Time for an Update

So, I guess this update is long overdue! Life has a way of getting crazy sometimes, but, honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way!

I hadn't set an official goal when I began my journey, partly because I really didn't know what I would consider to be a good stopping point, and partly because I was a bit afraid that I might not attain as high of a goal as I wanted to. As my journey continued and I was still losing, I decided that I would make my goal to lose a total of 100 pounds. I am thrilled to say that I am 95% of the way there...I have lost 95 pounds to date! I am in shock and utter amazement at this reality!

I knew I needed to lose at least that much and in the process I discovered what weight I should be at to be in the "normal" range. I will be ending my HCG Journey at the high end of that "normal" weight range for my age and height, but not only that, I will also have a "normal" BMI reading at that point as well.

So, I only have 5 pounds to go! Sounds easy enough but I have to say it has been a real struggle to get the last 15 pounds off, and looking back at my journey, it's taken me nearly 4 months to lose 25 pounds. The weight came off so quickly in the beginning but it has definitely slowed down the closer I get to my goal.

I posted on Facebook the other day that size-wise I am officially half the woman I used to be, as I am now wearing a size 12 pants (may I remind you that I was wearing a size 16 by the age of 16?!)  Which, of course, means that when I started this journey I was wearing a Women's size 24 pants! Ouch! That was painful to put into words! But that was my reality. Not only that, but I felt stuck...like there was no way out of my morbid obesity (ouch, again)!

And, yet, here I am thanks to the HCG Protocol and thanks to God!!!

By the way, pictures will be coming soon.

One Day at a Time

My losses the past 5 days have been crazy weird, but overall good! So, hooray for that! :-) Here they are:

Jan. 12: Minus 1 pound
Jan. 13: Minus 1.4
Jan. 14: Up .3
Jan. 15: Minus 1.8
Jan. 16: Minus .1
Average loss for the last 5 days: .8 (almost a pound per day)

I am quite shocked at my average loss, as it has been quite a while since I've averaged almost 1 pound loss per day. As long as my losses continue, I will continue in Phase 2. I have moments when I think I can't wait much longer to get into Phase 3, but seeing these results keeps me motivated to keep going! I really don't feel deprived in Phase 2 but I will say Round 3 has been the most difficult. Each round seems to get more difficult, so I would like my next round to be my last and I would like it to be a short round (23 days total with 2 days loading). That means I need to lose as much as I can this round, and I need to stabilize well.

I am going to plan better this time for Phase 3 and here's some great info. on Stabilization. As a side note, TOM still hasn't arrived (I've lost track of how late it is!) and I suspect that TOM will arrive once I stop the drops (as that happened my very first round also). This could cause some problems with getting my correct LDW, but I'm just going to have to take that one day at a time. For now, I'm going to keep plugging away.

Round 3, Phase 2, VLCD 40!

I just realized that today is day 40 of this 3rd round of Phase 2! I knew it was coming up, and I have decided that I am going to continue on a while longer. Dr. Simeons' Protocol calls for a maximum of 40 days on hcg due to most people developing immunity to it by then, but he used the real stuff. People using the homeopathic version don't become immune and seem to be successful doing longer rounds. I'd like to hit the 80 pounds lost mark before moving into Phase 3. However, I may settle at 75 pounds lost. I don't want to burn myself out so from here on, I'm going to play it by ear.

I have lost approx. 25 pounds so far this round. Unfortunately, almost 10 were pounds I had previously lost but gained because I didn't stabilize well in Round 2 and from loading at the beginning of Round 3. So, technically, I've only lost about 15 pounds so far. But I also had my planned interruption, which turned into Christmas indulgences, that I had to recoup as well.

The good news is that I am officially wearing a size 16 regular pants! I say officially because I was able to wear 1 pair of 16's (out of the 4 pair I had) a couple weeks ago. However, now I can comfortably wear all 4 pairs. I was a teenager the last time I wore 16's! Some of my XL shirts are beginning to look big on me. I am amazed and thrilled!

So, I'm not as far along weight-wise as I would have liked for this round, but I am further in this journey than I ever believed possible! And so my journey continues.

New Milestones

I hit 2 major milestones in the past 2 days. First is that my grand total loss is 70 pounds! Funny thing is that it has taken a while for that to sink in. I mean, I realize that 70 pounds is a LOT! I see the difference when I look in the mirror. But even that wasn't as unbelievable to me as my second milestone, and that was wearing a dress today that I haven't worn in 17 years! I can't even believe that I have kept it in my closet for all these many long years, first of all! I haven't been able to wear it since B.C. (before children!) I wore it to church this morning and got so many compliments & I just had to tell everybody how long it had been since I had worn it because I was so excited! And, of course, I had to post a picture on Facebook and tell everyone! (Thank you for all the wonderful comments, everyone!)

I am so thankful to God that He used other people to lead me to hcg! It has changed my life! I have started a list of things that I now love that I didn't love before this journey.

~I love the new feeling of confidence I have about my appearance

~I love to cross my legs while sitting

~I love how I fit so much more nicely in my husbands arms (he can wrap them around me with ease!)

~I love that I don't have to worry about where I am going to sit for fear that I won't be able to squeeze  between this or that when it's time to leave (you have no idea how this haunted me before)

~I love that I don't have to hide behind others when a picture is being taken (not that I really could anyway!)

I think I will be adding to this list as time goes on. So, 70 pounds down, about 30 pounds to go (I'm guessing, since I don't exactly know where I should be yet but I think I will know when I get there!) I would still like to lose another 10 pounds before finishing this round of Phase 2, though I am already on Day 36. Dr. Simeons' Protocol says to do Phase 2 for a maximum of 40 days (plus the 2 loading days for a grand total of 42 days), but his Protocol was for injectable HCG and his reasoning is that people become immune to HCG after 40 days. Since immunity isn't a problem when using homeopathic HCG, some people on hHCG do longer rounds and since I really want to lose more before finishing out this round, I am shooting for a longer round. If I feel my resolve getting low, I will just end it and deal with losing more on the next round.


I have been hungry this round, which has really surprised me because I was almost never hungry on the previous 2 rounds of Phase 2. I started taking 8 drops 3 times a day (increased by 2 drops per dose) and it seems to be helping with my hunger issues. Also, I should mention that TOM has been delayed due to the hHCG. I asked about it on the Facebook support group page and some say it causes them to have TOM too often and with others it causes delays. I was glad to know I wasn't the only one!

Hey, if you want some great recipes for homemade ketchup, mayo, and salad dressing, be sure to check out my friend, Julia's blog. Great stuff! Thanks for sharing, Julia!

Strawberry & Lime Dessert for P2

Strawberry & Lime Dessert

-Handful of frozen strawberries
-Lime
-Stevia
-Magic Bullet or blender





If you plan ahead, you can set your strawberries out about an hour in advance. If you don't, you can microwave them a bit to soften before putting in the Magic Bullet (35 seconds is about right for my microwave and makes a good consistency for me). Once the strawberries are ready, I put them in the Magic Bullet container with one good squeeze of the lime and a scoop of Stevia. Blend for 10-20 seconds (only 10 seconds at a time with the MB, so as not to burn up the motor).

                                                                         

Don't let my great picture taking abilities fool you :) It doesn't make much (it's a small bowl!) but it sure tastes yummy! Of course, you could make it without the lime juice but it wouldn't be called Strawberry & Lime Dessert. However, it is still very tasty! Some people like to use chocolate flavored Stevia...I just haven't acquired the taste for the flavored Stevia's yet.

Chicken Chili With a Twist for P2

I made myself Chicken Chili last night and added a little twist to it so I am calling it Chicken Chili with a Twist:

100 g. of chicken, cooked
1 cup diced tomatoes (I like to blend 1/2 c. in my Magic Bullet and leave the other half chunky)
chili powder
garlic powder
onion powder
cumin
salt
small handful of fresh cilantro (YUM!)
lime juice

I love to have chicken pre-cooked, cut up and waiting for me in the freezer (even if I forget to pull it out in advance...I will put it in a little hot water to get the thawing process started!)

Put tomatoes in a small sauce pan on medium heat, add desired spices. Once this is boiling a bit, I add my chicken & let it continue to cook on low a few minutes. Chop up a small handful of fresh cilantro & cut a lime in half while you wait.  Just before serving, add the cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. I got the idea for this from a recipe a friend shared with me. Just love the combination of cilantro and lime!

I also love to put lime juice in my water with a little Stevia. I just bought this handy dandy little juicer thingy at my local Walmart a few days ago for $4.97. They had 3 different kinds to choose from and I chose this one. I have never owned a juicer thingy before. It sure beats squeezing the lime halves to death! I put the juice of one lime in a quart jar, add a couple little scoops of Stevia and fill with the jar with water. My favorite way to drink my water! Of course, this could be done with lemons as well, but I prefer limes.

The Many Ways to Eat Cabbage on Phase 2!

This has been the round where I have discovered that I love cabbage!  Funny thing, really, to discover that you love a food that you never knew you loved in the midst of a diet plan!


Cabbage is versatile, tasty and cheap!  I bought it for 29¢ a pound last week (of course, that was just before New Year's), but I don't think I've ever paid more than 69¢ a pound.  Some people mix it with lettuce in their salad to give it more bulk and to make it go farther.  Unfortunately, in Phase 2, we can't mix veggies, but I will likely do that when I get to Phase 3 again.

Here's what I've been doing with my cabbage lately.  First of all, I chop the head of cabbage into small pieces, along with 3 green onions (a little mixing with onions is ok, some say and it works for me).  I put it all in a big bowl in the refrigerator, so it's easy to grab what I need.

I already posted the recipe for Cabbage Soup, but there it is again in case you missed it in my earlier post. I love to put it in my crock pot!

I've also been making a little stir fry with my cabbage. I've been using chicken, but you could use beef as well. I marinate my chicken in some Bragg's Liquid Aminos, garlic and powdered ginger root for at least an hour (overnight, if I think that far in advance!) I've been using 1/2 to 1 Tbsp. MCT oil (medium chain triglycerides) to stir fry my chicken and then approx. 2 cups of cabbage. I like to add more ginger & a touch more Bragg's as it cooks, and a little vegetable broth at the end to scrape the pan.


Here's a link to a recipe and a vlog that talks about why you can use up to 2 Tbsp. of coconut oil or MCT oil during Phase 2.

And last, but certainly not least, I've been making my own P2 friendly version of Asian Salad. I put 2 handfuls (approx. 2 cups) of cabbage in a bowl. In a separate small bowl, I combine 1/2 Tbsp. of MCT oil, 3 splashes of Rice Vinegar, 5 splashes of Bragg's Liquid Amino's (I know, splashes are a very scientific method of measurement!) and just a tiny bit of Stevia. After stirring up the dressing, I add it to my cabbage, stir it & let it sit for a few minutes. Then I stir it up a bit more before (and during) eating it, as the dressing tends to settle in the bottom of the bowl. This is one of my favorite salads! In Phase 3, I add slivered almonds to said salad...even better!

                                                                     

2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back

Can I just say that Round 3 of my HCG Protocol journey has been a bit challenging?  Round 2 was challenging in that I felt like I never stabilized, which set me back nearly 10 pounds by the time I started Round 3.  The good thing was that I lost those 10 pounds pretty quickly, as I suspected I would, and even lost another 10 pounds after that.  Then came Christmas & my not-such-a-good-idea of taking an interruption.  Hindsight is always 20/20.  Hindsight told me that I would have been MUCH better off staying on Phase 2 during Christmas!  My one week of interruption cost me almost 10 pounds...the 10 that took me nearly 2 weeks to lose.  And actually, it was less than 1 week because I stuck with my plan to eat carb free until Christmas Eve.  I lost control on Christmas Eve and Christmas day.  Too much food and too many sweets...I guess I felt I had deprived myself for so long that I "deserved" to reward myself.  Rewarding myself with food is NOT a good idea!!!  I guess it was also easy for me to cave when I knew I would be able to lose whatever I gained simply by getting back to Phase 2.  It's very easy to fall into that line of thinking but the fact of the matter is that one day (hopefully by summer) I would like to be done with this journey!

Well, that is exactly what happened.  It's one week later and I have not only lost the 9.6 pounds I had gained, but I have also lost an additional 1.5 pounds.  So, I'm back in the saddle again. :) 

So, today is Round 3, Phase 2, VLCD30, and while I have lost 21 pounds so far this round, only 11.6 are new pounds lost.  I was recently reminded that 2 steps forward and 1 step back is still 1 step forward.  I must continue forward.  I will continue forward!

And so the journey continues...

More Milestones

I have reached several milestones in my journey this week.  I have lost 60+ pounds, never to be found again! :-)  I was able to wear a size 16 Average pair of jeans!  This may not be a big deal to some people, but it's a big deal to me because I remember wearing a 16 at the age of 16!  By the time I got married at the age of 20, I was wearing an 18.  When I started the Protocol in May I was wearing size 24 pants (and I owned a pair of 26's)!  So, yeah, it's a BIG deal!

I never cease to be amazed at this Protocol.  It is like a dream come true!  I'm losing my stored fat (in the form of pounds and inches!), I'm not hungry, it's super easy to follow the Protocol, it's for a short period of time (as little as 21 days, or as many as 40), I get TONS of compliments, it's super easy to follow, I'm not hungry, I HAVE LOST 62 POUNDS!!!  And it's super easy to follow!  No kidding!

So, yesterday, the FDA has announced it is going to ban the sale of homeopathic HCG in the US in 14 days.  Well, I am quite opinionated about the FDA these days but I don't have time to share my opinion right now, so I will close today's entry with this thought: Stock up on your hHCG while you can!

On the Move

This post was originally written on 12/1/11

Well, my lady bug ticker is on the move again!  Woohoo!  This means I am finally below my last dosage weight from my last round. It took me almost a week to get here but I have lost 10.6 pounds this week!  Only 18 days of Phase 2 left before I take a little interruption at Christmas.  I would like to get as close as possible to 180 lbs. by then, as I think that is going to be a weight I may stall at.  Stalls can happen rather easily at weight "set points" that your body recognizes (a weight you have held for some time).  The sad thing is, I remember weighing 180 pounds when I was 16 yrs. old.  That has been the weight that has been recorded on my driver's license ever since the first one I got.  I never changed it.  I could never get up the nerve to actually tell the person behind the desk at the Driver's License Facility how much I actually weighed.  In fact, I just got my license renewed this past October, and I figured that before long I am going to be below that weight, so why bother changing it to what it was at that time (which, by the way, was the closest I've been to that weight for nearly 20 years!)

VLCD4 & Cabbage Chicken Soup

Today is Day 4 and after only 3 days of VLCD (since I weigh in the morning),  I am 7.9 pounds lighter! Only 1.5 pounds to go before I reach my Last Dosage Weight, and then to continue losing from there...I am so excited!!!

This may sound strange to some of you (and, yet others of you who are doing the Protocol will understand) but I can already tell a difference in my body!  I remember this happening on my very first round as well.  Then I noticed it in my stomach, but yesterday I noticed it in my thighs.  Later in the day, I changed into a pair of jeans that I had just worn a few days earlier and they were noticably bigger on me (not huge, but bigger).  So, I decided to try on a pair of jeans that I had been wearing that were noticably tight ever since I bought them (but I bought them anyway knowing that I was going to continue to lose).  Guess what?!  They weren't tight!  If I hadn't seen it for myself, I might not have believed it!  This Protocol never ceases to amaze me!

I recently bought a small 2 quart crock pot (because, in my humble opinion, one can NEVER have too many crock pots!)
                                                                                                                                                  
                                                         
Yesterday (and again today) I made this recipe for Cabbage Chicken Soup for my dinner.  This crock pot is the perfect size for my individual soup portions.  This soup is very easy and surprisingly, quite tasty!  Just to note: I used the Pacific brand Low Sodium Vegetable Broth that I bought from Kroger.  I had read somewhere to use the Pacific brand Chicken Broth but when I read the label, I found sugar (gasp!)  The Vegetable Broth didn't have sugar and was only made with organic vegetables.  They were on sale 2/$5 so I bought 3 (that's all that were left on the shelf).

So, for some reason, it never dawned on me to take a picture of the soup itself and it was gone before I knew it! :) 


However, I did take a picture of my lunch this afternoon and here's what a typical P2 meal looks like for me:

I love how my grilled chicken, celery and an apple look crowded on my plate!  That's why I use a salad plate! :-)
                      

Recipe & Measurements Update

I was told it was ok to post this recipe on my blog, so here goes!

JUST LIKE STUFFED BAKED POTATOES
(AKA: LOADED POTATOES)
For P3/P4 (I ate it in P4)

16 ounce package frozen cauliflower
8 ounce cream cheese, softened
8 ounce cheddar cheese, shredded
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 pieces bacon, chopped and fried until crisp
Paprika, optional

Cook the cauliflower until soft, about 8-10 minutes; drain very well and break up the florets a bit with a spoon. It's also very good if you leave the cauliflower a little chunky. Put in a greased 8 x 8" baking pan or a 2-quart casserole. Mix in the cream cheese, cheddar, green onion, salt, pepper and bacon. Dust the top with paprika, if desired. Bake at 350º for 20-40 minutes, until browned and bubbly. Or, microwave, loosely covered, for about 40 minutes on 50% power, turning the dish after 20 minutes.

Makes 6 servings
Per Serving: 324 Calories; 27g Fat; 15g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs

Measurements Update
I had been feeling rather disappointed that I had not done well stabilizing this round after having an easy time stabilizing after Round 1.  I found some very helpful information here.
In fact, I have found the Miracle Skinny Drops website to have a ton of invaluable information!  There is also a great Facebook support page by the same people called hCG Diet Support.  I would highly recommend this support group!  Everyone is so supportive and friendly.  To join, click here.  They also have a website called Little Choices Matter.  It is similar, but different and again, very helpful!  Check them out!

Okay, on to my measurements update!  It was time to measure again (before starting another round of P2).  I have lost a total of (drumroll, please!) 49&3/4 inches!!!  WOWSERS!!!  I couldn't believe it!  And my BMI is down from 40 (when I started the Protocol) to 32!  My normal range should be 19-25.  Won't be long and my BMI will be NORMAL!  So, while I had trouble stabilizing this round, progress continues to be made.  Oh, and I can't tell you the countless number of people (women) who have told me how nicely proportioned I look.  There's no doubt that people have been amazed by my success so far, but I think it will be even more amazing when I reach my goal!

And so, Round 3 has begun!

Today is Round 3, Phase 2, Very Low Calorie Day 1 (R3P2VLCD1)!  This means I have spent the last 2 days loading. Thanksgiving Day I began taking my drops again. We actually celebrated Thanksgiving on Wednesday with my husband's side of the family. Thursday we spent Thanksgiving with my family. I loaded until I nearly exploded! I truly was miserable. Everything tasted good, and I even avoided some of the high starchy foods that I wasn't even interested in including the cheesy potatoes I was asked to bring, green bean casserole and the jello/marshmallow "salad".  However, I ate my carbs in sweets. :) I also made sure to eat some good fats in the form of almonds, cheese and I even made some whipped cream using Stevia (though I didn't get around to eating much of it).

Yesterday it was more difficult to eat since I had really overloaded on Thursday. I tried to focus on more good fats (avocado, more almonds and cheese).  I went out to eat with my husband last night as a last hoo-rah! :) We had no idea where we wanted to go. We ended up at Bob Evan's, where I finally decided on Country Fried Steak and mashed potatoes with white gravy, green beans and banana bread.  I'm not going to lie, it tasted really good! We topped it off after a little shopping with a small Frosty at Wendy's!

So, today I begin the very low calorie diet 9.4 pounds above my last dosage weight! If you remember, I haven't stabilized well this round. I was averaging 3-5 pounds above my LDW and then with all the loading I did...yikes! I'm almost 10 pounds above where I was. The good thing is I know those 10 pounds will be gone soon! The first few days on hcg and vlcd tend to drop the weight gained from loading.

Here's hoping that by next week I will be back down to my LDW and continue to lose from there. I plan to be on VLCD for 25 days before taking my interruption for Christmas. Since I have Christmas dinner at my house, I am planning to have some "alternative" dishes for myself.

Speaking of alternative dishes, I made one called "Loaded Potato" for the 2 Thanksgiving dinners we attended that was absolutely fabulous! I will check to see if it is ok to post the recipe here, and if so, I will post it soon. It is amazing to me what people can do with cauliflower! It can be used as a potato substitute or a rice substitute (I never got around to trying that, but I plan to on my next interruption).

I am actually looking forward to my grilled chicken with grilled asparagus for lunch today. Sounds nutritious and delicious!

Ripple Effect

I love the term "ripple effect".  I believe that the choices I make (good or bad) effect many other people.  I am seeing a positive ripple effect from following the HCG Protocol and I couldn't be more thrilled! 

Currently, I am part of a small group (4 of us) who are doing the Protocol together.  My friend, Amy, started with me at the very beginning.  Her sister joined our little group after our first round and recently another friend of ours joined.  Amy has lost 59 pounds, Carrie has lost 36 pounds and our newest member, Julia, has lost 33 pounds! Between the 4 of us, we've lost approx. 185 pounds!  INCREDIBLE!!!  (Way to go ladies!!!)

I know of several others who have emailed me wanting details and have since begun the Protocol.  I would love to know if any of you have joined the "hcg bandwagon" since following my blog & how much weight you have lost as a result.  You can post an anonymous note here or email/facebook me.  You can remain anonymous if you like. :)

Many thanks to my cousin, Leigh Ann, who shared her HCG success with me!!!

Up and Down and Continuing on the Journey

The numbers on the scale go up and down, up and down, up and down....yes, I'm singing this to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus".

I can't seem to stabilize within my 2 pound range of my LDW.  I have been stabilizing at 3-4 pounds above my LDW instead.  I have heard people say they have done the same on the hcgdieters yahoo group, but I wasn't prepared for it to happen to me.  So, today, as I'm heading into my 5th week of Phase 4, I am going to accept the fact that my stabilization weight is higher than I want it to be.  Next round I will be more vigilant to keep my stabilization where it should be during Phase 3!

So, my journey continues...I will begin Phase 2 again in less than 2 weeks.  I'm planning to load on Thanksgiving and the day after, then I will begin my 3rd round of Phase 2!  I am excited to get back on the losing bandwagon!  I have some jeans in my closet that I would like to be able to wear by Christmas (1 pair was given to me brand new, and I bought a few pair at a garage sale recently).  I was able to just "squeeze" into 1 pair yesterday, but I am looking forward to being able to wear them comfortably very soon!

I am planning to do 25 days of Phase 2, then take a planned interruption for about 10 days over Christmas break.  Then I will finish out the rest of Phase 2 after the new year. 

On a side note, I have written my weight down in my calendar nearly every day since before starting the Protocol so I can go back and review my losses.  I am so glad I kept a record!  I recently went back to my first round and I was surprised at how "bumpy" it was, and yet I don't remember feeling discouraged at all!  I guess I was just thrilled that I was losing any weight at all.  Truth be told, I had given up the idea of ever being able rid myself of the extra person I've been carrying around for so long.  My hope has been renewed!  And here I am, about halfway through my journey!

One more side note, I recently discovered that I love, love, LOVE lime juice squeezed in water with a little Stevia!  This totally excites me also because I know I can drink this during Phase 2!  Not only am I allowed to drink it but it has some awesome benefits that you can read about here.  I have never been a fan of lemon juice, so this lime juice realization really took me by suprise!  Try it, you may like it!  Oh, and a friend said lime juice is great squeezed over grilled chicken also, so you can bet I'm going to try that on Phase 2 also!

Heading in the right direction

Well, I am very happy to report that I have lost 2.5 pounds in the past 2 days (and yesterday was Halloween, so I think that says something!)  It feels good to be back on course.  I planned ahead and armed myself with Lara bars yesterday, so when the temptation to eat candy inevitably came upon me, I grabbed a bar.  I ended up eating 2, which I was a little afraid of, but I knew it was way better than grabbing candy.  I had the Ginger Snap, which was really, really good (I'm going to have to try to duplicate that one!) and the Coconut Cream Pie.  They were both delicious and nutritious (and they kept me out of trouble!) :)  I truly felt like I was eating a treat.  They are that good!

I need to remember that there are alternatives and planning ahead is key.  I have to say again, if I don't set myself up for success, then I am setting myself up for failure.  It's pretty plain and simle. 

This is worth putting time and effort into!  Not only do I feel great, I know that I am truly gaining health.  I am reversing the damage I have done over the years.  That is something to be excited about!

I thank God every day for leading me to the HCG Protocol.  I'm so thankful for those who have gone before me and who freely share their knowledge.  My purpose in writing this is to share my experience in hopes that I can also help others along the journey. 

Another week in Phase 4

Honesty is the best policy.  So, in all honesty, I haven't done what I should have this week and the scale is up because of it.  I didn't do what I planned to do.  My plan was to eat no carbs and no sugars, but because I didn't plan ahead, I didn't follow through.  That and because I found a new favorite food, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), which isn't carb-less though it is good for you.  My birthday was Friday, so I let my son and his friend make brownies, and I bought ice cream (telling myself, after all, it was my birthday).  So, I ate brownies and ice cream!  (Did you notice the excuse?) 

Last night was our annual bonfire (and it was quite a party!)  I didn't overeat but I did have more sugar (that seems reasonable, right?).  I have deprived myself a lot these past 6 months (another excuse!), so I gave myself permission to eat 2 sweets.  I wasn't even going to have a hot dog but at the last minute a friend roasted 2 and asked if I wanted one.  By then, I wanted one and I ate it without a bun (reasoning that I was making a good choice by not eating a bun!).

Hmmm....how many excuses did I come up with that allowed me to go from bad to worse?  It wouldn't have been so bad if I had made a poor choice here & a poor choice there over the course of a couple weeks but I made these over the course of a couple days...even after I had planned to shape up.  And now I pay the price.  Today I'm doing a Correction Day (CD) to try to regain some lost ground, or should I say ungain some ground that I regained!  I am up 7.4 pounds from my LDW (5.4 pounds above my allowed 2 pounds).  I am cringing at those numbers because I had worked so hard to get where I was!  I hope to lose a couple pounds by tomorrow, eat clean for a couple days and then do another CD.

I really believe that poor planning in the midst of a busy week had a major role to play in my poor choices.  I didn't set myself up for success, and by not doing so, I essentially set myself up for failure.  I am learning from my mistakes and I am making a meal plan for the week...today!

Before I sign off, I did do something good last week. :)  I made some Lara bars.  I decided to google it and found several websites/blogs that gave instructions.  If you would like to try them, I would suggest this Cashew Cookie recipe.  It's very simple and basic (2 ingredients).  I am planning to try Hot Fudge Brownie next (but not for a while)!  Perhaps I should have tried it last week instead of eating real brownies...hindsight is always 20/20!

Now, I'm off to plan my meals!

Phase 4 again!

So, here I am, in Phase 4 again!   Today is day 4.  I am up a couple pounds.  I didn't have a wonderful Phase 3 like I should have, but the reality is that it was my own doing. I wasn't as careful in Phase 3 this time around as I was the first time.  So, I didn't start Phase 4 within 2 pounds of my LDW though I was close.  Today I am 3.3 pounds above my LDW (1.3 pounds above where I should be). 

During Phase 4, you kind of test the waters without overdoing it, which is easier said than done in most cases.  I was actually down a bit today, which was a miracle because I ate something yesterday that I haven't had for several months....fried chicken!  And not just any fried chicken.  I had Gil's fried chicken!  3 pieces!  I can't even tell you in words how good it tasted.  And I don't feel guilty about eating that chicken for several reasons: 
1. We rarely eat out any more.
2. I know I won't be eating fried chicken again anytime soon.
3. I desire to put good, nourishing things into my body rather than junk "most" of the time.
4. Eating something not-so-good-for-me once in a while isn't going to kill me but I know that eating that way most of the time very well could.

My plan now is to eat clean for a couple days to see if my weight will naturally get back in "the zone", and if it doesn't, I'll do a correction day.  I am pretty confident that it will if I stay away from the carbs/sugars.
I have to tell you about a wonderful "treat" that is good and is good for you!  Lara Bars.  As often as I can, I plan to keep one in my purse for a special treat when we go places and everyone else is consuming sugar.  They are tasty, naturally sweet (from dates), are made from just a few natural ingredients, and they come in a variety of flavors.  My favorite is probably Apple Pie, but they have a Banana Bread that is quite delicious too.  If you haven't tried them, you should (as long as you aren't in Phase 2)!  You can find them at most grocery stores in the health food section where the snack bars are located.

Back in the Zone

I'm back in the zone! I lost 2.8 pounds from my correction day yesterday, and am officially back on track. Yay! Now I just need to stay that way. :)

I really enjoyed the steak correction day but the greek yogurt correction days are my very favorite! I love the Greek God's brand that I purchase at Kroger. I have tried several others including Fage, but Greek God's is my personal favorite. I find the Fage is too thick for me.

If you're looking for alternative correction days, you can purchase the ebook here. It's definitely worth the money!  

Stabilization

I had little to no trouble stabilizing in Round 1, however, that has not been the case since finishing Phase 2 of Round 2.  It has taken me almost a week to get back on track, and I am not quite there yet, but I sure hope to be by tomorrow.

Here's where I went wrong: I was just a few ounces over my alloted 2 pound mark and instead of doing a correction day right then & there, I decided to wait.  I was careful eating that day, thinking that would be enough but it wasn't.  The next day I did an egg correction day.  The scale still went up and let me just say now, the egg correction day is not my favorite and I have always been a fan of eggs!  I was clearly disappointed that the egg day did not work.  The next 2 days were busy with events, and I remembered reading that doing corrections days in a row didn't seem to work out too well, so I ate clean and figured I'd do another correction day on Sunday.  I did a steak day as outlined in Dr. Simeon's protocol. It was good (I love steak!) and it yielded a 3 pound loss.  I had read though that sometimes a steak day can produce a bounce back effect where you see a loss the next day, but likely gain again the following day, so I was very careful yesterday.  I ate 2 eggs for breakfast, homemade chicken soup and salad for lunch, and for dinner I had tomato soup, celery with peanut butter & an apple (I was a little afraid of eating the apple, but I decided it was worth the risk).  Today I was down a little more than a pound.  Whew!

So, today I did the greek yogurt correction day in hopes of being within my 2 pound range of my LDW again by tomorrow.  We shall see! *fingers crossed* 

By the way, a few days ago I read in the Protocol where Dr. Simeon's specifically says to correct as soon as you are  the slightest bit over the 2 pounds because if you wait, you will have a hard time getting back to where you need to be.  Wish I had reread that before I finished Phase 2!