Did one round a year ago - doing another now

[MoonDansyr]

I did a round in March 2011. My pre-HCG start weight was 146. During P3, I fluctuated between 137.6 and 139.4. While I didn't have a huge loss over my short round, it made a big difference on my short frame and I lost a total of 19 inches, almost 6 of which were from my waist. My doctor had pre-weighed me on a special scale, and did so at the end of my round and that scale showed that I had lost specifically fat and nothing else.

After P3, I moved into an on-going weight loss phase and lost down to 134 and managed to maintain that for quite awhile.

Then my father, who I've always been exceptionally close to, became ill with terminal cancer. I STILL maintained really well, up until the end. I became so depressed, that food was the last thing on my mind. Sometimes I didn't eat at all (it's hard to eat when you're crying). Sometimes I ate whatever was in reach just to keep from being dizzy. I've managed to stay on track through a lot of difficult times in my life, but losing my father was just beyond my capabilities.

I finally got a grip back on reality, picked myself up, and began "paying attention" again. Unfortunately, I'd gained up to 144. I thought, "well, that's not so horrible." I thought that once I started eating right again and working at it, that I'd be able to drop it back down at least some, and then I'd do another HCG round (or two). So I began really paying attention and working to try and drop those pounds. Strangely, once I began "trying" - the reverse happened! Instead of losing, I began gaining! This coincided with TOM showing up, but I was at 150 and I don't normally gain 6 pounds prior to TOM! Further, it wasn't dropping off as TOM progressed! So, I decided I had to get back on HCG fast! I called the doctor and was able to pick-up my HCG on my last TOM day and began dosing on Saturday, along with loading on that day and Sunday.

Today I have started VLC day 1.

I know many have said this, but I'm really disappointed in myself for gaining my weight back. I was kind of "ok" with the 144, as I felt like it was manageable and that I'd be able to get it back down. But the shocker was the sudden 6 pound gain after I started paying attention and trying to drop. At 5'1", that's significant and makes a huge difference in my clothing! I'm really, really hoping that I will have better luck with the HCG this time and drop more than 10 pounds.

So, that's my story.

[dawnyama]

Sweetie,

So sorry for your loss. Under all that stress, you have done well! Better than me. The last year and a half was hell on earth for me ( I lost 2 close family members, my DD was hospitalized with a new diagnosis of type 1 diabetes at the age of just 10, my other family member was in and out of the hospital herself 3 times (it was her DH who passed first) and we are her sole caregiver, and that is just the tip of the iceberg!) and I just broke. I had gotten to goal, and every time I hit stress I would gain, then start P2, more stress would pile on, another attempt at P2, and the cycle went on and on. I am on my last round to get rid of the pesky pounds. What counts is that we can get back up and do it again. Good luck to us both!! We can do this!!!

Hugs again

[Arctic_Mama]

It happens, life sometimes goes crazy and survival mode is a victory! You can lose the weight again, but I know how hard it is physically and emotionally to deal with the realities of a regain. I wish you the best!

[MoonDansyr]

Thanks for the responses dawnyama and Arctic_mama.

dawnyama - I am so sorry to hear all you have been through. My niece (who is my age) has a daughter who was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis when she was nine. While she's not my daughter, my niece is like my sister and I love care for them both dearly. I know it has been terrible for my niece who feels so helpless - - it's not a virus or scrape on the knee that can be fixed, and that's what we moms want to be able to do: fix our kids. My heart really goes out to you!

We actually went through a lot of other things over the last 18 months - I just didn't want to write a novel, as my post was already long. My father-in-law passed 18 months ago. Then, as my father was in his final stages, we had an unexpected set of events happen with some [once] very close friends of ours. Twenty years and never one problem, suddenly that changed in the blink of an eye and they basically kicked us while we were down. Dad passed while they were still kicking. It was unbelievable. It's STILL unbelievable!

Anyway, when my FIL passed, I vowed that life will always throw curve balls and we have to learn how to stay in the game. Even though that was hard and my dad was ailing, I did stick in the game. I was really proud of myself. But then when the friends did their song and dance and the reaper was knocking on dad's door, I hit rock bottom. I basically had a meltdown and it's the first time I've EVER had to take anxiety medicine (which was short-lived, thank goodness!). But what I've learned is that when you're at rock bottom, nothing matters. Nothing. Breathing doesn't even matter. I even wondered if I would ever make it back to "life" again. But I did.

The gain is disappointing, but you're right Arctic_mama - I can lose it again. I'm just worried at the cause of the sudden gain, as I've dealt with thyroid issues over the years. But, when I hit the 134, I was doing so well. I didn't eat like an idiot, but I didn't have any problems maintaining that weight even with occasional treats - - and that was for about a year! That is why the sudden gain has sent red flags up and scares me. I guess we'll see how I do on this round and go from there.

[dawnyama]

The hormones are tricky stuff. If you were dealing with stress--that is hormones. So hcg is the way to go when you want the gains gone. You will do well-you have us here to help you out. I started my round just a week ago, so we are close. I am going to July 27. That will be my last VLCD and my P3 starts on July 28-the first day of my weekend vacation. So my last dose will be before the 27th.

I feel I could have written your post too. My brother was killed on 9/11 and last year was the 10th anniversary and THAT was the week my DH told me he was going to divorce me Talk about being wammyed. We are all OK now, but the stress was just too much. Thank goodness I didn't gain all my weight back. My DH's uncle died (big surprise, just did not wake up one day--had a heart attack) and my stepdad finally succomed to cancer almost a year later. Not to mention that my eldest son who is 16 was trying his boundaries and we were getting phone calls in the middle of the night from the cops This was after 10 years of being event free. I have never experienced things like this EVER. So I feel I have aged 25 years in the last 18 months. I am wondering how I am still standing after all this From all this I have learned that the stress will NOT go away so I do have to learn how to deal with it without turning to a bag of chocolate.

[MoonDansyr]

Oh wow! I am so sorry about your brother! I just can't imagine. My father was buried in a veterans memorial cemetery in Kentucky, and there was actually a steel beam from one of the WTC buildings there. I had very mixed emotions about seeing it.

So, you and your husband worked things out? My husband and I have been together for 16 years and we've had our bumps along the way, but we've always managed to work them out. I just can't imagine a world without him. Although he is my second husband, and I can't say I felt that way about the first!

My son is 25 - I remember those rebellious years! Also, he went straight into the Marines from high school, and when he got out of the service, he had to learn how to be a responsible adult, as he no longer had someone barking orders at him.

Right before my father passed away, my husband's aunt passed, and then a close family friend that his parents used to do things with, all while he was growing up and after. Their kids hung out with my husband and his sister when they were little, so it was like family.

I'm sorry you gained, as well, but I sure am glad to have someone along on my journey!

I almost feel like I ate too much today, but I did log it all:

breakfast: 1 cup of black coffee
lunch: 100g lean beef, salad, and 1 melba, broken up over my salad (I used vinegar, mustard, and stevia mixed together for my dressing)
snack: apple
supper: blackened tilapia - I mixed together spices and pressed the fish into them and seared in a dry cast iron paired with steamed asparagus with lemon juice.
dessert: 4 oz. strawberries
I've also had over 60 oz. of filtered water today.

I feel full and satisfied and not deprived, and wonder how in the WORLD I can feel that way and still lose weight!

We will see what tomorrow brings! Although I was standing on my feet a big part of the day, so I won't be surprised to see a gain from water retention. I can feel it in my legs when I bend them.

Oh - and are you wanting to get chocolate wasted? ;-) I did see an HCG smoothie somewhere with spinach, cocoa and I don't remember what else.

[manders]

Originally Posted by dawnyama

The hormones are tricky stuff. If you were dealing with stress--that is hormones. So hcg is the way to go when you want the gains gone. You will do well-you have us here to help you out. I started my round just a week ago, so we are close. I am going to July 27. That will be my last VLCD and my P3 starts on July 28-the first day of my weekend vacation. So my last dose will be before the 27th.

I feel I could have written your post too. My brother was killed on 9/11 and last year was the 10th anniversary and THAT was the week my DH told me he was going to divorce me Talk about being wammyed. We are all OK now, but the stress was just too much. Thank goodness I didn't gain all my weight back. My DH's uncle died (big surprise, just did not wake up one day--had a heart attack) and my stepdad finally succomed to cancer almost a year later. Not to mention that my eldest son who is 16 was trying his boundaries and we were getting phone calls in the middle of the night from the cops This was after 10 years of being event free. I have never experienced things like this EVER. So I feel I have aged 25 years in the last 18 months. I am wondering how I am still standing after all this From all this I have learned that the stress will NOT go away so I do have to learn how to deal with it without turning to a bag of chocolate.

Wow, I had no idea. You really are such a strong woman. I am totally in awe of you!

On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, they unveiled a beam from the WTC at the military museum down the street from my salon that was gifted to Canada from the NJ port authority. I have to say that it truly haunts me every day when I drive by.

Originally Posted by MoonDansyr

Oh wow! I am so sorry about your brother! I just can't imagine. My father was buried in a veterans memorial cemetery in Kentucky, and there was actually a steel beam from one of the WTC buildings there. I had very mixed emotions about seeing it.

So, you and your husband worked things out? My husband and I have been together for 16 years and we've had our bumps along the way, but we've always managed to work them out. I just can't imagine a world without him. Although he is my second husband, and I can't say I felt that way about the first!

My son is 25 - I remember those rebellious years! Also, he went straight into the Marines from high school, and when he got out of the service, he had to learn how to be a responsible adult, as he no longer had someone barking orders at him.

Right before my father passed away, my husband's aunt passed, and then a close family friend that his parents used to do things with, all while he was growing up and after. Their kids hung out with my husband and his sister when they were little, so it was like family.

I'm sorry you gained, as well, but I sure am glad to have someone along on my journey!

I almost feel like I ate too much today, but I did log it all:

breakfast: 1 cup of black coffee
lunch: 100g lean beef, salad, and 1 melba, broken up over my salad (I used vinegar, mustard, and stevia mixed together for my dressing)
snack: apple
supper: blackened tilapia - I mixed together spices and pressed the fish into them and seared in a dry cast iron paired with steamed asparagus with lemon juice.
dessert: 4 oz. strawberries
I've also had over 60 oz. of filtered water today.

I feel full and satisfied and not deprived, and wonder how in the WORLD I can feel that way and still lose weight!

We will see what tomorrow brings! Although I was standing on my feet a big part of the day, so I won't be surprised to see a gain from water retention. I can feel it in my legs when I bend them.

Oh - and are you wanting to get chocolate wasted? ;-) I did see an HCG smoothie somewhere with spinach, cocoa and I don't remember what else.

You sound so strong! I know it's corny but whatever doesn't kill you, really does make you stronger. That's why when I have days like today where my hair won't cooperate, I remind myself that if a bad hair day is the worst thing that happens today, then I'm doing well.

For being 22, I've certainly had more hard knocks than most my age, but I try to build off of the strength of the amazing women surrounding me and remind myself that it really, honestly could be worse, but that things WILL get better at some point. I also have to totally confess to giving my poor Mom MANY grey hairs when I was 17, which clearly was not that long ago.

Your menu sounds delicious. Can I come over for dinner tomorrow? hehehe

[dawnyama]

manders--I have learned to NOT say "things can always get worse, because last year they did get worse". It was a horrible 18 month period we went through. And I know it will only get worse because my eldest is one of 4 kids so we have 3 more kids to raise. His brother who is only 13 seems to be following in his older siblings shadow. We had the fire trucks out here the other weekend because of him and a friend. The friend fessed up to starting the woods fire, but DS's name was still written up in the report along with DH's. I just have to lock up my kids and not let them out til they are 18 HAhaha. I tell ya, I am amazed I am still here. Raising kids is very difficult these days.

Moon--yes, we were able to work things out. He was totally stressed and I personally didn't think he knew how to handle our son. It is eye opening to say the least to know that you can only control your flesh and blood to a certain degree and for so long. We just had differing opinions on how to handle it and now we are on the same page and are OK. That was just our roughest patch in our marriage to date. Celebrating 17 years (or maybe it is 18?) anniversary this July 19th!! And I would not have been able to raise these kids without him. Especially since DD was diagnosed with diabetes.
And yes, your menu sounds delicious. I had steak and a tomato---that was it yesterday! Mini steak day for me. DH wanted to grill out so we planned it that way. Today, I get to eat!! This round I am not going to let my stress get to me. Just control what I can and so be it. We shall see.

Good luck!!!

[MoonDansyr]

Originally Posted by manders

On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, they unveiled a beam from the WTC at the military museum down the street from my salon that was gifted to Canada from the NJ port authority. I have to say that it truly haunts me every day when I drive by.

That's exactly it: haunting. It just felt so weird to see it. I don't want this to sound bad, but it wasn't something I would have chosen to see; I can't imagine the emotions it would evoke in someone who has lost loved ones during 9/11. I'm one of those type people that can't even see pictures of neglected or abused animals...and seeing that beam, driving into the cemetery for the grave side service, it just really threw me for a loop!

Originally Posted by manders

Your menu sounds delicious. Can I come over for dinner tomorrow? hehehe

Oh my gosh! It was SO good!!! Well, lunch was just ok. But my blackened tilapia and asparagus was to die for! I'm going to run back out to the store for more herbs/spices to put together a large batch of the blackened seasonings to keep on hand. There's probably already a pre-mix available for sale, but it could have sugar and msg in it - - and mine was great, so why mess with a good thing? I think I'll grab another bag of tilapia, too! Today I'm going to try some curried fish. Not so sure about that, but won't know until I try it!

Originally Posted by dawnyama

manders--I have learned to NOT say "things can always get worse, because last year they did get worse".

But, when things are bad, it's ok to remind ourselves that they aren't as bad as they could be. That is something that has kept me strong over the years. When I say this was the first time I've ever had to take anxiety meds, I'm not kidding, but it wasn't the first time I'd traipsed through Hades. But I've always managed to persevere because I could stop and consider just how much worse things could potentially be that I've been able to buck up before. This time was just different, as it wasn't just "hard knocks" from all directions, but the severe grief on top of it, I think. We all eventually find we do have breaking points, I guess. Could this time have been worse? Absolutely! However, if it had, I'm not sure I would have survived, so in that sense, I'm glad it didn't get worse. (And I can't take anti-depressants because I'm one of those that becomes suicidal, when I am not normally a suicidal type person. And that's without being a child or young adult, so the black box warning is not sufficient in my opinion.)

Originally Posted by dawnyama

It was a horrible 18 month period we went through. And I know it will only get worse because my eldest is one of 4 kids so we have 3 more kids to raise. His brother who is only 13 seems to be following in his older siblings shadow. We had the fire trucks out here the other weekend because of him and a friend. The friend fessed up to starting the woods fire, but DS's name was still written up in the report along with DH's. I just have to lock up my kids and not let them out til they are 18 HAhaha. I tell ya, I am amazed I am still here. Raising kids is very difficult these days.

It is TERRIBLY difficult! It's the hardest job on the planet because you (we) are raising tomorrow's future! I worked full-time (and then some, plus night school) when I was raising my son. After the girls came, I put my foot down and decided to go full-tilt with the mom job. It's been financially difficult, but I've done a lot of things differently with the girls than I did with my son, and so far, it seems to be showing. They just hit 13 and 14 (they're 14 months apart), and they are starting that teen attitude. Instead of rolling my eyes at them and thinking, "yep, they're teens," I stop them in their tracks and try to use some sort of virtue-type story to make them see things a bit differently - usually pulling from close family or friends who they know that have had it much harder than they have. Granted, they have a different father than my son, and therefore a different set of genes, so that makes a difference. But even the two girls are very different, so my approach to each has to be adjusted to fit the kid. I love my son, but I would NEVER want to raise him again. WOW that was a tough job!

Originally Posted by dawnyama

Moon--yes, we were able to work things out. He was totally stressed and I personally didn't think he knew how to handle our son. It is eye opening to say the least to know that you can only control your flesh and blood to a certain degree and for so long. We just had differing opinions on how to handle it and now we are on the same page and are OK. That was just our roughest patch in our marriage to date. Celebrating 17 years (or maybe it is 18?) anniversary this July 19th!! And I would not have been able to raise these kids without him. Especially since DD was diagnosed with diabetes.

I'm glad you were able to work things out! It matters so much to be on the same page with the kids. I know part of my problems with my son was that his dad would disagree with me, JUST to spite ME, not considering what it was doing to our son! When my [current] husband and I were first dating, I asked him several different "parenting" questions to get an idea of how he would handle different situations and when he answered them all the way I would have, I knew he was a keeper! LOL That's not to say we haven't had our moments; no one can ever foresee every potential situation, but we respect each other's opinions enough to listen and consider. But even then, if one of us says it's just a gut feeling that they can't explain, we respect that, also, as we've learned that those gut feelings can sometimes be prophetic! Marriage and parenting is hard when done right, so pat yourself on the back for doing something right! My parents were married 67 years and they hit rough patches, too, and admit that they "learned" with the first one and still learned more with the rest, as not all kids are the same. It's just a matter of respecting and loving each other enough to want to work it out. (My first husband didn't respect me and later ended up telling his current wife that he was a total and complete jerk to me.)

Originally Posted by dawnyama

And yes, your menu sounds delicious. I had steak and a tomato---that was it yesterday! Mini steak day for me. DH wanted to grill out so we planned it that way. Today, I get to eat!! This round I am not going to let my stress get to me. Just control what I can and so be it. We shall see.

Good luck!!!

I never did a steak day when I did HCG before, but I sure love steak! It would have to be thick, rather than wide, as I do like a bit of pink in the middle. but that sure sounds good!

Today I'm going to do chicken and fish I think. Chicken will probably be over a salad and fish will be curried over sautee'd cabbage. Going to do 1/2 grapefruit and apple for my fruits.

Well, my start weight before HCG was 150. Yesterday's weight (after two load days) was 152.8. This morning after ONE day of VLC -> 149.6! WOOHOO! But, that only puts me a skosh under my pre-load weight, so we will see how the numbers go from here! Still, I was nervous about today's weight, considering how I kept gaining when I started "trying to lose" before!

Thanks everyone for pitching in and making me feel welcome and "not alone." That means more to me than you can imagine!

[pendragginp]

Feeling so much respect for the ladies here who have weathered such tough times in the last couple of years.

Onward and upward, hey?

Or should I say Onward and DOWNward!

[MoonDansyr]

Originally Posted by pendragginp

Feeling so much respect for the ladies here who have weathered such tough times in the last couple of years.

Onward and upward, hey?

Or should I say Onward and DOWNward!

LOL - I like your onward and downward quote! :-)

OK - I am not hungry and my lunch more than filled me up. But the smoked sausage and fried potatoes I smell which my daughters are making for themselves and their daddy - WOW! All I can say is that it's a good thing I'm not hungry!!!

[dawnyama]

I know moon. I had lunch really late because of work. Now I really don't want to eat dinner. My kids are not home right now which is a good thing, otherwise I would be wanting Oreos. But as you, not hungry for them but wanting them because "they are there". It is amazing the power of "out of sight, out of mind". As long as I don't see it, I am good! But put it in front of me.....oh no!

[MoonDansyr]

Originally Posted by dawnyama

I know moon. I had lunch really late because of work. Now I really don't want to eat dinner. My kids are not home right now which is a good thing, otherwise I would be wanting Oreos. But as you, not hungry for them but wanting them because "they are there". It is amazing the power of "out of sight, out of mind". As long as I don't see it, I am good! But put it in front of me.....oh no!

DON'T LISTEN TO THE OREOS! It's a conspiracy!! LOL I've never been a fan of oreos - but there are plenty of other things I could want for. But fried potatoes have to be my very favorite thing of all time. While it did smell good and I would have loved to have tasted them, it wasn't "so horrible" to resist. P2 is only temporary and not that long in the scheme of life. I ate far later than I probably should have. But I ended up browning my lean ground beef with onion and garlic powders, and then stirring in some shredded cabbage and soy sauce and cooking until the cabbage was tender/crunchy. I also made "apple pie" with my apple and melba. It feels like soooo much food! The last time I did HCG, while I didn't feel like I was starving, I did get hungrier in the beginning until I upped my dose. I'm doing nasal spray and started out with two sprays then upped it to three. This time I started out with three, and I think that has truly made a difference!

[manders]

Originally Posted by dawnyama

manders--I have learned to NOT say "things can always get worse, because last year they did get worse". It was a horrible 18 month period we went through. And I know it will only get worse because my eldest is one of 4 kids so we have 3 more kids to raise. His brother who is only 13 seems to be following in his older siblings shadow. We had the fire trucks out here the other weekend because of him and a friend. The friend fessed up to starting the woods fire, but DS's name was still written up in the report along with DH's. I just have to lock up my kids and not let them out til they are 18 HAhaha. I tell ya, I am amazed I am still here. Raising kids is very difficult these days.

Moon--yes, we were able to work things out. He was totally stressed and I personally didn't think he knew how to handle our son. It is eye opening to say the least to know that you can only control your flesh and blood to a certain degree and for so long. We just had differing opinions on how to handle it and now we are on the same page and are OK. That was just our roughest patch in our marriage to date. Celebrating 17 years (or maybe it is 18?) anniversary this July 19th!! And I would not have been able to raise these kids without him. Especially since DD was diagnosed with diabetes.
And yes, your menu sounds delicious. I had steak and a tomato---that was it yesterday! Mini steak day for me. DH wanted to grill out so we planned it that way. Today, I get to eat!! This round I am not going to let my stress get to me. Just control what I can and so be it. We shall see.

Good luck!!!

I think you mean when people say "it can't get any worse".

I once lived in a straw hut and slept on a dirt floor. It made me extremely thankful for the life I have here in Canada, and when things have gotten tough with divorce or death, I always took a bit of time each day to be thankful that I have food in my fridge and a roof over my head, and if I ever lost those things, that I still have friends and family who would lift me up.

It sounds like your son is putting you through a lot of what I put my own Mom through (being on the wrong side of the law), although I never had friends who set a forest on fire haha I don't really think being written up in a police report for that will affect him negatively in the future. Considering all the stuff I got into which almost permanently ruined my life, I'm still a successful business woman.

My favourite quote EVER is, "this too shall pass."

[MoonDansyr]

Wow Manders! You sure don't sound 22!! May I ask if the straw hut with the dirt floor was local or another country? I will say, there is nothing like going without to make one respect what it is to have. I also find that I don't "want" for as much as many sheeple seem to "need."

6/29/12 - start weight - 150.6
6/30/12 - HCG Day 1 - 150.6 - Load day 1
7/1/12 - HCG Day 2 - 151.8 - Load day 2 - +1.2
7/2/12 - HCG Day 3 - 152.8 - VLC day 1 - +1.0
7/3/12 - HCG Day 4 - 149.6 - VLC day 2 - -3.2 (-1 from start weight)
7/4/12 - HCG Day 5 - 148.4 - VLC day 3 - -1.2 (-2.2 from start weight)

Yesterday's menu:
Breakfast: 2 cups of black coffee
Lunch: herb coated chicken on salad with melba toast "croutons"
Snack: grapefruit
Supper: ground beef and cabbage with onion and garlic powders and soy sauce
Dessert: apple "pie" made with apple, cinnamon/nutmeg, lemon juice, truvia, and melba toast crumbled on top.
Water: 60+ ounces of water.

So, I weathered the fried potatoes last night a lot easier than I thought I would. It seems like I'm having an easier start this time than last. But, I started this round with three [nasal] sprays right off the bat. Last time, I started with two and kept feeling hungry, but didn't up my dose right away, because I thought maybe I hadn't loaded well. I eventually did after about a week. I'm thinking maybe that's why I didn't lose so much on that round - because if one is hungry, their fat stores aren't being tapped adequately. Right? So, I'm HOPEFUL that starting with the three sprays this time will make a difference in the amount I drop. It's definitely made a difference in my appetite *and* energy. (I was tired that first week last time.) It sure would be WONDERFUL to drop back into the 130's, even if it isn't the low of 134 that I hit last year - - but the 134 would sure be icing on the cake! A girl can dream! I guess what I'm most looking forward to, no matter what my low is, is the stabilization. Being 144 then shooting up to 150 in a week - that's not stability and that really scared me!

OK - off to do chores!

Happy 4th of July to those who live in the U.S.

[manders]

Originally Posted by MoonDansyr

Wow Manders! You sure don't sound 22!! May I ask if the straw hut with the dirt floor was local or another country? I will say, there is nothing like going without to make one respect what it is to have. I also find that I don't "want" for as much as many sheeple seem to "need."

6/29/12 - start weight - 150.6
6/30/12 - HCG Day 1 - 150.6 - Load day 1
7/1/12 - HCG Day 2 - 151.8 - Load day 2 - +1.2
7/2/12 - HCG Day 3 - 152.8 - VLC day 1 - +1.0
7/3/12 - HCG Day 4 - 149.6 - VLC day 2 - -3.2 (-1 from start weight)
7/4/12 - HCG Day 5 - 148.4 - VLC day 3 - -1.2 (-2.2 from start weight)

Yesterday's menu:
Breakfast: 2 cups of black coffee
Lunch: herb coated chicken on salad with melba toast "croutons"
Snack: grapefruit
Supper: ground beef and cabbage with onion and garlic powders and soy sauce
Dessert: apple "pie" made with apple, cinnamon/nutmeg, lemon juice, truvia, and melba toast crumbled on top.
Water: 60+ ounces of water.

So, I weathered the fried potatoes last night a lot easier than I thought I would. It seems like I'm having an easier start this time than last. But, I started this round with three [nasal] sprays right off the bat. Last time, I started with two and kept feeling hungry, but didn't up my dose right away, because I thought maybe I hadn't loaded well. I eventually did after about a week. I'm thinking maybe that's why I didn't lose so much on that round - because if one is hungry, their fat stores aren't being tapped adequately. Right? So, I'm HOPEFUL that starting with the three sprays this time will make a difference in the amount I drop. It's definitely made a difference in my appetite *and* energy. (I was tired that first week last time.) It sure would be WONDERFUL to drop back into the 130's, even if it isn't the low of 134 that I hit last year - - but the 134 would sure be icing on the cake! A girl can dream! I guess what I'm most looking forward to, no matter what my low is, is the stabilization. Being 144 then shooting up to 150 in a week - that's not stability and that really scared me!

OK - off to do chores!

Happy 4th of July to those who live in the U.S.

I lived in Argentina for a bit. It was rough, but at least I knew I had a house and school and food and medical care to come back to. That WAS home for the people I lived with.

[dawnyama]

Originally Posted by manders

I lived in Argentina for a bit. It was rough, but at least I knew I had a house and school and food and medical care to come back to. That WAS home for the people I lived with.

I was an exchange student to the Philippines my Junior year in high school. Best year of my life! Loved it so much. While I didn't live in huts, it was a poor poor country. The people there---so happy for what little they did have.

[MoonDansyr]

Wow - I've never been out of the country. :-( Would like to visit several places, though. That's neat about both of you!!

So, today's weight reflects three days of VLC eating. I only lost 0.2 from yesterday, but I knew it was bound to lessen drastically at some point. I even expect some gains here and there (although I hope only very modest!).

6/29/12 - start weight - 150.6
6/30/12 - HCG Day 1 - 150.6 - Load day 1
7/1/12 - HCG Day 2 - 151.8 - Load day 2 - +1.2
7/2/12 - HCG Day 3 - 152.8 - VLC day 1 - +1.0
7/3/12 - HCG Day 4 - 149.6 - VLC day 2 - -3.2 (-1 from start weight)
7/4/12 - HCG Day 5 - 148.4 - VLC day 3 - -1.2 (-2.2 from start weight)
7/5/12 - HCG Day 6 - 148.2 - VLC day 4 - -0.2 (-2.4 from start weight)

Yesterday's menu:

Breakfast: 1 cup of black coffee and half a grapefruit
Lunch: ground beef and cabbage with onion and garlic powders and soy sauce
Supper: herb coated chicken with boiled radishes
Snack: apple
Water: I didn't measure. :-(

I did forget my melba toast completely. I wonder if that had anything to do with it? I will do better today. Yesterday, hubby was home and we were busy and my mind wasn't on dieting and measuring.

[MoonDansyr]

6/29/12 - start weight - 150.6
6/30/12 - HCG Day 1 - 150.6 - Load day 1
7/1/12 - HCG Day 2 - 151.8 - Load day 2 - [COLOR=DarkRed]+1.2[/COLOR]
7/2/12 - HCG Day 3 - 152.8 - VLC day 1 - [COLOR=DarkRed]+1.0[/COLOR]
7/3/12 - HCG Day 4 - 149.6 - VLC day 2 - -3.2 (-1 from start weight)
7/4/12 - HCG Day 5 - 148.4 - VLC day 3 - -1.2 (-2.2 from start weight)
7/5/12 - HCG Day 6 - 148.2 - VLC day 4 - -0.2 (-2.4 from start weight)
7/6/12 - HCG Day 7 - 146.4 - VLC day 5 - -1.8 (-4.2 from start weight)

Yesterday's menu:
Breakfast: 1 cup of black coffee
Lunch: blackened fish over salad with a homemade vinegar/lemon/herb dressing
Supper: hamburger with "sweet" and sour cabbage
Dessert: apple "pie"
Water: I didn't measure again. I actually drank a lot of tea and less water.

Last night, I developed the stomach bug that my daughter had on Sunday. There was no doubt the scale would have been down today. So I wouldn't be surprised to see an increase tomorrow. I may be doing soup today and possibly a shake. I'm not sure I can handle much in the way of "veggies," so I may try tomato and cucumber, as cabbage or lettuce just doesn't sound good right now.

Oh, and today I have to call my doctor's office to check-in. They gave me ketosis sticks. Mine didn't change color whatsoever.

By the way, what do you do when you get too full 1/2-3/4 way through your meal? Day before yesterday, I just wasn't able to finish one of my meals and put it back for later, but I never went back to it. I'm finding that my meals are getting very difficult to finish and I'm afraid to go below the 500 calories per day! Advice?

[dawnyama]

moon--I always have seen it posted to at least get in your protein. That way your body won't use your muscles for the protein. Not sure if there is much in that, but I do try to at least eat cottage cheese if I don't feel like anything else. I did that the other night when it was late and was hungry but it was too late to eat (I hate eating at 8PM). Just cottage cheese. But I am not sure if you just skip it altogether. Remember that Simeons' says you can skip anything you wish!!! Just follow your gut on this one.

I will add that I barely get in any veggies. I am not big on those BUT I love my fruit and will rarely skip that portion. But that is what I like. So you can tailor this to what you feel like doing.

[MoonDansyr]

Thanks for your response dawnyama. My tummy was still doing its thing earlier. But I finally felt like I could try something, so I made a smoothie from one small, seedless orange, two ounces of fat-free cottage cheese, orange and vanilla liquid stevia, half a scoop of whey protein, water and ice. So far, so good. I hope that doesn't spoil my day, though. But I know a big portion of my loss this morning is sheer loss of content through the night.

[MoonDansyr]

Yay! So far, the smoothie has stayed with me! I think I'm finally on the mend! The *only* thing that I used in the smoothie that wasn't really protocol was the whey. I was afraid a full 100g of cottage cheese would make it taste a little too funky. I think I can probably go with a regular protocol supper. I hope I haven't messed anything up! I do not expect to see a drop tomorrow, though.

[dawnyama]

I am glad to hear that. Yay for feeling better!!

[MoonDansyr]

6/29/12 - start weight - 150.6
6/30/12 - HCG Day 1 - 150.6 - Load day 1
7/1/12 - HCG Day 2 - 151.8 - Load day 2 - +1.2
7/2/12 - HCG Day 3 - 152.8 - VLC day 1 - +1.0
7/3/12 - HCG Day 4 - 149.6 - VLC day 2 - -3.2 (-1 from start weight)
7/4/12 - HCG Day 5 - 148.4 - VLC day 3 - -1.2 (-2.2 from start weight)
7/5/12 - HCG Day 6 - 148.2 - VLC day 4 - -0.2 (-2.4 from start weight)
7/6/12 - HCG Day 7 - 146.4 - VLC day 5 - -1.8 (-4.2 from start weight)
7/7/12 - HCG Day 8 - 145.6 - VLC day 6 - -0.8 (-5.0 from start weight)

Yesterday's menu:

Breakfast: 1 cup of black coffee which didn't sit too well.

Lunch: orange smoothie
small seedless orange
2 oz. FF cottage cheese
1/2 scoop designer whey
vanilla and orange stevia
ice and some water
(believe it or not, it tastes like a dreamsicle or remember "push-ups?")

Snack: Hot tea with 1 Tbs. of milk and a Melba toast

Supper: "cream" of chicken soup with "melba croutons"
100 g chicken
2 stalks celery, chopped
garlic and onion powder
2 tsp. chicken bouillon
2 cups water
parsley
2 oz. cottage cheese
Cook chicken and celery in broth and seasonings, reserving parsley and cottage cheese until finished. Once chicken is cooked very well, take off heat and add some ice to cool everything. Throw everything in the blender (I left a few small pieces of chicken and celery in the bottom of the pan to give it some "chunks" afterward). Add your cottage cheese to the blender and whirl away until it becomes creamy. Return to the pan and add your parsley. Heat until warm to eat. Pour in bowl and break-up melba croutons over top.

I cannot tell you how absolutely satisfying this was after how bad my stomach was. In fact, it was super satisfying regardless of the stomach issues. Only problem is that original protocol wouldn't allow the combining of the cottage cheese and chicken. Also, the designer weigh would have been a no-no. But somehow, I still managed to lose nearly a pound! I'm surprised!

Dessert: apple "pie" without the melba crumble

Water: I didn't measure again, but I had at least three huge cups (I'll have to measure to see how many ounces my large cup holds - I think it is 24 oz.).

My tummy wasn't perfect throughout the day, but it was markedly improved. By this morning, I *think* I'm back to normal. I hope.

I just have to say, I *really* think starting with three sprays this time has made a HUGE difference in this round over the first round I did. Here are the comparisons: first round starting out, I was tired and hungry and had only lost 1.2 pounds by this point. This round, I'm not hungry, I haven't once felt fatigued (and, in fact, feel more energetic than I did before starting), and I've lost 5.0 pounds. However, somewhere during the first part of the first round, I did up my dose to three sprays and it did make a difference, so we will see how the rest of this round compares.

OK - off to start the day!

[MoonDansyr]

I knew it was bound to happen. But, I will say that I think I had more than 500 calories and I was so hot most of the day. We spent the day with my mom and her house was just sweltering! I woke up this morning and my fingers were swollen so badly around my rings. I worked them off, but I still have an indentation where they were (two hours later!)!

6/29/12 - start weight - 150.6
6/30/12 - HCG Day 1 - 150.6 - Load day 1
7/1/12 - HCG Day 2 - 151.8 - Load day 2 - +1.2
7/2/12 - HCG Day 3 - 152.8 - VLC day 1 - +1.0
7/3/12 - HCG Day 4 - 149.6 - VLC day 2 - -3.2 (-1 from start weight)
7/4/12 - HCG Day 5 - 148.4 - VLC day 3 - -1.2 (-2.2 from start weight)
7/5/12 - HCG Day 6 - 148.2 - VLC day 4 - -0.2 (-2.4 from start weight)
7/6/12 - HCG Day 7 - 146.4 - VLC day 5 - -1.8 (-4.2 from start weight)
7/7/12 - HCG Day 8 - 145.6 - VLC day 6 - -0.8 (-5.0 from start weight)
7/8/12 - HCG Day 9 - 1426.2 - VLC day 7 - +0.6 (-4.4 from start weight)

Yesterday's menu:
Breakfast: 2 cups of black coffee.
Lunch: 100g lean beef with 5 oz. seasoned cabbage with soy sauce, melba toast
Snack: apple, and 3 oz. cottage cheese (where I think my problem came from)
Supper: mock Thai beef salad. It was SO good!
Water: At least 8 cups and then some. I measured my cup and it holds 4 cups.

I had planned to have fish and salad for supper, which was why I added the cottage cheese earlier. But when I got home, something about the beef salad popped into my head, so I made that instead. The beef is higher in calories and fat than the fish, so that's where I went wrong. I will try not to make that mistake again. However, we are going to my MIL's today, so that's not going to make today's food easy. I guess I will pre-cook everything and take it all with me. I just don't know what that's going to be yet. :-\

Now I'm off to guzzle a BUNCH of water and figure out my foods and cook them before we leave![/COLOR]

[dawnyama]

Moon--no worries. It happens and you know it will come back down. I am battling with the heat as well. All we can do--stick to plan and know it is going to be better tomorrow. Good luck with your choices today!!

[MoonDansyr]

Thanks dawnyama, but it is discouraging. I would rather see myself only lose 0.2 or even at a stand still rather than gain.

Today, I'm going to make sure I use those "greens" to make-up the calorie differences from the 200g of lean meat, 2 fruits and 2 melbas. Last night, I added 2 oz. of cottage cheese with my grapefruit to round-out my 500 calories and I think that may have been my mistake. I don't know. We will see.

6/29/12 - start weight - 150.6
6/30/12 - HCG Day 1 - 150.6 - Load day 1
7/1/12 - HCG Day 2 - 151.8 - Load day 2 - +1.2
7/2/12 - HCG Day 3 - 152.8 - VLC day 1 - +1.0
7/3/12 - HCG Day 4 - 149.6 - VLC day 2 - -3.2 (-1 from start weight)
7/4/12 - HCG Day 5 - 148.4 - VLC day 3 - -1.2 (-2.2 from start weight)
7/5/12 - HCG Day 6 - 148.2 - VLC day 4 - -0.2 (-2.4 from start weight)
7/6/12 - HCG Day 7 - 146.4 - VLC day 5 - -1.8 (-4.2 from start weight)
7/7/12 - HCG Day 8 - 145.6 - VLC day 6 - -0.8 (-5.0 from start weight)
7/8/12 - HCG Day 9 - 146.2 - VLC day 7 - +0.6 (-4.4 from start weight)
7/9/12 - HCG Day 10 - 146.6 - VLC day 8 - +0.4 (-4.0 from start weight)

Yesterday's menu:

Breakfast: 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch: "Cream" of chicken soup, made as before, only without the cottage cheese and adding an extra stalk of celery. One melba toast.

Snack: apple

Supper: Asian Tilapia (seasoned with lime juice, soy sauce, and ginger) and tomato.

Snack: 1/2 grapefruit and 2 oz. of cottage cheese to make-up the rest of my 500 calories

Water: 8 cups, plus one large iced tea and one hot tea with my evening snack.

As far as yesterday, I spent most of it doing a lot of household chores, but nothing abnormal.

[MoonDansyr]

6/29/12 - start weight - 150.6
6/30/12 - HCG Day 1 - 150.6 - Load day 1
7/1/12 - HCG Day 2 - 151.8 - Load day 2 - [COLOR=Red]+1.2[/COLOR]
7/2/12 - HCG Day 3 - 152.8 - VLC day 1 - [COLOR=Red]+1.0[/COLOR]
7/3/12 - HCG Day 4 - 149.6 - VLC day 2 - -3.2 (-1 from start weight)
7/4/12 - HCG Day 5 - 148.4 - VLC day 3 - -1.2 (-2.2 from start weight)
7/5/12 - HCG Day 6 - 148.2 - VLC day 4 - -0.2 (-2.4 from start weight)
7/6/12 - HCG Day 7 - 146.4 - VLC day 5 - -1.8 (-4.2 from start weight)
7/7/12 - HCG Day 8 - 145.6 - VLC day 6 - -0.8 (-5.0 from start weight)
7/8/12 - HCG Day 9 - 146.2 - VLC day 7 - [COLOR=Red]+0.6[/COLOR] (-4.4 from start weight)
7/9/12 - HCG Day 10 - 146.6 - VLC day 8 - [COLOR=Red]+0.4[/COLOR] (-4.0 from start weight)
7/10/12 - HCG Day 11 - 144.6 - VLC day 9 - -2.0 (-6.0 from start weight)

Yesterday's menu:

Breakfast: 2 cups of black coffee, half a grapefruit

Lunch: Lean Tenderloin Steak, boiled radishes, and one melba toast.

Supper: Nothing else sounded good, so I caved to my orange-cottage cheese-designer whey smoothie

Water: I think I only had 6 cups, but my smoothie also had water/ice.

Yesterday, I remembered this from Pounds and Inches:

After the fourth or fifth day of dieting the daily loss of weight begins to decrease to one pound or somewhat less per day, and there is a smaller urinary output. Men often continue to lose regularly at that rate, but women are more irregular in spite of faultless dieting. There may be no drop at all for two or three days and then a sudden loss which reestablishes the normal average. These fluctuations are entirely due to variations in the retention and elimination of water, which are more marked in women than in men.

The weight registered by the scale is determined by two processes not necessarily synchronized under the influence of HCG. Fat is being extracted from the cells, in which it is stored in the fatty tissue. When these cells are empty and therefore serve no purpose, the body breaks down the cellular structure and absorbs it, but breaking up of useless cells, connective tissue, blood vessels, etc., may lag behind the process of fat-extraction. When this happens the body appears to replace some of the extracted fat with water which is retained for this purpose. As water is heavier than fat the scales may show no loss of weight, although sufficient fat has actually been consumed to make up for the deficit in the 500-Calorie diet. When such tissue is finally broken down, the water is liberated and there is a sudden flood of urine and a marked loss of weight. This simple interpretation of what is really an extremely
complex mechanism is the one we give those patients who want to know why it is that on certain days they do not lose, though they have committed no dietary error.

And my gains were the two days after five days of losses from VLC. As long as my body is doing what is "normal to the protocol," I'm A-OK with that! I love the idea of my body breaking down and discarding those fat cells I never want to see (or refill) again!

[MoonDansyr]

I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday. I weighed, marked it on the calendar and then jumped into working on our basement, stopping only to eat. I was down 0.2 yesterday and today I'm down another 0.4.

6/29/12 - start weight - 150.6
6/30/12 - HCG Day 1 - 150.6 - Load day 1
7/1/12 - HCG Day 2 - 151.8 - Load day 2 - [COLOR=Red]+1.2[/COLOR]
7/2/12 - HCG Day 3 - 152.8 - VLC day 1 - [COLOR=Red]+1.0[/COLOR]
7/3/12 - HCG Day 4 - 149.6 - VLC day 2 - -3.2 (-1 from start weight)
7/4/12 - HCG Day 5 - 148.4 - VLC day 3 - -1.2 (-2.2 from start weight)
7/5/12 - HCG Day 6 - 148.2 - VLC day 4 - -0.2 (-2.4 from start weight)
7/6/12 - HCG Day 7 - 146.4 - VLC day 5 - -1.8 (-4.2 from start weight)
7/7/12 - HCG Day 8 - 145.6 - VLC day 6 - -0.8 (-5.0 from start weight)
7/8/12 - HCG Day 9 - 146.2 - VLC day 7 - [COLOR=Red]+0.6[/COLOR] (-4.4 from start weight)
7/9/12 - HCG Day 10 - 146.6 - VLC day 8 - [COLOR=Red]+0.4[/COLOR] (-4.0 from start weight)
7/10/12 - HCG Day 11 - 144.6 - VLC day 9 - -2.0 (-6.0 from start weight)
7/11/12 - HCG Day 12 - 144.4 - VLC day 10 - -0.2 (-6.2 from start weight)
7/12/12 - HCG Day 13 - 144.0 - VLC day 11 - -0.4 (-6.6 from start weight)

Yesterday's menu:
Breakfast: 1 cup of black coffee
Lunch: blackened fish, side salad with my homemade "honey" mustard dressing, melba toast croutons.
Snack: apple
Supper: lean beef hamburger and steamed asparagus
Dessert: apple "pie" with melba toast crumble
Water: A lot

Day before yesterday I had one of my orange smoothies and a bowl of that "cream" of chicken soup with melba toast on the side. I love that soup! I *think* I had an apple as well, but I honestly can't remember!

I've been comparing this round with my first. I started my first round at a weight of 146 and by this point had lost only three pounds, while this round, I started at 150.6 and have lost 6.6 pounds. I honestly think starting with the three sprays made all the difference.

OK, time to get back on the basement. We've made good progress, but there's still so much to do! Eleven years of accumulation without proper storage is enough to drive a person crazy! (Especially this ex-librarian!)

[MoonDansyr]

I tried to post the other day and couldn't get the forum to load. *shrugs* Here's my "trend" so far.

6/29/12 - start weight - 150.6
6/30/12 - HCG Day 1 - 150.6 - Load day 1
7/1/12 - HCG Day 2 - 151.8 - Load day 2 - +1.2
7/2/12 - HCG Day 3 - 152.8 - VLC day 1 - +1.0
7/3/12 - HCG Day 4 - 149.6 - VLC day 2 - -3.2 (-1 from start weight)
7/4/12 - HCG Day 5 - 148.4 - VLC day 3 - -1.2 (-2.2 from start weight)
7/5/12 - HCG Day 6 - 148.2 - VLC day 4 - -0.2 (-2.4 from start weight)
7/6/12 - HCG Day 7 - 146.4 - VLC day 5 - -1.8 (-4.2 from start weight)
7/7/12 - HCG Day 8 - 145.6 - VLC day 6 - -0.8 (-5.0 from start weight)
7/8/12 - HCG Day 9 - 146.2 - VLC day 7 - +0.6 (-4.4 from start weight)
7/9/12 - HCG Day 10 - 146.6 - VLC day 8 - +0.4 (-4.0 from start weight)
7/10/12 - HCG Day 11 - 144.6 - VLC day 9 - -2.0 (-6.0 from start weight)
7/11/12 - HCG Day 12 - 144.4 - VLC day 10 - -0.2 (-6.2 from start weight)
7/12/12 - HCG Day 13 - 144.0 - VLC day 11 - -0.4 (-6.6 from start weight)
7/13/12 - HCG Day 14 - 144.6 - VLC day 12 - +0.6 (-6.0 from start weight)
7/14/12 - HCG Day 15 - 142.2 - VLC day 13 - -2.4 (-8.4 from start weight)
7/15/12 - HCG Day 16 - 141.8 - VLC day 14 - -0.4 (-8.8 from start weight)7/16/12 - HCG Day 17 - 141.0 - VLC day 15 - -0.8 (-9.6 from start weight)

I did another ketone stick on Friday and it didn't show any ketosis - it was just a faint beige again.

I had an awful headache yesterday and I'm worried that it was pre-menstrual, as it had that feel to it. If I start my TOM, I'll have to call the doctor. I know I continue on the VLC diet without the dosing. But, do those days count as part of the 23-days of my P2 round? Or do I literally count 23 doses of HCG, garnering an extra 3-5 days of VLC dieting from my TOM?

Why does the round have to be exactly 23 or 40 days? Why can't it be 29, 31, 36, or some other obscure number of days? I understand immunity, but 23 is just such an interesting number. Also, I do understand that the 40-day round is only 6 dosing days a week with one day off, to help prolong immunity. I just wonder if people have extended their 23-day rounds without hitting immunity and if so, how long?

I found an HCG app for my phone with 100 recipes ($1.99). Stupid recipes leave out critical ingredients in their recipe lists! I thought maybe it was just a fluke when I was reading cabbage rolls and saw no cabbage listed (but it tells you what to do with the cabbage in the directions). Then I got to the honey mustard dressing and same thing: no mustard listed, yet tells you to whisk the mustard with the other ingredients. How does one know how much?? *sigh* I'm disappointed that I splurged to buy an app that isn't even worth having were it free! Also, the pictures paired with the recipes are deceiving.

This last week, I got a bit hungrier than the week before. However, we did a lot of running of errands (buying shelves and plastic bins/tubs for organizing the basement, also shopping around for a new washer and dryer, grocery shopping, etc.) While I don't feel any of my tasks were strenuous, yesterday I didn't do any of those sorts of things and found that I didn't struggle with hunger whatsoever. However, the smells of the family's foods is driving me bananas! I just keep telling myself this is only temporary and most everything that I'm smelling that is making my mouth water is P3 friends. Further, I'm overjoyed about my losses, because I was really worried about my sudden and uncontrollable gains right before I started this round. I'm just getting tired of the food limits, even with creativity. I did splurge on some genuine filet mignon (from the butcher, not the kind that is bacon-wrapped in those little sealed packages). I may have to splurge on some lobster as well. Does anyone know if mahi mahi is allowed? So far, I've just done shrimp and tilapia.

So, for the reason of "limited foods even with creativity," I give major kudos to those who do the 40-day P2 round. I'm truly not starving, I'm just tired of the same foods while smelling yummy stuff that I know I can have in P3.

But, I'm also wondering if I should have bucked up and done a 40-day round, as I'm losing really well this round (in comparison to my first round over a year ago), and a 40-day round would have put me so much closer to my goal. I am anticipating this 23-day round to put me around 135-138, so where would a 40-day round have put me, and would it have slowed significantly toward the end or continued with reasonable losses? I don't know. I'm not even sure what my goal weight is anymore. Back when I was "youthful" (without old, sagging skin), I was content at 117-118, although I would have preferred 105-110. (I'm 5'1" so that little bit of weight does make a difference!) Now I will have to wait the 6-8 weeks to do my next round and decide how I feel about my body by the end of that round. I also need to get back into my yoga and pilates, which makes a big difference in tone and how I feel about myself, which is more important than what the scale says. Basically, it's about the way my clothes fit and how comfortable I feel in a bathing suit.

Sorry I rambled on. I pat anyone on the back who may have made it this far.