I made it through the holidays without gaining any weight. I can hardly believe it. I have to admit there were days that I was very nervous about getting on the scale.  Had I eaten too much? Did I exercise enough?  Is my weight really stabilizing?  These were some of the questions running around in my head. 

It's one thing to shed weight, it's another to "maintain" it.  Did I cheat? Yes, sometimes.  I always felt much better the day after a party or social event when I got back to my normal food routine.  You see, I am not depriving myself.  I love my foods.  And my goal is to eat what I want, guilt-free.

My weight seems to have settled in between 162 to 162.5 which is just fine by me.  I am still getting all kinds of reactions from people who haven't seen the skinny me yet.That is always rewarding.  I've lost 20% of my body weight and it feels so good.

6 oz, and only 3 fat grams. 160 calories, 14 g of Protein.   I like to add fresh pomegranate seeds and some raw organic unsweetened coconut flakes to really feel decadent. 

and ...I am learning how to make healthy candy from red grapefruit peels.  Very tasty.  So tasty that really just one small strip is all you need or want.  Weighing every day is so important as it has helped me get to know my body better.  The slight ups and downs of water weight or whatever can drive one a bit bonkers but so long as I fluctuated back to between 160 to 162.5 I am okay.  Next on my list of to do's is firming everything up by hiking and yoga. 

So, if you are someone ON THE FENCE about starting this diet.  Just do it Nike.  We'll support you here.  Look for postings from Gigi here as she shares honestly and candidly how her Phase 2 VLCD is going. 

Christmas Eve got me. We went over to Al's best friends house and I reached into a bowl which I thought was olives.  It turned out to be chocolate covered Almonds, very dark chocolate.  Yikes.  Very addicting. I enjoyed each and every one.  Today when I stepped onto the scale, I was up a pound so I took measures today to shift that back.  Today is a protein and green veggie day.

Probably compared to past holiday parties, I did very well, but the lesson here is that I should always take some of my own food with me just to balance out what I am eating.  There wasn't anything green to eat.  Only carrots. I had one felafel and boy was it good. But, I have noticed that if I eat alot of green veggies, I don't have any cravings and I can resist the "bad" food.  I do want to stay away from sugar to make sure my immune system can operate well.  A doctor that I met at the party yesterday said that every single day, our human bodies find and eradicate 240 incidents of errant cells. 

I was able to avoid the pizza til the end of the party.  And I didn't eat the spinach tarts due to the carbs. But I did have indigestion at the end of the day and took my enzymes.  The enzymes always help.

I sure didn't like how I felt with the diet out of control on Christmas Eve. I will remember this because i certainly like the benefits of the new skinny me over the past.  Al bought me some new pajamas, sexy ones for Christmas and he got a kick out of buying mediums instead of large.  

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                      How did you or are you doing at the holiday parties that you are going to? 

I've been weighing my self everyday, well all except one when I heard my boat sunk in it's berth on Wednesday morning and I had to go meet the divers to bring her back up. I bought roasted turkey soup at the Marina Deli that day.  It couldn't have been that bad for me.

And everyday...my weight fluctuates.  They say it's important on P3, to weigh yourself everyday.  I think, when I was 161.2, I was a bit dehydrated because I was 163 before that. But, I am trying to learn about my body via what I've been eating and drinking as well as exercise and whether I feel like I am carrying water weight.

The results are confusing but I am determined to stay with it.  I feel better when I am eating food that I prepare because I can control the amount of fat used/consumed and the rest.

In many ways, it felt easier to be on P2 where calories and fat/carb intake is strict than be eating double the calories and not being sure about how it's all going to work out.  I know that I worked diligently to reduce and I don't want to go down the slippery slope back the other way.

I am happy to be able to eat avocado, eggs, and bacon again but still feel a bit in the dark about eating any kind of carbs such as the Coconut Curry spiced Pretzel Pearls from World Market that I put in my soup. Or...the Wasabi flavored pearls...one portion is 42 small round balls of these.  And last night, out to dinner at Casanova's the bread, oh the bread... -i only had one smaller piece-it was just too irresistible to not have some.  It feels so risky to add carbs back into the diet even though I am supposed to be doubling my food intake and going light on carbs. 

So, I guess, I will just stick to my milk frother for more entertainment and a feeling that I am getting some treats.  i do have to say that my biggest treat is the look on everyone's faces when they see the weight I've shed and when I try on a piece of clothing from my past and it fits again and even better. 

I went back to my fat free turkey broth with pico de gallo and celery with the brown miracle noodles today for lunch.  very low calorie, tasty, makes me feel full and guilt-free.

I will also go check out some video blogs on HCG dieters who are on or have experienced the P3 stabilization period. I've heard that the first week to 12 days is critical to your success.  Post any comments, info, or support here please.