VLCD 49 - 148

I finally got past the lowest weight!

It would have been much sooner if I hadn’t cheated!

I definitely feel less fat on the front of my body, although it’s still there and I’d love to have the look of those people on the weight loss ads that have lost 60 pounds and look good in a bikini!

I don’t think I’ll be one of those people…any time soon, anyway!  That’s unrealistic without working out I think!

Even so, I feel great.  I got my labs back and the doc recommended lowering my Armour from 3 grains (180mg) to 2 grains (120mg), and I started that yesterday.  I want to be on it for a week with the hCG before I go off the diet and try to maintain my weight with the lower dose.

So, I’m looking at another week and hoping I can lose 3-4 more pounds so I can maintain my weight in the mid 140’s.  That would be AWESOME!

VLCD 48 – 148.5

Was up 1 pound yesterday, and not exactly sure why, but today I'm DOWN 2.5...to match my lowest of 148.5 !!  And this is late in a long round!!  Happy!

VLCD 46 - 149

I’m glad to be back in the 140’s!

I’ve decided that I’m going to end this round by Memorial Day, so that leaves 13 more days to lose 7 pounds.

I talked to a friend of mine who is also going through this protocol and she wants to stop by that time, too.  So, we’re going to be accountable to each other for this time and have committed to make it happen.

Here’s to our success!

VLCD 45 - 150

Glad to be back down a pound after cheating.  It was a pretty easy day yesterday, too…part of that might be the new soup I made up.  It was very satisfying and I didn’t even think about food the rest of the morning!

This cereal incident on Sunday was my 3rd cheat on this very long round.  I'd be done by now if I hadn't cheated, and I'm beginning to wonder if this last 5-7 pounds is really going to come off.  I'm having to come to terms that my lower belly will always stick out, no matter what.  Blech!

Extending Past 40 Days

Yes, I’m past the 40 day limit for the protocol, but I decided to keep going for a couple of reasons.

First, during the first 2-3 weeks on the protocol the dose of hCG was too high and ineffective and I want to re-capture that time.  I’ve heard of someone going 60 days without any problem, and I don’t know if extending the time will allow any accommodation for the bad start, that is, if my body will react positively, but that goes into my second reason, and that is: I’m still losing.

I’ve not been hungry with the dose adjustment, and the cheating I’ve done has to do with feelings of exclusion.  That’s a separate issue I have to deal with.

Third, I have a lot of medicine left on my refill, which I knew would happen, and I don’t plan to let it go to waste.  Even when I quit, there will be a lot left, so I want to take advantage of all I can.  I know I’ll gain 2-5 pounds after I stop, if past experience is any indicator, and I think my healthiest weight will be in in the low- to mid- 140s, so I want to push through to make that happen.

And last, I want this to be the very last round I do.  I’ve said that before, and had weight left to lose, then re-gained 10 pounds.  I want to plan accordingly for the normal re-gain, and then some.  I still need to work on some issues, but I won’t have the excuse of the last 10 pounds to hide behind.

My body isn’t perfectly shaped, my tummy will not cooperate and lie flat like I hoped it would, I will never be an underwear model (darn it!) and I need to adjust my expectations accordingly.  That’s learning to love oneself, completely.

VLCD 42 – 148.5

I’m so glad to see .5 down!  I want to keep this train moving!

The dog got me up at 4am yesterday, and I figured I might as well get up and get a workout in.  That way I could be to work at 7am and get off at 4pm on a Friday.

I did pretty well all day long, even though there was pot luck food at work, too.  I just chewed gum through the temptations.

This morning, I’m sore in my upper body because I did a Total Fitness workout.  I know I’ll be more sore tomorrow, that’s just how it goes, but especially with all the sitting involved with this new job, I definitely need to make working out a focus.

I’m going to get my bike out and see if it’s in working order.  I’ve been considering riding my bike to work but I have to get used to it, first.  My DH rolls his eyes when I say I’m going to do this; that’s just a challenge, as far as I’m concerned!

VLCD 41 - 149

149 SOLID! Woo hoo!!

I've paid the price all week for cheating so this is really nice motivation to hang in there! Weekends are the hardest for me, and my DH is going out of town next week. He'll set me up with some good food while he's gone, though!

VLCD 40 - 150

VLCD 39 - 150

I’m on the border between 149.5 and 150.

It’s taking longer than the usual 4 day recovery after eating my friend’s meatloaf last Friday, and have been extra hungry since.  I’m trying to eat extra protein to counteract that, but also have been eating too much chocolate delight.

Maybe I’ll hit the 140’s tomorrow.

VLCD 38 - 150

Glad to see the scale moving in a downward direction!

I had way too much chocolate delight last night, so I’m surprised I dropped at all.

I started my new job yesterday!  Interesting note:  I took some with me to work in my lunch, and I even though I ate it, I didn’t really want it.  Not like last week, at my former position.

I think this is a perfect example of stress causing the reaction.  Now I have to figure out how to easily implement different techniques to deal with it, now that I’m in a new environment.

As for the reason last night?  Not sure…but it was dang good, so cutting it out for a few days to get that “stuffing my face” reaction to subside.

VLCD 35 – 150.5

Stayed the same this morning...at least, the scale I have only weighs in .5 increments, so I assume it’s the same!

I was really hungry yesterday after cheating with the meatloaf the day before, so I compensated with extra protein and lots of chocolate delight.  Of course, this is NOT on protocol, but the alternative wasn't an option.

Here's to getting back to feeling normal again today, and starting back into the 140’s!

VLCD 34 – 150.5

I’m paying the price for the meatloaf, and I’m not surprised.

Up a pound…now, the question will be if this causes a 4 day stall.  I hope not.  I learned a lesson…don’t get too hungry!

I should have eaten some veggies while I was waiting for my friend to come over.

I have lots of hCG left, though, and now I know I can get into the 140’s.  The challenge will be to stay there.

VLCD 33 – 149.5

I hit 149.5 this morning!! WOOO HOOO!!!

VLCD 32–150.5

Down .5 this morning to 150.5!

Not bad, considering I cheated yesterday!  Here's hoping I don't get a delayed reaction!

VLCD 31 - 151

Yay!  Down a whole pound!

I’m doing much better with hunger now that I’ve gotten my refilled prescription.  However, I messed up and ate some M&M’s again today.  We’ll have to wait and see what the scale says in the morning.

VLCD 30 - 152

Well, I thought it was an entire pound, but only .5 this morning.  Might’ve been more if the dog hadn’t gotten me up at 3:30!  I couldn’t get back to sleep and didn’t have any energy to get on the elliptical.

I got my refill yesterday so starting a new vial of medication.  Hoping to get this last 10 pounds off quickly!….but thinking it’s going to be slow.

Starting my new job next Monday!!  Yay!!!

VLCD 28 - 153

Up .5 today.  Didn’t expect that…

I worked out 30 minutes on the elliptical, it sure felt good!  I worked in the quilting room all day, so probably didn’t get enough water.  I sauteed veggies, but didn’t realize I’d run out of coconut oil so used olive oil instead; that might have been the biggest indiscretion of the day.  I also ate way too much chocolate delight.

So, all in all, I’m not gonna worry about it or let it affect my mood; I’ll pick up my refill tomorrow, I have a quilt to start today, and get mostly completed, and I have a new job starting in a week!

Onward ho!

VLCD 27–152.5

Stayed the same after eating crap I shouldn't have yesterday.   Woke up with a headache...feels like a sugar hangover...and my lower back stiff from sitting on the wooden kitchen chair for so long last night, so I'm working out this morning.  Probably will do my mood some good, too.

I got angry with a co-worker and let it get under my skin, so I ate the chocolate fudge, or whatever it was, yesterday.  How stupid!  I know better, I know the consequences, and more importantly, I know it won’t make me feel better.

I almost immediately regretted it.  So, maybe that’s something?

I got the message that my refill is ready, too.  Now that I’ve gotten the dose right, I’m not really hungry, or at least it’s manageable, and my tummy is still sticking out.  I think, and feel, it’s the right time to keep going and just get this done.

My plan is to complete the low carb portion of the diet before Father’s Day, when my friend will be here.  I don’t need large rebounds after this kind of effort!

VLCD 26 – 152.5

Glad I’m down .5!

This is where it gets tough.  I’ve been in this weight range before, so my body doesn’t want to move off it.  It’s getting late in the round, so I’m bored with the restriction.

But last time, I was hungry at this weight, and that’s the difference this time.  I finally got the medicine at a dose where I’m not hungry, but I am bored.  The office M&M’s are a problem for me; they keep calling my name.  I’m chain chewing sugar free gum, chomping away, and that’s not good either.

However, I’ve decided I’m going to push through and get a refill on the prescription and get past this point.  I really think my build can handle being in the 140’s.  There’s still lots of belly fat that really should go.

Then there’s the mental aspect:  I’ve been here before and I have only had moderate success at maintaining this weight.  The “rebound” weight is a bad place for me to be.  At this weight, I’m starting to feel good about my looks and my health, so I want this to be my “top” weight.

Onward ho!

VLCD 25 - 153

Made chocolate delight last night which isn’t on the protocol itself, but many people have it and lose weight, as I have previously.  I only had 3 pieces…besides licking the bowl!

Maybe I should hold off on anything extra….?

VLCD 23 - 154

Finally!

I lowered the dose to 150cc and my hunger was finally under control yesterday.  What a relief!

VLCD 22 - 155

At last, I’m going in the right direction.

Because I changed my dose early in the round, I’ve calculated I’ll have an extra 4-5 days to add to this round.  I’ll need it to get these last few pounds off, if I’m losing at the rate of .5 each day.

I’m contemplating extending it out further to just one-two punch it through to the 140’s.  But I’m getting tired of this.

I have to say I haven’t been working the portion control very well on this round, so I know it’s totally my fault.  But I’ve been hungry this round, too, from the beginning, which is unusual.

Drat!

VLCD 21 – 155.5

Payin’ the price…

VLCD 20 – 155.5

Yup, up .5….darn M&Ms!

VLCD 19 - 155

Stayed the same…again….

Not only is this a previous setpoint, I ate M&Ms yesterday at work.  So, we’ll see how bad the damage is in the next couple of days.

I decided to get on the elliptical this morning, so I’m hoping that’ll help too, but the tight spot in my right shoulder is acting up because I’ve been sitting in training all week, as well as not doing my stretching and exercises.

Here’s to holding up over the weekend!

VLCD 18 - 155

Stayed the same.

Not surprised…I stayed up late again, although this time only until 11pm, still working on the stupid cable modem.

I’ve been able to get through the mornings without too much trouble, but I’m still hungrier than I’d like to be.  This round isn’t as easy as the last round, and even though my measurements are smaller, I still think my lower abdomen isn’t as small as it was before.  I’ll have to check my records.

VLCD 17 - 155

Hmmm…how’d that happen?

Especially with staying up until 1am working on the stupid new cable modem???

VLCD 16 - 156

UP .5…bummer, Dude!

Maybe it was the sugar free Jello…?  I figure it’s not any different than Crystal Light, right?  Not that either is on protocol, but still.

VLCD 15 – 155.5

What??  Even though that’s .5 less today, I was definitely expecting a whole pound!

Yesterday was the first day I didn’t deal with hunger issues.  This round is definitely very different than any other I’ve done.

I also had a knitting machine lesson late in the afternoon and didn’t eat my dinner; I had a snack consisting of an apple and a grilled chicken leg when I got home, which was around 10:30pm.  Oh, and now, as I’m typing this, I just realized that the leg is dark meat and not allowed.

Well, that’s how it goes.

VLCD 14 – 156

Down .5

…but it could be more because the fist time I weighed, I saw 155.5!  So, it’s entirely possible that I just don’t have a scale that’s sensitive enough.

No matter.  Even though the rate of my progress feels like pulling teeth, I’m starting to see my shape again, and I am really excited about getting under 150.

VLCD 13 – 156.5

Down .5 today.

I hope I’m not getting into the phase of .5 a day…I’m greedy and want the 1 pound per day that I got the last round!

However, yesterday was a day without thyroid medicine, and today I didn’t get it from the pharmacy until 10am, so that may play a part.

I also attended a craft fair as a vendor today, and I was FREEZING the entire day.  I’m not sure if that’s good or bad, as this diet goes.  Guess I’ll find out tomorrow.

VLCD 12 - 157

Down .5 today.

I figured it wouldn't be a big loss after my 1.5 yesterday.  Hoping I'm not getting to that slowing down point.

VLCD 11–157.5

Down 1.5 today!  Nice!

I've been hungry this round, but yesterday I swear I could feel the fat melting away, so the effort to stay on protocol was worth it!

I think I've found my sweet spot with my dose.

VLCD 10 - 159

Only down .5 today.

Sorta disappointed…I mean, I actually passed up pizza at one of my user group meetings last night, and I was hungry, too!

But then, playing with the dose, and I had extra cheese sticks yesterday, too; neither probably helped.  I’m going to go with 160ml today.

BTW, cheese isn’t on protocol.  I use it as a substitution for the 1 TB of milk that’s allowed and eat it at breakfast.

VLCD 9 – 159.5

Back down 1 pound, I was hoping for more…!

I worked out 34 minutes on the elliptical yesterday and really sweated and it felt great.  So, yeah, I was hoping more of that 2.5 pound gain would come off.  Well, I’m not going to cry about it!

I changed my dose of hcg and felt much better yesterday.  The math of it always confuses me, mostly because I haven’t had someone walk me through it on paper.  I’m all about the process, I can’t just read it.

Anyway, I have been on 200 units, which I thought I have been on all along.  Turns out I was on 100, which is below the recommended amount of 125 units.  I did really well last time on that but we adjusted the dose and I think it's made me much more sensitive to everything, especially my coffee, which has affected my blood sugar.  Or the feeling that my blood sugar is about to drop, and I just hate that feeling, so I try to manage it.

So, I tried 175 units yesterday and I’m going to adjust to 150 units today and see how that goes.  I need to find that sweet spot!  Of course, I’m hoping the savings in the dosage will help regain the progress I lost with this gain.  I’m hoping to get into the 140’s so I have some rebound room.  I’d like to stabilize at about 147.  That just seems like a really good number.

VLCD 8 – 160.5

Yes, I gained 2.5 pounds!!

I thought I’d gain, but WOW!

The best lesson here was that I wasn’t eating from boredom or gluttony, I was trying to feel better and made healthy food choices in doing so.

VLCD 7 - 158

Yay!  It sure is nice to be at 158 again….and made yesterday’s experience of being on the verge of hunger all day worth it….sorta.

That being said, today was a very weird day…I got very hungry very quickly this morning by 10am and I had 2 eggs and some cheese.  It might have been the coffee, or it might be my higher dose of hcg this round.

I’ve felt off all day, so I finally broke down and made a fruit and protein powder shake with some cocoanut milk.  I also had peanut butter, honey and raisins on my WASA cracker.  More protein for dinner that normal.

Starting to feel better, REALLY hoping I didn’t mess up my weight loss momentum.  At least I wasn’t eating out of boredom.

VLCD 6 - 159

1.5 down!!  OK, that’s more like it!

More than likely, the extra sleep I got helped a lot…!  However, yesterday I was hungry and I ate extra protein.  Went to bed with a full glass of water because I got hungry late, too.  Woke up hungry.

So, today may be a bit of a challenging day in that department.  But, I know the tricks, I just have to stick with them.

VLCD 5 – 160.5

WHAT??  Only .5 today!?!

I was spot on with 500 calories and I did my walking at lunch yesterday.  I’ve also been on the cusp of hungry, even with the higher dose of medicine.  I think it’s because I didn’t load well this time, and I think it will be better in a couple of days.

I’m surprised at only .5 but then again I’ve been wondering if I might stall out around 160 because I was at this weight for so long before; it’s where I stabilized at in February and most of March.

A loss is a loss, and as of today I’ve lost 5 pounds, so I can’t complain.

VLCD 4 - 161

Down another pound!

I’m not sure that the workout helped with the loss.  A friend of mine says she sees the difference, but even so, last round I was on a “pound a day” track for the first couple of weeks, so I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

VLCD 3 - 162

Yep, on the way…

Did 25 minutes on the elliptical this morning.  I’m going to continue to work out, as I have been, since protocol says to keep doing what you’re doing.  I’m wondering how that works with setting the hypothalamus in P3.

Like I should worry about that…I’ve gained in between without exercising, let’s try something new.

VLCD 2 - 163

Yesterday I was feeling a bit lightheaded so I had some honey….well, more than “some”…so I’m not surprised that I’m up a bit from yesterday.  However, I’ve dropped the load weight and am lower than where I was last week, so I’m calling it a success!

VLCD 1 – 162.5

Well, I didn’t exactly load very well yesterday, and the whole point of it is to keep from being hungry.

We had a great breakfast of ham, eggs, cheese and French toast.  Yum!  OK, so the French toast wasn’t high fat, but the butter on it was!

Later in the afternoon I ate the rest of the Mediterranean food, and then DH and I were working on some projects and it got so late we didn’t really eat dinner.  I had a late night snack of pork chops and went to bed.

Loading Day 2 – 165.5

Gained 1 pound.

Went out with friends to celebrate birthdays and ate Mediterranean food.  I’m not sure that was especially heavy on the fat, but it was good!

Starting Again…. Loading Day 1 - 164.5

I gained back 10 pounds.  There, I said it.  Bleh.

Actually, I stabilized at about 161.5 and have been bouncing back and forth between 161.5 and 163.5.  I’ve even seen 167 for a day or so, and then have been able to get back to 165.  But 165 is my limit…MY limit…for starting the diet again.

I don’t feel right.  Almost all of the weight has gone back to my belly, which was the last place I took it off.

So, I’m starting again.

Late P3, Early P4 - 157

Yikes!

A 2.5 pound gain in one day, that’s eye opening.  Contributing factors are a combination of items I ate/drank, workout soreness from Sunday catching up with me, lack of water and lack of sleep equals a 2.5 pound gain.

I definitely feel bloated, too, so I’m hoping lots of water and getting enough sleep tonight will help even things out.  Gotta get to work early today, so no workout.

Third Week of P3 - 156

Well, I pushed the envelope, and not in a good way.

I started adding back carbs, especially sugar…specifically candy at work!…a week early.  And I’m paying for it.

In the last week I’ve gained back 3-4 pounds, and my belly feels bloated.  It’s certainly not the same shape it was 2 weeks ago!  Once you start eating more food, that’s going to happen, but this is different, and I actually don’t feel right.

So, I need to do some real protein days and extend the low carb phase out another week.  I’m not sure exactly how that’s going to work, but that’s what I’m going to do.

P3–Week 2–153.5

I’ve been holding pretty steady at 153.5 for the past few days.  Some days I’ve been up to 155, but I’ve been able to come right back down to 153.  Now I seem to have attracted that .5 pounds!

I was asked the following question today so thought you might enjoy reading my response below:

Did you decide to stop because you reached your body's stopping point like (some) people have been talking about? OR did you just decide this is where you wanted to stop for some other reason?

I stopped because I've been working the hcg diet for about a year and a half, on and off, for a total of 55 pounds. I've had rounds end up a bust because I gained back almost everything and had to re-lose weight; luckily that was within the 10-12 pound range. I learned a lot about myself during this year and a half, and I don't think I'm done in this area.

One of those realizations, and I still struggle with this, is that my body isn't, and won't be, perfect, no matter how much fat I lose. During this round, and even the last one, I got hungry near this weight even though I still have fat on my abdomen. So, either I accept the fact that I will still have fat on my tummy no matter what, or maybe realize I didn't have enough determination to get past this point. Maybe both. Now I have to learn to be OK with that!

Ultimately, I decided that I'm tired of the restriction and the intense focus. I'm ready to move on to the next phase of eating normally, while still maintaining healthy habits. I'm now much healthier than I was and that was my main goal. Fitting into size 12/14 doesn't hurt, either! I've had a ton of support from my hubby and he thinks it's time to stop and I have to listen to that, too.

After this next year's efforts (roughly) I'll make another assessment and see if I need or want to do another round after that. The year has a host of possibilities! I'm very determined to maintain my weight!