Tomorrow will tell

I was on vacation all this last week.  We departed last Monday and just returned home today.  It was a week full of festivities and dining out.  I BLEW it as far as any dieting goes.  I ended my stabilization phase a week early knowing that this week was coming.  

I feel like crap.  The only thing that has kept me together is that my wife tells me that I am still skinny.  I don't feel it.  In fact, I'm scared of what my weight will be in the morning.  I have probably gained 8-10 lbs over this week.  If so, I'm kicking my own #*($.  I have already promised myself that I will eat healthy for the next 3 weeks, then its on to my next round of HCG.  Next stop, 175 lbs.

On a good note, we stopped at the outlet mall on the way home from our trip.  I had to buy 2 new belts because my old ones don't fit anymore.  I also brought a pair of my regular jeans on the trip.  When I tried them on, the were just HUGE.  Not even a belt was gonna work.  This particular pair of jeans are gonna have to officially retire.  Maybe I'll take a pic of how big they are on me and let you be the judge.  It's pretty funny.

Status Quo

Everything is still going fine.  I've been maintaining within the 2 lb limit for over 2 weeks now.  I am actually considering today my last day of stabilization because the family and I are going on a week long vacation starting tomorrow and I don't want to be diet restricted during the vacation.  I will still be more cautious.

I plan on doing my next round pretty soon.  I've already ordered the HCG and will find a good spot to begin another round.

This diet is a miracle.  It has worked amazingly well for me.  It is also working great for everyone that I know who is doing it as a result of seeing my success.  It's contagious, and more importantly, its for real.

Still stabilizing

I just got home from a 3 day business trip out of state.  It was extremely difficult to remain on a protein only diet when I had obscene peer pressure from friends/colleagues.  I did ok.  I did end up having a small bowl of soup that had about 10 pasta shells in it.  I also had a small gelato.  Shame on me.  Now I'm sure I will have to be doing some extra dieting over the next several days to knock myself back in line.

I'll weigh myself in the morning to see just how much damage was done.  Shame on me.

A day during stabilization

I am about 5 days into stabilization. So far I've managed to stay under the 2 lb gain limit but not by much. I'm up about 1.5 lbs from my last injection weight. I'm not panicking but I am growing concerned. I'm afraid the steak day may be in my future.

I've been eating in a way that has brought some guilt along. I think I've done pretty well at avoiding the starches and the sugars. Dr. Simeon says you can eat "anything you please" except starches and sugars. I've done just that by consuming lots of meats, eggs, nuts, cheeses and sugar free jello/pudding. I originally thought it was going to be very difficult building menus in this phase because you are left on your own unlike the very structured diet on hcg. Once I started fixing "eggy" and "cheesy" breakfasts it got pretty yummy pretty quick. I also found out that it can be quite a challenge to find foods without starch or sugar.

The question I ask is this...... If a food item has "trace" amounts of sugar or things like modified food starch or potato starch is it a big no no? I'll read the label and find these listed way down at the bottom. The nutritional facts will say 0 carbs or "less than 2%". I have been using a few things that list those and I'm wondering if I'm screwing things up. I will NOT allow myself to regain beyond 2 lbs so I am really addressing this right now to prevent any future battles.

Can I eat cheese? Block cheese seems to be just fine but shredded cheese has those trace amounts of starch. I've heard some people say you shouldn't have cheese at all, but don't you think Simeon would've addressed that if it were true? I read somewhere to stay away from the "sweetest fruits". Is that true? I can't find where I read it but I know it isn't in the manuscript. I love oranges and eat them often and can't imagine them being bad since I had them through hcg. Are bananas ok?

I am regularly eating sugar free pudding to calm any sweet tooth. I've come to love the sweetness of the pudding. Just as good as regular if you ask me. Is this ok?

So if an experienced person has any input, please chime in.

Last injection weight was 192.8. Current weight: 194.2

VLCD Day #42

Starting weight: 222.0
VLCD Day #1 223.0 (result of loading)
Day #2 221.0 (-1)
Day #3 218.2 (-2.8)
Day #4 216.4 (-1.8)
Day #5 214.8 (-1.6)
Day #6 215.4 (+0.6)
Day #7 213.2 (-2.2)
Day #8 212.4 (-0.8)
Day #9 212.2 (-0.2)

Day #10 210.8 (-1.4)

Day #11 210.0 (-0.8)

Day #12 208.8 (-1.2)

Day #13 208.8 (0.0)

Day #14 208.4 (-0.4)

Day #15 207.8 (-0.6)

Day #16 207.4 (-0.4)

Day #17 206.8 (-0.6)

Day #18 205.8 (-1.0)

Day #19 205.6 (-0.2) Apple Day

Day #20 203.6 (-2.0)

Day #21 203.2 (-0.4)

Day #22 203.6 (+0.4)

Day #23 203.2 (-0.4)

Day #24 201.8 (-1.4)
Day #25 201.2 (-0.6)

Day #26 201.0 (-0.2)

Day #27 200.4 (-0.6)

Day #28 200.4 (000000)

Day #29 200.4 (000000)

Day #30 198.6 (-1.8)

Day #31 198.2 (-0.4)

Day #32 197.8 (-0.4)

Day #33 196.4 (-1.4)

Day #34 196.2 (-0.2)

Day #35 195.6 (-0.6)

Day #36 195.6 (000000) Apple Day

Day #37 193.4 (-2.2)

Day #38 193.8 (+0.4)

Day #39 193.8 (000000)

Day #40 193.0 (-0.8)

Day #41 192.6 (-0.4)

Day #42 192.0 (-0.6)

Total Lost 30 lbs

Nothing quite like accomplishing a goal. My goal was 30 lbs and I hit it realistically with one day to spare. Talk about cutting it close. So here I am 30 lbs lighter. How does it feel? Well, pretty awesome I must say. As I've mentioned before, everything is fitting so loosely on me now. I need to get some of my more important clothes taylored. I'm thinkin when I lose the next 15 lbs I will go do some clothes shopping. I figure by that time I will only have one pair of jeans that will fit me. Get this, that pair of jeans are pegged at the ankle. What does that tell you? I haven't worn those things since high school (the big 80's). I actually looked in a box and see that I still have some acid wash jeans too. How funny is that? Don't worry, I will not be wearing them and getting those looks from passerbys. Speaking of....Remember these????

So, I am considering doing a 2nd round in a couple of months. When I started I figured that 190lbs would be an ideal weight for me. Now that I am here, I realize that I can stand to lose a few more. My new goal? 175lbs. I figure with that final 15lbs gone I should be able to see my abs. As I sit right now, that is just not the case. So stay tuned for round 2 in a couple of months. Don't worry, I'll still be doing updates between now and then about stabilization and life after HCG.

VLCD Day #41

Starting weight: 222.0 
VLCD Day #1 223.0 (result of loading) 
Day #2 221.0 (-1) 
Day #3 218.2 (-2.8)
Day #4 216.4 (-1.8) 
Day #5 214.8 (-1.6)
Day #6 215.4 (+0.6)
Day #7 213.2 (-2.2)
Day #8 212.4 (-0.8)
Day #9 212.2 (-0.2)

Day #10 210.8 (-1.4)

Day #11 210.0 (-0.8)

Day #12 208.8 (-1.2)

Day #13 208.8 (0.0)

Day #14 208.4 (-0.4)

Day #15 207.8 (-0.6)

Day #16 207.4 (-0.4)

Day #17 206.8 (-0.6)

Day #18 205.8 (-1.0)

Day #19 205.6 (-0.2) Apple Day

Day #20 203.6 (-2.0)

Day #21 203.2 (-0.4)

Day #22 203.6 (+0.4)

Day #23 203.2 (-0.4)

Day #24 201.8 (-1.4)
Day #25 201.2 (-0.6)

Day #26 201.0 (-0.2)

Day #27 200.4 (-0.6)

Day #28 200.4 (000000)

Day #29 200.4 (000000)

Day #30 198.6 (-1.8)

Day #31 198.2 (-0.4)

Day #32 197.8 (-0.4)

Day #33 196.4 (-1.4)

Day #34 196.2 (-0.2)

Day #35 195.6 (-0.6)

Day #36 195.6 (000000) Apple Day

Day #37 193.4 (-2.2)

Day #38 193.8 (+0.4)

Day #39 193.8 (000000)

Day #40 193.0 (-0.8)

Day #41 192.6 (-0.4)

Total Lost 29.4 lbs

VLCD Day #40

Starting weight: 222.0 
VLCD Day #1 223.0 (result of loading) 
Day #2 221.0 (-1) 
Day #3 218.2 (-2.8)
Day #4 216.4 (-1.8) 
Day #5 214.8 (-1.6)
Day #6 215.4 (+0.6)
Day #7 213.2 (-2.2)
Day #8 212.4 (-0.8)
Day #9 212.2 (-0.2)

Day #10 210.8 (-1.4)

Day #11 210.0 (-0.8)

Day #12 208.8 (-1.2)

Day #13 208.8 (0.0)

Day #14 208.4 (-0.4)

Day #15 207.8 (-0.6)

Day #16 207.4 (-0.4)

Day #17 206.8 (-0.6)

Day #18 205.8 (-1.0)

Day #19 205.6 (-0.2) Apple Day

Day #20 203.6 (-2.0)

Day #21 203.2 (-0.4)

Day #22 203.6 (+0.4)

Day #23 203.2 (-0.4)

Day #24 201.8 (-1.4)
Day #25 201.2 (-0.6)

Day #26 201.0 (-0.2)

Day #27 200.4 (-0.6)

Day #28 200.4 (000000)

Day #29 200.4 (000000)

Day #30 198.6 (-1.8)

Day #31 198.2 (-0.4)

Day #32 197.8 (-0.4)

Day #33 196.4 (-1.4)

Day #34 196.2 (-0.2)

Day #35 195.6 (-0.6)

Day #36 195.6 (000000) Apple Day

Day #37 193.4 (-2.2)

Day #38 193.8 (+0.4)

Day #39 193.8 (000000)

Day #40 193.0 (-0.8)

Total Lost 29.0 lbs

VLCD Day #39

Starting weight: 222.0 
VLCD Day #1 223.0 (result of loading) 
Day #2 221.0 (-1) 
Day #3 218.2 (-2.8)
Day #4 216.4 (-1.8) 
Day #5 214.8 (-1.6)
Day #6 215.4 (+0.6)
Day #7 213.2 (-2.2)
Day #8 212.4 (-0.8)
Day #9 212.2 (-0.2)

Day #10 210.8 (-1.4)

Day #11 210.0 (-0.8)

Day #12 208.8 (-1.2)

Day #13 208.8 (0.0)

Day #14 208.4 (-0.4)

Day #15 207.8 (-0.6)

Day #16 207.4 (-0.4)

Day #17 206.8 (-0.6)

Day #18 205.8 (-1.0)

Day #19 205.6 (-0.2) Apple Day

Day #20 203.6 (-2.0)

Day #21 203.2 (-0.4)

Day #22 203.6 (+0.4)

Day #23 203.2 (-0.4)

Day #24 201.8 (-1.4)
Day #25 201.2 (-0.6)

Day #26 201.0 (-0.2)

Day #27 200.4 (-0.6)

Day #28 200.4 (000000)

Day #29 200.4 (000000)

Day #30 198.6 (-1.8)

Day #31 198.2 (-0.4)

Day #32 197.8 (-0.4)

Day #33 196.4 (-1.4)

Day #34 196.2 (-0.2)

Day #35 195.6 (-0.6)

Day #36 195.6 (000000) Apple Day

Day #37 193.4 (-2.2)

Day #38 193.8 (+0.4)

Day #39 193.8 (000000)

Total Lost 28.2 lbs

One more shot to go.  My body is just as stubborn as ever.  Today and tomorrow are going to be perfect days to see if we can get to the 30 lb mark before stabilization.  That's my goal.  Not that I haven't been perfect up to this point.  It's just that after every single day I try to evaluate if I could have been better.  Inevitably I always think that I could have.  The biggest thing is that I've been doing this diet for so long now that I've pretty much gotten out of the habit of weighing my food.  I've felt that I have a grasp on how much I can eat.  That, I guess, is something that I can "improve" on.  So for the next 2 days I am going to treat things as if it is day 1 and 2 of VLCD.

VLCD Day #38

Starting weight: 222.0 
VLCD Day #1 223.0 (result of loading) 
Day #2 221.0 (-1) 
Day #3 218.2 (-2.8)
Day #4 216.4 (-1.8) 
Day #5 214.8 (-1.6)
Day #6 215.4 (+0.6)
Day #7 213.2 (-2.2)
Day #8 212.4 (-0.8)
Day #9 212.2 (-0.2)

Day #10 210.8 (-1.4)

Day #11 210.0 (-0.8)

Day #12 208.8 (-1.2)

Day #13 208.8 (0.0)

Day #14 208.4 (-0.4)

Day #15 207.8 (-0.6)

Day #16 207.4 (-0.4)

Day #17 206.8 (-0.6)

Day #18 205.8 (-1.0)

Day #19 205.6 (-0.2) Apple Day

Day #20 203.6 (-2.0)

Day #21 203.2 (-0.4)

Day #22 203.6 (+0.4)

Day #23 203.2 (-0.4)

Day #24 201.8 (-1.4)
Day #25 201.2 (-0.6)

Day #26 201.0 (-0.2)

Day #27 200.4 (-0.6)

Day #28 200.4 (000000)

Day #29 200.4 (000000)

Day #30 198.6 (-1.8)

Day #31 198.2 (-0.4)

Day #32 197.8 (-0.4)

Day #33 196.4 (-1.4)

Day #34 196.2 (-0.2)

Day #35 195.6 (-0.6)

Day #36 195.6 (000000) Apple Day

Day #37 193.4 (-2.2)

Day #38 193.8 (+0.4)

Total Lost 28.2 lbs

So I gained 0.4 back after that 2.2 loss from the apple day.  I guess I'm ok with that since I just did my measurements today and they were good.  Check this out.

             Start     Now

Neck      17.5      16.5      -1

Chest      46.5      43.5      -3

Dunlop      45        40         -5

Waist      38.5       36      -2.5

Thigh      25.75      24      -1.75

VLCD Day #37

Starting weight: 222.0 
VLCD Day #1 223.0 (result of loading) 
Day #2 221.0 (-1) 
Day #3 218.2 (-2.8)
Day #4 216.4 (-1.8) 
Day #5 214.8 (-1.6)
Day #6 215.4 (+0.6)
Day #7 213.2 (-2.2)
Day #8 212.4 (-0.8)
Day #9 212.2 (-0.2)

Day #10 210.8 (-1.4)

Day #11 210.0 (-0.8)

Day #12 208.8 (-1.2)

Day #13 208.8 (0.0)

Day #14 208.4 (-0.4)

Day #15 207.8 (-0.6)

Day #16 207.4 (-0.4)

Day #17 206.8 (-0.6)

Day #18 205.8 (-1.0)

Day #19 205.6 (-0.2) Apple Day

Day #20 203.6 (-2.0)

Day #21 203.2 (-0.4)

Day #22 203.6 (+0.4)

Day #23 203.2 (-0.4)

Day #24 201.8 (-1.4)
Day #25 201.2 (-0.6)

Day #26 201.0 (-0.2)

Day #27 200.4 (-0.6)

Day #28 200.4 (000000)

Day #29 200.4 (000000)

Day #30 198.6 (-1.8)

Day #31 198.2 (-0.4)

Day #32 197.8 (-0.4)

Day #33 196.4 (-1.4)

Day #34 196.2 (-0.2)

Day #35 195.6 (-0.6)

Day #36 195.6 (000000) Apple Day

Day #37 193.4 (-2.2)

Total Lost 28.6 lbs

Apple Days are funny.  I think they are a facade because all you're doing is dehydrating your body.  The whole fat thing hasn't changed, just the scale.  But I don't care, it still makes me feel better.  So I did the apple day yesterday.  The first time I did one, I was somewhat amazed at how easy it was.  This time?  Not so easy.  I don't know why but with each apple I got nauseous.  So I only made it through 3 of the 6 apples.  So the last thing I had to eat was an apple at about 2pm.  Nothing for the rest of the day.  My lips got chapped, I got thirsty and had just a couple of drinks of water to quench the thirst just as Simeon prescribes.

I'll tell you what was hard last night.  My wife and I went on a date.  Because of our 2 small kids we don't get to do that very often at all.  This date was a treat.  We went and saw Jerry Seinfeld live.  It was a terrific show.  The hard thing was trying to go on a date without a meal involved.  It felt sooo wrong.  Right after the show ended it was about 9:30pm.  Both of us were hungry and I wanted nothing more than to go and enjoy a nice meal together.  I kept thinking about Outback Steakhouse and those cheese fries.  I was thinking that this was the perfect  time to go because  they wouldn't be crowded at 9:30.  I told my wife that I wanted to cheat.  She said NO WAY YOU'RE CHEATING THIS FAR INTO THE PROGRAM.  Thank goodness for my wife.  She kept me sane.  We just made the pleasant drive home, I had another sip of water and we retired for the night.  Another day DONE!