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I want to post a quick thank you to all of you who take time out of your day to read my blog and post an encouraging comment or two! As you know, losing weight is a constant battle and even when I'm not actively working the HCG, I still love hearing from and being inspired by you! I"d love for you to spread the word about this page. Share with your friends and family and remember to like my Facebook page or +1 me on Google if you are a fan. You can find links to both at the bottom of each post and on the sidebar! Thanks again and Good Luck with your journey!

New Stuff I Love!

In my quest to remain low-carb and sugar-free to maintain my 85 lb HCG weight loss, I have found a couple new products that I LOVE!

Xtreme Wellness High Fiber Tortillas from Ole Mexican Foods. You can find the nutritional information at FatSecret.com and I bought mine at WalMart, which makes me think you can get them pretty much anywhere.  They are tasty and filling and are perfect for Maintenance goals. Definitely not for everyday, but a good choice for wraps or mexican dishes.

I am also totally in love with BEANITOS. They are so delicious and the perfect crunchy salty snack for dips, cheese, and guacamole. I have been looking for something to take the place of crackers and chips which I crave regularly and these are perfect. Plus, my kids hate them which makes me even happier because that means I don't have to hide them to keep to them to myself. :D

Another treat I've found just in time for summer is a new drink flavor from the WalMart knock-off of Crystal Light: Great Value Lime Margarita Sugar Free Drink Mix. I am planning to make slushies and popsicles to cool me off poolside in the heat! Oh yes, I will be poolside this summer! :D

Hope you enjoy these yummy treats!

Phase 3 Begins Monday!

Today was my LIW day...Grand Total for this round was 34 lbs!! That makes my overall net weight loss with HCG about 80 lbs. My cumulative weight loss would be about 134....if only I hadn't gained back that cursed 50! But I'm looking good again, feeling even better, and more importantly, I'm fitting in all of my clothes again! :)

In gearing up for Phase 3, I came across this great Phase 3 Primer. It had some great tips that I wanted to share!  Some of it was pretty basic, but it had a couple great tips that I hadn't seen before so it's definitely worth the 15 minutes to read.

I've also got some pretty great Phase 3 recipes that I can't wait to post too! I'm planning on making these in the next couple of days and taking some good pictures, so check back soon!

One week to go...

I have one more week of VLCD left to go! My last shot is on Friday. I am so ready to be done. I'm very glad I did this last round, but I am seriously tired of eating the same, same food. I have used all the yummy recipes on this blog and then some which has helped because I know it's not always just chicken and broccoli (actually one of my favorite meals, but you know what I mean!)

Going into Phase 3 is one of the hardest times for me. I always struggle when there are more choices and it's not so regimented. One of the things I am looking into is a way to help me in Phases 3 and 4 and beyond. I am reading a book called Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It by Gary Taubes. It has been very informative and I highly recommend it. It seems to go along with the protocol in that it puts the blame squarely on sugars and carbs, which is exactly what we need to avoid not only especially during P3 but also from now on, if the weight loss is to be permanent. This book doesn't necessarily tell you how to do that, but why it is important. So now I am interested in finding out more about the South Beach or Atkins philosophies to see if that can help with the day to day. I'd really love to hear if any of you have experience with either of these high protein/low carb diets..or any other tips you have. What helps you most in P3 and P4? I'll let you know what I come up with!

3 Weeks In...

Halfway done with shots and down 25 lbs! It's getting really hard to eat the same old things everyday, although I have tried a few new recipes and treats (posted below) which has been helping.

You know, I really don't understand why I can be so diligent about sticking to this diet when I'm on the shots, but when I'm in Maintenance I have no will power. Does anybody have any ideas? I truly feel like I CANNOT resist yummy foods when I'm off-protocol, but when I'm on and I see my temptation foods, I think it would be nice to have them but I can say no.

At any rate, I'm still impressed with how well this diet works for me! It is a hard diet to stick to, but I know if I do, I will see the pounds drop away! Gotta love that!

Tasty Way to Steam Veggies

The first time I tried steamed Asparagus Spears, I thought they were digusting. It was very unexpected because I remember liking them as a kid and it seemed unlikely that I would have lost such a sophisticated taste over the years. ;)

But then I discovered a great way to add flavor to my steamed spears...just use chicken broth!

I added about a 1/4 cup of an all-natural, fat free, low sodium chicken broth in with the veggies that I am cooking and voila! Tasty sidedish that doesn't go against the protocol!

I've tried this with asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans. Yum!

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Chicken Nuggets

3.5 oz. Chicken Breast
2 Melba rounds or Grissini bread
Garlic Salt (to taste)
Salt, Pepper (to taste)
Parsley Flakes (to taste) optional


Place rounds or bread and seasonings into a plastic bag. Crush with rolling pin and mix thoroughly. Cut breast into 1-inch chunks. Place moist chicken in bag and coat with breading mix. Place on a baking tray and bake for about 12-18 minutes at 400 degrees. 


Use Walden Farms BBQ sauce or Honey Dijon dressing for dipping. Serve with 3.5 oz of your allowed veggies. 


I eat this recipe all the time. My kids even beg to let me try them when I do! But I never share...how can I? :)

My New Favorite Thing

This gum is my new favorite! I went on a long road trip and in lieu of my usual "keep-awake" snacks, I bought some of this gum....and loved it!


I also enjoyed the Sweet Tropical flavor. It was very grapefruit-y/citrus-y...which I enjoyed! Hope you will too!



Here's are links to some of my other favorite HCG items which I've blogged about in the past.
My favorite Makeup! Revlon Colorstay Mineral Lipglaze
My favorite Recipe! Lemon Garlic Shrimp
My favorite Freebie! Sharps Container

Oh PIckles!

I was wondering if it's okay to eat pickles on the HCG diet so I Googled it and came across this good FAQ, which I thought I would share:

http://www.hcgdietfacts.com/HCG-FAQs.php

It turns out that Pickles (cucumbers in vinegar brine) are okay, but they contain high sodium which is not recommended because it can cause you to retain water and therefore weight.  Which you already know if you read the FAQ! :) So, I suppose you can choose to pickle or not!

Week One--

Doing a little better today! I've been uber-grumpy the last few days, which always happens to me during the first week of this diet. It disturbs me to think how focused I am mentally & physically on food every minute of the day. Last night, my dd popped popcorn and it took all my concentration not to think about it. Can't wait until this "detox" phase (my unofficial terminology) is over!

I just have to keep thinking about results--I was down 6 lbs. this morning!!!--so that rocks!

At the Beginning....Again.

Here I am at the beginning of Round 4 Phase 2....after losing 100 lbs. then gaining 51 back. :'(

My loading days have gone well, but I may have overdone it a bit. I have found that the better you load the easier it is to transition though. Time will tell, but I tried to get as much fatty foods in as I could stand. At this point, I'll be glad to eat next to nothing for the next little while.

I went shopping and stocked up on chicken, steak, and shrimp which are my favorites. I weighed out each portion and put them in baggies for easy cooking later. I went ahead and cooked up about 4 days worth of chicken so that if I need to grab some in a hurry, I can do that. I'm super busy these days so every bit of advanced prep helps.

One of the hardest things, I think, about doing this diet is the fact that the rest of my family still needs to eat. It's easy for me to focus on my meals, recipes, preparations, and forget that I still have children and a husband who want food too. (Go figure.) My oldest, who did the HCG with us last time, has decided that she wants to eat what I eat in a bit larger portions. But the other daughter and DH still need food. I think I'm going to try to let them all eat the basic HCG recipes that I prepare, but cook an extra side or two for them to bulk up their meals. What do you all think? Do you have any ideas for helping your family to keep eating healthy while you are on a restricted diet? Do you have any easy recipes that the kids can make for themselves? Please share your great ideas!

Strawberry Chicken Salad

This is one I want to try this time around!

"Strawberry Chicken Salad"

3 1/2 oz of lettuce
3 1/2 oz Chicken
6 strawberries, sliced
Sweet N Sour Vinaigrette Dressing

Grill, bake or steam fry chicken. Slice into bite sized pieces. Put lettuce in bowl with sliced strawberries, put chicken in and toss. Drizzle with Sweet N Sour Vinaigrette, salt, pepper and herbs as desired. Toss till lettuce is coated.

"Sweet N Sour Vinaigrette Salad Dressing"

1-3 Tbs of raw apple cider vinegar
salt, pepper
1/2 packet Stevia

Mix ingredients then drizzle over salad, spinach, vegetables, or stir fry.

Biting the Bullet

Okay...so I realized it's been a while since I posted. In reading over the past few entries, I have not wanted to admit that I have had some major setbacks on my weight loss journey. I was fully committed to running a race in 2010 but that year came and went without me meeting my goal. I have also gained about 50 lbs since the last posting as well...most of that in the past 3 months since having some issues with my thyroid...BUT...I decided to bite the bullet, come clean and start anew! 

As you have read, I was having numbness in my legs which only subsided when I stopped trying to run so that's what I did. I still have dreams of running a race and I've not completely given that up yet...just put it on hold until I can build up to it. Another reason (excuse) for my setback is that last May I began my Master's Degree and it has taken a lot of time/energy which up until then had been focused eating right/exercising. The good news is that I am almost half way toward earning my degree, the bad news is that I now need to learn how to incorporate my old healthier eating habits into my new busier life! I know many of you will agree with me that it is so much more convenient and easier to just swing by a burger joint on the way home from school/work/etc to grab dinner for the fam than to spend the time to shop, prepare and serve a healthy home cooked meal. :( Unfortunately, that convenience shows up very plainly on my scale each new day. 

So, like I said, I am starting anew...

Wednesday I have an appointment to meet with my doctor to begin another round of HCG! I am finding myself less motivated this time around, but I know that if I don't commit to this that the scale will keep creeping up and I'll find myself right back at 300+ lbs or worse. I can't let that happen and I'm grateful that I know this diet works and that having found success once, I'll be able to do it again! 

Lesson learned: This struggle for me is a lifelong process. I think I was thinking that once I hit my goal weight I would love how I looked so much that I would never be tempted to eat again, but I found that I still have the same stress and eating issues as a skinny person as I did when I was heavier. HCG is not a magic bullet, but for me a way to learn to manage my portions, master my bad habits and create a healthier base to build on going forward. So now I will begin with that new end in mind and hopefully have good news to report on my next post! 

Good luck to me and good luck to you, too, wherever you are on your HCG Journey!