I weighed in at 195.0 today, which is .8 down from yesterday, for a grand total of 12.4 pounds lost in eleven doses. I'm quite happy with that, I must say!

As for the shingles, I am hesitant but hopeful, my pain seems better this morning even without my Vicodin. Maybe they're actually beginning to heal? I still have the hot poker pain in my ribs if I burp or have any involuntary expansion of my chest beyond a shallow pant, but the skin and muscles, themselves, aren't throbbing quite so badly. I also slept more soundly, which was a boon. There may be light at the end of this tunnel of ouch, after all. I don't want to jinx it, but I'm praying this is relief!

Yesterday I had to force myself to eat dinner - how weird is that?! I am the girl who always out-eats the boys and can put anything away, anytime. And I seriously had to force feed myself a measly 250 calorie dinner? I was pleasantly shocked. It seems between the fat burning effects of the hCG and the obliteration of all my carb cravings, my uncontrollable hunger and lack of satiety cues are actually being fixed! That was what I was hoping the hypothalamus reset that this diet aims for would do for me, and I'm so pleased to see signs of it. Now, I know I cannot maintain this state if I go off the rails and start overdoing it on sugar and starch in maintenance, but knowing that excluding those foods gains me control over an area I previously had none? I am in awe of that.

I'm also pleased that, for all the calorie and fat restriction of this diet, I look less emaciated in my face and neck than after a month of small-restriction calorie counting. It really does on burn the stored fat - my structural fat under my skin is in perfect shape and I look healthy and bright, not sunken, dry, or 'hungry' (you know what that looks like, it ain't pretty!). Whenever I hit 190 I'll take another batch of pictures and measurements, I think it will be interesting to see how not-starved I look ;). For a fairly 'extreme' diet, I am taking very well to it (shingles response aside) and I know that P3 and P4 will be right up my alley as well. I do great on protein and high fat, I'm excited to get there. Heavy cream on berries and a nice ribeye sounds positively delightful right now!