Round 2 Phase 3 Day 11

Good morning. Feeling a bit better today. The weather is nasty and rainy. I will have to do some sort of indoor workout. I ws up until 1 am, purging. I was on a roll, but new I had a lot of things to do today, so I stopped. Plenty more to go. I am doing some serious spring cleaning.

It would be a good day to work out in the shed as it's not blistering hot with the cloud cover.

I am so relieved that I have been able to release the vacation weight so easily. I was very worried. I will continue to try to lose weight on P3. I kow that the point is to stabilize, however, I am doing another round. And as long as I eat plenty of good fats, I should have good losses on the next round.

Todays weight~~~~~~

I'll be back to update as the day moves forward.

Todays Menu

Round 2 Phase 3 Day 10

Good morning. Still feeling a little crappy from this bronchitis and not sleeping well. The antibiotics are messing with my stomach.

I am supposed to go to a funeral service this morning, however, between the coughing and stomach issues, I'm not sure I will make it.

I am about to embark on some major spring cleaning. Purging, condensing, packing. I plan on having a big yard sale so I will be putting things aside for that. I will be retiring soon and am putting my house on the market for sale. I tried it 6 months ago and didn't get very many offers. I will try again now that the market appears to be headed in a better direction. Heading to Home Depot for a sign!

I also have a few minor repairs to take care of. I also need to sell my van. I have 2 vehicles, my 1996 minivan (which has no air...aack, summer coming in Miami) and my sons Scion. I need a reliable car and since my son went into the air force and no longer wants his car, I will sell my van and just drive his car.

I'm going to do some carpet cleaning and detailing on the van and get a sign on it. No need to pay insurance on 2 vehicles.

Anyway.......let's see what the scale has to say this morning and if I am any closer to my LIDW after my fall off the wagon.

200.7~~ down 4.3 today and 9.3 in 3 days. holey schmoley.

Todays Menu

Lunch: Shrimp and cabbage w bacon
Dinner: lean boneless pork chop w onion and mushrooms, cabbage w bacon

Round 2 Phase 3 Day 9

I'm back on track, but not 100%. Went to the doctor yesterday and was diagnosed with Sinusitis and Bronchitis. I was put on antibiotics which have messed with my stomach. I ate POP yesterday, but not enough.

Still feeling lousy this morning. But need to try to move forward. I managed to walk/jog yesterday.
Not sure if I'm up to doing that this morning. Just feeling drained.

Todays weight~~~~205 down 5 from my awful lost, but still 7 lbs up from LIDW

Todays Menu

Walk  (wlked 3 miles and then mowed the grass)
Protein Shake
Roast beef lettuce wraps w blue cheese and tomato
Dinner: Orange Roughy with onions and mushrooms, avocado

Back on Track Again

Good morning. I'm getting back on track. I ot my groceries fror P3 yesterday and will be precooking some meals. Trying to eat really clean to get the "trip" weight back off. But I'm dealing with this horrible cold. It's keeping me down. Along with the pinched nerve in my neck. grrrr. Hate feeling like crap.

Definitely going to see the doctor today.

Menu

Walk/jog 5 miles
Protein Shake
Lunch-Roast beef lettuce wraps with blue cheese and sun dried tomatoes
Snack-macadamia nuts
Dinner-curried shrimp, avocado
Snack- smoked gouda

Need to eat more veggies, but with this illness right now, I'm lucky I got that food in me. Lots of fluids though.

Round 2 phase 3 Day 7

Good Morning. I'm back on the wagon and on track today. I did a detox cleanse yesterday and now I am back in the groove. It was actually nice to hydrate. I had to hold off on liquids during my trip, so I now I drank at least a gallon and a half yesterday. I seemed to have brought home a nasty cold from Texas. I think I will call the doc today and try to nip this in the bud. It's all in my chest and head. I took nyquil last night and feel like I have medicine head. ugh. I can't let it get me down though.

I will try to walk today, but not sure I can push it as hard as I want. I also have the pancake size blisters on my feet from walking all over Lackland Air Force Base and downtown San Antonio. I also need to hit the grocery store for some P3 foods. I started P3 the day I left for San Antonio, so didn't want to buy groceries before I left. I'm looking forward to my avocado and cheese!

I finally got my luggage around 9pm last night. At least I got it.

I am afraid to get on the scale this morning. I am positive that my trip did some damage and set me back. I will just try to eat as clean as possible for the next 3 weeks.

So let's not put this off any more....Todays weight ~~~~~ 210

OH MY GOD.....I ganed 12 lbs in 6 days. Son of a bitch. Well....I'm not really surprised.

Here's a list of what I ate (as well as I can remember)

Wednesday
Cobb salad wrap (airport)
Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravey, fried apples (Cracker Barrel)

Thursday
Muffin, milk, apple (hotel)
Popeyes 3 piece dinner w/ mashed potatoes and gravey, cheesecake (on base)

Friday
Muffin, 2 mini cinnamon rolls, apple
Cheese biscuits, stuffed flounder, cole slaw (Red Lobster)
Popcorn (at the game)
Ice cream sundae (Baskin Robbins)

Saturday
Muffin, apple (hotel)
Breakfast burrito, hash browns, oj (Burger King)
Pulled Pork, watermelon, cole slaw (Seaworld)
Fried Calamari, stuffed artichokes, shrimp in butter sauce, bread w olive oil (Paisanos on Riverwalk)

Sunday
Muffin (hotel)
Breakfast Croissant hash browns, oj (Burger King)
Hamburger Onion rings, snow cone (Fudruckers downtown)
1/2 5" chocolate chip cookie
Kobe bacon cheeseburger w sweet potato fries Cranberry Muffin(airport)

WOW......99% of everything I ate was NOT on protocol. Crap. I need better control.

I did manage to get a 4.7 mile walk in today, but my head is stuffy. And my knee hurts. Going to wrap it up.
Groceries bought and will be making cauliflower pizza crust later.

Menu
Lunch: roast beef and tomato lettuce wraps.
Dinner: salmon with asparagus

HCG Diet Phase 3 Day 22

Good Morning folks. It's Thursday, day 22 of Phase 3 on my hcg journey. I'm getting very excited to start Round 2. I have decided that I am going to do a 1 1/2 day load. I will start tomorrow evening with dinner. My doctor only recommends a 1 day load. But I had a very hard time on my first load eating enough. So I will start it a little early. (experimental). I have read in most forums and facebook pages, that people are doing 2-3 day loads. The theory is, the better you load, the better you lose. So I will modify slightly and see what my results will be.

I have been able to maintain my weight during P3 (albeit well below LDW) but still consistant.
Today I am 4.2 below, However...I am feeling like I have some water retention and the water % on the scale reflects that too.

It's going to be hard work in the yard this morning. I have alot of cutting down to do. So no "formal" exercise today, but I'm sure I bill burn up some cals.

Menu for the day
Breakfast: 1 whole egg, 3 egg whites and cheddar
Snack: protein shake
Lunch: Chicken, avocado, apple salad, walnut salad on lettuce
Sanck:
Dinner Salmon and summer squash
Snack:

Phase 3 Day 20

Good morning followers. It is Day 20 of phase 3. Only 4 more days and then I will start Round 2.
I'm feeling a little sore today from Sundays weight training and yesterdays 6.6 mile walk. I think I will let my body rest today. In addition, I haven't been sleeping well. Last night, I took a swig of NyQui. I slept well, but still feel like I have a bit of a medicine hangover. I hope that the alcohol and sugar in the medication doesn't affect me negatively. But I had to do it. The lack of sleep was really catching up to me. Today I am going to spend  in the kitchen, cooking up some meals. I bought some 2 sided freezer/micro storage containers. For the next round, I am going to pre-cook my dinners. I work in the evenings, and I just think it will be easier than getting up and cooking 2 meals.

Right now, I am trying to cook only with P3 allowable foods, so that they will be gone before Sunday. Outta sight, outta mind. If there is anything left on Sunday, my brother will be getting another grocery bag of food.

I've been so obsessed with the diet, that my jewelry making business has taken a back seat. I also have the issue of my son being in Basic Military Training. I secured all my travel, lodging and car rental reservations for the weekend on April 11th-15th. I've timed my rounds so that I will be out there on P3. Much, much easier to eat out.

So now lets go see what the scale says:: 213lbs..that means I am up .5 and still 6.8 below LDW


Todays Menu

Breakfast: protein shake
Snack:
Lunch: Egg and tuna salad over lettuce with avocado dressed with lemon juice and olive oil
Snack: Pear
Dinner: Asian sesame salmon with mock loaded mashed potatoes (mashed cauliflower, butter, cheddar, bacon bits and sour cream
Snack: Fage with strawberries

Working Out and Building Lean Muscle During Phase 3

I've decided that, along with the cardio that I have been doing (race walking, bike riding and elliptical machine) , that I am going to lift some light weights. Strength training is benifical in many ways.

Strength Training: The Benefits

1. Strength training protects bone health and muscle mass. you begin to lose about 1 percent of your bone and muscle strength every year. "One of the best ways to stop, prevent, and even reverse bone and muscle loss is to add strength training

2. Strength training makes you stronger and fitter. Strength training is also called resistance training because it involves strengthening and toning your muscles by contracting them against a resisting force

3. Strength training translates to more calories burned. strength training can boost your metabolism by 15 percent

4. Strength training helps you develop better body mechanics.  Your balance and coordination will improve, as will your posture. More importantly, if you have poor flexibility and balance

5. Strength training plays a role in disease prevention. strength training along with other healthy lifestyle changes can help improve glucose control.

6. Strength training boosts energy levels and improves your mood.  elevate your level of endorphins (natural opiates produced by the brain), which will make you feel great.

It has been proven that the more lean muscle mass you have, the longer and higher your rate of calorie burn.

I will be starting P2 on the 17th. If I have more muscle mass, I should be able to lose more on the VLCD.

Muscles need time to recover, so I will be doing weights on alternate days. Nothing heavy, just light weights for some toning and building.

I treated myself to a new bench today. I already had all the dumbbells, resistance band, weighted bar and kettlebells.

My coworker, who is also a personal trainer, made me a great circuit routine that basically works the entire body in one day. You do 3 rounds of 16 different exercises. 1 minute rest between exercises.  It's very tough, I've done it before and it is very effective.

I will just have to equalize my calories in and calories out while on the rest of phase 3. I may even workout on P2 and supplement the 500 cals with a good protein shake.

Phase 3 Day 18 HCG Diet

My weight this am:

The past couple of days, I haven't really felt like eating. I've pretty much had to force myself to eat, and even then, it was something dense and small with high protein/good fat content.

I've really messed myself up with the sleep thing. Here it is. 3:30 am and I'm up again. Must have been the nap I took yesterday. This is really frustrating. Tonight I feel I am going to need some pharmaceutical support. (wink) And with the time change, it's going to be darker, later this morning so I can't even get out and do the work in the yard that needs to be done. I have 30 bags of mulch to spread. I suppose I will get a few inside chores done, along with a few orders rom my jewelry supply shop. Would love to be able to ride the bike at some point today. I laid out in the sun for a bit yesterday. It was nice to get some color on me. Might do that again today. I could use a haircut, but don't know if my girl will be there today.

Last night I made the most delicious vegetable side dish to go with my dinner.

An eggplant lasagna to hav with my london broil.

1 eggplant, slice 1/4" thick rounds 

1 sm can tomato sauce (no sugar added)

1/2 15oz container of Ricotta Cheese

1 whole egg (beaten)...

 minced garlic

Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning

Mozzarella cheese (shredded)

1 pkt stevia Mix together sauce and stevia (set aside)

Mix together egg, ricotta, garlic and seasoning

 Layer sauce, eggplant, ricotta mixture (in that order) evenly, until the ingredients are gone

I used a loaf pan....

Bake at 350 for 40 mins, top with shredded mozzarella and continue baking until cheese is melted.

  I'd say it makes 3 servings Enjoy!

The new puppy is acclimating well. And my dog Chowder is accepting her without an issue.

Need to go get a doggie gate some time today. Trying to stay close to home this weekend, as I don't know what she may do when I turn my back....hahahha

Not sure what's on the menu. Haven't woken up my appetite. So nothing sounds good right now. I'm actually looking forward to eatin LESS starting next week.

Okay, then menu for the day

Breakfast: protein shake

Heavy Yardwork

Snack: Cantaloupe and cheese stick

More Heavy Yardwork

Lunch: tuna (solid white albacore in water) and egg salad (2eggs)(made with dukes mayo) on a bed of shredded lettuce, with avocado slices dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

Snack: Pork Cracklings

Dinner: baked salmon with eggplant lasagna

Snack: fage yogurt smoothie w/ strawberries, chocolate stevia and 1 scoop of protein powder

P3 Day 17

Good morning. It's 4am. Yes I know, too early. But yesterday, my days of ineffective sleep finally caught up with me. I taught a class yesterday, battle traffic coming home. I was so exhausted. I ate something quick and layed down to rest, fell asleep at 730pm. Woke up at 330. This is probably going to mess me up today, but I actually got 8 hours of sleep. That hasn't happened in a while. My body just finally gave in.

I'm sipping on warm lemon water right now. I will get some little things done around the house this morning, while waiting for the sun to rise. Then I will be off to the park for a walk. I had to change up my menu yesterday. I wasn't really hungry when I got home, but knew that I needed to eat. I find myself eating all day. Snacking on healthy small high protein snacks.

Let's see what this morning brings on the scale. Well, I am up .2lbs and still 6.9 pounds under lidw. I will weigh after a bit since it's so early. After my walk, I am going to go get my new puppy. Later, I have some bigger chores to tackle.

One more week to reload for round 2. I have a goal of 20 lbs in the next round. (If I can lose more, that would be a bonus).

I need to take some more photos of myself and write a testamonial for my doctor. She is very pleased with my success. I've ordered my supplies for the next round and should have them by Wednesday next week.

I walked 5.23 miles today and it was hot. I really need to start working on some ab exercises. I always shy away from them because crunches and leg lifts hurt my back. I bought a "Bender Ball" and it came with a couple of DVDs. We'll see if that makes a difference with my back.

Menu for the day:
Snack: 1/2 apple
Walk
Lunch: Protein Shake
Snack: Canteloupe and mozz cheese
Dinner: london broil and eggplant lasagna
Snack: shake and some chocolate walnut delight


See...not really eating much

Exercising On Phase 3

The HCG diet protocal recommends that youDO NOT exercise on phase 2 of the diet. There are 2 reasons for this.
1) Even though the hcg hormone is releasing fat to be used by your body for energy, in additon to the 500 calories restriction, you are limited in your protein intake. So you may lose muscle. Or, your body may go into starvation mode and will hold on to every bit of weight for fear that it won't hav enough nourishment. They do allow for a brisk 20 minute walk
2) building muscle can cause water retention, so this can skew your weightloss results.

I did manage to walk quite a bit in P2 and I also used my elliptical machine. But I lowered the ramp and resistance to 1 and kept the pace slow.

I have to admit, that I was chomping at the bit to workout while I was losing weight. But I held off.

Now Phase 3 is a different story. Once I hit day one of Phase 3, I was working out. Mostly cardio with a few strength training and ab exercises. I have progressively increased by workouts. Walking at the park an avery of 4.5-6 miles. Riding my bike or working out on the elliptical machine.

This week I am adding some weights. The premise behind this (and its experimental for me) is that muscle burns more calories than fat. The more lean muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolism is. I'm hoping this holds true for the next phase 2.

I'm not talking about bulking up with heavy weights, just light toning weight training.  Once P2 comes along again, I will reduce the weights and continue with the cardio.

I have a variety of equipment at my disposal at home.

An elliptical machine
A bicycle
My own two legs for walking
Dumbbells
Kettle Bells
Bender Ball
Bands

The only purchase I need to make (and I will do that this weekend) is a simple weight bench. Not completely necessary, however, I can get a greater range of motion on my exercises with it.

Abs are really my focus. I was being unrealistic in that I thought my belly would shrink faster than the rest of me. But I am losing weight proportionately across the board. So when I look in the mirror, the belly is still big in comparison to the rest of me. I focus the least on my abs. And lord knows they need work.

After 2 c sections and another abdominal surgery, my abs are weak and unworked. I really need to focus on them. I've been on the prowl on the web for the best and most effective ab exercises. Plnks seem the way to go.  They start tomorrow.

Phase 3 Day 16

Good morning folks. Another sleepless night for me. I'm really not sure why I'm not sleeping well. I wear myself out during the day. yesterday I was Up at 445 for a day shift, so I should have slept well last night. No go. Up at 430 this morning. Funny thing is, I'm wide a wake. Not groggy or anything.

I know that sleep can affect weight loss and I don't want my lack of it to affect mine.

Well it didn't affect my weight. But I lost another 2.5 lbs. That puts me 7.1 pound BELOW LIDW. What the heck is going on. I'm flippin eating all day. This is when I'm NOT SUPPOSED TO LOSE ANY MORE weight. grrrrr. I will try to add more calories.

After my work shift yesterday, my plan was to hit the grocery store, then come home and change and hit the park for a walk. The weather was not on my side, so I was going to go for plan be and hop on the elliptical machine. However, after I got home an put the groceries away, I scanned the house and new I needed to get some things done around here. So there was laundry, cleaning the patio, washing both cars, replacing flood lights, little things like that. Plus I prepped another pan of cauliflower pizza crust and some more parmesean crisps. Next thing I know, I'm sitting down to eat at 7:30.

So no official exercise yesterday, but lots of activity.

Right now, I am roasting some macadamia nuts that I bought at whole foods. I only have 8 more days of Round 1 Phase 3 left. March 17th I will load for round 2. I am anxious about getting some more weight off.

I need to really try to up my calories overthe next week and a half, without gaining weight. This will make the next P2 more successful when I go back to VLCD.  Besides, I need to eat up all the perishable P3 foods before the 18th (R1P2D0) so that they are not calling my name during P2.

I have to teach a class at our headquarters building today from 10am until 4:30pm. P3 makes it easier to eat in the cafeteria. They have fairly healthy foods and a delicious salad bar. It's all about choices.

I am really getting the hang of P3 eating. I really do not miss the starches as much as I thought I would. Having a great time coming up with P3 friendly recipes. The other night, I made a family favorite, Picadillo. P3 friendly all along.

I have a flank steak marinating for dinner tonight. But here is the tentative menu for today

Breakfast: protein shake
Work out on the elliptical for 35 min. 400 cals burned
Snack after workout. (boiled egg (1 whole, 2 whites) and avocado (1/3) over shredded lettuce
Snack: Apple, cheese stick
Lunch: Salade with chicken breast (bacon, egg, cucumber, mushroom, vinegarette, black olives
Snack: macadamia nuts
Dinner: cauliflower pizza (onion, green pepper mozzarella toppings, avocado, egg

Not sure if I will have time to workout today.  :(

Phase 3 Day 15

I'm tired. Worked last night until 11pm and I'm back up at 445am to work the day shift today. I only had about 4 hours of sleep. I'm groggy and cranky with a little bit of a headache.

I'm just hoping that my shift goes by quickly. After work, I plan on a walk at the park (if the weather cooperates) It drizzled all night and has continued to by windy. There is always the elliptical machine if the weather fails. The weather channel says 30% chance of rain and 17mph winds. Definitely no bike riding. Had a small (well big) hiccup in the stress department, but that has been resolved.

I might be getting a new pet. A small rescue dog, that I have already named Chewey because she looks like a baby Chewbacca....Here she is:

I am waiting until my days off to pick her up so that I can give full attention to her. I miss my son, and I think that I am trying to fill that void. Better with a puppy than a pint of Haagan Daaz!

Sipping a protein shake before I jump in the shower.

Todays scale results~~ up .5lb -4.7 LIDW

Breakfast: protein shake

Snack: apple with almond butter

Lunch: picadillo on a bed of lettuce

Snack: Fage w/ raspberries

Dinner: Sauteed Spicy shrimp over a bed of shredded lettuce, avocado, onion, tomatoe and a grated har boiled egg. 2 parmesean crisps

Phase 3 Day 13

It's a good morning. But it will be a busy one. Lot's of house stuff to do, beginning with mowing the yard. A horrible wind storm shredded my patio canopy (It was on it's last leg anyway). So I need to purchase a new one. I'm still waiting on my 30 bags of mulch to be delivered so that I can spread that.

Some domestic duties are on the to-do list also. Then I'm off to work.

Speaking of work, I am reading in a lot of posts on HCG Facebook pages of folks struggling in the evenings. One girl even said that "she feels like chewing her arm off:. I tried to think back and remember if I had that feeling. Nope, never did. But I realize that ZI don't experience that because I work 2nd shift, 230pm to 1030pm. Work is busy (Fire/Rescue Deispatcher) so I guess I just don't have time to think about being hungry or being bored and wanting to eat. So this shift is really a godsend for me. Besides, I am able to get a good workout in the mornings, because I'm not tired from working all day. So if you feel "hungry" or just think you are hungry but are really just bored, find something to do!

Now on to todays scale results. Drumroll Please!
Aaaaaack! I actually LOST 2.4 lbs, putting me 4.6 BELOW my LIDW. Yikes! I can't believe I need to eat MORE.

Now I have heard different trains of thought on continuing to lose weight on P3. Some say.....don't do it because you wont stabilize correctly, but I'm really not trying to stabilize at this weight. I am eating pleanty of calories so that the next round of VLCD will create as deficit.

The second train of thought is, you can continue to lose weight in P3 IF AND ONLY IF YOU PLAN ON DOING ADDITIONAL ROUNDS, WHICH I DO. This is okay as long as you are really upping your calories. So I'm not going to worry about it too awful much.

I'm working out pretty hard. My only fear is that when I go back on P2, that if I don't exercise like I am now, that the weight will not come off as easily.
We'll just have to see. I get really disturbed when people believe that every single body is the same. We all burn and metabolize at different rates. Different foods affect different people in different ways.

It's all about knowing your own body and what works for you. I have a gluten sensativity. Borderline Celiac. Eating wheat wont kill me, but it sure does make me uncomfortable.

Okay...gotta run. Busy day. Heres todays menue.

Breakfast: Protein shake
Lunch: Pan seared bay scallops over a bed of shredded lettuce with avocado, grated egg whites, tomatos, and crumbled bacon, the dressing was dukes mayo, vinegar, packet of truvia and the pan drippings from the scallops. OMG, it was delicious
Dinner: Salmon and green beans with almonds
Snack: Protein shake.

Halfway though Round 1 Phase 3 and Holding Steady

Good morning. It's day 12 of Phase 3 on the HCG diet protocal. Down .8 lbs, 2.1 lbs below LIDW. I'm halfway through this phase and frankly cant wait to get round 2 started. I'm working out hard, so I hope that, after Phase 3, I am left with more muscle mass. More muscle mass burns more calories. So I am betting that round 2 will be a little bit better.

My kayaking adventure yesterday was a bust. I woke up in the am and it was quite windy with a forecast of thunderstorms mid-day. I wasn't too worried about it so I collected my things and was ready to go. Then I got a call from the person I was suppose to go with. Too much birthday celebration for her and she was paying for it. She cancelled on me. So ther I sat ready to go. What to do? Well, I dressed for walking, but took along kayaking clothes. I headed over to the park anyway. By myself. I got to the kayak rental and they said that it was too windy and that the wind was also blowing in a bad direction. Meaning that it would be pushing me away from shore and getting back would be a bitch.

So I am glad I had plan B. I grasbbed my ipod and water and took off walking. This is a very old beautiful park.

I did 4.7 miles when that thunderstorm finally came through. The sky completely opened up.

No worries, I'd already gotten quite a workout. Left there and went to Whole Foods to pick up a few groceries.

I have to make sure that I concentrate my menus on P3 only foods. I don't really want any P3 leftovers in the ridge when I start round 2 on the 17th.

I am really anxious to start. I leave for my sons Basic Military Training Graduation on April 11th. I've got it timed so that R2P3 starts on that day. I figure that it will be easier to do P3 out of town than P2. I will be gone for 5 days. I will do 3-4 weeks of P3 after that and then a scond short round.

My goal.......to lose an additional 20-25 lbs by the time I go to see my son graduate. That will be a total of 60 lbs and will put me under 200lb (hven't seen that in about 9 years)

Hoping to make myself and my son proud.

I'm off to walk at the neighborhood park, another beautiful place to walk and closer to home.

It's a little chilly this morning so warming up will be very important. Even with the chill in the air, I was able to walk 6.15 miles

Todays Menu:

Breakfast: skipped (I know, bad)

Lunch: Protein shake and a salad made with lettuce, avocado, tomato, onion, w/ olive oil and lemon juice

Snack: Apple w almond butter

Dinner: lean boneless pork chops, 170g with grilled onion. Spinach cooked with 1 slice bacon

Snack: Fage yogurt

Good Morning. I'm up at 5am again. I'm not sure whay this is happening. I busted my behind in the yard yesterday for about 4 hours. Raking, bagging, mowing. You'd think I would have slept like a baby. I'm going to have to talk to my doctor about this. I know that good sleep is important to your weight and overall well being.

My plans today, if the weather cooperates, is to go Kayaking with one of my friends. However, the forecast for the day shows thunderstorms and an 80% chance of rain. grrrrr. I've really been looking forward to it. I think it will be a great upper body workout too!. If it rains and the kayaking is cancelled, the bike will be out (it's supposed to be windy) I guess I will be on the elliptical machine today and do some weight training.

I found a recipe for carrot bars but didn't want to use carrots, so I used organic unsweetened coconut flakes. I used cocoa powder instead of the cinnamon called for in the recipe. They came out all right and kinda feel like I'm eating a brownie. (wished I'd used more cocoa and less coconut though.) But it was a nice treat.

I am maintaning my weight within the allowable limits. +/- 2lb from my LIDW of 219.8. This morning I am  218.5, up 1.5 but still 1.3 below LIDW

But I am looking forward to starting my next round on March 17th.

Menu for the day

Breakfast:egg salad
Snack: cheese stick and canteloupe
Lunch: salmon mushrooms
Snack: fake coconut brownie
Dinner: sauteed seafood mix on bed of lettuce and avocado, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil
Snack: Cheese stick

Chugging Along

Phase 3 Day 10. I'm moving along in phase 3. Down .7 this morning,  1.7lb below LIDW. Still within the 4 lb window. Getting easier every day, but I really can't wait to start round 2. This business of not being able to lose weight is killing me. It's like slamming on the brakes. You're losing weight, on a roll and the momentum is in full swing and then all of a sudden. BAM! The brakes are forced to be put on.

I understand the reasoning. The purpose of phase 3, or stabilization, is to reset the hypothamus. Meaning that you are trying to convince the hypothalmus that your weight after phase 2, is your "normal" weight.

It's just very frustrating. I mean, I never thought that I would be so damn ready to go back to a VLCD and only eat 500 calories a day. Maybe that's part of the psychological aspect of the diet. I read the forums and facebook pages and everyone feels the same way. Ready to jump back in to phase 2 and keep losing.

March 17th I load for my next round. woohoo!

I have a busy day today. Errands, housework and lots of yardwork. I will also try to get a bike ride in or work out on the elliptical.

Menu for the day

Breakfast: Egg Salad (1 whole egg, 4 egg white, dukes mayo, 4 chopped green olives
Snack: Grapefruit
Lunch: protein shake(isopure protein powder, coconut milk, cocnut oil, chocolate stevia)
Sanck: Apple with gouda cheese
Dinner: lean boneless pork chop, spaghetti squash
Snack: fage yogurt

Phase 3 Day 9

Well. I am day 9 into phase 3 on the HCG Diet Protocol. I have remained within the 2 lb +/- window of my last injection day weight. I was up .1 today. I am beginning to get comfortable with my meal planning and am enjoying new combinations of foods.

I have also started incorporating a lot of exercise into my day. Today I walked 5.3 miles at the park. Very quick pace and always swinging my arms. I stop at the fitness spot and do crunches, reverse crunches and push ups. Further into the walk, I do Step ups on an 18" step, 2 sets of 10 on each leg and 1 set of 10 on each leg on the 24" step. I also walk up and down a ramp and stairs on an elevated platform. I do this everytime I make a round. Half of my walk is on a paved walking path and the other half in on a natural ground.

Other days, I will ride my mountain bike or hop on my elliptical machine for 45 minutes.

I am really enjoying working out.

I have developed a pretty serious rash on my arms and legs. Not related at all to the diet (I'm no longer taking the HCG) I self-treated for a few days with no relief. The doctor seems to think I came in contact with something. So she has put me on Steroids. I just hope that they don't affect my diet.

Menu for the day

Breakfast: Protein shake w coconut milk, isopure protein powder, 1 tsp of coconut oil and chocolate stevia

Lunch: Cajun BBQ shrimp and avocado over a bed of angel hair cabbage (I use the cabbage instead of lettuce, it has mor crunch and is more nutritious) I used olive oil and fresh lemon juice as a dressing.

Dinner: Porterhouse steak and onions sauteed in Irish garlic butter and spaghetti squash

Snack: apple with fage yogurt

Fat                        50%) Carbs                        16%) Protein                        34%) Alcohol                        0%)

Phase 3 Day 7 Menu

Well I am going to go for a walk and see how far I can go. Back and did 3.51 miles in 7448 steps.

Todays Menu:

Breakfast: Egg omelet (1whole egg, 3 egg white, handful of spinach, 2tbsp gouda, 1 tbsp chopped black olives
Post workout: Protein shake
Lunch:  didn't eat luch because my protein shake was too late.
Snack: Pear almond butter
Dinner: Steak fajita salad

Happy Leap Year

Happy Hump Day and Happy Leap Year. Phase 3 Day 7. I have a confession to make. I didn't exactly stick to yesterdays menu. I didn't eat anything I wasn't supposed to, except for maybe the cocktail sauce, but I have no idea how many calories I had. I am still in stabilization mode so the scale will tell me where I am at.

The verdict is in.

We had a retirement party at work for one of my co-workers. There were sooo many kibbles.  This was a true test of willpower. The temptation was everywhere. Once everything was set up, I surveryed the room for what I could and couldn't have. After 7 weeks on the protocal and following the basic premise of the diet which is NO SIMPLE CARBS, I was able to easily identify the good and the bad. If I had a question about what was in it, I asked whoever made it.

The only other thing I may have gone overboard with was the sodium. But I just kept drinking water.

Below is a list of what was available to eat. The bold and underlined foods are what I had. I also listed the reasons why I didn't choose the other foods. I did take along my wasa cracker, just incase I wanted it for dipping.

Meatballs (no because of the grape jelly and chile sauce)
BBQ chicken wings (NO because of the bbq sauce)
Grilled chicken wings
Fried chicken wings (NO because of the breading)
Buffalo style chicken dip (cream cheese, chicken, blue cheese and franks hot sauce)
Veggie tray with ranch dip and dill dip (no ranch because of the sugar)(no carrots)
Spicy mango chutney cream chees spread (NO because of the mango preserves)
Crab and cream cheese spread (crab, cocktail sauce and cream cheese)
Hot artichoke dip (artichoke, dukes mayo, parmesean cheese)
Spinach dip bread bowl (NO because of the bread and sugar in the soup mix)
Shrimp dip ( shrimp, cream cheese, callions, green peppers, mozzarella cheese)
Crackers (NO carbs)
Chips (NO carbs)
Rum Cake (NO obvious) but t was calling my name
Key Lime Pie (NO obvious)
Sodas (NO )
Tuna Macaroni salad (NO pasta)

I believe i made the best choices, I probably shouldn't have eaten the cocktail sauce, but it was a miniscule amount.

I will see what the scale says in the next few days.