Telling it like it is ...

I awoke this morning around 7am--fairly unusual for me. I had set the alarm early for 8 as I plan to trek out to the Gilbert Farmer's Market this morning to see what they have that I don't! Thanks to Kelly Saxer of Desert Roots Farms for that nudge on Facebook yesterday!

I have to admit that I have been inclined to "omit" my comments on my HCG diet as I didn't want to shed any negative light on the process. HOWEVER, that would be biased. So, we are just gonna tell it like it is ...every nitty gritty detail. I'll try to find polite ways to word my descriptions as to not be labeled TMI! LOL

So... Day 5


When I got on the scale this morning, I was so SHOCKED! I had GAINED weight!! I'm like ... how could this be? So I felt the wind knocked out of me a little. My brain just wasn't wrapping around this. As I stripped to do my measurements, it dawned on me. I had weighed with my clothes on! AHA! *wiping the sweat from my brow*

So, stepped back onto the scale again to 'reverify.' The scale told a different story this time. However, I did not lose any weight. I'm wondering if I hit a plateau ... After all, it's only Day 5. My measurements dropped a little. I lost another quarter-inch in my wrist and another half inch in my hips. But my waist JUMPED a half inch! How did that happen? Well, I surmise it has a lot to do with the fact that my elimination seems to be interrupted. No doubt, I'm peeing like a racehorse. You can't drink 64-80 ounces of water a day and NOT! So I will check with my doc about this on Monday. I'm doing everything to the letter of the law on this protocol. So I'll let you know...

Some of the physical things I have been feeling since I started the diet are hard to discern whether they are from the diet or menopausal symptoms. I have been having more aches in my hip joints and waking very HOT at night. Just before waking this morning, I had awful leg and foot cramps that caused me to have to get up and stand by the side of the bed to alleviate them. I guess that's another reason why I couldn't go back to sleep!

I've had some mild muscle soreness while on the diet. Mind you, I'm not exercising--except housework and gardening ...well, they could be considered exercise, however, they have to be done! Mostly I notice the soreness in my arms after I've hung a load of laundry out to dry (yes, people still do this--in fact, I just recently returned to doing this in an effort to save $$ on our energy bill as well as contribute to a global effort to reduce!).

And the real kicker, this morning, I awoke slightly hungry. Which is unusual for me. I am not usually hungry in the mornings upon waking. I'm having my lemon water now, and generally that feeling will subside. Also, I have not had my first morning HCG dose either. Usually, after the dose, I am NOT hungry at all. Maybe it's that I'm just more AWARE of my body's need for fuel. I learned a lot of good things from a friend of mine, Dr. Michelle May who developed the program Am I Hungry?. It's important to understand WHY you are hungry or not. Michelle's work is phenomenal and I invite you to check out her program.

Again, all of the above are reasons to work closely with a doctor while doing this diet protocol (I don't see this as a 'diet' but more of a medical intervention). They are trained to be alert for any signs that something is amiss in your body. And remember, all these things are but tools and teaching for you--but really YOUR body is your best teacher. It's important to be proactive in your health and know how your body functions, both well and unwell.

So I'm still losing inches overall. That's a good sign. I'm not going to hit the emergency discourage button yet! My BMI is lower, and my Waist-to-Hip ratio is dropping. That's an important step as my body is showing me that it is getting closer to healthy. I think we just have to get things moving again...tell my body to ...Just let go ...