This morning was my last injection. I did really well this round, lost 22.6 pounds in just 21 days. But I'm more that ready for p3! Short rounds are good enough for me, but I might shoot for longer in Round 4 in the hopes of getting to Onderland by the Hubs birthday (March 7). My next round will start on New Years, and I'm excited to keep going down!
I can't believe the differences from the beginning of this journey til now! Will I even recognize myself when I reach goal weight? I've never seen myself at a healthy weight before. But now I have less than 100 pounds to go, which is fantastic! And I've lost almost 60 pounds since June. I'm so thrilled with the results! I am so thankful for the changes HCG has brought to my life, and while I may not mention it at the Thanksgiving table with my family, I will give thanks to my friends, especially Ame who made my HCG journey possible, and my husband, who's been unbelievably supportive during my weight loss. I'm also so thankful for my online HCG family, on facebook, on youtube and here on blogspot. Thanks for cheering me on, it's been hugely helpful!
Last night I went to see Harry Potter 7.1. I'm on the last few days of p2 so that means I couldn't eat anything during the 8pm movie, and because it's 2 1/2 hours long, I didn't want to drink anything during the movie. So I ate my dinner on the way to the theater, and I made sure I'd already drank my water for the day.
The Hubs and I were the first in line (I have a thing about this, I hate being late and ending up in the back of the line because then I spend the whole time worrying we'll end up sitting in the front row). I was wearing my I See Thestrals shirt that Ame of Starting Life 25 Years Late made me for a midnight book release party. We were waiting for my brother and his daughter and youngest son, and two women from my book club. I decided it would be a good idea to visit the bathroom before the line got crazy.
And that's when it happened.
There I was in the stall, trying to pull down my pants, only they wouldn't come off! I was confused, I was irritated, and my light urge to pee was morphing into critical stages. And I couldn't get my pants off!
But then I realized what the problem was. I had recently bought a few pairs of jeans that actually fit me. I'm so used to being able to just pull down my pants right down without having to unbutton or unzip them. I can't wear jeans at work, so this was the first time I was wearing my new jeans.
I'm sure I freaked out some fellow bathroom companions with my giggles of delight. It's been so long since I've worn pants that fit! Back when I was a tight size 24, I wore loose size 26 because I can't stand wearing tight jeans. And as the weight has gone down I've continued to do that, wearing a size too big.
Recently I shipped off some of my larger sizes to friends, and now I just have a few size 22's to wear to work, but I'm constantly having to hike them up. With the holidays coming up I didn't want to have to do that, so I bought pants in size 20 and size 18 (although the size 18, which I wore last night, fit like 20's). And they aren't tight- my belly's not squeezed out like a muffin, well, no more than usual since I still have lots of belly fat to lose- they fit perfectly. The one size 20's are actually starting to get a little loose on me.
I'm looking forward to more bathroom mishaps, thanks to HCG!
So long, Hcgers, luck to all of you losing on p2, luck to all of you maintaining on p3, best wishes for those of you permanently in p4, and to all you loaders out there (especially my besties Ame and Courtney!) have fun loading and eat some yum yums for me!
This morning was the morning. I woke up, stepped on the scale and there it was!
Or, rather, there it wasn't.
I'm am down officially 50 pounds from my very first vlcd on my very first round of hcg!!
I can't tell you how good this feels. And how good it'll feel 3 pounds from now when I'm down 50 pounds from my pre-hcg weight. Or in 4.1 pounds from now and I'm in my 230's with Onderland closer than it's been in years!
There have been tough times, tempting times, and frustrating times on this diet. But it's all worth it. To be able to face the scale each morning and watch it show my victories (and sometimes my defeats) and to own it is a powerful feeling. I no longer shy away from talking about my weight issues. I could never do that before. I felt extremely uncomfortable when the talk fell to diet and exercise, especially during those times I wasn't even making attempts to control the runaway train that was my weight gain.
I recently went to school to become a CNA and in one of the skills we had to learn how to properly use a scale. We went in groups of 4, because the practice room was small. I was the first on the scale. Although I was easily the biggest person in our group, I knew that number on the scale was smaller than it had been just a few months prior. And I knew that whatever weight I was that day was just a waiting point, until my next round. I didn't feel shame or anxiety or full on fear that I would have felt just 5 months ago. How's that for a changed attitude?
Don't get me wrong, I'm still not broadcasting my weight through a bull horn as I have the Hubs drive up and down the street, but I can be honest about it when asked. I can own it. That's the biggest secret to this diet, being able to confront my worst enemy- not the fat, but my own fears and insecurities. Not want to deal with the fat issue only made it worse. Now I'm on the right path to success and long term health.
Okay, so TOM's still here, and he was making my hunger and cravings act up. So the day before yesterday I made up some tasty chocolate delight. I have never had chocolate delight on p2, only just recently tried it (with macadamia nuts!) this past p3. I normally stick to p2 restrictions with an almost religious fervor. However, I thought it better to "cheat" with something that was less likely to cause weight gain than, say, the white chocolate vanilla bean cheesecake dessert from TGIF's.
And it's been fine! Still losing, no gain, no stall. Which actually surprises me since I don't stop my injections on TOM (no point really, since his visits are crazy and irregular when I'm on hcg). And I also tried out a recipe that I saw on Mumzeeee's youtube vlog. It's a recipe for a p2 friendly chocolate souffle, although it's not for the hcg purists out there. I don't blame you, I think it's super important to stick to protocol, especially the very first round. However, if it keeps me from driving my car through the front of Dunkin' Donuts and shoveling Boston Cremes and glazed goodies into my mouth like some nutty version of Hungry, Hungry, Hippo, then bring on the hcg creativity!
I think the most important thing to do is to go with what works for you. If you're not losing like you should, than maybe experimenting with the diet isn't the right choice for you. Just because it works for one person does not mean it'll work for you, and keep in mind it may cause a set back. I've been fortunate this round, I've added oranges (which I adore!) and a bit of chocolate delight without any negative results. But I'm keeping an eye on things in case it causes a stall (or worse, a gain! The horrors!).
I'm already on day 8 of my short round, so I'm almost to the halfway point!! I'm happy to lose the weight, more than happy, but I'm also ready for Thanksgiving goodness. I'm not going to go crazy with the eating, for me Thanksgiving isn't about over-eating, I rarely eat much in front of family. I'm not going to be super strict with starches and sugars though, I'll just keep my portions small and if it leads to a steak day, than so be it! Mash potatoes and yummy pie will be worth it. I'm also planning on exercising that morning, and I'll skip the noshing of food and drink when we go to the movies later that day.
I do plan on making some yummy Oopsie bread for turkey and ham leftovers. Oopsie bread has been my p3 savior, as I really miss eating sandwiches and burgers during the no starch zone that is p3. And Oopsie bread tastes good! I actually really miss it right now. :( I'll see ya soon, Oospie bread!
So it's day three of VLCD and this is my 3 round. So far I've lost 5.4 pounds, which is all my loading weight and then some. I'll be happy when I'm in my 240's though! It'll nice to say goodbye to my 250's forever!
This round is going okay for me. I've upped the vitamin/supplements I'm taking. I slacked off on them during my second round, which makes me wonder if that's why I'm having some hair loss. I looked on some boards and a lot of people seem to be blaming the hcg for the hair loss. If that's true though it's a wonder there aren't a bunch of bald pregnant women out there! I personally believe it's the low calorie diet and sudden weight loss.
To be honest, I'd rather be at a healthy body weight than have a full head of hair. But it still sucks watching all the strands come off my brush. Ugh. Still, the Hubs promised lots of cool wigs if I need them, so that's one small, teeny tiny, positive aspect. I really want a pink wig like the one Scarlett Johansson wore in Lost in Translation:
At the moment I'm taking Biotin, Pre-natal vitamins and B-12 complex. Plus potassium, but that's for leg cramps which I'm prone to even when I'm not on hcg. My plan is to continue with all the supplements though p3 and p4, which I've failed to do in the past. Here's hoping the hair loss decreases! I can deal with having less than thick hair, but I'd hate to have to deal with bald patched. *sigh*
I'm feeling really positive about being back on hcg, despite the hair loss thing. It helps that I know it'll be a short round and I'm really looking forward to being in my 230's because then Onderland won't seem so far away! Already fitting into smaller sizes is boosting my ego. I had to buy a few 20 size pants because my 22's were just falling off! That's right, pants I couldn't fit into until I started hcg are now too big! Of course, the size 20's are tight, but I'm sure they won't stay that way for long. Anytime I think of being a size 18 or 16 again makes me giggle. To get smaller than that will be amazing!
So, how's it going for all of you out there? Any tips or advice on the hair thing? Love and support to all of you hcg "losers"!
Like a truly good horror movie serial killer, I'm baaaack!
So what's been happening? Not much. I was busy this last p3 and p4- I finished my 6 weeks of CNA school, and now I have the state boards to look forward to (or not!). And if there is ever a good reason to loose weight, it was seeing the sadness of the nursing homes, and how difficult it is to give care to a severely overweight patient. I don't want to be the resident that has to have two people roll her over to wipe her bottom, or who needs a hoyer lift to get out of bed and into a wheelchair every few days. And I for sure don't want to be covered in painful bed sores!
So, did I do good in p3 and p4? Eh, not really. Round 2 was great for weight loss, but I struggled with hunger, so I might have gone a bit overboard in p3. I introduced foods way too fast back into my diet (why, hello starches!), and between school and work I wasn't getting much exercise. I realize now that the reason I could eat like I did at the beach was because I was getting so much exercise. Sitting on my butt studying was not as conducive to calorie burning as swimming in the ocean. Go figure. :)
It took me longer to stabilize in p3, but I finally did. However, it wasn't within my 2 pound range. I ended round 2 at 247.6 but I stabilized around 255. Today I weighed in at 253.4, so I've managed to stay within 2 pounds of the 255, but I hate that the first 10 pounds or so that I lose on round 3 will be weight I had already said buh-bye too.
But I am not letting that get me down! I am not going to punish myself for messing up, I was busy and eating on protocol all the time wasn't always doable. And I'll admit, there was some emotional eating going on. That is behind me now. Today is a new day, a new round, and a new attitude! I'm so much happier now then before I started HCG, but I know my happiness and health can only get better!
I'm planning on doing a short round, and loading today and tomorrow. But since I have a busy day tomorrow I might extend my loading to 3 days. We'll see. I just want to make sure I feel completely ready. Not going to worry about it. I do plan on having a great weekend with all my Halloween plans, and the Hubs is in full support of my crazy agenda. I'm making him dress up as a zombie, and then go to a midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Plus today we're gonna run around and go to the Hollywood Cemetery and Edgar Allan Poe Museum. Isn't he the best?!
Before I leave you to stuff my face, I want to bring to your attention the recent brouhaha over at Marie Claire. They published an opinion piece by blogger Maura Kelly that basically bashed fat people, and how the thought of fat people making out, or doing anything, sickens her. Ms. Kelly is a former anorexic and I think her article shows a lot self loathing. But in this day and age when you have gay and bullied kids taking their own lives at alarming rates, is this really a good time to publish an opinion piece on how fat people are disgusting and shouldn't be seen on tv?
Ms. Kelly was responding to the new show Mike and Molly, about a couple who meet in Overeaters Anonymous- a show she's never even seen but that she accuses of promoting obesity. Now, I've never seen this show either, and I believe Maura Kelly has the right to her opinion, ignorant as it is. It's sadly a few held by others as well, but most people are a little more tactful to keep those thoughts to themselves. I just find it sad that someone who battled her own eating disorders is so quick to condemn others with food issues. Marie Claire won't lose me as a reader, because I don't read it now, and I'm not calling for a Marie Claire ban. I just want people to really think before they put something out there in the blogosphere. Words do hurt, they do cause unseen damage. I just hope that today's teens, already faced with unrealistic and dangerous body image expectations, don't read Maura Kelly's words.
Okay, I'm off my soap box. Happy loading, happy weight loss, happy maintaining to all! And Happy Halloween!
After losing nothing yesterday, I woke to a 1.4 release this morning! Thank you, HCG Gods!
For this round I'm down 25. 4 pounds, so I've met the Rockstar Challenge to lose 25 pounds. I'm hoping to lose even more, but I might be cutting this round short.
For over two weeks now I've been dealing with hunger. The stomach growling kind of hunger. The great releases I've had have kept me from cheating, but it's made me miserable at times. So I tried upping my dosage from 150iu to 175iu but after four days and a brand new batch of hcg, the hunger was just as bad. So yesterday I dropped down to 125iu. I still have hunger, but I'm going to give it a few days before I monkey with the dosage again, give my body time to adjust.
The hunger is the reason I'm thinking of cutting this round short, although I'm loathe to end the weight release party I've been having. But starting Monday, September 13th I'm going to CNA school. It's a six week course, five days a week, and I just don't think I can do the first week or two if I have hunger. I'm 33 and it's been a looooong time since I went to school. Plus it's a subject I never saw myself studying, I was drawn to English and History. Math and Science and the thought of being a nurse or a nurse's assistant never once crossed my mind. But I enjoy my work as a home health care companion, so I'm willing to give it my all.
I think in order to give my brain the best chance at absorbing all the new info, I need to make sure it's fed properly. So if I can't get my hunger under control I'll start P3 on the 13th. But we shall see. I hate ending this round, but my classes will be from 9am to 2:30pm every day, and I really want to do well. Because the course is expensive and I can't afford not to put every effort towards it. And did I mention I'm super nervous? I know a lot of the stuff I do as a home health care companion are similar to CNA duties, but I'm just freaking out about going back to school. Because that's what I do. lol
Off to go shopping with the Hubs. I'm planning on hitting the Halloween store because the Halloween festivities start early in my home! Lots of love, encouragement and wishes for happy releases to all!
