I woke up crazy early this morning and sat in bed with the computer, until time to work. I made my kids, biscuits, scrambled eggs, bacon and gave them sliced cache valley cheese to make breakfast sandwiches. With the help of my injection today, the food smelled wonderful, but I wasn't tempted to taste any of my goodies.

Fast forward...the cravings were awful in the early evening. I didn't eat dinner on time, so that didn't help matters. I took some L-Glutamine and will probably do the same tomorrow throughout the day. I guess it will be tomorrow, Friday and Saturday (since TOM is due on Sunday). The cravings usually stop when TOM arrives. I hope that additional supplement will keep me from gnawing off a limb.

I had a .6lb loss today. I wonder if I'll see those whole pound losses anymore? I realize that .6 is normal for women, so I'm not upset about it. It was just so much fun to have those big losses in the initial stage. It certainly helps with keeping you motivated but, I do think any loss is motivational.

Here's what I did today (notice, despite all the cravings, I was low on my calories). Perhaps that's today's observation: try to get your calories in on "craving" days.

March 10th, 2010

Calorie goal: 1,134; calories consumed: 385; calories burned: 0 Net calories: 385

Mood: Hungry

Crazy hungry today. Blast you, TOM! I took a bit of L-Glutamine this evening to help. I will do the same throughout the day tomorrow. [edit this diary entry]

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Celery, Raw (large Stalk)	3.00	27	0g	0mg	154mg	6g	4g	3g	1g
Beef Stir Fry Meat	1.00	202	9g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	28g
Wasa Crackers	1.00	35	0g	0mg	60mg	7g	0g	2g	1g
Large Cooked Shrimp	1.00	60	0g	90mg	490mg	0g	0g	0g	15g
Popeye Fresh Tender Spinach	1.00	25	0g	0mg	80mg	4g	0g	2g	3g
Grapefruit, Half	1.00	26	0g	0mg	0mg	7g	0g	0g	1g
Napoleon Balsamic Vinegar	1.00	10	0g	0mg	5mg	2g	2g	0g	0g
Totals:		385	10g	90mg	789mg	26g	6g	7g	48g

I had quite the tummy issue this morning, but by mid-day, all was well. I weighed in at 173 but I have a feeling, when I got up to void at 3:00ish this morning, it was a bit lower. Well, I can always hope for tomorrow.

I really feel like I'm exerting a kind of control I never knew I had. Today was skip day for my injection and, just like last week, I felt the difference completely. The HCG keeps the eat-everything-I-see cravings at bay. I am really, really nervous about TOM, now. Five days of no support? I think I'll go into hiding or something (okay, not really).

I'm in the midst of making Beefaroni for the kids. My youngest tried to eat off of my plate because, it's sort of late for dinner for her (usually, we all sit down and eat at six). Anyway, I am proud to say that I didn't bark at her for trying to take my fish, but I did tell her (nicely) that it was all mom had to eat and that she could have seconds of her dinner, once it is finished baking. She seemed as content as any four year old could be (I keep seeing her sneak looks at my food). ;)

While I was putting the casserole together, I got spaghetti sauce on my fingers. I didn't lick them. I calmly washed my hands and went back to the process. Amazing! A couple of weeks ago, I would have been licking my fingers and the lid. Control is certainly the keyword for the day and I'm glad I exhibited an army's worth. Oh, and I had a loss...a small one, but a loss nonetheless. Yay!

Here's what I ate today:

March 9th, 2010

Calorie goal: 1,134; calories consumed: 436; calories burned: 0 Net calories: 436

Mood: Tempted

Without the injection on skip day, I am ravenous (even more so with TOM on the way). Ugh! [edit this diary entry]

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Beef Stir Fry Meat	1.00	202	9g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	28g
Wasa Crackers	1.00	35	0g	0mg	60mg	7g	0g	2g	1g
Popeye Fresh Tender Spinach	1.00	25	0g	0mg	80mg	4g	0g	2g	3g
Tilapia Fillets	1.00	93	1g	55mg	40mg	0g	0g	0g	21g
Asparagus, Boiled	1.00	20	0g	0mg	13mg	4g	1g	2g	2g
Wasa Crackers	1.00	35	0g	0mg	60mg	7g	0g	2g	1g
Grapefruit, Half	1.00	26	0g	0mg	0mg	7g	0g	0g	1g
Totals:		436	11g	55mg	253mg	29g	1g	7g	56g

Today's weigh-in was 173.6 this morning.

No change today. I thought about this very negatively at first. Then, I realized, "Enchantress, you've lost more weight in less than two weeks than you would have lost in probably four months, if not longer. Get a grip, girl!" Yep. Sometimes it just takes giving yourself a good talking to. I realized that eating the steak at dinner may have caused some issues. Also, I normally get my two liters of water in before 4:00pm. Yesterday, it was around 6:30pm. The less stringent schedule on the weekends really throws things off.

So, if it turns out that steak for dinner wasn't the culprit, then I'm going ahead with my plans to blame TOM. It should rear it's head sometime next week, if the hcg hasn't thrown it off. I'm pretty sure it's coming because I saw the burgers on t.v. and really, really wanted them (not like before where it was a sort of half-hearted "want"). I'm also a bit emotional and super-sensitive to what others are saying. I'm afraid of being off the injections during that time. I posted a comment on the message boards, asking if anyone was hard-core and didn't do injections during TOM (as the protocol states). Many of them stop just on the heavy days. I just want to see how hard-core protocolers handle the 5-7 days of no help.

Here's what I ate today (notice, steak for lunch rather than dinner): ;)

March 8th, 2010

Calorie goal: 1,138; calories consumed: 429; calories burned: 0 Net calories: 429

Mood: Anxious

No change today. I'm wondering if TOM is doing it or the steak for dinner (rather than lunch)? [edit this diary entry]

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Beef Stir Fry Meat	1.00	202	9g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	28g
Asparagus, Boiled	1.00	20	0g	0mg	13mg	4g	1g	2g	2g
Wasa Crackers	1.00	35	0g	0mg	60mg	7g	0g	2g	1g
Tilapia Fillets	1.00	93	1g	55mg	40mg	0g	0g	0g	21g
Wasa Crackers	1.00	35	0g	0mg	60mg	7g	0g	2g	1g
Celery, Raw (large Stalk)	2.00	18	0g	0mg	102mg	4g	2g	2g	1g
Grapefruit, Half	1.00	26	0g	0mg	0mg	7g	0g	0g	1g
Folgers Classic Decaf Instant Coffee 8 oz	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Totals:		429	11g	55mg	275mg	29g	4g	7g	54g

Again, I stayed that same at 174.2 pounds this morning.

I kept it easy again today, giving myself a television series marathon. I'm a little burnt out because of it, now. The girls played hard today, but not hard enough to sleep more than an hour. The little one didn't sleep at all. Ugh! Oh, well. At least they had fun today.

I finished up the crab meat (heating it up as I planned). That made all the difference. So much better warmed up. Hubby wants to eat the real deal (out of the shells) for a dinner-for-two on Thursday. I can't wait! The only draw back will be taking it all out of the shell to weigh.

For dinner, I had beef stew steak that I browned up yesterday. I used Jamaican Me Crazy seasoning. Oh, it's fabulous! It just made the steak pop...as if I'd bought it at a restaurant or something. Yes. It was that good. I will be one happy camper to find something this good for chicken seasoning. I'll be on the lookout.

I was down 1.6 pounds today. Yippee! I wondered, briefly, if taking my hair down took away some weight. Then I decided that, whether it did or didn't, it was a good loss and not to worry about the logistics.

Here's what I had for the day:

March 7th, 2010

Calorie goal: 1,138; calories consumed: 346; calories burned: 0
Net calories: 346

Mood: Tempted

I cooked Sunday breakfast for the girls this morning. Hubby wasn't here to take over when things got hard, so I stuck it out. No tasting and no nibbling on crumbs. I was very, very good. Day 10 on this diet! I'm proud of myself. I'll know I can handle anything if I can get through the vlcds during TOM. [edit this diary entry]

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Blue Star Lump Crab Meat	1.00	45	0g	65mg	220mg	0g	0g	0g	11g
Popeye Fresh Tender Spinach	1.00	25	0g	0mg	80mg	4g	0g	2g	3g
Napoleon Balsamic Vinegar	1.00	10	0g	0mg	5mg	2g	2g	0g	0g
Wasa Crackers	1.00	35	0g	0mg	60mg	7g	0g	2g	1g
Target Beef Stew Meat	0.75	150	9g	45mg	248mg	0g	0g	0g	16g
Asparagus, Boiled	1.00	20	0g	0mg	13mg	4g	1g	2g	2g
Wasa Crackers	1.00	35	0g	0mg	60mg	7g	0g	2g	1g
Grapefruit, Half	1.00	26	0g	0mg	0mg	7g	0g	0g	1g
Folgers Classic Decaf Instant Coffee 8 oz	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Totals:		346	9g	110mg	686mg	31g	3g	7g	34g

Again, a 1.6 pound loss! I weighed 174.2 pounds this morning.

After major shoveling, cleaning and the vigorous mopping of my kitchen floor, my weight loss (for the first time) was less than one pound today. I didn't think it would happen this soon, but I'm betting it had to do with all the activity I exerted, yesterday. I was much more sedentary today. I worked on my girls' hair, as well as my own (bye bye, braids) but that was about it. I'm hoping it made a difference.

I spent the morning cooking up my meals for the week. Hubby bought some lovely stew beef from Target that I browned in the skillet with various seasonings. Along with the beef this week, I'll have shrimp and crab meat. This time, I think I'll heat up the crab meat in the microwave for a bit. I ate it cold last weekend and that really didn't thrill me.

Hubby was talking to me about my stabilization period and when that will occur. I told him, if TOM remained predictable, it would be around the middle to early end of April. We've both been eating with lots of restrictions and I think he's trying to gauge when we can eat the things we like, again. Of course, he still gets to eat Salmon, tuna and buckets of cheese, if he wants too. The only carbs I've seen him eat, lately, are sweet potatoes. He said, "I savored every mouthful because it had been so long." Wonder if that's what I'll do, later?

Well, to focus on the here and now, here's what I nibbled on today (the closest to 500 calories for the first time):

March 6th, 2010

Calorie goal: 1,154; calories consumed: 465; calories burned: 0 Net calories: 465

Mood: Pleased

I took my hair down today and boy is it long and healthy. Aside from the two-tone color I'm sporting, it really is nice.

Hoping I lose at least one pound tomorrow, but I'll be happy with any loss/release. :) [edit this diary entry]

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Beef Stir Fry Meat	1.00	202	9g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	28g
Popeye Fresh Tender Spinach	1.00	25	0g	0mg	80mg	4g	0g	2g	3g
Napoleon Balsamic Vinegar	1.00	10	0g	0mg	5mg	2g	2g	0g	0g
Wasa Crackers	1.00	35	0g	0mg	60mg	7g	0g	2g	1g
Tyson Chicken Breast	1.00	110	3g	55mg	180mg	0g	0g	0g	23g
Asparagus, Boiled	1.00	20	0g	0mg	13mg	4g	1g	2g	2g
Wasa Crackers	1.00	35	0g	0mg	60mg	7g	0g	2g	1g
Fresh Strawberries, Whole	0.50	28	0g	0mg	1mg	6g	3g	1g	1g
Folgers Classic Decaf Instant Coffee 8 oz	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Totals:		465	12g	55mg	399mg	30g	7g	8g	58g

Today's weight? A happy 175.8 which accounts for a .4 pound loss/release.

I had a good day, but noticed some cravings. I started thinking about where I am in the month and lo and behold! Tom is due in a couple of weeks. Yikes! I added a bit of garlic salt to my asparagus and devoured my grapefruit half. I'm okay, right now but I think I'll have one more cup of decaf later on. I guess I'll have to be really careful over the next few days. Don't want to slip up because of dumb, TOM cravings.

The other thing it could be is fuel-need. I shoveled the driveway this morning, removing loads of heavy, wet snow. It felt like sandbags! I was achy and sore on the way to work. When I worked out regularly in the past, I tended to be hungrier (fuel-need). Wonder if it's the shoveling? Guess I'll find out tomorrow, if I end up retaining water and have a stall (or worse, a weight gain. Ugh!)

Observations - I was down one pound this morning. As I reviewed my daily plate log, I noticed that the mornings I woke up with weight loss over one pound was when I'd had spinach the night before. The vitamins and fiber probably due me worlds of good. There's also quite a bit of calcium. Good stuff!

Here's the day's log:

March 5th, 2010

Calorie goal: 1,154; calories consumed: 435; calories burned: 161 Net calories: 274

Mood: Tempted

I think my TOM is coming. I'm craving salt and sugar. This evenings asparagus with garlic salt and grapefruit helped with those issues. [edit this diary entry]

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Cube Steak	1.00	169	4g	77mg	38mg	0g	0g	0g	31g
Old London Melba Toast	1.00	20	0g	0mg	37mg	4g	0g	1g	0g
Napoleon Balsamic Vinegar	1.00	10	0g	0mg	5mg	2g	2g	0g	0g
Popeye Fresh Tender Spinach	1.00	25	0g	0mg	80mg	4g	0g	2g	3g
Tyson Chicken Breast	1.00	110	3g	55mg	180mg	0g	0g	0g	23g
Asparagus, Boiled	1.00	20	0g	0mg	13mg	4g	1g	2g	2g
Grapefruit, Half	1.00	26	0g	0mg	0mg	7g	0g	0g	1g
Folgers Classic Decaf Instant Coffee 8 oz	2.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Celestial Seasonings Black Cherry Berry Herbal Tea	1.00	4	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Beef Stir Fry Meat	0.25	51	2g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	7g
Fitness	Minutes	Calories Burned
Shoveling - snow	20.0	-161.0
Totals:		274	9g	132mg	353mg	20g	3g	5g	67g

Down one pound at 176.2 this morning.

It was a good day today. I wasn't craving anything and I drank all my water even before leaving work. So, 80 ounces in before 3:30pm. Cool! I wonder if I'll be able to drink even more than that. Hubby drinks a gallon or two everyday. I can't imagine taking in that much water. I think what I'm doing is great, for now.

I also had more energy than I've had since the beginning of this program. Could it be that the fat flowing through my blood is finally doing something to benefit me, for a change?

Observations: I had some more grape tomatoes for dinner. I really like them and the fact that I don't have to deal with seeds. They're tangy and hearty but, unfortunately, the go bad quickly. I'll have to remember the next time I buy them to eat them in the first couple of days. Lately, when I've opened the container, I have to throw at least 3 away because of over ripeness.

My evening decaf is lovely. It's weird because I'm usually a tea drinker. In fact, I bought my favorite teas over the weekend to enjoy at night. I'm sure I'll get to them but, my evening Folgers is making me very happy. Who knew?!

Here's what I did today:

March 4th, 2010

Calorie goal: 1,162; calories consumed: 403; calories burned: 0 Net calories: 403

Mood: Good

Lots of energy today. Work wasn't as stressful, which was nice. Will Friday be even better? Gosh, I hope so. [edit this diary entry]

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Cube Steak	1.00	169	4g	77mg	38mg	0g	0g	0g	31g
Wasa Crackers	1.00	35	0g	0mg	60mg	7g	0g	2g	1g
Asparagus, Boiled	1.00	20	0g	0mg	13mg	4g	1g	2g	2g
Tilapia Fillets	1.00	93	1g	55mg	40mg	0g	0g	0g	21g
Wasa Crackers	1.00	35	0g	0mg	60mg	7g	0g	2g	1g
Grape Tomatoes	1.00	25	0g	0mg	0mg	6g	3g	1g	1g
Grapefruit, Half	1.00	26	0g	0mg	0mg	7g	0g	0g	1g
Folgers Classic Decaf Instant Coffee 8 oz	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Totals:		403	5g	132mg	211mg	31g	4g	6g	58g

At 177.2, this morning. I checked my weight graph and pulled a year's worth of data. I was this size last October, just before I went home to Nashville to visit my girlfriend. This "decade" of weight is one that I reside in a lot. Everything is going so well, so far but I am feeling a bit of anxiety about stalling in the 170s. If I do, at least I know how to get past it.