Round 2

I'm ready to start round two of the HCG drops and hopefully lose another 20-25 pounds.
This morning I was 244.6 when I weighed so only one pound up from my official weight on the last day of round one. I did have pizza twice yesterday; both lunch and dinner and that always makes me weigh a little heavy because it make me retain water.

Today is my first load day and I bought yummy things like Laughing Cow Cheese, Guacamole, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream.

I really hope I feel better on this round of the diet. My schedule is so hectic between my full time job and teaching a total of five classes this year. Two on Tuesdays, two on Wednesdays, and one on Thursdays when I spend all day [8-5] at our co-op as Student Coordinator. If I don't feel well this round it will be hard to keep up with everything.

My goal is to be done to at least 220 lbs. at the end of this round and then maintain that weight until after the holidays and start round three sometime in January.

Wish me luck.

Maintenance

Finished my drops on August 6 at 243.6 lbs.

That Sunday, August 8 was our annual August Birthday party. We have 3 birthdays within 10 days and combine them into one party. I did okay although I did not hold to the no carb no sugar rule. We had hamburgers, homemade ice cream and brownies.

After that I did lose down to 242.8 and have been down to as low as 241.6 and as high as 244 but I think that is good considering I have a tendency to gain water weight.

This Friday will be 4 weeks since the end of HCG. While I am watching what I eat; I have had some really bad days, the stress at work is a real diet killer, over all I have not had a hard time maintaining the weight loss. I plan to start a second round of HCG in about two weeks not sure if I want to do one bottle which lasted me about 30 days or get two bottles and try for 42 days.

With the schedule I have this year I think I will just do the one bottle. No need to stress myself more than necessary. My goal for this next time is to lose at least 25lbs and then to maintain through the holidays and start again in January.

The side benefit of lower blood pressure has not completely evaporated yet but the really good blood pressures lasted a little over two weeks after I quit taking the drops.

Day 26--Successl at Mom's Lunch

Weight 244.8

Went to lunch with several of my homeschooling friends today and I had worried about overeating. However I did wonderfully! I took 2 tbsp of my organic ranch dressing in a container and used only that on my salad which consisted of lettuce, broccoli, and red onions.
Then I had two very small pieces of pizza. Since we were eating from the buffet, the pizzas are cut in smaller slices.

So a good weight loss and a successful lunch out with friends!

This evening however I was craving something; not sure what but sweets would have worked or even PB&J on toast. But I chose not to eat any of those things, it was pretty much a mental craving and not a real hunger craving anyway.

Day 25

Weight this morning 246.2

I was successful again yesterday in staying on track and only eating the food I brought with me to work, however yesterday afternoon was much more difficult than Friday afternoon. We have a room full of calorie laden snacks; cupcakes, pastries, candy bars and chips which all were very tempting. Then the temptation of all that candy the night charge nurse brought was extremely difficult and in the middle of a pep-talk telling myself I couldn't have any candy I had an epiphany. If I really want to be successful in not just losing my weight but keeping in off I have to make a major change in my mental attitude. It has to become "I chose not to" instead of "I can't" because if I chose not to then it is my choice. I am in charge, not the food, not my emotions or anything else. The focus has to be on good choices, getting to my goal and staying there.

I have decided to continue the HCG until this bottle of drops runs out or until I hit the 40 day mark. Then six weeks off the drops while increasing my calorie intake to around 1500 calories. Ideally I can easily maintain my weight or even loss a little more at that calorie level.

Another good side effect of the HCG is that my blood pressure is better than it has been in a long time.
Friday 117/75
Monday 107/75
According to the research that is temporary and once off the HCG blood pressures tend to rise. Hopefully with the lower weight not as high as before.

Next challeng: Mom's Lunch tomorrow with some of my homeschool friends. *sigh* We are going to Mazzios, so my plan is taking 2 tbs of my healthy salad dressing in a small container to eat salad with and no more than 1 small slice of pizza.

Day 23-- Success and leg cramps

Weight 7/23/10 247.2
Weight 7/24/10 247.0
Weight 7/25/10 246.4


Success! I worked 16hrs on Friday and maintained my diet the whole day!! Was hungry a little in the afternoon but never even really considered cheating. As you can see I have continued to lose weight. Measurements today were kind of weird. Since I measured myself last week and Toby had been doing it and he did it again today, all the measurements seemed off. Most didn't change, a few went down a smidgen, and a couple went up to what they were two weeks ago. Don't know what is going on with that.

The weird thing is that while I was on vacation I didn't have any trouble with leg cramps at night, something I have very frequently. When I started adding half a banana to my smoothies the cramps seemed to subside so I was really worried they would be horrible during the diet. However I didn't have any; one day back at work and I was up at least three times with leg cramps. Wonder why?

My next big hurdle in tomorrow; another 16hr day at work and Monday's are the day that the night charge nurse always brings in lots of candy. She buys those miniature candy bars and brings tons everyday that she works. I am taking my food for the day and planning on being strong. Pray for me.

Do you like my new weight loss banner across the top? I think it is pretty cool.

Day 20 --- amazing thought

Weight this morning 247.4 total loss 18.6

So I'm still losing and closing in on that 20 lb mark.

I had a totally amazing thought this evening as I was putting my lunch together for tomorrow. Inside my refrigerator on the bottom shelf, right above the veggie drawer is a cheesecake. It has been sitting there the entire time I have been on my diet and not once have I been tempted to take a bite. Now cheesecake it not my all time favorite dessert but it is up there close to the top and to think it has been there this whole time and I knew it was there and even when I was really craving something sweet I didn't eat any. Amazing.

PS: now if it was chocolate chips cookies there might have been a different outcome, because I love chocolate chip cookies. In fact I need a twelve step program for chocolate chip cookies.

Day 19---Progress!!!!

Weight 7/19 249.0
Weight 7/20 248.6
Weight 7/21 247.8 Total loss 18.2

Really craved something sweet this afternoon; however I'm pretty sure it was a mental thing not really physical. I ate a snack of Melba toast and guacamole and was satisfied. As of today it has been 17 days since I had anything sweet. Yea Me!!

Since increasing the calories and adding more fat by using olive oil and guacamole I feel much better. Rode my stationary bike for 8 minutes this morning and still had enough energy to do other things that I needed to do. The weight loss since adding the calories and fat is encouraging.

Friday worries me because it will my first day at work since starting this diet.

Day 16 on the "diet"

I haven't posted weights or anything about the "diet" for a few days for several reasons.

#1 I didn't lose any weight and have actually gained some back

#2 Got up Thursday feeling really bad and today is really the first day I have felt pretty good.

When I got up Thursday I felt weak, fuzzy headed and like I had been really sick for a week. So I decided then and there that the diet was a failure and I was quitting. Well I didn't quit but I did increase my calorie intake and especially my fat intake. For several days I had noticed greater than normal hair shedding after my shower something that has happened before on really low fat diets. Also felt as if I was getting physically weaker every day and just riding my bike for 5 minutes was killing me.

To conteract those side effects and add some more calories I started having my smoothies for breakfast but have cut the protein mix and the olive oil in half, so there is 1/2 tbsp instead of 1 tbsp. Also have started including 2 oz of avocado as an afternoon snack.

The results are that I feel better but I've gained some weight back.
Weights: 7/11/10 250.04
7/14/10 248.8
7/15/10 248.6
7/16/10 248.6
7/17/10 249.0
7/18/10 250.0

Got up this morning ready to quit again after another weight gain but then I measured. And ta-da even with a minimal weight loss in the last week I have lost another 5.75 inches for a total of 14.25 inches in two weeks. I have decided to stick with the diet at the higher calorie limit and the added fat and see what happens this week.

Day 12

Weight yesterday [7/13/10] 249 lbs. total lost 17lbs

Weight this morning 248.8


Today was a hungry day not as bad as those first days were but I still really wanted something to eat besides what I was allowed.

Yesterday when I went to the store to buy a few groceries they were either baking fresh cinnamon rolls in their bakery or had just finished and the whole store smelled like cinnamon rolls. It was incredible distracting and made me want to buy some oh so bad. Of course I know that is part of the point of baking them on site but still ......... butI was strong and didn't buy any.

Day 10

Weight this morning still 250.4 so no weight loss yesterday.

Hopefully it is just a small bump and I will have a weight loss today.

Today was good in that it was day 2 without the intense food cravings and hunger, hoping that will last. However it was also a bad day in that I had the most tremendously horrible headache almost all day. Even a trip to the chiropractor and Excedrin didn't completely get rid of it.

Two days in a row without the intense hunger makes me hopeful that I will be able to continue the diet successfully. The no weight loss really sucks but I will not let just one day of no weight loss get me down.

Day 9

Weight this am 250.4 total loss 15.6 lbs.

Measured this morning and since 7/5/10 I have lost 8.5 inches. I don't know what is average but I'm pretty pleased.

Today was a big milestone because for the first time I didn't crave food all afternoon and evening. I also cheated today; I made pot roast with roast potatoes and I let myself have 2.5 oz of potatoes because they are one of my favorite foods. I hope that doesn't hurt my weight loss too much.

Day 8

Weight this morning 251.2 total loss in one week 14.8 lbs.

The weight loss is great but I still continue to really struggle with the food cravings and hunger. Again I think much of the hunger is mental rather than physical but it hard to convince my mind of that.

The craving today were cheese again along with any kind of ice cream. I actually daydreamed about milkshakes. *sigh* I am thrilled with the weight loss but I sure hope this gets easier soon. It was so bad today I actually had a wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese in my hand but my desire to loss this weight prevailed and I put it back.

Day 7

This mornings weight 252.6 total loss 13.4lbs.

Today was another day when I didn't feel very well, at least the first half. I did feel better late this afternoon and this evening. Not sure if it was just because I didn't feel well or if I was really hungry but I was totally ready to throw in the towel and eat until I felt full. For some reason the food I was craving today was cheese. I'm not a huge cheese eater but I do like it and I have some low fat Laughing Cow cheese wedges and some low fat string cheese in the fridge and man were they calling to me today. However I prevailed and did not give in and go off the diet.

At least today's craving wasn't bread, cookies or some other sweet item.

Originally I had planned on doing the the 46 day plan because of the amount of weight I need to lose but if the food cravings and hunger do not abate I think I will only do the 23 day plan this first time, heck if I drop down to one pound per day that the diet says you will lose I'll still have lost 29lbs. If I do well on the maintenance for six weeks I will try another run at the diet after that.

Day 6

Weight this morning 254.6 loss so far 11.4 lbs.

Felt pretty good today. Road my stationary bike for 5 mins, did my stretching routine, and a few crunches. I do my crunches on a stability ball and I could really tell I haven't been on it in a few weeks.

Still struggling with hunger in the afternoons and after dinner. I am used to having something sweet after lunch and dinner; often a Weight Watchers or South Beach dessert but still something sweet. Of course, it doesn't really feel like physical hunger more of just my routine or craving what I know I can't have. Along with the HCG I am taking primadophilus caps twice a day hoping to break the carb craving that I always seem to have.

Day 5

Weight this morning 257 -- loss so far 9 lbs.

Today has been a tough one. Can't really say that I am experiencing a lot of physical hunger but the food cravings have been intense. I want bread, something sweet, cheese, ice cream or milkshakes but I also want this weight loss.

I also haven't felt real well today; headachy and out of sorts. Could be the diet and could be the fact that we have yet another storm front moving in. We are supposed to get significant amounts of rain the next two days.

Day 4

Starting weight on day 1 --- 162 lbs. my final goal 145 lbs. so just under 120 lbs to lose.
Weight on day 3 after 2 day load --- 166lbs
Weight this morning after first day of VLC diet --- 161lbs

I didn't feel good yesterday had a bad headache most of the day, don't know if it was diet related on not. Did feel some hunger yesterday but not anything unbearable. My biggest problem is not really being hungry but wanting something, usually something sweet to nibble on.

I made two adjustments that I hope won't hurt my weight loss. Last post I mentioned my dislike of fruit, so instead of an apple I had a single serving container of No Added Sugar Applesauce. Also drizzled small amount, about 1 tablespoon of Ranch dressing on my broccoli.

Calories yesterday -- 550
Calories today -- 539

Will keep you updated.

HCG Diet

Okay, I've read all the info good, bad and otherwise however I personally know two people who have done this diet and successfully lost a lot of weight. So I have my drops and my plan in place.

I start vacation July 5th, not going anywhere just hanging at home, so I am going to do my load days July 3rd and 4th, so the holiday will be behind me and I have several weeks to get in the groove of this diet before I have to go back to work.

I am hopeful and I'm scared. Scared that this won't work for me, or that I won't be able to stay with the limited diet. I really don't eat very many veggies and no fruit at all unless it is in a smoothie. Hopeful because except for my first pregnancy, when I gained 20lbs, I lost weight or maintain my starting weight and delivered some large babies. We joked at my ob/gyn's office that being pregnant was my personal weight loss plan.



Keeping my fingers crossed

Thought this was pretty interesting. As you can see I'm not very well traveled but if I take that road trip to Washington DC this summer with my brother I'll get to add several more states. Also not really sure Montana should count I was only 6 months old when we lived there.



visited 10 states (20%)
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