Phase 4 Day 1 111.5 (6.0 over LDW)

I know I've been MIA. To be honest for a good while I was freaking out, I gained (at my highest) 8 pounds during stabilization.

It all comes down to this - your mileage may vary... I was listening to advice that had me eating far more fat and protein than I need at this weight, and it became time to listen to my own body.

I've lost 2 pounds so far, and I am confident I'll make my way back down to 105.5 - if needed, with a round of HCG, but I don't think it's going to be necessary. I'm finding my groove.

And that groove is looking like minimum dairy.Very occasional cheese. I'll try butter again when I can afford good quality butter instead of regular butter. And even then, as a minimum.

So what am I eating that is allowing me to slowly get back to my LDW?

Cream in 2 coffees in the morning with a bit of coconut oil mixed in, is breakfast. It's filling and satisfying.

Lunch is meat (I've discovered I do better with baked or grilled meat, frying is too much for me. So are processed foods, bye bye bacon). I like it with a side of mustard and an apple, or a serving of raw veggies like celery, tomato or a red pepper.

Dinner is chicken or meat or fish, with a salad with olive oil and spices. I've seen a sugar free dressing I want to try, and since as of today I'm allowed starches, and it has a little starch in it, I'm going to try it. I'll let you know how it goes. And if it goes well, I'll post the brand.

I've also been doing fat bombs, usually two a day. My version of fat bombs is coconut oil mixed with the sweetener of your choice to taste, and unsweetened cocoa powder to taste. They're delicious, they taste like good quality dark chocolate - without the sugar craving!

Now, don't get me wrong, being 111 isn't terrible. Not at all. I look good, feel good. But truthfully, I adored how I felt and looked at 105. So I want back there, I want to maintain below 110. If I fluctuate between 105-108, I'll be content.

Onwards!

P2 Day 162 111.0 (-0.7) (-55.7)

Wow I didn't expect that!!!

And of course, it has me debating just when my LDW should be... have to give it more thought!

Doing well, had a wonderful day today, at a field trip with my sis-in-law and her two daughters - they're so cute!

Sleeping well, great energy, almost packed for the road trip to my new city. All is well in my world!

P2 Day 161 111.7 (-0.6) (-55.0)

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

Yay!!!!!!

P2 Day 160 112.3 (-0.5) (-54.4)

Nice! Although I feel like the scale gods are playing with me lol. Soon I shall see 111 (my goal weight), I am sure of it!

Had a brutal headache yesterday morning, I'd gone out shopping and had to turn around and come home and lie down. After a two hour sleep I woke up feeling great - there's nothing to make you feel grateful for feeling good like recovering from a headache!

It just occurred to me - right now - that the headache might have been as a result of the foods on Friday at my goodbye lunch, with restaurant eating, you don't know what the ingredients are, and with the sugar in the piece of cheesecake, well that could have affected me as well.

Anyway, all better now, but something to keep in mind!

Come on, goal weight!!! Onwards!

P2 Day 159 112.8 (-0.0) (-53.9)

Well, all I can say is that I got off easy! Hopefully it will be gone tomorrow, I tasted a lot of salt in the food at yesterday's lunch (such a good lunch though!), and some if not all of that gain is water retention, I hope.

Anyway, back to full on P2 today. I'm debating whether I'll stop on next Wednesday after all. Maybe I'll just power through for another week to week and a half and finish that batch of HCG and see where it leads me. Decisions, decisions....

Happy Saturday everyone!

P2 Day 158 112.5 (-0.0) (-54.2)

Well, a day of rest I guess. Sigh.

It was my last day of work, so the girls took me out for lunch at Ruby Tuesdays. I had the petite meal, of a scoop of mashed potatoes, broccoli and about 4 oz of steak. That and the salad bar. And a slice of cheesecake when I got back to work (small slice).

I enjoyed my food, and now am having my standard P2 dinner, so we will see how bad the damage is tomorrow.

Onwards!

P2 Day 157 112.5 (-0.1) (-54.2)

Well I had been hoping for more if a release than that, but hopefully tomorrow!

Challenging day at work. Someone brought in Panera bagels for everyone and the smell is wonderful! However with one pound till goal AND knowing that sudden exposure to wheat would result in a painful morning spent in the bathroom, I'll resist and just enjoy the smell. 

Hopeful that I'll hit goal tomorrow!

P2 Day 156 112.6 (+0.1) (-54.1)

Sigh, slight gain, so near and yet so far to goal...

Junk food abounds at my job (yesterday alone, birthday cake, donuts), and I resist all of it. However, when someone brought in the "best cheesecake ever" and said "you've GOT to try this!!", I had about a tablespoon. Yes, it was extremely good. Not worth wanting more all afternoon though. And not worth not hitting goal.

Ah well, tomorrow hopefully!!!

P2 Day 155 112.5 (-0.4) (-54.2)

Wow! One more pound to go!!!

Feeling good, slept a little restlessly, but I think that's more because I have a lot of planning for the road trip/move on my mind, etc.

I've felt a little light headed the last day or so, debating whether to go back on the potassium or not, but it's only for another week (!!) and then I'm onto Phase 3 Stabilization (P3), so I think since I'm not having any cramping (or very little), I'll just ride it out.

I spoke to my cousin last night, it was her birthday, and told her I was a pound away from goal, and she was so pleased and proud for me - as she said, it's been done under not the best of circumstances (rooming with others, almost constant stress over work and home situations, living in limbo trying to figure out next steps), so I've really achieved something. I'm pretty proud of myself too!

That said, I'm well aware that in many ways the real work is ahead, and that's fine, I'm looking forward to it!

Onwards!

P2 Day 154 112.9 (-0.1) (-53.8)

Okay a small release today but still a step in the right direction and now I'm 112!!

One more pound (and a bit) to goal!

Excited!!!!

P2 Day 153 113.0 (-0.4) (-53.7)

And another nice release! I'm sooooo close now to goal!

Had a great night's sleep, and have a lazy day ahead of me today I think, which bothers me not at all lol.

Twelve days to go!

Day 152 Progress Pics

Thought I'd post progress pics (this was at 4 pounds till goal, I will post pics that I take from my LDW day as well).

BEFORE (around when I started, the week 18th of May 2013):

And my progress after (like I mentioned, this is last week, about 4 pounds to go):

P2 Day 152 113.4 (-0.7) (-53.3)

Woo hooo!!! So excited about that release! 2 pounds to goal!!!

I really need to find my tape measure and do my measurements, I know I'm smaller than the last time, all my zeroes are a perfect fit now!

Had a great night sleep (other than the dog wanting out at 3am), got a good 9 hours sleep in, which I'm sure doesn't hurt.

I mixed a new batch of HCG for the last two weeks, the last batch was almost done so I figured what the heck, see what a new batch does.

Only 13 more days on HCG, and then the 72 hour weaning off period will coincide with my road trip/move to another state, in a way being on the VLCD will make a road trip easier, I won't have to think about food at all, no gas station/fast food temptation!

My leg cramps have been very mild the last week or so, I haven't been taking potassium or magnesium at all, and my energy has been very good as well.

Anyway, better get on with my Saturday, I have a dog show to go to! Happy Saturday!

P2 Day 151 114.0 (-0.4) (-52.7)

And another nice release!

I am stoked at being so close to goal, I mean I'm basically 2.anything, less than 3 pounds away now. 

Where I'm working there are daily temptations, today it's two different kinds of cookies from our Amish market. And it's so easy to resist at this point. Why would I mess up now when I'm so close?

Also the fact is, adding a carby food like that to the mix would result in a lot of bathroom time (sorry, TMI) when I haven't been eating like that for months. 

But the real reason is that I'm so close to being done and moving on to Phase 3. 

Yep, happy and excited here!!

P2 Day 150 Update 114.4 (-52.3)

First of all, wow, I've been on HCG for 150 days (minus the two pauses)!

I totally spaced out posting yesterday, which is funny actually because I was discussing my blog with a dear friend yesterday.

So yesterday (Day 149), I was 115.5, which was an increase of 0.3.

Today, I was 114.4, a release of 1.1, for a total of 52.3 pounds lost, and only 3 to go!!!!!

Yay!

P2 Day 148 115.2 (+0.4) (-51.5)

No idea why the slight gain, but I'm not worried about it. I figure it's the classic stair step pattern that Dr. Simeons spoke about in Pounds and Inches. I'll likely see a good release tomorrow.

My energy and mood were a bit off today, but I'm sure with a good night's sleep (early night) tomorrow I'll be back to normal.

Not long now! My last dose day will be Friday, November 1st, so that the Monday is my first day of Phase 3 - Stabilization.

Onwards!

P2 Day 147 114.4 (-0.8) (-51.9)

Wow! And now, only 3 pounds until goal! Yay!

Still feeling good, great moods and energy, loving the size zeroes I'm wearing :)

Have a happy Monday everyone!

P2 Day 146 115.6 (-0.1) (-51.1)

Well, that was a small release, but still in the right direction!

I am so looking forward to hitting goal and moving on to stabilization (P3), it will be good to move forward.

Onwards!

Day 145 115.7 (-0.4) (-51.0)

Very nice! 4 pounds and counting!

Lazy day today, a little cleaning, laundry, shopping... just what a saturday should be.

I also went through my bags of clothes (being in a roommate situation for months, many of my clothes are still in vacuum bags), and a lot of my sweaters look so cute on me! I am a size 0 or 1 depending on the brand, and putting on my tiny XS sweaters and looking good in them is such a gift, it makes every time I've said no to a treat soooooo worth it!

Not long now until I reach my goal! I'm so excited :-)

Day 144 Update - 116.1 (-50.6)

I really need to post more often! Anyway, as you can see below I've passed the 50 pound mark. Yay!

Day 140	117.9	-0.2	48.8
Day 141	118.4	-0.5	48.3
Day 142	116.8	1.6	49.9
Day 143	116.5	0.3	50.2
Day 144	116.1	0.4	50.6

I had to laugh on day wednesday when the scale gods were teasing me at 49.9 pounds released. And now, I'm just thrilled where I am. Five little pounds to go! Woo hoo!

Energy is good, sleep is good, mood is good. My meals are chicken at both meals now, mustard is my best friend, and veggies are still cukes and tomatoes. I do eat an extra apple every day and it's really working for me, I feel good.

Yay!