Update after vacation

So I was out of town for 2 weeks, with 5 days of driving. It was a great vacation but hard on my stomach. Blech. I brought my scale and weighed myself the 1st 9 days. I stayed with a pound up or down of my last drop weight. I was surprised considering how, uh, constipated... I felt. Gross.
Anyway... When we got home I was only .3 over my last drop day weight. Not bad since I didn't really have a big choice in what I ate. But now that I'm home I feel like it's hard to eat right!! Aack. I thought it'd be opposite.
I haven't gone to the grocery store since getting home- so that could be part of the problem. I am planning to do one more short round of 23 days. I will start August 9 most likely...
I am proud of myself for not going crazy on vacation. :)

Day 9 maintenance

It's in the morning, so I haven't actually completed day 9, but I just thought I'd mention that I was down .8 pounds this morning from my last drop day weight. How random is that? I'll probably be back to normal tomorrow, I just thought it was weird because I'm pretty sure I ate more yesterday than the other days that I "cheated." But I was mostly eating salads, strawberries, an apple... Wow- GOOD food DOES make a difference. Go figure. haha Too bad my body craves bad. It's a curse. Peanut butter M & Ms have been calling my name! I tried to curb the craving by eating apple slices with some peanut button on them. Yeah... definitely NOT the same! ;)

I thought I'd post some tips in case you're having a lot of hunger or if you're not happy with your loss rate:

- Spread your drops out. You can do 7 drops 5x a day. Or do 12 drops 3x a day or something like that. I changed mine up depending on how I felt. Experiment and see what works for you. Different people need different dosages.
- Half your fruit. Ex. Eat 1/2 an orange in the morning and the other 1/2 with your lunch. 3 hours later eat 1/2 an apple then add the rest to a chicken salad at dinner. Or something like that.
- Cut out the melba toast if you can. It seemed to make me hungrier.
- Add more veggies. There isn't a real measurement to follow. I mean, an entire cucumber is only like 45 calories.
- Don't eat the same protein 2x in one day. I did sometimes, but I read it slowed some other people down.
- Drink tons of water.

Day 8 maintenance

I've now been doing the maintenance part of hcg since last Thursday. So I guess this is day 8. I'm not counting the 3 days of no drops, but still only 500 calories. So far, so good. I surprisingly DIDN'T gain enough to merit a steak day even after the crappy eating. I gained a pound, watched what I ate - mostly protein- the next day and was back to my last drop weight the very next day. I have been within .2 pounds of my last drop weight every day since. I'm not gonna pretend I've been perfect this week because I haven't. I ate 2 small pieces of frozen pizza yesterday, but the other food I ate- an apple, chicken, salad... - were all fine. I have found that if I stick within 1200-1400 calories I don't seem to have a problem. And honestly, I'm not hungry enough to eat more.
I'm still kind of nervous to eat much, but I realize I am leaving on vacay soon and there's gonna be food. My husband is Polynesian and it's his family reunion: LOTS of FOOD. I have been trying to make sure I am more active each day which I should do anyway. We have hikes planned on our trip and this may sound crazy- but I'm taking my scale. I don't want it to get out of control. We are also taking snacks in the car- apples, carrots, granola bars, etc... so that cuts out fast food. I'm just trying to make better choices and eat ONLY when I'm hungry and only before 7pm if at all possible. I was hungry last nite and my man cooked steak around 10pm. I didn't have any. I wasn't starving and after drinking some water I was good.
I'm still trying to decide whether to do one more round after vacay. I'd love to lose 10 more pounds, but I'm also liking where I'm at- and a few of my shorts are really baggy in the butt area. My friend saw me for the 1st time since losing weight and she said "WOW!" She was surprised by how much my body had changed. She lost a lot of weight this last year as well. I told her I wasn't sure if I should lose more because I'd have to get all new clothes. She said, "DO IT! You won't have a lot of clothes, but they'll be new!!" haha I'll see how I feel after vacay. I'm wondering if I'll do a 2nd round as well now that the need to lose isn't so intense. Ya know? Or will I be like, "It doesn't matter if I cheat. I already fit in my clothes. These last 10 pounds are just for the heck of it..."?? It would definitely only be a 23 day round and then maintenance. That's still a big commitment. I'd love to shop for some cute jeans... mine are dorky. ;)

Maintenance Day 3

I am sucking eggs at maintenance!! I'm suppose to eat low carb veggies, lower sugar fruits, and protein- no sugar or starches. All I wanna do is go wild and eat! And I was not very good this weekend at all. And by "weekend" I mean Friday AND Saturday AND Sunday. I'm gonna be doin' a steak day for sure. My weight has been within a pound of my final weigh in after drops, but it's gonna catch up with me. I'm not eating A LOT of food, just not the food I'm suppose to be eating. In my defense... Friday we went to Oklahoma for a wedding and to visit the OKC Memorial I ate a 6 inch turkey sub, a chicken breast, salad and lots and lots of Reeses Pieces. :( They had a "candy bar" at the reception... But my weight was fine in the morning. Saturday I ate a salad with chicken on it, 2 pieces of pizza and some Nilla Wafer Firecracker Bites I made... See- not a lot of food, but not the "ok" food. Today I started out ok. I had sweet and sour meatballs with some salad. Then some yummy pudding fruit salad that was no ok. And a bowl of cereal. Idk why. I'm weak. But tomorrow I am vowing to do better and to do maintenance the way it's suppose to be done. I'm just thinking my weight will be up tomorrow and I'll be doing a steak day. We'll see.
What's funny is that I didn't eat that much today, but I feel gross. I don't like to feel gross. I've also realized I haven't been drinking as much water as I did the last 6-7 weeks. I am just sucking. But sucking ends RIGHT NOW. I WILL drink more water. I WILL eat the right foods. I WILL be strong!! YAY!

Day 3 no drops (aka Phase 3)

For the first 72 hours off of drops you're still suppose to follow the 500 calorie plan while all the drops work their way out of you system. My last drops were 11am on Monday- because I forgot to take them that evening. So, technically at 11am today I am free to start eating more. But I'm scared!! I'm starting to think the drops were my security blanket. I do so much better when I'm told, "This is all you can eat, in this amount." Now it's like I'm more in the real world- minus sugar and starches- and I'm scared!!
I DID totally screw up on Tuesday. We were at Six Flags all day. I ate a turkey sandwich, a funnel cake and some shrimp that was so good from Panda Express. I was hoping the 2 mile walk with my dog that morning, then all the walking that day would even it out. Nope. I gained 2.5 pounds. Boo. I know it's because there were still drops in my body, because really, my calories weren't that high. I mean, I shared the funnel cake with 2 other people. ;) So, I only ate an apple and some shrimp last nite. I also took the kids on a bike ride, & hiking on a trail with the dog. I haven't weighed this morning yet... I'm nervous. I'm such a dork. But I will weigh in a little while...
I'm nervous to start eating more, but I know I need to learn to eat normally again. I just SO don't wanna gain weight. I know if I continue to play basketball, take long walks with my dog, and eat good food, then I should be ok. I guess I'm not really excited about eating more because I can't eat a bowl of cereal yet or a slice of pizza. I really want a bowl of Frosted Cheerios. Is that so wrong? ;)
Anyway... I'll update thru out the maintenance phase. I'm hoping to not have to do a "steak day" at all. See, thru out maintenance I have to weigh myself every day. If my weight is more 2 pounds more or less than my weight on the last day of hcg, then I only drink lots of water and eat a big steak (8-14 oz.) that nite. Then have an apple or raw tomato. This should even my weight out the next day. The idea is training my body to recognize the new "normal" weight. You know how you kind of get "stuck" on a weight? That's what this diet is suppose to help do- fix your metabolism and help your body find it's new normal weight.
I am still trying to decide whether to do a short 23 day round when I get back from vacation. Of course, what I weigh when I get back may decide for me!

Day 35 measurements!!

These are the inches lost since my original measurements on Day 4. So, that would be the loss in just 31 days. Awesome. I can't believe the loss on my legs and arms. I mean, I'm stoked about the hips and waist for sure, but I HATED my thighs and arms and they shrunk a ton!!

Waist: 3" loss
Hips: 2.5" loss
Thigh (R): 2.75" loss
Thigh (L): 2.75" loss
Arm (R): 1.25" loss
Arm (L): 1.25" loss
Chest: 2" loss
Neck: 1" loss

Total inches lost in 35 days = 16.5 inches! :)

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.

After pics

I know I'm ending the drops in a couple of days, but I figured I'd take an "after" pic while I had on make up... lol
So, here they are!!
BEFORE

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AFTER

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. :(

Before pic

This is my before pic. I will post an "after pic" in a couple of days. I will wear the same jeans... or maybe the new swim suit I bought today!!!!

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