R4P2 Starting Weight 184.4
Yesterday – 164.4
Today – 164.0
0.4 lb LOSS Overnight
11.4 lb UNDER LIW of Round Three (175.4)
20.4 Lost Since Start of R4 (VLCD) 01/22/08
86.8 Total Lost Since Start of Protocol (VLCD) 06/26/07

Here is my menu for yesterday. This is what I had:

Well, I didn’t do my “regular” meal yesterday. I needed some comfort food for lunch so I ate my green beans, tomato sauce and ground beef for lunch (using my tomatoes as a fruit) – then a grapefruit for snack. My husband surprised me and brought home some shrimp to grill so I had grilled shrimp and my homemade salsa for dinner (tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice, garlic and pepper).

A total of around 498 calories divided this way: 9 Fat, 45 Carbs, 60 Protein

GO HERE AND SIGN UP FOR UPCOMING HCG NEWSLETTER!!! I actually have a date! Look for it on February 15th! WOO HOO!!! (HOPING HOPING HOPING)

Let’s not forget the HCG BOOK CLUB – join in on the fun! If you haven’t signed up for it yet, please do so now. eMail Address Form

Our FAQ Question this go round is the following, please spend some time if you can answering this survey:

Since we are on Phase 3 – let’s discuss those people out there that actually have a difficult time keeping weight ON during the Phase 3 portion of the Protocol. Yes, there are some out there with this problem. Remember that Dr Simeon’s said that it was just as important to keep the weight on as it was to keep it off! So please help out if you can!

Phase 3 – What If You’re Still Losing???

Running Out of Time

My mind is now in what I have to do to get ready to go across country mode. It all kinda came crashing down around me yesterday when I realized how quickly the time has come for me to leave my house for 4 weeks. I am now scrambling to get everything done around here so that I can have some peace of mind when I go.

Oh the woes of life of a procrastinator. I didn’t realize I was one day short this week on my ‘sanctuary’ (that is the time I call my ‘alone’ time when the kids are in school and I get the most done around the house) – they are OFF tomorrow and I just found that out yesterday, and that one day put the anxiety in my heart that I have one day less to get ready. I knew about the holiday Monday and was fully prepared for that – just not for this extra day off tomorrow.

Oh well. Since my mind is in this mode, I just don’t have a lot to say about much.

I know I am not fretting about my weight. I am still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that I am under 165 – that just seems too weird ya know? I need some time to process this. The end of this round is pretty much coming at just the right time. I am going to have a good 4 – 6 weeks on Phase 3 and Phase 4 to wrap my head around how I am looking.

My eating? I stayed with protocol last night (except for the green beans) and I will be doing the same thing today. I don’t have any desire to think about counting calories. Just do what works. I was telling someone yesterday, I can’t remember who, that in doing all the experimenting I did, I did discover one thing. Dr S knew what he was doing. He knew the healthy balance between fruits, veggies and proteins. I have come to have a healthy respect for his menu. It really doesn’t take a lot of thought processes. You need to just do your proteins in the amount he wants, do your fruits, and the rest you can have pretty much all you want.

What a genius eh?

Counting calories, especially just 500 and trying to get all your protein in, is NOT EASY. OK, ok, lesson learned. I am glad I did it, because it showed me in a pinch what I could do to keep on track. In a PINCH. Not as a regular thing.

Where does the time go?

On to my commenter’s – these are my responses to yesterday’s comments:

Crystal – 621??? Good grief! Good for you getting into the 60′s!!! WOO HOO FOR YOU!!! Still feeling rough. Ugh.

Lili – I wish it was as easy as a belch or two! ROFL – Ah, you know Lili, it’s nothing but a thang. Seriously. I have no issues with what happened, no matter where it came from, or where it went. I am over it and I am moving on.

Mary – Almost over night! ROFL – we shall see what tomorrow brings. I think my grilled shrimp had a bit too much seasoning on it last night and so I didn’t lose the whole .6 in one setting. Ah well, there is always tomorrow.

EweWho - Yeah, I would say the envelope ripped, clean open! ROFL – what can one say? Just pick up and move on. It was fun while it lasted.

Ed & Jenn - you are so my cheering section! HA! Thanks Jenn for being there, you are a breath of fresh air. Fooled you on my menu tho eh? I think tho that I will be doing my regular today, I think I need it!

Shelly – a wrap? Oh you are so funny. I am out of sorts today, I can’t tell if it’s sick stuff or if it’s anxiety. To early to tell right now.

Becca – very observant! Nope, no protein. Even JPS asked me why I didn’t put a slab of meat in my wrap? I was like, I didn’t have enough calories. So you are right, the protein is probably what did it more than anything else. OOOO, let me know how the peppers do. Actually, when you wrote me about the peppers all I could think of was stir fry, but peppers on onions, can you say DUH??? NHW allows green peppers. HA! Go for it girl and report results!

Biz – who is already tired for the day.

R4P2 Starting Weight 184.4
Yesterday – 163.8
Today – 164.4
0.6 lb GAIN Overnight
11.0 lb UNDER LIW of Round Three (175.4)
20.0 Lost Since Start of R4 (VLCD) 01/22/08
86.4 Total Lost Since Start of Protocol (VLCD) 06/26/07

Here is my menu for yesterday. This is what I had:

I am going to discuss in detail what I ate yesterday further below, but for the interest of continuity, I am going to post it here as well. Started out with Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2. Cottage Cheese and Peaches for breakfast, lunch was a Flat Out Italian Herb Wrap made with Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Alfafa Sprouts, FF Mayo and Dijon Mustard, sprinkled with lime. Snack was a grapefruit, and supper was more Cottage Cheese and Peaches. Oh, and for the first time I had some sugar free gum.

A total of around 496 calories divided this way: 12 Fat, 74 Carbs, 38 Protein

GO HERE AND SIGN UP FOR UPCOMING HCG NEWSLETTER!!! I actually have a date! Look for it on February 15th! WOO HOO!!!

Let’s not forget the HCG BOOK CLUB – join in on the fun! If you haven’t signed up for it yet, please do so now. eMail Address Form

Our FAQ Question this go round is the following, please spend some time if you can answering this survey:

Since we are on Phase 3 – let’s discuss those people out there that actually have a difficult time keeping weight ON during the Phase 3 portion of the Protocol. Yes, there are some out there with this problem. Remember that Dr Simeon’s said that it was just as important to keep the weight on as it was to keep it off! So please help out if you can!

Phase 3 – What If You’re Still Losing???

Ok, So Flat Bread Doesn’t Work!

Or was it the sugarfree gum? Or maybe the veggie cheese? Or could it have been the mixing of the veggies? I mean after all, I did cucumbers, tomatoes AND alfafa sprouts in one setting! I knew better than to try too many variables in just one day. That was most stupid of me. So which one is it? All I can tell you tho is that my flat bread sandwich yesterday was simply divine. I enjoyed that SO MUCH BETTER than the Sammie the other day.

Let me add something else to the equation … my head is stuffy. I can’t breathe out of one side of my nose. I slept only 5 hours. And I feel feverish. Geesh, more variables.

So, lots of things could have been the cause of the gain. I am not fretting it, so no worries ok?

Well anyway, today it doesn’t matter. Because I said that the day I gained, I would do strict Dr S protocol that next day. So that is what I am doing today. Most likely? My famous ground beef patty with lettuce and mustard dressing with an apple for lunch. Catfish Creole for supper with a snack of a grapefruit.

On to my commenter’s – these are my responses to yesterday’s comments:

Mary – HA! The beer day! That is too funny. The point is that you still cannot go over 500 cals. No matter what. Drinking 2 or 3 beers adds up fast. Be careful!!! LOL

CB – Thanks girlfriend, for being such a loyal reader! I am so happy to see you got your job, things should all start falling into place.

Marshall – I will let ArticShark know your thoughts on this. I have often said that doing this protocol is so much more than just losing weight. It makes us so much more aware of the little nuances of life.

Ed & Jenn – Don’t speak too soon…there was bound to be something that I would stumble upon that wouldn’t work! And I think I might have found it! How sad tho eh? You saw my sandwich yesterday, you saw how good it looked, and girl, it was! It was filling too!

Crystal - Thanks for adding that little bit of information! Interesting stuff eh?

EweWho – HA! We found the magic bullet! LOL

Becca – Oh I am so glad you saw a loss with the green beans. They add such a nice variety to the menu don’t they? eMail me if you need to! You know how to reach me!

Bizanator

R4P2 Starting Weight 184.4
Yesterday – 164.4
Today – 163.8
0.6 lb LOSS Overnight
11.6 lb UNDER LIW of Round Three (175.4)
20.6 Lost Since Start of R4 (VLCD) 01/22/08
87.0 Total Lost Since Start of Protocol (VLCD) 06/26/07

Here is my menu for yesterday. This is what I had:

I am going to discuss in detail what I ate yesterday further below, but for the interest of continuity, I am going to post it here as well. Cottage Cheese and Peaches for breakfast, lunch was a Sammie from Quiznos, snack was a Grapefruit, Dinner was a Salad with Asian Dressing and Soup with Napa Cabbage and Shirataki Noodles.

A total of around 493 calories divided this way: 9 Fat, 70 Carbs, 34 Protein

GO HERE AND SIGN UP FOR UPCOMING HCG NEWSLETTER!!! I actually have a date! Look for it on February 15th! WOO HOO!!!

Let’s not forget the HCG BOOK CLUB – join in on the fun! If you haven’t signed up for it yet, please do so now. eMail Address Form

I have finally put the FAQ up from two questions ago! I know, I am slow! But it’s there now!

Since we are on Phase 3 – let’s discuss those people out there that actually have a difficult time keeping weight ON during the Phase 3 portion of the Protocol. Yes, there are some out there with this problem. Remember that Dr Simeon’s said that it was just as important to keep the weight on as it was to keep it off! So please help out if you can!

Phase 3 – What If You’re Still Losing???

What Do You Think Of That?

I really went off the deep end yesterday, and I have to tell you, it really wasn’t worth it, loss or no loss. I have been wanting to experiment with these “Sammies” from Quiznos – now quite frankly, if they looked anything like the picture on the commercial or even the advertisement, I would have been happy. But nope, not even close. They were just “OK” – nothing spectacular at all. One thing it did do? I don’t know if it was psychological or what, but I was hungry after I ate that. Serious hunger, weird hunger, but HUNGER none the less. Could it have been the bread? That shocks me quite frankly based on the fact that Dr Simeon’s allows us Melba and Grissini. So I don’t know, but it was bad, but it’s over now. I am feeling myself again today.

I wont be trying that again. I am glad I did mind you, got it out of my system, but it so wasn’t worth it. I was actually craving P2 foods yesterday afternoon again! ROFL

The rest of the day was pretty normal!

Here are the numbers for those of you following – won’t be able to use Round 3 numbers from this day forward as I only had 21 completed days on that round.

Day 21 (Complete) – Round 4 = 11.17% Body Weight Loss
Day 21 (Complete) – Round 3 = 9.21% Body Weight Loss (This was my LIW)
Day 21 (Complete) – Round 2 = 8.30% Body Weight Loss
Day 21 (Complete) – Round 1 = 8.13% Body Weight Loss

What follows is a post from another forum that I visit. A member there, ArticShark has given me permission to completely copy and paste her post here. It is an important one and it will make you think. It made me think, and it ties into some things that happened to me over the weekend. I think we are all dealing with this at one point. It’s long, but it’s a good read.

Live Big!

Here is one of the things I have been thinking about. It is kinda Long.

Some recent events have made me think about our responses to bad/tragic/negative events. It triggered a memory of my reading of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits. He said that some people aren’t happy when something good happens to other people. These people have a belief that goodness is divided into what they perceive as pie slices. If one person gets a piece of the “goodness” pie then that leaves less pie for them. They operate on a diminishing pie theory. They are jealous of other’s success because that means that there is less success for them or that their ability to attain that same level of success is compromised. Or they deliberately or unknowingly sabotage the success of other’s so that the odds of them being successful are increased.

Mr. Covey explained that the universe isn’t set up that way. It has infinite pies and slices that are constantly being replenish or brought into being based on our desires or intent. That one person taking a slice of the success pie doesn’t mean that there are less slices but in reality that there are more. It is like taking a drop of water from the ocean. A drop is not noticeable and through the constant of rainfall, weather and the mechanism of our own biosphere, the water is replenished, renewed and sometimes altered for the better (Like the addition of oxygen and minerals to the water that is put back into the ocean). And if you think about Einstein’s theory, matter and energy are in a constant state of flux, changing from one to the other as needed. So if one person takes a slice of the “goodness” pie, our universe instantly and automatically fills that space back up with more “goodness.” It is an infinite source. Limitless.

The reason I thought of all of this are several. And for those of you that helped triggered these thoughts, thank you, and I hope you don’t think I am singling you out for any bad purpose. It’s just that your posts helped coalesce these thoughts. One post had me thinking about why people are soooo attracted to reality TV shows that portray our fellow humans in pain/to laugh at/ to point at and to generally engage in their misery. Why does such a large segment of our population LIKE to watch other peoples’ failures? Do they laugh at them in that cruel way because they believe, falsely I might add, that those peoples’ failures somehow make the probability of their success more likely? Or do they genuinely like to see other people’s pain? Why does the train wreck that is portrayed of other’s lives fascinate us? Shows like American Idol, Biggest Loser, Who wants to marry a millionaire and their ilk showcase the bad and ugly for our viewing pleasure. In truth, reveling in this type of negativity diminishes us all. Makes us more callous. More mean. It makes us less like the infinite and more like the mundane. Don’t fall into that trap.

Why do people LIKE it when you fail at a diet? They don’t come out openly about it. But secretly, inside, they are joyful at the thought that you failed to lose weight. Or for those that are really vested in your failure, they will either subconsciously or consciously, engage in behavior that is designed to sabotage. Why when you are experiencing success does your spouse or a co-worker or a parent start buying treats and other foods that you are not allowed? Especially after you have told them what is and is not a part of your plan and protocol? I read an instance where a spouse had deliberately put sugar into a steak rub and when confronted stated that “just a little won’t hurt.” Or a mother, who is diabetic and had stopped buying sweet treats, who started bringing home cakes and candies and other “goodies.” Or even co-workers that no longer engage in small talk and banter as you successfully meet your goals to be the person you always thought you were or could be.

Maybe they think that your success highlights their failure. Or they are comfortable with you being the fatty and don’t want you to be skinny and perhaps more desirable to others. Or maybe they think that you will notice their flaws and once the weight is gone, will no longer desires them as your ability to pick and choose increases. In almost all these scenarios, it is about the saboteurs fears. As one of my girlfriends says “There are 2 kinds of problems. A me problem and a you problem. Most things are not a me problem. And in this instance, that is a YOU problem. That is not a ME problem.” In reality, most things are not a Me problem and all other issues have to be let go. There is very little that most of us can do about YOU problems as we are not able to control the thoughts and behaviors of other people. What we can control is how much influence they have in our lives. As you bloom, evaluate if there is just more that pounds that have become dead weight in your life. It is amazing how much freer we feel once we let it go.

The other event revolved around the Super Bowl. I really truly didn’t care who won. I was rooting for the Patriots just because I thought it would be neat to see history being made. And good for them getting to that point. [If you are genuinely a Giants fan, it wasn’t about seeing them lose or anything in that way] But as I expressed that view to many, and several weren’t Giants fans or had ever been a Giants fan until that game, I was surprised that soooo many wanted the Patriots to lose. As if the Patriots winning and having a perfect season was a bad thing for them personally. They actively engaged in cheering for team that they had probably rooted against and made disparaging remarks against all season. Just so a team, maybe not their own, could be knocked down a notch or two. It really was small-minded behavior. And not very flattering at all. And I just sat back and said WOW, here is another example of if they take a pie slice then it leaves less for me (or my team or what I care about, etc) and maybe no one will notices when I am not perfect as well or it relieves me from striving for perfection or whatever diminishing and small-minded mundane thought, belief or feeling.

So be BIG. Believe in the infinite. Revel in the success of others. Strive for perfection. Laugh if not achieved and more importantly laugh if it is. Share the formula of your success. Kind thoughts and kind words. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that another person’s success is a DIRECT link to ensuring you fail. It is not. If anything, it is a road map. Live BIG.

Thank you ArticShark for such a thought provoking post!

On to my commenter’s – these are my responses to yesterday’s comments:

Mary – I am ending this round on the 17th – I will be on Phase 3 and 4 while I am in California, I will be there for 4 weeks. I planned it all around that!

Crystal – JPS and I were pretty much cracking up on their whole menu yesterday, it really is TOO FUNNY! LOL – Peaches DO work! That is for sure!

Ed and Jenn – HA! JPS told me to pull another beer day before I stop, I might try that on Saturday, we shall see, give me the UMPH I need to get closer to 160! ROFL

Shelly – HA! Nope, I think I am flying pretty high at the moment!

Tracey – HA! I hope my sister has ENOUGH clothes for me!!! ROFL – we need an update from you my sweet!

B – Oh it’s good to have you back my friend! WOO HOO FOR YOU in the size 14′s! Can you imagine???

Amanda – !!! Hey girl, I am SO HAPPY you found a doctor in Australia! That does my heart good! You must drop me an email and we just MUST catch up! WOO HOO FOR YOU!!!! On your way again! I know about the CC – JPS has consistently thanked me this week for MAKING her try them! ROFL

Have a great day everyone!

Biz