See ya on the other side...

Start Weight: 168 lbs
Goal Weight: 138 lbs
Weight after two loading days:  171.7 lbs (3.7 lbs total gain)
R2P2D28: 152.8 lbs  (-18.9 lbs gross, -15.2 lbs net)
* No injection today - preparing for planned interruption *

0.6 lbs released -- woo hoo!  My "gentle curve" has finally reached where I had spiked down last weekend.  Since I've gotten there gradually, I feel like it is a real loss this time.  Again, LOVE the weight graphing on the Wii!  I can't say enough about it.

Tip for the day:  If you have a Wii Fit at home -- use it for your weigh-ins.  If you don't, it is probably worth recording your weight on a piece of graph paper so you can look for large deviations -- up or down -- in your weight loss rate.  And hey, it is really gratifying to watch that graph take a nosedive downward!

On to the menu!

3:30p:    One scoop Jay Robb Vanilla Whey Protein Powder*
             mixed with 6 oz water
10:30p:  Three whole eggs* cooked with
             chopped onion and spinach*
*OFF PROTOCOL WARNING!!!

Reflections on the day:  Crazy busy day!  No time for food.  Funny that I was hungry yesterday but wasn't hungry today -- until I got home around 9:30p, that is.  All of the sudden, I was ravenous.  I am taking this to mean that the HCG has left my system.  You might notice that I ate three whole eggs for a very late dinner instead of my usual one egg plus three whites.  I figured that I was probably safe to do that now since the HCG has left the building.  (I always feel so wasteful tossing three egg yolks every time I eat eggs! ;-)

Well, so long for awhile.  I will be taking my planned interruption starting tomorrow where I will be eating Phase 3 foods (no sugar and no starch) for the duration of my break, while striving to maintain my LIW (Last Injection Weight).  I will continue to weigh every day to keep an eye on my weight so that I can take action to correct it if needed. I'm going to take a break from blogging, too, so I can spend some extra time with my family.

While I'm virtually "gone" I want to give you a reading assignment... Please go back and re-read Dr. Simeons' manuscript "Pounds and Inches" because, I promise you, you will find new things that you missed during the first read.  It took me a second time reading it for everything to really "click."  And, by now you may have had friends and family looking at you and saying things like "You are looking great!  What are you doing???"  If you haven't yet, you will soon.  If you have "Pounds and Inches" in your head, it will be a lot easier for you to explain how the diet works.  Personally, I didn't really talk too much to people about what I was doing during my first round because I truthfully was not so sure that I believed all of the claims about this diet.  I knew I was losing obscene amounts of weight unbelievably fast, but I was worried about what would happen when I stopped the injections and tried to move back to a normal diet.  Now that I KNOW it works, I'm telling every single person that stops and asks me.  I'm a believer now!!!

Well, so long for a little while, friends.  Stick with it, hang in there, and READ THE PROTOCOL AGAIN!!!  'Til next time -- LATER all you WONDERFUL LOSERS!  :D

The perils of reaching a former weight set point

Start Weight: 168 lbs
Goal Weight: 138 lbs
Weight after two loading days:  171.7 lbs (3.7 lbs total gain)
R2P2D27: 153.4 lbs  (-18.3 lbs gross, -14.6 lbs net)
* No injection today - preparing for planned interruption *


Another small loss -- 0.3 lbs more pounds released.  I'm continuing on that gentle curve downward.  I love the weight graph on the Wii so that I can watch the downward trend.  My guess on the slowdown is that I am entering into a weight range that I held for about 8 months roughly 6 years ago.  Here's what Dr. S has to say about that:


Reaching a Former Level:  The third type of interruption in the regular loss of weight may last much longer - ten days to two weeks. Fortunately, it is rare and only occurs in very advanced cases, and then hardly ever during the first course of treatment. It is seen only in those patients who during some period of their lives have maintained a certain fixed degree of obesity for ten years or more and have then at some time rapidly increased beyond that weight. When then in the course of treatment the former level is reached, it may take two weeks of no loss, in spite of HCG and diet, before further reduction is normally resumed.


Now, I certainly do not fit this description to a 'T' but I do believe that your body "remembers" previous weight set points and may in fact try to stay at one of those past weight points.  And, after holding for 8 months, I rapidly went up from that ~152 lb weight and bounced around between 175 lbs and up over the 200 lb mark for years and years.  I don't know if that is the reason for my slow-down or not, but I don't mind it.  I am stopping my injections right now for a week and a half for a planned break, so any extra help that I can have to stabilize at my current weight, the better!


Today's tip:  if you find your weight loss slowing or even stalling at the same weight for several days, think back over your weight loss history.  Are you at a weight that you previously had maintained for awhile?  If so, then it may take you a week or so to "break though" that previous weight.  But don't worry -- you are working hard even though the scale might not show it.  Stick with it -- you WILL see results!


On to the menu!
9p:        20 oz water with Lemon Drop liquid stevia
12p:      1 scoop Jay Robb Whey Protein powder* mixed
             with 6 oz water
12:30p:  32 oz water with Lemon Drop liquid stevia
2p:        1 Apple
4p:        32 oz water with Lemon Drop liquid stevia
6:30p:    Steamed Broccoli*
7:30p:    Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt* mixed with
             Vanilla Creme liquid stevia and diced
             strawberries, topped with crumbled Melba


Reflections on the day:  Well, after rushing around as usual, I headed out to Kohl's department store.  They were having a sale starting today, and I had a 20% off everything coupon.  Since I am down to the bottom of my closet, I decided that I needed to get a few new clothes. I ended up with a pair of size 10 Levi jeans!!!!!!! Woo HOO!!!!!! I really and truly cannot remember the last time I fit into a size 10 anything.  It is exhilarating!


That said, I can already feel some of the "hungries" creeping up as a result of stopping my injections. I don't remember having an issue with this during my first round until near the very end of the 72 hours. This may not bode well for the next couple of days! But, I'll just slip into my size 10 jeans and I'm sure that will help! ;-)


'Til tomorrow -- later losers!  :D

Short post today...

Start Weight: 168 lbs
Goal Weight: 138 lbs
Weight after two loading days:  171.7 lbs (3.7 lbs total gain)
R2P2D26Inj22: 153.7 lbs  (-17.6 lbs gross, -13.9 lbs net)


Loss of 0.4 lbs... It is a loss, so I'll take it!


Menu:
12p:  One scoop Jay Robb Vanilla Whey Protein Powder*
        mixed with 6 oz water
5p:   One whole egg plus three egg whites cooked with
        chopped onion and spinach*
*OFF PROTOCOL WARNING!!!


Reflections on my menu:  Busy, busy, busy... Too many irons in the fire.  As you can see from my menu, food was definitely not a priority today.  I still tried to push the water, though, and got in at least 74 oz.


Reflections on my day:  I was pretty irritable today.  Short-tempered and snapping at everyone.  Not sure why.  I believe that I got adequate sleep last night.  I see that I didn't eat nearly enough, but I was already snappy by noon and I usually don't eat anything before then anyway.  Hopefully I can adjust my attitude tomorrow.


'Til then -- later losers!

Hmmm...

Start Weight: 168 lbs
Goal Weight: 138 lbs
Weight after two loading days:  171.7 lbs (3.7 lbs total gain)
R2P2D25Inj21: 154.1 lbs  (-17.6 lbs gross, -13.9 lbs net)


I've gained 1.1 lbs...  Hmmm...  Perhaps the playing with the protein was not a smart thing to do?  I am not convinced of that, because I have seen people experiment with more protein and actually pull some bigger losses.  One thing that jumps out at me when I look at a graph of my weight is that I had a gentle falling curve, then I spiked downward with that big 1.8 lb loss a couple of days ago.  The 154.1 lbs is back to where I would have been had I stayed on that gentle losing curve.  Maybe that 1.8 lb loss wasn't real?  Perhaps I had gotten myself a little dehydrated?  That might explain why I didn't feel so good yesterday.  So, you can probably guess what my tip for today will be... It is a repeat...  CALCULATE HALF OF YOUR WEIGHT IN POUNDS, THEN DRINK THAT MANY OUNCES OF WATER A DAY! (Sorry to shout, but I'm telling this to myself as well.)  So, I weigh 154 lbs.  That means I need to drink 77 oz of water a day.  I know that I haven't been getting that in, and it shows.  Water is key on this diet.  It helps with everything -- water retention, constipation, and dehydration, to name a few!


I think that I will continue the protein shake for now, and maybe move it to the morning, but push water, water and more water.


And today's menu is...
8:30a:   16oz of water mixed with Lemon Drop liquid stevia
11:30a: 1 scoop of Jay Robb Whey Protein Powder* mixed
            with 6 oz water
12p-3p: 40 oz water mixed with ACV and Lemon Drop
            liquid stevia
3:30p:   Yogi Detox/Decaf Green Tea mixed (16 oz)
8p:       Steamed Broccoli* and Cottage Cheese mixed
            with Diced Apples
9:30p:   Trader Joe's Bedtime Tea with stevia (16 oz)


Oh well, didn't get my extra protein in today.  Life just keeps getting in the way of me eating. :-)  Got in 88 oz of water and decaf fluids, though, so that is good.  Hopefully the scale will be moving in the right direction tomorrow! 'Til then, later losers! :D

If you can't weigh first thing in the morning, then don't bother

Start Weight: 168 lbs
Goal Weight: 138 lbs
Weight after two loading days:  171.7 lbs (3.7 lbs total gain)
R2P2D24Inj20: 153 lbs  (-18.7 lbs gross, -15 lbs net)


Well, I'm sorry... I dropped the ball this morning and did not weigh.  I had a very early morning and was running late.  And, I know better than to weigh in the afternoon.  It just isn't going to be a good comparison -- like apples to oranges -- and can sometimes cause some unneeded stress since we tend to weigh more later in the day.


Today's tip:  if you can't weigh first thing in the morning (right after you get up and use the restroom) then just wait for the next day because otherwise it will not be a valid comparison.


Menu time!
1:30p:  One whole egg plus three egg whites (123 cal, 15g protein)
             cooked with 1/4 pkg Frozen Spinach (26 cal, 1.8g protein)
             and 1/4 Onion (16 cal, 0.5g protein) sauteed together*
             and topped with Frank's Red Hot Sauce

5:30p:  6 Strawberries (24 cal, .6g protein)

7:30p:  One scoop Jay Robb Whey Protein Powder*
             stirred into 6 oz of water (110 cal, 25g protein)

8:30p:  Mixed greens (15 cal, 2g protein), 1/2 Apple, diced
             (40 cal, 0g protein), Quorn Cutlet,* diced
             (80 cal, 11g protein), dressed with Spicy Brown
             Mustard and ACV


* OFF PROTOCOL WARNING!!!
434 calories, 55.9g protein


Reflections on my menu:  I tried to spread things out more, but I'm still eating too late.  Gotta do better there!


Reflections on my day:  I have felt a little "off" today.  A little shaky and a little short of breath.  I've also felt dizzy when I stand up too fast.  I know that both yesterday and today I haven't been drinking nearly enough water, and that may be the problem.  So, I'll try to up the water intake tomorrow.  'Til then -- later losers!

To heck with slow and steady! :D

Start Weight: 168 lbs
Goal Weight: 138 lbs
Weight after two loading days:  171.7 lbs (3.7 lbs total gain)
R2P2D23Inj19: 153.0  (-18.7 lbs gross, -15 lbs net)


Slow and steady is nice, BUT NOT AS NICE AS DROPPING 1.8 lbs IN A DAY!!! Woo HOO!!! I hope that I can break into the 140's before my trip...  I'm sure going to try!


I am really feeling the weight loss now. My clothes are starting to hang on me now, and I feel so much lighter. My knees and feet don't hurt, my back doesn't ache... It is a wonderful feeling. Two more pounds, and I'll be 50 lbs down from my starting weight back on July 9th. Fifteen more pounds down, and I'll be at my goal weight.  I'm in the home stretch now.  I know that I will get there.


Tip for the day:  persevere through those .4 and .2 days, you will be rewarded!


On to the menu:
12p:     One scoop Jay Robb Whey Protein Powder*
           stirred into 6 oz of water (110 cal, 25g protein)
1:30p:  Mixed greens (15 cal, 2g protein), 1/2 Apple, diced
           (40 cal, 0g protein), Quorn Cutlet,* diced
           (80 cal, 11g protein), dressed with Spicy Brown
           Mustard and ACV
8:30p:  1 cup Nonfat Cottage Cheese* (160 cal, 24g protein)
           mixed with 1/2 Apple, diced (40 cal, 0g protein)


* OFF PROTOCOL WARNING!!!
- Jay Robb Protein Powder and Quorn Cutlet are not on protocol.  I use them as vegetarian alternative protein sources.
- I think that 1 cup of cottage cheese is too much for a normal protein serving, but I needed the calories and the protein so I went for it!


Reflection on the menu:  445 calories and 62g of protein is pretty close to perfect, I think!  The only thing that isn't so good is eating so late.


Reflection on the day:  I was at my church at a celebration all afternoon, so that's why there is nothing between 1:30p and 8:30p.  I'm in the "no hunger" zone now.  It is awesome.  I think that I could easily eat nothing at all.  If you are not there, then PLEASE talk to your clinic about altering your dose.  If you are hungry, and you know that you still have abnormal fat to lose, then your dose is wrong.  If you have too much OR too little HCG in your system, then you will be hungry. You have to work to find the perfect dose for you.


Even though I'm not hungry, I do have a headache, which has been very rare on this diet.  It has been a bit of a stressful day, so I'm ready to take some ibuprofen and acetaminophen and go chill.  'Til tomorrow, later all you losers! ;-)

Slow and steady wins the race

Start Weight: 168 lbs
Goal Weight: 138 lbs
Weight after two loading days:  171.7 lbs (3.7 lbs total gain)
R2P2D22Inj18: 154.8  (-16.9 lbs gross, -13.2 lbs net)

Another 0.4 lbs down!  I'm happy with that.  I plan to try and eat closer to my 500 calories today, and will probably continue to add the extra protein.  I'm going to be diligent with taking the Biotin as well as my other vitamin supplements, and will also start on the BioSil as it arrived today (I LOVE Amazon Prime! ;-).  I know that it will probably take some time to see results, so I'm in this for the long haul.

Today's tip:  take a vitamin supplement to make sure that you are nutritionally sound, but be sure to triple-check the ingredients to make sure that there aren't any no-no's such as sugars or starches.  If you see an ingredient and don't know what it is, then google it and find out. Sugars and starches come by many different names.  It will probably require ordering from a health food store or checking with your clinic.  I personally use CustomVite vitamin supplements that I order through my clinic.  These are vitamins that are customized specifically for me based on results of extensive lab work and a lifestyle questionnaire I filled out.  They are quite pricey, but worth the money in my opinion.  I get a little packet of supplements that I am supposed to take all during the day.  The problem is that I frequently don't make it through the entire packet in a day!  I'm going to be more diligent about that to ensure that I am getting all of the vitamins and minerals that I need.  It is better to be safe than sorry!

Today's menu:

2p:  Orange Smoothie (85 cal, 2g protein) with one scoop

       Jay Robb Vanilla Whey Protein* (110 cal, 25g protein)

5p:  1/4 pkg Frozen Spinach (26 cal, 1.8g protein) and

       1/4 Onion (16 cal, 0.5g protein) sauteed together*

       and topped with Frank's Red Hot Sauce,

       3/4 cup Nonfat Cottage Cheese (120 cal, 18g protein)

7:30p:  Raw Spinach, Tomato wedges, Cucumber 

           Salad* (~20 cal)

11p: 1/2 Apple (40 cal)

*OFF PROTOCOL WARNING!!!

- Jay Robb Vanilla Whey Protein not on protocol

- Mixing veggies not on protocol

Ugh -- didn't get my calories in or my extra protein today.  Very busy all day long and just couldn't get it in.  This weekend will be busy too, so it will tough.  I need to plan better for tomorrow, and probably start trying to eat earlier.

It's late, so I'm heading to bed.  'Til tomorrow - later losers! ;-)

Another Milestone! :D

Start Weight: 168 lbs
Goal Weight: 138 lbs
Weight after two loading days:  171.7 lbs (3.7 lbs total gain)
R2P2D21Inj17: 155.2  (-16.5 lbs gross, -12.8 lbs net)

0.7 lbs down today... Not bad at all...  This morning was quite exciting! Pretty much from the very beginning of this journey, I have been using my Wii Fit Plus to weigh myself every morning. I love it because it keeps a record of my weight and BMI in a graphical format. It also allows me to set mini-goals every couple of weeks which is very motivating. The other motivating thing was watching my BMI slowly creep down from "Obese" into the "Overweight" category. Well, this morning, I crossed from "Overweight" into "Normal." I've never been so thrilled to be "Normal" at anything in my whole life!


Unfortunately, I have discovered that I am losing something else besides fat. I am experiencing some hair loss. I have very thick hair anyway, so I can afford to lose some. But, I want to nip this in the bud right away. I have researched this, and it appears that some people do experience hair loss while others have no problem at all. I didn't have an issue during Round 1. It has only reared its ugly head in the last week or so. I believe that the most likely cause is protein deficiency or perhaps a vitamin/mineral deficiency. I may consider increasing my protein intake by adding an extra serving of the Jay Robb Whey Protein powder, while carefully counting my calories to ensure that I don't go over 500 calories a day. I have also seen people suggest taking either Xymogen's Regenemax or Natrol's BioSil, along with the vitamin Biotin. I have ordered BioSil since I found it on Amazon. I could not readily see where to order the Regenemax, but BioSil appears to be the same thing so I went with that. I also was going to order Biotin, but all of the Biotin capsules that I found on the internet contain Rice Flour, which is a no-no during Phase 2 (or Phase 3, for that matter). However, it turns out that my clinic sells rice flour-free Biotin capsules, so I'm buying those! I'm going to bring out the big guns and attack this full force!

On to the menu!  (Gonna count the calories today...)

12p:  One scoop Jay Robb Vanilla Whey Protein Powder*
          stirred into 6 oz of water (110 cal, 25g protein)
1p:    ACV concoction
2p:    Yogi Detox & Decaf Green Tea mix
6p:    Five boiled egg whites* (75 cal, 15g protein)
9p:    1/2 Cup Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt*
          (60 cal, 10g protein) mixed with Lemon Drop
          Liquid Stevia and a squeeze of lemon wedge
10p:  Apple (80 cal, 0.5g protein)

Well gee... I ended up way undershooting my calories -- only 325 for the day.  I wonder how many I usually consume???  Maybe I'm always under 500.  Perhaps I should start counting for a while.  I couldn't find anything in "Pounds and Inches" that said that there is a problem with consuming less than 500, just that you can't consume MORE than 500.  (If anyone has a different interpretation of the protocol than this, then please comment below!  I want to know!)  I do know that you must eat the protein, since the VLCD portion of the protocol keeps you on the verge of protein deficiency.  I got 50.5g of protein in today. Hopefully that is enough.

* OFF PROTOCOL WARNING!!!
- Jay Robb Vanilla Whey Protein Powder, 1 scoop (110 cal, 0g Fat, 150mg Sodium, 390 Potassium, 0g Fiber, 0g Sugar, 25g Protein, 30mg Calcium) is not on protocol.  I am adding it to be sure that I am getting enough protein.
- I choose to do 5 egg whites instead of the protocol-prescribed 1 whole egg + 3 egg whites because I'm trying to squeeze in as much protein as possible without all the calories.
- Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt is not an approved food.  I have added it as an alternative vegetarian protein source.


Looking ahead... I've got a trip coming up.  In about a week, my family is going to visit The Mouse in sunny Orlando!  Ahhh.... temptations galore!  Since it will be very, very difficult to eat VLCD in the parks, I have decided to do what is typically called a planned interruption.  This is how Dr. S describes a planned interruption in the protocol:

"When a patient knows beforehand that he will have to travel and be absent for more than four days, it is always better to stop injections three days before he is due to leave so that he can have the three days of strict dieting which are necessary after the last injection at home. This saves him from the almost impossible task of having to arrange the 500 Calorie diet while en route, and he can thus enjoy a much greater dietary freedom from the day of his departure. Interruptions occurring before 20 effective injections have been given are most undesirable, because with less than that number of injections some weight is liable to be regained. After the 20th injection an unavoidable interruption is merely a loss of time."

So, here is my plan:  I will continue to take injections through Wednesday, October 20th.  On that day will be my 23rd actual injection, but my 20th EFFECTIVE injection.  The first three injections are not considered "effective" because it takes three injections to build up the HCG levels to the optimal level.  I will continue the VLCD for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, then begin a Phase 3 type diet for the duration of my trip.  Phase 3 is no sugars and no starches, but I will be able to add back in fats and increase my caloric intake, so that will make it a little easier on me.  I will strive to maintain within +/- 2 lbs of my LIW (Last Injection Weight, or in other words, my weight as of Wednesday morning) during my trip, and will start the injections back up on the day I return.  As Dr. S. puts it, hopefully it will just be a "loss of time." If you have a similar situation, hopefully I can be your guinea pig and will be able to help you through it.  I probably will not blog during my trip, but will be sure to fill you in when I get back!

Well, we'll see how adding the extra protein affects the scale tomorrow.  'Til then -- LATER LOSERS!  :D