stringent as possible today- I will see the scale go down in the morning :o) Tune in tomorrow to find out!

Day 9... down almost 8 lbs!

Can I round up :) Lost 1 lb 10 oz since yesterday. AND I think I found the culprit of how I went UP 5 oz yesterday. I was miscalculating calories - and was coming in UNDER the 500 mark! (that and needed some smooth move :) tea) I think it is imperative that instead of just eyeballing your fruit portions, weigh them instead. 3.5oz of grapefruit, and 1/2 grapefruit (2 oz) is quite a big difference when you are counting calories. Same goes for apple portions!

I have been tracking all of my food intake at fitday.com - even if you aren't on a "diet" this is a really cool site that helps you keep track of what goes in your mouth. It's amazing at how fast calories add up!

One Week Anniversary!

Well... the good news and the bad. Weighed myself this morning and was up the 5 oz. I lost yesterday. I could have cried! In a panic, I decided to wait until husband and children left the premises, and measure myself. Here is what I found:

Chest: 36.5" - down 2.75"
Waist: 29" - down 3.25"
Hips: 37" - down 1"
Thighs: 41" - down 1.75"

So, I guess that is why it's called "POUNDS & INCHES" - because I cannot believe that happened in just one week!!! This and the jeans I wore yesterday I can now pull down with out unbottoning/unzipping them. I'm down 6lbs in 7 days - I do believe I am retaining water among other things- tried to take the smooth move tea last night before bed to no avail so I think that is another reason why the scale went UP instead of down. Also, I think that the soda and the sparkling water contains too much sodium, so I'm going to cut that out- and see what happens tomorrow. The only other thing that I added over the last two days was jello. Hence that will be eliminated from today's menu as well. What a balancing act this has been! It's amazing that so many things can affect forward progress!

Day 7... oooops.

Why oops? Well, down only .5 lbs from yesterday. I went through my food journal, and found that I was under 500 calories by just a tad... AND the roasted garlic melba toast that I bought has 1 gram of fat and 1 gram of sugar. SO, I bought he plain melba toast (boo hoo), and tried that today- and will MAKE SURE that my calories are right at 500 or slightly above. Also, I think I walked a mile yesterday between the 2 football games so I probably got more exercise than I should have :)

I also purchased Weldon Farms Blue Cheese and Caesar dressing today- excited to try it out tonight with my plain lettuce!

Tomorrow is my 1 week anniversary! PRAYING for a big drop- I'd love to reach the 7 lb mark and I'm so close!!!

Day 6 - whoopieee!

Down another 1.5 lbs today! Feeling great too - this is so exciting!

Day 5.. woo hooooo! The scale MOOOOOVED!

1.7 lbs down from yesterday!!! I've lost over 5lbs in 5 days!!! I'm so excited :) Not bad for 5 days work! Just had a nice steak salad lunch, trying to determine if I want to purchase some of the Weldon Farms condiments that are fat free, gluton free, sugar free, sugar free... wonder what's in them then????? Kinda makes you wonder doesn't it? Anyway, my sister used it through out her diet and had NO problems, so I might give it a try for a few days to see if it affects my results. I'd sure like some salad dressing - dijon mustard just ain't cuttin' it.

I am AMAZED at how I feel. In the past when I've tried to eliminate sugar completely from my diet, I ended up completely miserable. Headaches, shakes - just felt crappy. I have not felt that way at ALL. I was highly addicted to sugar- especially with the Costco tub of Licorice sitting right next to my desk. Maybe it's because I can still have coffee? I think if I were to have to cut out caffeine I'd have to find a convenient bus to throw myself in front of!!!!

A huge shout out to JACKI who started the 500 calorie portion of the diet today... Amy, a gal I work with started this on the same day I did and is down over 8 lbs today!!! Ali, aka skinny Minny now- is down to a SIZE TWO and just concluded her HCG program. 35lbs lighter!!! WAY TO GO! Angie, my big sis - is finishing up her last week and is down over 30 lbs as well. This thing works guys, it's amazing.

I found this awesome blog the other day... look at all the before and after shots, and I love how she writes too :) What I love most, is that she has KEPT it off - never have I been on a diet this strict and actually kept weight off after I went back to eating normal. I will have to monitor Ali and see how she does now that she is in Phase III of the diet. I think she went off on Thursday- and still lost weight as of today.

http://hcgskinnytime.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html

Day 4... my first stumbling block day

I hopped out of bed WITHOUT pressing the snooze button this morning... headed for the bathroom to strip down so I could weigh myself, and was disappointed to see a loss of only ONE OUNCE. Ugh. I've been bummed all day long!

So what could the culprit be... not enough water, the need of Smooth Move, not enough calories or too many???? Today I'm upping my water intake, will not be eating my fruit in the morning but with lunch - and will not have any diet soda. We shall see what tomorrow brings...

Day 3 - It's Getting Easier Everyday!

Ok, woke up this morning... let me tell you it's easier to get up because I'm excited to see what the scale will say :) and I'm down another 2 lbs! Still struggling with drinking all the water/liquids each day but found that just a tad bit of spicey dijon mustard sure spices up plain lettuce salad. I've also been dipping my meat into it too- takes some of the blandness out of it. I also finally found Melba toast! What a difference, I feel like I'm actually eating BREAD! Ok, I can dream can't I?

I noticed since I started this diet- how much people eat without even realizing it. Kasey woke up with an upset stomach the other morning, so I told him I'd get him some saltines to see if it helps. I cracked open the box, opened the sleeve and immediately went to load one of the bad boys in my mouth. I actually shrieked out loud! AHHHH! I almost ruined it on the first low calorie day!!! Yesterday, I made a nice dinner for the boys (all 3) and was transferring the white rice to a storage container and caught myself trying to shove the rice spoon in my mouth to clean it off. Geesh. About had another heart attack there!

I'm excited to see what tomorrow brings. Down 4 pounds in two days is making me a very happy girl!

Day 2... WAHOOO!

I woke up this morning, stripped down and weighed my self... I am down 2 lbs since yesterday!!!! Now I know if I were to tell my husband that, he'd say- "that's just water weight" BUT I DON'T CARE, I'm 2 pounds lighter! I will check back in later this evening, hopefully no headaches will crop up today however drinking a diet coke with my dinner and popping 2 Excedrin seemed to help immensely!

Day 1... first 500 calorie day

Well, today wasn't as difficult as I expected. The hard part for me will be to drink enough water. I don't know if my headache today is from a prolonged lack of sleep, (Brady was up all night again last night) lack of sugar, or lowered caloric intake. Probably a combination of all. Took some Excedrin and it seems to be better. Tomorrow I will weigh myself, and hopefully see a drop in pounds!

more fat loading.

I am NOT HUNGRY. I have been home with two sick kids, getting no sleep- all my plans of eating everything in sight, well - it ain't happening. Tomorrow is D- Day... 500 calories only, can I do it????? So far, the hardest thing for me is keeping 10 drops of hormone under my tongue for 10 minutes!!! That and I don't suggest taking your sublingual B12 drops while you are driving to work, my favorite blue hoodie now has vitamin spatters on it and I doubt they will come out in the wash.

So long Dutch Brothers... So long cheese.... So long bread...

2 days of Fat Loading, yes- you read it correctly... FAT LOADING :)

GOAL WEIGHT is 115 lbs
Age: 36 years old today
Height: 5' 2"
Weight: 146 lbs
Measurements:
Rt Arm: 12.5"
Lft Arm: 12"
Chest: 39 1/4"
Waist: 32 1/4"
Hips: 38"
Thighs: 42 3/4" (ouch, can you say thunder thighs)
Rt Leg: 24 3/4"
Lft Leg: 24 1/2"

The first day, phase 1 - is referred to as "fat loading" day. You begin taking your HCG drops, 3x per day, and eat as much as you'd like preferably high fat foods. Unfortunately I was up all night with a sick child, and my plans to go grocery shopping today and hit every fast food restaurant I could find naturally fell through. By noon, I'd eaten half a bagel with cream cheese with olive bruschetta spread.

However, things picked up this afternoon when I was able to emerge out of the cave that is now my house... Mc Donald's here I come! Quarter Pounder with cheese and french fries and a real Coke that isn't diet. Somehow, purchasing the number two meal and a "Diet" drink just seemed silly to me!!! Do I typically eat like this- no. I look at french fries and expand without ingesting a single bite so I try to be very careful to maintain my pudgy self. Have I always been overweight? No... When I was married, I wore a size 2. After the birth of my second child, by his first birthday I was down to a size 4. Was this easy and natural- not at all, I darn near had to kill myself to get back down to that size. By my 30th birthday I had a hysterectomy with a horribly bad recovery which kept me away from exercise for 3-4 months - and my body went down hill from there. Can I blame my surgery? No- I'd had 2 C-Sections and bounced back without a problem. I just got lazy, and after being away from my normal exercise routine for so long, it was much harder for me to go back. Hence my decision to do this diet. I need a quick easy fix and I'm praying this is it.

Ok. Here I am in my husbands long johns... oh this is so pitiful!

What is the HCG Diet?

Who would have thought you could find a diet where for the first 2 days you eat whatever you want, preferably foods with a high fat content? Well... Dr. Simeon of course - bless his heart! How did I hear about this diet and what is it? I first found out about this from my cousin - she and her mother were experiencing a HUGE success on a diet that sounded to good to be true. My sister then decided to try it, and then a close friend. Now after a lot of research, and MUCH envy watching the success of my closest relatives and friends, I decided to take the plunge.

I will not try to explain this diet- it won't make sense, my advice to you is to google Dr. Simeon's "Pounds & Inches" and read it IN FULL. Then, make the decision... do you want to lose 25 - 30lbs in 30 days? Is this for real? Well, stay tuned. I'm starting day ONE today... and I will be checking in every day reporting my successes, and failures. I am even going to post a before picture, yes- a BEFORE picture so be prepared to shield your eyes!!!

Why I'm subjecting myself to this...

What would be more motivating to loose weight than seeing a picture of yourself online at your most heaviest? I am 36 years old today... and today I start the rest of my life - as a much thinner and healthier ME. I started the HCG protocol diet today, and this blog will chronicle my daily weight loss, my ups and downs, my successes and failures too. Wish me luck!