September 28, 2012
Round 4 (R4), Phase 4 (P4 = eating what I want in moderation after stabilized in P3), Day 14 of 27
Holy buckets, Batman! Has it been almost a month since I wrote last? This past month has been a whirlwind. For those of you who have checked out here, you probably noticed my weight going between 84 pounds off (my lowest low, or my Last Dosage Weight, LDW) from August 23 and my Round 4 not stabilized "high" of 77 pounds off on my weigh-in last Saturday. It's been a see-saw between those 7 pounds in a month, let me tell you. Today, I am at 82 pounds off, so I'm within the LDW window, which is good. It's been a wild ride. And, I'll tell you why.
No excuses.
That's right. I'm not making excuses. I've made mistakes, and I've made planned blips. There's a big difference between the two. Yep, the word PLANNED. Here's my first mistake in stabilizing (and, just for the record, I am NOT stabilized, which means 21 days straight of staying in that 2 pound window above, or 2 pound window below LDW -- the last day I took HCG drops what I weighed in at. Yes, I ended that sentence in a preposition). I thought since I loaded for 2 days (48 hours), I only needed to come off of drops for 48 hours. NOPE. It's still 72. So, basically, I was eating proteins and good fats (P3 foods) on Saturday, August 25, when I should have waited until Sunday, August 26. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but it is. Why? Because a MAJOR part of this weight-loss program, when you are on the drops (which is about 1/4 of the time you are doing this) is, DO NOT STRAY FROM THE MENU. You can't even use most lotions and makeup and products, because they have animal products (which, while you're on HCG drops, is absorbed by the body as calories) in them (just Baby lotion, which only has mineral oil in it). I don't color my hair, wear lip gloss, get a pedicure, use lotion, etc. I did paint my nails a lot this time, which shouldn't be a problem, but I found out after the fact that all fingernail polish remover has Aloe in it, which, is absorbed as calories just like animal products while you're taking HCG drops. So, I guess I'll be fingernail polish free during the middle to end of October when I'm doing Round 5.
Anyway, I didn't "end well" in P2 (mistake). And, I went up about 2.5 pounds over night.
Now, for the planned blips. There have been several days where I knew I was going to be eating "off plan" -- eating at a Mexican restaurant for a friend's daughter's birthday. Going out for a Chinese food lunch with a friend from work. Eating movie theater popcorn (the bane of my resistance!). These goodies, I planned for, and I knew I would go up the next day. And, I was okay with it. Not the kind of okay where I eat gangbusters everything in sight because I did (or would) blow it that day. Nope. I ate well the other part of those days. I went up, and had to fight the good fight back. And, I didn't get discouraged.
So, that's it. I had a hard time stabilizing, because, frankly, I think I threw my body into shock with that coming off of drops miscalculation. And, it was an uphill battle from there. But, I did not come down on myself for it, or sabotage myself by eating bunches of comfort food. I know that sounds weird to you skinny people, but for those of us who have turned to food for comfort for so many years, the #1 way to comfort oneself for overeating is (you guessed it), overeating. And, I didn't. I fought back, prayed about my attitude and to have joy. And I have.
That's about it from my HCG journey in September. Even as I write that, I can't believe this month is almost over. I've almost been following HCG for a year (October 17 marks the 1 year anniversary of me starting the drops ... 82.1 pounds later as of today). I've almost rounded (haha -- pun not intended, but I'm leaving it, since this whole year has been about "Rounds" of HCG) out my 40th year on the planet losing part of my body. And loving it!
PS. Work is going okay. It's unbelievably busy, but God is working a miracle in me and sustaining me with joy in this time. Romans 12:12 is really playing out. "Rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction, be constant in prayer."
