Starting over on HCG

Well. I thought I wanted to keep going on P3, but I really am getting frustrated about the scale not moving. I know that I am building muscle and that's a good thing. But I find that, because I am working out so much, I am hungry. Not a problem except that I have be satisfying that hunger on whatever was available. Yesterday, not only did I eat a storebought prepackaged muffin, but I ate 2 of them.

I'm still not sleeping well. Not sure if it's my body or my bed. I'm heading out sometime this week to get a board for under the mattress. I feel like the bed is sagging a bit. Hopefully that will help because I really can't afford a new mattress set right now.

Anyway, back to the diet.

My new plan

Wakeup
HCG Injection
Breakfast
Fruit and 2 egg whites
Supplements
Post workout
Shake
Lunch
Protein grilled on a salad, vegetable
Before Work
HCG Drops
Snack
Veggie
Dinner
Protein and a vegetable
Supplements
Snack
Apple
Bedtime
Synthroid
5htp

I'm really going to challenge myself to stay POP (perfectly on protocal) I really need to find some snacks. or, eat a small salad when I'm feeling hungry.

I'm also going to try (try being the operative word) to ease up on my workouts. I noticed yesterday, that my body is feeling tired and weak. I need a bit of a break. I think it's just the heat and humidity here in Miami. I may do my workouts on the elliptical machine in the house. I also need to buy some electrolyte tablets to add to my water.

Anyway, time to mentally regroup and get back in gear. Here's to me!

Sleepless Nights on Phase 2

Here we go again. A recurring theme in phase 2 of the hcg diet. I can't sleep. I'm not sure why this happens. You would think that walking 5 miles would tire me out. Nope. This happened in round 1 also. I don't know if its the B12 in the injections or not. But I know that lack of sleep can affect your losses. maybe I drink coffee too late. Maybe it's the prescribed appetite suppressant. Whatever the cause, I need to find a solution. I don't mind waking up early, but, the fact that I work until 11, makes it rough when about 8pm comes along. I have RX sleep aids, but if I take it, then don't get enough sleep, I feel like I have a hangover. sheess.

We'll see what the scale says this morning. I'm hoping to have, at least, released all of my load weight.

I need to mow the front yard this morning. Maybe cut a few more branches before they come to haul off the massive pile in the front.

Back to work today. 1st day back on Phase 2 (VLCD). There are so many temptations at work. I just keep saying to myself.....

I AM WORTH IT AND

THE ONLY ONE CHEATING HURTS IS ME!

So here's what the scale says this morning~~~~drumroll please!

R2P2D2 down~~~2.4 for a total of 6 this round.

Menu for the day:

Mow yard

Shake

Lunch shrimp & roasted asparagus

Snack: orange

Dinner: Meatballs and brussel sprouts

snack: apple

HCG Diet Round 2, Phase 2, Day 1

Well, it's officially day one of phase 2. I've done 1 full day of VLCD and wondering what the scale will say this morning. I was kind of tired yesterday, but that could be a combination of things. I didn't sleep well night before last, I walked 5.67 miles, the VLCD and the injections.

I'm up this am at 4:30. Here we go again. After my loading days where I felt completely nauseous. I am feeling "lighter". I probably spent more time in the bathroom over the last 48 hours than I will in the next 3 weeks.

It's raining, so I'm not sure of a walk today. But I will do the elliptical machine if nothing else. I ordered 10 minute trainer yesterday and can't wait until I get that. I just happened to be looking through my dvds yesterday for a movie to watch and found my tae bo and core dance training videos. I might have to try one of those. I'll just push the coffee table aside and get to work.

I also have some general housecleaning to do around here before going to work at 2pm.

let's get this weigh in going: R2P2D1~~~~216.9  down 3.6 from load weight.

Menu for the day:

am: coffee
Workout: walked 4.96 miles, 10,503 steps
Post workout shake
Lunch: fajita salad (roast beef, onion, fajita seasoning, lettuce/tomato)
Snack: apple
Dinner: tilapia and cabbage

Feeling really tired today. Thinking that I may need to cut back on the walking a little bit.  I need to head to whole foods for some additional supplies.

Round 2 Phase 2~~ Here We Go!

R1P2D0- It's finally here. After a 2 days of eating crap and feeling the same, I have never been more anxious to begin the VLCD (very low calorie diet) phase of the protocol.

I suffered some pretty serious stomach issues after the two days of loading. My stomach sounds like the sound track from Juraissic Park Once again, my fingers feel like sausages and spent more than my fair share of time in the bathroom. (which continues on this morning) Worse than that, I just feel like crap, sluggish, bloated, puffy, foggy. I don't like it.

I am very ready to start this.

My offical weight is 220.5, so I gained 6 lbs on the load****. aaaaaccck. Let's see if the 2 day load works any better than the 1 day.

*****I have been working very hard in the yard for the last 3 days, heavy lifting and such. Part of this load weight might possibly be muscle.

I will be walking today and haven't quite decided the menu.

Snack: 1/2 grapefruit
Workout~~Walked 5.67 miles 12, 016 steps
Post workout: protein shake (powder, water, stevia)
Lunch: roast beef lettuce wraps
Snack: apple
Dinner:shrimp and 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:

Stall~~~~~~~~~~

Grrrr. This is the most frustrating part of this diet. Up~~Down~~Up~~Down.

Seems I've put the brakes on today. Same weight as yesterday, 221.4. I only have 3 days left of HCG injections and 6 days of VLCD. I am really wanting to get to my goal of 36 pounds lost in this, my first, round. C'mon it's only 1.4 lbs. This makes me want to starve myself for the next 5 days. But I know that I can't Grrrr

I'm not going to stress too much. I did work out kind of hard yesterday. Hopefully it is water.

I'm still trying to cope with the fact that my son is gone. Even though he can be an ungrateful thing, I miss him dearly. At least I have his address now and can flood him with mail. I am trying to write him and send cards every day.

Today I have errands and chores to do. Lots of them. One of them is to get my sons mountain bike to the shop and have it repaired into working condition. It's been sitting for a while. I have a co-worker that I want to start riding with on different trails. Man-made of course. Miami is flat as a pancake.

Then to clean my sons room. It looks like a disaster area. Clothes everywhere. I don't know what's washed or not. So, I'm just going to wash everything. This should take a few hours. Maybe burn off some extra calories.

I'm hoping that the scale tomorrow will reward all my hard work today. I am totally POP (perfectly on protocal) and I know that I have downed over a gallon of water today.

If you are reading this.....please send good ju-ju my way.

The menu for the day...

Lunch: beef and onion fajita salad with salsa

Snack: apple drizzled with english toffee stevia and cinnamon (tastes like a caramel apple, yum)

Dinner: Blackened shrimp grilled in the Foreman, roasted asparagus with lemon pepper

Day 38 and Trying to Recover

It's Day 38th of the HCG diet. I have 8 more days of the VLCD to go. Then on to maintenance. I am still trying to recover from my swerve off protocal 2 days ago. They say it takes 2 days for your body to "own"a loss or gain. So, if my cheating is going to show, it will be today. Needless to say, I am not so anxious to get on the scale.

I slept okay last night (with the help of sleeping pills). I am still emotional about my sons leaving. He finally go to the AF Base late yesterday evening. I'm sure hes more exhausted than I. It is going to be a big physical and emotional adjustment for both of us.

Now I sit on pins and needles waiting for the phone call with his address. I cant wait to start writing him.

On to diet related stuff. I have a funeral at 11am then work at 2. Trying to figure out when to fit my lunch in. If I have to, I will take a lunch box. Definitely eat a fruit before I go. Made that mistake once and ended up eating PB crackers so I didn't pass out.

The menu for the day. In no particular order.

Orange roughy, spinach
Shrimp, brussel sprouts
Veal Steak

i know. That's a horrible menu.

Tomorrow will be a better day. I finally got the call from my son. Feeling less stressful right now.

I Messed Up

Okay, so here's how the day went yesterday. I had some eggwhites and spinach and a wasa cracker for breakfast and then went for a walk. I left for Key Largo at 2 and arrived at 3. Beautiful day with beautiful people. This was a reunion of old school dispatchers, some retired and some on the verge. But it all revolved around my good friend Marlene who has been battling cancer for 3 years now. It was wonderful to see old friends and to experience the love that everyone feels for Marlene.

Me and Marlene (the strongest woman I know)

This get together was at a place called Gilberts. Beautiful spot on the water. Giant Tikki hut. Mellow Keys style music from a 3 piece band. And lots of beer, burgers, seafood and my favorite Conch Fritters (I'm part island girl, my grandpas from the Bahamas).

Anywho........I had taken my trusty water bottle and that's all I drank. I knew that I needed to eat something, but what. The ONLY thing that had that was on protocal was shrimp cocktail. So I ordered that and ditched the cocktail sauce, opting for hot sauce and lemon juice. It wasn't much, only 6 med size shrimp. And they had no veggies. At least I had some protein in my belly.

I stayed there for a few hours and at 6:30, headed back to Miami. One more event to attend that evening.

Home at 7:15, showered, changed and then off to the Fire Department Retirement Party. Dinner, drinks, dancing and celebration. For the dinner, I checked the buffet line, everything was covered in some sort of sauce or gravey. I passed. Usually they have some sort of carving beef, but not this time. Darn. I went to the bar and, even though Mr. Jack Daniels was calling my name, I opted for club soda with lime. We did find a seafood bar at the corner of the room. Yes....shrimp....Yikes! I already had shrimp today. What to do? Well, I decided that shrimp was still the way to go. I also had a few oysters. They are not listed on protocol, but we can have scallops so I thought maybe they would be okay.

Unfortunately, I didn't CHEAT, so to speak, I actually ate too little. The total caloric intake for the day was only 272. Yikes! Funny things is. I wasn't really hungry. And I had energy to spare after  going all day. Another note to make. I didn't drink very much water yesterday. I didn't want to drink too much before I left for the Keys. Nowhere to stop, not even the side of the road on that long stretch of the overseas highway. Didn't drink much there. (the long ride back). And only had 3 short glasses of soda water at the retirement dinner. I did drink a liter of Fiji water when I got home at night. Normally, I'm a gallon plus girl. Always have been.

The loss of 34 pounds paired with ridding myself of toxic foods, had really change me.

I just hope that the lack of calories doesn't affect my losses this morning.

Beginning Day 27

I slept well last night, but only with the help of a sleeping aid. But I'll take it. I'm hoping for a nice sunny day. Yesterday was overcast and I really wanted to go down to the water and have a walkabout. I love the water and everything about it. It clears my mind and body. I'll orobably take my sketchbook and camera.
I need to go to the grocery store too.

I am happy to report that I am DOWN anothe pound for a total of 28.5. I'm doing the Happy Dance again:

1.5lbs until I can put on another reward ring.  7.5lbs until I reach my goal for the round. 8lbs until I'm out of the 220's.

I was supposed to go out last night, and could have. But I don't think that I am ready to put myself in the environment where temptation is around me. I've worked so hard to get where I am right now.
Today is Superbowl Sunday. The Fire Department always has a huge party. Again, I'm not sure I want to be tempted. I know that they will not have any options for food. But I really do want to go and see everyone. Choices.........

We'll see as the day goes on. I think I will still hit the beach...unless it rains.

Menu for the day:

Snack: orange
Walking
Lunch: roast beef lettuce wraps, asparagus
Snack
Dinner: shrimp and cabbage apple slaw

Still Reeling

I woke up this morning, still reeling from the 4 lb gain yesterday. I suppose that I was hoping for a miraculous loss this morning. Hoping it was a dream, but no. I am, however, back down 1 lb from yesterday.

Today is the first day of taking my thyroid medication. I know it takes time to get in your system. I will be patient with that. I have had to change my routine slightly. I normally wake up, take my shot, make my coffee and take my vitamins. But you cannot take vitamins, minerals, calcium within 4 hours of taking the medication. So I will no have to take my vitamins at lunchtime.

I'm hoping that the combination, in the end, will not have my weight fluctuating so much.

But I will perservere and try to stay positive and move forward. I must remember to keep track of my sleep patterns for the doctor too.

I had been working out everyday, so I am going to try not to work out for the next couple of days and see what happens.

The menu for the day....

Snack: baked apple crisp using 1/2 apple (recipe on the recipe page)
Lunch: Steak, 1/2 apple, onion cabbage salad (cooked)
Snack: Orange
Dinner: Fish and asparagus pocket. (see recipe)

I need to hit the grocery store in the morning......running out of fruits and veggies.

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)

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

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!

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.

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!