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!