VQ's Big hcg Adventure!

[bacon bit]

You know I meant "neck" down, too, which makes me happy. Not sure what a "next" is anyway. But no, when I look funky faced in my pictures, they do not make it to photobucket.

[verbqueen]

Originally Posted by bacon bit

You know I meant "neck" down, too, which makes me happy. Not sure what a "next" is anyway. But no, when I look funky faced in my pictures, they do not make it to photobucket.

Funny, Heidi--I looked at it and I saw "neck." I'm fluent at reading typo--I have to read my own typing, after all!

[verbqueen]

And another happy weigh-in for me--down another 1.0, t0 170.8 (and that was my Sunday two-hour-early weight, to boot!)

Must rush--gonna be late if I'm not careful....back later!

[SoHappy]

Originally Posted by verbqueen

And another happy weigh-in for me--down another 1.0, t0 170.8 (and that was my Sunday two-hour-early weight, to boot!)

Must rush--gonna be late if I'm not careful....back later!

Another Woo Hoo!

[CherylB]

Originally Posted by verbqueen

And another happy weigh-in for me--down another 1.0, t0 170.8 (and that was my Sunday two-hour-early weight, to boot!)

Must rush--gonna be late if I'm not careful....back later!

GIRL, you are on FIYA! I can hardly wait to see what each new day brings to you!

[privatediva]

heh (trying to suppress my "I knew it" urge)

[bacon bit]

Jessica, I have to ask: what happens if you go below your goal? Was that a first goal or is it where you really want to be? You're rocking hcg and I'm seriously thinking you will lose the next few quickly. Are you interested in going lower? You're doing amazing!

[verbqueen]

I have always thought that 165 was my ideal weight. But I'm going to leave things open-ended. Maybe I will want to go lower? I have to be careful, though. I weighed around 155 for a time in the 90s, and looking back at photos, I'm not sure it was flattering. My shoulders, neck, collarbones, etc got too scrawny looking to match my lower half (which remained muscular and, er...robust), plus my face got kind of elongated and drawn-looking. I didn't realize it at the time, and thought I looked fine, but pictures tell a different story. So I guess I'll just kinda play it by ear. I do believe that in one's mid-50s, a little bit of "face fat" can be a good thing.

[privatediva]

I agree, Jess...I'm fighting the temptation to go lower hard. I went through a time in my life when I got extremely thin. My body looked great. I mean...really good. I had the flattest tummy in the world and my back was truly beautiful. But my face! Even though I was young...in my mid 30s...ew, my face and neck just didn't look good at all. It might be different with HCG...if there's anything to that "abnormal fat" stuff. But I don't want to look like I did then, even if it was a great look from the clavicle down.

Go here to see my weekend report: The HCGers exercise thread You would have loved it. I think you should get on a plane and come out here...in Oct it's Brahms Requiem and next spring, Beethoven 9!

[verbqueen]

Today is the last weigh-in for Week 1, and starting my first day of Week 2.

Small loss today, only -.4, but I figured I'd slow down any day now. Crazily, when I added up the figures, I lost 10.2 pounds this week--EXACTLY, on the nose how much I lost in the first week of Round 1. However, the big difference is that in Round 1, I only had a 2 pound load gain, and in this round, I gained 5 and change on my load! So not as much net loss, but I've had such an easy time with the total lack of hunger that I'm not going to complain too much (or even at all!)

I KNEW, absolutely KNEW, that my body would hold up and not let me into a new decade easily, though. What do you want to bet it takes me another day or two to get into the 160s? I hope I'm wrong, but...

[verbqueen]

Just recording, for my own easy reference, my week 1 stats:

R2 9/17/11 load gain +5.4 (-3.2)(-1.8)(-1.6 VFT!)(-1.2)(-1)(-1)(-.4)

[CherylB]

Originally Posted by verbqueen

I have always thought that 165 was my ideal weight. But I'm going to leave things open-ended. Maybe I will want to go lower? I have to be careful, though. I weighed around 155 for a time in the 90s, and looking back at photos, I'm not sure it was flattering. My shoulders, neck, collarbones, etc got too scrawny looking to match my lower half (which remained muscular and, er...robust), plus my face got kind of elongated and drawn-looking. I didn't realize it at the time, and thought I looked fine, but pictures tell a different story. So I guess I'll just kinda play it by ear. I do believe that in one's mid-50s, a little bit of "face fat" can be a good thing.

Jessica, if money isn't an issue, why don't you look into having Lipo done after you find the right weight for the vast majority of your body? You have it so localized to hips and butt (and upper thighs?) Lipo would be perfect for reducing and normalizing a specific area. I've seen some amazing before and afters. You should check it out! I'll bet there are many great plastic surgeons out your way.

Originally Posted by verbqueen

Today is the last weigh-in for Week 1, and starting my first day of Week 2.

Small loss today, only -.4, but I figured I'd slow down any day now. Crazily, when I added up the figures, I lost 10.2 pounds this week--EXACTLY, on the nose how much I lost in the first week of Round 1. However, the big difference is that in Round 1, I only had a 2 pound load gain, and in this round, I gained 5 and change on my load! So not as much net loss, but I've had such an easy time with the total lack of hunger that I'm not going to complain too much (or even at all!)

I KNEW, absolutely KNEW, that my body would hold up and not let me into a new decade easily, though. What do you want to bet it takes me another day or two to get into the 160s? I hope I'm wrong, but...

I'm down 0.4 today, too! Must be in the air. I had lost over 2 lbs for several days in a row but today it's slowed down. I think our bodies naturally stall a bit (or at least hesitate) when we are on the cusp of a new weight decade. But it has no choice to let go eventually!

[CherylB]

Wow, Deb! That's some concert venue! I wish I could experience it.

[verbqueen]

I'm not sure that lipo would've helped my situation then. I wasn't fat or flabby at all (I lived at the gym--it was during my "workout girl" phase)--but I have very muscular calves and thighs, and they looked funny when my top half got kind of frail looking!

Anyway, I'll sort it all out when I get there. First, I just have to GET THERE!

Congrats on your losses, Cheryl! And Deb--I looked at the photos of the new venue, and it, and you, are gorgeous! We have several very fine venues locally, particularly the Disney concert hall in downtown LA, and I've had the opportunity to hear some marvelous performances there! (And it has possibly the most amazing pipe organ EVER!)

My group, the Orange Master Chorale, is doing the Brahms Requiem in the spring. I am excited!

[skintegrity]

Hi, I'm new, and I spent my entire Sunday getting to know you gals! I love this journal and I am very excited to be on the journey with you! I will get all my stats and a picture up soon! <3 Have a great day and GO JESSICA!!!

[privatediva]

If you dig pipe organs, then that's even more reason to get to KC next spring (it's almost like I'm trying to get you to come see me or something Jess ) We will get to hear it when they do the Symphony No. 3 (Saint-Saëns)next spring. I have several kind of famous organist friends (KC is a big organ town...mostly because of the organs at the RLDS auditorium in Independence, MO, they have several that are a big dang deal as far as pipe organs go, so there are really good university organ programs at both KU and UMKC) Two friends who were primary advisers during the selection process of the organ were there for the install. They are, suffice to say, overwhelmed by the quality of the instrument, so we're pretty excited to hear them fire this sucker up and thrill us:

"The Helzberg Hall Casavant Frères pipe organ is a custom-designed mechanical organ in the French romantic tradition, with 79 stops, 102 ranks, and nearly 6,000 pipes"

Honestly...it will be interesting to hear the dynamic range of that massive instrument in such an acoustically flawless venue. Yasuhisa Toyota, who incidentally was the acoustic designer for the Disney Hall as well, really hit Helzberg out of the park. On the preview opening house day, we sat in the top row of the top balcony while a small percussion ensemble was playing (marimba and a couple of other players) and every sound was completely clear. Both the general manager and the conductor spoke yesterday from the stage mic-less and in normal voice, and could be heard clearly in the entire auditorium...even the choir loft seats behind them! Soooo...concert hall organs need to be accompaniment instruments as well as solo instruments and it will be wonderful if this one functions well both ways.

Here are Dr. John Obetz and Dr. Jan Kraybill with the organ parts on delivery day (can't imagine the puzzle of putting all those bits together!):



and the finished organ:



If it sounds as good as it looks, and I've every confidence it will, we are in for an incredible treat!

Oh...and you will see a 6 tomorrow, I think

[verbqueen]

Originally Posted by skintegrity

Hi, I'm new, and I spent my entire Sunday getting to know you gals! I love this journal and I am very excited to be on the journey with you! I will get all my stats and a picture up soon! <3 Have a great day and GO JESSICA!!!

Well hi there, skin! (I feel really goofy calling you that--please, give us a first name! "skin" sounds like some kind of playground nickname or something )

Good luck with your efforts, and next time stay and chat a while!

[verbqueen]

Deb, one of these days I WILL come visit you! (Or at least we can meet up in Tulsa!)

A pipe organ is such a fascinating marriage of art and science to me--very much a machine, and a huge one at that, and very much a work of art at the same time, both auditory AND visual. Pipe organ music is kind of...visceral. You feel it in your body as well as your spirit.

With that said, I'm good for about one organ concert a year....hahaha. Went to an AGO convention with my boss once, and thought I might've burned out on organ concerts for my lifetime! Two a day for something like five days was way too much!

[skintegrity]

It's Amy

[verbqueen]

Hiya, Amy! I'm in CA, too--but a good ways south of you!

[skintegrity]

Yes, indeed! Have you ever been to the village of Mendocino? We are having a gorgeous day!
Question, while I am here: Do you know what kind of sweetener Torani syrups use?
TIA

[verbqueen]

Yes--they are sweetened with sucralose, the sweetener that Splenda is made of. (They--the syrups-- don't have any calories or carbs. The calories/carbs that are in granular Splenda come from the maltodextrose--the starchy stuff they use to "fluff" it with so it's large enough to be measured. The real undiluted stuff is so strong that only a tiny particle of it would yield a massive amount of sweetness.)

[skintegrity]

Thank you! They sound amazing!

[verbqueen]

Good morning, world.

My losses for today: a big fat goose egg. Luckily, this ain't my first rodeo, so I'll not shed any tears. Going to go back and look at my stats and see when my first no-loss day happened last round, just for curiosity's sake.

Back later, I'm sure!

[verbqueen]

Here are a few pictures from my trip to Colorado. The outdoor ones are in the Estes Park general area--we stopped by a beautiful little mountain stream.

[verbqueen]

And a couple more. One more in CO, plus one of hubby and me at OSU watch party 2 weeks ago:

[privatediva]

YAY! Great photos. I'm jealous that you actually look GOOD in orange! My high school colors were...aghh...orange and black. Yep...Halloween. At graduation, the boys got the black robes and the girls had to wear orange! It looked like a pumpkin patch! And I do not wear orange well.

[verbqueen]

Haha--bless you for that, but I'm not sure anyone really looks good in orange. However, all OSU folks wear orange on Friday--so I have a whole section of my closet devoted to orange!

[CherylB]

Looking good, VQ!!!

[bacon bit]

Jess, you're looking wonderful!