Playing Catch Up

|Today's Weight|144.8 lbs
|Above/Below LDW|+7.6

|Neck|--
|Bicep|--
|Forearm|--
|Chest|--
|Bust|--
|Waist|+1.5
|Hips|--
|Thighs|+0.5
|Calves|--

Sorry I am slacking in the blogging world. My life has been pretty hectic since the vacation. We got back on Friday. Ever since then we have been in "moving mode". Our move-in date for the new apartment starts on April 27th. Our last day in our old apartment is April 30th. I leave for my parent's house on April 28th. So I won't be there for the official move out. Therefore I am busting my butt to make the move as easy as possible for my husband. Cleaning, organizing, packing, and doing all the change of address BS. I should be used to this crap by now having moved several times in the past two years. It never gets easier though. It is such a pain in the rear to update our contact information for everywhere we could possibly get mail from. Bleh!

On the weight-loss front I am up 7.6 pounds.. ouch! Strangely I only gained back 2 inches. I think a lot of it will flush out over the next few days (after I am not so stressed). I was not good at getting my daily water intake in Florida. I also think I gained muscle weight. I was sore a lot after all the different workouts I got.

Whoops..

I've been a very bad girl, haha. I had FAR too much fun in Florida. I didn't pay attention to calories or particular foods. I just relaxed my mind since I didn't want to be worrying about starches and sugars 24/7. I was staying in my family's house so I was under close supervision. One of the first things my mother mentioned was how skinny I looked.

I worked out WAY more than normal (since I never work out hehe). I'm officially a certified recreational scuba diver. That took three days of hardcore swimming (not the mention the 1 mile hike I took with 65 lbs of gear on to get to ocean each time). I also went to the beach everyday to walk. Plus my husband and I went for a run on the track one night. My aunt got an awesome dancing game for the Wii that I shook my booty to. Add a full day of walking at Busch Gardens to the mix for a butt load of exercise.

I weighed and measured myself as soon as I got home. I was very sad at how much I gained. My inches are only slightly higher. I won't report them on here until tomorrow morning. Only because it is 7 PM so I don't think it's the best time for an official weigh in.

By the way I started back up on HCG since I have another 15 day supply. Let's just call Florida a planned interruption;-)

R1P3D5&6

|Yesterday's Weight|138.6 lbs
|Today's Weight|138.8 lbs
|Above/Below LDW|+1.6

I am using my husband's grandparents old-school computer to type this quick update. I will post a little more when we get to Florida. For now we are in Arkansas. Staying here since yesterday until tomorrow morning. His family are true southerners. All they do is talk and eat! I don't even have to get up.. I have people bringing me drinks and food all the time. Ugh this is so so SO hard to do right now. I mean when dinner is lasgana with french bread what the heck do I do? Throw in donuts for dessert at that. I am trying to be polite since this is my first time meeting all of these people. So I just sneak my stevia into my unsweetened iced tea. Trying to eat as little portions as possible, but when all that is offered is starch and sugar I have little choice. It's that or starve! At least they have plenty of water. My weight has been slowly creeping up 0.2 lbs at a time. I am praying this weekend doesn't do me under. Breakfast was some egg, sausage, bread, and cheese dish. Food is being pushed on me constantly! Lord knows what's for dinner..

Vacation Clothes

Hello! After several months of trying dresses on for Florida I finally buy one the day before we leave, hehe. Shopping wasn't as fun as an experience as I usually like. Mostly because we can't go spending crazy. I just got what I needed due to my weight loss. Also I still have been having cramps and back aches. No TOM yet though.. ugh.

I am in my early twenties and my style is classic/preppy. They were having a dress sale at Hollister. This is a size small. Trust me when I say that their sizes run tiny. I like it because its a little flowy, but not so much that is bubbles out making me look like I'm in the early stages of pregnancy. I also got a cute denim skirt for $20 there (size 5). Went over to Victoria's Secret because I needed a bra that works for the dress. I ended up going down a chest size (not cup), so I am now a 34B. The last items I got were two pairs of shorts at American Eagle (size 4's) and the sandals in the picture at Forever 21 (for $6!!).

R1P3D4

|Today's Weight|138.4 lbs
|Above/Below LDW|+1.2

Ugh, up another 0.4 lbs today. I am at a loss for words. The only thing I can think of that would affect me is that I ate three pieces of Cocoa Crack with almonds in them? I am going to decrease my dairy drastically. Only a tablespoon of whole milk today. Ever since that chicken bacon salad two days ago I have been freakishly full. All of yesterday I struggled to eat everything on my Fit Day menu. I went to check my BMR again on two different websites. ACS says 1882 calories and MC says 1750 calories. That is at an inactive level, which I fall in between inactive and somewhat active depending on my daily schedule. To me it feels like too much. I was uncomfortable yesterday.

We leave for Florida tomorrow bright and early! Going to be a challenge since I won't be making my own food. I am bringing a cooler with meals/snacks for the road. I am just throwing my regular scale in my bags, haha. I'm too cheap to buy a travel one. We got the truck checked and cleaned yesterday. We went to Victoria's Secret since I had $30 there to spend (free) so I bought two cute little cotton shorts to wear over my swimsuit when going to the beach (size small.. WOOHOO). Today we are going to the mall so I can buy a couple pairs of jean shorts and a cute dress since I cannot fit into my old ones:-) I'll take pictures when we get back!

|Today’s Menu|
|B|Coffee with a tablespoon of milk. Two eggs.
|L|One boneless lean pork chop with 12 oz steamed broccoli.
|D|Two cups lettuce, two pieces of SF bacon, two small avocados (acts as my dressing), one Roma tomato, half a cucumber, and three chicken drumsticks (discarding bone and skin) 
|Daily Calorie Intake|1352 calories

PS: NO TOM STILL!! *angry face*

R1P3D3

|Today's Weight|138 lbs
|Above/Below LDW|+0.8

I am up 0.2 lbs from yesterday. I blame the ranch dressing! My chicken bacon ranch salad made me so full last night.. that I am still full this morning. After downing a huge plate, I should have at least gained 3 lbs. That's how bloated I felt! I have attempted dairy, nuts, and fruit with no real affect to stabilization. I didn't like the taste of the cheese we have in fridge. Once we run out I'll purchase some good stuff from Whole Foods Market. Not sure I am ready for almond flour, but perhaps after I return from Florida I can give it a go.

Yesterday I had a tough moment. Not sure if anyone knows what a Sonic is, but they're famous for their drinks (Cherry Limeades). From 2 PM to 4 PM is "happy hour" where drinks are half price. Well my husband had to bright idea to go there. I ALMOST got a small watermelon slush (SUGAR ALERT). Instead I made him take me home (we live very close by it) to grab a piece of cocoa crack. Patting myself on the back for that one.

A few things to note. STILL NO TOM. I give up on trying to guess when it's going to hit. My BM's kick butt now! Adding good fats back into my diet has really helped regulate things. I will not miss you constipation! Last is that I can tell a difference in my skin. It's oilier again. Not to the point where it's bad, but I can definitely tell.

I bought some HEB brand salsa the other day. They have a lot of different flavors and spice ranges to choose from. My only concern in one of the ingredients: diced tomatoes, water, fresh jalapeno peppers, fresh onions, tomato paste, distilled vinegar, dehydrated onions, salt, dehydrated garlic, and natural flavor. Red flag on that one.. perhaps MSG? After I finish this bottle I will attempt to make homemade salsa from now on.

|Today’s Menu|
|B|Coffee with milk. Eggs.
|S|An apple.
|L|Boneless lean pork chops with steamed broccoli.
|D|Taco Salad (lettuce, taco meat, avocado, tomato, sour cream, salsa)
|S|Cocoa Crack
|Daily Calorie Intake|1650 calories

Phase 3 Taco Seasoning Mix Recipe

I searched high and low for a SF taco mix at the grocery store. Here is a picture of the mix I found a Whole Foods. The brand is Wick Fowler's and the ingredients are: ground chili peppers, salt, onion, comino, garlic, oregano. Simple right? Silly me, didn't even think that perhaps I could make my own. So I used  the trusty internet to find a recipe. By the way, did you know that comino is cumin? Same thing!

|Taco Seasoning|
1 tablespoon Chili Powder
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper

In a small bowl mix together all ingredients. Store in airtight container.

Phase 3 Ranch Dressing

I planned on having a chicken bacon ranch salad tonight. I was a little bummed yesterday because I couldn't find SF mayonnaise. Did my research on HCGDieters and discovered the brand Duke's. I prayed that somewhere in Texas carried it. Hurray! HEB carries Duke's mayonnaise:-) I used a ranch recipe I found somewhere online (forgot where, oops). OMG I should have started making my own dressing a long time ago. SO easy, really inexpensive, and DELICIOUS!
 
|Ranch Dressing|
1 cup Duke's Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Daisy Sourcream
1/2 teaspoon Dried Chives
1/2 teaspoon Dried Parsley
1/2 teaspoon Dried Dill Weed
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
Dash of Salt
Dash of Black Pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

R1P3D2

|Today's Weight|137.8 lbs
|Above/Below LDW|+0.6

I lost 0.8 lbs from yesterday. How is that even possible? I ate my face off (all good things). I had a hard time reaching my BMR. The old me got a lot of my calories from breads, rice, beans, ect. I don't even miss them! I added a few extra new items to yesterdays menu. I tried almonds and I stole a chocolate recipe from here: Cocoa Crack. So my husband, daughter, and I went by the local grocery store to see what Phase 3 supplies I could get. Whatever we couldn't find there, was bought at Whole Foods Market. Gosh that store is so awesome! My daughter gets a free snack and drink at the front every time we shop. So she is munching away on organic crackers and apple juice while my husband pushes her along. I am taking 5 minutes at a time reading every label for sugar. I could not find SF mayonnaise. Oh well!

Today my husband and I are donating at the Plasma Center. I really hope they don't find anything weird. I know the HCG is out of my system now. They check for protein and fat levels (very picky) so after yesterdays menu I should be covered. This will be his first time donating. Not sure if the shots he received before going to war will affect if he can donate or not (Anthrax, Small Pox, ect.)? After that we might drop off our application and deposit for the new apartment.

I am so glad to have some milk in my coffee again! My love for coffee is growing larger everyday. It is fun to play around with my Stevia and Capella flavors, plus delicious cream. Anyways I didn't realize how much I missed eggs. My favorite are sunny-side up. I used to get strange looks as a kid when I ordered them from a restaurant. Waitresses would be like, "You sure you don't want scrambled like every other kid? Maybe ketchup smothered all over them?". Nope I'm a sunny-side up with the occasional hot sauce added girl. I love dipping my bacon and toast in the yolk. Obviously toast is out of the question right now. I think I am going to ask for a break maker for my birthday so I can start making homemade bread from now on. I tried eating cheese with my eggs this morning. It tasted weird. Almost sweet? I dunno, I just stopped after a few bites and threw it away. Not what I remembered sharp cheddar tasting like. Maybe it's because I am a spoiled Wisconsin girl who misses my fresh cheese from the cheese factory down the road? Everything tastes SO different now. Like some things taste better (eggs, fruit, vegetables). Basically anything that isn't natural or fresh has a funky taste. That cocoa crack I made was AMAZING. Finally get to satisfy my chocolate cravings!

|Today’s Menu|
|B|Coffee with milk. Eggs, cheese (no-go), and bacon.
|S|An apple.
|L|Chicken drumsticks with skin on. Asparagus with butter sauce.
|S|Small handful natural almonds.
|D|Salad w/ lettuce, avocado, tomato, cucumber, chicken, and bacon.
|S|Two pieces cocoa crack.
|Daily Calorie Intake|1600 calories

Venting About TOM

Today is just one of those blogging days I guess. Sorry I am blowing up Blogspot with my posts, but this is the last one I swear...

WTH!? I had TOM about two weeks prior to starting HCG. I have an IUD (Mirena) which still normally makes me have a light period once a month and minor cramping. A couple times in Phase 2 I could have sworn TOM was coming, but I never saw a thing. It has now been almost three days of my stomach cramps and a little back ache. I have been wearing "protection" nonstop to prevent accidents and NOTHING! I am ready to get this thing going. Florida is a week away. Not really wanting to deal with TOM on vacation. My poor husband is going to hate me after a couple ten hour car rides. I get very.. emotional. And when I say emotional I mean I'm a big fat BIA.

Ready For Florida!

I'm so bragging right now, but I am ECSTATIC at my results! Seriously.. who cares if I am 7 lbs away from my goal weight. There is a noticeable reduction of the cellulite on my butt and back of my thighs. I can see a difference in my chest (not actual boobs). I used to have this stubborn little fat deposit area in between my boobs that I couldn't get off with exercises. Well goodbye to that! I can now fit comfortably in my size 6 jeans, size 4 dresses, and smaller tops. I took my body measurements today out of pure curiosity. Turns out I lost another 0.25 inches off my biceps, 0.25 from my chest, 0.5 off my hips, and 0.25 off of my calves. I'll take that as my last little loss before my Phase 3 food kicks in. We figured out our financial issues so Florida is a go. I definitely look ready, but am still uneasy about eating away from home.

Phase 2 Notes

Not sure if I will do another round, but I would like to put some notes down for my personal record of things I want to remember from Phase 2 while it's still fresh in my mind.

|01|Load properly! This round I didn't not eat enough good fats (avocado, dairy, nuts) so I was STARVING during the first week. I don't want to go through that again.

|02|Drink as much water as possible. You may be in the bathroom as much as you were when you were pregnant, but it helps you lose. Carry your water bottle everywhere (mine had the measurements on the side for easier counting). At least 3 liters per day.

|03|Take Potassium 99mg/3xdaily to prevent from getting lightheaded and dizzy.

|04|Carry L-Glutamine in my purse for sudden cravings.

|05|The first week is always the hardest to resist junk food. Pictures, words, and smells may trigger those cravings, but the temptation will pass!

|06|I didn't feel full until around day 5+.

|07|Eat slowly. Enjoy those 500 calories!

|08|Too much Smooth Move tea = heavy stomach cramping

|09|Tea is key. My favorites were Green and Yerba Mate during the day. A decaffeinated "sleepy" tea was helpful in relaxing me before bed.

|10|Detox baths don't work very well to help drop pounds, but definitely produce better BMs.

|11|No TOM! Enough said.

|12|Watch the salt intake. If I made soup I think I over salted causing less of a loss.

|13|Don't buy too much produce for the week or it may go bad before you can get to it all.

|14|Weighing, portioning, and cooking most meals the night prior helps when I am out for the day.

|15|The best times to eat for me were breakfast at 0930, lunch at 1200, snack at 1400, and dinner at 1830.

|16|Avoid eating out at all costs.

|17|Cheating is never worth it. Most of the time what my mind remembers as being delicious ended up tasting like plastic or fake.

|18|Only take body measurements once a week.

|19|Remember that Phase 2 is only a month long. I have the rest of my life to eat the things outside of protocol. This is a life long change.

|20|ALWAYS remember to smile. Even if you don't get to the goal you initially wanted.

R1P3D1

|Today's Weight|138.6 lbs
|Above/Below LDW|+1.4

Hurray! Eating perfect again worked out. Thank god it brought me in the 2 lb range of my LDW. I wasn't ready to start Phase 3 with a steak day. That being said, I am nervous and anxious to begin adding things into my diet. According to the BMR calculator, I need to consume 1800 calories to maintain my weight if I remain inactive.  If I start incorporating light exercising (like I want) then I need to up it to 2100 calories. Damn that seems like a lot! Starting Phase 3 I need guidance for how much I am eating  calorie-wise, but once I get used to it I can just go by feel. Today I know I am going to feel STUFFED, but if I don't consume enough calories my body will gain.. YIKES! I made a Fit Day account to plug in food items. Kind of played around with what I had in the fridge so I can get up to the right amount. Since this is my first day I want to keep most of the food items the same, but increase the portions. I only added a couple new items to see if they work for me. Also, since I am up a bit, I will eat just a little under my BMR in hopes to get closer to my LDW.

|Today’s Menu|
|B|Coffee with milk. Eggs, bacon, and strawberries.
|L|Chicken drumsticks with skin on. Asparagus with butter sauce.
|D|Steak with SF coleslaw.
|Daily Calorie Intake|1600 calories

VLCD 29|Goodbye Phase 2

Today's Weight|139.6 lbs
Above/Below LDW|+2.4

Today is my last day of Phase 2. I ate like a saint yesterday, but still up 2.4 lbs. I refuse to do a steak day until the HCG is out of my system. If I'm over 2 lbs tomorrow, then I'll take action. I had MAJOR cramping this morning. Since TOM has been missing for the past month I am assuming that TOM is going to get hit anytime. This may be one of the reasons why my perfect eating yesterday was ineffective in breaking the cheating weight. Feeling a little less frazzled from the past few days of stressful situations. We have a potential apartment! Just need to come up with the deposit money. Easter isn't anything special for us this year. Having a quiet day indoors with the family. My husband doesn't want me to bother with cooking a big meal. He just wants the leftover enchiladas from two nights ago. Bless his heart, haha.

VLCD 28: Stress Is a Terrible Thing

Start Date R1: March 5, 2010
Today's Date: April 3, 2010
Start weight: 151 lbs
Goal: 130 lbs
Yesterday's Weight: 137.2 lbs
Today's Weight: 139.6 lbs
Loss: +2.4 lbs
Total Loss: -11.4 lbs

My family is going through a lot right now. We are having MAJOR money issues. It hit us like a ton of bricks two days ago. Talk about the worst timing in the world! First, because we need to find a new apartment by the end of the month (where the heck are we going to find application fee and deposit money). Second, because our trip to Florida (probably going to have to cancel now). Third, because I just stopped my HCG doses.

The next three days I am supposed to be following the VLCD until it is out of my system. Definitely blew that one yesterday! I didn't go absolutely crazy, but I ate enchiladas for dinner (made of chicken, black beans, cheese, salsa, enchilada sauce, and tortilla) plus some chocolates for desert and one alcoholic beverage to relax. I was good most of the day.. but after applying for food stamps (so embarrassed), selling a ton of my clothes at consignment shops, and returning some merchandise (deemed unnecessary purchases) I was down right ready to drink myself into submission. Instead I treated myself to comfort food for dinner.

Honestly, it wasn't that comforting! I have been craving chocolate for the past two weeks. It tasted like plastic (mini Twix bar). I'm almost glad I cheated to know that it doesn't taste as good as my mind thinks. Once I can "legally" eat chocolate again it will only be organic dark chocolate (my favorite). This diet sure did show me what truly tastes good! Natural organic RAW food for me my friends (once I can afford it).

So just as I said last time I cheated.. oh well! The next two days are VLCD then I can begin incorporating Phase 3 safe foods. I am basically going with what I have in the house since I can't buy any more food right now.

I'm not going to lie I am pretty depressed. My husband and I are fighting constantly. The best thing I can do right now is pray and try to look at the positive things in my life. My family is healthy, we have roof over our heads (for now), and things WILL GET BETTER. Thanks for your support guys! Until tomorrow.

VLCD 27: Ending Phase 2

Start Date R1: March 5, 2010
Today's Date: April 2, 2010
Start weight: 151 lbs
Goal: 130 lbs
Yesterday's Weight: 137.2 lbs
Today's Weight: 137.2 lbs
Loss: 0.0 lbs
Total Loss: -13.8 lbs
Overall Inches: -15 inches

Sure enough my HCG ran out last night. I decided to end Phase 2 instead of doing a planned interruption. A lot of stuff has happened in the past two days that has REALLY been stressing me out. I will explain next time I post.

VLCD 26: Caterpillar Phase

Start Date R1: March 5, 2010
Today's Date: April 1, 2010
Start weight: 151 lbs
Goal: 130 lbs
Yesterday's Weight: 137.8 lbs
Today's Weight: 137.2 lbs
Loss: -0.6 lbs
Total Loss: -13.8 lbs

Today’s Menu
B: Coffee and apple
L: Chicken with spinach chips
S: Strawberries
D: Chicken with cabbage salad
Daily Calorie Intake:  450 calories


All night I suffered through a sore throat. It came out of nowhere. I had no idea what I could do to help ease the pain. I probably picked up a bug while apartment hunting yesterday. To make matters worse I think this is going to be my last day of taking HCG. Somehow I am running out fast. Maybe the bottle fell over and leaked in the fridge? Either way it looks like I have enough for tonight then that's it! Though I am VERY content on the amount of weight/inches I have lost, I am not sure if I am ready to throw in the towel just yet. So instead of just ending Phase 2 I might do a "planned interruption" since I still have one more vial of HCG left. I really need your help to make sure this is correct:

Saturday 4/3 - Last Dose of HCG
Sunday 4/4 - VLCD
Monday 4/5 - VLCD 
Tuesday 4/6 - VLCD 
Wednesday 4/7 - Planned Interruption Begins (Phase 3 eating)
Monday 4/19 - Last Day of Planned Interruption
Tuesday 4/20 - Begin Taking HCG without loading

That will be JUST under two weeks of Phase 3 style eating. Then I just jump back into taking HCG to finish off that last batch? Hope I figured that out right! I will decide by tonight if this is something I want to do.

My Phase 2 food supplies are slowly depleting. All I have left for proteins is the chicken that I premeasured in containers. I think today is going to  be a pajamas/lounging day with lots of tea (for the sore throat). Being a housewife seems like such a lazy thing! The days of working and being a full time student are only months away, so I'm soaking up this time while I still can. It's funny because I looked at this diet as my "caterpillar phase" were I hide in my cocoon (house). After I have stabilized (possibly incorporating light exercising) in Phase 3 and become comfortable with adding back starches and sugars in Phase 4, I will emerge a butterfly.. beautiful inside and out! So corny I know, but just the kind of thing I need to make me smile.