VLCD Day 34: on my way to V Day!

.7 lost yesterday, after eating chicken for both lunch and dinner, and drinking less water than normal.  For the last few days, I've felt weird trying to force down .75liters x 4, especially as I usally end up waiting til right before bedtime, so yesterday I just drank what felt right, and hoped that it wouldnt make a difference on the scale.  Glad I went with my gut.  Current weight is 166.7. 

Today I decided to try the P2 chili recipe that HCG Diet Supplies included with my supply shipment.  It sounded delicious with lots of spices: chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, as well as cabbage, chicken and chicken broth (no sugar).  Turns out it was 10x too spicy for me.  I tried to dilute it with water, add some cinnamon, some basil and thyme, nothing helped.  I gave up and tried to guess how many gms of chicken I had and then heated up some leftover Ted's Bison Steak, and had some celery sticks.  I hope that the mixing veggies doesn't come to bite me tomorrow.  I really want to see the lower 160's before I start doing SL dosing.  Im also going to try the chili later again tonight, this time with beef, onion, and the spices that my hubby uses for his chili...thats gotta be better.

Only one more day til my Valentine's dinner with my hubby, and I'm so looking forward to it.  We are trying a new restaurant, and seeing what Im going to assume will be the very cheesy "Valentines Day" movie that came out today.  And I might just have a glass of wine with dinner instead of my fruit...I had read on Happily Thinner After that some people do that without issue...so I would just then need to bump up my water intake to make sure I don't get too dehydrated.  That would be awesome...one glass is all I would need.

Been reading a really funny blog titled the Month of Zen...and wishing that I was that witty in my posts.  She hasn't posted in almost a year, though, so Im assuming she's been at goal and that's that.  I emailed her on the Happily Thinner site to see if she might be interested in contributing to the HCG Success Stories book, and hope she replies!  I need a little sarcasm and light hearted banter in my book...

And Comcast finally came back to fix their little screw up that shut all the TVs (7 of them, can you believe it?) down for the last 24 hours.  And of course they did it on a Thursday night, when our DCR has trouble keeping up with all the shows we want to watch.

So all in all, Im in good spirits, its friday, and I'm feeling the love.  Here's a little love to all of you out there too...feel free to post your V Day plans (or lack of ) here and share how you are going to show yourself a little love...

Measurements and Reflections

So I was reading my yahoo group for some inspiration and ideas about my little stall (or whatever you want to call it), and I found that it is very normal for someone to stall (for up to two weeks) at a weight they were at previously for a few years...and that is definitely where I am right now.  I have decided as such, to suck it up, keep on trucking, and stick to my plan of 9 more injections and then SL until I either reach immunity or my goal.  I have also decided that I am going to start working out again, at least three times a week, or as desire strikes, for up to 30 minutes a day starting next week.  Nothing crazy, a little spin workout, or walking three miles, or going for a swim (not sure if the chlorine affects this, but I guess Ill see)...and track how that affects my weight.  If I'm going to be in a stall anyway, might as well do something with my body.

I also read this post, and it is wonderful (was not addressed to me, but to another that was discouraged from the group):
Sweetie, your body is losing weight in the best manner possible for IT. Honor its intelligence and wisdom in allowing you the weight reduction in such a way that your health is maintained and you are able to eat normally afterwards without gaining. Comparing myself to others is always a temptation for me, and it always gets me in trouble, so I recommend letting your body do its thing without any judgement from you, blessing it for releasing the extra fat in its own way and its own time, if at all possible.

I'm still losing inches, so that is really important.  In the past week, I've lost 2.85inches...so that is good.  The fat is definitely still moving around, or being released.  I just need to get over my scale number fixation...and try those size 12s again and see how they fit (after wearing them for an hour last week, everything felt like it was closing in...definitely a little too tight once I sat down).

Here are my measurements (click to see them larger):

RD1, VLCD Day 33

Big ole goose egg this morning!  I am SOSOSOSOSOSOSOS frustrated.  And that was even after I did my every three day bathroom visit...so I would have gained if not for that.  I have NO idea why...I added more water yesterday since I am so sick of seeing .2 or .4,  I ate an apple and strawberries, had bison (always eat this instead of beef) and chicken, had different veggies, romaine and tomatoes, all the things that I normally do to lose a little more, and NOTHING! 

Am I ovulating?  Is it not working for me anymore?  Don't think it would be that one, since they say if you reach immunity you start getting really hungry and start looking gaunt...

And what sucks even more is that the family has cabin fever, and we are stuck inside again, and that just makes me long for stress eating.  I actually dreamed about eating chocolate last night.  And there are goodies in the house leftover from our Superbowl party that are calling my name.  I might try to take Connor to the movies today just to get out of the house, but that will be possible only if my youngest's school is open and my husband takes him before heading off to work at 10am.  I'll also make hubby take all those yummy things to work with him for his branch luncheon today.

I really wanted to be able to do this for the long haul, switching to SL for a month or so before going to P3...but is my body going to let me?  I can't take too much longer of being within the same 2 lbs for the last two weeks.  Today is measurement day, and Im exactly 1.7 lbs down since last Thursday.  I used to lose that in 1 day!  I so hope that my measurements show a loss, because otherwise, I'll be really depressed...

I know, this is a journey, its so awesome I've lost 21 lbs, and still, I'm down.  Tomorrow will be better.  Maybe Ill do an apple day just to trick my mind into thinking Im doing something to get myself out of this rut. 

Rd1, VLCD Day 33

Lost .4 last night, so almost back down to the weight I was three days ago before the chili tasting...167.4 is the big number of the day, and I wouldn't be suprised if thats the number of centimeters of snow that we will be getting by days end.  Hubby was already out once with the snowblower and will definitely need to go out at least once more.  Our canopy on the deck collapsed under the weight of all the snow and almost crushed the dining table, but luckily we were able to move it in time.  I'm sad about the canopy though, it was a real nice one, and a replacement is going to cost us close to a $1000.  

At least there's a cute snow alien on the front lawn to make me laugh, courtesy of my oldest and darling hubby.  And my little guy is now tall and crafty enough to have figured out how to open my office door....let the destruction begin :).

Snow days are the best, aren't they?  Here's hoping for another one tomorrow...as well as much BIGGER smaller numbers on the scale.

VLCD Day 32

Down only .2 today...was hoping it would be more since I drank so much water yesterday, and ate only 450 calories...

I can't seem to get this consistant weight loss thing down pat, and its making me very nervous for P3.  I am afraid that I will not be able to stabilize in P3, and will end up 10 lbs heavier than I am now...instead of the 40 lbs lighter I want to be. 

This diet is definitely a commitment...one that is so easy when the weight is falling off, and so hard when its not.  Happy Tuesday, anyway...and enjoy the snow later!

VLCD day 31

Back up to 168 today after sampling hubby's chili ( just the meat, sauce, onions and garlic) yesterday for lunch yesterday. Though I didn't think it was a cheat, I guess I was wrong.

Hopefully tomorrow will be better- have a great night everyone!

VLCD Day 30

Happy Superbowl everybody!

Down .7 yesterday, which brought me past the 20lb mark, finally!, and down 1.1 today.  Current weight is 167.4lbs.  Yay!  Gotta get me 8.4 more lbs down before I stop giving myself injections and switch to SL...that's the hope anyway. 

Though the scale is showing this loss, I feel somewhat bloated, and my belly seems to be a little bigger than it was a few days ago.  Not sure what is causing that, or if it is all in my head? 

Went to dinner at Cafe Allesio in Doylestown for date night with the hubby last night, and had my piece of ribeye steak with romaine and it was delicious...as was the company.  We then went over to a new restaurant called 86 and sat and chatted with locals at the bar while Mark waited for his friends (since he decided to combine date night and MNO).  Looked at the menu and was impressed!...we made a reservation to go there next Saturday for our Valentine's dinner.  I can have my steak and lettuce, and Mark can make me jealous with all of the small plates they offer that sound delicious...maybe that will need to be my first cheat? 

Anyway, enjoy the game.  Ill be watching for all the commercials...I love those commercials...

Still .1 to go

So if you only lose .2 in 3 days, does that mean that you've stalled?  If so, thats where I am.  Still at 169.1.  I really want to keep losing, but my body is holding onto this weight for something...if its like this tomorrow, I might do an apple day. 

Hope you are having a successful day, while I wallow in my stability. :)

Week 4 Measurements

Imagine my surprise this afternoon when I tried on a pair of size 12 jeans that haven't seen daylight in years (since they were stuffed in the back of a 'my hope to be wearing again someday pants' drawer), and they fit!  They are tight, but not so tight they didn't slide right up and I had to lay on the bed to hope and pray they would button; more they are tight where I can feel the button on my belly, and it might leave a mark.  Either way, I'm thrilled!

And for all of you tracking, here are my measurements for this morning...4.5 more inches lost (click it to see it bigger):

A new photographer, please!

Me after losing 20 lbs (don't judge the photographer too harshly, its hard to suck everything in (not!) and hold a camera)-notice any difference from here?

VLCD Day 27

Down .2lbs after second round of weighing this morning.  TMI alert---do not proceed if you do not want to be mildly disgusted---can you believe that my poop this morning weighed 1.1 lbs, and it wasn't even that much! 

I was up .9 for the first weigh in (after my oldest said I bet you gained, Mommy-and darn it, he was right!), but after my time in the bathroom, down 1.1 for a total of 169.1 lbs this morning-only .1lb away from a 20lb loss. 

So yippee, right!, I lost 20 lbs, but I'm also a little disappointed, because I was hoping that it would be more by this time.  How silly am I? 

Its hard to go down so little on a day to day basis (or up, even) when I'm doing everything right with my eating, not exercising, no off protocol recipes or ingredients, drinking at least 100oz of water a day, and so on, especially for little ole miss perfectionist me...but I need to remember the bigger picture.  This is a journey, not a race, and I'm doing this for my life. 

I am learning a new way of living, one where I am not defined (by myself, of course) by my size, one that I am not obsessing about when the next time I can eat is, and how much I can stuff myself with food that doesn't nourish me.  I am learning how to cope with life without stuffing my feelings with food.  I am learning to function normally without all the chemicals that normally pollute my body running through my veins.  I am learning to practice what I preach, do what I know is right for my body, treat myself with respect.  I am loving myself on a basic, vital level. 

I am scared of what lies ahead, of the stresses and bumps in the road that will trip me up.  But I can do this.  I am committed.  I want to live life to the fullest and set a great example for my kids, my family, my friends, my clients.  I can do this.  So I need to be easier on myself.  I need to treat myself with the same kindness and understanding that I do everyone else.  I need to tell myself great things about myself...get myself a valentine, even :)...I do love you, Kelly.  You are wonderful, giving, gracious, and kind.  Just remember that.

But I might ask for a little support from you to remember that when I am hard on myself, ok?  And I'll do the same for you...

I am a wonderful work in progress.  And you are too.  Here's to loving ourselves for who and where we are, not for whom we hope to become.

Two great videos that explain how HCG works

From Trielle Hormone Balance Centers, some basic info about HCG:

Part 1  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_j51qNVk8A&feature=related

Part 2  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diFSL0y144w&feature=related

Where I got my HCG

A number of people have asked me where I got my HCG.  I ordered my HCG through All Day Chemist.  This link will take you to their 10000iu HUCOG bottle, which is good if you will be doing the 40 day or beyond sublingual protocol, and it has a rubber top, instead of a glass ampule, so no cutting yourself on the glass! 

I actaully ordered the 4 bottles of the 5000 IU since I am doing two rounds of the 40 day injections.  If you inject, you do so once a day.  Sublingual dosing is done twice a day, so you need to order double the amount.

It took approximately 3 weeks for me to receive, as it had to clear customs.  Please note that they charge $25 for shipping, so order as many bottles as you think you will need, and try to combine your order with friends to save even more.  All told 4 bottles were $66 and $25 for shipping, so it was $91.  Hope that helps!

I ordered my injection supplies (needles, baceteriostatic water, alcohol wipes, mixing bottle and syringes) from HCG Diet Supplies.  A 43 day supply was $48 including shipping.  The needles are typical insulin needles, so if you have access to them already, it would be cheaper to buy the supplies individually from local sources.

Finally losing again

So my hives are much better, starting to dry up and no longer itch, yahoo!  And I'm down 1.1 pounds this morning, after seeing the same number on the scale for what felt like so long.  I am in the 160's again!!!!!!!  I am 169.3!!!!  I sure hope I keep losing and that the weight loss stalemate has resolved itself.

Fun night out with some of the best women you'll ever meet last night.  Out til 11pm (on a school night!) and then woke up to the phone ringing at 4:45am to let me know that conman had a two hour delay.  Thank goodness Hubby agreed to take him to school so I could get some work done before heading to his school's open house and lunch with the parents (which I will not be eating, just watching).  Which is what I'm off to do now...hope you are having a great, snow filled (or sun filled, rain filled, whatever) day!

Oh, and I sent out the book questionnaires to those that indicated they were interested...On HCG and want to be part of a fabulous book?  Contact me and I'll send you the questionnaire.  Contributors get a copy of the book, and a part of the FAME :)....

No loss this morning

And sitting in an all day training trying not to scratch- ugh!