“Set Yourself Free” by Ralph Marston"

---"There is no outside force holding you back. You are holding you back and you are blaming it on someone or something else. The way you are able to continue holding yourself back is by maintaining the illusion that you're a victim. Once you realize that illusion, you will naturally and easily move forward. In fact, it is easier to fulfill your best possibilities than it is to avoid them. So let go of the blame and watch the limitations drop away. Certainly there will always be challenges that hold you back. For each challenge provides you with a pathway through which you can move toward fulfillment. It is your very nature to accomplish. Lovingly accept your destiny, and allow that accomplishment to be manifest through you. Set yourself free to follow your purpose. Set yourself free to truly live."

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

VLCD 16 - 213.9 ( R1-P2 )

Day 16 of VLCD (R1P2)
Today is day 16 of the VLCD. I decided to start a blog about my progress so better late than never. I read quite a few weight loss blogs so I thought I'd finally take the opportunity to make my own blog.

BACKGROUND
Just a bit of background. I've been overweight since age 7. In grade 11 I weighed 186 pounds. I remember going to a one of the major weight loss clinics that year and finally finding out my weight - 186 pounds. I was mortified. I had no idea. Plus I was shorter than I am now. I had a bit of a growth spurt late in high school and reached 5'4. I think back in grade 11 I was 5'2.

So then progress a few years, I finished university and was 222. I went up to 236 before I became pregnant with my first daughter in 1999 and then after she was born I decided to give the weight loss another try. By the time she was 18 months I had reached 269.9. Might as well say 270! Went on Dr. Bernstein Diet and got down to 234. Then over the years went back up to 250. When I started another diet in May 2006 (1200 calories per day), I got down to 204. I was estatic. Everyone was commenting and I felt so much better. Then I gave up and my weight stabilized at about 220. There's something about getting under 200 that I think I'm sabotaging the efforts.

I want this time to be different. I had gone down to 216 at the end of November through careful eating. After Christmas this year, the poundage started to creep up again. I got up to 228 and my pants were getting too tight and was scared

I started researching HCG and ordered some HCG drops off Ebay on January 6th. The drops never arrived - I assume they were held up in customs. Canadians have a very hard time ordering HCG even the sublingual kind.

Then in February I decided to try the injections and looked high and low for a company that would ship to Canada. Then I found a wonderful company that ships to Canada and I received the package within 6-8 days at a very reasonable price. (http://www.yourhcgdiet.com/)

I started this diet on February 22, 2010. Day 1 & Day 2 of loading brought me up to 230.08) As of today I am 213.9. That's a loss including the loading weight of 16.9 pounds.

Day 1 of the VLCD was very difficult. I was tired when I got home from work that I had to have a 2 hour nap. The hunger feelings and uncomfortableness started to subside by Day 4 of the VLCD. I don't feel physically hungry but I still have (at times) wicked mental cravings.

I can cook for my husband and children and it doesn't bother me. Preparation of my veggies and chicken, shrimp, etc. is the key to being sucessful. Also, for those wondering I started drining my Diet Pepsi again on about day 6. I was a hardcore DP addict and I've cut back considerably but I still have about 3 cans a day and it doesn't seem to be interfering with the weight loss. I also use Walden Farms products. They're great!! I mix veggies - but usually not more than 2. My favourite meal is chicken with celery and red onions. I only mix more than 2 when I buy a salad.

For the first few days, my husband gave me the injections in the but as I had read somewhere that the injection needs to be intermuscular. But now I do it myself in the stomach. I have quite a bit of fat there so I don't think it's going into any muscle but again, it doesn't seem to be preventing weight loss.

This post is getting really long. If you're still reading at this point - thanks. And I wish you nothing but success with HCG.