Catch up-
Days 12-21
Sooooo there's not much to tell here lately- holidays were crazy (wonderful, but crazy) and even I found it hard to stay on track. I didn't gain any weight, but I didn't lose any either. I'm currently down to 176 pounds- roughly 12 pounds in 21 days. I'm still having an extremely hard time sticking to this diet but I'm doing it...I've also decided that once I hit the 20 lb loss mark I'm taking a break. I just cannot live on apples, pears and chicken breasts for that much longer. I won't be taking a massive break- just one day to get some Subway or Chinese food...more of a mental break than anything. There is a restaurant on Hwy 26 called Pacific House Chinese, and their Pad Thai is literally to die for, so I'm thinking I'm going to get some of that when I hit 168.
This diet, although extremely rigid and restrictive, has given me control back. It's taught me to eat the way we all should- by cutting out fatty foods and loading up on fruits, veggies, protein, tea and lots of water. And I really do enjoy that aspect of it. I've gotten to experiment with all kinds of different spices and see what I like and what I don't, and I've learned that planning my meals helps me avoid temptation. Most of all, the HCG diet has given me my life back. I wish everyone would do this diet- we could put fast-food chains out of business!!!!
Next stop, 168!!!
Stay tuned :D
oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Days 11 and 12

10 pounds down! Wahoo! Haven't lost any inches though...weird. Today was the office Christmas party...I had carrots, grapes, 1/4 of a piece of cornbread, deviled eggs minus the yellow stuff, and a tablespoon full of macaroni and cheese while everyone else gobbled down cornbread, pasta, dirty rice with sausage, brownies, raspberry and pumpkin cheesecake, chocolate mint cake, fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, and all the gooey, delicious, warm macaroni and cheese their plates could hold. Needless to say, I didn't stay long. I didn't eat much at all- barely a plate full, but I'm sure as strict as this diet is, that I won't lose anything tonight.
But i have to say, I've been amazed at how well this works. I'm down to 179.8 today, all the way from 188.9. I'm now a firm believer in it. If you stick to it and do NOT deviate, this works. It's already changed my life. It's the hardest thing I've ever done, but the most worthwhile.
10 pounds down!
Stay tuned :D

Day 10
What I ate today:
1 cup of Columbian Via
2 crab cakes
1 roma tomato
1 anjou pear
1 chicken breast w/garam masala and paprika

WOW! I cannot believe this is actually working.  So far I am a little over eight pounds down, from 188.7 to 180.4! I confess, I've cheated a little. It would be 10 pounds, because it's been 10 days that I've been on the diet...if I hadn't cheated :p I'm loving this- even though it's extremely difficult to stick to, I'm managing to do it, and in the process, I'm learning how to eat healthy. NOT easy, I might add!
Tomorrow, the 170's!!!!!!!!
stay tuned :D

Days 6 and 7
Won't go into detail about what all I ate in the last 2 days because I don't remember and it doesn't really matter, but i will say that i am very surprised at the results I'm getting. Other than the one bite of chocolate I had then spit out, and using mint toothpaste, (I never understood that one) I am following this diet to the letter. I'm weighing my food, measuring out drops, and not cheating. But this is sooooo difficult. I am starving all the time (I'm sure it's because i'm not eating enough, but I'm scared of eating too much and rendering my $70 bottle of drops ineffective)...As christmas gets nearer and nearer, I'm surrounded by all kinds of delicious, heavenly food...that i can't have. I walked into Wal-Mart today and saw a chocolate mint fudge cake just sitting there looking at me...One of the billions of desserts I had to walk past just to get to the produce. So yeah...this diet is extremely difficult for me. If I wasn't seeing results, there is no way in heck I'd be able to stick to it.
But on the upside, I do feel better. I have more energy, and I literally feel lighter. I am lighter- 7 pounds lighter!! 7 pounds in 7 days, baby! Just like the book says. I have to confess, I'm still a little skeptical. I've been able to get out of the 180's by myself, so maybe once I get into the 170's, then I'll be a believer. Yeah yeah, call me a doubting Thomas.
But....
It's working!
Stay tuned :)

Been really busy the last couple of days and there hasn't been much time to blog- so here's what you missed.

Days 5
What I ate:
1 turkey patty
2 cups of Via with 2 packets of Truvia
1 roma tomato
2 apples

This keeps getting harder and harder. On day 5, I forgot to take my drops before I ate lunch, so when I woke up the next morning, I hadn't lost anything. Not a single ounce gained, but nothing lost either...SO HUNGRY.

Day 6
CHEAT.
Today I had:
1 cup Via with Truvia
1 cup cranberry apple tea with Truvia
1 can tuna with 2 tbsp mayo

Today, I broke down. I had a piece of toffee with chocolate on it. I feel bad, but I couldn't take it anymore. Sorry. We shall see in the morning whether or not I paid the price.
By the way, I've lost 6 pounds so far.

Day 5
Today I ate:
2 apples
1 cup Starbucks Via with 2 packets of Stevia (allowed)
2 turkey patties with paprika, lemon and basil
1 oz. surimi
1/2 gallon of water

HUNGRY. That's what I am today. But, my weight is going down. During the gorge phase, I went up to 188, and now I'm back down to 184.2. But let me tell you, this is NOT easy. I'm starving. It's taking all I have not to run out right now and get SOMETHING to make the hunger go away. Maybe I'll have some surimi. That doesn't count, right?
This is getting difficult.
Stay tuned.

Day 4:
2 granny smith apples
1 turkey pattie, seasoned with 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, basil and garam masala
2 oz. surimi
1 large glass of water

I have to say, today was a really hard day, work-wise and food wise. I get extremely grumpy when I'm hungry, and today I was starving. Of course, today was also the day that the HR department at my place of work decided to have their Open House, complete with pound cake, cheesecake, all kinds of cookies, brownies, fudge...you get the idea. So as I'm sitting there in the training room starving, people are bringing down all these wonderful goodies and offering them to me. I didn't have any, though! I am so proud of myself. I didn't have a single bite of anything I shouldn't. Probably starting an extremely strict diet like this, 2 weeks before Christmas and 6 weeks before my birthday wasn't a good idea...but I got so sick of looking at my fat self that I just couldn't take it anymore. Right now I am surprisingly full- I'm drinking a lot of water, so that helps.
Stay tuned :)

Day 3, Gorge.
Today's menu:
2 cups coffee
2 egg, tomato, cheese and flatbread sandwiches from Subway
2 sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches from  What-a-Burger
1/2 tomato, cheese and turkey sandwich from Jason's Deli (catering from work)
1 Chik-Fil-A chicken sandwich plain
1 yogurt parfait with strawberries and chocolate crumbles

I'm really to the point now where food is making me gag. I suppose that's the point of the "gorge" (jeez that word makes me wince) phase- to stuff yourself so full and get so sick of eating that when it comes time to cut down to 500 calories a day, you don't mind. If that's the aim, then it certainly is working. I'm still skeptical that this diet is going to work.
Stay tuned...

Day 2
Gorge.
Today for breakfast I had:
1 honey butter chicken biscuit
1 What-a-Chicken sandwich, no lettuce, only tomatoes
1 chocolate shake
Dinner will be:
a sausage and egg sandwiches on a bun
1 what-a-chicken sandwich, no lettuce, only tomatoes
1 large glass of water

Wow. I feel terrible.  Let me preface this by saying that i never- repeat, NEVER, eat this stuff. This is actually really hard for me. Sure, I enjoy a fried chicken sandwich just like anyone else, but this is on a whole other level. I'm so full that all I want to do is lay on the floor in pain. Not to mention what this food is doing to my stomach. I feel like grease is coming out of my pores. I just sat there and looked at the sausage/egg thing for 2 or 3 minutes before I forced myself to take a bite. In a weird way, this is making me want to eat healthy. I have several fruit items in the fridge, but I won't eat them- yet. I'm so glad this only goes on for 3 days- I couldn't take any more of it.
More grease to come...
I sure hope this diet is worth it.

Day 1
Days 1-3 of the HCG Diet are called the Gorging Days. You are supposed to eat anything and everything you want, and are encouraged towards fast food. So here's what I ate today: (mind you since I naturally don't eat much to begin with, my "gorge" and other people's "gorge" are different.

1 flat bread sandwich with egg, tomato and cheddar cheese
1 cup coffee
1 cup tea
2 lunchable
1 cinnamon raisin bagel with peanut butter
1 foot long tuna sandwich from Subway
1 double order of orange chicken with white rice from Panda Express (I ate the entire thing)

This seems a little strange to me to purposely go out and eat fattening, unhealthy foods. Mind you, I'm not complaining though!
P.S.-
I am so going for Pad Thai tomorrow.

Disgusting

TAKE THE WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY WITH ME!
I am starting HCG tomorrow. It's a 6 week diet. We'll see how it goes.

Just wanted to let you all know that doing this was extremely difficult for me. But, I am tired of hiding. I' I'm sick of using my weight as a shield. So, as disgusting as this picture makes me feel, here it is. I'm not hiding anything. So here are my stats:
I am:
23 years old
5'2 inches tall
185 pounds
My measurements are 44, 40, 44.
There it is. Brutally honest. Where will I be in 6 weeks? Who knows.
I know what you're all thinking. Trust me, I'm thinking it too. Eww! NOBODY wants to see that- why would anyone put that up on the internet?
Simple.
I didn't want to.
I'm doing this because I'm sick of hiding. 2009 and 2010 were extremely difficult for m...needless to say, I packed on the pounds. I went from a wonderful 130 lbs to 150..to 160...then packed on 25 more pounds when I had surgery which was severely botched and had to be repeated  5 different times, forcing me to be stuck at home with hundreds of stitches in my sides. Now, at 185 lbs and only 5'2 inches tall, I feel gross. I literally feel heavy. I get winded walking up stairs or running out to my car. I was exercising for a while and sticking to it- then I moved to an apartment with no gym, my mother sold her house that had a gym in it, and it turned cold, preventing me from running. All I have to say is, thank GOD for On Demand Fitness TV.
But I could deal with everything...
Until I went to the doctor.
244? How could that be my cholesterol level? I don't eat fast food. I don't drink sodas. I don't eat fattening foods. I don't even KNOW where the fast food places in my area are. So how could my cholesterol be that high?
That scares me. That was really the kick in the pants that I needed to jump-start this weight loss thing. So yes, it's gross. But 99% of women out there look exactly the way I do. So what do I have to hide? YUp, I'm fat. I admit it. I have a BELLY on me, yes I do.
But...
I am coming out of my shell. I'm here to let you know that we are strong and we have nothing to hide. So let's do this thing!