Day 20... Man, I love me some pink + sparkly!

It was a long day at work and I just finished exercising (it's always a long day at work having to be there for over 12 hours). Today was my last day until Tuesday. Yaay! My birthday is this weekend and so I'm happy to have it off although I don't have any special plans. Hubby already spoiled me this year with my pink bling bling swarovski license plate frame, pink sub woofer and amp (accent colors on my silver '08 Scion XB are black and pink+sparkly ;)--did ya'll know I was into cars?) and by letting me buy EA Sports Active 2. What a generous hubby I have!

Today for exercise I did EA Sports Active (the first one) for 19 minutes and burned 125 calories. I am more than 1/2 way completed with my 30 day challenge and can see a change in my strength and endurance. I can totally do things this time around than I could previously. It's amazing how much more easily you can move when you have less junk hanging on you (aka fat). It was a good day for exercise.

I weighed in this morning at 185.2 (yaay). That's all I'm gonna say about that. I currently cant take HCG due to a protocol restriction at the moment and I am bumming on that (there are surprisingly a few reasons why Dr. Simeons says you should take HCG). Oh well. A few more days and I can start again.

On another note, I realized what my problem is, and I just need to meditate and pray on it. Prayer helps find all answers. I need to take this to heart and just do it. Tomorrow I have a doctors appointment with my awesome doctor to get the results of my (pre HCG--round 3) blood work, and get my ultrasound results. Then I have a nail appointment (time for some different pink and sparklies!). Then I'm going to Costco to stock up on asparagus and all that good stuff I can eat. Joy.

Plan to exercise in the morning, but we'll see about the actual blog post.

Take care!

I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength! (Phil 4:13)

Day 13

I got a new toy! Last night we went to Target and they had EA Sports Active 2 on sale--40% off! I have been eying it for some time and hubby said I could buy it (an early bday present to me).

So this morning I woke up, did the original EA Sports Active, and then popped in #2. My USB thingy was faulty so it wouldn't let me use it. It tracks the info transmitted from the heart rate monitor and sensors that come with the game. Totally cool game (comes w/ a HRM?!? How awesome is that!). Needless to say I was disappointed that I couldn't do anything w/ it.

I called the customer service number and they said to send it back to them, and they would replace it (he said it was a pretty common problem w/ EASA2). I decided to just go back to Target and exchange it there, since I really want to play this thing. The replacement was not faulty and I was able to use it. Yaay!

I did the original for 21 minutes, burning 129 calories, and the EASA2 for 18 minutes and burned 91 calories. The 2nd one is different than the first. The first starts off w/ cardio (running or the like) and the 2nd starts w/ like a warm up-warm up (like active stretching), and ends with stretching. It has a real warm up and cool down, and tracks your HR the entire time--you actually see it up on the screen. Pretty cool.

Anyway, as far as my diet (R3P2D3) I'm not doing that great! Although my weight and measurements were the same as yesterday, that isn't real great. I think this round has been the toughest for me. I totally cheated last night and again today (I didn't do this w/ Phase 1 + 2). I would say that I don't know what my problem is, but I do. I was eating pretty healthy before I started round 3, and to go backwards and eat all of the "forbidden" foods to load w/, made me realize what I have been missing out on. It gave me a taste of stuff that I had forgotten that I liked. REALLY liked :(. I totally blew it again today, because I said that if I didn't gain, I wouldn't cheat... but I did, but only towards the end of the day. I was totally good until hubby got home and made something for dinner for him and the Monkey Boy, and I wanted a bite of. And I did. Then another and another, and by the time my fish was done cooking, I was pretty much full.

Oh well, I guess I will just try again tomorrow. It'll be easier because I have to work, and being confined to a desk makes it easy to not cheat. I know I can do it, if I can just make it a few days w/out cheating (lucky for me I work for the next 2 days). I will have to be really strong after that, because it's The Monkey Boy's birthday, and well, you know what goes w/ birthdays. Cake and/or cupcakes.

I'll be back tomorrow evening. Hope everyone has a good night!

I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength! (Phil 4:13)

Day 11 (17 squared)

Today I saw a theme with exercise. 17. I did 17 exercises for 17 minutes and burned 117 calories (EA Active again). Fun stuff, huh? It said I was gonna focus on my arms again, but it was just a bunch of lunges in different directions.

R3P2D1 (Round 3, Phase 2, Day 1)
I weighed in this morning at 193.4 (*tear*) but didn't do my measurements. I'll start tomorrow. I Did 2.25 load days--2 load days and load dinner last night because I burned my fish *grumble* (I've never burned anything in my life until now! What the hizzy yo?). Yesterday I weighed in at 195.6 so I actually dropped!

Today for breakfast I had coffee and a honey crisp apple (yum!!)
for lunch I had a salad : dark green romaine w/ cherry tomatoes and ground chicken
for dinner I had garlic halibut and french cut green beans (I ran out of asparagus) cooked in some fat free chicken broth.

I also drank 5 bottles of water (17 ozs)

I couldn't help myself because they were staring me in the face--I also had 2 chocolate chip cookies. Hubby made me throw them away *cry*

Doesn't sound like a lot, but I feel great! Of course I took my HCG. I wouldn't eat like this w/out it.

I worked today, it's getting late and I want to snuggle w/ the hubby before bed. Be back tomorrow.

I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength! (Phil 4:13)

Day 9 *shrugs*

Today's gonna be a short post. The Monkey Boy and Hubby are waiting for me to watch Mr. Bean.

Today I did the Wii Fit Plus. It has...I forget what they are called, customized workouts or something like that. You just tell it what you want to work on (posture, legs/hips, arms, overindulge, etc) and it gives you workouts (you can have up to 3+ for each) based on your selections.

I did 15 mins worth and burned 77 calories.

Today is day 2 of Phase 1 (HCG Diet--Round 3). It's my 2nd load day and I feel like I am gonna pop. Yesterday I ate ALL day and pretty much fatty crap foods. I gained only 1 lb. *shrugs*. If I eat healthy and exercise, I gain TWO lbs. Eat crap all day, gain 1. *shrugs.* At least it will be gone soon.

Be back tomorrow.

I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength! (Phil 4:13)

Day 8

Today is another late day. I just finished EA Sports Active and it's almost 10pm! I'm just glad I did it. I think it was supposed to be a "rest day" because it mentioned something about rest days --I aimlessly hit the "A" button so I didn't catch what it said--but it gave me a workout anyway. I'm pretty sure the pattern is 2 on 1 off, and today was a 3rd in a row. Anyway it was focusing on upper body, was 16 minutes and I burned 99 calories.

I noticed something today when we were out and about. I'm not sore! I don't know when this happened, but it just feels like I have recently used my muscles, like I have muscles (I am more aware of them again lol).

I woke up this morning w/ a 2lb gain, so I'm back to around the +10lb mark (I started the week off at 180). I really don't get it. I decided to go ahead and start w/ Round 3 (starting off w/ the homeopathic HCG that a friend from work gave to me). Today was load day 1 (tomorrow is the last). People talk about how there are 2 really awesome things about this diet--the load days and the weight loss. Although I do agree w/ one of them, it's not the first. The load days are torture to me. Stuffing myself and eating all the stuff I normally don't eat isn't as great as you'd think it would be. The HCG makes me feel full too, although I'm sure tomorrow will be a whole lot worse. The positive part is that the Monkey Boy is having a growth spurt so he is eating a lot to and that makes me VERY happy (who isn't happy when their baby dolls eat?). Here are my stats, although I'm a little embarrassed to be throwing them out there in the wind:

190.4 (ugh!!!!!!)
Bust: 38.5
R Arm: 11
Waist: 35
Hips: 43
R Thigh: 21

This is my 3rd round and I am wondering how my body will react. My first round, I lost a lot pretty quickly. My second round was pretty sluggish, but I still lost a fair amount of weight. Since I started this resolution (again) I have gained 10lbs, so I just want it off. If...when I get down to my magic number, then I want to try to have another baby. That's the whole reason why I'm doing this again. I want people to know that I'm pregnant when they look at me. Not that I'm just a "rolly pollie."

Off to bed!

See you tomorrow. The plan is to get this done and over with, sooner than later ;). We'll see.

I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength! (Phil 4:13)

Day 6 "You made that look easy"

Duh, maybe that's because it was! I just got finished doing Wii's EA Sports Active and it focused on upper body strength. It was only 16 minutes long and I burned 92 calories. "You made that look easy" was the last thing that my "trainer" said lol (so dumb).

I guess I'm done. It's late, I'm tired and I exercised. I'm just happy I am sticking to this. I feel like it never stopped, with the blogging and the procrastinating and the working... like I am back in the same place that I was at the beginning of last year. *shrugs*

Oh! I gained ANOTHER 2 lbs. What the hizzy yo? I did a partial egg day, eating 8 egg whites and a large chicken salad for dinner. It came w/ dressing on it, so I was a little bummed about that, but whatever. I'm really considering starting HCG tomorrow. If I gain again in the morning, I'm definitely going to start. I havent gotten my order in yet, but a friend from work gave me the homeopathic drops that she had (she had an allergic reaction to it. yikes!). Isn't that nice of her?

Ok off to bed. See you tomorrow! Hope everyone is well and blessed!

I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength! (Phil 4:13)

Day 4 is procrastination day!

It's 10pm and I JUST finished exercising. I thought for a second that I was going to blow it. I did the EA Active Sports 30 Day Challenge (day 2). I think this thing is playing mind games, because I swore I read AND heard her (my "trainer") say that we were focusing on upper body today, but all we did were various lunges (reverse lunges w/ a leg lift, side lunges with toe points and forward lunges). In my book, this counts as a leg day. We did some tennis drills, shoulder stuff and bicep curls too, but a lot more leg stuff. I exercised for only 22 minutes and burned 140 calories.

I was able to get in to see my doctor today and am so happy! It's the first time I have seen this doctor for personal reasons (I see her at work often) and was a little nervous. A while back I had mentioned here that I was doing the HCG diet and saw great results (have lost 40 lbs total) and wanted to discuss it with my doctor. I want to get blood work done again to compare with my previous lab work as an "after" and kind of as a "before" as I plan to do it again soon. My last doctor was completely "anti" so I was afraid of what her reaction would be.

She was 100% supportive and on board! She even offers the HCG diet in her office for $300 though--I buy mine online for $56 (3-5000IU ampules) and the supplies for $30-45 depending if I'm doing injections or sublingual AND this lasts me for 45 days. I'm seeing great results and have had no ill effects. She said that the research is 60 years old and no one wants to put in the effort to challenge his research. She follows the book Dr. Simeons wrote (like I do) and was so supportive. I was stoked! I am getting lab work done tomorrow and will compare it to what I had done before I started on the HCG diet with my previous doctor. When I have results, I will share them. Maybe. lol. Oh, and my sinus infection is almost gone (the whole reason why I went in the first place!). Double yaay.

I'm sure some of you are wondering why I didn't post my measurements and picture yet, like I did with the 2009 challenge (I would post a picture and measurements at the beginning of every month). I wanted to wait until I started the HCG diet again, so that will be soon!

I procrastinated all day with exercise, and see where it has left me? Exercising at 9:30pm when I should be in bed.

I'm off again tomorrow, so I'll be back... hopefully much earlier next time.

I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength! (Phil 4:13)

Day 20+21

So yesterday was Day 20 on Round 2 of the VLCD (R2P2D20). I weighed in at 187.8 (-1lb from the day before). It was a work day so I didn't have time to do my measurements.

Today--Day 21 (R2P2D21)

186.8lbs (-12 this round)

Bust: 38 (-4.5)
Arm: 10.8 (-1.2)
Waist: 33.5 (-6)
Hips: 42.8 (-3.7)
Thigh: 20.5 (-3)

I cheated today. I went to Cafe Rio. It was like a Phase 3 cheat, so hopefully I won't gain too much by tomorrow. If I do, oh well, not a big deal. I'm already down like 32lbs total since starting this entire diet (this is my 2nd round for those that don't know).

Have a great Sunday!

I can do this. I am a star.

Round 2, Phase 2, Day 18 (R2P2D18)

Today's weigh in:

Day 18

188.6 (-10.2)

bust: 39.5 (-3)
arm: 11 (-1)
waist: 34.5 (-5)
hips: 43 (-3.5)
thigh: 20.8 (-2.8)

Yesterday I weighed 189.4 and the day before that I stalled (I don't think I drank enough water).

My current fav lunch on Phase 2 is this, because it reminds me of a hamburger:


Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps
3.5 ozs ground chicken
splash of chicken broth
3 romaine lettuce leafs
1/4 onion (diced)
1/8c diced red/yellow/green bell peppers
1 roma tomato diced
garlic powder
yellow mustard

A very filling and yummy lunch...
I have learned one of the key points in this diet (something you learn overall, in all phases) that a lot of it is learning how your body reacts to what you put in it. The diet was written a long time ago (1950's) so a lot has changed in regards to how we eat (for better and for worse), and so people have been experimenting, using the same key elements (no starchy veggies/fruits and lean meats, etc), because there is more available. That's why there are various versions of the HCG Diet out there. Some people are ok with mixing vegetables and chicken broth, others are not. I am ok with mixing a few tbsps of bell peppers or even salsa in with my protein (only once a day), and I don't see any ill effects. I am also able to use a few splashes of chicken broth to cook with as I would use oil. I am able to use it for lunch AND dinner without any problems. Some people even use EV Coconut Oil without any problems because it has a positive effect on your metabolism. I'm afraid to try because the regular protocol says no oil at all (except for mineral oil becuase our body won't metabolize it), even in lotion, soaps and makeup.

Tomatoes are a fruit (regardless of what the protocol says) and my body reacts to them as such, so I consider them a fruit here. I tried using them as a veggie one day during my first round, while having my 2 fruits and I stalled for 4 days (wont be doing that again). For those that don't know, sugar and starches are not allowed in phase 2 and phase 3, so all of my ingredients are free of these things. This meal consisted of 1 fruit, 1 veggie (a handful total of mixed) and 1 protein. For breakfast I eat a 1/2 grapefruit with lots of water and coffee (man I love me some raspberry chocolate stevia in my coffee!). For dinner I eat either asparagus with tilapia or maji maji (3.5 ozs uncooked) or 1/2 a diced onion (if I didn't eat it for lunch), garlic and shrimp (3.5 ozs uncooked) with miracle noodles to make a shrimp scampi-ish kind of dinner. So yummy! Sometimes I even make soup.

Ya'll asked for a picture, so here ya go.


Hope ya'll have a great weekend.


I can do this. I am a star.

Here I am!

So, I'm not really sure where to start, as it's been almost forever since my last blog post. I never intended to leave you guys hanging. I attempted a blog post a few weeks ago, writing it out in hand, to post here, but time escaped again, and things have changed even more so that what I wrote was old news. How can I keep up with myself to keep you guys updated with the trials and errors in my journey to being thin? I guess the answer would be to blog everyday, but I did that once before and I just don't want to do it again. lol. Maybe I will post a short weight/measurement daily, since I keep track of that anyway, and will share anything special that comes my way, including but not limited to recipes for the different phases of the HCG diet.

I have been dreading this post because of the diet I mentioned that I was on last time. I knew that this post would be an extremely long, drawn out and defensive post, trying to explain everything, and I don't want it to be that way. There is SO MUCH info out there (seriously, just google "HCG Diet"), that there is no way that I can site everything, and take you on the same journey that I went on. I did read all of the negative articles as well and just did what I felt was right for me (I started off being very skeptical). So, that being said, if you don't have anything nice to say, I'm sure I have thought it as well. This is my decision, and I know a lot of you won't approve, so if you don't like it, I would appreciate you just not saying anything at all. Thank you in advance :).

Let me start by saying that since my last blog post, I have lost another 16 lbs (down 29.2 lbs total). I am on a second round of the diet that I mentioned (The HCG Diet). I did the first round for 23 days, then did the maintenance phase (aka phase 3--the phase that resets your metabolism) for the same amount of time, and now I am on my second round of phase 2.

People that don't understand this diet or who think they know this diet based on the little info most people get hung up on (the low calorie part) call it a cannibalism diet and/or a starvation diet. Shoot, when I first heard about this diet, I was so extremely close minded to hearing anything about it that I thought the same.

I can't remember what made me read about it, but I'm glad I did. A friend of mine mentioned that she was doing it, and I was very skeptical. I looked it up and it just went from there. I think I first read about MamaClok on youtube, and saw her progress, and just started googling it from there. I then stumbled upon the original protocol written by Dr. Simeons, a British endocrinologist, read what other doctors/clinics were saying, THEN I found out that my hubby's uncle and aunt were both doing the same diet, but through a doctor, and I felt better and was sold. Uncle B has been struggling with his weight for some time and doing this diet, with his doctor, he lost 59 lbs in 6 weeks! His wife, Aunt L, did just as well, averaging about a lb a day. People all around me are doing this diet, and seeing results AND are maintaining (there are peepz that have gained it all back an then some, but it's because they strayed from the protocol on phase 3 and let it get out of control), so I figured it was worth giving it a shot. If I felt bad, or dizzy, or hungry, I would stop. I never felt any of those things, so here I am.

The thing that got me with this diet was reading that it resets your metabolism. I have had a feeling, since right around the middle of last year that there might be something wrong with my metabolism. I worked my butt off in 2009 and it didn't make sense to me that I only lost 30 lbs. Don't get me wrong, that's great, but with all of the work I was putting in, and my weight (I'm obese) I should have lost more. My hubby said that he had never seen anyone work so hard, and lose so little. I have lost that in almost 2 months now and when I am not taking the HCG, I can eat 1500 calories and still lose weight. That's the way it's supposed to be (for my weight). That was HUGE, because it meant to me, that my metabolism had reset. Before this diet, I would eat 1500 calories, and nothing would happen at all.

I figured 23 days wasn't going to kill me, and if it would reset my metabolism, then it was worth it. The side effect of trying to reset my metabolism ended up losing almost 30 lbs. If it were cannibalism or a starvation diet, I would be in a hospital due to electrolyte imbalance/malnutrition (and so would everyone else that has done this for multiple rounds), I would be dizzy/nauseous everyday, my hair would be falling out, I would feel extremely hungry and weak, have no energy and I wouldn't be losing weight. Being in starvation mode makes your body hold on to what you do eat. You wouldn't be losing an average of 1lb a day. Yes, you'd lose weight eventually, but not right away. This diet doesn't eat away at your muscles. It eats away at your adipose fat cells. If it did, my body fat percentage wouldn't be decreasing weekly. I was dreading this post because I don't want to explain everything that I spent months researching and it kind of seems like I'm going in that direction. People also try to account the weight loss due to water weight, like we aren't drinking enough water, but you are supposed to drink like 90 ozs of water daily, so that's not the case.

Anyway I am doing this round for about 40 days, and I hope to be down into the high 150's-160's by the end of Phase 2. Then I will start round 3, which is eating enough food to support your new weight, without the HCG, and stay at that weight within +/- 2 lbs for the same amount of time that you did phase 2 for. If I am happy there, then I will stop. When I am done losing weight, I'm going to screw it all up and have a baby. I just don't want to be obese and have another one. The first time I got pregnant, no one knew I was pregnant because I was so big. This time, you will know. For sure.

One of the other reasons that I like this diet, is that I know what I will be eating everyday. The protocol is very clear in what you can eat and what you cant, and that makes the food part of my life very simple. I also have a different relationship with food. On this diet, food means nothing to me. I don't eat it becuase it makes me happy, and it doesn't represent anything in my life. That is awesome to me. Serving sizes also mean something now. I mean, they did before, but I weigh everything I eat, and at the end of the day, its just so rewarding. I see the benefits the next day which makes being motivated that much easier. Who wouldn't be motivated to lose weight, seeing the number on the scale drop every single day. Sweet!

So to honor what I said at the beginning of this post, here are my stats. I use an iPhone app called hCG app, and it tracks all of this for me.n All of these numbers are for my current round (my 2nd)...I started round 1 at 215.

Day 15 on Phase 2
wt: 189.6/-9.2 lbs (starting wt 198.8--round 2)
bust: 40.0/-2.5" (round 2 start: 42.5)
arm: 11.0/-1" (round 2 start: 12)
waist: 34.8/-4.8" (round 2 start: 39.5)
hips: 43.5/-3" (round 2 start: 46.5)
thigh 21.0/-2.5" (round 2 start: 23.5)

How can I argue with these results. If you have questions, please feel free to ask. I wont comment to anything negative. I know how crazy this diet seems, but 23 days didn't kill me, and 40+ more days wont either. I also plan to go to the doctor when I am done, so that I can prove that all is well.

I hope everyone is well. Sorry for the silence. I think about blogging everyday, but I just didn't know what to say because it has been so long. It's like one of those friends that you talk to every day for a long time, and then just stop, for whatever reason. The longer it goes by, the harder it is to say something, and then what do you say? lol.

I can do this. I am a star.