clamhead’s Neighborhood

Have your socks ever tried to escape from your feet? Until recently, one sock or the other might work itself over my heel, but that was a far as it got. Then, I bought a three-pack of chenille socks from Costco. They came in three, pastel colors, were amazingly soft, and felt as if they would keep my feet nice and toasty. Having toasty feet was a goal that was difficult for me to achieve, so that possibility clinched the sale.

The first thing I discovered about the new socks is that I didn’t DARE wear them on our hardwood floors. Most socks have questionable traction on hard surfaces at best; these socks, with their super fluffy fibers, either sent you zapping across the floor until you hit the nearest solid object, or dropped you immediately on your butt, as your feet slid out from under you and up in the air. But, they kept my feet wonderfully toasty, so I just avoided the hardwood floors, or took the socks off temporarily.

My new socks and I were getting along famously.  Each morning I’d slide them on my feet, smile, and take a couple of seconds to run my hands over the socks’ soft fibers. They became my pet socks, and all was well…until one morning.

That morning, I needed to get the newspaper from our front yard. Frustrated that I couldn’t find my slippers, I decided to walk down our stone-and-cement steps wearing my new socks. It didn’t occur to me that there would be a problem. Although the surface of the steps was flat, it certainly wasn’t smooth like the hardwood floor. In fact, the cement surface was left deliberately rough to prevent it from becoming slippery when it was wet. It was, however, seeded with small, smooth pebble-like gravel to give the plain cement a more decorative look. It was that gravel, apparently, that encouraged my socks to attempt their getaway.

As I stepped on to the first cement platform, I could feel my socks begin to shift. The socks began to roll rapidly off of my feet in a snake-like motion. Each step felt as if I was walking on ice, or sliding on tiny ball bearings. Frantically trying to keep my balance, I managed to jump off of the walkway to the adjacent gravel bed. My socks, at this point, had traveled more than half way down on my foot, and covered only the arch of my foot and my toes.

Now, I had a problem; in order to get back up to the house, I must cross one cement step or another. Well, I thought, surely, now that I was aware of the socks’ tendency to slide, with extra care I should be able to make it safely back up the stairs. I pulled my socks back up, and planted one foot firmly on the closest step. The sock immediately rolled almost completely off of my foot and dumped me on my butt back in the gravel. At that point I gave up. Barefoot, I grabbed the newspaper and trudged back up the stairs to the house.

I do miss my wonderfully soft, pet socks that made my feet feel so toasty warm, but I have to say that they make one hell of a dust rag.

It is Girl Scout cookie time again.  Not great to focus on cookies while I am on this diet, but I have nothing to do with the timing.  It is interesting that each year that the girls have been in Girl Scouts, the community response keeps fading. I don;t know what is causing it, but my girls still have a good attitude and want to continue selling.

It has been a frustrating week weight wise.  I gained three pounds for Sunday, then I have been up and down the same 2 pounds all week.  Steve can't believe that I actually gained weight eating only 500 calories. He thought that it might be a problem with our new scale.  When I went to my doctor's office on Tuesay, it confirmed that I had only lost 4 pounds in 10 days.  I have been very strict in following this program to the letter.  My doctor however was very encouraging.  She is not so much concerned with the weight loss than in the fact that my blood sugar has come down 130 points and has stayed there.  I need to remind myself again that I am doing this for health reasons more than an artificial number on the scale (though that would be nice too).  I have found a great community of support on yahoogroups of people who are following this same proticol.  There are some on the list who have down this program 3 or 4 times and have words of wisdom for this frustrated newbie..  I am down 7 1/2 pounds since starting this 12 days ago, so the progress isn't BAD, it is just not as good as testimonials that i have read.

I am so bummed!  I did not lose anything at all.  I am so hungry that I had difficulty sleeping.  I had half of a grapefruit for breakfast, my chicken soup for lunch, and I am going to have talapia with asparagus for dinner.  I also had an apple for an afternoon snack.  I f I do not lose any weight tomorrow, I will have to do an apple day.  That is when you only eat 6 apples all day.

Only lost .8 pounds today.  I'm a bit disappointed, but admittedly, I didn't get as much fluid as I should have had yesterday.

I saw my doctor today.  It wasn't a real office visit.  I just went in to get a refill of my injections.  He wanted to weigh me anyway.  I have lost 7 1/2 pounds according to their scale.  He is very happy with that number.  I also discussed my "digestive issue" with him. Seems that is a good sign too that I am flushing fat from my system.  He said to be careful and monitor my blood sugar because my "issues" are a sign that my blood sugar should be falling as well. They(my doctors are a husband and wife team) will want to check what my sugars are when I go in on Tuesday.  He fully expects to have to make modifications to my diabetic medicine.  My blood sugar was down over 100 points from yesterday.

Lost another pound overnight.  I had a half grapefruit for breakfast, 3 oz of chicken in a green salad for lunch, and my special Mexican chicken soup for dinner.  I had an apple before dinner for a snack because I was STARVING.  Also, I woke up in the middle of the night with tummy trouble.  It lasted most of the day.  I am feeling much better as I type this.  I am hoping that tomorrow will be even better.  The literature said that you would not feel hunger on this diet.  they LIED.  Blood sugar is still pretty high, though I am eating next to nothing.

Down just 1 pound today.  Energy still is pretty good.  Hunger is still a constant, especially with the sight and SMELLS of the girls' food.

I had half a grapefruit for breakfast, 100 gms of steak with 1/2 cups of grilled onion for lunch, an apple for a snack, and 100 gms (3 1/2 oz) baked fish with a tomato and spinach for dinner.  I am short 11 calories, but I am going to let it go.

Need to check my blood sugar in the morning (haven't been very good about that lately).  This diet is supposed to have a dramatic effect on diabetes.  I need to have a base number so that I can record progress there too.

Well, I am down another 2.2 pounds!  The Mexican chicken soup was so good that I am going to make it again today.  It is a recipe that I will continue even after I am off of this protocol.  I work out with my trainer this morning so I am going to have to eat a baked apple for breakfast and have a piece of Melba toast.  Hunger continues to be problematic, but the girls are here encouraging me all day!  Hannah has been sampling my food (except the fish) and wants me to make her a batch of the soup for lunch this afternoon too. 

This is going to be a busy day with my work out, Hannah's ortho appointment, errands to run this morning, and both girls have parents' meeting for girl scouts at 6.  The meetings are about Girl Scout cookies which go on sale this weekend.

Well, I lost the two pounds that I had gained over the weekend.  I felt awful yesterday!  I was hungry all day and had a terrible head ache.  MY food was tasty though. I had my apple for breakfast, 100gms of steak and a tomato for lunch, 100gms of crab meat and 3 oz of green salad for dinner. A baked apple for appetizer.  And a piece of melba toast for late night snack since I realized that I was 18 calories short.

We went out last night and bought a grill pan since my meat is supposed to be grilled or broiled.  I was torn between a George Foreman grill and a stove top grill pan.  I opted for the stove top.  I'll test it out tomorrow.  Since it is raining outside today, I plan on having Mexican chicken soup for lunch, then baked cod with asparagus for dinner.

I have started a new diet plan.  It is an extreme and controversial diet, but I am embarking on this with the blessing and supervision of my doctor.  The diet is called the Dr. Simeons hcg weight loss protocol.  Steve has to give me daily injections of hcg.  My diet is limited to 500 calories a day of extremely liimted foods.  I only stay on the diet for about 6 weeks.  I will chronical my journey here.  My doctor has had a lot of success with her patients on this protocol.  They lose between 1/2 to 1 pound a DAY on this program.   On the first two days of this protocol I received the injections and I was supposed to eat as much fatty foods as I could get down.  So far I have gained 2.2 pounds!  Today I begin the 500 calories.  I am sure that the weight will start coming off.  I am so ready for this!  I really look forward to seeing what health changes this will bring in my life over the next two months or so.