Amie's HCG Experience

hCG Overload!! (It's a Good Thing)

2009-09-13T16:37:00.003-04:00

Ohhh my goodness y'all. Let me tell YOU... Ha!

So, we found out about 8 weeks ago that I am pregnant for my second child! (Guess that hCG stuff works after all, huh??) Since I have PCOS, we're wondering if that second round of hCG had anything to do with jump-starting ovulation. (???)

Our wonder-hormone has also seen me to many porcelain-god-hugging sessions of late, which I guess is very good. Pffft. I did manage to lose a few pounds there in the early days, but I've been reassured by my doctor that I did manage to gain it all back and then some. Darnit. Thankfully, I have developed a rather curious aversion to meat, so I'm thinking seriously about just stocking up on fresh fruit, veggies and protein shakes. I think it was that last chicken sandwich I bit into and found a vein.... OMFG I cannot tell you how much control it took not to barf all over the interior of my car. I have excersiiiiized the (meat) demon! Yuck!!

We've pretty much settled on a boy first-name, but can't agree on a girl's name yet. I am taking any and all suggestions, and even if it's what you want to name your next baby - it's not like we live next door! LOL Please help!

That's about it for the latest news. Other than the fact that *none* of my clothes fit me now, since I got rid of most of my "big" clothes and my smaller clothes stopped fitting not long after I got into them. *cough* (oops) I have thus far been pretty unsuccessful at finding maternity clothes that fit at thrift shops. It's all either size small or double-XL. Grrrr! I'm about to say screw it and just get down to Old Navy already.

Gotta get the rest of this house clean. Later!

Round 2 Progress Pics!

2009-04-19T13:48:00.004-04:00

I had my BF take these yesterday, and they turned out a lot better than the first ones... I think we finally got the hang of the whole phone-pic-taking thing. lol Again, sorry for the poor quality of the "before" pics, but even I can see a definite difference! I had to buy new undies 'cuz the old ones just don't fit or look right anymore. :P lol Here they are:

Measurements 02/28/09 ... 04/18/09 (inches)

Chest: 40.5 ... 37.9
Waist: 35.0 ... 31.0
Hips: 39.1 ... 36.1
Thigh: 23.5 ... 22.1
Calf: 14.8 ... 14.2
Bicep: 11.0 ... 10.5

Yes! Yes! YES! I lost over 12 inches this round, a whopping THIRD of which was from my waist! :D :D :D

OK, back to reality. ;) I'm up a couple of pounds today... very likely holding water from the fudge sundae BF brought me yesterday. X( I'm tired of telling him to stop bringing me sweet treats, and I feel like a real meanie telling my daughter she can't stop for ice cream. I don't know if he's trying to make me happy or make me gain weight back because of an insecurity issue or if he truly just doesn't think about it, since he's been lean his whole life. Any way you look at it, it's up to me to say no.

I will try for a steak day today. The egg day didn't happen on Friday, so I think a correction day will work to get me back within range.

Dusty Rose - I really do love the HTA community. They're great people! The site is also undergoing a lot of construction right now, so please don't give up. You do have to post a certain number of times before joining the Boot Camp group... Biz is the Boss over there, so if you want to - she'd be the one to go to with questions. Otherwise, if it's something specific, I'd be happy to help!

P3R2 Day 6: Over LIW but Still Within Range

2009-04-17T09:46:00.002-04:00

LIW +1.6

TOM is finally outta here, so I'm going to try another egg correction day to see if I can lose a couple of omg-I-ate-a-calzone-yesterday pounds. *cough*

I will keep updating here about once a week or so, but my daily check-ins for P3 will be with Biz's Boot Camp over at HTA. Join us over there if you want the daily Amie-Scoop. ;)

Just to give y'all and idea, I've pretty much been living off of egg/ham/cheese omelettes and turkey/cheese/mayo unwiches. (That's a sandwich wrapped in lettuce leaves instead of bread, a'la Jimmy John's)

I've had to do one correction day thus far, with a 2-pound loss registering the next morning. BOOyah! I officially love P3, and it's ONLY because of the awesome guidance and support I get from you all and the wonderful peeps over at HTA. I can't stress enough how important it is to have this kind of support system.

Thanks for stopping by - caio for now!

P3R2 Day... Oops...

2009-04-13T01:17:00.002-04:00

Weight: 144.2
LIW +1.4 lb.

I've been bad... So bad... HELP! D: lol

So aside from the fact that I've been a deviant little sh!t since being off of P2... TOM is here in full force. I got sick yesterday morning and had to pee on a stick just in case. LOL But ol' TOM showed up today, so no worries. I think I just drank too much carbonation before bed. Or something.

I'm not out of the 140's though, which is heartening. I have not been this light for years and years. I think part of me coming off of P2 was like, "OK - here we go! Back up to 150!" Nope. No sir. Considering that it's period time, I actually think I'm doing OK. Lots of water, lots of protein... and get my butt over to Boot Camp!

Yes, Biz - I'm omw! LOL

I haven't had to use the Correction Day book yet, thank goodness... But you can bet I've got it sitting right here, just in case. Speaking of which, Biz has an AWESOME recipe for Roasted "Beer Butt" Chicken in there. It's absolutely delicious!

I will check in more often now - sorry for the hiatus. :) Daughter's back to school in the morn' and it's back to the old routine!

P.S. I'll have BF take the R2P2 After pics once TOM has passed on by. :P Toodeloo!

P2R2 Day 39: The End is Just the Beginning

2009-04-08T09:52:00.007-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 144.6
Today: 142.8 (-1.8!!) LIW R2
Released Since Start of VLCD: 17.6
Total lb. Released with hCG: 37.4 lb.

All good things must come to an end, and what a great Round 2!! I lost almost 20 pounds this round - almost 40 total with hCG. That's about ten weeks' time total, and I have been imperfect in my protocol. Amazing!!

Here is a graph of my R2 progress for all of my beloved data-heads:

My Weight Chart:

And the numbers for both rounds (pounds released - percent of body weight):
P2R1: 22.6 lb. - 12.5%
P2R2: 17.6 lb. - 11%

Wow!! 22.3% of my body weight released in ten weeks' time!!

My last dose was this morning, so I will be P2-eating for today and the next two days (3 days? I'll have to read back thru P&I to make sure... Biz?? Monica?? lol) It feels weird to be done with this round, but I am so looking forward to P3. Meat and cheese! And cheese and cheese! LOL My BF will be relieved that he doesn't have to sneak his snacks around so much anymore.

So I'm already contemplating my next round. I believe that I'm going to do a shortened stint next time, depending on how I feel. I'm also going to up my dose, because I had a pretty rough time with hunger and cravings during R2. The deviations didn't help, though, and one begets the other. R3 should start around the first of May. Then again, I thought I'd be doing another round right after my last one, and here I am 17 months later! :)

I'll be looking into HTA Bootcamp today, and I also got a copy of Biz's P3 Correction Day eBook to help me in case my weight starts to fluctuate. I highly recommend this eBook to anyone going through Protocol - it's chock-full of excellent information, tips & tricks on how to maintain your hard-earned weight during Phase 3 (no sugars/starches) - and best of all, it's CHEAP!

Maintenance can be somewhat of a jungle after the strict P2 diet, and many people feel frustrated and a little lost. If in addition your weight isn't stabilizing the way you'd like... Let's just say it's easy to get a little discouraged. This eBook is a goldmine with specific strategies, recipes and protocol information. 'Nuff said. :)

I'd like to get below LIW just a little for that extra "cushion" just in case. I think that is very possible, given my deviant behavior these past couple of weeks and that enormous drop overnight. Follow-up pics and measurements coming later on! TTYL ~*~

P2R2 Day 38: Nearing the Finish & Already Planning P2R3 ;)

2009-04-07T20:21:00.005-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Today: 144.6
Released Since Start of VLCD: 15.8
Total lb. Released with hCG: 35.6

Well, I am officially almost out of hCG, which means tomorrow will be my LIW for P2R2! Awww... I'm almost sad... :( Not! lol I am so ready for P3 it's not even funny. Okay - I'm a little sad that it's almost over, just because this has been such a learning experience. This has been my first round all on my own, which brought about a whole new set of challenges. I do kinda wish I had a little more time to correct my mistakes and lose a lil more weight... but there will be a next time. P2R3 is slated for May 1st... still in time for bikini season! I should be very close to goal, if not there, by then.

This also gives me time to shed a few extra lb's before the HTA Las Vegas Trip!!

Woohoo! lol If my calculations are correct, I can make the budget work to go. I just have to get on it and buy my plane ticket now. Do any of you HTA'ers reading know if there is an itinerary or hotel selection yet? Lemme know!

So my menu today was pretty basic: 1 hard-boiled + 3 whites and 4 celery stalks, a strawberry/stevia/ice smoothie & one of Biz's famous P2 Smoothies. Lots of water... and like 6 Pringles chips. D: BF brought home 2 canisters of spicy Pringles (one of my fave chips)! I was like, "GET these chips OUT of my sight!" Aaargh! Let's just hope it was early enough in the day that it didn't mess me up too badly. I never made more grissini, so I haven't been eating any bread at all, except off-protocol stuff.

That's about it for today. I've been pretty busy with school and trying to get caught up on my bills. Pffft. :)

Gotta get the little one to bed - later all!

P2R2 Day 37: Sugar, Cheese and a Dental Debacle.

2009-04-06T18:41:00.003-04:00

Welll... I've gained a little the past few days, but I'm still on hCG so I know that my fat is on the move! Not much since the Birthday Party Incident to report, except that I've been nibbling here and there on sugary foods...

So, what IS it with the damn sugar cravings?? Does my body WANT to be overweight? Doesn't it realize how terrible sugar is?? X( I just don't get it. My big issues have been with sugar and cheese.

Cheeeeeese....

God, I want some right now. And chips. I ate some organic, spicy tortilla chips the other night and they were so fricken delicious. I kept eating them until I felt satiated, and then stopped. My lovely BF (skinny, muscular... never, ever has had a weight problem) even brought me a small plateful of them after I was done. It was done out of love, because he wants me to be happy. He knows that when I eat food I like, I'm "happy". (Or at least easier to get along with! LOL) It was really cute and I thanked him, but refused. He took them right away and apologized... I felt a little bad, like I was being mean, but I really really want to get down another few pounds before I call this P2 done.

He keeps telling me that he wouldn't care if I was overweight. I love that he is so unconditional (the great thing is - he wouldn't care either. He wouldn't treat me any differently at all), but I am doing this for me. I want to be thinner and healthier. I want to look good in that bikini and in a pair of butt-hugging jeans... I want men to mumble under their breath about my BF and "how the hell did he score that babe??" LOL Is that bad? I don't care.

I want to be a Hottie again, and the great thing is - I CAN be.

I can also be healthier and make better decisions and thus be a much better rolemodel for my daughter. I want HER to be healthy and happy with her body, too. Her little face is so precious... if she hears me say something about being fat (or not wanting to be - I try very hard not to call myself "fat" around her), she always looks me right in the eye and says, "Mommy, you're not fat." and usually gives me a hug. I just love that little girl to pieces.

OMG - totally off-topic: I took her to the dentist today for the first time in like, two years... oops... because one of her adult front teeth was coming in behind the baby tooth and pushing it outward. (lol - cute, but not good) He is a guy I went to school with, and he's a really good doctor. Cute, great with kids.... good thing I'm taken... LOL But ah... we went there today and they decided to extract the baby tooth. First, they gave her gas. Which... I wasn't aware they were going to do until she got the mask out. He told her he was going to "freeze" her tooth (wtf? "Freezing" is not a nice, comfortable feeling if you ask me!) and take it out. So I thought... OK, a little gas, a little numbsy-gel... no big deal. Then ol' boy pulls out a fricken foot-long silver SYRINGE and starts jamming the needle into her gum. D: D: D: D: D: WTF??? She freaked OUT.

Now, you have to understand my relationship with my daughter. I pull no punches. When something bad is going to happen, I let her know. She went into the hospital once because she was throwing up blood. They had to run an I.V. and the nurses could not get over how good she was about it. I guess normally they have to restrain 5-yr-olds for an I.V. ... ? But I told her what was going to happen and to please be very still, and I held her hand the whole time. I got no chance to do that this time, and I'm a little pissed.

*End Rant*

P2R2 Day 35: Birthday Party Bliss! Not.

2009-04-05T00:19:00.005-04:00

I'm evidently one of those dense people that needs to learn lessons over and over (and over and OVER) again before I actually get it.

Sit for a nonce whilst I spin ye a tale...

One month ago (ish), I bought a cute little pink book titled Pink Princess Tea Parties. I brought it home and my daughter and I immediately started planning one for her birthday, a little over 3 weeks away.

Three days ago, in preparation for the party, I called a local salon and made an appointment to get mine & my daughter's hair cut and styled for the occasion. We bought cute little matching, sparkly crowns, and I wanted our hair to be done similarly. Because it's PRETTY, dammit. ;) I kept it a secret, because I wanted it to be a surprise.

Yesterday (by my calculations - HA!) the food, decorations and presents had all been bought and were ready to go. I'm not always the most organized person, so I was pretty proud of myself. I decided to relax a little, which must have been my first mistake.

Last night, we went out to eat at one of my favorite restaurants. I had their portabella ravioli. It was horrible. I'm calling it karma. (lol) After arriving home, I realized that I'd somehow neglected to buy several necessary ingredients for the food. It was after 10 p.m. so I high-tailed it to the nearest 24-hour supermarket - 15 miles away. I was shopping for about 30 minutes and a little voice in the back of my head whispered to me that I'd also forgotten to buy a punch bowl. Punch bowls evidently do not exist at this particular supermarket, so I settle for a big chip bowl and matching cake platter (30% off - cha ching! lol). That started something bad, and $250.00 (yeah OMFG) and an hour and a half later, I was finally on my way home.

Before departing, I asked my lovely BF oh-so-nicely to please wrap my daughter's gifts. I arrived home around midnight and ummm... no wrapped presents... (@%$#^$*!) I managed not to freak out, presents got wrapped and I began my cooking adventure.

A word from the now-wise: that book is great for ideas, but there are such simpler ways to accomplish almost every recipe in it. I was up until 6 ... yes, six ... a.m. baking those mini strawberry cupcakes with the special whipped frosting. Btw - only add one cup of powdered sugar to the container of frosting or it's stiff and tastes gross. Also - the box of batter makes almost one hundred of those little buggers. I'd only bought one mini-muffin pan, so after the third I had to stop. It wasn't pretty.

BF left for work right after I went to bed, and I managed to sleep until 10. I got up, got ready and we were off to the salon! We got there fifteen minutes early (!!), crowns in hand, just so that two of the stylists and the receptionist could look at me like I'd grown another head because there was no appointment in their computer. Oh yeah, and it would be at least a 40-minute wait to squeeze us in. I was livid. Thank God for anger management classes... I politely refused and we went to another salon in town, which praise sweet Jesus had time enough to do my daughter's hair. Unfortunately, we didn't get to have our hair done together, but she ended up looking beautiful and that's all that really matters! :)

Back home, I hastily made the fudge-dipped fruit and tried to put everything together. The BF had been told he had to work over today, so he wouldn't be getting out until 6, but he ended up getting out early!! :D He helped me get everything together, we got to my dad's house, started decorating and setting out the food, people began arriving, and the Smooth Move tea I drank while baking last night decided to kick in! LOL I had my dad knocking on the door asking if I was alright... and when should so-and-so's mom come back and pick up her daughter... oh yeeaaaaah.

There only ended up being two little girls at the party, but my daughter had a blast and ended up going home with one for a sleep-over. I got back here and crashed like the Hindenburg, woke up a little while ago and here I am!

So all-in-all the day wound up working out. I ate totally off-protocol and I know I'm going to pay for it. Ceste la vie... or however it's spelled. ;)

That concludes this segment of "A Day in the Life of Psycho-OCD-ADHD Mom". Thanks!

P2R2 Day 34: Over 15/35 Pounds Gone!

2009-04-03T13:49:00.003-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 145.8
Today: 144.8
Released Since Start of VLCD: 15.6 lb.
Total lb. Released with hCG: 35.4

I have hit my goal this round of 15 pounds lost and am officially a member of the "35 Club" today, so everything from here is gravy! I should only have a little bit of hCG left, so I'll be on VLCD for another week-ish. Then comes P3 BLISS... right?

RIGHT?? (lol)

From what I've heard of P3 (I didn't do a real P3 last round) it's kind of a mine field, or at least it can be. Luckily for me, I've got the awesome and experienced HTA team to guide me through the process!! As a matter of fact, one of the lovely ladies of HTA is coming out with something to help everyone with the "maintenance" phase. I'm not sure how much info she's put out there about it, so I'm going to keep my mouth shut for now. All I can say is that there will soon be a LOT more people succeeding through P3. In the meantime, there is definitely still Boot Camp! (discipline? what??) I'm excited!

Aunt B is doing AWESOME - over 14 pounds down in two weeks! Wow! She is loving this protocol, just like I knew she would. ;D You go, girl!!

I was thinking that maybe I'd cut this round a little short, but I have so little hCG left and I'm still losing. I guess I'd better see it through to the end. Sigh. ;)

Later on... ~*~

P2R2 Day 31 - I am not a Role Model.

2009-03-31T16:38:00.003-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 148.0
Today: 146.6
Released Since Start of VLCD: 13.8
Total lb. Released with hCG: 33.6

So, yeah. Been absent a minute... and it's mostly because I feel guilty and ashamed of myself and because I hate, hate, hate to disappoint people. I know that sounds ridiculous and this is my protocol and my weight loss and I shouldn't care what other people think.

But I do.

SO - I have not been good for... oh... about a week now. By "good" I mean eating on-protocol. I think that my first "all on protocol" day this week was yesterday, and I lost a good pound-and-a-half overnight. Which is great!

Except we went to Uccello's today for lunch.

I had a grilled chicken and pesto pizza... which isn't so bad, except for the gallon of olive oil they must put in the pesto. :P Add a lil cheese and crust in there, and I feel like a total goon. It did taste good, and I didn't overstuff myself. Still, I am still on hCG, and I probably will not see another loss tomorrow morning, if not a gain.

Though I've been deviating from protocol, there are a few reasons that I don't feel so much regret. For one, I know that my fat is still redistributing. My clothes continue to feel looser, and my boyfriend still comments that my hips feel smaller and I look like I'm still losing weight. For another, I was feeling reeeally crappy there for a week or better. I don't know if it was low iron or what, but I could hardly get out of bed and I felt like something the cat dragged in for most of the day, every day. I ate a somewhat normal meal last week, and I felt better almost immediately. I was thinking about maybe testing my hCG to make sure it's still good.

Still, for those who I've encouraged and admonished and tried to support through their deviations (or very near), I feel like a big jerk admitting that I've not followed protocol. I should probably just get over myself, huh?! lol I just don't want someone starting new with hCG to read my blog and think it's cool to just lah-dee-dah through P2. I'm sure my stalled losses speak for themselves, though.

Am I over-thinking this?? I feel bad because I did it, but I also feel bad because I don't really feel bad about it. LOL I think the best thing to do is start taking this one day at a time again, and stop feeling bad.

On the upside, I've made it my goal to finish this round in the 35 (Total) Pound Club. I only have 1.4 pounds to go, and I'd really like to end up in the 40-Club. I'll keep my fingers crossed. We also went shopping today, and I am officially in a size 8! :D All of my jeans are too big, so I went and bought a couple of new-to-me pairs at a local re-sale shop ($3.00 per pair and 50% off today!) along with a couple extra size 7's for incentive. Along with the jeans, I found a really pretty pink skirt outfit and a gorgeous black and white formal gown - both in size 7. So I have a goal again... I think part of my problem is that I fit into a bunch of my smallest clothes and temporarily lost my drive... Hmmmm....

Anyhow, we are off to shop again - this time for groceries and a princess dress for my daughter. Sunday is her birthday, and I found the cutest Pink Pricess Tea Party recipe book at her last book fair. So yes, we are going to have 6-10 beautiful pricesses in my house for Saturday afternooon tea, and the Guest of Honor simply must be the most beautiful princess of all. ;)

P2R2 Day 27 - Holding Steady

2009-03-27T15:22:00.003-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 147.0
Today: 147.0
Released Since Start of VLCD: 13.0
Total lb. Released with hCG: 33.2

Nothing exciting to report, I just wanted to check in with everybody. I've pretty much been holding at this weight for three days now, but I'm not concerned. I'm not hungry, and I know that my fat is on the move.

That said, I do hope the whoosh-fairy visits soon! :)

This next ten pounds is likely not going to come off easily, because I haven't been below 135 pounds since early high school. I'm going to finish up this round and get as far as I can get - P3 ought to be fun! lol

P2R2 Day 24 - Reflections on Deviating & Stalling

2009-03-24T10:02:00.003-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 148.0
Today: 148.0
Released Since Start of VLCD: 12.4
Total lb. Released with hCG: 32.2

Am I sensing a lot of frustration out in blogland or WHAT?! ;) I'm going to take this time to breathe, relax and maybe talk through some things.

The past few days have been a debacle VLCD-wise. I gained back nearly 13% of my total loss, and I'm halfway through protocol. Not good. I knew it would happen, I was in total control, and I chose to sacrifice my awesome progress for the short-term. I own it, and I just hope that decision doesn't affect my ability to maintain in the long-run.

I ate next to nothing yesterday, and nothing that was on-protocol. I also skipped my injection for the second day in a row yesterday. I'm not sure if that was wise or not, but I took my dose today and am starting fresh. Regret is a wasted emotion.

My main concern when I (or anyone else) deviate is that my hypothalamus is not going to be properly reset and that I will have a harder time maintaining my total loss. This is especially crucial during the first 23 days of protocol. Doctor Simeons writes,

It seems that even in the mildest cases of obesity the diencephalon requires about three weeks rest from the maximal exertion to which it has been previously subjected in order to regain fully its normal fat-banking capacity. Clinically this expresses itself in the fact that when in these mild cases treatment is stopped as soon as the weight is normal, which may be achieved in a week, it is much more easily regained than after a full course of 23 injections.

This is one of several reasons that people progressing to P3 can have more of a challenge keeping their weight steady. Not deviating from protocol, especially during the initial three weeks, is crucial. But that is another blog-post altogether! :)

I also wanted to talk about stalls. I was stalled before this debacle came about, but I am sure that I was losing inches. I was told about one person who played with the same weight over an extended period, but ended up losing over 2 inches in each thigh during that time. The protocol was and is still working, even though the scale hasn't registered the way I'd like it to.

Long story short, I am not going to crown myself dubiously as a "Deviating Diva". I made a choice and am simply reaping the "rewards" of it. It was a learning experience and is now part of the past. If I continue to be stalled, I will not fret. I am going to honor this time of rest for my body, and trust that the protocol is still working for me, even without the drop in numbers scale-wise.

This protocol is a God-send and a miracle. I will not squander its potential any more for the short-term.

I will succeed.

P2R2 Day 22 - Chocolate Hell

2009-03-22T10:21:00.003-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 147.8
Today: 146.2 (-1.6)
Released Since Start of VLCD: 14.2 lb.
Total lb. Released with hCG: 34.0

I'm experiencing some frustration and confusion today.

I have not moved on the scale one stinken ounce in the past three days. I have also not had a BM in over a week. (Sorry, no TMI warning... I'm just rambling.) BF could not find any "booboo tea" (as he calls it. lol) at the store the other day, and I have not had the ambition to go to the store and find my own.

Yesterday, I went to a close friend's 50th birthday party. I didn't realize there were going to be 30 people packed into this nice lady's single-wide. :) I sat at the kitchen table with her for most of the party, and directly in front of me was my water... a pan of brownies and two pans of cupcakes. I saw the chocolate icing, and strangely enough I really could have cared less if I ate one or not. They looked good, don't get me wrong, but not unavoidable even at 6 inches. I was hungry, though. I ended up rationalizing in my head that she was never going to have another 50th birthday party, I haven't seen this nice lady in years (she was my mom's best friend and we keep in touch online mostly) and oh well if I gain some back.

I ended up eating one cupcake (which tasted like crap except for the icing) and three brownies. The brownies tasted good, but I was left feeling like... "That's IT??" They didn't taste all that great, and I was not even close to satisfied. Plus, about two minutes later I felt like there was a rock in the pit of my stomache, my teeth felt gritty and my head was buzzing from all the sugar. I felt sick and ended up leaving early. D: If anything has cured my "sweet" cravings - that was it!

***TMI Alert***TMI Alert***

So I had a (very) small BM when I got home, probably from the sugar-shock. Does anyone else's stool look funny since starting the protocol? Don't give me that funny face, either, because I know you all look. HA! I ate an entire head of broccoli yesterday and drank at least a gallon of water (before the party) trying to get something to happen, and nothing.

So how did I drop over 1.5 pounds?? I don't get it... Probably the mass amount of water. Who knows. Anyhow, hope your weekends are going well and take it from me:

Stay AWAY from the sugar! It's NOT worth it!! >:P

R2P2 Day 20 - Zzzzz...

2009-03-20T17:30:00.003-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 147.8
Today: 147.8
Released Since Start of VLCD: 12.6
Total lb. Released with hCG: 32.4

I've decided not to include my daily average release anymore. I'm not really concerned with it. It can feel kind of negative, actually, since it almost always goes down. So I'll do one at the end of P2 but no more daily tally.

Yesterday was fun. Uneventful VLCD-wise, but it felt so good to be able to put on those pants and zip them up all the way without sucking in my gut. That feeling of success is worth every second of effort put into this protocol. I also bought a string-bikini the other day while we were at the store... Something I never, EVER would have worn after I had my daughter. You know what? I put that baby on last night and my BF's jaw dropped to the floor. LOL I'm no model, y'all, but it actually looked good. Yesterday was full of firsts... It was a great day!

Today I am tired. I stayed up way too late doing schoolwork I'd procrastinated on all day long. This morning I woke up to no movement on the scale. More than likely due to no "movement" of another kind in about a week. Wonderful BF is going to the store for me as we speak to get the "good" tea. ;) So once I get a cup or two of the "poopy tea" (as it was coined during my first round - lmao) and a good night's rest, I should be right back on track.

Until tomorrow ~*~

R2P2 Day 19 - Muffin-less Me!

2009-03-19T08:47:00.004-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 148.2
Today: 147.8
Released Since Start of VLCD: 12.6 lb.
Average Daily Release: 0.79 lb.
Total lb. Released with hCG: 32.4

Playing catch-up today. Yesterday we were up and running most of the day and I just plain forgot! Nothing really eventful with protocol, though.

BF is really noticing the changes in my body and says so often. He kept pulling at the seat of my jeans yesterday and saying things like, "Where's your butt??" LOL All in good fun, because I've never had one! Seriously, though - I put on a pair of jeans yesterday (fresh outta the dryer) That are always a bit snug at first, and they slid right on with room to spare! OMG! Same this morning, except these are my "muffin-top" jeans because they sit so low on my hips. Guess what - NO MUFFIN!! I'm going to be adventurous after I post this and go try on my "boloney-skin" khakis that I used to only wear to work when there was nothing else.

This is what I ate:

Breakfast: 1 orange

Lunch (4 p.m.): 3 asparagus spears and 100g low-fat cottage cheese + 1 orange (yuuummm)

Dinner (8:30 p.m.): Krab un-wich with mustard

Have any of you ever been to Jimmy John's? They have an un-wich that's wrapped in huge lettuce leaves instead of bread. SO good. I don't seem to be stalling with the imitation crab meat, so I'm going to keep it unless I stall. I also bought broccoli last night and I'm going to try it out. I know it's a little late this round, but I cannot stand the sight of asparagus, cabbage or celery anymore! lol

I bought Vitamin C, zinc and echinacea last night, because I am NEVER sick this long. Every morning I wake up with a swollen, sore throat that is starting to last though most of the day. I'm starting to think it might be allergies. I'm going to see my NAET lady not this coming Monday, but the next. Gotta love the budget.

Aunt B. will be here soon to walk. This is something new we're doing... Physical Exertion. Grimace.

More tomorrow ... ~*~

P2R2 Day 17 - Milk Mishap & Aunt B's On Board!

2009-03-17T13:23:00.005-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 148.8
Today: 148.8
Released Since Start of VLCD: 11.6
Average Daily Release: 0.83
Total lb. Released with hCG: 31.4

Big 'o goose egg today. My eating has been very clean, but I can't seem to shake my aversion to veggies and chicken. All I ever want is eggs, eggs and more eggs! I have to get to the store and get some more 96/4 burger and low-fat cottage cheese.

Last night I did not eat dinner. I also did not drink enough water because we were over at my dad's doing laundry, at the park and then back to my dad's to finish the laundry. All told, we didn't get home until 10:30. We won't even talk about the Diet Pepsi. Sigh. There is always tomorrow! Except...

Today was Eat Lunch with a Special Person Day at my daughter's Elementary School. I dutifully packed a container with romaine salad and hard-boiled eggs and went on my merry way - totally in control. I'm not sure how it happened, but in the ten minutes I stood there holding my lunch and my daughter's hand, I forgot that I couldn't have milk. She handed me a pint of chocolate, we went through the line and I sat and drank the whole stinken thing while she and five other first-graders jabbered my ears off. We then proceeded to the book fair to pick out a book about pets, and I went home. I didn't even realize what I'd done until I was all the way home! D:

Oh well, we shall see how this affects the bottom line. I will drink extra water and cut my protein at dinner, maybe. Any suggestions?

On a brighter note, my aunt is ready to start! We sat down and figured out the cost of doing 2 rounds for her and one more for me. How much does it cost to lose 100 lb. on another plan? I can't say from personal experience, but from the stats in the article, it will take 3 years or better. Any commercial plan you follow has some type of fee involved, not to mention special food. All told, I'm sure it's a whole lot more than you would pay for a nice pair of shoes!!

Anyhow, I ordered the supplies today and will be ordering the hCG within the next couple of days. I did have an extra vial of it left over from my last order, so I gave her that to do this round with. As soon as her shipment comes in, she'll be ready for the dreaded Load. Yipee! My first hCG recruit! LOL I'm so happy for her. I just hope that the rest of our family will see and maybe want to do it. I'd love nothing more than to have the 'fat' stigma gone from this family. It's like, if you're one of us, you're doomed for obesity. How excellent would it be to shift that paradigm?

Until tomorrow,
Your Dairy-Deviating Paradigm-Buster - moi!

P2R2 Day 16 - Busy Weekend

2009-03-16T13:38:00.002-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 148.4
Today: 148.8 (+0.4)
Released Since Start of VLCD: 11.6 lb.
Average Daily Release: 0.89 lb.
Total lb. Released with hCG: 31.4

Still in the 140's. I am not complaining, even with the small gain from yesterday. My body is still probably like... WTF??... After getting out of the 150's after all of these years, plus I didn't drink all of my water, plus we went out to eat night-before-last and I ate all of my plain, grilled chicken breast instead of only half like I'd planned, plus I polished off a 20-ouncer of diet cherry Pepsi right before bed. Woops. 1+1 = Amie gained a teeny bit yesterday. No sweat.

I got to the store this weekend and bought some magnesium and potassium supplements. I've heard they keep you regular and help abate hunger, respectively. I'm not entirely sure what the magic cocktail is, but I've been taking them like the bottle says: one 99-mg potassium plus one 400-mg magnesuim/15-mg zinc tab with a meal.

We are getting a new couch today! YAY! Plus the BF got a bunch of cool stuff to hang on the walls, so this place doesn't look like such an asylum. lol He's way more into the decorating thing than me, so I told him to go for it and just keep me informed.

Speaking of which, they will be here anytime with that couch and I have to get this computer out of their way. :)

Hasta man-yana (someone get me a tilde! lol) ~*~

Progress Pics & Measurements (Halfway)

2009-03-14T16:34:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the graininess of the photos - it's my phone camera, and I tried to fix the lighting. My BF took them both times, and the first time he was kneeling down... sigh... but I think we've got a good system now. :)

Measurements were taken 03/01/09 and again today.

Chest: 40.5 ... 38.5 ... -2.0
Waist: 35.0 ... 32.0 ... -3.0
Hips: 39.1 ... 38.0 ... -1.1
Thigh: 23.5 ... 23.5 ... 0.0
Calf: 14.8 ... 14.5 ... -0.3
Bicep: 11.0 ... 11.0 ... 0.0

Inches Lost: 6.4

Woot!

P2R2 Day 14 - Expect the Unexpected

2009-03-14T10:50:00.004-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 151.2
Today: 149.2 (VIRGIN TERRITORY!!)
Released Since Start of VLCD: 11.2 lb.
Average Daily Release: 1.0 lb.
Total lb. Released with hCG: 31.0

What?! I said, WHAT??! I did not just lose two pounds overnight, break into the 140's, which I haven't seen in 10 years, officially lose over 10 lb. this round and hit the 30+ total pounds-down mark... Did I??

I think I just DID!

Aright everybody... This is how we celebrate in MY place - TURN IT UP!!

*~*~*~PARTAY PARTAY PARTAAAY! ... PARTAY PARTAY PARTAAAAY!~*~*~*

Aright... calm down y'all. Back to business.

I've been battling this stupid cold for over a week now, plus TOM officially showed up yesterday and I spent the majority of my afternoon in bed sleeping.

This is what I managed to eat:
Lunch: 4 boiled eggs sans 3 yolks with about a tablespoon of mustard mixed in and a sliced tomato with basil. So, so, good.

Snack: 1/2 Grapefruit

Dinner: Ummm... yeah. I did eat about 60g of that imitation crab meat. (I know, I know! Bad, bad, bad) No veggie. I wasn't hungry at all.

Snack: 1 orange, and I shared a couple of wedges with my daughter.

See - worrying about stalled losses, as long as it's not accompanied by ravenous hunger or deviation from protocol, is pointless. Thanks anyhow for being my sounding board and for GETTIN KRAZY with me today! lol

I'm planning for a little slowdown or rebound tomorrow since I didn't get all the fluids I should have yesterday. I may even bump temporarily back up out of the 10/30 clubs, but you never know. I'm going to ask the BF if he'll take progress pics and measurements when he gets home from work, so I can post them later.

Hasta luego! ~*~

P2R2 Day 13 - Close to the Line

2009-03-13T08:10:00.003-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 151.6
Today: 151.2
Released Since Start of VLCD: 9.2 lb.
Average Daily Release: 0.92 lb.
Total lb. Released with hCG: 29.0

I feel different. It's like my body has slooowed down, or is resisting something. I have a couple of ideas what it might be, but there is a nagging little voice that keeps saying to me, "It stopped working for you, and now you're just starving yourself." Sigh.

1. There are signs of TOM. Amenorrhea (likely attributed to PCOS) has been an issue I've dealt with since puberty, and I'm used to getting it, then not getting it... Sometimes I'm monthly and sometimes every other or few months. Heck, I didn't even know I was pregnant for my daughter until around 10 weeks. Regardless, I think this is just about a month since my last menses.

2. I could be pregnant. There is always a chance. I'm not on BC, and haven't been on it regularly for over a year. I hate the way it messes with my hormone balance; I'm messed up enough hormonally as it is! lol So, you never know. I'll have to go back over P&I where it talks about the symptoms while on protocol. If I am, then I have to make some serious diet and supplemental modifications, stat.

3. I am about to hit a weight milestone. I haven't been under 150 pounds since high school. Granted, my lean muscle mass was much higher then too, so I wore much smaller clothing, but a very likely weight set-point nonetheless. OK - I know, I know. I've only lost under a pound a day a couple of times and zeroed once. It's my blog and I'll whine if I want to. ;)

4. Sodium intake has been relatively high compared to my normal diet. For some reason, for the past week I haven't been able to stomache food without a bunch of salt on it. Last night I had 1 boiled egg + 3 whites and a good-sized kosher dill pickle for dinner. Delicious. Except that now I'm crawling down my numbers... Woe is meeee... LOL

AH! I'm going to SNAP out of it now!!

Gotta get baby to the bus... RUN!

This was my day.

2009-03-12T17:43:00.003-04:00

P2R2 Day 12: What a Crappy Day!

2009-03-12T16:59:00.002-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 152.2
Today: 151.6
Released Since Start of VLCD: 8.8 lb.
Average Daily Release: 0.98 lb.
Total lb. Released with hCG: 28.6

**TMI**TMI**TMI**TMI**TMI**

You've been warned.

So... ummm... When I woke up this morning I did not weigh 151.6 lb. Nope.

I weighed 153 lb. On the nose. All three times that I weighed myself.

I had a few ideas as to why, when I felt like I'd lost overnight and hadn't deviated all day yesterday and have been drinking water like a fish, I managed to gain almost a pound overnight. I just wasn't sure what to do about it.

Fortunately, nature answered that question for me in relatively short order, and after some very successful potty time... Voila! 151.6!

That, in more ways than one, left me feeling very relieved. ;)

Okay, enough about pooping.

I have to go do laundry here shortly, so this is what I've eaten today:

Breakfast: coffee and 1 grissini

Lunch: 1 orange, 1 grissini, chicken and asparagus. I've had an aversion to chicken for some reason lately, so I'm glad that it tasted good!

Snack: 1 grapefruit

Dinner: Probably 1 egg + 3 whites and tomato. With Biz's admonishment about nonfat cottage cheese on my last post... I'll be buying low-fat cottage cheese tomorrow when we go grocery shopping. Seriously, I looked at the ingredients in the non-fat and I can't pronounce any of it! I wouldn't give it to my animal, and I'm not going to eat it either. Oh well, $2.50 down the drain. There are worse things!

I'll see y'all around tomorrow... My tummy is starting to rumble again... D:

P2R2 Day 11 - Mmmm... Cottage Cheeeese...

2009-03-12T00:14:00.002-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 152.6
Today: 152.2
Released Since Start of VLCD: 8.2 lb.
Average Daily Release: 1.0 lb.
Total lb. Released with hCG: 28.0

Whoa, so I'm posting this way later than usual. Everything went pretty swell today. No deviations, I was feeling alright, making my blog rounds earlier in the day and then some beta testing for the good folks over at HTA. I even got ahead on my schoolwork and went shopping for pete's sake - so I've got more in the house than a few 100-gram bags of chicken and some sad-looking celery. lol

So I bought some no-fat cottage cheese (yum!), more eggs, some tomatoes, oranges and grapefruit. Lemme just tell you how good that grapefruit tastes with a lil stevia sprinkled on top.

THIS (!!) good.

So overall, not much big news. Another half-pound bites the dust, and this was my menu:

Breakfast: Green tea with lemongrass (Yum! SO fragrant) and stevia.

Snack: 1 grissini (just one this time)

Lunch: Beef and cabbage soup. Not bad, but not the greatest either.

Snack: 1/2 grapefruit with stevia. Oh yeaaaah.

Dinner: 1 grissini, 1 tomato and 100g fat-free cottage cheese.

Caio for now. ~*~

P2R2 Day 10 - Sick Yesterday

2009-03-10T11:13:00.003-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 152.6
Today: 152.6
Released Since Start of VLCD: 7.8
Average Daily Release: 1.1 lb
Total lb. Released with hCG: 27.6

I have felt like POOP for the past couple of days! I didn't even get up yesterday until after noon (thank God for my wonderful BF who got my daughter ready and brought her to school!)

Yesterday I ate nothing at all, except 2 grissini and 2 hard-boiled eggs. I took the yolk out of one, just for good measure. I did make homemade Chicken and Dumplings for the fam and ate a little bit of a dumpling and some broth. I may just be retaining water, or the flour and milk is affecting me. Either way - stalls are normal, even when adhering strictly to the diet. So guess what I'm going to do - drink, drink, drink my water, get back on track and move on! I did learn yesterday that there is a difference between "drop" dumplings and "noodle" dumplings. Huh! Never woulda guessed it. :) BTW - AllRecipes is the BOMB. If you're going to make that recipe, I'd suggest adding a can of cream-of-something soup for texture, some soup veggies like carrots, celery, onion and potatos, plus a bay leaf, thyme, basil and maybe a little dill. I also had to put a bit more flour in the dough before it was un-sticky enough to roll out.

I seriously need to go shopping. Nothing in my fridge even looks good.

P2R2 Day 8 - Grissini Galore!

2009-03-08T13:55:00.003-04:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 154.6
Today: 153.6 (-1.0)
Released Since Start of VLCD: 6.8 lb
Average Daily Release: 1.36 lb
Total lb. Released with hCG: 26.6

Ugh. I am so tired today. Daylight savings' end always kicks my butt.

I am skipping my injection today to see how it goes. So far, so good. I didn't even feel like making lunch until 2 p.m.

Today's Menu:
Breakfast: coffeeee!

Lunch: 96/4 beef seasoned with all sortsa stuff. Seasoned salt (yikes - the ingredients are a little scary, but I may have used 1 tsp. total), pepper, garlic and onion powders with 5 ripped cabbage leaves and about 1/3 c. water to make a flavorful broth. :) This was pretty good.

Dinner: 4 grissini and Diet Pepsi. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! lol I finally made that grissini and it was so damn good I ate double my daily portion at one meal! But that's all I ate. Which probably isn't good either.

The recipe is very good and easy as-is. I did change a couple of things, just to make it "mine". I brushed the grissini lightly with one beaten egg before I put them in the oven so they came out soft inside and firm outside. I also only baked them for 10-15 min. total instead of 15-20 because I divided the dough into about 30 bread sticks. They were way too thin to bake that long on that temp and not burn or dry right out. If you are going to try this recipe, make sure you rotate the pans in the oven so that the same one isn't on the bottom rack the whole time. You'll burn 'em that way. Also feel free to experiment with the spices you use - basil, thyme, rosemary and garlic powder are what I used and oh - my gawd - they are good.

I skipped my injection today to see how I'd do. I don't know that I'll do that again. I was doubly as hungry and also a little 'sick' feeling all day. That's another reason I didn't have a normal dinner, but I may have just been so hungry that I felt sick. Wouldn't be the first time. I could just be coming down with something, but I'm suspicious that it was the lack of hcg. We will see.

I'm a lil scare to weigh in tomorrow morning, but I danced and now I have to pay the piper!

P2R2 Day 7 - Over 25 lb. Lost Using HCG!

2009-03-07T07:20:00.006-05:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 155.6
Today: 154.6 (-1.0)
Reduced Since Start of VLCD: 5.8 lb
Average Daily Loss: 1.45 lb
Total lb. Reduced with hCG: 25.6

I have officially lost over 25 lb. using hCG! PAAARTAAAY!!

What I ate today:

Breakfast: The usual ... I want some oranges bad. I drank some Diet Coke around 11 a.m.

Lunch: I sliced 5 or 6 cabbage leaves into a shredded salad, chopped the chicken I used to make broth last night (I seperated it as well as I could from the spices - I'm not sure yet what their caloric value is, or if they're considered veggies if they don't dissolve in water) and made it into a salad with spicy mustard dressing. Meh. It was OK.

Dinner: 96/4 beef patty and three asparagus spears grilled with salt & pepper and garnished with regular mustard. I took a long nap today and didn't wake up until dinnertime (woops) so I just didn't have it in me to make it very interesting.

Snack: 1 med-sized green apple around 10 p.m.

I've had a couple of glasses (8-10 oz apiece) of Diet Coke today... Still waiting to see if it will affect my losses.

I need a blender and some strawberries STAT. I want to try a smoothie losing-experiment! ;)

We also went out and about to try to find Ketostix at Meijer's and Walgreen's. No luck. I may have to just buy them online.

P2R2 Day 6 - Soda Confessions

2009-03-06T18:33:00.005-05:00

I posted my stats earlier - I've already lost almost 5 pounds this round alone, which makes my grand total with hCG almost 25 pounds GONE! In five weeks' time!

My Menu Today:

Breakfast: coffee

Lunch: 96/4 burger patty mixed with garlic/onion powders, salt & pepper, and about ten shakes of tabasco, grilled to a nice med-well, then served with two large celery stalks and a 4 tsp. side of spicy mustard. Yum-my.

Snack: 1 apple

Dinner: My P2-version of egg-drop soup. I got the recipe here, and substituted homemade chicken broth, 1 whole egg + 3 whites, and one white onion. Salt & pepper I kept. :) Very good!

I have a confession to make. I drank Diet Coke yesterday and today. Some say they can drink it and not stall their losses. I've had probably ten oz. in the past two days, and to be honest it doesn't even taste that good. We'll see if it affects my progress or not.

I'm done - time for the Sarah Connor Chronicles! ~*~

Round 2 hCG Day 6 - This Is Why

2009-03-06T08:19:00.008-05:00

P2R2 Post-Load Weight 03/03/09: 160.4 lb
Yesterday: 156.4
Today: 155.6 -0.8
Released Since Start of VLCD: 4.8 lb.
Average Daily Release: 1.6 lb.
Total lb. Released with hCG: 24.6 Yes!

I got very little sleep last night. I'm positive I'd have lost more, but I am exhausted today. Lesson learned: Do not procrastinate with class assignments, or you will retain water! Friggen karma. On the bright side, in a few days I will weigh less than I have since high school. Imagine that... ;D

I laid it out for the friends and fam on my MySpace blog yesterday, so I'm likely to get some OMG-mail today. Maybe a few of you decided to actually come here and at least follow my progress and find out for yourself. I appreciate that very much. Like I said - whatever our relationship, I care about you in one way or another. The hCG Protocol works, period. It is safe. It is fast. It is cheap. As long as you don't resume old habits, the weight stays off. Forever. It will work for anyone, regardless of age, sex or whether you're ten or 200 pounds overweight. It's an absolute no-brainer.

The only reason that every American doesn't know about or understand this protocol is that there is much less money in health than sickness. Don't be fooled into thinking the FDA is a public entity with solely our best interests at heart. Food is BIG business. So is medicine. The more food you eat, the more money they make and as a result, the more overweight you get. No one WANTS to be overweight, do they? So why don't people just eat food that is healthy for them, exercise enough and lose the ugly excess fat?

We are addicted, people. There are reasons for that. Overweight is HUGE money.

Obese people are, generally, overeaters and consume more commercial, processed food. ($Bling!$)
They are also less healthy, which means more visits to the doctor, ($Bling!$)
which means more pills, ($BLING!!)
which cause side effects, which require more pills, ($BLING BLING!!$)
which cause more side effects, need more pills and an array of medical procedures ($Blingblingblingbling!$)
and they convince you to stay on this s#!% for the rest of your life, ($$$The Price Is Right! The Price Is Right!$$$) shortened though it may be by years of abuse.

So the younger you get addicted to commercial, processed, additive-laced food, the sooner you will get obese, the longer you will eat the food and the longer they can milk you and your insurance for expensive pills and medical procedures. HELLO?!

This isn't some whackjob conspiracy-theory. It is the truth, and it's time we opened our damn eyes to it. You do not have to be overweight. You can lose the weight, start looking damn good and get healthier in a very short period of time. What's more, you can overcome your likely food addictions and bad eating habits to stay that way. There is an answer and there is support.

More later today... Hasta luego ~*~

R2P2 Day 5 - Blogging, Blogging, Blogging

2009-03-05T12:19:00.003-05:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 157.8
Today: 156.4
Released Overnight: 1.4 lb
Released Since Start of VLCD: 3.6 lb
Average Daily Release: 1.8 lb
Total lb. Released with hCG: 23.8

I am officially below my LIW by 1.2 pounds!! *happy dance!*

I have been blogging and web surfing all day. I just figured out how to do a bunch more cool stuff on HTA, so I'm stoked about that. They're just about to do a big format change, and I've been helping them beta test. Very exciting! The new interface should be much more user-friendly. Yay!

What I ate today:

Breakfast: coffee, 1 apple (I was really hungry this morning!)

Lunch: 100g of 96/4 burger mixed up with 1 large clove of garlic, salt, fresh-ground pepper and about ten drops of tabasco sauce. I formed it into a patty, grilled it on the Foreman and ate it with a squeeze of spicy mustard between 4 cabbage leaves. YUM!

Dinner: A creamy lemon-chicken asparagus soup concoction... I don't measure anything, but I think it was 5ish cups of water (enough to fill a small saucepan 3/4 full), 100g cubed chicken, 1-2T salt, fresh ground pepper to taste, a pinch each of dill, thyme, basil and 1 bay leaf. I put everything in the pan on med/hi heat and chopped 3 asparagus spears into 1-inch sections before adding it. I let that boil 10ish minutes, took it off the burner and added 1T milk about 1/4c lemon juice.

Snack: 6 strawberries + stevia powder

I dunno if all of that stuff should be mixed together or not, but it sure did taste good! ;) I should probably also consider cutting my salt intake. I have a bad habit of freaking out every time I eat, because if I start to feel full I automatically think I'm going over my calories.

I never did get around to baking grissini. No Melba today, either. *pukeyface*

Can't wait to weigh in tomorrow! ~*~

R2P2 Day 4 - Onward & Downward!

2009-03-04T14:29:00.006-05:00

P2R2 Starting Weight 03/01/09: 160.0
Yesterday: 160.4
Today: 157.8
Lb. Released Overnight: 2.6
Lb. Released Since Start of VLCD: 2.6
Average Daily Release: 2.6 lb
Total lb. Released with HCG: 22.4

I'm only 0.2 lb over my LIW! I feel this is especially significant, since my LIW was taken in November of 2007. That is solid proof that not only does this protocol work for the short-term, it will also work for you long-term!

Breakfast: coffee
Water, coffee, water, coffee, water...
Lunch: celery with spicy mustard & grilled chicken (I got my scale today!!), 5 strawberries, 1 piece of Melba.
Water, coffee, water, water...
Dinner: Ate dinner @ 10 p.m. because I was over at my dad's house doing laundry all evening (gotta love apartment life). At his house I did have 2 kosher dill pickle spears to stave off hunger. I checked the ingredients, and it looked safe. When I got home, I ate two huge strawberries and poached 1 egg + 3 whites with fresh-ground pepper, salt and about 10 drops of tabasco. YUM!!

Melba is gross. I am making grissini tomorrow. Bleck!

I wanted to let everyone know that I've been getting a lot of support from the people at Happily Thinner After. They are an awesome group of people, many of whom have completed multiple successful rounds of hCG. There are numerous discussion forums, progress photos, blogs, and so much more. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants more support & encouragement during their journey with hCG and/or a comprehensive, realiable source of information.

Hasta manana...

P2R2 Day 3: VLCD Day 1 - It Has Begun!

2009-03-03T08:58:00.014-05:00

Starting Weight: 160.4
Yesterday: 160.4
Today: 160.4
0 lb. Released Overnight
0 lb. Released Since Start of P2R2 03/01/09
Average Release Daily: n/a
Percent Body Weight Released: 0

I am injecting 150 IU hCG subcutaneously using 28g insulin syringes. I am using the reconstitution (mixing) guidelines provided by Tim - YouTube's Delmem, who has worked in the medical field since 1982. If you have mixing questions, you can get your answers here or by clicking the link "MIXING INSTRUCTIONS" under header "HCG Supplies" to the right. He also provides a lot of very helpful info on his site, relatively cheap supplies, Simeons nostalgia, and has been an invaluable source of hcg protocol knowledge for me personally. Thanks, Tim!

OMG ... Loading is SUCH a pain - literally! I spent most of last night wandering around with a brick in my stomache and it was most unpleasant. I did, however, only gain 0.4 of one measly pound while loading. Hello?! I ate like a PIG, especially last night... fast food and soda and cheese and wine and all sorts of naughty things. I am coming off of TOM, though, so that always means lost water weight.

BUT - all that is behind me, because toDAY is my very first VLCD day!

I did take before pics and measurements already, but I'll wait to put them out there until I have something to compare to. Last night I finished up my protocol food-shopping with some thyme, rosemary, basil, a BIG grinder of multi-colored peppercorns (YUM!), lemon juice and strawberries. (3 containers for $5 on sale, y'all!) We didn't get up there until after 7 p.m. so my health-food store was closed again. No liquid stevia for Amie. I might just get it online. Anyone have a supersecret stevia site where they get it really cheap?? :D I am the Bargain Diva - Never Pay Retail!!

For those of you who can't eat the same thing every day, you can utilize the hcgrecipes blog. There are a bunch of P2-friendly recipes there. Also at your fingertips are the recipe blogs posted on Happily Thinner After. Links for both sites are on the right side of my blog under "HCG SUPPORT & INFORMATION".

This is what I ate:
Breakfast: coffee - per my daily routine
Snack: 1 small, green apple
Lunch: 3 asparagus spears, 1 egg + 3 whites & 1 T low-fat milk. I figured this would be best since my scale is not here yet. All seasoned liberally with salt, pepper, onion powder and parsley. I sauteed the asparagus in water for about 5 min. first with salt & pepper, then added the egg mix. I let all simmer covered until the egg was cooked. I did have to scrape a bit off the bottom of the pan, but no biggie! The inspiration for this one came from hcgrecipes Asparagus Frittata. Very good!
Water, Water, Water...
Snack: Eight (count 'em - 8) strawberries with the powdered stevia. It makes me suspicious because the powder contains dextrose, but so do Sweet & Low and Splenda... and we can have those, right? Some input here would be appreciated.
Water, Water, Water...
Dinner: 5 or 6 cabbage leaves with imitation krab meat, sauteed in lemon juice with basil, thyme, salt and lotsa fresh-ground pepper. Realized shortly after putting in the pan that "krab" contains wheat and soy and egg and Godknows what else. Ate it anyways. Couldn't weigh the stuff because I gots no stinken scale. >:P Hopefully will come tomorrow.
Water, water, water, water...!

I feel... full! It's a very nice feeling. The lemon juice and extra pepper helped, I think. Plus I took a nice, healthy swig of ACV for good measure. ;D I'm a sicko. I know this. I'm a little afraid of what the scale may or may not say in the morning. I weighed myself in the middle of the day (don't do that to yourself btw) and it showed a 3.4 pound gain. I will not freak out, I will not freak out. But hey, it's my first day and things will be P2-normal soon.

P2R2 Day 1: First Loading Day

2009-03-01T18:07:00.003-05:00

I couldn't wait anymore. I started today.

AND I AM SO FRICKEN EXCITED!!! WOOHOOO!

I have been eating ice cream and Hamburger Helper and baloney sandwiches with mayonnaise, poptarts... and everything else in my house that I won't be able to eat for the next MONTH. ;) lol I weighed in this morning, took before pics last night and had the BF take my measurements this afternoon.

While I did false start a couple of times this past year, I am counting this round as my official second P2. The last 14 months have been pretty rocky, so I'm just going to cut my losses there and start fresh.

I haven't received my food scale yet, but it should be arriving before Tuesday. I have all of my supplies and food... except that I read the ingredients on the Stevia box, and it contains dextrose. That means it's not allowed, right? >:( Darnit.

But past that... I am on my way! 135, here I come! ~*~

Getting Closer

2009-02-27T23:23:00.003-05:00

I got an email this morning - my food scale has shipped! Check one off the list...

Went to Meijer's tonight and got some 96/4 burger, a 1/2 gallon of ACV, spigot-mount water purifier, Melba toast, sea salt, cabbage, asparagus, stevia packets, (I prefer liquid stevia, but the health-food store I get it at closes at 4 p.m. on Fridays. Growl.) two pints of ice cream and a bag or two of random candy. Thank yooooou skinny boyfriend and 6 y.o. daughter! lol Funniest thing, though... I have no desire for any of the junk. I made them hot chocolate when we got home. I didn't want any. They ate Cadbury cream eggs... OK, so I had one of those. ;) But the ice cream and candy don't even sound good. I am so ready for P2.

Although I bought two boxes of Melba toast today, I think I'm going to use them as backup and make my own grissini again. I can't find the recipe I used last time, so I went surfing tonight and found a few that sounded good. One of them even gives an interesting little history on the grissini. If any of you are sick of the bland, store-bought version and want to try your hand (it's not that hard, trust me!), I've linked the recipes I liked best below. I'm going to try the basil & parmesan for sure, omitting the parmesan. The grissini I made last round had all sorts of italian seasonings in them, so I'll probably add just a little garlic and rosemary and fresh-ground pepper too... Mmmmmm...

Aparna's Grissini Recipe

Parmesan & Cracked Pepper Grissini

L.A. Times Grissini Recipe

Frasca's Grissini Recipe - More of the same, but sounds really simple.

Culinary Bazaar Grissini - This recipe looks delicious as well as easy. I'm going to try this version for sure, sans parmesan.

Buhbye for now ~*~

Gallbladder & Intestinal Cleansing

2009-02-26T11:58:00.004-05:00

I was poking around this morning and came across this cleanse on the same site as the salt water flush I have linked. It is a kidney/gallbladder cleanse and evidently can clear your body of gallstones without surgery! I wish to heaven that I'd have known about this before my surgery last year, but it is what it is. I have heard rumblings that the one issue this protocol *might* exacerbate is gallstones. I have a strong family history of gallbladder issues, and my attack happened six months after completing my first P2, so I am not convinced that hcg + VLCD had anything to do with it. However, for those that do or might want the info, here is the link:

Gallbladder Cleanse

There is a testimonial from a couple that did this cleanse and this is what came out! D:

Just for reference: the P2-friendly digestive-tract cleansing

Salt Water Flush

I have come to terms with the fact that I do not have everything I need at this very second for a successful P2, especially if I am going to go ahead and do it with someone else. Soooo, I am shooting for a Friday or Saturday start date to give my aunt a little more time to research, and if she isn't on the schtick by then I am going it alone. I also have some shopping, chopping, weighing and grilling to do. Wish me luck!

Impatience!

2009-02-25T15:47:00.005-05:00

So I'm ready to start my next P2! Do I have my food scale yet? No. Do I have anything that resembles P2 food? Ummm... not really. I do have chicken breasts and some apples. And coffee (blessed coffee!), and some tea. Annnnd... lotsa water! That's good enough, right?? RIGHT! :D

OK, maybe not. But I am officially CHOMPING AT THE BIT. My aunt hasn't gotten back to me as to whether she really, officially wants to do this with me, and I'm thisclose to just saying screw it and starting alone. I hate to do that, though, because I really want her to experience this protocol. I'm going to call her shortly and work it all out. I do have enough supplies for us to start together... I think the only thing I don't have for us both to do a full 30-40 day round is enough insulin syringes. We can get those pretty easily.

I may mix tonight and start loading tomorrow. I am also just getting over TOM, which is the time to start according to Dr. Simeons.

So much to do, so much to do...

Gearing Up

2009-02-24T08:59:00.005-05:00

*** I have been reading & trying to comment on my fellow Blogger.com'mers today, but the word verification won't pop up!! GRRRRRR! Sorry, I will try again later on.

Oooo Baby! I just got my daughter off to school and I am ready to tackle this day! (God, I love coffee! LOL) I had a craaaappy day yesterday, feeling like poop with TOM and all, so today is a refreshing turn for the better.

Well, with the exception of a couple of minor details, everything is in the works for my next P2. I took inventory this morning and I have (2) 5000-IU vials of hCG, 40+ insulin syringes, a couple of greatbig 12-mL mixing syringes, one clear 30mL vial, one vial of bac water (I thought I was out! Yay!!), 100 or so alcohol prep pads and a whole bunch of luer-lock 3mL syringes left over from my very first P2. I've since learned that investing in luer-lock syringes is a waste of money, since the darn things are supposed to be used with disposable needles! Grrr... Oh well. I'm saving them for a rainy day, in case I happen to run out of the other. I do need to procure, before too long... more bac water, another couple-few empty vials and a food scale. Somewhere in my adventures this past year or so the darn thing disappeared. Double Grrrrr!

On the upside, I found my indoor grill!! :D **Happy Dance!** I should also get ahold of a decent digital camera. I have a 2 megapixel camera on my phone, but I'd like one with a date-stamp. I know that everyone reading my blog is pretty bright, so if y'all have any ideas where I can find this stuff... uhhh ... cheap... - lemme know! ;)

I did post a little blurb on my MySpace about starting the protocol. I haven't given any details yet, but I am going to let my friends and family in on this round. I've done it once and succeeded despite myself, and if anyone in this world knows how well I sabotage my own success - it's my friends and family! Pffft... But honestly, I deviated and messed around a lot during my first P2 and still lost over 20 pounds. I am living proof that if this protocol worked for me, it can work for anyone! I know a lot of people that would benefit dramatically from Dr. Simeons' protocol, and it is my hope that they will see my experiences and successes and want it for themselves.

I'm off to do some more poking around! Hasta luego ~*~

I missed you, I missed you!!

2009-02-20T11:57:00.002-05:00

Hello all!!!!

I am so jazzed to be back up and running with my home, with my family, with my love, with my LIFE! I am close to being ready to do another round of hcg to take off what is hopefully my last 20-30 pounds. I finally have someone in my life who is supportive of my desire to lose weight this way, and one of my family members is willing to do it with me. YES!

Thank you to everyone who has helped in the past, and welcome to those new to this whole hcg "thing". I've found a few new resources and have a couple of new tricks up my hot little sleeve, so watch out! Amie's BACK!

xoxo ~*~

Hold on a minute!

2008-05-14T13:59:00.002-04:00

I took a break over the holiday ... cuz I know me. lol

I just got my hcg today, so that's cool!! I just have to order some more bac water and stuff. Bac water is relatively hard to find now. :P But anywho's ... I'll be starting up again later this week.

xoxo ~ Amie

Plateau!!

2008-05-08T17:18:00.002-04:00

I am stalled :) But it's cool - I'm going to drink, drink, drink my way out of it! I can just FEEL the hcg redistributing my fat stores! Woohoo!

P2R2 VLCD Day 10

2008-05-06T09:30:00.003-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 168.2
Yesterday: 161.4
Today: 161.0
0.4 lb. Released Overnight
7.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 04/26/08
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.72 lb.

Any loss is a good loss! Especially when the BF made ribeyes last night! Oy. But that's all I ate for dinner, and it wasn't until after 9 p.m. when we got home ... So not too shabby considering.

P2R2D10 - VLCD Day 8

2008-05-03T14:55:00.002-04:00

Rrrrrrrrrrg. Having a VLCD meltdown today.

I just went through my cupboards and threw away every single chip and cookie in my house. All this crap is not helping the effort.

At least I'm just stalled. It's even more irritating because I could be in the low-mid 150's by now and it's my fault I'm not. I think I may have some form of OCD or something - it's like I don't even realize I'm eating chips until they're IN my mouth.

Sigh. Start again.

P2R2D9 - VLCD Day 7

2008-05-02T11:02:00.002-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 168.2
Yesterday: 163.0
Today: 162.4
0.6 lb. Released Overnight
5.8 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 04/26/08
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.83 lb.

I am more convinced than ever of the VITAL part water (along with coffee and tea - at least in my case) plays in this protocol. By all rights and means, I should not have lost this much due to the deviations I've made from the VLCD. But - I've kept my water intake over 2 liters every day along with 3-5 cups of coffee and still lost. I'm not saying that my good fortune will continue if I don't get my act together, but at least at this early stage of the "game" I've still been able to lose.

So yesterday I ate my egg and mushroom concoction - not too shabby. Then, I picked up my daughter and made her dinner. *blinkblinksmile* Things went downhill from there.

So again - not a perfect day, and I still lost over half a pound. My luck won't continue to be this good, but I'm thankful for now. My menu thus far today:

B: strawberries and coffee
L: 1 egg + 2 whites and about 2 cups (one large handful) of baby spinach seasoned liberally with Herbamare.

This is another reason I wish nay-sayers would check their facts. We can eat two cups of organic baby spinach (according to the package) and only consume ten calories. I don't know about you, but two cups of spinach pretty well fills me up. Then add your protein, fruit and grissini if you so choose, and I don't see how I'm so malnourished. Ah, well. Those that really want to know will figure it out. ;)

That's pretty much it for today! I'll be making the rounds after I bring my dog in for her shots. :P

P2R2D8 - VLCD Day 6

2008-05-01T12:19:00.003-04:00

** CB - if you still read my blog, I can't access yours!! D: How do we fix that??

Amie Starting Weight: 168.2
Yesterday: 165.4
Today: 163.0
2.4 lb. Released Overnight
5.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 04/26/08
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.87 lb.

Ha HA! Take that, fatpants! You know what ... I ate at McDonald's yesterday, too. LOL I hate to admit that, but I did. I think my body is just tired of hanging on to all this water after the surgery and stuff. That, and Joey and I worked some things out yesterday and today. We'll see if it sticks, but at least the conversation happened. So hopefully - less stress from now on.

So far today I've had coffee, water, 1 egg + 2 whites seasoned with salt, pepper and Herbamare ... with 3 large button mushrooms. Not on protocol, but I'm going to see how well I do with them. Everyone is different, and I'm a firm believer that while the protocol, when followed implicitly, will work for everyone .. I do believe that there are *some* fruits/veggies/meat that will still allow an individual to lose.

I just spoke with Brandi - and despite having dinner at her boyfriend's parents' house last night ... she still lost another half-pound! If I'm keeping track correctly, that's a total of 8 pounds! You go, girl!!

xoxo

P2R2D7 - VLCD Day 5

2008-04-30T15:06:00.004-04:00

**UPDATE** I just got a call and as of this morning, Brandi has lost 7.5 pounds!! WOOHOO! She has had some ups and downs with the diet as well, but she is really working this protocol for herself!

Amie Starting Weight: 168.2
Yesterday: 164.2
Today: 165.4
0 lb. Released Overnight - 1.2 lb. GAIN
2.8 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 04/26/08
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.56 lb.

Things are stressful. I blew it pretty bad yesterday too, but I haven't had anything to eat yet today and I will not deviate.

I will let this work - just have to sort some things out at home. :)

Thanks y'all.

P2R2D6 - VLCD Day 4

2008-04-29T11:27:00.002-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 168.2
Yesterday: 163.6
Today: 164.2
0 lb. Released Overnight - 0.6 lb. GAIN
4 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 04/26/08
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.0 lb.

So - Joey (my BF) has Sundays and Mondays off. He is an athletic man with no concept of what it's like to struggle losing weight. He thinks this 'hcg thing' is a bunch of hooey and that I'm starving myself with the VLCD. He can really be one of those "I know everything about everything and I'm always right" people (as can I - lol) and he's totally pulling that act on me right now. So yes, I am experiencing a certain amount of frustration with his attitude paired with the fact that all he wants to do is EAT OUT on days he doesn't have to work.

So OK, I spent the past two days eating at restaurants and fast-food joints. I'll spare you the gory details. The closest I came to a "real" meal were the burgers we grilled out at his friend's house yesterday. This has to stop. I don't want to limp through another round and lose much less than I could have because I'm sabotaged. I just ate a can of Progresso Traditional Chicken Noodle soup, which isn't too terrible with calories at least. I do need to thaw some chicken and buy some lean ground beef and protocol veggies.

This will happen today. :)

As for Brandi, she called me yesterday and said she's still doing great. Hopefully I'll talk to her later today and get some DETAILS!!

P2R2D3 - VLCD Day ONE

2008-04-26T12:43:00.009-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 168.2
Yesterday: ?
Today: 168.2
0 lb. Released Overnight
0 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 04/26/08
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0 lb.

Today is THE DAY, y'all! I begin NOT a sloooow, frustrating "diet" yo-yo ... but a virtual NASCAR-paced DIVE to fat-freedom.

YES!!!

OK, let's get down to the nitty-gritty. So far today...
Breakfast: 1 cup coffee
Lunch: 1 melba, 100g crab meat and a thick slice of white onion seasoned with garlic, pepper and Herbamare. I did eat about a handful of grapes, so we'll see if that affects my loss tomorrow morning.
Snack: 1 banana, 1 handful Ritz Toasted chip/crackers, 1 melba - DANGIT! :P
Dinner: 100g crab meat, one handful button mushrooms. Greeeaaat start, Amie. lol
I need to go shopping for some protocol fruits and veggies - as soon as I can find a ride back up to the hospital, I'll get my car back and go to the store.

Recovery from surgery is going well ... still sore and a little tired, but the healing process seems to be on-track.

Brandi is doing AWESOME - she had a dinner thing to go to last night, but she pretty much stuck to the plan with chicken breast, corn and a strawberry dessert. She said that she's lost 3 pounds already and is LOVING that! She's writing everything down too, which is great.

So far, so good!

I'm planning on taking some "before" photos as soon as I can get my hot little hands on a digital camera.

P2R2D2 - Second Load Day ... Kinda

2008-04-25T18:09:00.004-04:00

Hi! :)

Brandi's hcg came in!!! We injected Wednesday after I helped her mix her first batch .. we're splitting it so that it won't lose potency. My hcg is on its way, and I need to order a few supplies yet. I'm so EXCITED!! (a la "The Cat in the Hat" lol)

The only little thing messing up my load THIS time is the fact that, after we injected Wednesday, I had a consult with my surgeon who advised me I'd be getting my gallbladder removed ... on FRIDAY. Yep, that's today! :P So I loaded on Monday, skipped the hcg yesterday (so that the pregnancy test they gave me in the hospital wouldn't show positive - wouldn't THAT be a mess!) and injected again today after I got home from the hospital around 1:30. I've been loading as well as I can between naps with the diet restrictions I've got - chicken and corn chowder, Ritz Toasted Chips, Keebler's Fudge Strips cookies, milk, part of the chalupa I didn't eat yesterday (prolly not so smart, my tummy's mad about that one) .. things that are higher-fat but not so much greasy. I WILL prevail!

VLCD begins tomorrow!! WOOO HOOO!!

Brandi said I could post her info on her, since she isn't an internet/blogging sort of person. :) Once I get ahold of her, I'll post some stats.

Hasta luego ~ Amie

P.S. Went to order supplies from Researchsupply ... but no bac water!! Would you guys plz let me know where you're getting your supplies from so that I can get it here ASAP? ;D Thank ya!

hcg on the way

2008-04-13T00:22:00.005-04:00

I ordered my hcg today!! Now I just have to make sure I have all the supplies I need for this next round. Brandi said I could use one of her vials until my shipment gets here... So I should be able to start as soon as hers comes in!! YAY!!

I'd like to drop this 10 pounds I've managed to re-find since my last round ... Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. ;D

Oh yeah - I got a new tattoo today!! Some or None of you might read my other blog - BF is Hot (HOT) Tattooed and Pierced Tattoo Artist. Yes. (LOL)

Anyways, it's a little underwater-guy (Joey says crab. I refuse to tell people I've "got crabs" lol) that's just peeping his cartoon-y eyes out of the shadows of his shell with some coral and bubbles - CUTE. He's ... ummm ... right at top of the inside of my thigh. ;D ;D Did NOT hurt as bad as my shoulder-tattoo. Yes, again.

OK, enough TMI for today...

Toodle-oo!

Got my Refuuuund!

2008-03-30T12:56:00.005-04:00

Hullo everyone ;)

Got my tax refund this week, so I'm going to order my hcg and the supplies I need to get started on another P2!! WHOOOPEEE!

My girl Brandi has ordered hers as well and is going to be embarking on her first hcg adventure, so I'm pretty stoked about that. She is an awesome, beautiful lady - and I just know she's going to love this protocol as much as EVERYONE has. Amazing.

As of this moment, I weigh 163.8 pounds. Yikes. That is, however, only about 6 pounds heavier than I was at the end of my last two P2's (if you even count my last piddly 10-day attempt) And I've done very little resembling a real P3 either time.

SO - will keep everyone updated, as always. Hopefully Brandi and I can do this together ... If you couldn't tell, I do so much better with some moral support! ;D

xoxo ~ Amie

I'm OK!! ;)

2008-02-27T12:47:00.002-05:00

Hi y'all - sorry about the disappearance. I'm on my lunch break, so I can't post much now. I am going to order some more hcg and start another round in the next month or so - check back once in awhile and I promise I'll keep you guys up to speed!

xoxo ~ Amie

D10R2P2 - Huuungryyy

2008-01-17T06:50:00.000-05:00

Amie Starting Weight: 164.2
Yesterday: 159.4
Today: 158.6
0.8 lb. Released Overnight
5.6 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 01/08/08
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.56 lb.

Short post this morning, since I didn't get on yesterday ...

I had two clementines for breakfast, 96/4 ground beef and a roma tomato for lunch, and a grilled chicken caesar salad for dinner - no dressing. We ended up going to Logan's for dinner since everyone was starving (including me) and we were out and about. I forgot to ask for no cheese or croutons though. :( I ate it anyway... and a few bites of my daughter's nutter butter fudge slide. I've got to be honest. I did drink a whole crapload of water yesterday, though. I was very hungry all day, but nothing uncontrolable until around dinnertime, because I didn't end up getting out of work until after 7 p.m. We didn't end up at the restaurant until after 8. It gets bad if I have to wait to eat until much after 6 p.m.

Aright, gotta run to work - I'm hoping to post again tonight.

R2P2D08 - Damn Pizza

2008-01-15T20:15:00.000-05:00

Amie Starting Weight: 164.2
Yesterday: 161.4
Today: 159.6
1.8 lb. Released Overnight
4.6 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 01/08/08
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.58 lb.

Well, would you look at that! lol Back to business... except that I had a piece of pizza today... I'm looking at my release per day average and it's pretty sad for this stage of the round. Time to step it up, people.

It's on, now.

P2R2 Day ... Hmmm... lol

2008-01-14T22:46:00.000-05:00

Aright. I weighed 161.4 this morning. I'm not getting much of anywhere and it's starting to really TICK me off. ;) My fault, though.

Want to hear something funny? Our boss just decided to cut our lunch from 1 hr. to 30 minutes on Mondays so that we have more time for our office meeting. That means no lunch for Amie on Mondays unless I make it the night before... and definitely no lunch today, since he neglected to tell me until 5 minutes before I left. No big. Coffee and an orange. I'm all set.

End of the day rolls around and they start talking about some interview... Now, I'd known we were going to hire two more part-timers, but come to find out the group interview was tonight. Nice. How long does a group interview usually take? One hour, maybe two? Well, let's suffice it to say that the doctor ended up buying us all Little Caesar's at 9 p.m. That's pizza, folks. ARRRRRRRGH!

No loss for Amie tonight. Pretty positive. >:(

Oh Dangit

2008-01-10T21:09:00.001-05:00

Well, I managed to have contracted a flaming sore throat/upper respiratory infection from hell these past couple of days - PLUS I got my TOM. AHH! So I've "fallen off the wagon" so to speak, since dinnertime yesterday. I think, since I didn't load very well this time around, that I'll just count these last two days as kind of a re-load and start fresh as soon as I have enough energy to actually get up and MAKE my food. :P A minor setback. I'm not sweating it.

Gnight everybody - I'm getting to bed early.

P2 R2 Day 1

2008-01-08T22:17:00.000-05:00

Amie Starting Weight: 164.2
Yesterday: ?
Today: 164.2
0 lb. Released Overnight
0 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 01/09/08
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0 lb.

Very short today ;) I'm glad to be back! This time going it "alone" .. but not really, since I have all of you in the trenches (so to speak) with me. :D Just in case any are wondering - Eddie and I are no longer together. I'll stay on-topic and not get into it much on here, but let's suffice it to say that things just didn't work out. Okay - SO:

Breakfast: coffee
Lunch: 100g 96/4 beef with cabbage, seasoned with s/p, cumin and Herbamare
Dinner: same with one roma tomato and one Melba
Snack: 1 small-ish apple

Not enough water today - going to step that up for sure. I'm a leetle bit rusty with this, but it'll fall into place quickly I'm sure. :) So you know - my P3 was almost non-existant. lol I pretty much screwed around the whole time ... so not too shabby for someone who didn't follow protocol much at all.

Yay! That's it for today - catchya all tomorrow, and I will be making the rounds!

Day 40 VLCD (First Round)

2007-11-17T13:06:00.000-05:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 157.2
Today: 157.6
0 lb. Released Overnight - 0.4 GAIN
22.6 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007

Eddie - 1.6 under LIW

Yeah, I expected that. :) I did drink over a gallon of water yesterday, so I think that helped to flush at least *some* of the crap out. I'll be drinking another gallon+ today and see how it goes. ;D

As yet today I've only eaten an apple and drank about a quart of water... but it is nearly 2 p.m. here. We're going clothes shopping today! Just a little bit, so that we have *some* clothes that fit us. My 5-yr-old daughter has the opposite problem - except she is growing right UP out of her pants! lol I have several pairs of 6x pants that she wears, but they're becoming floods on her .. so I have to get some 7's, which are too big in the waist. sigh. Gotta love those kids' clothes.

Anywho - I should eat before we leave so there isn't another "Mac-Doh" incident.

Byeya!

Day 39 VLCD (First Round)

2007-11-16T14:03:00.000-05:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 158.0
Today: 157.2
0.8 lb. Released Overnight
23 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.59 lb.

Eddie LIW: 222.0
Today: 219.2 - 2.8 lb. under

Well, things are moving along and Eddie is maintaining well. :) I umm... deviated again last night. I ate ground beef for dinner (no veg) and we went out. On our way home Eddie stopped at McDonald's. Yeah... I got a mcnugget meal and ate almost all of it. I couldn't finish my nuggets or the soda. We'll see how much I set myself back with that one. I was down this morning, but that doesn't mean my body isn't retaining water as we speak. ;) lol

For lunch today I had 1 egg + 3 egg whites with salt/pepper and tomato.

Eddie ate some italian sausage.

Oh, yes - I've been getting some questions about Thanksgiving. I'm torn between stopping injections this Sunday, doing VLCD for the next three days, eating within reason on Turkey Day, then starting VLCD and injections back up on Friday. Or .. just injecting right up to the day with VLCD and figuring I'll have another small setback after Thanksgiving. Any advice would be appreciated :D

I think that's it for now.

Hasta luego ~

Day 38 VLCD (First Round)

2007-11-15T07:55:00.000-05:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 159.0
Today: 158.0
1 lb. Released Overnight
22.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.58 lb.
Percent Body Weight Released: 12.3

Eddie ... ? I hope he's not in for a bad surprise when he finally does weigh in! He's been keeping his diet relatively clean, though. Let's hope he's maintaining well!

I forgot to post my menu yesterday, so here it is:
Lunch: ground beef with garlic, Herbamare and pepper .. I drank close to a gallon of water yesterday.
Dinner: Nada - I just wasn't hungry by the time I got home from work. I think I neglected to tell everyone that I've been injecting in the mornings before work now that Eddie has moved on to P3. We also switched to injecting 1/2 cc. when I mixed this new batch. I'm not sure I like using the smaller amount, because I feel like I could be getting less hcg if I don't get every little bit injected (which you never can). Next time I'll stick with 1cc volume, and inject in the morning if I can. I think it really helps keep the hunger under control, especially when I have to work late.

Well, I drank a little water this morning - so my day is off to a great start! Work will be short and sweet today, because the Boss is a big hunter and today is opening day of gun season. (Yeah, we're rednecks. lol) In at 10, out at 5 :D Have a great day y'all!

Day 37 VLCD (First Round)

2007-11-14T06:41:00.000-05:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 159.6
Today: 159.0
0.6 lb. Released Overnight
21.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.57 lb.

Eddie: ? He hasn't updated me on his weight in a few days.

Another half-pound bites the dust! I was hoping for something in the 158's, but this will do! ;)

Off to work - post more later...

Day 36 VLCD (First Round) - "20" CLUB!!

2007-11-13T07:14:00.000-05:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 160.8
Today: 159.6
1.2 lb. Released Overnight
20.6 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.57 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
LIW: 222.0
Today: ?

OMG! I'm in the "20" Club!! AAAHHHH!!!

~*~HAPPYDANCE~*~HAPPYDANCE~*~HAPPYDANCE!~*~

Well, that was my goal for this round - so I am ecstatic. I don't care what anyone (so far my boss is the only negative one) says - this protocol is a miracle, and Dr. A.T.W. Simeons was a froggin' Genius.

I tell ya what, there have been a whole mess of trips, stumbles, mistakes and outright falling-flat-on-my-face ... and yet I've managed to lose over 20 pounds in just over a MONTH. HOLY CRAP!

Menu - Lunch: ground beef and tomatoes with chili seasonings
Dinner: ground beef .. I'm so damn sick of veggies I could spit. ;)

Just for the record, I didn't wear anything sexy to work today. Just jeans and a polo .. I have been fitting much more nicely into the uniforms though. (meeow)

Night night!

Day 35 VLCD (First Round)

2007-11-12T06:31:00.000-05:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 160.8-161
Today: 160.8
0-0.2 lb. Released Overnight
19.4 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.55 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
LIW: 222.0
Today: 219.0

Here's my early-morning update... menus and stuff to follow.

Just really quick: I did eat some lasagna .. and some pork, and a couple of Doritos. But I did NOT eat cake. :D Yesterday all I had to eat was some pizza bcz I ended up staying at my friend's house overnight. It was 5 p.m. before I had anything to eat all day, because I thought I was going home earlier. :P So ohhh wellll ... I don't seem to have suffered *too* badly for it, so today it will be water water water water and back on VLCD! ;)

Lunch: 100g 96/4 ground beef seasoned with Herbamare and cumin, 1/2 medium tomato.
Dinner: Probably 1 egg + 3 egg whites and the other half of the tomato.

I know - enough with the tomatoes already! lol But We have no spinach nor greens .. and if I even LOOK at cabbage I will barf. :O~

Not much news today. I'm going to try to catch up with everyone else's blogs later.

xoxo!

Day 33 VLCD (First Round)

2007-11-10T12:10:00.000-05:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 162.6
Today: 161.0
1.6 lb. Released Overnight
19.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.58 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
LIW: 222.0
Today: 218.6 - 3.4 lb. under

Maybe I should have started P3... We have a birthday party today and my aunt is making the most deliciousest lasagna I've ever had. sigh. She's also making BBQ pulled pork, which is another fave of mine. Bigger sigh.

But I did lose over a pound and a half yesterday :D I must have drank almost 2 gallons of water, though! LOL I am DETERMINED to lose at LEAST 20 lb. this round. Deviations be damned! >:)

I had 1 egg + 2 egg whites for lunch. I've been snacking on animal crackers... but I did all day yesterday too, so I think as long as I keep downing the water I aught to be OK.

Party starts in an hour or so - send me good mojo!! I may or may not post the rest of my menu tonight... depends on the plans. xoxoxo ~ Amie

Day 32 VLCD (First Round)

2007-11-09T16:19:00.000-05:00

Well, I lost 1.4 pounds overnight :) I figured I was going to lose something bcz I was up all night peeing! HA!

I had to deviate a teeny bit today for lunch. I had a chicken ceasar salad from Logan's, but I told them to hold the dressing. I ate most of the chicken (Eddie had part of it) which was prolly more than 100g. I forgot that they put parmesan cheese and croutons on it. :P So I tried to pick around the shreds of cheese and only ate a few of the croutons. I'm going to try to make up for it at dinner - maybe only eat my meat again like I did yesterday and drink looots and loooots of water.

Sorry I haven't gotten around to everyone's blogs to comment much this week. I'll make up for it this weekend! xoxoxo ~Amie

Oh yeah, Eddie lost another 0.6 lb. overnight. Yay for him. ;) I think his LIW was 220. He is a little over 3 lb. under that now - should he do something to get back up a little?

TOM

2007-11-08T18:53:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like there is another contributing factor to my lack of loss & gain... besides the greasy calzone. I started my menses today, which is always a surprise. That may have also contributed to the emotional/hormonal factor last night.

I did eat two of Eddie's nacho chips tonight while I was waiting for my chicken to be done cooking. I only had chicken for dinner, and I've been drinking water and tea like a madwoman all day. I hope I can flush at least some of the crap out of my system in the next few days.

I'm tired and I have cramps. I think I'm going to bed early.

hmph.

(lol)

Day 31 VLCD (First Round)

2007-11-08T06:35:00.000-05:00

Alrighty then. Yesterday was bad. My stomache is still full and a little yuck-feeling, but I didn't get sick at all. I'll go through a couple of things that probably contributed to "The Calzone Incident" (lol). I'll post my weight tomorrow after I have a chance to flush my system a little. It's not looking very good right now. :P

So, for one I had my performance review at work the night before last. My boss decided to not make it a priority anytime in the past few weeks, so I pretty much had to corner him in the office at 8:30 at night. I didn't leave until close to 11. I've been pretty irritated in general since then.

Two: Yesterday was our long day at work. I had a good lunch (minus veggie, which didn't help) at noon, but we don't stop seeing patients until 7 p.m. so I was famished by the time I got home.

Three: (and this is the one that bothers me) Eddie and my daughter came to the office last night to get adjusted at around 6 p.m. He told me he was getting food from a local Italian place and asked me if I wanted anything. Now, I've fielded this question from him at least a hundred times since we started this protocol. Every time it irritates me because the answer is obviously YES, but I'm trying to lose WEIGHT. Why the hell would you even ASK me that?? I guess I feel like I'm being sabotaged, and it isn't a good feeling. Eddie decided he is going to stop his shots, but I'm not going to say he's going into P3 because for one he has no clue what P3 IS - and even if he did I'm pretty sure he just said, "Screw it." and has decided to eat crap again. I've decided that I'm not his mother and I'm not going to hold his hand if he's going to ruin his progress making poor decisions. If he gains all 30 pounds back in a few months, then so be it. He might just lose 164 more (me) if he isn't careful. Don't be alarmed - this is nothing new. :) Great, I'm starting my day in RB (Real B!%@#) mode! Lovely...

Enough of that! I'll post more later - gotta run to work.

....

Ha! I forgot to publish this before I ran off this morning. I'm feeling a little better. Mornings are always rough.

For lunch I am having 1 egg + 3 whites and tomato. Water water water water water...

Day 30 VLCD (First Round)

2007-11-07T11:58:00.000-05:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 161.8
Today: 161.8
0 lb. Released Overnight
18.4 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.61 lb.
Percent Body Weight Released: 10.2

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 222.0
Today: 220.0
2 lb. Released Overnight
28.8 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.96 lb.
Percent Body Weight Released: 11.6

No gain is good news! :) I know I didn't post our menu yesterday - I had my review at work and it ran late, so there went my posting time!

Sooo... for lunch I had chicken and tomato with a grissini. After work I had Daisy Scouts with my daughter, where I snacked on animal crackers (doh!) and another grissini. Then I had more animal crackers when I got home. We had chili for dinner... real chili. Eddie made it and I wasn't going to eat it because of my deviations earlier... but my daughter only ate half of her bowl (no wonder - it was spicy! I didn't know. Bad Mommy.) so I finished hers. But - I didn't gain! :D And Eddie LOST TWO POUNDS. How is that fair??? lol

Does this mean our hypothalamuses are resetting?? I hope so!

For lunch I had tilapia with mustard and an apple with a grissini and a few animal crackers... I'm craving them now. :( Gotta stop!

.....

OK. Dinner. *cough*

Amie: calzone stuffed with grilled chicken and ricotta cheese .. and .. water
Eddie: Super Nachos

I think I'm gonna cry. I feel like I'm going to be sick.

Day 29 VLCD (First Round) - with Percents and Updates

2007-11-06T07:18:00.000-05:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 162.0
Today: 161.8
0.2 lb. Released Overnight
18.4 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.63 lb.
Percent Body Weight Released: 10.2

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 222-223.2
Today: 222.0
0-1.2 lb. Released Overnight
26.8 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.92 lb.
Percent Body Weight Released: 10.8

Say it with me now, all together! "Any Loss is a GOOD LOSS!"

It just goes to show ya - you can drink liquor and lose water weight overnight, but it'll come right back!! ;) There's a good stat for you, Biz! (Maybe we could do shots instead of apple days? Whattaya think?? LMAO)

Aright, it's early yet so no menu to post. I just happen to have a lil extra time this morning to lolligag on the 'puter :) I did decide to start calculating the percentage of body weight lost and posting it - a neat little stat!

Also, we've been tossing around the idea of taking a little "break" for Thanksgiving, per P&I. Here is the text under Unforseen Interruptions of Treatment:

If an interruption of treatment lasting more than four days is necessary, the patient must increase his diet to at least 800 Calories by adding meat, eggs, cheese, and milk to his diet after the third day, as otherwise he will find himself so hungry and weak that he is unable to go about his usual occupation. If the interval lasts less than two weeks the patient can directly resume injections and the 500-Calorie diet

I know that Dr. S says "more than four days", but if we stop injections 3 days prior to Turkey Day and then eat (semi) normally, then resume injections the day after, would we stand to gain less weight than if we injected straight through? We were scheduled to start P3 on Thanksgiving, but we've had a few skip-days since then so we will be going through that weekend. Then we could do P3 for 3 weeks and re-load Xmas Eve and Xmas! :D What does everybody think?

LOL It's going to get to the point where you guys will have to log onto my blog three times a day just to get all of the prattle and updates! OK - just so everyone knows, when I got dressed for work this morning I tried on a pair of size 9/10 khakis I bought at a thrift store and couldn't get on to save my LIFE a few weeks ago... I CAN BUTTON THEM NOW!! HALLELUJIA!

OK, back to work again... ;D

Day 28 VLCD (First Round)

2007-11-05T20:03:00.000-05:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 161.2
Today: 162.0
0.8 lb. GAINED Overnight
18.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.65 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 223.2
Today: ?
? lb. Released Overnight
? lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: about 0.91 lb.

Eddie went to bed without his shot last night and didn't weigh this morning. :P Rough day. Hopefully he'll be back on it tomorrow.

I figured I'd gain some today. I weighed myself Sunday much later than usual, and like I said - I'd been a lil naughty the night before. Sooo... I expected to be up. But - I'm down a pound from Saturday yet, so that averages out to a half pound yesterday and today. :) I'm cool with that! Not much to report today. I'm getting that mid-protocol itch, I think. Ready to be done ... maybe the ghost of my cravings and food addiction coming back to haunt me a little. I dunno. I'm kind of hungry today, but I haven't been eating my veggies really at all. We just got some tomatoes at the store, so I'll prolly have those tomorrow .. maybe one tonight.

AUGH! I've got to shake these doldrums! ;) Tomorrow is a new day! My body is going to fight dropping into the 150's for all it's worth I think. I've been in the 160's for a couple of years now... It will come, I know it. Just need to hang in there and have faith in the process.

Menus:

Amie Lunch: chicken and mustard .. sauteed in lemon and orange juice and water. Pretty good! Also one grissini.
Dinner: chicken and mustard, satueed in lemon juice. One grissini.
Snack: apple

Eddie Lunch: grissini and apple
Dinner: chicken and onion

G'night!

Day 27 VLCD (First Round)

2007-11-04T11:48:00.000-05:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 163.0
Today: 161.2
1.8 lb. Released Overnight
19 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.7 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 223.6
Today: 223.2
0.4 lb. Released Overnight
25.6 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.95 lb.

I'm pretty excited about that 1.8. Like REALLY excited.

Not so excited about the way I accomplished it, though. ;) Oh yeah, here we go: I ate lunch yesterday like a good girl. Yay! Halo-points for me! Then I kinda had a blonde moment and skipped dinner... OK, not the end of the world. I went to a friend's house and did NOT eat anything off-protocol. I *did* however, get into the Captain Morgan just a tich. *cough* Aaaannd ... I mixed some of it with Pepsi. Not a whole bunch, but at least one glassful. Oh yeah. Not so smart, that one. I did pound the water after a few drinks, probably six or seven full glasses .. and peed like a racehorse all night! Ha! That's probably where all the weight went.

I did find this in Pounds and Inches - what Dr. S has to say about drinking:

Obese heavy drinkers, even those bordering on alcoholism, often do surprisingly well under HCG and it is exceptional for them to take a drink while under treatment. When they do, they find that a relatively small quantity of alcohol produces intoxication. Such patients say that they do not feel the need to drink. This may in part be due to the euphoria which the treatment produces and in part to the complete absence of the need for quick sustenance from which most obese patients suffer.

So... We'll see if the scale will punish me tomorrow for my transgressions last night. ;)

Eddie... ate a hamburger for dinner last night, but abstained from the onion rings that came with it. lol We are a trainwreck!! But it goes to show - if WE can succeed on this protocol, then ANYONE can!!!

Lunch today was ground beef and cabbage for me, ground beef and onion for Eddie.

Dinner was verrry late tonight. Eddie had chicken and cabbage, sauteed in lemon juice and seasoned with cumin. (?? Don't ask... He's a strange man) He loves the cumin now, after I told him that my meat tasted like a burrito. LOL

Yeah, I was reading back through that post from P&I, and it doesn't sound so good for me! LOL I don't consider myself an alcoholic, but I do know that a few drinks go a long way with the hcg in your system! Whoo-ee! Anyhow, gnight everyone. See you tomorrow!

Biz's Discussion

2007-11-03T16:00:00.000-04:00

Hi all! Just a quick note to let you know that I answered a few questions that Biz put out there on my other blog - you know, so that everyone in my life knows just how I feel! HA! If you don't know how to get there through my info, the address is whosyamamanow dot blogspot dot com.

Read at your own risk! It's kinda R-rated. (Hey! At least it's not NC-17! LOL)

Day 26 VLCD (First Round)

2007-11-03T13:49:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 163.8
Today: 163.0
0.8 lb. Released Overnight
17.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.66 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 224.2
Today: 223.6
0.6 lb. Released Overnight
25.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.97 lb.

It's a great day! We're back on track and releasing again. This weekend is going to be very hectic, so I may not post tonight.

Amie Lunch: ground beef and cabbage

Eddie Lunch: ground beef and onion

Thanks for all the great comments on our pics! You guys are all too awesome, and I for one would be lost without you!

Progress Pics - 11/02/2007

2007-11-02T23:28:00.001-04:00

Aright - not much diff as far as *I* can tell, but I know how rabid y'all are about those progress pics! LOL Say it with me now: NO MORE BACK FAT! NO MORE BACK FAT!! It's getting there!

These are clickable...

P.S. Sorry again about the buttcrack ... and what's up with Eddie's shorts?? ;D

Day 25 VLCD (First Round) with Update

2007-11-02T08:27:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 164.4
Today: 163.8
0.6 lb. Released Overnight
16.4 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.66 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: Between 225.6 and 224.2
Today: 224.2
0-1.4 lb. Released Overnight
24.6 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.98 lb.

LOL We both fell asleep at 9:00 last night and TOTALLY forgot our shots! We took them when Eddie got up this morning at 4:30.

We are doing fine, aside from sneaking a piece of candy here and there (I'm thinking of hiding it in my daughter's room where I can't see it and Eddie can't FIND it! Ha!) Yesterday I ate a grissini and probably waaaaaay too much crab meat for lunch... they had Alaskan King legs on sale for $6.99 per pound and mmmmmmmm soooo gooood! I ate the meat from two legs and two claws, so whatever that amounted to. I did skip my fruits all day and only had mixed greens with ACV and a grissini for dinner, and it didn't seem to mess me up too badly. I might have lost more if I went directly with protocol, but I wasn't going to let the meat go to waste (Eddie won't eat crab and I'm not sure if it tastes OK reheated... ??) But as always, drank a whole bunch of water and - YAY! - I lost. No harm, no foul.

Aright, here we go: Yes, we ate more candy... We're going to see in the next day or two if this is sneaking up or not! I'm sure it will, since Smarties are NOT on the Protocol!! LOL Ah well, I'm throwing the remainder of the candy away tomorrow after Makayla eats what she wants. No more for us - Scout's Honor!

Amie Lunch: NADA - I ate some candy and felt kinda yuck, so I skipped it and drank 2 quarts of water! HA!
Dinner: ground beef seasoned with onion powder, minced organic garlic and pepper. I poured about 2 tablespoons of ACV into my plate and spooned the beef onto it. I think I may have overdone the meat just a little, and it soaked the vinegar right up. VERY GOOD! Even Eddie said it smelled good this time, so I think instead of cooking with ACV, it'll be restricted to condiment only! lol LOTS of water today, probably over a gallon... We'll see how mad the scale is in the morning!

Eddie Lunch: ground beef and cabbage with spicy seasoning
Dinner: chicken and onions sauteed in lemon juice and water, seasoned with Mrs. Dash. Eddie really liked the extra zing the lemon juice gave it. ;)

Pictures to follow later!

Day 23 VLCD (First Round)

2007-10-31T20:08:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 166.0
Today: 165.0
1 lb. Released Overnight
15.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.66 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 226.2
Today: 225.6
0.6 lb. Released Overnight
23.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1 lb.

For Pete's sake. This day was so rough on the VLCD... First we had a late Boss' Day lunch for the doctor.... at Uccello's. I had a grilled chicken caesar salad with NO dressing and a breadstick.
Snack: 1 orange
Dinner was 100g 96/4 ground beef with minced garlic and Herbamare.
Snack: *cough* Ummm.... Wheew, let's see... 1 bag of popcorn, 8 whoppers, 1/2 bite-size Milky-Way, 1 piece of Super Bubble gum, and 2 Mary Janes.

Eddie cheated too.

So there.

;)

Anyways, Eddie had chicken and cabbage for lunch, ground beef and onion for dinner... and just as much candy as me. *sniff*

Ah, well. We'll see how rough Halloween is on our release. I'm really hoping that my body will just ... ignore the sugar rush ... and release another pound+ :D

Let's see how that goes. I feel guilty, like I'm letting everyone down by deviating like this. I'm sorry guys!! I'll be better from now on... No holidays, work trips, no visiting relatives... Things should smooth out between now and P3.

Nighty night!

Day 22 VLCD (First Round)

2007-10-30T21:23:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 166.2
Today: 166.0
0.2 lb. Released Overnight
14.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.65 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 226.2
Today: 226.2
0 lb. Released Overnight
22.6 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.03 lb.

Sorry about skipping days, everyone. I was exhausted last night and ended up in bed before 8:30. Maybe my body is getting ready to release some major pounds?? I can hope! On the up-side ... Eddie STALLED! AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!

*cough*

I mean... That's really, ummm, unfortunate. >:)

So yeah, he's only averaging ONE pound per day. Still not too shabby. The weekends are bad for us and he's thinking of cutting this round short. I guess after tomorrow he could do that .. (??) I should go back to Dr. S and see what he says.

Eddie wants nachos sooo bad. LOL We'll see how long it takes for him to cave... or if he does. He's been surprising so far.

Amie Lunch: NADA! I had a massage today at work. Don't envy me - our massage therapist is a SADIST. Yikes.
Dinner: 1 egg + 3 egg whites, 1/2 tomato, 2 grissini (but they're so GOOD! lol) and 1 orange.

Eddie Lunch: NADA! He fell asleep watching TV last night and overslept this morning... no lunch. Ouch.
Dinner: chicken and onions seasoned with Mrs. Dash and Herbamare, 1 grissini and an orange.

I'm praying for a big drop in the morning - it's about time! Gnight everyone ;)

Day 20 VLCD (First Round)

2007-10-28T22:12:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 166.4
Today: 166.2
0.2 lb. Released Overnight
14 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.7 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 226.6
Today: 226.0
0.6 lb. Released Overnight
22.8 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.14 lb.

This weekend has been very busy. We helped a friend move yesterday and then went to a Halloween concert at a local club last night. Today was a typical Sunday full of cleaning and preparing for another work week. :) Overall good, but I seem to have hit a plateau. I am gaining and losing the same 0.2 pounds it seems, but I know that somewhere I am releasing inches, fat is being redistributed and in the near future I will start seeing lower numbers on my scale, darnit!! lol It probably didn't help that I had a (lite) beer last night. (doh!!) Oh well... even if I only average a half-pound per day during this round, I'm still doing WAY better than any other diet I might follow! I'm hoping to get back up to a 1 pound per day average. That's the goal.

Eddie, as always, is still losing like a champ and thinks it is sooo funny that I hit a stall and he's still melting away. I say it's easy to be competitive when you're already "winning"! I just remind myself that I'm not competing against anyone but myself and my own will-power. (So THERE! lol)

Here's the menu:

Amie Lunch: chicken sauteed in lemon juice and Mrs. Dash, half of a HUGE tomato and one grissini
Dinner: chicken sauteed in lemon juice and Mrs Dash (yeah, not too creative today) and mixed greens with ACV, one grissini and one-half apple

Eddie Lunch: chicken and onion
Dinner: chicken and cabbage

Incidentally, we were at Harvest Health Foods and found this reeeally good organic seasoned salt. It is A. Vogel Herbamare Orginal Organic Herb seasoning salt. The ingredients are: Sea salt, celery leaves, leek, cress (water and garden), onion, chive, parsley, lovage, garlic, basil, marjoram, rosemary, thyme and kelp (with trace iodine). Does not contain (per label) artificial flavorings, dairy products, gluten, anti-caking agents of hydrolyzed vegetable protein. Website: Organicbrandsllc.com in case you want to check it out. :)

'night y'all!

Day 18 VLCD (First Round)

2007-10-26T11:20:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 167.2
Today: 166.4
0.8 lb. Released Overnight
13.8 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.77 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 228.6
Today: 226.4
2.2 lb. Released Overnight
22.4 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.24 lb.

OMG is he KIDDING ME?? 2.2 pound in one day in the middle of VLCD?? I'm checking that man's scale! You know, almost every day Eddie cries to me about wanting NACHOS and then he gets up in the morning and has a 1+ pound loss. MEN! LOL

But in all honesty, I am so proud of Eddie in this protocol. He has really stuck by me and the diet in a way that I never thought he would. Great job Eddie - I love you!!

Pfft ;) Now that THAT'S over (lol) - Here we go, Biz - Any Loss is a Good Loss!

I didn't drink as much water yesterday as I should have, so I'm glad to have lost that much. I have been exceedingly lazy today; my daughter is at our aunt's house until after noon, so I slept in awhile. That isn't going to happen again anytime soon, so I really soaked it! ;D I did mix up a new batch of hcg last night, so we'll see how the fresh mix treats us.

Amie Breakfast: grissini
Snack: apple
Lunch: ground beef seasoned with salt/pepper, garlic/onion powder (big surprise! lol), one grissini, mixed greens with Bragg's aminos and ACV. Incidentally, I really like ACV on beef now - it adds a little bit of bite. Eddie said it smelled really bad, though! LOL
Dinner: chicken seasoned with sage and Mrs. Dash, sauteed in water and lemon juice. A half of a large tomato.

Eddie Breakfast: apple & coffee
Lunch: ground beef (with salt/pepper, Mrs. Dash and tabasco), onion and grissini
Dinner: ?

Eddie went to a Rodney Carrington show tonight with a friend, so he hasn't had dinner yet... Unless he decides to deviate a little and go out for dinner. We'll see when he gets home.

G'night everyone - I did post our Progress Pics below!

Progress Pics 10/26/07

2007-10-25T23:37:00.000-04:00

Here you go - these are clickable!

Day 17 VLCD (First Round)

2007-10-25T12:39:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 168.2
Today: 167.2
1 lb. Released Overnight
13 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.76 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 229.4
Today: 228.6
0.8 lb. Released Overnight
20.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.2 lb.

WOO HOOO for Eddie! He's over the 20 lb. lost mark! I'm ... pluggin along :) I swear that pound I lost yesterday all came out of my boobs! HA! My bra fit very funny this morning, and the skin feels very .. different. Maybe I'll actually be able to buy my bras in "normal" sizes soon! LOL Progress pics and measurements are forthcoming either today or tomorrow.

Amie Lunch: 1 egg + 3 egg whites (need to go shopping!) and the other half of that monster tomato, one grissini and an apple.
Dinner: ground beef and mixed greens, seasoned with Bragg's aminos and ACV, salt/pepper, garlic/onion powder and one grissini

Eddie Breakfast: apple & coffee
Lunch: Greens and ground beef, grissini
Dinner: ground beef and onion, grissini
Both of us had an apple for a late snack at around 9 p.m.

Thanks everybody for your comments, and we have a question: Is sugar-free gum allowed?

xoxo ~ Amie & Eddie

Day 16 VLCD (First Round)

2007-10-24T06:29:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 169.4
Today: 168.2
1.2 lb. Released Overnight
12 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.75 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 230.6
Today: 229.4
1.2 lb. Released Overnight
19.4 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.21 lb.

Nice :) I'll take that! Eddie said he wanted to be in the 228.something lb. range today, but this works! Right now I'm waking up, drinking a big glass of water and getting my bearings before I wake my daughter up.

Amie Lunch: 100g 96/4 ground beef (which has 7% fat in it, btw - how can they get away with that??) seasoned with a little salt, garlic and onion powder, two big handfuls of organic mixed salad greens with Bragg's aminos and ACV, and one grissini.
Dinner: ground beef, one-half large tomato, grissini and an apple

Eddie Lunch: chicken and greens with ACV and grissini
Dinner: ground beef and onion

VLCD Day 15 (First Round)

2007-10-23T19:36:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 170
Today: 169.4
0.6 lb. Released Overnight
10.8 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.72 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 230.8
Today: 230.6
0.2 lb. Released Overnight
18.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.21 lb.

YAAAAAAAAY! I'm back on track! Not much to report today, so here's our menu:

Amie: Breakfast - grissini and apple
Lunch: 96/4 ground beef and one small tomato
Dinner: chicken breast and grissini - no veggie yet (LOL I was going to eat a couple handfuls of organic mixed greens but I forgot until just now. Better get on that.)

Eddie: Breakfast - apple
Lunch: 96/4 ground beef and cabbage
Dinner: 96/4 ground beef and onions

Day 14 VLCD (First Round)

2007-10-22T22:17:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 168.2
Today: 170
1.8 GAINED Overnight
10.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.73 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 232.2
Today: 230.8
1.4 lb. Released Overnight
18 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.3 lb.

Well - there you go. I'm back to the weight I said goodbye to a WEEK ago. DON'T DEVIATE. IT ISN'T WORTH IT!!

Back to good ol' VLCD today. I had lemon-pepper cod with two handfuls of mixed organic salad greens and a small apple. Dinner was lemon-sauteed chicken with celery, a small apple and a piece of Melba toast (my daughter loves the grissini too! lol).

Eddie had an apple for breakfast, 96/4 ground beef and cabbage for lunch, and for dinner he ate chicken and a sliced large tomato.

We'll see if my prayers for forgiveness are answered and the scale starts moving again tomorrow. Night y'all!

Day 13 VLCD (First Round) BIG CHEAT

2007-10-21T21:48:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: ?
Today: 168.2
0 lb. Released Overnight
12 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0.92 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 233
Today: 232.2
0.8 lb. Released Overnight
16.6 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.23 lb.

I am
NOT
SMART.

OK, so the trip went alright. I ended up diverting a bit from protocol for a couple of meals and getting chinese at the airport before we departed for home. No soda. Lots of water. No bread. Overall OK. I got home and this morning I weighed 168.2 and was OK with that. THEN, my sister and I went shopping tonight and I ended up caving and getting Wendy's. Not half-healthy Wendy's mind you - a FRIED chicken sandwich with french fries and a Pepsi. AAAAAARRRGH! I shudder to think what the scale will say in the morning... But I brought it on myself. I accept it, and I won't beat myself up over it. Tomorrow is another day and I am BACK on-protocol.

I did eat a semi-normal lunch .. minus a veggie. I had lemon juice-sauteed chicken with Mrs. Dash, half of a small apple and one of our homemade grissini. (DELICIOUS btw - if you eat grissini, check out the recipe in my previous post. Awesome.) So that didn't help the hunger factor tonight, not eating a veg and skimping on the fruit.

Eddie has been a very good boy, and it shows in his loss. GO, EDDIE!! I am SO proud of him. THANK YOU for all of the great comments on our pics! In case anyone noticed, we changed our 'Goal' weights to show what our goals are for JUST THIS ROUND. 150 lb. for me and 210 lb. for Eddie.

G'night for now!

Progress Pics 10/18/07

2007-10-19T00:19:00.001-04:00

Here we are! MUCH better than last night's pics. Click the image for a larger view, if you dare! LOL

P.S. I'll be leaving at 10 a.m. for MN and will be gone overnight, so I won't be able to post tomorrow night. I am also thinking of allowing myself ONE "cheat" meal since we'll be eating out the entire time. I don't think I'll want to cheat, per se, but I have this feeling the restaurants we're going to will be very hcg-unfriendly. :P I'll let you know how that goes! LOL Ta-ta for now!

Day 10 VLCD (First Round) & Grissini Recipe Links

2007-10-18T08:08:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 169.6
Today: 168.0
1.6 lb. Released Overnight
12.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.22 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 236.0
Today: 234.8
1.2 lb. Released Overnight
14.0 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.4 lb.

See? What'd I tell ya?? I'm the stair-step Queen! LOL I even ate all of my calories yesterday, and my body seemed to like that. :D Eddie, I guess bcz he's a man, is losing more consistantly and a little more. However, he does have more to lose and his body is more used to losing weight than mine is. Eight years ago he was well over 200 lb. when he went into the Marines, got down to the 160's then slowly back up when he got out. He's lost 20+ lb. a couple of times since we started dating. SO - his body is used to the yo-yo, where my body likes to sloooowly gain 5 lb. per year.

We took progress pics last night, but I'm not very happy with them. The last ones were taken closer-up and we were both tired and grumpy this time, so they just don't look right. I have the comparison shots ready, but I'll see if Eddie will take another set tonight. Alright? Alright!

OK - I have been having a godawful time trying to find GRISSINI in our area! So I looked online for a suitable recipe and found the links below. There were many more, but I don't have a pasta machine, nor am I a gourmet (nor patient! lol) chef. If I make any of these, I will omit any cheese. Here you go:

Kitchen Link - NO Cheese, NO Special Equipment!

Update: This recipe (Kitchen Link) is absolutely DELICIOUS. Love it!

Epicurious

Find My Recipes

Paper the Town

Food Network

Amie Breakfast: The other half of that monstrous Honeycrisp apple, Melba toast.
Lunch: Cod seasoned with pepper and topped with spicy mustard, sauteed in lemon juice and water. I cover the pan and let it kind of boil in the water/juice for about ten minutes. 3 8-10" stalks of celery, eight strawberries with stevia.
Dinner: Steak seasoned with garlic and onion powder, a dash of allspice and covered with two thick slices of a small onion. Per EweWho's blog entry today, I wrapped it all in a piece of tinfoil and cooked it in my toaster oven for 25 min. at 400 degrees. It is still cooking as we speak, but I'm certain it will be delicious!!

Eddie's Menu: Lunch: ?
Dinner: Steak and tomatoes :)

Day 9 VLCD (First Round)

2007-10-17T13:10:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 169.6
Today: 169.6
0 lb. Released Overnight
10.6 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.18 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 236.2
Today: 236.0
0.2 lb. Released Overnight
12.8 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.42 lb.

Well, any loss is a good loss - so YAY for Eddie! :) And I seem to be stair-stepping my way to success! lol Just had a few minutes home for lunch .. will post menus, etc. later.

Sorry for the delay everybody :) This is what we ate:

Amie: Lunch - sauteed steak with garlic, aminos and pepper. 1 tomato, 1 Melba toast & seven strawberries with stevia.
Dinner: 100g 96/4 ground beef seasoned with onion powder, garlic powder and pepper, pan-cooked to well done and 1 small sliced tomato. 1/2 large Honeycrisp apple & 1 Melba toast.

Eddie: I'm not sure - he didn't tell me before he went to bed! lol

Day 8 VLCD (First Round)

2007-10-16T09:26:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 171.0
Today: 169.6
1.4 lb. Released Overnight
10.6 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.33 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 237.4
Today: 236.2
1.2 lb. Released Overnight
12.6 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.58 lb.

WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!

I had to post this bcz I am so excited that we're back to losing! AND I've lost over 10 pounds!! *happydance*happydance*happydance*

Okay - sorry the rest of this is so late! My sister flew in from CA last week and today was the first chance I got to spend any time with her... plus I had to bake two cakes (spice cake and Hershey's triple chocolate fudge, just so you know my pain! lol) ... plus my dishwasher was billowing smoke earlier today so I had a sinkful of dishes to try to tackle. All is pretty well in this neck of the woods, except that I won't get more than four hours of sleep tonight! Ack! Menus:

Amie:
Lunch: Cod sauteed in ACV and lemon juice, seasoned with ground pepper, and one tomato.
Snack: Melba toast and one apple.
Dinner: This is freaking me out... I honestly can't remember what I ate for dinner! I remember eating when I got home from work a little after 1 p.m. and hanging out with my sister. I remember Eddie making his dinner. I don't remember eating at all after 5 p.m. except for one apple. I'll have to ask my sister if she saw me make something because at this point I think I skipped it by accident!! I did feel extra hungry tonight, it didn't go away when I drank water and I wondered why. LOL

Eddie:
Breakfast: Apple & coffee
Lunch: grilled steak in broth and celery.
Dinner: Cod and red cabbage seasoned with spicy stuff.

I know I said we would do pics and measurements again today, but Eddie went to bed a couple of hours ago ... So I promise sometime this week!

Day 7 VLCD (First Round)

2007-10-15T21:57:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 170.8
Today: 171.0
0 lb. Released Overnight - 0.2 lb. GAIN
9.2 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.31 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 237.0
Today: 237.4
0 lb. Released Overnight - 0.4 lb. GAIN
11.4 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.63 lb.

Okay. I'm not going to panic. There are several potential contributing factors to our weight gain today:
1. We weighed at different times in the morning this weekend. Like I said, we get up around 8 or 9 a.m. on the weekend, which is when we weighed ourselves, then we got up this morning early as usual and weighed in.
2. We've been eating a lot of salt. This weekend especially, after releasing all of that water weight and becoming more comfortable with the whole process, we've been seasoning a lot. There is at least one of our seasonings that has malodextrin or something in it, which I am suspicious of.
3. We didn't drink as much water this weekend as we did all week. Just being lazy. We drank a lot more tea and coffee than usual.
4. We've been eating a lot of the same meat on the same day.
5. Okay, okay. I didn't CHEAT really ... I just momentarily forgot myself and swiped a bit of ketchup off of my daughter's bologna sandwich with my finger and stuck it in my mouth. Complete accident - force of habit. It was probably less than a teaspoon but still not good.

Okay. I'm done freaking out. We're still averaging over a pound per day. It's going to be O - KAY. :)

Menu was pretty average today.
Amie: 100g steak and 175g celery for lunch - seasoned with garlic, 5 squirts Bragg's aminos & pepper (no added salt). Dinner was 100g steak with organic baby spinach greens, seasoned with allspice, garlic powder and McCormick Original Season All (seasoned salt). That's the one that concerns me. Snack: 1 apple.
Eddie: Lunch - chicken with curry spice and cabbage. Dinner - steak and onion rings. He subbed 1 Melba toast for the grissini since we're having a tough time finding it around here. Snack: 1 apple.

Ingredients in McCormick Original Season All: Salt, Spices (including chili pepper, black pepper and celery seed), onion, paprika, maltodextrin, garlic, silicon dioxide (added to make free-flowing) and annatto (color). This is the best seasoned salt we could find at the local grocer. It's pretty good but I'll take it off the menu if there's bad stuff in there.

Ok, cherrio for now .. Off to bed. Pleeeeeeeeeeeese God let me lose tomorrow!

Day 6 VLCD (First Round) & Work Trip

2007-10-14T19:50:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 171.2
Today: 170.8
0.4 lb. Released Overnight
9.4 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.57 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 237.4
Today: 237.0
0.4 lb. Released Overnight
11.8 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.97 lb.

I'm not complaining - still over 1 lb. release average per day! We both finally went #2 today ... AFTER weigh-in of course. So I'm hoping for a bigger release tomorrow. Things are pretty smooth now: very little hunger easily taken care of with water or tea, we have our meals down almost to a science. :)

Amie Menu
Breakfast: Orange
Lunch: 100g BSCB and 200g cabbage boiled in broth with sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper.
Snack: 1 Melba toast
Dinner: 100g BSCB and 110g organic baby spinach seasoned with allspice, salt & pepper.

Eddie Menu
Breakfast: Apple & coffee
Lunch: 100g steak and organic baby spinach greens
Dinner: 100g chicken and cabbage
I feel like I'm getting less and less original with our menus ... Sorry about that. :)

Incidentally, I'm going on a trip for work this weekend and will be gone for two days. How do I deal with this? Can I take my hcg with me? I'll be sharing a room with two other women and there is no kitchen, so even if I were to go to the store and buy food - how would I prepare it? I guess I hadn't thought about this before.

Please help!

Day 5 VLCD (First Round)

2007-10-13T09:29:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 172.4
Today: 171.2
1.2 lb. Released Overnight
9 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.8 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 238.4
Today: 237.4
1 lb. Released Overnight
11.4 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 2.28 lb.

WooHoo! Another 1.2 and 1 lb. gooone fooreverrr!! And I guess I hadn't noticed it before, but according to my BMI I am NO LONGER OBESE! Eddie and I are both starting to feel lighter and see the difference in each other. It is amazing how it's hard to see an almost-10 lb. change in myself, but I really don't. Hopefully the progress pics will be "revealing"!

**TMI ALERT!**TMI ALERT!**
You've been warned. ;)

OK, so neither of us has been able to poop (HA! I said it! *snort*) since we started. I'm not feeling bloated or anything yet, but Eddie is really feeling the pressure. I have a feeling we'll be using some of the KleriTea I got with a Dr. Natura cleansing kit to help move things along, as it were. It works great and the chamomile has a wonderful, relaxing effect right before bed.

Amie Menu:
Breakfast: Orange
Lunch: 100g BSCB sauteed with broth, garlic, oregano and basil. Veggie was about 90g of organic baby salad greens. I was halfway done eating, got distracted by something else and FORGOT for about 20 min. that I had the rest of my lunch sitting there. That would NOT have happened before hcg!! No hunger pangs at all! Hallelujia!!
Dinner: Lemon Chicken Soup, 1 Melba toast and 1 apple.

Eddie Menu:
Breakfast: Apple & coffee
Lunch: 100g BSCB seasoned with Mrs. Dash Hot & Spicy and 150g cabbage. 1 Melba toast.
Dinner: 100g BSCB well-seasoned ;) - 150g organic baby spinach, 1 apple & 1 Melba toast.

Day 4 VLCD (First Round)

2007-10-12T20:21:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 173.8
Today: 172.4
1.4 lb. Released Overnight
7.8 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 1.95 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 240.0
Today: 238.4
1.6 lb. Released Overnight
10.4 lb. Released Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 2.6 lb.

Amie Menu:
Breakfast: Orange
Lunch: 100g BSCB (Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast) with garlic and rosemary, a few squirts of Bragg's aminos, a capful of ACV and about 90g of cabbage. 1 Melba toast.
Dinner: 100g veal with garlic, Bragg's aminos and ground pepper. I started weighing my veggies per Biz's advice and I realized just how much of your veggie you can eat and still stay under 500 cal's! I weighed out just over 150g of cabbage tonight for dinner (that seems to be my fave lately!) and I could hardly get it all down!! I'm very happy with how full and satisfied I feel now after eating all of that. Very encouraging. I'm debating whether or not I'll be eating my second fruit and Melba tonight. We'll see. Oh yes, about 1 T of spicy mustard on the side for dipping/dressing. Spartan spicy mustard rocks.

Eddie's Menu:
Breakfast: Orange & coffee with FIVE PACKETS of powdered stevia! He's been having issues with lethargy and hunger today, and I think that it has something to do with the lack of veggies and the powdered stevia. He says he's been using between four and seven packets per day, so it is a very good possibility. We went to Apple Valley Foods today and got a big bottle of liquid stevia extract, so should be set now. I almost got the Chocolate flavor, but we have to budget very carefully this week. :(
Lunch: 100g BSCB grilled on the Foreman with garlic & pepper, one sliced tomato and one Melba toast.
Dinner: 100g veal seasoned with crushed red pepper and horseradish and black pepper. 180g of cabbage cooked in the juice, which I found out is delicious so I'm SO going to boil up some broth this weekend, and one Melba. Eddie was way stuffed with that amount of cabbage and said he probably wouldn't make that much at once again. I'm amazed that so much less food than before will make us full! Today was a big test also, because we got my daughter Wendy's for dinner. Neither of us had eaten yet, and I was AMAZED that I didn't even want to munch on her fries. If one thing has been my downfall, it has been fast food. I am so so so addicted to it, and though I think about Taco Bell from time to time between meals, when it is actually in front if me I don't want any of it.

I love hcg.

Measurements!

2007-10-11T22:46:00.000-04:00

Finally got off our butts tonight and measured each other. I figured my regular post was long enough to warrant posting them seperately.

Amie
Bust: 44 (these are all in inches, btw)
Chest: 35.5
Waist: 36
Hips: 41
Thigh: 24.5
Knee: 18.5
Calf: 15
Upper Arm: 12.5
Forearm: 10

Eddie
Bust: 45.5 (LOL - Had to post that one since he swore up and down his couldn't be bigger than mine)
Chest: 43
Waist: 41
Hips: 45
Thigh: 27.5
Knee: 20
Calf: 18
Upper Arm: 14
Forearm: 12.5

As an aside, I am starting to miss other food. "Other" meaning fried, processed or otherwise not-healthy, and eating enough of it to make myself uncomfortably full. I'm not going to freak out, though, because I know that these cravings are just going to take a little time to go away. They are not permanent, I am not going to starve, and I actually feel pretty dang good. :) There's my little ray of sunshine for the night - sweet dreams everyone.

Day 3 VLCD (First Round) & Questions

2007-10-11T13:05:00.001-04:00

(sorry about the big spaces - blogger's acting funny)

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2

Yesterday: 176.0

Today: 173.8

2.2 lb. Lost Overnight

6.4 lb Lost Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07

Average Weight Release Per Day: 2.13 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8

Yesterday: 244.0

Today: 240.0

4 lb. Lost Overnight

8.8 lb. Lost Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07

Average Weight Release Per Day: 2.93 lb.

Amie's Menu:

Breakfast: Water

Lunch: 100g Cod cooked in one capful of lemon juice (is that legal, or do I have to actually squeeze a lemon??) and a little water - I use a small frying pan. I seasoned it with fresh ground pepper, a few shakes of salt, oregano, basil and garlic (of course!). Like last night, I ripped up a few cabbage leaves (seasoned with basil, salt and pepper - there was still some garlic in the pan), added enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and cooked them about 8 minutes. Very good! Also 1 piece of Melba toast.

Dinner: More cod and Melba toast. :P We have to go shopping. I cut it into little pieces and cooked it my pan with a little water, diced tomato, salt/pepper and basil.
Snack: Apple

Eddie's Menu: (Sorry for the lack of detail. He rattles it off and I type it in.)
Breakfast: apple and coffee
Lunch: steak, greens, tomato, Melba toast (yes, I know - two veggies)
Dinner: cod, tomato, Melba toast
Snack: orange

Still hungry today, but nothing terrible. I'm considering upping our dose, but honestly am not sure how to do that. Energy has been pretty good, and I've been downing a good amount of Yerba Mate tea at work just for the little extra pick-me-up. I feel a *little* woosy before/during meals sometimes, but I figure that's par for the course. Overall, not too shabby.

We've come up with a couple of questions, if y'all don't mind...

1) How do you measure your veggies? One tomato is easy enough, but how do you know how much of your greens, cabbage, celery, radishes, onion, etc. to use without going over?

2)How do I keep track of my calories? I tried FitDay, but I must be some kind of nitwit because I can't figure out how to get the caloric value of 100g of boneless, skinless chicken or anything else. Very frustrating . We want to make sure we aren't going over, and (more importantly *g*) that we are getting close to 500 calories per day.

Day 2 VLCD (First Round)

2007-10-10T22:59:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 180.2
Today: 176.0
Lost Overnight 4.2 lb.
4.2 lb. Lost Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 2.1 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 244.0
Today: 242.0
2.0 lb. Lost Overnight
6.8 lb. Lost Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 3.4 lb.

ha HA! Take THAT, fat pants!! :D

Amie's Menu
Breakfast: Water
Lunch: Curried Broiled Cod (very quick, easy and delish!)
Snack: 1 piece Melba toast and 1 orange
Dinner: I actually got a little creative with dinner today. We bought lean, thinly-sliced "sandwich steaks" which we cut into 100g portions. I put one portion into a small frying-pan with a little water, a few squirts of Bragg's Aminos and one spoonful of organic minced garlic. I cooked the beef to about med-well, removed it from the pan and left the liquid & extra garlic. I ripped about three leaves of cabbage into strips and cooked them for 5ish minutes, (So I'm not the most precise cook. lol) adding a few shakes of dried basil leaves. I cut the steak into 1-2 cm pieces, piled the cabbage on top and added a small squirt of spicy mustard on the side for dipping and "dressing". It was SO GOOD. I really hope I didn't break any VLCD rules with that one... don't think I did, except that I could have drained the liquid out of the pan before cooking the cabbage. Any thoughts??
Snack: 1 apple and 1 piece Melba toast

We are allowed two pieces of Melba toast per day, right? I wouldn't have eaten that second piece, but I was still pretty hungry after dinner. I think I just needed the psychological satisfaction of eating one more thing, because after I ate the toast and drank down a big glass of water I felt fine. I didn't struggle with hunger much today except near the very end. Wednesdays are our long days at the office, and tonight we had patients still in the office at 8:15 p.m. when I could finally leave.

I'm honestly not sure what Eddie ate today. Coffee and probably a fruit for breakfast. I know it was steak for both lunch and dinner. Maybe not good to have two same proteins in one day, but we don't have any chicken in the house right now and he isn't a big fish fan. I think he ate grilled steak and mixed greens for lunch and grilled steak with tomato for dinner. How's THAT for excitement?! *snort* We'll be dabbling with soups, etc. more later. Maybe this weekend when I have a little time to relaaaax.

That's it for now... Night night!

Day 1 VLCD (First Round) & Eddie's Before Pics!

2007-10-09T21:44:00.000-04:00

Amie Starting Weight: 180.2
Yesterday: 180.2
Today: 180.2
0 lb. Lost Overnight
0 lb. Lost Since Start of VLCD 10/09/2007
Average Weight Release Per Day: 0 lb.

Eddie Starting Weight: 248.8
Yesterday: 248.8
Today: 244.0
4.8 lb. Lost Overnight
4.8 lb. Lost Since Start of VLCD 10/09/07
Average Weight Release Per Day: 4.8 lb.

LOL - not much to report for me just yet, but I thought we could at least get started. Eddie, on the other hand, is already kicking my butt! Could be because he drank about 4 liters of water today .. while I managed a little less than 2. :P Will be working on that.

For breakfast I had ... nothing. :)
Lunch for me was 100g grilled chicken breast which I dribbled with the juice of one wedge of orange. I ate the rest of the orange, chicken and a handful of organic mixed salad greens with one piece of Melba toast.
I ate one apple as a snack before dinner.

Eddie ate one apple for breakfast.
Eddie's lunch was one apple and a WHOLE PACKAGE (about 5 pieces) of Melba toast. lol Oops. Stinken man still lost, though!
Eddie ate 100g of grilled chicken seasoned with Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy when he got home at 5 p.m.

Dinner was chicken pizzaiola for both of us, (thank you, Renee!) which we ate just before 9 p.m. We are going to work on the dinner time.

Eddie's Befores - Clickable:

VLCD, Pics and ... Some TMI :D

2007-10-09T09:42:00.000-04:00

PICS ARE CLICKABLE NOW! :)

We are trying to get into this whole VLCD groove... Last night Eddie forgot to make his chicken for lunch today, so he was running around asking, "What can I eat??" at 5:00 this morning. (grrrr! lol) I think he took an apple, a tomato and a Melba toast or something... I honestly can't remember. I'll grill up some chicken and he can have it for a "snack" when he gets home from work around 5. We usually don't eat dinner until after 7 p.m. I hope it is OK for him to have his protein that close together... ?? .. Today I will have an apple for breakfast and likely grilled chicken with some kind of seasoning on it with sliced tomato for lunch. Tonight ... I haven't gotten that far yet. lol I have to go through all of those wonderful recipes on Renee's blog and figure out which ones we will use. For today anyhow, things will be very boring.

For those of you who are having some issues in the "bathroom" department on Phase II - I got this great link awhile ago from the HCG Dieter's Yahoo group. It has worked wonders for me many times since. ;) HTH.

Welcome, VLCD! (and Before Pics)

2007-10-08T22:23:00.000-04:00

Enough already! I am so over this loading thing. Eddie and I will attest that hcg has truly tempered our appetite. It was all we could do to stuff down any amount of food today, let alone load all day. We did manage, and I had my probably-last-ever "Free to Pick 3" fried appetizer combo at Logan's Roadhouse tonight. I can't say that I even enjoyed it, when just two weeks ago I gobbled one down like I hadn't seen food in months. I watched Eddie force down an 11-oz. sirloin with a look on his face like, "Just a few more bites..." We are both (former) huge fans of food, so tonight was nothing short of a miracle! We have to locate the flexible tape before we can post measurements... sigh... guess that's as good a reason as any to get this house picked up! *snort*

Here are my Official Before Pictures. They are clickable now, so you can see me up close. Ugh! lol (P.S. Really, really sorry about that little bit of cheekage in the "back" pic - hope I'm not violating any terms of service or something. Feel free to send nasty-grams to Eddie for NOT telling me I had a wedgie. Yikes.)

Sick Sick Sick

2007-10-08T00:35:00.000-04:00

Argh! If adversity only makes us stronger, I'm going to end up the strongest woman around!

So - my second official load day was spent 90% in the bathroom with the flu! I couldn't keep anything down until about 9:00 tonight. LOL and sigh...

So, I guess I should do a third (or I guess a "second" second .. *g*) load day .. ?? .. or should I do another two load days since there was about 24 hours between my two load days? I guess I should go back and see if Dr. Simeons says anything about it in Pounds and Inches.

Injections are going well. We are using 1" 25g needles, and I think I *might* have nicked a muscle yesterday when injecting Eddie. He has a bit of padding over his abs (*g*) but he said it hurt quite a bit. (Eddie's a big baby, mind you. lol) I was careful today to make sure the needle went in on an angle, and he said there was very little stinging.

Onward and upward!

We DID IT!

2007-10-05T22:27:00.001-04:00

*happydance*happydance*happydance*

We did it! We injected our first HCG at 10 p.m. - which is much later than I had anticipated, but mixing our first batch was quite the harrowing experience... If you want, I'll give you the details (it's pretty funny actually - those rubber stoppers do NOT like the 18g mixing needle I started out using. Oy.), but for now I'll just get to the nitty-gritty.

My beginning weight: 179.8
Eddie's beginning weight: 247.6

I'll post measurements later. In case you're wondering, I did end up giving Eddie his first shot. He layed down on the couch and covered his eyes... It was too funny. All went well - It honestly did NOT hurt. We didn't "load" today, perse. We didn't even eat our first meal until after noon, but tomorrow and Sunday we'll load seriously.

Alrighty then... Gnight!

FRIDAY

2007-10-05T11:05:00.001-04:00

It's FRIDAY! Official first Load-Day of our HCG Protocol! WHOOPEEE!

...

And I'm avoiding it like the Plague.

...

Some reservations:

First of all, I'm scared as hell that I'm going to start this and just end up cheating and wasting all of my money because I can't stick with a "diet" that doesn't allow me to eat all of the crappy Taco Bell, Burger King, etc. that I want. Gross, I know. :(

Also, we can't do morning injections because Eddie goes to work M-Th at 5:30 a.m. and F-Sun doesn't get up until 10 a.m. or so. We could do the injections at night, but I'm afraid it won't work as well ... or not at all.

Finally, I'm going on at least two trips this month. One trip will be to a Chiropractic conference, which I have to go to or lose my job. The other, which I can postpone, is to a University out-of-state that I'm applying to. My sister is also flying in from CA some time in the next couple of weeks, which poses less of a problem, but could still complicate things.

I've been loading today... kinda... I didn't eat breakfast (doh!) but I did have pancakes, sausage and an egg covered in organic maple syrup for lunch and tortilla chips with cheese-salsa for a snack. I usually don't start eating until later in the day anyhow, so as long as I keep eating until tonight I should be good, right? Well, I'm going to mix my HCG here soon so wish me luck!

Hasta ~ Amie