UP 4 POUNDS -what the heck?

I have my midway check up with the doctor. I will be weighed and re-measured. (Need to make sure I get copies of the firstones and this one, also my labs) I will probably have more labs done. Need to have the 2nd half meds mixed for me.

Hopefully, the Doctor will be happy with my progress, I know that I am.
Well, I just stepped on the scale and was horrified. I gained 4 lbs..yes 4 lbs. I stepped on the scale 2-3 times to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

How the hell does that happen. Lot's of water, lots of peeing, perfectly on protocol, That's alot of weight to gain. This is the kind of crap that makes me want to quit. I'm suffering, there, I said it suffering through this diet and what, to gain 4 pounds. Crap, I didn't even gain that much on load day eating crap.
I need to cool off.

Wll, I just got back from the doctors. She encouraged me and said I was doing great, and that it is probably water waiting to woosh away. I showed her all my food journals, my weight graphs and nutrition pie charts.
She told me that the scale has a good and evil side and that weighing daily could be joyful or painful. One of the FB Page members said that she was going to put her scale in the closet for a week, stay on protocol and see what happens at the end of the week. I just may do that too.

The doctor upped my dosage from 150 to 175. And she also said that my thyroid function is very very sluggish. 3 points above where it should be. She started me on Synthroid. I will start taking that tomorrow. Back for a checkup 10 days from now.
It's funny, every time I have had thyroid tests done, they have come back fine. Surprising, because when I was 12, I was diagnosed with an adolescent goiter and hypothyroidism. I was taking synthroid then. My endocrinologist died and my mother never took me back. Then all my tests appeared within the normal range. So nothing more was done about it.

We'll see what affect the meds have.
I told her about the egg whites in the am and showed her the correlation to the weight loss. She asked what the "protein juice" was, I told her and expressed my fear that I was losing too much muscle mass.
She seemed okay with it even though it isn't on protocol.
She also wanted me to keep track of my sleeping as it relates to weight loss/gain. She said that not getting good REM sleep contributes to fat retention. So I will add that to my daily journal.


All I can do is KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.......

I did have a bit of an issue with the way that the assistant measured me. According to her, I have only lost 1 inch in each, waist, hips and chest. I cant see how thats accurate since I have gone down in clothing size and have no ass to put in my jeans.  She measured me fully clothed with baggy jeans and shirt. I am going to measure myself tomorrow when I get up. Keep track of it  myself.

I'm going to work out for a bit. Maybe sweat out some of this water. Then I will make my lunch and then off to work.

Menu for the day:
Lunch:chicken, spinach
Snack: Orange
Dinner: Shrimp on a salad
Snack: 1 sm grapefruit (they look like oranges)

Halfway there......

Today starts the second half of my 42 day HCG Diet Round. I have endured through 21 full days of the VLCD (very low calorie diet). Have I been tempted, sure, often. But have deicded that I am worth staying true to the diet. I have made some modifications on days that I know I will have strenuous activity. If I get really hungry, I have made better choices on what to "cheat" on.

My goal for this round was 36lbs, although, from the information I have read, it's 42 days or 34 lbs, whichever comes first. Not sure why the 34lb limit.

My son and I are at odds. The air is so thick in the house you can cut it with a knife. It shouldn't be this way. He leaves in 15 days for the Air Force. But, it seems he doesn't have any need or desire to spend quality time with me before he leaves. What does that say about me? I feel very stressed and I don't like it. Even if he doesn't feel the need, why wouldn't he do it for me, knowing that "I" need it? All I know, is that I don't need the stress in the house. Enough about that....on to me.

I can honestly say that I am so happy that I decided to start this journey. I am pleased with the results so far. It's just a shame that this process costs so much money. Not everyone had $600 buck to throw down every 3 months. When I am done with this round, I will do the 3 week stabilization and then on to maintenance.
I really need to find out if it is okay to continue to lose while on Phase 4 (maintence) or will I gain back what I lose then. I really want to get back to working out hard.
I will probably do another round. I have already earmarked part of my income tax return for a potential 2nd round. We'll have to see how I do on phase 4. That is still 6 weeks away. No need to worry about that right now. (I'm a planner, what can I say)

Let's get back to the present. Not sure what my plans are for the morning. I need to get some work done out in the shed. But also work later. Don't want to wear myself out.

Menu for the day:

Snack: 1/2 grapefruit, protein juice
Lunch: crab salad and asparagus
Snack: apple
Dinner: Roast beef fajita lettuce wraps, brussel sprouts

Neat Visual Affirmation

I saw this idea on Facebook. I decided it would be a great visual reminder.

I went to the dollar store and purchased 2 cylinder vases and a bag of glass marbles (total cost 3 bucks)

I counted out the total number of pounds I wanted to lose. I removed marbles to equal what I have already lost and put them in the pounds lost vase. I put the remaining in the pound to go vase.

It is sitting in the window sill of my kitchen. I thought it was a great reminder tool. I'm not at all intimidated by the number of marbles left in the to-go vase. But I am inspired by the number in the Pounds Lost vase.

I also found this bottle koozie while out shopping yesterday. Thought it was appropo....you really do pee alot on this diet.

hahahahaha

It's a Beautiful Morning

Good morning, I'm up at 5am and don't have a clue why, but I'm pleased to say that I am down another 1.3 lbs for a total of (drum roll please) 25.1 pounds in 20 days. Less than 1lb to my 220's. havent been there in a while. And I'm less than 5 lbs away from rewarding myself with another pretty ring! How great is that? I wasn't sure what the scale was going to say after indulging in eggs for breakfast yesterday. I was very active and did alot of mall walking, on top of my workout.
Regardless, I'm happy with the results. I have a mid-program checkup with the doctor in 3 days.
I am only 11 lbs to goal for this round and I am only halfway through the program. Here is my weightloss chart so far.

I wrote yesterday that I had purchased Calcium Pyruvate- here is what I found on it.

 Many consider it a "gateway compound" in a process within the body called the "Krebs Cycle". The "Krebs Cycle" is a part of the process in which calcium pyruvate aids in the conversion of glucose to energy and boosts fat metabolism. People call it a fat burner, though it does not have any thermogenic qualities.
According to Pyruvate Natural & Alternative Treatments, in some studies conducted on about 150 individuals, found evidence that calcium pyruvate can support weight loss, by changing the composition of the body.
In the study, one-third of the people took 6 grams of calcium pyruvate daily or they received a placebo or no treatment at all. Over the six-week period of the study, everyone participated in an exercise program. Those that took calcium pyruvate lost, on average 4.6 pounds and 2.6% body fat, compared to the placebo and non-treated group. They also found that their muscle mass increased by about 3.3 pounds.

Anyway, I don't think that taking the supplement can hurt.

Plans for today? Hmmm. not sure. It's still very early. No menu ideas either. Be back later for both.

Menu:
1whole egg, 2 egg whites, small handful spinach (yes I'm doing it again because I have to mow the yard)
Snack: Apple
Lunch: shrimp with organic fire roasted tomato sauce and miracle noodle vermicelli
Snack: strawberries
Dinner: roast beef lettuce wraps (cant get enough of them) brussel sprouts

Finally!

Well, it's day 20 of Phase 2. And I'm happy to annouce that after 4 days of up and down, I finally lost 2.1 pounds. I am so close to another mini-goal. Getting into the 220's . I was getting nervous and am so glad that I didn't have to do an apple day. bleck! I even worked out yesterday, so I'm glad I lost. Usually, the day after I work out, I stall or gain. Hopefully this downward movement of the scale will continue.

I'm feeling like a little reward today of getting out of the house. I've always wanted to try paddle boarding. But there is also a seafood festival in the Keys. I know that the better option is probably paddle boarding. What to do.... What to do.....

I have to confess though, I had a bit of an emotional evening. Clashing with my son. Not really a clash, but something he said really hurt my feelings, badly. I didn't say anything at the moment, just walked out of the room. He left the house and I texted him that what he said was very hurtful. He played stupid, huh, what, what did I do. He knew what he said...and he knew that it hurt me because I shut down and walked out of the room. All this after I jhad just gone out and bought him everything he needs to prepare for his trip to Air Force Military Training. One of my resolutions, was to stop giving so much. It's difficult because I am a very giving person. But, my cup was empty, too much giving and nothing going back in the cup. I told everyone, friends and family, that if nothing goes back in the cup....there's nothing coming out. Last ight, my son flipped the cup over and smashed it with his words. So all the things I bought him are now mine. Vindictive, perhaps, but it's what I needed to do for ME.

And just know, he left for work...not bye, hi or kiss my ass.

Anyway....the moral of this story is that I, very easily, could have gone to the fridge for comfort, BUT I DIDN"T. I realized that if I had caved to the emotional eating, that he would win. And that the only one who would pay, would be me. I deserve better. I am in control. So I'm proud of myself for that.

Keep Calm and Carry on!

Now, all that being said, today is going to be all about me. No matter what I do.
I found this little wall sign while out shopping (for his things) and it is now handing, in front of me. I will read it and read it often.....

Soon I will be able to recite this without thinking. The very bottom line is the top resolution for 2012 and beyond.

Be back later for more!!!

Menu

Breakfast: I know eggs aren't on protocol, but I planned a busy day so I had 1 whole egg, 3 whites with a little bit of spinach in it. (we'll see what the scale says tomorrow)

Lunch: Roast beef lettuce wraps

Dinner: shrimp and brussel sprouts

(plus, I worked out)

After the episode with my son, I decided to go shopping. I'm not a shopper, a mall shopper. I ususally just go buy what I need. I walked around, bought myself some new perfume, a new bedazzled case for my cell phone, a new navel ring. (yes, I'm 50 and have had it for a while). Passed by the food court, torture, but I didn't stop for anything. Later I went and bought a frame and found some calcium pyruvate. It's supplement supposedly good for weightloss. I'm going to research it and let you know tomorrow what I found out.

Long Weekend

It's Friday January 27th and I have a 3 day weekend. Yay for me. I have lots to do. I'm up early and ready to go. The one thing I vow NOT to do is obsess over this HCG diet. I haven't gotten on the scale this morning. After yesterdays gain, I'm not real anxious about it.

My favorite little Blue Jay, who I've name "Blue", (I know, not very creative for the creative type like me), is sitting outside my bedroom window. As he does every morning. Sometimes he stares right in at me. Other times he shows off on the branch and turns to see if I'm watching. My little guardian bird. He gives me inspiration every day to keep moving along.

I need to run to the store, do a little housework and get some work done on the e-stores. I have been neglecting them horribly.

Now, as afar as the diet goes, I need to do some ab-work. Seems the only place that I am not losing is my waist (or lack of it). I also need to take in some jeans.

I can honestly say that the one thing that I don't like about the HCG Diet Protocol is the fact that you CAN"T work out. I know this seems odd. This would appear to be the perfect diet. Lose alot of weight and don't work out. But I am frustrated by not being able to work out. It really goes against the grain of years of dieting and research. Can't wait until Phase 4. I want to sweat!

Be back later for the menu and stats for the day.

Snack: apple, protein juice
Lunch: roast beed lettuce leaves, asparagus
Snack:
Dinner:

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Phase 2 day 18....and another gain! WTH? Up .5lbs. This really sucks. That's the bottom line. I know, I know. Look at the end, it will even out. Quit focusing on the scale, if you're not losing pounds, you're losing inches. The problem is, being so big to begin with, even my 22 lb loss is still eluding me visually. I can feel some change in my clothing, but everything around my gut (my worst area) seems to be staying the same.
I really don't want to get discouraged, and I know that I have lost alot in 17 days, But to limit yourself so severely and stick to protocol to a T and see stalls and gains, is just disheartening. The thought of doing the infamous "Apple Day" (nothing but 6 apple for a whole day plus water), seems like torture to me. But I see it in my future.

I will try not to obsess with the lack of losing. I will carry on and continue staying on protocol. It's hard not to throw in the towel and just say "well, I'm not losing anyway, why not just eat what I want"

But I will suck it up and move forward.

Back later for the menu

Snack: apple, protein juice

Lunch: tilapia, spinach

Snack: strawberries

Dinner: onion crusted veal steak with roasted brussel sprouts

Why am I slowing down so much?

Day 17 of Phase 2 of the HCG diet and only down .6....grrrrrr. However, I did work out yesterday and historically, I gain the day after I work out. Could that be it? Am I slowing to a snails pace? It's very frustrating to restrict yourself so much that all you get is a .2 loss. I'm beginning to wonder if I will reach my goal. I still have 25 days to go. I'm sure that if I do another round, I will follow the 800cal program. I really think that 500 is too low for my body weight.

Yesterday I was not feeling well. I ended up leaving work early because I had a fever. I feel the same this morning. I may go ahead and take some more pictures of myself today.

I need to break out the sewing machine and take in some pants. I tried on smaller jeans. They fit in the belly, but swallowing me in the butt and legs. Just my body type I guess. I've never had hips. Sort of straight up and down, even when I was thinner.

There are 2 other girls at work that are starting the program today. I enjoy that forums and facebook pages I belong to, but it will be nice to have someone in the flesh to talk to and compare notes with.

I have a follow-up doctors appointment on the 31st. I would really love to be down 25 by then. I'm still obsessing about the diet a bit. I really need to back down and just go about my day.

It's very early so I don't have a clue about todays menu.

Menu for the day:
Snack: apple w/ cinnamon, protein juice
Lunch: Onion Crusted veal cube steak, cabbage
Snack: Orange
Dinner: Crab/shrimp ceviche over micro greens salad

I also decided to do a Detox bath. How? You assk?

Fill the tub with the hottest water you can stand.
1c epsom salt
1c sea salt
2c baking soda

Soak for at least 40 minutes and make sure to drink cool water while you are in the bath. You will sweat alot. I started with the water kind of low and kept addin hot water to keep the temp up.
Felt wonderful afterwards.

On the Right Side of the Hill Again

Good morning. It's day 16 of the HCG Diet, Phase 2 VLCD. I back on the right side of the hill again. After a .4lb gain yesterday, I am down 1.3 today. Total loss so far, 21 pounds.  I'm going to work out again today, so I will pay close attention to the weight loss/gain tomorrow morning. I was feeling a little constipated so I drank the smooth move tea last night before bed. I didn't quite work the way I thought it would.

Yesterday I decided to try on a pair of smaller jeans and they fit! whoohooo. I have clothes in storage that are smaller. I'm heading to the shed today to see what I can find.

I'm also going to try my miracle noodles today at some point. Need to find some recipes. They say there is an art to cooking them.

Not a clue what the menu for the day is. Maybe roast beef and fish. Not sure yet.

Menu for the day:

Snack: apple, protein juice
Lunch: lean turkey burger, mexican style tomatoes with miracle noodles
Snack: Orange
Dinner: Roast beef lettuce wraps (yes I'm addicted to them), sauteed spinach w onions, grissini

The miracle noodles are the bomb. I rinsed them thouroughly, them put them in a dry frypan on high to get the excess water out  and then put them into the tomatoes. Slightly chewy, but not bad. Sure does fool the eye. And I need the fiber. We'll see what the scale says tomorrow.

I also worked out for 20 minutes today. In the past, the next day brings a stall or gain. Keeping track!

My First Reward

I had written in an earlier blog that I was going to reward myself for every 15lbs lost. I got the rings in the mail and proudly put one band on my finger. Only 10 lbs away from the next one. yipee!

I also recieved the miracle noodles I ordered the other day.

They are basically pure fiber made to look like pasta. No caloried, carbs, fat, anything. And, like tofu, they are supposed to take on the flavor of whatever you cook them in. I think it will be great for soups and spaghettis and maybe even mac and cheese in phase 3. I am going to have to experiment tomorrow.

I also bought some small steaks at the store and put them in a pot with pickling spices. Trying to make a mock corned beef. I haven't tasted it, but we will see tomorrow.

Another discovery I made today. Apparrently, everything I weighed on the manual scale before I got the digital scale was too little. :(. So I had been eating too little protein all along, which means too little calories. I hope that this hasn't messed me up.

I'm back on track and will remeasure meats that have already been frozen when I go to use them.

Phase 2 Day 15 and Ridin' The Rollercoaster

After a 1.3 lb loss yesterday, I am up .4 this morning. grrrrrrrr.

I did work out yesterday, probably harder than I should have. So I went back to all of my logs, weight, activity, foods. I did find an interesting correlation. On the mornings after the day I worked out, my loss was miniscule or I gained. So I went looking for answers. I found an interesting article on water retention in muscles after working out. Could this be the culprit? I reviewed my foods and everything was the same. I stayed within the calorie range and even left out one of my wasa allowances.

I'm not saying this is the reason, just assumptions is based on my own statistics. We'll see what happens in the morning.

I'm curious to see if I've lost inches, well, I know I've lost some, but how much? I will reserve that for when I go back to the doctors on the 28th of this month, my 3 week check-up.

Back to the store today for some of that yummy roast beef. I need lettuce, spinach, cabbage and lettuce too.

Back later for the menu.

Lunch:Roast beef lettuce wraps w/ horseradish mustard, radish chips, grissini
Snack: Orange, protein juice
Dinner: Curry shrimp and cabbage
Snack: Apple

20lbs gone Phase 2 Day 14

I did it! Crossed over the 20lb mark. 13 full days of the HCG diet.

Down 1.3lbs for a total loss of 20.1lbs. I am kind of surprised because I had a moment of weakness, well not really weakness. I was hungry, gnawing hunger. Water didn't work and I was feeling dizzy and couldn't sleep. So I grabbed a couple of slices of roast beef and ate it. Why the sudden hunger?

I can only suspect a couple of things:

a) yesterday was my injection skip day

b) early in the day I felt like I wanted/needed to do some exercise, so I got on the elliptical machine and before I knew it I had been on 30 minutes and burned 330 calories.

c) I also did some crunches.

To date, 2 weeks, I have been completely consumed with the HCG Diet Protocol, almost to the point of obsession. I have tried to educate myself to the best of my ability, reading forums and facebook page documents. I think it's time to just make it a part of my day without thinking. I am pretty comfortable with allowable foods and portion sizes. I credit this to journaling on FitDay. And get back to doing everyday activities, focus on my jewelry making, which I have put off for the last 2 weeks.
With my son getting ready to leave, I have things to take care of in regards to that too.
Time to just carry on and quit stressing and obsessing about it.
Haven't decided the menu for the day, it's still very early. Probably shrimp and chicken for my proteins. Maybe asparagus and cabbage for veggies. I'll be back to update the menu.
Menu for the day:
Snack: 1/2 apple, protein juice
Lunch: Grilled chicken salad
Dinner: Curried Shrimp and Cabbage Soup, Grissini
Snack: Strawberries

Found out today that we can have brussel sprouts. I'm happy because I don't eat most of the allowable veggies. Fennel (yuk), Beet Greens (can't find them) cucumbers (not that into them) Tomato (never whole, just use them sparingly)

Time for bed. Stay tuned.

Great Food Prep Video HCG Phase 2

Just wanted to share a video I came across. It's about food prep on phase 2 of the HCG diet. This woman, who is a personal chef, had a client wanting to do the HCG diet plan. She makes the chore of food preparation seem less ominous. Check it out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14HfKi-Ro_g&list=FLY6uCDdYEjJFsgJxbUJ2ZdA&feature=mh_lolz

My Son is Leaving- Stress and Dieting

I have done the research and know that stress definitely plays a role in weight gain. When you are stressed, Cortisol levels rise and cause your metabolism to slow. I am getting ready to go through some stress and need to nip it in the bud and sontrol the stress level.

My son told me last night that his Air Force recruiter has given him an opportunity to leave earlier than expected. Because of his job choice in the Air Force, if he doesn't go now, they don't know when he will leave. He wants to get this next chapter of his life moving. I am proud of him for that. But he will leave on February 14th. That's a little over 3 weeks away. aaack. That's too soon. I know that not wanting him to leave so soon is selfish on my part, and I know that I need to, literally, let him spread his wings and take flight. But I'm a mom and he is still my baby boy. So, on top of him leaving, it will also create an empty nest for me. And being a single mom, an empty house. Leaving me alone. So I need to try to get through this and not let it affect me negatively. I must keep positive thoughts about the entire situation. I am very excited for him. But not so much for me................

Falling Again

It's day 13 on phase 2 of the HCG Diet. I was nervous about getting on the scale this morning after my .4lb gain yesterday. But I did, and lost 1.4lbs. So got rid of the gain and lost another pound for a total of 18.8 pounds. That's great, but sure would like to see bigger losses. Yes, I know it slows down, and I know that even 1 pound a day is alot. I will keep moving forward.

Here's the graph of my weighloss so far. Looks pretty good from this view.

Because I am so big and have so much to lose, it will take a while for me to see changes in my clothes. Just wish it would go ahead and happen.
I said before, that my morning blood sugar levels have plummeted, which is good for me. Well under 100 in the am. I have decided to cut my diabetes medication in half and see if my sugar still stays low.
I took it after my evening meal, 2 hours and it was still 97. So this diet has definitely had a positive side affect on my health.  Wouldn't it be great if I could get off the medication for good?

I am going to do some walking today and I really do need to do some ab exercises and stretching.

I have to admit that I have been a bit obsessed with the diet, making sure that I do it right. At this point, almost 2 weeks into it, I think I have this down. Now I can get back to my everyday activities. My jewelry designing has taken a bit of a back seat to the diet. I need to jump back into that.

I'll be back once I decide the menu for the day.

I just made myself the most scrumptpus apple crisp.
1 apple cored and chopped (leave the skin on, it's good fiber),
2 tbsp water
1 truvia packet
1 coarsely crushed grissini
quick squeeze of lemon juice in a microwavable bowl covered loosely.
Microwave for 5 min on high, drizzle with a few drops of emglish toffee stevia drops.
OMG carmel apple crisp.
*If I had used wasa, I would have gottn more crisp. And if this were done in the oven, the grissini probably would have been crispier. I probably could have done without the Truvia packet. The english toffee stevia was an afterthought*

Menu
Snack: apple crisp w grissini
Lunch: Fajita seasoned sauteed roast beef and a little onion, on bed of lettuce
Snack:???
Dinner: Fishcake, (tilapia, wasa, celery, spices) spinach

Here's Dinner

Phase 2 Day 12 and I Gained

I'm not real happy this morning. I woke up this am hoping to be as close to a 20 pound total loss as possible. But when I stepped on the scale, I was UP .4. WHAT? There's just no way. I was POP (Perfectly on Protocol) and even burned some extra calories. I have a sad face on today. But I will not be discouraged. After reading tons of information, I keep seeing this Whoooosh Effect. What is that you say?
Well, apparently, when your body starts to burn the fat, the fat is released from the cells, leaviong them deflated. Until your body realizes that the fat is not coming back, it temporarily fills them with water. Then, when your body has decided that the fat really isn't coming back, it will all of a sudden release the water in the cells....giving you a big release of water, hence, the Whooosh!
This could be it, could be a stall, who knows. I have stayed on protocol and will just wait it out.

No work for me today. Hitting the grocery store for a few things. I have seen that Wasa crackers are allowed along with the melba toast and grissini breadsticks. I'm going to pick up some of them to have some variety. And I'm also going to pick up some boars head roast beef. Lean steak is tough and I have a hard time digesting it. So I figure roast beef is a good option and Boars Head has not msg, sugar, addtitives. There is another brand Dietz and Watson that is the same as Boars Head.

I went shopping and found this scale from Emerson. I already tried it and it's so much easier than the manual one. On the maual scale, you have to eyeball the line so I believe this will be more accurate.

Got the Wasa crasckers, 2 different types and the roast beef. I am in love with Winn-Dixie Brand horseradish brown mustard, O carbs, no oil and yummmmy. I also found a habanero mustard (also legal) very spicy. I bought a few other spices too. With only using 2 ingredients to cook with, I figue that is the best way to change the flavor.

I saw a recipe for roasted radish chips. Sliced thin, spiced and put in a low oven til crispy. Cant wait.

I am also making the apple cinnamon chips, sliced apple, cinnamon and 1 packet truvia. Slow low oven (kind of like dehydrating them)

Menu for the day:

Lunch: Roast beef lettuce wraps with horseradish mustard and radish chips

Snack: apple chips

Dinner: Shrimp, cabbage, wasa

Snack: strawberries  didn't fel like eating them

Thought I would share my lunch.

 I overcooked the radish chips a little, but they are still tasty!

That meal right there is only 175 calories!

Inspirig Myself -Phase 2 VLCD Day 11

I woke up this morning with swollen fingers. The curry chicken cabbage soup I had yesterday was a little on the salty side. So I figured that the scale would not be good to me. So, with much trpidation, I stepped on the scale and to my delighted surprise, WAIT FOR IT~~~~~~

I lost another 2.4 pounds

TOTAL Loss 17.8

I was literally doing the naked Happy Dance (sorry, don't visualize that this early in the morning).

Now, I'm not sure if I mentioned this on an earlier post, but I had set a conservative goal for this 42 day program of 36 lbs, just under a pound a day. All the research and personal information from other people on the HCG diet averaged between .6 and 1 pound per day.

If you do the math, I have lost half of my goal weight in 11 days, less than 1/3 of the total length of the program. I know that the losses will slow, but wouldn't it be great IF THEY DIDN'T.

I found the most fabulous little guide. You can find it HERE. Lots of Phase 2 recipes, trick, tips, info.

I have battled with one portion of the diet and that is the fact that you don't eat breakfast. I know that the original Dr. Simeons Pounds & Inches program works. But you have to remember that this protocol was created in the 1950's. More current scientific research shows that, in order to jump start your metabolism in the morning, you need to eat something. Yesterday, before I worked in the yard, I had an ounce of protein juice and an apple. I still had a big loss. There were other variables, the extra activity and such. I am going to do the same thing today (I have to finish the front yard) and see what happens in the am.

Another observation, or lack of. I'm a big girl with a lot of weight to lose. I am realistic, in that I know that it will take quite a bit of weight before it really "shows". I did have a mini breakthrough when I realized that I could skip 2 hooks on my bra and it still feels loose. Baby steps!

Off to eat my apple and mow the yard. I'll be back for the daily menu~~~

Snack: apple, protein juice
Lunch: tilapia, asparagus
Snack: Orange
Dinner: Shrimp (garlic, lemon, red chili flakes, cilantro), spinach, grissini

Today was a good day. Hoping for more loss tomorrow. How cool would it be to reach 20lb loss. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Day 9 of Phase 2 Mini-Goal Hit

Yay! I hit a mini-goal. 15 pounds. Woke up this am to a .8 pound loss. My hands feel a little swollen so I don't know if I retained some water or not. But it's still a loss. Yippee. Total loss so far
15.4 lbs. 

I made the decision yesterday, that I was going to reward myself for every 15 pounds loss. But I wanted a reward that would keep growing and be a daily reminder of my successes and my goals.
I am going to buy myself a thin band type ring, for each 15 pounds I lose. My ultimate goal is 150 pounds, so in the end, I should have 7 bands. I will wear them everyday as a reminder. I found these and purchased 4, in different colors, but will only wear one band when I get it and put the others away until I reach each additional 15 pounds.

Today I am going to mow the yard. I had an ounce of protein juice and ate my apple so that I don't pass out..hahaha.

Lobster and chicken are todays protein, but not sure of the veggies, just had to get the meat out of the freezer. Off to mow the grass.

Well I mowed the yard and felt good. I played it safe and only did the back. Tomorrow I will do the front.
Menue for today:
Apple and protein juice prior to mowing the yard.
Lunch: Spicy lime, chile, cilantro with roasted tomatoes in a lettuce wrap.
Snack: orange, grissini
Dinner : Curry chicken cabbage soup

(side note: my fasting blood sugar has consistently gone down and has been under 100 for 5 days straight)

P2-Day 8

After the minimal loss yesterday, I was really hoping for a jump on the scale. With great trepidation, I stepped on the scale this am to a 1.2 pound loss. Bringing my total to 14.6. YAY! Big relief. I would really like to have at leat a .8 loss everyday. But I won't be too disappointed with less. A loss is a loss.
I do have an issue with one thing on this diet. I undestand that you can only have coffee or tea in the am, however, all other modern theories suggest and recommend to eat something in the morning in order to start your metabolism after resting all night. I'm going to experiment with eating something very low cal, no carbs in the mid-morning. I have read on forums and seen different variations of the HCG diet that allow something to be eaten in the am. Maybe I will have a boiled egg white (17 cal, 0 fat, 0 carb, 3.5g protein). I will try that tomorrow to see what happens.

Today I'm off to the grocery store for more veggies and some things for my son. I'm also going to do 20 min on the elliptical. I'm feeling really good on the diet overall. Sometimes I have trouble sleeping (last night) Other times I really really want to work out. I never thought I would have to fight the will to work out. Go figure.

Havent decided the menu today.
Lunch: Tilapia, asparagus, protein juice
Snack: Apple
Dinner: Spicy shrimp and slaw lettuce wraps, grissini breadstick
Snack: 1/2 grapefruit

I found a horseradish mustard that is the bomb for dipping.
Feeling super tired today, not from the diet but from a bad nights sleep. Forget to eat my grissine, didn't feel like eating my post dinner grapefruit. Now it's too late. Hope the scale doesn't scold me tomorrow.
Nite~~Nite

Slowing Down



I woke up this morning really hoping to meet my mini goal. But I only lost .6lbs, so I'm .6 short of 14 pounds. But it's still 13.4 pounds lost in a week. How cool is that? I do feel a little "clogged up" this morning. Normal according to everything I've read. I really don't think that I am eating a large enough portion of vegetables. That could be the cause of my slow "movements".
I think there is a lot of confusion as to the vegetables. Even with my own doctors plan, the veggie serving size is not specified. I've seen many different theories on it.
a claw size handful
a cup
4 oz
enough to fill the gap on calories and bring the total to 500.

I must do more research. -------->The majority of the sites I visited  said to eat enough to fill the calorie gap, so that's what I'm going for. 

Alrighty then..moving on

The menu for the day
Lunch: Shrimp, spinach, melba
Snack: Strawberries
Dinner: Chicken, asparagus, breadstick
Snack: 1/2 Grapefruit

Need to hit the grocery store for some more fruits and veggies.

Day 6 and Still Dropping

Well, I've done 6 full days on the HCG diet. Today starts day 7. I woke up this morning after a rough day yesterday and was rewarded with a 1.9 pound drop. How great is that? I kind of had a mini goal of 14lbs in 7 days. I'm only 1.2 pounds away, and I know I can hit it! Although, I am really not expecting these types of losses for the rest of the 42 days, I'm optimistic about the results.
I slept pretty well last night, but did have the help of some prescription sleeping pills. I read on a forum about a tea that help you sleep at night. (going to research that later) I would rather do that than take a perscription sleep aid. One of my goals for the year, is to rid myself of my medicatons.....all of them.
I need to get some baby oil or mineral oil. They say thats the best for moisturizing without affecting the HCG diet protocol. I have waterbased moisturizer, but I use it on my face and it's fairly expensive to be using all over my body.

I need to come up with some new recipes for these meals. When I say recipes, I mean, different seasonings. Because it's hard to make "recipes" using only 1 protein and 1 vegetable. Time to really get creative and look around the internet for some ideas.

It's early so I haven't quite decided the menu for today. But will be back later to share.
Decided to walk a bit today too.
Menu for the day
Lunch Veal (I hammered it out, makes it look like more) cucumber salad
Snack: orange
Dinner: crabcake, spinach, breadstick
Snack: protein juice
I made the crab cake with lump crab, minced onion, salt, peper, garlic, celery seed, crushed breadstick and 1 tsp of eggwhite as a binder (I know eggs arent allowed, but 0g fat, 0g carb so I figured what's the harm. The scale wll show tomorrow.

Today seemed like a long day. Kinda tired.
Til' tomorrow~~~~

Buh-Bye 10 Pounds

I did it! The first 10+ pounds have bitten the dust. 5 full days, 120 hours and I have lost 10.9 pounds. Wowza!

Doing the Happy Dance!

I know it doesn't seem like much in the overall picture, I have 100lbs to lose. BUT, baby steps. Smaller goals are better and easier to achieve. What a great boost and week one isn't even over. I'm going for 14lbs by Monday morning. That only  3.1 lbs, 1.55 per day each of the next 2 days. I CAN DO IT!!!

I am going to experiment today. Leave out one of my fruits, add extra protein. I really don't want to lose any muscle mass. What's a half a grapefruit anyway?

I have also noticed a drop in my fasting blood sugar in the am. It was normal today and has gone down consistently since the onset of the diet.

I did add acidophilous (to maintain a healthy intestinal tract and aid digestion) and biotin (for hair and nails) to my supplements. A friend of mine had gastric bypass and use biotin to thwart hair loss from lack of added fat in the diet.

I didn't sleep very well last night and I have read on several forums that this is an issue. It was just too late to take my sleeping pill because I had to get up early this morning and didn't want to feel groggy.

Not sure what the menu will be today. I'll be back later to update.

Menu for the day

Lunch: shrimp, asparagus, breadstick

Snack: apple

Dinner: chicken, spinach, melba

Snack: protein juice

Difficult day today. Family was going to go out to dinner, I was going to stay home to avoid the torture. Then they decided that they would just rather order pizza. The wafting aromas killed me. But I held firm. Proud of myself for that. Hopefully the scale will reward me in the am. Family is gone and I hope that I can get some decent sleep tonight.

Til' tomorrow~~~~

Slowing Down

It's the morning of VLCD Day 5. So 4 full days of the diet. I see now how the slows happen. I was gobsmacked with the amount of weight I lost on the first 3 days. 8.2 pounds. Wow. This morning I woke up to a significantly lower loss, only 1.1 lbs. I know that it is still a great loss, but was looking forward to a little more. The last two days I have eaten too little. I'm going to up the veggies. I'm not discouraged (well maybe a little) but any loss, no matter how small, is still a loss. Then I found this photo...puts things in perspective.

I feel better now!!!!!

I read in a forum about this "Cocoa Crack" Folks use it for upping weightloss and for calming that sweet chocolate craving. I'm not a big chocolate eater, but it it helps with the weight loss, I'm game.

Here is the recipe:

3tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp xylitol (natural calorie free sweetener
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder.
 Melt the oil, mix all together and pour on a foil covered plate. Stick in the freezer to harden til you are ready to eat it. It ends up being like chocolate bark.  (It's not meant to be eaten everyday)

Here's the menu

Lunch: spinach, shrimp, melba (i added a little more spinach for the caloried)
Snack: orange
Dinner: Chicken, asparagus ,
Snack: strawberries

I went to Whole Foods and got stuff to make the cocoa crack, also picked up some flavored stevia drops (kinda steep on the price, but I'm worth it) I also found some liquid protein, just that, no sugar, no anything, organic protein 15gr/ounce/60 cal. I think I am going to substitute my breads for the protein. I'm just moving and doing too much to only have 60g of protein/day. I might be taking a chance, but I don't think it will hurt me. If I have to, I will drop a fruit.

Had a nice visit with my dad. He's zonked after a 12 hour drive. the chicken was good tonight, I "crusted" it with minced onion flakes and garlic salt, quite tasty.

Gonna have to try that cocoa crack.....

Be back tomorrow.

Phase 2 VLCD Day 4

Good morning. 3 full days on the VLCD. I'm feeling tired. I normally have a bit of trouble sleeping, so I don't know if I'm tired from that or the diet. (remember yesterday aI had too few calories). I have a prescribed sleeping pill, but didn't want to take it because I was worried that it may slow down my sleeping metabolism. This is one of the questions I need to ask the Doctor today.  But, I had another loss.

Here are the stats:

Weight: 247.8
Down from yesterday: 2.1
Total loss: 8.2          Yippee!!!!

Here are a few of the questions I have for the doctor today:

1. Can I chew gum, if so, what kind? NO
2. Why only 1 truvia per day? Research shows different. SUGAR ALCOHOLS
3. Should I increase my veggies to reach 500 on low cal protein days? YES
4. Is the Phentermine needed for the protocol or just useful for hunger? BOTH
5. Heavy activity and more calories? NO BUT LOTS OF WATER
6. Will my perscription sleeping pill slow down my metabolism? NO

Hopefully I will get some concrete answers. I've been a little anxious about some of them.

I haven't decided what the menu for the day will be, but I'll be back to update. I got the answers I needed. You will see them in bold next to the questions above. So I got the perscription I lost and will pick it up later on my way to work.

I have selected and prepped food for today.
Lunch: curry chicken and cabbage w melba toast
Snack: 1/2 grapefruit
Dinner: Shrimp and spinach salad, breadstick
Snack: Strawberries

Chomping at the bit to work out. Doctor said walking 20 min is fine. But I think I will get on the elliptical machine (lowest incline, lowest resistance) That should work.

Today was a good day. Not one bit of hunger (even though my calories are low). Just found out my Dad is coming to town tomorrow. Had to break the news to him that I won't be able to go with him to our favoriet restaurant.  But I will send him along with my son and brother while I eat my VLCD dinner...:(. But he admires my fortitude, so it's all good.

Looking forward to tomorrows weigh-in.
Nite~Nite

HCG Diet Menu Plan VLCD (very low calorie diet) 500 calories

This is the actual diet and menu plan from Dr. Simeons

Breakfast:

Tea or coffee in any quantity without sugar. Only one tablespoonful of milk allowed in 24 hours. Stevia may be used.

Lunch:

1. 100 grams of veal, beef, chicken breast, fresh white fish, lobster, crab, or shrimp. All visible fat must be carefully removed before cooking, and the meat must be weighed raw. It must be boiled or grilled without additional fat. Salmon, eel, tuna, herring, dried or pickled fish are not allowed. The chicken breast must be removed from the bird.

2. One type of vegetable only to be chosen from the following: spinach, chard, chicory, beet-greens, green salad, tomatoes, celery, fennel, onions, red radishes, cucumbers, asparagus, cabbage.

3. One breadstick (grissino) or one Melba toast.

4. An apple, orange, or a handful of strawberries or one-half grapefruit.

Dinner :

The same four choices as lunch (above.)

P2-Day 3 It's going down!

It's going down!

Well, it's Wednesday (hump day). I've completed 2 full days on phase 2 of the VLCD. I'm not feeling bad, tired, but mostly becauseI had a hard time falling asleep.  I'm sure it wasn't the diet. I just couldn't stop my brain from thinking.

Day 3 begins..........
Here are this mornings stats and I'm happy about it.

Weight : 249.9
Fat % 43.1
Fat Weight 107
From yesterday down 3.4 lbs
Total: 6.1 lost   wooohoooo

I haven't really been doing a lot of activity other than working, mostly from obsessing about the HCG diet and reading through forums. Today I have things to do, so there will be more activity. Then I work this afternoon.

I'll be back to share my menu for the day after a while. I'm also going to start posting on some of the facts of the HCG diet. And if you get a chance, click HERE for some before and after photos of other HCG dieters for inspiration.

Alrighty, I have figured out my menu for the day and prepped the protein and veggies

Lunch: Chicken w/ garlic and dried pepper flakes, roasted fennel, melba toast
Snack: 1/2 grapefruit
Dinner: tilapia, chard w/ garlic, breadstick
Snack: Strawberries

I've never cooked chard or fennel, so I had to look up what to do with it. We'll see how it tastes. Okay. So I had the fennel for lunch. Not liking it so much. Forcing it down. Won't make tha again.

Home from work. Still not to much hunger. I did realize that I forgot to eat my melba toast for lunch and after adding up my calories for the day, realized I was way under 500. I read on a forum that you should be as close to 500 as possible.  I should have compensated with more veggies.

Tomorrow I am stopping my the doctors to ask a few questions I have about a couple of things.

Time for bed. Stay tuned for more.

P2-Day 2 Good Morning

Good Morning I am feeling less heavy from the load day finally. And now,  the moment of truth.

Weight  253.3 Yeah, down 2.7lbs.

I do know alot of that is from the drastic change from binging to the VLCD. I noticed that I retained a huge amount of water from the load day food, evident in my fatter than usual sausage fingers. The proof in the pudding will be how the pounds go from here on out.  I have decided on a song for my journey. Yes, I know it's extremely popular and has probably been used by a lot of folks, but it sums up my attitude right now. Enjoy and get inspired!

I want to start everyday with this attitude!

I do have a slight issue that I need to wrap my brain around. They say you really shouldn't exercise, however, like coffee and donuts, diet and exercise should go together. I actually want to work out. But I know that with the limited calories, that I shouldn't. But would it hurt. If I feel good and don't get tired or lightheaded...can I? I must do some research.

I have figured out my menu for the day and prepped everything.

Lunch: Curry shrimp on a bed of stirfried shredded cabbage with garlic salt and dried onion, melba    toast

Snack: apple

Dinner: veal with minced dried onion, garlic salt and pepper, steamed asparagus with lemon pepper, grissini breadstick

Snack: orange

I have just gone through all the pants in my closet. If they were the slightest bit loose, I tossed them. That's the plan as I go along my journey. I don't ever want to go back....ever.

Today was long and work was busy so I didn't really feel hungry unless I thought about it. I guess the hunger will subside. I'm tired but excited to see what the scale says to me tomorrow.
Nite~Nite

Phase 2, Day 1 VLCD

It's 520 in the am. I didn't sleep very well. Most likely because of all the food I ate yesterday. Horrible heartburn this am. Perhaps, in part, from excitement. Either way, too early to be up.
Weight 256 (so only up 1 pound post load)
HCG, meds, and supplements
Coffee w/ 1 packet Truvia.
Have to call the doctor today to get a replacement perscription for the one I lost, GNC for a multivitamin. The liquid vitamins I have contain sugar. The superfood powdered vitamins only taste good in juice (which we cant have). That's the goal for today. I start back work from my little birthday mini-vacation.
This will be a real test. There is always some kind of yummy in the breakroom so I guess I just need to go to another breakroom.
Be back later with more.
Menu for the day:
Lunch     Chicken with asparagus and lemon pepper, grissini breadstick
Snack     Apple
Dinner    Spinach salad with shrimp and 2 strawberries, melba toast (broken up for "croutons"
               special vinegar dressing mix.
Snack     The other 4 strawberries

I made up a small pitcher of tea using 5 green tea bags and 3 yerba mate. I will split this between home and work.
I work from 230pm to 1030pm so I will be back to talk about how the day went. It's 1130am and I will eat around noon.

Well, the day went pretty good. Still pretty full from all the crap I ate yesterday.
But my coworker wanted my salad. It was very yummy. have a look.

Part of me wants to jump on the scale, but I will force myself not to. It's been a long day so I'm signing off until tomorrow.

Baby Steps..................

Load Day-Phase 1

Well, Today is my birthday and also my load day. How nice, right? I woke up, weighed myself. Ugh. But it had to be done.

Weight 255 lbs
Fat % 43.7
Fat weight 111 lbs (now that's just wrong)

I took my supplements and drew out the HCG (I was told to let it sit a minute to warm up, that it might sting if it's too cold) I injected the HCG and didn't feel a thing. Now on to my fatty breakfast.

I decided to make a grilled fried egg sandwich with lot's of cheese. We don't normally eat sausage or bacon, so I didn't have any on hand. hopefully all the butter and cheese made up for it. Here's a breakdown.
Grilled Fried Egg Sandwich
Bread 150cal 2 g fat 26g carbs
Butter 370 cal 40g fat 1g carbs
Eggs 175 cal 13gr fate 1g carb
Cheese 202cal 16g fat 3 g carb
Total = 934 cal 76g fat 31g carbs


That sandwich weighed heavy on my as I'm not normally a breakfast eater. Let's see what I can do for lunch.

Ran some errands and on the way home decided to Stop by Burger King.
Whopper w/ cheese
Large Onion Rings
Sweet Tea and
A Hershey Pie for dessert.

I am feeling so ill right now. That's just too much.

Here's the breakdown for Lunch

Whopper w/cheese 670cal 40g fat 51g carb
Onion Rings 410cal 21g fat 53g carb
Hershey pie 310cal 19g fat 32g carbs

Total= 1390 cal 80g fat 146g carbs

Be back later to add supper.

OMG as they say. I am filled to the top. Didn't get to dinner until late, and was still full from lunch. I had a rack of baby back ribs, some sort of apple carmel side and a side of onion strings. I was going to get dessert, but just couldn't fit in another bite. My son was egging me on to finish all the ribs as if I were in some sort of eating competition.

Tomorrow the scale will tell the tale.

Hope your day went well. Let me know about it.
The saga begins tomorrow with day one of VLCD P2-day 1. And I'm looking forward to  it.
      

I have a confession........

Okay......I know that some of you can probably relate to this. Being heavy my entire life, and yes I mean entire, I have often been the object of teasing, bullying, snide remarks and stares. I've always had mostly male friends, who adored me, but just as friends. I have been taken advantage of by men, who apparently thought that, because I was fat, I was desparate and would do anything to have them pay attention to me.
I had an experience once. I had lost a bunch of weight, again. Not thin, but much thinner and healthy. In my line of work, you talk to a coworkers on the phone. I started talking to this guy, we talked for hours, for days and weeks on end. We finally took it to the next step and met for breakfast. I was feeling good about myself, walking with a bounce in my step and a smile on my face.

We sat down and shared a few of the obligatory hey, how you doing, nice to meet you's and ordered our food. After that,  he looks at me and says, (and this will forever be burned into my memory). "You are not really visually what I had in mind for someone to date" WTF was that. The guy was okay looking, but I'm not shallow.
To his credit, his next statement was. "I guess I'm pretty shallow and should talk to someone about that" Ya think? I politely told him that it was a real shame that he would never get to experience all the wonderful things about me. His loss.
Needless to say, I didn't finish my breakfast,  I dropped a twenty on the table and walked out of the restaurant with my head held high.  But you know (and you've been there) that inside, I was crushed. I'd worked so hard, and what did it matter? I have, in the past, always been conflicted with my weight issues. I have a very rebellious streak. Part of me wanted to be thin. The other part said "screw you all, if you don't like me the way I am, F*&k Off!. But the reality is, society has painted a picture of the perfect woman (unfortunately, they are very few and very far between) Because of this, men feel that, in order to be successful at relationships, you must conform to what society says is best.

Anyway, this brings me to a little fantasy of mine. I have thought about  this for 30 years. In 1973 a movie came out called "The Girl Most Likely To" starring Stockard Channing. The film is about an unattractive young woman who gets in an accident and remakes herself. She then takes comically deadly revenge on her former enemies, tormentors, teasers, dissers and others.

Revenge is sweet and Karma rocks. Stockard Channings character in this film is my hero and I have secretly longed to get thin and well, you know.

Anyway, that's another little motivator I have in the back of my head.

My Goals

I guess this is a good time to discuss my goals for the 42 day HCG Protocol. I am currently wearing size 22 pants and 22-24 blouse. I am not expecting miracles, but I would love to be able to get down to at least a comfortable size 18. My ultimate goal....a single digit jean size. I know I will lose something. I have vowed that, as soon as a pair of pants or shirt is loose on me, it will go into a bag. When it is all said and done, all of it (except for one pair to use as a reminder) will be burned in a ceremonial fashion. 

Weight loss goal would be 35 pounds.  If I lose more.....that would be awesome.
I really am focused more on size, then weight. I have always weighed more than I looked. In this photo, I was 174 pounds, working out at a grunt gym 5 days a week and wearing a size 12.

So my focus is size, not weight. In fact, I have a pair of size 8 jeans hanging on the outside of my closet door. Just to remind me of where I want to be.

And the most important goal of all is my health. My mother and grandfather both had diabetes. I am a type 2 diabetic currently taking oral medication. Type 2 diabetes is lifestyle related and can almost always be reversed with lifestyle changes.

By reducing stress, eating heathy and moderate exercise will almost certainly reverse this condition. I have already reduced my stress by 1/3. Tomorrow I will begin the weightloss portion and during the maintenance phase, I will get back to exercising, hard.

I have found a great tracker. I have used it in the past. It's free and very easy to use. FitDay.com It tracks your foods, calories, nutrients, carbs, protein, fats, weight goals, everything. It's great. You can print your reports out to put in a binder, show your doctor, etc. check it out.

One More Day

Wanted something so much you can taste it? And I'm not talking about food. I am officially obsessed with getting this diet started. I already have potential load meals in mind. Tomorrow is my birthday so my son is taking me out to dinner. That will be easy. I think I'm going for some sort of fast food sandwich for breakfast. I will definitely be able to fit some ice cream in during the day. Lunch, not so sure. I honestly don't eat that bad on a regular basis. And I definitely dont eat large quantities. So I think I will go for high density fatty stuff. I really don't think I could eat everything on the suggested load menu without getting physically ill. I do love cheese so something cheesy for lunch. And you can bet I will get a giant piece of cheesecake after dinner.

I have my meds set out for convenience, and the scale is ready to go. I'll weigh myself daily, but will keep track of the fat percentage, and bone percentage on a weekly basis. I have a schedule book where I can keep track of days, time, foods, moods, weight, overall feeling about the diet.

My son opened the fridge door and that bottle of dressing I was mellowing fell out and broke. grrrrr.
Time to make some more of that.

Prepping for Load Day P1

I've been wondering exactly what I'm suppose to do on load day. What types of food am I supposed to eat? I hadn't a clue: Looking around the internet, I saw a few different examples. This pretty much sums up all of them. Funny, I don't eat that much now in 2-3 days. I've also read....the fattier the better.

1. Not enough fat during load days (first two days of HCG). This might explain hunger and associated crankiness during the first week of HCG low calorie phase. A good load day sample follows:

Sample Load Day


Breakfast: Cream cheese bagel with bacon and sausage, and a ham/cheese omelet.

Mid-morning snack: Donut with whipped cream with strawberries.

Lunch: Pork chop, potato with sour cream, and a roll with butter and a buttered veggie.

Mid-afternoon snack: Ice cream with Oreos.

Dinner: Fettuccini, cheese garlic bread, and salad with full-fat dressing, of course, cheesecake for dessert.

Late-night snack: Ice cream or frozen cappuccino

01/07/12

Good morning everyone. 1 day closer to new beginnings. I did realize last night, with all my self-hyping, that the HCG diet and it's principles hasn't really been explained. If you found your way to my blog, you were probably searching HCG. So today I'm going to explain exactly what it is and why it is supposed to work. Remember, this is my first time using it. So I can only comment on what it's suppose to do at this point. I'm just as curious to see what happens.

What is HCG?

HCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadatrophin. It is a glycoprotein hormone produced during pregnancy that is made by the developing embryo after conception and later by the syncytiotrophoblast (part of the placenta).
What is it supposed to do to aid in fat loss and why?

The hormone gets mixed into the blood circulation and grabs fats accumulated in different body parts. Then, it coverts these fatty substance into useful bulk energy that is a prime requirement in metabolism. Since you are on a VLCD (very low calorie diet). It forces your body to use stores of fat for energy. My doctor said that it's like working out 6 hours a day. That's why it is easy to get dehydrated and why drinking water is so important (along with flushing out fat and toxins.

The injections of Hcg hormone is great for weight loss because besides triggering metabolism it also suppress your cravings for food without making you feel weak. Since, it boosts the digestion system; you are likely to loose 1-3 pounds of weight everyday.

 This is what it says that it will do. I have been all over the internet, researching the pro's and cons. Looking at before and after photos. Visiting forums. The majority of testimonials have been positive.

The HCG Diet is not a new discovery, but was discovered in 1954 by Dr. Albert TW Simeons (1900-1970)

Dr. Simeons discovered that by administering low doses of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG), a water-soluble hormone produced by the fetus during gestation, patients actually began burning fat instead of lean muscle tissue when fed a calorie-restrictive diet.

What has been discovered since that time is that HCG is responsible for the regulation of the hypothalamus gland, which controls metabolism and the use of energy sources in the body, such as fat. While everyone is born with an abundant supply of HCG, this is often depleted by adulthood. Replacement of the HCG hormone by ingesting HCG corrects the imbalance and reprograms the hypothalamus to use fat stores during times of reduced caloric intake.

What this means, in simple terms, is that the HCG diet plan, in conjunction with controlled ingestion of HCG, is, quite literally, a cure for obesity. In many cases, the tendency of the body to store excess fat is recognized as a biological disorder, and the HCG diet plan is a treatment regimen specifically designed to cure and reverse this disorder. to read more go HERE.

Again, the above is what is SUPPOSED to happen. Only time will tell. My journey officially begins tomorrow.

01/06/12

Good morning. Hyped about getting my groceries and making some menus today. I’ve decided along with precooking the proteins, I would precook some of the vegetables too, like spinach and chard (don’t even know what chard tastes like) New day….new experiences. Only 2 more days til the start of this journey. I’ve never been so excited about something. I am determined to make this work. I’m giving 300%.Quick observation, and this really has nothing to do with the diet. But since ending my tumultuous relationship, I am sleeping like a baby. That was a real stress maker. Off for now.
I’ve just finished separating all the groceries I packed. What could be split up, was.

I individually wrapped 3.5 oz of protein, veal, chicken breast, crab, lobster, shrimp and tilapia.
I also measured and bagged, chard, cabbage, asparagus, spinach, fennel and strawberries.
I bought but didn’t separate oranges, apples, grapefruit, tomatoes and cucumber.
I bought green tea and yerba mate tea, I also bought some smooth move tea, just incase I encounter any constipation. I also bought a few more spices, truvia and some olive oil Pam for cooking.

Next, I decided to make up a standard dressing. I used apple cider vinegar, water, crushed fresh garlic cloves that I put in the bottle whole, minced onion, lemon pepper, sea salt, mustard powder, celery seed, beaumount and 1 truvia packet. I shook the whole thing and put it in the fridge. Let’s hope by Monday it is nice and mixed.

This is going to be simple. At lunchtime I will take out what I’m having for lunch and dinner, prepare both at the same time and pack my dinner for work. Easy-peasy, just take out 4 different Ziplocs and pull out 2 different fruits and breads.
The grocery store had 3 liter bottles of Zephyrhills water on sale 10 for $10. According to the instructions, I’m supposed to drink 129oz of water per day. So one of these + a sport bottle and I’m good. I know I probably drink that much now, but this will insure that I do.

At the grocery store, I bought myself some sushi for lunch. Probably my last for a while. And I so love it.
It took a while to get everything packaged up, but will save me a lot of time during the week. Below you can see the results of my effort.

01/05/12

Well, got up this am and called the dr to find out about my kit. I was told that nothing had come in but they would call me when it did and try to get me to the 4pm class. If not, probably the 8am class on Friday morning. We’ll have to see. I’m off to exchange the broken scale (hope that’s not some sort of omen). Going to hit bed, bath and beyone to see if they the Weight Watchers scale that Dr. Bardisa recommended.

A few other errands to run too. Be back later.

I got the Weight Watchers scale that was recommened by the doctor. Got it home, unwrapped it and programmed it for my fat ass. Of course, I had to step on it to make sure it worked. Ugh! It wasn’t pretty. But I have to weigh myself everyday, so it is a must.

I decided to take some photos of myself. I hate having my picture taken on a good day. But I put on a sports bra and a pair of Capri workout pants and got to work. With the camera on timer. I took pictures of my self from every angle. I uploaded the photos and viewed them. Holy Mother of God. When did I grow another pair of boobs on my back? I am a blubberous one. A phrase from the movie Full Metal Jacket came to mind. When the drill sargeant says to a recruit. "Pyle, you look like a pile of chewed bubblegum. Ugh. This adds fuel to my fire and desire to get this weight off. I often wondered why noone finds me attractive. There are a thousand wondeful things about me, but noone wants to open the ugly package. I’m beautiful on the inside. And never really thought I looked that bad on the outside. I remember growing up I was the one with the great personality (aka funny, but I wont date ya). Or people would say "You have such a pretty face", but what they mean was, you have such a pretty face, it's ashame that you're fat. All of this really strengthens my commitment to stick to this program.  I really wish I had it in me to share the photos with you, but I just can't. Perhaps at a later date I will have the strength to do that.

I am repulsed at my own body. And when I look at my face, it’s not a happy face. Stress has really taken a toll on me. I’m so glad I got out of the toxic 8 ½ year relationship that I was in and out of. I didn’t’ always look like this.

Now if I can just get my dysfunctional family and finances in order. Maybe I can fix this mess.
After I finished taking my photos and printing it out to keep everywhere in the house, the doctors office called. They said that my kit was ready and asked if I could make it to the 4pm class. After the whole picture thing, I was more than ready. I’ll be back to see what they say.
Well, I’m back. And here’s the scoop.
Medications and Supplements

In the morning
15 units of HCG
L carnitine (increase metabolism and retain muscle mass)
Glucose tolerance pill
Phentermine (appetite suppressant for the first few days)
Noon
Green tea extract pill (energy)
Night
5-htp (amino acid)


Take all my usual medications and supplements as usual.

Meal plan
　
Morning
Tea or coffee only (no sugar or milk) may use 1 truvia packet per day in total
Injection, supps and meds
Lunch and Dinner (no food for 4 hours after injection)
3.5 oz of protein
Handfull of veggies
Fruit
Melba toast or grissini breadstick
Fruit and bread can be eaten as a snack
DO NOT EAT 2 OF THE SAME THINGS DURING THE DAY

I’m not going to list all the foods, but its very lean bee, veal, chicken breast, crab, shrimp, lobster
Leafy veggies and tomato, cucumber, asparagus
Apple, orange, grapefruit, strawberry
Green tea, coffee, water (including sypho or perrier) only

Water equal to half your body weight in ounces.
That’s it in a nutshell. I have to go back on January 31^st and February 28^th for weigh-ins, measuring and blood work.
They say I can lose around 40 lbs. Maybe more because I’m so freakin’ fat and because of my blood sugar issues. Hopefully, once I get all the weight off, I won’t have to take those meds anymore.
No strenuous exercising. Call them if there are any complications.
So my first injection is this Sunday, my birthday. The first day, you are supposed to eat as much as you want, whatever you want, the fattier the better. Monday, January 9^th, I start the VLCD (very low calorie diet). Can’t wait. If I lose as much as they say, it will be such a boost and motivator.

This evening I am going to put together my grocery list. My plan is to cook a few days of protein, maybe even a weeks worth, in advance and freeze it. I also need to experiment with some sort of dressings for the raw veggies. I cannot eat them dry…aaack. Luckily, the allowed foods list include almost every spice imaginable. Along with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and olive oil Pam.
Ta-ta for now. Off to make the grocery list.

Grocery list is made, but I’m a little panicked. I cannot find my perscription. I have torn everything apart looking for it. Will have to call the doctor in the am to get another one.

Night~Night