My JUDDD Through P3 Experiment

[Spoonful of Happiness]

IThinkICan, your thread really makes me want to do JUDDD. I'm currently trying out Leptin on P3 but the restrictions are driving me crazy. I like the concept of JUDDD, it makes sense to me and I feel like it can definitely be used for the long term. I have a few questions if you don't mind...

1. I read through the website very quickly and he suggests doing Atkins bars for the Up Days. I'm totally up for this but I noticed that you don't do them. Is there any reason why?

2. He says to weigh yourself once a week (preferably a Thursday after a DD). Do you stick to that or do you weigh yourself everyday like Simeons says?

Thank you and congrats on your awesome stabilizing!!

[jt_gmotu]

Subbing in on this...want to learn more.

[julieboolie]

Luv-those are good questions. Esp. the weighing one. I am scared to stop the daily weighing, but I'm also struggling to stay low even w/ CD's. Toying w. JUDDD type of approach, keeping it LC, hoping to lose a few lbs and then maybe transition to smaller swings btw. UD's and DD's. Hmmm.

[IThinkICan]

Originally Posted by Luv is a fairytale

IThinkICan, your thread really makes me want to do JUDDD. I'm currently trying out Leptin on P3 but the restrictions are driving me crazy. I like the concept of JUDDD, it makes sense to me and I feel like it can definitely be used for the long term. I have a few questions if you don't mind...

1. I read through the website very quickly and he suggests doing Atkins bars for the Up Days. I'm totally up for this but I noticed that you don't do them. Is there any reason why?

2. He says to weigh yourself once a week (preferably a Thursday after a DD). Do you stick to that or do you weigh yourself everyday like Simeons says?

Thank you and congrats on your awesome stabilizing!!

Thanks! I can't tell you how wonderful it is to not be fearing CDs because of hovering at the top of my range. In fact, this morning I was at the bottom of it!

I actually tried the Leptin reset thing while on P4 after a bunch of hard times over the holidays and getting sick of doing multiple CDs each week in January... never could get back down to my range completely (but I did a lot of partying/vacationing throughout December). It kinda helped me stabilize a bit (or at least not jump around a lot), but I still felt like I was very slowly creeping up the scale still and got to the point I couldn't wait to get back on P2 to fix the mess I'd gotten myself into. While I was doing Leptin, the biggest issue I had was not snacking... it got inconvenient. Even if I didn't feel the need to snack out of hunger, I still was responsible for food prep, and I couldn't taste things that I was cooking! Social situations were impossible... I don't care what Jack Kruse says, I can't live my life like that!

To address your questions... (which are great questions, btw!)

#1-Had this been after my first or second round of HCG, I might have done the Atkins bars and other protein bars... I just finished round 5, so I've been around a while, and since then, I've gotten a little more into the less-processed foods. I like prepping my own stuff from real produce, eggs, meats. I feel like the less processed the food is, the better it is for my health. I got into the prepping-my-own-foods routine while on HCG, so I might as well stick with that while it's a good habit. I'm also getting used to finding ways of tracking my caloric intake. Early on, the low carb bars and shakes probably would have been more helpful in keeping calories under control because I would've had exact counts on each prepackaged snack. I think that's the main reason why those items are suggested in the first place.

#2-I'm still weighing daily as Simeons says... still following the Simeons guidelines for P3 for the most part for these three weeks. If the scale were to reflect an amount above my proper window, I would do a correction day. I'd just let it reflect my UD/DD calorie levels. If I go a little below my window, I might adjust my calories a little, but I'm not going to go nuts if two weeks in I end up seeing a pound below my range... should that happen after a DD, I might have a little more fun on my UD though.

Originally Posted by jt_gmotu

Subbing in on this...want to learn more.

Welcome! Just remember, I'm learning as I go along too!

Originally Posted by julieboolie

Luv-those are good questions. Esp. the weighing one. I am scared to stop the daily weighing, but I'm also struggling to stay low even w/ CD's. Toying w. JUDDD type of approach, keeping it LC, hoping to lose a few lbs and then maybe transition to smaller swings btw. UD's and DD's. Hmmm.

Weighing every day is a little scary, knowing there could be ups and downs... I try to just remind myself that I'm basically doing some science experiments with me as the guinea pig as I try to learn how my body reacts to certain foods and eating patterns.

You could try a JUDDD-type pattern. Spend some time on the JUDDD boards to get some feel for it. There are a lot of encouraging people there too if you have questions.

[IThinkICan]

Today is a fun update... my scale read 145.7 after yesterday's DD! That's .9 down and a new low for me! (well... new low since some point in high school! ) And it's my TOM! This is so unreal! I'm actually starting to believe there is something to this JUDDD thing! I realize the scale will probably be up after my UD today, but we'll see what happens after my next DD...


Today is a fun menu too!

4/27 - UD4
Weight: 145.7

Breakfast: Low carb Tonga Toast (banana-stuffed oopsie french toast, sprinkled with erythritol and cinnamon, modeled after the real stuff at Disney World's Polynesian resort restaurants), with sugar-free maple syrup and a scrambled egg on the side (311 cal)
Simeons says to be careful with bananas in P3, but being so low in weight this morning, I took a risk with a few small slices of banana. Oh... and my portion was much smaller than the real dish it's modeled after.

Lunch: Low carb meatloaf, zucchini alfredo (309 cal)

Snack: 3.5 oz of apple sticks with 1 Tbs peanut butter (153 cal)

Dinner: DATE NIGHT! Hubby and I are off to Ruby Tuesday for my favorite meal of a bunless classic cheeseburger with zucchini and spaghetti squash. (est. 903 cal)

Dessert: TBD (up to 124 cal... or maybe a little more?)

TOTAL: A solid 1800 calories... (or maybe a little more?)

[Spoonful of Happiness]

Wow, good job, girl! So SO happy that not only are you stabilizing so well but actually losing on P3! I'd kill to stabilize, let alone lose!

Thank you so much for answering my questions.
I've decided to start JUDDDing. My weight has been all over the place since starting P3 and while leptin helped a little, it all went downhill once I added the slightest change to my menu. I decided I can't live like that and need to have a plan that will allow lifelong maintenance so I'm trying JUDDD.
I'm using my correction day yesterday (had one 8oz steak all day) as my first DD and eating normally today for an Up Day. I'm mostly scared of the 'bounce.' I tend to get very very obsessive with numbers on the scale (which is why I feel I shouldn't have done HCG in the first place *sigh*) and a bounce will set off a panic attack. For the first week, I'm going to weigh in just once. If I'm above LDW, I'm going to start weighing every day.
I really really hope this works as well for me as it has been for you. Once again, congrats on your amazing success!

[dazygyrl]

the thing to remember with juddd is that it has built in CDs every other day. so you don't even have to think about it. you can enjoy good food and know that the next day will correct if there was a little too much indulgence.

[IThinkICan]

Originally Posted by Luv is a fairytale

Wow, good job, girl! So SO happy that not only are you stabilizing so well but actually losing on P3! I'd kill to stabilize, let alone lose!

Thank you so much for answering my questions.
I've decided to start JUDDDing. My weight has been all over the place since starting P3 and while leptin helped a little, it all went downhill once I added the slightest change to my menu. I decided I can't live like that and need to have a plan that will allow lifelong maintenance so I'm trying JUDDD.
I'm using my correction day yesterday (had one 8oz steak all day) as my first DD and eating normally today for an Up Day. I'm mostly scared of the 'bounce.' I tend to get very very obsessive with numbers on the scale (which is why I feel I shouldn't have done HCG in the first place *sigh*) and a bounce will set off a panic attack. For the first week, I'm going to weigh in just once. If I'm above LDW, I'm going to start weighing every day.
I really really hope this works as well for me as it has been for you. Once again, congrats on your amazing success!

I hope it helps you! Your body might take a little time to adjust, but stick with it a few weeks and see what happens. I look forward to reading about your results!

Originally Posted by dazygyrl

the thing to remember with juddd is that it has built in CDs every other day. so you don't even have to think about it. you can enjoy good food and know that the next day will correct if there was a little too much indulgence.

I'm starting to see it that way... used to think that the types of food you eat on a CD make a difference, but I saw for myself how those chicken days that used to work for me suddenly didn't... even had a steak day or two which hardly made a dent. I wonder if it was just too many calories on those days? Egg days still worked for some reason... and I usually had 12 eggs plus a bunch of butter, mayo, and hwc on those days - so I know those were high calorie days. I really wish I understood the science behind these things! Maybe fat content had something to do with it? I don't know...

Anyway, good advice! DDs are like built in correction days - but with more freedom for the taste buds!

[IThinkICan]

Sooo... I'm baffled... 145.5 on the scale today, which is down .2 after an UD! A new low since high school! And it is the very, very bottom of my range for P3 (LDW 147.5). Plus I'm only .5 away from my ultimate goal! Apparently my body is responding well to this woe... it's early though... trying not to get my hopes up... that bouncy ball weight people talk about on JUDDD could start going bonkers any time.


4/28 -DD5
Weight: 145.5

Breakfast - none

Lunch - Italian-seasoned ground beef with cabbage (217 cal)

Snack - Raw zucchini slices with Laughing Cow cheese wedge (40 cal)
Amazingly good... get a little crunch plus some nice flavor from the cheese and a little sprinkle of salt! A nice discovery I made with this snack.

Dinner - Meatloaf, zucchini alfredo (smaller portion than yesterday at lunch) (252 cal)

Dessert - Nuked apple (60 cal)

TOTAL - 569 calories

[circusgirl]

WOW! You guys are killing me. I'm ready to transition NOW!

[Spoonful of Happiness]

Today was my first Up Day and... oops? I stuck to low-carb and zero sugar but I ate WAY too much - probably over 2,000. *hangs head in shame* It was all cheese too (blue cheese dressing, cheese with my salad, Philly cream cheese and laughing cow), which is terrible because dairy makes me gain. I am SO going to regret this later...

I'm hoping to keep tomorrow's Down Day to less than 500 calories: 2 Atkins bars (180 calories and 210 calories) and a Laughing Cow cheese wedge (45 calories).

Challenge for tomorrow: Stick to the menu above. Try very very hard not to weigh myself first thing in the morning.

IThinkICan, are there any foods that you try to avoid, besides processed stuff? People usually recommend to stay away from eggs, dairy and nuts for a while in P3 in case you have "allergies" so I was wondering if you're doing that. Also, is it okay if I post my results on this thread too? It helps to be accountable...

Thank you for all your help!

[shirleychef]

Hi IThinkICan...

So... would you be open to me posting here too? Hubby & I are in phase 3 and are JUDDDing too. Today is our first Up Day! :-)

If you want to keep this thread separate, maybe someone could start a thread for Phase 3 & 4 JUDDDer's? I don't have the ability to start threads right now.

If you are ok with the rest of us posting our JUDDD phase 3 then into phase 4 results here... then I don't see a need to start another thread unless it would be easier for some reason. I'm still getting used to the forum format and which way is best to post/track things.

[Spoonful of Happiness]

Down Day was a success! I had 2 Atkins bars all day (420 calories) and the hunger didn't kick in until 4 am (college student. finals week. enough said?). It wasn't too bad even then so I ignored it but once I woke up, I realized I was starving, which I'm thinking is okay.

Other notes:
1) I might try to slowly come off of Atkins bars. I love how they taste (they taste like chocolate heaven after P2 hell... but I've realized that I've forgotten what real chocolate tastes like ) BUT they set off major cravings. The instant I finish a bar, I immediately want another... and another.

2) I ended up weighing myself yesterday and today, first thing in the morning. I started JUDDD at 125 lbs and after my first UD, I was up to 126. After DD2 though, I was back at 125. I was SO scared that I wouldn't lose so this is GOOD. Something tells me that this 1 lb bounce is going to continue though *sigh* So long as I don't go over 126, I'm willing to deal with it.

I'm disappointed that I weighed myself. I get very very obsessive with numbers and literally have had panic attacks because they weren't what I wanted. Oh well...

"Challenges" for today's UD:
1) For today's UD, stay within my 1700 calorie limit.
2) Limit snacking during the day as much as possible. Helps with the calories.
3) Pass my finals

Again, IThinkICan, thank you for being the inspiration behind this WOE and if you'd like to us to start a separate thread and stop crowding on your space :P let us know! I'm looking forward to hearing about your results!

[shirleychef]

Luv... you are doing GREAT!!!

We weighed today too. Hubby & I are both .6 above our LDW's and I have TOM in the house. I'm totally shocked by how well this phase 3 is going so far. My last two rounds by day 2 of phase 3 I was 5-7 pounds ABOVE LDW b/c of all my poor food choices. I just ate and ate and ate. This time I've gone into phase 3 more gradually and totally under control... no binges thus far!! AND my weight has been very stable. I'd love to see the JUDDD magic bring me down a bit lower but if I simply maintain I'd be thrilled too!

Yesterday was our first Up Day but we did not track calories, just ate phase 3 style, well... sort of. We did 'splurge' and have a bit of cranberry orange bread, my Amish friend gave it to us... WAY to yummy. We have our own Jersey cows so we drink raw cream and kefired cream & milk during phase 3. I also make our Greek Yogurt out of 1/2 cream and 1/2 whole milk. So... it is quite rich.

Hubby had:
B: 2 eggs, 2 sausage, coffee w/cream
L: pork roast for lunch with greek yogurt, 1 piece of LC cheesecake and 1 cup of raw cream
D: bbq pork roast for dinner with greek yogurt, pork rinds with salsa and 1 cup of raw cream
snack: 1 apple wedge with almond butter (I was having a snack and he wanted a bite)

I had:
B:1/2 cup GY and 1 sausage, coffee w/cream
L: pot luck at church - bbq pork which I made, fruit salad, broccoli salad (the one with cheese & bacon), and LC cheesecake
S: 3/4 cup GY with 2 tbsp black raspberries, 1 piece cranberry orange bread (a tiny piece from a mini loaf) w/ butter
D: small portion of bbq pork and 3 pork rinds
I ended up hungry in the evening so had another snack b/c I decided that heading into a DD hungry before bed might NOT be a good idea. So my evening snack was 3/4 of an apple with almond butter, 1 piece of cranberry orange bread w/ butter, and 1/4 cup raw cream.

Today is a DD, my goal is to stay between 500-700 cal's.
My Menu:
B: Coffee with cream
D: Subway chicken salad ( hubby and I have a TON of errands to run starting at 3:30 this afternoon)
Exercise: 2-3 aerobic miles

Hubby's goal is 1000 on a DD as he is at a perfect weight and just wants to maintain.
B: 3 eggs in 1 tbsp butter, coffee with cream
L: Phase 2 taco soup, apple and 2 cups kefir
D: Subway chicken salad

I don't think we will be weighing daily for much longer as we are really comfy with where our weights have been the past week and expect the JUDDD magic to work.

[star a.d.]

I think I might start this this week. I'm still going to do another P2, but a few weeks of JUDDD can't hurt, right?

[IThinkICan]

Originally Posted by circusgirl

WOW! You guys are killing me. I'm ready to transition NOW!

When you can... go for it!

Originally Posted by Luv is a fairytale

Today was my first Up Day and... oops? I stuck to low-carb and zero sugar but I ate WAY too much - probably over 2,000. *hangs head in shame* It was all cheese too (blue cheese dressing, cheese with my salad, Philly cream cheese and laughing cow), which is terrible because dairy makes me gain. I am SO going to regret this later...

I'm hoping to keep tomorrow's Down Day to less than 500 calories: 2 Atkins bars (180 calories and 210 calories) and a Laughing Cow cheese wedge (45 calories).

Challenge for tomorrow: Stick to the menu above. Try very very hard not to weigh myself first thing in the morning.

IThinkICan, are there any foods that you try to avoid, besides processed stuff? People usually recommend to stay away from eggs, dairy and nuts for a while in P3 in case you have "allergies" so I was wondering if you're doing that. Also, is it okay if I post my results on this thread too? It helps to be accountable...

Thank you for all your help!

Love having the company on this experiment thread!

As my 5th P3, I'm pretty comfortable with my eggs, dairy, and nuts. I personally don't eat a TON of nuts themselves. Peanut butter is something I crave and can easily get carried away on, but counting the calories holds me in check. (Technically a peanut is not a nut... also a trigger for some people... beware.)

Cheeses can take me over if I'm not careful too - love things dripping in cheese! LOL But again, counting the calories holds me in check. You may want to try that too. The light Laughing Cow cheese wedges are only 35 calories. I like those. They can add a lot of creaminess to cheesy dishes without having to put a ton of calories into the dishes. I've also learned that I don't always need butter as much as I think. Sometimes, yeah, I do... ...but other times I'm surprised. I'm learning!

Good luck to you!

Originally Posted by shirleychef

Hi IThinkICan...

So... would you be open to me posting here too? Hubby & I are in phase 3 and are JUDDDing too. Today is our first Up Day! :-)

If you want to keep this thread separate, maybe someone could start a thread for Phase 3 & 4 JUDDDer's? I don't have the ability to start threads right now.

If you are ok with the rest of us posting our JUDDD phase 3 then into phase 4 results here... then I don't see a need to start another thread unless it would be easier for some reason. I'm still getting used to the forum format and which way is best to post/track things.

The more the merrier! Welcome, Shirley! Good luck to you!

Originally Posted by shirleychef

Luv... you are doing GREAT!!!

We weighed today too. Hubby & I are both .6 above our LDW's and I have TOM in the house. I'm totally shocked by how well this phase 3 is going so far. My last two rounds by day 2 of phase 3 I was 5-7 pounds ABOVE LDW b/c of all my poor food choices. I just ate and ate and ate. This time I've gone into phase 3 more gradually and totally under control... no binges thus far!! AND my weight has been very stable. I'd love to see the JUDDD magic bring me down a bit lower but if I simply maintain I'd be thrilled too!

Yesterday was our first Up Day but we did not track calories, just ate phase 3 style, well... sort of. We did 'splurge' and have a bit of cranberry orange bread, my Amish friend gave it to us... WAY to yummy. We have our own Jersey cows so we drink raw cream and kefired cream & milk during phase 3. I also make our Greek Yogurt out of 1/2 cream and 1/2 whole milk. So... it is quite rich.

Hubby had:
B: 2 eggs, 2 sausage, coffee w/cream
L: pork roast for lunch with greek yogurt, 1 piece of LC cheesecake and 1 cup of raw cream
D: bbq pork roast for dinner with greek yogurt, pork rinds with salsa and 1 cup of raw cream
snack: 1 apple wedge with almond butter (I was having a snack and he wanted a bite)

I had:
B:1/2 cup GY and 1 sausage, coffee w/cream
L: pot luck at church - bbq pork which I made, fruit salad, broccoli salad (the one with cheese & bacon), and LC cheesecake
S: 3/4 cup GY with 2 tbsp black raspberries, 1 piece cranberry orange bread (a tiny piece from a mini loaf) w/ butter
D: small portion of bbq pork and 3 pork rinds
I ended up hungry in the evening so had another snack b/c I decided that heading into a DD hungry before bed might NOT be a good idea. So my evening snack was 3/4 of an apple with almond butter, 1 piece of cranberry orange bread w/ butter, and 1/4 cup raw cream.

Today is a DD, my goal is to stay between 500-700 cal's.
My Menu:
B: Coffee with cream
D: Subway chicken salad ( hubby and I have a TON of errands to run starting at 3:30 this afternoon)
Exercise: 2-3 aerobic miles

Hubby's goal is 1000 on a DD as he is at a perfect weight and just wants to maintain.
B: 3 eggs in 1 tbsp butter, coffee with cream
L: Phase 2 taco soup, apple and 2 cups kefir
D: Subway chicken salad

I don't think we will be weighing daily for much longer as we are really comfy with where our weights have been the past week and expect the JUDDD magic to work.

I see you like apple with almond butter... I just can't get into the almond butter. Maybe it's only because I tried organic? I hate organic peanut butter but love regular Smucker's all natural. I don't know why! But peanut butter on apples is so good... and I'm getting used to just a small amount. Sometimes I mix a few drops of vanilla cream stevia in my PB and it tastes like an extra sweet treat!

Sounds like you're off to a great start! Good going with the exercise. I gotta get into the exercise soon... I'm less couch-potato-ish than I was on P2 (sheer exhaustion!), but still could use more movement. And congrats on staying in your range this time around on P3... I can see why you're so thrilled now! And to think I was just upset about hovering in the upper one pound of my range on past P3s... perspective. Now that I'm at the bottom of my range though, I'd actually be upset if I saw my LDW again! LOL

Side note... Church potlucks are my weakness... I love sampling everyone's home cooking! Problem is there are usually very minimal low carb dishes at these things! Did you bring the low carb cheesecake too? Or did someone else actually contribute that? If someone else, then I might need to crash your church's potluck parties!

Originally Posted by star a.d.

I think I might start this this week. I'm still going to do another P2, but a few weeks of JUDDD can't hurt, right?

Why not? See what happens! I hope you are pleasantly surprised!

[IThinkICan]

Originally Posted by Luv is a fairytale

Down Day was a success! I had 2 Atkins bars all day (420 calories) and the hunger didn't kick in until 4 am (college student. finals week. enough said?). It wasn't too bad even then so I ignored it but once I woke up, I realized I was starving, which I'm thinking is okay.

Other notes:
1) I might try to slowly come off of Atkins bars. I love how they taste (they taste like chocolate heaven after P2 hell... but I've realized that I've forgotten what real chocolate tastes like ) BUT they set off major cravings. The instant I finish a bar, I immediately want another... and another.

2) I ended up weighing myself yesterday and today, first thing in the morning. I started JUDDD at 125 lbs and after my first UD, I was up to 126. After DD2 though, I was back at 125. I was SO scared that I wouldn't lose so this is GOOD. Something tells me that this 1 lb bounce is going to continue though *sigh* So long as I don't go over 126, I'm willing to deal with it.

I'm disappointed that I weighed myself. I get very very obsessive with numbers and literally have had panic attacks because they weren't what I wanted. Oh well...

"Challenges" for today's UD:
1) For today's UD, stay within my 1700 calorie limit.
2) Limit snacking during the day as much as possible. Helps with the calories.
3) Pass my finals

Again, IThinkICan, thank you for being the inspiration behind this WOE and if you'd like to us to start a separate thread and stop crowding on your space :P let us know! I'm looking forward to hearing about your results!

I'm honored and humbled that you would say such things! Please stick around and lets see how we guinea pigs do!

My mom had a friend who started Atkins... after not trying any form of dieting ever before. The weight melted off her in no time. She got into Atkins bars though and the weight loss slowed. She started noting the trend. She also was the type to not want to stop eating them. That's the downside to those bars I guess...

Yes, there is a bounce factor with most JUDDD-ers... don't go by my experience thus far as I think I'm an oddball!

I understand the number-on-the-scale frustration though... as soon as you see a new low, you want to stay there, or keep going down, right?

Hope your finals go well! Stress may play a role when you're on the scale... so remember that too! Take it easy!

[IThinkICan]

So here's my latest updates...

Sun 4/29 - UD5
Weight: 145.5 (holding steady)

Breakfast: coconut flour pancakes, eggs, sausage (359 cal)

Lunch: roasted chicken, celery & onions, cheesy zucchini (341 cal)

Dinner: Bacon cheeseburger with fried egg on top (no bun), loaded cauliflower (695 cal)

Dessert: Fruit salad shake (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, half kiwi, banana extract, 1 raw egg, and hwc) and a few apple slices with PB (443 cal)

TOTAL: 1,838 calories


Mon 4/30 - DD6
Weight: 145.9 (up .4 after UD)

Breakfast: none

Lunch: 1 oz chicken breast, bacon strip, & laughing cow cheese wedge mixed with zoodles (zucchini noodles) (148 cal)

Snack: chicken broth, zucchini, laughing cow cheese wedge (~50 cal)

Dinner: meatloaf, small portion loaded cauliflower (331 cal)

Dessert: small apple slices with cinnamon & stevia (60 cal)

TOTAL: 589 calories

Oh... and I just ate a cashew hubby gave me... maybe I'm at 600 calories for today now?


And on a positive note... somewhere on these HCG boards I posted that my goals were to be 145 lbs and fit into at least one pair of size 8 jeans. Sunday I was just above that goal weight by .5, but got a chance to go shopping without the children. I got a stack of size 10 jeans to try on (as that's what was finally buttoning up a couple weeks ago). One of those jeans I pulled on and thought I had grabbed the wrong size - they were too roomy to keep up above my hips! The tag said 10 though... so I ran out of that dressing room to find those same jeans in an 8. Ran back to the dressing room, tried them on - perfect fit! I was BEAMING! Grinning from ear to ear! I didn't even care that these jeans cost $7-8 more than others I was considering (I'm a serious penny pincher, so that IS a big deal!) ...these jeans had a single digit on the tag and they fit! They are now MINE! I haven't seen an 8 on a tag of my clothing since the summer between freshman & sophomore year of high school when I had one pair of denim shorts that were size 7/8... and I only fit them that summer. To see an 8 now, after ten years of marriage and two pregnancies... SO EXCITING! So all I have left to do is see that 145 on the scale... nothing after a decimal point... I can almost taste it! The finish line is straight ahead... I can almost reach it!!!

[shirleychef]

WAHOOO on the size 8's!!!

I just bought 3 size 8 jeans and 1 capri and I'm so excited too!! They were at a second hand shop... the 4 + some cute sandles were only $14 total! LOVE deals like that! Though I weigh more than you 154-155 has been right where I'm stickin' so far, my LDW this round is 154.4. It really is quite nice to fit in smaller sizes.

I did bring the LC cheesecake and some very low sugar strawberry rhubarb jam to top it with... YUMMY!! I always bring a main dish and dessert that we would eat so I know there is something to enjoy guilt free. KWIM??

I'm so excited for you that you are at the lower end of your range. I think I'd slip down there but I'm enjoying way to many higher carb foods.. I think some of that is the workouts I do... makes me crave some carbier foods. BUT my body is toning and I'm feeling really good, not deprived.. THAT is a first since my second round.. I've felt "deprived" since round 2 phase 2 way back in the fall. I'm now entering a point where I feel "content". AND I'm constantly helping myself make choices and using that common JUDDD phrase, "I can have that later" or "I can have that tomorrow". I haven't gorged yet this phase 3 and THAT is a HUGE victory for me. My last two phase 3's were absolute disasters!!

Thanks for letting us join in your thread. I do think it will be nice for those hcg'ers who want to see how it works to track a few of us all in the same location.

[Spoonful of Happiness]

YAY FOR SIZE 8s! And running out of the fitting room to get a smaller size is the BEST feeling! So happy that you ladies are doing so well! Your progress is so very motivating.

DD 3

Today's been okay so far. I had one of my Atkins bars and I have about 240 calories left (Atkins bars are so unfairly high in calories!). I still haven't decided if I want to just eat another bar or have some "real food."

I weighed in again today but I probably didn't do it right. I was up all night studying, took an exam at 9 am and only weighed myself at 12pm after my exam. I weighed in at 125 = no gain from UD. This makes me VERY VERY happy because this would be the first time in all of P3 (I'm on Day 20) that a normal day of eating didn't result in a gain but like I said, it's not accurate because I waited so long to weigh myself where I usually do it first thing in the morning. Boo.

Still though, there are some "little victories" I want to take from it.
1) When I did Leptin, having eggs would result in a 1+ gain the next day. I had eggs AND nuts AND cheese yesterday and weighed in with no gains (or minimal ones anyways).
2) DDs are getting easier to do.
3) I started working out on Sunday. I was terrified of working out during all of P3 because of gains on my already shaky weight but I've been working out every day since and no worries. *knocks on wood*

A quick question for all JUDDDers:

Do you guys follow the calorie recommendation by the JUDDD calculator? Mine recommends 300 for DDs and 1700 for UDs. I try to stick to 1700 for UDs but with DDs, I usually go up to 500 so was just wondering what the general consensus is on calories...

[IThinkICan]

Shirley... so smart to be prepared with your own foods like a LC cheesecake. I've contemplated doing the same. I'm thinking of making some almond flour cookies to bring to our church picnic in a couple weeks.

Congratulations on not gorging yet! I remember my first round, Thanksgiving was like my 2nd day of P3. Although we prepared tons of perfectly legal foods, we ATE TONS of perfectly legal foods! LOL! On the one hand, I don't want to have to count calories, but on the other hand, it really does keep me in check. I'm realizing that some meals I make are less calories than I expected while others are much more than I would've thought. Just a poor combination of a few higher-than-expected calorie meals probably did contribute to some small gains on the scale in the past.

I'm liking these size 8s! (Wearing them right now!) So 145-147 is my pound range, and I'm 5'5" - are you taller than me, Shirley? I find it interesting to see how different people carry their weight. I have a friend who was excited to hit 139 lbs a few months after her baby was born - which is not too far away from I am. The thing is, she can wear sizes 0-4, and she's a few inches shorter than me! She's big time into exercise, so probably has a ton more muscle than me... and she does eat "healthy" carbs a lot (mainstream definition of "healthy"). I suspect if she dropped the carbs, she'd probably be in the 120s pretty quickly from water weight.

Which brings up another concern for me... do I have to just suck it up and gain ten pounds if I want to eat carbs again? (Constantly holding onto extra water weight associated with carbs.) Or is that why it's so important to very slowly add carbs in P4... like if we add slow enough, we might actually keep losing tiny bits of fat as we add tiny bits of water retention from carbs - thus maintaining weight while eating carbs? I'm trying to figure that factor out.

Congrats on your "little victories," Luv! I love those! Exercise is great, but scary to watch the scale alongside! I always gain water weight when I start exercising, then the scale scares me, so I stop exercising! That's the problem with daily weighing I suppose. I wish I could find a magical way of making water weight disappear quickly... between wanting to exercise more and wanting to eventually eat some more carbs, such a find would be like striking gold to me!

Luv... regarding the DD calories, it's based on percentages. Some people tend to lose faster with DD calories being 20-25% of calories on UDs... some use 30-35% if they don't have much to lose (like me). For maintenance, DDs should be 50% of UD calories to keep that whatchamacallit gene working...



Ok... here's my weight and menu updates:

5/1 - UD6
Weight: 146.2 (up .3)

Breakfast - 2 eggs scrambled and a strip of bacon

Lunch - Salad with chicken, bacon bits, cheese, ranch dressing

Snack - Coconut flour muffins

Dinner -Meatloaf Parmesan, side salad with Italian dressing

Dessert - Oopsie fruit salad cake, few apple slices with PB

TOTAL: 1682 calories (plus one big mouthful of chicken salad when I realized I was under 1700 calories)


5/2 - DD7
Weight: 147.0 (Up .8! - bouncy ball, is that you starting to make your presence known?)

Breakfast - none

Lunch - spinach, egg whites, laughing cow cheese wedge, bacon bits and sausage crumbles

Snack - chicken broth with veggies

Dinner - steak (plus some kinda veggie - TBD)

Dessert - apple

TOTAL: ~ 500 calories


So yeah... that 147 on the scale again scares me, but I know I'm retaining fluids. I could feel it as I got on the scale this morning. I am not peeing much for some strange reason. Why the retention when my TOM finally ends? No clue... I was actually losing during TOM and then retained after... this NEVER happens. I will say that I have been lacking sleep the last few nights and I've been walking a lot more the last few days, so perhaps that has something to do with it? Maybe now would be a good time to just keep walking and get my muscles used to it until they finally stop retaining water?

I'm still in my size 8 jeans, so I'm trying to remind myself of this number instead of the stupid scale!

[shirleychef]

Hubby & I are looking to maintain. So for my DD's I'm doing between 5-700 this is around the 25-30% mark for me, he is doing 800-1000 which is the 40-50% mark for him. Today though I'm shooting for a lower DD. I was naughty yesterday and ate more than I needed so I'm hoping a lower DD will make up for it. I did NOT weigh today..... I'll weigh tomorrow and see if I'm sill in my LDW zone, if not then tomorrow's UD will have to be tracked carefully then another lower DD to get things back down appropriately.

When I added exercise after round 1 & round 3 the scale bumped up. This time no exercise related bumps for me b/c I maintaining my workout routine throughout phase 2.

I'm 5'6" and have a large bone structure. There are some 8's that I cannot fit into... but it sure is fun wearing the ones I CAN! LOL! I wear 10's and 12's in dresses b/c of my broad shoulders and large ribcage. I wear mediums in tops, but some blouses are actually size 12's... but all my blouses are thrift store so they might be old enough to not fit into the new vanity sizing.. KWIM?? When I was this weight in high school I wore size 12 jeans. I don't know if the size 8's are due to the new and improved "vanity sizing"... LOL..... or if my body shape is different now.

[IThinkICan]

Good for you keeping that exercise steady through P2 (despite Simeons' advice), Shirley! Sometimes being rebellious is a good thing.

Yeah, if you're an extra inch taller with larger structure (I'm guessing I'm a more medium build), that makes sense for you size/weight-wise. I'm sure in general I'm a 10. 12s are too big. I can't figure out why in this one style of jeans from Lee I'm an 8, but had I gone with a relaxed fit (also from Lee) I'd actually need a 10! But my goal was to fit into any one pair of size 8 jeans just because it simply sounds good to me! Seriously, if more jeans manufacturers could just get their heads on straight and put size 8 tags on the jeans previously marked 10s, size 10 tags on jeans previously marked 12s - business would grow! This is the way so many women's minds work! It's totally psychological!

I know in high school I was in 9/10's... I even kept a couple of these jeans and can see that's what I fit now. Of course I'm part of the HS graduating Class of 2000, so I like to think that wasn't really that long ago. So sizes may not have changed a lot since the late 90s?

Good luck with your continued progress! And good luck to your hubby too!

[Spoonful of Happiness]

Quick update.

Not a good day at all = emotional binge eating. I had a dinner party a while back and all I did was eat my feelings. I'm too embarrassed to even say how much I ate but let's just say it involved fried chicken and taco salad. *sigh*

Keeping calories to 300 or below tomorrow for DD4 to make up for today's disaster.
I'd really like to believe in the whole 'With JUDDD, tomorrow really is another day" but HCG doesn't afford me that privilege. Technically, I'm supposed to be on P4 but I can't even imagine what the scale's going to say tomorrow.

Will try really really hard not to weigh myself (I know the 2-3+ will upset me for the rest of the day and I can't afford to be upset when I have three finals) and wait until Sunday for weigh in after a DD.

So disappointed in myself...

[circusgirl]

Oh sweetie. I'm so sorry. I think we've all been there. And yeah, hcg doesn't tend to be a very forgiving protocol, but you know what? You're not doing hcg anymore. You've signed up for a whole different deal. JUDDD, from what I'm reading is VERY forgiving, and there is real beauty in that. The organic flexibility of it seems to acknowledge that we are imperfect beings! It is a reminder that a mistake is something you brush yourself off after and move forward. Tomorrow is a new day, and I bet you'll do just fine.

If you can, give yourself a hug. I bet if one of your friends did the same thing you wouldn't be disappointed in them. You'd love them, support them and remind them of their strength and resilience. You don't deserve less than that.

Mistakes only exist for one reason. To help us learn. That's it! And they only become a problem if we don't.

[IThinkICan]

Originally Posted by circusgirl

Oh sweetie. I'm so sorry. I think we've all been there. And yeah, hcg doesn't tend to be a very forgiving protocol, but you know what? You're not doing hcg anymore. You've signed up for a whole different deal. JUDDD, from what I'm reading is VERY forgiving, and there is real beauty in that. The organic flexibility of it seems to acknowledge that we are imperfect beings! It is a reminder that a mistake is something you brush yourself off after and move forward. Tomorrow is a new day, and I bet you'll do just fine.

If you can, give yourself a hug. I bet if one of your friends did the same thing you wouldn't be disappointed in them. You'd love them, support them and remind them of their strength and resilience. You don't deserve less than that.

Mistakes only exist for one reason. To help us learn. That's it! And they only become a problem if we don't.

Good luck to you, Luv! We've all been there at some point. You're in a much better position now to overcome this than had you messed up on P2 of the HCG protocol. And you mentioned taco salad and fried chicken... I didn't hear you mention a box of donuts and cake. Maybe it's not as bad as you thought? Just get to a DD tomorrow and see what happens.

[annefran]

Hi I hope you all don't mind me joining the thread. I am really loving to hear about IthinkIcan's transition P3/JUDDD. I am just over a week into P2 (my 3rd round) and I'm having the worst time ever. I have adjusted my dose and it seemed to help for a couple days, but I'm just overwhelmingly tired, grumpy, anxious, and hungry. I have lost 9 lbs but I'm ready to go bonkers. JUDDD woe sounds like a dream and something I could sustain. The reason I'm on round 3 is because I can force myself to stick to P2, but then P3 just turns into a fest and I go so far off track each time.

If I were to transition to JUDDD, which seems to be a sustainable WOE, I can't imagine having to go all the way to day 23 to finish P2 and have those last 3 VLCD with no inj....

Does anyone have any input as to my stopping P2 and switching to JUDDD immediately? I'm really do not feel I can handle another couple weeks of P2.

Thanks everyone for documenting your journeys! I am learning so much!

[circusgirl]

no input, annefran, other than I'm doing the same. My day 23 is Monday and TOM just showed up. So I figured I could stick to the VLCD and know for sure I'm not going to lose anymore (I tend to stall for over a week once TOM hits) or just switch. Today is my first UD! So, that's all I got. I dosed yesterday and I'm off today.

I'll let you know how it works out!

[IThinkICan]

annefran... WELCOME!

Honestly, it's a tough call whether to stay or change now.

If I were you, I'd try stick it out for the full 21 days, but I might go a little more rogue than Simeons protocol, perhaps adding in a little extra protein or a veggie or two that may not be on his list but are still not starchy - like green beans, broccoli, or cauliflower. I had a friend who was miserable P2, but I came to find out that she only ate chicken for the most part as her protein. She was instructed to add beef. One 150g portion of beef one night (yes, more than protocol) completely turned her around. She felt 10x better! I ate beef almost every day because I didn't feel right when I didn't have it - I was always tired, but extra tired and cranky when I was lacking beef. I don't know if you're having beef or not, but I just thought I'd share just in case it's something you haven't considered. Browse the boards and experiment with new meals if you feel like you're getting into a rut.

The first 3 weeks can be some of the best weight loss on HCG, so that's really why I'd stick with it, besides the fact that Simeons says to stick with it that long as a minimum. To help with hunger - hot tea or chicken broth tended to help me a lot... or, if you don't mind being a little rogue, a diet soda. (Perhaps all the carbonation helped my tummy feel full?) I've also found cabbage is particularly helpful to keep me full - remember, you still have some pretty low calorie DDs doing JUDDD, so you need a few tricks without that HCG in your system.

I'm still getting the feel for JUDDD. They say to stick with it for at least 2 weeks to a month to see results. I'm just about at 2 weeks and down a little bit in weight (a little tough to tell since I started retaining water in my muscles from adding exercise this week). I'm just happy to be staying below LDW! I've been there this entire time - which is a completely new result for me! I'm yet to see what happens when I start introducing carbs in P4 - gonna be really careful with that. Carbs instantly can make you retain extra water if you add them back to quickly.


circusgirl... if you dosed yesterday, I worry about you having an UD today already... careful! They want you to have two-three VLC days after the last dose of hhcg, or three VLC days after a last injected dose of hcg. You could potentially see a spike on the scale if you add in too many calories too soon. You might get away with slightly higher portions of proteins and mixing some veggies though. Let us know what happens!

[circusgirl]

I'll be fine. I antidoted. I'm totally rogue.

I'm a homeopath by trade so I've played with this a lot. I never wait 2-3 days. I just antidote first thing in the morning on the last day. It's always worked beautifully for me.

I cut this round marginally short but only because of TOM, but I'm not worried!