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!

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 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!

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 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!!!!

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 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!

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 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 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!