Day 46: 6th Day of Maintenance (Richard) The After photos

Well finally got around to taking my after photos. at 204 lbs! 36 lbs lost since July 17th and boy, does it show!

Richard's side view - quite the transformation. The belly is gone! You can also see a big reduction in the double chin. 

Richard's rear view - I still have a waist! But definitely thinner. 

And the front view - the photos are not quite equal size. A lot less around the neck and chin, as well as the belly.

And Jen said to notice I look a lot happier!!

Wow, wow, wow!

Onward and downward, Richard.

Day 41: 1st Maintenance Day (Richard) The best omelette ever!

1st day of maintenance and Richard had the omelette he had been craving for the past few weeks!

Day 37: 35th VLCD (Richard)- Camping and Horseback Riding

Another camping trip, this time to the Coastal Mountain Range near Yamhill, Oregon, and a stay at the Flying M Ranch for a day's horseback riding as a birthday present for Jennifer (woo hoo!).

The interesting thing about this trip was that it was out in the back country...no cell signal for Verizon or AT&T!! Of course, people tell me "You are camping. What do you expect?" or "You are supposed to be getting away from it all. Why do you need a cellphone". Well, yes I can agree. However we are so dependent on technology these days. We were trying to call ahead to let them know our arrival time, and we could not make a call. And then we were dong other recreational planning, but the iPhone and iPad weren't working.

Anyway I digress... We had a lovely campsite by a creek/river, and the lovelY sound that makes.

Day 36: 34th Day of VLCD (Jennifer) In the Home Stretch!

Breakthroughs have been plentiful these days! The size 12 white jeans I bought for myself in May as my 'goal' jeans for the end of the summer finally fit!!!! I wore them for my birthday dinner last night and it felt sooooo good to make that goal! I invited a few friends over for a birthday dinner that one could say was far different than any dinner party I've hosted before.....hCG friendly for me and Richard and yummy and abundant enough for our friends PLUS an unending supply of sparkling water rather than alcohol! On the menu: grilled shrimp and asparagus for us, sautéed asparagus, mushrooms, and red peppers for our guests, with an apple for dessert. If anyone told me a year ago that for my birthday I would serve no appetizers, no bread, no alcohol, and an apple for dessert I would have said that was as likely as my losing 60 lbs. and looking hot in a pair of white size 12 jeans! Well, that just goes to show you how much I know about what's possible.... I know Life can turn on a dime and that people can truly transform from their old way of being into newly open, alive, and self expressed beings in a short amount of time. And those are two things we've experienced while doing Operation: Hot Couple. WOW!!!!!

Day 34: 32nd Day of VLCD (Richard The amazing blood work results!

Went in to OHSU Gabriel Park yesterday to get a cholesterol screen set of blood work tests. Got the results back yesterday afternoon and was astounded. I have been struggling with a cholesterol level around and above 200 for as long as I have been getting tested/screened as part of my annual wellness exam.

Day 33: 31st Day of VLCD (Richard) Another milestone bites the dust...

Another happy dance at weigh in this morning! Jennifer broke the 200lb mark and I broke the 210lb mark. Yeah! I have lost over 30lbs so far. That's unthinkable for me really. I have not been this weight since I can remember...probably graduate school in the 90s. And people have started to notice the visible difference, and say "Have you lost weight?" (no kidding!) and "You are looking great!".

We also have in sight the end of the VLCD/HcG (very low calorie diet) or Phase 2 by next Thursday. Just in time for a family wedding that we are attending on Sunday. We will be in "maintenance" (Phase 3) which will still mean no refined carbs (bread, white rice, potato chips/crisps, etc). But it will be nice to be able to eat cheese, veggies, salad, etc.

Onwards and downwards,
Richard.

Day 31: 29th Day of VLCD (Richard) Frustration of different results...

This mornings weigh in was very frustrating. Richard was down 3lbs over the weekend trip to 211lbs. But Jennifer was stubbornly at 201lbs, only down 1lb. We have both been eating the same food. Jennifer has begun researching 'stalls' and what to do about them. She has stalled before but never for this long (5 days). And its tough for one of us to be doing fine, while the other is struggling with a seeming lack of progress.

Day 29: 27th Day of VLCD (Richard) Temptations of the feast...

Weekend trip over to my sister and brother in law. Great to see them. But they love to cook and enjoy the vine! So temptations have been everywhere...french bread...chips/crisps...salad...key lime pie. A trip to the Farmer's market with lots of prepared foods wafting across the parking lot. We resisted...valiantly. But we are so committed, envigorated and in love, that we kept on task.

The other interesting aspect of the weekend was the 7 hours on the road. On the way over, we ran afoul of a desert of rest stops and bathrooms. In one case, hunting and stalking a porta-potty for Jennifer who was about to burst. So we were more careful on the return route to stay to the main road/freeway with the frequent oasis of gas stations and toilets.

Onwards and downwards,
Richard.

Day 26: 24th Day of VLCD (Jennifer) Transformations of every kind...

There have been a few times in my life when my breath has been taken away by the absolute beauty, power, courage, and adaptability of the human spirit. This weekend, Richard embodied all of these...and he has taken my breath away. Not only is he looking fabulous on the outside, he has awakened within him a level of aliveness, passion, and authenticity of which no one could have every anticipated! The catalyst for this transformation was his attending the Landmark Forum weekend workshop and we would be remiss if we didn't acknowledge this powerful program. Witnessing someone become alive and present in their lives is a beautiful thing and I'm so thankful to be by Richard's side as he had the courage to look within and really see who he was and acknowledge that he hadn't been living an authentic life. This now calls ME forth to be the best, most alive, and self-expressed person I can be! And that's a bit scary. Our commitment to each other is renewed and re-energized. We are connecting and communicating on a level we've never had before. After 17 years of marriage it feels like we're finally seeing each other for the first time!! WOW!!

Marriage presents huge opportunities to grow as a human being and we are realizing that we were doing a lot of 'physical' growing, i.e. gaining weight, but not a lot of emotional and spiritual growing. Resistance, resignation, and resentment were constant companions, and not much can really grow from there, other than more resistance, resignation, and resentment. We are complete with that, and are ready to see what amazing opportunities will start to present themselves and we create a life together that is full of passion, aliveness, and Whooohooooo!!!!

Onwards and Downwards!!!

Jennifer

Day 23: Day 21 VLCD (Jennifer) Open to the Unexpected...

It's Sunday and Richard has been at a seminar all weekend...a seminar/ workshop/ bootcamp that promises to show you how to create the life you've always dreamed of but never thought possible. It's big, powerful, deep stuff and words can't express how excited and proud of him I am for his openess to do it! Go Richard! Tonight I get to join him for a guest session and Tuesday night I'll be with him for the evening completion session. This, my friends, changes everything....and Operation: Hot Couple is only the beginning.

So, I was down another pound today (yay!!!) and so I'm hoping I will break 200 by next weekend. It feels SO GOOD to put on jeans and have them look great! I am a solid size 14.... Going for size 10...and resisting the urge to shop. Hey! Here's a tip to take on when your dropping pounds quickly: shop at Goodwill!!! I scored a new pair of white jeans, gorgeous tuxedo shirt, leather jacket (for Josephine)' and 3 Hawaiian shirt (for Richard) for $49!!!!

Looking forward to seeing the 200's gone from me scale. Looooong gone.

Onwards and downwards!

Jennifer

Day 22: Day 20 VLCD - (Jennifer) More than weight loss...

205 lbs.!!!! So if all goes according to schedule, I'll break through to 199 in a week...when I feel the real work will begin. The MENTAL work. The work that includes addressing the fear around gaining back the weight, maintaining the new way of 'being' with food, and who will I be now, with being overweight no longer a part of my identity...

So, Richard is thinking (and saying!) that I'm looking HOT (yay!) and it makes me all tingley inside. He's looking pretty hubba hubba himself and I want to make sure he knows it too! The emotion that comes up the most when I think about the years we spent SO unhappy, in autopilot, not sharing with each other, retreating into our own isolated camps, is profound SADNESS. I want to go back and give the 'old' us huge hugs and great compassion. We forgot how much we truly love each other. And now we are finding our way back to each other and Operation: Hot Couple is no small part of it.

Onwards and Downwards!

Jennifer

Day 21: 19th Day of VLCD (Jennifer) Weigh In!!

Whooohooooo!!!! Richard kisses 20 lbs. Goodbye!! I'm down 19 and will happily accept it...gladly!
Water, more exercise, and patience. Trust the process...follow the protocol and trust the process.

21 more days to maintenance with my birthday, visit to sister-in-law's, and cousin's wedding coming up. Richard is thinking he'll be happy to break the 200 mark and go into maintenance so I'll need to decide if I want to continue on or not. I'm pretty determined to power through and lose as much as possible with this round. I mean, JAMAICA people!!!!!

Go team Hot Couple!!

Jennifer

Day 20: 18th Day of VLCD (Jennifer) Patience is a virtue?

In the realm of hCG weightloss, we get spoiled. We were losing about a pound a day and then it slowed down. What?! Only half a pound? This is taking FOR-EV-VER!! So, I'm bumping up against some things and being challenged....what's different? I know I'm not cheating on the food, so what could it be?! Panic sets in, patience out the window as fast as the spoiled milk we haven't been using (no milk at the moment so it just sat there...). Breathe.."in with the good air...

So, stalls are to be expected and there are definite strategies to move things along: MORE WATER, more green tea, up the exercicse, double check cosmetic, skin care, and topicals for any oil...even too much sun can affect things! Constipation can also slow things up so upping the fiber and taking cal mag capsules help.

When I pause from the whining long enough, I embrace the absolute gratitude that hits me when I realize that 5 months ago I weighed almost 260 lbs. And now I'm poised to break the 200 mark. YAY! So, I totally own my snippy foot stamping moments, and then I moved past them to a more peaceful and happy dance place where the entire contents of my closet actually FITS!!! Huzzah! More about clothes tomorrow.

Onwards and downwards,

Jennifer

Day 19: 17th Day of VLCD - Richard's breakdown

Well, it was Hawaiian Shirt day at Richard's workplace today. And the weather was good, to boot! Unfortuntely it culminated in a Hawaiian shirt contest and Ice Cream social event. And after just over 2 weeks on the diet, Richard was unable to resist. He succumbed to the temptation of a sugar-free popsicle. Definitely not on the approved diet menu. And it was a bittersweet breakdown. His 25 calorie fruit popsicle really did not match up to all the chocolate covered ice cream bars being eaten around him.

However, it was difficult to 'fess up to Jennifer about it. Whilst it is difficult to let yourself down, it is worse to let someone else down. It is also great to have someone to share the success and the failures with...a teammate that can encourage you when things are going well, and that can also help you get back up when you are down. And so I made a commitment to Jennifer to always share my successes AND failures with her.

Fortunately, the impact seems to have been limited. Richard's weight loss is down a bit from the pound a day. But it seems to be consistently at about 0.6-0.8lb/day at the moment...regardless of "popsical-gate". And a 222lbs, the halfway milepost of 220lbs is approaching.

Onwards and downwards...