Phew! That was a close one!

On President's Day morning, I crawled out of bed around nine. Nic and I were hanging out talking about what we might want to do for the day since the kids had no school and he had work off. The movies? A hike at Red Rock? We settled on an 8 hr round trip to Corona Del Mar:) By 10 am we were loaded in the car and on our way.

Perhaps this wasn't the wisest choice while doing HCG. Perhaps we shouldn't have left the house when I was seriously...clean out of HCG groceries. But, what ev, we did it.

On the way we ordered asada tacos from Del Taco and dumped out the delicious contents on paper plates, discarding the tortillas. Oh heavenly smudges of guacamole. So bad, I know, but it was sort of the best we could do on the road. I comforted myself in the fact that Dr. Simeon said if you have to attend an event or travel, to just eat a small amount of the best thing that is available. So, that's what we did. It was really good. It was the first morsel of food I had eaten in over 30 days not prepared by my own hands. That was at noon.

On the way home at 9 pm, we got a steak Caesar salad at El Pollo Loco. Little evil niblits in there included some corn and little fried strips of tortilla. Nic ate none of the dressing, but I must confess I ate a small dab while he was in the bathroom at Chevron. The sneakiness of it and the 5 year old guilt that ensued wasn't worth the taste of it! Oh well. Oh, I also partook in the Nectar of the Gods - Diet Coke. Dang good. I kept having hiccup attacks from not being used to soda.

So, understandably, I was not really excited to weigh after my adventure. So I didn't. Then I was out of food yesterday morning and had to eat cottage cheese and pears. Then I got back on track after the grocery trip.

So I weighed today to assess the damage. I lost more in two days than I have in weeks! What in the????

Starting weight: 198.6

Today's weight: 176.0

Total Loss: 22.6 lbs

I don't get it, but I'll take it!

Light at the end of the tunnel

Well, round one phase two is drawing to a close. Eleven more days of the low calorie part and then we are off to the three weeks of phase three which is intended to stabilize the new weight. After that we move on to six weeks of eating normally (and by normally, I mean NORMALLY, not how I used to eat!) while slowly re-introducing carbs and sugars. After the six weeks we plan on doing another round of the low calorie part. I will miss losing weight for the next nine weeks, but I surely see the necessity of taking a break from this stuff. My body is all funned out.

I seem to be taking 3-4 days to lose a pound whereas before I lost nearly a pound a day. It has really slowed. I hope to lose at least a few more in the next eleven days.

Phase three is sort of like the Atkins diet in that you avoid starch and sugar, but you are allowed fruits and don't eat an unlimited amount of fat like on Atkins. I am looking forward to meat with a little more fat on it! Scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon. Avocados, salsa, bacon and did I mention bacon? Oh yeah, I'm also looking forward to bacon.

I could use a little mayo in my life as well. Chicken salad on lettuce cups with chopped nuts and mustard. Please...I could live on that for life after this torture! I'm a little nervous to be let out of the cage of this regimen, but semi-confident I won't want to blow all of this effort. (Until I come face to face with the obscene smorgasbord of my cruise that is.) Oh heaven help me!

Weigh in:

Starting Weight: 198.6

Today's Weight: 178.2

Total Loss: 20.4 lbs

P.S. Friends came in town who hadn't seen us since October and they were really surprised at our weight loss. I wanted to cry. It was awesome. Oh, and Nic has lost 31 lbs. He looks great. And his bootie has shrunken to little hamburger buns and it's hilarious.

I've got a baby shower to attend today and am not looking forward to all of the yummies that will call my name. FUN!

Hello Alligator, May I stick my head in your mouth?

Today was crazy. I went to a Valentine's Day party for my kids. It was great. There were so many moms I loved to see again from my old 'hood. There were fun things to do and oodles of valentines for the kids to trade. There was also a complete buffet of nibblies I wanted to eat. Brownies with pink cream cheese frosting. Cupcakes with crunchy sprinkles. Deviled eggs (which I can have on P#3 WOOO!). Peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses. Ranch dip and veggies. The worst though...a cookie pie. Don't ask me how it's done, but it was a pie with a soft gooey looking chocolate chip center and a crispy top. I cringe with unrequited craving. It was like waggling my head into an alligator's mouth. Dangerous craving y'all!

P.S. Isn't it majorly creepy how I remember all of the food there?

Well, the good news is I didn't eat any of if. So I was free to watch other people eat it. I never really payed attention to the eating habits of others. I was usually to busy eating myself to notice. But the skinny girls had...wait for it...a cookie. The chubby girls had more. A month ago, I would have eaten half of the buffet. Without hesitation or apology, half the buffet. I had the control not to this time, but what is it that makes me want to and the skinny girls are cool with a cookie? That's the million dollar question right there.

Oh, and Nic and my morbid obsession with Man V. Food marches on. Last night I cussed out loud when I saw the bacon cheeseburger served on Krispy Cream Donut buns. I cussed people. I don't cuss.

After a gain yesterday I was bummed and swore off my juicy nemesis : red meat for a couple of days. It worked.

Starting Weight: 198.6

Today's Weight : 180.4

Total Loss: 18.2 lbs Wow.

I can't wait to have someone who doesn't know I'm dieting say, "Hey, you are losing weight!"

Big fear: Cruise for my anniversary is coming up in May. I don't know if I can/should/will resist the midnight chocolate buffet. EVIL!

I'm Convinced (day 18 of R1 P2)

I'm convinced a chimichanga would make it all better. I really am. Maybe that is my problem. When things get hard, when kids scream longer than normal, when Nic works late, when anything remotely disappointing or uncomfortable happens, I seem to find some comfort in delicious food.

And why, why, why has Nic and my favorite show become Man vs. Food? Have you ever watched the obscene gluttony of that show? Why do we torture ourselves? All I am saying is there was an episode on county fair food and they dipped a slice of cheesecake in batter and deep fried it and I was nearly brought to tears. It seemed to symbolize in one large blob on a stick all of the things I want to eat!

In other news. I have a cool new trick. I can make my calf muscles spasm and cramp all the day long. Isn't that awesome? HCG...you are quite the experience. In my super legit and professional research (Googling it a few times) I found that loosing weight quickly depletes you of potassium. That is from an old lady who gives her non medical opinions on an e magazine. So...don't know if that is true or not. Other more credible sources say a diet low in potassium and calcium can cause issues. I'd say this diet is low on just about everything so...that's a possibility. Maybe a combo of both? I'll take some supps and see what happens.

Batter dipped deep fried cheesecake....THAT IS JUST EVIL!

Weigh in:

Starting weight: 198.6

Today's weight: 183.2

Total loss: 15.4 lbs.

(p.s. I totally ate a sugarfree Werther's Original today. My first cheat!)

I would have eaten...

It's amazing to me to see all the things I would have eaten if I were still out of control. I know I would have eaten a big bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch for Breakfast. I know I would have eaten at least four or five of the Girl Scout Cookies Nic brought home. The chewy caramel ones with chocolate stripes and coconut. Sigh. I would have eaten white chocolate popcorn instead of sending it to school for Afton's class party. I would have eaten Mickey Mouse chicken nuggets with ranch or ketchup, macaroni and cheese and chocolate milk. I would have picked off a couple of chocolate chip cookies at my sister's house.

No wonder I got so fat! I better start feeding my kids differently if I don't want them to suffer the same fate!

I went and looked at my friend's before and after pictures today. She lost 50 lbs in in four months. Such a stud. Gives me strength...yes it does.

So, I would have eaten all of that, but instead I ate:

1/2 a grapefruit, 2 melba toasts, two roma tomatoes, 100 gr. chicken, an apple, 5 shrimp. I still have a veggie and a fruit to eat tonight. Spinach smoothie anyone? Guh.

Weigh in:

Starting weight: 198.6

Today's weight: 184.6

Total loss: 14 lbs even. WOO!

Round 1 Phase 2 Day 14!

Patience, patience, patience. Lots of self control and sacrifice every day. I like waking up and weighing to see if it is paying off. So hard when it doesn't. Patience.

My parents came to visit. My dad is a worrier. I get it. He loves me. He worries. It's hard when people are aghast at how little you eat on this thing. I have kind of gotten used to it, but my dad was shaking his head. I think the worst part is I think he may be right. I don't know for sure. I can never know for sure I guess. I can just do my best to educate myself and be honest with how I'm feeling. I've had a few good days in a row as far as having good energy.

Nic wants to do 40 days. I'm leaning more into like 25-ish. :)

Hard. My mom left restaurant leftovers in my fridge. The Costco oatmeal cookies are calling my name. But I ate and apple.

Weigh in:

Starting wieght: 198. 6 (still kills me to put that in writing. Maybe it's a good wakeup call)

Today's weight: 185.8

Total Loss: 12.8 lbs.

Time please pass faster!

Round One Phase Two Day 12

I need to grow a fourth stomach y'all. Cuz all this cud is getting old!

Stalled for two days due to TOM. Back to losing and it is the ONLY thing that keeps me going. I visited my sister last night and she had just made batches upon batches of white chocolate popcorn. Tinfoil dinners were in the oven and served up with creamy sauce and ketchup. I saw a Snickers resting on the counter top. It stunk. It really did. There was nothing to be said and nothing to be done but just privately think how much I would have eaten that stuff on any other day. Probably, no definitely would have eaten way too much of it. I was sad. Food still has a huge hold on me. What ever.

Nic is doing great. He is down over 16 lbs. He even lost two pounds the day after he ate out with a client! He's superman! (I'm hatin')

My weigh in:

Starting weight 198.6

Today's weight: 186.8

Total loss: 11.8 lbs

Can I tell you how every single night I dream of blowing my diet in a big way? Real big.