Round 1 ~ Complete!!!

I am happy to announce that Round 1 is complete and a success!!! I quit the HCG drops on Thursday and began my 3 days of 500 calories without the HCG drops to complete Round 1.

Today, is my final day of 500 calories and I am soooo happy to be finished. It was a long 39 days but yet, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be either.

I quit 1 day early because my weight had been up and down over the past 10 days...up 2 days and down 1 that no matter what I lost or gained wasn't going to change the fact that I would have to go Round 2 to meet my goal of 135 lbs.

Tomorrow, after church...we are going to Colton's for lunch and I am meeting my sweet friend, Dorinda on Wednesday morning for breakfast! Awwww....that sounds so good to be able to say that.

My final weight that I must maintain is 158.6. I can't gain more than 2 lbs. or lose more than 2 lbs. to stablize my weight, reset my body's set weight and maintain this for 6 weeks.

I might not have lost a lot of weight the last half but I lost inches. I don't always see the results of my efforts until I see pictures or take measurements.

I measured today after 38 full (500 calorie diet days) since I started and I have lost a total of...get ready for this....

36 3/4 inches and 25 pounds!!!

Here are the pictures that I made this week. I wore this shirt on July 27th and I had to stretch it before putting it on. I knew when I was there that I was going to begin this program in two weeks and I knew that I was big but when I saw the pictures...oh, my goodness...even, I was shocked at how bad I looked.

I put the same shirt on the other day and made pictures again in it. Check them out and see the difference that 25 lbs. and 36 3/4 inches makes in a person's body.

Day 16 - Thursday

The pictures on the left are from 2 weeks ago on 8/12 and the ones on the right are from today. There is a noticable difference...maybe not a huge difference in all areas but it is showing.






I decided to take pictures again with each time that I measure but since that was an after thought...I had to do it a day later. I wore the exact same clothes as the first time and will continue to take my pictures in them as I go along.

Yesterday proved to be an easy day when I had to meet with our ladies group at Shoney's but the problem that I have is explaining the protocol with the ones that want to know more about the program. My goal is to read through the entire manuscript that Dr. Simeon wrote and try to understand it and be able to explain it rather than just accepting it.

As for the weight loss, I knew that I was smaller but when I got dressed in casual clothes that I normally don't wear at home and they were really loose also too big...then I really noticed.

The measurements yesterday just about floored me. It was hard to comprehend that I could lose 3 inches in one arm! I'm still in shock.

Today, is going to be a busy day and hopefully, it will also be uneventful.

Again, today was an easy day as far as getting hungry and any food cravings...there aren't any. I took Tyler to McDonald's after football practice and watched/smelled him eat all the way home without any problems.

Now, do I want a french fry? Absolutely! I'd love to have one but it is not an option at this point. It has to be a mental choice if nothing else. I want to be thinner and healthier more than I want that french fry.

I lost another 1 lb today which puts me at 14 lbs. in 15 days. I have officially broke out of the 180's and now the 170's...I weighted 169.4 this morning! Wow!

Breakfast: Tea
AM Snack: None
Lunch: Cabbage and Beef
Afternoon Snack: Orange
Dinner: Cabbage and Beef (didn't want to cook) :-)
Evening Snack: Orange

I got so busy today that I forgot to take my afternoon drops and now I have to try to get two rounds in tonight...it's already 8:50 PM.

Thank goodness tomorrow is my day off and I get to sleep in cause I am tired. We are going off camping this weekend and see how we manage with that challenge of being away from home. It shouldn't be a problem because we are taking all our stuff with us including our bathroom scales and food scales. We will see.

Goodnight all!!!

Day 3 - First Low Calorie Day

Wow, day 3 (yesterday) and the first low calorie day was difficult to say the least. On day 1, 2...I really wasn't hungry and didn't want to eat but I think, knowing that I couldn't eat...made me want to eat all my favorite foods.

Day 3:

I got up and weighed in at 183.6 and I'm 5'4", took my measurements and made my before pictures. When you see yourself in pictures and the numbers in black and white...I asked myself...why did you let yourself get this way? Well, I decided that I can't dwell on that but rather, I doing something about it now.


(No, I'd never were this shirt out in public but put it on because it was form fitting (uck) and I wanted to see all the "extras" that I am carrying. Normally, I'm in an oversized t-shirt.)

For breakfast, the plan calls for just tea or coffee but allows you to eat your bread or fruit. Lunch and dinner are the same choices...1 protein, 1 vegetable, 1 fruit and 1 bread. Keep in mind that if you eat a fruit for breakfast or snack...it comes off of your lunch or dinner meal...it is not extra. The total for the day = 2 proteins, 2 vegetables, 2 fruits and 2 breads...PERIOD! You can have all the tea and coffee you want as long as they are sweetened with Stevia or Sweet 'n Low. That's not a problem for me because I make 3 gallons of tea with Sweet 'n Low at a time for our family. They suggest you also drink water but I'm not a big water drinkers and I need my caffeine also.

My meals consisted yesterday - Day 3 were:

Breakfast: Apple and tea
Mid-morning Snack: None
Lunch: Grilled top sirloin steak (100 gr.) with seasoning, canned tomatoes and tea
Mid-afternoon Snack: 1 piece of Melba toast
Dinner: Grilled chicken with seasoning (100 gr.), several bowls of fresh spinach with homemade vinaigrette dressing, 1 piece of Melba toast and tea
Bedtime Snack: Orange
All with lots and lots of tea!!!
Total Calorie Intake: 500 calories and 3 "injections" of HCG

It doesn't sound like much because...well, it's not much but I noticed that I got full while eating my meals and didn't have the desire to "snack" all day without being hungry like I would have in a normal day for me.

I did have a headache and was irritable a good bit during the day but laid down and took a nap in the late afternoon (4:30-5:30 pm) before I had to pick Tyler up from football and get him to church.

I skipped our ladies group last night because I had another headache and I had to pre-cook my food for the week to make it easier for me to stay focused and do well on this program.

I love my husband...he cooked all my meat...beef and chicken for me until after 9:30 PM last night. For those of you who know Roger...he crashes and burns by 9 PM...so for him to stay in the kitchen and cook after that, before taking his shower...says...he loves me and wants me to succeed!

We cooked all the meats, sealed them with our Food Saver, washed all the spinach, cooked cabbage for the week, washed and cut celery, strawberries and lettuce. I made some homemade dressing for my salads and will make more tonight...different flavors.

The programs comes with a really good cookbook and the recipes sound....actually...yummy!

I finished the night off with an orange and a glass of tea...then, it was off to bed. Wait and see what tomorrow holds.

In The Beginning...

When I see myself in pictures...there are pictures that I don't feel like I look as big as I do in other pictures. Our family picture on the beach...I don't feel that I look as big as I do in the pictures at the bottom of this post. Go ahead and scroll down and look...I know you want to or already have. LOL!

I am actually on day #3 of this journey that I am praying helps to transform my life into a healthier, happier ME!

I am participating in the weight loss program like nothing that I've ever heard of before. It takes a completely different approach to obesity. Yes, I am admitting that I am obese. I want to lose 50 lbs. and with this program...I believe it is attainable. It consists of taking HCG (pregnancy hormone) drops 3 x a day and maintaining a 500 calorie diet. You can't do one without the other!

So, I will recap what has been happening on Day #1 & #2.

I choose to try this new weight loss program after seeing the remarkable results of a friend. I signed up and ordered the protocol on July 31st, knowing that I couldn't start it until August the 10th. I wanted to get home from vacation and we had another camping trip set up previously with another couple for this past weekend.

On day #1 & #2...you have to gorge...literally, gorge while taking HCG hormone drops 3 x a day. This is to replenish your fat storage so that when you go to a 500 calorie...yes, 500 calorie diet your body will burn it stored "bad" fat instead of the good structural fat. If you burn the good, structural fat...that is when you end up with saggy skin and a hollowed looking face.

Dr. Simeons did his research over 30 years ago on obesity and this is what he found that works with every body type...both male and female.

Round #1 = 40 days or 34 lbs. which ever comes first. Then you get off the program x a minimum of 6 weeks. The first 3 weeks, the HCG is still in your system and you can eat regular foods still eliminating sugars and starches. The next 3 weeks...you can go back to eating whatever you want.

As for day 1,2...I was so sick of eating that I thought I would throw up. You have to gorge on the highest fatty food you can get down. I thought it would be fun but it was very hard.

On Tuesday, Day 2...I went shopping at Kroger and the Marion Marketplace to buy all my produce and meats for this week. I am not really good at picking out meats and I haven't ever bought some of the vegetables that the plan allows you to have...but, the hunt was on. I also went to Wal-Mart and bought new bathroom scales...digital and it weighs you in increments rather than half and whole pounds and kitchen food scales that weighs your food in grams. Both of these items will be a huge help on this program...they are a must! You can't guess at your food and lose weight.

What I do like about this plan is that you can have steak, chicken, veal, certain kinds of white meat fish, crab legs, shrimp and lobster. The catch is...it can only weigh 100 grams...RAW!

Now, I am on day #3 and this is when the real weight loss begins.




Dear Lord...I look huge in these pictures and compared to these other ladies. But, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks...it is about how I feel. When a person doesn't not feel good about themselves...it affects nearly every other area of their lives.

I am thankful that God set my body up with aches and pains with the weight that I am because my feet, ankles, knees and hips hurt and I know it is from carrying this extra weight that my body is not designed to carry.

It's time to do something about it and I am!