The Day After...

My first night out...;-)

Yesterday was a pretty busy day for me.  It started out with getting my grays covered (premature gray thanks to my mom's side of the family).  I had to get up about 7 on my day off, which I know isn't early in most worlds, but I like to get up slowly on weekends.  I was tempted to tell my stylist about this journey.  Mostly because I wanted to warn her about hair loss, but a little part of me is hoping that since I won't be fasting as long as some of the other blogs I have read and I'm not doing the Optifast HP program (which is even less than my 960 calories) I won't have the hair loss issues.  Wow, how is that for a run on sentence?  ;-)  Remember I am a nurse not a writer!  Anyway, I didn't and I sort of hope I don't have to.  I am telling all of my friends and coworkers and that seems to be enough people for now.  I've also told one sister, but I should probably tell my mom and my other sister.

Anyway, I got a little off track!  One of my good friends owns a bed and breakfast near my hair appt and we had plans for the evening so I headed over there with my pups to hang out.  I was mostly fine, but she did eat smoked salmon on a bagel in front of me and another friend that was their had toast with butter.  I was a little jealous, but I need to get used to people eating in front of me.  We just sat by the pool and relaxed for a couple hours which was nice.

The big event was the Bridge School Benefit that evening.  It's a concert that Neil Young and his ex-wife Peggy started to benefit a school they founded for kids with special needs.  We went for the Dixie Chicks, but there were some other real great performances: Ben Harper=amazing!!, Ryan Adams, Sheryl Crow, Gary Clark, Jr...all awesome!!  I'm so glad I went.  I definitely hope to make this a bay area tradition for me.  :-)

I knew there would be challenges for the whole day: 1. taking all my product with me 2. timing my meals 3. drinking water while at the concert! and 4. not having to pee all night and miss all the acts (sorry if that is TMI for some, but I am a nurse...;-)  )

How did I address this issues?  I would say the taking all the products out with me was easy.  When I come home with my supplies I separate it in to what I will need for each day of the week.  So I just grabbed the days supplies, threw them in my purse and took off.  As for timing, I had my first shake with coffee around 730 and then I was in the salon so I didn't have my next product until around 1115 which was a bit too long.  I def need to have them every 2-3 (at the most) hours otherwise I do get a little loopy and hungry.  My 3rd and 4th were simple because I was at the inn and could just make my shakes like normal.  I did pretty well with water to that point.  During the concert I waited to have a bar until 7 which was ok, but what I didn't account for was the fact that the concert ended close to midnight and I still had a shake to drink!  Grrrr...So I started to get a little loopy, a little hungry and a little dizzy on my 800 calories so far.   Fortunately the show got pretty exciting so I was distracted!  But I never plan to do that again!  As soon as we got to the inn I made a quick vanilla shake with some pumpkin pie spice, chugged it lukewarm and headed back to the car for my hour drive home.  Anyway, lesson learned.  Next big event I will take 2 bars because I think shakes are just too hard at events like that.  I worry about not being allowed to take things in, etc.  But I'm a rule follower and always afraid to be in trouble!  My other big issue was water.  As I said, I drank pretty well during the day, but then the concert came and I didn't want to get up to pee!  As a result I only drank 10oz at the concert.  I should have had another 20oz or so before bed, but I was just tired and ready to sleep and had to talk all the way home to not sleep!  As a result I'm paying for that this AM.  I had some cramps in my feet, my lips are dry and I have a hangover headache.  The solution of course is to rehydrate...so that's what I'm doing!!  Just not doing a great job!  It's 1045am and I've only gotten 16oz down.  But my headache is fading and the foot cramps seem gone.  My weight was down 1.6lbs and I would say 1lb was probably water loss!  Which to me isn't the same as losing water weight, because it was excessive!

All in all I would say it was a success!  I recommend taking all the product with you if there is a risk you will be gone all day.  And next time I will try to get all my water in before the concert!  I am glad I enjoy things like music and musicals, etc.  So many people only entertain themselves with food and I think I have a headstart on the maintenance portion by already knowing what activities, other than food I enjoy!  But lets not go there yet...I'm only on week 2 day 4.  :-)