R1P4D7

LIW 159.4
Daily Gain .9
Above LIW 2.2
Current Weight 161.6
Food Tracker
Exercise: 30 minute cycling (18mph per stationary bike calculator), 10 minutes Biggest Loser cardio video on ExerciseTV

Should be doing steak day today, but TOM seems to be on the horizon (don't ask me how I know that :), so I feel comfortable eating well today and not doing only steak.  Though it is 11am already and Ive only eaten 10 chocolate covered almonds, so I might be able to pull it off....with what kind of results, I have no idea.

Worked out with a few weights last night (just arm curls), and did 1/2 hr on my stationary bike, since I wasn't able to walk on the treadmill.  Finished up around 10pm, and wasn't really tired, so stayed up til midnight watching bad but enjoyable TV.  Today Im feeling a little fatigued and both feet are giving me issues.  Figured out that I must have messed them up Sat night-when I was wearing heels (I never wear heels), and then dancing on said heels.  The ice didnt seem to help yesterday, so today I'm going to try soaking them in hot water.  And finally breaking down and taking some pain killers-maybe some advil...I dont really like to take meds.   I just hope Ill be able to start walking again soon...tomorrow its supposed to be sunny and 70 degrees after all the cold and rain we've had for the last week.

Getting ready to start R2 soon.  Big day is the April 19th-R2P2.  I'm looking forward to losing again, though I hope to get down to 155 before then in order to not worry about gaining 4 lbs of loading...with all the gains Ive been having lately, not sure if Ill be able to pull that off, but Im sure going to try. 

R1P4D6

LIW 159.4
Daily Loss .9
Total above LIW 1.3
Current Weight 160.7
Food Tracker
Exercise: One hour swimming

Last night I made it to Masters Swim despite lots of pain on the top of my right foot.  It looks like I might have bruised it, and perhaps strained the muscles on the top of my foot.  Either way, I made it worse last night (especially after using my flippers), and its difficult for me to walk today....whenever I move my ankle or put pressure of the foot, it HURTS!   While Im working today, I'm going to have my foot propped up with an ice pack to hopefully ease the swelling...and I will be asking my boss to work from home the rest of the week, since I wont be able to drive if I cant move my foot, right? 

On a brighter note, we did 1900m in Masters last night (thats 12 lengths past a mile).  Thats the longest I've ever swam in a day.  And it has me wondering if I should sign up for the 1.5 mile open water swim held locally at a lake in June.  Just the thought scares the heck out of me, especially since my tri wetsuit is probably way too big for me (it is a Mens Size L since thats what I fit into-width not length :)), and I definitely don't want to be in the water without a little floatation to pull me through, just in case...Anyone want to do it with me?

Lost .9 yesterday thanks to the swimming...not thanks to my eating, since it was terrible!   I was hungry for crap all day, and didnt really hold myself back too much.  Looks like my candida it is coming back with a vengenance.  At least now all the cookies are out of the house.  And the Tuscan salad from Houlihans.  And the flatbread pizza from date night.   Its nice to know that I can have anything I want to eat now, in moderation, and it will only throw me off for a little while. 

Once I'm down to my goal weight, my plan is to get my candida under control for good, and eat heathly throughout the week and let myself have one day of the weekend to let loose.  I will weigh myself once per week on a Friday, and then Sat will probably be my splurge day, since we have our date nights that night most weeks.  And then by eating clean til the next Friday, I should be able to maintain spendidly.  Thats the goal, anyway. 

My short term plan is to do one more long round from mid April to end May, lose 20-30lbs then (fingers crossed), finish P3 by third week of June, and maintain all during the summer and fall so I can train fully for my triathlon season.  Then I will reassess in October if I want to do another round or two-or if I can actually lose on my own without the HCG. 

Goals for me this year include: (this does not include those things I am presently doing regularly):

• Getting to my goal weight of 130 and staying there
• Remembering to take my supplements daily
• Adding one new recipe to my repetoire a week
• Trying one new vegetable or fruit a week (after P2, of course)
• Increase the quality of the food I serve my kids daily (have you seen food revolution-so eye opening!)
• Daily favorite thing about myself and my day (for me and my hubby)
• Doing 50 pushups in a single session 
• Completing the 1.5 mile swim
• Completing a 5K in less than 30 minutes
• Completing two Sprint triathlons and one Olympic, or if I am still having foot issues, completing the same distances are aquabikes (no run)
• Finally doing the 30 day shred video, and if I like it, actually completing the program (ie once a day for 30 days)-I've had the video for about a month now and havent opened it yet!
• Continue to blog at least three times weekly after finishing R2

Goals I have attained to date and will continue to persue (if applicable):

• Drinking 3L of water a day
• Stop biting and picking my nails (now they look GREAT!). 
• Returning to Masters Swim at least one day a week
• Walking/aerobic exercise at least three days a week
• Returning to Yoga-doing it once a week
• Loss of 30 lbs
• Signing up to mentor 7 students at my alma mater IIN-starts in April
• Learning to love, be gentle with, and reward myself
• Taking time for myself, making time with my kids, making time for my husband

What about you?  What are your goals for the the next three months?  The next six?  All of 2010?

ps-still no TOM

R1P4D5-Up

LIW 159.4

Daily Loss .4
Above LIW 2.2
Current Weight 161.6

So the modified steak day with benefits did not work. Wonder why I thought it would? Only .4 down, making me above my LIW more than 2 again. But I really dont want just steak again, do I? Though being really busy today, that might be ok. Not sure if I should just eat really clean and hope for the best tomorrow (though really clean would have to include a double chocolate cookie that I just had for breakfast-oops ;} ), or do a chicken day, or ? What do you think? No matter what, I will definitely be eating less calories today, and I may skip my workout (masters swim tonight) since the muscles in the top part of my right foot are killing me (not sure why? no workout or child related injury that I can remember from yesterday) and no kicking doesn't really make for effective swimming-or walking, either. Wonder if I did it Sat night when I was bombed on martinis?

Today Verizon is coming to install FIOS so I wanted to make sure I posted before my internet goes down. I also once again have tons of listings to review (and poor me, I dont need my internet to do them, so thats not getting me out of it). So a busy day...

And still no TOM-Im getting a little worried....I had an ectopic pregnancy back in 2007 that didn't show up on pregnancy tests til I was 8 weeks along, and I definitely don't want to go through that again. We were trying to get pregnant at the time, and it was devastating, especially since they had to remove one of my fallopian tubes and indicated that it might take me a long time to get pregnant again. Little did they know that my body didn't hear what the doctor said, and I was pregnant (without even trying) 5 months later. So now that we are done having kids, or so we think, I have to worry that I'm pregnant again. Fun. Anyone else out there have this happen to them-ie not get their period during P3-P4 after being regular for a long time? (besides, Jen P, who seems to be in the same boat as me right now with the ever elusive TOM). How long did it take to come back? If I dont see if within a week, Im going to make an appointment with my midwife and get checked out. I would hate to start round 2 with this hanging over my head.

R1P4D4

LIW 159.4
Daily gain 2
Over LIW 2.6
Current Weight 162

Went out for a wonderful dinner with my Hubby last night, and I ended up having four fruity decadent martinis before the food came out. I didn't overeat, however, those, in combination with some delish fried calamari and chorizo in puff pastry definitely brought my weight up. Today I did a modified steak day, in that I had sausage for breakfast, a 12oz steak for lunch and a 16oz steak for dinner. Lots of protein with two chocolate cookies, asparagus, and brussel sprouts thrown in for good measure. Wonder what the scale is going to say tomorrow.

And still no TOM- why does he elude me so? Definitely not pregnant- took a test just to make sure.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Ugh! Bloated and bellyaching...

My belly hurts...

too much smoked salmon spread sampling and bean cheese burrito shoveling...

no more cheese and bean combos for me in the near future...though I really think it was the eggs in the salmon spread since I felt the belly ache a little after that and before the burrito.

Which brings me to the question, why do I do these things to myself?  After the salmon, I wasn't even hungry anymore, but I just had to have that burrito, didn't I?  This kind of eating/thinking is what got me into this fat mess to begin with.  For the rest of the day I'm going to take it easy, listen to my belly and body, be gentle to myself, and eat well.  See you later...

R1P4D2

LIW 159.4
Daily Loss .2
Above LIW .2
Current Weight 159.6
Food Tracker
Exercise: 45 minute walk 15m/mile; Swimming 45 minutes

I love P4 so far...adding back some good foods with a little sugar slowly (like sunflower butter straight out of the jar! or almond macaroons! or chocolate almonds!), so yummy, and other .2 released!  Im only .2 above LIW, YIPEE-I-O!   Today Im going to test my body with a black bean and cheddar burrito and salsa from Whole Foods...Ive warned those around me in my office to stay away after lunch since there may be a noxious odor eminating from my cube thanks to those beans.  And I feel so bad for those poor souls that will be walking behind my treadmill later at the gym.  In fact, I might just have my pick of any machine, the smell will be so bad ;).  I wonder, though, how my stomach will do with wheat again, and will it cause a gain?

Anyway, off to a meeting...Happy Friday everyone!  Make sure to do something wonderful for yourself this weekend...Ill be checking in on you...

ps-forgot to mention that the sugar definitely caused me to crash yesterday...I was so tired by 4pm that I had to take a nap before my Reiki followup class and Masters Swim.  This morning I am feeling the same fatigue..which could be related to the sugar, the fact that I didnt sleep too well last night (woke up 4 or 5 times) or perhaps to TOM, who still has not made his presence known.  Its definitely an interesting thing...and I will definitely be eating it in moderation!

P4 Starts NOW

LIW 159.4
Daily Loss .7
Above LIW .4
Current Weight 159.8
Food Tracker
Exercise: 45 minute walk outside 4 ml/hr pace

I can definitely handle a stabilization weight of .4 above LIW!  That rocks, if it stays in place.  Have to admit I started adding some new foods in yesterday...since this is my first round, I definitely want to see if I have stabilized and what that looks like in terms of my body accepting new foods.  Yesterday, I had a full organic blueberry greek yogurt for breakfast, as well as some granola with almonds for a snack, 1/2 cup of corn (it was so good), and a tiny piece of whole wheat bread added to my dinner.  With all the food I ate yesterday (though within my calorie count), I felt stuffed all day.  My stomach was upset for about an hour in the evening, and I was really stinking up the joint, but low and behold a loss this morning.  I ate lots of fruit yesterday too, and had some macadamias...so my body seemed to be ok with the combo.

Still no TOM, but like last month, I know its coming, its just on its own schedule.  Im expecting it today or tomorrow now...just in time for the weekend-JOY!

Anyway, for those of you tracking like me, here are my Wk 10 and 11 Measurements (completion of P3):

Last Day of R1P3

LIW 159.4
Daily Gain .7
Above LIW 1.1
Current Weight 160.5
Food Tracker
Exercise: 30 minutes 3.8m/hr; 10 minute stationary bike, 5 minute rebounder

What a B**** I have been yesterday and this morning, especially to my poor hubby. PMS is rocking my world the last two days. And I have no idea if I have stabilized or not during this round? It seems to go up and down and by every third or fourth day, I have to eat another steak, and while its good to be within 2 lbs, it sure is hard to stay there. Should I forgo doing that in P4 just to test my body, or keep on keeping on until after the next round, which will be the ultimate test?

It sure is good to be aware of everything going on with and going into my body, but boy, is it time consuming and discouraging sometimes. Good thing I have the goal in mind, and every week or so I put on those size 28 Seven jeans and laugh (my ass off, hopefully!). They still fit, if you call my butt crack, or perhaps, 1/2 of my entire butt hanging out that back fitting...now thats what I call low riders! Just wait, this June, I will be posting a pic of me in those jeans, front AND back...and baby definitely wont have as much back!

Love all you guys out there in the blogosphere, thanks for your support, your kindness, and generosity. You make this journey much easier and more fun!

Now who wants my size 16 pants that I am NEVER gonna fit in again?

R1P3D20-almost to P4

LIW 159.4
Daily Loss 2.0
Above LIW .4
Current Weight 159.8
Food Tracker
Exercise: Four laps in a pool :(

So I just have to say that I LOVE my new Taylor scale.  I bought it so I wouldn't have to go into the living room every morning and get naked in front of my family, and whomever else was peeking in the windows, to weigh myself on the Wii Fit.  Yes, I love getting my stamp every morning, but now that its bright and sunny out in the morning when I weigh myself, and I have neighbors that love to get up early every morning and work on their gardens, lawns, chasing bunnies, I really would rather not share my intimate details with them.  And when I weighed myself on both scales this morning, the Taylor said 158.8 three times in different locations in the room-just to test the floor, of course (wow, below LIW!), and the Wii said 159.8.  Which would you prefer ;} ?  But yes, I have kept the Wii weight up in my tracker above.   I really need to test the Taylor scale to see if its consistantly 1 lb less than the Wii before I decide which will be the gold standard.  I'll probably just switch to the Taylor no matter what once I start R2.

Re the exercise listed above, I waited to exercise til last night at Masters Swim...went in my swimsuit, coverup and flipflops, and was sorely disappointed when they closed the pool due to lightning.  And then I couldn't work out...I didn't even have any underwear, and flip flops dont really work for my feet on the treadmill.  When I got home at 9pm, I knew if i tried to do cardio then I would never go to sleep, so I figured I would just watch a little TV and go to bed after a cup of chamomile tea.  So exercise is definitely on the agenda today.  Probably the treadclimber at the gym if I can make it there during lunch.

Can't believe that Im already 20 days into P3.  And while technically I am moving into P4 in two days, I definitely will be sticking close to the P3 tenets until my next P2 starts mid April (three more weeks!)....though I really am sick of steak days.  They work well for me, so I'm hestitant to do other types of protein days, but I will need to get over that to make sure I can make this diet sustainable for me until mid June (that will be the end of R2P3 for me).  I am looking forward to making some P3/P4 recipes from this site   once Im stabilized a little more.  Then I need to start working on controlling my candida...fun!

And tomorrow marks the arrival of TOM ( I hope) so I wonder what it will do to my body now that there is no HCG in it?  How has it affected you?

Bad Lightning

So the pool was closed on my fourth length due to lightning (yes, we were inside)...so instead of 1600m I did 100, ugh :(

Have to make up for it tomorrow...good night, everyone!

Rewarding yourself

Love this post from my favorite BYTer Betsy, who talks about rewarding yourself often:

The path is long, the terrain dull

Yeah, okay, it’s not the Bataan Death March, but dieting can…drag on a bit, yes? You need joy along the way to keep you motivated. When you tell yourself, “I’ve got to lose 30 pounds”, can’t you just feel your energy plummet? We want you to feel happy along the journey, not just when you reach a goal weight. Feed your spirit with rewards as you go, and you’ll be more likely to keep going.

Change is hard
There are some people who embrace change with a spring in their step and a song in their hearts, and they never, ever get invited to my dinner parties. I’m one of the fearful plodders. I need reinforcement. A lot of reinforcement. I can’t even muster a sprightly slog along the path of change unless it’s positively littered with treats. Losing weight means making a lot of changes in body, mind, and spirit. Rewards help you embrace them.

Rewards get your brain on your side

You know those mean voices inside you that love love love to beat you up? The ones on an endless loop of You’ll always be fat/You can’t lose weight/ Might as well give up/ You can’t do it/ See, I told you you’d fail? Imagine they’re goofy seals and you’re gonna toss ‘em some sardines to shut ‘em up. If you’re diligent about rewarding yourself, you’ll soon have your brain on your side. Say…if I play nice, she treats me nice! Rewards remind you that you’re succeeding, and that quiets down the mean self-talk. You’ll beat yourself up less. Hey—when you notice that happening…give yourself another reward!

What’s a reward?

Here I borrow from life coach Martha Beck’s definition of “treat” in her marvelous The Joy Diet: Anything that makes you feel like smiling. Personally, I’m clam-happy with a simple houseplant, and reward myself with them frequently. (Sadly, no, my house isn’t a verdant rain forest, on account of how I also accidentally kill houseplants with my black thumb, necessitating constant restocking.) I also reward myself with TED lectures (download them for free from iTunes), buying a favorite song download or two, trying a new nail polish, playing my favorite online game (no, I won’t tell you the name, because I’ve wasted far too much time on it). Larger rewards for me include bigger plants, mani-pedis, a new top from eBay, and the like.

Rewards need not be expensive—my African violets cost $3.99—but they must give you joy.

You’ll want to stock up with a handy-dandy list of rewards for short-term weight loss goals (we recommend any number ending in a “0” or “5”, a weight loss of between 2 and 5 pounds), medium-term goals (5, 10, 15, 20, 25… pounds), and your goal weight. Or hell, why not reward yourself for any movement whatsoever toward your goal? You took a walk? Give yourself a reward! You did something to calm your stress level? Give yourself a reward! You bought yourself some good athletic shoes? Give yourself a reward! You backed away from the Thin Mints instead of running the whole sleeve? Give yourself a reward! Are you detecting a theme here?

I can’t decide your rewards for you, because I have no idea of what would make you smile. If you’re stuck, you can always brainstorm by filling in these blanks:

I like the smell of _______ (Perfume? Flowers? The top of a baby’s head?)

I like the sound of _______ (An African rainstorm? Your favorite dance tune? A giggling toddler? A Chris Rock monologue?)

I like the feel of _________ (A long immersion in the fur and purr of your kitty? Your dog’s soft ears? A favorite cashmere scarf?)

I like the sight of ________ (Pick a YouTube! Go spelunking in your iPhoto library!)

For obvious reasons, I like to avoid food rewards, except for treating myself to semi-extravagant healthy foods, like artichokes and avocados, my personal faves. I’ve been known to consume an entire bag of Trader Joe artichoke hearts at a sitting, jabbing my fork pointedly at anyone threatening to penetrate my airspace.

So: Brainstorm your rewards, then be diligent about rewarding yourself early and often. Because you deserve it!

What are your favorite rewards?

STOP the FAT talk

This is so relevant, though I missed the week by two years...

R1P3D19-Steak Day again

LIW 159.4

Daily Gain .7
Above LIW 2.5
Current Weight 161.8 (per the Wii, but it should be 161.9 per the numbers)

No food tracker today
Exercise:
Sat-yoga 70 minutes, walk 4 miles
Sun-walk 4 miles


Hi bloggy peeps, sorry for not writing since Friday. The weather was beatuiful this weekend and I spent most of it outdoors, and when I did come in, my internet wasn't working, so no posts...My food this weekend was atrocious in terms of sticking to no sugar no starch, but delicious in my belly. Sat night we went to our friend Kristen's birthday party, and as a treat for herself, she made mint chocolate chip ice cream cake (my favorite). I decided to treat myself as well, knowing full well that I would most likely gain and need a steak day on Sunday (especially since I was only .2 away that morning). And so I had a piece. And it was so good I decided to have another piece. And then I had three glasses of wine. And then a chocolate brownie with strawberries and whipped cream on top. Before those treats, I had tons of guacamole and buffalo chicken cheese dip. If I was going to have a steak day anyway, might as well make it good. OMG, it was wonderful. And then yesterday, not one ounce gained. YIPPEE! Im sure it was because I was dehydrated from the wine, and the fact that I did a yoga class, and walked about 4 miles that day. Either way, it was great.

Yesterday was the local Y's 5K that my hubby decided to run in (his first-great job, baby!), and afterwards they had our favorite water ice vendor and cookies, both of which I decided to partake in (maybe a little test to see how far I could go with this no gain thing). We also went to lunch with hubby's parents, and I had onion strings and sweet potato fries in addition to my burger. Again, so good. But that filled me up for most of the day, as did the 6L's of water I drank trying to counteract the food I was eating (another test). But even after all the walking, water, espon salt bath, and number 2 bathroom fun this morning, I was still up .7. Thats ok. So on with the steak tonight. And on with work, 9 more pages of my listing due today (so I really dont have time for food anyway is what im telling myself :)

Have a wonderful week, my friends. You deserve it!

Down 2lbs & HCG book

LIW 159.4
Daily Loss 2.0
Above LIW 1.1
Current Weight 160.5
Food Tracker

Still 1.1 above LIW, but at least its not another steak day. I still couldn't figure out what was going on that brought me up so much, and then I remembered that I got a free Mystic Tan (one of those spray on ones) on Wed...and thought maybe that could have caused me to retain water? Who knows...any of you ever gain that way?

Walked around my office complex for 45 minutes at lunchtime yesterday since it was so nice out, left an hour early since the database to do my listings (yes I am still doing them, 13 pages to go and due EOB on Mon) went down for an hour, did some listings at home, cooked my big ole steak on the grill (yum, even biggest son loved it), watched a little tele with the hubby, and took an hour long bath before bed. I sure do love my baths...especially with a good book. So all in all, a good day, even though I couldn't fall asleep until after 2am. I sure am tired today...but happy to eat my sausage and chicken and oopsie rolls later.

At lunch I will be walking again, this time with a jogging stroller containing my 44lb son, who will not walk the entire 3.5 miles I plan on doing, so we will see how that goes-thats a lot of weight to push. Tomorrow I have both boys solo since hubby is working, and the plan is to go to yoga in the morning, and the local Y's 5K expo tomorrow afternoon to register for the 1M fun run (since Ill be pushing the kids, and it will be much more like a fast walk :)) and to sign hubby up for the 5k (his first ever!), and then DATE NIGHT (no going crazy with food this time, I promise!...a salad and some wine will do the trick). Sunday is aforementioned run and brunch with the inlaws. All in all a full wonderful weekend.

Anyway, sorry this post is so boring and full of to dos...just documenting for myself so when I look back I say, oh yeah, that happened. After all these years of getting my coaching clients to document their own lives in diaries, etc, I finally practice what I preach.

And in thinking of that (practicing what I preach), I will now post my favorite thing about yesterday and one thing I love about myself:

1) having dinner with my oldest son on the deck outside
2) my bloated belly :)

What would your answers be today?

ps-for any of you that so graciously offered to contribute your story to the HCG Success Story book, I am hoping to get the questionnaires back by the end of March so I can start compiling the data. Would you please email me or comment if you have not received the questionnaire, or if you need more than two weeks more to complete the questionnaire?

For those of you just finding out about the book, if you would like to contribute your story, please leave a comment here with your email address and I will send you a questionnaire right away. Thanks!

WTF?

LIW 159.4

Daily Gain 1.8
Total above LIW 3.1-ugh!
Current Weight 162.5
Food Tracker

How the HELL can I be so much over LIW when I did EVERYTHING right yesterday? I ate well, I did not drink anything but water last night since they didnt have the wine I wanted, I drank lots of water (5 glasses at the bar alone), I came home early (10:45pm) while all the girls stayed out, got 8 hrs of sleep, and didn't do anything crazy during my workout yesterday (walked 50 min at 15/min ml pace, as per usual). And TOM's not due for over a week. So WTF?

Made a roast chicken last night for lunch and dinner today, before I found out about this undeserved steak day, and I was so looking forward to eating it. I had a few bites as part of dinner last night, and it was delicious. Originally I was going to rotisserie it, but it was too big for the toaster oven. As a result, I threw it in a roasting pan covered in olive oil, tomatoes, red peppers, and onions and let it cook at 325 degrees for 1.5 hrs. So yummy. That is definitely going to be my food for tomorrow, no matter if I'm up or not...If Im up again, then Ill just have a chicken day, instead of a steak day...

Oh well, its supposed to be 68 today, so Ill be headed out for a walk during lunch. Take my mind off not being able to eat.

Whats your action plan for today? Hope you enjoy it!

ps-Ive been doing the 'whats the best part of my day' and 'whats one thing I love about you' with my hubby every night...and Im going to do it for myself too right now.  The best part of my day yesterday was spending time with my kids after work while hubby was at Budokon (my sons were so cute chasing each other around.  my biggest said the sweetest things to his brother...I love you little brother...you are so adorable..., he is so lucky to have a brother that loves him so much), and the thing I love about myself is my ability to go with the flow despite disappointment.  I am committed to this weight 'release' journey and nothing is going to stop me!

Happy St Pats Day!

LIW 159.4
Amount above LIW 1.2 Daily release .2
Current Weight 160.6
Food Tracker
Exercise: 3.46 miles at 15 min/ml pace: 270 calories burned

Two weeks into P3! Whew! The first scale I used this morning (that always has me guessing) said 163.5 and then 162.5, so I assumed my Wii Fit scale would say close to that, aka steak day. But it has me .2 under yesterday, so I will definitely take that. My body seems to like 160-161, and Im ok with that. But I want the stomach bloat to go away...guess I would need to give up my daily whipped cream on strawberries fix for that, huh?

Being a true irish lass (well, only about 40%, but I have the name and green eyes), I am going to go out with the girls tonight and party it up in my green shirt, my kiss me Im Irish beads, and with these huge liter size green beer glasses that I don't drink out of anymore (since they're about 10 yrs old and too hard to clean due to their shape) but are always great props-aka conversation starters. I'm going to have one glass of wine, and enjoy my much deserved night out after working like a fiend these last few days.

What are you going to do to go GREEN today? Whatever it is, have a wonderful time!

R1P3D13

LIW 159.4
Daily Gain .8
Current Weight 160.9
Above LIW 1.5
Food tracker

So up .8 today...could it be the cashews, the small amount of sour cream I used in my soup, or the swimming? Does chlorine cause bloat?
I ended up swimming 1000m (~.63 of of mile) last night during the 1/2 hour I was there. My coach threw me out at 9 saying he wanted to make sure I was back on Thursday, knowing if I stayed longer I might not be able to move my arms before Thurs. It sure did feel good to get back in the pool...and despite the number of people at Masters last night, I stayed cool (its normally like a sauna in there due to construction). I felt good, and I swam good. All of Coach Ken's tips and tricks made my swimming more efficient so I wasn't as tired as I normally am, even after not being there for a while. I wasn't any faster than I was before, but at least there was someone in my lane that was as slow as me. :) Im looking forward to going back on Thursday.

Busy week this week...still doing the endless listing, lots of meetings, girls night out for St Pats Wed, in the office (40 min from my house) tomorrow and Thursday, a week of free tanning to use up, grocery shopping and cooking needed...gotta go!

Make sure to do one REALLY nice thing for yourself today...even if you just look in the mirror and say, You're Beautiful (and MEAN it!).

Whenever you need a pick me up...

R1P3D12

LIW 159.4
Daily loss 2.0
Above LIW .7
Current Weight 160.1

Spark People Food tracker

So I lost the two pounds I gained from my escapades Saturday night, and am comfortably within my 2 lb range.  Clean eating today should get me down a little more, or at least not up.  After blogging last night, I did 1/2 hour on the treadmill at a 16/min mile pace, and then relaxed in a hot epson salt bath (since my body was sore from yoga) with my hubby before calling it a night.  Had trouble falling asleep for the first time in a while, though...and drifted off to slumberland around midnight.

Today I am busy doing listing review for work...its been taking me over an hour a page for review, since I need to check two databases while reviewing it and then writing queries.  The bad news is that I need to review it again after my initial review for other issues, its 30 pages long, and I'm only on page 3!  Ill be a busy bee this week.  I also have more training at work this Thurs, meetings all week, and a home office to clean so I can find what I need to get everything done.  At lunchtime, I am going to relax, however, and go tanning (free week long tanning coupon expires today)-its only for 8 minutes, so I wont be exposed for too long, but hopefully I'll feel brighter and more energized since its such a dreary day outside. 

Tonight I plan to go back to Masters Swim at the Y for the first time in 5 months.  Its basically like being on the swim team in high school...you do drills, and in the lane I'm in (the slowest), you normally swim 1600m (1 mile) in the hour/1.5 hrs you are there.  They hold it M and TH nights from 8-9:30pm, and my plan from this point forward is to be there at least once per week.  Tonight, since its my first night back since October, I will only be allowed to swim for 15-20 minutes (so as not to overdue it, and so I can move my arms and neck tomorrow), and I think thats about all I will be able to do.    I am going to be so slow...especially since my shoulders are still sore from Saturday.  Thats ok, though, it will be good to see my swim peeps again and get back into the water. 

I need to get started on the Cto5K program again (if no pain/injury) so that I'm fully established before going into R2P2 (mid April is my start date).  I am going to exercise all throughout P2 next time, so that will be interesting. 

For those of you that exercise during P2, is there anything you avoid?  Any tips?

R1P3D11-Fully Deserved Steak Day!

LIW 159.4
Current Weight 163.1
Daily gain 2.0
Above LIW 2.7

Yesterday, I gained .4 and the day before that I was .3 above LIW, so that brings me to almost 3 lbs above LIW. And this steak day is fully deserved. Hubby and I went out to our favorite restaurant Honey for our date night last night (its been 60 days since Ive been there!)...and this is a restaurant that you do not make substitutions at since the menu is so artfully crafted and delicious. You order small plates (tapas) and share. I went with the full knowledge that I would ordering off the menu and that I might not be able to stick to the no sugar no starch deal. Since the power was out due to the storm that we had last night, most of the meat dishes that had no sugar or starch were not available AND we ate by candlelight...meaning I couldn't really see the starches in order to avoid them, and I'm glad I didn't get higher than a 2 lb gain this morning.

My hubby and I shared:
Broccolini with crab and cheese fondue
Tuna with garlic aioli and tomatoes
Spinach and tomato torte-just one bite (and didnt have the torte part)
Coffee short ribs with fried shallots
Pear and goat cheese rissotto cake with butternut squash sauce- just one bite
Glass of Pacific Rim Chenin Blanc
And the topper, chocolate chili creme brulee-and yes, I finished a whole 1/2 of it

Can you say YUM? Definitely! I also had a big salad for lunch with roasted chicken, tomatoes, feta cheese, pepperoni and bacon, and for breakfast I had a few oopsie rolls with guacamole, and 6 pieces of uncured turkey bacon. Hubby and I also did yoga yesterday, so there are all sorts of things I did yesterday that could have contributed to the gain.

Here's hoping that steak day works for me tomorrow. I have tons of things I've precooked that I need to start eating before they go bad.

Today I went to an Endurance Sports Expo to get me ready for this Triathlon season, and purchased some new bike shoes and running shoes, both sorely needed. I plan to start full training by mid June (after my second round of HCG) and do my first event in August. I am going to do at least two sprints this season and one Olympic distance. I also may do some aqua-velo events (just the swim and bike) since I dont know if I will be able to build up to running more than 6 miles due to pains my body has currently just from walking. There is actually a 1/2 Iron distance event that is allowing an aqua bike, so I might do that. It would be a 1.2 mile swim and 56.6 mile bike. Im pretty sure I could handle that!

What about you? What are your fitness goals for this season? This year?

R1P3D9

LIW 159.4
Current Weight 159.7
Daily Loss .2

So I ate pretty well again yesterday, with the exception at dinnertime.  I actually came home from my training ready to go work out, and once I went into the kitchen I realized how hungry I was and ate all my dinner at 4:45pm.  See here for my food.  I had cashews, which most people say dont  have til later on in P3 or even P4, but they didnt seem to affect me, and they were SO good.  But they also didnt fill me up like I thought they would. I could have eaten the whole can of them.  And more whipped cream and strawberries, I LOVE THEM!

Today, I was happy to see that I am only .3 above my LIW.  I might just be starting to get the hang of this.  We shall see how tomorrow goes, however, as I added in a little cheese and egg today.  I decided to make all the recipes I had been holding out on, and see how they taste.  Kinda like a dry run for my later P3 weeks.  I made cauliflower breadsticks (yum!) with mozzarella cheese-had 1.5 of them, oopsie rolls that have cream cheese(also yum, and I dont even like eggs)-only took a few bites of that, and had a chicken feta spinach sausage link for lunch (not so yum).  I also made some zucchini latkes for my hubby and inlaws as well, since hubby complained there was nothing in the frig for him to eat....but I didnt have any of those, since I dont like how eggy they taste.

My sister in law is in town for FIL's birthday tomorrow, and we are headed out to Houlihans for dinner.  I would much rather not go to a chain since I know they have all sorts of sugar and starches in their food...but since we are bringing the kiddies and Grandpa doesnt want to be embaressed at a nice restaurant, thems the breaks.  We will also be going out to lunch tomorrow before hubby's sister leaves...fingers crossed no more steak days this week with all this eating out.

Got my size 28 waist skinny jeans in the mail today.  I ordered a pair of Seven jeans on craigslists in a size I knew I will fit into after round two (motivation and reward), and I decided to try them on.  Yes, I was able to get them on...though they did get stuck on my butt.  From the front, they looked like they fit, and then on the back you could see a big part of my butt crack...that made me laugh so much!  It is going to be so great to fit in them come June!

And as promised from yesterday, here are my measurements for today (just from the last week-can you believe Im down another 3 inches off the HCG-I think I measured wrong!)-click to make larger:

And for those of you in P3 that are missing crackers, I just came upon this cracker recipe that sounds pretty yummy.

Recipe: Cheese crackers
1 block shredded or coarsely grated parmesan reggiano, rind removed

Seasonings of choice IE Italian herbs, cajun spice, dry hidden valley ranch seasoning, etc etc
1 nonstick skillet
1 large round cookie cutter (optional)
1 small bowl or cup (optional)

1. Heat skillet on medium heat.
2. In small bowl, combine spices/seasonings and parmesan cheese untill optimum flavor is obtained.
3. Place cookie cutter in skillet if you are OCD and require perfectly round parmesan crisps. Sprinkle thin layer of cheese with seasonings into the cookie cutter, or if you're not using it, into a thin pile on the pan's surface.
4. Wait untill cheese melts into a crisp cracker.
5. Remove from pan.
6. Repeat 17 times.

PROTIP: If you want to make some stylish bowls for party hor dourves, immediately after cooking one cracker, take it out and drape it over the top of the small glass or the back of a small bowl to create a crisp little parmesan cup. You can serve all sorts of little goodies in here, like bruschetta, prosciutto and basil for one potential combination.

Do this only if you want to make your own. Otherwise, you can get the Kitchen Table Bakery's All Parmesan Gourmet Cheese Crips, which I have heard are delicious.

Off to a meeting, have a great rest of the day.  See you tomorrow after my 1st yoga class since before P2!

Mommygonemilf

Wasn't able to post my comment again, so this is for you:

Sweetie, thanks so much for sharing your story. Talk about shedding some emotional weight. If you ever need more support in this blog lala land, please email me at kellymn72 at yahoo dot com and I'll give you my phone number. Good for you for taking steps to make your life better for you and your daughter.

- Posted from my iPhone

R1P3D8

LIW 159.4
Current Weight 159.9
Daily Gain .7

Off to a training today, so not much time to write.  Suffice it to say, I had 1900 calories yesterday and not too bad a gain, despite not working out.  Hopefully today will be a good eating day despite being at the office.

Here is a link to my food from yesterday....and Ill be sure to post my measurements tomorrow, so stop by.

Everyone had a wonderful Thursday...see you tomorrow.

Things I have learned from Dietgirl

Things I have learned (and laughed REALLY HARD about) from Dietgirl in her post Sermon on the Blog:

Laugh at yourself. Especially when you screw things up!


Don't compare your progress to other bloggers, instead be inspired by them (ie. steal their ideas!)

Try to reduce the self-loathing. I'm not saying you have to look in the mirror and chant, "YOU ARE A WINNER!", but it really doesn't help to stand around yelling at your thighs.

Remember that the weight loss industry exists to make money, whether it's Weight Watchers or Slimming Magazine or the CSIRO or Dr Gillian McKeith. Even though they all help in their own ways, they don't have all the answers and they really want you to buy the Choco Crisp Bars or send away for the Pilates DVD. Take bits and pieces from what they tell you and clobber it together to make your own way of doing things. Don't let anything be a substitute for thinking for yourself.

Don't put things off until you Get Skinny. Try something crazy and new. If you fail, just don't blog about it!

Deal with The Past.

Look at the Big Picture or look at the Little Picture. Whichever is easiest to stomach at the time!

Don't disappear up your own arse. Losing weight seems to bring a lot of introspection and lightbulb moments, but don't let this journey take over your life.

Accept that you are moody, inconsistent and full of contradictions. What worked for you yesterday may shit you to tears tomorrow, and for no reasonable reason!

Never eat lentils before you do squats or lunges.

Just because you think everything is about your weight, don't assume everyone else sees it that way. Often other people are much better at seeing past your fat than you are.

Just because you lose weight doesn't mean your old fears and problems will disappear. Example: If you were scared of rollercoasters when you were 350lb you may still shit your pants at the thought of them 160 pounds later!

Fage Total Yogurt is the best thing to come out of Greece since Plato.

Things won't change overnight. It takes time, trial and error to forge a healthy lifestyle and figure out what works for you. The difficulty of this task increases by tenfold increments depending on how many times per week you used to visit McDonalds Drive Thru.

Don't let the fear of loose skin, belly rolls or flabby arms stop you. Do you think Oprah worried about her bingo wings? No. She just flap-flap-flapped and flew away to world domination!

If you're still worried about your flabby arms, move to Scotland. You can get away with long sleeves for about 364 days a year.

Even when you royally screw up – over and over and over again – you can pick yourself up again. As long you never stop believing you will get there in the end.

R1P3D7-Below LIW!

LIW 159.4
Daily Loss .9
Current Weight 159.2
Below LIW .2

Yippee!!!!!  Im .2 below LIW.  I thought I was going to see 1.5 increases and decreases for the next 15 days, so this is such a good thing!  I ate pretty clean yesterday, in addition to adding olive oil (a little amount makes a BIG calorie punch), and trying a few things that aren't really P2, but aren't bad for most on P3: some heavy whipping cream (2 tbsp) on top of strawberries, some pork skin topping for my chicken, and the sucralose from the Walden Farms BBQ sauce (which I LOVE except for the minor aftertaste and little queasiness in my stomach after eating it). 

I'm glad to see that having strawberries for my fruit is still ok for my body.  I just had an orange, which I know is allowed in P2, but I never tried it, so we'll see how that goes tomorrow.  I also took an epson salt bath last night...luxuriating in it for an hour with a good book right before bed (hubby and the kids went to bed early so it was all about me!), so that could have helped release some water.

Yesterday I walked for the second time this week: 45 minutes at about an 15 min mile pace, and my calves were aching and my right foot hurting.  I had hoped that my decreased weight might help me avoid the pain that started last year, but nope, its still there.  Im going to have to look into getting new shoes and starting up my chiropractic sessions again.

For those of you intested in seeing what I ate yesterday, I downloaded it from SPARKpeople.  I'm going to have to see if I can set up a daily link to this so you can check it out every day without me having to post it (click to make larger):

Looks pretty good, huh?  Now I just need to keep my enthusiasm over my loss in check so I don't get out of control again.  Stick to basic foods, make sure there are plenty of prepared meals and veggies and fruits  in the frig, and really sit down, pay attention, and enjoy my food, and this should work ok.  And thanks to Beaker, Im going to track my food for reference, but I'm not going to worry about the calories (unless I start really gaining and cant figure out any other culprit).

Happy Wednesday everyone...enjoy Hump Day!

R1P3D6-Kelly Exposed

LIW 159.4
Current Weight 160.1
Weight above LIW .7
Daily Loss 1.5

Looks like my body really likes being at 160.1 or 161.6.  No matter how much steak I eat (about 17oz last night), it goes back to the same place.  Today I am going to eat P2ish all the way, and add in some fish oil and some olive oil and see what that does to the scale tomorrow.  I have had roasted chicken (120gm) and some Walden Farms BBQ sauce with tomatoes, onions, and a little olive oil so far...approx 175 calories, and will eat 4 other mini meals today in addition to drinking my 3L or more of water to get the fat, protein, and water I need.  And just in case, I have two other steaks waiting for grilling in the frig.

On another note, throughout the blogosphere, there are so many inspiring tales of woman getting in touch with and learning to love their bodies.  I think it is so important to get to a place of self love prior to beginning any weight loss journey so that you love your body at every stage and be so impressed with what your body can do.  I know that I struggle with that...some days are wonderful and some days bad, but I know that my body is an amazing vessel that can do so much...such as hauling 13 yards of mulch around my back yard when I was 7 months pregnant, nourishing and birthing two children,  and completing my first sprint triathlon after only 6 weeks of training in 2007. 

Mish over at Eating Journey, posted the most amazing entry back in October of 2009.  She wrote "I decided that I wanted to do something for myself, that shows who I really am. I can/could write all of the things which I hate about my body: wish I was stretch mark free, didn’t muffin-top, had a six pack. However, I have this body..in the stage that it’s in. I have to love it, accept it for what it is…and look forward to its positive changes" and posted a picture of herself EXPOSED. 

She has inspired me to do the same.  Here I am baring all (somewhat) for body love.  I love you ole body of mine, and I am so PROUD of you (click to make larger):

Through the aches and pains, the illnesses, the trips to the zoo, an ectopic pregnancy, the birth of two sons, jumping out of an airplane (twice), the totaling of my car, everything-you have supported me, and I so appreciate it. 

What do you appreciate about your body?

Time to come up with a plan

I had all these grandious ideas for P3, and now that I am in it, I realize that I didn't get specific enough and I feel like I have no anchor to ride me through this sea of instability.  So its time to get specific, and come up with a plan that will follow me through these next 16 days and beyond so I can feel great, get rid of the bloat, and most importantly, feel IN CONTROL!

So here goes.  Ill break it down into supplementation plan, food plan, exercise plan, and mental wellness plan. Please dont hesistate to contact me if you have any questions about my plan or would like help in creating your own (im really good at doing this for others, just not so great for me):

Supplementation plan

• Add in 1 tbsp of Fish Oil per day (perhaps two), and find out if I can chase it with orange slices without having any weight or candida issues.  If not, see how the pineapple affects me.
• Yazo yeast supplements-1 daily at night
• Woman's Multivitamin-1 daily
• Candida Cleanse tablet 1/2 hr before meals
• Magnesium/Potassium supplement as needed for bowel movement and appetite
• Look into 2000mg Vitamin D to increase mood and feelings of well-being
• Other supplements I am considering:
• Glucosamine/Chrondrioton dependent on how my body feels after working out for a week or more
• Collodial Silver for immune support and candida cleansing
• e3 Live to get some good greens in me

I don't really like to take supplements, but I need to start taking better care of myself, and this is #1. 

Food Plan

• P2 menu with added fats, such as olive oil, coconut oil (and fish oil noted above)
• Test out various veggies-one new one per day to see what affects me
• Test out my fruits-try to continue with two/day but drop if affects weight or candida
• Slowly add in dairy in week three
• Try nuts in week two or three (when not testing veggies or fruits)
• Two extra steaks in the freezer at all times
• Come up with portable snack ideas that fit the protocol (if fruits dont work out)

Exercise Plan

• Yoga twice a week (once a week minimum)
• Cardio (treadclimber, walking, jogging, elliptical, swimming, biking) 3xs per week for 30 minutes minimum
• Begin to add in weights and 30 day shred video after 14 days of P3 and track weight closely (try not to add any new foods then to know the effect of the weight training)
• 10 pushups and 20 situps 4x's per week during commercials, adding 2 and 5 respectively per week
• Rebounding 5 minutes at least every other day while saying mantra: Every day in every way I am getting thinner, stronger, and happier (that could go under mental wellness plan as well)

Mental Wellness Plan

• Hypnosis script at bedtime on ipod
• Espon salt bath twice a week
• Body brushing before showering
• Deep breathing for two minutes once a day
• Reading for pleasure15 min a day
• Telling my husband my favorite thing about my day every night, and give him one reason I love him (and discussing his day as well)-with no TV on.
• Sauna once per week once it re-opens at the gym
• Weekly date night with hubby...try to pick outings that don't involve food
• Get outside for enjoyment at least once a day for 10 minutes-no rushing, no stress

R1P3D5-Another Steak Day

LIW 159.4
Daily Gain 1.5
Weight above LIW 2.2
Current Weight 161.6

So I am definitely not getting the hang of this P3 yet :(.  Yesterday, I ate what I thought was pretty clean, but when I look back, maybe I did not eat enough calories.  Let me figure it out here:

Water: 3L
Tea: One cup senna with chamomile at bedtime

Breakfast: chorizo, bite of mashed cauliflower, approx 300 calories

Lunch:  5 oz. Burger with one piece of cheddar cheese, two small pieces of bacon, piece of cheese with onions off the top of a flatbbread pizza, small mixed green salad, one piece bibb lettuce
Approximately 570 calories

Dinner: 1 piece chocoperfection bar (had to try it), 3 spoons of P2 chili with lots of veggies, as noted in yesterday's post, 3 pieces of chicken skin and 1.5 oz of roasted chicken (did the chicken on the rotisserie, and it was delicious!), 1 oz of choco crack (yuck!!!) which is just coconut oil mixed with unsweetened cocoa and a little stevia.
Approximately 340 calories. 

Snacks throughout day: Ate a little of the veggies I was cutting up throughout the morning, mainly red and yellow peppers and some celery: approx 50 calories.

For a grand total of 1260 calories, or about 300 less than I should be getting (but thats not a ton, since my low range starts at about 1200 per SPARKpeople). 

It could also be the fact that I ate after 7pm (the chicken and the chocolate was consumed about 8:30pm), or that I didn't get enough fat? 

What do you think when you look at that menu?  Any tips or advice?

I'm going to do the steak day today, and then eat clean tomorrow...P2 foods with some added fat...maybe some olive oil and Ill start my fish oil supplementation again, and let you know how that goes.  Ive read that most people don't stabilize until the end of the 3 weeks, but I hope thats not the case for me...I really want to make this work and not have to relose pounds Ive already released. 

And I want this stress headache to go away as well...

The Truth

I was re-reading my posts for the last few days, and I realized I wasn't being honest with you...in regards to everything I have been experiencing since coming off of the HCG. Turns out that I have been having mood swings (sorry, my darling hubby), a little depression, a lot of angst, and much confusion. My skin is breaking out a little, and my boobs don't feel as firm. Strange set of symptoms, and right this second I feel fine. But I definitely feel better when I am on the HCG. Life if somehow more calm, and a little easier. I read somewhere that is helps to balance your hormones, and that could be the reason for the mood fluctations...as well, I have a history of depression, but Ive been pretty good for the last few years. So not sure whats going on...

It could be too that this P3 is causing me to fret. I feel like Im floating in the ocean with no lifeboat...I have no idea how my body will react to foods, I am having difficulty planning meals, I don't know the exact calorie counts of all the things Im eating...ugh!

Ive been on the HCG yahoo group reading posts for suggestions, Ive looked at happilythinnerafter, and blog after blog for ideas, but I think that is just making me more confused-steak days, chicken day, egg days (I hate eggs), apple and cheese days...I just want to be able to eat normally without gaining or losing, and it seems like a pipe dream.

Its funny, though, this is like a dress rehearsal for the rest of my eating life. I need to test things to see how my body reacts, and then soon, I will have a reportoire of foods that my body accepts, that I love, and that nourish me, and support my ideal weight. But there is always the but there...but what if I dont stabilize, what if I gain all the weight back, what if this is some big practical joke?

In P4, I'm really looking forward to eating beans again, and brown rice, and quinoa, and my favorite balsamic dressing (which has sugar in it). I know I am ok with that. I am also looking forward to slow cooked oats with honey or B grade maple syrup, and ...oh there is so much more. But for now, I need to maintain my much deserved 29lb loss, and figure out the next three weeks.

On a brighter note, one of our neighbors (good friends) called me Twiggy today. I LOVE that...

R1P3D4

LIW 159.4
Daily loss 1.5lb
+.7 above LIW
Current Weight: 160.1

So the steak day only brought me down the total amount I gained yesterday, but thats ok. I just hope this rollar coaster settles down a little, since Im really having difficulty getting the hang of P3. I know how many calories I need to take in, I know I need to go slow in introducing new foods, I know all this stuff, but my body is responding exactly the way it wants to, and doesn't care what I know.

For breakfast today I had the chorizo I made for yesterday with a little of the mashed cauliflower. Turns out its really not so great reheated in the microwave. For lunch we went out for lunch with hubby's parents, and I had the burger I wanted yesterday and some brussel sprouts. I made some P2/P3 appropriate Venison chili with lots of veggies (scallions, red and yellow peppers, celery, tomatoes) for dinner, but I'm a little too full from lunch to eat it...how am I supposed to get all my calories in? Especially when I'm supposed to wait to eat nuts, and be slow with my dairy intake. I'm going to need to go to the yahoo group to get some input if I show another gain tomorrow (I definitely dont want to do another steak day tomorrow).

By the way, does anyone know what a chicken day is and how to do it?) . Have a great night...Im off to watch the Oscars.

Ps-Mommygonemilf (dont you just love that name)-Ive been trying to comment on your blog every day for the past week, but I think something happened when you made your blog changes, and it wont let me post...I would love to email you...I  have lots of comments :)-pss youre doing GREAT!

R1P3D3-My first STEAK day

LIW 159.4
Daily Gain 1.5
Current Weight (including the .9 from yesterday): 161.6
2.2 above LIW

I was so excited to eat my chorizo, mashed cauliflower, and my big salad during Reiki training today. But the scale registered an amount that put me at 2.2 over my LIW, so I drank water all day, and thought about the big steak I would be getting that night for date night. I was a little disappointed, since I had planned to eat all the yummy stuff at 86 West that I have been seeing Mark get the last few weeks: Goat Cheese Fritters (just the inside for me), Roasted Brussel Sprouts, and a huge cheeseburger with bibb lettuce as a bun. Instead I had a 10 oz steak (the biggest they had) and a tomato, and really enjoyed it despite my intial disappointment. And it was fine.

The Reiki training was really nice. I refreshed my knowledge of the hand positions, and learned that I no longer need to hold my hand above the body like I was first trained 12 yrs ago. Instead I can lay my hands on the body. That was such a relief for me since it makes it much easier to do the treatment when you can relax your arms. I will take Reiki II in the next few months and then be able to do distance Reiki (let me know if you want me to practice on you when that happens, its pretty cool). I also got in touch with some feelings about how to be a better mother by paying better attention to Connor (ie turn off the TV and play a game with him, get out of my head and be loving towards him), and how to be a better wife...so all's good.

Hope you have a good rest of the weekend-Im so looking forward to being outside tomorrow. Its supposed to 55 degrees out! A heat wave

R1P3D2

LIW 159.4
Daily Gain .9
Total Above LIW .7
Current Weight 160.1

So up .9 from yesterday...Im ok with that considering it was the first day I was eating so many calories, and with the 8:30pm strawberry/whipped cream debacle.  I just need to keep a lid on it and make sure that I dont get 2 or more pounds above LIW....

Need to take my little guy for his 15mo checkup this morning, so this will be short and sweet.  Would love if you would post your favorite first week P3 tips and foods in the comments so I will have some good support...

P3 Day 1 Eating Frenzy

My stomach has been a little funky today...hard to eat all the fat and calories after my body has been subsisting on 500 calories a day. I actually decided to eat the rest of the strawberries in the frig (8 really big ones) just now with some whipped cream that I whipped myself (the first time ever) and added a few drops of vanilla cream stevia, and I feel awful. That was really a mistake...way too much food, but I was so excited about making the whipped cream and it tasted yummy.


For lunch today, I was going to have some zucchini latkes (the recipe sounded amazing), but after making them and eating a few bites, my stomach seized up and I almost threw the little I did eat up into the garbage (sorry for the graphic imagery). Not sure if it was too eggy, or if it was too buttery, but something was too much. So I had a sausage link (which I found out later had sugar in it-ugh) for lunch, and for dinner, I had 8 oz of steak fajitas-flank steak with red, yellow, and orange peppers, onions, garlic, sour cream and cheddar cheese...they tasted good, but I thought after waiting so long to eat peppers and sour cream and cheese again that it would test better. And then of course, there was my funny stomach...

Whatever, the scale will decide how I did today. I did drink my 3 liters of water, so thats a good thing. Hopefully Ill feel better tomorrow, and take it a little easier...though I will be making oopsie rolls and cauliflower pizza crust tomorrow.

R1P2 Final Measurements

Total Loss: 29.6lbs in 53 days
Total inches lost: 22.2
Dress sizes lost: ~3 (16 to large 10/comfy 12)
175iu injected subcutaneously for 49 days

R1P3D1-The Beginning of Something Great

LIW: 159.4
Loss from LIW: .2
Current Weight 159.2

So it looks like the scale I brought with me to the hotel did a good job of tracking my weight.  Im down .2 from LIW, despite feeling really bloated.  Could be because I did get down to 158, and now I'm up 1.2lbs...who knows?  Guess the measurements I will be posting later this am will tell the story.  I have not yet worked out today, but my plan is to pick my big guy up from school and head over to the gym for 20 minutes on the TreadClimber, which always kicks my butt.  Then maybe Ill surprise him with a swim, if there is any rec swim planned later in the afternoon. 

So far today, I've had 3oz of chicken and three large strawberries, totaling around 140 calories.  Only 1350-1500 more to go!  I also went to the bathroom for the 1st time in a week (yes, it was that long!!!).  Hubby has asked me to meet him for lunch, but Im a little nervous about that, so Im going to have to pick a place very carefully...

Have book club tonight, which I'm really looking forward to, and date night on Saturday (YAY!).   I felt bad that Hubby had to do the single parent thing for three nights in addition to my book club tonight and Reiki training all day this Sat, so I pushed him into calling his friends, and they are all going out tomorrow night.  I'm so glad we have such good friends locally....and that he is going to get a chance to have some fun after supporting me so well this week.  It feels like Hubby and I are really heading forward into new and wonderful waters, that swell with the storm, but settle back into something so beautiful and peaceful when they are calm.  Marriage definitely has an ebb and flow...

Caloric Needs for P3

So Im trying to figure out how many calories I need to eat to make sure I dont go into starvation mode for P3, and found the following calculations. First you need to figure out the Basal Metabolic Rate, BMR, which is the amount of calories you need just to survive. Here is the link to a BMR calculator. That number for me with my LIW of 159.4 is 1478.25.

Then you need to figure out your activity level and your BMR with that incorporated. Here are the calculations:

• If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
• If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
• If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
• If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
• If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

So my caloric needs are a whopping 1995.64 calories a day! And if I up my exercise, I will need to eat 2291.29 calories! Wow, thats a lot...but I know I can do it :)

 I stopped at the store on the way home from my training and got cauliflower, zucchini and eggs, so I can try some of cleochatra's recipes...zucchini breadsticks, mashed cauliflower, zucchini or cauliflower pizza, and of course, some oopsie roles. I also bought some Waldens Farm's sugar free Ketchup, BBQ sauce (tried that tonight, it was delicious, though the splenda seems to be leaving a not so nice aftertaste in my mouth), and some sugar free pancake syrup. I'll let you know what I think of the sauces, and how the recipes turn out. I can't believe I might need to have breakfast tomorrow (depending on the scale)...it is going to be so weird to eat breakfast again...and not have melba toast...Ive gotten used to those little guys. Anyway, no more musings for tonight, I promise...

ps...the following is just for reference for me so I can figure out my body fat %:

Body Fat Formula For Women


Factor 1 (Total body weight x 0.732) + 8.987
Factor 2 Wrist measurement (at fullest point) / 3.140
Factor 3 Waist measurement (at naval) x 0.157
Factor 4 Hip measurement (at fullest point) x 0.249
Factor 5 Forearm measurement (at fullest point) x 0.434
Lean Body Mass Factor 1 + Factor 2 - Factor 3 - Factor 4 + Factor 5
Body Fat Weight Total bodyweight - Lean Body Mass
Body Fat Percentage (Body Fat Weight x 100) / total bodyweight

I'll do that tomorrow after my measurements...its Wk 8 measurement time!

Uh Oh...

After going 50 days with no chocolate, two days in a row I have partaken.  Today I ate TWO fresh baked chocolate chip cookies after lunch.  And I ate them consciously, enjoying every bite, knowing full well that I might have to do a steak day on my first day of P3.  They were so good...and I figured it was better to have them now when I don't have all that insulin coursing through my body (when the HCG is gone) then tomorrow.  I know that once I'm in maintenence, I will have the occasional chocolate chip cookie (or three).  But its ok.  I need to do everything in moderation, and I need to give myself permission to enjoy EVERYTHING I eat, otherwise, there is no point in eating it.

I also mixed my veggies at lunch for the second day in a row, and had balsamic vinegar on my salad.  I REALLY wonder what that scale is going to say tomorrow....Im not looking forward to having steak if Im up 2 from my LIW. 

I only have 100 calories left for the day, so I think Ill eat 1/2 my chicken portion with a few strawberries for dinner and skip the veggie and melba toast.  Working out has definitely increased my appetite so I wonder if that'll work on my hunger.  Guess Ill just have to keep guzzling the water (3L today already and counting).

Fingers crossed I'm not up too much tomorrow...have a GREAT night.

Last day of R1 VLCD

Daily gain 1.0
Total loss 30
Current weight 159

Up a lb this morning thanks to lovely deliciousness called goat cheese on top of my grilled shrimp salad last night. And my belly really hurt afterwards, so I'm definitely going to have to ease into cheese for P3- and check to see if I'm lactose intolerant or if my body was just having issue with the fat. Can't wait to see what the Wii fit scale has to say tommorow.

Tonight I'm really looking forward to getting home and seeing my boys (and man). And cooking lots of no carb no sugar wonders for next week's consumption. I'm so nervous to do P3 but it's a neccessity...I'm committed to doing it right!... And to keep working out... did another 1/2 hr on the elliptical this morning.

Anyway, back to training! See you tomorrow.




- Posted from my iPhone



- Posted from my iPhone

R1P2D51-Still losing

Daily loss .5
Total loss 31 lbs
Current Weight 158

So I cheated again last night at dinner.  I had three DELICIOUS pieces of bruschetta, and I enjoyed every bite.  I also took a tiny bite of a chocolate bombe (mousse and chocolate) and loved that as well.  But thanks to my almost 5 liters of water by days end, a 20 minute workout on the elliptical, a 10 minute swim, and a 20 minute sauna, I was down .5 on the scale this morning...YAY! 

Lets see how today goes...off to training...

R1P2D50-P3 in two more days...

Daily loss .9
Total loss 30.5
Current weight: 158.5

Please note that these numbers are all based on my crappy scale from home, so while I hope they're right, it's doubtful. 

In training right now, counting the hours that I need to still be here (3.5 today, 19.5 left for all three days- ugh!), and the room I'm in has no wireless signal ( not sure when this will post but it's 1:50 pm EST as I'm writing this) and no email access- so I'm not able to read my favorite blogs or anything else to distract me from my boredom. 

Oh well, at least the hotel is nice. And I as able to start my fitness program again after two months- I'll wait til thurs ( first day of P3) to see where my weight is and see how affected I am by going to the gym. While I'm here I plan to sauna before bed every night and workout or swim once a day.

Have stuck to my diet so far despite being bombarded with baskets of food and drink at every turn. There is an endless array of cookies, scones, bagels chips, diet soda, and all sorts of other no nos but so far no temptation. I do feel a little hungry though despite drinking 2 liters of water already.

Anyway, back to training- chat later...

5:40pm: Back in my room, checking work emails, and getting ready for tonight's welcome dinner.  It should be fun, though Im hoping Im back by 8:30 so I can go for a little swim and another sauna.  I snagged a robe from the locker room this morning so I dont have to wear all my clothes down like I did last night.  This is the life, huh?  Anyway, ladies, have a wonderful evening, and catch up with you tomorrow evening..

ps-tonights dinner is going to be NY Strip Steak, Romaine Lettuce, and some Strawberries-YUM!

pss-its weird not injecting myself anymore...