TOM is here!

Very early-well, really only 4 days early, but still! That's a lot for me since I'm so regular. I hope this doesn't have too much of effect on the scale tomorrow, but we all know that's a rare occurrence. Oh well...

At least I've found lots of cool blogs to follow that will inspire me to keep going no matter what the scale says. Hopefully they'll like reading me too...

VLCD 18

Down 1.1 lbs this morning, total down 17.4 lbs since 9Jan10, the day I started the VLCD. Funny and wonderful how much can change in less than three weeks. A mini goal of mine to be down 20 lbs by this Friday, so I have 2.6 to lose in three days. While my body will decide if thats possible (especially since my TOM is due Friday and most people either gain or dont lose anything right before or during their TOM), its nice to have small and large goals (42.6 lbs to go) to focus on.

I love how my body is changing. Hopefully you will too, next time you see me. And I wonder what my measuring tape will find this Thursday am (outside of a painfully inept measurer, that is)?

Lots of work to do today. And an idea that I want to bring to fruition: Im going to contact the people I have seen on the forum regarding whether they would like to be interviewed about their HCG successes and tips, and then I will create an ebook out of it. What do you think?

No loss today :(

My Wii failed to record my weight yesterday, so today it indicated a .7 loss this morning. I was excited until I saw the weight, which is at the same number as yesterday. So, no loss today on VLCD Day 17.

I ate less than 500 calories because I had two servings of strawberries instead of an apple and strawberries, so that could have accounted for the lack of movement. Or perhaps the fact that I'm 5 days til my TOM (guess what that is)...probably not. Maybe its just where I am.

Here's hoping for better numbers tomorrow...

Nourishment

This diet is really getting me in touch with myself. I've been drinking lots of hot water- and that just triggers in me a let's relax response- so lovely. When I eat, I pay full attention to my meal- no distractions- and that too is lovely. When I do this, I am aware of the flavors in every bite. And though I eat so little, I enjoy every meal, and have started experimenting with Apple Cider Vinegar and spices.

I also cook EVERY meal now- and I haven't done that in forever even though I know how much better that is for my health and my wallet. I also cook one day and eat for 4 or 5- which is a timesaver, and makes menu planning easy. Though I'm not going to be eating from a normal menu anytime in the next month, the fact that I can do this successfully now will allow me to stick with this as a basis and easily add in (or when I am feeling overwhelmed by all my choices as a grounding point).

I am losing weight, and gaining something so important- my mental and physical health...And lots of good tips and firsthand experience to make me a better health and nutrition coach. Pros-endless; cons- none so far. Win win all the way.

VLCD Day 16

Down .7lbs today. Skipped my Melba toasts (40 calories) yesterday so not sure if that contributed to lower loss or if it's just where my body is at. Current weight 172.7-back to the weight I was right before I got pregnant with both boys. That's nice.

But Im going make it to 130-a number I haven't seen on my scale (unless I put a picture of the number on top of the digital reading, that is) since college, and maybe even high school. Silly, but one of the things I am enjoying with seeing the number go down is hitting those numbers where I had such good experiences, and I revisit them- like this one with my pregnancies and the weight when I did my first Tri. And when I get to 153, my wedding day and honeymoon in Hawaii. And 138- which I got down to from 148 back in 1996 while doing WW and playing on Covance's intermural basketball team - they called me Mauler-a play on my maiden name Naylor (yes, I have heard that joke- and the about Kelly, Kelly, Kelly), and I was the only girl on the team for a long while. That was definitely fun for a nice single girl.

Hubby commented that he notices a difference in my waist and hips (while grabbing a quick feel this morning :). For him to notice is something since I could get my hair colored a different color or something just as extreme and it takes a few days for him to notice (no criticism here- just the facts, mam).

Feeling better but still contagious so staying away from the kids once again. Will probably try to go for a brief walk later if it warms up, and if it doesn't rain. Gotta get out of the house.

Side note: I visited a great low carb recipe blog today (look in blogs I'm following later this week) that will be perfect for P3. Really mouth watering stuff.

Off to cook up my food for the week. Enjoy this last day of the weekend!

VLCD Day 15

Down 1.1lbs today despite the strep throat diagnosis and oregano oil use yesterday. Weight this morning was 173.4-love it!

In bed trying to avoid the kids and Mark. Definitely don't want them catching this. Though from the sounds outside my door, Kieran sure is fussy this morning. He has been throwing crying tantrums is he doesn't get what he wants, so not sure if he is in pain or just not getting his way.

Either way, he is in good hands.

Not hungry but the smells emanating from the kitchen (breakfast sausage, perhaps?) are very tempting. Just gotta wait til P3.

Which will start after immunity or til I get to 130 (43 lbs to go). I'm going to switch to SL after my 28th injection day (I think).

Anyway, have a great weekend!

VLCD Day 14

UGH! My throat is so sore and swollen. Made a doctors appt for 2:30. Had to reschedule my review at work.

My main concern, outside of passing this onto my family, whatever this is, is that I will not be able to swallow all the food and water I need to take in today (and tomorrow, etc). And that will lead to a gain tomorrow :(. I already think there will be a gain since I used some oregano oil on my neck to help with the pain and swelling, and we all know, no oil on the skin for P2.

Weight today:
At 5am, no loss. At 8am, loss of .7 (thanks #2-no, dont tell me TMI-Ive been waiting for that for 4 days!). So currently, 174.5 lbs.

Hopefully Ill feel better tomorrow. For today, lots of hot water and tea, and maybe some chicken blended with water in the Vitamix for a tasty souplike creation? Ugh, again.

On a side note:
UM! I love me some Teavana tea. I have been drinking a blend of their chai and mate teas with a little chocolate stevia (about 6 drops), and boy is it good. I have been using the leaves for more than a week and decided to change them this morning, wow what a difference! Its definitely expensive, but so worth it.

Update: Strep it is. Amoxicillan for the next 7 days. Oh well :(

Time to Measure Again

Its been exactly two weeks since I started taking my injections, and my current weight is 175.2. Lost .9 from yesterday. Here are my measurements (just click the table to show it bigger in a new window):

.

So all told, down another 3 inches or so. That's pretty good, and my belly is definitely flatter. Another cool side effect is that my scars are starting to fade, including the one for my c-sections, my appendectomy, and these weird bug? bite marks I have on my left upper thigh.

This morning my throat is killing me, and my dog was found in the neighbor's yard. I have a lot of work to do, and after I pick up Connor from school, I have to take him to the dentist (he is definitely not looking forward to that, though I told him if he was good there he could play Wii later, a privilege he lost due to back talking yesterday. But all is good, I didn't stall.

And tomorrow is Friday!

Oh, and big news, had take out last night with Mark's parents. 3.5 oz ribeye steak (delicious) on top of romaine hearts with some salt and pepper. It was GREAT! and it didn't cause any gain. That so makes me feel good.

Skip Day 2

So for this skip day, I increased my weight by .2 lbs. Now, granted, that is not much, about 3 oz. But for someone who's been losing consistently, its a little depressing. Its Day 12 of my VLCD, and most who stall don't do so until their last few days of the protocol.

But I am not going to panic. I reviewed my intake yesterday, and while it was under 500 calories, I realized that this might be due to a couple of things:

1) I drank about 2 cups of tea more than I usually do
2) I ate 3 strawberries before bed because I was only at 450 calories for the day (I think this is the one that did it...just because of the amt of food, not the calories)
3) I went for a little walk with Connor last night
4) I had a freshly broiled bison steak that I just cooked, and it might have had a little extra fat due to the juices from the other bison I cooked at the same time
5) I could be ovulating (this is also a good possibility)
6) I had a little extra salt yesterday

Today, I am going to stick with what I normally eat (chicken for lunch and bison for dinner), not count calories, and see what happens. I also took a potassium-magnesium tablet in order to get those bowels a moving and to curb any hunger I might have on this skip day. I'm hoping this supplement will not change the movement on the scale for worse, but if it does, I will know that it was definitely due to that since I will introduce no other new variables into the picture.

After rereading a few pages of the protocol this morning, Simeons is very clear that any changes to the plan will merit changes in weight loss (not talking about the supplement, but my food intake), and this is blaringly apparent to me now. Here's to 176.1 today and 174.5 tomorrow, right?

And also just read that its normal, due to the reduced food intake, to only move the bowels every 3 to 4 days on this diet...so I'm not so worried about that now...wish I read that before I took the supplement.

VLCD Day 11

Down 1.3 lbs for a total of 13.1 lost since my highest loading weight.
Current Weight: 175.9

Still have my cold, and a little hunger, though I'm sure that because I forgot my tea in the kitchen, again! (distracted by work). That always fills me right up.

Anyway, in the last few days, I've been thinking a lot about why I went on this type of diet instead of doing it all natural, the way I've been trained to do it (at school) and the way I know works if you work it, albeit much slower.

The real answer, outside of the ones I give everyone, like I want to use this with my clients but needed to make sure it was safe and works (yes, that is a little bit of it), is that I wanted a quick fix. I wanted something down and dirty that was a little hard, but something that got me results FAST. Something that would jump start my motivation, make me feel and look great, and get my back on my path. And this is definitely doing it. I was also was drawn to the fact that I can't exercise on it, since Ive been plagued by injuries over the last Tri Season, and I didn't want to get depressed about that if it happened again, and most likely, stress eat about it. And most of all, I needed a plan that was very basic, didn't have room for cheating (ie I needed to get all the sugar out), cost me some money and makes me work for it (in the sense that I give myself injections when I hate shots!). Strange, but true. And my losses have been consistent. And I have learned so much about myself as an eater. And all those lessons I've been taught and read about, and NEVER TOOK TO HEART, are coming into play naturally. I really love that.

I researched this diet for 3 months before doing anything, and I felt it was safe enough, and tempting enough to try it. I have found alternatives (since starting the injection) to the injections (SL), and alternatives to even getting the HCG from abroad (homeopathic), and that is cool. That will help when I do my next round, and if any of my clients decide to try it.

And I'll have a rocking hot bod in addition. Where's the harm in that?

VLCD Day 10

Scale showed 177.2 this morning, for another .9 loss. Can't wait to see 160! The Wii Fit congratulated me on going from a BMI that was obese to just one that is overweight. Wow, that's good, as well as depressing.

Yesterday was ok...Kieran and Connor were both feeling better, and Kieran took a 2.5hr nap (which was awesome), though Connor only let me nap through 45 minutes of it. But I took a nice shower, and read a little so that was good. I tried to get Connor involved in giving me a shot earlier in the day, so he might be a little less skittish the next time he has to get one, but he didn't want to look or help. Definitely understand that.

Trying to figure out if I want to switch to SL mid this round. I'm going to have to mix my next HCG batch in about 12 days, and that would be the time to switch. Benefits are no injections, and I can continue longer on protocol before P3 (thus making it possible I might not have to do another round, which is really tempting, since I really don't want to have to do P3 twice). The down side is I might lose weight less quickly (which is a maybe), or I might stop losing at all-who knows? If I mix the formulation for SL, however, there is no going back to SC for this round, since then I would have to use more HCG (and I only have enough for two rounds). What should I do?

Hands are really dry and my skin is cracking from the cold. Have to try to find an oil free body moisturizer now. The Avalon Organics one I have is for face and neck only-I tried it on my body and it made my cracking worse. There are definitely worse things.

In the office today since Mark and the boys are off. Figured I'd give them some male bonding time and escape the binds of my house, which I rarely left all weekend. Not sure if the office is so quiet because of the early hour or because of the holiday, but either way its nice.

Hope you have a wonderful MLK day, and if you can spare any money, consider a donation to the Red Cross for those devasted by the earthquake in Haiti.

VLCD Day 9

.9 off yesterday so 10.9 lbs down. Congested and achy and up very early with the kids. Last day Mark is away so tommorow Ill have some help :).

Have a good Sunday!

In the 170s again

179 to be exact. Lost 1.3 from yesterday. 10 lb loss in 7 days.

But im struggling with all my food and water today since I feel like such crap. Forcing down an apple and drink 24oz of water right now (though I still have another 24oz to go after that), and I missed one of my fruits, but thats going to be it for me today.

Connor only puked once today after his 3 time performance last night, and gratefully, Marks parents came to babysit this afternoon so I could get a nap after Connor kept me up all night with his teeth grinding. It is the first time I let him sleep in my bed in a long time, but since Mark was out, and he felt so bad, I made an exception that cost me lots of sleep and left me feeling pretty down and out this morning (no sleep+my lovely cold+two sick kids=tons of fun).

Off to bed right now, or at least after chugging my water. Hopefully everyone will make it through the night and tomorrow will be a better day. Something to look forward to: my neighbor Kristin invited Connor to a playdate tomorrow and she doesnt care if Connor pukes tonight, he can still come over (as long as nothing comes out tomorrow, that is). Here's to that! Good night!

And Happy Birthday, Mel, sorry I am missing the party!

Todays Update

Nasal sputum everywere, and weight loss holds steady at minus .9 today. Current weight after 7 days of this diet is 180.3 lbs.

Can hardly breathe and really dreading having to be "ON" all the time for the kids this weekend since Mark is away. But no hunger, just fears about what will happen to me in P3, thanks to all of the horror stories on the yahoo group postings talking about gaining it all back on P3 (called not stabilizing).

That is NOT going to happen to me if I have anything to say about it. If I make it down to 160, my calories per day for P3 will need to be 1846 (no starches or sugars, remember), so I need to come up with a plan for eating like I have now. I will keep the meats, the melba toasts, add a little cheese, toss in my olive and coconut oils for cooking, start back on fish oil to lube up those joints and get my brain functioning again. But I think I have to automate the foods I eat then as well. Same thing every day (or close to it) for all mealtimes.

Somehow it will work itself out. But I will definitely document my plan here when I come up with one. Have to get back to work...listings, my favorite. On a brighter note, just got my distance learning IPOD (back to IIN this year for a refresher and get all the latest and greatest). Lots of things to look forward to this year.

VLCD Day 6

Day 6 already...days are going so slow and so fast. Had a good day yesterday. No cravings and no hunger. And that was with going to Whole Foods (my favorite whole paycheck store) and Target (with their new grocery and frozen section), serving my son my favorite granola (bear naked Chocolate-YUM!), and going to book club last night where the host served Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip, Cream Cheese Pizza with Veggies, Scallops with Bacon, and Brownies...in addition to all the wine. Not one bite or one desire to have anything. That by itself is SO amazing. Who would have thunk it?

So today is measurement day. And from this mornings measurements, either fat redistributes elsewhere in this diet, or I just plain suck at measuring myself. Next time I should get Mark to help...

Weight: 181.2 (YAHOOO!). Down 1.3 lbs from yesterday. I tried this new face cream and thought that might wreck the scale, and Im starting to get a bad cold, and thought that might cause bloating, but no, I'm good to go! Lets keep this kind of loss up!
Current Loss (inch)
LF Arm 14.25 .75
Rt Arm 14 1
Lt Thigh 26.2 .3
Rt Thigh 25.75 .25
Waist 34 1.5
Hips 43.75 1.25 (this is where i must have messed up, since I
marked a
ribbon with the measurements and they measured the ribbon
(since my tape only goes to 39), and somehow the
difference on the ribbon is 1.25 but on the measuring
tape its .75. Im going for the bigger number :)
Stomach 36.75 .75
Neck 14 .25
Chest 37.75 .75
Ankle 9 -
Calf 16 Gained 1 (measured myself sitting this time, standing
last time. Did that make the difference, or did I
gain 1 inch)?

Total inches lost: 5.8

Pretty good for one week, especially when two of those days were loading. 5 days of actual VLCD for a total of 7.8 lbs from Highest Loading, 4.3 lbs from before diet, and 5.8 inches. I'm OK with that :).

And the icing on the weight loss cake:
Connor watched me weigh myself on the Wii Fit and saw the result. He came over to me and said Mom, for that you deserve this, and he gave me a high five. He also then hugged and kissed me, said you're doing great, and you're so pretty. That was the BEST! Now how do I get him to act like that all the time?

Have a great day! I'm going to!