Day 37

Kyle 257.0 day -2.6 total -37.6

Jenny 153.8

day -0.2 total -12.8

I'm so close to forty pounds! I was very happy with my drop this morning, considering I was off protocol for parts of yesterday. I was too tired to go into it all last night.

For lunch (yesterday) during the scramble, my choices were either a hamburger or a hot dog. I asked for a burger, as lean as possible, with no bun. I covered it with a tomato, some lettuce and onions, and wrapped it in foil. It was definitely more than 3.5 oz, but not overkill. I had a couple of Coke Zero and Maker's Mark mixers. I kept it to two because I was afraid of what more would do on what is basically an empty stomach. Drinking a lot of water doesn't really dampen the effects.

For dinner (yesterday), we stopped at a Panera Bread next to our hotel. I had some grilled chicken over a green salad. Nothing major.

Today was Jenny's first day of phase 3. She can now eat more than 500 calories, and must stick to what is basically a modified Atkin's diet. On top of what we're already allowed to eat on the VLCD, Jenny can now add every other protein out there, and fats, but she has to stay away from starches (breads, grains, root veggies, etc.) and anything with added sugar. Natural sugar is fine, but she shouldn't eat any really sweet fruits yet, like bananas.

On the drive home, we got bunless grilled chicken sandwiches from Burger King. It was chicken (breast? I doubt it.) with onions, lettuce, and a tomato. Not too bad.

I have to confess that when we got home, unpacked, and settled in, I was craving something for a snack, and I stupidly indulged in some honey peanut butter. It's only been an hour or so since I did it, and I already feel foolish. I guess I thought I had room for it with the big drop this morning, but I've already proved that to be incorrect thinking, and paid the price for it. Stupid, stupid, stupid...

Day 36

Kyle 259.6 day -0.4 total -35.0

Jenny 154.0

day +0.6 total -12.6

I am barely here. I am utterly exhausted! The golf scramble was a blast, but being out in the hot sun for seven hours will DRAIN you, especially when you forgot to use any sunscreen, and your face and neck are burnt, and you barely ate, and you haven't done anything physically demanding for a while.

Jenny can't point to anything particular to blame for her gain, other than having to weigh at 5:00 AM instead of our usual 8:00 or 9:00 AM. We thought about weighing once we got up to Brighton, Michigan, but to keep it honest, we would have had to forgo any liquids, and we did not want to do that.

Our weekly measurements were encouraging. We both lost up to an inch in several areas.

I'm typing this on my phone, so I'm going to keep it short. I'm about to pass out, anyways.

Day 35

Kyle 260.0 day -1.0 total -34.6

Jenny 153.4

day -0.0 total -13.2

Jenny decided this morning that she was finished with taking the HCG and was ready to move on to phase 3, which means that she is still on the VLCD today and tomorrow, and will get to start adding some foods on Saturday. She also said that this would give me a few extra days of drops, helping me hit my goal of forty pounds.

We're pursuing a business adventure with our friend Chris, who owns and operates a successful Christmas light decoration business called Holidays With Lights, so I spent some time with him in his office this afternoon. His brother Bruce, who was in our wedding, kept suggesting we go grab some Gramma's Pizza next door, telling me that I looked great and deserved the treat. Knowing he was half-joking, I threatened to reach down his throat and turn him inside-out to expose him for the devil he is. Honestly, though, I had no desire whatsoever. They could have brought some over to the shop, and I would have snubbed it like a cat being served a generic brand. Had it been 8:00 at night, my resolve may have been considerable weaker!

My friend and insurance buddy Tim is sick, so he won't be making the trip with me tomorrow. The good news is that my parents are keeping the kids tonight and tomorrow night, and Jenny is going with me! We'll get the four and-a-half hours up and then back to chat without interruptions from the backseat, and my company, Estate Preservation Agency, is treating us to a hotel room tomorrow night. Do you know what that means? It means we can sleep in as long as we want on Saturday! :) The bad news is that we have to get up at 5:00 AM and be on the road by 5:30 so I can make the 10:00 AM meeting and tee time. UGH! Going to bed early tonight.