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!

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!

Eating out on the HCG Diet

Even if you love to cook, sometimes food just tastes better when it's prepared by someone else! But frequent restaurant outings are part of what got me into trouble in the first place. In the beginning of the HCG diet,  I tended to avoid Girls Night Out and other social activities because these things almost always involve FOOD and lots of it!  But soon I found that there were several local restaurants that offer an HCG menu and that I could adapt several menu items at my favorite restaurants as well.  It's true that options are still limited and temptation is high, so if you need to eat out, firm your resolve and make a plan ahead of time.

In St. George, you can find the following options:

• The Palms restaurant, located in the Holiday Inn on Bluff Street, offers a simple phase 2 menu for around $5.00.  They offer all the available options from both the meat and veggie list. 
• Rise and Dine, located next to Costco,  offers a great HCG menu for both Phase 2 and Phase 3.
• Green Valley Spa has an HCG menu that can be delivered to your door. I haven't tried these, but they look delicious.  A little more expensive, but they'd be a great option for a busy schedule. A link to their menu is in the sidebar or visit hcgmealstogo.com.
• Also Signature Suppers, located in the Boulevard Commons across from Smith's, has specially prepared meals for pick-up or delivery.  Check out their menu at www.hcgmeals.com! 

Other restaurants can customize your orders to fit the HCG protocol as well.  Just be sure that they are not using any oils, butters, or marinade in the preparation.  Ask for vegetables to be steamed and bring your own Walden Farms dressing or use vinegar and lemon on salads.  Don't be shy about asking for a custom order. I have found people to be very helpful and a lot of times the server has recognized that I am on the HCG diet and it leads to a great conversation as well.  

Good Luck! Be sure to share any tips you have learned or new places you've found in the Comments section! 

Tips for Spicing Up the P2 Diet

When I first heard about the 500 calorie diet, my first thought was that I can eat that in 2 spoonfuls of my Cold Stone Creamery Peanut Butter Cup Perfection with chocolate dipped waffle cone!!! (Yum, btw.) It was a surprise to me that I could actually handle the VLCD with little to no hunger while on the shots.  I admit, again, that I was hungry (and grumpy) the first few days, even with my Phase 1 binge, but I soon adjusted and handled the diet just fine.  

A couple things I learned to make this phase a little easier:

• You will need a good digital scale that measures in ounces.  Accurate measurement can make the difference between frustration and success. 
• No anti-stick cooking sprays allowed on this diet.  The best way to keep your food from sticking is to de-glaze your pans with a bit of water while cooking.  It also keeps the meat tender and moist, and with steak, it makes a yummy gravy like sauce too!  
• Invest in spices, but check the contents. Some spices also contain sugar which is a no-no.  Vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, ginger, onion powder, basil, oregano, and many others work great!
• There is a line of products called Walden Farms which is allowed on this diet.  They contain no calories, no carbohydrates, no sugar, no gluten, but they are pretty tasty and a little goes a long way.  I really like the BBQ sauce, the Raspberry Vinaigrette, and the Asian dressing.  They also have jams, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, marshmallow cream, and peanut butter.  I have a link to the Walden Farms website in the sidebar or you can click here. Many health food stores also carry this line.  Harmon's food stores also carry a fairly complete line of Walden Farms products.  
• I found several good recipe websites which I have also posted in the sidebar.  Be sure that the recipes are for the phase you are in though. Some of the sites I found did not differentiate between Phase 2 and Phase 3 recipes, but you can tell by the ingredient list. If it includes items that are not allowed in Phase 2, don't try it or save it for later. I will also be posting my favorite recipes.
• Grissini bread sticks and Melba Toast are optional as snacks or for use in recipes.  I never enjoyed them as snacks but you can crumble them up to make coatings for chicken or to add some crunch to a salad. 

If you have any great ideas, or tips on making the diet easier, please leave a comment.  Remember, phase 2 is when your brain is relearning how to process fat in your body.  You are making changes now that will ensure your future success!  Be strong and stick to it!  

Phase Two of the HCG Diet

Phase Two is the Very Low Calorie Diet phase, also referred to as VLCD.  During the VLCD phase, you are limited in the foods you can eat.  I thought this would be super hard, but I was surprised to find that it was only moderately hard.  In fact, I really liked the structured lack of choices.  I knew what I was going to eat every day and exactly how much....so no menu planning, or going back for seconds, or coping with the guilt of making the alfredo sauce with heavy cream instead of half and half.

The basic daily diet is as follows:

No Breakfast.
Although, you can drink Crystal Light, or coffee/tea (2 T. of milk as creamer), or 2 cans of diet soda throughout the day.  I usually drink Crystal Light first thing, followed by 16 oz. of water.

9am- Snack--Fruit options are: 1 apple, 1 orange, 6 Strawberries, or 1/2 grapefruit.
To me, apples are the most filling and I stuck with them for the most part.

12noon- Lunch--3.5 oz (100 grams) of protein, 3.5 oz (100 grams) of vegetable.
Meat options include: lean steak, chicken breast, white fish such as tilapia, cod, haddock, halibut, also shrimp, lobster, crab.
Veggie options include: cabbage, celery, onions, tomato, lettuce, broccolli, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach.
Only one kind of veggie at a time--no mixed vegetables.

3pm-Snack --Same as morning snack.

6pm-Dinner--Same as Lunch.

This can get kind of boring, I will admit.  In my next post, I will share some of the tricks I've learned for spicing things up a bit! The key to phase 2 is to STICK TO THE DIET!  There is nothing magical about the shots that help you to resist temptation, so it is up to you to stay strong.  The first 3 weeks are the most critical because this is the time that your brain is being reprogrammed to use the fat in your body for energy.  After the first 3 weeks, a mistake won't be quite as costly but it will set your weight loss back a few days.  This phase only lasts 40 days--you can do it!