Vegetable Pizza and Pomegranate Chocolate :(

I am having a bit of a problem the last few days, and the culprits: Vegetable Pizza and Pomegranate Chocolate. It was Amelia's birthday as I mentioned in the last post. We made Vegetable Pizza for the party- you put down the dough of crescent rolls and then spread cream cheese, hidden valley salad dressing mix, etc and top with broccoli, cauliflower, green peppers, scallions and cheese. Well, it is so darn good! I have eaten way too much and I am so glad it is all gone now. However, I am weighing in at 159 to 160 pounds. :( I need to get back down around 155. The Pomegranate Chocolate bites are not helping- oh my goodness, I could really eat the whole bag, but I have only ate about half in 3 days, but it is affecting my weight. :( My body is not as unstable, though it takes longer to gain, but I need to watch it! I tell you, I am slipping a bit, but nothing I can't handle, right?! I will update in a couple of days and hopefully the news will be a little brighter. :)

Anyway, still feeling great regardless. I am loving exercising and pulling out a few skirts and tops I forgot I saved from over 6 years ago! Just need to take it easy on the food. I don't want these 24 pounds lost to go to waste. :)

Until next time...

Still holding steady...

So far, so good. I am still maintaining my weight. During our visit to Colorado Springs I did get up to 160! I ate a little, tiny bit of cake and ice cream and I was already up to 158 that day, so it just bumped me up. I was a bit nervous, but I did a steak day and went back down to 157.4. It works! I am very happy that maintenance is proving quite manageable.

Additionally, I forgot to post that I have been able to fit into two of the garments I took photos of in one of my first posts. I fit into the dress, and had to have my mother-in-law pin it, because it was too big. But, what I am most excited about is the jacket. I fit into it! I love it! It is still a little snug, but it still looks cute. I will take a picture later on.

I can't wait to do my second round, but I am just going to enjoy this month and start at the beginning of October. Time flies, and it will be no time at all. Exercise is also proving very enjoyable! Riding my bike is no longer hard and slightly embarrassing, and I have been working in the yard the past 3 days and I feel great.

Tomorrow is Amelia's birthday! She is going to be 4! I am so excited, and we are going to throw a big party on Saturday. It ought to be pretty fun, if I can keep it all organized- lots of kids coming. :)

Lastly, thanks to those of you who voted and shared your story. It was great!

Just curious?

Hi, everyone! I am so excited to hear about a couple people in my life starting HCG! I wish you much enjoyment and success on your journey! I thought I would post a poll in the sidebar to get a feel for how many people have possibly benefited from my blog. It gives me much joy writing this blog and sharing my feelings and experiences with you all. I would love to hear from those of you reading this blog. The poll is asking if my blog has influenced anyone to start HCG, but please feel free to post a comment and let me know how much weight you have lost thus far and how you came to know of HCG! It is very interesting to me to hear about what started a person's weight loss endeavor, so don't be shy! :)

It is not a dream...

A couple nights ago I started a yoga regimen. I used to do yoga many years ago when I was in high school. I remember feeling amazing and loving it. I tried and tried to "stretch it out" when I was 24 pounds heavier and still ended up not feeling so great. It wasn't that I lost my flexibility, but rather I had too much fat which prevented me from getting into many of the positions! I didn't realize it before, but fat holds stress, if that makes sense. I don't hurt when I stretch, and if there are a few aches and pains they dissipate more easily. What an amazing feeling to be able to do the things that will keep me in shape and not have to struggle and fight against myself!!! I can run now, too, but greatest of all I have the energy to keep up with my little girls! Just love it! HCG is amazing in that regard. It allows you to lose weight quickly so you bypass the extreme frustration that can come with many other weight loss plans. It allows you to take control and get to a point where you can do physical activities you once thought arduous or just plain impossible!

I have gained a greater respect for my body. I remember now what it was like to run and be active! It is funny. Sometimes I still wake up and look into the mirror thinking it is all a dream and I will look and feel the way I did before. But it is not a dream! This is the new me. A new me I can maintain! It has been a couple weeks and I am holding steady around 155.6 pounds! I can't wait for my second round and residing in the 130 pound range!!! Yipee!

Steak Day & A Beautiful Dress!

This morning I was up 2.8 pounds, so I am taking a steak day. It is mid-afternoon and I have not felt hungry. I am looking forward to a big steak tonight! :) It really is simple enough: if you gain more than 2 pounds do a steak day!

But more interestingly I had a wonderful experience this morning. My mother-in-law, whom I get along famously with and who I love dearly and the girls and I went downtown to do a little shopping. We went into a bridal shop (Mountain Valley Bridal), because I saw a beautiful jade green dress in the window a couple days earlier. Well, Mom convinced me to try it on. The size was a 12, but the very helpful and pleasant woman who helped me said they run small. Thank you for your help and it was really nice talking with you! I was terribly worried, but I went in, tried it on and fell in love with the dress! I looked quite good, if I say so myself! Something like this would have never happened before. I would never have even considered trying on a strapless dress like that, and if I did I would be whining and would have ended up coming out of the store feeling completely awful. I wanted to buy the dress right there and then! My husband and I may have a five year vow renewal next year since we didn't have a "real" wedding. I don't want to wear white or ivory and this green would be just stunning with all the red hair that will be present (both my girls and me ;)). What a fun time! Does anyone else have a story like this? For me this is such a big benefit of shedding some extra pounds: to really enjoy shopping for yourself!

Here is the link to a picture of the dress: Jasmine Bridal.

It's not too bad!

I am loving the maintenance period! :) I don't crave food as I did previously. So far I don't eat as much, and I am just enjoying being appreciative of food and how I feel. During the 3 days after discontinuing HCG I lost some extra pounds. Currently, I have lost a total of 24.4 pounds! I have now been holding steady at 155.8 pounds for the past 2 days.

For my first meal as a "free woman" I went to my favorite restaurant, Sweet Melissa's with my two little girls. I also had the pleasure of meeting back up with a dear friend who has reentered my life and has recently started her own HCG journey! You are going to do great! I had such a great time, and enjoyed catching up with you immensely! I ordered a veggie burger (without the bun). On top there was portobello mushrooms, swiss cheese, tomatoes and lettuce. Yummy!

I can't wait to go shopping! Most of my clothes are so baggy and I definitely need some clothes to show off my new figure! Yipee!!! I don't know if I should wait until I have completed the second round, though? It is not too far off and that way I won't have to spend money on 2 sets of wardrobes. Another loss of 20 pounds and the clothes I buy today won't fit then. It is amazing and almost unbelievable to think I will be in the 130's before Thanksgiving!!! I guess it was hard for me to think I would ever be in the 150's either. I just feel so light and there is definitely a spring in my step! :)

My thoughts go out to all of you out there losing with HCG! How liberating!

Oh, and I just have a question to those of you who may know: (Thanks in advance!)

1. Do you start counting the 6 weeks before starting another round from the last day of the 3 day period after stopping HCG? If that makes sense? It wasn't especially clear. Thank you! Goodnight.

Some minor details...

It has been brought to my attention that I have left out many details of this weight loss process that might be of help to many of you! Thanks, Monique! So, I will outline a day in the life of a HCG user... Here it goes!

(Just a little side note before we begin...I bought my HCG through DIYHCG, and other companies suggest taking it 6 times a day, which would be really hard for me, and I have experienced the same results doing only 3 times a day. Also, this is merely from my experience and I would strongly suggest either paying for consultation (if you have the money) or stay connected with all the different groups and people out there who can share their knowledge and experience!)

1. Wake up
2. Go to bathroom or where ever you keep your scale and weigh yourself naked after you empty your bladder. (If I have a BM in the morning I weigh again after and record that weight.)
3. Write it down!
4. I usually tried to write how I was feeling and what I ate throughout the day. This helps to see where you could improve (ie. if you ate something you should not have- write it down. It will help you correct yourself).
5. Take HCG drops after weigh in. I just took about 1/4 of a dropper full (I can take a picture for those of you who don't really understand what I am talking about- I just felt it worked better and I definitely was not hungry at all. And, 2 ounces lasted 23 days with some extra- probably could have gone to 30 days, but I didn't go that long). Don't eat anything for breakfast just liquid: water, coffee, tea or mineral water.
   
6. At 11:30 I would take another dose of HCG, and then eat at 12:15. I started being able to hold the drops in my mouth for 15 minutes and then eat 30 minutes after my 15 minutes was up. I did the dishes or other work that needed to be done to make the time go by faster.
7. Stay away from the kitchen during the day as much as possible in between meals (not very easy with two little kids, but at least you aren't truly hungry, just habit hungry). I never gave in, but I definitely have a habit of wandering around the kitchen trying to find something to eat. :(
8. At 6:00 I would take another dose of HCG and then eat around 6:45.
   
9. Stay away from the kitchen again after the kids go to sleep! :)
10. And, drink lots of water, coffee, tea or mineral water all through the day- it definitely helps and makes you feel great!
11. Try not to get too excited, I mean enjoy your journey, but realize not every day will show a loss of 3 pounds and it is okay! An average of a pound a day is pretty impressive!!!
    
12. Oh, and don't exercise! :) :) Just do what your body tells you feels right.
    

And, other than that enjoy losing weight and enjoy feeling great!