My HCG Journal. Looks like I need to start one!

[CherylB]

I would give it a try, but I don't get what you meant by positioning the laser and the belly button, etc. Are you holding the laser beam vertically, directing it downward through the food which you are holding at belly button level?

I'll try to find more info on this, Shelby. I know you are really swamped right now and don't want to take up more of your time.

[shelbyla]

You hold the food or the glass with the food in it approximately 2 inches from your bellybutton then you hold the laser pointer also bellybutton level (parallel to the floor), shining it straight into your belly button, or where it WOULD shine into your belly button if the food wasn't in the way.

bellybutton....2 inches....food....laser

x.................................VCO <--------

Does that help?

On the adrenals, your spit kit shows that your adrenals have completely adapted to your current sleep schedule (I confirmed this with my group) and are in pretty good shape. (I know that may seem frustrating but at least you have eliminated this!) If you would like to try and change your sleep shcedule to a more normal one, they recommend slooowly starting to get up a little earlier and going to bed a little earlier (maybe 15-30 mins per week), that way your adrenals can re-adapt to an earlier time. On supplements to help, I personally have had really good luck with taking 5000mg sublingual methylcobalamin B12 and a supplement called DL-phenylalanine (500mg) to help my morning energy levels. I also take 400mg SAMe for anxiety (on an empty stomach in the morning) and I drink St John's Wort tea and take 5-HTP in the evenings to help sleep.

In other news, I had the yummiest dinner tonight. I've been trying to figure out best calorie/macronutrient ratios for me and I was a little short on EVERYTHING today. So...I cut up some roasted chicken thigh (WITH skin), topped it with 4 slices of low sodium bacon, 1/2 an avocado, and put it all on top of brussels sprouts roasted in garlic jalepino rice bran oil. Oh and followed by strawberries and cream! P3 food porn! I should have taken pictures!

Hope you're having a good evening.

[C'Marie]

Hi Cheryl, just checking in to see how you're doing. That stinks you can't have VCO.... It really likes me. Try the laser thingy. I'm waiting for mine to come in the mail. Will be lasering almonds, every dairy thing I like, and some sugar-free chemicals that get used in processed foods for starters.

I had Kale chips last night! They were so good. I made them myself. YUMMY.
I'm maintaining ok so far, just under 2 pounds above my LIW. I had to cut out the "offending" foods though almost entirely to do it, and I LOVE CHEESE so that's been hard. I'm still eating plenty of calories though, so I'm happy.

Talk to you later!

[Cruzcrzy]

Hi Cheryl,

Happy Friday, all! I was busy with household stuff yesterday. I also made dinner for a friend who just had surgery. She is in my TOPS group.

My gain weight is off, plus a few ounces. TOM came today. I haven't had one since March(menopause stuff). I had a feeling he may be coming, but, hoping not. I think I had been reading too much about it on the HCG forum. I hope he leaves soon. Sunday is day 21, but, I am going to extend the round until he leaves, unless he decides to stay awhile .

All this talk of lasering is very interesting. I am going to have to read up on it. I am trying to wrap my head around it.

[CherylB]

Originally Posted by shelbyla

You hold the food or the glass with the food in it approximately 2 inches from your bellybutton then you hold the laser pointer also bellybutton level (parallel to the floor), shining it straight into your belly button, or where it WOULD shine into your belly button if the food wasn't in the way.

bellybutton....2 inches....food....laser

x.................................VCO <--------

Does that help?

On the adrenals, your spit kit shows that your adrenals have completely adapted to your current sleep schedule (I confirmed this with my group) and are in pretty good shape. (I know that may seem frustrating but at least you have eliminated this!) If you would like to try and change your sleep shcedule to a more normal one, they recommend slooowly starting to get up a little earlier and going to bed a little earlier (maybe 15-30 mins per week), that way your adrenals can re-adapt to an earlier time. On supplements to help, I personally have had really good luck with taking 5000mg sublingual methylcobalamin B12 and a supplement called DL-phenylalanine (500mg) to help my morning energy levels. I also take 400mg SAMe for anxiety (on an empty stomach in the morning) and I drink St John's Wort tea and take 5-HTP in the evenings to help sleep.

In other news, I had the yummiest dinner tonight. I've been trying to figure out best calorie/macronutrient ratios for me and I was a little short on EVERYTHING today. So...I cut up some roasted chicken thigh (WITH skin), topped it with 4 slices of low sodium bacon, 1/2 an avocado, and put it all on top of brussels sprouts roasted in garlic jalepino rice bran oil. Oh and followed by strawberries and cream! P3 food porn! I should have taken pictures!

Hope you're having a good evening.

Yes, Shelby. That is a much clearer description! I can visualize that. Now I need to do a little more research on it and then buy a laser. Your recipe sounds very yummy! And thanks for the Adrenal "reading" and suggestions.

It's funny but this entire past week, I've been waking up before the sunrise. Today was the earliest so far at 0450. Got up and had my usual bad scale event (never is good that early in the am.) Going back to sleep these days is out of the question, so I really don't know what my weight is right now and it bothers me.

Originally Posted by C'Marie

Hi Cheryl, just checking in to see how you're doing. That stinks you can't have VCO.... It really likes me. Try the laser thingy. I'm waiting for mine to come in the mail. Will be lasering almonds, every dairy thing I like, and some sugar-free chemicals that get used in processed foods for starters.

I had Kale chips last night! They were so good. I made them myself. YUMMY.
I'm maintaining ok so far, just under 2 pounds above my LIW. I had to cut out the "offending" foods though almost entirely to do it, and I LOVE CHEESE so that's been hard. I'm still eating plenty of calories though, so I'm happy.

Talk to you later!

Let us know how the lasering works for you! Did you buy a cat laser? I'm glad you enjoyed the Kale Chips. They are on my list of things to try on P2. WTG on stabilizing!

Originally Posted by Cruzcrzy

Hi Cheryl,

Happy Friday, all! I was busy with household stuff yesterday. I also made dinner for a friend who just had surgery. She is in my TOPS group.

My gain weight is off, plus a few ounces. TOM came today. I haven't had one since March(menopause stuff). I had a feeling he may be coming, but, hoping not. I think I had been reading too much about it on the HCG forum. I hope he leaves soon. Sunday is day 21, but, I am going to extend the round until he leaves, unless he decides to stay awhile .

All this talk of lasering is very interesting. I am going to have to read up on it. I am trying to wrap my head around it.

Good morning! Happy Friday to you, too. I woke up to the sound of a steady rain but no thunder or lightning and no panicked dog. Nice of you to make your recouperating friend a nice dinner! Hope the TOM and menapause situation level out and TOM gets further and further between. Be gone, nasty ol' Tom.

So, today I have decided to go with Plan B. What's that you say? I have decided to make this P3 round short and get right back into P2. So, counting today, I have 3 more P3 days to go. That will take me to R1P3D15. Technically, I suppose that makes it more of an Interruption than a P3 round, but I need to move on.

That will give me 36VLCD in R2 and I'm nearly certain that I can lose 20 lbs in that amount of time. That means that I will be in the 155 range for August camping and Fair days! I will be doing P3/P4 in August, and another full P3/4 in September/October, after my 3rd and final round.

One thing is for SURE. The next time I grocery shop for P3 foods, I won't go so crazy! More than half of what I bought is not going to get eaten, since I usually eat the same things I like over and over again. And most of these things I bought won't freeze well. Someone is about to get gifted some nice food from little 'ol Cheryl.

So, I hope we all have a pleasant and successful day today. I will do my very best to get a good amount of sleep tomorrow so I can get a good, accurate weight. I need to know where I'm at!

[obraxton]

Morning Cheryl! I still say you did excellent settling in the P3! But I know what you mean especially when you're so close to a new decade! Wishing you the best and will be cheering for you in the next round. Gracie is doing OWL for the first time and is rocking it on her thread!

Off topic, but are you near the Greenwich (sp?) area where the mountain lion(s) are spotted?

[CherylB]

No, I'm near Bristol, which is SW of Hartford. I saw a pretty large deer in the neighborhood the other day. First deer sighting in over 5 years of living here! I've seen a red fox a few times. And once the little kids in the "hood" brought my dog back to the house and rapped on the door. They said there was a bear up in the woods at the Fish and Game and they didn't want Cisco to get hurt.

I'll pass on Mountain Lions! I hear they are very scarce up here. Just as well, far as I'm concerned!

I'll have to go check out Gracies thread. Is her link in her siggy? Thanks for the support, Dessa. I have to get a move on! I just want to get where I'm going. There will be plenty of time to practice keeping it off.

[TerriMM]

Good Morning Cheryl,
Sounds like a great plan! I can't wait to hear how you do back on P2.

I know what you mean about gifting food, I make a habit of it at work. If I buy a special treat, I have my serving and then get it out of the house so it doesn't call me from the dark recesses of the pantry.

At this point, I'll be at P2D40 on June 28, moving to P3. Plan to stay on that through my vacation at the end of July, and then start my second round approx August 1st.

Hope you have a splendid day!

[Cruzcrzy]

Hi Cheryl,

I understand your reason for Plan B. You are correct in that we have plenty of time to practice keeping it off, lol. I will stay on P2 as long as I can. It is more tolerable lately. I REALLY don't want to have to go through a P3, P4, and then back on P2. I would rather go straight to P3,P4, and maintain. I KNOW you understand exactly.

[obraxton]

Originally Posted by CherylB

No, I'm near Bristol, which is SW of Hartford. I saw a pretty large deer in the neighborhood the other day. First deer sighting in over 5 years of living here! I've seen a red fox a few times. And once the little kids in the "hood" brought my dog back to the house and rapped on the door. They said there was a bear up in the woods at the Fish and Game and they didn't want Cisco to get hurt.

I'll pass on Mountain Lions! I hear they are very scarce up here. Just as well, far as I'm concerned!

I'll have to go check out Gracies thread. Is her link in her siggy? Thanks for the support, Dessa. I have to get a move on! I just want to get where I'm going. There will be plenty of time to practice keeping it off.

You're doing an AMAZING job!!!! Its incredibly encouraging!

[Cruzcrzy]

Originally Posted by obraxton

You're doing an AMAZING job!!!! Its incredibly encouraging!

I agree. Cheryl, you are a very special lady!

[CherylB]

You ladies are too sweet to me! I appreciate it, but sometimes I don't feel like it's deserved. I'm no shining example of hcg. In fact, I just was looking back through my food journal through the whole first round of P2 and I took more liberties than I remember! No wonder it took me so many days to lose 36 lbs! This next round I'm going to walk a very fine line. Just one off-plan day for the 4th.

More thunder storms, more mountain lions. WTH? I may have to get the Vet to order me some fast-acting drug to give her during storms because I just think she's beyond my help. I try to help or at least not to make it worse, but nothing I do or don't do seems to make a bit of difference. She must be nearing Hypovolemic Shock from all the salivating and panting for the past 2 hours. She's too petrified to do anything but get as close to me as possible and shake. Once I opened the pantry door and she tried to climb inside! I tried to close the door and she wouldn't move out of the way. OMG.

I just finished playing Bejeweled. I used to be so addicted to that! I played for quite a while, but it just doesn't grab me like it used to.

Well girls, I hope you all have a great evening and a special weekend. I have no plans yet. Fine with me!

[obraxton]

Awwww poor baby.
I used to looove this game that was like bejeweled but it was some jungle jewel thingy!

[paulabob]

Originally Posted by CherylB

I try to help or at least not to make it worse, but nothing I do or don't do seems to make a bit of difference. She must be nearing Hypovolemic Shock from all the salivating and panting for the past 2 hours. She's too petrified to do anything but get as close to me as possible and shake. Once I opened the pantry door and she tried to climb inside! I tried to close the door and she wouldn't move out of the way. OMG.

You've probably tried benedryl, but if you haven't, I thought I'd mention it. Seems to help my yorkiepoo with firecrackers. Poor guy is already getting antsy...we're out in the country and people are already setting some off at night. Anyways, it takes the edge off his panic, but he is not nearly as bad off as your poor pup!

[CherylB]

Dessa, I've never heard of the jungle jewel game but it sounds like fun! Sometimes it's fun to get all caught-up in a game.

Paula, she's gotten much worse over the years. She's 8 years old now. I haven't tried Benadryl but I was thinking more along the lines of Valium. I don't think Benadryl would even touch her. The funny thing is I try to be a calm, positive presence for her when she's in panic-mode and try to redirect her and get her to associate storms with positive things, like getting brushed or enjoying little bits of hot dogs. Then I went outside to check on the parakeets that love being on the screened-in back porch and the loudest and closest "CRACK" happened right at that exact moment. It shot me straight up in the air and I came bounding back into the house and closed the door as fast as I could! Some good example I am!

[TerriMM]

Sorry to giggle, but that was such a cute visual! Have a great weekend!

[CherylB]

No apologies necessary! It was very funny, in a pathetic sort of way. God doth have a sense of humor!

[shelbyla]

Hey Cheryl. Sorry to hear about your dog's issues. I m going to check a resource I have for pets...seems there was a homeopathic remedy for this kind of stuff... Yes, here it is, Bach's Rescue Remedy for Dogs.

"The full system of 38 Bach Original Flower Remedies can help with any kind of emotional imbalance. If symptoms persist, please consult a veterinarian. Try Rescue Remedy whenever your pet is under pressure, such as: Visits to the vet or groomer Stress caused by loud noises Excessive barking or hissing caused by stress After a shock, a fright or mistreatment "

Also some folks have had good luck with Australian Bush Flower Essences - Calm & Clear for anxiety and Emergency Essence for panic behavior. Just google them and you should be able to find providers. I haven't used them myself but it might be worth a try.

Have a great weekend!

[CherylB]

Thanks, Shelby! "Emergency Essence" sounds like the ticket! I'll check into them soon. I hope you have a great weekend, too. Any rest in your future? Hope so!

[RedsSkinnyJeans]

Good morning Cheryl,

Those thunderstorms last night were pretty intense here across the pond. i finally went up to the bedroom, put all my light-blocking shades down, turned on the AC and read a book. In the past, my house has been hit 3 times by lightning! Finally my dad installed these lightning rods all over the house, so I'm not concerned. (Although a few months ago - a huge tree in my yard was hit).

I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to join you in P2'ing or not. I'm leaning towards it. In the end, I'll have done 3 weeks of P3 and then 1 week of P4. Also, I TOTALLY need some jeans that fit, and I would prefer to wait and buy the ones I intend to keep!

Hope you have a great Saturday :-)

Warmly
Red

[CherylB]

Hi, Red. Good morning to you, too! That's terrible about the lightening and your property. Something must be in the ground there, like buried treasure. Get yourself one of those metal detectors and go see! (I'm only half joking.)

Yes, come join me in P2. You did the stabilizing longer than I did, so you can be proud. You have the rest of your skinny life to maintain and reset. Me, too!

I finally got caught up on my sleep! What a relief. So I could trust what the scale told me today: 173.0. Not bad! I even had one of my "Ambien Moments" last night and went and made a box of Sugar-free Pistachio pudding. I ate about half the batch with whipped cream on top. When I opened the fridge today I saw the last of the cups of pudding and it all came back to me! LOL! And I still am close to my LDW.

So, today and tomorrow, then I load. I will see what I want to eat during my load and plan it out well. Tuesday morning is the day my sis and I help other sis move boxes into their new apartment, so maybe I'll treat us to a pizza! I can go pick it up and we can eat it on paper plates in her barren apartment. Sounds like fun!

Going to work on more cleaning and stuff today in my own house. I'm getting there, very slowly. But slowly is better than not at all!

Have a great weekend, ladies! Be safe and well.

[chicamala]

Hi Cheryl. The pizza party sounds great. So, you are starting back on P2? How long did you stay on P3? I was kind of considering doing a short P3 and then getting back on the P2 wagon, but I haven't decided yet. I'm just checking around to see how things are going.

[Cruzcrzy]

Hi Cheryl(and all),

your day with your sister's on Tuesday sounds fabulous.

I survived Father's Day dinner out last evening. I had a loss of 0.8 this morning. It was difficult sitting there watching them order drinks, appetizer, bread basket, salad. I ordered a steak salad for my entree, so it was a long wait, lol. It was all on plan except for the salad dressing and bleu cheese crumbles. I enjoyed it thoroughly, lol.

Yesterday I booked dh and I on a short five day cruise in November. I needed my fix before November 2012. It was only $688 total for the two of us, and so I simply could not resist the price. We can drive to the cruise port(Galveston) so we won't have the expense of flying.

I am going to treat myself to some new jammies and a pair of shorts from Kohls, I think. I may go later this morning. The 2 pair of pj's I have been wearing are big and ratty, so it is time. I only have one pair of shorts, and they are also big and ratty, lol.

This is Day 21 for me, but, I am extending a week. I would like to be closer to the 160's than 170's and I am almost there. I wish I could go to goal, but, I don't think I can.

Cheryl, enjoy your loading .

[CherylB]

Originally Posted by chicamala

Hi Cheryl. The pizza party sounds great. So, you are starting back on P2? How long did you stay on P3? I was kind of considering doing a short P3 and then getting back on the P2 wagon, but I haven't decided yet. I'm just checking around to see how things are going.

Good morning! Every day, I update my ticker in my "Daily Note." There you will see what day I'm on in the current phase, etc. I am on day 15 of P3, so that is what allows me to reload for R2. I'm not a "by the book" kind of gal, so I rogue it. I still use the P + I as a guide, though. I might end up just loading for one day. I'll have to see how Tuesday goes.

Originally Posted by Cruzcrzy

Hi Cheryl(and all),

your day with your sister's on Tuesday sounds fabulous.

I survived Father's Day dinner out last evening. I had a loss of 0.8 this morning. It was difficult sitting there watching them order drinks, appetizer, bread basket, salad. I ordered a steak salad for my entree, so it was a long wait, lol. It was all on plan except for the salad dressing and bleu cheese crumbles. I enjoyed it thoroughly, lol.

Yesterday I booked dh and I on a short five day cruise in November. I needed my fix before November 2012. It was only $688 total for the two of us, and so I simply could not resist the price. We can drive to the cruise port(Galveston) so we won't have the expense of flying.

I am going to treat myself to some new jammies and a pair of shorts from Kohls, I think. I may go later this morning. The 2 pair of pj's I have been wearing are big and ratty, so it is time. I only have one pair of shorts, and they are also big and ratty, lol.

This is Day 21 for me, but, I am extending a week. I would like to be closer to the 160's than 170's and I am almost there. I wish I could go to goal, but, I don't think I can.

Cheryl, enjoy your loading .

I've never been on a cruise. That's cheap! So, what's included in that price? Where will the ship be going? November is still Hurricane season. Maybe that's why the tickets are so cheap? Not trying to be a wet blanket, just thinking out loud. Forgive me?

You sound like you did well out at dinner yesterday. I hate sitting at a restaurant table and sipping my water or diet drink while everyone else is diving head-long into the warm bread and butter, the salad with croutons and lots of fattening dressing, and whatever other appetizers they ordered. It's a long dang wait for your food to come!

Happy shopping for those new clothes! You'll be at goal long before the cruise. Is the cruise this November? You said 2012 so I wasn't sure what you meant. Now THAT would be a long wait!

I will enjoy my loading, but I'll enjoy watching the ticker go down the line even more on the weeks following the load. I'm just addicted to losing now! Food is great, but food is just food. I feel like the spell has been broken! There's so much more to life than just consuming things.

I woke up freezing my buttinskie off at 0800. I put the window fan on low when I went to bed and by 08, I was huddled into a tight ball under my very thin and inadequate bed cover. Why do I just scrunch up and try to stay warm when I could just get up and get another blanket? I always do that!

So, tomorrow morning I will weigh in and mark that down as my last P3 day weight. I will remeasure my body to compare it to two weeks ago, when I began P3 (I wanted to see if any reshaping really occurs during P3, like many say it does.) Then, I will drive to the nearest Lab and have my blood work drawn. I have had the order for a while, but didn't want to have the blood drawn during P2. Now that P3 is ending, I want to see where things stand. And then I'll have the results to send to my Dr before my July follow-up.

So, that's the plan, Stan! I will be dusting off my hcg pellets and resetting all of my alarms and reminders to take them, once again. And the beat goes on.

Happy Father's Day! Rest in peace, Daddio.

[Cruzcrzy]

Hi Cheryl,

I would love to be freezing right now, lol. It's pretty hot here in Oklahoma. I just came in from Kohls. I ended up getting a pair of pajamas and a new bra for $4.58. I had tons of coupons. I had no luck with crop pants or shorts. It was wonderful to fit in alot of size 10's though.

The 5 day cruise is this year. It goes to Mexico. We've been to these ports many times. The cruise includes everything but tips, shore excursions and alcohol. In 2012 it is a 14 day cruise. I am not worried about hurricane season. One year we ran into that, and we had to stay an extra day out at sea because we couldn't get into the port(Port Canaveral). While out at sea we didn't feel a thing. I am embarrassed to say how many cruises I've been on.

My annual physical is in July and I am very anxious to see how my labs go. They are pretty good now, but, still curious.

Off to start on my water consumption .

[CherylB]

Well, as long as you can make a hasty retreat to a safe port and then jump ship and run for cover, that sounds like a great idea to me. Sorry OK is so hot and sticky right now. July and August are our worst months for summer intensity and humidity. The seasons seem to pass so quickly the older I get! I can hardly believe how fast time flies. I wonder if this is something all middle-agers go through.

Where is the 14 day cruise going to? I'll have to look into going on a short one, just to get a taste of it. I don't drink booze anymore, so that would save me a small bundle of cash! I prefer mountains and deserts to the sea, though. I see Island photos and they look amazing, but something about mountains call to me. I need to go out West again before I head out to open water.

Have an excellent day, ladies! Be good to your hubby's and Dads on their special day!

[CherylB]

Well, P3 is almost history and I'm so happy about that! I've got ANTS IN MY PANTS!!!!

[CherylB]

I made it to round 2! Today was hard. I ate more than I should have and I feel icky. But tomorrow the fun begins! Got my pellets all ready and waiting and my shopping list close at hand. Just need to pick up a few items and I'll be good-to-go.

Sweet dreams, ladies! See you all tomorrow.

[obraxton]

What brand of pellets do you use? I forget. I'm rooting for you !!!!

[chicamala]

Have a great couple of days and well wishes to you for a successful P2!