September 19, 2010 - Update

132 lbs. Well, it's been 2 months since the end of round 2. I wasn't able to maintain the 125 or whatever lbs. from my last injection date. Mostly due to the loss of commitment. For whatever reason, I could not stay away from popcorn! I'm not talking the bagged kind. I'm talking the regular kernals popped in olive oil in the Orville Redenbacher microwavable multi-popper. Plus, we went on vacation to see family in Montana. It was inevitable that some pounds would be gained back...6 lbs. in 8 days. But hey, eating and drinking with the family will do that.

So now I have to reconcile myself to the fact that round 2 was a bit of a bust because I can't seem to find the willpower to get below 132. There have been plenty of steak days in the past 2 months. I even shared that tidbit with my family in Montana and they got the same two pound loss results. I proved it to them. The partaking of a round 3 is in my future, but there will be no popcorn in the house when that takes place!! I'm still on a bit of a bender on the stuff. Not that eating a bunch (I mean a bunch) of popcorn is all that horrible for one's diet. There are many other things that would be much worse. But, I need to somehow regain the commitment I had under round 1. My stash of mixing vials is depleted, but I have enough of everything else to run a 5000 hCG semi-cycle. If I were committed, I could probably lose the last 12-15 lbs. To be honest, I'm not sure my body will allow me to lose what I want. My body might put a stop in at 125 or so because most of the "bad fat" is gone. It's worth a shot to try it one more time knowing what the pitfalls are and how to navigate them. Knowledge is power. Maybe round 2 was destined to play out the way it did. There were certainly no popcorn cravings under round 1. And, that popper hadn't popped popcorn in practically forever since I too, was a quickie baggie type for the last 10 years or so.

Another round will be started before the end of  this year. I have to know whether I can achieve my desired weight. Even though most of the pounds are off, it hasn't really changed my blood pressure. This needs to be taken care of and an appointment must be scheduled in order to go back on meds. While this was never a first choice, it's necessary after all.

I'll be back....

Day 36 Round 2

126.5 lbs. Trying to correct what I did 2 days ago. Yesterday was a steak day, but instead of an apple I had a bowl of ice cream!!! So, I only lost one pound instead of the two. Better luck today.

Day 33 Round 2

126 lbs. Well, I'm out of hCG and think that this will be one of those shorter rounds. I really have not had the will power to be as committed as I was in my first round. Not sure why this happened. Maybe it's because I'm closer than ever to my goal of 115-120 lbs. I've had popcorn almost every night for the past 2 weeks. And, we're not just talking a little bit of popcorn! I've found that it doesn't hurt the scales. You just don't lose any weight the next day. In essence, I've been maintaining the same weight for weeks now.

My plan at this point is to try and lose another 5 lbs. by watching my caloric and fat gram contents. I will also eliminate carbs and sugar as is required in phase 2 of the hCG diet. So, I will be following the protocol, more or less. I had some salad dressing that needed to be eaten and that probably did me in the other night. I will get low-fat salad dressing from here on out.

This diet has been a success and the most sound thing I've ever done. I also really believe that I need to start a regular walking regimen that gets my heart rate going and tones my body. Not your grandma's stroll in the morning type of walking. Prevention magazine outlined a good plan that also incorporated the stretchy bands for the upper body. Not sure if I can do that and walk at the same time, but I think I'll give it a whirl.

Temporarily, I have full time work due to the death of the regular carrier whom I've been subbing for over the past two years. I am busy. If I can just adhere to the rules with whatever works best for my hectic schedule right now I can get through this. We have summer camp coming up next week and a week's vacation in August to tempt me. If necessary, I can always do another round later. This is the diet I will always come back to. The others, and I've tried them all, are just too slow for me personally. I want it now!

Phase 2 is where the cheese comes in. I sure do miss the cheese and am so glad that it contains no carbs!

Day 24 Round 2

128.5 lbs. Still can't shake the popcorn routine. I don't know what's wrong with me and my willpower lately. I did so well on Round 1. Today I make another promise to myself to do better.

Day 21 Round 2

128.5 lbs. I am bouncing around on this round like there's no tomorrow! Every day I want to cheat! Plus, I've had upsetting circumstances, birthdays and parties galore. I've got to get a grip. It's likely I'll need to mix up more hCG to get me through this stage. I have vacation in August! I really wanted to be on phase 4 by then. Even the best laid plans sometimes end up failing.... It is by no means a crisis, but I expected to be further along than this. I've lost my discipline and can't locate it!!

Day 17 Round 2

129 lbs. Yesterday I was 126.5 lbs. I cheated mightily with a milk shake and plenty of popcorn. I think I've had my popcorn fill as of late.

It's time to get serious again. Given the events of the past week it has been difficult to stay focused. Today is Monday and I plan to do better. I've come so far and this is no time to backslide. Working full time, even if it is somewhat temporary, in this heat it really shouldn't be too hard to continue to drop these last few pounds. I just need to keep my eye on the prize. Plus, yesterday I did buy 3 pairs of jeans.....size 4. Can't have that be for not.

Day 15 Round 2

127.5 lbs. With all the happenings of late, I'm not surprised that I am still losing or maintaining my weight. I have cheated with popcorn (not one, but two bags) for two of the last three nights. The other night I forfeited an hCG dinner and drank an entire bottle of wine.

In life, one can be blind-sided by the people we care about and think we know. It is not up to us to judge them for their deeds, but to try and understand what it might feel like to walk in their moccassins. This week my regular rural carrier for whom I've been a substitute (cover days off and vacations) for the past 2+ years decided to check out of this life and move on to the next one. It was a double deal made with her husband. You could say that in their minds it was all about pain and love. Understandably, the situation is very rough for the rest of their family and friends. To say that no one saw this coming is a blatant understatement. Everything was well planned by them, including the distributing of their wills and letters via USPS to their children from previous marriages. I talked to her the night before when she called to give me a head's up that I would likely be working the next day and the day after. Her reasons for the absence were fabrications and I played right into her hand as would have been predictable. No clue, no suspicions.

What unfolded over the last two days has been tragic and difficult to pull off. I've had to step up and fill the shoes of one of the most caring, competent, diligent, knowledgeable and nurturing postal carriers I've ever known. While I miss her presence terribly, I trust in her actions and that God has taken her under His wing. She was an angel among us and now I feel she will be watching over us.

Today it is time to put my diet first again. No more cheating. It's time to shed the rest of this weight. There's so little to go, therefore I should be able to do it without any problems. Focus....

Day 11 Round 2

128 lbs. This time around I really want to cheat!! Yesterday I did have 3 extra grissini sticks and about 1/3 extra fresh apricot. I also took a brisk walk for about 40 minutes. Granted, it wasn't the worst cheat ever and I did still manage to lose 1 lb. I guess after being on phase 4 for so long and managing my weight so well, I feel it's hard not to eat just a little bit more of something that previously would not hurt me. I never thought this would be such a struggle because I was really looking forward to round 2 and taking off the last 10-15 lbs. It seems I have to watch myself more than in the last round. That's a big surprise.

Day 10 Round 2

130 lbs. Saturday I went to dinner and went off course pretty bad. The day went well, but the dinner (expensive) was another story. I had 1 spare rib for an appetizer. Dinner consisted of 2 shrimp, 3 scallops, and a very small lobster. Not bad, if you don't notice how they were all cooked and in what. Dessert, shared by four was coconut ice cream, pineapple upside down cake and drizzles of raspberry and two other sauces I can't remember. 2 glasses of wine were also consumed. With all that, I only gained a half lb. Unfortunately, that makes me think I can cheat more often. I really need to watch these last 10-15 lbs. and stay focused.

Next week I'm working a full schedule, so maybe there won't be time to think about cheating. I just have to get through this week.  

Day 6 Round 2

132 lbs. Man, I just blew through those first 8 lbs. in two days. This was better than round 1 where I dropped 6 lbs. in the first 3 days. Today, I did sort of cheat...already. On my 5 scallops for dinner I had about 1/3 cup of some mango salsa I had made from scratch. Nothing too extreme. Just mango, onions and jalapenos. It made the scallops taste delicious! After dinner I went out and mowed and edged the lawn, which was no small feat. Can't remember the last time I mowed since the grass was pretty high in spots. Just maybe, I worked off those extra calories. The scales will tell tomorrow.

Day 5 Round 2

135 lbs. I love how after the gorge days you just drop the extra pounds so quickly. It really makes the guilt disappear.

I'm Back for Round Two!!!

Today is Day 4 of Round 2. I started out this round at 140 lbs. It's not as bad as it sounds. I maintained 132 lbs. or less for most of the last couple of months. I gained 3 lbs. over Memorial Day weekend and knew that I would be starting the next round shortly. The other 5 lbs. came from the last three days of gorging!! I don't know if I ate enough, but the scales sure tipped, so that must be a clue.

I've mixed up 5000 of the hCG at about 150 IU. It took me forever to figure out the dosing! I swear that's the hardest part of all this. I knew I didn't want to run into the same lower abdomen (or ovarian) issues as before, so I mixed the dosage somewhere in the middle and expect about 28 injections this round. I can't imagine it will take that many more days to drop the last 15 lbs. I do (already) have a dinner engagement next Saturday and a birthday celebration coming up on the 23rd. I managed before, I can do it again.

I hope I can find some motivation to do some brisk walking. It has been so stifling hot around here lately. I'll be lucky to get the lawn mowed without a stroke. Speaking of strokes, my blood pressure has not been that great. If, after this round, my blood pressure does not significantly go down, I promise to go see a doctor and get back on some meds. I owe it to myself and my child.

It feels good to eat healthy again. Plus, I need to clear out the freezer! After all, it is hurricane season and one can't be stuck with a full freezer. I'm just saying.....

Day 118

133.5 lbs. Man, what a weekend! Eating, drinking, sunning and funning. It has been nearly 4 months since I began the hCG diet and I've been able to maintain my weight pretty easily. Phase 4 is really a piece of cake. When you take what you learn and actually apply it, the difficulty of getting back into the same old trap becomes more and more remote. Steak days can fix anything. Who can't stay committed for one day? If we can't, then we are truly weak and destined to fail. I really believe I am past all of my former thinking about food. Just about any slip up can be fixed in one or two days of eating properly. I'm enjoying life again. 

However, my blood pressure is still on the rather borderline high side. This really was to be expected....by me, at least. The book indicated that it might go down because of the weight loss, but that it might also return to previous levels. I've never felt like I might explode. Nonetheless, I need to keep a close check on this item. 

As I go past the six week mark since my last injection, I'm eagerly anticipating round two. Haven't really decided when it will start, but it may be as soon as this weekend. I'd like to be in phase 4 by the middle of August since we will be going to Montana for about ten days. To be on a diet at that time would certainly not be optimal!

I'd like to shed the last 15 lbs. This round I think it might be important to get more exercise. I don't want to look as though I've lost weight quickly and my skin is just hanging. That is the way I feel right now. Even though I can fit into a size 4 at 132 lbs. or so, I don't think of myself as thin. I still have a somewhat fat, flabby and poochy self image. Exercise is on the menu with this next round. I hope I can stick to it since it is so hot here in the southeast! 

Looking forward to gorge days!!!!

Day 86

135 lbs. I had too much yesterday!! Today I'm trying to be good. It's not likely that I've succeeded. Tomorrow I have to go out to dinner.We'll see how the week goes. I won't allow this to spin out of control. I did so well last week.

Day 80

132.5 lbs. This past week I've only fluctuated 1-1.5 pounds up or down from my LIW of 132. I'm managing to keep things stable. And, I'm eating pretty much what I want. If I splurge one day, I back off the next. It's really not hard. I've even had a few beers here and there.

The only thing worth reporting is that I'm maintaining my weight on phase 4 with little to no effort. I know that carbs and sugars are pitfalls. I must avoid them, but I can also skirt around the fringes and not have devastating things happen to me.

I am looking forward to taking off the last 10-15 pounds in June. I think only then will I really believe that I've succeeded. Once that goal is obtained, then the challenge is to keep the weight off for a year or more. I've learned a lot and now know what combinations work for my body.

Day 72

130 lbs. Awesome! Staying away from the Blooming Onion last night was a good choice. The dessert had no effect and was totally worth it. I'm liking all this.

Since my weight is pretty much stabilizing and I'm learning how to maintain or fix my problem days, I will likely start posting less frequently. Unless something dramatic happens, I'm thinking of posting on a weekly basis from here on out until I start round 2 of the hCG Diet again in June. A pound or two back and forth is really quite boring. What is important is that I continue to weigh myself every day and correct mistakes when they happen. Moral of that is: always have steak on hand! It's amazing how a steak day can fix everything. Carbs really are diet killers, but in moderation they can be sublime. According to the back of the Triscuit box, for someone on a 2000 calories per day diet (which I'm not), the amount of carbs recommended are 300g. Six Triscuit crackers have 20g so that leaves a pretty big spread to get to 300g. This amount can vary of course, and can be tweaked to find one's optimal level. It's part science and part common sense.

This whole path along my journey has been quit remarkable. Never have I been on a diet that on the surface sounds like you're starving, but is really giving you all the nutrition your body needs. I especially liked the fact that the weight came off so quickly because that was the encouraging part and it increased my determination to get through the program, once, twice or however many times it takes to rid myself of the excess weight.

People should be encouraged by the rapid weight loss and find support in those of us who have struggled day to day and not cheated. Cheating, I could see from the reports of others, was a pitfall I wasn't going to step into. You do have to have a certain amount of commitment and willpower.

My relationship with food has changed. I now know what the better foods to eat are and WHY. I never knew the why before. I've always liked the foods that were on the diet, so that really wasn't a challenge for me. The "load days" were a treat because you were able to, and were strictly encouraged to, eat as much as you could handle. I look forward to those days again! But, in the meantime I will strive to maintain my weight, eat and drink what I want and have the tools available to correct mistakes. Keeping that in mind, there should not come another time where I pack on 30-40 extra pounds. I've been battling my yo-yo weight since high school and I'm ready to stop the cycle. My overall health and well being depends on this becoming my new lifestyle. I have a child who needs me to be there for her as she navigates her life. Fortunately, she is thin and won't likely have any weight problems.

See you next weekend....

Day 71 ~ Phase 4

130 lbs. Well, I made it. And, tonight I will test it with a vengeance. I went out to dinner again at Outback Steak House...different city. This time I avoided the Blooming Onion that showed up at my table 2 minutes after I arrived. I did have one piece of bread with butter and I indulged in splitting a brownie/ice cream sundae thingie.  There was also the split bottle of wine that was shared. We'll see how all this plays out tomorrow when I hit the scales. It could be said that I didn't hold back. I already have steak on hand in case it's a STEAK DAY!

Day 70

131.5 lbs. Easy come, easy go. I think it might have been the 2 butterfly pork chops last night...or the corn. It's still under the LIW (last injection weight) of 132, so I'm happy.

Tomorrow starts phase 4 ~ adding in carbs and sugars. I will need to research this stage on the yahoo groups so see how people survive. I can see how one could easily snowball and fall to the bottom of the hill. It really doesn't take much in the way of carbs to derail me. I can only imagine the same would be true for sugars. Just a little bit scared. Looking forward to pizza, but not sure one piece would be satisfying. I see steak days in my future....

Day 69

129.5 lbs. Wow, I wasn't even trying to lose yesterday! I just wasn't hungry. I admit there was a time when I wanted to snack and I grabbed those peanuts. But, I was satisfied (convinced that I wasn't going back to old ways) with the one oz. instead of a cup and a half.

The other day when I gave blood my blood pressure was 130/90. This morning is was 135/75. I'd say this diet is agreeing with me. It was a frightful day (I think it was load day 1) when my blood pressure shot up to 192/88 and I had to sign a release for the Life Line people to let me leave their premises. I was a walking time bomb. I didn't feel like I was ready to explode, but I definitely didn't feel great. Living in fear like that is not my idea of optimum health, especially if you have someone who depends on you. I had to do something quick. It's great waking up in a much better place now. 
 
I'm really going to have to get some new pants. Everything is falling off of me.

Day 68

131. lbs. It really is amazing how even if you gain a few pounds during the course of a week, by eating certain foods for one day, the extra weight comes right off.

Today I had 3 eggs, cheese and salsa for breakfast. I wasn't hungry for lunch until about 1:30 pm. I had some cooked cabbage for lunch, some peanuts (1 oz. again) for a snack, and a regualr dinner of steak and asparagus. Oh, and I had a big chunk of cheese. 

Day 67

132 lbs. That dinner last night didn't hurt me one bit. When you follow the rules, no carbs and no sugar, the pounds really do stabilize. If you mess up, the steak day abolishes your sins.

This is Day 18 of phase 3. That means 3 more days of this phase and then it's on to phase 4. I'm leery of phase 4 where you're allowed to introduce carbs and sugars back in, albeit in moderation. What little carbs I've splurged on seemed like moderate to me, but had dire consequences. Not sure if I can imagine having an English muffin and then gaining two pounds the next day. I wonder if I'll be able to have bread or pasta at all? Likely, the key is to increase the exercise...i.e.,...earn your treats. I guess I should start wrapping my head around that concept, which isn't bad....really.

Day 66

132 lbs. Man, those steak days work just as they are supposed to. I did not have the apple because I was so full from the huge steak. Now tonight I went to dinner again and we'll see what repercussions if any, there will be from that. I tried to be good, but who really knows how the chicken marsala was actually prepared? The scale will tell me in the morning.

Day 65 ~ Unbelievably, a Steak Day

134.5 lbs! Yesterday my weight was so great. OK, here's what I did. The day went normally, eating the usual, in the usual amounts. My child went on an overnight field trip through the school to Mote Aquarium in Sarasota. How cool is that? When the kid is away you have to be nuts not to take advantage of a night out. So, I went out to dinner with a friend. My assessment of the downfall of the evening was the Blooming Onion from Outback Steak House. I cheated and probably ended up eating half of that thing. It was delicious! I'm paying for it today. I also had two glasses of wine and they may have been conspirators too.

Today I eat nothing until dinner when I will have a huge steak and an apple. Afterward, I think we will head out to the Shark's Tooth Festival in town. At least I'll be full and won't be tempted to eat there. "Barnacles," as a famous sponge would say!!

Day 64

130.5 lbs. Whoa! I didn't do anything to deserve that! I did give a pint of blood, though. Dinner was a big salad with shrimp, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing.  I think I had another big chunk of cheese before bed. The rest of the day was pretty normal with the fruits and veggies. No wine. I was feeling really full and thought that I'd probably gain a pound. Voila, I lost 1.5 lbs. Big surprise.

Day 63

132 lbs. Once again, I ate so much yesterday! Protein doesn't seem to have any effect on me. Really, as long as there is no sugar and no carbs (or very little since they are in some veggies) my weight stays roughly the same. It truly is amazing.

Day 62

131.5 lbs. I worked yesterday and it was hot! Not that I got dehydrated, but it's easy to lose a lb. here in Florida when you're out in the elements all day. All's good.

Day 61

132.5 lbs. No up or down today. Nothing to really report that was out of the ordinary. I continue to eat healthy fruits, veggies and proteins. It seems like not much is sticking to me. I am so grateful.

Day 60 ~ 2 Months

132.5 lbs. Not bad. Went out to dinner last night, which is always risky because you never really know how they prepare your food even though you ask for it in a specific way. One half lb. wasn't bad at all. Today I will be more reserved since I have to work and will not have time to snack.

Diversion......

Holy crap! I just watched the shuttle Discovery launch from over here on the WEST coast of Florida. Who would have thought that we would be able to see the launch from clear across the state (400 miles or so)? That was pretty awesome since I think it may be the last night launch for the space program.

Day 59

132 lbs. Yeah!! I thought I blew it yesterday and here's why:

2 eggs
cheese
orange
apple
tilapia
cauliflower
cheese again
nectarine
honeydew
shrimp
1 whole small box of fresh mushrooms
2 Tbs. salsa, a little onion and jalapenos
large glass of red wine
1 oz. of peanuts
more cheese

I stayed the same weight! One of two things is happening. Either my metabolism has been sped up, which was the goal of the hCG diet or my food choices are much more responsible. With respect to the peanuts, there were 5g of carbs and 2g sugar in that itzy bitzy ounce. But, I was able to savor it one nut at a time and not feel deprived. I was also proud of my willpower to actually measure out those peanuts (160 calories) and risk what might happen. Poof, nothing happened. I am so thrilled.

Day 58

132 lbs. Well, this is the target point so there's really nothing to complain about. My weight sure does bounce around even though it stays within the two lb. limit range. Today it's all good.

Day 57

131.5 lbs! OK, here's the list of what I ate yesterday and still managed to lose one lb.:

At least 1 cup of honeydew melon
At least 10 dried apricots

One tilapia filet
At least 1 cup of fresh asparagus
One string cheese
2 plums
1 orange
1 nectarine
8-10 shrimp
1 whole bag of frozen broccoli
1 more string cheese
2 Tbs. salsa, a little onion and a little jalapeno

Wow!!!! Can that be repeated? This is day 8 of the 3 week phase 3. I wonder if my metabolism is resetting?

Day 56

132.5 lbs. That steak day worked pretty well. I really wasn't hungry until dinner and then I was forced to forfeit half of my London broil for later while we went to see a movie. I ate the rest of the steak when I got home. The apple was devoured ummm, well during the previews. I was hungry and didn't have enough time! Good movie, though. How to Train Your Pet Dragon.

Today I've been good with fruit, veggies, tilapia and shrimp. We'll see what the scales say tomorrrow.

Day 55 ~ Steak Day, again

134 lbs. I actually did a lot of yard work yesterday and have the blisters to prove it. But, I still can't shake those two extra lbs. So, today will be a "true" steak day. I will skip breakfast and lunch, with the exception of coffee. Then, for dinner I will have that "huge" steak that is recommended along with one apple. Maybe then, and only then, will this little cycle be broken. Not looking forward to this day, but it must be done. My problems could stem from not enough water, but that would only be shy a little bit. I'm determined to get back to the LIW (last injection weight). 

Day 54

133.5 lbs. I only lost a half lb. on my steak day yesterday. This is clearly a challenge. Today I will be conscious of what I eat and not do any excessive indulgence. I will eat like on the diet itself, but add in a little extra fruit or veggies throughout the day. I don't think I'll do cheese today. Gotta get back to the 132 lbs. It's close, but I really don't want to stray too far from that target.

Day 53 ~ It's a steak day

134 lbs. That was my worry yesterday. I feared I'd consumed too much food. And, it shows up today. So, I plan to have 2 eggs for breakfast, a huge steak for lunch, another huge steak for dinner and a good sized chunk of cheese today per the protocol. Hopefully, tomorrow I report a two lb. loss. This isn't a setback, it's a learning experience and I'm sure everyone has had to experience it.

Day 52 ~ March 28, 2010

132 lbs. This is great. However, today I have consumed quite a bit of fruit and cheese. I didn't eat any unallowed foods, but I may have over done it, nonetheless. We'll see what the scales say tomorrow.

Day 51

133 lbs. Gained a lb. yesterday. This may not be as easy as it looks. I didn't have any foods that were not allowed, but maybe the protein limit was exceeded to some degree, if that's possible. I might have been low on water too. I did find that after a meal I wasn't hungry for many hours. In fact, my meals were rather late because I just wasn't hungry. A BM would probably take care of that one lb. Today I will eat sort of like I used to on the 500 calories, but of course I will add in more veggies and fruit. I can see the merit of keeping a log because you can look back and try to determine where you went wrong.

Day 50 ~ Phase 3

132 lbs. Well, what do you know? That little meat cheat yesterday didn't hurt one bit. Hallelujah. It's true what is said. Protein is the better item to cheat with.

Today I start logging what I eat and eliminating or minimizing those items that make any slight gain. It seems tedious, but worthy of research. Sure, there will be obvious items to avoid. But, armed with all of my lists, I may truly be able to eat what I want. This is really the exciting part of this whole adventure. I guess I've never really looked at how foods CAN be combined so that you don't gain. Or better yet, had a viable and tasty mechanism that could emphatically and easily undo any mistakes. I feel empowered.

Day 49

132 lbs. stable. We'll see about tomorrow. I had a burger patty that was about the right weight, but seemed a bit greasy since it was 80/20.

I had a rude revelation last night about the 3 days of phase 2 vs. the 72 hours. Since I've taken my shots at night the whole time, my 72 hours isn't up until about 9:15 tonight. So, I had to go through one more day today. I probably shouldn't have cheese tonight, but I'm thinking about it.....No, I can be strong. I've made it this far. I've had 5 melba toasts today and a little extra apple. And, then that meat. I should stop. I think I'll have some tea and watch a movie. Popcorn would be great, but I won't tempt myself.

I've looked up the starchy foods list, the carbs  list and the permitted foods list so I think I'm ready to head into phase 3 tomorrow. Just having an increase in food amount seems like a treat to me at this point. Protein is foremost on my brain. I'll ignore the carbs and starch.

As I was putting away the other burgers I cheated and had about another 1.5 ozs. or meat! I'm a closet carnivore! I guess I'm getting at the end of my rope. I immediately turned to my water and downed a whole bottle. I'll have the tea and be a good girl the rest of the night. Won't be surprised if I gain a lb. tomorrow. 

Day 48

132 lbs. This feels comfortable right now. At least I'm not gaining anything. I'm trying real hard to stick to the 500 calories. Last night I had 2 celery sticks with blackened spices on top. It got me through the night.

Well, I need to research phase 3 since it's coming up tomorrow. I need to know about any calorie restrictions since I couldn't find any in the book. I assume reasonable is in order. I'll probably fall somewhere between 800-1000 calories to test the waters. I should check the starch content of foods next.

Bringing this round to a close is very exciting. I think I've done really well. I realize that men end up dropping more weight, but I'm OK with that. It's just a fact. After my next, and likely last round, I think I will have reached a point in my life where I understand food better and its relationship with me and each other. For this, I am immensely grateful. Other programs like Nutri-System mix foods in a particular order throughout the day, but never tell you why. I feel more empowered by the hCG Diet and better able to control my future. Plus, I have the tools to fix any slip ups. I've already purchased a bunch of steaks in the event I need to drop 2 lbs!

Day 47

132.5 lbs. Yesterday I was kept pretty busy at work and so I didn't really have time to contemplate any hunger. As far as the cheating goes, I had only ONE extra melba toast. So, I stuck to the 500 calories very closely.

The new measurements are:
Bust:             39" no change                       ~ A total of 2" lost
Waist            30" another inch lost             ~ A total of 5" lost
Hips              37" another 1.5 inches lost    ~ A total of 4" lost
Belly              37" another 1.5iunches lost   ~ A total of 4" lost
Inner Thigh    20" another inch lost             ~ A total of 3" lost
Bicep             11" no change                       ~ A total of 1" lost

                                                    Before

                                                    After

                                                    Before

                                                    After

Day 46 ~ Phase 2

133 lbs. Ugghhh, gained a lb. Oh, well. As predicted, last night was my last injection. So, today and for the next two days I will be adhering to the 500 calories with no hCG. I'm going to try and stick with this as best I can because of its importance.

The end has come and the final tally is 25 lbs. in 46 days. It really was not that bad, but did not come without its challenges. Most of these I felt at the last 10 days or so. Next round I will know more of what to expect. On to phase 2 and 3.

I'm really looking forward to eating a whole chicken breast as opposed to a half! I've really enjoyed my spicy veggies and will continue with those. Cheese, yeah, I've missed you too! If I don't think about the starches or sugar I'll probably be OK. I did look up the sugar contents of fruit yesterday. Surprisingly, bananas are fairly high, as are oranges. I love oranges and have been eating a lot of them. The highest though, were dates. Really, really high. 

OK phase 2. Let's get through these days. I know I keep mentioning this in passing (?), but I can't remember the last BM. I think it's been more than a week. Even to me, that seems odd. To get more regular once regular eating resumes will be good, at least for my mind. Maybe it's the low calories that require the absorption of all the food and leave very little left over for output. I don't feel bad or anything that resembles constipation. I've tried the herbal teas for constipation and they don't "move" me. For now, I'm OK with whatever happens.

OK, I went back and looked it up. The last BM was 11 days ago. Amazing!

Day 45

132 lbs. Wow! Yesterday was torturous. I did have three extra melba toasts and 3 extra strawberries last night. But, I was able to resist salmon, lox and bagels, cheese and veggies, egg rolls, stuffed mushrooms, desserts galore and an open bar. Those were just some of the delicious items I can remember seeing from last night's function.

I was a volunteer at a fund raiser for the Cat Depot in Sarasota, FL. This is a non-profit organization dedicated to a no-kill rescue of cats only. We had a great turnout. There was a reggae band, gambling, a silent auction and a raffle of some great baskets. It was held at the Sarasota Yacht Club and the attendees varied from the elite to the little old lady with orange hair, in a pink chiffon long gown wearing a tiara. Yes, a tiara.

Somehow, I survived the ordeal of all that food and drink and was rewarded with a 1 1/2 lb. loss. I believe tonight will be my last injection. I don't think I have enough hCG for tomorrow. I must have mixed up pretty closely to what was needed for the entire cycle. I'm so ready to move to phase 2. Although, I'm a little worried about the hunger pangs for the next three days without the hCG. The left side ovarian pains I had yesterday are gone and turned out to be no where near what I experienced on day 20 of this program. 

I will research the sugar content of fruits so I don't fall prey to that impending trap. I will also be cognizant of the protein fix (huge steak) in case my weight goes up by two lbs. As I head into these next phases, they are again, uncharted waters. If I continue with the determination and willpower that I've had in the past, I can hope to come out on the other side in pretty good shape. Speaking of shape, I think I need to tone up now. I will either get on a walking regimen or biking. The importance of this is apparent. 

Day 44

133.5 lbs. I swear I did not cheat yesterday. I may just be at the end and the efficacy of the hCG might be wearing off due to immunity. This is the fourth day at the same weight, albeit I slightly cheated the first 2 days. Upon reading the book again, I found that what I did in the way of extra melba toasts or grissini was the correct action to combat my hunger or cravings. That was good to know. I must have eliminated all of the abnormal fat in my system and might be at the end of this cycle for additional weight loss.

On another note, the ovarian pain is BACK! I've already taken 800 mg. of Ibuprophen this morning on a basically empty stomach (well, three cups of coffee) and  I have to work today. I will take my heating pad to work and plug it into my car (I love my Vibe for this feature). I also have a function to attend tonight and hope that I will feel better. Last time this was pretty debilitating. But, the end is in sight and I have three more days to go or as long as my hCG holds out.

Day 43

133.5 lbs. OK, so I need to stop baby cheating with the melba toast! I will try to do better today. I'm not exactly starving, but I guess I am having cravings. Everything sounds good and it's probably because I haven't had many of my favorite things in a long while. Like a Guiness. Or popcorn. Or that stupid pizza! At least I've sort of kept my word about cheating. I haven't had that pizza or that beer. When I've cheated it's been with a celery stick or grissini stick. I can rationalize that it wasn't "that" bad. But, what's going to happen when I get down the road a few weeks from now? Will I have the willpower? Hopefully, an increase in the calories will make the cravings go away. I really do like the veggies I've been eating and would love to eat a whole bowl of them since they are so low calorie.

On another note, it sure will be good to get "regular" again. Not that I'm uncomfortable, but it just feels odd not to "one meal in and one meal out." Sorry for the TMI again....I'm just saying.

Day 42

133.5 lbs. Last night I cheated slightly, again. I had two celery sticks and three grissini bread sticks on top of my one melba toast. Gee, you think I'm craving carbs? Gotta buckle down today since it's a no-injection day. Five more days to go....

Day 41

133.5 lbs. I even had an extra melba toast yesterday! That's the extent of my cheating.

Started researching phase 2 and 3. Phase 2 seems pretty straight forward with just the 500 calories and no injections.

I read in phase 3 that I should keep a journal of what I eat and how it effects me. If I gain, I should determine which food was the culprit. Conceivably, I should be able to eat pretty much what I want, with exceptions. But, I think it is important to figure out how different foods effect you and avoid the ones that make you gain easily. You can find low calorie ways to fix your favorite foods and be conscious of portion sizes while still enjoying the things you like. So much for digging into those jars of peanuts I have.

Also, I need to explore more about which foods have starch. I'm finding things like nuts have a lot of starch. There was even mention of broccoli having starch. Apparently, broccoli is omitted on Kevin Trudeau's version of the hCG diet because of the starch factor. I've had plenty of the broccoli since being on this diet, but I will pay attention to whether or not I lose anything on a day after broccoli from here on out.

All of these little tidbits are useful to note. I really don't want to gain this weight back. I intend to go another round with the hope that I can get to 115 lbs. That would be pretty thin for me, but I think I would like it immensely. I also intend to be better about my relationship with food. This diet has taught me that I can spice up nearly everything and it will taste great. Eating whole and natural foods instead of processed foods with preservatives makes a lot of sense. It wasn't news to me. I just didn't realize how easy it was to incorporate into my daily life. If I could only get my daughter to buy into this notion. She is the opposite of me and struggles not to lose weight!

I'm guessing that I have 3 days of injections left. Maybe I'll be surprised and stretch it out. Or, maybe I'll take smaller doses to make it last these last five days, not counting the no-injection day. The end is in sight!!

Day 40 ~ March 16, 2010

134 lbs. I like it!

Day 39

135 lbs. Really looking forward to the end of this diet. Didn't find too much about phase 2 in the book, so I will have to go to the hCG Yahoo Group and see what the experts say.

Day 38

135 lbs. I made it through yesterday and no one is more surprised than me that I still managed to lose a half lb. That's a 23 lb. loss to date. Guys seem to lose so much quicker than girls. I will still try for my 30 lb. goal, but to drop another 7 lbs. in the next 8 days seems a bit lofty.

Day 37 ~ I'm struggling

135.5 lbs. Last night I really wanted to cheat! I had a whole celery stick with salt instead. My daughter wanted two mini bags of popcorn and I was dying to have some (of my own, a whole big bag like the olden days). I fought it and won.

Tonight however, I have slightly cheated. I had a big lettuce salad (minimal calories, really) and I threw in a small tomato. I had the usual basalmic vinegar and spices galore. Then I had an extra melba toast! OK, so it's not a big cheat, but I feel terrible. I'm going to drink a whole bunch more water and just watch a movie in bed. I have really been very good up until lately. 

Just pulled a pizza out of the oven for the kid and had thoughts of eating the whole thing! What is happening to me? I know this is normal. I should re-read the book to glean any new info. I'll be heading into phase 2 in a few days and I should refresh my memory on what that means. When I run out of hCG that will be the end of phase one for me, regardless of how many days are left.

I messed up counting the number of days left. One column on my sheet had the number of injections and the skip days. Another column had the number of days on the diet. Still another column I put in the date. When I mixed the last batch I counted the number of injection days left (I think) and not the number of days left to equal 40 days of "injections." The diet is actually longer because they don't count the non-injection days in the 40 days. Next time I will be more of  pro at this. Obviously, there is a learning curve.

I am looking forward to all phases of this diet. I hope I don't blow it right off the bat with all the crazy thoughts I've been having. I am also looking forward to the load days on the next round where I can cram in everything I want and missed. That's weird, right?

Day 36

136.5 lbs. How appropriate. Here we go again with the bouncing back and forth.

Day 35

136 lbs. Yippee!! Finally broke through those last couple of lbs. It's amazing what a BM can do for you! Too much information? Sorry, just telling it like it is.

Tonight is a no injection night. Looking at the last of my hCG, I wonder if I have enough to get through the last days of this round. They say 40 days, but my weight chart goes out to 45 days. I guess that accounts for the no injection days once per week. At any rate, when I run out of hCG I'm heading to phase 2.

Day 34

138.5 lbs. Boring!!

Day 33

138.5 lbs. Like a yo-yo I go.

Day 32

138 lbs. It's officially 20 lbs. lost! I hope I'm able to drop another 10 lbs. before the end of this hCG diet, but I'm not sure it will possible even though that was the original goal. I'll just have to do another round in a few months just like I anticipated. It's OK and all good!  

Day 31

139 lbs. Nothing too exciting about today. The new dosage seems to be settling with me just fine.

Day 30 ~ Measurement Time

139.5 lbs. again.

Today I measured myself. I guess I should have done this at two weeks, but there was a failure to realize this and I don't think I really cared that soon into this hCH Diet.

The results are as follows:

18.5 lbs. lost in 30 days

Bust:               2" (waaaaa...)
Waist:             4"
Hips:               2.5"
Belly:               2.5"
Inner Thigh:     2"
Bicep:              1" 

This is pretty amazing. 4" off my waist feels really good and relieves the bloated feeling. I'm on the home stretch and am looking forward to the next phase which is the 3 days of 500 calories and NO hCG. That ought to be different and maybe a little challenging.

Day 29

139.5 lbs. "Barnacles!" as a famous sponge might say.

Day 28

139 lbs. Finally made it to the 130's! I sort of cheated yesterday. I had TWO melba toasts for lunch instead of ONE! That was a violation of rule #2, I believe. No two carbs, fruits, veggies or proteins in one meal. I was a little bit hungry yesterday. It was the last day of the first batch of hCG that I had mixed up (5000 iu). Today is a no injection day and tomorrow I start with the new batch from last night. It was so much easier mixing this last batch than the lack of confidence I had the first time. Plus, on the hCG Dieters Yahoo Group they provide you with all the measurements so you don't have to watch several videos to get the gist. You know how much to mix. Two more days and then I measure myself again. I know my first spare tire is gone and I'm working on the second smaller one now. Feeling great!

Day 27

140 lbs. Inching along, or so it feels. Speaking of inches....maybe when I hit 30 days I will measure myself again.

Panic tonight! I originally placed part of my needles in the cupboard above my refrigerator. The extra hCG and such that I didn't have room for I put elsewhere. That was an elsewhere that was hard to locate tonight. I looked high and low in every room and could not figure out what "safe" place I had placed these items. It was an uneasy time. Finally, I happened to look over where we keep the chips and fruit and there was the big ziploc, hiding in the corner with about a million other things! What a relief. Subsequently, I was able to mix up a new batch using 2000 iu and mixing the dose somewhere between 125 and 150. I needed to get 15 more doses and that's what it came out to be. I think it will be fine. I wonder if it will be a noticeable difference?

Day 26

140.5 lbs. Like I said yesterday, I'm going to need to watch the calories closer to make the needle move more to the left. I sooo want to get into the 130's! 

Day 25

140.5 lbs. Nothing much to report. No pain. Nothing unusual. Pretty ordinary day.

I guess I should be researching how to mix the ratios of the 2000 iu of hCG. Will be needing it in about 2-3 days tops.

There's been some speculation as to what might have cause my recent pain. I have a friend who works in a fertility clinic who says that I may have ruptured an ovarian cyst with the introduction of excess hCG into my body. The cyst may have just been absorbed by my body within a day or so and that would account for the pain disappearing. I'd like to go with this theory. 

Day 24

141 lbs. Didn't gain or lose from yesterday. Not bad considering I went out to dinner, yet again. I had 2 large bay scallops that I asked the chef to sear in water, not oil or butter. They were blackened and really delicious. I also had a fairly large salad with just vinegar, a lot of  pepper and just a bit of salt. I'm not a big salt adder to any of my food, although I do use it. I did eat 2 little mini roma tomatoes and one slice of cucumber. I know this goes against the one veggie per meal rule, but it hasn't hurt me yet. Also, since I was in such a rush to get to this restaurant due to time constraints, I wasn't able to eat my melba toast or grissini stick before I left. I risked it and ate about 1 inch (one bite) of the butt of the bread they brought us. I had to watch the rest of my party drink a bottle of wine and eat 2 scrumptious desserts. Can you say "torture?"

I'm feeling so much better since the middle of last week's slight scare. I have been using the heating pad on my pelvic area just to keep the pain from erupting again. Onward!

Day 23

141 lbs. The total lost in 23 days is now 17 lbs. I injected the same dose last night with no after effects, at least so far.

Tonight is restaurant challenge number three for the week. I'm down 2.5 lbs. for the week with some fluctuating and incidents in the middle. Considering, this is still pretty good. What would be really good about now is a big healthy dump!! I'm sure I'm holding 2-3 lbs. hostage.

Day 22

142 lbs. Pain has subsided. Now it just feels like I've done 100 sit-ups.

OK, I've talked to some people on the hCG Yahoo Chat today and they really stressed that they weren't qualified to give an opinion. I understand this. I also emailed a friend who works for a fertility clinic about my episode, but I haven't heard back from her yet.

So, I researched ovarian hyperstimulation on my own. It's common in woman taking fertility drugs, which is what hCG is....I knew it sounded familiar when I started all this. Based on the symptoms, I think I had a mild bout since it is subsiding quite well. They say if the pain doesn't go away in a week you should seek medical attention...assuming that you're not able to stand the pain prior to the end of a week! I didn't and don't have any of the other symptoms. With this, I will proceed to the next injection.

When I mix up the last hCG for this round I think I will mix it up with a lower dose than what I was taking. I believe I was taking 175 and the range was 125-200. It might be prudent, at least for me, to drop down to 150. This whole ordeal was a little scary, but I handled it right. Soaking in a tub and ibuprophen, although they said acetamenaphen or Tylenol was recommended. That type just doesn't work well for me. 

Day 21

143 lbs. I feel slightly better today. The pain in my pelvic area is still there, but not as extreme. I can at least walk faster than a 90 year old! I'll go on the hCG Yahoo Chat and see if I can find anything about my issue. Today is an injection skip day.

Even though I got called into work right after posting this, I was able to take it a little easier today. Didn't get a chance to check out the chat.

A friend saw my blog today and became concerned about my condition. We played a little phone tag and finally got to speak. He suggested that I stop this treatment. Then he called me back after he had Googled "hCG pelvic pain." I will have to look at it tomorrow. I don't want to stop! Whaaaaa!!! But, I am the captain of this ship and must avoid all obstacles.

Day 20 ~ Hitting a Slight Brick in the Wall

143.5 lbs. I've seen this number before. Well, I guess I'm getting better at ordering while going out to eat. Chicken and salad seems to do the trick. I've got one more dinner out later this week.

Long work day ahead of me. It's been done before and I'll do it again.

Today I've experienced some abdominal pain. It started out as pain in the inner tops of my legs. The only way I can equate this is if you'd been riding a horse for about 10 hours your legs would hurt like this. Before noon the pain had moved up to my pelvic area and I was moving pretty slowly, which wasn't a good thing in my job. I didn't know what to think.  It felt much better when I sat down. 

When I got home all I wanted to do was eat and go to bed with a heating pad. I did end up taking 800mg of Ibuprofen to ease the pain. I know I read somewhere that I could take aspirin in certain cases, but I couldn't locate the passage in the book.

I looked up the section on fibroids and hoped that I don't have a tumor. I know I have some small fibroids. The book says that once you lose the abnormal fat in the belly and the innerds start resting on the pelvic wall you might get some irritation by any fibroids.

I drank more water and went to bed, hoping to feel better tomorrow.

Day 19

144 lbs. Another chance to see how I do while going out to dinner. Tonight I had blackened grilled chicken and a salad with basalmic vinegar. A lot like the other night, different restaurant. Had to purchase an ice cream for my daughter since it's her birthday. I was very strong. It's odd when you start looking forward to going through this process a second time so that you can partake in the "load" days. That's what I find myself thinking about. 

Day 18 - February 22

144 lbs. Only gained a half lb. from dinner out last night. I tried really hard to be good. I had a salad with grilled chicken on top and basalmic vinegar on the side. There were little pieces of carrot and cabbage sprinkled on the salad that I picked out. I also had two slices of cucumber and one slice of tomato (neither are actually allowed). I saved half of the salad for today. One half lb. gained was not too bad.

There's a little constipation going on (sorry for the too much info here) but nothing that is uncomfortable. Since this diet requires you to drink so much water, that issue should resolve itself.

Day 17

143.5 lbs. Finally broke through that little barrier.

I actually woke up feeling really good today. I wasn't hungry in the morning and my stomach wasn't growling.

I found some grissini sticks and was trying to figure out the calories in one. Ended up assuming that two would be OK since one serving was nine and that was 110 calories. Later, I found in the book that I should just have one. They and the Melba toast are so small! I guess I'm still a carb craver.

Had an instinct to go to the movies and order a big bucket of popcorn, no butter. Was able to resist.

Tonight will be the first real challenge. I have to go out to eat...at an Irish restaurant! We'll see how compliant with this diet I can be.

Day 16

146 lbs. I feel like a ping pong. Need to break through the 145 lbs. The only thing I did yesterday was probably have more than 1/2 cup of zucchini which would have been around 14 calories. I didn't have a full cup, more likely 3/4 cup. I also had tilapia @ approximately 4 ozs. instead of 3.5. It was still low calorie-98. And, I may not have had all the water I should have. I'll just keep plugging along.

Day 15

145 lbs.

Day 14

146 lbs. Back on track. This is 12 lbs. in 2 wks. I'll take it!

Day 13

147 lbs. That's a 2 lb. gain although I didn't cheat at all yesterday. I guess you win some and lose some. From all the stories I've read about people who cheated on this hCG diet, I wish I WOULD have cheated for these 2 lbs.! There would have been more satisfaction in it.

I am having a little trouble with the injections. Trying to get the needle part of the syringes to stay connected to the syringe when you pull the cap off has been a challenge. When I open the package I twist the needle into the plunger...righty, tighty. Then, the cap is on really tight and there's a struggle to get it off to either pull in the hCG or actually give myself the shot without accidentally pulling the needle part off and sticking my finger, not to mention losing the solution down the sink. There must be a trick I don't know about.

Day 12

145 lbs. Well, that makes up for yesterday and brings the total loss thus far to 13 lbs. ! This has been a tremendous start to a diet that is not hard to follow. It really makes it easy to stick to the diet when the weight comes off this fast. I would feel so guilty if I cheated at this point. I do have my eyes fixed on the end of the diet when I can eat anything I want (within reason) with the exception of starches and sugars for 3 weeks.

I was reading in the book last night about taking off the abnormal fat of the "disorder." Once this is off is where your body resets its metabolism and you should be able to eat what you want. My new plan of action at that time with regards to food will be a grazing through the day approach. Nutri-System does this also. Yo just eat something light every few hours and then you're not inclined to binge on any one meal. Apparently, the three meals a day plan is something established by modern civilization. Our ancestors ate on the run and only when they were hungry. I'm wrapping my head around this concept and will try to live my life in this vein.

Today was tough. I didn't get to eat dinner until after 7:30 pm. I stuck to the calories, but my day was hectic and long and I'm sure I wasn't able to drink enough water.

Day 11

147.5 lbs. A friend told me yesterday that the fastest weight comes off in that first week. Now my losses should slow down a bit, but I will not be discouraged by that. I'm still envisioning losing at least 5 lbs. per week. I need to read the book over again now that I have some experience with this hCG diet.

Day 10

147.5 lbs. The day went well, but dinner was very delayed, even the fruit I normally have in the afternoon. I'm sure I didn't get my 2nd meal until 7:30 pm. By that time I was getting a little grouchy. It didn't help that the kid wanted "tater tots" with her soup for dinner. So far, I think my biggest cravings have been for fries and those tater tots. The fries part was probably instigated by my having to recently rate Helium.com articles on the best fries in the country. I'd forgotten about Arby's curly fries!

Day 9

148 lbs. Man, if this keeps up it will be the best diet I've ever been on! I can't wait to get the stored banks of fat off once and for all. Let's deplete the bank!

I haven't really been exercising at all. I will try to do better this week. The dog needs exercise too so I should just get the leash and take us on a brisk walk. The trouble is, she has a tendency to stop and smell everything on our path which minimizes the goal of "brisk" walk. It's still worth a shot since the tires on the bike are both flat.

I have to work today. The last full day I worked wasn't too bad, so I don't anticipate any problems today. It is cold, though. I tend not to drink as much water when it's cooler. Will have to force it down. I know there's no sympathy for 50 degree weather in Florida, but it's cold to us!

Update to the day....My work day was longer than I expected. With the Post Office, I should have expected that on a Saturday. I was hungry when I got home, but nothing that I couldn't fix with a little dinner. It was probably all the Melba toast's fault! I went off and left it at home this morning!

Day 8

150 lbs. That's a gain of 0.5 lb. For the first week on this hCG diet it's a net loss of 8 lbs. I'm perfectly fine with that and already feel better. Plus, I had that lobster last night! Although, it's very low in calories. It must be the butter, which I missed, that really packs it on for people.

Since I skipped an injection last night, today will be the first day without the hCG backing me up or fighting off hunger. We'll see how that goes. So, far I only have to work in the afternoon, but I'm prepared in case that changes. Cooked up some chicken this morning.

My blood pressure this morning, which I should have been taking more frequently I suppose, was 145/84. That's a significant drop from last Friday's screening when it was 190/88. No wonder I feel better!

Today I stuck to the 500 calories really well. Not having the hCG last night didn't seem to effect my appetite at all. I'm a little tired, though. Maybe it's the cold and rainy weather, but I just want to go to bed and watch a movie. Sounds like a plan of action!

Day 7

149.5 lbs. That's a loss of 8.5 lbs. since Monday. WooHoo! After the slight over indulgence from the day before, I'm trying to apply all my knowledge and be really good. Yesterday I really stuck with the 500 calories. I even read in the book where you SHOULD mix beef and fish or chicken and fish. Wish I'd known that a couple days ago. Oh well, the lack of knowledge or brief lapse in knowledge really didn't hurt me at all.

Tonight I skipped an injection per the protocol and I had lobster as allowed.

Day 6

152 lbs. I'm down 6 lbs. already! The over consumption of protein last night and the oil from the acupuncturist seems to not have effected me much. Yay! I'll take my new knowledge of mixing proteins and move forward.

I meant to inject in the belly tonight because I had had a bit of trouble getting the needle to go in my butt. As I was completing my log, I inadvertently listed the injection site as the butt. So, I was stuck with the butt again. It wasn't as hard last night, though.

I went to bed tonight with a little bit of a growling stomach. It was not hard by any means to just go to sleep and not think about it.

Day 5

154 lbs. It is just like I was told. You pig out for 3 days and then you blow through the added weight gain in nothing flat. I'm down 4 lbs. since yesterday.

Today will be a challenge since I have to work. I'm supposed to drink at least a gallon of water each day. The way the H2o has been flowing through has me concerned about delivering my 4+ hour route today without having to pee in the woods. I'm already planning a spot in my mind. There are some secluded areas on the route, but unfortunately no actual "comfort stations" as they are called in the postal business. Oiy!!!

Made it through the route OK. Rain doesn't help when you gotta go, though!

Another concern I had was at the acupuncturist tonight. My tendonitis has been acting up due to the change of the seasons, repetitive motions, etc. He usually massages my elbow with a combination of tea tree, cinnamon and another type of oil. Since oil absorbs through your skin and even though this really isn't edible oil, I worried that I might not lose any lbs. today. We'll have to see.

I'm learning which foods to combine to equal the 500 calories. Meat and chicken have the most calories, so your other protein for the day should be shrimp, crab or something with lesser calories. Today I had chicken for lunch and meat (3.5 ozs., at least I followed that) for dinner. As I counted up the daily calories I found I was over by about 146! We'll see what that does for tomorrow.

Had more trouble with the needle going through the butt skin tonight. I may revert back to the belly tomorrow night. I can't imagine that my butt is that tough!

Day 4

158 lbs. Nothing too different from yesterday. Made many trips to the bathroom over night. Am a little exhausted today.

Today is the first day of the actual diet. 500 calories. Had my 2 cups of black coffee this morning. Later I had 1 1/2 plums. Even though I could have 2 plums, I thought mine were rather large. I'd given my daughter (skinny little thing) 1/2 of one of these plums in her lunch (which it came back home half eaten). Not fair! Anyhow, I ate her half and one more. I had chicken for lunch and shrimp for dinner. Broccoli with both meals. One orange and one Melba toast. My calories were so close to 500 that I opted not to eat my other Melba toast.

If I don't lose anything today I will understand. I colored my hair this morning and there was avocado oil in the mixture. I'm not supposed to have or have touch my skin any oils. I read where someone didn't lose since they had touched some new oily makeup they had bought. We'll see tomorrow when I hit the scales. Overall, I feel OK. Took a walk with the kidlet and the dog this afternoon for a little exercise.

Day 3

This morning I weighed 158 lbs. when I woke up to feed the cats at about 6:45 am. When I actually got up later at about 9:45 am I weighed again after doing some bathroom business and I'd lost 2 lbs! Whisky, Tango, Foxtrot? So, the net gain from yesterday was only .5 lbs? This is weird. I'm sure I consumed at least 5000 calories yesterday and then went to bed on an extremely full stomach.

I tried to cram in as many calories as I could today. Don't know if I succeeded. I was very full again when I went to bed, though.

Had a little trouble with the injection tonight. For some reason I couldn't get it to go through the skin very easily. After several attempts I finally made it.

Day 2

155.5 lbs. An increase was to be expected since I'm on day 2-Gorge Your Heart Out. I'm surprised that a half lb. was all I gained.

Tonight I had lots of pizza and ice cream. I ate somewhat normally during the day, but don't think I overdid it because I had to work.

I spoke with an experienced friend about how I mixed up my potion last night. It seems that I did it right. But....when it came to the injection and how much I shot myself with, my calculations and understanding of all the lines and ml/cc labels on the syringe did me in. I suck with metrics! I thought the ml's were the cc's on the syringe. With that in mind, I pretty much tripled the dose I should have had. No worries though, it's only hormones. At least I got that part straight. So, now I'm shooting up 1/2 ml. or 5 cc's instead of 1.75 ml.! How stupid am I? I added about 1 ml. of the bacteriostatic water back into my potion to sort of make up for the difference I took out last night. It will dilute the concoction only slightly. No big whoop.

My friend also said I need to eat more today and tomorrow. I inadvertently let my stomach growl today. He said people that "really" gorge do a lot better the first week on the diet. I felt full after pigging out on the pizza, but at 8:30 pm I headed out the door for a Big Mac and fries while there were still hours in the day. Now, I really feel full and bloated. I managed to shoot the right amount of hCG in my butt tonight. Now, that is the ticket! It was easier and less painful than I thought. Not that there is a lot of pain associated with these injections.

I've Left the Starting Gate - Day 1

Yesterday the remainder of my supplies arrived. I've counted and organized the 2 sizes of syringes, mixing vials and hCG. The type of hCG was HuCoG from India. It arrived via Express Mail through the USPS. Interesting, since I deliver Express Mail on nearly a daily basis. Usually it is overnight mail, more expensive and you have to sign for it. I have no idea why or how the package came Express because it took at least a couple weeks to get here. Maybe it was Express mail once it hit the US.

Today I've been trying to gorge, since I must do that for three days. I will try to

make a more valiant effort with that tomorrow. It turned out that I needed to fast this morning because I was getting some screenings for heart, blood and such. I feel like I got cheated out of breakfast since I was fasting and then there weren't enough hours left in the day to make up that meal. I'm pretty stuffed right now as it is.

Tonight I mixed up the injection concoction/potion thingy. I went back and forth from a couple of YouTube videos on how to do it properly. I think I did it right. Next, I headed off to the bathroom for the stick. Tonight I chose the belly. Tomorrow night I might switch to the butt. The injection really didn't hurt since the needle is fairly thin. I'm just not convinced I can deftly twist around and poke myself in the butt. Maybe the mirror really can help! I must really try to do this at the same time each night for the best results. At least all the mixing is done and for the next 40 days it's just a "shot, baby."



OK, so I'm starting at 155 lbs. Eeekkk! I said I wasn't going to broadcast that, but there I go.

Not the best pictures, either. The hairdo was a leftover from the down pour I got to deliver the mail in today. Some days I love that job more than others!

More Supplies Arrived

The bacteriostatic water arrived yesterday. Three little plastic bottles into which I will mix the hCG when it arrives. I've decided to assign a plastic pan the home for all this gear I'm collecting. So far, I have the water and the alcohol wipes safely inhabiting the space.

Can't wait to get started. The countdown clock is getting antsy just sitting up there on the top of this blog doing absolutely nada.

Today I think I will look up the calorie contents of all the proteins, fruits and veggies I can eat on this diet. I'll make a cheat sheet. Not a cheat sheet in the sense of cheating, but more of a quick reference. If I'm thinking right, I'll start off my days by adding the calories of the proteins, then the fruits and lastly, I'll know how much I can eat in the way of veggies. Kind of work backwards, if you will. I need to know how many calories are in a head of lettuce, for instance. The proteins will contain the bulk of my daily caloric intake. I think it makes sense to start there. So, off to the list. I love spreadsheets! It's likely because I'm so anal!

More Prep Ordered

Today I finally completed ordering the last of the paraphernalia I will need to start my diet. Bacteriostatic water was ordered days ago, but I had a bit of trouble finding the right size syringes. I was told to go with 27 gauge 1.25 inch syringes since the injections will be administered intramuscularly. Anything shorter or longer would be an attempt at futility or unnecessarily sticking the pointy part into my butt or belly too deep. I also ordered ten 20 gauge needles for mixing my potion along with a 30 ml. vial. I was also told that I could use the 27 gauges, but it took longer. I want to eliminate any possibility of accidentally hitting the sides of the hCG ampules with the needle tips by having to enter the ampule more than once. Or, so I think. The hCG itself is currently on its way from India, a somewhat scary prospect since I just watched "Slumdog Millionaire" last night. Will just try to think positive thoughts, anyway.

YouTube.com offers up some pretty good videos about mixing the injection concoction. People have different takes on things. I've noticed that some people are more diligent about alcohol wiping everything before they start. That is the boat for me. Sterile is good.

I'm not too concerned about the injections themselves. After going through two IVF sessions, I'm confident I can handle this. I hope it's what I expect as far as the size of the needles and such. At least I know I won't be having to give myself an intramuscular injection with one of the largest needles I'd ever seen. Back then, my mom was supposed to be giving me that shot in the butt, but she dropped the syringe on the motel carpet. Even though, we had a back-up needle, she chickened out and forced me to inject my own self in the thigh. Ouch!!! What we won't go through for the pursuit of a baby who will in 10-12 years aptly make us crazy! I've done some nutty things in my life and that was certainly one of them.

Seriously though, my daughter is the wind beneath my wings and the main reason for going on this diet. I want to be around for her. I have to get her to maturity and teach her everything I know about God, cars, men, government, gardening, spices, sewing, animals, music, and respect for the earth. I have to teach her to be street smart, to spot scams and hoaxes perpetrated by those who want to profit by fleecing we, the Americans. I want her to seek out truth wherever it may hide. The truth hides plenty these days. If she doesn't get a sufficient education in history, I, the parent, must fill in the gaps. It is those who don't know their history who are destined to repeat it or suffer needlessly from it.

Order Placed

OK, I've placed my first order for hCG. Once you figure out what you're buying it makes it easier. I ended up buying Hucog 2000 i.u. and Hucog 5000 i.u. There are 3 amps in each and my order total was $82 with shipping being a $25 chunk. I was confused by the different varieties of hCG from the different companies. Did I need the more purer form? I opted not to go that route or the sublingual method. I received an order #, but no real shipping details as to when my order might arrive. I suppose there could be a follow up email with all of these details in my Inbox. I think it's being shipped from Canada, but it could be India for all I know. What I've ordered is enough for 3 rounds of the 40 day program. It really is cost effective. I doubt that I will need 3 rounds, but there's a pretty good shelf life on this product in case I "somehow" relapse. I don't even want to think those words......

Now I wait and start collecting the other necessary items. I already have the alcohol wipes. Better review my list again and find a medical supply store. I'll let my fingers do the walking.

Preparations and a Few Thoughts to Get Me Going

This blog is dedicated to the complete as possible future revelations and progress of a first time hCG dieter. I am still a couple weeks away from the actual start of the diet. Since I'm pretty thorough when embarking on a new endeavor or a diet of this magnitude, I'm still at the point of collecting all my poop in a group.


I've completed Dr. Simeon's book and found it to be very interesting and entertaining. I'm now at the stage of ordering my products and visiting my local medical supply shop for the injectibles. I've been shopping for some of the food, but plan to buy 1 week at a time. With a 500 calorie limit, I should save quite a bit on groceries. However, I still have to feed a 9, soon to be 10 year old skinny and picky daughter. I'd say that most of what makes up her diet I'm not too interested in. That should make my journey a little easier.


I will try to post before and after pictures. It's only fair and probably a reasonable requirement of the documentation process. However, I doubt that I will post my actual weight for the world to see. I'm not obese by any measure, but all women are shy about their weight unless they're a size 2. Progress will be reported in pounds and inches, as I've seen in passing with regard to this diet.


I've viewed a few videos on youtube.com from people sharing their thoughts, successes and know-how. These videos are very helpful and really tend to show you what to expect. I also have a friend who has lost 98 pounds in about 6 mos. on this diet. He has done three cycles and feels great.


This is the big one, folks. I've always struggled with my weight. I lose it and keep it off for 2 years or and then it creeps back on again. I've tried all kinds of diets like South Beach, Pineapple, low fat-low calorie, Nutri-System (good program, just too slow for me). I've now been educated about the 3 types of fat and why people get so discouraged on other diets. I DO want it fast and over with!


Initially, I'll be doing the 40 day protocol. I may do it twice. I'm really excited and look forward to starting soon. My goal is to improve my overall health and lower my blood pressure. OK, so I want to look hot at 53 also!


Stay tuned for the kick-off on or around February 1st.