R3 VLCD #More - Macadamias Smell Like Wax

...and it sort of grosses me out. I really like them in, say, COOKIES, but I don't think that would have the same desired effect I'm striving for here. 

I lost a half pound today! It doesn't seem like much but I have been hovering around 119 for the last week. So here I am at 118.5, popping another round of macadamias in my mouth. They DO have a delightful sort of crunch... almost buttery in a way. So in my eyes - the macadamias tentatively worked. I'm going to try another few days and see how things go. SEE HOW I AM SACRIFICING MYSELF IN THE NAME OF EXPERIMENTATION?! Well, I suppose it isn't really sacrifice if I'm going to get some good out of it too :] Not to mention it's kind of nice to eat something besides the normal P2 diet. The crunch! It's just so satisfying!

Last night I went to happy hour with T, A and K. T, my best friend, is moving to Denver in a week and a half :[ This makes me a saaaad sad panda. But really, she doesn't belong here in Phoenix. She's much more of an outdoors-y, green, not-desert kind of person. She will thrive in Denver, but will be sorely missed. So tonight is a sort of going away party for her, held simultaneously with a club event that someone we know is throwing. I don't think I'll have any wine since I had some last night, but we'll see :]

The REAL test will be Saturday, her actual going away party barbecue. It'll no doubt be tough to stick to protocol then, but I'm going to, because it will be the second to last day of injections! I can't screw things up that late in the game! Time will tell :]

Eater of Waxy Nuts (HA!),

M

R3 VLCD #Something+MAS - I'm Nuts About Macadamias!

Hellooooooo party people!

I didn't lose that .5lb today... boooo. I had secretly predicted that I'd lose 1 pound, but nothing. Oh well. I hope I have a "woosh" in store tomorrow or SOMETIME before Sunday! But it really isn't TOO big of a deal, because I really like how I look now :D

SO! I read something interesting on HTA this morning. Someone on there read somewhere (someone told me that they told you that she told him that they told us that SHE said...) that a few macadamia nuts each day while on P2 increases weight loss a lil' bit. And THEEEENNNN a few people in the thread TRIED it and it worked for (most of)them! Seeing as how I haven't lost anything in the past few days, and that I am really happy with how I look nooow, I thought I'd give this little experiment a shot. The worst that could happen is that I don't lose, and that's not really a traumatic issue at this point. The BEST that could happen is that I lose more each day for the following 6 days and get to my 115 goal! Or beyond (fat chance)!!!!

So I moseyed on over to Sprouts this morning and got myself a bag of raw macadamia nuts! They were pretty tasty, although I DO prefer the salted ones. Most nuts I like raw, but these are just kind of bland. I ate 6.5 of them, which according to The All-Knowing Church of Google, equals about 130 calories. I worked waaay more than that off running this morning so we're all set! We'll see how it turns out tomorrow a.m.

I'm 'bout ready to be done with this mess. I want to eat normal food again. But not badly enough that when I go off the injections I fear I am going to pig out. I have definitely found an inner peace with all of this... my body, food, life in general. 

AND I GOT SOME FRIGGIN' CUTE SHOES TODAY, TOO!

And THAT, my friends, is ALWAYS cause for celebration.

Happy Feet,

M

R3 VLCD #Something+some more - Home Stretch

Alright people! Did you all have good weekends? Relaxing? Crazy? Blow-Your-Brains-Out Dull? Good good! Good to hear :]

We're in the final stretch! I'm still at 119, I got down to 118.5 on Sunday, but then ate every sample in sight at Costco. SAMPLES aren't supposed to count as real food! I thought that the oatmeal cookie, chicken pasta, and cream puff were completely devoid of calories. Evidently not. I don't know where I get my information but it's BADBADBAD. But the rest of my round will be as cleeeeeean as something reeeaaaaaally clean. 

I'm sure it will come off tomorrow, if not that and then some. My final injection is this coming Sunday, and I am hoping to get down to 115, which has always been my final goal. Can she do it? Can she overcome all obstacles and be successful? Can she completely ignore the chocolate covered pomegranate bits in the cupboard(yesterday I evidently couldn't)? Tune in all this week to find out!

I have a BUNCH of hCG left, it's currently camped out in my freezer right behind the orange roughy. My friend B told me on Saturday that she is ready to take the plunge and change her lifestyle. She has been through a LOT in the last year, and wants to shed old habits and start anew. So I'll be giving that to her whenever she wants it.  

I think that's about all I have for you today... I'm suddenly craving about 100 grams of ground beef. Haven't a clue why, but I think I'll go have some :]

ALMOST DONE!

M

R3 VLCD #Something - I'VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH *SOBSOBSOB*

OH. MY. GOD... It's YOU!!! How are you?? OMG you look FAAABBUUULLOOUUUSSSS! It has been so LONG! What HAVE you been doing? Are you still with that one guy? Still working at that one place? I'm soooooo glad to see you're doing fabulously. You're just so completely fabulous.

Sorry to stay away so long. I am notorious for starting blogs and then growing tired of them and abandoning ship for a while. I think I pressure myself into posting every day, and then when I miss a day or two, I think it's futile and all is lost and I stop. You should see how many different LiveJournal accounts I have. I'm taking up so much space on the web that they're gonna go all airline on me and start charging me for TWO seats. 

But now I'm back! From outer space! I just walked into see you here with that sad look upon your face! *boogies down*

But in all reality... I'm doing fantastic. My P3 didn't go quite as well as the first time... I was soooo tired of P2 and was getting weak which you can see if you recap my last few posts. SOOOOO in that nasty little grey area when you are no longer injecting but supposed to eat 500 calories per day, I sorta let loose. A lot. And then some more. Topped with even more with some MORE mixed in shakennotstirredthankyouverymuch. 

My LIW was 122.5 and I got up to a whopping 127 (insert horror movie scream here). Shaaaame ooooooh the shame!! 

SO! Here I am on P2 again, this time REALLY for my last time. I learned my lesson, I cannot CANNOT cheat those last few days of 500 calories, no matter how much justification I try to feed my hungry little sugar-starved brain. I am looking quite wonderful if I may say so myself, and I will :] THIS is a new feeling. Not just being OK with how I look but actually feeling HOT! I big puffy pink heart it a lot! 

And guess how much I weight? Guess what IIIII broke into just this morning?!?! 

THE TEENS! I'm 119! (insert Price is Right winner music here - circa Bob Barker NOT Dana Carvey)

I could not be more thrilled (unless of course I had magically dropped 4 more lbs and gotten to my final goal of 115 - but I do have a TOUCH of realism in me, I promise). The last few days I was getting a little mentally wishy-washy, wondering if I should just stop now instead of finishing up. I ALWAYS do that when I am about to reach a goal! I must not! I haven't been cheating, just toying with the idea of P3. I think I thought what Amie once told me - that I didn't think I COULD get below the 120s. That it was just unattainable even though I have abnormal fat left. It was just a mental block. But now I have opened the flood gates and feel great :]

Well I am sorry that I didn't keep up with you guys better - I will now go peruse your journals and see how you have been doing :] 

All the best,

M

R2 VLCD #26 - I TAKE IT BACK

The end! I didn't take an injection this morning. Last night after I got home from a relaxing Our Economy Blows Happy Hour with H (read: a bottle of wine bought at the store instead of drinks out) I had to make a cake. For H's bridal shower that I am throwing next weekend.

No no no I didn't make the cake this far in advance... I had to do a trial because I am making a

 special cake! NO not that kind of special. C'mon people, can't you read my mind? A rainbow cake!! So I made it for Snack Friday (which you SHOULD know what that is if you have been keeping up). It will look much prettier than this,

 it will be 2 layers and iced diff

erently and such, I was just seeing if I could achieve the tie-dye effect! (for the record, I did not eat any of the finished cake)

So I made the cake... and I licked the batter bowl... all 5 of them needed for the different colors. And plenty of frosting. I gained a pound today. And my stomach is PROTESTING. My intestines feel all weird and I'm all gurgley. That's what I get! I'm sure it'll come off soon enough, if this P3 is anything like my last P3. It was pretty darn easy. I know they are not all the same, but I work out so much that I think that helps a lot.

I'm just done. I tried to fight it, but I have no mental willpower left. I was starting to sabotage myself. As much as I hate to go back on my decision yesterday and say "no, I actually can't go further" I don't want to ruin what I have worked so hard for already. 

So I will just leave the syringes in the freezer until I decide if I am going to do another or I'm done forever and toss them out. Right now I am up in the air. I wanted to end up lower, but I may very well just be able to do that myself with the insane exercise regimen that I will be partaking in now that I am not going to be taking in the same amount of daily calories as a small cat. We shall see.

I feel good about what I have done so far. I really do like myself now, which is more than I ever imagined I would get out of this! I am ready for P3. SO READY. 

So... here I go!

Yesterday's exercise:

Ran 3 miles outside

Yesterday on my plate was:

1/2 grapefruit with Splenda

100g beef

A chunk of cucumber

1 yellow apple

1.5 glasses of Pinot Noir

Some sliced ham (that's all they had)

Cake batter and frosting, in "a lick here and there really adds up" amounts

Weight tracking:

+1lb today

-19.5lbs overall

+1lb over LIW (122.5)

Embarking On Another P3 Expedition,

M

R2 VLCD #25 - Say You'll Never Let Go, Jack, Never Let Go

Last night... I almost gave up.

Actually, I DID give up. I was done! Fin! Over! You coulda stuck a fork all the way THROUGH me I was so done. I decided that this morning I was not going to take a shot, and just start my transition into P3. I was feeling WEAK! I had had it. I wanted "real" food. I wanted to lift weights again. I wanted a "normal" life back!

SO weak, that I had several FINGERS-FUL of FROSTING. Yes FROSTING! You read that correctly. Not peanut butter, not cream cheese, not Walden Farms no-cal caramel dip.... FROSTING.

And a bite of S's dinner, which definitely included carbs. And maybe 15 or so cashews. 

This morning, I realized I was wrong. I woke up and didn't want to stop hCG. I felt renewed. I didn't feel too guilty about my little deviation (I think I actually needed some sugar) and I definitely didn't want to stop! 

So I didn't! I TOOK that shot. STRAPPED on my running shoes. And CONQUERED my weakness. 

And ya know what? That little bit of sugar sure made my run this morning pleasant. I didn't feel weak at all. And today still I feel great. 

I have actually been contemplating something that'd probably be pretty controversial. Not contemplating DOING it per say since I'm about done, but thinking it may be helpful, for some people. 

Perhaps during the protocol, after a few weeks of your VLCD, you need to take a day, have a small meal with something carb-y or sugar-y (not a lot - mind you - but enough to rejuvenate you a bit). Your brain has a hard time running off ketones all the time says S, so after a while it gets TIRED OF THIS and you crave, mentally and physically, sugars and carbs. Then the next day, take the gain or stall if you have one, into stride, and carry on. This may help people. I sure feel a helluva lot better today, where last night I was DONE. And I still lost a half of a pound! Granted - I think it would have been more had I not deviated, but I'm ok with it. I feel that I could go for another week. Or longer (I'm not though). I definitely retained some water from that frosting... I was SO THIRSTY for the rest of the night after eating it. SOOOO thirsty!

Now I'm not going to go out and tell people to do this, it's just a thought. And I think some would have a hard time sticking to just a little bit, or not doing it over and over again. 

Well there ya have it. Now here I go, journeying into the end of my round, full force and ready to TAKE IT ON!

Yesterday's exercise:

Ran almost 3 miles (smooth move interruption!)

Yesterday on my plate was:

1/2 grapefruit with Splenda

100g chicken

A chunk of cucumber

1 green apple

100g beef

15 or so cashews

Several fingers-ful of frosting

A glass of pinot noir

A bite of S's dinner

Weight tracking:

-.5lb today

-10lbs this roun

-20.5lbs overall

EMPOWERED,

M

R2 VLCD #24 - A "Moving" Experience

Well I lost that .5lb today, just like you guys said I would! Wheee!! Tomorrow I am expecting more loss... in the Smooth Move category. I hadn't had a BM in like a week and a half or something, so I had some unfair buildup. I'm not taking magnesium or anything, so I haven't really been helping myself in that category. But I like my Smooth Move! And I never gain anything after I take it, so I feel like my losses are somewhat legit. In a normal eating situation I'd not have this much crap (literally) inside of me!

Soooooo I took some around 3pm yesterday, hoping I'd wake up in the middle of the night, have a (in my experience, Not So) Smooth Move, and go back to bed. Well this wasn't the case. I felt a little rumbly before bed so I thought I was on the right track, but when I woke up for our run, still nothing. 

I debated not running, but I consulted S and he just said "well just get as far as you can, and if you feel things start to move, then just head back". Logical, yes. I think my brain was just crying "SLEEEEEP! GIVE ME AN EXCUSE TO SLEEP MORE!" So I went. 

I got almost all the way to the gym, when I felt those oh so familiar feelings when you know things are a-stirrin'. I walked for a moment, thought I was ok. So we ran again. NOPE! Time to go back! So I kissed S goodbye and turned around and started running home. I got about 1/2 mile more before I HAD to stop and walk. Srsly, I was about to run it right out of me!!

The rest of the journey home was... uncomfortable at BEST. I may have had a really close call. I am sure you all wanted to know this, but it's humorous. HUMOROUS, PEOPLE! Seeing my house come into view was almost a religious experience. The garage door opened on my first try. The world was working in my favor (and it had BETTER, after that little .5lb incident yesterday!)

So I feel light as a feather now! And hopefully tomorrow I'll be below this 123 that seems to like hanging around. Till then...

Yesterday's exercise:

Ran/walked 3 miles outside

Yesterday on my plate was:

1/2 grapefruit with Splenda

100g ground beef

100g chicken

A chunk of cucumber

1 small apple

Like 8 peanuts (OOOHHH SNAP!)

Weight tracking:

-.5lb today

-9.5 this round

-20lbs overall

Your Neighborhood Little Shit,

M