Still here and still counting down...

It's been a while since I posted but we did another round of HCG in October and I am down a total of 75lbs since we started January 2010! I am fluctuating with the holidays right now and about +6lbs from my LIW in October but I am not concerned as we are running or walking everyday, working our way up on the Ks....meaning we just ran another 6K this past weekend (Santa Run in Gilbert). We did the 10K turkey trot in Mesa on Thanksgiving to earn our Turkey dinner ;-)

We will probably do one last round of HCG after the New Year (3 weeks) with the goal of losing another 20lbs. That would put me at my original goal weight around the 1 year anniversary of when we started :)

Melba Toast & Grissini

We buy the Grissini and Melba Toast from Safeway. Both come in several flavors. Melba Toast is produced by Old London. The Grissini is a Safeway Select brand -- the latter is in the bread aisle. For Melba Toast, check the cracker or ethnic food aisles in your grocery store. Old London also creates Melba Snacks which are also allowed on Phase 2.

Seasonings!

For our protein, we use a variety of spices that are OK for Phase 2 so we break up the monotony. Most of these are salt free and from McCormick. My favorite is the Tony Chachere's Creole Lite seasoning. I use this on chicken mostly but have also used it on steak. Yum!

Hit my Goal on Round 3!

Wooohoooo! I have reached my goal of 20lbs lost in Round 3 exactly for my LIW :) Phase 3 to begin on Monday and I am so excited to stabilize this new weight and enjoy cheese and nuts :)

Hot Sauce!

These are two hot sauces we use on Phase 2 -- they work well on chicken, steak, turkey and hamburgers!

Nearing the end of Round 3

I am two days away from Round 3 ending. Friday will be the LIW day. I have lost 18.8lbs so far (losing 0.8lbs this morning). I hope to reach 20lbs in the next two days! This round was much easier than Round 2. I have not had any cravings nor has my brain been wanting to cheat (at least too much) ;-) But no cheating has occurred! 

I can't wait till I get to Phase 3 so I can add cheese and nuts :)

Condiments

For the first two rounds of Phase 2, we only used mustard (spicy brown or yellow) -- as both have zero calories and no sugar. Always read the labels before use to ensure there is no wheat, sugar, rice or corn products. In the third round, we added Nature's Own Sugar Free Ketchup which has Xylitol as a sweetener. We tested to see if we would gain or not on this product. Luckily, we did not gain and we still lost weight. I lost more weight on Round 3 Phase 2 than I did in Round 2 Phase 2. 

We do not use relish, pickles, mayo, steak sauce, or any other condiments in Phase 2 besides those seen above and the hot sauces I posted previously.

I recommend sticking to the original Simeons protocol your first round as we did. Then test new products in later rounds. 

Moisturizer on Phase 2

If you need oil-free moisturizer during Phase 2, I recommend Carmex for lip moisturizer and the oil-free Neutrogena line of products for face and hands. These are readily available in most grocery stores, as well as Walgreens, CVS, etc.

We usually don't go every week for a B12 shot from our doctor during Phase 2 as we rarely feel tired or lethargic and he doesn't require it. We opted to use B12 drops, which we bought from Sprouts. I don't use them daily as I don't feel tired normally in Phase 2.

Round 3 has begun...

I started Round 3 of HCG last week. Phase 1 was Wed/Thurs last week and Phase 2 started on Friday. As of today, I've lost 10.4lbs since Friday!!! Awesome results in 6 days :) 

Two more weeks of Phase 2 to go! Then back to eating dairy, nuts, and good fats! Woohoo! I miss peanut butter and cheese!

My goal is to lose 20lbs on this round and complete one final round in October to lose another 20lbs. This should put me at or near my goal healthy weight so I can be in maintenance the rest of my life with eating a 'clean', healthy diet and regularly exercising.

Latest Update

It's been a while since I updated my blog but we are making really great progress in our weight loss. We've been in P4 since the end of June. I've lost a total of 52lbs since January 23, 2010. We will be starting another round of HCG for a 3 week course at the end of July. The goal is to lose ~20lbs!

I stabilized my new weight and staying within -2/+2 of my LIW. I am under my LIW currently :)

We've experimented this time around in P3 and P4 with high protein days as a alternative to Steak Days. We've had success with it. I did one earlier in the week and woke up the next morning -1.2lbs!

We are walking every night with our dog, Lola, after dinner (2 miles or so) and also walking every Saturday morning -- 4 miles with the AZ Frontrunners group.

Update

We are chugging along in P2 and coming to the end next week. Thursday of next week, we will start P3 and stabilization. We learned a lot of lessons the first time around in P3 on stabilizing. We believe what others have stated -- P3 is the most important phase. If you don't stabilize correctly, you will have too much trouble maintaining your wait in P4 or for the rest of your life if you are at your ideal weight. It really is important to add items slowly back to your diet and learn what triggers you. We stabilized in the last round of HCG successfully. I never was less than or more than 2lbs from my LIW and I ate what I wanted within moderation.

Since May 4rd, I have lost 17.8lbs. Since January 23rd, I have lost a total of 48.6lbs. My BMI has gone down by 8.7 points since January 23rd. A lot of health issues I have had are gone or improved significantly. I hope to be off the med for high BP when I go in for a checkup with doctor next week.

45lbs Total Lost and Counting....

About to eat lunch, but doing an update on the blog as I have not been as diligent in posting during this course.

I am on P2, Day 9 of my second course of HCG. Today, I lost 1.4lbs from yesterday to bring the grand total to 45lbs lost! Woohoo!!!

Not much variety in the meals during this round. I've been sticking to Turkey burgers, Chicken Breast, and Filet Mignon. It's been much easier to figure out the meals we are eating. I am not feeling hunger pains but my brain certainly wants to cheat! I don't cheat! Not worth it. I always sit and reflect about how much lost so far and the end goal. 

I've noticed I haven't been eating the Melba Toast/Grissini alotted each day either. In the last course, my brain "needed" it. But this time around, I forget that it is even an option or in my pantry.

P2: Day 4

Day 4 of Phase 2 and I am down 6.4lbs. It has not been difficult at all to get back on the HCG wagon. Of course, I enjoyed the fat-loading of Phase 1 (2 days) and celebrated our 'last supper' with getting food from Postino's :)

We have clean out the refrigerator and pantry. We also moved all HCG P2 approved items to two shelves in the refrigerator and pantry (eye - level). We made chicken broth. We stocked up on La Croix sparkling water, Perrier, and we are back to monitoring our water intake ensuring we get at least 2 liters. 

We stocked up on our favorite and HCG approved veggies and fruits. We made some shredded chicken and cooked extra turkey burgers as well for some quick lunches. It is going by faster than last time and it is much easier. 

We just have difficulty when friends want to cook us dinner or go out to dinner!

Another round starting next week...

We are going to do a 3 week course of HCG starting next week! I am still within 1/2 lb of the LIW - yipee!!! 

Goal for this next round is to lose 20lbs :) 

Stay tuned for further updates....

Your Cinnamon isn't real Cinnamon?

Make sure you are using Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) when using the spice in food or drinks. Cinnamon in the US is NOT the real Cinnamon with good health benefits. In fact, the Cinnamon Cassia that is marketed as Cinnamon in the US can be toxic if consumed frequently. You can read more of the differences here.

Weight Loss Status Update

I believe my weight is finally stabilizing in P3 as I have been not gaining or losing more than +/- 2 lbs. It took me a bit to get stabilized and the first few days were rough but I am doing well over the last week. I am only 1.6lbs more than my LIW (Last Injection Weight) and have been about there for the last 3-4 days. I think the key for my body has been to ensure I drink enough water each day, eat 1 to 1 1/2 apples a day, and eat plenty of protein while minimizing the sodium, fat and cholesterol. The apples and water help to reduce water retention. The protein is needed to keep me feeling full throughout the day and keep my metabolism going. I am not eating as much vegetables as I thought I would but still getting plenty. I find myself never feeling hungry enough to eat all the food/calories I should. I push through to at least get to 1200-1500 calories.

I also have been trying to work out everyday but ensure I do it at least 4 times a week. I have been using the Wii Fit to do Yoga, Cardio and some strength training. I also will take Lola for a walk. My goal is to reach at least 5,000 steps on my Fitbit. It can be a challenge when I work from home in front of a PC all day but I usually do it. Eventually, my goal will be 10,000 steps a day. I have been building my running endurance too! I am glad I dumped my monthly gym pass that I never used. I enjoy working out way more on the Wii Fit or walking/biking/hiking. And as the weather warms up, the pool is ready to go for swimming laps ;-)

My favorite breakfast is crunchy peanut butter on Melba toast with strawberry fruit spread (2 Tblsp PB, 1 Tblsp Strawberry Fruit Spread from Bionaturae, and 3 Melba Toasts).

My favorite snacks include: 

- Sliced apples with lemon juice, cinnamon, and Stevia

- Fage (Greek Yogurt), Spinach, Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, and Blackberries mixed in the blender for a shake

- Cheese (hmm all types!)

- Mixed berries with meringue (egg whites/Stevia)

- Peanut Butter on Celery (Almond Butter is a better alternative but I am not loving it as much)

- 1/4 cup of nuts

- A piece of fruit (Plum, Peach, Apple)

My favorite lunch is canned tuna (water, no salt added) mixed with mustard, green ripened olives (e.g. black olives without coloring), celery, black pepper, and pickles on Melba Toast. The mustards I use is a mixture of Spicy Brown Mustard from Fresh and Easy (no calories and gives it a kick) AND French Dijon mustard.

My favorite dinner is Filet Mignon with a side of steam veggies (Broccoli, Asparagus, Green Beans, etc). Louisiana Hot Sauce gives it that kick of spice!

Turkey-Cauli-Broccoli Cheesy Casserole

Thought I would get creative with a Mac and Cheese recipe and substitute the macaroni with veggies and White Shirataki noodles cut like rice/orzo. I started by getting a pre-cooked Turkey breast from Safeway and taking the meat off the bone in shredded pieces. Then I cut up Cauliflower and Broccoli, mixing it with the shredded turkey in the casserole dish. Now for the hard part, making that cheesy sauce. I started by putting half the amount of butter in the pot on the stove top. It called for 6 tablespoons...I did 3 tablespoons...and still think that was too much. Anyway, I let the butter melt over a low heat and then added a cup of milk. I slowly mixed 3 types of grated cheese into the pot. The three cheeses I chose were: Old English Cheddar, Gruyere, and 12 month aged Cheddar. I did a 1/2 cup of each. Now when making the sauce, the reciped called for adding onions but given we do not like onions in this household, I didn't include it. We didn't miss the onion. Once the sauce heated slowly and the cheese melted, I whisked it gently. Once done, I poured the sauce over the turkey and veggies. Then I added crushed Melba Toast crumbs to the top of the dish. I cooked at 350. It was tasty but not cheesy enough....more cheese next time!  I mixed it with the White Shirataki noodles that were shaped like rice/orzo but it would have been just as good without the noodles. Also, this dish was not Gluten Free given the Melba Toast was added. But remove them and you have a totally GF dish!

It's been awhile...

I know, I know...its been too long since I last blogged. I have been busy trying different recipes and concoctions during P3 (stabilization phase) and working out (4-5 times a week). P3 is nearly over -- in one week -- and then we'll try adding back gluten, starches and sugars back into our diet. I haven't really missed any of it besides the occasional want of bread and HUMMUS ;-)

I tried my go at gluten free pizza crust made out of Cauliflower and cheese. I tried the mixture with different spices and cheeses. Parmegan was a big hit with some of the guinea pigs in the kitchen but I wasn't a big fan. Mozarella was the best cheese used overall based on my conclusions, as well as the 3 guinea pigs in the kitchen :)

Here are some photos of the Cauli-Cheese crust and pizza:

The dough before it goes into the oven...

Its a cooking!

Mmmm, the end product looks and tastes great!

Victory is Mine!

I was able to find in my many stops yesterday at area grocery stores three big finds! First, I found Ketchup that was Organic, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, and completely free of any starches, rice, etc. It is at Sprouts. I will take a photo and post later. I thought for sure Trader Joes would have something but it did not.

The other major find was a Fruit Spread (Jam, Jelly, etc) that had no was Gluten Free, Sugar Free (aka no added sugar), and had no preservatives or chemicals. Again, Sprouts had such a product in the one flavor we like -- Strawberry. I will post a photo and the brand name later.

Lastly, I had been on the hunt for Jicama. This root vegetable is hard to find in a regular grocery. I checked Safeway (two), Trader Joes, Fresh & Easy and Sprouts. Of course, Sprouts had this hard to find item. Never had I seen one up close and personal so I took a photo for the blog

Greek Salad

I have been awaiting so impatiently for the last 6 weeks for a Greek Salad with my favorite olives and feta cheese! Here is my lunch for today:

Eggs with Beef Chorizo -- Yolk and all....

Breakfast was Eggs with Beef Chorizo. The eggs were cooked in the frying pan with Olive Oil Cooking Spray and cooked till it was medium. I ate the yolks! Yay!

Guiltless Spaghetti & Tomato Sauce w/ Turkey "Meatballs & Italian Sausage"

Our first P3 meal was Spaghetti & Tomato Sauce with Meatballs and Italian Sausage made from Turkey. It was delicious! It was also completely guiltless when we were eating the pasta as it was made with White Shirataki Noodles (Miracle Noodles) -- 0 carbs, 0 calories, gluten free, sugar free, starch free, etc, etc! The total calorie count for my dinner was 470 -- that included the gluten free and sugar free three cheese tomato sauce (Fresh & Easy - 90 calories), 3 tablespoons of grated fresh Parmesan cheese (Fresh & Easy - 60 calories), 1 turkey Italian Sausage link (Jennie O - 160 calories), and 4 meatballs made from the following: turkey, melba toast, egg white, Romano/Parmesan grated cheese, fresh parsley, fresh minced garlic, and black pepper (Jennie O - 40 calories each). Watch the sodium intake if you use flavored Turkey meats from Jennie O and other manufacturers. The sodium in one serving of regular ground Turkey is 75mg while the sodium in Italian Sausage or Italian flavored ground Turkey is 680-682mg in a serving!

Here are photos of the process:

First, cooking the meat up in the frying pan and I may say not even an ounce of olive oil was harmed in the making of this meat:

Here we are with the meat cooked and mixed with the tomato sauce:

Now on to making the noodles (remove from package and rinse well 1-2 minutes).

Mix about 1/2 your sauce serving with the noodles to get them warm and tasting like the sauce:

Now add the remaining 1/2 serving of your sauce and add the meat:

The final photo of dinner showing the salad we prepared as well but were too full from the Spaghetti & Tomato Sauce w/ Turkey Meatballs and Italian Sausage, to even eat the salad. Total calories = 470

Last Day of P2

34.4lbs lost since we started on January 23! Woohoo! I hope to see a .6 lb loss tomorrow morning so I can say I lost an even 35lbs ;-)

We have our 'miracle noodles' (white shiritaki noodles) for Phase 3 and will be making some pasta dishes and soup. We have the Oopsie dough recipe so we can make some bread alternatives! We have our many types of mustard that are no sugar, no gluten, and no preservatives. We have chips made out of cheese (nothing else). We have a tomato sauce that has no sugar, gluten, starches, additives, etc. We have our organic Peanut Butter that is literally just Peanuts and Salt. We even found uncured, gluten free beef and turkey hot dogs that have no starches, preservatives, sugars or anything that we cannot have. It was a difficult task but we found them at sprouts. 

We are still looking for Black Olives that do not have Ferrous Gluconate (an additive to make the olives black that is corn-based), uncured Turkey Bacon, Andouille Sausage that has no starches, no gluten, no corn-based products, no sugar, etc -- so if you have found the brand and a store in the Phoenix area that carries them please let me know!

We are really excited about all the new foods we can add to our shopping list! Look what is on our list for Phase 3:

Green Olives

Kalamata Olives

Cheese (Cheddar, Feta, Goat, Parmesan, Mozzarella...mmm)

Jicama (going to make some tasty hash browns!)

Green Beans

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Zuchini

Tuna (canned, water based, no additives/preservatives)

Turkey

Turkey Deli meat (no nitrates, starches, sugars, gluten, etc -- Sprouts has it!)

Well, the list is getting longer as we think more about what else we want to eat!

Alternatives to Soda

A brief update on my total weight loss so far. I am at 33.6lbs lost as of this morning and have 3 more days of Phase 2 :)

Also, for all of those wanting a before and after picture, you will have to e-mail me a request ;-)

I gave up soda months ago long before I started the HCG protocol, and have no regrets. It really was a waste of my calories and putting weight on me. I have heard that cutting soda out of your diet can reduce 20lbs a year on a person...not sure if that is true. From time to time, I do wish I could have a real can of Coca Cola Classic (no diet Coke, no splenda or aspartame Coke, no plastic bottled Coke -- ick! and defintely no Pepsi, RC Cola or any other Cola) or Coke from McDonalds -- they know how to mix it correctly for the fountain! I know I am picky and such a snob when it comes to the Cola I drink! I ask every server at a restaurant if they serve Coke or Pepsi products before I order.

 I am sure I will indulge in that come Phase 4 here or there....say at Christmas or Thanksgiving but I don't plan on having it much more than that. I have found that after I drink at least 2 liters of water a day and have 1-2 cups of black herbal tea, I am not really in the mood to intake any more fluids. If I do want a treat, I will do Perrier with a Stevia flavoring like Orange Valencia or a new alternative is La Croix Sparkling Water. If you have not tried it yet and need an alternative, you can find it in Safeway, Publix, Target, Walgreens, Costco, Sam's Club, etc in the aisle with all the soda and flavored drinks. We tried berry last night with dinner and it was tasty! We have lime to try as well. You can also find them on several airlines in their in-flight beverage service (Northwest, United, Southwest, etc). La Croix comes in other flavors like: Cran Raspberry, Grapefruit, Orange, Lemon,  and original plain sparkling water. I highly recommend making the switch from sodas that have corn syrup, sugars, sugar substitutes, BPA from the plastic, calories, and preservatives in them to these no sugar, no sodium, no preservatives sparkling water with natural hints of flavor!

31.6lbs Lost!

I've lost 31.6lbs since January 23! Awesome :) I am .2 lbs from my weight goal for this round of the HCG protocol.We will start Phase 3 later this week!!! Can't wait to have tuna, olives, pickles, cheese, turkey bacon, and expand the list of fruits and veggies we can have! I really don't care about the carbs I can't have or the sugary sweets..so that is another positive that came out of this.

I also plan to experiment using Miracle Noodles (Gluten Free, Kosher, No Carb, No Calorie Shitaki Noodles) for pasta and rice dishes. I also plan to experiment making 'Oopsie Dough' -- and if you haven't seen this Gluten Free, Sugar-Free Dough and the recipes made from it, you have to check this out. She has made everything from doughnuts, angel food cake, crepes, waffles, French Toast, Pizza Dough, Taco shells, Buns, Rolls, and so much more! 

Hmmm, I can smell the pizza now! :)

We will start a 3 week course on May 3rd with the two days prior as our fat loading days. The goal is to lose 20lbs on that course to get me to a healthier BMI. We plan on also doing two additional 3 week courses in the late summer and fall. My hope is to be down to a healthy BMI and an ideal weight.

2.2 lbs to go!

Knowing I could not reach my long-term, final weight goal in one course of the HCG protocol, I set two goals for myself during this 6 week course. The first was to reach the first hurdle, which I met that target a couple of weeks ago around Valentine's Day. The next goal was to hit at least 30lbs lost in the 6 weeks. I am on schedule this week to reach this final goal of the this 6 week course. I lost 2.6lbs more as of this morning. I am 2.2lbs away from reaching 30lbs lost overall!! :)

Hopefully, since I have nearly a week remaining, I will lose more than 30lbs :)

Our plan is to start a 3 week course of HCG on May 3rd. This will allow us to do Phase 1 the two days prior during Claudine's birthday weekend and allow us to reach Phase 3 before my Birthday on June 14th :) We both did not want to be in Phase 2 during our Birthdays!

Last Belt Hole :)

Well, I've made up for some lost ground from last week when I stalled 3-4 days that week. I have lost more than 25 lbs in the last 4 1/2 weeks! Awesome results :) I have about 10 days remaining on the protocol before I hit Phase 3 to stabilize the new weight. We will be doing another course (only 3 weeks) in May/June. Claudine and I have agreed that it seems that we lose more weight at a quick rate in the first 3 weeks and it slows down significantly in weeks 4-6. Claudine has lost more than 30lbs, which is amazing! I hope to lose at least another 5 lbs in the next 10 days or so.

I am on my last belt hole and my pants are falling off me. yay!

Traveling on the HCG protocol is really hard so I don't recommend doing any business or leisure travel on Phase 2...now Phase 1 -- go for it ;-)

Mini-Steak and Apple Day!

Tonight I did a mini-steak with an apple. The steak was grilled and simply prepared with salt and pepper. I used Tabasco sauce for a little kick! The apples were raw with Cinnamon and Stevia sprinkled lightly on them.

 

Miracle Noodles!

Definitely will do these 'miracle noodles' in Phase 3....doctor approved :)

http://www.miraclenoodle.com/

They are: 

* made of naturally water soluble fiber with no fat, sugar, or starch.
* contain zero net carbohydrates and zero calories, no gluten -made of a healthy natural fiber called Glucomannan.
* wheat and gluten free and kosher.
* Easily absorbs the flavors of any soup, dish, or sauce.
* are instant and come in a variety of style

22lbs lighter!

Had a huge loss this morning when I got on the scale...1.4 lbs to make a grand total of 22 lbs lost since January 23, 2010! I also reached my first weight goal AND have reached 25% of my total weight goal. Here is my on-going trend of weight loss by day each week.

Turkey Burgers :) :)

These were tasty Turkey burgers served in romaine lettuce with yellow mustard (no sugar, no wheat, starch, etc in the mustard) with a bowl of strawberries. The 99% extra lean ground turkey was mixed with crushed Melba Toast bread crumbs. The strawberries had a little Chocolate Stevia mixed with them :)

Yummy Chicken!

Dinner tonight was delicious...I baked "breaded" chicken with crushed Garlic Melba Toast and Monterey Chicken Seasoning - YUM! Had a side of steamed spinach and oranges :)

This is my favorite dish right now....

20lbs Lost as of Valentine's Day!

Actually, I have lost 20.2 lbs as of today! This week has been frustrating with a .2 gain, a .2 loss, and then a stall for two days....but had a few high loss days this week that allowed me to finally make it past the 20 lbs lost marker. We are on day 21 too so there are three more weeks to lose more weight! I really lost more weight on average this week than last week. I am making trends and charts of my weight loss and concluded that I averaged a 1.25 weight loss a day the first week, .7 weight loss a day the second week, and .8 weight loss a day the third week. That is very good results in such a short time...

Today's brunch was egg white omelette with herbs and spinach. I also had fresh strawberries with merengue -- totally P2 approved as it is a mixture of egg whites and stevia, beaten for a really long time :) We figured out that Merengue Cookies are P2 approved then with some modifications to the ingredient. Found a recipe for Gluten Free Peanut Butter cookies that we will make when we hit Phase 3 and can have nuts, peanut butter, etc. 

Steak Night :)

We had some friends over and had filet mignon grilled with asparagus and spinach as our vegetable options. We also made some Israeli Couscous for our friends who can eat grains still ;-)

For dessert we had strawberries in martini glasses with chocolate stevia and merengue - yum!

We finished the evening with a game of Scrabble and watching an indie movie - Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Fun evening!

"Breaded" Baked Monterey Chicken

I made breaded chicken tonight with Melba Toast that was crushed (Whole Grain) and Monterey Chicken spice mixed together. I dipped the chicken in homemade chicken stock (made the stock on Sunday night and keep it for cooking and soups) and the mixture of the spice and crushed melba toast stuck really well to the chicken. I baked it at 375 degrees in the oven for 30 minutes. It was very tasty! Had it with some steamed spinach :)

Getting Fancy with Omelettes

Having a lazy Sunday in bed. I woke up sick, too :(

We made brunch and I made Egg White Omelettes and fruit. I had an herb omelette over a bed of steamed spinach - mmm so tasty! Claudine had an omelette with herbs and tomato.

Finishing the Second Week!

We are finishing up our second week of the HCG protocol and see significant progress every morning when we weigh ourselves. I have lost 15lbs as of today...that is awesome results in two weeks! Claudine has lost over 20lbs in the same amount of time - fantastic results!!! 

I did not get a B12 shot at the doctor's office this week as I could not find time on Friday to do it. Claudine has been taking B12 drops we bought at Sprouts which the doctor approved. I started taking the B12 drops today since I will not get a B12 shot until next Friday. 

I am transitioning to a new role at work and the consistency of the HCG protocol really helps right now. It takes very little discussion or thought on what we will have for lunch or dinner. We pre-cook some protein and re-heat later in the week (turkey beanless chili to eat in romaine lettuce cups, boiled/baked chicken breasts to through on salad or soup, etc). Our fruit is chopped up and stored in tupperware in the refrigerator for easy preparation at lunch and dinner.

Tomorrow will be preparation day for the coming week...I will make some more chicken bouillon, baked chicken, chop strawberries, etc.

Experimenting with Chicken....

For dinner tonight I had strawberries with chocolate stevia on it, fresh grilled asparagus (seasoned with sea salt/pepper) and chicken. For the chicken, I created my own hot mustard (mix mustard powder, yellow mustard seeds, tumeric, water, cider vinegar, and a dash of paprika). It was really HOT! I used it to cover the chicken and took 2 melba toasts crushed to bread it. I then cooked at 375 in the oven for 30 minutes. It was really tasty!

I am trying to figure out how to create Ketchup, Spicy Brown Mustard and other condiments using the approved ingredients in Phase 2. 

Also, we went to to the Art Museum tonight (which is free on the First Friday of the month)!

Filet Mignon! YUM!

We figured since we are spending less on groceries, need to eat very lean meat and are eating a small quantity of steak, we would splurge for really tasty filet mignon from Sprouts. Grilled the steak with sea salt, pepper and Emeril's Original Essence. The asparagus was grilled simply with sea salt and pepper. For dessert, I had oranges.

Breakfast for Lunch -- My Favorite!

For lunch, I used my special omelette pan to create an egg white omelette with shredded spinach, dill, onion power, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper. It is my favorite meal on the HCG protocol so far. In the past we had used egg beaters for omelettes but as that is not on the approved list, we switched to egg whites -- which taste much better! Love em :)

I had half of serving of strawberries with it. I saved the other half of strawberries for a late afternoon snack. 

 

12% of My Total Weight-Loss Goal Reached!!

Today, I have lost 10lbs since I started the HCG diet last week which means I have reached 12% of total weight-loss goal! Yay!


I made chicken boullion from chicken breasts with all the fat removed this week (first timer!) and flavored it with some spices. I added celery, crumbled Melba Toast (Whole Grain), and cubed chicken breast - it was a very delicious soup! It was very filling too :) My next experiment for the soup is to substitute the celery with shredded spinach.


We have also been eating egg whites as our protein for some meals and that has been a nice change to increase variety in our food choices. I usually have a egg white omelette with spinach and a side of fruit.


Yesterday we did our shopping for B12 drops, an Espresso maker, a strainer (to remove chicken bits in the boullion), Neutrogena Oil Free Face Wash, Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturizer, Carmex (for my severely chapped lips), a spice rack, and our grocery list (more fruits, veggies and chicken). We also picked up filet mignon to have for dinner with asparagus. It was tasty! Today I am going to create beanless chili with lean ground turkey to stock up for the week and we'll cut up, weight the chicken and divide it up for the next week.


I had few cravings this week or hunger pains. My body is adjusting to the 500 VLCD a day. Of course, we are patiently waiting for phase 2 to come to and in the coming weeks and to transition to phase 3 so we can mix our veggies, add more fruit and vegetables, adding cheese, and eventually adding whole grains back.

Progress!

Woke up, gave myself the shot (aka "Skinny Juice"), and weighed myself -- down 2.4 lbs - yay! Had the morning ritual of Celestial Seasonings Cool Brew Peach Tea during my teleconferences. I really like cucumbers as my veggie for lunch or dinner but I need to limit the sea salt I put on it so today I had them with a little sea salt, black pepper, and drizzled with apple cider vinegar along with my turkey burger at lunch. I came home from work and had a grapefruit fruit with a dusting of Stevia as a snack. I had chicken with McCormick's Salt-Free Italian Seasoning, asparagus, and as a snack later in the evening I had apples. I also had two Melba toasts today. Finishing my final ounces of the 2 liters of water for the day!

Chugging along...

I lost additional weight when I woke up this morning and weighed myself...lost 2.8 lbs since yesterday! Giving myself the shot is not the time I look forward but I have been able to give myself the shot without issue and very little pain. 

I did not feel any cravings or hunger pains until well after dinner and before bedtime. I had already used my allotted calories for the day so I drank more water. I will need to make two modifications -- eat some of fruit as dessert and well after dinner so I do not feel hungry later in the evening and also drink more water and tea. I drink my 2 liters but will try to add another 1 liter a day of water. 

My skin has become much drier and I have been using a toner spray that is moisturizing but does not provide the same results as lotion...I am trying to use very little, if any makeup, fragrances, lotions, and hair products besides the approved body wash, face wash, shampoo and conditioner. The lotion and makeup are my pain points right now. I used baby oil on my hands since it is mineral oil based and on the approved list today. 

Not loving the deodorant I bought as Sprouts this past weekend. It is from EarthScience and while it has no blacklisted items in it, it lasts about a half a day. I have another brand that I will change to this week.

Phase 2: Day 1

Woke up .2 lbs lighter than yesterday morning...even though we did the fat loading on Saturday and Sunday. I gave my own shot today (first time!). 

I had iced tea (Celestial Seasonings Cold Brew Peach) in the AM while I did a few conference calls. As 1PM approached I ate my lunch -- grilled chicken over a bed of spinach and 1/2 of my allotted strawberries with a Apple Cider-based vinaigrette. I drank 48oz of water with lunch. For a snack in the late afternoon, I had the remaining 1/2 serving of strawberries and more iced tea. For dinner, I had chicken breast, 2 melba toasts, cucumbers, and apple slices, and 24oz of water with lemon juice for flavoring -- all food items were measured with our new digital scale to ensure accuracy to the hundredth decimal! I tried plain Perrier with 2 drops of Valencia Orange Stevia and it was way too sweet for me! So I will try to figure out the best blend for my taste buds. At the end of the evening I had another glass of iced tea (Celestial Seasonings Cold Brew Raspberry).


We found Melba Toast finally! We looked at SuperTarget and Sprouts yesterday and neither had any in stock or carried it. Tonight, I went to Safeway and found an assortment of Melba toasts (.50 cents off each box too)! 

We cooked dinner and our lunch for tomorrow this evening. Tonight's chicken was 'Montreal Chicken'...tomorrow's flavoring for lunch is 'Lemon & Pepper (salt-free)' chicken! Dinner tomorrow evening will be bunless turkey burgers :)

I did not notice any hunger pains, however, I did notice my brain was craving something to eat around 4PM because I normally eat a snack at that time every day. It was a good thing I saved 1/2 serving of the strawberries -- it was a great afternoon snack :) 

In terms of health care products, we have switched to shampoo, conditioner, face wash, and soap that are all approved within the guidelines of the HCG protocol. I stopped using the deodorant, moisturizers, makeup products and fragrances I normally use that have oils and other black listed ingredients. I am testing two brands of deodorant that I purchased at Sprouts and a moisturizing, oil-free toner spray. My skin is beginning to feel dryer but have not used the baby oil yet.

Phase 1 - Last Day

The last day of Phase 1 is today for the HCG protocol. We did our 'fat-loading' yesterday and continue today with it. We started the HCG shots during Phase 1 yesterday and alternate each day with our upper leg area (3 inches from the knee). We will have our 'last supper' tonight before we start Phase 2 with the VLCD tomorrow. We are using today to prepare for tomorrow's kick off of Phase 2. We are planning our meals ahead on a schedule, pre-filling the shots for the week, will weigh the food for the week ahead of time and pre-cook and pre-package to make this phase as easy as possible with little thought of what we should have for lunch or dinner.

We have bought a body weight scale that also weighs body water, muscle mass, bone mass and BMI. The model we bought was from Best Buy and is the Homedics Personal Trainer HealthStation (Link). We programmed it for both of us as it has a 12 user memory feature and we weight ourselves each morning around the same time, same clothes (Very little!), and before we have eaten or done anything else. We then do our daily shot.

I also bought an automatic wrist blood-pressure monitor (Link), which will enable me to monitor this daily now. The hope is to be off the prescription I take daily for high blood pressure after I lose weight. My primary care doctor said to hope but not expect for this to happen as it runs in my family (both parents, all grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc).

We have a 3 gallon water cooler/dispenser in our kitchen and the plan is to re-fill the current container and our extra 3 gallon container today to ensure we have an ample amount of water in our home (Link). We have drank or thrown out all other liquids from the refrigerator. We have coffee and multiple varieties of teas, as well. The only items remaining on our list to purchase today for drinking are Perrier and the flavored Stevia drops, which were recommended by our doctor. The Stevia flavors come in a variety and are available in Sprouts stores and other health-food stores in your area. They are available online (Link).

The refrigerator and pantry has all been cleaned out this week to ensure we do not have any black listed items in our vicinity during Phase 2.

We will track our weight, BP, BMI, calorie intake and other statistics on a spreadsheet provided by the doctor (but tweaked by me just a bit!). I am down 1.2lbs from starting weight yesterday even with fat-loading but we agreed it is probably just water weight that was lost. We are hoping for awesome results by next Sunday!

Phase 1 - First Day

We have started the HCG protocol to lose weight. I'll be keeping this blog to track our results and share our journey to a healthy weight and lifestyle!

We have started Phase 1 with the first of many daily shots and are in day 1 of 2 of the 'fat loading'.