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!