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.