Phase 2, Day 25

Decided to go out for chicken wings last night and took my Mom to Beef O'Brady's. I never did ask the doctor's office if chicken wings were OK, or if the deep frying made them a no-no. But every so often, it's just so nice not to have to cook, so I'm going to count the wings as very lean protein. Had 16 wings, but no idea how much chicken that actually amounts to. I was thinking about 1/2 oz. per wing, but I'm counting the 16 wings as 10 ounces, just to be safe.

Today, 5/31/09:

Water: 1 gallon +

Cardio: 45 minutes

Meal 1- 10 oz chicken wings (10 vlp) and 2 cups raw celery (2 veg)

Meal 2- 1 large Granny Smith apple (2 fruit)

Meal 3- 1.5 cups fat free cottage cheese (6 vlp) and 2 cups raw bell peppers (2 veg)

Freebie- 1 dill pickle spear

Totals: 16 servings very lean protein, 4 servings veg, 2 servings fruit. Cluck yeah!!!

Phase 2, Day 24

Forgot to bog this afternoon. Just got busy again. Quickie...

Today, 5/30/09:

Water: 1 gallon

Cardio: Busy, didn't happen

Meal 1- 8 os scallops (8 vlp) and 3 cups mushrooms & broccoli, measured raw (3 veg)

Meal 2- 1 small Granny Smith apple (1 fruit)

Meal 3- 4 oz salmon (4 lp) and 2 cups raw bell peppers (2 veg)

Meal 4- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese (4 vlp)

Freebie- 1 sugar free Jell-O

Totals: 12 servings very lean protein, 4 servings lean protein, 5 servings veg, 1 serving fruit. Spot on.

Phase 2, Day 23

I remember vividly the day I had to buy 40-inch waist jeans for the first time. It was traumatic. I almost decided to just keep wearing the worn out ones I was in and see if I could lose some weight to avoid it. But practicality got the better of me and I went to the register like a P.O.W. resigned to his fate.

Today, I confidently strode to the checkout counter, proud to be back into 40-inch waist jeans. They're just a tad snug, but not uncomfortably so. I figure, if I bought the 2 pairs of 44's I've been wearing and only got to wear them for 2 months, then I'd deal with slightly snug on the 40's and see if maybe I get 3-4 months out of them. Of course, I won't complain if I get less, but I also wont get dejected if it takes a while longer to get into the 30's again. That'll be a major milestone for me.

Been a long morning... went to the movies, did my jeans shopping, and have a few phone calls to make. Then I am off to bed.

Today, 5/29/09:

Water: 1 gallon +

Cardio: Probably not. Maybe. I'll update this later if it happens.

Meal 1- 6 oz mahi (6 vlp) and 2 cups broccoli, measured raw (2 veg)

Meal 2- 1.5 cups fat free cottage cheese (6 vlp) and 2 cups raw bell peppers (2 veg)

Meal 3- 4 os ground sirloin (4 lp) and 1 cup cooked green beans (2 veg)

Freebie- 1 sugar free Jell-O

Totals: 12 servings very lean protein, 4 servings lean protein, 6 servings veg. SPOOOOOOOONNN!!!!

Phase 2, Day 22

Time to break down & go get new jeans. Walking into my office last night, I nearly lost my pants because I had things to carry in both hands. But I don't know if I should go one size smaller, or two. May just have to break down & go try some on at the mall. *shudder* I've been getting my jeans and most of my shirts online for so long, I can't even remember the last time I tried on jeans in a brick and mortar store.

OOOOoohh... cool... it's raining and the drops are hitting my window. If I hurry & finish this, I can let it help lull me to sleep!

Today, 5/28/09:

Water: 1 gallon+

Cardio: 40 minutes +

Meal 1- 8 oz chicken (8 vlp) with 2 cups broccoli & 1 cup mushrooms, measured raw (3 veg)

Meal 2- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese (4 vlp) and 2 cups raw bell peppers (2 veg)

Meal 3- 4 oz ground sirloin (4 lp) and 1/2 cup cooked green beans (1 veg)

Freebie- 1 sugar free Jell-O

Totals: 12 servings very lean protein, 4 servings lean protein, 6 servings veg. I have the power!!!

Phase 2, Days 20-21

Had a splitting headache yesterday. The kind where even indirect light feels like a flaming dagger being jammed into your eye socket. So I kind of went to bed without blogging. Today, I just feel tired again. Or still. I can't tell. At least my head doesn't hurt. But I won't be bothering with cardio today.

Today, 5/27/09:

Water: 1 gallon

Cardio: Tomorrow

Meal 1- 8 oz crab (8 vlp) with 2 cups bell peppers, measured raw (2 veg)

Meal 2- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese (4 vlp) and 12 raspberries (2 fruit)

Meal 3- 4 oz ground sirloin (4 lp) and 1 cup cooked green beans (2 veg)

Freebie- 1 sugar free Jell-O

Totals: 12 servings very lean protein, 4 servings lean protein, 4 servings veg, 2 servings fruit. Ka-ching.

Yesterday, 5/26/09:

Water: 1 gallon

Cardio: Not with flaming daggers stuck in my eyes

Meal 1- 8 oz crab (8 vlp) with 2 cups bell peppers, measured raw (2 veg)

Meal 2- 4 oz turkey cold cuts (4 vlp) and 12 raspberries (2 fruit)

Meal 3- 4 oz ground sirloin (4 lp) and 1 cup cooked green beans (2 veg)

Freebie- 1 sugar free Jell-O

Totals: 12 servings very lean protein, 4 servings lean protein, 4 servings veg, 2 servings fruit. Blammo!

Phase 2, Day 19

Forgot to type this out before going to bed today. Went to bed late, woke up early. I hate when that happens. Tonight's gonna be a long night.

Today, 5/25/09:

Water: 3 quarts

Cardio: 45 minutes

Meal 1- 8 oz hot dogs (8 vlp) and 1 cup cooked broccoli (2 veg)

Meal 2- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese (4 vlp), 4 oz turkey cold cuts (4 vlp) and 2 cups raw celery (2 veg)

Meal 3- 12 raspberries (2 fruit)

Freebie: 1 dill pickle spear

Totals: 16 servings very lean protein, 4 servings veg, 2 servings fruit. Back in the saddle.

Phase 2, Day 18

Another uneventful day/night. Once I select & purchase a quality mechanical scale. I'll start weighing myself weekly again. For now, I can tell you that the weight loss seem to be continuing, just at a slower pace than it once was. And that's expected. My current goal is to hit 230 by the end of August, when I go on vacation. That's less than 2 pounds per week, which ought to be well within the realm of possibilities.

Oh, and after today, I'm not going to keep track of the supplements. I'm out of the appetite suppressant, so the only supplements will be a daily vitamin, and 2 doses of the fat burner. I can get both of those OTC. I'll try & make note of my appetite and see if cutting the suppressant makes things difficult.

Today, 5/24/09:

Supplements: All taken

Water: 1 gallon

Cardio: 40 minutes

Meal 1- 7 oz mahi (7 vlp) and 3 total cups broccoli & mushrooms, measured raw (3 veg)

Meal 2- 5 oz turkey sausage (5 lp) and 2 cups bell peppers, measured raw (2 veg)

Meal 3- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese (4 vlp) and 1 cup raw celery (1 veg)

Freebie- 1 dill pickle spear

Totals: 11 servings very lean protein, 5 servings lean protein, 6 servings veg. Close enough for government work.

Notes: The mahi fillet I cooked just happened to be 7 oz, and the turkey sausage that was left was a total of 5 oz. Completely unplanned. But no sense leaving 1 oz of sausage in the freezer, so I let my "lean protein" go one ounce high today. Think I'll live.

Phase 2, Day 17

Every time I finish my cardio (always done on a recumbent exercise bike, to save my back & knees), I cant help but remember one of my Dad's favorite jokes. Dad was in the Army, but he was a trumpet player- not the most physically challenging of military professions. And like a lot of military musicians, he wasn't as fit & trim as the infantrymen. So after nearly failing his physical fitness test one year, largely based on his 2-mile run time, he decided to take up running.

Almost daily, when he came back inside from his morning run, still fairly well out of breath, he'd ask the first person he saw "Do you know why I run? Do you know what I like best about running?" Of course, you were obliged to ask "What?" His answer was always "It feels SO GOOD. When I stop."

Today, 5/23/09:

Supplements: All taken

Water: 1 gallon

Cardio: 40 minutes

Meal 1- 8 oz chicken (8 vlp) with 2 cups broccoli, measured raw (2 veg)

Meal 2- 1.5 cups fat free cottage cheese (6 vlp) and 3 cups raw bell peppers (3 veg)

Meal 3- 2 hard boiled eggs (2 vlp) and 1 cup raw celery (1 veg)

Totals: 16 servings very lean protein, 6 servings veg. TOUCHDOWN!!!

Phase 2, Day 16

Short entry. Uneventful day.



Today, 5/22/09:



Supplements: All taken



Water: 1 gallon +



Cardio: No time, ran errands & saw a movie after work.



Meal 1- 8 oz hot dogs (8 vlp) and 2 cups raw bell peppers (2 veg)



Meal 2- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese (4 vlp) and 2 cups raw cucumber (2 veg)



Meal 3- 4 oz ground sirloin (4 lp) and 1 cup cooked green beans (2 veg)



Freebies: 1 sugar free Jell-O, 1 dill pickle spear



Totals: 12 servings very lean protein, 4 servings lean protein, 6 servings veg.
======================

Phase 2, Day 15

Nothing interesting to report, really. My Mom commented to me last night that she could see my facial features starting to show better again- I'm starting to look a bit more like my old self. After taking a look in the mirror, she's right. Here are a few pictures, just for reference. First, one from high school, 1989, and one from just after college, maybe 1992-94.

Next, a pic of me from 2-3 years ago. (Sorry, I don't sit still for having my picture taken very often) The pic is slightly blurry, but my face looks like a basketball. (FYI, the fellow on the right was the guy who informed me about how well this diet worked. He looks like a whole different person now)

And here's one I just snapped with my webcam a few minutes ago. I've got a ways to go before I get back to the 1989-94 face, but progress is being made. w00t!

Today, 5/21/09:

Supplements: All taken

Water: 1 gallon

Cardio: 40 minutes

Meal 1- 8 oz chicken (8 vlp) and 3 cups total, mushrooms, bell peppers and broccoli, measured raw (3 veg)

Meal 2- 1 small MacIntosh apple (1 fruit)

Meal 3- 8 oz turkey cold cuts (8 vlp) and 2 cups raw celery (2 veg) with fat free cream cheese (2g carbs/oz, about 2 oz used)

Totals: 16 servings very lean protein, 5 servings veg, 1 serving fruit.

Note: Not sure if the cream cheese would be a big no-no, but I wanted to do something different with the celery. For the most part, when I eat raw veggies, I use those Salad Spritzers to apply a light coating of dressing. Needed a change.

Phase 2, Day 14

I had an unexpectedly long night at work. Ended up working a few hours overtime in order to get a job done, and I had no time for my final meal, among other things. Going to go nuke that food now, and then I'm going to bed. Skipped a lot of usual morning routines today, including cardio, for lack of time.

Today, 5/20/09:

Supplements: All taken

Water: 1 gallon

Cardio: Worked overtime, danced around a lot at my desk because I had to pee, but had to stay on the phone. That's as close as I got.

Meal 1- 6 oz snapper (6 vlp) and 2 cups raw bell peppers (2 veg)

Meal 2- 1.5 cups fat free cottage cheese (6 vlp) and 1 small Granny Smith apple (1 fruit)

Meal 3- 2 cups raw cucumber (2 veg)

Meal 4- 4 oz lean ground sirloin (4 lp) and 1/2 cup cooked green beans (1 veg)

Totals: 12 servings very lean protein, 4 servings lean protein, 5 servings veg, 1 serving fruit.

Phase 2, Days 12 & 13

Yesterday morning, I developed a pretty sudden & severe headache. It was strong enough that I decided to do 4 things..

1- Screw the doctor's office orders of no caffeine. I took Excedrin, dangit, and I am not sorry I did. (Excedrin contains caffeine, and works best for my headaches)

2- Skipped my doctor's office visit.

3- Skipped my cardio so I could lay in bed & wish my head would just explode to relieve the pressure.

4- Skip bloggin'.

Today, the doctor's office called to see if I wanted to reschedule my appointment for another day this week. But I had been thinking about it for a while and decided that I have already paid them my last visit. They provided a valuable service in educating me on an effective diet plan. But the ongoing $75/week to go get weighed and get a b12 shot & appetite suppressant seemed exorbitant. I had cut my 401k contributions from 16% to 6% in order to afford this, and I need to get them back up where they belong.

So this has several effects going forward. First, no more weekly weigh-ins. Well, not at a doctor's office. but frankly, after watching a Discovery Science channel show called "Deconstructed" and seeing how their electronic scales work, I have far less faith in them. I plan to buy my own high quality mechanical scale in the next week or two, as soon as I can find some decent reviews online. I'll probably check Consumer Reports first.

Second, I won't be getting b12 shots or the prescription appetite suppressants. I don't know quite what to expect as I ditch these extras, but if I begin to feel that they may have been integral to my success, I will go find a General Practitioner who can prescribe them 30-90 days at a time instead of that weekly routine. (This would also mean I have to find a G.P., period-Verizon ditched my health plan on January 1, and I haven't chosen a new G.P. yet.

The fat burner and vitamins are available OTC, and probably a lot cheaper than $25 each for a month's supply. The vitamin is Theravite with Minerals, and the fat burner is Calcium Pyruvate. I'll probably go ahead & see if I can find a decent price on those locally and continue using them.

Today, 5/19/09:

Supplements: All taken

Water: 1 gallon +

Cardio: 40 minutes

Meal 1- 8 oz chicken (8 vlp) with 4 cups shiitake mushrooms & bell peppers, measured raw (4 veg)

Meal 2- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese (4 vlp)

Meal 3- 4 oz ground sirloin (4 lp) and 1 cup cooked green beans (2 veg)

Freebie- 1 sugar free cup-o-Jell-O

Totals: 12 servings very lean protein, 4 servings lean protein, 6 servings veg. Snootchie bootchies!


Yesterday, 5/18/09:

Supplements: Missed one does of appetite suppressant & fat burner- forgot to bring it to work.

Water: 1 gallon

Cardio: Only if someone coulda tapped my head & drained the pressure

Meal 1- 8 oz chicken (8 vlp) and 3 cups shiitake mushrooms & bell peppers, measured raw (3 veg)

Meal 2- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese (4 vlp)

Meal 3- 4 oz ground sirloin (4 lp) and 1/2 cup cooked green beans (1 veg)

Meal 4- 2 cups raw broccoli (2 veg)

Freebie- 1 sugar free cup-o-Jell-O

Totals: 12 servings very lean protein, 4 servings lean protein, 6 servings veg.

Phase 2, Day 11

Strange sleep patterns all weekend have kept me from getting into a groove with food & exercise. So today, I will again miss some targets, just by a tad.

Today, 5/17/09:

Supplements: Not taking final dose of appetite suppressant. Heading to bed.

Water: 1 gallon

Cardio: No, and I feel guilty for this.

Meal 1- 9 oz snow crab (9 vlp)

Meal 2- 8 oz chicken (8 vlp) and 2 cups each mushrooms & peppers, measured raw (4 veg)

Totals: 17 servings very lean protein, 4 servings veg. Not my best night.

Phase 2, Day 10

My Saturday started, as usual, on Friday evening. Went to the Rays game with a friend, and hadn't had a chance to eat anything beforehand. So at the game, I got 2 footlong hot dogs, hold the buns. NO idea what the fat content was on those, but I counted them as protein. At least they probably weren't loaded up with carbs, which would carry the possibility of knocking me out of ketosis.



Even more fun- when I got home at 1 in the morning, I realized that I was almost out of veggies. In fact, I didn't have enough fruit & vegetables left to get all my servings in. Since my local grocery stores are not 24/7, I was going to go shopping early this morning & have my last meal around 8-9 a.m., but I fell asleep at 6 or so and that was it. Game over. LOL



Today, 5/16/09:



Supplements: Missed one dose of appetite suppressant. I was going to sleep, so why bother?



Water: Probably 1/2 gallon. Oops.



Cardio: Does walking around Tropicana Field count?



Meal 1- 2 footlong hot dogs, approximately 4 ounces each, no buns (8 mystery protein)



Meal 2- 4 cups of raw bell peppers & celery, mixed. (4 veg)



Meal 3- 2 cups fat free cottage cheese (8 vlp)



Totals: 16 servings of some sort of protein, including 8 very lean protein, and 4 servings vegetables. Like most Rays comeback efforts, I came up a little short. (The Rays, however, overcame a 7 run deficit & won!)

Phase 2, Day 9

The world has conspired to piss me off right royally today. So just the facts, because I wanna go to bed.

Today, 5/15/09:

Supplements: All taken

Water: 1 gallon+

Cardio: Nope, no freaking time

Meal 1- 8 oz chicken (8 vlp) and 3.5 cups bell peppers, measured raw (3.5 veg)

Meal 2- 1 small Granny Smith apple (1 fruit)

Meal 3- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese (4 vlp), 1.5 cups raw celery (1.5 veg), 4 oz turkey burger (4 lp)

Freebie- 1 sugar free cup-o-Jell-O

Totals: 12 servings very lean protein, 4 servings lean protein, 5 servings veg, 1 serving fruit. Bite me.

Phase 2, Day 8

Apparently, someone broke Google this morning, because Google Mail, YouTube, and Blogspot were all out of service for several hours. I should have typed out this entry in Wordpad & saved it, but I didn't, and now I'm struggling to remember exactly what I ate yesterday. So here's my best shot...

Today, 5/14/09:

Supplements: All taken

Water: 1 gallon

Cardio: 40 minutes

Meal 1- 8 oz scallops (8 vlp) and 2 cups broccoli, measured raw (2 veg)

Meal 2- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese (4 vlp) and 1 large Granny Smith apple (2 fruit)

Meal 3- 4 oz turkey burger (4 lp) and 2 cups raw cucumber (2 veg)

Freebie- 1 sugar free cup-o-Jell-O

Notes: Again, 1 small apple is supposed to be a serving of fruit, but I switched from Sweetbay to Publix, and the Granny Smith apples at Publix are apparently fertilized with anabolic steroids, so I am counting many of them as 2 servings.

Phase 2, Day 7

Wow, last night was a whirlwind. Tip: if you plug a Blackberry into your PC to charge, it will not be able to access the sound files on the memory card. So if you use downloaded sound files for your alarms & reminders, the thing won't make a peep. So instead of getting up at 7:30, I woke up at 9:30 & had to scramble. No time to cook- had to pack everything & eat all meals at work.

Today, 5/13/09:

Supplements: All taken

Water: 1 gallon +

Cardio: 40 minutes

Meal 1- 9 oz turkey cold cuts (9 vlp) and 2 cups raw cucumber (2 veg)
Meal 2- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese (4 vlp) and 12 raspberries (2 fruit)
Meal 3- 4 oz packaged tuna (4 vlp) and 2 cups raw bell peppers (2 veg)
Freebie- 1 sugar free cup-o-Jell-O

Totals: 17 servings very lean protein, 4 servings veg, 2 servings fruit. Call me an overachiever. (2nd pkg of turkey cold cuts about to expire, decided to eat the whole 9 oz)

Phase 2, Day 6

Not much of interest this morning. Fairly routine day.

Today, 5/12/09:

Supplements: All taken

Water: 1 gallon+

Cardio: 40 minutes

Meal 1- 8 oz chicken (8 vlp) and 2 cups broccoli, measured raw (2 veg)
Meal 2- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese (4 vlp) and 12 raspberries (2 fruit)
Meal 3- 4 oz packaged salmon (4 vlp) and 2 cups raw bell peppers (2 veg)
Freebie- 1 sugar free cup-o-Jell-O

Totals: 16 servings very lean protein, 4 servings veg, 2 servings fruit. K-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-KOW!

Note: Normally, the diet calls salmon a "lean" protein, but not "very lean." But their guidelines are 3 grams of fat per ounce for lean, 1 gram of fat per ounce for very lean. The package on the salmon steak said it was 3 grams of fat per 4 ounce serving.

Phase 2, Day 5 & Doctor's Visit #10

This one's gotta be a quickie... I was surprised to see that I once again lost weight at this doctor's visit. I hadn't been to the office in 3 weeks (21 days), and for 10-11 of those days, I was off diet.

I had stopped my blood pressure meds for a week or two, and a few days ago, it was elevated again, so I am back on it, but only taking it every other day. Every day, it was actually working better than it needed to. I wasn't in danger of going lightheaded from low pressure, but it was obviously time to at least cut back. The BP readings in today's visit were after only 2 doses (in 3 days) of BP meds.

Today, 5/11/09:

Weight: 260, -5 lbs in 3 weeks, -46 overall

Body Fat: 44%

Blood Pressure: 120/82

Supplements: All taken

Water: 1 gallon +++

Cardio: 30 minutes

Meal 1- 8 oz chicken (8 vlp) & 2 cups bell peppers, measured raw (2 veg)
Meal 2- 1 large Granny Smith apple (2 fruit... 1 small is 1 serving, this apples was BIG)
Meal 3- 9 oz lean turkey cold cuts (9 vlp) & 2 cups raw bell peppers (2 veg)

Totals: 17 servings very lean protein, 4 servings veg, 2 servings fruit. Meh. +1 protein because the turkey was on the verge of going out of date, so I ate the extra slice. No biggie.

Phase 2, Days 3-4

Oops, forgot to blog on Saturday morning, and again this morning, so this is a two-fer, and late. Already got my sleep for today & started on my "Monday."

I don't want to get my hopes up, but I swear my bathroom scale seems to be 3-5 pounds lower than my last weigh-in. I'll know for sure tomorrow morning when I go to the doctor's office. I was hoping I'd maintain, or at least not gain more than a pound or 2 while on vacation. If I lost weight during this stretch, I just might faint.

My 44" pants are also falling off me now. I might very well be able to fit into 42's. But I think I'm going to deal with the inconvenience of loose pants until I'm ready for 40's. I think I might have a belt somewhere in the back of my closet, and I may be forced to start wearing it if I don't want to buy new pants as often as I could. Which I don't. As it is, I only have 2 pairs of the 44" jeans that more or less fit right now, so I'm doing laundry weekly. I'm used to doing laundry every 2 weeks.

Man, losing weight is a lot of work. Hehheh.

Oh, and on Saturday afternoon, I used my last ketosis test strip. Yep, I'm there, so Sunday's meal plan changed back to stage II, where I get more protein & add veggies & fruit.

OK, so down to brass tacks...

Yesterday, 5/9/09:

Supplements: Took 2 of 3, fell asleep early & skipped #3.

Water: About 1/2 to 3/4 gallon. That whole falling asleep early thing.

Cardio: Soon.

Meal 1- 8 oz turkey bacon (8 vlp)
Meal 2- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese (4 vlp)

Totals: 12 servings very lean protein. That's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh, I like it, uh-huh, uh-huh.

Notes: I know that's a lot of turkey bacon in one sitting. That wasn't the plan, but that package had been in the froge for a few eeeks & needed to get gone before it went bad.

Today, 5/10/09:

Supplements: All taken

Water: 1 gallon

Cardio: Starting Monday morning

Meal 1- 8-10 oz chicken wings (estimated, ate out. 10 vlp) and 1 cup raw celery (1 veg)
Meal 2- 3 cups raw bell peppers (3 veg)
Meal 2- 1.5 cups fat free cottage cheese (6 vlp) and 12 raspberries (2 fruit)

Totals: 16 servings very lean protein, 4 servings veg, and 2 servings fruit. Great googly moogly!

Phase 2, Day 2

Wow, I've been awake WAY too long today. Went to see "Star Trek," and I've kind been wireed most of the day. Very good flick, by the way. I had high hopes for it and it pretty juch surpassed them.

Anyhow, I need to get to bed!!!

Today, 5/8/09:

Supplements: All taken

Water: 1 gallon +

Cardio: You'd think so, huh? Well, you'd be wrong.

Meal 1- 8 oz chicken (8 vlp)
Meal 2- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese (4 vlp)

Totals: 12 servings very lean protein. Huzzah! (I'll use my last ketosis test strip tomorrow & see if I'm ready to go back to 16 protein & 6 fruit/veg per day.)

Phase 2, Day 1

So I returned home from vacation on Sunday night and I was beat. So tired that I skipped my Monday doctor's appointment. And I was so disorganized about everything from laundry to cooking to e-mail, that I didn't get started back on the diet properly until today (last night- remember, I work nights, and this is the end of my day)

I didn't take the weight loss supplements while on vacation, so I have plenty to get me thru to my next visit on Monday morning.

Because I was not on the diet for about 10 days, I have reverted to Stage 1, where you get 12 ounces of very lean protein & nothing more, until you hit ketosis. I have 1 ketosis test strip left, and after that, I may have to go see if my local pharmacy carries them.

My home scale is not very consistent, so until I go to the doctor's office, I won't know how my weight fared on vacation. Based on my gut feeling (pun intended) along with a few steps on the home scale, I'd say I may have maintained, or maybe gained a pound. Nothing earth shattering.

While on vacation, I basically ate fairly healthy when possible, but without counting carbs, etc. I did indulge by going out for pizza with a friend one night, and having dessert once or twice. I also got my sushi craving taken care of. I ought to be good to go until my next vacation in August.

Today, 5/7/09:

Supplements: All taken

Water: 1 gallon +

Cardio: Don't rush me

Meal 1- 8 oz chicken (8 vlp)
Meal 2- 4 oz fat free hot dogs (4 vlp)

Totals: 12 servings very lean protein. There, now wasn't that easy?