15 lbs of Fat - Gone FOREVER!

I made it past my brief plateau, and have reached the 15 lbs lost mark. I am so happy! I am also feeling skinnier today, so I think I must have lost inches too.
I haven't been bruising with my shots anymore. I took Rose's advice, and moved the shot area even farther out, and it's been pretty good, for the most part. Every now and again, I will hit a nerve and that stings for a few hours, but seriously I am in the process of curing my fat problem! What's a little discomfort in comparison to that?
I am still having times of real weariness, but I attribute that more to my body recovering from the illnesses, than being on this diet. We went for a long walk yesterday, and I like that my strength is coming back. It was so beautiful on the walk. We walked a trail by a creek that has still water areas and ponds that have ducks and cranes in them. The sun was shining, the trees with their new leaves and buds were swaying in the breeze, and the little birds we happily hopping around and singing so sweetly. I love spring! Well, the sunny days of spring, hehe.
I roasted asparagus with lemon and kosher salt yesterday. I usually use olive oil, and so I was curious if I would like it, and I loved it! It was tangy and delicious, you have to try it and let me know what you think.
Well, it looks like the sun is trying to peak out of the clouds a bit, so maybe I'll chance a few raindrops and go for another walk. The trees are calling me! Tootles!

Shocking!

How shocking it is, when every day you've been stepping on the scales with great excitement and seeing the number lower than the day before, and then Ouch! it's the SAME!!! 2 days in a row now, I have hardly lost anything and it sent me into a sad place.
It took me watching a motivational video, re-reading what Dr Simeon said about plateaus, and some serious visualizing to get back into my 'happy place.' I needed to stop and realize how much is happening in my body right now, and think about the fact that I may not weigh less these 2 days, but I am healthier than I was before, and that is JUST as important! Right? Right!
So, I am just going to keep-on-keeping-on, and getting healthier, and smaller. This summer is going to be great! I will be able to wear a swim suit again and shorts! I am grateful for this experience, because I feel good, I no longer have sugar cravings, and I feel in control of my life. I haven't had this much good feeling going through me for a long time. I am accepting the process, confident of the ultimate positive outcome, and am NOT a victim! Food will always be there. And I truly know that NOTHING tastes as good as being thin feels. I remember it and will once again achieve it - for good! Tootles!

Yippee! No Hunger!

This is my second day without giving myself a shot, because, as I said before, it's my time of the month. I am not experiencing any hunger...actually, I am more full and satisfied than I had been before. So I am relieved. But MOST importantly, I am still losing a pound a day! I am so happy!
The only issue is that I have bled more than I ever have; and I have had some bad ones! My hubby tries to encourage me that maybe it will be shorter because of it...we'll see. As long as the scales go down, I can do anything! :-)
The cramps have been so bad this week that it's been a good excuse to not do much of anything, except read. And, boy-oh-boy have I been reading! Several years ago I had read the first two books of George RR Martin's series that starts with 'A Game of Thrones,' but I hadn't read the last two. Every time a get a book that is next in a series that I have been waiting for, I start the series over. So, I finished re-reading book 2 on Monday, and went to Barnes and Noble to get the next book. I was so excited! I love buying books. Well, I get half way through it and I keep yelling at the book, saying, "NO!" and "I can't believe it!" My hubby is laughing at me because he sees how upset I am (I get really into books, hehe) and I growled at him and said that it better get better and book 4 better end well, or I was going to hunt down George Martin and shoot him! Of course, I wouldn't - I never have shot anyone and I highly doubt I'd ever be unstable enough to shoot someone over a story, however, if George had walked up to me at that point, I would for SURE have yelled at him!!
I started reading book 4 yesterday, and it started off pretty good. Then it hit me...maybe this isn't the last book in the series? So, with great trepidation I got on the internet and what do you know? Martin has contracted for 3 more!!! OMG! I am going to have to read that 3rd book again at least a couple more times!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!
This is what comes of loving to read./heavy sigh/ I should have picked some other hobby that doesn't put me and my emotions at someone else's mercy - like full contact origami. Oh well, back to book 4...wish me luck! Tootles!

10 lbs Down!

So far, I've lost 10 lbs and it's been really easy! I did start my period yesterday, but as it won't be 10 shots until after today's shot, I'll do this one and then break for the duration. I was really wrestling with this decision, when I read that there are some women who keep on giving themselves shots during their periods, because I don't want to be hungry. But I am honestly more worried about building up an immunity than I am about being hungry. So, I figured taking this shot break like Dr Simeon's suggests will help the hcg work in me longer...or so I hope.
My husband has been so supportive and has helped me so much with shopping, preparing, etc. so I had to totally laugh last night. He brought home a movie for us to watch, and he wanted to get one that I would (hopefully) enjoy. It's called 'No Reservations' and it's about 2 chefs and the food they cooked looked really good! I laughed and laughed when Randy looked at me sheepishly and said, "Sorry." The movie was cute, and I'm not really hungry on this diet, so it's all good.
We have a real estate agent looking for properties for us in the Phoenix, AZ area. Who knows? Maybe I will be BBQing for Thanksgiving instead of bundling up against the rain, ice and snow. That sounds like something to be thankful for! Tootles!

First Day - No Shot

I have to admit that I was a little nervous about not having the shot today, as Dr Simeon said some people experience more hunger. And I did feel a little weak when I hadn't eaten for awhile, but as soon as I did, I felt fine. I did notice that I was a little hungrier, but the food didn't taste as good. Is anyone else experiencing this? Maybe it was my imagination, but everything was really bland today.
I even bought fresh crab and made the cocktail sauce recipe that is in the E-book. I made a crab cocktail with salad and the sauce and this was my 'treat' for staying on the diet so perfectly this week, and wow! it was such a disappointment. Oh well, the day is almost over and I will (hopefully) get on my scales again in the morning and see a weight loss, as I have every day this week.
The recipe called for prepared horseradish, but I couldn't find any that didn't have sugar in them, so I grated my own. My sinuses were nice and clear for a bit after that, hehe.
Back to the house building scheme...we are looking to build a 'green' house with solar panels. I would love to eventually build this house and have it run totally solar, and have an electric car that I could come home and plug in and have the energy be from solar too! Talk about self-sufficient! I can just imagine NOT going to the gas station and paying $75 to fill the tank, just going home and pluggin' in! That's all for now - Tootles! :)

Scale Goes Down, Down, Down

I love getting up in the morning and seeing the scales' number lower than the day before! How addicting! Last night I felt like I couldn't wait to go to sleep so I could get up and weigh myself, hehe. I'm down 5 lbs from the highest weight I got to on my gorging days. The only downside of this diet (besides being on a diet in the first place) is the bruising. Every time I'm giving myself a shot, I'm getting a bruise. (I am injecting SQ around my belly button.) Does anyone have any suggestions? It's not that big of a deal, and mostly don't notice them, unless I wear jeans, then it's an ouch!
I am visualizing so often during the day. I realize that the way that I 'am' is a result of the past, but the way that I 'am becoming' is a result of NOW and I am choosing to make healthy choices for myself now. I feel good and am still excited about this protocol. Am going to start trying out new recipes soon, I think, so I keep back the boredom.
How sad is it to finally get into an orange and have it be all dried out...2 days in a row this has happened to me! It's more of a bummer since I got organic ones at Whole Foods. I entertain myself by imagining that person who takes an open fruit back to the store. "This orange is dried out."
"Oh? I'm sorry. Did you ask for help picking them?"
"Um, no...I picked them out myself."
"Well, you must really suck at it, because we haven't gotten any other complaints. Would you like me to help you pick out oranges that are better?"
I imagine how embarrassing that would be...and yet, sometime I'd like to take one back and see what is actually said. It's never worth the bother to return stuff, though. I think stores bank on that attitude, and yet.../shrug
More about moving...We have designed a home we want to build. We looked at numerous house designs, and combined a couple that we really liked. We are worried about the market, however. America looks like it's poised for another really bad recession, though I believe there is enough abundance in this world for everyone, if we just believe it and are open to finding it. Will tell you more when I know more. Tootles! :)

Day 3

Day 3 was harder than I thought it was going to be. Probably because it was hard to eat to capacity on days 1 and 2, because I still don't have my taste buds back to 100%. I tried really hard, though, so I hope I don't get really hungry, like some people have said can happen.
I am finding that my will to be on this diet and get healthy is butting heads with my will not to be told what I can and can't eat. I think that part of my psyche must be 2 years old. I hear the temper tantrum building inside. The 'adult' part of me that wants to do whatever I need to in order to be healthy, is trying to have a calm and rational conversation with the 2 year old. I wish it would just give the little brat a good spanking! :)
It's hard for me to compare how I feel this time on the diet to last time, because I wasn't getting over major illnesses last time, and I am pretty tired still. But, I know that I'm not hungry - just in the habit of putting whatever I want in my mouth. To replace that habit, I am visualizing when I feel the urge to feed...my scales say 125lbs, I am trim and energized and loving life! I can't wait!

Yippie!! I am finally Good-to-Go!!!

My hcg came, though my needles still haven't arrived...but I was so anxious to get going that I went out and got some! I am eating like crazy and then will be actually starting on the 500 calories tomorrow.
I am visualizing my scale at 125 lbs. With just getting over an UTI and a bout of walking pneumonia, I have had to have too many cups of tea with honey and cough drops to name...Consequently, I've gained almost 7 lbs in the last 2 months. I've started this diet at 191.5 (I weighed less than this when 9 months pregnant. Ouch!)
But am sure it will come off relatively quickly, and with your support fellow dieters, fairly painlessly.
I still don't have my taste buds back yet, so forcing myself to eat alot of calories has been more of a chore than a pleasure, but I am willing to do whatever I need to so I don't feel like I am starving when I start eating only 500 calories a day.
I was reading testimonials of successful hcg dieters yesterday, and I was so encouraged! Especially one who said she was in a size 10, even at 160 lbs! Wow! That really does show that it's the 'bad' and hard-to-lose fat that goes bye-bye on this diet and not the kind we lose on other diets (over and over and over...)
We are talking about relocating to another state - just up and selling everything (house, furniture, car, hot tub, the whole enchilada...and starting up fresh in a sunny location. It will be interesting to do this diet and do all of those changes at the same time, but the idea excites me. I love adventure and change. I will let you know what we decide...maybe get some input from y'all. We are thinking of Arizona, maybe...any suggestions?
Well, I'm off to the store to get my meats and fruit and vegies for tomorrow. You will hear from me more, now that I've finally started! =) Tootles!

Better Now Than Later...

I've been really, really sick this week. Fever, coughing, headache...the whole nine yards. And I am struck by the timing. I had hoped to be on the diet by now, but my supplies aren't here yet. So, I was feeling impatient...but having this cold and NOT being on the diet has allowed me to use cough drops, etc. so I can get a little rest.
It's funny, because I've been reading a lot about things that in our mind we label 'good' and 'bad'. It had seemed to me that waiting this long for the hcg was 'bad'...I was feeling like time was a-wastin'. But I felt a sense of peace come over me when I got sick, realizing how MUCH worse I would have felt, how much harder it would have been to be on the protocol and to be sick. Labels about things being 'good' or 'bad' are unnecessary and potentially limiting to our growth and experiences. That's not to say that there isn't good and bad in the world. There is. It's just that too many things are labeled with those in our minds and I think it has at least 2 negative side effects: first, it adds emotional baggage of feeling guilt, shame, embarrassment, failure, etc. to things that we were never to have that kind of relationship with. And second, it desensitizes us to things that really are good and bad. The consequences of that are staggering.
I intended most of my posts to be lighthearted and fun, but I am in a deeply contemplative state right now. I am preparing for my own personal greatness - whatever that may be. I hope that makes sense...I'm still trying to get the night-time cold medicine out of my system. But thank God for it! hehe Talk to you soon! Tootles!