P2R2 Day 39: The End is Just the Beginning

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 ;)

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.

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 34: Over 15/35 Pounds Gone!

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.

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

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

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

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...

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!

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!

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

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) ~*~

P2R2 Day 14 - Expect the Unexpected

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

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!

P2R2 Day 12: What a Crappy Day!

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...

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 7 - Over 25 lb. Lost Using HCG!

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

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! ~*~

R2P2 Day 5 - Blogging, Blogging, Blogging

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!

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...