Whew!

I am so sorry to all of my loyal readers!  I obviously have not posted in awhile because we have not had a computer (since one was stolen and one was crashed.)  We got the crashed on fixed and the stolen one will be replaced tomorrow. ANYWAY-- Here is my update(s):

I completed my 33 days of drops.  My total weight loss was 18 pounds.  And I feel a whole lot lighter!  I have been on maintenance for 6 days now and I am a much happier eater!  I have stuck right with the plan.  I eat my proteins, fruits and veggies and keep out the carbs and sugars.  I have not gained any weight at all and I have not lost any on maintenance.  I have maintained a steady 162 give or take some ounces.  I am appreciating maintenance because I still have to maintain the self control that I have now learned and committed myself to.  As much as a cookie, smore, or brownie sounds yummy, I am able to pass it up and it feels good instead of feeling like torture.  I don't even think of Dr. Pepper anymore.  In fact the other day I was SO thirsty and I went to McDonald's and paid $1 for a huge water.  My kids were so confused.  It was funny.  I knew a little water cup wasn't going to cut the thirst. 
I have LOVED eating avacado, tomato, onion, cilantro and lime as a salad.  It tastes so yummy and smells so yummy.  Sometimes I have added the black beans to it and put the mixture on top of a green salad.  Yum!  I love being able to eat a mixture of veggies instead of one at a time.  And I love eating a few more fruits (ones lighter in sugar). I still mostly eat the strawberries and grapefruit and occasionally I have had some cherries and today I ate some blueberries.  After being on the 500 cal diet, I really have a new appreciation for food.
I feel like I have made a HUGE accomplishment in following through this diet in its entirety.  It has been very hard because of my busy and active lifestyle, but it is the jumpstart I was hoping for.  18 pounds is a huge jumpstart and I am proud of myself.  Brandon and I will begin the gym tomorrow and deinitely on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the spin class.  I have 30 more pounds to lose and plan on eating right and excercising to drop the rest.  Thank you to all of you who have listened to my struggles while doing this.  M, L, S, and D!!  You ladies mean the WORLD to me and I appreciate your support more than you will ever know!  Pictures will be coming soon!!  Oh and the BEST part!  I fit into non-maternity clothes and I am pulling up some of my pants constantly!!  The BEST reward!

Typo

My weight is 165. Not 166 like I posted below

Not sure what day I am on

But I do know I have 7 days left of 500 cal! Hip hip hooray!! I do not like posting with an iPhone. It is very inconvenient but it is allwe have around for now until we get our insurance check to replace our things. Anyway, dont worry, I have not given up on the diet. Bit the closer I am getting to the finish line the harder it has been for me to stay completely disciplined. The great news is that I am down to 166.4! A few more pounds and I am down my 20! Next Wednesday I begin maintenance. That also means I begin the gym! My first day back to the gym will most likely be Thursday 8:30 for spin. Eeeek. That sounds as scary as hcg and 500 calories. Bit it's going to be great. I am feeling better and better every day. And two days ago I started taking vitamin B12 and potassium and I think the B12 is really helping with my energy level and I highly recommend taking them. Well that's all I have to report for now.

Day 23

166.4
Nothing cool to report. Stuck with it today. Just another day done! Total weight loss is 16 lbs.

Yay! I am happy to report a loss of 1 pound even after my cheating yesterday! My weight is 166.8. I am down 16 pounds in 23 days. I am really happy about that! Today I did pretty good. Stuck to it except my hcg grad friend snuck me a bite of sausage and I had a little avacado with my lettuce. Anyway. I have one more week of taking the drops! I see the light at the end of the tunnel and I am so excited! OK I have to go. Brandon is killing me in rummy because I am focusing on this post. And if you know me you know I hate to lose!

Day 22

Day 22! Now that is accomplishment in itself! This diet is not for the faint in heart! I can not emphasize that enough. I mean only the desperate will do this right?
BUT I am so happy to report I am down 2 pounds which makes my total weight loss at 15 pounds!! I am so happy about that. My goal was 20 at least and I have no doubt I will exceed that so I am very pleased! BAD news though. I celebrated today. Translation: I cheated today. Big time. And I will probably gain that 2 pounds back. But after our very stressful day yesterday and still losing 2 lbs I just deserved it. Right? Wrong! I had a coupon for a free grilled chicken sandwich from Chick fil A. I had every intention of bringing it home and wrapping it in lettuce but the bun was whole wheat and was too tempting and I justified by saying it was healthier that fried chicken. Okay anyway is was sooooo delicious! I favored every bite! I ate it so slow. And it was so worth it! No regrets! And I had a diet lemonade to go with it and the "diet" didn't bother me like it normally does. I am prepared for the consequences for the yumminess! I ate my apple and I had chicken wrapped in lettuce earlier. Brandon was happy to see me "up" after I had the yummy chicken burger. Only 11 days left! I can do this! Oh and yesterday I found a pair of capri's on clearance at Ross and they were size 12 and fit! That is a huge deal. That means my mommy pouch is shrinking too. That's where a lot of my weight is which causes pants to not zip so I was very happy about that. Well that's my report !

Day 21

Today sucked. We were gone this morning and when we came home we discovered our house had been broken into. All I have wanted to do is eat comfort foods. But I didn't. Instead I didn't eat. I know how bad that is! But I have felt so violated and in deep thoughts over all the what ifs that my stomach is sick and i haven't felt like eating. So here it is 11:15 pm and I ate my chicken and now I am forcing two servings of asparagus down and before I go to sleep I will eat some strawberries. I did eat a hamburger patty at 3 and I ate an apple earlier this morning. Anyway I'm just not feelin "it" today. I wil be bluntly honest, I am feeling really down, really hungry, and really sorry for myself. This is not typical behavior of mine and I am sure I will get over it quickly but I think it's ok for me to feel like this for today. Tomorrow will be a better day. I just hope that I will be able to focus tomorrow and be happy and lose some weight! ;)

Ps I am still at 168 and I was told today I am probably retaining some water from doing some labor intensive work this week and sweating a lot because of it. I'll take the excuse :)

Day 20

Weight 168.2

Slowly going down.  I worked really hard today cleaning my friend's house.  She moved today.  It was really hot outside and the a/c was off.  Burned a lot of calories and sweat the rest out.  My meals were chicken and lettuce and 2 apples.  And 2 grissini.  Another day down.

Day 19

Weight 168.6
Lost weight.  Only a little bit, but loss is loss.  I am happy about that even after cheating a bit yesterday.  Today I was back on track and had lettuce and chicken, an apple and grissini.  I looked up recipes online for dresings and found a yummy one. 
1/4 c Apple Cider Vinegar
1 c water
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 packet of stevia

Mix and Shake.  Keep cool.
I put it on my "salad" and it was so yummy.  And I added salt and pepper too of course.
Dinner was 2 eggs and 2 egg whites, spinach, grissini and strawberries. 
That's all I have to report. 
PS I can't WAIT until maintenance.  These meals get a tad boring......And I don't look forward to eating.......

Day 18

Weight 168.8
Yay!

Today was a fun day! We went rock climbing.  Towards the end of the trip I was feeling SO drained physically!  I was really hot, I had exerted a ton of energy, and was sticking to my 500 calories.  As we were leaving to head home, I made two chicken roll ups with deli chicken breast and lettuce with some mustard on it rolled up.  And on the second one, I cheated and I have to admit this for myself.  I put a slice of provolone cheese on it.  And it was SO yummy.  If I didn't add that admission, you may think that I am doing this exactly perfect, but I am human.  But I stick to the diet strictly 99% of the time.  But today I really needed more substance if I was going to make it through the rest of the day.  I am curious to see what my weight is tomorrow.  I snacked on strawberries and drank lots and lots and lots of water.  Before we left to climb I made one of my chicken and lettuce roll ups.  With no cheese.  And I ate my grissini's.  On the way to the State Park, we stopped at 7-11 for a free slurpee.  Of course I didn't get one but everyone else did and I asked Brandon to get me a diet Dr. Pepper.  Yes, Diet.  I thought I wanted it and I have been told numerous times that it will help with my energy.  One swig of it and my head was pounding!  I am happy that my body responds that way because it takes away the temptation completely.  And one more thing.  Brandon's favorite place to stop for a treat is on the way home from this particular park.  So we stopped.  And everyone got chocolate malts.  But not me.  And I was ok with that because I know the rewards of sticking to this.  BUT I was peer pressured into a swig and it was the YUMMIEST thing EVER!  So I had a few slip ups today.  And at the end of the day, I said a little prayer in my head asking if it would be ok for me to throw the cheese on that roll up and I didn't get any stooper of thought so I decided my body needed the little extra for all we had done today.

Day 17

Under 170!!  WOOT WOOT!!

I took an hCG apple day today.  6 apples.   Look it up if you want to know more.  Ummm, I'm HUNGRY!  Obviously.  Thank goodness for the slim tabs.  My goodness, as I am typing this, it sounds so ridiculous!  So extreme!  So what's worse, this diet where I am eating 500 calories of very healthy foods and learning about portion control and self control OR anorexia and bulimia OR going to the gym for hours and hours at a time taking away time with my family.  I think this is the best scenario out of those others.  I am not saying this diet is AS extreme as the eating disorders and obsessive behavior, what I am saying is that I am desperate to drop this weigh and this is the sacrifice I must make and I will make the best of it.  And I will never allow myself to get to this point.  After this, it's a life of eating right and exercising, the healthy way we are intended to stay fit. 

Day 15

Weight 171.2

Ok, what's going on here?  I need to be losing more than this.  I am making this sacrifice for myself and I want to be losing losing losing.  Tonight I abnormally hungry!  Having a garage sale tomorrow then partying.  So I have to go.

Day 14

Weight 171.6

I've lost 10 lbs!  Yay.  40 to go.  Haha.  Today was just a normal day.  4 oz ground beef and asparagus, 2 servings of strawberries, two servings of asparagus, 2 grissini, and lots of water.  Nothing to report.

Day 13

Weight 171.6!

I can't wait to see what my weight is tomorrow.  I am thinking it might go up tomorrow.  I stepped on the scale a few times to make sure that was right.  I got the same number every time.  So today was particularly difficult.  We had a rental come vacant which means time to clean clean clean.  It took me like an hour to pack everyone a lunch.  I had to make sure i got all my right foods.  It was overwhelming.  The electricity was off at the vacant house which means No AC!  Blah!  It was 102 today.  I was sweating SO much!  We all were.  I really wanted a Dr. Pepper but I fought the urge.  I stuck to the water and it felt great.  I boiled eggs for my lunch today and dinner was tilapia and asparagus.  Oh, and after working and eating my lunch I was still very light headed and tired.  I know I burned the 500 cal and then some.  So I treated myself to 4 mini pretzels and they were YUMMY.  I know this might seem weird but sometimes I can't remember if I took all my sprays of hCG.   I think I might take three sprays before bed.   Oops.  Also, there is a recommended Colon Cleanse to take with the diet.  WARNING: Take ONE and see how it works!  The directions say 1, two times and day and work up to 2 two times a day.  I think my colon will fall out if I take that much!  I take one every other day and that is PLENTY!  The Slim Tabs that are recommended as well really boost my energy and curb my cravings.  I don't take them every day, just when I am feeling tired or craving something.
I was happy I passed up the DP today.  Here's to another day!  20 500 cal days to go!  That's only 40 meals! ;)

Day 12

LUNCH

DINNER

Weight 174.0
Thought I would take pics of my yummy food.  This can give you an idea of portions as well.  Not as small as you might have thought.  I made my omelette with 1 egg and 2 egg whites and I stuffed spinach inside.  And I had grapefruit and my grassini.
For dinner I had my 4 oz tilapia, grilled.  It was so yummy grilled.  And I had summer squash and not pictured is my grassini.  I shared one with the kids today.  They were SO excited because I told them that they were just for me.  It was like passing out ice cream or something.  And for dessert, which I am eating now, I have an apple.
To be honest with all my effort, I am hoping to drop more weight.  I have 21 days to go.  Hopefully I will lose an average of a pound a day.  That would be great.

Day 11 and Happy 4th

Weight 174.2
Lost that pound that I gained.

Today was difficult.  I kept wanting to justify that it was a holiday and I should deserve a little slack.  PLUS most everyone in the house is not feeling well and I had a massive headache.  All I wanted was a Dr. Pepper.  But I didn't give in.  I guess what doesn't kill me will make me stronger. ;)  We met a bunch of our friends at the park and I will admit, I had one big bite of Jessica's bean dip, and one big bite of Lars' mango salsa.  And it was worth it.  And I figured it was better than candy, potato chips and so on..... I passed up on everything else.  I guess I am proving to my outer self that my inner self is stronger.  And that feels good.   Otherwise my meals today were apples, chicken, ground beef wrapped in lettuce and a cucumber.   

Happy 4th!

 

Day 10

Weigh In 175.2
Gain 1 lbs :(

I was warned this would happen...Hopefully the scale tips the other way for tomorrow.  I am not too worried about the gain, as long as it goes down.....
So it is Fourth of July weekend and SO tough to not eat all the tummy food!  Steak, watermelon, brownies and so on.  Mmmm my mouth is watering.
Unfortunately there is a stomach bug running through the family.  I have wondered what happens if I get the stomach flu while on the diet.  If you know, leave me a comment.  Hopefully I won't need to worry about it, but we'll see. 
Today was fast Sunday.  Made it easy when no one was eating.  Haha.   By the end of church I was starving so when we came home we ate some lunch.  2 eggs and 2 egg whites with tomatoes for me, an apple, and for dinner we got together with some friends and her husband bbq'd some massive yummy steaks and I brought my little 4oz london broil and he made fun of it.  He insisted I take a bite of the steaks he prepared and boy was it YUMMY!  I know I need to back off on the steak and eggs.  Back to chicken and fish.....

Day 9

Weight: 174.2

M***, I told you I had lost a pound.  I was wrong.  Sorry.  I think I had better lay of the london broil.  It is so yummy and satisfying.  But it counts for less weight loss.  I am so proud of myself today!  I had a chance to snag a Dr. Pepper and was given as excuse to do so, but I didn't.  And trust me, it was not easy!  AND tonight we hung out with our awesome friends and my kiddos roasted mallows and had smores.  I wanted one like you wouldn't believe, but I DIDN'T.  I know it's no big deal to you as a reader, but those two things that I turned down are like an addict passing up free crack.  I mean, I have no idea how that feels because I have never been an addict, but I am trying to give you a picture of how tough it is to pass up the foods you LOVE that are so unhealthy and choosing good health instead.  It's satisfying in a different way than the way food satisfies. Even smelling food that I can not eat right now is very satisfying!  Who knew!?

Mmmmm, doesn't that just look SO yummy!

My food today was: A total of 2 apples, 2 servings of asparagus, 4 oz steak, 4 oz of chicken, 1 grassini.  I am happy to report that as the days go on, these foods become VERY satisfying!

Day 8

Weight 174.6
Lost 1.2 lbs
6.6lbs lost so far (in 8 days!)

The secret to survival is eating these 500 calories througout the day.  I love vinegar, salt, and pepper.  My meals today were: London Broil (my fave), a grassini, grape tomatoes, and an apple.  For dinner, I took advice from a good friend and hCG graduate and I had 2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites and I cooked tomatoes (she suggested asparagus) and threw them in.  It was SO yummy!  And so filling.  And I had an apple for "dessert."  People are starting to notice a little weight loss and pointing it out.  That's nice.  But I have a LONG ways to go!  Thanks for all your support everyone!!  Week one DONE!