Day 28

Weight: 177.5

YES!!  Another pound gone!

I’m sure the dosage increase had something to do with it …(duh)…!  I’m so excited!

What I’ll have to do is use the first syringe worth of cream and then add the additional dosage, so it’s a really easy process.  If I had thought to bring the pre-loaded syringes with me to work yesterday, the pharmacist would have loaded them to the correct dosage for me so it would have been even easier.  Hmm, maybe I’ll have to re-think my previous post about whether or not I’d choose the shots over the cream if I had to do it over!

I’m not excited at the additional cost of the additional cream that will cover these last 12 days, though.  It was about half of what I initially paid for 40 days worth!  But, as the pharmacist pointed out, it’s about half the amount of what I initially received.  That’s quite an increase!

I started going through my stash of “skinny pants”.  You know,  the ones I was wearing 2 years ago and was sure I’d never get back into but kept anyway.  My quilter mentality is such that I could use them to make a denim quilt, so why get rid of them?  Besides, “I might need them” again (a common phrase in my life!)

Now, my plan is that if they are still in the house that they will be my “fat pants”, rather than my “skinny pants”!

Fourth Week Summary

I’ve gotten rid of 19 pounds in 34 days.

Not bad by the usual standards, probably not entirely great by the hCG diet protocol standards, but, hey, I’ll take it!

Prescription Update

This afternoon I finally received the additional hCG cream that my doctor prescribed to boost my dosage from 125ml to between 150-200ml.

So, I’m hoping the remaining 13 days will be much easier to handle, hunger-wise, and that I’ll actually be able to achieve the 1 pound per day drop that I did earlier.

Here’s to success!

Shots vs. Cream

I’m a quilter, so work with needles all the time.  I jump every time I stick myself.  I’ve been that way since I was a kid.  But then again, I don’t know anyone who actually LIKES needles!  So, when given the choice between using the hormone cream delivery vs. giving myself a shot, I picked the hormone cream.

In retrospect, I think that I would opt to do the shots over the cream.  It would have been easier to adjust dosage as needed, rather than having to pay for more syringes of pre-loaded doses of the cream.

Maybe the delivery system is just not right for my body, or maybe the dose really hasn’t been high enough, but I’ve fought being hungry on this protocol for most of the time.  That’s been really disappointing, considering “everyone” says that isn’t supposed to happen.

Of course, I have to be different…

Day 27

Weight:  178.5

I am really glad to see another pound down the drain!  By my calculations, I will be in the low 170’s by the end of next week.  What a relief to be on a downward trend again!

Yesterday’s hunger level was mostly a non-issue, especially in the morning.  I was more hungry in the afternoon, and by the time I got home last night I was definitely ready to eat dinner.  I skipped my second fruit last night due to the number of calories FitDay said I ate, not sure if that is good or bad.

This morning, though, I am hungry again.  Not as bad as Wednesday, but I knew I was definitely not going to make it to mid-morning without being on edge.  So, I had a big bowl of romaine lettuce with my vinegar dressing.  I can tell you that vinegar, garlic, and spices isn’t exactly my idea of something that goes well with my morning coffee!   I still really miss breakfast.

After the salad I really was still wanting more food; I just wasn’t satisfied.  I “cheated” with less than an ounce of spiral ham that my husband put into his omelet last night.  I say “cheated” because ham is not on the list of allowed meat, and I am still planning on having my other two 3 oz servings of protein.  Since I’ve mostly wanted more protein, that small amount was quite satisfying, and I hope I haven’t blown it for tomorrow’s weigh-in.

I’ve been sort of surprised by how healthy the foods are that I really want:  whole hard boiled eggs, soy yogurt, peanut butter, pork.  I’m not craving cookies, which I love, or other sugars and bread-y foods.  That is usually the case, so I have to be really vigilant that I don’t slip on that point.  But I’m encouraged!

The hardest part to hear is that “no one else” is hungry at this point in the protocol, so I “shouldn’t” be either.  Well, I have been, and that worries me.  I worry that my metabolism won’t actually be reset so that I can maintain a normal weight.  I worry if I am going to go through the whole starvation mode scenario.  I’m a worrier by nature and skeptical by training.  One motto I try to live by though is:  “you’ll never know until you try”.  So, with my eyes set on a goal of 165, I will continue my efforts!  This is for the long haul!

Day 26

Weight:  179.5

Well, I was pleasantly surprised this morning with this .5 pound loss.

I put on more hCG cream last night when I got home, as well as had a HUGE bowl of broccoli (at least 3 cups!) with my 3 oz of elk burger and my 1/2 WASA cracker.  Then I even had my baked apple with stevia and cinnamon.  I was just so hungry I didn’t even care if I was over the 500 calorie limit.  OK, maybe I was more upset than hungry, and could have skipped the apple, but I was pretty hungry, too.  In any event, I haven’t really been hungry this morning, so I am hoping that I am back on track.

I have 14 more days of applying the hCG cream, so I’ve calculated that IF I am able to lose the predicted 1 pound per day, then I will reach my goal weight.  If I don’t get rid of 14 pounds, I’m hoping that 10 pounds will be achievable.  In any event, I will slowly start a more regimented work out schedule and see if I can’t get rid of the extra weight “the old fashioned way”, as someone put it to me yesterday.

I’m also thinking that I could do the protocol again in October if I still need to lose 10-15 pounds and still avoid the whole holiday deprivation scenario.

Does anyone else plan out these worse case scenarios??  ;-)

I also found the last capsule of the good bacteria capsules I use when I’m taking an antibiotic, and I don’t feel quite so bloated this morning.  I’ll continue to take them over the next couple of weeks.

The Saga Continues….

…and I have been absolutely raving hungry today…and have blown it, calorie-wise.  FitDay.com says I had 879 calories.

Overall, the part I went over on, when you look at it by the food items on the list (the two don’t quite correlate, in my book) is that I ate 3 fruits; one apple after dinner and a medium sized grapefruit split between breakfast and my afternoon snack.

How’s that for disappointing?  Fruit, the bad guy.  Sigh.  But I’m finally full and looking forward to tomorrow where I am planning a hunger-free day.

Conversation with Pharmacist

I spoke with the pharmacist to see if I could get the additional HCG today or not, as it has to be compounded.  She recommended using a portion of the cream in the pre-loaded syringes that I already have and then replace them towards the end if necessary.  It will be!

She also said that I should be putting the cream on my wrists only, as that is the thinnest skin and where the most absorption will take place.  My clinic told me to vary the location each day.

She re-affirmed that I am following all of the rules for the protocol, too, which was good.  The only two things I am doing that she said I should not is 1) wearing anti-perspirant, as it’s oil based and the HCG will work on that oil instead of my own body fat and 2) mixing my vegetables.  She said that I should only be eating one veggie per meal.  So, having a salad of romaine and cucumber would be a no-no.

She also said that all of her staff has gone through the protocol and none of them experienced hunger at the point that I’m at, so she thinks that it’s not being absorbed and doing its job.  Hence, no weight loss, and hence, hunger.

 

Greeaaaat……

Day 25

Weight: 180

OK, this just …. bites!

Body….hello!!….wrong direction!  Maybe it’s the antibiotics I had to start taking yesterday; my tummy has the old familiar bloat.  It’s amazing how much of a difference I can discern, having felt really good, and not bloated, the last 3 weeks.

I went to the doc for my follow up last night and he said that plateauing out with very little weight loss like I’ve been doing is normal.  As we’re talking, he didn’t quite believe that I was as hungry as I’ve told him I was.   Coming back to that topic after a few minutes I told him that I REALLY look forward to my meals, both of them.  He was looking dubious but then asked me what dosage of HCG I’m on (his PA wrote the scrip).  I told him 125ml of the cream and he said, “oh, the cream is usually used at 150-200ml, 125 is too low”.  Well, DUH!

It’s not like I didn’t tell somebody earlier!

It ticks me off, because not only have I been hungry, and now I’m wondering how my metabolism will be after this is all over, I feel like I’ve been wasting this last week, with such a small improvement, and TIME IS RUNNING OUT!….

Sure, I can do it again, but I don’t WANT to!  And I shouldn’t HAVE to, if the weight would just come off!!

You have to take a 6 week break after the last application of HCG before you can start again.  And during that time you stabilize at the weight you’ve gotten to, adding back a bit more food, oil and very few starches.  OK, fine.  But by that time it’s football season, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas.  I don’t want to be on a 500 calorie diet at that time!  I want to have the flexibility to make intelligent choices!!

So, the best I can hope for, using the HCG, is probably another 10-12 pounds or so, as I only have 14 applications left.  I am trying to get the dosage upped for these last 2 weeks.  If nothing else, maybe I won’t be coveting my husband’s sandwich as he’s packing his lunch.

Day 24

Weight:  179
I can hardly believe I’ve gotten below 180!

I almost feel like it’s not a true reading, because I have developed a bladder infection yesterday and I’m afraid this is all water weight.  However, as I was tracking my calories yesterday on FitDay.com, I ended up not eating all of the servings of fruit, as it showed I had already gotten up to 599 calories!

Chicken 3 oz, boneless, cooked	202
Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw 1.5 cup shredded	12
Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, cooked, boiled, drained 0.5 cup, sliced	14
Wasa - multigrain 2 serving	90
Shark, baked or broiled 3 oz, boneless, cooked	152
Cabbage, green, cooked 1.5 cup	101
Strawberries, raw 5 large (1-3/8" dia)	29
Total	599

Granted, shark is not on the list, either, and I have been eating that about once a week, but I truly detest fish and this is one I can eat!  It’s very similar to tuna (mahi mahi), and the calorie count is less than the chicken, so I thought it should be fine.  Maybe I’ll just stick to cod until the end of the round of HCG.

Update:  Had my followup visit with the doc and he said that sometimes we just hit a plateau and to not worry about it.  He was really pleased with my progress.  I feel 178 coming....even though FitDay says I had way too many calories today.

Day 23

Weigth:  180

I am very disappointed that I haven’t lost anything, again, especially since I also worked out yesterday.  FitDay reported that I ate 584 calories, and I even skipped one fruit.  I have a doctor’s visit tomorrow afternoon, so maybe they will be able to shed some light on the subject.  I will take my measurements tomorrow, too, just to see where I’ve lost inches.  As someone pointed out, it’s called “pounds and inches” not just “scale number moving down!

Day 22

Weight:  180

Drat!  I thought for sure I was going to break into the 170’s!

I have started keeping track of my calories on FitDay.com, a free website for tracking calories, activities, moods, etc.  It’s really nice and very convenient!  There’s also a PC version of the software you can buy, if you prefer that, and you can sync the two versions if you purchase the Premium membership.  I haven’t decided if I want to do that yet, or not.

My total calorie count for the day surprised me, though.  For the last 2 days the total was between 700-800 calories, which would be the obvious explanation for not losing the expected 1 pound per day.  But everything I’m eating, in the quantities listed, is exactly what’s on the diet!

I’m going to have to do some more investigation.  Either I’m messing up in my serving sizes, or the calorie count on the site is wrong (doubtful), and/or I need to start incorporating more exercise (likely).

Speaking of exercise, I got on the elliptical for 16 minutes this morning, and stretched, which felt great.  I have been having problems with my low back and standing around at the quilt show yesterday did not help.

I went to a baby shower/brunch this morning, so I took my food with me, as we were running late.  The new mother totally understood, as she’s waged her own battles with weight loss.

Afterwards, I went back to the quilt show, and ate some cut up zucchini  for a mid-afternoon snack.  I had no problem yesterday eating my “outside food” there, but I did have to turn down an invitation to dinner with some new acquaintances, which was really disappointing.  I explained my situation, so maybe I’ll be able to get together with them some other time this summer.

Hopefully, the exercise will work in my favor as I watch my calorie count more closely, and I’ll be able to report a loss tomorrow.