Alright, all. I am finally ready to start another round. I had become so complacent after that last difficult round that I thought I'd never do it again! I got to the point that I either cheated all the time or I didn't even eat. Neither was a very great way to do it, and I think I have learned my lesson.

I AM one to modify my diet a bit though.

My plan:
3.5 oz ff protein (boiled egg or cottage cheese, etc) in the am
chocolate delight (mid-am snack)

3.5 oz protein
melba &
veggy for lunch

fruit for a snack

and 3.5 oz protein
melba &
veggy for dinner

In my experience, it was too much for me to count my every calorie. I just know that if I had red meat once that day, I need to eat white meat/fish later, since red meat is higher calorie. I just basically kept track that I ate my daily requirements and that was good enough for me. The math basically has already been done for us in our list of daily requirements that I really don't think about that too much.

I also love to do chocolate delight with my coconut oil and agave. Agave is NOT a p2 food, but I rationalize that the little coconut oil we are allowed (no more than 2-3T a day) in p2, the amount of agave in the chocolate delight relative to that is pretty minor. I know it isn't strictly by the book, but I'm more interested in not giving up to temptation to cheat than to be so strict and unforgiving with myself.

Another note about coconut oil. Coconut oil is a great fat to incorporate into our diet. It is readily metabolized and actually helps your body metaboilze fat. I don't count those calories either, or not eat something to make up for the extra calories. They are basically "free" although you wouldn't want to overindulge. Like I said earlier, 2-3T in a day. In my mold, that's <1 piece a day. I portion it out so I know how much I'm eating.

I also found that I could use it IN my cooking. I used it as the little bit of oil in the pan to cook my food! Or to crunch up my melba, coat a 3.5 oz piece of cube steak, and "fry" chicken fried steak!!! I ate like this last round and ACTUALLY lost! Nothing is worse to me than to have little bits of my little bit of chicken sticking to the pan! As if there's sooo much to eat to begin with! So voila! Perfect solution! (A note here, though. The flavor comes through, so unless you like the coconut flavor in light meats and veggies, you'll notice it when you cook chicken, shrimp or fish. Just fyi.)

Here's to a happy holiday week, and happy loading to me! I haven't done my grocery shopping yet, but I'm sure it will contain quite a few things I WON'T be getting for awhile!

p2 Tomato Soup

Again, with the rainy day nice n' hot soups. I like this one thin or thicker, it just depends on my mood. I usually slurp it right out of a coffee mug. GREAT slurping soup, and VERY filling, even though you're really only eating your 1 tomato and a bit of broth!

p2 Tomato Soup

1/2 can tomato sauce (my fave is Hunt's garlic tomato sauce. Adds a nice flavor.)

2c Chicken stock

(optional: worcestershire sauce to taste. might be a cheat in p2, so don't if you think it is.)

• dump it all together in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• simmer it down to the consistency you desire. (I usually put it on and "forget about it," while I'm cooking something else.)
• serve and enjoy. (Like I said earlier, I usually sip this out of a coffee mug.)

p2 Chili

As the weather begins to cool off, nothing's better than a nice, hot bowl of soup. As I was eating this the other night, towards the bottom of the bowl, I thought to crush up my melba like a saltine cracker. That was soo delish. And since this recipie only makes a single serving, and only uses 1/4 can of 2 different things, I keep my unused sauce & tomatoes in the fridge. It doesn't last long. This is one of my current faves. (And cannot WAIT to add beans and top with cheese in p3!)

p2 Chili

hCG portion of ground beef, chicken, turkey (whatever)

1/4 can Ro-tel Tomatoes (get mild if you're a wuss... it's kinda hot)

1/4 can Ro-tel tomato SAUCE (ditto on the mild thing.)

1c broth (any flavor)

cumin

• Brown your ground beef, rinse and drain. (Get as much fat out as you can!)
• Add liquid ingredients. This will look thin and runny, but you'll cook it down.
• Bring to a boil and let it simmer down until it's almost thick and add cumin to taste. (I like a lot of cumin, so I won't give exact measurement... plus I'm kinda a dump it together girl so I don't know how much I use.)
• After you add the cumin, don't cook too much longer or you won't taste it much.
• Serve and enjoy!

UNDER 200!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAYAYAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I broke 200 lb mark!!!! I'm elated! I haven't been that since I was gaining during my 1st pregnancy. And it's funny, I was telling my hubby in bed this morning, that my "flap" (the hanging skin that USED to be FAT in the tummy) looks odd now. It's getting more noticeable in my clothes, because what USED to be fat is now all wierd and deflated looking. :D It'll go down, just for now it looks funny... funny that this is a good thing to me! (Progress not perfection?)

I have heard a lot of people saying that in round 2 their losses have been less than desirable, and so they eat an extra 100 grams of protein in exchange for 1 of their fruits and lose lose lose, like they were in their first rounds. AND it kept their cravings to cheat down. So my plan is to have the boiled egg or ff cottage cheese that P & I says is an ok substitute for protein in the morning, because I'm seeing the pattern that the morning is when I tend to cheat because I get bored or hungry. I have always eaten breakfast, so I do get hungry then, even on hCG.

Another thing is that I DID get agave for my chocolate delight. My rationale is that in the little bit of coconut oil I'm allowed in p2, there isn't very much agave in the chocolate delight. If it does seem to make me stall or gain, I will cut it out, lesson learned. I think having this when I'm wanting to cheat will satisfy the urge, and if it's working for me, why not. ?? We shall see how it goes.

Wish me luck. It's only an experiment. If it works, YAY! If not, then I will go back to strictly P & I protocol. I HOPE it works.

Struggling BIG TIME

Ok, so I have to start this by saying that I am soooo grateful for my friends and followers (even if I don't know who you are)!!!! I have had a very hard struggle today, and if I hadn't had the thought of letting someone else down, I'd have given up today.

I have been cheating "little cheats" all the time and it's affecting my losses. Yesterday morning was NO loss (or gain), and today was only .2 lost. I decided to do an apple day, but by 11 (which when you have 2 little kids that wake up at 6 every morning regardless of which day it is, 11 is LUNCH.) Anyway. By 11 I had had 1 apple already and couldn't stop feeling hungry and thinking about food. And of course, it wasn't apples I was thinking of... well... maybe apples, but with peanut butter... and that's what I did. Immediately after, I had 2 cheese sticks I'd cut. And when I'd realized apple day was blown, I had some hcg friendly tomato soup to fill me. Drank 1/2 gallon water today, and was good with my hcg friendly breaded chicken for dinner.

I took my little girl to church and promised her I'd let her have a cookie if she was good. (You're thinking I ate one, here aren't you? -NOPE) --Only cuz they didn't have cookies tonight! If you know how hard they cry when they've been GOOD (and I mean GOOD... she does NOT sit well and I was VERY impressed), only to have their bribe taken away... I promised her I'd bake us some cookies instead. THIS is where I was a bad girl! I made pb cookies. (No flour, but SUGAR for sure! Actually, if I could make them sugar-free, they'd make a GREAT p3 food! But none of that thinking right now... I'm still on the naughty list right now.) I ate TWO.

I don't know why I'm eating like this. I was hungry when I had the cheese and pb on my apple at lunchtime, but I'm honestly NOT feeling hungry after I've eaten lunch. I really only ate my dinner when I did because I thought I'd be gone till late, but things didn't go as planned and I ended up home after church. I went into the cookie situation knowingly that I was going to eat at least 1, and if they're there in the morning I'm sure I'd have another bad day of it too, so I'll let hubby eat all he will tonight, and make him take them to work or else throw them away. I feel like I'm totally powerless over all the cheating. That in itself, I'm sure is the key to unlocking my dilemma... knowing I'm powerless. (Step 1 no less!) God, help me. I need your help here!

Again, I say it, thank you all for being my motivation to not quit today, especially you, Alma. Thanks for being the person who'd be so mad at me for quitting. This diet has been SUCH a great thing in my life. It has helped me realize a LOT about myself, and to care about myself again! For so long there, I just was content being the sloppy mom who'd let herself go after having kids. I didn't even realize it! And now I feel like I'm getting myself back. Thank you, God, for that!

Day 6... 4 lbs lost

Well. Have I found some bomb recipie ideas this time around!?!?! Had my miracle noodle spaghetti and meatball, chili, chicken soup, shrimp scampi, chicken nuggets. mmm mmm mmm. AND I've lost eating all this!!! FOUR lbs in 3 days of loss! Wowza!

I have had a bit of an inner argument with myself about my chocolate delight. Oh, how I LOVE it so! I know that the coconut oil is ok in p2, as long as you limit it to a little bit, but agave isn't ok. And since I HATE stevia in my chocolate delight, uck. I'd rather not have it at all. I've tried to justify it in my mind that if I were only eating my timy bit of it so I don't overdo on the coconut oil, there really isn't that much agave in there. But it's still in there. I thought I'd try it to see if it affects my weight loss, but when I made it up I tried something different and messed it up. Dang it. Now I have no agave till I can get some on monday when I get groceries. I don't know what I shall do. (I have, however, used my coconut oil in my cooking. Shrimp scampi and breaded chicken... who knew I'd lose eating these!?!)

I was so nervous to have the same HUNGRY day as I did on round 1. I was expecting it yesterday, but it didn't come. I thought FOR SURE today, also didn't come. Maybe I just am not going to have "the hungry day" like I did. My buddy said she never did feel hungry 1st round OR this round... hmm. Who knows. I think I'm just still used to it maybe. The loading days were fun to be able to eat, but I felt sooo crummy. I think I may have created an aversion to one of my faves, Sourdough bread with butter. We'll just see. Anyway. Hope all is well in everyone's worlds! I sure am doing well myself!

DAY 1! P1!!

So day 1!!!!! p1!!!!!

Breakfast was bacon, fried egg, toast w LOTS of butter, and milk w cream added for fat. Then I had 3 lindt white truffles between breakfast and lunch. Lunch was chicken alfredo, sourdough (also w LOTS of butter), an artichoke w mayo, and another glass of milk and cream. HOLY COW, now THAT'S gorging!!!! And for dinner my parents are coming for STEAK! I bought the yummiest biggest ribeye!!!!! mmmmm.

I DO feel like napping now, though. And tomorrow I have shrimp scampi planned and a potluck for dinner... omg I could die already. But I'm enjoying it for now...

Round 2 here I come!!!!!

T minus 2 days and counting!!!!!!!!!! Friday!!!!!! I cannot even wait!!! Just think! In a week I could be below 200! I can't even imagine!

Again, it's been so long since I posted that it seems like I should give a little update. TOM hit last time I wrote and for the 1st time since I started this crazy thing, I didn't have any violent fluctuations during my TOM. Hooray for THAT! I was a little worried! I also took a weekend away from the hubbs and kiddos and visited my sis in Seattle. We did all kinds of tourist stuff... the underground tour in pioneer square, the piers, pike's place, the museum of glass, OH!- and stayed up till 2 am talking like we did when we were kids. It was a great time, and DEFINITELY needed it. Recharged my batteries and destressed! (Now my hubby needs to, too, and we'll all be good!) Gotta say, though, 6 hrs of walking and a few meals and sweet treats later, I was worried to come home to the scale. I woke up Sunday looking like a water balloon, all swollen and bloated. I peed all day, and yesterday morning I was actually 206.4! So worried that I was retaining water and needed to have a steak day. No such bad luck!!!! Wtg, me!!!

And so, since I am starting on Friday, I am kinda off the diet altogether this week. (Although, if you want to be technical about it, p4 IS off the "diet.") I got all the things that sounded good that were fatty, especially since loading starts friday and I GET TO eat all that that I want!!! And of course!- when I'd said that I was treating myself to peach cobbler last week, the oven burner/element went kaboom on us, so I'm going to have to go to Mom's and do my baking. I planned on making spritz cookies... 1 1/2 c butter in the recipie... REALLY good... shortbread type cookies. I'm dreaming in food right now! I bought babyback ribs, ribeye steak, shrimp scampi, chicken alfredo, garlic sourdough, corn (w butter), mashed potatoes, omg! I feel like I'm about to make myself sick with all this I'm planning on eating! Geez! Can't wait! Last round I did a TERRIBLE job of loading. I did go up, but only 1.2, .8 of which I lost the 2nd loading day. And I WAS hungry for the first bit of p2. (Supposedly if you gorge well, you aren't hungry. We'll see.)

Well, next post I oughtta be on protocol!!!!! Wish me luck! And here goes nothing!

TOM and still maintaining!

I'm not preggers!!! (Not that I was worried bout that or anything... don't start spreading rumors...) I started today. YAY!!!! And because I have a buddy that is starting next round w me, I was honestly worried I'd get done w tom and have to wait because we were starting round 2 together. She started today too!  YAY!!!! Hope we are both off TOM soon!!!!! (If by the 26th we start, we'll be off p3 thanksgiving day... any longer we have to wait and that just means a little shorter p2.)

 And I was actually 206.2... .2 above my LDW... after all these "bad days" and not weighing 2 days in a row! (Been eating not the best choices...) But for the last 2 months my tom has really sucked w my weight... and there you go! I'm stable... right in time for another round!!! At least I get to go to Seattle this weekend and not have to not eat anything! Yay. I think I'm going to celebrate with peach cobbler tonight. (Maybe old behaviors, but at least I think this might be a healthier option!)

I'm sorry, my dear readers!! I have not posted lately, but I AM still going strong. I haven't had any huge lessons or successes, other than just keeping the LDW down. I've bounced around the 2 lb +/- range, and am SOOO looking forward to starting another round after my next TOM is over! And this time I will have a REAL hCG buddy to share the journey with! She's due, strangely enough, at the same time of the month, so we're starting up at the exact same day! (And we'll be done and on p4 for Thanksgiving... and not a cheat!) I'm actually really stoked about this! It's funny how we met, because she had a word of advice because I had too many steak days at the start of p3!!! I'm excited, because she NEVER cheated during p2, and I did almost EVERY day.... (bites of the kid's lunch or dinner) ... and 3 times IN A BIG WAY!

Hope you all have great losses, and a good weekend! I probably will not be posting very ferquently till I'm back on the next round! (But that's only about 2 weeks away!)

Just checking in during p4

Since I posted last at the beginning of the week, I've been up one day, down the next and up again after that. Damn you, TOM!!!! I was stable until then, and now I'm struggling a bit. I'm not letting it get me down, and yesterday, when I was up, I just reverted back to p3 to get it under control. And again. this morning I was below. I'm thinking that if I'm still at the upper part of my range monday I will do another steak day to get myself back down to the lower part of the range. Anyway. I'm alright. I am pounding the water and still walking. Today was a hot one, so I felt zapped pretty quick. Hoping my weight gets under control before my next round's loading days. I don't wanna gain TOO much before next p2! I'm being probably more lenient with myself in between right now, since I'm going to be doing another round anyway, that the under .8 above my upper 2 lb limit isn't bothering me too much. I'm just drinking more water and more or less doing a p3 day. So far it's working. We'll see. Hope everyone's having great days and losses!!!!

Revised Capella sodas

So I was soooo excited to get these drops in, so I could make my own pop! I just got the vanilla cream stevia, so here's the tweaked version!!!!!

1 1/2c (12oz.) sparkling water
30 drops vanilla creme stevia (sounds like a lot, but it isn't.)
21 drops of the capella flavor drops (I used root beer float and cola, but preferred the root beer.)

Mix VERY gently and enjoy!

The cola tasted like it would be great to mix, as in p3 we can have vodka... rum is more my fave, but don't think that's p3 friendly!

Capella drops are found at http://www.capellaflavordrops.com/

I'm baaack! Doing good again!

So yesterday sucked, but I did a steak day and got it all worked out. I started off the day doing an apple day... ie I ate an apple for breakfast, before I decided to switch to steak day. I hoped that it wouldn't throw my steak day out the window, but it didn't and now I'm back to 207.4! I'm still heavier than I'd like to be, but I'll take it! At least it isn't over my 208!

Steak day... kinda like suspending a kid from school for skipping class.... is that REALLY a punishment?!?!? Nothing till dinner, then a giant ribeye?!?! MMMM. Celebrating my bday was tooo good. Even capping off the festivities with my steak! MMMM.

So the thing I learned, since this really has been about learning from my mistakes... too much bread and such is very bad. I'm much better off with corn and potatoes as my carbs. Gluten-free, more or less.

'Did my grocery shopping today and found what I think just might be the trick to white chocolate delight... SOY PROTEIN POWDER. I've made a couple small batches, and instead of proclaiming it to the universe, I will let it harden and give it a taste test BEFORE I post the recipie. Whey protein would probably be a good substitute, but where I went, there wasn't any, and I couldn't afford it today anyway
 (and what I found, I found in a bulk bin, so I didn't buy very much). It wasn't flavored, so vanilla whey protein would taste a little different, and I used agave. I sooo prefer agave to stevia. I just haven't gotten used to the stevia yet. Maybe I just haven't found the kind I like yet. Anyway. I'll post the recipie if it worked.

Hope y'all are having a blessed day! I'm constantly reminded of how grateful I am to have found this diet... until now, I just settled on believing that I'd be "fat" all my life. My sister has lost quite a bit of weight, on her own, and she told me I'd start going through some internal stuff as the weight comes off. And I am. I'm so shocked that I can now suck my tummy in and visualize me thin. I just had NEVER thought I'd EVER be that again, and it hurts to think about what that must mean to think that about myself. In my 12-step program, I have learned to "fit in," and not feel less than anyone else, but I had still felt depressed about my weight. Now that I don't feel "ugly" and "fat" since I'm on my way DOWN in that journey, I am feeling more empowered and not so ashamed and guilty for it! Those are SUCH ugly words to say. I'd resent anyone else for saying those things about me, but yet, I'd say it all the time! I know I'm not the only one in the world with such guilt and shame about the way I looked, and ate even MORE to stuff those feelings. That's the very cycle I'm trying to break free from! It really is a powerful addiction! This diet has REALLY helped, not only to lose weight, but it has helped me to become aware of everything I'm eating, and to retrain myself what to eat and what NOT to eat. Said I'd gone grocery shopping this morning. My cart was basically filled with FRESH foods, and I think only 3 things were packaged, and those were cereal & crackers for the kids and mac n cheese... which I don't want!!! AMAZED.

Apple day after birthday weekend!

Sorry I haven't posted lately! I was out of town at my parent's cabin in the mountains this weekend! So not only was it birthday cake, it was ONE smore's one night when we stayed up in front of the fire. I'm legally on p4 so I thought I could get away with it... I guess not. 209.4. My LDW is 206. (I also hadn't taken my scale, so I'm not sure if it was because of the whole 2 days, or ???) Hence the apple day today. (We also excersized a LOT and I don't think I drank enough water, so I think I'm probably retaining water. Hopefully today will get me below LDW!)

 

For excersize,  we got out of the cabin to hike around the lake. 1+ hr/2.5 miles!!! (And pushing my son in the stroller, which wanted to swerve off into the lake at every root that I had to push it over so now my arms are burning too!!) We also took a walk the day before yesterday and because there was a tree over the trail, we bushwacked up a steep bank to get back out onto the trail at the top. (It gave me a great deal of respect for the "prey" on Mantracker... they're always so glad to find the trail, even though they just know that mantracker always finds people there.) So anyway, I think I found my mode of excersize... nature walks. There's lots of places here where I live that are great walking paths to take the kids along... my daughter has sooo much energy that walking is GREAT for her, too!!!!! So here's to my new hobby. Hope it sticks! It definitely makes me feel good after, and the kids are enthusiastic about getting out too, since it USUALLY involves playing at the park!

 

Hope you all have (or had) a GREAT weekend! And GREAT losses!

CARPE CAKEM to me!!!!!

It's my BIRTHDAY!!! CARPE CAKEM!!!! (Seize the cake(s)!!!!!) MMMMM.

I weighed myself this am, and was at 208.8, which is roughly .8 above my 2 lb max. I was soooo sad, and WAS NOT going to do steak day, with it being my bday and all... got upstairs and realized I hadn't gone potty yet! So I did, and then I went back down to weigh. 207.6! A whopping 1.2 just by going pee!!! HOLY COW! Anyway. Hope all of you are having a glorious day! I know I will!

1st LEGAL day p4

So I'm on LEGAL day 1 of p4 today! So happy that I could squeal! And tomorrow is my BDay, so I made bday cake. My 1 big cheat!!! I feel so guilty about the cakes, but then again, there aren't any restrictions in p4 except to eat healthy. (I'm figuring that a cheat day 1x a week is my plan for p4, and OBVIOUSLY my 1st day will be TOMORROW! :D ) Now, I know that they have to wait till tomorrow, but the beaters were SOO GOOD! I couldn't choose between angel food and german chocolate, so I made both. FROM SCRATCH.

THE.BEST!

As much as I'm looking forward to this phase, I'm also happy that I get to start up again in 3 weeks. I love the feeling of losing the weight! And I REALLY want an excuse to make my hubby buy me a whole new wardrobe! (Not buying much right now... just what I NEED as I'm getting smaller!) So elated with where I am and where I'm headed! May this new year be just as amazing!

Back down 1.6 so I'm back to just fine... I had a hard time during TOM during p2, so I'm sure that was why so hard now. Hopefully this will work itself out without any more gains like this. That REALLY sucked!!! Still pounding the water. I'll keep that up for now. Sorry not too talkative today. I've got 2 little ones playing in the kitchen sink!!! Just thought I would update you after that terrible weigh in  yesterday!!!

WHITE chocolate delight!!!!! (p3)

yuk. I'm sooo not happy how this turned out that it is SOOOO getting taken off my blog!!! WHEN I find a good recipie, I will for sure post it!!!!! And sorry to anybody that wanted it or tried it!!! I know I spent $8 on the just whites, so sorry if you went out to find it!!! Get your money back. It didn't work.

Basic Chocolate Delight (p3~agave)

I have found that I really do prefer agave to stevia, so this is what I have made so far. I will use this in all my upcoming recipies as my basic chocolate delight recipie

1c coconut oil melted (I just keep mine on top of the refrigerator and it stays melted)
2/3 c (1/2 c for sweeter milk chocolate-like delight) cocoa
1/4 c agave
Capella drops (not absolutely necessary, but I liked carmel best.)

sift your cocoa into the melted oil. mix well. add your agave and stir. add the drops if you're going to, and pour into a mold or bowl to harden it in. Freeze until it's hard. Pop out of the mold and enjoy!

Beaten into Submission

ok so the scale has beaten me into submission back into p3. I am .1 below my upper 2 lb range. I know there are a few reasons, TOM, water weight and eating way too many carbs. Anyway, no more carbs. I'm supposed to be off p3 on Thursday, so I'm not sure how long I will go back to it to get myself readjusted. I liked the p3 foods anyway! And I'm forcing water to get myself all flushed out. Guzzled a 20 oz bottle before my breakfast of sausage and a strawberry smoothie. I think of carbs for my birthday, I will likely just have my 1 slice of sourdough garlic bread and a piece of cake. That is plenty. And keep up the p3 diet. Anyway. I did order cola and root beer capella drops. They will likely be here in a couple days, tomorrow maybe even! They came in super fast last time! I got my sparkling water yesterday so I'm ready whenever they come!!!

I tried to make up a version of white chocolate delight. I used powdered milk... NOTgood. I put the powder in a blender to make it more powdered, and then added the oil. Then when I put the sweetener (agave, since I don't like stevia) it separated and the milk became solid and the oil separated from the mess. yucky mess!!! So then I tried to mix the agave and oil before adding to the milk powder. Did the same thing. Time to try something else! Hebby Dobie on youtube did white chocolate with whey protein powder, but I didn't have any and didn't wanna spend $10-15 on something I didn't know if I'd like. Another recipie I saw used powdered egg whites, but couldn't find it, so I thought milk powder. I also saw malted milk powder but looked at ingredients and the 1st ingredient was wheat. So no go. I made up a batch of cheesecake dip for strawberries, and a thicker plain cheesecake with my NY cheesecake drops from capella. We had the strawberries and dip for dessert last night, and even the hubby liked it! And I also made PB cup chocolate delight. And chocolate delight with almonds and another with macadamias. I'm thinking I prefer the almonds to the mac nuts. Wish I was on p4 so I could crunch up pretzels (but on p2 you COULD chop or break up your grissini). That would be heaven! So anyway. I'm pretty well set up with desserts for the week, now all I have to do is keep up with p3!

p3 Cheesecake

This is soooooooo good! The recipie I was inspired by (From Carol Ensminger on youtube and miracle skinny drops) had whipped whole cream instead of the greek yogurt, but I didn't have any so I just basically sub'ed the yogurt. Great for anybody looking for a dessert that's really easy to make, AND sugar-free to boot!


8 oz pkg cream cheese or neufchatel (1/3 less fat) cheese
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup agave nectar
16 drops Capella Flavor Drops in N.Y. Cheesecake Flavor
http://www.capellaflavordrops.com/

Warm the cream cheese in the microwave for 45 secs to soften.
Add the yogurt and agave nectar. Mix well.
Count out your drops as you add them to the mix. Stir well.
Refrigerate for a few hours to set and the drops to take full effect.

Fair Food... 1 lb drop

Title says it all. No fair, huh?!?! So yes, we went to the fair yesterday. High of 96 (and if you're reading this from another part of the states, you may be thinking lucky me...) but I am NOT used to it this year and it was probably the hottest day yet, PLUS all the walking. I was a good girl bringing my water bottle and refilled the 2 of them between me and my 2 kids probably 4 or 5 times.And food wise I was pretty good until the elephant ear. Now, mind you I'm in p3, and the cheats I HAVE done this week I've lost, not gained, so I thought I'd just go easy on the treats, but that I'd probably be okay. So my sis and I shared an elephant ear (extra crispy) and between us, we ate probably 2/3 of it. It was good, but after, I felt kinda sickly. We'd been out in the heat since 9 am, and by then it was 3. Anyway. I took the 2 yr olds on 1 last ride. (The strawberry ride, a memory I surely won't forget. My son was laughing a precious little laugh I've never hearrd him laugh, and my neice was sooo dizzy her whole little body was wobbling like one of those punching bag toys that roll around when you hit them. Precious childhood. So Sweet!) After the ride we started the trek back to the bus to go back to the parking lot where our car was, and I started showing signs of heat sickness. Now, I was faithfully drinking water all day, but I was getting headaches, my chest was tight, my pulse was racing, nosebleed,  nauceous and sleepy. I was pretty scared for my health. Anyway. I got home fine and took a VERY long COOOLD shower. Still was out of it, but then, when I couldn't stay awake any longer and my head hurt so bad, I dozed off for 5 minutes till my hubby yanked the remote away. It jolted me awake and somehow... I was back! I just kept forcing myself to drink up, and I've been okay. Man! That.was.a.day! It was a great day, great memories with the kids, but I'm tellin ya what! I learned my lesson!!! I was pretty worried that the combo of the elephant ear and the possibility of retaining water from getting heat exhaustion would cause a gain. But no, either I'm the luckiest person alive or ??? I managed to escape the consequences of them both, and went down a lb!! I'm not gloating. It was pretty scary.

Going out this am to get cream to make Carol's cheesecake. Pretty excited about that! And still cannot wait for my coconut oil!!!! I'll post some pix when I make it! Hope all are having a great day! God Bless!

My 1st intro to capella drops... mmmmm

Got my capella drops yesterday and tried them this morning... I got caramel, cool mint, coconut, vanilla custard, and ny cheesecake... LOVED them all!!!! Made a cheat with hot cocoa to try the caramel, mint and coconut. mmmmm. And I tried the cheesecake and vanilla custard in some greek yogurt w stevia. Now, I'm a girl who HATES yogurt. But this? Was GOOD. Even my 2 and 5 yr olds loved it all! The yogurt was good for a fruit dip... ate it with strawberries. SO YUMMM! I bet this would be a good potluck/party food that no one would guess was hcg food!!! I haven't gotten my heavy cream to make Carol E's cheesecake with the drops, but I am going out directly tomorrow morning to get some. (Cream cheese, whipped whole cream, stevia and the cheesecake drops.) Sounds soooo good! Still waiting for the coconut oil. Probably saturday or monday. The anticipation is KILLING me! I want to test out the chocolate delight recipies to find MY perfect recipie! (Plus I want WHITE chocolate... so we'll see.) The coconut and mint would be good in white chocolate, so I'm soooo dying to try it!!!!! http://www.capellaflavordrops.com/

cheated p3 and lost .6

G'morning all! So I TOTALLY cheated p3 yesterday with 3 zucchini muffins and 1 slice of bread... and still .6 lost!!!!!! I'm ever closer to my LDW (206)! Seems like for the last week since I was struggling with leveling out, I've gone up and down in a 1 lb range between 206-7. Yesterday was 207, after all that cheating I was 206.4 just now. Now I know that one trick to p3 was to EAT my cals, but I think maybe I have stabilized a week earlier than the 3 weeks according to protocol. Makes me feel like going to p4 already, Not sure.

My son who was sick yesterday is no longer... I think that means we are headed off to the fair today, which means all the tempting fair food. There are lots of great bbq booths to choose over the foot long corndog and onion blossoms that I've loved in the past. And after that zucchini bread yesterday, I think I can satisfy my hankering for sweets with a little chocolate chip zucchini bread. It was sooo delish! (Although in the back of my mind I'm thinking... "it wouldn't be THAT bad..." so maybe not.)

pilot post

Ok all. I have been asked enough times if I wrote a blog that I think I will just go ahead and do it. I think it's better than my daily posting on facebook, where I'm SURE my friends are sick of the morning weigh in!!! (And welcome to any of my forum buddies from the HCG Diet 411 Blog! Hope you'll enjoy my posts here as much as you did there!) I'm not going to explain the exact protocol, unless someone asks, because I'm hoping you all will already know it. Plus there are soooooo many places online that have Dr. Simeon's manuscript “Pounds and Inches” at one's disposal.

This first round has NOT been without it's challenges. I struggled like no other with cheating and tasting the food I made for my family. BUT all in all, I lost 21 lbs and 22.5 inches in a 26 day period. I also had a rough start to p3, but I'm now stabilizing/stabilized?-- even??!?!?

I found with my posts on the aforementioned blog that I wrote on daily that I seemed to focus most on the food. I'm a foodie at heart, so I naturally am always thinking about food. With all the restrictions that this diet calls for, I have found ways to make all my fave foods hcg friendly! My motto with the food is that NOWHERE does it say that of the foods we DO get, that they have to be raw, boring or bland! Reinvent ways to prepare your foods, crush up that melba toast for killer breaded chicken or meatballs, puree your tomato to make your own spaghetti or cocktail sauce! Hope I can inspire you to get a little creative in the kitchen, as necessity has been the mother of all my creativity. TIRED of raw tomatoes? RAW apples? ME TOO!