Finally! Back out of the 150s!

I think my guess from last night was correct though. Doing the math, I appeared to lose 1.8 on Sat., then over Sun. and Mon. appeared to gain .9. But if it was water, I actually lost . 9 over those 3 days, and another .9 today. 

It was certainly a set back in that it made things hard to track, and if I were expecting a lb. per day still, I would say it stalled me. But This far into the game, not to mention being a woman, I don't expect a lb. per day. I'll consider it progress if I'm not hungry and can eek out 1/2 lb. per day for the rest of February. That is if I don't reach immunity and give up before then because the hog isn't working. I hope it just keeps working! 

Really? 
So why am I even posting today? Pretty much as a 'rah, rah' pep talk for myself. Or encouragement to 'get back on that horse when you screw up' or 'keep on keepin' on' sort to  yadda yadda. Because I ate no more than 500 calories yesterday and there is NO WAY you can actually gain weight on 500 calories. Right?

I did have sauerkraut yesterday, which I shouldn't have since I didn't now if I'd recouped from Friday yet and the salt was likely to make me retain water. It may also just be that I have weighed everywhere from 5 am to 9:30 am and places in between for the last several days. .2 could just reflect that. Who knows? I just know I have to keep going and see where the averages fall.

Valentines Day will be the soonest I would stop. The first of March is the furthest I'd push it I think. 

Last night was the first day I felt really very hungry. At 10:30 pm I was still working on a project that required my full attention and I was just too hungry. Almost painfully hungry. I wanted a big scoop of peanut butter! Really. It was that specific. But it wasn't a craving. It was a painful, gnawing hunger. 

I had a coconut oil 'chocolate' and 8-10 oz. water and went to bed. 

I did mix new Hcg yesterday, and I did not do a skip day. I measured the product I had left in the bottle I'd been using and their was a week's worth still in it! I'm glad I mixed new though, because I think perhaps I'm running on not so much. And it's not like I'd be adding that extra week onto what I'm already doing. I hope the new product works wonders.

Later-

Well, at work today I forgot to eat all of my food. I ended up eating my cucumber slices on the way home so I could still have my veggie at dinner and not have everything all lumped up or end up skipping one by default. It is almost 5 pm and I'm seriously just not hungry. I suspect DH will want to go for a walk when he gets home. I might if it's not windy. The temperature is moderate; 37* with tomorrow supposedly up to 40* or better. Without wind, it would be like spring. With wind, it could still be chilly. We'll see. 

But I am once again feeling energetic and completely satisfied with the amount of food. 

Later yet-

DH and I did a couple of mile walk-n-talk and I think I know what's going on here. I think after the wine, even though I drank lots of water, the big drop reflected dehydration. The gains have simply been indicative of RE-hydration. I may very well be releasing fat in increments that are smaller than the weight from the water. These might have seemed significant if I could see them. But I can't because they are hidden in the water. 

That feels right anyway.

This could be the price I pay for last Friday coming to bite me in the butt now. It could just be that I got up and weighed later and/or PMS stuff. I was true to protocol yesterday so I can't imagine it's an actual gain unless it is from Friday and just catching up to me. 

I was a little weak coming up the stairs this morning. This made me wonder if perhaps my Hcg is getting weak. It should still be ok. I've used a mixed bottle for 6 weeks before and tomorrow is only 4 weeks. I've got a few days left in the bottle, but I'm thinking I might mix the new one anyway. It's unlikely that I'll use another 4 weeks worth or more, which is what that bottle would be, so there's really no reason to not just make sure I've got the most potent product. There is normally about 32 days worth in a bottle, but it looks like this one should last at another 3 days or so. I'm not sure it's worth it considering I have the new product handy.

I couldn't wait to get right down to the Wii and see if yesterday messed me up, and I was not surprised, but was disappointed, that it seemed to. My first weight was UP 1.1, and I told myself that because it was later in the morning, perhaps it wouldn't actually be that bad by Monday. As a slogged up the stairs, I kicked myself though, thinking it could take me all week to make up for this screw up.

The screw up was that we were having company and I really wanted to enjoy some wine. It wasn't a complete disaster a couple of weeks ago, (except for the headache) so I was hoping  I could pull it off. 

Last time I preemptively walked off the amount of calories I thought I might over-consume vino. This time I knew I wasn't going to be able to do that, so I tried not to consume as many calories. I had a grapefruit for breakfast, and then chicken with my supplements for lunch (as late as possible...it was like 2:30 or 3). My plan was to eat a regular protocol dinner, but dinner ended up being later, and I was hungry before everyone got here, so I had melba toast. I ended up chatting instead of preparing food, so all I ate was my piece of chicken. Later I had a glass of wine, followed by 16 oz. of water and then another glass. Thus, those two glasses of Cab were consumed between about 8 pm and midnight. I had fun. I was willing to take my knocks for it. 

After the scale confirmed that I would indeed have to, I finished my morning routines while the coffee was brewing. After about 1/2 hour I just felt like I needed to check again. This time it said I was 149.7! I had dipped down below the coveted 150 mark! I went to the graph and checked yesterday's weight, which was 151.5. Which means the total I'm going to choose to go with is a release of 1.8! YES!

I hold no illusions about the fact that this variable may yet prove to be unfavorable, despite today's hurrah. It could get me tomorrow. I'll have to go back and look at what happened last time. And like last time, I don't plan to do it again, at least for a couple of weeks. It wasn't easy to pull off, but it also wasn't torture. I just wasn't that hungry for the most part. And not having much food meant there was a two glass limit because I was pretty much lit. I don't have a headache today, probably because of the water I drank between glasses, but I can still feel....the effects? I don't know how to explain it, but it's like I can feel my body clearing the alcohol out. Weird, but not hung over or anything. 

So now, back to my regularly scheduled programming. 

Down a full pound on the analog. I was up before 5 am, thus my weigh-in was a couple of  hours earlier than usual. Tomorrow it will likely be a couple of hours later than usual. This could totally give me whacked results. But Monday morning will be the 1 month mark and I will be up at my usual time. (I have no idea why I was up at 5 am this morning. My head just started thinking and I couldn't get back to sleep.)

DH and I discussed the discrepancy of the scales again. He's been to the doctor recently and said that the analog was closer to the doctor's scale. The scale in my wellness center's office is closer to the Wii. Hotel scales (DH travels a bit for work and just arrived home from a trip) are closer to the Wii. 

I did not treadmill yesterday. I did not have 'chocolate.' 

So, down 4.4 since the big gain, and the average for the last 9 days or so is almost 1/2 lb. per day. Not what I would wish for, but better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. It would have taken me a month or two to get that any other way, and it didn't happen all summer despite my efforts. So...meh. It is what it is. 

This is actually more than I expected. Between the sauerkraut I ate yesterday and the way my bra fit, I expected either a 0 day or a small gain with the water weight. But hey, I'll take it.

At some point this week I fully expect at least one zero day or perhaps a small gain. But then a significant drop the week after. 

Still feeling good. I've continued with the coconut oil and coca 'chocolates' as they seem to be helping and not hurting. Maybe I should stop them and see if it's really the supplements that are helping? The food has been consistent. I dropped the exercise down to 2-2.5 miles per day. That seems to be a good place for now. I feel so good when I'm done I want to do more, but it seems to hang up the weight release if I go as long as I like to.

I found my favorite pants not only in smaller sizes, but in SHORT! I hate hemming. I order a 6 and an 8. The 10s I bought for New Year's almost fall off, but I may wear them one more time and pin them with a long sweater.

I'll take it. That would have taken a week or two with previous efforts. If I can keep up at least that (or ultimately average that) over the rest of the week, I'll hit the 20 lb. mark.

I did everything exactly the same as the day before, right down to stopping a movie half way so I'd get the same mileage on the treadmill and eating the same stuff. I was hoping for the same result, but not really expecting it. A big drop is usually followed by a smaller one.

Also, I added two supplements. I did add a digestive enzyme and Biothin. Both of these items are really more for when I am no longer on protocol, but I think they may may be helping. 

I know it's not likely, but if every day could be like today, I'd reach my goal for sure!

Oddly enough, both scales agreed on amount today, just not the actual weight. Analog looked like 144.5 or so, Wii still has me above the 150 mark at I believe 152.5-ish. So there is a 4 to 8 lb. discrepancy depending on....I have no idea what it depends on. Monkeys do not fly out of my butt as I walk down the stairs, so I have no clue not only why it is different, but differently different on different days. 

I'm focusing on the good. The numbers are going down on both. My clothes feel better and i should be shrinking out of more soon. However, that does make me a little sad as I have two things that I love that I won't be able to wear anymore unless I find a tailor. 

This would not be unexpected. Now, if it lasted all week, that would be unexpected and a bummer. 

The bigger bummer is that I'm not sure I've even recouped from the inexplicable (and unexpected) 2.6 gain. Without that anomaly I'd be far more excited about my progress.

Yesterday I walked 5 miles, working up to a 10 incline and back down again. Once again, I felt great. According to the calorie burn calculator on the treadmill, I burned a couple hundred extra calories, so I figured I'd test the 'coconut oil as a weight loss accelerant' theory again. I had perhaps 150 calories worth of 'chocolate'; two pieces of a couple tsp. each that we estimate are 60-70 calories each. I guess that was the wrong thing to do? Otherwise my protocol meals were exact. 

We even went to the movies and the popcorn didn't drive me crazy. In fact, the sticky smell of candy and soda from the lady next to me was a little nauseating.  The fact that she was easily 400 lb. and ate nonstop the entire time (seriously...did  not stop...just mowed through an amazing assortment of stuff) made it easy to NOT want to indulge. On the way out we were behind an elderly couple nearly the same size as the woman, ambulating at a snail's pace on teeny-tiny feet that held up their cumbersomely large bodies. In the lobby, they met (I would assume) their son, who was the same size and on a scooter with an oxygen tank. It was a reminder that it would be far too easy to end up in that place where every moment is painful and slow and it's hard to even take care of yourself. I don't want to be there. 

I am for certain going to go the full 6 weeks. I am just halfway there. 

Today the analog said nothing, at least perceptibly. The Wii says <.7, which my DH has declared 'goofy.' I concur.

Today is a skip day. I won't do the Hcg injection. I didn't last Sunday either. This is to prevent 'immunity' so that I can go the full six weeks. The hypothalamus stops responding after awhile and you get hungry and stop losing as quickly. In my case this time, I'd say when that happens I'll start gaining on 500 calories per day. 

However, the next couple of weeks could be weirder than usual because I'm a lady. That tosses a confounding variable into the mix. I'm on the upside of PMS stuff, which throws off weight to the upside by quite a bit most of the time. However, then on the downside, the losses tend to look dramatic. This I know from past experience so I won't be too upset if I see it happening. As DH says it is an 'assignable root cause.'

I wake up every morning excited to weigh in. I'm not always rewarded, obviously, but I expect to be and I am damn curious. Every night, I get into bed thinking, "I did it! I made it one more day!' and honestly don't know why it seems like such an accomplishment. It's not hard. I wasn't hungry at all yesterday. I didn't want anything I couldn't have. I walked 4 miles and felt fantastic. I slept great. I got stuff done. It was a good day. 

Today we are going to a movie. I know my husband and daughter will insist on movie popcorn and other assorted junk. I have no doubt it will be no problem for me to refrain. I've broken those subconscious associations for the most part. I think. And even if I am tempted, I know better than to push it that way when I've had a good loss today. We have toast in the house (my biggest weakness ever) and I have not been tempted. Bagels too. None of that stuff has bothered me. Even the pizza and cake at my social engagement wasn't hard to resist, though the pizza looked and smelled heavenly. It just wasn't hard to resist.