For real this time!

Ok, I'm starting my 2nd round that I am actually going to stick to! I plan to do it for 25 days til Thanksgiving, cheat on Thanksgiving, and then if I can be strong I WILL get back on and stay on for another 2 weeks. That's the plan anyway.
I just feel and look like crap. I have been eating like crap all month. I don't know what my deal is. I get bored, I eat. I get sad, I eat. I'm happy, I eat. I'm lonely, I eat. It's so frustrating!!! And my husband started a part time job this month so now he's gone a lot and I miss him, so... apparently I EAT. I need to get this under control.
I'm just gonna lay it out there- I am not giving up my Diet DP. It makes me miserable and I don't want to be miserable. I AM cutting down. I will be drinking lots of water and eating right. But I need my diet DP.... Just sayin'...
I would love to lose 15 by Thanksgiving, but 10 would be awesome too. Let the games begin!!

Unplanned break

Football season has really made it hard to follow this diet. My planning has been horrible. It's not that I'm eating food I'm not suppose to all the time. Most of the time I'm just not eating because we're on the go so much and I don't wanna pay $6 for a salad at a fast food place. I was getting really cranky and irritable. The last couple of days I haven't taken the drops. I haven't been eating much at all, just not taking the drops either. I haven't gained or lost any weight. I also took my measurements and was down almost 8 inches! Yay!
I will start back up on the drops once I figure things out. It's just been crazy busy. My husband also started a new part time job this week so I'm on my own taking the kids every where, picking up, etc... I was used to having him home during the week to help. I'm not trying to make excuses because I do want to lose weight and I'm not going to screw things up by gorging myself for a month again. haha Like yesterday I ate 2 frozen waffles in the morning and then a small portion of our family dinner. I may have had an apple or something for lunch. I can't remember... I also played basketball for 90 minutes. So, I'm not going to undo the progress I've made. I will update this blog when I start the drops again. I'm thinking in a few weeks. Idk...

I'm a cheater

I basically cheat a little everyday whether it be Diet DP, a couple of Tootsie Rolls, Nutter Butters, the corner of Liv's sandwich... whatever. And the weightloss has been slow. I guess by "slow" I mean not the pound a day stuff. But, I have been on the VLCD 12 days and I am down almost 9 pounds. I've been stalled the last couple of days, but it's that "time of the month" and I slowed down during that time my 1st round too. Also, I know sometimes you drop weight each day and sometimes it's a big drop all at once. So, I'm not stressin' it. I may do an "apple day" if I don't lose anything by Monday...
I'm not sure what my goal is. I mean, I have a goal area I'd like to be in, but I also want to be happy and not diet all the time. I have set a goal to return to the gym at least twice a week, plus basketball twice a week. It's not a lot, but it's more that I go now. I know I will look better and feel better if I exercise more.
I still plan on 30 days on HCG, then I'll evaluate my progress and go from there. As much as I'd love to be the 115 pound super cute mom I was back in 2001, it's not gonna happen. I'm too lazy to work out 2 hours a day and I like to eat and live a little. So, I've come to the realization that feeling good and fitting in my clothes are more important to me than being the hottie I was when I met my husband. ;)

A post with TMI

This post contains Too Much Information- especially if you're a guy. You have been warned.So, remember my "minor setback" from the last time I started round 2? I thought I was getting my period a week early, so I stopped the drops and decided to restart later. Well in actuality my boobs hurt, I spotted some and then... nada. Then I started my period at the normal day it was due. Sooo bugged.
Well, this time around I started the drops and then 2 days into it my boobs started hurting like they do when I'm PMS-ing. I was like, "Crap! Again?" It was 9 days before my period was due. But I decided I wasn't going to stop the drops this time because obviously this is how my body was reacting this time, so I should go with the flow. (Excuse the pun. Eew.) So, I ended up with a period 6 days early. I also had no loss for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. However, I don't know if that's because of the chips and queso or because of the hormones. But then this morning I was down 2 pounds. So, I am still down almost 8.5 pounds in 9 days of VLCD, so I am glad I stuck it out.
Has anyone else had hcg mess with their "monthly"? ;) I've read online that is can happen, so I'm not worried. It just didn't happen my 1st round. But whatever. :) I am losing and feeling good! I haven't had any major hunger either AND I may as well admit I am still drinking Diet DP. Not like crazy. Just one a day or whatever, but I haven't given it up. I also, just as on round 1, have not changed any cosmetic or hygiene products. Mary Kay all the way yo! Hopefully I will continue to lose.

Punishment

I weighed this morning after "the big cheat" last nite and I was up .8. But a couple of hours later I was only up .4. I was expecting a 2 pound gain! So, if that's my whole "punishment" then I'll take it! ;) I'll have to wait and see if my weightloss is slowed for the next couple of days... I'll update again soon.

I'm so weak

This morning I was down another pound! That's almost 7 pounds in 5 days on the VLCD. I am stoked! So stoked that I TOTALLY cheated tonite. I didn't PLAN on cheating it just sort of happened. I went out with my mom and sis-in-law. Food wasn't suppose to be involved, but we ended up at On the Border and I ate chips and queso. I wasn't even hungry and I ate like there was no tomorrow. Such a dork.
I am so bugged with myself because:
1) My stomach totally hurts now.
2) There was no reason for it.
3) I probably set myself back a few days. Boo. I am NOT looking forward to weigh in tomorrow.

But... the chips and queso tasted so yum. Just sayin'...

I can't beat myself up about it too much. What's done is done. And tomorrow IS another day.

French fries are a no-no ;)

So, I'm doing ok so far. I'm down almost 6 pounds after doing the low cal for 4 days. That's awesome, but I think it may have been more if I hadn't eaten a small fry all by myself. I was running in between football practice, gymnastics and scouts, so we grabbed Burger King for a quick dinner. I totally chowed on some fries before realizing what I was doing. :( I just totally spaced it. And I paid for it. The next day I didn't gain, but I didn't lose either. So I'm assuming it was the fries. But then this morning I was down 2 pounds, so... I guess I'm ok with those fries!! haha
I remembered to take measurements this time at the beginning. I will check measurements at the 2 week mark and then at the 4 week mark. I thought this would be a 23 day round, but now I think I'll just go a full month-- hopefully meeting my goal. If I have to extend past the month to meet my goal I will. Last round I lost 21 pounds in 35 days, so I'm hoping I can do 18 in 30 days. We'll see. :)

Day 1 of VLCD

So, day one of VLCD (very low calorie diet) is down and I'm almost thru the 2nd. I did pretty good yesterday. Lots of lettuce, chicken, apples... I did have maybe 8 oz. of Diet Dr. Pepper. I didn't drink as much water as I should. I need to get water bottles, but I forgot. :(
I was down 2.8 pounds this morning. I only gained .8 on my gorge days because seriously I've been such a pig all month that it wasn't a huge deal to my body. haha
Today I've had a chicken salad and will have steak tonite. :)

If you've done the diet before did you eat broccoli? It's not listed in Dr. Simeon's protocol, but I know I ate it last round and obviously lost. Just curious if other have tried it as well...

Day 34

So my kids had been at the ex's for 2 weeks and came home last nite. My parents brought pizza and I bought stuff for ice cream sundaes. I didn't eat pizza. I ate shrimp, cucumbers and chopped apple. But I did eat a small ice cream sundae. Hey- I missed my kids and I was ready to party. haha Anyway... I figured if anything I'd wake up and maybe have not lost any or gained, or maybe a small gain at most. I was ok with that.
Nope-- I woke up weighing a 1/2 pound less than yesterday. That's an even 21 pounds lost!!! Idk how that happened, but it happened and I'll take it. I may not lose anymore tomorrow- which is my last day on drops- but I will be ok with 21 pounds. I am so stoked. I like getting dressed. I feel good about myself. YAY!! I'm still nervous to stop the drops, but I think I've gained better control of myself and I can't eat very much in one sitting anyway.
I have found that the last few days when I've lost weight I did not eat after like 7pm. I WANTED to eat, but I didn't. I made sure I ate my last fruit early and I just drank water from then til bedtime. I think that made a huge difference.

Weightloss day by day... kinda

I tried to keep up with my weight each day on my phone calendar, but I missed a few days. I think I may have stayed the same on those days so I didn't record the weight. I think this adds up to 20.4. What's funny is that in my head I was losing really slowly or not consistently. But looking back it was pretty consistent. I may have labeled the day numbers wrong, but you get the idea...

Day 2 - 3.2
Day 3 - 2.8
Day 4 - 1.6
Day 5 - .2
Day 6 - .8
Day 7 - +.6 (right before my period)
Day 8 - .8
Day 9
Day 10 - 1.2
Day 11 - .8
Day 12 - .6
Day 13 - .4
Day 14 - .7
Day 15 - .7
Day 16 - .6
Day 17
Day 18 - .4
Day 19 - 1
Day 20
Day 21 - .4
Day 22 - .2
Day 23 - .8
Day 24
Day 25 - .8
Day 26 - +1.4 (cheated)
Day 27 - 1
Day 28
Day 29
Day 30 - 1
Day 31 - 1.2
Day 32
Day 33 - 1.2

Day 33

I have been losing weight like mad the past few days!! Over 3 pounds in the last 4 days. I am stoked. It's been so steady and slow that I was thinking I wouldn't even get to 20 pounds. But here I am- 20+ pounds gone and I still have a few more days to go.
I'm also scared. I'm scared to start eating the maintenance diet. I'm scared of gaining weight. I'm scared of doing what a lot of people have done- gaining back the 20 and then some. I am determined NOT to let that happen!! My husband is so proud of my weight-loss. I mean, he NEVER said anything about my weight-GAIN although I felt there may have been some subtle hints. But he can't compliment me enough now. I don't wanna let him down and get chubby again. And I WAS overweight. My BMI was a 27.5. Now it's in the normal/healthy range as a 23.8. YAY! I just want to stay this way without obsessing over every morsel I put in my mouth. I am going to stick to maintenance and do my best. I also already play basketball twice a week and walk the dog. I will have to add in some more exercise. I'm just nervous since I'm going on vacation immediately after maintenance. I just have to MAKE GOOD CHOICES!!
I'm just kind of bummed because I wonder if I was able to go the full 40 days if I'd make my goal? Or at least get soo close. I'm only 7 pounds away and if I was doing 40 days I'd have 7 more days to lose. Even at 1/2 a pound a day I'd hit 25 pounds. :-/ I really want to have enough time on maintenance and at this rate I'm only gonna have 2 1/2 weeks. :(

Day 31

I am so stoked that I didn't give up when I was feeling like it. I've thought about quitting everyday for the last week. I didn't and I lost 1.2 pounds last nite!! That's over 2 pounds in 2 days. :) I am so happy! I am now down 19.2 pounds!!!! Wa hoo!!! I was sooo surprised when I saw the numbers on the scale. I stepped on and off several times just to make sure. I moved the scale around and everything and the number didn't change!! So, if you're stalling or getting frustrated with .2 losses DON'T STRESS!! It will happen!!

Day 30

So, my advice would be DON'T CHEAT! Although that food tasted awesome, the weight gain and weightloss stall sucked eggs. I didn't lose weight on Monday or Tuesday. I was kinda gettin' stressed. But today WOOHOO! I am down a pound! I am down 18 pounds. I am stoked. STOKED! I cannot complain. I am really hoping that in the next 5 days I will drop another 5 pounds, but it's probably not gonna happen. I have to stop at 35 days instead of 40 because I need enough time for maintenance before we go on vacation. I'd be happy with 3 pounds. I won't reach my ultimate goal, but 21 pounds in 35 days IS NOT BAD!! And I'm pretty positive I will do a short round after vacay to lose 10 more.
I am hoping that I will control my eating. That's my main problem- I love food. But my friend who just started hcg gave me this awesome recipe book with TONS of recipes. These are things I can eat even when I'm not on the very low calorie diet. It's just good food. I need to learn to eat good and learn that treats like cake, candy, coke, are just that: TREATS. I've gone 3 weeks with no Diet DP. There's no need for me to rush out and start spending the $$ on 12 packs and 2 liters to keep at home. I've gone all this time without candy. I can live WITHOUT it.
I am not going to measure again until the last day. So far I'm 11 inches down. I fit in most of my clothes. There's a few pair of jeans I don't fit in, but I will if I do the 2nd round. I fit in all my shorts and I look good in my shirts because I have a waist again. ;)

Day 27

So, I gain 1.5 pounds from cheating. WTH!? I had a mini-steak day yesterday, meaning I only drank water and didn't eat until dinner. I had a small steak and an apple. I lost a pound overnite, but I'm still over what I had lost to. I'm trying not to get too stuck on the number on the scale. I tend to not lose anything for a couple of days and then drop a pound. I lost another 1/4 inch off my waist and 1/2 inch off my right thigh. YAY!! My legs DO look less fat and I have a cute waist again. 26 inches, yo!!
I may end the drops a few days early just so I have enough time to do maintenance properly before our vacation. I will most likely do a short 23 day round after vacay just to lose the last 10 pounds. I'm hoping to drop 3-4 more pounds before I stop though. Fingers crossed!!

Day 25 - I cheated

Boo on me. I cheated today. I was just sooo onry and pissy and I just really wanted to eat the freakin' banana bread muffins I made for my man to take to work. I've been cooking for my family while on this diet and hearing about how good the food was and not getting to try it. Today I was just in a bad mood. So, I decided to give myself a mental break. I ate 2 muffins. I ate 2 slices of frozen pizza. I drank Diet DP. And I ate a package of powdered donuts. And now... I feel like crap. CRAP y'all. I will NOT be cheating AT ALL for the next 2 weeks. That's when I stop taking the drops and I start maintenance.
On the happy side- most of my shorts are baggy. I can fit in all my swimsuit board shorts that were tight and going up my butt just 3 weeks ago. There are a few pairs of shorts and jeans I'd like to fit better but so far I am VERY pleased with the results. I feel better. I look better. And I'm playing basketball better. lol

Day 22

I'm down almost 16 pounds!! Woo hoo!! Feelin' good, but ready to be done with this diet and move on with life. I'm proud of myself for sticking to it for the most part. Over 2 weeks of no Diet Dr. Pepper. That is INSANE for me!! No candy. No bread. No peanut butter M & Ms. No Taco Bueno...
I am so stoked about my progress and the clothes I can fit into now. It's so nice to have more than 2 options when it comes to shorts. ;)

Day 21

I cheated. I mean, I didn't eat a ton and just go crazy. I ate a 2 pizza rolls and a very small slice of Totino's cheese pizza. I LOVE that pizza. I'm weird, I know. But I basically grew Liv with those pizzas. When I was pregnant with her I ate one almost everyday for a few months straight. Anyway... I ate the slice and rolls and didn't eat my regular dinner. My fate? I didn't gain or lose. I can handle that. I'm down almost 15 pounds in 3 weeks. THREE weeks!!!! And I only have 3 weeks left of the very low calorie diet. Then I go to the no starch/no sugar for a few weeks. Then I'll be on vacation and I'm hoping I do ok. I plan on bringing my scale so I can keep myself in check. We are also going to be hiking so that will help, I hope.

Day 18

So far things are great. I had a few days where the losing was slow, but it has be consistent loss so that is good. I average about 1/2 pound a day, but I lost 1 lb in the last day. :) I have lost 14 pounds in 18 days!! I am stoked!
The hardest part has been not cheating. I have grabbed little bites of things I shouldn't every once in a while, but nothing major. My husband also figured out some cool shrimp recipes that taste great so that's been nice. :)
My original goal was 25 pounds. I'd still be happy with that, but I now changed it to 28 pounds. I'm not really expecting to lose 14 more pounds in 22 days just because I know it tends to slow down near the end of the diet, but who knows! If I lose 1/2 pound each day that will get me to my original goal. So either way is cool. And I plan to maybe do a 23 day round after the 6 weeks off if I feel like it. I would love to get down to the weight I was when I met my husband, but that would be 20 more pounds off from where I'm at now. It may not be realistic. I want to enjoy life- not worry about gaining a pound or 2 all the time. So I'm trying to be realistic with my goals.

Day 10

So far, so good. I can tell you that I'm pretty much sick of the food. I LOVE food and I just wanna eat. Not because I'm hungry, but because I like food. So, that's been the hardest part of this diet now that I'm past my Diet DP headache.
I am down almost 10 pounds. It could possibly be more, but I forgot to weigh first thing in the morning 2 different days. I have energy. I'm not hungry. I'm not even eating the Melba toast anymore. Sometimes I even get all the way to dinner and I'm like, "Wait, did I eat lunch?"
I am enjoying the weightloss, but sick of the diet. I am happy that I will be done in 20-30 days. I don't have a choice. I have to stop at 40 days. So... I can do this. I'm just going to look for new recipes. I know there's lots out there. All I've been doing is eating 2 chicken tenders and lettuce. That gets old...

Day 6

I am in the middle of day 6 and happy to report I am down 7.6 pounds since Monday!! I have lost at least a pound every day except for between day 4 and 5, but even then it was a loss and not a gain or stand still. I even went out to dinner last nite with my friend. I ordered a 7 oz. steak and broccoli with a take out box. I immediately cut the steak in 1/2 and put in the box. I ate my greens and meat and I was F.U.L.L. I literally had to force myself to eat my 2nd fruit. I ate an orange before bed. I am not hungry at all. Today I didn't eat until after 1pm. My caffeine/sugar headache is totally gone now. I still drink a little Diet DP each day just because I love my Diet DP. But it is definitely a ton less than what I would normally drink and since it hasn't affected my weightloss I think I'm ok. :)
I am stoked to be down this weight. I still have 15 lbs at the very least I'd like to lose, but at this rate I am POSITIVE I will lose it all before the 40 days I had originally planned to be on this diet. A few days ago I was thinking I couldn't go the 40 days and would just have to be happy with whatever weight I had lost by the 20-21 day mark. But now it seems like no biggie. If I need to go the full 40 I will.