Yikes! That was fast!

Start Weight at beginning of Round 2: 168 lbs
Weight After Loading for Round 2:       171.7 lbs

Last Injection Weight (LIW):   147.9 lbs

Total weight lost for Round 2:  23.8 lbs
R2P3D2: 149.9 lbs (LIW + 2 lbs)

Ugh.  I gained 1.7 lbs this morning, putting me right on the edge of the upper boundary.  This was my fear.  I suspected that the last four or five of pounds of weight I lost may have been normal (structural) fat. Technically, I am not supposed to take any action until I am MORE than 2 lbs over my LIW, so I'm going to continue a normal Phase 3 day today. Protocol says that if you go over your LIW plus 2 lbs, then you are supposed to do a "Steak Day." Here is Dr. S's prescription for the Steak Day:

"As long as their weight stays within two pounds of the weight reached on the day of the last injection, patients should take no notice of any increase but the moment the scale goes beyond two pounds, even if this is only a few ounces, they must on that same day entirely skip breakfast and lunch but take plenty to drink. In the evening they must eat a huge steak with only an apple or a raw tomato. Of course this rule applies only to the morning weight. Ex-obese patients should never check their weight during the day, as there may be wide fluctuations and these are merely alarming and confusing."

During Phase 3 of my first round, I never went over this 2 lb mark, although I butted up against it a couple of times.  So, if I do cross that boundary, it's going to be unchartered territory for me.  But, it puts me in a dilemma. Is my LIW truly where I CAN stabilize?  I was feeling hungry before then, so I wonder where my true LIW really is?  There is no way to know for certain.  I'm going to have to play it by ear.  If my weight goes up tomorrow, then I plan to take some kind of action.

* OFF PROTOCOL WARNING!!! *

Of course, as a vegetarian, I am not going to eat a steak.  One option I have seen for vegetarians is to do an "Egg Day" where you periodically eat a boiled egg during the day as you are hungry, perhaps up to 8 to 10 eggs stretched out over the day.  Another option that I have seen for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike is to do a "Protein Day" where you eat nothing but proteins all day.  I still don't know which of these I would do.  I guess the sensible thing is to do one of these options and see if I can get the weight back down to an acceptable level.  The Protein Day would certainly be less rigid.  At this point, I'm not sure which direction I would take.  I'll have to think about it.

On to the menu:

10a:      20oz water with lemon

10:15a: 2 Organic eggs with 1oz Organic Raw Cheddar Cheese

1:30p:   16oz water

2:30p:   24oz water with lemon and ACV

3p:        Organic Baby Spring Mix, Diced Avocado, Pink

             Grapefruit sections, Toasted Organic Pine Nuts

3:30p:  1oz Organic Raw Cheddar Cheese

             Handful of Raw Organic Almonds and Raw Organic

             Cashew pieces

4:15p:  Yogi Peach Detox Tea sweetened with pure stevia

5p:       One Organic hard-boiled egg

5:30p:  Decaf Green Tea sweetened with pure stevia

7p:        2 Organic eggs with 1oz Organic Raw Cheddar Cheese

8p:        Honey Vanille Chamomile Tea with pure stevia and

              Organic half-n-half

9p:        Handful of roasted, salted tree nuts (couldn't help myself,

              probably a BIG mistake eating those salt-laden nuts)

{Ugh... I feel bloated now... mistake, mistake, mistake...}

10:30p: Trader Joe's Bedtime Tea with pure stevia and Organic

               skim milk

Reflection on the menu:  I suspect you notice the recurrent theme of "organic" and "raw."  This is a purposeful move on my part.  I'm trying to eat as cleanly as I can, meaning eating whole, organic, and even raw foods as much as I possibly can.  This procedure was touted by Kevin Trudeau in his book about Dr. Simeon's HCG protocol, and while I'm not completely on board with Trudeau, this part made sense to me so I'm trying it.  I want to be very sure of every ingredient that is going into my mouth.  You may also notice me forcing down the Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and drinking the Green and Detox Teas.  All of these things have been cited by people as helping to get the weight down in Phase 2 and Phase 3, so I'm going to try that too.  I figure that it couldn't hurt and it may even help, so I'm doing it.  And, I must say that the Peach-flavored Yogi Detox Tea is a lot more palatable than the regular Yogi Detox Tea, although I'm not going to describe it as "yummy."

Reflection on the day:  I have felt pretty great all day, except for a bloated feeling this morning (damn you, Waffle House omelet!!!) Actually, I'm only half joking... I actually felt a little nauseous last night after eating that so-called omelet, and the "yuck" feeling stuck with me into the morning. It didn't taste good to me and yet I ate it anyway because I was hungry. I should have listened to my body. Perhaps Waffle House was too far off the beaten path for me to venture so early in Phase 3. I do not recommend it to you. ;-)

So, tomorrow should be interesting.  I'm going to try not to stress out about it and just get a good night's sleep.  The scale will be what it's going to be tomorrow.  'Til then, later all you wonderful people!  You shouldn't be "losers" anymore now if you are in Phase 3!  And, "later all you wonderful maintainers" just doesn't have the same ring.  :D