Wow! Has it really been that long since I posted?! Oh, not good. I seriously need an audio blog to get things moving the way I want to. There just isn't even time to type anymore. How sad.

Well, Valentine's was lovely as was my interruption. It happened so fast! I had good, protein-filled items with just a bit of carbs thrown in (hey, it was Valentine's day). I ended up gaining about three pounds total. Then, I had a stall and thought I'd have to do an apple date. As soon as I had decided that would be my next step, TOM appeared. Mystery solved. So, TOM showed up on Sunday, February 19th during the movies (we went to see the new Ghost Rider). Don't waste your time. The story was all over the place and the one or two elements that were worthwhile were glossed over or rarely used. Hubby and I were disappointed, but the girls loved it.

I didn't document all my food for the last few days. I've been running crazy and, because of this, it really makes me think that my job really isn't for me anymore. Summer, I hope, will bring a really great new job with a less stressful schedule.

Today, I had a hamburger patty and salad for lunch. I had shrimp and whole tomatoes for dinner. I'm ending the evening with a vodka night cap. By the way, I totally felt when the HCG was wearing off this evening. I hurriedly went and took my dose just about at the 12-hour mark. That must mean it's working, yes? I weighed in at 183.2lbs this morning. I'm really, really praying a big water drop will happen in the next couple of days. TOM is murder when it comes to water retention.

I've been so naughty about tracking my progress, but I've been very good about my eating. For the past several days I've had beef (beef patty) and crab legs for dinner. Yes! Crab legs every night. And since they're my absolute favorite, I can honestly say I'm not tired of them.

The local grocery store here had them on a super sale and I just kept buying them. Wonderful! Alaskan crab legs are the greatest. At first, I was worried about the salt and issues with water retention but, as you can see, steady loses have continued. I've been off the HCG since Saturday. My interruption begins tomorrow. Perfect timing for Valentine's day! Hubby is so excited. He's planned his cheat day to coincide with my being on break. It should be lovely.

For his gift, I bought a basket and filled it with goodies ("Nuts for my Nut" was my theme): Cashews, Pistachios, Macadamias, his favorite sugarless chocolate from our local candy factory and a big bottle of Dew (he can't drink it right now, he says). It will keep. Soda always does.

Tomorrow, we'll have dinner together and send our kids away to another room to watch a movie all their own. If we can't have a babysitter, we'll find a way to sneak in romance.

Happy Valentine's day!

I am just about out of my HCG. I think I may have one or two more doses left. Goodness! Thank heaven's for the planned interruption or I would have had to make-up more and just going. Hubby has decided that he does want to have dinner with me next Friday, sans kids. I'm really looking forward to that. I'm ready for my Pra Ram (Thai) or Eggplant (Italian). We'll see what we decide. Perhaps we'll go to the Brazilian restaurant. That way, we can both have a good time with plenty of protein. I'm like that idea a lot.

Here's what I had today:

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Top Sirloin	1.00	158	5g	76mg	56mg	0g	0g	0g	26g
Cabbage, Steamed	1.00	22	0g	0mg	16mg	5g	0g	0g	1g
Tyson Fully Cooked Grilled Chicken Breast Strips	1.00	120	4g	55mg	500mg	1g	1g	0g	21g
Asparagus, Steamed	1.00	26	0g	0mg	2mg	5g	0g	2g	0g
Ezra Brooks Bourbon	2.00	128	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		454	9g	131mg	574mg	11g	1g	2g	48g

I've been so busy and tired that I haven't spent the time blogging like I should. Things are going well (steady loses over the last few days). I actually forgot about my dose, last night. I kind of figured it would happen. It's so much easier to inject in the morning and not have to worry about doing anything else until the next morning. You take the bitters with the sweet, I guess. After my interruption, I'll be able to get back to it for another 30 days with sublingual. I could not do the same with injecting.

I gotta say, I'm really looking forward to the break and all the lovely protein choices next week. My girls have been invited to a church pizza party so, instead of the three days, I may make it four. I'm trying to convince hubby that an evening out for dinner and couple time would be a good thing. If he can't participate (training clients or whatever), I'll just pick it up and enjoy it by myself.

Here's what I had today:

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Top Sirloin	1.00	158	5g	76mg	56mg	0g	0g	0g	26g
Cabbage, Steamed	1.00	22	0g	0mg	16mg	5g	0g	0g	1g
Tyson Fully Cooked Grilled Chicken Breast Strips	1.00	120	4g	55mg	500mg	1g	1g	0g	21g
Trader Joe's Kosher Dill Pickles	1.00	0	0g	0mg	280mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Ezra Brooks Bourbon	1.00	64	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		364	9g	131mg	852mg	6g	1g	0g	48g

My weekend was pretty full, which is why I had a bit of trouble keeping up with my blogging. I had crab legs last night, which resulted in a gain (184.6 to 185 today). Not huge, but when you expect a loss everyday, it can be a bit of a bummer. Today, I watched the salt and stayed on protocol.

We took the girls to see Puss in Boots at the discount theater, yesterday. It was cute but I totally understand why it received the reviews it's gotten. It was all over the place and when you work to develop a side-kick, he better have an interesting story. Yeah, it really wasn't that interesting. Lots of cute jokes and one-liners, though. The girls enjoyed it and that's what really matters.

I just finished taking my second shower of the day. We played the Wii (Just Dance 3 and the Michael Jackson Experience). Normally, it's just me and the girls but lo and behold...hubby joined in tonight! It was fabulous! I hope he enjoyed himself as much as I enjoyed watching him.

Here's what I had today:

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Top Sirloin	1.00	158	5g	76mg	56mg	0g	0g	0g	26g
Canned Spinach	1.00	30	0g	0mg	190mg	4g	1g	2g	3g
Chicken Breast	1.00	130	1g	68mg	77mg	0g	0g	0g	27g
Green Giant Asparagus Spears, Canned	1.00	20	0g	0mg	430mg	3g	1g	1g	2g
Ezra Brooks Bourbon	1.00	64	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Keurig K-Cup Kona Coffee	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Milk, Ff Lactose Free	0.16	13	0g	1mg	21mg	2g	2g	0g	1g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		415	6g	145mg	774mg	9g	4g	3g	59g

Wonder if I'll have a bigger loss because of the activity? I really hope so. I worry about water retention (I seem to be best friends, whether it's from eating too much salt or working out too hard).

Yesterday was long and hard, so I didn't post. It bears stating that I had Miso and sodium content was through the roof, so I had a slight gain. I'm hopeful that I have pushed past the salt and see a nice loss tomorrow. Only time will tell.

We went to the gymnastic meet tonight between the Utah and Georgia. It was a great match and my daughters had a blast. My mother and sister joined us and seemed to have just as much fun. Wow! The things these young ladies can do is nothing short of amazing! When my eldest used to take gymnastics, she aspired to be at this level. Unfortunately, the boobs came in. When that happens, it's sort of the end of anything uneven or vault. Oh, well. She's still got her dancing.

Here's what I had today (a little treat, you'll note, to take to the meet). Goodness! I could smell the cinnamon pretzels. I love those things. It was killing me!

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Keurig K-Cup Kona Coffee	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Milk, Ff Lactose Free	0.16	13	0g	1mg	21mg	2g	2g	0g	1g
Celestial Seasonings Zingers To Go - Peach Delight Green Tea	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
McDonald's Grilled Chicken Breast	1.00	120	2g	0mg	0mg	3g	0g	0g	22g
Top Sirloin	1.00	158	5g	76mg	56mg	0g	0g	0g	26g
Canned Spinach	1.00	30	0g	0mg	190mg	4g	1g	2g	3g
Sugar Free Ring Pop	1.00	30	0g	0mg	35mg	13g	13g	0g	0g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		351	7g	77mg	302mg	22g	16g	2g	52g

Okay so, not really. I made dinner with stuff around the house, which I haven't done in a very long time. There were frozen chicken tenders in the freezer. I took out several of them and put them in a marinade at around 4:00 this afternoon. I left them to soak up the Mesquite flavoring on top of the stove (they were frozen, after all).

Once work was done, I went to find a side item. Spanish Rice-a-Roni! My kids are not usually rice fans, but I figured they'd eat whatever I made. I also found some cornbread fixings. Hubby called in the midst of the dinner making and asked me to bake his Swai for him. Sorry to say I left it to bake far longer than I planned, but it didn't burn (thankfully!).

The veggies consisted of raw, radishes that they dipped in ranch dressing. A strange combo, but they loved it. Both girls asked for seconds and both wanted more rice. Amazing! So, what did mom have? Here you go:

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Leslie's Pan-grilled Flank Steak W/ Chermoula	1.00	195	9g	37mg	284mg	3g	0g	1g	25g
Canned Spinach	1.00	30	0g	0mg	190mg	4g	1g	2g	3g
Pickwick English Breakfast Black Tea	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Coffee	1.00	2	0g	0mg	5mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Kroger Lactose Free, Fat Free Milk	0.16	13	0g	1mg	21mg	2g	2g	0g	1g
Tetley Orange Pekoe Tea	1.00	0	0g	0mg	5mg	1g	0g	0g	0g
Publix Orange Roughy	1.00	80	1g	20mg	70mg	0g	0g	0g	16g
Dole Shredded Lettuce	1.00	15	0g	0mg	10mg	3g	2g	1g	1g
Maple Grove Farms Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette	1.00	15	0g	0mg	95mg	3g	2g	0g	0g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		350	10g	58mg	680mg	16g	7g	4g	47g

My day was absolutely insane! Because of the craziness, I had to eat on the go. The only restaurant fast and close by was Carl's. The meat is pretty hefty in weight on their low-carb burger, but I ordered without cheese can ketchup (couldn't find a listing that reflected both changes). I only had a bit of chicken. It was mixed with a fajita spice, but no bread. I'm really guesstimating here and being totally off protocol for lunch, I'll be praying there isn't too much damage.

This is supposed to be my light week with calls but I fell behind and that just spiraled onward from there. I'm really frustrated and, although my students seem to like and appreciate me, it's hard trying to take care of so many. I feel like the older sister to 90 siblings and the parents keep going out, leaving me to take care of everybody. I hate to say it but the summer can't get here fast enough.

So, here's what the damage was today. Praying, praying, praying...

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Carl's Jr. Low Carb Six Dollar Burger - No Cheese	1.00	390	29g	110mg	890mg	4g	2g	2g	27g
Jack in the Box Chicken Fajita Pita (no Pita Bread, Cheese Or Salsa)	1.00	90	3g	40mg	745mg	4g	3g	2g	13g
Grapefruit, Half	1.00	26	0g	0mg	0mg	7g	0g	0g	1g
Keurig K-Cup Kona Coffee	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Milk, Ff Lactose Free	0.16	13	0g	1mg	21mg	2g	2g	0g	1g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		519	32g	151mg	1,656mg	17g	7g	4g	41g

I didn't document, yesterday. Oh, well. I had a slight gain on Sunday morning. I only slept three hours, so no surprise here. Today, I had a nice loss. I hope the trend continues despite all the stress I'm enduring. My stress comes from my crazy job and wondering how long I'll deal with the drama. I've somewhat decided that I'll job hunt this summer. It's just not worth it to me to lose my ever loving mind, bringing heartache to my family. It's really too bad, since my job would be perfect if I only had 50 students less (I'd really settle for 20 students less).

Here's what I had today:

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Leslie's Pan-grilled Flank Steak W/ Chermoula	1.00	195	9g	37mg	284mg	3g	0g	1g	25g
Canned Spinach	1.00	30	0g	0mg	190mg	4g	1g	2g	3g
King Crab Legs	1.00	82	1g	45mg	911mg	0g	0g	0g	16g
Dole Shredded Lettuce	1.00	15	0g	0mg	10mg	3g	2g	1g	1g
Maple Grove Farms Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette	1.00	15	0g	0mg	95mg	3g	2g	0g	0g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		337	10g	82mg	1,490mg	13g	5g	4g	46g

We had an interesting day today. It started off well enough, then hubby got irritated with me fast and in a hurry. On the good side, I got Mongolian BBQ for lunch. On the bad side, he didn't say very much. When we argue, it always zaps my appetite. Consequently, I did not have dinner (but my lunch was so high in salt, it's probably better that I didn't).

The evening was great! Hubby was still out of sorts, but we went to a friend's house (Rotel dip and On the Border chips in tow) to watch an MMA fight. The rotel was my mother's recipe and it was a huge hit. I think I could low carb it enough to make it a staple for P3, when the time comes. It smelled wonderful, but I didn't even get a taste. Bummer!

My friend was burning a candle which sent my eldest into an asthma fit. She just finished an Albuterol treatment, poor thing. Now, it's off to bed. For what it's worth, I was glad to see the two pound loss (no more nibbling on chocolate and TOM being over probably helped). Here's what I had today:

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Ajinomoto Mongolian Style Beef	1.00	280	7g	75mg	1,290mg	27g	19g	2g	26g
Hot And Sour Soup	1.00	228	9g	112mg	0mg	10g	0g	1g	27g
Keurig K-Cup Kona Coffee	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Twinings English Breakfast Tea	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		508	16g	187mg	1,290mg	37g	19g	3g	53g

It's true confessions, time. I had several more pieces of sugar-free chocolate, yesterday. I honestly thought they wouldn't effect me. Now, why on earth did I think that?! Of course they did! A whole one pound gain of effect all over the place. Yikes! So, I was better today (even though I did eat out). I've also got a whole crop of canker going on and I have to wonder if my acid level from the chocolate is doing me in. Not good...not good at all!

I had none of that today and tried to drink water like a good girl. Biding my time through these awful sores is going to be tough, but I've done it before. I just want the scale to start heading in the other direction again. It may be foolish to think that some of this is salt and TOM playing games, but it would be nice to have that as a partial truth. At least then I wouldn't feel so bad. Feeling bad is probably just what I need to get it together. So, Enchantress? Get it together!

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Burger King WHOPPER - Low Carb	1.00	280	20g	75mg	290mg	3g	2g	2g	22g
Burger King Side Salad	2.00	40	0g	10mg	0mg	8g	1g	3g	1g
Chicken Breast	1.00	130	1g	68mg	77mg	0g	0g	0g	27g
Canned Tomatoes, Diced	1.00	25	0g	0mg	350mg	4g	3g	1g	2g
Coffee	1.00	2	0g	0mg	5mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Milk, Ff Lactose Free	0.25	20	0g	1mg	33mg	3g	3g	0g	2g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		497	21g	154mg	755mg	18g	9g	6g	55g

Oh, and I opted not to do the "spoil myself" thing today. I went with hubby and the kids into town instead. Since I can't do my pedicure, he's offered to take them off my hands later when I can do the treatment with the lotion and be okay. Hopefully, by then, I will have made the goal to do both the pedi and mani.

How do I do that? My hubby is giving me Saturday afternoon to just spoil myself for my birthday. He did that once before (when I turned 28). Back then, only had one child and I wasn't eating 500 calories a day, avoiding oils of all kind like the plague. That day, I bought myself a new outfit, including accessories, went to the bookstore to browse in peace, treated myself to my favorite lunch and ended with a pedicure.

I could do the lunch at the Mongolian place, but if I eat there, I'll be tempted to keep getting up for more food (even if it is just bowl after bowl of veggies). The pedicure would be wonderful, but they slather my legs down in lotion. I can't have the outside oil and I don't want to insult my regular pedicurist by bringing my personal mineral oil to her shop. I could certainly browse the bookstore which would be nice. I'm still trying to figure it all out. Maybe hubby will help me come up with something good.

Here's what I had today:

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Burger King Whopper Jr. (no Bun, Ketchup Or Mayo)	1.00	130	9g	35mg	140mg	1g	0g	0g	11g
Burger King Side Salad	2.00	40	0g	10mg	0mg	8g	1g	3g	1g
Chicken Breast	1.00	130	1g	68mg	77mg	0g	0g	0g	27g
miso soup	1.00	70	2g	0mg	721mg	9g	0g	3g	5g
Ezra Brooks Bourbon	1.00	64	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		434	12g	113mg	938mg	18g	2g	6g	44g