Let the Training Continue...

I always thought runners were crazy! Why would anyone want to subject themselves to the torture that even they admit is inherent in the act. Blisters, sore muscles, jarred joints, lactic acid buildup, burning lungs, blood vessels pounding--in a word: PAIN!

Yet, today as I climbed back on the treadmill after a two week break, I think I had a mini-epiphany; the beginnings of a breakthrough. It was hard. I had all the symptoms described above and then some, but as I started to find my rhythm, it felt as though my body were thanking me. I had the distinct impression that my physical self was saying, "Finally.  This is what I was made for. I'm not just a receptacle for food or soft spot to rest my bones. I was made to move." It felt as though my soul was singing and the music drowned out the pain.

I know... a little melodramatic, but the sentiment is true. I guess I've always wanted to be a runner, elsewise why would I be doing it now? I knew there must be something to it since so many people are addicted to it. I've always felt the draw of challenging myself and overcoming my weaknesses...but until I lost weight I never had the physical strength to do anything about it. There is a great satisfaction in knowing that I conquered in that battle and now I'm facing my goal of running a 5K with a new understanding. I guess I'm one of the crazies after all! :)

I picked up today at Week 2 Day 1...right where I left off. I'm not giving up on my goal. I will keep you posted on my progress. I wanted to thank the many of my followers (friends) who checked in on me and offered me great advice while I was down. Keep posting and commenting. I love hearing from you!

Inevitable Setback

Isn't it usually true that when you are trying to make changes for good in your life, things always happen to de-motivate, discourage, and generally put a damper on your plans? It shouldn't surprise me, then, that I am experiencing one of the first hurdles in my C25K journey...but it's still a bummer!

I have been having numbness in my left leg for about 3 weeks now. I'm sure it is a pinched nerve and I keep hoping it will resolve on it's own. I did get 4 successful training sessions in before the discomfort level got too high for me to continue, but the time has come for me to seek professional intervention! My problem is that I never know who to go to...this is my nightmare: I go to my family doctor and he says, Hmmm...maybe you should go to PT, I go to the PT and they tell me I need to see a Chiropractor, I see the Chiro guy and he tells me I have to come back every week for the next millennium. Money, time and no results! I want to just go to the place that will fix me... I know I'm a whiner baby...I've had too many bad experiences for this to be an easy thing. But, it is what it is and I have to do it.  This is why I began my weight loss journey in the first place....so I can be a more active, more fit person! I can't give up now that I've come so far!

I'm hoping to see someone tomorrow! I'll post when I have more news.

First Day of Training

I have reached another milestone in my transformation journey! I started my Couch-to-5K training today. I finished Phase 2 of the diet 3 weeks ago on Friday and my original plan was to start training on Monday but I read my cousin Steve's blog and he inspired me to get going a bit earlier. He said, "It's not cheating if you start early, right?" and I thought, "Right! Let's go." I lost the weight and now it's time to lose the old sedentary lifestyle!

I downloaded the Podrunner interval training (a hot tip from another fan...thanks) and I loved it! It follows the C25K plan and I didn't have to time my intervals or think about anything. I just started the track and followed the tempo of the music. And the best part is...I SURVIVED! I don't think I have run since high school, honestly! I was a bit worried that my body would just not handle it. I even put the clippy thing on the treadmill on my shirt just in case I might fall so the treadmill wouldn't eat me! (Me? Worry much?)

Surprisingly, I felt very good and was ready to run one more time before I realized it was over. I'm glad I got this first session over with...now I know I can do it and can move forward with confidence! I'm ready for this change. It's going to be good!

Dee-lish Side Dish for Phase 3

Tonight we had a very yummy side dish with a Meatloaf recipe that has been a favorite of ours for a while. This is a phase 3 recipe so it is low carbs and no sugar. I loved it! And even better...my husband thought it was terrific. And for the trifecta...it was super easy!!!!

Better Than Mashed Potatoes


1 large head of cauliflower
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. heavy cream


Steam or boil cauliflower until very tender. Mash in bowl with other ingredients. Place entire mixture in food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to casserole dish and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  


So Good!!!  Let me know if you like it. And check back for more recipes soon!

98 Pounds Gone Forever!!!

And I feel better than ever! I'm starting my 5K training today and got my first walking session in. Proud of myself since I've been so sedentary for so long! I'm ready to change my lifestyle.

The End is Near! Or is it the Beginning?

Only 3 more day of shots for me and my family. This Round Three of Phase 2 has definitely been the hardest one for me, not necessarily in terms of being hungry...though I have had bad days...but because I'm reaching my diet saturation point. I've been doing the HCG diet since March of 2009 (almost 1 whole year) and I think I'm just ready to be independently healthy. I only need to drop 1.5 pounds in the next week to reach my goal of losing 100 pounds!! Once I've reached that goal...and I know I will...I can move on to others that I've set for myself. I've determined to run in a 5K this year and I've already scheduled my training sessions to begin when this round is ended.

I am completely sedentary now, so this will be a challenge for me! I know I can do it though. I'm going to start the Couch Potato to 5K program (C25K) starting in mid-march. Once again, my husband and daughter will be joining me. I'm hoping to get my younger daughter running with us too! I'm so glad to have had my family supporting me all this time. My husband has lost 32 pounds and my daughter has lost 20 pounds. We all look and feel great! We've surely learned a lot along the way too...

• You must drink your 2L of water each day! I'm convinced that this is how the fat is "rinsed" from your system. I'm no scientist and have done no research other than my own experience but I know my loss is accelerated when I drink plenty of water. 
• You can NOT cheat! We have found that any variance from Dr. Simeons original protocol leads to plateaus and frustration. I do think that things like soda, Walden Farms, artificial sweeteners can lead to slower weight loss, but sometimes it's worth it! :)
• This is a hard diet for teenagers. Well, for anyone really! My daughter has done very well, but being a teenager she has not had the patience to wait out the results. Any sign of a plateau or slow loss would send her into a depression and she would succumb to temptation. She has struggled but her 20-pound loss has also encouraged her to start running, play the Wii Fit, put more effort into healthy habits, like keeping a food journal, etc. In a way, I think this has been the most effective for her since she is beginning to develop LIFE LONG healthy habits that can benefit her now and in the future! If we were to do it again, which I'm not sure I will encourage her to do, I would opt for the shorter 23-day session. I think that's about all a teen should have to endure. I'm proud of my girl though! She's done an amazing job!
• HCG really works!!! There is no way that I could have accomplished this 100 pound weight loss without the aid of this diet. I have tried other programs from Weight Watchers to Phen/Fen to Exercising and Eating Right. I have always maxed out at about 40 pounds lost then bounced right back up to where I was before. This diet has been hard, but not as hard as being fat has been! My challenge now will be to keep the weight off. It has always been my plan to lost the weight that has been keeping me from doing the things I want to do so that I can go walk, run, bike, hike, swim....and be healthy! I couldn't do any of those things 100-lbs ago!

So even though this round is coming to an end, I still feel like we have long way to go! I am scheduling a family portrait session very soon. We haven't had one in over 3 years! It's funny how we're all looking forward to getting our pictures taken again. I will also keep you posted on our 5K progress. I wish all of you the best of success with your HCG journeys. I hope you will share your success here. I love to hear your inspirational stories and lessons learned.  

Lemon Garlic Shrimp

I am proud to say this is my own creation! I have been experimenting lately to find new yummy meals...and snacks...as you can tell from my previous posts. This one was delicious and easy! It took less than 10 minutes to prepare and maybe 5 minutes to cook.

LEMON GARLIC SHRIMP

3.5 oz of cooked, peeled shrimp with tails removed

3.5 oz of peeled and shredded zucchini

1/2 lemon

Garlic Herb Seasoning or 1/2 clove garlic and seasoning to taste

Heat skillet on high and place lemon slices into pan. Add shrimp and shredded zucchini and seasoning. Stir-fry until shrimp are heated through. Remove lemon slices, dish and eat! So good!

I hope you enjoy this yummy recipe. Next time I think I might try Lemon Pepper too!

Yum of the Day!

(My pictures are not uploading lately. I'm working on this problem.)

Lately I have been trying out some new recipes and this is one of the BEST I've found. My family was definitely ready for a tasty HCG-friendly treat! If you love apple pie or apple crisp, you'll LOVE this!

Cut one apple (per snack allowance) into cubes, and place in bowl.

Sprinkle with Cinnamon and one packet of Truvia.

Microwave for 3 minutes.

Stir, cool and eat.

If you want more of an apple crisp taste, you can crumble the allowed Melba Toast or Grissini in before cooking as well. I have also been toying wit the idea of mixing in a spoonful of Walden Farms Caramel Sauce, which to me sounds almost too decadent for dieting. Enjoy and please let me know what you think!!

One of My Favorite Things

One of my friends is just beginning the HCG protocol and asked me the following question:
"Wanted to see if you know of a good lip balm that can be used on the program. My lips are already dried out and bothering me. Have you or one of your followers found something that works? I'm not too crazy with the Corn Huskers lotion - it just doesn't seem to moisturize as well as my hempz lotion but I'll keep using it. Something has to happen with the lips, though! Thanks!"
I told her about my favorite lipstick/gloss-- Revlon Colorstay Mineral Lipglaze! 

My doctor also approved Eucerin Original formula used sparingly for dry skins and hands. I imagine it would work pretty well for lips as well.

What are the products that work for you? Do you have any favorites? Be sure to share them here.

Free Sharps Container

When I started my HCG adventure, I looked high and low for a Sharps Container to hold my used needles. I was told that I could get one from my local pharmacy but when I asked at two different places, they looked at me like I asked them to lick my shoes. Today I found the answer...Visit this link to order a free sharps container!

I just ordered mine and it said I will get it in 7-10 days. I'll let you know when it arrives.

Variation on a Theme

So, I told my husband about the Orange Slushy recipe that I posted previously and he really wanted to try it. Unfortunately, I was feeling too cheap to buy the Orange and Vanilla Stevia from the Nutrition store (total retail value $30). He suggested that I use a packet of Orange Sunrise Crystal Light (although we use the Walmart brand) that he had for his water bottle.  I tried it and he raved about it.  It's the same recipe that I use for the Strawberry Smoothies, but we substituted one orange for the 6 strawberries, added 1Tbs. of milk, ice and drink mix reconstituted. It was delish!

So, here it is!
Orange Julius
1 orange
1 T. milk
Orange diet drink (Crystal Light)
Ice

Blend until ice and orange are liquified. Pour into glasses and enjoy!

This recipe and the Strawberry always makes more than I can drink! So I get to share with the kids. It's fun to  turn the tables on them. Usually they're eating something that makes me want to beg! LOL

Hot Chocolate on A Rainy Day

It's been incredibly rainy and cold here where I live, and I happened to post on Facebook that I was missing my daily Hot Cocoa. A friend of mine suggested that I try 8oz. of hot water with 5 drops of chocolate flavored Stevia, and 5 drops of vanilla Stevia.  She'd never tried it, and I haven't either but I thought it was worth posting. As soon as I can manage the trip to Dixie Nutrition, I'm kicking back with a mug and a good book!

She also told me about an Orange Slushy recipe that I really want to try!  Combine 2 Tbs. Milk, Ice, an orange, Orange flavored Stevia and Vanilla flavored Stevia in a blender. Sounds delish!

Do you have any other suggestions for Hot Chocolate substitutes or other drinks? I'd love to hear them.

BTW, after 7 days: I've lost 9 lbs., hubby's lost 9, daughter's lost 7.5!!! Doing pretty good, if I do say so!

Round 3 Begins!

For me, anyway! For my husband and daughter, this is their first go-round! Our loading days went well...way too much food. But we are on our way! It's nice to be cooking for more than just myself! I do need to remember to feed my youngest who is the only one in my family not doing the HCG. She's good at reminding me that's she's hungry (like every 5 minutes LOL) so I'm not too worried.

Since there are three of us this time around, I am approaching our meals just a little bit differently. I went shopping for meat in bulk and stocked up on plenty of chicken and steak. I spent a good deal of time weighing out portion sizes and I cooked up a good supply of it and put it in baggies. I'm hoping this will help us as we go through the week to just be able to grab a lunch to take to work/school or if we're each feeling like eating something different from each other. I'm also keeping plenty of fresh vegetables on hand, although I seriously underestimated the amount of veggies I would need for all of us! Now we have easy-to-grab-on-the-go food to keep us going through the week. It took a lot of time up front, but I think it will be a time saver overall.

I'd love to hear your ideas for cooking for families! Are there any other couples or families who are on this crazy ride together? How do you encourage & support each other? Leave a comment with your ideas/suggestions!

Happy New Year!

Wow! Where did the holidays go? I apologize for my lack of posting over the past busy weeks. I hope you were all surrounded by family, friends, and fun times. I had my fill of all of that as well as more food than one can imagine. I count myself lucky that I have stayed within 2 pounds of my LIW with the exception of this morning when I woke up and discovered that I was 4 lbs over!!! Yikes. Needless to say, I did my steak day and we'll see what tomorrow brings. Throughout the holidays, I've had to do about 4 steak days...but they always bring me back under control so I'm grateful for it!

If you are like me, you look forward to the New Year as a time to take stock and set goals. In the past, this time always seemed a little frustrating since I knew my resolution would include some kind of weight loss plan and that I would most likely fail at the attempted plan before spring. This year is different! Looking back over my success of the past year, I can't help but be excited about the idea that I WILL meet my next goal. I begin Round 3 in the coming week and I am confident that I will meet the goal I set last March, of losing 100 pounds total since starting the HCG diet. Is that crazy or what?

After I reach that goal, my big resolution for 2010 is to run a 5K.  I've never been much of a runner, but I have friends who have inspired me and I want to become a more active person and my new lighter weight is no longer an excuse to sit home. My husband and daughter both trained in the past for a 5K with the "Couch Potato to 5K" program so I know it is doable. I have no doubt that it will be difficult, but I'm excited for this new phase in life.

For this HCG go-round, my husband and daughter will be joining me. It will be great to have this camaraderie...they've always been supportive, but now we can help each other through.

I look forward to blogging in 2010. I hope you will all find success with your HCG adventures. I would love to hear your New Years' Resolutions. Leave me a comment and share your motivation. Good luck and Happy New Year!