December 13, 2007 - Day 18 of VLCD (Round 3)

R3P2 Starting Weight 193.2
Yesterday - 177.0
Today - 176.8
0.2 lb LOSS Overnight
10.6 UNDER LIW of Round Two (187.4)
16.4 Lost Since Start of R3 (VLCD) 11/26/07
36.8 Lost Since Start of R2 (VLCD) 09/16/07
74.0 Lost Since Start of R1 (VLCD) 06/26/07

Here is my menu for yesterday.

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Any loss is a good loss! But dang if it aint making me wait now for that 75 lb milestone! OMG! How funny is that???

Seriously, you folks have to go here and see the progress Michaela made on this last round. Look at how just 20 lbs can transform a person!

Michaela Progress Pictures

What did I eat? Just the basics, Coffee with 2% milk, Grapefruit, Steak over lettuce with mustard dressing, apple, and Catfish Creole. Nothing spectacular. Food just really isn't appealing.

I need to start doing my "FAQ" but I thought it would be fun to have you all help me! Doesn't that sound like a blast??? hehe - Actually it's just my way of not having to work so hard! Anyhoo, let's go question by question and I would like for you to give me your best answer to the question. I have set up a form for you to be super simple - and by filling out the form, you have given me permission to use part or whole of your answer in setting up my FAQ - with credit going directly to you. What will be cool is that when it is done, everyone will be able to link to it from their blogs! WOO HOO FOR US! We are the pioneers in this thing ya know? Doesn't that feel GRAND!!!

1st FAQ Question - Is 500 Calories for Real? How can you survive? Aren't you HUNGRY?

I am gonna ramble a bit. I seriously hope no one takes offense at what I am about to say. I base this rambling on more than a few things that have come across my plate over the last few days and not necessarily from the Yahoo posting or blogging community. Remember, I have helped numerous people on this protocol that are 'offline'.

I have been told by some that I make this look easy. In reality I go through and have gone through the same struggles that you all have gone thru. Most of you have to remember that I am on my third round and have been doing this protocol for almost 6 months. I have basically been thru it all. The stalls, the cravings, the hunger, the deviations, the sickness, the depression, the non cooperation of the scale, you name it, I have lived it.

When I first started this protocol, I paid over $400 to get started for just 6 weeks. When I started I knew nothing about mixing my own, purchasing it from a overseas pharmacy, and I was totally ready to spend more and more money to enable me to accomplish something medically proven to work. All in all, I was prepared to pay between $1200 - $1500 to get this weight off. That is what I estimated I would need for me to continue thru the clinic I started with.

I considered it a proven medical program. Nothing but exact adhereance to the protocol was in it for me.

You see, I am cheap, very cheap. I absolutely HATE spending money, and it took every ounce of my being to approach my husband back in June to ask him for permission to do this. I just HAD to make it work if I was spending over $400 for just 6 weeks. I HAD to make it work or else he would NEVER agree to let me do it for another round.

During those 6 weeks, I discovered that I could do this on my own, and for lots less money than I was spending thru the clinic. But it didn't dampen my enthusiasm to stick to it according to plan. Everytime I had some sort of set back I was more than determined because by golly I still spent that $400 at the beginning. That may not sound like a lot of money to you folks, but to me and my family? We are a family of 5 and there is only one income. Every dollar is precious.

Sometimes I feel that some have come by this protocol a little too easy. They didn't have to spend huge bucks in the beginning to start, so it's just another "diet" to them. No, this is a medically proven program. Most of us are not doing it under Doctor's care, but I bet you that if you were, and you were spending $1000 to get it done, you would not allow yourselves this defeatest feelings that I see of some. Sure, if you were doing it under $200 for a couple of rounds, what is the big deal to deviate or to say the heck with it.

If you were spending $75 bucks a week (about the going rate) I would think most would have a totally different attitude about it. Now granted, I understand that at $75 bucks a week you have the benefit of being able to call someone and get answers to your questions and maybe coming from a doctor/nurse these things might hold a little bit more 'weight'. You might be able to accept their advice a bit more because you spent the money with them, and in doing that, you put a certain degree of trust in them to be able to help you thru the program.

But for those of you that haven't done that, you are pretty much scrambling around. Not knowing which way is up sometimes. Always assuming that your doing something 'wrong' when in reality you are not. But when not getting the numbers each and every day, you automatically believe, OMG, this isn't working, why isn't it working for me? You really cannot keep doing that to yourselves. Basically, for those doing this ON YOUR OWN you have to be mature about this. You chose this road of self doctoring, then stand up and face it like a doctor. Dr Simeon's laid out the protocol for you easily to attain to this. He told you the things to look for so look for them and if you haven't done anything wrong, then move on. If you see something in your 'diet' that isn't up to par, then fix it and move on. All doctors can do is play detective. So do it to yourself. Look at yourself with DOCTOR'S eyes and really asertain what the haps is. Pretend this protocol is life saving. Then maybe it will be treated differently.

Ok, let's step back for a moment. Most of you know that I have deviated from the protocol at times. But if you look back on those times, you will see that I never once came to my blog or anywhere else and whine about it. I knew what I did, and I was prepared for the consequences. That was my decision. Whether it was to eat pork, or use half and half, or have that beer, those were conscience decisions I made and was prepared for the outcome. What is interesting to me? The only deviations I did were when I had self mix HCG - not the stuff I paid out the nose for, so yes, even I am guilty! ROFL

This whole thing is nothing but a thing ya know? We are ALL growing up by use of this protocol. Figuring the little nuances of our body is worth it's weight in gold. We are learning invaluable things about our bodies. Listen to them and heed.

Ok, over my ramble.

Update on my son - well, hmmm, what can I say. Having a hard time with this one. I can't really share what I think is going on, but suffice it to say, things are not going well for him. As of yesterday he had gained .4 lbs. I did his pictures, but decided not to share them because he actually gained some inches as well. So I am just going to leave it alone at the moment. Please send him some positive vibes - he needs them.

Update on JPS? She lost the .4 that she had gained! WOO HOO FOR HER! So she is back down to 156.2 - She really wants at least 155 this round, so send some good vibes her way if you please.

On to my commenter's:

Lili - That seriously shocked the life out of me let me tell you. I totally didn't expect, that I guess when it is the sweetest ya know?

Mary - Good vibes being sent your way my sweet. Sorry you are having a tough time of it. I am wondering if people are having a rough time of it being the time of year it is??? Especially with shopping and stuff I can only imagine how hard it would be to not have cravings this time of year. And because of the stress of thinking about this, it adds the cortisol which brings on the stalls. I don't know, but I feel for all of you experiencing the stalls.

Wendy - Girlfriend, you MUST post it, please??? I would love to see other comparison photo's. OMG! I am in awe of you every day! Thanks for the visit and the very kind words.

Crystal - Thanks!

Brooke - I would love to hear your thoughts. I love how the blogging community we all belong to gets pretty philisophical about things. All perspectives are invaluable to me. We are all on the same journey, but we have all taken different paths. I learn so much from each one of you!

Michaela - I just have four words for you OMFG - there, nuff said

Jennifer - Do you have the digital version of P&I? On page 27, under the subheading of "History Taking" it says this: "The degree of overweight is then calculated, and from this the duration of treatment can be roughly assessed on the basis of an average loss of weight of a little less than a pound, say 300-400 grams-per injection, per day." If you convert those grams to ounces, that is how I came up with that figure. HTH - Oh, my stomach growls ALL the time. Growling is NOT hunger! Remember that ok?

Becca - Yeah, I was joking. I have a really weird sense of humor. Sometimes, only I get my jokes! ROFL - the funny thing is Becca, I am starting to see the 'me' that was 15 years ago. That is freaky!

Tracey - Just call me a windbag! I just chat too much I think! hehe - but hey, it's my blog right?

Whew, what is with me lately. Geesh, I am just a chatting machine!

Biz