R2P2D19/35 - She laughs at the days to come!

January 20, 2012

Round 2, Phase 2 (Very Low Calorie Day) 19/35

I gained 0.6 pounds over night.  That brings me to 46.1 pounds off (instead of the lowest, 47 pounds off, that I achieved on Tuesday).  So, I'm on Day 4 of Week 3, and I've lost (drum roll please) a grand total of ... 0.3 pounds (1.3 lost + 1.0 gained).  Remember, we're supposed to lose an average of 0.5 - 1.0 a day during the Very Low Calorie Days of Phase 2 (my average in 4 days is 0.08 pounds a day)? That's okay.  You know why?  Because of prayer (mine and yours for me as I face this long, arduous road).

Again, Abigail W. came to my mental/spiritual aid by encouraging me in an email last night.  She reminded me of part of Proverbs 31 (that she quoted at her wedding) -- (happy belated 16th wedding anniversary on January 4 by the way!) -- "she laughs at the days to come!"  Amen to that.  I am laughing.  Why?  Not because I've had great success (which I feel like I haven't in this round of 15.4 off in 19 days of hard work).  Not because I've lost a ton of inches this round (9 inches off in 3 weeks).  But because, I'm not supposed to look back, or stew as I look ahead (sadly, I do both -- usually the futurizing gets me).  That verse reminds me, "Who cares about what was?  Who cares what will be?  Enjoy today."  And, you know what?  I am.  I'm enjoying the fact that I feel good ... my body doesn't ache.  I'm enjoying not getting winded when I walk or run (yes run) up 2 flights of stairs with laundry.  I'm enjoying that I have a plan today -- an apple day (where I will eat 6 apples) -- to see if my body will kick into remembering I'm trying to lose weight, not stay flat.  I'm enjoying that it's Friday.  I'm enjoying that having an apple day takes all of the guess work out of what I will eat.  I know what I will eat -- 6 apples.

If you just tuned into this blog, you might be wondering what an apple day is.  Well, it's the only kick-start that can be applied in Phase 2 that was approved by Dr. Simeons in the 1950s when he developed this protocol.  It's for people who have had at least 4 days of stall.  A good way to see if you are in a stall is if the scale isn't moving, or it goes up and down within the same weight over 4 days in a row (or more).  I'm at 4 days now.  But, it's also this ... on this protocol our bodies may get to a weight where it feels like it should stay.  This isn't your ending weight (it's laughable to me that my body would think it's there, when I'm a good 100 pounds at most above where I should be!).  It's a weight that your body hovered at for a while before gaining a bunch of weight.  HELLO!?!?!?!  That's riiiiiiiiiiiiiight here.  This is the weight that I hovered at or around in 2001 (and before) and 2003-2004, then I gained a BUNCH (hello 47 pounds worth of gain).  So, I am convinced that my body thinks it should be here.

In that case, Dr. Simeons suggested eating up to 6 apples (and just that) in 1 day and, if I'm thirsty, drink water.  The next day, there SHOULD be a loss.  Of course, that loss only happens if a person truly was stalled.  So, we'll see.  But, you know what?  I'm not anxious.  I'm happy I'm trying it (to rule it out), and, if the scale stays the same or goes up, I'll try something else.  I've been reading in forums that a lot of people (in various Rounds) are having stalls or gains, and some of the forum owners have been stating that seriously cold weather (hello, single digits) can cause water retention ... and it's true, I've been drinking like a fish and not exactly noticing an increase in pit stops (TMI, Julia, TMI!).  Other than that, I'm not exactly sure what I can do different after that, but, in all probability, I won't do anything different.  I'll just stick with the protocol.  Why?  Because, I "laugh at the days to come."  Yes, I want to lose a bunch.  Yes, I want all of this effort to be worth something.  But, little by little, even if it takes me 3 years and countless amounts of effort, I'm going to plug ahead.  Rome wasn't built in a day.  I didn't gain all of this weight in a day.  So, I'm just going to forge ahead.

See you tomorrow -- regardless of what the scale says -- laughing at the days to come.  Even if I don't feel like it ... I will laugh, because soon, my heart will follow suit and be lightened.