BBQ Chicken -- finger lickin' good

Best new find this round of HCG....Liquid Smoke! I still will experiment with the seasonings I add but the base is 2 Tablespoons of Nature Own's Ketchup (check Sprouts for this item), 1 Teaspoon of water, and 1/4 Teaspoon of Liquid Smoke. For today's chicken, I added the following seasons to this base: onion powder, cinnamon, cloves, chili powder, paprika, yellow mustard powder, black pepper. I did not add any apple cider vinegar but may try that next time. Mmm, very tasty! 

A small amount of Liquid Smoke goes a very long way. I could have gone probably to 1/8 of a Teaspoon of it. We'll see how it goes next time.

One thing to note is that the Nature's Own Ketchup's calories are not consistent on the bottles. I bought two bottles from Sprouts at the same time (got to stock up)....well one bottle indicates 11 calories a Tablespoon and the other bottle indicates 0 calories for a Tablespoon -- very sketchy. I am counting 11 calories per Tablespoon and deduct it from my total calories allotted in a day...playing it safe! 

I had lean beef mini-sliders last night wrapped in lettuce and used the ketchup and lost 3lbs. We have used it on the last 2 rounds of the protocol and did not see any impact or stalls in our weight loss so as long as we count the 11 calories per Tablespoon towards our total calories, we are fine using it.

And we're back....

We started another round of HCG this week. Today is P2, D2 and I lost 3lbs this morning -- LOVE IT! 

We had planned one last round after the New Year and were delayed in starting. We may do another round after this but we'll see how much we lose in this round. I need to lose about 25lbs since I gained about 10lbs back since Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years, to reach my long-term goal I set last January of losing 90lbs. 

We are fairly hardcore when it comes to the HCG protocol and follow Dr. Simeon's original protocol with few exceptions. When it comes to the fruit, vegatables and lean protein -- we do not deviate (e.g. add anything not allowed by Simeons). We sometimes eat the allotted grissini or melba toast but not daily. 

We always ensure we drink at least 2 liters of water a day. I find the more water I drink, the bigger my losses so I aim for 70-90 ounces a day. It helps when we have a 3 gallon water tower in the house. We don't really drink much else in P2 (periodically tea or coffee), but we rarely have seltzer water, club soda, etc. We are no longer craving the fizzy drinks or fruit juices even while in maintenance...yay! I can't remember the last time I had a Coke. 


We also do not use Stevia or other sweeteners in P2 or P3 very often. The first round when we did 6 weeks and the HCG protocol was a shock to our mind and bodies, we relied heavily on liquid and powder Stevia to add to smoothies, desserts, etc. They've been collecting dust in our cabinets the last two rounds we did. I don't foresee a need this round unless I get crazy and try to make chocolate covered strawberries....still trying to formulate in my head a good mixture to get a melted chocolate that is P2 friendly. I think baker's chocolate with stevia and maybe the allotted milk for a day could be mixed to make something close to taste...consistency may not be the same.

The deviations on the protocol in P2 that we do are: 

- Nature's Own Ketchup (has Xylitol, found in Sprouts)
- Egg Whites (any brand)
- Tomato Paste (organic Safeway brand seems to work well)
- Louisiana Hot Sauce (any major grocery store should carry it, no oils or sugars in it)
- Macayo's Sauce (locally found in AZ at major grocery stores, no oils or sugars in it)

We have two upcoming events that are motivating us to stick to the program! First, the HRC Gala dinner is next month and I'd like to squeeze into a smaller size :) Secondly, we are planning to go to Disney World at the end of March for a long weekend...well I better be in better shape if I am going to be in the pool ;-)

We'll be back to our regular, daily walking/running schedule when we get back to P3 but for the next 3 weeks we are taking it easy.

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!