R2P2D4/35 - New Territory!

January 5, 2012

Phase 2, Day 4/35

Happy birthday to my honorary niece, Julia Catherine, who is 9 years old today! 

When she was born, I couldn't believe they named her Julia and hoped (among many other things) that she'd grow up to be completely opposite of me (weight-wise).  Of course, she has (she's a graceful willow)!  She a dear, sweet, kind-hearted girl who loves Jesus and who, I am privileged, calls me Aunt Julia. 

When she entered the world 9 years ago at a whopping 5 pounds, 10 ounces, and I held her and looked at her rosy little cheeks and tiny peanut nose, I weighed more than I do right now.  That's amazing to me.  I've never been a, "I weigh less this year than last year" kind of girl.  Now, I am, thank you very much God and HCG!

Today, I got on the scale and I had dropped 1.6 pounds (making my Round 2 Phase 2 grand total to 7.6 in 4 days), so I have officially entered new "territory" -- meaning, I've lost 37.9 pounds bringing my total weight (which I'm not ready to share yet, but I will someday probably in Round 3) to less than I've weighed in almost a decade.  Awesome. 

So, in honor of Dolly (that's what I call her since she used to call herself that when she couldn't say Julia), I am going to attempt to post my first picture on this blog.  It's a picture of Julia and her Aunt Julia taken by our friend Denise on New Year's Eve day 2011. 

See you tomorrow, everyone!  Hopefully, I'll be at my 2001 WW start weight by Friday (or Saturday) and then, it's 100% new territory from there!

R2P2D3/35 - New Round, new Year and new Me!

January 4, 2012

Round 2, Phase 2, Day 3 of 35

It's a new Round, a new year, and a new me.  Here are this Round's mini-goals:

1. New decade --> DONE 01/14/2012
2. Lowest weight in 8 years --> DONE 01/04/2012
3. 1/4 of my most aggressive weight-loss goal (39 pounds off)
4. 40 pounds off
5. 2001/2003 WW starting weight (42 pounds off)
6. 45 pounds off
7. New decade #2
8. 50 pounds off
9. 55 pounds off
10. New decade #3
11. 60 pounds off

I may not be able to achieve all of this, since I've heard from many that Round 2 is the most difficult -- our bodies start to adjust, so they lose a little less each day than in Round 1 AND, we might get lazy and push the envelope in what to eat.  I'm determined not to do the later, but I can't really control the former.  I will do cleanse baths and Cali kickers in this round though, so maybe that'll help keep me away from stalling.  But, at this point, I'm just happy with any weight-loss or no weight-gain.  I can't wait to see myself after this round, and the next.  I'll CERTAINLY be in new territory for my body in Round 3 when I should end up weighing less than I have in over a decade!  Round 4 will see me (Lord willing) to less than I weighed during my 1993-1994 bar days (which, if you know me at all, will be the only thing you know I miss about those days ... that my body was smaller!).  If I do a Round 5, it will be the lowest I can ever remember myself being as an adult (the low-side of the healthy range for my height).  If I don't do a 5th Round, I'm okay with that, as long as I'm about 5 pounds less than my bar-weight (as I call it).

Anyway, back to today.  This morning's weigh-in brought me back to my lowest weight (pre-load), which was a loss of 1.8 pounds (total of 6 even), erasing all of my loading weight.  I am back to what I was on my "rogue" day on December 29 when I dropped down into a new decade (mini-milestone!), hit 36.3 pounds off (mini-milestone of 35+ pounds off).  I just realized, as my brain started playing the, "Well, that was just loading weight, you've already been here" game with me, that, of course, I've already been here.  I have gained weight (lots of it) over the years!  But, this time, the scale is going DOWN (nice change).  And (here's the big part), I just realized (when I wrote the list above), that I haven't actually been this weight since (at best) 2004.  That's 8 years.  WOAH.  Now, that's something to be happy about!  I'm 36 pounds less than I was last year, the year before, the year before, etc., etc., etc. 

Thank you Lord!

R2P2D2/35 - I'm MELTING!

January 3, 2011

Round 2, Phase 2 Day 2/35

Happy JRR Tolkien's 120th birthday, everyone!  Have you sent out your Tolkien cards yet?  Just kidding.

Okay, so, I am TOTALLY excited to be doing this reduction phase again.  It's so fun seeing myself melt on the scale, but in the mirror, my skin isn't sagging.  This morning, I'm happy to announce that my first official weigh-in today showed that my efforts yesterday almost got me back to my pre-loading lowest weight ... meaning, I lost 4.2 pounds for a grand total of 34.5 (not 35 like the little ticker shows there).  I am officially 2 pounds below my LDW on November 16.  Awesome!

Since I bucked the HCG system ("stay within 2 pounds of your LDW") and dropped 3.8 pounds below LDW on December 29 (making me 36.3 pounds less than my October 17 starting weight), I would like to lose another 2 pounds (hopefully by tomorrow), taking me into new weight territory.  (I feel like the Magellan of weight-loss territory.)  I HOPEFULLY will lose that by tomorrow, since the losses in the first week are usually the biggest.

For milestones, I'm 5.5 pounds away from my lowest WW starting weight (from 2001 and 2003), so I'm close to getting into new territory there.  If all goes well with this Round, I might get below my lowest weight in 10 years by May.  That hardly seems possible.  Also, when I was on WW in 2001, the most I lost was about 38 pounds.  I'm almost there (not in the weight that I am, but the weight that I've lost).  So, that little milestone will be nice territory too (when I can encourage myself with the phrase, "I've lost 40 pounds!).

I also checked my blood test results from my work physical on October 4 (remember, I started this on October 17) against my blood test results that my Doc & I decided to do on December 16 -- just to see if I'm better metabolically too.  My cholesterol dropped 39 points, and my triglycerides dropped about the same.  Awesome!

In my measurements, I have lost 2 sizes (roughly), 6.5 inches from my waist, 7.75 from my hips, 5.0 from my rear end and 4.0 from my stomach (among other places).  I'm not going to measure myself again until the end of this P2 round (I think, unless I hit a stall), so I'm hoping and praying to see myself melt even more.

Before I sign off, I thought I'd write down what I ate (the HCG approved diet) yesterday.  For those of you new to this, please go back and read my posts from October where I explain how this ISN'T a starvation diet, because when you see what I have eaten below, you will probably think it is (but it isn't):

Breakfast
1 Tbs of whole milk

Lunch
1 ounce Chocolate Delite
3.5 ounces of grilled, boneless, skinless chicken breast (with rosemary & thyme)
1 tomato
1 grissini breadstick
1/2 cup of sugar free applesauce (Mott's)

Dinner
3.5 ounces of grilled, boneless, skinless chicken breast (with roasted ginger & pepper)
2 small "gourmet" cucumbers
1 grissini breadstick
1 red delicious apple (sliced, with skin)

I also drank 2 cups of hot peppermint tea (about 16 ounces total), plain, and 84 ounces of lemon water.

I plan on having the same thing today (except, the chicken is mixed pepper for lunch and curry for dinner).  So, I'm pretty certain more will come off tomorrow, since I'm following protocol.  But, then again, this is Round 2, and everyone says it's harder on Round 2.  But, I'm encouraged because I'm doing the right thing, regardless of what the scale says.

R2P2D1/35 - And so it begins (again!)

January 2, 2012

Round 2, Phase 2, Day 1 (of 35)

It's a new year and a new (2nd) round of hHCG.  I'm really excited!

I loaded for 3 days and gained a total of 6 pounds (even) from my weigh-in on December 29.  I pigged out at Potterfest Day 1, and by Day 2, while I still loaded, I was already sick of food.  Yesterday, I forced myself to pig out (I ate at McD's for breakfast, Hardees for lunch and pizza for dinner).  But, my heart wasn't into it.  Which, in itself is proof that this is changing me.  If it wasn't for the fact that it's part of the diet to stuff myself for 2 - 3 days at the beginning, I never would have done it.

Also, the interesting thing is, I gained 0 pounds and ounces on my last day of loading.  I guess I'm stable.  I'm looking forward to seeing the scale tomorrow.  I've missed that fun anticipation.  It's my favorite thing about P2.  I'm also looking forward to losing between 20 - 30 pounds this round.  35 days, I'm praying it'll be 30 pounds off.  That'll bring my total to 60 pounds off by February 6.  At that point, I'm going to really notice a difference (I do now at 30 pounds off, but 60 pounds off?  I'll be half way to my goal)!

So, since I'm in P2, I'll probably write in the blog every day.  So, between today and February 6 (when I start P3), come back and see how I'm doing.  Being transparent with you has helped me stay strong in difficult days.  So, thank you!

Let's march into this Leap Year by doing some things we've never done before or put off.  For me, it's going to be, losing 60 (and more) pounds cheerfully.  Thank you Lord for this new year, and for the strength to get healthy in my 40th year of living!

R1P4D19/21 - This thing works!

December 28, 2011

Day 19/21

Wow.  If I ever doubted whether this diet works, my eating pattern in the last week of holiday planning and holidays is enough to tell me a resounding, "IT WORKS!"  Besides having Chinese food 2 times in 3 days last week AND having Christmas Eve and Christmas food (as you all know, its NOT low carb/low cal/diet-centered), I have maintained my weight (I'm still 0.3 BELOW LDW!).  Yesterday, I went to see the new Sherlock Holmes (action packed, fun, and, let's face it ... Jude Law & Robert Downey Jr. together are not hard on the eyes!) ... and, I planned (heck, I think I talked about it here a month ago!) to eat movie theater popcorn and have a Coke Zero.  My first of both since starting this October 17.  And, I did it.  And, I gained a resounding ... NOTHING.  I stayed exactly where I was yesterday, which was exactly where I was the day before, and the day before that.

I won't even go into a laundry list of exactly what I ate between Christmas Eve and last night, but, it was less than it would have been last year, but it definitely wasn't low carb.  So, like the people on miracleskinnydrops talk about, if you follow the program exactly in P2 and P3 (so you end stabilized), you CAN have carb meals in P4 and not gain.  THIS is why this will be a lifestyle for me.  Not maybe.  Not I hope.  But, it WILL be a lifelong lifestyle once I get to my goal weight!

If I don't write again, have a wonderful New Year's Eve (be safe) and I'll see you in the new year.  I'm gearing up to start again (the low calorie stuff) on January 2, and this time, I'm going to load for 3 days (I see either 2 or 3, and since Potterfest is starting on December 30, I'm going to load December 30 - January 1).  Here's to seeing that counter (over there -->) move into the 40s, then the 50s and maybe even into the 60s in Round 2!!!

R1P4D15/21 - Mind over Matter matters!

December 23, 2011

Day 15/21

I "had" to have Chinese again yesterday afternoon.  The final work Christmas lunch.  Whew!  Glad that is done.  I only gained 1.4 pounds (making me at 34.6 off), and that still makes me 2.1 pounds below LDW.  I'm happy about that.  Happy about gaining weight?  No, happy that, two out of three days of eating a lousy meal, I STILL am under LDW.  That means I'm stabilized.  Whew!  That means I can do this for my life, without sacrificing during holidays, other special events.  Good.

I am determined that I'm going to start loading (next Friday) 2 pounds below (at least) LDW.  And, I'll be eating ham, green bean casserole and cheesy potatoes for Christmas (with Mom) and chili rellenos (among other things) with Mom and my honorary sister & family on Christmas Eve. 

I pretty much think this is baptism by fire ... P4 during the major holiday season.  And, I'm going to make it.  It's mind over matter.  And prayer.  Prayer is everything!

R1P4D13/21 - Load-worthy

December 21, 2011

Day 13/21

Today is officially a palindrome date.  12/21.  Same forwards and backwards.  And, it's Hannukkah (if you have to ask, no, I'm not Jewish).  But, I digress.

Last night, Dad called and he and Carol (my step-Mom) wanted to celebrate Christmas early with me because Carol's Dad passed away, so our plans to celebrate on December 27 needed to be moved.  NO prob.  We had planned on them coming to my house for Chinese food (SO close to a loading day, I was going to risk it, so I could get in all of my load-worthy foods).  Well, we decided that last night would work the best for all three of us.  SO, they came to my house, and they both wanted to keep with the Chinese Food dinner.  So, we went to a buffet.  YIKES!  But, I figured I could eat smaller portions of things and, it worked.

Since I was 3 pounds below LDW (technically, we're not supposed to be more than 2 pounds up or down ... I'm SO rogue!), I figured I had some wiggle room before I'd need to do another correction day (5 pounds to be exact).  So, as I ate, I put things on my plate I normally wouldn't have (tilapia) at a buffet, and left things off that I normally would have eaten (General Tso's Chicken, crab rangoon, those little circle fried biscuits with powdered sugar, any dessert).  BUT, I did eat about 9 coconut shrimp (MY FAVORITE), about 5 pieces of sushi (my first rice in over 2 months), those green beans that are soaked in something that I'm sure is bad for me, one stuffed mushroom (usually, I would have had at least 3), buttered mushrooms (I figured those were safe, unless they put sugar in them!), a frog's leg (who knew?).  It was a LOT of food.  AND, my step-Mom made her home-made fudge and chocolate chip cookies and gave them to me in a tin.  I shared those with them, and ate one each.  Again, HUGE splurge.  But, I'm low in weight and I believe pretty stabilized.  SIDE NOTE:  I found out, those of us doing HCG are considered stabilized as long as we stay UNDER the 2-pounds-within-Last-Dosage-Weight.

So, back to the scale.  I had eaten clean all day (except for the crumpet for breakfast), had more than my share of water and have been ready for bed (reading for maybe 30 minutes) and asleep at least 1 hour earlier than normal.  So, I thought I'd be okay.  I got on the scale last night, and was only up 2 pounds from the morning, so I thought that was good.

This morning, I stepped on the scale and ... was up only 1 pound!  I actually yelled, "WOO HOO, thank you GOD!!!!!"  I had hoped I wouldn't need a correction day.  And, I don't.  I am going to eat clean.  But, what this is telling me is, all of the hard work I did (and I didn't cheat once) in P2, and to make sure I stabilized in P3 (no cheating there either, even when I was sick), this is a lifestyle I can keep forever!

This is the first time I've felt that.  I have been wondering if I can always keep carbs out forever, but what I see now is, I can eat some, maybe for one meal every couple of days, and then eat normally (low carb is my new normal), and the weight will stay off!  I never wanted to be a slave to the scale, and yet, I became a slave to all food and my urges.  Now, I don't get tired during the day (I did today for the first time, and realize it's carb-come-down!), I have energy, positivity, and I'm happy.  Go figure.  I can do this for life.

So, I'm eating some rotisserie chicken for lunch, with some steamed cauliflower, an orange pepper, a little wedge of The Laughing Cow French Onion cheese (tastes yummy with the pepper & and a Chobani cherry on the bottom Greek Yogurt for lunch.  That yogurt has a few carbs, and so does the pepper & also the cauli.  But, I should be good.  For dessert, I'm having a chocolate delite (these aren't so delightful this time) and a few macadamia nuts.  That's a LOT of food.  For breakfast, I had 1.5 eggs scrambled.  For dinner, I think I'll have a Parmesan encrusted Tilapia and veggies.  Oh, and a lot of water.  Maybe even a black cup of coffee.

Let's see what tomorrow brings on the scale.  I'm pretty confident it will be good.