Hi all. just checking in. Yes I've been having ups and downs too. I ate some deli extra lean ham and it turned out to have honey it. Should have been more careful but I wasn't prepared. So my scale shot up 3 pounds and I've just now finally got it down and am losing again. 168.8 this morning. Will post my numbers when I can find my dang notebook.

I'm on vlcd12 and am finally feeling better and have some energy. I find that it's better if I don't spend much time in the kitchen. It's the habit of eating that's hard to deal with, not the hunger. I have very little hunger. I just don't want to be around food. Thank goodness I don't have to cook for a family. I don't know how you guys do it.

As MizKitty says, I know if I just keep on keeping on with this diet, it will come off. It helps to know that there is a P3 and P4 and that YES I will have loading days again when I do another cycle Yippeeee. I plan to do it right next time.

Coli, hang in there, they grow up so fast. So glad you are all here.

I couldn't stay away from the scale.

At any rate, I'm down 1.6 lbs, so I'm excited that I'm down a bit more.

I did do a couple of detox baths two nights in a row with epsom salts that is
supposed to help detox and help get the weight off. Anyway, it felt relaxing, if not a little itchy.

Weighing every day will stand you in good stead for P3/P4, as I understand it!

Yeah, it's kind of the rule in P3. Evidently, lots of fluctuation during stabilization is the norm, and you need to be able to correct right away as you slowly add in new foods and see what you can and can't eat.
I need some sympathy, I've been right on plan all this week, even getting in my water, and this morning I weigh more than I did on Sunday. How is that possible on hCG? I'm wondering if my dosages have lost their potency, they're probably going on 4 weeks old. But even with no hCG, I shouldn't gain weight on this food plan, so it's probably something else, hormone fluctuations or something.

TOM was awful with hcg. I would stall and gain. Is that a possibility, MizKitty?

I'm mostly through menopause (been going through it the last 4 years), but my bio-hrt induces fake periods now and then due to taking progesterone 14 days out of the month. Took the last one for this month around the 20th, if a hrt-induced period was going to happen, I would be having it right now, but nothing happened this month. I could still be retaining, I suppose. Or just late. I don't feel menstrual-ly though.
I probably just need a big event on the throne. LOL!

Well ladies, I am stuck at 134 again today so "apple day" it is for me too. I already cheated and had some green tea and 1/2 an apple at 7:30 AM instead of waiting till noon. Oh well. I will keep my water L-O-W and cross my fingers. I am also giving up coffee and and my sugar free non-dairy creamer and hope that turns things around for my final half of P2.

4beatgaits - no fun cooking for everyone else and I often excuse myself from joining them so I don't have to watch the feast. I am cooking all my non LC old recipes for this three weeks so they have a fun food break, while I drool. We'll all go back to LC eating in April.

Monique - good news! Nice release.

So I've been vlogging a little on YouTube about my HCG journey. My user name is Stylepdx if you are curious about what I look like live. I learned about HCG on YouTube and felt it was a nice way to go full circle and post something there. It is not in my normal comfort zone but I thought I'd share it with you girls as well in case you are interested. If you are YouTubing too please let me know!

The apple day was a total failure. I decided to abort mission before 11 AM and have just resumed normal protocol. I am going to just be still with the stall and not be so reactive. I need some food and apples won't cut it, lol. Time to learn to let go of the "goal weight" number and "what I wanted to lose on HCG". My body will do what it pleases and doesn't give a hoot about all that ego stuff.

Still gonna give up coffee and creamer. Who knows - that could be just what the doctor ordered. I may sleep deeper too.

MizKitty - I feel your pain. It is so hard to eat this way and not lose - what gives? How is that even possible? Hcg or not!

I'm pretty much staying in one place, though I'm expecting TOM any day. I got into some "new" black dress pants for work this morning. Size 18. I used to wear them all the time so they aren't new, just it's been awhile since I could wear them.

When you are not losing pounds, you are losing inches. Find a test piece of clothing and keep trying it on to check your progress.

Beth

I am going out of town this evening and won't be back to weigh till Monday. hopefully by then I'll have lost something and see a good number. I precooked my food to take with me.

Hmmm, maybe the creamer is what's stalling you? It's full of chemical junk!

Jenny - your mouth to God's ears! Yes, that is my partially hydrogenated bit of heaven. Actually, the green tea with a bit of stevia was fine. I also didn't have the guilt of the creamer following me all day.

Momma - you go girl being so organized. I guess you really have to be on this diet. I was looking at all my various meals in the fridge/freezer (mine and theirs) and was pretty proud of the planning happening.

This morning's weigh in I am down 2.0 lbs, so far this week I am down 5.6 lbs. It is VLCD 5.

I plan to continue to do strict protocol, I think it is the way to go for round one. I don't think I have exceeded 500 calories yet, or eaten anything off of Simeon's protocol.

The only problem I am having right now is trouble sleeping. I don't know if it is because my metabolism is speeding up or what, but I can't get a full 8 hours sleep at night, maybe 4-6 hours at most. But, oddly, I don't feel very tired.

I'm not sleeping much either. I am just not sleepy tired. I have 2 babues that have been up ALL night for a few nights with chicken pox and it hasn't been to bad for me staying up with them.

I feel soo weak whenever I try to do anything. Is this normal?

It sounds normal enough for someone with 4 kids, 2 of which are babies with chicken pox! LOL Geesh, hope things improve fast. I remember how hard that was from when my twin boys were 2 year olds and caught chicken pox.

But actually, opposite of weakness, I've had more energy than ever on hCG.


I'm up another .6. A whole week wasted with no progress. Also no bathroom activity. I'm mad now, tomorrow's my last day on the hCG, and I was hoping for a big finish. Now I'm just hoping for a big event on the toilet. LOL