Day 28...effective...one full month of HCG!

Banner day today. Down .9 lbs. for a total of 20.4 lbs. lost and I've trimmed off an amazing 22.25" overall! I am beyond convinced of the effectiveness of HCG. Feel great...looking good...what more could I ask?

Had a fab VLCD-friendly meal with my honey last night: baked haddock with a sprinkle of Greek Seasonings and wafer-thin sliced red onion and tomato on top...20 minutes @ 375ºF. Served atop 1/4 cup of homemade salsa (chopped cukes, toms, red onion, cilantro, vinegar, salt, pepper and a few dashes of hot sauce), with a side of steamed spinach. Fabulous and even "himself" liked it!

Looking forward to lunch today...treated myself to some lobster...will serve on a bed of dark greens and tomatoes...decadent, but at minus 20+ pounds, I'm so worth it.

Happy Friday all!

Eat and be well,

Jane Doh!

Day 27 effective...

So, I've done the thing you are not supposed to do on this protocol. I've travelled without my scale, which means no weigh-in today.

Yesterday was an over-protein day...must have consumed 9-10 ounces, but still came in under 500 calories total. Only tomorrow will tell.

Despite trying to plan in regards to food while on the road, this is not an easy thing to accomplish. Fruits and select veggies travel okay, but protein is tough. Hence my overload. Arrrgghh.

I guess though, if I'm going to err, extra protein is the way to go. Beats cowing down on a Big Mac or some such other temptation!

Heading back home today, which means getting into the straight and narrow*. Hoping to see good numbers in the morning.

Eat and be well,

Jane Doh!

* lyric reference is courtesy of The Who.

Day 26...effective

Down 1.4 lbs. this morning for a total of 19.5 lost! In a mere 25 days. Wow! I continue to dazzle me.

Never did give into my cravings yesterday...amazingly...and happily I was rewarded with a close to 1 1/2 pound decrease.

Need to travel for a biz/family obligation today and tomorrow. On this diet, an endeavor of this nature requires considerable planning. Aside from not forgetting my drops, I need to pack my scale; ample shelf stable veggies (thinking celery and radishes); easy-to-eat fruits (apples, oranges); a couple Melba Toasts (for the hungry horrors), as well as research and make careful choices regarding restaurants for my main meals. I'm dealing with a lot of shit here!

Oh yeah, and lots of bottled H2O...I don't trust most communities' tap water (I know...unfounded...but, that's just me).

Need to start my day.

Eat and be well,

Jane Doh!

Day 25...effective

Down another .9 lbs., for a total of 18.2 lbs. Decided a diuretic was in order...feeling a little bloated, what with all the H2O. Feel much better today...plus being down close to a pound never hurts.

Fired my client, as promised. God, did that feel good! And, to further divest myself of dead wood, I cleaned out my closet...again, awesome feeling in all ways.

Okay...here's something new...I'm having my first real tough day...craving anything with fat! Not really bad fats like french fries...more like melted, gooey cheese (preferably with a few brown, crisp bubbles)...oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

I was at a business lunch at my fave Mexican bistro (Agave, Newburyport), partaking of the CoCo Special (half portion of naked grilled chix, shredded lettuce, chopped toms and a few slices of cucumber (vinegar on the side)), but boy did those nachos look tempting...and I HATE nachos. What is up with that?

Cravings be damned, I did not succumb and I live to lose another pound (or so)...did I tell you I'm averaging .7 lbs per day...sweet, huh?

That's it for now!

Eat and be well,

Jane Doh!

Day 24...effective.

Back to -17.2 lbs., bringing me to 179.5 lbs. Still not sure why Sunday was a gain day. Annoying, to say the least.

And to add insult to injury, it is Monday again. Now that a series of high-pressure events are over and done with, I'm looking forward to some quiet time with other less stressful clients. In fact, speaking of clients, I am so firing my annoying hair dresser. No, not for a lousy hair cut (tho that's a topic for another time...I am so NOT a "texture" gal)...no, for just being a general pain in my ass who does not pay his bills. Reason enough, no? Ah, the relief one feels when divesting themselves of life's dead wood.

As for the diet...I have come to the realization, I'm not the 1 lb.-per-day person most others seem to be when on the HCG protocol. And, I assure you, gentle reader, it is not because of even the occasional cheat. Further proving, nothing is ever easy.

Well, except for my husband. He cuts out ice cream and loses 3+ lbs. a week. It's enough to make me sick! Ice cream! My lips have not tasted ice cream in two long, lonesome years. But I digress...

Came up with a nifty chicken topper...oil-free salsa. Not the biggest fan of peppers (upset my tummy, don't you know), I created my own fab version of salsa: chopped cukes, toms (both seeded...to reduce bitterness), red onion and cilantro with salt, pepper, several dashes of your favorite hot sauce and red wine vinegar to taste. Chop onions first and "bloom" with several shakes of vinegar (again, reduces bitterness), then chop remaining ingredients. If in phase three, a few tablespoons of olive oil adds further depth, but during phase two, the vinegar only is really quite good. I've enjoyed it on white fish and shrimp, too.

That's it for today. Back to the salt mines.

Eat and be well,

Jane Doh!

Day 23 effective...what the eff?

I gained .6 lbs. yesterday. How is that possible? No cheats. Went for a long walk and drank over 100 oz. of H2O? Arrrggghh. Disappointed, to say the least.

In fact, I only consumed 478 of the allotted 500 calories. This is not good. Oh, and no, I did not use oil based makeup or body creams. Haven't since I started this thing. Been going with the natural look... Not always pretty, but what can you do? Hope my period isn't coming, as I only finshed that 10 days ago.

More info to come tomorrow.

Eat and be well,

Jane Doh!

Day 22...effective.

Down another pound for a total of 17.2...go me!

NOTE TO SELF: when ordering a "naked" caesar salad at a restaurant, be sure to tell the-not-so-bright-server that naked means no dressing, croutons or cheese. Though, I must say, the dusting of parmesan that remained on the lettuce leaves I diligently tried to shake clean, was really, really delicious...and, yes, I still lost a pound this morning.

Okay, so I am still 18 days out from the end of my 40 day protocol, but I'm already thinking about the next Phase...maintenance (lots more protein and veggies/fruit, plus good fats (olive oil, nuts, etc., but no starches or sugars).

Came to the sad realization that there are many things I will never likely eat again. I'd say, in moderation, what harm? But, I know myself...moderation and my fave go-to snax do not mix. Kind of like plaids and stripes (I don't care what Tim Gunn says).

So, farewell, I say, to my dear friends: Chinese chicken wings (extra crispy, don't you know); french fries (any kind, any time); puff pastry (I'll still indulge in my absolutely delicious homemade chicken pot pie, but it will be a considerably smaller portion and lacking said pastry); and pasta (okay, maybe not the occasional Dan-Dan noodles ("one noodle at a time"), but on the whole, ba-bye).

But it's not all doom and gloom...really, it's not. As I've mentioned previously, this is a life change for me. The 40 day jump start is getting me where I want to be weight wise (quickly, I might add, as it is no secret, I have the attention span of a gnat), but make no mistake, completion of the process does not give me license to go back to MickeyD's, et al. If I do, I guarantee I'll gain all the weight I lost back and then some.

I've even been thinking about alcohol and how to best work it back into my life. Reality: I miss sharing a bottle of champagne with my sweetie...and can not wait to get back to that. But thinking seriously that I may give up wine and such in total. I've noticed that, rarely do we finish a bottle of bubbly and crack another...the two and half glasses gives a nice glow and all is good. Wine, on the other hand, we can't seem to open that second (and sometimes third) bottle quick enough. No wonder I'm hungover and feel like ass in the morning! That's a bottle and a half...for just me! YIKES...I feel a headache coming on just writing about it.

But, alas, who knows how I'll fare? Only time...and my daily blog...will tell.

Wishing a great Saturday to all.

Eat and be well,

Jane Doh!