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!

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? :)

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.

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!

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!!

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!

Pumpkin Pie

Here is a yummy recipe I found for the Phase 3 (no sugar, no starch phase) of the HCG diet. The perfect treat for fall!

PUMPKIN PIE

1 can pumpkin (be sure it's 100% pumpkin and not pie mix)

2 eggs

1 can evaporated milk

1 c zsweet

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t sea salt

1/2 t nutmeg

1/4 t ginger

1/4 t cloves

unbaked pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
   
2. Combine all ingredients and pour into crust.
   
3. Bake 15 mins.
   
4. Reduce heat to 350 & bake 45 mins.
   
5. Cool completely before serving.

TIP: You can make this pie completely crustless, by pouring into a PAM-sprayed pie dish and following the same cooking instructions.

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Two of My Favorite HCG Recipes!

Strawberry Smoothies

6 large strawberries, sliced

16 oz. favorite Crystal Light beverage (I like cranberry apple.)

1 pkg. Truvia (Stevia)

Ice

Liquify all ingredients in blender until desired consistency. Enjoy!!!!

Ginger Chicken Lettuce Wraps

3.5 oz Chicken cut into cubes

3 large cabbage leaves

chopped cabbage to equal 3.5 oz

3 T. Balsamic Vinegar

1 T. Ginger

1/4 t. onion powder

1/4. t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Garlic to taste

In a bowl combine cut chicken, vinegar, seasonings, cook on med-hi until done. At end of cook time, add in chopped cabbage and 3T water. Lower heat and continue cooking until cabbage is cooked. Place chicken mixture into cabbage leaves and roll into wraps. So YUMMY!!!