R1P4D? 207.5
Monday morning and the scale says 207.5. So the cookies have taken their toll. I will be eating clean today, not to hard since I am back to work.

R1P4D2 Sunday 207.7

Sunday morning and the scale says 207.7 pounds. Still under my LDW of 208 so no worries. I made it through P3 without going over 208, stabilizing really well so I didn't have to do any correction days.

Yesterday, Christmas Day, I started Phase 4 (P4) Maintenance Phase where I can eat anything with no restrictions, controlled by daily weighings and correction days if ever 2 pounds over LDW of 208.

In the morning I baked 4 kinds of cookies with my daughter to give away as gifts (Seven Layer Bars, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies and Sugar Cookies.) I was hardly tempted at all to try the batters, think I only had one small sample of the sugar cookie dough. I did however indulge in several cookies much later in the day, my guess is 4 bars, 2 chocolate chip, 3 peanut butter and 4 small butter cookies that a girl friend brought over for us.

After all that, I am only up a half pound. I also had a 2 egg cheddar tomato sausage omelet and salmon with radish hash browns.

I have not spent a lot of time preparing for Phase 4. It worries me that I might revert to my old eating habits. I definately feel an attraction toward healthy foods but having no restrictions on what I can eat makes meal planning more complicated. I like having a short list of acceptable foods. So what I propose to do is rely on my P2 food list for my primary foods and add healthy other foods a little and unhealthy foods in rarely. I'll see how that goes for a while.

R1P3D18 206.9 Tuesday

It's Tuesday morning and the scale says 206.9 pounds. I am still 1.1 pound under my LDW of 208, so I am stabilizing just fine. I haven't had to do a correction day yet!

Yesterday, Monday, I had a whole vanilla Jay Robb shake with 4 strawberries, 5 ounces of tilapia with 1 ounce of cream cheese and spices, 2/3 cup of vidalia onion casserole (onions, egg and heavy cream topped with cheddar cheese), snacked on 1/4 cup macadamias, 16 pork rinds with guacamole (avocado and 3 Tbs sour cream), and for dinner a 4 ounce rib eye steak, spinach with 2 Tbs feta, 1 Tbs bleu cheese dressing, 15 asparagus spears, 1/2 cup peaches and blackberries with 2 Tbs coconut milk ice cream and 1/2 Jay Robb vanilla shake with 3 Tbs Ghiradelli cocoa. 1964 calories total. 26% protein, 14% carbs (71gm), 60% fat.

R1P3D17 206.8 Monday

It's Monday morning and the scale says 206.8 so I am still under my LDW of 208.0. Last night I made a roasted chicken with skin! yum dinner to share with friends. They brought cookies, mmm I had to have one, okay two (they are small), and I had lots of fatty foods. It was great, and I even drank a glass of white wine.

So here's the foods I had yesterday Sunday, 1/2 Jay Robb strawberry smoothie, 2 eggs, 2 slices of bacon, some diced spinach and tomato, 2 ounces macadamia nuts, 2 cups pork rinds with 3 oz veggie dip (sour cream and mayo with no sugar salsa, dill), chicken thigh with skin, 1 cup of onion casserole (sweet onions, cream, egg, cheddar cheese - all baked), made roasted redskin potatos but didn't have any myself, 4 oz piesporter wine, 2 butter cookies, 1/2 cup of baked peaches and blackberries with 2 Tbs no sugar vanilla coconut milk ice cream, yum! 2607 calories by Lose It estimate. 17% protein (103 gms) 14% carbs (84 gms) 70% fat. The butter cookies were definately off P3 but I was ready to do a correction day just to be able to taste a Christmas cookie! Lucky for me I didn't have to!

My daughter has been home from college for the holidays, so I missed a few blog entries. But I have been staying on plan and feeding her the same as I've been eating and teaching her some of the tips for healthier eating that I have learned.

Sunday morning I weighed 206.2 and on Saturday I ate:

Saturday morning I weighed 205.7 and on Friday I met a friend for lunch at the mall food court.

Friday morning I weighed 206.0 and on Thursday I ate 2 eggs with spinach, 3 bacon slices, 1/2 Jay Robb shake,

R1P3D13 Thursday 205.2

It's Thursday morning and the scale says 205.2. I think the loss is due to not drinking enough water because I ate a LOT yesterday 2200 calories! We were running around all day and didn't get to eat lunch. I wouldn't be surprised to gain some of it back today.

Here is what I ate yesterday, Wednesday, I ate 1/2 Jay Robb vanilla shake made with stevia, water and ice, 2 eggs, 1 cup cooked cauliflower with 1 ounce chedder cheese, 16 raw whole almonds, 1 Tbs coconut butter, 6 ounces 90% ground beef burger, 1 ounce cheddar cheese, 1 cup cucumber diced, 1 tsp ranch dressing, 1 Jay Robb vanilla protein shake made with stevia, 1 cup coconut milk and 1/2 heavy whipping cream (to boost my calories and fat for the day since I had skipped lunch.) Total 2218 calories most of them from the heavy cream shake which was 1000 calories alone!

Wednesday morning I weighed 205.9 and on Tuesday I ate 1357 calories, 1/2 Jay Robb vanilla shake made with 3 strawberries, stevia, water and ice, 2 eggs, 3 slices of bacon, 2 cups raw spinach cooked and 2 tsp coconut oil for breakfast, 7 large shrimp (30-40/lb), 3 slices of bacon, 1/2 cup diced avocado, 1/4 cup diced tomato, 2 cups spinach raw, 1 Tbs blue cheese crumbles and 2 tsp bleu cheese dressing for lunch, and for dinner 4 ounces grilled chicken breast, 1 cup cauliflower, 1 ounce cheddar cheese and 1/2 Jay Robb shake with water, ice and cocoa and chocolate stevia.

GERD and Apple Cider Vinegar

So in Phase 3 around Day 7, the GERD did come back, slowly at first and then there were a couple bedtimes where I had to sit on the bed side and guzzle down glasses of water and wait for it to subside. It's painful and I worried that it is harming my insides. I'm not sure exactly what foods trigger it, certainly coffee and probably fats and some proteins. I was worried about Phase 4 and re-introducing starch and sugar, which are triggers too.

I started searching the web for answers to how I could deal with this in a healthy way and not go back to depending on acid blockers forever.

First I read that it could be that my stomach just can not digest food. That makes sense to me for many reasons because I have always had a sensitive stomach and I reasoned that if I could get my hypothalmus so out of whack, I may have done the same with my digestive track. So I lack something that helps me to digest foods.

Then the one thing that stood out to me most, since it fit in with advice I heard from HCG experts, was that people kept saying that drinking apple cider vinegar gives immediate relief to heartburn. I liked this idea since it was inexpensive, real food and it is easy to do. So I tried it and YES it works.

I drink a few sips from a glass of 4 ounces of warm water with 1 teaspoon of ACV before or after (almost) every meal or whenever I feel symptoms. I keep a glass of it around to sip on.  I now pack a 2 ounce bottle of ACV in my purse and ask for hot water at restaurants in case I feel acid coming on. As soon as I drink it the acid is gone. I was at a movie and just took a swig from the bottle and that took care of it. Some may think ACV tastes bad, and I will admit that straight ACV is very potent, but compared to acid relux it's a walk in the park. Mixed with water it has a sour malt flavor (like beer) which is not unpleasant. Knowing how good it is for me makes me like it even more.

Now I can enjoy my foods and eat without worry. I have found a way to live with GERD. I don't know the long term effect of taking apple cider vinegar daily. I read that it is like eating an apple a day. My hope is that maybe the good properties of ACV will help my system to restore it's digestive abilities. I will keep reading for new information to improve that, but I am happy that for now anyway I have found this home remedy that helps me to avoid the acid reflux.

R1P3D11 Tuesday 206.7

Wow, it's been a busy few days. Saturday was garage sale day, Sunday Morgan came home from FSU, and yesterday I some work to do and then we went shopping. Whew! So I need to catch up the blog entries.

R1P3D8 Saturday morning weight 205.9
On Friday I ate an omelet of 1 egg, 2 whites, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, spinach, tomato, mushrooms. For lunch I ate 6 ounces of tilapia and drank half a Muscle Milk (it wan't very good), sancked on 16 almonds, and for dinner I had shrimp on spinach salad with avocado, bacon, tomato and drizzled with a dressing of coconut oil and apple cider vinegar.

R1P3D9 Sunday morning weight 206.0
On Saturday I ate 2 eggs and a protein shake during the garage sale, then after the sale and taking what didn't sell to charity, we went to lunch at Denny's and I had the Tilapia Ranchero (A seasoned white fish fillet grilled and topped with freshly made pico de gallo and diced avocado) with double side of spinach and a side skewer of grilled shrimp. YUMMY!!! For dinner I made a 2 egg omelet with shrimp, bacon, avocado, mozzarella and parmesan and a side of roasted asparagus. Topped it all with a protein shake with 4 strawberries for 1550 calories in all, seems like more doesn't it?

R1P3D10 Monday morning weight 207.0
So yesterdays feasting got me up a pound which is good to be closer to my stabilization weight of 208.0 (LDW Last Dose Weight.) In Phase 3 we are not supposed to lose weight, just stay within +/- 2.0 pounds of LDW. Sunday I ate 2 eggs and a Jay Robb protein shake with 3 strawberries for breakfast, a lean 100 gram ground beef burger with blue cheese crumbles for lunch, 5 chicken wings (fried not breaded) and half of a small chef salad with ranch and blue cheese dressings for dinner, and snacked on 10 almonds and 1 Tbs coconut butter (not P3 compliant but so yummy) and a half a protein shake for dessert. 1300 calories total.

R1P3D11 Tuesday morning weight 206.7
Monday I ate an egg (last one in the fridge!), 2 bacon slices, 1/2 Jay Robb shake with 4 strawberries, 5 chicken wings with blue cheese and 1/2 cup salad with 1 tsp ranch, 6 ounces roasted chicken breast with 1 cup romaine and 2 tsp ranch for dinner.  I snacked on 10 almonds and 1 Tbs coconut butter. Total 1150 calories.

R1P3D7 Friday 206.6

It's Friday morning and the scale says 206.6.

Yesteday I had a half of a Jay Robb protein shake, a omelet with one egg and two whites, 1 slice bacon, 2 Tbs parmesan, 1 handful spinach, and a diced tomato, a spinach salad with 5 ounce chicken breast, 1 Tbs bllue cheese, 1 Tbs olive oil and apple cider vinegar, 1 slice bacon, 1/2 cup mushrooms, 1/4 cup onions, tea with moo and stevia, a string cheese stick and a baby bell cheese, 10 almonds, 1/2 Tbs peanut butter, 2 Tbs coconut oil, 2 Tbs flax seeds, 6 ounce ground beef, 1/4 avocado, 1/4 cup greek yogurt.  1725 calories.

R1P3D6 Thursday 205.7

It's Thursday morning and the scale says 205.7 and is still going down. I am now more than 2 pounds below my LDW. I need to increase my calories to around 1700.

Yesterday I ate a Jay Robb strawberry protein drink, 7 ounces corned beef, 12 ounces squash and mushrooms, string cheese stick, tea with a moo, 1 Tbs peanut butter and 1 Tbs protein powder, spinach salad with 8 shrimp, 1/4 avocado, 1 slice bacon, 2 Tbs dressing of coconut oil and apple cider vinegar with a couple drops of stevia.

R1P3D5 Wednesday 206.6

It's Wednesday morning and the scale says 206.6. I am having a hard time eating the full 1700 calories.

Yesterday I ate 2 eggs with 1 slice of bacon, 7 ounces turkey breast meat with a litte gravy, field greens, ranch dressing, 1/2 c green beans and 1 pat of butter, 6 ounces salmon, 8 ounce asparagus dusted with parmesan cheese, 16 almonds, 1 Tbs protein powder, 1 Tbs peanut butter, 1 cup of coffee black.

R1P3D4 Tuesday 206.9

Tuesday and the scale says 206.9. I'm working on my meals, foods and menu.

Yesterday, Monday,  I had a 2 egg omelet with tomato, spinach and onion, coffee with stevia, chicken and spinach salad with blue cheese dressing, 4 coconut almond candies, 3 meatballs (6 oz) in tomato sauce.

So after dinner I had some acid reflux and bloating and had to drink 2 large glasses of water, take a digestive enzymes capsule and stay up until it went away around 1 a.m. I learned that I am going to have to be careful with tomato too late in the day.

R1P3D3 Monday

It's Monday and the scale reads 207.1, still under my LDW of 208, but gained 0.6 pounds from yesterday. Not sure why. Only ate 1550 calories of 1700, but too much fat. It's hard to get the right balance of foods. I really need to get some menus and recipes.

Yesterday I had 2 eggs with ricotta, bacon, spinach and 1T olive oil. Coffee with cream. For lunch I had trout, and onion strings. meatballs and spaghetti sauce, cauliflower, parmesan, and I snacked on 2 almonds, string cheese, and 2 T coconut butter (woah that stuff is a-maz-ing but lots of calories and fat.)

R1P3D2 P3 Foods

Today is Sunday morning and the scale says 206.5 so my weight is holding at 1.5 pounds under LDW which is good news! Especially since I am struggling with the change from P2 to P3. Having to eat a LOT more food is making my stomach a bit queasy. Also, I'm still somewhat confused about what to eat. I made a list from the Atkins induction food list and from other things I have read.

Yesterday I ate about 1400 calories I estimate. I had a chocolate Jay Robb smoothie made with ice and water, leftover 100 gm chicken with diced cuke, tomato and onions, then I went food shopping and had a string cheese, went to an early dinner at Paneras and had a You Pick Two of a bowl of onion soup, a half a roast beef sandwich with cheddar, tomato, onion. Didn't eat the sandwich roll, the bread or the croutons. Got home and tallied my calories and realized I needed to eat more so I had 2 eggs and tried 1 Tbs each of the peanut butter and the cocoa butter I bought earlier, YUM!

It seems like a lot of food for 1400 calories. And it seems hard to get enough protein. I am going to use the iPhone LoseIt! App to record my foods because it does a good job of tallying by protein, fat and carb grams.

To maintain my weight I should eat 1700 calories a day which seems like a LOT. I should strive for the calories to be divided in 60% protein, 30% fat and 10% carbs.  That translates to a minimum of twice the amount of protein that was allowed in P2 - between 100 to 125 grams of protein content (which is at least 400 gms protein foods by weight uncooked.) In P2 we had about 7 ounces total protein for the day so that means in P3 we need at least 14 ounces. I do get 3 meals instead of the 2 allowed in P2. So that is 5-7 ounces per meal. Or have some protein in my snacks. Two meals was just so much easier to keep track of but I am not sure I can eat enough at just two meals.

I found this on the web: 
These are from Linda Prinster's "HCG Weight Loss Cure Guide"
Recommended things for the FIRST week of p3:
Stop fruits and breadsticks first week
Have cream in your coffee if you like...continue lots of water
Add Salmon, trout, shrimp scampi.
Use butter, oil, or cooking spray in the frying pan
Add a small breakfast like an egg or 2...like a 2 egg omelette..load it up.
Change the proteins to 6-8oz per meal. Example:
Lunch..protein, small salad, real dressing, veggies of choice...
Salad can be mixture of favorite things...no sugar..nor starch
Dinner...Same as lunch. Protein, salad, veggies
Try to eat a little at each meal and get a mid morning and afternoon snack.

Phase 3 Snacks to bring to work (no more Grissini or Melba!):
  - Almonds
  - String Cheese (refrig)
  - Maries Blue Cheese for lunch salad
  - some Chocolate Delite or Coconut Cups
  - Cream for coffee (or drink it black)

R1P3D1 Phase 3

Round 1 Phase 2 Stats  (10/22/10 to 12/3/2010):      
Pounds - Starting Weight : 231.0       Last Dose Weight : 208.0      Pounds Lost : 23.0
Inches - Starting Inches : 357.5          Ending Inches : 329.0            Inches Lost : 28.5

I made it to Phase 3! The last 72 hours without HCG were not too bad at all. Today is Saturday morning and the scale reads 206.5, down 0.3 which is good seeing as how I had my first P3 meal last night and it was about 800 calories!

Yesterday, Friday, I had a strawberry smoothie, chicken with spinach salad, 4 grissini, coffee with moo and stevia, and for my first P3 dinner I had 3 slices of no sugar bacon, 100 gm shrimp, 2 handfuls of spinach and 2 eggs, 2 Tbs olive oil, garlic, 1 oz of cream cheese all sauteed into a yummy frittata. I need to be sure to get enough protein and fat and absolutely NO SUGAR OR STARCH. It was filling and I felt some GERD reaction, scratchy esophagus and some acid coming up but it subsided after a few hours and as the food moved into my lower stomach. I think the culprit was the bacon so I am going to use what I have left sparingly crumbled into salads and omelets as a seasoning. The dinner was about 800 calories and the scale didn't budge this morning. Sometimes it shows up the next day so I'll see what tomorrow brings.

Thursday was really busy. On Friday morning the scale read 206.8, up 0.2. I had 1/2 orange, grilled chicken, 4 grissini, coffee with stevia, lean steak burger, roasted garlic asparagus. After my meager lunch I was hungry but I just pushed down a lot of water and felt fine.

Today I am studying P3 guides and shopping and cooking for the week. Each phase takes some work to understand and customize to my food preferences but its worth it.

R1P2D42 Still Losing

It's Thursday morning and the scale says 206.6 pounds. I'm still within the 2 pound range so no correction is needed.

Yesterday I ate a strawberry smoothie, coffee with stevia (no moo), chicken and romaine with 1 teaspoon ranch dressing, 2 grissini, 1/3 Atkins bar, fajita spiced chicken and sauteed onions.

I found out that the Mini-moo which is really half and half was off protocol due to the sugar in it. I should have been using whole milk. I'll know for Round 2.

R1P2D41 LDW is 208 pounds

It's Wednesday morning and the scale says 208.0 pounds. So my Last Dose Weight is 208.0 for Round  1. That is a total loss of 23.0 pounds. Yay!! I love HCG! So 208.0 pounds is where I should stabilize until I start Round 2. If I go 2 pounds over or under I will need to immediately that day do a correction day.

Round 2 will start on January 14 after 3 weeks of P3 and 3 weeks of P4.

Today begins the 72 hours after my last dose when I have to continue on P2 without taking the HCG and before I can eat the first P3 meal. The HCG should stay in my body for that long. I hope so. I will be drinking a lot of water.

Yesterday I had a strawberry smoothie, coffee with moo and stevia, chicken and spinach salad, 2 grissini, chicken and salsa and no-crust apple pie.

R1P2D40 Last Dose Day

It's Tuesday morning and the scale says 207.9 pounds for a loss of 1.3 pounds yesterday. I feel a wee bit backed up this morning and it's probably because I eat dinner kind of late.

Yesterday I had strawberries with stevia, coffee with moo and stevia, chicken with spinach, 2 grissini, 1 melba, grilled chicken with spinach, 2 grissini, shrimp on skewer with roasted garlic asparagus, apple pie (yummy!).

Tomorrow morning's weigh in will be my Last Dose Weight. That is the weight I will be stabilizing at during P3 and P4. So today I am going to make it a good day!

R1P2D39 Hello Monday

It's Monday morning (sigh) and the scale says 209.2. I'm pretty sure judging by my full stomach that this is related to daily movements and again not drinking enough water. I definately feel thinner, so I'm not worried.

Yesterday I had a strawberry smoothie, coffee with moo and stevia, a nice rare lean grilled hamburger, onion strings, 2 grissinis, orange spice iced tea, orange slices dipped in 1T cocoa and stevia, fresh snapper in white wine garlic sauce with roasted fennel.  Delish!!!

Preparing for Phase 3

This week I will move into P3. My last HCG dose is Tuesday night and I weigh in for my last dose weight (LDW) on Wednesday morning. From Wednesday to Friday lunch I continue with P2 VLCD, then Friday dinner (72 hours after last dose) I have my first P3 meal.

In P3, you have no sugar or starch at all. You add in good fats. You eat in your normal calorie range. So I'm going to check a few websites to estimate my calories range.

I have read suggestions to follow Atkins Induction for P3, so I will research that today. I'm going to make up a menu for the first week of P3 so I get it right.

R1P2D38 Weekend

It's Sunday morning and the scale says 208.5 pounds. I lost another 0.7 pound yesterday for a total weight loss of 22.5 pounds from starting weight. Yay!

Saturday's menu was a strawberry smoothie, leftover orange rosemary fish with 3 shrimp (to make 80 gm since it wan't enough fish) and spinach salad, 2 grissini, leftover chicken with sweet and sour sauce (strawberry and apple cider vinegar), iced coffee with moo and chocolate stevia, strawberries with vanilla cream stevia and cinnamon.

R1P2D37 Week 5 Numbers

It's Saturday morning the end of Week 5 and the scale says 209.2 pounds so I am down 0.5 pounds from yesterday. That makes 4.3 pounds lost this week and 21.8 pounds lost from starting weight (26.8 from load weight). I took measurements today and have lost 5 more inches this week for a total of 28 inches. Yay!!! I think that is great.

Yesterday my meals were a strawberry smoothie, leftover orange rosemary fish, tomato soup, Chicken Sausage Apple Stuffing [chicken sausage (ground chicken with sausage seasonings) and diced apple, 1 T minced onion with 2 crushed melbas all sauteed together], sea salt & cracked pepper baked radish chips, coffee with moo, and apple pie (baked apple with apple pie spice and stevia). I think the salt in some things has me retaing water again. My body seems to not like as much salt as I like to taste and I need to learn to have less.

R1P2D36 Black Friday

So Thanksgiving is over and this morning the scale says 209.7 which is only a 0.4 pound gain. Not bad! I know that the reason is too much salt, not enough water and no exercise. Today I am going to work on those.

Thanksgiving day menu was yummy for P2 foods. I had an orange pumpkin spice smoothie, coffee with moo and stevia, shrimp cocktail with cucmber tzaziki salad, 1 grissini, herbs de provence chicken saute with pan gravy and onion melba stuffing and oven baked onion strings.  I was going to have crustless apple pie but I was too full!

R1P2D35 Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!! I weighed in at 209.3. Dropped 1.2 pounds yesterday. Thank you to HCG and Dr. Simeons! That makes 21.7 pounds so far. I'm loving it! And I feel great too, I have good energy and feel healthy.

Yesteday I had strawberries, coffee with moo and stevia, chicken and spinach with 1 tsp of ranch dressing, 2 grissinis. After work I had to run to a hair appointment so I stopped for one half a cup of Panera's onion soup no cheese, croutons or bread (ate most of the onions) and iced tea, and when I got home I had orange rosemary fish. I really like fish or shrimp when I have to eat late night because it is light on my stomach.

R1P2D34 Two OH Pounds Gone!

It's Wednesday morning and I weigh 210.5! I lost 0.9 pounds yesterday. I am down 20.5 pounds from my starting weight and 25.5 from loading weight. That is 0.62 pounds/day. So nice!

Yesterday I ate strawberries, 2 melbas, 2 grissinis, chicken, 1/3 of 140 calorie Atkins bar, coffee with moo and stevia, sauteed garlic shrimp with spinach, mandarin orange slices with 1 T cocoa sauce (cocoa, water and stevia.) I love my little chocolate fix even if it is off protocol, same with the Atkins bar.

I had a couple stressful events yesterday and I am not thrilled that I still turned to food for relief, even if I did minimize it. It seems like I should think of an alternative for next time. Deep breathing, take a walk or something.

R1P2D33 Another Pound Down

Its Tuesday morning and the scale is at 211.4 so I lost 1.1 pounds yesterday! Yay me and HCG.
My menu was strawberries, coffee withmoo and stevia, chicken with spinach salad, 2 grissini, orange rosemary tilapia and balsamic roasted asparagus.

R1P2D32 Monday Morning

Monday morning (sigh), the scale says 212.5 today. No gain, no loss.

Yesterday I ate an orange, coffee with moo and stevia, lean burger with sauteed celery (not so great), 2 grissini, iced green chai tea with stevia, sauteed garlic shrimp with spinach (a new favorite). My non-stick fry pan got a workout this weekend.

Around 3 pm I pulled in to the mall parking and got a tinge of acid reflux in my esophogus. I drank some water and then it was gone. I think I had not drank enough water which is still an issue for me. Also, I think it was the coffee right after the orange that did it. So I need to drink tea regularly and coffee as an occasional treat, but not with citrus, that is too much acid at once.

R1P2D31 Nice Drop

It's Sunday morning and I weigh 212.5 pounds for a loss of 1.2 pounds which brings the total to 18.5 pounds so far in Round 1.

So this weekend I have been struggling to get some listings on eBay to sell some of the stuff I have piled up in my living room to garage sale. And last night I went to see the Harry Potter movie which let out at 10pm so I was cooking dinner at 10:30pm. I wasn't too hungry so I made a light meal and it was good.

So yesterday I had a sweet navel orange segmented with cinnamon sprinkled on it, large iced coffee with 2 moos and stevia, rare grilled burger with tomato soup, 1 grissini, a late night dinner of sauteed garlic shrimp and spinach.

R1P2D30 Harry Potter

It's Saturday morning and I weighed in at 213.7 for a gain of 0.8 pounds. I would guess it was the extra carbs, supposed to only have 2 grissini or 2 melba, and probably not enough water. Also my TOM is on Day 10 which could be making me retain water. I may need a round of progesterone if it continues to next week.

So for this fourth week I have lost 5.1 pounds and 1.25 inches, all off my waist! All in all I have lost 17.3 pounds and 23 inches in four weeks!! And I have 14 more days left in P2 to lose more!

Friday I ate an orange smoothie, coffee with moo and stevia, chicken with tomato sauce, 4 grissini and a melba, sauteed shrimp and wilted garlic spinach with sweet and sour sauce and strawberries with chocolate sauce (1 T cocoa with stevia and water.)

I am going to see Harry Potter tonight at the 7pm show so I will be sure to eat right before so I can deal with the popcorn aroma. I think I will bake some radish chips, they are almost like eating popcorn!

R1P2D29 A Cold

It's Friday morning, the scale reads 212.9 pounds which is a 0.7 pound loss for yesterday. The last two days I have been really tired and I think the reason is that I was fighting off a cold or something. I was headachy and tired and dehydrated. So I slept a LOT the last two nights and drank a lot of water and today I am feeling a bit better.

Yesterday's menu was a strawberry smoothie, coffee with moo and stevia, grilled chicken and romaine, 2 melba toasts, soy ginger tilapai, tomato soup, mandarin orange cup (in water not syrup).

R1P2D28 Thai Lunch

It is Thursday morning and the scale reads 213.6 so that is 0.9 pounds lost yesterday!

Yesterday I began to feel tired all day, when I got home from work I just went to bed without eating my dinner. My friend that I work out with also didn't feel good and she thinks she may be getting the flu. I feel a little better this morning but still a little tired maybe from skipping dinner.

Yesterday I ate 6 strawberries with stevia for breakfast. I went out to a Thai place for lunch with friends and ordered steamed chicken and onions with nothing on it and the owner of the place was so nice and accomodating. I had 4 grissini in the afternoon.

R1P2D27 Working Out

It's Wednesday morning and the scale says 214.5 for a loss of 1.1 pounds. Losing again! Yay! It is good to see the scale moving again! I feel good today after yesterdays workout. I recommend working out but gently, don't push. It affects my body chemistry and makes me feel better. At the gym, I had energy but my muscles felt weak on the machines. As the fat releases from muscle areas the muscles are temporarily too long and it takes more extension to get them to work.

My meals were strawberry smoothie, tea with moo and stevia, chicken and spinach, 4 grissini, taco lean ground beef with celery scoopers.

R1P2D26 Stalls

It's Tuesday morning and the scale says 215.6 so I'm at the same weight for 3 days in a row which sounds like a stall, but really that is typical for the protocol. During weight stalls, the body is losing inches. Dr. Simeons manuscript is aptly titled "Pounds and Inches". Weight is lost in a stairstep manner. I just need to drink the water and stay the course and it will come off.

Yesterday's menu was strawberry smoothie, tea with moo and stevia, chicken and spinach salad, 3 grissinis, 1 bite (1/6) of an Atkins bar (CHEAT). Okay I had my first cheat. I was avoiding homemade cookies brought in by a coworker and it was making me crazy, so I figured this was the lesser of two evils. For dinner, fish and tomato soup and strawberries with 1 T chocolate dipping sauce (1 T no sugar Hersheys cocoa with chocolate stevia and water - off protocol.)

I am having my TOM and I suppose this may be contributing to some emotional food cravings. Hormones are a problem for me. I stopped the progesterone during TOM but maybe I should continue it.

R1P2D25 The Weekend

It's Monday morning and the weekend flew by as usual. The scale reads 215.7, same as yesterday and Saturday so no loss all weekend. I know one reason is not drinking enough water because I just don't think about it. Next weekend I am going to make a pitcher of lemon water and keep it in the fridge that I have to finish each day so I have a visual goal to meet.

I went shopping for pants since mine are too loose now and found 2 pair of size 20 that were inexpensive since I won't be in them for very long.

On Saturday I had strawberry smoothie, coffee and moo and stevia, shrimp with radishes and radish chips, 2 grissini, lean rare burger with tomato soup, baked apple with cinnamon and stevia.

On Sunday I ate a strawberry smoothie, tea with moo and stevia, gyro seasons steak with cuke ranch salad (taste like tzaziki), 4 grissini, ginger soy fish with asparagus and tea with moo and stevia. I never very hungry with is evidence to me that the HCG is working.

R1P2D23 Fat Burning Machine

It's Saturday morning and after two days of solid losses I expected a slight gain. The scale says 215.7 for a loss of 1.1 pounds! I am a fat burning machine! Total losses from loading day are 20.3 pounds and from start day are 15.3 pounds! That's 5 pounds a week. That motivates me to follow the protocol exactly, because it works. Today I also took my measurements and I lost 6.5 inches last week for a total to date of 21.75 inches! Yay!

Yesterday I had a strawberry smoothie, coffee with a moo and stevia, chicken and romaine, 3 grissini, lean ground beef burger grilled rare (yum), oven roasted onion strings (great substitute for french fries) and an orange smoothie.  The food is very satisfying and I am not hungry except right before meals a little.

I am doing okay without the Prilosec. I had some uncomfortable gas, burping and sick feeling between lunch and dinner but that's all. I forgot to bring the digestive enzyme capsule to work yesterday. I'll be sure to take one today with lunch and see if that helps.

I would also like to get off my blood pressure meds one day. I have a cuff at home and will check it more often to see if anything is changing. This morning the middle of 3 readings is 116/73 (high 125/73 low 91/63.)

R1P2D22 Huge Release!

It's Friday morning and the scale reads 216.8. That's 1.9 pounds lost yesterday. Woo hoo! Now, I understand I may get some back today if it was partially water, but I am still thrilled and amazed. It is more surprising because I got TOM yesterday, well maybe, I never know what is going on since menopause decided to wreck havoc on  my cycles.

Yesterday, I had strawberries with a melba, coffee with moo and stevia, chicken and 2 oz spinach (wasn't hungry), 2 grissini, fish with orange sauce and tomato soup made from 1 tomato and 1/2 can tomato paste. Dinner was yummy! I love the tomato soup.

I stopped taking my daily 20 mg Prilosec on Sunday. I just forgot. I had been researching about how to stop taking it. I have been on it for almost 10 years. So Tuesday when I felt fine, I decided to continue not taking it. Tuesday night Donna suggested I take digestive enzymes. Yesterday I felt some gas and bloating and I went to Nutrition World and bought some enzymes. Took 1 with dinner and had a soft, light dinner and feel good this morning. I hope I am able to stop, because I usually get rebound acid but that has not happened this time. More proof to me of how good this protocol is for my body.

R1P2D21 Outback

Today the scale reads 218.7, which is a 1.2 pounds loss from yesterday. I think I will gain some back today because I only drank about 60 oz. I need to try a different approach to getting in the water. I got in a workout at the gym with Jennifer after lunch.

Yesterday I ate strawberries with 1 melba and cinnamon for breakfast, chicken with spinach, lemon and Frank's original hot sauce for lunch, coffee with moo and stevia, then went out for dinner for the first time.

So last night, I was invited to dinner at the Outback Steakhouse with some friends. I worried for nothing. I ordered the "Filet Wedge Salad Tender sliced filet with a cool, crisp wedge of fresh Iceberg lettuce, Blue Cheese dressing, grape tomatoes, red onions, bacon and Blue Cheese crumbles, drizzled with a sweet balsamic glaze" - no blue cheese dressing, no tomatos, no bacon, no crumbles, no glaze. Just filet, lettuce, and I kept the red onion for a little seasoning. I asked the server if they had apple cider vinegar or soy sauce. She was so sweet she said she would go next door to the Chinese place and get soy sauce for me! When it came I asked her if she knew how many ounces of meat it was, and she said 3-4 ounces. Great, I could eat it all. Turns out I could only eat half. I weighed the other half at home and it was 2.2 ounces and had a narrow bit of fat on the side that I would cut off if the restaurant was better lit (I didn't see it.) I need to make my own dressing and find a way to bring it with me.

Before Photos

I posted my before photos. That was me. I knew it. I accepted it. I didn't hate myself. I did not know how I got that way. No, it wasn't from eating too much. I'm not a glutton and I'm not lazy. I tried to lose weight for 10 years. Now finally, I feel hope. I understand how my body works, and I can gain control over my weight.

I have learned so much since I stumbled upon HCG in Google search one day back in September. HCG is truly the obesity cure. There is no way I could be taking this journey without it. It is hard to imagine that in such a short time, from reading Dr. Simeons protocol guide in his book Inches and Pounds and from following the knowledgeable people who post on Yahoo HCG Dieters group, that I would have a complete change in how I think about what is in the food I eat and obesity. I know that obesity isn't just being fat, it's a specific kind of fat locked in the adipose tissues. I know that the real cause of obesity is ingesting too much sugar and starch, not from eating fat. That it causes a disfunction of the hypothalmus gland. I know from watching the video "Sugar:The Bitter Truth" by Dr. Robert Lustig how harmful high fructose corn syrup is to my body. And from watching "Food, Inc." the movie, how prevalent corn is by all its pseudonyms in our food supply. And being an avid label reader now how most packaged, processed foods contain some version of sugar or starch added to it.

R1P2D20 In the Teens!

Today I weigh 219.9. Long time no see. I had to look twice because I didn't recognize the number. LOL  So that means I lost 0.7 pounds. 16.1 lost from loading day and 11.1 from starting weight.

My meals yesterday were satisfying. I had a strawberry smoothie, coffee with moo and stevia, lamb with cinnamon and garlic and spinach with a dressing of braggs, stevia and mustard. I know it sounds weird but I was going for gyro meat and it was good! 4 grissini. Tilapia microwaved in Braggs, stevia and ginger sauce, and raw radishes. Then strawberries with 1/2 melba crumbs and cinnamon. 

R1P2D19

It's Tuesday morning, Day 19 and the scale says 220.6. That is 0.3 pounds lost yesterday. I worked out with my girl friend after work.

I had an orange cream smoothie for breakfast, coffee with moo and stevia, chicken with spinach and 1 T dressing of mustard and red wine vinegar. 2 grissini and tea at 4pm, 2 grissini at 6pm before going to the gym for an 40 min work out; 10 min cardio and 30 min upper body. Dinner was shrimp cooked with tomato, oregano, garlic and dried red pepper and raw tomato slices with basil. Too full and tired at 9:30pm to have the second fruit. I ate too late and feel full this morning. I should try to eat earlier.

R1P2D18 Trust the Protocol

It is Monday morning and the scale reads 220.9. After the stall on Friday, the same thing happened on Saturday, then I actually gained on Sunday! I was worried. But today all of that was released plus 0.4 pounds more. I will take that for a weekend. And the lesson learned is to relax and trust the protocol. It works.

Saturday morning I only had coffee with moo and stevia, and since the weather was very cool, I went outside to do about an hour of garden work to my front entrance that was sorely needed. I had to take it slow and drink a lot of water but afterwards I felt great. I had chicken with cooked spinach for lunch and sweet and sour shrimp with roasted radishes for dinner. It was so yummy, the sweet and sour sauce was made with strawberries, apple cider vinegar and stevia. I had the rest of the strawberries crushed for dessert with 1.5 crushed melbas with cinnamon. More yummy. I was quite satisfied with my meals today.

Sunday I rested most of the day. I had a strawberry smoothie, the last taco burger with tomato soup. I had to cook up more burgers at dinner time. This batch I grilled rare the way I like burgers and they were SO enticing that I had to have one for dinner too, although I normally would not have beef twice in the same day because it is more calories. I roasted onions two ways, sweet thick slices and thin crispy strings with a little spicy seasonings. Delicious! I was not hungry after, so I skipped the second fruit.

I measured on Saturday and I lost 7.05 inches last week,  and a total of 15.28 inches to date.

Today is Day 18, I am down 15.1 from loading day (0.839/day), and 10.1 from Day 1 (0.561/day). I'm happy with that!

R1P2D16 What's the Culprit?

It is Saturday morning, time for the weekly check in. I lost 3.9 pounds this week and 7.0 inches. Yay!!! 4 pounds in a week is great for me, but I think I can do even better. I need to strictly limit the grissini and melba and moos. I need to meet the 100 oz of water daily.

Yesterday I was pretty active and I thought I would lose more after stalling the day before. This morning the scale says 221.1. So that is 0.2 pounds lost. Dr. Simeons says we need to check our food if there is a stall to find a reason. The first thing that comes to mind is that I am still having a hard time getting in the 100 oz of water. I'm going to get a large pitcher with just that amount that I have to finish each day. Also, I noticed that the garlic paste in the tube that I love so much has sunflower oil and olive oil. So that could be it too. I'll save that for P3. Third thing is that I have used tomato paste instead of tomato in the last few beef meals and the label says it is 50 cal for 1/3 of the 6 oz can, so it is much more concentrated that real tomato. I counted the calories but I think I wll stick with real tomato.

Here is my meu from yesterday. I had a strawberry smoothie, coffee with moo and stevia, beef with tomato, 1 grissini, fish with onion, and lemonade.  Total 446 cals. My hunger is definately lower. I still am susceptable to craving food that I see in commercials on TV, but I don't feel it in my stomach at all.

R1P2D15 Steady

Weighed in at 221.3 today, no loss or gain. Yesterday, I tried to get in all my water (100 oz) but I think I got only about 80 oz. I had a strawberry slushy, coffee with moo and stevia, chicken and spinach, 2 grissini and 3 melbas, lean ground beef with tomato paste and onions and roasted garlic cooked together which made a tasty sloppy joe mix. I counted the tomato as the second fruit. I am going to make an effort to stick to the 2 grissini or 2 melba on protocol as I am sure the extras are not helping me.

I notice a difference from the progesterone on days I apply it and when I don't. It calms me. I want to get my hormone levels tested so I can get a more specific dosage. I also notice my skin is drying out a lot more so I am applying a protocol friendly lotion on my arms and legs and a deep moisturizer at night on my face and hands. I'm also taking the magnesium, potassium, l-glutamine and l-carnitine which all seem to help me in other ways along with my long list of vitamin supplements, my bp meds and prilosec. Can't wait to get off of the last two soon.

R1P2D14 Busy Week Still Losing

It's Thursday morning Day 14.  I got good sleep last night and I feel good. Have not been hungry at all except a teeny bit by mid-afternoon when I've had too many meetings to stop and get a drink. And I have not been taking enough water so that would help too. Today I am going to try to reach my 100 oz.

I'll try to give a quick recap of each day.

Monday was super busy and stressful. I had to work very late. Despite that I ate well. A strawberry smoothie, coffee with moo and stevie, chicken, salad, 4 grissinis, 1.5 melbas, a mexi burger with celery bites for dinner. 459 cals total. Tuesday morning I had lost 1.6 pounds.

Tuesday also busy and I didn't get my fruit for breakfast. I had coffee with moo and stevia, chicken and salad, 4 girssini, ginger soy fish and asparagus and lemonade (1 lemon and stevia in ice water). At dinner time I wasn't hungry and I had to force myself to eat. Only 347 cals. Wednesday  morning I neither gained or lost.

Wednesday I had strawberry smoothie, coffee with moo and stevia, chicken and salad, 2 grissini and 2.5 melbas. For dinner I had to run to a hair appointment, so I grabbed a chicken that I had bought at lunch and tucked in the fridge, quick nuked it and tucked it in paper towels to eat on the drive there. I should have checked the time around when I was having the melbas and had the chicken instead. When I got home I had a 2 oz serving of mandarin orange. 376 cals total. I am allowed to eat more but Dr. Simeons says those who are not hungry do not need to take in 500 cals. Thursday morning (today) I lost 1.7 pounds.

I'm much better now at taking the sublingual dose. I keep it under the tongue but let it roll to the back sides where there are more glands. I use the 15 mins to write this blog. I use the timer on my iphone.

To me the weight is coming off my back around the bra line and waist the most and a some from my chin and neck and a little every where else. I am down 9.7 pounds from my starting weight in 14 days, so that is 0.7 pounds a day. From 231 to 221.3. I am very happy with that!

R1P2 D10 and D11 Halloween and Nov 1st

On Sunday after having that ill feeling on Saturday night I was not very hungry. I had an orange smoothie, which made me feel full until around 2pm then I had shrimp and asparagus for lunch. At 5pm I just was not hungry and decided I would eat after the movie if I was hungry. I sliced some radishes to bring to the movies.

It was Halloween night and I wanted to leave before kids came for candy, since I had none.  So I went out to buy a new bathroom scale to replace the ancient dial kind I've used forever. The new digital one measures BMI and fat % and some other data and its pretty too, glass and black lucite with silver aluminum bands where you step on it. I don't think I got in all my water since I was driving around.

At 7pm I went to see the Social Network, interesting and it was over at 9:30pm. When I got home I just dosed and went to bed.

Yesterday, Monday morning (11/1) I expected a loss, but I was flat. The new scale said 224.6 and my old one was at 224. I think it was either not enough water or getting ill that caused the stall.

I had a strawberry smoothie, chicken and salad (with a tiny bit of red onion and red wine vinegar and lots of salt and pepper), and during a stressful afternoon ate 4 grissini, coffee with a moo and stevia, and 1 and a half melbas. I also had l-glutamine and l-carnitine capsules opened on my tongue. They both are smilar sweet and sour powders and gives some energy but I like to do it because its allowed and it tastes sort of sweet. Left work at 9:30pm. Had taco seasoned beef and celery cut into dipping size pieces. It was very satisfying to dip the celery into the beef like an appetizer and tasted pretty good too. It was late and I skipped the fruit.

So yesterday was a stressful day like the first day of every month is in my job, and I thought I would gain but today the scale read 223.0. Yay! Lost 1.6 pounds. I love this protocol.

R1P2D9 Another Pound Gone!

It's Sunday morning and the scale says 224, so I lost a pound yesterday. I think that's pretty good. I had an orange smoothie for breakfast, a lean burger with leftover asparagus for lunch, 2 grissini sticks for an afternoon snack, and made a wonderful ginger garlic lime tilapia with roasted onions for dinner. So I am not having any trouble sticking to the protocol.

I ate late and something I ate didn't agree with me. I had a low blood sugar reaction to something that made my brain get foggy and drowsy and I had to lie down until it passed. I used to get that from eating ice cream. I think it is chromium in the onion that can lower blood sugar. I did also notice this morning that I had missed one of my BP pills somehow yesterday and that may have had an effect too.

Yesterday I food shopped and picked up tangerines, asparagus, lean ground beef, onions and radishes. 

Tonight is Halloween and I have a plan to meet up with a friend to see The Social Network so I won't need to get chocolate to hand out. I'll miss seeing the trick or treaters but I really can not be trusted to be alone with chocolates right now!

R1P2D8 3 Pounds Dropped!

It's Saturday morning of Day 9 and I just weighed in at just under 225! Lost 3 pounds yesterday so that makes 6 pounds from my starting weight (11 pounds from my loading weight)! I also measured and lost 8.2 inches. I think that is great for one week. I have never has such great results and I have tried a lot of times to stick to a strict calorie count of 1200-1400 per day that my dietician recommended. This is so much better because I am learning the right way to eat.

Yesterday's menu was coffee with 1 moo and stevia at 9am. For lunch I had a rare lean charcoal grilled burger (actually it was a 5 ounce burger that I cut in half and brought the leftover home for lunch today) and raw tomato slices salted. It was so yummy. For dinner I had leftover shrimp from Wednesday's luncheon that I brought home and the leftover roasted garlic asparagus. I topped it off with an orange smoothie even though I wasn't hungry but thought I needed the fruit.

The HCG did finally kick in about Day 4 or 5 (VLCD Day 2 or 3) and each time I eat I am not hungry until the next meal or maybe just some slight hunger twinges just before each meal. If I get stressed in between, that is my food trigger, I have either coffee or tea or more water. One trick that works for me is now that I am taking more supplements I take 2-3 at the 10am and 3pm snack times with a hot or cold drink and it satisfies me. If my hunger gets really bad, I have a pack of grissini in my desk and I eat one or two. Also if I am going to work out I have 1 or 2 melbas just before to ensure my blood sugar doesn't drop too low.

I am cooking for the week today. I am planning out my menu for the week now which I follow loosely depending on what each day brings. To not get bored I like to have lots of options. I think I am going to make some rare lean burgers and bake some tilapia. I am making my list and heading to the store soon.

This is the first weekend I will do on the VLCD. I am a little worried because weekends are my time to overindulge as it's just me at home. But I am trusting that the HCG will help by curbing cravings. I think I will be sure to take the l-glutamine and l-carnitine today and tomorrow as they seem to help too. And the progesterone which balances out the nervousness I feel from too much estrogen. For Halloween tomorrow I have already made a plan to go to the movies to see The Social Network with a friend, but if she backs out I am going alone. This way I won't have to hand out or be around candy alone at home. I realize that would not a good idea for me. I can't be trusted around a bowl of chocolates.

R1P2D7 Gained a pound

For breakfast I had a strawberry smoothie. Am snack had coffee with a mini-moo and stevia. Lunch had chicken and spinach with a splash of hot sauce (no sugars) and red wine vinegar. PM snack had 2 melba toasts. Then went to the gym and walked and did upper body weights. First time working out I thought it would be hard but after eating the melbas I had just enough energy and felt good after wards. For dinner I broiled shrimp on a skewer with some Braggs, cardamon, and a few drops of hot sauce as a glaze and asparagus with garlic powder. Broiled for 15 minutes and it was awesome! Also cored, sliced and peeled a small apple and dusted it with Pumpkin Pie spice and baked it for 15 minutes for dessert.

So I think the pound could be from not drinking enough water on Wednesday or from the work out or the off-protocol vinegar. I'm not worried. Just stay the course and today should be a good day.

Also, the progesterone cream did make me feel better. I forgot to put it on last night so I will put some on this morning after showering. I feel that nervous, irritable, PMS-y feeling so I think I need it.

R1P2D6 3 Pounds in a Day!

Its the mornng of Day 7 and I just weighed and dropped 3 pounds since yesteday! That puts me 4 pounds under my starting weight and 9 pounds total lost from my loading weight! Woo hoo!

For breakfast I brought an apple to work and had a slice at 10am but realized that I can not make myself like what I just don't like and tossed the rest. I just had a cup of coffee with a mini-moo and stevia instead. I got to attend a special lunch at work and they had shrimp in some kind of tomato based sauce and wild baby greens salad, so that was great. I was able to pass on the brownies and big chocolate chip cookies without much trouble and watched everyone else eat them. Then I had the grissinis and tea for a snack at 4 pm. After work I had to stop by a friends house who is traveling to feed her dog at 7:30pm. I passed on the temptation to have a bite of the chocolate muffins on her counter. I got home around 10pm famished and heated up a 100 gm mexi-burger and added more taco seasonings. I had that with a 1/2 diced englished cucumber with 1 T red onion minced, garlic powder and 1 t ranch dressing (off-plan). Then for dessert had a cinnamon orange smoothie. I was really full and I know it was late to be eating but it felt great to eat on plan.

The last few days my girl friend at work has pointed out I have been b*thcy and I have felt it too, like PMS. I think maybe from the fat being released has released estrogens and I think am already estrogen dominant but I have never gone for testing. So I bought some progestreone cream and I am going to try that to get rid of that stressed out feeling. I'll see how it goes for a week or so.

R1P2D5 No Picnic but Making It

This morning I weighed in and I am still above my starting weight by 2 pounds. Today I was still tired, head-achey and had low blood sugar before meals. I tried the l-carnitine which is supposed to aid with fat burning. I took 2 capsules at 10am and 3pm and they seemed to give me some energy. I also took one l-glutamine which is supposed to curb cravings. I looked again at the ingredients list and they both have cellulose and the l-glutamine has rice powder. Not sure if I should have those ingredients on the VLCD.

My menu today was a 3.5 oz strawberry smoothie for breakfast. 2 grissinis with a coffee with a mini-moo and stevia at 10am. 100 gm chicken grilled served with 6 oz raw spinach for lunch. 2 more grissinis with a cup of Stash Chai black tea with stevia at 4pm. Another 100 gm grilled chicken with 8 oz tomato for dinner. And a 3.5 oz cinnamon orange smoothie for dessert. Pretty tasty.

I really like most of the foods on the list, although I do have my favorites, my struggle is with the small portions. I am not really hungry though, its more of a blood sugar problem. I think that is why I felt compelled to have the 2 extra grissinis which I know was off protocol. A friend told me to try Chromium for that so I will check that out. She also said I should replace the am smoothie with an apple during the day. I don't like apples but I will give that a try. Maybe I can learn to like them. I'll be taking my cinnamon to work too!

R1P2D4 BP Meds

Left my pill box at home this morning so I missed taking my blood pressure meds until I got home at 7pm. I felt off all day with a slight headache so its hard to know if it was the meds ot the HCG. I'm thinking it was the BP meds. It's great to think I could be off of blood pressure meds entirely in a few months. 

Today I ate a 3.5 oz strawberry slushy for breakfast, spinach salad with chicken breast for lunch, a melba toast with tea at 4pm, a grissini with garlic paste, and tomato soup and garlic shrimp for dinner and I will be having an orange slushy for dessert. The tomato soup and garlic shrimp was wonderful. I think I will be having that once or twice a week. 

My hunger level was about a 6 out of 10 today. It was definately there but it was manageable. I need to get a bigger water jug so its easier to count my water ounces. I think I had about 64 ounces which I know if not enough so I need to drink more tomorrow.

R1P2D3 Cravings

Made it thought Day 3 but had to fight off a few cravings. I wasn't hungry just wanted bread or any off plan food. I ate 3.5 oz strawberries blended with ice and stevia, water with lemon, 100 gm citrus fish, 16 oz baked radishes (the whole bag that really helped), 1 grissini, coffee with stevia and 1 T half and half, 100 gm beef sauteed with 2 celery stalks, 1 melba toast and 3.5 oz orange blended with ice and stevia. Pretty satifisying aside from those annoying cravings.

R1P2D3 Stuffed from Loading Day 2

It's the morning of Day 3 and I made it through the dreaded loading days. I feel way too full and slightly sick to my stomach. Can't wait for it to pass (if ya know what I mean). I gained 5 pounds, So I am at 236 after loading. I tried to use the loading days to bid a fond farewell to some of my previously favorite foods. I say previously because in the last month I have eaten mostly all on plan foods (at 1000 cals/day) and found that eliminating sugar and starch makes me feel great and I lost 10 pounds. But it was nice to have a chance to try them again, just hard to eat them all in 2 days!

So here is what I ate on Loading Day 2: Breakfast at Cracker Barrel 3 bacon, 2 eggs, 2 slices of sourdough toast, hashbrown casserole (fav) coffee with cream and sugar. I picked up 2 shortbread cookies (fav) from Paneras and ate them around noon. Again so full from that I couldn't go to lunch, so at 4pm I went to the mall and grabbed an Auntie Annes salted soft pretzel with extra butter (fav). Then I went to dinner at Chili's and had the appetizer trio with 2 slider burgers, boneless buffalo wings, spinach dip and taco ships with salsa and finished it off with a large slice of strawberry cheesecake. Woah!

I have read that we should do healthy fats on loading days, and I will probably change what I load for Round 2, but it was worth it to say good bye to my comfort foods that have taken me though some tough times. Now that I know how toxic the sugar is, I will be banishing most of them forever. And good riddance. I will be much healthier and happier without them.
Today is meal planning day for the week. I'll grocery shop and cook for the week so I can just grab and go each day.

Also, I measured my inches today. I put them in a tracking speadsheet and will record them here as well. Here they are for R1P2D3:
Weight: 236
Neck: 15.75
U Right Arm: 16.00
L Right Arm: 13.25
Right Wrist: 7.50
Under Armpit:42.25
Bust: 50.00
Under bust: 41.00
Waist: 49.00
Hips: 51.00
Right Thigh: 27.00
Right Knee: 17.50
Right Calf: 17.25
Right Ankle: 10.00
That's the starting point for me. Can't wait to see results. Happy Losing Everyone!

Loading Day 2

Saturday 10/23/2010:

Today is Loading Day 2. I didn't weigh myself because I don't want to get all stressed out and not be able to eat. Also I decided to eat out so I wouldn't have any bad food in the house for Phase 2 VLCD which starts tomorrow. I had already cleaned out the pantry and fridge of the bad stuff - sugar and starches.

Yesterday I had a big breakfast ala IHOP. 2 eggs, 3 bacon, 3 sausage, 2 pancakes and hash browns with coffee with half and half. So full I couldn't eat lunch. Went to TGI Fridays for dinner and had the spinach dip with taco chips (ate more than half) and shrimp scampi, salmon (ate half), and mashed potatos. Then went to Coldstones and had a Mud Pie Mojo I Love It size (ate the whole thing.) Needless to say I was way full. Today is going to be similar. I'll report later along with my weight and measurements.

I have had some feelings of doubt and concern about the loading. I worked so hard to lose the 10 pounds last month I hate to get them right back. But I push those thought away by reading the posts of people losing like 8 pounds, 10 pounds in a week! I subscribe to the Yahoo HCG group and must get like 200 emails a day to my Yahoo account which I can read any time on my phone. That really helps to motivate me.

Round 1 Phase 2 Day 1 - Loading Day!!!

My HCG arrived and on Friday I started with Loading Day 1. 

From Friday:  I mixed up the batch using the 5000 i.u. HCG with the 1 ml. of sodium chloride that came with the HCG and 9 ml of sublingual B-12 that has no sugar additives. I took my first dose of 0.25 ml. which is 125 i.u. per dose taken twice daily. I had a lot more saliva than I expected and it makes me wonder if any really absorbed. I guess time will tell.

So I am headed out to a big breakfast at IHOP. I'm not really hungry and despite my reservations I am going to try to gorge myself and enjoy eating lots of high fat foods for today and tomorrow.

See ya later! Cheers to a THINNER ME!

How It All Began For Me

I am starting Round 1 on Friday, so I thought I would write about how I got here.

I have the dreaded belly fat big time. A month ago I Googled "belly fat" and saw a post on U-tube about HCG. From there I noticed more posts and from there I have found literally thousands of posts and dozens of quality websites dealing with weight loss using HCG.

I downloaded Pounds and Inches and read it though. I chose a couple of websites to read through in depth. I transferred everything I was learning into a spreadsheet (being the geek that I am) and began to follow a modified diet that eliminated almost all sugars and starches.

I ordered my HCG and supplies from all different websites to get the best prices. I didn't have any trouble with ordering or receiving the HCG and got (10) 5000 i.u. ampules of the Sifasi-HP which is made in Germany but was shipped from India.

The same week a girl friend of mine proposed I go to the gym with her daily, which really is the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a long time, and I agreed. We do aerobics and weights.

From the diet change and exercise I have lost 10 pounds in a month and I feel better than I have in a long time. The weight is not coming off my belly as much as it all over. From what I have read the HCG will help more with the belly fat.

Unlike many of my past attempts to lose weight, this time I am eliminating the big culprit - SUGAR. I am shocked to find out so many foods in my kitchen have the different forms of sugar in them. I have tossed out salad dressings, seasoning mixes, dried fruits, cereals, frozen meals, sauces, and the list goes on. Now I look at every product before I buy it to make sure it doesn't have sugar, sucrose, dextrose, maltose, fructose, or any other ose or syrups and a few other names as well and anything with corn. Eliminating hidden sugar will be something I continue forever.

So I feel that this time it's really going to work. I am happy and hopeful again. And that is a great feeling!