hcg-round 2-week ONE

Dec 27 2010 

It's day three.  So, yes, round one was abruptly put to a halt because I simply panicked.  However, I'm more confident and have until May to not only look good, but feel good and hopefully get ALL my energy back.  It will take a round three in order to lose ALL the extra poundage.  Very exciting!

There were two no no's deliberately practiced after getting off the first round: 1) I stopped weighing every day [thus, quit watching/maintaining the weight] 2) I went back to the free for all maw shoving which basically included everything I should have stayed away from.  So, all but four pounds were put back on.  Yah, naughty Kimberley.  She really only lost four pounds.  Wah.  However, because the first two previous days were started out with some serious pig out, there's no telling how many of those re-poundages are from that.  

My only fear is that should I get into the social-ism amongst friends where munchies are involved, old habits will kick in and a snitch here and/or there will happen...just like it did after dropping Michael off at work this morning.  Someone had brought in a plate of cookies to the station.  One was something of sliced mixed nuts rolls.  It was in the second bite on my way back to the van that it dawned on me what in all of horrifying heck I was doing.  Those cookies quickly hit the hedges. Maybe some lucky rodent or javalina will find them gluttonously palatable.  In any case, here's to hoping I saved myself some serious consequential lapse in time.  What was lurid is that for those few seconds my habitually food craving mind had literally forgotten that I was back on the Hcg protocol.  The "prayer" is that this morning's horrific incident was somewhat traumatic enough to prevent anymore moments of "what the hoo ha(!!!)".  For further precaution, there's some serious contemplation on whether or not I should even go to the Filipino New Year's Eve party.  With warm and friendly pinoy faces making sure that you have some of this and/or that, how is it possible not to feel like a snob by turning all those down?? 

The mindset is certainly different.  There is none of that "woe is me" freaking out or feeling the depressive need to isolate myself from friends.  Somehow, my thyroid was positively effected by that first round.  Though on a much smaller scale than had I ridden out that entire first round for 45 days, it was significant enough for me to notice.  Some of the energy hung on.  I feel no monstrous obstacle from preparing kids their meals.  It's actually okay to be in the kitchen and bake rolls and bread for the family [we're out of rice and bread until next paycheck].  In the first round it was absolute torture finding new food blogs and gazing at all of the tempting creations by the home cooking bloggers elite.  This time, there really isn't much of that huffing, puffing, ho-humming or any other self pitty type groaning.  This protocol is temporary and it will all still be there for the trying in a matter of short months.  So glad time flys in this situation. (^_^)

Michael did some further research when he was on the protocol [and lost 30lb in three weeks] to see exactly how many calories are in 100 grams of chicken, lettuce, apples, strawberries....  Much to my dismay I wasn't eating half the required amount in round one.  Which would explain why there was no experience of feeling too full to finish the entire 250 calories per meal, but a constant feeling of starvation.  So, with orange [in substitute for grapefruit] with romaine lettuce and chicken, it was going to be the slimmed version of the mandarin chicken salad or oriental chicken salad for tonight's supper....whatever any American decides to call it.  Instead of cutting up half of a Costco romaine heart, I used a whole one and two oranges.  Half way through that I was surprisingly full.  Tyler ate the rest for me.  Sure enough, it didn't take an  hour for my stomach to feel empty again.  So, maybe I did it right today?

12/29/10

Alright, who ordered the snow???
........It's day five and I went down another four pounds from yesterday.  Yes, the spirit is once again back on adrenaline! (^_^).  A total of five pounds gone.  So, the past two days I consistently had soy sauce and vinegar as my seasoning in my chicken, romaine lettuce and orange  salad concoction. Sounds a  bit limited but has really been tasty. Possibly, that's what has kept the gastral system moving right along?  Kelly gave me another thyroid news nugget.....the non GMO Braggs is actually not a healthy investment and that soy sauce [much to my "what???"] is actually the healthier.  Sounds good for the pocket book!  Not only that, but I absolutely *heart* silver swan soy sauce. Always buy a gallon at a time from the Asian market.  The kikkoman copycat is worse than bleh.

No more grilling.  I got tired of grilling my meat in the first round.  If there's anything more flavorful than rotisserie chicken for this low cal protocol, I have yet to find it.  The ones at Fry's are juicy and oh so tasty.  However, just as yummy-licious, just as juicy but twice the size are the Costco rotisserie chickens....for the same price.  Why settle for a little puny bird when you can get the big papa, right?  I took out the half breasts, wrapped them and threw them into the freezer.   I don't like using the microwave too much.  Instead, I take out a half breast, cook-thaw it in the iron skillet on medium, have half for lunch with romaine lettuce and oranges, and the other half with tomatoes for supper.  So easy.  Mucho easier.  The rest of the chickens were put in the freezer too and I heat them as well in the iron skillet...but at 400 in the oven.  The rest of the family feasts on them.  They don't eat chicken every night, just whenever it's on the menu.  [Kimberley's  weekly kitchen menu is "S" for spontaneous, by the way.  No lists...not even a grocery list.  It's all by the happy seat of my pants].  Last night I made this thick chicken gravy they poured over yesterday's homemade bread.  I don't know how many times the bells of "I love you" rang from my kids because I lost count.  Hubster had a huge second plate too.  Man, there's so much flavor when using a rotisserie chicken!  It's great for nearly all things chicken: lumpia, chicken pot pie, chicken/rice casserole, fajitas....etc.  LAWTS!

It's been snowing all day.  You know, that bone shuddering kind of weather that calls for hot cocoa, coffee, a blanket cuddling and more food blogs to read and gaze over by the crackling fire.  Welp, in my case, that's a hot-from-fire heat blowing wood pellet stove.  I hate snow because of how cold it has to be for the atmospheric condensation to drop as white "fluff".  Christmas is over and I'm ready for some hot humidity...on an island.  Funny thing is that hubster is the one that had the hardest time letting go of coffee when he was on the protocol.  He refuses to do black coffee.  Thus, he'd rather go without.  Me?  I have no caffeine addiction to speak of.  For that I'm certainly grateful.  Especially after hearing and/or reading from others all their suffering woe's when dropping caffeine [i.e. headaches].  Speaking of which, I also decided to totally forgo the breakfast tea this time around.  The protocol highly suggests a cup of black coffee or tea for breakfast.  However, speculation has it that it's only to barely satisfy the mind and body that are so used to past obnoxiously gluttonous behavior.  I'd rather swill 1/2- a gallon of water all morning.  This round just seems [so] easy as pie with the changed mindset and lack of torturous cravings. [It's probably the weeks of conditioned mindset that offsets the torture].  Kimberley is happy.

Hubster's knee buckled three days ago while rockin' to the 80's with the girls.  They had fun...but apparently too much fun.  He tried to pick Tori up over his head while twisting his body.  He's not in his twenties anymore.  So, the right knee gave and down he went.  With his immobilized knee I'm his chauffeur to and from work.  This morning wasn't so bad with the snow.  However, driving back out after 6pm to pick him up was another story.  There was over two inches on the ground and on the van.  So, time was spent wiping down the windshield, windows, mirrors, headlights....etc.  I decided to stop at Walmart and get a large portion of the bimonthly groceries.  There was another inch or more on the van when I was done.  The snow plows couldn't keep up so, the roads were slick with the soft fluff.  Couldn't make it up the driveway to the station door so I had to get out, climb the hill and escort my near crippled hubster down to the van.  The funny part was holding him by the back of his pants  to make sure I had a good grip on him should he and crutches decide to take a slippery slide down.  Phew.  Didn't happen.  Another stop at Fry's was made....here's the heart killer:  As I was passing the hot deli section, one of the workers was putting tens of rotisserie chickens, fried chickens, mashed potatoes, briskets, corn..etc. into a cart.  In curiosity I asked her what was going to happen to all that food.  "Trash" she says.

"The rotisserie chicken too?"

"No, those will get deboned and put in chicken salads and what nots."

I couln't walk away just yet,   "How do you feel about throwing all that food away?"

"It kills me.  I have to do this every night knowing there are starving people out there.  Hundreds of dollars go down the trash like this everyday....."

The conversation continued but this big gulp was painful.  The heart cried as if a leg had been cut off and the rest of my body was left to bleed to death.  In this declining economy, this happens everywhere....everyday.  And there are thousands of hungry children crying because they have to go to bed another night on an empty stomach.  What the hoo ha is wrong with this picture?? Dear God, help us all.  Does this kind of atrocious wasteful ritual not make Him cry?  Does it not anger Him?

With several breaks from the cold, the girls had so much fun playing outside today.....

12-30

It's our 15th wedding anniversary and the celebration wasn't as full blown as we had planned.  Neither one of us had been outside to see the road conditions.  Having to scrape iced snow off the windshield should've been the big clue...along with the 4-6 inches on the driveway [guestamating doesn't alway lead to accuracy from me (^_^)].  After successfully fighting with a few stubborn pieces of ice and giving up on the silent garage opener due to dripping melted snow [unlocking it so as to manually close it] we were off....or so we thought.  

I could hear that snow crushing sound from under the wheels as we made our way down the driveway.  Getting onto the road proved a little tricky where there was an ice spot from where some snow had melted in the sun and refroze with the temperature drop.  It was 3pm and I wasn't expecting a temperature drop until later in the day.  Oops....a slight miscalculation.  Slowly we made our way down Hopi, up Smoki and onto Cranberry.  It was on Cranberry that the dying speed was the only thing moving the van on the glimmering sheet of ice over which snow dust was being blown by the cold afternoon wind.  The van stops.  Pressing the gas pedal doesn't do anything but make the wheels spin. I turn to Hubster and humbly admit, "We're stupid.  This is just not going to work".  He laughs and I'm relieved he takes it all so lightly...as he does pretty much any and all my huffing and puffing.  Next thing I know there's two vehicles behind me and two oncoming ones in front.  They eventually make their way around me.  But not before I first jibber jabber with a few of them and slip/fall on my way back to the van.  The only dissapointing solution was to reverse back to the corner, turn around in a spot of exposed pavement and pray to God I make it back home. Dissapointed but thankful we made it back to the house.  

This was nothing like Alaska where the snow stays dry and the temperature doesn't rise again until May, so the icy snow covered roads are still stable enough to drive a VW golf @60mph.  This today was pure sanity.  We may have to wait a day or two to proceed with the celebratory date.  

In the meantime, it was fun working my brown tail off making hogs in a blanket and tostitos.  Figured out that by putting the raw corn tortillas in hot oil for a few seconds makes them much more pliable for wrapping the uncooked taco meat inside.  Baking them, once assembled, lead to potential cracking.  Thus, frying seemed like the more doable route.  However.....hello grease pit.  It's a good thing I don't make these kind of fat packing yums.  From the eyes of this cook, they look like a stick of heart attack.  ' o '

At the end of the first seven days the scale was down seven pounds.  

*****************************

So, what's happening in May?  Well, the plan is to purchase tickets somewhere between January and February for Manila.  We'd like to go for two weeks, but my desire is to have that stretched that out to three.  The purpose of the visit is to solidify our relationship with the Edge radio staff, help out with their music festival and all other things to help reach our goal with the radio ministry....which is basically to be a part of the staff as much as possible.

Hcg-advancing into phase 3

Completely out of the "plan" but still guaranteed to get somewhere is a jump start into phase three.  After a week of light headed days, falling back into heart palpitations and concern over blood pressure I took the "safe" route and got off the drops and back on my heart happy whole food berry green suppliment.  My heart was already weak before getting on the protocol.  The mind was spinning of  what-to-do's and how-to-do-it's.  It was a mind boggling dilemma.  So, with so much success already, I couldn't see myself putting the protocol to a complete halt....just yet.  Dr. Simeon's, after years of trial and observation, picked VERY few and particular foods for the protocol because of their beneficial body chemistry reaction with the Hcg.  So I wasn't sure what a whole food supplement of nearly "all things" fruit and veggy would do or not do.  Because the protocol was new to me, I opted for the "safer" and easier resolve of giving my already weak heart a break and giving it what it needed. 

There are two  reasons why Dr. Simeon's highly suggests at least a six week wait period before going back on the drops and 500c/day.  One of them being...to make sure the body doesn't develop the ignore-it symptoms and quits using it to it's secured-fat-burning benefit.   So, after two months of my heart happy wholefood supplement, I will have another go at the restrictive protocol.  In the meantime, the daily consumption is fruits, veggies and protein....ZERO grains.  Will be interesting how many more pounds I can drop between now and the first of the year.

Already, there are a few benefits I miss from the restrictive protocol:

1) - In the start of the second week it was astounding to experience so much energy [from my body using and burning the secured fats].  So much so I was regretting the inability to have the car during day and hang out at the park...someplace where I could be doing something other than sitting around.  At some points it seemed I would go out of my mind if I didn't so much as step outside for a few minutes.  There was a sudden [new] urge to be able to do something with my hands and/or feet.  Before the protocol, sleep was a happy place in which I would gladly surrender for as often as possible morning, noon AND night.  But now, I was awake until around/past midnight and awake before 6am without feeling any lack  in energy.  I almost regretted not having a job to occupy myself with during the day and keep me out of the house.  What an incredible experience of "new" energy that seemed to elude me for years before.

2) - It was a completely satisfying new morning practice to get up and step on the scale first thing...and hope/expect results.  I have never known of any diet before where it was okay to expect daily pound dropping reasons to clap my hands, pat my back, start the day with a new smile.....how cool is that?!

Hcg-week 2

The 8th day started out motivationally with another TWO pounds GONE in one day.  That's eleven pounds in eight days.  Yesterday was another psychological battle thinking of all the none starch foods my taste buds were craving, smelling the chicken Mike was smoking on the grill, and thinking of how fun it will be to finally eat as much as I want of fruits, veggies and protein.  I was also brainstorming and anticipating what my healthy Thanksgiving feast is going to look like.  If   I'm not going to consume potatoes, what would be a tastefully healthy substitute?  There are cauliflower and celery root that can be boiled and run through the food processor....and smothered in a coconut based turkey gravy.   Oh, the torture while sticking to the restrictive 500 calories/day!!

I read a lot of Dr. Simeon's 43 page manuscript [which today I found a better 24 page version of on the Hcg Miracle Weightloss website].  It answered a lot of my speculations and questions that'd been dancing in my mind that are not fully addressed in Kevin Trudeau's book.  That's fine, since I realize his purpose was not to photocopy Dr. Simeon's book.  

Women are more prone to plateau-ing than men are during the protocol.  Dr. Simeon doesn't seem to be too concerned, but to provide answers for the stressed client, he does have several approaches to addressing the issue.  One of them being the six apples on the 3rd or 4th plateau day with nothing else to eat.  But basically, what happens to cause a plateau is water retention. The six apples releases water, the client drops 3-4 pounds the following morning and is back on the average one pound/day drop.

In another section of the book he confirms that weight gain is [more often than not] a result of  water retention any other time [generally] caused by not drinking enough water. Soda pop addicts hardly drink water and consume a lot of soda. Sugar is only one of many issues developed in soda consumption.  The caffeine and carbonated water, to only name a few, cause dietary issues. Those who take their doctor's dietary advise to lay off soda generally drop 20lbs.

With unlimited tea drinking allowed on the protocol I can see how water retention can become a problem.  However, women generally drink more tea than men....which could be why men on the protocol do not deal with water retention as often the women do. All teas have the dietary characteristic and approach to the body....most especially the ones highly suggested and allowed on the protocol.  For every cup of tea, it is vital that 16oz. of water is consumed so that whatever toxin[s] the tea is trying to pull out of the body...it is allowed to do so thoroughly with plenty of water.  If the body is not consuming enough water to assist the tea, water retention logically becomes an issue.  The tea needs water to work.  Thus, the reason why I've limited my daily tea intake to one cup.

Caffeinated coffee also leads to water retention. So, if women are drinking coffee and unlimited amounts of tea it is even more easy to see how water retention becomes an issue and contributes to women plateau-ing   more than once during the protocol.  The protocol does not address caffeine, so clients are most likely consuming caffeinated coffee [which allows clients to get their caffeine fix in the morning] and unlimited caffeinated tea.  Is this why [with the exception of Thursday] I've successfully lost 2lb/day by limiting my tea consumption to only one cup and no coffee?  Hard to know at this point  Even though it was at least 1/2 gallon of water, I did drink less water Wednesday.  That might explain the one day plateau.

If Hcg-ers are going out of the bounds of the protocol AT ALL, a 3-4 day plateau will not be addressed by the six apples.  However, they will eventually start dropping the average one pound a day once they go back to the restrictive food allowances.

Days 9-11....THAT was the first plateau.  Fortunately, it was not water retention or cheating to blame. It was most likely due to the stubborn-ness of secured fats, that I've carried for over ten years, which Dr. Simeon talks about.  By the third day of the plateau, the psyche automatically dropped the self-inflicted stress over it knowing full well, it wasn't worth it.  I'd already committed to the 45 day protocol, and no plateau was going to get me off it.  Quite possibly, the restrictive [and freeing] consistency contributed to that...knowing full well, eventually more would have to come off.  BTW....The water retention fix of six apples [on the 3rd day] would not have made any difference because I've already been drinking a gallon a day

Day 12....

A 'las!  the El cheap-O hangs on and reveals an additional FOUR pound drop equaling my successful efforts to a nice 15lb....GONE.  Hard work always pays off, yah? Phew! Looking even more forward to finally getting into one pant size down.  The goal is to get   two pant sizes down by the time the 45 days/six weeks are over and another one during the 21day/three week maintenance.  It's a very realistic and do-able goal. Will I get back to dropping 2lb/day?  Hard to know.  However, one pound a day is really nothing to sniff at either. Yeah, me! ............Yeah, Dr. Simeon!!

When I had reached the 9lb-11lb. mark, I was remembering how much my boys weighed at birth....and how much Victoria weighed in comparison.  The boys were around 7lb. Victoria was NINE pounds...and I can still feel how heavy her nine pounds felt in my arms.  Not that I want to [ever again], but if I could hold the nine pounds of fat in my arms again it really does put it all into perspective.  Anyone else reading this could easily imagine what that would be to carry nine pounds.  When you pick a bag of produce at the grocery store, in the USA, you weigh it by the pound on the scale for calculating within your budget.  Carrying that bag should help you calculate in your mind what a couple pounds off a person's body is like.

In the meantime, Mike finally made phone contact with Chuck last night...who is all the way over in Thailand....basking in the beautiful Thai culture.  All six of his kids attended Faith Academy when they were in Manila [for I don't know how long].  How neat.  We look forward to meeting them soon!

first week of Hcg

minus another two pounds

Woo hoo .....the diet still works!  El cheap-O revealed more success this morning.  Wow, gotta say it feels really good for this soul to see I've managed to remove two more pounds off my burdened bones. There's some happy feet dancin' now!  Nine pounds gone in seven days....that's Simeon brilliance.  Despite it's shoddy blandness, I drank my chai green tea with a very big smile and great satisfaction for a week well accomplished.

The "traditional" doctrine of safe weight loss is to go for minus two pounds a week in order to keep it off.  It tub-thumps all speedier weight-shedding as dangerous, faddish and unreliable.  That maybe true for some. However, the multi-billion dollar weight loss industry  is just as lurid as so many other industries that've attracted suspicious, not so blinded, public eyes that don't take just anybody's word on blind faith.  People want to see real science.  And just like so many other multi-million and multi-billion dollar industries, the weight loss industry gladly takes money from the lazy-minded easy believing eyes and ears.  Minus two pounds a week is great for the person willing to ruffle their own already stressed feathers....and for the person that has but only a few pounds to shed.  It thins motivation and so many other psychological factors needing daily visual feed of success.



Instead of eating it with my lunch, today's change was eating my
[lunch] fruit of choice  as a morning snack. 



Hcg-day 6

first plateau

According to Dr. Simeon's book, it hasn't been long enough to label it a plateau.  So, in that regard, I'm quite optimistic. Emptied the bladder and got on the scale first thing this morning.  Still at 200lb.   It hasn't even been seven days and seven pounds are already out of my body.  My body worked so far ahead, it simply got caught up.  Also, certain functions are not cooperating. And that awareness puts a releaving spin  on the plateau-ing.  Eventually, with strict consistency, it's all gotta come out and come off, yah?!

This morning, for breakfast, is a first try with the CHAI green tea.  I'm pleasantly surprised with the aroma.  Flavor? Blah, but for restrictive purposes it still works





lunch...same as yesterday



supper: grilled steadk, red leaf lettuce, strawberries and onions



ONLY 39 days left!

Hcg-day 5

minus another four pounds



breakfast: green tea

That's a wowser, yah?!  I would've never expected to go down four pounds in one night/day.  However, mine eyes were not deceiving me when the scale said 200. 

Missed having Tori's sweet spirit around yesterday and in the evening.  Sierra had quite the time of it, emotionally, herself.  She told me she cried on the way home and asked her daddy if she could sleep in our room tonight.  At one point I woke up to empty my bladder and, before falling back to sleep, heard her talkin' in her sleep. 



Since it's one of the few things allowed in the protocol I decided to search the web and found a couple cool factoids on cucumber:

1-Fresh cucumber juice can provide relief from heartburn, acid stomach, gastritis and even ulcer.

2-Daily consumption of cucumber juice helps control cases of eczema, arthritis and gout.

3-Cucumber has been found to be beneficial for those suffering from lung, stomach and chest problems.

4-The potassium in cucumber makes it useful for the problem of high and low blood pressure.

5-Cucumber contains Erepsin, the enzyme that helps in protein digestion.

6-Cucumber juice is said to promote hair growth, especially when it is added to the juice of carrot, lettuce and spinach.

7-Cucumber juice, when mixed with carrot juice, is said to be good for rheumatic conditions caused by excessive uric acid in the body.

8-Cucumber can prove to be beneficial for those suffering from diseases of the teeth and gums, especially in cases of pyorrhea.

9-Being rich in minerals, cucumber helps prevent splitting of nails of the fingers and toes.

10-Cucumber has been associated with healing properties in relation to diseases of the kidney, urinary bladder, liver and pancreas.

11-Those suffering from diabetes have been found to benefit from the consumption of cucumber/cucumber juice.

Cucumber is an excellent source of silica, which is a trace mineral that contributes to the strength of our connective tissue that holds our body together.  A 500c/day diet does has the serious risk of stripping away the structural fat in our connective tissue.  It's easy to see why the protocol calls for cucumber.  While the Hcg drops keep it in tact, the cucumber serves to continue nutrifying our connective tissue.



lunch: grilled ginger marinated chicken, cucumbers, strawberries and braggs

 Oh, dear.... I had planned on eating my supper right at 5pm.  By Jennifer's influence, I had planned on making this diet a gourmet experience.  The best natural lighting for photographic blogging is mid-morning to mid-afternoon.  Thus, once I got the girls home from school, it was time to assemble and shoot.  Without thinking, I chucked down my beautiful supper by 4pm.  Oh, well.  Instead of four hours to metabolize it, now there will be five.  Hopefully, the scale will not show this to have been a consequential fumble.

supper: grilled ginger marinated beef, cucumbers, onions, strawberries and braggs

Hcg-day 4

minus three pounds



breakfast: green tea

 It was early to bed last night and early to rise this morning.  The el cheap-o scale showed 204lb.  I'm not surprised considering the hunger pains throughout the day.  According to the protocol, the hunger pains should subside after the first few 500c days.  Forgot it's Michael's day off so I won't be using the digital scale at the station.  Some people have waited 5-7 days before the hunger pains wore off. 



Tori has been exhilarated about today's field trip to the Phoenix Zoo.  Apparently, the class is spending the night.  I'm not sure how this is all happening because I hear they're spending the night "at the zoo".  The lightening, thunder and rains have been pounding in Phoenix as well....which is what we're waking up to again this morning.   As soon as she got home yesterday she packed all her effects and asked to borrow a camera.  She'll be taking the cell phone and using that camera.  I hope the teachers don't take issue with her using the cell phone.  I don't like the fact that some of the schools forbid them when kids go on field trips.  If something should happen....even if it's a delay of a return home, I want my babies to be able to get a hold of me and let me know.



lunch: ginger seasoned grilled chicken, strawberries, red leaf lettuce, applecider vinegar, braggs

This afternoon....for the first time in a decade [and then some] I'm feeling the biggest fester ever trying to surface on my chin.  What in all the world??  It's not my dramatic exaggeration, either.  At the moment it feels like the size of the round butt end of a pen.  Odd....quite odd.

Apparently, today, 4-5 tornadoes touched down around Flagstaff....just an hour and a half north of us.  Not something I remember ever hearing of in the last nine years...a tornado in Arizona.  There was a tornado warning in our tri-cities as well as Phoenix.  Thank goodness it's all over.

Dylan brought home two friends.  Tonight is youth outreach night at the Heights Church.  The goal for each kid was to bring 4-5 friends.  Dylan has a third friend meeting them there.  Mike made spaghetti for the kids.  It was hard for me because it was right around the same time I had planned on prepping my own dinner....especially with my rumbling solar plexus. 

supper: cucumbers, ginger marinated gilled steak, strawberries, onions, braggs

Supper was miniaturely delish.  I'm glad that 30 minutes later I'm still feeling hungry.  It's hard to explain in words other than it's a satisfying obvious sign that I won't gain a pound back from today.  Now I can just sit back, relax [some more] and swill another 1/2 gallon of water.

Hcg-day 3

 

It's a beautifully cloudy morning and my roses are still getting watered by the rain which has been non-stop for 24 hours now.  However, dietary-ly speaking, it's the most jacked day I may ever have.  The first morning on the scale revealed a whopping 207lb.  It will be interesting to see the difference between the little el cheap-O scale at home and the digital one at the station tomorrow morning.  I gained a monstrous extra from last summer.  This picture is the only decent one I could find that shows...welp, that much of me.  There was another one, that Juliet had taken more directly from the front.  But I can't find that one.  That one's even worse, but should be added to today's wacked blog.  Too bad my glasses, on top of my head, were holding back the hair.  Otherwise, it would've been hiding some of the blah.  Then again, for today, it may have served it's revealing purpose.  And oh how fitting with a bowl of food. Better yet, no smart angling of the face to  hide the chin and neck blubber...ha!  It's all there in all my.....eh.  On any other day my first reaction to the scale would be, "I'm SO screwed".  But this Hcg and Dr. Simeon's protocol says there's hope for me yet.



breakfast: green tea

I'm not a fan of black coffee.  I will miss my creamer.  But fortunately, that's only a six week absence.  So, no coffee.  That's perfectly fine since caffeine is not a weakness of mine. I hadn't made any preparatory purchases of any tea so it was nice to find some leftover green tea in the cupboard.  The variety will have to be arranged this week.  Green tea is so not my favorite.  Bleh.  But for today, it kept me on my restrictive culinary schedule.

An  appropriate text from Robert Kiyosaki just buzzed into my phone: "A strong commitment to your mission helps you weather all sorts of storms, and there will be storms."  At the moment, the storm is rumbling within my abdomen and all of the devil's destructive words clashing with my identity in Christ.

According to the book, it's not until day three that the Hcg starts to release the secured fat.  I'm so glad I don't have to take the expensive injectable route.  Doctors charge outrageously for the product...not to mention the appointment.   What a daily drain I'm avoiding.  I purchased my drops at a local homeopathic office for $18/bottle.  NICE considering the jacked prices all over the internet.  Some even charge over $240/bottle.  Mike took notice when he visited the High Health store over by the mall.  He said the bottles there were over $60.  That's actually better than anywhere I've seen on the internet.  Fortunately, for me, this local homeopathic doctor is not trying to capitalize on the multi-billion dollar weight loss industry. 

 

lunch: ginger marinated chicken, red leaf lettuce, strawberries
and a seasoning of salt and red onion



The pounding wind and rain successfully prevented me from grilling my chicken outside.  So, the alternative was a light boil.  Darn that rain! The appearance, therefore, was far from appealing.  Thus, today I've learned the enticing art of those grill marks on another level. The plate is the size of my spread out hand.  Since that meal can be practically eaten in five bites....I chose to take my fancy time with the strawberries. 

Supper: ginger marinated beef, red leaf lettuce, strawberries
and extra seasoning of onions, salt and braggs

4:00pm-The strawberries need to be eatin' quick.  So, I had a couple again for an early supper.  [The boys still have to be picked up in a little bit and we have Bible study tonight right after picking up Mike from the station.  We won't get home until after 9pm.  I won't be indulging in Sue's dessert tonight]. Onions, braggs and strawberries in a "salad"?  Sounds wacked...but to the palate, incredible.  Most likely better for the body than balsamic dressing.  Braggs is better tasting than soy sauce, healthier for you and loaded with essential amino acids.  The rain stopped long enough for me to light up the grill and throw the piece of lean beef on there.  While the photo close-up makes the plate look huge....it's small.  And the lettuce does well to give it some visual volume.  But really, it can all be eatin' in five bites.

My local friends are going to have to practice extra grace and mercy with me for the next six weeks.  I like my privacy and already hate the phone.  Any social gatherings that may potentially involve food I will be avoiding.  However, I can't be avoiding Bible Study on Tuesday nights.  So, aside from that, I'd much rather live like a hermit.  It may not sound psychologically or emotionally "healthy".  But quite frankly, it doesn't really concern me all that much what anyone may think of it.   Aside from God and his promises, my husband and kids, with their sweet spirits, are the only people I'd rather be around for the time being.  Yes, my emotions are jacked. 





Hcg-day 2

We found these 2lb. tasty curry paste beauties at Lee Lee's for $3.49/each.  I'm not quite
sure where else you can find such a good deal.  They will last a good couple months.





It was so nice to wake up to a slightly cooler morning for a change.  Arizona monsoons  aren't much to speak of upon there arrival in July.  As short lived as they seem, it's amazing ranchers, in these mountain desert parts, still manage to keep their cows satisfied. 

I started my day with some decaffeinated coffee and four slices of buttered toast topped with thick heavenly helpings of mild cheddar cheese.  The berry green will keep the fears of constipation away.  It was hard to decide on something to shove in my maw for lunch. The idea of quickly frying hot dogs was no longer enticing as it had been the past two weeks.  Instead, I portioned out my steak and chicken  in small ziploc bags with some of the ginger seasoning I cooked Sunday.  I made more than enough of the liquid seasoning [garlic and ginger with a dabble of salt and pepper] for my meat portions and the rest  for Mike's and the kids' meals.  It's not exactly a joy to handle meat juices and plastic ziploc bags.  It would've been nice to have some of Tori's eager help.  A strong suspicion lurks that I might have portioned less than 100 grams in each ziploc because I didn't use a kitchen weigh scale.  However, I'm not all that concerned.  Who knows...this could prove to be beneficial.  Taking one last look in the pantry for a late lunch I found two boxes of chocolate cake mix.  The very idea of  mixing and baking the contents on my last pig out day was very tempting.  Now that would be some great sugary shoving in my maw!

Maverick and I enjoyed a very nice cool day.  It's always nice to have days in which the electric bill is spared and the windows can be opened to let fresh air breeze through the house.  More rain clouds came, lingered for  hours longer and dropped more rain after I picked up the girls from school.  It was that perfect kind of weather that cranks up the sound of the bed covers calling with "Anne of Green Gables."  I did the bed part.  Comfy cozy snug like a bug in a rug....low bedroom lights and enjoying the sound of the rain gushing down through the gutters.  The choral sound of rain drops splashing on all other rugged surfaces outside served as nice background noise.  Yum.  I had it good.  Mike picked the boys up after he got off the air and I could stay home and continue to enjoy the thunderous sounds of nature.

Supper: Green Curry Chicken

After marinating all day in the fridge I used some of the chicken breasts to cook up some green curry chicken.  Oh, my heavens.  Why had I not invested in those tubs before?  Such a perfect blend of spice seasoning, spicy and .....mmmm!!!  With some cut up whole green and red bell peppers it was definitely curry-licious.  For some one that loves the Jamaican scotch bonnet sauce, Mike couldn't stop talking about how spicey hot the curry was.   

It's past midnight and time for bed.  Day two has ended without the tempting chocolate cake.  Something to be proud of.

Hcg-day 1

 

Saturday was spent shopping for this new beneficially restrictive culinary venture.  Our first stop was at the HALO HALO Diner.  The lechon and deep fried tilapia were fresh out of the fryer upon arrival.  Much to my heritage influenced satisfaction, Dylan approved and reveled the Hong Kong style lechon.  However, there is nothing more famously copacetic than the Philippine lechon.  In keeping with the bi-weekly tradition even more, lunch was topped off with a halo halo.  I'm not a particular fan of the scoop of vanilla ice cream in my halo halo so it was put into a separate bowl... and Dylan devoured it.  

goofin' off at Lee Lee's

Buying for 500 calories a day makes it facile on the pockets and the general menu-ing.  The effervescence of fish hit our awaiting proboscises  upon entrance into Lee's Lee's Oriental food market.  Literally made the eyes cross. We typically like to get 3-8lb. of lean beef and have the butchers thinly slice it up for us.  That's also where we like to load up on chicken breasts and leg quarters.  But on this particular day, for me, we really loaded on the chicken breasts.  Dylan liked the bucket of fried veggie chips in Sprouts.  Mike made purchasing allowance for the corn nuts that Dylan has an apparent affinity for.  It was so nice to have his [extra]  hands/legs help with all the day's shopping.  Aside from that, we really enjoyed spending the day with him.  While some parents carp through their teen's first, entire or latter teenage years as something luridly indigestible...Dylan's just an all around fun kid.  Sure, it's just the beginning....but, still. I love that boy! 



This was the first day I'd ever stepped into the 99 cent store...next door.  It was surprisingly half the size of a Wal-mart.  They typically have bread and better priced bags of chips.  However, this one had more than I'd ever seen.  Things like frozen one pound packages of ground turkey/chicken and some fresh produce.  Before finally making it to Wal-mart, on Happy Valley, Mike wanted to make a quick run to Burlington in hopes to find Dylan a pair of  "skinny" jeans.  What an odd sounding style of pants for boys...but what he picked out was pretty decent...after over an hour.
 

At this point I felt slightly spent on energy and was feeling the end of the day to be rather latish.  Dylan's eyes were progressively getting tired and red.  However, the supper stop at the Hawaiian BBQ where he enjoyed a large helping of palatable fried chicken and rice, seemed to give him a second energy boost which he delightfully displayed through the Wal-mart isles.  Sadly, that's not something I could say for myself.  Ubiquitous to Hawaii's culinary culture, I keep wishing I had tried the signature spam plate.  But should I really care?  When this diet is over, I'll have the rest of my life to try...or not to try. 



I couldn't resist cutting up one of the two $.97 pineapples I bought

 at Sprouts.  Enjoyed it with a few bites of cheddar cheese.  A

combination favorite in the Philippines.  Brought great memories. 

There's nothing like a fresh pineapple!



Today it was incredibly hard to get up after such a long day in Phoenix, getting home after 10pm, and still having to unload/put way food.  Mike miraculously got up early to go get his weekend tasks done at the radio station. I simply went back to bed until after noon.  So, that's when I had my first meal (Mike made chicken tacos with the ground chicken) and swills of water.  I enjoyed two tacos.  It's so much better with cheese and sour cream....two key ingredients that weren't a grocery shopping priority the last several months.  Okay,  I will admit that eating as much as you want is beyond easy.  How much more fortunate that there is such a thing as capping.  It's nice to know I have my limits despite my previously self-inflicted blossoming circumstances.



I practically stayed full the rest of the day.  The conference call with Chuck Quinley (in Thailand) and Carol didn't happen as planned in the evening.  We did, however, manage to get through to FA and get a few questions answered about tuition.  Unsatisfied with the limited (though, still helpful) information, Mike went on to call mom and ask her a few more questions.  Of course, having been on the staff for quite some time she was able to satisfy her son-in-law's pressing inquiries.  So, even though we didn't make all the communication connections today, at least we had more to shape our annual budget with.

Mike's metabolism was re-revved by that point.  He made sigsig with the only contents being chicken breast and bacon...oh, and the seasoning he found at Lee Lee's.  We don't have an entire pig head to make the dish, fortunately.  I wouldn't have eaten it, anyway, if we did.  Our version of the dish would've greatly disappointed Anthony Bourdain.  Surprisingly,  it was all more than I could quaff.  I only managed to drink half a gallon of water the entire day.  That's the minimum requirement.  So, it's all good. 

Food supplements are discouraged from the protocol so, because of all the ingredients, and what Dr. Simeon's has researched, observed and learned over the years of how changing the food can slow or halt the fat releasing process, I most likely will not be using the berry green supplement starting on the third day.  So, today and tomorrow I will be heavily using it.



With Tori's help, Maverick sports his belated birthday present we picked up at Wal-mart



Off to bed....tomorrow's a new day.  Day two to be exact. 



the diet

Oh, excuse me.  The Hcg protocol is NOT a diet, not an exercise program, not a psychological behavior modification program, or some other system that is supposed to help you lose weight. The weight loss cure actually addresses and corrects the physiological cause of obesity, weight gain, and inability to lose weight.


Okay...so this is how it's going to be for the next SIX weeks.....

day 1:

*10 HCG drops first thing in the morning [easy breezy]

*1/2 - 1 gallon of water throughout the day [that's easy too considering how much I LOVE water.  Apparently, fat people are dehydrated].

*eat as much food as possible throughout the day
repeat on day 2

day 3-through to the 21st day  [minimum] 45th [maximum] on the HCG drops:

*get on the scale first thing in the morning after emptying the bladder [makes total sense]

*take HCG drops

*drink 1/2 -1 gallon of water throughout the day

*as much black coffee or tea [green, yuba mate, wu long, chamomile] as I want....and throughout the morning [NEVER tap water since it's loaded with chlorine and fluoride...and who knows what else.  Purified/spring water is best]

*lunch: 100 grams [weighed raw] of grilled beef, veal, chicken breast, wild Chilean sea bass, flounder, sole or halibut with a handful of spinach, chard, beet greens, any kind of lettuce, tomatoes, celery, fennel, onion, red radishes, cucumbers, asparagus or cabbage [veggies can't be mixed in the same meal]

*one small apple, grapefruit or handful of strawberries

*dinner: same as lunch choices but no exact same two meals on the same day

No meals skipped [to give the metabolism velocity].  The meals have to be as described by the book.  The specifically chosen foods and meal options are suggested because of their chemistry reaction in activating the hypothalamus into releasing the secure abnormal fat reserves causing dramatic weight loss without the loss of muscle or structural fat. 

The average consumption is 500 calories a day.  With such a low caloric intake the body will only release the abnormal fat reservers once the calories are burned. Research has confirmed that  with the HCG, the body is flooded with over 2,000 calories of nutrition from the releasing of the abornmal fat reserves which is why there should be no feeling of hunger and an increase in energy.  I will lose a minimum of one pound a day.  With the HCG drops I shouldn't have any problems with fatigue or slower metabolism after the diet.

I'm dancing with excitement and anxiety at the same time. After almost 20 years of weight issues, can anyone really blame me?  I'm going to be 38 delightful years old next month.  It will be nice to have more energy and better health for the next 50+ years.

As the diet progresses I will blog as I feel inclined to.  One week it could be everyday.  Another week it could be....welp, once.  It all depends on what I learn and experience in the next six weeks.

A very good friend of mine cheated several times.  Very minor cheats.  She also plateau-ed several times.  The last plateau she had was the longest and she was the most frustrated with.  According to the book changing the food can slow and/or hault the fat releasing process.  So, cheating will not be an option for me.  At least that way, if there is a plateau I will know that's not the cause.  No need to unnecessarily create stress for myself. Ha!

So, why the hoo ha am I making this public and telling you?  This somewhat canvasses accountability.  Readers will expect to read [and see, most likely, photographic] results from here on out.  The success can be added to the Hcg book of evidence that Dr. Simeons was right.