Day 42: Last day of the diet and I woke up at 175.4 lbs this morning. The last few days have been a bit unpredictable. I was up .2, down.4, up .2 and quite frankly the 175 mark seemed like it might elude me. But last night I cheated. I made ANZAC cookies and ate one. This morning I was very surprised to hit my goal.
I do think - despite my measuring in tenths of pounds and setting a 175lb goal (Geez!), that it is best not get too wrapped up in the numbers. My goal was 175...I think I can be happy with 175.4... The weight loss will happen, your body just may always respond with consistency.
I feel fabulous...I feel skinny...I have more energy. My blood pressure is stable. I am buying clothes off the rack. I fit comfortably in an airline seat. I can fit into a robe at the day spa. There are just too many rewards to list.
My thoughts are that I may do one more round and aim for a healthy 140-150lbs. This is my ideal weight range. I do not have concerns about keeping the weight off. I did well after my first round of HCG. I eat a really clean diet- mostly organic and unprocessed. No junk. If I want cookies, I make them from scratch. I found some raw organic chocolate that is both divine and healthy. I am mindful of what I am putting in my body.
I am a foodie- the fine dining thing is going to be a challenge for me. We don't eat out all the time- I like to cook as well. But vacation starts tomorrow and we will be traveling and of course there are so many restaurants I want to share with Mr SC in Melbourne. (Melbourne is a Foodie Paradise- seriously!) It will be challenging to balance indulgences here, but I am not going to worry about it too much.
For exercise, I plan to start rowing soon- this has been something that I always wanted to try and Melbourne has lots of opportunities for beginners. I am also looking at Yoga, Pilates and Zumba. Having lost weight, I feel I have more endurance and I want to continue to improve my physical health.
If you are thinking about trying HCG, I strongly encourage you to speak with your doctor. Your health is the most important thing here. Your doctor can help you to get the right formula, and answer any questions you have as you progress.
Take Good Care!
Day 38:My weight loss has slowed quite a bit. I had one day last week where my stomach was in a terrible state and I coped by having some yogurt. I had some muesli too and a little bit of honey. And it did make me feel better. Woke up the next day with a 1 lb gain. I expected it, and felt that my diet diversion was justified (no regrets). Today I weighed in at 176.2. I am so close to my goal. Just two more injections remaining and then two more diet days. We are having a birthday celebration on Friday night, where I anticipate eating a good non-diet meal. So Friday night this diet is officially done!
Day ?: I am afraid I cannot say what day this is...I have about 12 days to go. I am tired of weighing myself every morning ....of giving myself shots...of not being able to eat what I want. Yes, I sound negative, and I don't mean to be. Maybe I am just tired today. I am pleased with the results of HCG so far- this morning I was 178.4. My goal of 175 is definitely in sight. This is good.. I need to get my wedding ring re-sized and could use a whole new wardrobe. I started this diet at a Size 20-22 and I am comfortable in Size 14-16. I think my feet have also gone from wide width to normal. My shoes feel loose. On the 23rd my husband will be here- I am thinking I need to hold up a sign at the airport so he will recognize me. I cannot wait!
Day 22: Surprised this morning to be down a whole pound. I am currently 183. This is the beginning of the second half of my round 2 on this diet. I am halfway there! I expect that my weight loss will slow a bit now, but I could be wrong. My last half of Round 1 was busy and had to take a trip across the country smack dab in the middle, which really caused a blip in my weightloss. And then there was that artichoke incident. Where I thought those were acceptable on this diet and learned the hard way that they weren't! This time I am following the diet to a T. Maybe I will exceed my goal?
Day 20: Today I achieved 50lbs in weight loss. I am pretty thrilled about that. Just 9.8lbs to reach my goal. My blood pressure has been fine these last few days-false alarm I guess! I fit easily into my Good Will pants and tucked in my shirt (for the first time in over a decade!) My belt is about 2 inches too big! This weekend I have to go shopping. Going to get some black pants for work and some belts...and maybe some other nice clothes too- if I see something I like! Also, this was the first morning that I realized -as i placed my hands on my hips- that I actually have HIPS!!!! Holy Cow!
Day 17: 186.8lbs this morning. Monitoring my blood pressure each day now. It has been slightly elevated and I am concerned that I will need to go back on the meds for it. Not happy about this, but I know I have to keep myself healthy. It is not just about being skinny. Skinny is worthless, if you aren't in good health too.
Day 16: 187.6 today. Not really impressed with that because I walked my butt off yesterday and avoided several temptations. That being said, it is down- not up- so that will be the last of my grumbling. Only 12.6 lbs to go to get to my goal of 175. Don't want to jinx myself, but I think this is very do-able. 24 shots left and 26 days to go. I am staying the course.
Day 15: Much better progress today! I am 188 - down a whole pound! Had a good day today- went to the market to get my groceries for the week. Found really good, fresh, cream on the top, glass bottled milk there- this is heaven to me. My coffee tomorrow will be fabulous! Spent the day with 4 other ex-pats walking around the animal sanctuary- good exercise. Tonight I was invited to dinner at one my new friend's apartments. She was very understanding when I told her I would love to come but have to eat my own food. I offered to bring an appetizer. I cannot eat it- so that is interesting. But I love entertaining and socializing so I am going to focus on that.
Day 14: I thought yesterday was bad...today I am down .4lbs...and grateful...I know I don't sound very grateful...just having a lot of social events lately that I can't eat at. So, I feel like I am making serious sacrifices here and .4 just seems like a tiny number considering. But I will endeavor to persevere. Might hit a department store this weekend to see if they have anything good in my new size. That'll cheer me up!
Day 13: A fairly unspectacular 189.4 this morning- down just .6....but still DOWN! I went out to dinner last night with my team here in Melbourne. Fabulous food was served all around me and I just sat and drank some sparkling water and for dessert....TEA. It was difficult not to indulge, but I chose instead to focus on the people around me. I even made dessert suggestions for one of my co-workers who decided it would be best to order the one thing on the menu that I found (almost) irresistible - Hot Date Cake with Butterscotch Sauce! You know where I will be headed as soon as this round is over...of course I will approach it with moderation when I do. I don't think I will even eat a whole portion, but instead, share it with my hubby. I can hardly wait!
Day 12: 190lbs today. 15 more to go until I hit my goal! I was really pleased to see such a large loss, especially since I almost caved in to temptation yesterday. I broke off an itsy bitsy teeny tiny morsel of chocolate and held it in my hand...I could just taste the chocolaty goodness without even putting it in my mouth....I put it away and grabbed a celery stick. (and pretended it was chocolate...sigh)
Certainly a speck of chocolate would not do much damage, but for me it is a slippery slope. I have to do this 100% or there is no point. So I have 30 days to go. (This BTW coincides perfectly with my husband's arrival in Melbourne!). The next big milestone is when I hit 184.8. That is my 50lb weight loss milestone. Gonna have to get myself a massage or something to celebrate that!
Day 11: 191.6lbs. The weight loss is starting to slow a little bit. This is not a complaint- losing .8lbs over night is very exceptional. I well on the way to my goal. Blood pressure is still slightly elevated. "Too Big" clothing pile is growing!
Day 10: 192.4 this morning. Before leaving on this business trip, I bought a pair of pants off of the clearance rack since I knew that I wouldn't be in them long. Cut the tags off and went to wear them today. Well, they were too big! I have two pairs of pants that are a size smaller, but they are still a little tight. I will be okay for a little bit with what I have, but I think I may have a shopping trip in my near future! On another note, my blood pressure was up slightly last night and this morning. I am going to watch my salt and add a little more apple cider vinegar and celery to my diet today and letting my doctor know too. Hopefully this is just a little blip and does not mean that I need to get back on my bp meds. UGH!
Day 9: 193.4 today. I made a wonderful chicken dish last night that was so tasty, it SERIOUSLY felt like I was cheating! I modified a recipe by Jerry Traunfeld (original chef from the Herb Farm & now owner of Poppy in Seattle-my favorite restaurants of all time) You can find the recipe here: Tomato Basil Chicken Use a little bit more chicken broth in place of the oil here- I just kept adding broth whenever it seemed to need moisture. Skip the wine and couscous/orzo suggestion (not on the diet, my friends!). Everything else is perfectly acceptable. I think the caramelized onions and the spices really makes this dish fabulous. So good, and so good for you!
Day 8: 194.8 this morning. That is almost 9lbs down from last Saturday. I am very pleased and I feel fabulous!
One thing about being on a very low calorie, very restrictive diet, I am really focused on simple dining pleasures. I love my morning coffee and I love my late morning Pink Lady apple. At lunch my little bottle of San Pelegrino sparkling water is the highlight and before bed I have been savoring my cup of green tea. I think it is important to find things within this diet that soothe you.
A few tips: I have also had a few creative dinners this week that turned out quite well. I buy organic tomato paste, organic mustard made with apple cider vinegar (read the labels- no sugars or forbidden additives!) with these two ingredients I am able to dilute with more apple cider vinegar or add seasonings and herbs to flavor my food better. I made a bbq sauce for a hamburger patty and a mustard sauce for my salmon this week. I was surprised at how good these meals were! Also, I always make two servings so I can take leftovers to work for lunch the next day.
Day 5: Oh Happy Day! I hit 199 this morning!!!! I am now in the One-derfuls. If you followed my posts during the first round you are aware that this was my Round 1 weight goal. I ended at 202 and then sort of fluctuated after the diet ,always somewhere between 201.8 and 204. So you can bet I am just pleased as punch to finally reach that goal. I think my next focus is just to follow the diet to the letter. As I stated before I am shooting for 175 this round. I have also been experimenting with fresh herbs and spices a little more this time around and being very focused on my dining experience. Lots of temptations are about, but I don't really feel too tempted. I am committed to getting this weight off.
Day 4: 201.8 lbs. Yesterday, was a lazy day. I went into town and strolled around a bit, very conscientious of the fact that I had few calories to burn. I was a little tired after that. Had a nice dinner of steak and asparagus and then took a hot bath and went to bed with a book. Got 7 hours of sleep and feel pretty good this morning.
Day 3: 206 this morning. Yes, I did some serious bulking yesterday (can you say "chocolate fountain"?) I enjoyed my feasting session immensely. Melba is one of my favorite restaurants in Melbourne. It is a fabulous buffet featuring several different cuisines, fresh seafood, fabulous desserts and a heavenly chocolate fountain.
Alas, today I start the low calorie portion of the diet. I woke this morning, weighed myself and took the shot. Now enjoying a cup of coffee and might have an apple later. My plan is to make homemade chicken stock today and have a chicken salad for lunch. Steak and asparagus for dinner, which will also be lunch tomorrow. One secret to being successful on the HCG: Plan ahead. Make enough protein for dinner to have it for lunch the next day. I usually will then have the protein with salad for lunch. The veggie I have at night is always cooked spinach, cooked cabbage or cooked spinach. Keeping it simple!
Day 2: 204 lbs this morning. Wondering if I didn't bulk up enough yesterday. I have some serious eating to do today now!!! (However will I manage?? Hmm!) Planning to go to the buffet at Melba tonight for some serious feasting. Aiming for 205 tomorrow (heh, heh!)
Day 1: Started Round 2 today. Got up and weighed myself (203.4 lbs - I maintained my weight loss from Round 1 pretty well, didn't I?). Last round I lost 30lbs and got off of my Blood Pressure pills. My goal weight was 199, which I did not hit. Although I came so close!!!!! No worries- I am going to get there this round, and beyond! This time around my goal is 175lbs. I think this is quite do-able. (You can see my previous HCG experience HERE
Just a quick disclaimer...check with your doctor before starting any new diet or exercise plan. I am being supervised by mine. Do NOT attempt the very low calorie diet without the HCG (Yes, you will lose weight without the HCG, but you can also do damage to your body!) A doctor can help you to manage this diet effectively and healthfully!
This is truly the BEST part of the HCG diet. Today and tomorrow I am in "Bulk-Up" mode. Eating chocolate, cheese and lots of calories. (alas- if the whole diet could be so easy!). On Monday I will start the very low calorie diet. I bought lots of organic produce, organic, free-range, grass fed, wild-caught protein and a few fabulous condiments (tomato paste, mustard, apple cider vinegar, some spices, and herbs). Could not locate acceptable chicken broth, so I will be making this myself. Better that way because I will know and control what goes in it!
Ate a really nice Hot Dog at the Queen Vic Market today with sauerkraut, onions and cheese on it. For dinner I had Fish and Chips from one of the restaurants on the Dock. Only bad part of this diet is that I am in a prime dining district in Melbourne and will be unable to partake after tomorrow! S'alright- when the lbs start coming off this will not matter!
