Ok.  It's Tuesday, day five.  As of this morning I was down 9.5 lbs from Friday morning.  It hasn't been unpleasant at all!  Sure, I've felt a little hungry at times.  Sure, I've had to fight those impulses to grab a handful of chips and a bowl of salsa.  But the experience hasn't involved any suffering or even difficult moments.

I have stayed on a routine.  Breakfast around 7am is usually a chocolate shake.  I really like the shakes.  They are thick enough to enjoy.  It's like drinking Nestle Qwik.  I precede the chocolate shake with a cup of coffee, usually about 13 ounces of dark roast and a stevia.  Then I bring another 13 oz. cup to work with me.

That holds me until noon when I have a vanilla shake.  The vanilla shakes are good, but they don't seem to be quite as satiating as the chocolate.  It might just be my imagination.

Anyway, that holds me until I get home after work.  Around 4:15 I have another chocolate shake.  You see the pattern.  Well, I change up the pattern at dinner time.  Around 7pm I use the potato soup mix.  I add chicken boullion, garlic powder, and two tablespoons of olive oil.  I have to whisk it a while to blend the oil, but it's really satisfying.  About 90 seconds in the microwave, and I have a nice diversion from the same ole stuff.

Then, before bed, I have my last shake of the day.  It's another vanilla to keep the balance going.  That prevents me from going to bed hungry.  I'm often not hungry when I go to bed, but the rules state that I have to drink all the shakes.

Each shake contains 15g of protein and 160 calories.  So skipping a shake would deprive me of necessary nutrients.  That amounts to 75g of protein and 800 calories every day.  When you add the two Tbs of olive oil, the totals are 75g of protein and 1040 calories a day.  That's pretty amazing.

The highlight of the day is when I step on the scales when I wake up.  Thus far, I have lost about 2.5 per day.  I know that will slow down, but it's really encouraging.  Stay tuned for further updates.