P3 Day 6 108.6 (-0.3, +3.1 over LDW)

Well, it's a little better anyway.

I thought (hard) about doing a steak day today, then decided I simply didn't want to. And I've always read that you need to do it the day you go over the 2 pound mark, or it's not as effective. Frankly if I'd gone through with it and lost 0.3, I'd be upset LOL. So today, I will continue the no cheese program, drink lots of water, and carry on as normal.

Happy Thanksgiving by the way!!

Being new in town, and not knowing anyone yet, will make for a quiet day. A coworker at my new job invited me over, and I may go, haven't decided yet. I spoke to those I love this morning and wished them a happy Thanksgiving, and that was lovely. The quiet day is not a bad thing for stabilization anyway, no real temptation.

Stay tuned for the progress I hope to see tomorrow!

P3 Day 5 108.9 (+1.0, +3.4 over LDW)

Arrgh and the restaurant food strikes!

Today I kept going, cheese free etc, I had 2 eggs fried in butter for breakfast, bulletproof coffee, egg salad (with sugar free mayo) over mixed salad greens for lunch, chicken thigh and an egg with salad greens with olive oil (and a dollop of sour cream on the chicken) for dinner. Snack was some cream cheese (I'm not including that in my no cheese experiment for now... if I need to, it will go too.)

We'll see what the scale says tomorrow. I bought a huge steak today in case I need to do a steak day tomorrow. I am determined to finish stabilization at my LDW, and I'm sure I'll stabilize to there in the remaining 2.5 weeks.

Oh, and I was called skinny by a very forthright lady (new coworker) at the lunch yesterday! Me! It's a whole new world, I'm telling you!!

Onwards!

P3 Day 4 107.9 (+0.1, +2.4 over LDW)

Okay, another slight gain... not great.

Today was my first day of no cheese, and it's gone great. There's only one thing that I'm worried about, and that is that we went for a going away lunch for the lady I'm replacing at my job. I had to go, and I ordered the most innocent thing I could see on the menu. I ordered a burger (no cheese, discarded the bun) and had a side salad.

That said, I could taste the sugar in everything. And found it very salty. I'm worried about tomorrow as P3 is strictly no sugar, no starch. But I did my best, and if Thursday ends up being a steak day (my version of Thanksgiving lol...) then so be it. I drank a lot of water today,  11 glasses, so hopefully that will have flushed stuff out. Also, TMI alert, had some very, umm, productive BMs today. Much needed.

There was a tiny bit of feta in the salad, and I had one bite of artichoke dip, so there was a little cheese in that too, but other than that, no cheese. I'm quite pleased with how well I did in that area.

Wish me luck with the scale gods for tomorrow!

P3 Day 3 107.8 (+0.7, +2.3 over LDW)

Yes, I know I should run screaming straight to a steak day... however...

TMI alert!!!

With the addition of potassium and magnesium, things are, ahem, moving along better...

I had a comment on yesterday's post that has gotten me thinking... along the lines of every encounter with the protocol being different - maybe at this time, I can't handle cheese as well as I used to. A big part of doing Phase 3 is having an open mind, paying attention to your body, seeing what works, what doesn't.

Thank you Skinny Cow for speaking up and supporting me in that experiment, that having an open mind :)

I'm going to try a little experiment for the next two days.

No cheese. At all. And see what the scale ends up saying on Thursday. Can't hurt, and frankly now I'm curious to see what could happen! Cheese may have to go on the list of occasional foods, which would be sad, but what do I want more? To keep this fabulously lean new me, or to eat cheese? It's only food after all, and trust me, no cheese tastes as good as being this size and weight feels!

I'm not giving up the bacon (or the pork rinds lol, although truthfully I'm finding them a tad salty, so they can sit in the cupboard no problem), so don't even try LOL.

Anyhoo, we'll see what happens, should be fun!

P3 Day 2 107.1 (1.6 over LDW)

Well, not totally unexpected.

It's funny how each experience with HCG is different (kind of like each pregnancy is different, or so I'm told). I've been constipated, so I'm taking some potassium and magnesium with each meal to get things moving again.

Wasn't feeling too good this morning. I woke up at 7am, then went back to sleep until almost 11am. Which is where the K and Mg comes in lol.

Food wise has been much less than yesterday. Bullet proof coffee (which is coffee with butter and heavy whipping cream in it. You can also put coconut oil in it), and 2 eggs with bacon and cheese and butter for breakfast. Some pork rinds (3 or 4), some cheese slices with bacon as a snack. And dinner will be some beef fried up with onion and celery. Then as a side I'll have a tomato with a little mozzarella and olive oil. So all in all, getting closer to being structured again in my eating, 3 meals and a snack.

Onwards!

P3 Day 1 106.6

Well, day one of phase 3 - stabilization went very well. I was lucky that my gut didn't object to the change in food, I think that has to do with the fact that it was already put through the wringer by excessive sugar free gum chewing over the 72 hour weaning off period (sorry for the TMI).

The last three days looked as follows:

 P2 Day 184 - LDW 105.5 (-0.2) (this is also 0-24 hours in the weaning off period)
P2 Day 185 (25-48 hours) - 106.0 (+0.5)
P2 Day 186 (49-72hours) - 106.0 (-0.0)

And today, P3, 106.6 (+0.6)

I ate my way through today, I was alternately hungry and stuffed, craving a lot of protein and fat. I'm nervous about tomorrow, feeling bloated and full. But, I've felt this way on the first night of P3 before, and nothing terribly drastic tends to happen on the scale on day 2. If it is a scary number tomorrow, I know what to do. And in any case, tomorrow will be more structured (as in 3 meals and a snack), so that will be good.

Anyway, that's it for today's report!

LDW 105.5 - The 72 Hour Countdown Begins

Well here we are in the 0-24 window!

I took my last dose this morning and today's weight is the one I'll go by as I move through P3 and P4. 

Tummy was a tad gurgly this morning but so far that's the only difference from any other day on HCG. 

Onwards!

P2 Day 183 105.6 (-0.2) (-61.1)

Nearly there, tomorrow morning will be my last dose.  Yay! 

It also coincides nicely with my starting a new job. Cool huh? Two weeks in my new locale and I have work!

Not much news, the next three days will be an exercise in patience as I wait to be able to move on to P3. 

Nite all!

P2 Day 182 105.8 (-0.1) (-60.9)

Slight decrease. Guess I'm leveling off. Pretty happy at this weight anyhow. 

Two more days on HCG then the weaning off period of 72 hours. Then P3 starts on Saturday. 

Onwards!

P2 Day 181 105.9 (+0.5) (-60.8)

Well, that was a glitchy little gain, I suspect it was either increased salt intake yesterday, or a reaction to the diet peach iced tea I had late last night. Either way, neither will be appearing in today's menu, so I'm sure it'll be gone tomorrow.

The countdown is here, the HCG is running low, and I am ready to go on to other food, to the fatty goodness of Phase 3 stabilization. Wednesday morning will be my last dose, so whatever I weigh then will be my Last Dose Weight (LDW). It is this number that is a big deal during P3 and P4 (maintenance), where you do corrective days if you go more than 2 pounds over this number.

Whoo hoo!!! Almost there!

P2 Day 180 105.4 (-0.5) (-61.3) GOAL!!!!

Ok a day late, but...

GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So excited and proud!!

And that's also 8 sizes down and a total of 75.25 inches lost!

Yay me!!!

P2 Day 179 105.9 (-0.5) (-60.8) GOAL RANGE!

Wow! That latest release puts me pretty much at goal! That dream goal I didn't think was attainable. I will consider myself officially at goal at 105.4 and under (that whole rounding up thing). But I'm basically there!! Wow!!!!!!

My last dose will be Wednesday morning so that P3 will start next Saturday. I'll need that morning near the bathroom as my body adjusts to new food (apologies for the TMI but that's the reality for me the first morning of phase 3). 

Measurements (inches lost, sizes down) and after pics to follow on Wednesday. 

Wow!!!

P2 Day 178 106.4 (-0.7) (-60.3)

Wow!!! I've lost 60.3 pounds and I'm one tiny little pound away from my goal!

So excited!!!!!

Another busy day ahead, with an interview for a temp assignment this afternoon and some library time to start preparing for a test to qualify for an interview for a job with my local city government next week. Exciting times as my life in my new city comes together!

And OMG - one pound to go!

Day 177 Update - 107.1 (-59.6)

Sorry I haven't been updating much, it's been an incredibly busy time. I finally got to move into my apartment the day after my last post. Still working on getting internet at home so blogging is either on my phone (like right now) or at a place with wireless. Either way a little inconvenient. 

Anyhow here's the update:

Day 172 - 108.6

Day 173 - 108.4

Day 174 - 107.9

Day 175 - 107.6

Day 176 - 107.6

Day 177 - 107.1

Soooo close to that dream number of 105!

Very cool thing happened on the weekend. I went to a meet up and got to meet Jimmy Moore, of Livin La Vida Lowcarb fame! He's a great guy, he and his wife are so nice and genuine, and I have huge respect for him for not only his weight loss but his commitment to spreading the word about the health benefits if a low carb way of eating. Check out his blog if you have a chance!

Low carb is how I plan to maintain my weight after stabilization. 

Sleep and energy are good, had such a busy day yesterday I didn't realize I hadn't had lunch until dinner time!

Anyway better get on with the day! :)

P2 Day 171 Update 108.9 (-57.8)

Still trucking along, I should be moving from my temporary apartment to my permanent one today, which will be nice, it will be good to be settled, those additional days of limbo were a little tough although of course I was making the best of it:-)

Here's the update of the last few days:

Day 169 - 109.2 (+0.1) (-57.5)

Day 170 - 109.3 (+0.1) (-57.4)

Energy is good, sleep is good although I did take some melatonin last night to help me get to sleep as my brain was in worry mode. TOM still present. 

Onwards!

P2 Day 169 109.2 (+0.1) (-57.5)

Well, a slight increase that I am attributing to TOM. Very dragged out today, which again I am blaming on TOM. 

Onwards!

P2 Day 168 Update - 109.1 (-57.6)

Here's a little update of the weekend:

Day 167	109.5	0.1	57.2
Day 168	109.1	0.4	57.6

Energy is good,I'm sleeping well, life is good :)

I have to make one comment though, it's very odd to look in the mirror nowadays... when I'd reached goal before, I didn't have this sensation, but this time, and I don't know if it's the extra couple of pounds, that I'm leaner, or that it's because it's been a couple of years since I was last this size, but I'm hardly recognizing the woman in the mirror. I've honestly never experienced this at lower weights. When large, I have, in that I haven't fully understood how large I was.

This is different. Good, but different. I'm looking forward to getting to know that lean woman I see in the mirror, and lord I know I love how clothes look on her LOL.

Physically I really notice a difference. For example, I am so much stronger and more flexible than when heavy. When I was loading the truck for the move down here, I was able to lift more, climb all over the truck getting things in and on it. What a difference from when I was 50 pounds heavier, readying the truck for the last move seven months ago. I am thrilled!

In the TMI department, TOM just showed up, so even if I hadn't wanted to mix another batch today (last of old batch consumed this morning, so I'll mix a new batch for tonight's dosing), I would have had to anyway. You have to have at least a week to ten days (if memory serves) between end of Phase 2 and TOM.

Anyway, on we go!!! Excited!!!!

Day 166 Update 109.6

Yep you read that right - 109.6!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On Wednesday I was 110.8 (which thrilled me) but didn't have time to blog as I was preparing for the road trip, packing the truck, saying goodbye to folks etc. 

I have no idea what I weighed on Thursday and Friday as the scale was in the back of the truck. 

So this morning was my first chance to see what was going on and wow!!

Yes, I elected to finish my batch. And I've made the decision to do my last vial of HCG as well. 

Why? Glad you asked lol

Because it's always been my secret wish to reach my dream goal of 105, and since the lowest I'd ever managed was 111, I was being "sensible" and settling for what is actually the midpoint of my healthy weight range. 

But since chasing dreams is the theme of my life of late, I'm going to go for it and see what happens!

The road trip was good, a bit challenging food wise as normally I'd junk out at least a little bit, so there was some arguing going on in my head from time to time, but I knew I'd regret not giving it my all. My HCG was in my thermal bag along with some bottles of froze water and kept quite nicely. 

And now, sleep time!