VQ's Big hcg Adventure!

[verbqueen]

Originally Posted by Speck333

I loved this part! Glad you had such a great time and got to feel GOOD about yourself!!

Thanks, friend!

[privatediva]

Originally Posted by verbqueen

It sounds adorable, actually.

reminds me of that scene from Arthur: "In the right light, she's actually quite beautiful....of course you can't count on that light..."

[pooticus]

Gosh Jess, you are just doing so great with all your choices!!! I loved that people noticed all your hard work girl!!!!!

I am sure the weight loss will pick back up soon!!!

[CherylB]

Originally Posted by privatediva

Well, I'm *envious*! My hair does not now, nor did it nor will it, EVER, BOUNCE!!!! Lucky girl!

I have baby fine, baby blonde hair...more like duck down than hair, really! It's like I never grew up. It is no different than it was when I was 5. I'm very thankful none of my kids got my hair. In fact...not sure where they did get theirs! My husband had masses of dark, almost black, curls when he was younger. My Son's hair is light, straight and thick like the black forest. My older daughter's hair is super thick, super glossy, straight and honey blonde. My youngest has a glorious mane of very long, extremely curly flaming red hair. Go figure.

Glad you enjoyed your day!

I knew a woman once who had your hair (well, hair like yours.) She was aggravated with it, too. It felt wonderful to the touch but it must be tough to keep it looking its best. Does it flatten out like a pancake when you lay down on your pillow? That's so funny how all your children have such different hair! All of my sisters and I have straight hair but 3 out of the five were a light brown and two were blonds. All have fine hair.

Originally Posted by verbqueen

THANK YOU for these words of wisdom, my friend. I need to be reminded that I'm in the middle of a MIRACLE and it's not to be taken for granted!

Sweet dreams!

I hope the words of wisdom help you to weather the low spots on the plan. I hit a big lull after day 5 or so. I didn't move for 5 days and had to do an apple day to get it going again. You should do one of those if you hit three days on the same weight. They work great! You don't have to eat all six apples; that's just the limit for the day. And they say to drink only minimal water that day, but I drank coffee all day and evening (I was drinking 2 pots per day back then) and swallowed pills with water and I lost well.

How are things out there in sunny So Cal today? Did you feel that quake they had below you in Mexico? Didn't look far from CA.

[verbqueen]

Morning, faithful journal friends. I have an all day music conference in Long Beach, so must dash. I wanted to report that I had a .2 loss today--not much, but not a stall, either.

And that brings me to 17 pounds lost, on the nose, which is great.

AND, it brings me to my infamous, ten year stall weight of 177. (Cheryl knows all about it--she's watched me try to break through it several times through the years...)

So now comes the REAL test of this diet, for me.

OK, off to sing, sing, sing!!

[CherylB]

Yippee! Enjoy your day, Jessica!

[privatediva]

Originally Posted by CherylB

I knew a woman once who had your hair (well, hair like yours.) She was aggravated with it, too. It felt wonderful to the touch but it must be tough to keep it looking its best. Does it flatten out like a pancake when you lay down on your pillow? That's so funny how all your children have such different hair! All of my sisters and I have straight hair but 3 out of the five were a light brown and two were blonds. All have fine hair.

In the humidity, it flattens out like a pancake even with no pillow involved! It's a real pain in the rump, and on the very best of days, "cute" is all I can hope for. But that's ok....I'm over it That's why God invented ball caps.

[CherylB]

... and wigs! Ever try one?

[privatediva]

I'm an opera singer. I've lived in wigs on stage for over 30 years. I really don't think I could deal with one in the daylight. It would have to be a really good one...most of them have far more hair than I could pull off. I don't know if this sounds like it makes sense...but while my hair is...ineffectual ...it looks 'right' with my head. My eyebrows and lashes are blonde. My skin is really really fair. I need a whole lot of makeup to pull off the hair I wear on stage, and I just don't believe anyone would buy it if I tried it in real life. But I would like that I've always wished I was a redhead like my daughter. I've been red on stage, but never off.

[CherylB]

I ordered some wig catalogs for my mother recently and they have some very understated wigs out there. Very cute! You should check them out. You can shop online, too. Since you're used to wearing them for your "job", it wouldn't be hard for you to adjust to one in your private life. You could just wear it when you felt like jazzing things up!

[privatediva]

I've thought about it a lot from time to time...I think it would be fun to have one in a style I could never wear otherwise but would look good on my face. I played a character in a show once in a black chin length bob with straight across bangs...very eastern style cut. If my hair would do that, I would have cut it that way immediately. It was so cute and fun.

[CherylB]

Can you post a pic of your face? I'd have fun trying wigs on you!

[privatediva]

This is cheesy...but ok It's a good illustration of a grown woman with little kid hair!

(I'll go find a better place to put this photo than in the middle of Verbqueen's journal!)

(these are, coincidentally, the leather pants I just got back into...this pic is 2 years ago Christmas time)

[CherylB]

You've got a great face! This is going to be fun. So you said reddish hair, right? What length do you want? Want bangs? I'll get to work and see what I can find that I think would work on you.

[privatediva]

I like red Bangs are great and probably make a more natural looking hairline in a wig. Since you have that pic...I'm going to edit it out. I shouldn't have posted it in VB's journal! I forgot where I was. Duh.

[privatediva]

oh...and not real long. I'm a little...mature...for that

[CherylB]

Sorry for the thread jack, Jessica! It was for a good cause, though.

[verbqueen]

Hahaha! I'm glad you had some fun while I was off for the day. And heck, I'm always willing to donate my journal for hair discussions. I'm a TEXAN, and we LOVE hair. The bigger the better!

But I want to see Diva in her leather pants!!!

[verbqueen]

Er, moving on (with deep regret) from hair, I'm here to report my day's eating. I took a great big insulated zipper bag that Dave once brought home from work (he's been in the food manufacturing biz for over 30 years, and we have all kinds of insulated bags lying around this place from him toting around samples and such.) So I packed both a lunch AND a dinner for the day. I took the two frozen P2 chilis I had made earlier in the week, 2 akmaks, an apple and a baggie of cucumbers.

There was a microwave at the church where the event (Augsburg workshop) was, so I nuked my lunch chili there and had that and the cukes and an akmak for lunch. At the mid-afternoon break, I had the apple. Then I picked Dave up at the LB airport and we drove to Newport Beach to meet our daughter for dinner. I ran into her apartment and nuked my second bowl of chili, put it in a shopping bag in my purse, and carried it with me into the brewpub where we had dinner. I ordered a side salad, whipped the chili out of my purse, and dumped it over the salad. Voila--taco salad! So I managed to avoid eating any restaurant prepared food, except a bowl of lettuce!

Admittedly, it was a "chili intensive" day, but that's what I had that was already prepared and transportable, so that's what I took!

[privatediva]

Anything cool on the reading sessions, yesterday? I had a food on the road day as well. I went to see a student of mine in a production of The Wiz. It was an 11 am show so I took my apple and chicken curry with me. It is always amusing to me how interesting people find your food when it isn't what they're eating. It's almost like they covet it. I have to giggle...like little kids who want to trade their lunches.

[CherylB]

The grass is always greener on the other side (or the other plate.) You ladies are very inspirational to me. Living P2 on the go is not my idea of doable, but you both make it look so easy.

I hope everyone has a lovely Saturday! Jessica, enjoy the company of your hubby while he's home.

[verbqueen]

Originally Posted by privatediva

Anything cool on the reading sessions, yesterday? I had a food on the road day as well. I went to see a student of mine in a production of The Wiz. It was an 11 am show so I took my apple and chicken curry with me. It is always amusing to me how interesting people find your food when it isn't what they're eating. It's almost like they covet it. I have to giggle...like little kids who want to trade their lunches.

I had to miss the reading sessions--they were today, and I didn't think Mr. Verb would appreciate my spending his weekend home away at the conference...

I brought the packets home to go through, though! Best bargain in town at a dollar a packet! Yesterday was workshops, and I went to some very good ones, though! One was a children's music reading/workshop (the main reason I went to this deal. Augsburg publishes VERY high quality literature for children's choirs.) The other was rehearsal management, and was excellent. My eyes were opened to ALL KINDS of ways I mismanage my rehearsals and confuse my groups!

Other than that, I sat in and listened to the organ sessions, since I"m not an organist. This church had a lovely sixties-era pipe organ, recently refurbished.

[verbqueen]

So....

No loss. No change at all. I knew it wouldn't be easy to break through my terrible personal hell-number, but in my heart of hearts, I really hoped that THIS diet would magically move me through it.

I'm sad.

But onward through the fray! I'll keep jousting at it till I win. Week 4 is looking pretty grim so far, though. I'm preparing myself for the fact that I may need a week 5.

[CherylB]

I hung at the set-point for a few days and then I had a nice whoosh! You will too. Just don't give up or give in and you will make it happen. I promise! I would keep going in your first round for as long as it takes to get to goal. I have found that the first round is far superior to the second. You're in the groove so just keep pluggin along!

[verbqueen]

Thanks for the encouragement, GF. I find that I'm beginning, for the first time, to feel glimmerings of being tired of the diet and ready to stop it for a while.

But after reading of other people's less than happy results on R2, I think you may be right about hanging in here for a while. Keep reminding, me, ok?

[privatediva]

I got that woosh today as well, finally (!) but was really beginning to wonder. I think I, too, was chipping away at a set point. Today, glory be, not only did I get past that weight, but I am having one of those "not hungry, how will I eat all this food" days. It's been a while....maybe my body trying to get me to have its stupid set point?? That's all I can figure out.

[CherylB]

I will! (((HUGS)))

[CherylB]

Yea Diva! See? It will happen to you as well, Jessica dear.

[privatediva]

Originally Posted by verbqueen

I had to miss the reading sessions--they were today, and I didn't think Mr. Verb would appreciate my spending his weekend home away at the conference...

I brought the packets home to go through, though! Best bargain in town at a dollar a packet! Yesterday was workshops, and I went to some very good ones, though! One was a children's music reading/workshop (the main reason I went to this deal. Augsburg publishes VERY high quality literature for children's choirs.) The other was rehearsal management, and was excellent. My eyes were opened to ALL KINDS of ways I mismanage my rehearsals and confuse my groups!

Other than that, I sat in and listened to the organ sessions, since I"m not an organist. This church had a lovely sixties-era pipe organ, recently refurbished.

Fun stuff. I'd kill to get a look at that packet My husband and I met in Conservatory (probably repeating myself now but not sure...and that happens a lot these days anyway. hahah) He's a tenor. He used to work for Wingert-Jones, which is now JW Pepper. It's a big music distribution company. They held annual reading sessions with great clinicians...and that was always so great. I know those packets and I covet them

[Speck333]

I just have to believe that you are going to bust through that number and get to goal